By ERIC OLSON AP College Football Writer

Conference commissioners lauded a judge’s approval of a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement as a means for bringing stability and fairness to an out-of-control college athletics industry but acknowledged there would be growing pains in implementing its terms.

In a 30-minute virtual news conference on Monday, commissioners of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC renewed their call for congressional action to supplement and even codify the settlement and emphasized that cooperation at every level of college sports would be necessary to make it work.

They said it was too early to address how violators of rules surrounding revenue sharing and name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements would be punished and noted newly hired College Sports Commission CEO Bryan Seeley would play a major role in determining penalties.

The new era of college athletics has arrived after U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval on Friday night to what’s known as House vs. NCAA. Beginning July 1, each school can share up to about $20.5 million with their athletes – those payments will be in addition to scholarships and other benefits the athletes already receive. Beginning June 7, athletes have to report third-party NIL deals of $600 or more to the College Sports Commission, which will analyze them to make sure they pay appropriate “market value” for the services being provided by athletes.

Some of the topics addressed Monday:

Binding conferences to terms

The conferences drafted a document that would bind institutions to enforcement policies even if their state laws are contradictory. It would require schools to waive their right to pursue legal challenges against the CSC. It also would exempt the commission from lawsuits from member schools over enforcement decisions, instead offering arbitration as the main settlement option.

Consequences for not signing the agreement would include risking the loss of league membership and participation against other teams from the Power Four conferences.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said the document remains a work in progress but that he’s gotten no pushback from his schools.

“I look to get that executed here in short order,” he said, “and know it will be very necessary for all the conferences to execute as well.”

Directives on revenue sharing

There has been no directive given to individual schools on how to determine the allocation of revenue-sharing payments, commissioners said. It’s widely acknowledged that athletes in football and basketball are expected to receive the majority of the money.

“I know for all five of us no one is forgetting about their Olympic sports and continuing to make sure we’ve invested a high level for all of our sports,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said.

College Sports Commission CEO

The commissioners said Seeley, as MLB executive vice president of legal and operations, was uniquely qualified to lead the CSC, which is charged with making sure schools adhere to the rules.

“Culture doesn’t change overnight,” Seeley told The Athletic over the weekend. “I don’t expect that to happen overnight, but I do think that the schools that have signed on to the settlement want rules and want rules to be enforced. Otherwise they wouldn’t have signed on to the settlement. I think student-athletes want a different system. So I think there is a desire for rules enforcement. There’s a desire for transparency.”

Sankey said Seeley is well-versed in areas of implementation, development and adjustment of rules and in NIL disputes requiring arbitration.

Yormark said: “You want people not to run away from a situation but to run to a situation. He ran here, and he’s very passionate to make a difference and to course correct what’s been going on in the industry.”

Skepticism about enforcement

Deloitte’s “NIL Go” program and LBI Software will track NIL deals and revenue-sharing contracts, and the commissioners shot down skepticism about the ability of those tools to enforce terms of the settlement. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said football and basketball coaches he spoke with in February were unanimous in wanting regulation. Sankey said he has asked the same question at every level – including up to the university presidents.

“If you want an unregulated, open system, just raise your hand and let me know,” Sankey said. “And universally, the answer is, ‘No, we want oversight. We want guardrails. We want structure.’ Those individuals don’t have the luxury to just say that in meeting rooms, period. They don’t have the luxury to just be anonymous sources. They have a responsibility to make what they’ve sought – what they’ve asked for – to make it work.”

Congressional action

NCAA president Charlie Baker has been pushing Congress for a limited antitrust exemption that would protect college sports from another series of lawsuits, and the commissioners want a uniform federal NIL law that would supersede wide-ranging state laws.

“We’re not going to have Final Fours and College Football Playoffs and College World Series with 50 different standards,” Sankey said, “so that’s a starting point.”

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said the willingness of administrators to modernize the college athletics model should prompt federal lawmakers to move on codifying the settlement.

Sankey’s meeting with Trump

Sankey confirmed a Yahoo Sports report that he and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua played golf with President Donald Trump on Sunday. Sankey said he appreciates Trump’s interest in college sports and that it was helpful to share perspectives on the path forward. Trump reportedly considered a presidential commission on college sports earlier this year.

