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A Rare Breed of Loyalty in College Football

In the ever-evolving landscape of college football, where financial incentives often overshadow tradition and commitment, true loyalty is a rarity. Yet, at Texas Christian University (TCU), one player has emerged as a beacon of steadfastness—Josh Hoover. Faced with a staggering $2 million NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) offer from Tennessee, Hoover made a choice that transcended monetary gain, reaffirming his dedication to TCU and the culture cultivated by head coach Sonny Dykes.

The Allure of a Million-Dollar Offer

The allure of a lucrative offer can be overwhelming, especially for young athletes navigating the complexities of college sports. Tennessee’s proposition was not just a significant sum; it represented a life-changing opportunity for many. However, Hoover’s response was not one of temptation but of unwavering loyalty. He chose to remain in Fort Worth, demonstrating that his commitment to the TCU program and its values outweighs the financial allure.

Sonny Dykes’ Cultural Influence

The impact of Sonny Dykes on TCU’s football program cannot be understated. Since taking the helm, Dykes has fostered an environment that emphasizes not only athletic excellence but also personal growth and integrity. His approach has resonated deeply with players like Hoover, who understand that success is built on more than just talent—it’s about creating a legacy and contributing to a community. Hoover’s decision to reject the lucrative offer underscores the strength of this culture, highlighting how Dykes has instilled a sense of belonging and purpose within his team.

A Testament to Team Values

Hoover’s commitment to TCU serves as a powerful testament to the values instilled in the program. In an era where many athletes prioritize immediate financial gain, his choice reflects a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of a team. Loyalty, camaraderie, and a shared vision for success are the cornerstones upon which TCU’s football culture is built. By staying true to these principles, Hoover not only honors his teammates but also sets a precedent for future players, illustrating that integrity can prevail even in the face of temptation.

Looking Ahead: The Future of TCU Football

As TCU continues to navigate the complexities of college football’s NIL landscape, Hoover’s decision could have lasting implications for the program. His loyalty may inspire a new generation of athletes to prioritize commitment over cash, fostering an environment where the team’s success is valued above individual gain. This commitment to TCU could potentially attract like-minded recruits who are drawn to the program’s culture and vision.

In a world where loyalty often seems fleeting, Josh Hoover stands as a reminder that true dedication and integrity can thrive. As TCU looks to build on its successes, the influence of players like Hoover will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the program, ensuring that the values of loyalty and commitment remain at the forefront of TCU football.

In the age of NIL and the transfer portal, we see players flip their commitments and leave schools all the time. Alongside those moves have come allegations and suspicions of tampering.

While tampering has been somewhat accepted as part of college football, one school isn’t backing down. Now, there’s a lawsuit over another school poaching one of its star players.

Wisconsin Sues Miami Over Poaching of Xavier Lucas

Xavier Lucas committed to Wisconsin in 2024 as a three-star cornerback recruit and became a starter for the Badgers, appearing in all 12 games as a true freshman last season.

After his great freshman campaign, Lucas transferred to Miami. At first, nothing about Lucas’ transfer to the Hurricanes seemed unusual.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, however, Lucas transferred to Miami without even entering the portal.

This, Wisconsin says, directly breached a revenue-sharing contract that Lucas had signed with the Badgers. For that reason, Wisconsin is suing Miami over poaching.

NEWS: In a landmark moment in college sports, the University of Wisconsin has filed a lawsuit against Miami for tampering, and eventually poaching, a college football player under contract (Xavier Lucas), per documents obtained by @YahooSports.https://t.co/KVYafcAdm5

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 20, 2025

Dellenger explained that Miami knew Lucas had a contractual agreement with the Badgers but still persuaded the young corner to leave Wisconsin and come play for the Hurricanes.

“Wisconsin claims that Miami communicated with Lucas, ‘knowingly inducing’ him, despite knowing he had entered a contract with the school, something it terms as ‘intentional’ interference that ‘was not justified or privileged’ and caused Lucas to ‘breach’ his contract,” Dellenger reported.

As Dellenger points out, this is an unprecedented lawsuit that could alter the future of college football.

The June 6 House v. NCAA settlement ruling allows colleges to share up to $20.5 million with their athletes. This lawsuit, as Dellenger says, will enable colleges to enforce tampering clauses within the new revenue-sharing model.

Wisconsin released a statement regarding the suit to Yahoo Sports in which they said they “reluctantly” filed the suit and won’t take legal action against Lucas. The statement also says Wisconsin is “committed to ensuring integrity and fundamental fairness in the evolving landscape of college athletics.”

Dellenger also says the Big Ten is “backing” Wisconsin’s lawsuit against Miami.

Lucas’ attorney told Yahoo Sports that Lucas had requested to transfer in January but Wisconsin did not grant him access, which is why he bypassed the portal completely.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, as tampering has received little scrutiny from the NCAA since NIL was legalized in 2021.

The new revenue-sharing model should allow schools to enter contracts with players that bind them to that university for a certain amount of time. In Lucas’ case, however, he still left despite Wisconsin allegedly reaching an agreement with him.

It’s not hard to imagine that under the revenue-sharing ruling, the NCAA and College Sports Commission will use this case as an example to shut down tampering from other schools and make an example out of Miami once the House v. NCAA ruling goes into effect on July 1.

