Connect with us

NIL

Zakai Zeigler, a former UT basketball player, sues NCAA to play for a fifth year and collect NIL compensation

Zeigler’s lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction to let him compete in the upcoming season while pursuing graduate studies. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A popular former University of Tennessee basketball player filed a lawsuit Tuesday, aiming to keep his eligibility to play for an additional year while collecting compensation for his name, image and likeness while pursuing […]

Published

on


Zeigler’s lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction to let him compete in the upcoming season while pursuing graduate studies.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A popular former University of Tennessee basketball player filed a lawsuit Tuesday, aiming to keep his eligibility to play for an additional year while collecting compensation for his name, image and likeness while pursuing his graduate degree. 

Zakai Zeigler said he is hoping to compete in his fifth year of college basketball and argued that he has a five-year eligibility window, despite already graduating from UT’s undergraduate program. The lawsuit argues that an “arbitrary” National Collegiate Athletic Association rule limits student-athletes to participating in four seasons of competition.

The lawsuit argues that many other student-athletes compete during their fifth year of eligibility and earn compensation for their name, image and likeness while playing. The lawsuit said Zeigler’s NIL valuation for the 2025-2026 season ranges between $2 million and $4 million.

It said if he had been barred from playing for a single year through the NCAA redshirt system, he would still be eligible to play now, and argued that through the system, the NCAA ultimately gets to decide if student-athletes have the chance to play during their fifth year of eligibility instead of the student-athletes themselves.

“But, because Zeigler participated in athletics for four consecutive years, the NCAA bars him from representing his school in interscholastic competition in the fifth year of the competition window—and thereby excludes him from the market for NIL compensation,” the lawsuit said.

Typically, “redshirted” student-athletes have the chance to sit out for a year, but still maintain their four-year eligibility. These kinds of student-athletes are usually still allowed to practice with the team, receive academic scholarships and financial aid, attend class or train with a coach. The system is meant to give student-athletes a chance to recover from injuries, improve their GPA or sharpen their skills, according to North Central College.

The lawsuit also claims the NCAA’s rule violates the Sherman Act, constituting an “unreasonable restraint of trade” because when student-athletes’ eligibility ends, they are effectively locked out of the NIL market.

“For Zeigler specifically, his NIL earning potential in a fifth year of eligibility would substantially exceed his current earning potential due to his established performance record and name recognition,” the lawsuit said. “By restricting Zeigler’s participation in this market through an arbitrary limitation on player eligibility, the NCAA directly impacts his ability to compete in the commercial marketplace.”

It also argues that effectively undoing the four-season rule would further the NCAA’s academic mission.

Zeigler graduated this week after completing UT’s retail and merchandising management undergraduate program. While studying and playing with the Tennessee basketball team, he also partnered with at least one local law firm for promotional content.

Garza Law Firm sponsored his sold-out “I AM G.I.A.N.T. Basketball Camp” in April 2025. He also appeared in a video promoting the law firm. Zeigler is represented by Litson PLLC and the Garza Law Firm.

The lawsuit asks for a 12-person jury to review the case, and for a judgment that the NCAA’s four-season rule violates the Sherman Act, as well as the Tennessee Trade Practices Act. It also asks for a preliminary and permanent injunction keeping the NCAA from enforcing the rule against Zeigler, allowing him to compete next season.

WBIR reached out to the NCAA for comment on the lawsuit.

Tennessee basketball has 12 out of 13 scholarship players on the 2025-26 roster. 



Link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NIL

The new college sports agency is rejecting some athlete NIL deals with donor-backed collectives

The new agency in charge of regulating name, image, likeness deals in college sports sent a letter to schools Thursday saying it had rejected deals between players and donor-backed collectives formed over the past several years to funnel money to athletes or their schools. Those arrangements hold no “valid business purpose,” the memo said, and […]

Published

on


The new agency in charge of regulating name, image, likeness deals in college sports sent a letter to schools Thursday saying it had rejected deals between players and donor-backed collectives formed over the past several years to funnel money to athletes or their schools.

Those arrangements hold no “valid business purpose,” the memo said, and don’t adhere to rules that call for outside NIL deals to be between players and companies that provide goods or services to the general public for profit.

The letter to Division I athletic directors could be the next step in shuttering today’s version of the collective, groups that are closely affiliated with schools and that, in the early days of NIL after July 2021, proved the most efficient way for schools to indirectly cut deals with players.

Since then, the landscape has changed yet again with the $2.8 billion House settlement that allows schools to pay the players directly as of July 1.