Sankey declined to disclose details of their talks.

“I think those are best left for the moment on the golf course,” he said.

Even with a multitude of questions still looming, Phillips said college athletics is in a “much better place” than it was 48 hours ago, before the settlement was approved.

“What’s not debatable is that this new model does bring stability and fairness to student-athletes in college sports,” Phillips said. “We’ve been in an unregulated environment with no rules and no enforcement. It has paralyzed the NCAA in Indianapolis, and we’re responsible for certainly some of that. We’re now going to have a foundation and structure laying out those rules. The new structure provides our student-athletes with more opportunities and benefits than ever before.”

Hamilton College’s Connor Griff ’25 (Purchase, N.Y./Harrison HS) and Antonio Chavez ’28 (Tegucigalpa, Honduras/Emilio Sanchez American School) earned 2025 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Men’s Tennis All-America honors on Thursday, June 5 when the organization released its list.

Griff and Chavez were one of 22 doubles teams honored by the ITA. They are the first all-Americans in Hamilton men’s tennis team history.

All-America honors are awarded to doubles teams that are a top four seed in the NCAA doubles tournament, win one round at the NCAA doubles tournament, finish in the top 10 in the final ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, win an ITA fall regional tournament, or win a first-round match at the ITA National Small College Championships (ITA Cup).

Griff and Chavez reached the finals of the Division III Northeast Regional championships at Drew University in late September and qualified for the 2024 ITA Cup. They defeated University of Mary Washington’s Evan Fisher and Brock Ladehoff by scores of 6-1 and 7-6 (6) in the first round of the NCAA Division III doubles draw at the Rome (Ga.) Tennis Center at Berry College.

Griff and Chavez finished the 2024-25 season with a record of 16-12 as a doubles pairing. They played the majority of their matches as the Continentals’ top doubles team.

 

Florida A&M University athletic director Angela Suggs was arrested Monday on fraud and theft charges for allegedly using a corporate credit card for personal use totaling more than $24,000 at her former job.

Suggs, 55, turned herself in and was booked at the Leon County Jail. She was later released on a $13,500 bond.

She was charged with two felonies: grand theft and scheme to defraud. She was also charged with four misdemeanor counts of false claims on travel vouchers.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Suggs made wire transfers, cash withdrawals and personal purchases at casinos during business trips while CEO of the Florida Sports Foundation.

The investigation began last November after the FDLE received a criminal referral from the Florida Department of Commerce’s Inspector General, which audited Suggs’ business credit card purchases and corresponding travel reimbursements at the FSF. The FSF is a direct-support organization operating under the Florida Department of Commerce.

The audit revealed that Suggs falsified travel vouchers by coding the unauthorized charges as meals, according to the FDLE. When asked about the unauthorized charges, Suggs claimed some were for business meals and others were accidentally charged to the business card. She failed to fully repay FSF for her personal expenditures, the FDLE said.

FAMU Interim President Timothy Beard said in a statement that the university is aware of the allegations connected to her work with a “former employer.”

“While the matter is unrelated to her duties as an employee at FAMU, we are monitoring the situation and will respond in the future as appropriate,” Beard said.

There was no attorney listed in jail records for Suggs, who in April hired 1993 Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward as the school’s men’s basketball coach.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Dear UConn Nation,

In June 2020, a lawsuit was filed by a former college swimmer named Grant House, seeking damages for student-athletes who were unable to earn money from their name, image and likeness (NIL). This lawsuit and other similar cases were ultimately consolidated into what has been popularly referred to as the House vs. NCAA settlement. Now, five years later, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken has just granted final approval of the historic settlement, which will reshape college athletics through the introduction of revenue sharing with student-athletes starting on July 1. 

As you know from my prior communications, all of us at UConn have been closely monitoring the legal proceedings and making plans for this eventuality. Revenue sharing represents a necessary and significant financial investment and, as such, we have been meeting regularly to explore new and enhanced revenue streams in order to identify funding sources. From bolstering ticket sales to securing additional corporate sponsorships to elevating media rights, we have been analyzing every opportunity to enhance departmental income, while minimizing or postponing expenditures that don’t carry an associated return. We are also studying possible naming rights initiatives, more robust concession areas at our facilities, and merchandising/apparel sales expansion in the market. Maximizing revenues in the new world order will be a paramount priority. 

