It was a rookie year to remember for Lily Pederson and Elle Mueller on the University of Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team. The freshmen helped lead the Sooners to their seventh NCAA title back in April. 

“I knew it could be achievable, but I didn’t know freshman year, right out of the gate,” Mueller said.

“Being able to have two people from the same state, and two friends being able to go to the same college, and accomplish both of our dreams and goals, it’s amazing,” Pederson said.

Pederson grew up competing for Flips Gymnastics in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and Mueller at Twin City Twisters in Champlin, Minnesota. The two often competed against each other as kids.

“So literally we’ve known each other since we were so young, to now we’re teammates at OU, so now it’s so cool that both of us from Minnesota are now at the number one college,” Pederson said.

Now, these northerners are creating names for themselves in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). 

“Yeah, we’re really proud. I mean, we get made fun of for our accents sometimes, but it’s fine, it’s totally fine,” Pederson said, laughing.

It was a rare experience for two freshmen to contribute in big ways at the Division I NCAA Nationals. Mueller competed on the floor, earning a 9.90, and again on the vault, earning a 9.98 for the Sooners.

“I wasn’t competing for myself anymore, I was competing for my team because we all wanted to win that national championship,” Mueller said.

Pederson competed on the beam, vault and bars at nationals. She rebounded from a fall on the beam in the semifinals in a huge way, earning a 9.9375 after nailing her dismount when it mattered most.

“On day two, I completed the best beam routine I’ve had in my life. I had the best score I’ve ever had,” Pederson said. “It was such an amazing feeling, and knowing everyone believed in me and was confident in me, like the celebration after, it was a feeling like no other. I was feeling all the emotions and it’s a feeling I’ll never forget.”

No matter how big the wins are now and in the future, these gymnasts are always thankful for where the love of this sport started.

“[It] keeps me humble and keeps me to myself and reminds me of how far I’ve come,” Mueller said.

The Sooners had a nearly undefeated season and won the SEC for the first time in this conference.

Reports of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey playing golf with President Donald Trump emerged on Sunday, only to be confirmed on Monday. Sankey has openly discussed his outing with President Trump, a big meeting between the leader of the country and one of the more influential people in college athletics.

While the details of Trump and Sankey’s conversation are of interest, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum wanted to know about the outing himself. Sankey did have his golf game on display recently in Birmingham alongside other SEC coaches. Not your typical day on the course, there were trends Sankey noticed quite quickly.

“I slept restlessly because your mind conjures up all kinds of things,” Sankey said Monday via The Paul Finebaum Show. “Being on the driving range first, adjacent to the President, wanting to make sure I made solid contact repeatedly, given the importance of first impressions. And then, there are an enormous number of people around, obviously for security and communication purposes. So the first lesson was — always stay approximal to the President. Otherwise, you’re behind a whole lot of golf carts and you may not be able to move very quickly.”

President Trump is known for his love of golf, still playing throughout his time in the White House. Sankey revealed Trump did play well on Sunday, highlighting one moment where both of them had looks at birdie. One rolled the putt in while the other did not have such luck.

“I don’t know if Secret Service calls if I give away the wrong thing but I think it’s fine to say I high-fived the President, I fist bumped the President after good shots,” Trump said. “Others in our group did as well. He played well. There was a point where he had a birdie putt, I had a birdie putt. He made his and I made sure to miss mine. That seemed like the wisest thing to do. I think mine was more of a skill deficit.”

Overall, Sankey came away impressed with how interested President Trump is in sports. Multiple SEC games have hosted him throughout the years, as have neutral-site College Football Playoff venues. Questions were asked and perspectives were shared on issues surrounding college athletics, making for an overall successful day on the course.

“Very conversational, very interested in sports,” Sankey said. “Had been to a UFC event the night before. So, talked through some of the folks he met there. Talked about college sports directly and sharing perspective and asking questions.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Fisk University will discontinue its gymnastics program, the first in HBCU history, in May 2026.

Fisk Athletics competes in the HBCUAC.

Currently, gymnastics is not an HBCUAC-sanctioned sport, which the school says causes considerable challenges for the university to schedule competitions and build a robust recruiting pipeline.

