A rule change by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) opened the playing field for student-athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness for the first time in 2021. Still, not every student-athlete can rely on their personal brand to cover all their financial needs. Luckily for those attending Arizona State University (ASU), the new […]
A rule change by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) opened the playing field for student-athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness for the first time in 2021. Still, not every student-athlete can rely on their personal brand to cover all their financial needs. Luckily for those attending Arizona State University (ASU), the new Student-Athlete Venture Studio is expanding its lineup this fall to help time- and resource-strapped athletes harness their entrepreneurial potential.
Before the rule change — which began with an interim policy spurred by a Supreme Court ruling that is still in effect but has not been made permanent — student-athletes weren’t allowed to make any money off of their talents, even though their games brought in billions of dollars for their schools. In 2019 alone, Division One athletes were behind a whopping $15.8 billion in earnings on everything from ticket sales to merchandise, according to the NCAA.
Student-athletes who violated the previous name, image and likeness regulations faced stiff penalties. For example, Reggie Bush, who played for the University of Southern California before going on to the NFL, lost the prestigious Heisman Trophy awarded to him as the top player in college football in 2025 because he received a car and cash gifts during his time on the field. His award was reinstated last year.
Despite dedicating their youth to athletics, most student-athletes don’t go on to play their sport professionally after college. Their dedication to their sport can stunt their earnings in other ways — keeping them from working other jobs, applying for internships, starting businesses or preparing for a career after college, Kate Fitzgerald, one of the co-founders of the Student-Athlete Venture Studio at ASU, told TriplePundit.
“Before [the new name, image and likeness policy] existed, it was very hard for student athletes to really have any sort of income,” Fitzgerald said. “They were kind of bound to the university.”
Between a full class schedule and the 20 to 30 hours spent on training and other sport-related activities each week, student-athletes don’t have time left to work, she said. The policy change allows “them to have income and set themselves up for career and life after sport,” Fitzgerald said.
But not all student-athletes can take advantage of lucrative brand deals or become celebrities. As a beach volleyball player at ASU, Fitzgerald focused her efforts on founding VBAmerica, a volleyball-inspired clothing company she said is designed to inspire passion and confidence. She did so by tapping into the Venture Devils program at ASU, an entrepreneurial support system that offers students networking, mentorships, funding and other resources.
Kate Fitzgerald stands next to a booth of products from her clothing company VBAmerica, which she launched during her time as a student-athlete at Arizona State University. (Image courtesy of Arizona State University.)
“I was able to receive my first round of grant funding when I was a junior at ASU,” Fitzgerald said. “This funding helped me hold my first pop-up and then also get licensed with the university.”
After licensing her clothes with ASU, she ended up having six VBAmerica products placed in the university’s bookstores. From there, grant funding helped her score more pop-ups to make sales and promote awareness of her brand and expand to other universities like USC, UCLA, Stanford and Vanderbilt.
“While I was doing this, I realized ASU has all these resources I was trying to take advantage of, but I didn’t have the availability to, being a student-athlete,” Fitzgerald said. She noticed many other student-athletes needed access to those same resources.
With that need in mind, Fitzgerald and her mentor from the Venture Devils program, Jeff Kunowski, created the Student-Athlete Venture Studio at ASU to support student-athletes on their entrepreneurial journeys. The program offers access to resources like time-saving tech, one-on-one mentoring, summer internships with partner companies, grant funding contests, corporate sponsorships, workshops, monthly events and educational content tailored to their busy schedules. Fitzgerald said they designed the program to offer all the things she wished she had access to when developing her business.
Student-athletes at Arizona State University attend a Student-Athlete Venture Studio event. (Image courtesy of Arizona State University.)
Funding will vary from $250 microgrants for student-athletes beginning their entrepreneurial journey to thousands of dollars in grant money to kick off a company, Fitzgerald said. Marketing grants will also be available to those who are trying to land name, image and likeness contracts.
Fitzgerald and Kunowski worked with ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute, where Kunowski is also the associate director of innovation programs, and the tech company GoDaddy to launch the program. GoDaddy provided over 1 million dollars in cash and in-kind donations, Fitzgerald said.
The Student-Athlete Venture Studio soft-launched in January and will open up to all student-athletes at the university in the fall.
“We had two student athletes pitching at this recent demo day,” Fitzgerald said, referring to a campus-wide grant funding contest at ASU.
Sierra Ryan, a lacrosse player, hit her pitch out of the park, scoring a $13,000 grant to hire a team to expand her coding company. Ryan used the Student-Athlete Venture Studio’s partnership with Empower by GoDaddy, the company’s global social impact program, to create a website that helped legitimize her business.
The other student-athlete, who is on the wrestling team, also scored grant funding, though Fitzgerald wasn’t able to say exactly how much he will receive. Additionally, GoDaddy reported that 22 student-athletes redeemed product codes to begin working on their business goals ahead of the Student Athlete Venture Studio’s full launch.
“We’re thrilled to combine the business-building power of GoDaddy Airo with the drive and immense potential of these enterprising student-athletes,” Jared Sine, chief strategy and legal officer at GoDaddy, told TriplePundit in an email. “According to our research, 50 percent of Gen Z aspire to become entrepreneurs, and through Empower by GoDaddy, we’re accelerating this journey for these young innovators by providing them with the tools they need to bring their business dreams to life off the field.”
Arizona State University football player Raleek Brown registers a website domain at the Student-Athlete Venture Studio. (Image courtesy of Arizona State University.)
Fitzgerald said she thinks the program can be replicated at other universities, but ASU’s existing innovation programs for student entrepreneurs might have given them a home-court advantage. She’s confident that the program will succeed regardless of further name, image and likeness policy changes.
“Right now, the challenge is, this is such a new initiative and a new outlook on name, image and likeness that [it’s just about] getting people involved,” Fitzgerald said. “We want to work with as many people as we can, and help these students.”
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Eugene, ORE. – La Salle women’s track runner Gwenno Goode will race in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Thursday evening, competing in the 3k steeplechase semifinals. The meet will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN and ESPN+. Follow @LaSalle_XCTF on X and […]
Eugene, ORE. – La Salle women’s track runner Gwenno Goode will race in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Thursday evening, competing in the 3k steeplechase semifinals. The meet will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN and ESPN+.
Follow @LaSalle_XCTF on X and @lasalle_tfxc on Instagram for updates and content surrounding the team.
SCOUTING THE EXPLORER:
Goode qualified for the NCAA Championships by placing 11th overall in the 3k steeplechase at the NCAA East Regional meet.
She placed fourth in her heat, finishing the event in a time of 10:01.65.
The 3k steeplechase is scheduled to start at 7:38 p.m. EST.
Goode will race in the first of two heats. The top five in each heat, plus the next two fastest times, will advance to the 3k steeplechase finals, which is scheduled for Saturday at 9:25 p.m. EST.
volleyball program. CONTRIBUTED/ LANICE WHITE Lanice White takes the reins of Phil Campbell High School’s
News, Phil Campbell Bobcats
PHIL CAMPBELL Lanice White has been named new head volleyball coach Phil Campbell High School. She takes over for Julianna Taylor, who was head coach for two […]
volleyball program. CONTRIBUTED/ LANICE WHITE Lanice White takes the reins of Phil Campbell High School’s
News, Phil Campbell Bobcats
PHIL CAMPBELL Lanice White has been named new head volleyball coach Phil Campbell High School.
She takes over for Julianna Taylor, who was head coach for two years and took the Bobcats to the Class 3A Super Regionals for two consecutive seasons.
White steps in to lead a still-young program, bringing with her a coaching and teaching career that began in 2000. She inherits a team with a strong foundation and high expectations.
“I was drawn to Phil Campbell High School because of its high academic standards and the amazing culture within its volleyball program,” White said.
Her immediate goals include pushing the team beyond the super regionals; competing with the top programs in northwest Alabama; and ultimately “to put Phil Campbell on the map as a premiere volleyball program.”
White’s coaching journey started in 2008. Her philosophy is built on developing more than just athletic skills. Inspired by legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, she aims to build “character, discipline and resilience while cultivating a competitive spirit.”
Her mission statement for her teams is clear: “Today we are building a better world through volleyball.”
Her credentials underscore a deep commitment to the sport. White holds a CAP Level III accreditation through USA Volleyball and serves on the coaching staff for Gold Medal Squared, a national organization that trains athletes and coaches.
Saturday TV Ratings: 48 Hours, The Conners, AVP Beach Volleyball, MLB Baseball – canceled + renewed TV shows, ratings
(48 Hours X) Saturday, June 7, 2025 ratings — New Episodes: (none). Sports: WNBA: Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky, AVP Beach Volleyball, and MLB Baseball. Reruns: 48 Hours, Destination X, American Ninja Warrior, and The Conners. Note: If you do not see the updated charts, please try reloading the page or go here. The percentages […]
Saturday, June 7, 2025 ratings — New Episodes: (none). Sports:WNBA: Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky, AVP Beach Volleyball, and MLB Baseball. Reruns: 48 Hours, Destination X, American Ninja Warrior, and The Conners.
Note: If you do not see the updated charts, please try reloading the page or go here.
The percentages represent the change since the previous original episode. (Percentages aren’t given for reruns or specials.) To see past ratings for a particular show, click the show’s link. The show pages are updated with the daily final ratings when they become available. Those pages include season averages to date.
What were you watching last night? Original network programming, reruns, cable, or something else?
Going into NCAAs, the Cavaliers will face stiff competition – The Cavalier Daily
The 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field season will come to a close Wednesday to Saturday, fittingly ending with championships out in Eugene, Ore., a place known for its nickname –– Track Town USA. 11 Cavaliers will compete. Senior Alex Sherman will take on the 400 meter hurdles, junior Keyandre Davis and graduate student Annika […]
The 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field season will come to a close Wednesday to Saturday, fittingly ending with championships out in Eugene, Ore., a place known for its nickname –– Track Town USA.
11 Cavaliers will compete. Senior Alex Sherman will take on the 400 meter hurdles, junior Keyandre Davis and graduate student Annika Kelly the hammer throw, senior Margot Appleton and junior Gary Martin the 1500 meters and senior Jenny Schilling the 10k. Additionally, graduate student Will Daley, senior Justin Wachtel and Appleton will run in the 5k, junior Celia Rifaterra and senior Carly Tarentino will compete in the high jump and graduate student Estel Valeanu in discus.
Like with the NCAA East Regionals, the first two days primarily are used to qualify into the finals for the final days of competition, but longer distance events –– 5k and up –– as well as field events will not have a qualifying round and will immediately go into the finals.
Martin will almost certainly advance to the finals in the 1500, but his qualifying round will give a sense of how he feels going in. Martin is pitted against Villanova senior Liam Murphy and Georgetown senior Abel Teffra. Murphy has the best time in the NCAA for this event –– 3:33.02 –– and Teffra bested Martin to win the event at East Regionals. Teffra’s personal best is 0.13 slower than Martin’s but, at Regionals, Teffra only had to run 3:38.65 to beat him.
Martin’s primary goal for the first round is to make it into the top five, but where he places within them will be a decent temperature check for finals and whether or not he can outkick some of his competitors.
Appleton will also be headed into a challenging situation, especially with managing two events. She may not have had the fastest time at East Regionals in the 1500 compared to some of her competitors, but since there were two separate heats then and she won the heat she was placed in, Appleton should not be counted out as a contender for winning the event.
Still, the women’s 1500 meters will be highly competitive with six other women only a few tenths above or below Appleton’s personal best of 4:05.68. Appleton no longer has the top ranking in the NCAA for this event — Providence senior Shannon Flockhart took that title with her 4:04.97 time at East Regionals. Appleton should at least place within the top 10 for the 5k but could also stick the top five, particularly after her second-place finish at Regionals.
In the women’s 10k, Schilling will have a lot of competition as well. She is solidly ranked in the middle of the pack and was able to beat a few runners at East Regionals with faster personal bests but is not likely to break into the top five.
Wachtel and Daley are located in the lower half of the 5k, according to their season best times, and even though Daley’s third place finish at East Regionals was strong, the level of competition at NCAA West Regionals was so stiff that none of the East Regional qualifiers’ times would have gotten them a spot at NCAAs had they been at West Regionals.
The top five times were all below 13:30, led by Portland senior Matt Strangio’s 13:25.98 5k, while the fastest East Regional time was 13:36.54 from Wake Forest sophomore Rocky Hansen. In the field, Kelly, Davis and Valeanu will have a difficult fight ahead of them.
High jump could go a couple ways for Rifaterra, though, since high jump at East Regionals resulted in seven athletes with a highest jump of 1.82 meters and at West Regionals eight women jumped 1.84. If Rifaterra is consistent and strong in her jumps, then she has a decent chance of making the top five, but if not there could be some variability in where she places.
Meanwhile, Tarentino is ranked towards the end of competition according to NCAA standings for high jump. For the 400 hurdles, Sherman is not certain to qualify for finals and is set within a challenging semifinal heat.
This weekend will almost certainly be an uphill battle for the Cavaliers, but not necessarily one without any victories. The 1500 meter races on both the men’s and women’s side should be exciting, and high jump will also be an event to look out for.
Somonauk High School Shines at IHSA State Track and Field Championships
Somonauk High School athletes delivered impressive performances at the recent IHSA State Track and Field Championships held at Eastern Illinois University last month. Lexi Punsalan became the IHSA Class 1A State Champion in the pole vault, clearing 12 feet—a new school record. Landin Stillwell placed 15th in the 3200-meter run and also set a school […]
Somonauk High School athletes delivered impressive performances at the recent IHSA State Track and Field Championships held at Eastern Illinois University last month.
Lexi Punsalan became the IHSA Class 1A State Champion in the pole vault, clearing 12 feet—a new school record.
Landin Stillwell placed 15th in the 3200-meter run and also set a school record in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:34.
The 4×800-meter relay team earned a medal, finishing 8th overall with a time of 8:15. The team featured Landin Stillwell, Jackson Brockway, Gunnar Swensen, and Caden Hamer.
SNTV expands services and unveils new custom-built facilities
Sports video news agency SNTV has launched a series of enhanced services to provide broadcasters and publishers with unrivalled news coverage that meets the ever-changing needs of today’s audiences. Among the new offerings are SNTV Live, mobile-first video formats, and custom-built remote commentary facilities in Singapore, designed to power elevated sports narratives across global markets. […]
Sports video news agency SNTV has launched a series of enhanced services to provide broadcasters and publishers with unrivalled news coverage that meets the ever-changing needs of today’s audiences.
Among the new offerings are SNTV Live, mobile-first video formats, and custom-built remote commentary facilities in Singapore, designed to power elevated sports narratives across global markets. The launch also coincides with a new brand identity for SNTV.
“We’ve evolved from a traditional news agency into an embedded editorial production partner,” said James Dobbs, managing director at SNTV. “Our new identity and expanded services reflect the scale, speed and agility that our clients now expect in a fragmented and fast-paced sports media ecosystem.”
SNTV Live is a new live sports news service delivering more than 400 events annually. Covering the world’s most in-demand sports, including football, NFL, NBA, MLB, tennis, Formula 1 and boxing, the service spans press conferences, weigh-ins, post-match reactions, training sessions, and fan moments.
This new offering is designed to enable broadcasters and publishers to integrate authentic live event content into their own output at scale, quickly, efficiently and with minimal operational lift.
SNTV has also completed its custom-built remote commentary facilities in Singapore. Purpose-built for live commentary, voiceover production and podcast recording, the facility offers a high-quality, sustainable alternative to on-site setups, reducing travel, turnaround times and environmental impact.
This investment also supports growing demand for multilingual and localised sports narratives across global markets.
In addition, SNTV is rolling out vertical video formats across its core service offering. Designed for mobile-first and social consumption, this format will be a key component of SNTV’s coverage at major events and throughout the sporting calendar, helping clients meet audience expectations across platforms.
Finally, the refreshed brand identity reflects SNTV’s evolution into a future-facing content provider for today’s fast-moving sports media landscape. With sports consumption shifting rapidly – from linear to digital, and horizontal to vertical – SNTV’s new identity and service enhancements are designed to equip media organisations with high-quality, multi-format content built for real-time distribution across every screen.
(via @nbcsportsauthentic/TT)
