NIL

Zakai Zeigler, SEC’s 2-time defensive player of year, suing NCAA to play 5th season in 5 years

Two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year Zakai Zeigler is suing the NCAA over rules limiting him to four seasons in a five-year window as an unlawful restraint of trade under both federal and Tennessee laws. Zeigler’s lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The point […]

Published

1 month ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Zeigler’s lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The point guard played four seasons at Tennessee, helping the Volunteers to consecutive Elite Eight berths before graduating earlier this month.

The Vols went 109-36 during Zeigler’s time with the school. Zeigler was a third-team All-American this season, which ended with Tennessee’s loss to eventual national runner-up Houston in the Elite Eight on March 30.

“We have requested a preliminary injunction to allow Zakai to compete in the upcoming season while pursuing his graduate studies,” according to a statement from the Garza Law Firm and Litson PLLC. “We look forward to a swift resolution of this matter so that Zakai can begin preparing for next season.”

The NCAA said in a statement the association fully supports athletes profiting from name, image and likeness along with other benefits and is working for such reforms, which includes a proposed $2.8 billion settlement of an antitrust lawsuit.

“A patchwork of different state laws, executive orders and court opinions, make it challenging for any league to operate on a fair playing field, including at the conference level and that’s why partnering with Congress to develop a national standard would provide stability for student-athletes and schools everywhere,” the NCAA said.

This latest lawsuit against the NCAA notes Zeigler “diligently completed his undergraduate degree in four years” and graduated this month. That makes Zeigler’s lawsuit different from athletes who started careers at junior colleges or lower-division NCAA schools and are seeking a fifth season.

Yet the NCAA rule limiting athletes to four seasons during a five-year window keeps Zeigler from playing a fifth season and earning NIL money in “the most lucrative year of the eligibility window for the vast majority of athletes,” according to the lawsuit.

How much could Zeigler could earn in a fifth season with the Vols? The lawsuit says between $2 million and $4 million for 2025-26, given his record and visibility playing in the Southeastern Conference and based on projections from the Spyre Sports Group, the NIL collective associated with the university.

Athletes who redshirt or take five years to finish an undergraduate degree can earn NIL money each of their five years. The lawsuit also points to the NCAA’s redshirt system controlling who gets access to a fifth year of eligibility.

The lawsuit asks that the NCAA rule be declared a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act and Tennessee’s Trade Practices Act.

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NIL

Ed Graney

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics. That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions. Friends of UNILV is the collective for UNLV, one in which Paulos […]

Published

3 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics.

That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions.

Friends of UNILV is the collective for UNLV, one in which Paulos leads.

The House settlement allows athletes to be directly compensated by their schools via revenue sharing. There is a limit of $20.5 million this season, though that number has yet to be officially decided.

UNLV has opted in to terms of the settlement and will pay athletes directly. It’s unknown to what threshold the Rebels will reach when deciding how much to distribute.

Then there is the NIL money athletes can continue to receive.

NIL Go is the clearinghouse that will require any athlete to report deals more than $600. Contracts will be reviewed to guarantee they represent fair market value.

Whole new world

“I’m absolutely in favor of there being more (oversight),” Paulos said. “The unfortunate thing is there is a lot of mud in the water. Do you know how many applications there will be for anything over $600? Mind-boggling. We still don’t know what the real definition of revenue is going to be.

“It’s a new world with (the settlement) that will be in constant change. It’s like a new business model — NIL is the startup business. There will be trips and falls and mistakes, but there are a set of rules now. That’s a big step and certainly what the universities want.

“Things have gotten ridiculous with (NIL) across the country. It’s the Wild West. Hopefully, this means you will no longer have someone reach in their pocket and give a kid a million dollars for coming to their birthday party. You won’t be able to do that if you follow these new rules.”

Translation: A large percentage of previous NIL deals would not have been approved under the new system. Most of those were funded by boosters. You have a better chance at being approved via corporate sponsorships.

Which goes to the point about fair market value.

You would guess a starting quarterback at Alabama might be compensated more for a car dealership sponsorship in Tuscaloosa than one with the same deal in Provo, Utah. Even perhaps one in Las Vegas.

But the real goal is to eliminate any “pay for play” situations defined by NIL dollars. To curtail the millions often thrown at recruits to attend certain schools. The real goal is to tame the Wild West.

Here’s one fear, however: that many of the bigger deals simply won’t be reported for approval. That it will be more of a wink-wink situation between collectives and athletes.

“Look, if there’s a rule, someone out there is going to cheat it, unfortunately,” Paulos said. “But at least this is a beginning to try to control things. That’s a positive thing right now.”

Paulos said UNLV’s collective will pay the university some out of its donations while still compensating athletes via NIL deals. That there is still a Rolodex of donors willing to pay and that the collective can be a conduit between them and UNLV.

That commercial donors use such deals as business expenses when the athlete performs a service for them once cleared through NIL Go. The contract just can’t be excessive in what will be deemed fair market value or risk being rejected.

“We’ll be another fundraising arm for the university as long as it wants us,” Paulos said.

Coaches matter

The collective has taken in more money in the past four months than the past four years, Paulos said. He credits much of it to the excitement and anticipation of the football season, but also to coaches the Rebels have hired.

Lindy La Rocque reaffirmed her commitment to the women’s basketball program, ending rumors that she might be on the way out to take the head coaching job at Arizona.