Already, collectives affiliated with Colorado, Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia and others have announced they’re shutting down. Georgia, Ohio State and Illinois are among those that have announced plans with Learfield, a media and technology company with decades of licensing and other experience across college athletics, to help arrange NIL deals.

Outside deals between athlete and sponsor are still permitted, but any worth $600 or more have to be vetted by a clearinghouse called NIL Go that was established by the new College Sports Commission.

In its letter to the ADs, the CSC said more than 1,500 deals have been cleared since NIL Go launched on June 11, “ranging in value from three figures to seven figures.” More than 12,000 athletes and 1,100 institutional users have registered to use the system.

But the bulk of the letter explained that many deals could not be cleared because they did not conform to an NCAA rule that sets a “valid business purpose” standard for deals to be approved.

The letter explained that if a collective reaches a deal with an athlete to appear on behalf of the collective, which charges an admission fee, the standard is not met because the purpose of the event is to raise money to pay athletes, not to provide goods or services available to the general public for profit.

The same would apply to a deal an athlete makes to sell merchandise to raise money to pay that player because the purpose of “selling merchandise is to raise money to pay that student-athlete and potentially other student-athletes at a particular school or schools, which is not a valid business purpose” according to the NCAA rule.

A deal, however, could be approved if, for instance, the businesses paying the players had a broader purpose than simply acting as a collective. The letter uses a golf course or apparel company as examples.

“In other words, NIL collectives may act as marketing agencies that match student-athletes with businesses that have a valid business purpose and seek to use the student’s NIL to promote their businesses,” the letter said.

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

The new college sports agency is rejecting some athlete NIL deals with donor-backed collectives

The new agency in charge of regulating name, image, likeness deals in college sports sent a letter to schools Thursday saying it had rejected deals between players and donor-backed collectives formed over the past several years to funnel money to athletes or their schools. Those arrangements hold no “valid business purpose,” the memo said, and […]

Published

on


The new agency in charge of regulating name, image, likeness deals in college sports sent a letter to schools Thursday saying it had rejected deals between players and donor-backed collectives formed over the past several years to funnel money to athletes or their schools.

Those arrangements hold no “valid business purpose,” the memo said, and don’t adhere to rules that call for outside NIL deals to be between players and companies that provide goods or services to the general public for profit.

The letter to Division I athletic directors could be the next step in shuttering today’s version of the collective, groups that are closely affiliated with schools and that, in the early days of NIL after July 2021, proved the most efficient way for schools to indirectly cut deals with players.

Since then, the landscape has changed yet again with the $2.8 billion House settlement that allows schools to pay the players directly as of July 1.

Already, collectives affiliated with Colorado, Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia and others have announced they’re shutting down. Georgia, Ohio State and Illinois are among those that have announced plans with Learfield, a media and technology company with decades of licensing and other experience across college athletics, to help arrange NIL deals.

Outside deals between athlete and sponsor are still permitted, but any worth $600 or more have to be vetted by a clearinghouse called NIL Go that was established by the new College Sports Commission.

In its letter to the ADs, the CSC said more than 1,500 deals have been cleared since NIL Go launched on June 11, “ranging in value from three figures to seven figures.” More than 12,000 athletes and 1,100 institutional users have registered to use the system.

But the bulk of the letter explained that many deals could not be cleared because they did not conform to an NCAA rule that sets a “valid business purpose” standard for deals to be approved.

The letter explained that if a collective reaches a deal with an athlete to appear on behalf of the collective, which charges an admission fee, the standard is not met because the purpose of the event is to raise money to pay athletes, not to provide goods or services available to the general public for profit.

The same would apply to a deal an athlete makes to sell merchandise to raise money to pay that player because the purpose of “selling merchandise is to raise money to pay that student-athlete and potentially other student-athletes at a particular school or schools, which is not a valid business purpose” according to the NCAA rule.

A deal, however, could be approved if, for instance, the businesses paying the players had a broader purpose than simply acting as a collective. The letter uses a golf course or apparel company as examples.

“In other words, NIL collectives may act as marketing agencies that match student-athletes with businesses that have a valid business purpose and seek to use the student’s NIL to promote their businesses,” the letter said.

