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Texas A&M's Motorsports Marketing Strategy Hits Indy 500

Published

8 months ago

May 23, 2025

Texas A&M's Motorsports Marketing Strategy Hits Indy 500

If you find yourself this weekend asking if Felix Rosenqvist is an alum of Texas A&M (he’s not), you can thank a unique sponsorship between the racer and university for the upcoming Indianapolis 500.

The driver of the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda signed an agreement on March 28 to adorn the school’s logo on his helmet and driver suit for the entire 16-race IndyCar season. The $60,000 pact states that the branding must be visible from Rosenqvist’s in-car camera that’ll be used on Fox’s IndyCar broadcasts.

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It’s the second motorsports sponsorship deal pulled together by R. Ethan Braden, Texas A&M’s vice president and chief marketing officer. Braden said IndyCar and NASCAR saw prime opportunity to connect with a passionate alumni base of over 600,000 Aggies.

“We saw in Felix a top-five IndyCar driver with a terrific following, a terrific reputation,” he said in a video interview. “The placement of our advertisement to create the storytelling on his helmet is novel, because he’s one of the few that have an inboard camera.”

Rosenqvist is starting his second season with Meyer Shank Racing, which is owned by Michael Shank and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves. Liberty Media also owns a minority stake.

His car is already an attention-grabber as the livery is adorned by imagery promoting the rock band Creed, which has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts going back to Texas Rangers’ World Series run in 2023. (The multiplatinum record selling group reunited for its “Summer of ‘99” tour last year after splitting up in the early 2000s.)

“[Felix] is a terrific statesman,” Braden said of the Swedish-born driver. “He’s a terrific representative of the sport. He’s invested in veteran and military affairs, and so he’s just a great spokesperson for what we’re about, what we stand for, and why people should care.”

Texas A&M annually boasts of the nation’s largest student bodies with over 79,000 students as of last fall, including 61,000 undergraduates. Yet some officials at the public research university, with its deep military ties, feel the school doesn’t always get the spotlight of SEC peers like Alabama, Florida and in-state rival Texas.

In raising the school’s profile, Braden compared its marketing efforts to the Indy 500 itself. “The first 100 laps of the [Indy] 500 are about getting to the second 100 laps, right?” Braden said. “There’s a lot about grit there. There’s a lot about teamwork. There’s a lot of a culture and collaboration. That’s the story we want to tell.”

The marriage between a university and motorsports is not a new one, as Braden previously put the two together while working at Purdue University in Indiana. NASCAR has marketing deals with several schools, including Alabama. Penn State, Auburn, Maryland and Virginia Tech have also advertised with the stock car racing organization.

Last October, Texas A&M agreed to be the primary sponsor for Stewart-Haas Racing for two NASCAR events at a cost of $160,000. Although Stewart-Haas ceased operations after the 2024 season, the school was pleased enough with the two races that it signed new $275,000 deal with Haas Factory Team, which carried on one of the Stewart-Haas charters.

In motorsports, particularly NASCAR and IndyCar, Braden said that the perception of their audiences being “old, White and Southern” is not the reality he saw when talking with both groups.

Research told Braden that 41% of NASCAR’s fan base is female, and 31% of all NASCAR fans have some connection to the military (veteran, currently enlisted or works adjacent to the military). He also found that “they have an incredible brand affinity that’s as good as any of the sports, frankly, better than any of them, besides maybe the NBA.”

IndyCar doesn’t have the audience that NASCAR has, but Braden said its market is not all that different from the stock car circuit. That said, he wants to see how the Rosenqvist sponsorship—a relatively inexpensive one in his eyes—performs before committing to further marketing through IndyCar.

“It’s a helmet and fire suit sponsorship, an influencer sponsorship at the end of the day,” he said. “I want to see the data. I want to see what we get out of this in terms of our social media following, in terms of earned media exposure, etc.”

In terms of what’s next for Texas A&M’s sponsorships in and out of motorsports, Braden said that its president, four-star retired general Mark Welsh, encourages him to be bold. He also has a certain weekend in mind that will excite the school’s community.

“It’s not lost on me that there’s a very exciting 2026 race in Arlington,” he said of IndyCar’s Grand Prix of that’s scheduled for next March. “The Aggies will show up and show out incredibly well. I do have my eyes on ‘26 in Arlington.”

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Huskies add D1 transfer Keeley Nellis

Published

3 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

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HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech volleyball has added Keeley Nellis to its roster for the upcoming 2026 season. Nellis is transferring to Tech from NCAA Division I Lamar University, where she was a member of the volleyball team for the past two seasons. The native of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, will have two years of eligibility remaining as a defensive specialist.

“We are very excited to add Keeley to our roster,” Tech volleyball coach Cindy Pindral said. “She adds a ton of experience playing at the D1 level and is a perfect fit for Michigan Tech, as she is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. She has excellent touch and is very competitive. Keeley adds a lot of depth to our defensive specialist group.”

Nellis appeared in 57 matches and 192 sets over the past two seasons for the Cardinals and totaled 579 digs, averaging 3.02 per set. As a freshman in 2024, she led the team with 421 digs and ranked second with 33 aces. She ranked fourth in the Southland Conference in digs (4.30/set) and seventh in aces (0.34/set) and was ranked seventh nationally amongst freshmen in digs. Nellis recorded 20 double-digit dig matches, including a career-high 24 against Nicholls (Nov. 7, 2024). She had nine aces against Nicholls on Sept. 6, 2024. Nellis had 158 digs in 2025, appearing in 28 matches and 93 sets. She was named to the Bluff City Showdown All-Tournament Team in 2024.

Nellis played high school at Oceanside Collegiate Academy, helping guide her team to back-to-back state titles (2021 and 2022) as one of the top defensive players in the Palmetto State. She received All-Palmetto Region honors in 2022 and followed that up with all-region recognition again in 2023. An Academic Honorable Mention All-America, Nellis was a defensive captain as a senior. She competed for Carolina Rogue Volleyball Club.

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This Week in Huskie Athletics – Jan. 13, 2026

Published

14 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

DEKALB, Ill. – Six NIU Athletics teams will be in action this week, including home dates for men’s basketball, wrestling and women’s tennis, who will host both Missouri and Wisconsin this weekend at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. Women’s basketball, gymnastics and track and field will also be in action on the road this week.

Following a weekend off, the NIU men’s basketball team returns to action with a pair of games this week. The Huskies travel to Eastern Michigan on Tuesday before hosting UMass on Saturday. Dylan Ducommon has scored in double figures in seven-straight games and is averaging 15.3 points per game during that stretch. In league play, Ducommun is averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game, tied for 10th-best in the Mid-American Conference.

Eastern Michigan brings an 8-9 overall record into Tuesday’s contest, including a 2-3 mark in league play after falling to Western Michigan, 79-62, in Kalamazoo (Jan. 10) last time out. UMass comes into the week with a 10-7 record, 1-4 in league play.

Women’s Basketball

Wednesday, Jan. 14: at Toledo, 6 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio

Saturday, Jan. 17: at Ohio, 12 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio

The NIU women’s basketball team plays a pair of road games this week. The Huskies head to Toledo on Wednesday to face the Rockets at 6 p.m. The two teams split last season’s two games with the road team winning each. NIU halted Toledo’s 20-game home court winning streak on Jan. 1, 2025 with a 59-58 win at Savage Arena. On Saturday NIU takes on Ohio the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio at 12 p.m. The Huskies are coming off a 65-48 loss to Bowling Green on Saturday. Senior forward Teresa Mbemba led the Huskies with 15 points off the bench. Mbemba is averaging 10.5 points per game in conference play and shooting 63.0 percent from the field.

Gymnastics

Saturday, Jan. 17: at Eastern Michigan, 3 p.m.

NIU gymnastics heads to Ypsilanti, Mich. this weekend for a tri-meet against Eastern Michigan and SUNY Brockport in the Golden Girls Classic on Saturday.

The Huskies fell at Kent State in their season opener on Sunday, 195.350-191.675. Freshman Avery Riiff tied for first place on beam with a 9.800 in her first-ever collegiate competition. Sophomore Drake White competed as an all-arounder, scoring a career-best 38.000.

Eastern Michigan (1-0) is coming off a 192.925-191.900 over Bowling Green while Brockport (1-2) enters the tri-meet following a 191.200-187.600 win over Ithaca College.

Wrestling

Friday, Jan. 16: vs. Central Michigan, 7 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Scoring

Returning to DeKalb, the Northern Illinois University wrestling program is set to host the Central Michigan University Chippewas in a MAC dual on Friday, January 16. Action will take place at 7 p.m. inside Victor E. Court. The Huskies and Chippewas will have their second meeting in a week as they met at the 2026 NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa on January 9. The Huskies pulled out a 20-14 win in that dual as they would take fourth at the competition.

At the NWCA National Duals, the Huskies posted wins over Harvard (22-20), Central Michigan, and Campbell (53-0). The Huskies competed against then-No. 8 South Dakota State (26-10) and Drexel (21-12) over the two-day competition. Markel Baker went 5-0 on the weekend, including a win over No. 33 Andrew Austin of Central Michigan. Devon Dawson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Goddard) went 4-0 on the weekend and had a pair of ranked wins.

Women’s Tennis

Friday, Jan. 16: vs. Wisconsin, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 17: vs. Missouri, 9 a.m.

Saturday, Jan. 17: vs. Chicago State, 6 p.m.

The dual season is underway this weekend for NIU women’s tennis as the Huskies host Wisconsin, Missouri and Chicago State at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. NIU takes on the Badgers on Friday at 2 p.m. and will have a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning with Missouri at 9 a.m. and Chicago State at 6 p.m.

NIU competed in the Northwestern Invitational in Evanston, Ill. this past weekend against both DePaul and Northwestern. The Huskies recorded seven doubles victories and two singles wins over the three-day invite.

Wisconsin finished the 2025 regular season ranked No. 23 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while Missouri was also nationally ranked last season.

Track and Field

Friday, Jan. 16: at Bill Bergan Open (Ames, Iowa)

The NIU track and field team returns to action for the first time in 2026 this Friday, Jan. 16, when the Huskies compete at Iowa State’s Bill Bergan Open. Field events are scheduled to begin at 11:20 a.m. while events on track are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Arianna Calloway is the defending champion in the high jump at the Bill Bergan Open.

NIU competed once in December before breaking for the Holidays as the Huskies attended Notre Dame’s Blue & Gold Invitational. Stella Oyebode won the 60 meters, Emma Curry won the 800 meters and Precious Umukoro won the triple jump at Notre Dame.

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Bauer Named CSC Third Team All-American

Published

19 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

AUSTIN, Texas — College Sports Communicators announced their Academic All-American teams on Tuesday, with WKU’s Callie Bauer earning Third Team Academic All-American.

Bauer becomes only the third player in program history to earn CSC Academic All-American, joining Natalie Furry (2002) and Paige Briggs (2023).

To be selected, athletes must maintain a minimum 3.50 GPA and meet athletic eligibility requirements.

The 2025 Alyssa Cavanaugh CUSA Player of the Year was one of the top setters in the country, finishing the regular season ranked 22nd nationally and first in the conference in assists per set at 10.42. Her 1,073 total assists during that time ranked 48th nationally and second in CUSA. Bauer also helped the Hilltoppers to the third-best hitting percentage in the country (.312), fifth-best assists per set (13.63), and sixth-best kills per set rate (14.57) in the country.

Playing in 106 of the 108 total sets this season, Bauer finished her senior year with a total of 88 kills, 1,109 assists, 25 service aces, 225 digs, and 32 blocks. The CUSA First Team All-Conference selection also posted a total of five double doubles on the season, totaling 17 in her career. Bauer was also named CUSA tournament MVP.

In the classroom, Bauer carried a 3.88 GPA as a Business Management major.

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Reilly Named Academic All-America Team Member of the Year – University of Nebraska

Published

31 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

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Bergen Reilly was named the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Division I Women’s Volleyball Academic All-America Team Member of the Year, in addition to earning first-team Academic All-America honors on Tuesday.

The junior setter is the 13th Nebraska student-athlete all-time and the fifth volleyball student-athlete to be named Academic All-America Team Member of the Year. The last Nebraska volleyball student-athlete to do so was Sarah Pavan in 2007. Drew Wiseman (men’s track and field) was the last Husker overall to earn the distinction in 2017.

Reilly’s selection increased Nebraska volleyball’s total to 45 Academic All-America awards, the most of any volleyball program in NCAA history. The University of Nebraska has produced 374 NCAA Division I Academic All-Americans across all sports.

Reilly earned first-team Academic All-America honors for the second year in a row. The junior from Sioux Falls, South Dakota has a 3.83 cumulative GPA as a business and law major.

Reilly set the Huskers to a school-record .351 hitting percentage, as the Big Red concluded their season with a 33-1 overall record and 20-0 mark in Big Ten play en route to a third straight conference title. Reilly averaged 10.47 assists per set and 2.70 digs per set. She also totaled 73 kills, 67 blocks and 19 aces.

Reilly was named a first-team AVCA All-American, AVCA Setter of the Year, Big Ten Player of the Year, Big Ten Setter of the Year, AVCA Region Player of the Year and All-Big Ten First Team. NU’s .351 hitting percentage ranked first nationally and was the best hitting percentage by a Big Ten team since 2009 Penn State.

Reilly set Nebraska to a .400 or better hitting percentage nine times this season, a school record in the rally-scoring era. Reilly had double-doubles in all six of the Husker matches that went longer than three sets, and she had four double-doubles in sweeps.

A three-time AVCA All-American and one of four finalists for AVCA Player of the Year, Reilly ranks No. 3 in school history in career assists in the rally-scoring era with 3,723. Her career assists per set average of 10.70 ranks No. 4 among active Division I players and No. 2 in school history in the rally-scoring era.

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Examining the Winners, Losers from Volleyball’s First Transfer Window

Published

35 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

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As we enter the second full week of January, the chaos of the transfer portal is giving way to the calm of roster clarity.

More than 600 Division I players have entered the transfer portal since the beginning of December. Many of those student-athletes have found new homes as the second semester begins. However, once an athlete is in the portal, they do not have a deadline to find a new home. The academic calendar and personal preference dictate their timeline.

Even though the number of transfers was still massive, the transfer season lacked the pizzazz of the last few years, as the movement lacked the high-end talent changing programs. Overall, only five All-Americans (and three honorees from the past season) changed schools. It was a good time to be looking for a new setter, as many quality quarterbacks of the volleyball court opted for a change of scenery.

Nebraska has been quiet on both the coming and going fronts. No player entered the portal at the end of the season for the second straight season. However, the portal reopens at the beginning of May for two weeks, and the Huskers might see some movement during that window.

Here’s a list of the biggest winners from the transfer portal and a few teams that came out on the short end — so far. (All players are listed by their eligibility for the 2026 season.)

Winners:

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬’ 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞!

Mustangs, help us welcome home one of the best outside hitters in the country, Suli Davis ✌️#GoMustangs | @SMUMustangs pic.twitter.com/W16cYI4L8F

— SMU Volleyball (@SMUVolleyball) December 17, 2025

SMU

Added: OH Suli Davis, sophomore, from BYU; OPP Gabi Placide, senior, Ole Miss; S Ava Sarafa, junior, Kentucky; L Victoria Harris, junior, South Carolina.

Lost: OH Kennedi Rogers, sophomore, to Tennessee.

SMU needed to find a few plug-and-play pieces after losing six players from last year’s team, which included 11 freshmen and sophomores. Once again, the Mustangs hit the portal hard to fill in the roster holes.

Davis was one of the biggest prizes in the portal. However, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year wasn’t really on the market as she entered the portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag and ended up with her hometown Mustangs. The Euless, Texas, native was a second-team All-American this past year and offers long-term potential as she reunites with several other players she played club volleyball with at TAV in the Metroplex.

In addition to Davis, the Mustangs added three undervalued SEC players. Placide was fifth in kills per set and third in points per set at Ole Miss. Harris was fourth in the SEC in digs per set for the Gamecocks and had a 54.6 good pass percentage. Sarafa got beat out by freshman Kassie O’Brien, the AVCA National Freshman of the Year, as the starting setter at Kentucky and will compete with Hannah Beauford for the job at SMU.

An All-American making her way down to Aggieland 👍#GigEm // #AggieVB pic.twitter.com/AkJGiuJGp1

— Texas A&M Volleyball (@AggieVolleyball) December 23, 2025

Texas A&M

Added: OH Natalie Ring, senior, Marquette; MB Kaia Castle, sophomore, Ohio State; MB Eliza Sharp, sophomore, Boise State.

Lost: None.

The Aggies needed to boost their roster after losing nine seniors and three All-Americans from the national championship-winning team. They also needed to bridge the gap before a pair of 2027 Top 10 prospects (OH Isabel Incinelli and S Sophee Peterson) arrive on campus next year.

The highlight of the group is Ring, who earned All-American honors at Marquette last season. She’s a proven arm and averaged 4.60 kills per set while hitting .274. She’ll pair very well with tournament breakout star Kyndal Stowers on the left pin.

The other area of need for A&M was the middle blocker position after the graduation of Ifenna Cos-Ipkalla and Morgan Perkins. The Aggies signed Sharp, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, and Castle, who flashed her potential in an otherwise dreadful season at Ohio State and broke the OSU school record with 15 blocks against Troy.

Penn State

Added: S Alexis Stucky, senior, from Florida; MB Ryla Jones, junior, Pitt; OH/RS Whiteny Lauenstein, senior, Texas

Lost: S Izzy Starck, junior, to Pitt; OH Karis Willow, senior, uncommitted; MB Catherine Burke, junior, Wake Forest; OH Marin Collins, sophomore, Georgia.

After Starck left the team in September, the Nittany Lions’ biggest need was a setter. The need was amplified later in the fall when 2026 signee Danielle Whitmire suffered a knee injury during her final prep season. PSU got the answer from Stucky, who will reunite with her former Gator teammate Kennedy Martin for their final collegiate season. Stucky also suffered a knee injury in her second year at Florida after earning All-American honors as a freshman, but has remained one of the top setters in the country, which should elevate the Nittany Lions’ offense.

Jones should step in at middle to fill the absence of Maggie Mendelson and Jordan Hopp. She hit .404 as a freshman with 1.14 kills and 1.03 blocks per set, but lost playing time this past year to freshman Abbey Emch. Lauenstein adds more firepower to the offense, but doesn’t do much to solve one of PSU’s biggest weaknesses from last year: passing. She likely won’t displace Martin, so she will join a crowded group on the left pin that includes fellow former Nebraska opposite Caroline Jurevicius, along with Emmi Sellman, Alexis Ewing and freshman Finley Krystkowiak.

Pretty good Christmas gift 😉

Everyone welcome Izzy Starck to the Pitt fam!

🔗 https://t.co/Y5CnRP62bS pic.twitter.com/LVxhNKMjnf

— Pitt Volleyball (@Pitt_VB) December 23, 2025

Pittsburgh

Added: S Izzy Starck, junior, from Penn State; MB Jordyn Daily, junior, Kentucky;

Lost: MB Ryla Jones, junior, to Penn State; MB Dalia Vîrlan, junior, Oregon; S Kiana Dinn, sophomore, South Carolina.

It was no secret that Stark was entering the portal after she left the Nittany Lions in September. She didn’t leave Pennsylvania and will team up with two-time reigning Player of the Year Olivia Babcock. Starck is an elite talent, having been an All-American, the National Freshman of the Year, and a key contributor to Penn State’s 2024 national title. Stark is listed as a junior on the Panthers’ roster. If she has contemporaneous medical documentation from the past year, she could be granted a medical hardship and receive an additional year of eligibility.

Pitt’s other big need was at middle blocker. The Panthers lost Bre Kelley to graduation, and then two other reserves left via the portal. They added Dailey, who can also play opposite, and should pair well with Abbey Emch.

The newest Bluejay setter 🔥

Katie Dalton, welcome to Creighton Volleyball!

📰: https://t.co/eiZ8v5OvJf#GoJays pic.twitter.com/1Sm4RPX3bg

— Creighton Volleyball (@CreightonVB) December 23, 2025

Creighton

Added: S Katie Dalton, senior, from Kansas; MB Ayden Ames, junior, Texas; OH Trinity Shadd-Ceres, junior, Wisconsin

Lost: OH/OPP Sophia Wendlick, junior, uncommitted; S Emersen Strain, junior, Jacksonville.

The Bluejays didn’t miss a beat in Brian Rosen’s first year at the helm. Creighton returned to the Elite Eight but faces another challenging task in replacing three All-Americans. The Bluejays hope to have their next great setter in Dalton, who led Kansas to the regional semifinals. She will follow in the footsteps of Kendra Wait and Annalea Maeder. Ames started 55 of 57 matches in her two years at Texas and should slide in seamlessly to the starting lineup for All-American Elise Goetzinger. Finally, Shadd-Ceres doesn’t get much court time at Wisconsin, appearing in 13 matches over two seasons, but she oozes athleticism and potential.

Our 2026 roster is shaping up nicely 🤩

Read about our five transfer signees below!#ForksUphttps://t.co/N0dO0OvzHI

— Sun Devil Volleyball (@SunDevilVB) January 9, 2026

Arizona State

Added: OH Aniya Clinton, senior, from Kansas State; OH Una Vajagic, junior, Wisconsin; MB Aurora Papac, sophomore, Kansas; MB Tosia Serafinowska, sophomore, Wisconsin; S Isabella Costantini, senior, UTRGV.

Lost: L Bella Faria, junior, uncommitted

The Sun Devils lost six seniors following the 2025 season but reloaded through an international-flavored portal shopping spree, with four coming from outside the United States. Clinton and Vajagic (Serbia) added instant offense as they look to build on their roles as the second-best attackers on their respective teams last year. Costantini (Brazil) was a two-time Southland Setter of the Year. Papac (Croatia) recorded 107 blocks at Kansas. Serafinowska (Poland) appeared in five matches in two years at Wisconsin.

✍️ Welcome to the 608, @JaelaAuguste!

📝 | https://t.co/Ohchs5CCUI pic.twitter.com/jNbEc4KOky

— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) December 22, 2025

Best single-player additions

Kentucky — The national runners-up needed to replace Eva Hudson at the left pin and found a capable candidate in Morgan Gaerte. The junior outside hitter averaged 4.64 kills for Notre Dame last season and earned All-ACC honors.

San Diego — The Toreros returned to the NCAA tournament last year and then increased their odds of returning with the addition of former Washington Kierstyn Barton. The All-Big Ten outside hitter averaged 3.57 kills and 1.96 digs per set for the Huskies last year.

Wisconsin — The Badgers were a mixed bag. They got the best middle blocker available in Florida’s Jaela Auguste, who should lessen the departure of seniors Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew. Auguste was an All-American last year for the Gators after putting up 2.69 kills on a .368 hitting percentage. On the downside, Wisconsin lost six other players to the portal, including rising sophomore outside hitter Una Vajagic. Her departure caught UW coach Kelly Sheffield off guard, as she was expected to take a bigger role in the offense next year. The other transfers were primarily young reserves, including setter Addy Horner to TCU. Overall, Wisconsin should be fine as it brings in four Top 25 recruits to bolster its ranks.

Also under consideration: S Marina Crownover from Missouri to Oregon; MB Brooke Bultema from Kentucky to Louisville and OPP Jovana Zelenovic from Kansas to Miami (Florida).

Mixed Bag:

All in on Florida 🐊

Welcome to the Gator family, Kamryn Chaney!

ℹ️ https://t.co/HlRgU4NHqn pic.twitter.com/kWUczz09GZ

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) December 17, 2025

Florida

Added: OH Kamryn Chaney, senior, Vanderbilt; OH Selena Leban, junior, Kansas; S Bri Denney, senior, Baylor; MB Bri Holladay, sophomore, Virginia Tech

Lost: S Alexis Stucky, senior, to Penn State; MB Jaela Auguste, junior, Wisconsin; MB De’Andrea McMillian, sophomore, TCU

The Gators lost two of their top players from this past season in Stucky and Auguste. Junior setter Taylor Parks should soften the blow of Stucky’s departure, but losing an All-American at middle blocker hurts. McMillian redshirted this past year. Chaney and Leban should help breakout star Jordyn Byrd on offense, and Holladay showed potential in her one year at Virginia Tech.

Tennessee

Added: OPP/S Jalyn Stout, senior, from Coastal Carolina; OH Kennedi Rogers, sophomore, SMU; OH Nia Hall, senior, South Carolina; L Marta Lazzarin, sophomore, Georgia State.

Lost: S Izzy Mogridge, sophomore, to Utah; OPP Paityn Chapman, junior, Illinois; S Camdyn Stucky, sophomore, Kansas State; OPP Starr Williams, senior, Grand Canyon; OH/OPP Sydney Jones, junior, Houston; OH Cate Schnell, junior, uncommitted; MB Zoë Humphrey, sophomore, Georgia Tech; MB Kiki Granberry, senior, Indiana.

The Lady Vols saw a mass exodus as eight players hit the portal shortly after their season ended. Those players combined to start 50 matches, so they won’t lose much in production, but it’s never a good sign when that many players leave. Eve Rackham Watt will have a roster reset with that much player turnover.

The one victory for UT was that 2023 All-American setter Caroline Kerr decided to stick around Knoxville. The Lady Vols added Rogers to the mix, who showed out in her first year with SMU, as well as triple-double machine Jalyn Stout to the roster, although with Kerr still running the offense, Stout will likely be limited to just attacking.

Gamecock Student-Athletes Continue Academic Excellence in 2025 Fall Semester – University of South Carolina Athletics

Published

47 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Student-Athletes at the University of South Carolina ended the Fall 2025 semester with a departmental grade point average (GPA) of 3.51, the second highest semester departmental GPA in program history (Spring 2020 – 3.70).

This marks the department’s 38th consecutive semester with a departmental GPA above 3.0.

The cumulative grade point average for student-athletes in each sport since they arrived at Carolina is 3.52, which stands as the highest cumulative GPA ever for Gamecock student-athletes. In addition, department named 105 student-athletes to the President’s List for earning a 4.0 GPA, 194 student-athletes to the Dean’s List (3.5 GPA) and 435 to the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll (3.0 GPA).

“In this new era of intercollegiate athletics, the commitment to being a student-athlete has not changed,” said Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati. “Our student-athletes work hard at their athletic craft and in the classroom. We appreciate their hard work and the efforts of our academic services staff for the outstanding support they provide our student-athletes. Also, we are incredibly appreciative of our Gamecock Club members whose philanthropic giving helps fund scholarships, meal and housing costs, medical expenses, and other areas of support.”

“To have 38 consecutive semesters of a 3.0 GPA is a result of the culture of excellence that has been developed by our student-athletes,” said Charlie Ball, Senior Associate AD for Academics. “The Dodie Academic Team is dedicated to the academic accomplishments of our student-athletes, which helps build a foundation for career success.”

All 18 teams earned a 3.0 GPA or higher for the semester for the second time in program history. Women’s Tennis had the highest team GPA for the fall at 3.77, followed closely by Men’s Soccer at 3.71, and Equestrian at 3.70.

A total of 26 student-athletes graduated after the Fall semester, with 262 student-athletes earning degrees during the last four semester graduation exercises (since Spring 2024).

Team – Fall 2025 Semester GPA
Baseball – 3.49*
Men’s Basketball – 3.36*
Women’s Basketball – 3.56
Beach Volleyball – 3.69
Equestrian – 3.70*
Football – 3.28
Men’s Golf – 3.54
Women’s Golf – 3.64
Men’s Soccer – 3.71
Women’s Soccer – 3.69
Softball – 3.63
Men’s Swimming and Diving – 3.70*
Women’s Swimming and Diving – 3.69
Men’s Tennis – 3.05
Women’s Tennis – 3.77
Men’s Track and Field – 3.51*
Women’s Track and Field / Cross Country – 3.30
Volleyball – 3.54

* – Highest semester GPA in sport program history

The Fall 2025 Semester continued a history of academic excellence for Gamecock athletics. A snapshot of recent successes include:

* From 2015-16, South Carolina leads all schools with 4,225 members in the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. South Carolina led all schools in the SEC Academic Honor Roll in seven of the last 10 years and in top 3 in the remaining three years.

* Ten Gamecocks earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors in 2024-25, the most ever for USC in the history of the Academic All-America program (previous high: 7 – 2013-14 & 2008-09). A total of 53 Gamecocks earned CSC Academic All-District honors in 2024-25.

* Two Gamecocks earned conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in their respective sports. Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk was the SEC Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Louise Rydqvist earned the SEC Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.

* All University of South Carolina’s countable intercollegiate sports posted a multiyear score of 950 or better, according to the Academic Progress Rate (APR) statistics for the 2023-24 academic year. Carolina had 13 sports reach a perfect single-year score (1000) for the 2023-24 academic year, the second highest total ever by Gamecock Athletics, only behind 14 sports total in 2015-16. Sixteen of the 18 sports maintained or improved on their previous year APR scores. Eleven of the 18 measured sports surpassed the national multi-year average while volleyball registered a perfect single-year score for the 11th-straight year. Beach Volleyball continues its streak of perfect APR scoring since the NCAA started collecting data for the sport.

* USC athletic programs tied for third in the Southeastern Conference in the latest Graduation Success Rates (GSR), which measures the number of scholarship student-athletes that graduate within a six-year period of their initial full-time enrollment. For the report, the GSR is based on student-athletes who entered college in the fall of 2017. South Carolina’s athletic teams had a 94 percent score, which tied with Auburn University and the University of Mississippi in the SEC behind Vanderbilt (96) and Alabama (96). South Carolina’s Football GSR score (95) ranked second among SEC schools and South Carolina schools. It tied for ninth among all Power 4 schools.

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