Former Mississippi State and Florida coach Dan Mullen was hired to continue the historic levels football reached over the past two years under Barry Odom.

Josh Pastner, a former coach at Memphis and Georgia Tech, now leads the men’s basketball program.

It has all made for more interest in UNLV athletics and more donations to NIL efforts.

“Quite frankly, the entire university has also stepped up,” Paulos said. “We’re doing this the right way in accordance with every rule. I can tell you exactly what each kid has made over the last four years — how many hours he or she has worked and where. And we will continue to operate in this manner.”

Get those contracts ready to be approved.

It’s a whole new NIL world, is right.

NIL

Ed Graney

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics. That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics.

That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions.

NIL

Ed Graney

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics. That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics.

That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions.

NIL

Ed Graney

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics. That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics.

That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions.

NIL

Wisconsin accuses Miami of tampering, sports law expert weighs in

article MILWAUKEE – The University of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit, accusing the University of Miami of tampering with a football player. Now, they’re taking their evidence to court in a case that could set precedent. Sports law expert Local perspective: Matt Mitten is the executive director of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University. […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

article

MILWAUKEE – The University of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit, accusing the University of Miami of tampering with a football player. Now, they’re taking their evidence to court in a case that could set precedent.

Sports law expert

Local perspective:

Matt Mitten is the executive director of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University. He said the case is one the entire college sports world will be watching.

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“I think the university wants to establish a legal precedent,” he said. “A deal is a deal, and that’s basically what the University of Wisconsin is saying: ‘We had a deal with our athlete.'”

The backstory:

The Badgers saw the football player as a rising star and a pillar to build around. The facts of the lawsuit align with that player being Xavier Lucas.

The complaint, filed in Dane County court Friday, said the Badgers offered Lucas one of the largest name, image and likeness deals of any Wisconsin student-athlete to secure his commitment for two years.

Wisconsin said Lucas “enthusiastically” signed the deal on Dec. 2. But when he returned home to Florida for winter break, Wisconsin said he sent them a “sudden and unexpected request” to transfer. The university declined, citing the NIL contracts.

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Wisconsin said a family member told them a University of Miami coach and a “prominent alumnus” visited Lucas, which would have violated the NCAA’s tampering rules because Lucas was not yet in the transfer portal.

Lucas announced his commitment to Miami a month later.

What they’re saying:

In a statement to FOX6 News, the University of Wisconsin said it reluctantly brought the case but did so to “maintain a level playing field.” The University of Miami did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Source: FOX6 News obtained and reviewed the lawsuit filed in Dane County court, and interviewed Mitten, for this report.

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NIL

College football magazine insanely predicts Tennessee football to finish 11th in SEC

Bulletin board material has hit the shelves for the Tennessee football locker room as Josh Heupel prepares for his fifth season on Rocky Top. Lindy’s 2025 National College Football Magazine has shared its predictions for the SEC this year, and the Vols are predicted to finish in the bottom half. Tennessee has been predicted to […]

Published

6 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Bulletin board material has hit the shelves for the Tennessee football locker room as Josh Heupel prepares for his fifth season on Rocky Top.

Lindy’s 2025 National College Football Magazine has shared its predictions for the SEC this year, and the Vols are predicted to finish in the bottom half.

Tennessee has been predicted to finish No. 11 in the SEC this year after losing former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava to UCLA in the transfer portal. As a result, the Vols signed UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar to replace Nico in the QB room.

It’s unclear who will be the Vols’ starting quarterback this year, which could be why Lindy’s magazine isn’t high on Tennessee. Whether it be Aguilar, Jake Merklinger, or freshman George MacIntyre, Tennessee has the potential to be just as good as last year.

The loss of Nico has forced people to move Tennessee down the SEC leaderboard this season. Based on Tennessee’s schedule alone, that likely won’t be reality as the Vols have a favorable schedule this season.

SEC Football Unfiltered host Blake Toppmeyer also credited the drop to Nico’s loss but referred to it as more of a knee-jerk reaction rather than a reasonable prediction.

“This feels like a knee-jerk, half-baked reaction to Iamaleava’s transfer,” Toppmeyer said. Tennessee’s ceiling altered when Iamaleava spurned the Vols in mid-April. But, I’m unconvinced the quarterback switch changed Tennessee’s floor much. Heupel’s teams are very tough at Neyland Stadium, buoying the Vols’ chances in an important swing game at home against what should be an improved Oklahoma team. Tennessee ought to win four or five SEC games. It’s tough to imagine that not being good enough to finish in the top 10 of the SEC standings.”

Lindy’s predicts Texas as the top team in the SEC this year. That is the least surprising prediction, as they are jumping on the Longhorns bandwagon this year. Texas is followed by No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, and No. 5 Oklahoma.

As for Tennessee’s landing spot at No. 11, there are only five teams behind the Vols, and they will play four of them this season. Texas A&M is behind the Vols at No. 12, followed by No. 13 Arkansas, No. 14 Vanderbilt, No. 15 Kentucky, and No. 16 Mississippi State.

Between Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt, the Vols should be looking at at least three wins. Add at least three wins between ETSU, New Mexico State, Syracuse, and UAB, and Tennessee is sitting at a minimum of six wins before the season kicks off.

Tennessee kicks off its season in Atlanta this year, with a matchup against Syracuse in the Chick-fil-A Kick-Off. This will be their first test against a Power Four opponent and could set the tone for the rest of the season.

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