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

How NIL has changed college basketball: Numbers deep dive reveals surprising trends, recipe for success

The NIL era, starting July 1, 2021, has drastically altered college basketball’s competitive landscape. Iconic programs like Gonzaga and Kansas continue to perform well, but others have struggled, revealing a widening disparity in success rates. Of note, 11 teams have achieved a winning percentage of 75% or more in just four seasons — a significant […]

Published

on


The NIL era, starting July 1, 2021, has drastically altered college basketball’s competitive landscape. Iconic programs like Gonzaga and Kansas continue to perform well, but others have struggled, revealing a widening disparity in success rates. Of note, 11 teams have achieved a winning percentage of 75% or more in just four seasons — a significant increase from previous decades. Meanwhile, mid-major programs are experiencing an increase in prominence, further complicating the traditional hierarchy of college basketball.

By the Numbers

  • From 2000-21, only 4 teams recorded a winning percentage of 75% or higher; since NIL, 11 teams have achieved this in just 4 seasons.
  • Houston leads with an 86.8% winning percentage since NIL, followed by Duke at 80.7% and Gonzaga at 80.6%.

Yes, But

While many teams have surged in the NIL era, some programs have seen their success decline dramatically, underscoring the uneven distribution of resources and talent across conferences.

State of Play

  • Non-major conference teams like Drake and Saint Mary’s are experiencing unprecedented success, with winning percentages above 75%.
  • Some traditional powerhouses, like North Carolina and Kansas, have also declined in performance relative to the new era.

What’s Next

Expect ongoing shifts in college basketball dynamics as more mid-major programs leverage NIL opportunities to compete with traditional powerhouses, potentially reshaping the landscape in the coming years.

Bottom Line

The NIL era has expanded opportunities for success but has also intensified competition, suggesting that ongoing adjustments will be essential for programs to navigate this new reality effectively.





Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Eight Eagles Named to All-ACC Academic Softball Team

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Eight Eagles for Boston College softball were named to the All-ACC Academic Team on Thursday. Kalista Case, Katelyn Deguire, Janis Espinoza, Bailey Kendziorski, Meghan Schouten, Makenna Segal, Hannah Slike, and Jordan Stephens were recognized for their excellence on the field and in the classroom.   For Hannah Slike, it marked the […]

Published

on


CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Eight Eagles for Boston College softball were named to the All-ACC Academic Team on Thursday.


Kalista Case
, Katelyn Deguire, Janis Espinoza, Bailey Kendziorski, Meghan Schouten, Makenna Segal, Hannah Slike, and Jordan Stephens were recognized for their excellence on the field and in the classroom.  


For
Hannah Slike, it marked the fourth time she earned All-ACC Academic honors, while Mekenna Segal and Jordan Stephens received their second All-Academic award.

2025 ACC All-Academic Team
Kalista Case
Katelyn Deguire
Janis Espinoza
Bailey Kendziorski
Meghan Schouten
Makenna Segal**
Hannah Slike ****
Jordan Stephens**


The 2025 All-ACC Academic Team features 176 student-athletes from each of the league’s 15 softball programs. Florida State led all schools with 17 honorees on the 2025 All-ACC Academic Team.



Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s educational career. Additionally, student-athletes must participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

College Sports Commission clarifies ‘valid business purpose’ for NIL Deals

Jul 10, 2025, 04:11 PM ET The new agency in charge of regulating name, image, likeness deals in college sports sent a letter to schools Thursday saying it had rejected deals between players and donor-backed collectives formed over the past several years to funnel money to athletes or their schools. Those arrangements hold no “valid […]

Published

on


The new agency in charge of regulating name, image, likeness deals in college sports sent a letter to schools Thursday saying it had rejected deals between players and donor-backed collectives formed over the past several years to funnel money to athletes or their schools.

Those arrangements hold no “valid business purpose,” the memo said, and don’t adhere to rules that call for outside NIL deals to be between players and companies that provide goods or services to the general public for profit.

The letter to Division I athletic directors could be the next step in shuttering today’s version of the collective, groups that are closely affiliated with schools and that, in the early days of NIL after July 2021, proved the most efficient way for schools to indirectly cut deals with players.

Since then, the landscape has changed yet again with the $2.8 billion House settlement that allows schools to pay the players directly as of July 1.

Already, collectives affiliated with Colorado, Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia and others have announced they’re shutting down. Georgia, Ohio State and Illinois are among those that have announced plans with Learfield, a media and technology company with decades of licensing and other experience across college athletics, to help arrange NIL deals.

Outside deals between athlete and sponsor are still permitted, but any worth $600 or more have to be vetted by a clearinghouse called NIL Go that was established by the new College Sports Commission.

