ORLANDO, Fla. — The man steps onto a raised platform, walks behind a podium and leans toward the microphone.

Before him, more than 200 college athletic administrators shift to the front of their seats. For months now, they’ve been waiting for this moment.

Advertisement

“I’m Karl,” the man says, “with Deloitte.”

Karl Schaefer is a young man with perfectly cropped hair, a sharp grin and slender frame. He is here to lead a 40-minute presentation on the single most talked-about concept of college athletics’ new revenue-sharing era: the Deloitte-run clearinghouse dubbed “NIL Go.”

Though it remains unsaid by those in power, the goal of NIL Go is quite clear: prevent booster payments to athletes that, for four years now, have been masquerading as commercial and endorsement deals.

As Schaefer flips through slides of the NIL Go software system, for the first time revealed publicly, whispers within the room build to murmurs. Attendees capture slides with photos. Some video the entire event. Others scribble notes on a pad.

How Deloitte and the new enforcement entity, the College Sports Commission, plan to prevent booster pay is the target of much criticism and fascination — plenty of it shrouded in secrecy for the last many months.

Advertisement

In central Florida, at an annual conference of administrators this week, the shroud was at least partially lifted. Not only was the platform’s interface shown on a giant projection screen during Schaefer’s presentation — including the six-step submission and approval process — but, in interviews with Yahoo Sports or during other public presentations, college sports executives who helped craft the system answered questions that, up to this point, had remained unanswered.

While many doubt that the clearinghouse will withstand inevitable legal challenges, administrators here provided legitimate reasons for why they believe in its long-term survival. Most notable of those, says NCAA president Charlie Baker, is that the clearinghouse’s appeals process — arbitration — is equipped with subpoena powers.

“They do have that power,” Baker told Yahoo Sports this week. “Arbitration typically has subpoena power and I’m pretty sure since this one sits inside an injunction, they will have it.”

Officials at the power conferences confirmed that “significant subpoena powers” exist under the arbitration appeals process, but those powers are less expansive than subpoena authority within a courtroom. The decision to use subpoena powers and how exactly to use them — limited or broad — is expected to rest with the arbitrator presiding over the appeals process.

Advertisement

A subpoena compels individuals or entities to produce evidence under penalty of law, such as turning over text messages, emails and phone call logs as well as testifying before investigators. It is one of the more important tools for officers of the law, such as police investigators — and something that was never available to the NCAA enforcement staff.

“We won’t have complete subpoena power, but if an athlete goes into arbitration … those records, you can get access to some of those records,” said Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork, who is a member of a settlement implementation committee that helped construct the new enforcement entity.

“It’s going to be a new day.”

The algorithm

Back in the Deloitte presentation room, Schaefer is explaining the submission process for NIL Go. Athletes are required to submit third-party NIL deals of $600 or more using a web-based submission system, not unlike an online registration system for, say, a passport.

Advertisement

Shaefer explains, gesturing toward a giant projection screen, that the clearinghouse makes three determinations once a deal is submitted:

1. Is the third party an “associated entity” with the university, such as a booster, or a business contracted with a school like a university sponsor or apparel brand? If so, more intense scrutiny is applied in the vetting process. Public companies can, and many of them will, be deemed as associated entities.

2. Is the deal for a “valid business purpose?” The third-party business, brand or individual must be receiving true value from the activities, such as an autograph session, television commercial or speaking engagement.

3. Is the deal within Deloitte’s “range of compensation” paid to similarly situated individuals? This is perhaps the most criticized of the concepts. Deloitte created “the range of compensation” through an algorithm using fair market value analysis, comparing similar types of NIL deals struck between an athlete and the third party.

More is now known about that algorithm.

Clemson athletic director Graham Neff, one of the implementation committee members, details the factors used to form a compensation range: “Athletic performance is a big part of it. Your social media reach and following. Market — where schools are at. The reach of your school within said market.”