Fisk Gymnastics’ final season of competition will be Spring 2026.

“While we are tremendously proud of the history our gymnastics team has made in just three years, we look forward to focusing on our conference-affiliated teams to strengthen our impact in the HBCU Athletic Conference,” said Valencia Jordan, Director of Fisk Athletics. “Fisk is grateful for the hard work, dedication and tenacity of its gymnasts, staff members, and coaches who made this program possible.”

Fisk first announced the program in 2022. Their prize recruit, Morgan Price, who decommitted from Arkansas to come to Nashville, became the first HBCU gymnast to win a national championship.

Price announced last month that she was transferring to the University of Arkansas for her final season.

Fisk’s decision to end the program comes about a year after Talladega College — the first HBCU to announce a gymnastics team — ended its own after just one season.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Department of Athletics and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties have announced the formation of Buckeye Sports Group (BSG), a groundbreaking initiative designed to support, streamline and enhance Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes. By creating a dedicated team of NIL leaders, this strategic partnership will empower Buckeye student-athletes to maximize their brand value while competing at the highest level.
 
Ohio State and Learfield Impact, the company’s industry-leading NIL services, are fueled by dedicated on-campus leadership professionals that prioritize Buckeye student-athlete brand engagement and content driven campaigns. Additionally, BSG will have access to Learfield’s Compass NIL technology to facilitate deal transactions and gain insights into student-athlete interests that foster authentic brand connections. 
 
“Ohio State has always been a leader in college athletics, and this initiative is another step forward to build upon our strong NIL foundation,” said Carey Hoyt, Ohio State’s Deputy Director of Athletics. “By combining the power of our athletic brand with Learfield’s expansive network, we are creating an innovative, full-service approach to NIL that directly benefits our student-athletes.”
 
The House v. NCAA settlement marks a pivotal shift in college athletics. As part of the agreement, signed and approved Friday and that will take effect July 1, schools will now be permitted to directly compensate athletes for use of their Name, Image and Likeness. A key component of the settlement is the implementation of a Fair Market Evaluation process, and a “range of compensation” designed to establish standardized benchmarks for NIL deals across sports and institutions. Buckeye Sports Group will serve as a centralized hub for NIL brand deal facilitation, corporate partnerships, student-athlete storytelling and NIL support. 
 
A Comprehensive NIL Strategy
The Buckeye Sports Group will support Ohio State’s student-athletes with comprehensive efforts within three key areas: deal facilitation and management, content creation and storytelling, and support services. 
 

§  NIL Deal Facilitation & Management
o   Negotiating and securing brand partnerships locally, regionally, and nationally for student-athletes.
o   Overseeing contract preparation and fair market value assessments.
o   Utilizing analytics to track NIL performance and return on investment.
 

• Content Creation & Student-Athlete Storytelling, powered by Learfield Studios

  • Creating athlete-driven digital content, including social media campaigns, video series and podcasts.
  • Leveraging Learfield’s Fanbase data and digital expertise to optimize distribution across social media and digital channels.
  • Providing marketing resources for brand collaborations to maximize results, including the use of Ohio State marks, logos and access to campus facilities. 

 

§  Athlete Support & Services
o   Providing financial literacy and tax support through partnerships with industry experts.
o   Offering branding and social media growth training to help athletes build their personal brands.
o   Connecting student-athletes with brand partners to provide business experience, micro-internships and build professional networking relationships with companies.
 
A Unified Approach to NIL
In a move to streamline and optimize NIL operations, Buckeye Sports Group will also work to consolidate existing NIL collectives under a single marketing team. This unified structure will provide student-athletes with seamless access to opportunities while competing for the Buckeyes. The founding members of THE Foundation and The 1870 Society will remain engaged and serve in an advisory capacity to the new Buckeye Sports Group. Additionally, re-occurring donations and subscriptions made to The Foundation will continue to play a vital role in supporting Ohio State Athletics. 
 
“We’re incredibly thankful for everything our NIL collective’s leadership, businesses and donors have done to support our student-athletes,” Ross Bjork, Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director, said. “Their commitment has helped shape the landscape in powerful ways. As we move forward with a more unified approach, we’re excited to combine efforts and further strengthen the NIL success of our student-athletes.”
 
Impact & Vision
Through this partnership, Ohio State Athletics and Learfield are setting a new standard for NIL excellence. The initiative aims to:
 

• Maximize student-athlete earning potential;
• Strengthen Ohio State’s brand value through strategic partnerships; and
• Create a sustainable, best-in-class NIL ecosystem that benefits athletes, brands, and the university.

 
“As we enter a new era for college athletics, we’re excited to build on our past successes and create even more meaningful NIL opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes,” said Todd Knisley, Vice President & General Manager of Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties. “Buckeyes have excelled both on and off the field, and we’re committed to amplifying that momentum. We also recognize the unique potential of our footprint in Columbus, one of the fastest-growing metro markets, for impactful deal-making. With the strength of Buckeye Nation behind us, we’re able to unlock incremental opportunities for partnerships on a local, regional, and national scale.”
 
BSG will fuel Ohio State’s NIL dealmaking success and build upon the momentum of over 500 NIL brand partnerships featuring Buckeye student-athletes across all 36 sports. Buckeye student-athletes have already collaborated with prominent brand partners such as Beats by Dre, Chipotle, RiteRug, Weber Grills, Element Electronics and more.
 
“We are committed to making Ohio State the premier destination for NIL success,” Hoyt added. “With Buckeye Sports Group, we’re building a model that will serve as the new standard for college athletics.”
 
#GoBucks
 

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Thousands of teens in Chicago Public Schools are being handed their diplomas this month before they embark on new adventures in college and the workforce.

Born in 2006 or 2007, these young people don’t know a world without smartphones and social media. They experienced a pandemic during puberty. And when they entered high school in the fall of 2021, schools were just returning to normal in-person operations.

Chalkbeat spoke to four accomplished graduating seniors about their educational journeys over the past four years and what comes next.

Cynthia Antonio-Garcia

Graduating: Back of the Yards College Prep

Attending: University of Southern California

As the daughter of street vendors, Antonio-Garcia said she basically grew up at Chicago’s West Lawn park. She started doing gymnastics through the park district in fifth grade and joined the cheerleading team as a freshman in high school at Back of the Yards College Prep, eventually becoming one of the squad’s captains and qualifying for state competitions.

During her senior year, she created a cheer camp for middle schoolers at nearby Nightingale Elementary, where younger students learned cheer routines from Antonio-Garcia’s team and performed with them at a Back of the Yards football game. She also helps coach cheer and gymnastics at Donovan Park.

During her freshman and sophomore years, Antonio-Garcia questioned whether college was in the cards.

“All these colleges are so expensive. How am I going to be able to afford them?” she said. “I think this was slowly eased through the help of my counselors and my teachers.”

Antonio-Garcia took part in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and has earned more than $90,000 in scholarships to attend the University of Southern California. She plans to major in biology on a pre-dentistry track and hopes to become a dentist serving Hispanics and Latinos, who often face language barriers in accessing dental health care.

Owen Lee

Graduating: Lane Tech College Prep

Attending: University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign

When Owen Lee joined the high school swim team his freshman year, he was primarily interested in diving. But the school’s pool wasn’t deep enough, and there was no diving team. So he worked with a coach off-site to build his skills and went on to win a city diving title. As a child at Coonley Elementary, Lee did competitive gymnastics and ballet after school, which he said helped a lot in diving.

This year, Lee took 7th place in diving at the Illinois state championships as part of the Lane Tech swimming team, which took 4th overall.

“We had a really, really stacked team this year, and I was so glad to be a part of that,” Lee said.

He excelled in pole vault during his four years at Lane Tech as well, and he credits teammates in both sports for being his support system and helping him find his place at Chicago’s largest public high school.

Lee will attend the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and plans to major in engineering with a possible minor in art and design.

Jakayla Jackson-Bowman

Graduating: Morgan Park High School

Attending: University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign

Jakayla Jackson-Bowman wanted to be valedictorian from an early age and joked that her friends in the top 10 of the class did “not make it easy” for her in the final semesters.

At Morgan Park High School, she participated in JROTC starting her freshman year and credited her two instructors, Lt. Col. Jamel Carr and Sgt. Delval DeSavieu, with helping pull her “out of that shell” early in high school.

Jackson-Bowman enrolled in the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Morgan Park and developed a love of English. She participated in the school’s dance team, student council, and debate team and served as JROTC battalion commander.

Morgan Park High School is one of five CPS high schools that works with the nonprofit Hope Chicago to pay the full cost of college for all graduates. Jackson-Bowman will attend the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign on a Hope scholarship and plans to major in neuroscience or neurobiology and eventually go to medical school to become a doctor.

Ximena Torres

Graduating: Farragut High School

Attending: Cornell University

Born and raised in Chicago’s Humboldt Park, Ximena Torres will soon be the first in her family to attend college when she heads to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, on a Posse scholarship.

Torres enrolled in Farragut High School four years ago almost by chance. She had paused her high school search amid remote learning in the first year of the COVID pandemic and picked the school for its pre-law program.

“I have had my heart set on being a lawyer since I was 12 years old,” Torres said, adding that she wants to practice immigration law. Both of Torres’ parents are from Mexico.

“I’m a first generation Mexican American, so it has really played a very big role,” she said. “I think the part that interests me the most is almost finding a balance between humanitarian arguments for immigration and then also arguments in favor of keeping intact the laws of the country.”

A bilingual honor society member, Torres served on Farragut’s Local School Council, the Little Village Youth Council, and the school’s Student Voice Committee. In the latter role, she led an effort to create in-school, self-care days — now named Admiral days — at Farragut once a semester.

“They are essentially nonacademic school days where we have different activities, where students can just build community, enjoy themselves, and have kind of like a wind-down day,” Torres said. “The bell schedule changes, and you get to pick from a variety of activities. JROTC does an archery class. We have puzzle classes and gaming classes with different teachers. It’s really up to you what you want to do on that day.”

Torres took part in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme her junior and senior year. She will attend Cornell University and major in philosophy. She plans to attend law school and eventually return to Chicago to practice.

Becky Vevea is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago. Contact Becky at bvevea@chalkbeat.org.

Who is Sean Magee and Why he’s Michigan’s NIL Mastermind originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

In the era of college football where money talks louder than tradition, Michigan’s secret weapon doesn’t wear a helmet, he wears a headset and carries a ledger.

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Behind the scenes of Michigan’s recent NIL transformation is Sean Magee, the Wolverines’ general manager and the man many insiders credit with turning the program into a recruiting powerhouse. While head coaches grab the headlines and five-stars grab the hype, Magee has quietly become one of the most important figures in college football’s modern arms race.

Magee isn’t just managing deals, he’s managing dreams. His deft maneuvering of Michigan’s NIL strategy played a crucial role in the program’s most stunning recruiting flip to date: quarterback Bryce Underwood. Poised to commit to LSU, Underwood shocked the college football world when he announced he was heading to Ann Arbor instead. And make no mistake, Magee’s strategic vision and willingness to invest were critical.

Before Magee’s influence, Michigan was routinely outmuscled by SEC giants like Georgia and Alabama in the NIL space. Now? The Wolverines are not just contenders, they’re closers. The once rigid walls of “we don’t pay for players” have given way to a forward-thinking approach built on competitive funding and smart execution.

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Magee isn’t only rewriting Michigan’s recruiting playbook, he’s rewriting his own future. Just last month, it looked like his alma mater, Navy, would lure him back as their next athletic director. But with Navy ultimately hiring former USF AD Michael Kelly, Michigan was spared, for now.

That escape, though, came with a warning. If Michigan wants to keep the architect of its NIL empire, it may have to act fast. Other programs are watching, and Magee’s stock is rising.

His relentless drive and strategic mind are earning comparisons to front-office stars in the NFL, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Michigan’s national title hopes hinge on keeping him in maize and blue. The question is no longer whether Magee is one of the most valuable people in college football, it’s how long Michigan can afford not to make that official.

If Michigan wants to stay on top in the NIL era, keeping Sean Magee isn’t optional, it’s mission critical. Restructure the contract. Secure the future.

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Related: Michigan Running Back’s Groundbreaking NIL Deal Redefines College Football

Related: EA Sports to Use Pay-for-Play Incentives for College Teams

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.