A Big Ten Conference program and its NIL collective filed a historic ‘first of its kind’ lawsuit this week alleging one of its rivals broke the law in poaching one of its players

Wisconsin is suing Miami for alleged “tortious interference” by knowingly compelling a player to break the terms of his deal to join the Hurricanes earlier this year.

In what has been described as a “first of its kind” lawsuit due to the Badgers’ attempts to involve courts in the honoring of a financial deal between a university and an athlete, the player in question has only been named as “Student Athlete A”. However, details from the lawsuit reportedly line up with the offseason manoeuvrings of freshman defensive back Xavier Lucas.

It comes as Notre Dame prepares to play its first-ever college football game at an iconic NFL stadium when it takes on Wisconsin in the 2026 Shamrock Series. Before then, however, the Fighting Irish will line up against Miami to open the 2025 campaign, although head coach Marcus Freeman insists they will not change their preparation despite facing their fierce rivals.

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The Hurricanes, however, currently have much bigger things on their minds now that they are being taken to court by Wisconsin, which has accused them of sending a staff member and “prominent” alum to meet with Lucas and his family in Florida back in December, ESPN reports.

Whilst there, the Badgers state that their college football rivals offered the player financial compensation to head to the ACC school, despite knowing of the two-year revenue-sharing contract he’d signed with Wisconsin – due to start July 1, according to Yahoo – not long before.

Lucas would eventually leave Wisconsin and enrol at Miami in January, claiming that Badgers staff refused to enter his name in the transfer portal in December. He tallied 18 tackles across 11 games for the Badgers last year.

The cornerback, who is considered one of the top transfers in his position in this year’s class, still intends to play football for Miami in the 2025 season. That’s according to his attorney, Darren Heitner, who confirmed to ESPN that the athlete is not being sued directly.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) in January, Heitner claimed that Wisconsin violated NCAA rules by not placing Lucas in the transfer portal and that the school had “not paid any monies to him and so he owes no reimbursement to the Institution.”

Wisconsin, however, had hoped to “advance the overall integrity of the game” by deciding to file the lawsuit, making a point of “holding programs legally accountable when they wrongfully interfere with contractual commitments,” according to the complaint.

“While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,” Wisconsin said in a statement to ESPN on Friday.

The lawsuit alleges that Wisconsin’s revenue-sharing deal prohibits a player from transferring to another school to continue playing sports, although ESPN noted that similar Wisconsin contracts make it clear the individual is not being paid to play football, but rather compensated for NIL.

Nonetheless, the Big Ten is supporting its conference members’ efforts in court, revealing in a statement to On3: “The Big Ten Conference is aware of the litigation recently filed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison against the University of Miami and is supportive of UW-Madison’s position.

“As alleged, the University of Miami knowingly ignored contractual obligations and disregarded the principle of competitive equity that is fundamental to collegiate athletics. The Big Ten Conference believes that the University of Miami’s actions are irreconcilable with a sustainable college sports framework and is supportive of UW-Madison’s efforts to preserve.”

The landscape of college hockey is changing rapidly with Canadian Hockey League (CHL) athletes flooding over into the NCAA. The deal agreed to in November 2024 for this circumstance changed the sport tremendously, and it particularly aided incoming Penn State freshman Lev Katzin in his development.

Katzin, 18, spent his 2023-24 campaign and a small portion of his 2024-25 season in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Shortly after the agreement by the NCAA passed, he moved on to the CHL to further develop.

The left-shot center committed to Penn State on Oct. 17, 2024, and the new revelation allowed Katzin to take his talents to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the remainder of his season.

Katzin thrived in his lone year in Canada, recording 48 points, 16 goals and 32 assists in just 44 games. He is now eligible for the NHL entry draft and will most likely get selected before moving onto Penn State for the 2025-26 campaign.

Metrics

Age: 18

Height: 5-foot-8

Weight: 176 lbs

Shoots: L

Position: Center

Projected round drafted: 4th round

Player comparison: Nathan Walker (STL)

Scouting Report

When most teams ponder selecting Katzin in the 2025 NHL draft, they’ll likely look at his size immediately and raise a red flag. While his build is certainly not ideal for professional hockey, it shouldn’t overshadow his elite hockey IQ and offensive creation.

The strongest part of Katzin’s game is his playmaking, and that was shown not only in the OHL last season, but also in the U18 World Juniors which saw the forward rank third on Team Canada in points with 10.

He combines his slick stickhandling with precision passing, completing 90% of his feeds last season, marking him as one of the more distinguished playmakers in the OHL. These traits not only make Katzin deadly at even strength, but also lethal on the power play.

Outside of his size, some other concerns stem from his finishing ability and turnover rate. Despite potting 16 goals last year with Guelph Storm, many scouts and media mention that he’s left some chances on the ice around the net. Additionally, he averaged 5.9 giveaways per game in the OHL, which has labeled him as careless and predictable at times.

Best team fit: Boston Bruins

With Katzin’s age and size, he likely wouldn’t sign his entry-level contract (ELC) for a few years. Thus, Katzin will be added to a team’s prospect pool, and there is none better than the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins have one of, if not the worst, farm system in the NHL. While the group has added an influx of players due to its selling at the 2025 NHL trade deadline — dealing away players such as Brandon Carlo, Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle and more for prospects — the system still lacks depth at the center position.

Adding a young talented center in Katzin will raise the ceiling of that position group. Although his size represents a low floor, it is most definitely a risk the Bruins should take in the middle rounds.

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