This will vary by school. Neff offers an example. “The reach of Georgia Tech in Atlanta is different than the reach of Georgia State,” he says.

Advertisement

Neff believes that a “majority” of NIL deals will derive from “associated companies,” as school sponsors, multi-media rights partners and individual alumni and boosters work to provide universities with additional compensation so they can exceed the $20.5 million revenue sharing cap that each school is afforded. Third-party NIL compensation that passes the clearinghouse does not count against the cap.

Even those who helped craft the new enforcement entity acknowledge that the system is attempting to do a very difficult thing: bring regulation to an enterprise that has, for four years now, seen little to no regulation or enforcement of athlete compensation.

“There’s some toothpaste back in the tube a little bit given the environment,” Neff said.

For example, Deloitte officials claim that 70% of past deals from booster collectives would have been denied in their algorithm, while 90% of past deals from public companies would have been approved. Deloitte has also shared with officials that about 80% of NIL deals with public companies were valued at less than $10,000 and 99% of those deals were valued at less than $100,000.

Advertisement

These figures suggest that the clearinghouse threatens to significantly curtail the millions of dollars that school-affiliated, booster-backed collectives are distributing to athletes.

“No one is trying to restrict someone’s earning potential, but what we’re trying to say is, ‘What is the real market?’” Bjork says. “Everybody you talk to about the pro market will tell you that NIL deals for pro athletes are really small. In the collective world, we created a false market.”

Denial, approval and arbitration

Displayed on the giant screen before hundreds of athletic administrators is the six-step clearinghouse submission and approval process.

Advertisement

Step 6 lays out the process for a player if his or her deal is denied by the clearinghouse because it either is not struck for a valid business purpose or it does not meet the compensation range.

(1) Revise and resubmit the deal so that the compensation amount falls within the algorithm’s range. For instance, if the clearinghouse deems that a submitted $1 million deal should be $500,000, the athlete can resubmit for $500,000 and the school, if it so chooses, can compensate the athlete for the other $500,000 through its revenue-share pool.

(2) Cancel the deal completely.

(3) Request arbitration as an appeals process.

Advertisement

(4) Accept the rejected deal as is. In this case, the athlete “may face enforcement consequences (e.g., loss of eligibility),” the Deloitte presentation slide reads.

According to settlement terms, attorneys for the plaintiffs (the suing athletes) and defendants (NCAA and power conferences) will work together to select a neutral arbitrator or arbitrators to preside over these cases. Individual arbitration processes are expected to last no more than 45 days.

In an interview last fall, plaintiff lawyer Jeffrey Kessler described the arbitration as a trial-like set of hearings in front of an arbitrator — the new enforcement entity on one side (NCAA and power conferences) and the athlete on the other side.

How an arbitrator rules may “depend on what evidence” each side produces, Kessler said. As Baker and others have noted, that evidence may now be generated through limited subpoena power.

Advertisement

But one lingering question remains: Will an athlete’s school fight alongside him or her in the case? “I expect that if the athlete pursues it, the school will support the athlete and help provide the athlete with counsel to help represent them in that challenge,” Kessler said.

Penalties for NIL violations

Implementation committee members say they are finalizing a “menu” of penalties for those found to commit violations within this new revenue-sharing era, most notably those found to have (1) circumvented the cap with old-fashioned cheating or intentional or accidental miscalculations; and (2) tampered with another college athlete or prospect who is under contract.

Officials decided against using a set penalty matrix as the NCAA currently does (Level I, Level II, etc.). Instead, they are providing the new College Sports Commission CEO, Brian Seeley, with the flexibility to choose penalties from a wide range of options, depending on the individual circumstance.

Advertisement

“Those penalties being worked through are going to be significant and are going to be different than any penalties we’ve had previously,” said new Michigan State athletic director J Batt, a member of the implementation committee.

An example of a new kind of penalty is a reduction in transfers that a school can acquire from the portal, Bjork says. But there are others. A postseason ban remains among the penalties, said Desiree Reed-Francois, the Arizona athletic director and implementation committee member.

There are also stiff fines — multi-million dollars in value — that may be levied against schools, administrators and coaches. Suspensions, for coaches and administrators, are on the penalty menu as well.

“The fines are substantive,” Reed-Francois says.

Advertisement

One penalty is off the table. Administrators say that reducing a school’s revenue-share pool for subsequent years is not permitted. The settlement guarantees that schools are afforded the same revenue share pool.

Pushback

The clearinghouse has made its way to the U.S. Capitol.

During a congressional hearing over college sports on Thursday, Rep. Lori Trahan, a Democrat from Massachusetts, chided college leaders for instituting a new enforcement process that “guarantees people in power always win and the athletes who fuel this multi-billion dollar industry always lose.”

One of the witnesses in that hearing, Ramogi Huma, the executive director of the National College Players Association, chimed in as well, accusing the NCAA and conference leadership as wanting to “shut down boosters’ ability to pay players just to monopolize it” themselves.

Advertisement

College executives reject these notions and consider all of these elements — even the new enforcement process — as protected by a legally binding settlement. The new enforcement entity was not created by committee members in some “backroom,” Bjork says. The implementation committee only provided structure to an enforcement piece that is “codified” within the settlement.

“There are processes here that have been approved by the court and the plaintiffs and the defendants that people are going to be expected to follow,” Baker told Yahoo Sports. “Given so much of what’s been going on in the third-party space hasn’t been accountable or transparent, and has made a lot of people outside of college athletics a lot of money, I can understand why there might be some grumpiness about this.”

Soon, power conference schools — and others opting into the settlement — are expected to sign an affiliation or membership agreement. With this binding document, schools waive their right to sue over enforcement decisions and commit to settlement terms, even if their state laws contradict them.

The agreement — itself the subject of legal concerns, even from some schools — is an indictment on an industry of stakeholders that, for competitive reasons, are constantly scrambling to bend, break and shatter rules to gain even the slightest edge.

Advertisement

Earlier this week in Orlando, members of the implementation committee publicly implored schools to follow rules.

“This has to be a mindset change,” Bjork told the audience. “We see all the reports and naysayers, that ‘we’re going to go back to old-school cheating and all these things and that this is not going to work.’ This has to work.”

“This will work if we make it work,” Reed-Francois said. “We need to shift our mindset and make this work.”

Can it be done? But what if athletes decide not to submit any of their third-party deals at all?

“People will be turning in people,” Reed-Francois said. “There’s a lot more `transparency now.”

Advertisement

Back in the convention hall, Schaefer, from Deloitte, is winding down his presentation. He thanks the crowd before beginning to walk off the stage.

From among the crowd, a few raised hands emerge. Folks have questions.

Others in the audience remind the hand-raisers of something announced before the presentation began: The Deloitte employees are not taking questions.

College sports officially entered a new era as Judge Claudia Wilken approved the landmark House v. NCAA settlement. Reactions continue to pour in, including from Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard.

Beard pointed out the way the landscape continues to shift as schools and programs adjust to the changes under the settlement. The revenue-sharing era is on its way as schools get ready to directly share up to $20.5 million with athletes, and roster limits will also change things in a major way.

As for the impact the House v. NCAA settlement will have on college basketball, Beard stressed the need for buy-in from across the country. From there, it comes down to programs putting themselves in the best position to succeed in the new world of college athletics.

“I think the structure has a lot of good ideas, and I think we all want what’s best for college basketball,” Beard told reporters. “I think it’s important as coaches and as players and as fans, as administrators, we all need to believe in it. Once they put it out there that this is the plan, then we’re going to support it 100%. I don’t think anything productive happens when the plan is set and everybody comes up with an opinion now. If you had that opinion, why didn’t you throw it out there on the front end?