The other critical element in our revenue generation efforts, which I have shared with our loyal supporters through my emails, in person at games and through regular conversations, is private fundraising. The House settlement permits athletic departments to share up to $20.5 million annually with their student-athletes. This year, we intend to share $18 million, with the near-term goal of being fully funded. It is only with the support of our loyal fans that we will be able to thrive in this evolving landscape, as success in revenue sharing directly translates to success on the fields of competition. 

As I have conveyed previously, we need to double our overall donor participation in terms of Husky Athletic Fund members and contributions, in order to continue competing at the highest level. If we cherish the joy that is derived from conference, regional and national championships, along with bowl wins, we need to lock arms and travel this road together. The college athletics game has changed, but our focus on greatness doesn’t have to.

For those who already give so generously, we appreciate you more than you know. Please join us in recruiting more fans who understand the urgency and will make a gift to the Fight On Fund. With your help, we will grow our base of support, produce more winners, and share the ongoing pride in our achievements. 

Thank you for your dedication to UConn Athletics and our student-athletes. Go Huskies!

Sincerely,

David Benedict

Director of Athletics

June 9, 2025

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Leaves Penn State After 13 Years

CHN Staff Report

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Keith Fisher

Lindenwood

Penn State

ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Lindenwood officially named Keith Fisher its new head coach today. It comes one week after previous coach Bill Muckalt left to take the job at Michigan Tech.

Lindenwood is going into its fourth season as a Division I NCAA program. Its first two years were led by Rick Zombo, and Muckalt was at the helm for one.

Fisher comes to Lindenwood after a lengthy stint as assistant coach at Penn State, which made its first Frozen Four this past season.

“It is an exciting time to be a Lion, and I look forward to building the program into a national contender.  I can’t wait to get started,” Fisher said.

Overall, Fisher has over 25 years of coaching experience between collegiate and junior hockey.

“From the outset of our search, it was essential to find a leader who could elevate our program to the next level,” Lindenwood athletic director Jason Coomer said. “Coach Fisher has been immersed in winning cultures throughout his career and has consistently helped young men grow and compete at the highest levels of the game.”

During his time at Penn State, the Nittany Lions made four NCAA Tournaments (2017, 2018, 2023 and 2025) and won a pair of Big Ten postseason championships (2017, 2020).

“While Coach Fisher’s recent run to the Frozen Four speaks volumes, it’s his overall body of work that truly sets him apart,” Coomer said. “He is widely respected across the college hockey landscape, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him behind the bench, guiding and developing our young men.”

Fisher was named the 2020 Terry Flannagan Award winner, honoring the nation’s top assistant and their career body of work. In total, Fisher has coached three Big Ten Player of the Year winners with two coming on the defensive side, 12 All-Conference performers, a pair of All-Americans, and three NHL players while at Penn State.

Fisher spent 2005-11 on the staff at Princeton. With the Tigers, he helped lead the team to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths (2008, 2009) and the 2008 ECAC and Ivy League Championships. When Princeton head coach Guy Gadowsky accepted the job at Penn State, Fisher came along with him,

“Today Lindenwood hired an excellent coach and an even better person,” Gadowsky said. “Coach Fisher has been a great friend and a huge part of the success of the hockey programs at Penn State and Princeton.  Penn State Hockey, and me personally, will really miss Fish but we all look forward to seeing him build the Lindenwood hockey program with great integrity — just like him.”

Fisher spent five years with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers’ coaching staff, helping the team to the Clark Cup championship in 2001. His team also was crowned the Anderson Cup regular-season champions in both 2002 and 2005.

In Omaha, he served as the team’s recruiting coordinator and academic advisor, in addition to other responsibilities of on-ice coaching, video breakdown and game analysis.

Fisher began his career at St. Cloud State, serving as an undergraduate assistant coach for two seasons.

A graduate of St. Cloud State, Fisher has a bachelor’s degree in communications. Prior to coaching, Fisher played two seasons at Hibbing Community College and participated in the NJCAA National Tournament.