Urban Meyer said what many have been thinking for the past couple of years: the Big Ten may have passed up the SEC. Winning the last two National Championships certainly helps their case for conference supremacy. Still, it is the more minor nuances that have analysts like Meyer wondering aloud if there has been a power shift.

Big Ten schools like Ohio State and Michigan have leaned on their alumni to provide NIL resources that have allowed them to compete with SEC schools and win. One of the most notable NIL-driven flips of 2025 was Michigan reclaiming hometown talent Bryce Underwood from SEC powerhouse LSU. Michigan reeled Underwood in with an NIL package rumored to be in the $12-million range. They also utilized one of their most powerful alums to help sway Underwood. Jolin Ellison is the wife of Larry Ellison, the second-richest man in the world, and the founder of Oracle. She and her husband were given multiple shoutouts on social media during the flip of Underwood.

“I’m humbled by the trust the Board of Trustees and President Kevin Guskiewicz have displayed in selecting me to guide Spartan athletics in this new era of college sports. An awesome opportunity lies ahead of Michigan State, and our alignment at every level will be a key element in our success. I can’t wait to get to East Lansing next week and get to work.”

Batt’s selection was announced on June 2. He comes to East Lansing from Georgia Tech, where he led the department since 2022. Prior to that, he worked at the University of Alabama from 2017-22, serving as executive deputy director of athletics, chief operating officer and chief revenue officer. A former student-athlete on the men’s soccer team at North Carolina, his professional career also includes stops at East Carolina University, the University of Maryland, James Madison University, William & Mary and his alma mater.

Batt’s introductory press conference was held June 4 inside the Greg and Dawn Williams Football Lobby at the Tom Izzo Football Building.

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College Department of Athletics held its annual Senior Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony on Friday afternoon at College Park Hall, recognizing the achievements of Union’s 125 seniors and other friends and contributors to the department. In addition, 13 year-end awards were announced to Union’s outstanding student-athletes and staff members.
 
Director of Athletics Jim McLaughlin ’93 opened the afternoon by reflecting on the many achievements that were earned in competition, in the classroom and in the community by Union’s many dedicated student-athletes, followed by President David R. Harris, who addressed the seniors and also presented the Presidential Award for Academic Achievement to head coach Laura Nardelli and senior members of the Union women’s cross country team. In addition, senior Cat Dacey of the women’s cross country and track & field teams spoke on behalf of her classmates.
 
Seniors and staff members were recognized with some of the department’s year-end awards, while all Union senior student-athletes received their Block U senior gifts at the event as well. Union previously announced its underclass awards at the annual Student Affairs Leadership Celebration on May 27.

A list of 2024-25 senior and staff award winners are listed below:
 
Stephen Ritterbush ’68 Award
Presented annually, by select vote, to the student who best exemplifies “mente et corpore” sound mind in sound body — the attributes of scholar-athlete, and board of trustee member Stephen Ritterbush, Class of 1968.  Stephen’s outstanding intellect, forthright character, and incisive leadership distinguished him both on and off the field at Union and beyond.
 
Maren Friday (Women’s Hockey)
Friday excelled on the ice and in the classroom for Union over her four-year career. One of seven valedictorians for the Class of 2025, Friday maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA as a mechanical engineering major and earned both the General Electric Energy Steinmetz Award and the Warner King (1906) Prize at Prize Day. She was the first Union player to earn ECAC Hockey’s Mandi Schwartz Scholar-Athlete of the Year award this season and will graduate as the women’s hockey program’s all-time leader in goals (18) and points (51) by a defenseman, in addition to ranking fifth in program Division I history in points and assists (33) overall.
 
Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award
Presented to a senior student-athlete for outstanding performance in the classroom, community and playing arena. 

Liz Bentsianov (Women’s Golf)
Bentsianov earns Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her class for the fourth straight year after finishing off a stellar career on the course and in the classroom for Union. The senior boasts a 3.986 GPA in the Leadership in Medicine program with a double major in biology and anthropology, and earned a pair of honors on Prize Day with the Lewis Henry Morgan (1840) Award and the Dr. Reuben Sorkin (1933) Award for Proficiency in Premedical Studies. The first three-time All-Liberty League honoree in Union women’s golf history, she graduates as Union’s all-time leader in career scoring average (81.93 strokes per round) and boasts four of the program’s top-five single-season scoring averages.
 
Robert M. Ridings Memorial Award
Presented to the senior female athlete voted by the Athletic Department to be outstanding athlete of the year, taking into account the character and motivation of the individual in addition to athletic excellence.
 
Cat Dacey (Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field)
Dacey completes a four-year sweep of awards for her class after previously earning Athlete of the Year honors in her first three seasons at Union. Dacey had arguably her best season as a senior, earning All-Region honors and qualifying for the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the second year in a row, capping a season that saw her post six of the nine fastest 6K times in program history and take all 10 spots on the school’s all-time top 10. She also was a part of seven school records (five individual, two relay) on the track this season for Union as well and graduates as the school’s all-time leader in the indoor 1500m and mile as well as the outdoor 800m, 1500m and 5000m.

Greta Maurer (Women’s Lacrosse)
Maurer earns top honors for her class for the second straight season after another excellent year leading the women’s lacrosse team to the cusp of the NCAA Tournament. The senior was named to the IWLCA All-Region second team after setting new career highs with 36 goals and 16 assists for 52 points while also controlling 52 draws, grabbing 27 ground balls and causing 17 turnovers. Arguably the top two-way midfielder in the conference this season, she became the 16th player in program history to record 150 career points and finished her career eighth in assists, 14th in points and 18th in goals all-time at Union.

William B. Jaffe ’26 Athletic Award
Presented to the senior male athlete voted by the Athletic Department to be outstanding athlete of the year, taking into account the character and motivation of the individual in addition to athletic excellence.

Sam Ahern (Men’s Track & Field)
Ahern bookends his career with Athlete of the Year honors after winning the Freshman Athletic Prize during the 2021-22 season. The senior capped his indoor track career by qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 200 meters – the first Union sprinter to qualify in 20 years – and breaking the school records in both the 60m and 200m dashes on the way to All-Region recognition. He followed up by breaking his own school standard in the 200m during the outdoor season as well. Ahern finished his career with seven All-Liberty League honors to his credit, including a pair of individual conference titles.

Chris Suter (Baseball)
Suter is recognized as the top athlete in his class for the third time in four years at Union, after earning the honor as both a first-year and sophomore. The righthander became the first pitcher in program history to earn four straight All-Conference honors with his second-team recognition as a senior, capping a season in which he went 6-4 with a 3.38 earned run average and a career-high 47 strikeouts in a conference-best 69.1 innings. Suter led the team in wins in all four seasons and graduates as the program’s career leader in wins (23), innings pitched (241.2) and games started (37).
 
Award for Academic Excellence
Presented to a senior student-athlete for outstanding performance in the classroom.

Maren Friday (Women’s Hockey)
One of seven valedictorians for the Class of 2025, Friday maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA as a mechanical engineering major throughout her Union career. ECAC Hockey’s Mandi Schwartz Scholar-Athlete of the Year award winner this year, she earned both the General Electric Energy Steinmetz Award and the Warner King (1906) Prize at Prize Day. The Vice President of the Pi Tau Sigma International Mechanical Engineering Honor Society, Friday completed her individual honors project in which she investigated the dielectric properties of graphene members modified by the introduction of AI3+ from different chemical sources and fabricated an AI3+ modified graphene oxide (AGO) capacitor, collected impedance and cyclic voltammetry data, and characterized the capacitor performance.

Addie Zimmerman (Women’s Soccer)
Zimmerman entered her final trimester with a 3.933 GPA as a biomedical engineering major at Union. A member of the Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society and a four-year presidential scholarship recipient, she served as a research assistant in the biomedical engineering department since 2022 and worked on several ground-breaking engineering projects on campus. She has been accepted into a two-year rotational program to help train future leaders at GE Vernova after previously working a summer internship at the company.
 
President’s Commission on the Status of Women Leadership Award
Presented to the senior female student-athlete who has done the most to promote athletics for women at Union College.

Gabby Baker (Women’s Track & Field)
One of the most active members of the Union College community, Baker made a huge difference on and off the track. She was one of three Union students to serve as the initial Charger mascot and handler over the last two years, helping to engender a new wave of school spirit among her peers. She also served the school in many capacities, including as Vice President of Student Forum, Co-Chair of the Senior Gift Committee, and Head Orientation Leader for the First Gen program. As a result, she earned the College’s “Commitment to Diversity” Award and the Student Affairs “True to Our Name” Award, as well as taking home the Alan Lake Chidsey (1925) Citizenship Award and the UNITAS Diversity Leadership Award on Prize Day.

Leadership Award
Presented to a student-athlete for exceptional leadership of a team in competition and on campus, providing positive direction for their fellow student-athletes.

Ronni Flanagan (Field Hockey)
Flanagan has provided leadership for Union student-athletes as a prominent member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, including serving as president for the last two years. A four-year member of the field hockey team and senior captain, the Dean’s List student also served as an Electrical, computer and Biomedical Engineering Lab Assistant and was a member of the College Sustainability Committee, USustain and Engineers for a Sustainable World.

Sarah Murphy (Women’s Lacrosse)
Murphy has been the emotional leader of the women’s lacrosse team at Union over her four seasons. A constant source of positivity and energy on and off the field, she served as a team captain as a senior and helped to instill a culture of success for the team in recent years. Off the field, the English major was recently one of 37 Union students inducted into Phi Beta Kappa for their outstanding academic achievements.

Award for Community Service and Community Outreach
Presented to a student-athlete for outstanding performance in community service.

Sophie Matsoukas (Women’s Hockey)
Matsoukas has been a consistent volunteer and advocate for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) during her time on campus, helping to organize the team’s annual Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Game. Twice invited to CFF’s annual recognition event honoring outstanding community members, she received the Foundation’s Community Partner Award for the New York-Northeastern Region last year. She also has helped to organize the team’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness games over the last three years and received the team’s Ashley Kilstein ’08 Award for exceptional commitment to community service.
 
Athletics Appreciation Award
Presented to an individual in appreciation of his or her service and dedication to the Department of Athletics staff and its student-athletes.
 
President David Harris
President Harris has been a staunch advocate for the Department of Athletics in his seven years leading Union College. Whether sitting in the stands at numerous athletics events or lacing up the skates to take part in a hockey practice, President Harris has showcased his support for Union student-athletes throughout his tenure and helped to guide Union’s athletic teams toward increased success. As part of his goal of strengthening connections with the city of Schenectady, he played a role in bringing the Union baseball team back to Central Park in 2024 and his involvement in the hockey team’s new rink at Mohawk Harbor will provide lasting benefits to Union Hockey for decades to come.
 

Historically, James Franklin has been ultra-careful with the transfer portal. He prefers homegrown talent, especially at the quarterback position, and has usually only brought in guys from other programs he has past ties with.

Before the spring portal opened this year, Franklin reinforced his ideology. He said Penn State’s transfer portal success has come from guys it recruited out of high school when speaking to On3 in early April, and emphasized his preference to “promote from within” two weeks later.

“We’re a developmental program across the board. We believe in that,” Franklin said on April 15. “But I’m a big believer, when you can promote from within, you know what you have, you know what you’re getting. And although the portal sometimes seems sexy, you don’t always know what you’re getting until they show up on campus.”

Fast forward two months, and Franklin said it’s no longer about high school projection — it’s about production.

“We’ve tried a few times where you get a guy who is maybe highly regarded, but hasn’t proven it yet at the college level, I’m kind of out of that business,” Franklin said last week.

Franklin was always hesitant using the portal and did so intelligently. But, he and the Nittany Lions weren’t without their misses when using this formula.

The most recent edition is Julian Fleming, who was a 5-star and the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania out of high school. Franklin and Co. recruited him heavily, but Fleming opted for Ohio State before Penn State brought him in out of the transfer portal in 2024.

Fleming was supposed to be a much-needed reinforcement at the wide receiver position, but he didn’t live up to that expectation with 176 receiving yards and one touchdown in his lone season as a Nittany Lion. It’s misses like these that have forced Penn State to switch up its transfer portal strategy.

And the Nittany Lions’ transfer portal acquisitions this offseason have shown that, especially those in the spring. Franklin only brought in two new players from the spring window, but they had one thing in common — production at the college level.

Wide receiver Trebor Peña nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark last season, and linebacker Amare Campbell had 6.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 2024. Both were 3-stars with little interest in Penn State out of high school.

Although Franklin may have changed some of his previous ideologies, most of them have stayed the same. He’s said multiple times he wants being a Nittany Lion to be a transformational experience, and the best way to do that is by bringing in guys that fit well into the locker room.

“(Kyron) Hudson has come here and has really been a good fit, and the guys really like him, you know? I think it’s also very interesting, right? A lot of the guys that we got were captains,” Franklin said. “Hudson was a captain. Peña was a captain at their previous schools. I think that’s very telling, right? Of how they viewed them teammates and coaches. So that’s been really good.”

Franklin has also continued to lean on people he trusts to provide recommendations for transfer portal targets. With Campbell, linebacker Tony Rojas advocated for his fellow Virginia native along with former UNC head coach Mack Brown and current Tar Heels defensive coordinator Geoff Collins.

“People that I trusted pounded the table for him,” Franklin said. “Guys that we trust vouched for him. So all those things kind of helped, and so far so good.”

Regardless, it seems like Franklin has moved to a new direction with his transfer portal approach, and with the new revenue sharing agreement and an abundance of resources, Penn State will likely continue landing guys with production that speaks for itself.

“I think at the end of the day, if you’re going to go into the transfer portal, you need to be going to the transfer portal for production, not projection,” Franklin said. “High school is always going to be a little bit of projection.”

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