“We’re eager to see what this model looks like, and then we’re going to do everything we can do within the rules to continue to elevate the Ole Miss program. I think that’s exactly what we’ve done here.”

Chris Beard: ‘This has been a real team effort’

Chris Beard specifically pointed to the support the Rebels receive from their primary NIL collective, The Grove Collective, as well as administration and fans. He praised the all-hands-on-deck effort now that the settlement’s implementation is underway.

Beard also noted the success of multiple programs at Ole Miss, from softball to baseball to women’s basketball, golf and volleyball. With the settlement’s approval, his role is to now lead success on the court.

“Again, I give the collective, the administration, the foundation and really, all the fans – from the major, major donor to the Ole Miss faithful that supports us on a monthly basis,” Beard said. “This has been a real team effort. I think you think about the success of Ole Miss, not just men’s basketball. Everything that went on. … Everybody is doing really cool stuff around here.

“And I think the common ingredient is the support. The support from our fan base, our donors, the collective. It’s been awesome around here. It never gets old saying thank you every chance I have a chance to speak, thanking everybody that is contributing any way. And our responsibility is to keep this thing going, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Syracuse, N.Y. — The top football recruit in New York is set to announce his commitment on Friday, and Syracuse is among the small number of schools Messiah Hampton is considering.

Hampton is the star of James Monroe in Rochester and will announce his commitment in front of coaches, teammates, family and reporters at Monroe around noon Friday.

Syracuse.com will be in attendance and have news coverage from Rochester on Friday afternoon.

Hampton, a four-star prospect and one of the top-ranked receivers in the country, is one of two highly touted wide receivers the Orange is targeting in the Class of 2026.

Miami Northwestern’s five-star prospect, Calvin Russell, is set to commit in early July.

The Orange is competing with Oregon, Penn State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and Michigan for Hampton, the player in their backyard.

As Hampton’s commitment nears, experts who have tracked his recruitment believe it’s a two-horse race between Syracuse and Oregon.

The Ducks wide receivers coach Ross Douglas Sr. left Syracuse in February. Prior to his departure, he was the primary recruiter for Hampton. Now, he is trying to lure Hampton to the Pacific Northwest.

Syracuse currently has the 23rd-ranked recruiting class in 2026, according to 247Sports. Hampton would be the top-rated player in the Orange’s class.

Among the 22 schools ranked ahead of the Orange, six are from the ACC — including second-year programs Southern Methodist, California and Stanford.

If Hampton commits, the Orange will have five, four-star recruits committed to its 2026 class, ranking third in the conference behind Miami and Clemson.

Recruits can formally sign with a school in December.

Oregon was Hampton’s final visit before his commitment date, flying him out four days after his visit with Syracuse last week.

By: Maddie Omana

HANOVER, N.H. – Taylor Schram, the Stacy Branca ’94 Family Head Coach of Women’s Soccer, announced the incoming class of ten student-athletes who will join the Big Green this fall. 

“We are excited to announce our 2025 incoming class. These ten talented student-athletes are joining us from all over the country and the globe,” Schram said. “Each of them exemplifies the grit and determination we strive for in our program.” 

Nele Janek

Freshman | GK | Dreieich, Germany | Eintracht Frankfurt

Before Dartmouth: Participated in numerous state tournaments in high school, placing fourth in Morocco’s 2023 ISF World Schools Championship…Became the Southern German Champion and Vice-German Champion with her U17 team… Played in the 2nd Women’s Bundesliga for the U20 team of Eintracht Frankfurt. 

Why Dartmouth?: “I chose Dartmouth for its strong academic reputation, tight-knit community, and excellent balance of athletics and academics. Its beautiful campus and emphasis on undergraduate education make it an ideal place to grow both as a student and an athlete.”

Paige Knoth 

Freshman | GK | Naples, Fla. | Florida West F.C.