In its letter to the ADs, the CSC said more than 1,500 deals have been cleared since NIL Go launched on June 11, “ranging in value from three figures to seven figures.” More than 12,000 athletes and 1,100 institutional users have registered to use the system.

But the bulk of the letter explained that many deals could not be cleared because they did not conform to an NCAA rule that sets a “valid business purpose” standard for deals to be approved.

The letter explained that if a collective reaches a deal with an athlete to appear on behalf of the collective, which charges an admission fee, the standard is not met because the purpose of the event is to raise money to pay athletes, not to provide goods or services available to the general public for profit.

The same would apply to a deal an athlete makes to sell merchandise to raise money to pay that player because the purpose of “selling merchandise is to raise money to pay that student-athlete and potentially other student-athletes at a particular school or schools, which is not a valid business purpose” according to the NCAA rule.

A deal, however, could be approved if, for instance, the businesses paying the players had a broader purpose than simply acting as a collective. The letter uses a golf course or apparel company as examples.

“In other words, NIL collectives may act as marketing agencies that match student-athletes with businesses that have a valid business purpose and seek to use the student’s NIL to promote their businesses,” the letter said.



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Texas Tech Billionaire Cody Campbell Champions ‘Values-First’ Future for College Football As Red Raiders Dominates NIL Space With $2.3M Commitment

When a billionaire oil executive decides to shake up college football, everyone pays attention. Cody Campbell isn’t just throwing money at Texas Tech’s NIL program; he’s rewriting how schools compete for elite talent while fighting to reform the system he’s dominating. Dive into Try out PFSN’s FREE college football playoff predictor, where you can simulate […]

Published

on


When a billionaire oil executive decides to shake up college football, everyone pays attention.

Cody Campbell isn’t just throwing money at Texas Tech’s NIL program; he’s rewriting how schools compete for elite talent while fighting to reform the system he’s dominating.

PFSN College Football Playoff Predictor
Dive into Try out PFSN’s FREE college football playoff predictor, where you can simulate every 2025-26 NFL season game and see who wins the National Championship!

How Did Billionaire Cody Campbell Transform Texas Tech Into an NIL Powerhouse?

Cody Campbell has become a central figure in reshaping the NIL landscape at Texas Tech, orchestrating one of the most aggressive pushes in the nation to secure elite talent through values-driven leadership and financial backing.

As chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents and a billionaire oil executive, Campbell has used his influence to vault the Red Raiders into national prominence. The most striking example came with a groundbreaking $2.3 million NIL deal for prized recruit Felix Ojo.

Ojo, a 6’7″, 285-pound lineman, was heavily pursued by blue-blood programs such as Texas, Michigan, Florida, and defending national champion Ohio State. But it was Texas Tech, once considered an outsider in these recruiting battles, that landed him through a revenue-sharing agreement reportedly worth at least $2.3 million over three years.

This approach has completely transformed how the Red Raiders compete. Campbell’s financial backing has turned Tech into a top destination for elite talent, allowing them to capitalize on the transfer portal while aggressively targeting high school athletes nationwide.

Why Does Campbell Want to Reform the System If He’s Winning?

Speaking with On3’s Andy and Ari at Big 12 Media Days, Campbell acknowledged the duality of competing within the current NIL system while advocating for reform.

“We’ve played the game as well as we could based on the rules that are in place,” he said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that I think it’s good for the long-term health of the sport or all the sports, because I know it’s not.”

Beyond his NIL investments, Campbell has launched an initiative called “Saving College Sports,” which aims to preserve Olympic and non-revenue sports amid rising financial pressures.

“There are 500,000 student-athletes in the country,” he said. “The kids that play non-revenue sports are just as important as the kids who play football and men’s basketball.”

While Campbell insists athletes should be compensated, he opposes a monopolized model that benefits only the top-tier programs. His vision extends far beyond just winning recruiting battles for Texas Tech.

RELATED: ‘College Sports Are in Trouble’ — Texas Tech Billionaire Explains His Plan To Save Athletes, but the Public Isn’t Convinced

“The opportunity the kid gets at Colorado State is just as important as the opportunity the kid gets at Georgia,” he said. “We have to have a sustaining level of cash flow coming through.”

Campbell even drew parallels to a political moment, quoting U.S. President Donald Trump when he said, “We’re playing the game because we want to be competitive, but that doesn’t mean we think it’s the right thing to do.”

As NIL continues to reshape college football, Campbell represents a unique position in the landscape. He’s both a participant and a reformer, using his resources to compete at the highest level while working to ensure the system works for everyone involved in college athletics.





Link

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending