NIL
Kirby Smart, Power Four coaches emphatically calling for transfer portal reform
USATSI MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – The hottest topic at SEC spring meetings this week isn’t the future of the College Football Playoff format, according to its most prominent football coach. It’s not the looming NCAA v. House settlement, and what all happens once revenue sharing goes into effect. It isn’t whether the SEC should move […]


MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – The hottest topic at SEC spring meetings this week isn’t the future of the College Football Playoff format, according to its most prominent football coach.
It’s not the looming NCAA v. House settlement, and what all happens once revenue sharing goes into effect.
It isn’t whether the SEC should move to nine conference games, a debate that has been raging for years at this annual event without resolution.
According to CBS Sports’ No. 1-ranked college football coach, the most important issue is the transfer portal window. And Kirby Smart’s frustration offers a window into why the SEC — and the other Power Four conferences — are so eager to take more control over the NCAA governance process, if not break off from the NCAA altogether, to pass common-sense transfer reform.
“The biggest decision that needs to be made in college football right now, by far, is when is the portal window and is it one or two,” Smart said. “That’s not being decided by us today. A lot of people don’t even know how it’s being decided and who is deciding it.”
SEC coaches like Smart want transfer portal eligibility reduced from two windows (winter and spring) to only one and to reduce the overall number of transfer portal days available. Currently the portal periods run from Dec. 9-28 and April 16-25. The December period is especially irksome to coaches that have to balance early signing period, the transfer portal and preparing their teams for postseason games.
Slow changes
There are mixed opinions on the dates and length for a singular portal window — more on that later — but it hasn’t happened yet despite widespread approval amongst Power Four coaches.
At the American Football Coaches Association meetings in January, the group voted to endorse only one portal window. AFCA executive director Craig Bohl told CBS Sports that one window would benefit both players looking to maximize their value and coaches looking for more consistency.
“We’re supportive of one and we think that’s fair and that’s going to give more stability for players and coaches,” Bohl said.
The push for one transfer portal window isn’t a new development, though.
So why hasn’t it happened? It’s at the heart of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey’s frustration has with a NCAA structure that doesn’t anoint the Power Four conferences with the rule-making authority that their stature and wealth would seem to warrant.
Study finds elite recruits see drop in draft odds after transferring
Chris Hummer
A weighted vote
Currently, the Power Four conferences are pushing for a weighted vote that would give them 65 percent of the power on rule-making committees. Even that amount, which would give the Power Four conferences significantly more power than they have now, still comes with risk. One high-ranking source said there are concerns that all it takes is one conference not voting with the others — or even ceasing to exist altogether if there’s further realignment and consolidation — to prevent approval for solutions. Sankey said Monday that he’d like to see that weighted vote go up to at leas 68 percent to avoid some of those issues.
Multiple Big Ten and SEC sources have expressed extreme frustration to CBS Sports about being unable to push through changes because smaller conferences won’t support it. The transfer portal situation has been especially frustrating that the conferences that would seemingly benefit from not having a spring transfer portal window won’t go for it just because the SEC and others want it. The SEC’s representatives on those committees have made those arguments to no avail, according to sources. When you have conferences that didn’t hesitate to fully fund the $20.5 million cap and others that won’t spend a dollar on revenue sharing voting on the same issues, you can see how it can go awry quickly.
The SEC’s success, in particular, has seemed to hurt its ability to make rule changes when smaller conferences question its motives.
“It’s really hard to be playing in a championship setting and having to deal with it, but when I brought that up as a complaint or problem it was told to me, ‘There’s no crying from the yacht,'” Smart said. “If you’re going to play in these environments you have to be willing to do that. Now it’s we can’t do that.”
Smart believes the implementation committee, which includes two athletic directors from each power conference, will ultimately have say over the transfer portal.
Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts, one of the SEC’s two ADs on the committee, believes there are multiple steps that need to happen before transfer portal windows become the paramount issue. Before the committee could consider addressing it, first the settlement has to actually be approved and the new College Sports Commission entity needs to get up and running which will include hiring a chief executive officer.
“Of course the coaches, the number one thing on their list is the transfer portal and the calendar, and that all makes sense,” Alberts said Tuesday. “But none of that matters if we can’t get all this stuff done over here first. I think there’s a logical sequence to it.”
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer cautious on nine-game SEC schedule, questions CFP implications
Cody Nagel
The future of the portal window
Even if the Power Four conferences get all the necessary entities on board to move to only one portal window, it will creat another sticky issue. Smart lobbied hard for a January transfer window. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables prefers February because “it’s one of the slowest times of the season.” Unlike professional leagues, however, college football still has to contend with academic schedules that could make it difficult for athletes to transfer and be admitted into new schools in the middle of an academic semester.
Smart would like to see a transfer portal move out of December, but he’s most concerned about the only window occurring in the spring. The Georgia coach said there is a growing contingency pushing for the portal window to move to only April, with at least some Big Ten coaches on board with that idea.
“If you think tampering is a problem, put that portal in April and see what teams do in January, February and March,” Smart said. “Just think about it now. We’re getting ready to make a big decision and a lot of people believe a kid won’t be able to leave if we put it in April, they’ll have to stay the next semester. Oh no, they’ll be on your campus, getting tampered with, collecting 33 percent of your cap before they leave with it. I’m not for that.”
Smart’s comments show how even the most powerful people are still at the mercy of a bureaucratic system long overdue for a change. Getting consensus on any issue has never been more challenging.
If you wonder why the SEC and others are so intent on wresting control over more of the NCAA decision-making apparatus, the transfer portal debate is as easy an example there is.
CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello contributed to this report.
NIL
SB | Sam Buckley Checks in at #98 in the Inaugural D1Softabll Mid-Major D100 Player Rankings
Story Links MORAGA, Calif. — Due to an increasing interest in Division I Mid-Major Softball, D1Softball.com has released their first ever “D100” Mid-Major Softball player rankings following the 2025 season. Checking in on the list at #98 is a familiar face to Gael fans, sophomore third baseman Sam Buckley. Buckley was one […]

MORAGA, Calif. — Due to an increasing interest in Division I Mid-Major Softball, D1Softball.com has released their first ever “D100” Mid-Major Softball player rankings following the 2025 season. Checking in on the list at #98 is a familiar face to Gael fans, sophomore third baseman Sam Buckley. Buckley was one of just two WCC Players to make the list, joining reigning WCC Player of the Year Cairah Curran of Santa Clara, who checked in at #94.
After arguably one of the best freshmen seasons in program history in 2024, Sam Buckley’s encore performance in 2025 was all the more spectacular. The Burbank, California native set new single season records for home runs (14), runs scored (47) and RBI (41), and became just the fourth Gael in program history to finish a season with a batting average better than 0.400. Buckley led the WCC in on-base percentage (0.523), slugging percentage (0.818) and OPS (1.341), and committed just two errors at the hot corner all season.
The Gaels faced off with many players on this list, including Aaliyah Jenkins (Nevada, #4), Sophia Knight (Boise State, #12), and Makenzie Butt (Boise State, #18). There’s no question that the level of softball continues to grow at the mid-major level, and the Gaels are no exception, now back-to-back WCC champs, and looking for more in 2026, charged by Sam Buckley and company.
#GaelsRise
NIL
Ohio State’s Top Freshman is Missing From College Football 26
As the follow-up to the most successful and celebrated sports video game in American history, gamers will predictably want to jump into College Football 26 as soon as they can and explore the new features. And, in some cases, new players from a really good freshman class. Unfortunately, not all of the highly touted fresh […]

As the follow-up to the most successful and celebrated sports video game in American history, gamers will predictably want to jump into College Football 26 as soon as they can and explore the new features. And, in some cases, new players from a really good freshman class. Unfortunately, not all of the highly touted fresh faces will be present in the game. At least, not at launch. And one of them hails from one of the most prestigious colleges in the nation.
Ohio State is one of the most celebrated and decorated college football programs out there. Boasting 9 national championships, 41 conference championships, and 10 division championships, the Buckeyes are among the crème de la crème of college football. In turn, many of the country’s most talented young football players commit to Ohio State each year, as being part of such a prestigious program often leads to larger media exposure and more looks from NFL scouts. Heck, this year, the two highest-rated players in CFB 26 are Ohio State players — Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs.
But one of the Buckeyes’ most publicized new acquisitions won’t be in the game at launch.
Considered the 8th-best cornerback prospect in the nation out of high school, Devin Sanchez will be making his debut as a freshman this year for Ohio State. Unfortunately, he will not be present at launch in College Football 26.
While the reason for Sanchez’s omission is officially unknown, it likely comes down to the NCAA’s eligibility rules. Even if he’s one of the country’s most promising young talents, nothing is a guarantee. Therefore, until he plays a down for Ohio State, don’t expect to see him in the game.
There is hope, though. In October last year, EA provided College Football 25 with a large roster update that added over 700 NIL players to the game. So if Sanchez gets some burn between now and the fall, Ohio State fans can definitely expect to see him added to CFB 26 as well. Depending on how EA treats him, it might give OSU one of the most deadly secondaries in the game as well (they technically already have an amazing secondary, but another highly-rated corner would put them over the edge).
NIL
Top college football head coach calls for NIL reform as calls mount for change
Longtime Army head coach Jeff Monken is wary about the current state of the transfer portal as Name, Image and Likeness opportunities continues to entice college football players to search for what they believe to be greener pastures. Monken enters his 12th season at the helm after leading the Black Knights to a school-record 12 […]

Longtime Army head coach Jeff Monken is wary about the current state of the transfer portal as Name, Image and Likeness opportunities continues to entice college football players to search for what they believe to be greener pastures.
Monken enters his 12th season at the helm after leading the Black Knights to a school-record 12 wins in 2024 with the program’s first finish inside the College Football Playoff Top 25 (No. 22).
Having started his college coaching career back in 1989, Monken has been a part of the major shift in college athletics in light of the transfer portal/NIL era. He doesn’t think college football is in danger of losing its core, but the controversial new status quo needs guard rails to keep things sustainable.
“I think there’s a lot of discouragement out there about the current state of college football, and I think there’s some guard rails that need to be put in place,” Monken said on “Next Up with Adam Breneman.”
“This is a business, and we are in the entertainment business, and we’re in the business of trying to make money for a number of reasons,” he continued. “Because it helps all of us represent this institution and be the front porch for our institutions, which, to me, is is a great purpose for athletics and a great source of pride for universities. And I think it will remain that way.”
Staying at a program all three or four years is becoming more of a rarity than ever, as more than 3,400 players entered the transfer portal in the 2025 cycle, according to ESPN.
While Monken supports players taking advantage of their NIL, he doesn’t see an overall benefit in transferring multiple times.
“And that doesn’t mean a guy’s got to stay at the same school for four years,” Monken said. “But to literally be able to play at one school in the fall, transfer to another school in the spring, don’t like it there, go to another school in the fall, have one bad spring practice and leave again… A guy could play five years of college football and be at nine different schools, in the current state of affairs. I don’t think that’s healthy, because I don’t think that’s good for athletes.”
NIL
Report: Judge denies motion to dismiss NIL lawsuit against Leonard Hamilton
On Monday, a Leon County judge denied former Florida State men’s basketball head coach Leonard Hamilton‘s motion to dismiss an NIL-related lawsuit against him, per The Athletic‘s Matt Baker. In the hearing, they set a tentative trial date of August 2026. In December of last year, Darin Green Jr., Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, Cam’Ron Fletcher, De’Ante Green and Jalen Warley alleged Hamilton […]

On Monday, a Leon County judge denied former Florida State men’s basketball head coach Leonard Hamilton‘s motion to dismiss an NIL-related lawsuit against him, per The Athletic‘s Matt Baker. In the hearing, they set a tentative trial date of August 2026.
In December of last year, Darin Green Jr., Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, Cam’Ron Fletcher, De’Ante Green and Jalen Warley alleged Hamilton promised each of them $250,000 in NIL payments from the coach’s “business partners,” per the complaint. The players reportedly never received payments from Hamilton, Florida State or any other party.
The initial complaint detailed a team-wide boycott that occurred during a practice ahead of Florida State’s game against Duke on Feb. 17. The complaint also included multiple text message exchanges between players and Hamilton and players and Will Cowen, an executive with one of Florida State’s NIL collectives.
After the players walked out of the practice ahead of the Duke game, Hamilton assured the players they would be paid the following week, per the complaint. Florida State ultimately lost to Duke, 76-67. Players were worried over taxes, rent and car notes, per the complaint.
In April, The Field of 68 legal analyst Mitch Gilfillan reported that three of the six plaintiffs were no longer pursuing the lawsuit. Nonetheless, it appears the other three plaintiffs have not had a change of heart and are pushing forward.
None of the six players who were involved in the lawsuit are still on Florida State’s roster. Four of them entered the transfer portal, while two of them had no more eligibility.
Leonard Hamilton announced his resignation in February. He is the winningest head coach in program history and the fifth-winningest head coach in ACC history.
“I am deeply thankful for the tremendous support of our fans, alumni, and everyone associated with Florida State throughout my time here,” Hamilton said. “I am proud of the quality of the young men that it was my privilege to lead, for their faith in this program and in their belief in the philosophy that we tried to instill in them over the years. I have been blessed beyond words for the opportunity and the experience we’ve had here.
“My family and I truly love this place, this institution, and its people. I’m very fortunate to be able to have given this job my all with no regrets. Every head coach inherits a legacy and is obligated to leave the job better than they inherited it. I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish here over the last 23 seasons.”
NIL
Hour 3 – Rookie QB Coverage & NIL Money | FOX Sports Radio
LaVar and Jonas give Zach Wilson his proper credit as a Polynesian players. Cam Ward continues to get less attention than Shedeur Sanders. A big name recruit in college football continues muddy the waters of NIL payments. Plus, a familiar face at the top of the rankings, a potential blockbuster trade and more! #2pros See […]
NIL
NIL VETO
Does Texas Tech’s structuring of NIL deals hold up with the Clearinghouse? If not, do schools like Auburn shift how they use NIL for recruiting? Author: ktvb.com Published: 6:44 PM MDT July 7, 2025 Updated: 6:44 PM MDT July 7, 2025 0


Does Texas Tech’s structuring of NIL deals hold up with the Clearinghouse? If not, do schools like Auburn shift how they use NIL for recruiting?
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