Before Dartmouth: Earned ECNL All-Conference 2nd Team, ECNL Southeast Players to Watch, FHSAA All-State Team, and All-Conference First Team honors twice… Was named to the FHSAA All-Academic Team three times… Is a four-time AP Scholar with Distinction honoree. 

Why Dartmouth?: “The feel of the community as well as the prestigious academics and network.”

Stephanie Lathrop 

Sophomore | M | Dayton, Md. | Maryland United FC/Purdue (transfer)

Before Dartmouth: Made her collegiate debut at Purdue in 2024… Played in the 2023 High School All-America Game… Earned ECNL North Atlantic First Team All-Conference honors all four years of high school… Won the ECNL North American National Championships (2022, 2023) and scored the game-winning goals in both finals… 

Why Dartmouth?: “I chose Dartmouth because it offers a great balance of top-tier academics and a competitive program that is supported by the coaches and players.”

Michal Cagungun 

Freshman | F | Phoenix, Ariz. | Phoenix Rising FC ECNL

Before Dartmouth: Guided her high school team to three 6A and one open division soccer state championship… Served as the team captain during her senior year… Led her club team to the 2023 Sweet Sixteen at the ECNL Nationals… Was given All-Conference First Team honors, and was named to the All-Conference Second team twice. 

Why Dartmouth?: “I chose Dartmouth because of the positive team culture and amazing coaching staff. When I visited Dartmouth, it was such a welcoming community that I knew I could develop and thrive athletically and academically. I can’t wait to call Dartmouth my home for the next four years! Go Big Green!”

Anna Leschly

Freshman | D | Brookline, Mass. | NEFC Girls Academy

Before Dartmouth: Was a two-time All-New England All Star, Massachusetts All-State All Star, Eastern Massachusetts First Team All Star, and Bay State Conference All-Star… Was second all-time in goals and overall points at her high school… Earned a varsity letter all four years and was a two-year varsity captain… Participated in Track and Field during high school. 

Why Dartmouth?: “I chose Dartmouth because it gives me the opportunity to pursue both my academic and athletic dreams. The high-level women’s soccer program, as well as the outstanding academic resources and powerful sense of community on campus all drew me to Dartmouth.”

Nadia Young

Freshman | M | Oakland, Calif. | LaMorinda SC

Before Dartmouth: Participated in the Northwest Girls Academy Talent ID four times… Was the leading scorer during her sophomore season… Won the high school league MVP award during her junior year…

Why Dartmouth?: “For its balance of academic and athletic excellence. It gives me an opportunity to be a part of a culture that prioritizes community and challenge.”

Madison Yu

Freshman | M | Orinda, Calif. | LaMorinda SC 

Before Dartmouth: Scored the tying goal to be the NCS Champions during her junior year… Rostered for the Best 11 in the PAC North Conference for WPSL in 2024… Served as a team captain… Was invited to NWSL Bay FC ID camp… Participated in the Northwest Girls Academy Talent ID four times. 

Why Dartmouth?: “I chose Dartmouth because of its community and the opportunity to play on a competitive D1 team while pursuing a high-level education.”

Maeve Theobald



Freshman | F | Milton, Mass. | FC Stars ECNL Blue

Before Dartmouth: Was the leading ISL goal scorer and led the ISL in assists in 2023… Was named an NEPSAC Junior All Star, All New England, and ISL MVP Offensive Player of the Year in 2024… Is a three-time USCAA All-ISL First Team, All-NEPSAC First Team, and All-Massachusetts honoree… Tallied 50 goals, 26 assists, and 126 points through four years.

Why Dartmouth?: “I chose Dartmouth to receive a world-class education, have an opportunity to play division one soccer in a program that’s known for its tight-knit culture, and to become a part of a lifelong community.”

Addison Ball

Freshman | M | Greenwood Village, Colo. | REAL Colorado National 

Before Dartmouth: Was a three-year letter winner in soccer… Was named a First Team All-Centennial League and First Team Academic All-State honoree two years in a row… Served as a varsity captain in her junior and senior seasons… 

Why Dartmouth?: “A close-knit community centered around excellence and diligence will push me to be not just an incredible athlete and student, but an outstanding person.

Lykke Ihrfelt

Freshman | M | Saltsjöbaden, Sweden | Hammarby IF 

Before Dartmouth: Was the Swedish cup winner with Hammarby’s women’s team… Was the G17 and G19 Swedish Championship winner… Played on the Swedish Youth National Team… Played in the G17 European Championship representing Sweden.

Why Dartmouth?: “Because of the great academic and athletic possibilities at Dartmouth.”

MARSHFIELD, Mass.—The Babson College men’s ice hockey program had 17 student-athletes recognized for their hard work in the classroom when the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) announced its 2025 Academic All-Conference team on Thursday afternoon. 

Seniors Matt Cormier (Waltham, Mass.), Wyatt George (Mount Lebanon, Pa.) and Brendan Murphy (Arlington, Mass.) were all named to the team for the third consecutive season. Senior Michael Holland (Charlotte, N.C.) and juniors Charlie Andriole (Branford, Conn.), Danny Cavanagh (Warwick, R.I.), Will Holland (Charlotte, N.C.), Brendan Kennedy (Georgetown, Ontario), Nate Mueller (Rogers, Minn.), Ryan Murphy (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) and Egan Schmitt (Schuylerville, N.Y.) all garnered NEHC Academic All-Conference honors for the second year in a row. 

Additionally, graduate students Kyle Gierman (Shelby Township, Mich.) and Johnny McElaney (Walpole, Mass.), juniors Ian Driscoll (Middleton, Mass.) and Cam Joslin (Cohasset, Mass.), and sophomores CJ Beals (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Mason Rosado (Weddington, N.C.) were recognized for the first time in their respective careers. 

To be eligible for All-Academic recognition a student must carry a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA and have completed one full year at their current institution. A total of 207 student-athletes from 11 institutions were honored by the NEHC. 

George (8-10-18), Kennedy (12-5-17) and Driscoll (7-7-14) were the Beavers’ top three point producers during the 2024-25 campaign, while McElaney (5-7-12) and Ryan Murphy (4-8-12) were among six players to finish with at least 12 points last winter. Cavanagh (2-5-7) and Joslin (2-2-4) each had one game-winning tally, Michael Holland scored a key goal in a come-from-behind win at UMass Boston on February 8, and both Schmitt (4-2-6) and Cormier (0-1-1) missed time due to injury. 

Gierman, who led all Babson defensemen with eight assists, and Will Holland (2-5-7) were the only defensemen to play all 26 games, while the trio of Beals (0-6-6), Andriole (3-2-5) and Brendan Murphy (2-3-5) combined for 16 points from the blue line. 

Mueller, who allowed just eight goals over his final six starts, went 8-5-1 with a 1.98 goals against average and a .935 save percentage with one shutout in 14 contests, while Rosado finished 4-5-1 with a 3.59 goals against average and a .872 save percentage in 10 starts between the pipes. 

Babson finished third in its final season in the NEHC at 11-8-1 and ended the year with an overall record of 13-11-2 after falling to New England College in the quarterfinals. The Beavers are set to compete in the Little East Conference beginning next season. 

The Utah Jazz are raising season ticket prices for the 2025-26 season. The University of Utah is doing the same for football ahead of its second season in the Big 12 Conference. Prices jumped at BYU when it joined the conference and fans last year paid more for football tickets than any time in the school’s history.

Not everyone can afford season tickets, but many would like to attend a game or two.

The average cost of single-game tickets is hard to pin down in any sport but can come with a hefty price tag. How big depends on who the home team is playing, when you buy, date of the game and seat location, among other factors. You’ll pay more to see storied franchises like the Boston Celtics or Boston Bruins, for example. The same goes for high-demand Real Salt Lake matches.

There’s no question that the cost for taking in a live sporting event in Utah is going up, regardless of whether it’s professional or college.

And that isn’t lost on sports fans in the state.

A new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll found slightly more than three-fourths of Utahns say it is expensive rather than affordable for the average person to attend a sporting event in-person in Utah. Only 12% see the cost as somewhat affordable, while even less than that, 3%, say going to a game in person is very affordable.

The online survey of 845 Utah adults was conducted May 16-21 by Harris X. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

Broken down by income, 82% of survey participants making $50,000 to $99,000 a year say tickets to sporting events in the state are very or somewhat expensive, the highest response among income categories.

Younger people found sports tickets more affordable than older people, according to the poll.

The average price of a Utah Jazz ticket this past season was $218, according to Barry’s Tickets, an online resale marketplace. But the get-in price is considerably lower than that, especially for games against teams that lack star power. So, if you don’t mind sitting a little farther away from the action, there’s probably something in your price range.

By comparison, the Los Angeles Lakers had the highest average ticket price at $702, while the Indiana Pacers had the lowest at $82, per Barry’s.

Jazz season tickets for the 2025-26 season run $11,352 for a lower bowl, center court seat to $3,216 for the upper reaches of the Delta Center, per the team. Mammoth season tickets for the pasts season are comparable, at $10,920 for lower bowl, center ice seats to $3,024 in the upper bowl.

Smith Entertainment Group principal Ryan Smith acknowledged the high ticket prices for hockey games last year, saying the trend in sports is for player salaries and ticket prices to go up.

“We’re trying everything we can on that front,” he said.

The Mammoth had no trouble selling out of season tickets in its inaugural year, with demand, in fact, exceeding availability. Single-game tickets were expensive but the team also offered more affordable options in the second half of the season, including limited-view $10 tickets for students and shoppers at Smith’s grocery stores. Every ticket came with a hot dog and a bottle of water.

SEG, which owns the Mammoth, Jazz and Delta Center, also offered cheap food at the arena on what it called the “Mountain Menu” — hot dogs, ice cream, popcorn and nachos for $3 each and Dasani bottled water for $2 — among more costly arena concessions.

Utah also has a wealth of other pro and college sports for fans who just want to enjoy a game, including soccer, baseball, rugby and lacrosse — often at more affordable prices.

Salt Lake Bees tickets start at $13 for outfield berm but go up sharply from there to sit in the stands. Some club level seats go for more than $150 and include food and drinks.

For those who don’t attend games in person for whatever reason, there’s always television and streaming — if you can find the service that meets your needs and interests.

Utahns are split when it comes to their thoughts about viewing live sports on a screen, according to the Deseret News/Hinckley poll.

The survey found 42% believe watching or streaming live sports is easy and accessible, while 39% saying there are too many separate television and/or streaming platforms needed to watch live sports.

Poll participants ages 18 to 49 broke roughly the same as the participants as a whole. More than a quarter of those over 50 didn’t know whether live sports was accessible or if there are too many platforms.

The proliferation of streaming services can make it difficult to find what you’re looking for, especially when it comes to non-major sports. Those platforms have also raised prices, making it costly to subscribe to multiple services.

In 2023, SEG launched Jazz+ to stream Jazz games and followed that with Utah HC+ after the NHL team arrived last year.

The Motley Fool’s State of Streaming survey earlier this year found that 62% of respondents said there are too many streaming options. That’s up from 53% in 2022, per the financial services company.

Yahoo Finance reported last year that in addition to Fox, CBS and NBC, a football fan would have to subscribe to several streaming services to catch the entire NFL season.

“The NFL season is just one example of how fragmented the sports landscape has become as legacy media players and more recently tech giants compete for pricey media rights deals,” Yahoo Finance reported. “The reason: Sports content is highly desired by media companies looking to gain access to massive audiences of loyal viewers.”