Charles Barkley sees helping Jefferson County, Alabama, and donating to HBCUs as a greater cause than spending on NIL contracts for Hugh Freeze’s Tigers on the gridiron and Bruce Pearl’s on the hardwood.

Barkley explained to Dan Dakich on his show why he doesn’t fund his alma mater like Tom Brady does for Michigan or Carmelo Anthony does for Syracuse.

“I just gave ten million dollars to HBCU’s, that stuff is way more important to me,” Barkley noted to Dakich, per OutKick. “I just gave million dollars to ‘Blight’, in my hometown of Brimigham, to rebuild houses. That stuff is way more important to me than joining the cesspool that is college athletics. We’re such a shitty country, Dan. We’ve ruined college athletics, and I don’t wanna even get in that cesspool.

“This notion that you have to come up with tens of millions of dollars to pay kids to play basketball, and have them be free agents every year and transfer to another school and get more money every year. Like, we don’t even get to do that in the NBA. Can you imagine if players in the NBA got to be free agents every year? I’m not opposed to players getting paid, I want to make that clear. But, this notion we gotta give college kids tens of millions of dollars a year, and basketball is the worst because you’re only gonna get a great player for six months. I don’t even see how you’re gonna get the return on investment.”

Barkley said the same thing 11 months ago to Dakich but with a lighter tone.

“My biggest pet peeve, and I’ve told them, y’all can’t call me every year asking for millions of dollars, that’s not gonna happen,” Barkley said. “Ya’ll need to stop. I love Auburn, I love Auburn. But the chances of me going back to black and broke again because I want Auburn to be good in football and basketball, that’s not gonna happen. 

“I love my school, but I don’t love them that much.”

We’ll see if Barkley will crack or if this will become an annual PSA around the end of each scholastic calendar year.

TUCSON, Arizona — Todd Holthaus’ Pima Women’s Basketball team is coming off a terrific season in which it reached the NJCAA Division II Championship game, but the Aztecs still felt the need to make an offseason pivot.

“Absolutely,” said Holthaus. “I don’t think you can ever feel comfortable.”

Pima is the first community college in Arizona to provide name-image-likeness support for its student-athletes. It’s partnering with Opendorse, an NIL digital platform.

“I’m super excited,” added Holtahaus. “More so for our student-athletes.”

For Holthaus, it will help in recruiting.

“I think that’s probably the biggest reason we did it. Just giving kids who we’re recruiting the opportunity to do something for themselves, promote themselves, and do something with the NIL landscape that’s out there now.”

Around the Aztecs gymnasium, there are local and national brands. Pima College is familiar with corporate partnerships.

“We go to those companies to help Pima athletics. Now, this presents an opportunity for student athletes to do something on their own with local businesses and individuals where they can make a few bucks on the side. It’s not going to be millions and dollars in NIL money. It’s not coming from Pima. It’s kids promoting themselves and working on their personal brands that they can take with them when they leave Pima.

Many Pima student-athletes do move on to four-year schools, and this is four all sports.

“We’re super excited now that the world is out,and we’re glad to be first.”

Clinton, S.C. – Megan Powell tossed a four-hit shutout to help Winthrop softball open the Big South Conference Championship with a 6-0 victory over fifth-seeded Charleston Southern, Wednesday evening at the PC Softball Complex.

GAME INFORMATION

RECORD: (4) Winthrop (28-21, 10-8 Big South) | (5) Charleston Southern (20-28, 9-9 Big South)

WINTHROP LEADERS: Megan Powell (W, CG, SHO, 4H, 5BB, K / 0-3, BB) | Tia Beckham (1-4, 2B, 2RBI) | Annelisa Winebarger (2-3, R, 2RBI, 2B, 3B) | Katie Beck (2-3, R, RBI, 2B)

WHAT HAPPENED

• Buccaneers threatened in the top of the first as Weslin Jones led off with a double
• After a walk by Blakley Kingsmore both runners were sacrificed over to put two runners in scoring position
• Megan Powell followed with a line out to third and issued a walk before getting a grounder to first to end the top half
• Eagles threatened in the bottom of the first and were able to take advantage
• Emma Jackson led off with a single and with two outs she stole second to get into scoring position
• Katie Beck came through with a line shot to center just shot of the wall for a double that scored Jackson for a 1-0 lead
• After Peyton Bryden walked to put two runners on, Annelisa Winebarger doubled to left as Beck scored and Bryden raced around from first for a 3-0 lead
• Winthrop doubled its lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as Winebarger set the table with a leadoff triple to right
• Grayson Buckner followed with a single to shallow left to score Winebarger from third
• Later in the inning with Tabitha Perry and Buckner at second and third, Tia Beckham came through with a double to left center for a 6-0 advantage

EXTRA BASES

• Eagles win their opening game of conference tournament play for a fourth straight time
• Beck’s RBI moves her within three of the freshman record for a season (Tessa Thomas – 34)
• This was the first shutout by a Winthrop team in the conference tournament since May 12, 2017 when it earned an 8-0 win over Charleston Southern
• It was also the 15^th shutout by an Eagle team in a Big South Tournament game
• Eagles finished the game 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position

ON DECK
Eagles advance to take on top-seeded Radford on Thursday, May 8 at 2:30 p.m. in the winner’s bracket of the championship.

STAY SOCIAL WITH THE EAGLES
For everything Winthrop softball visit www.winthropeagles.com or follow us on social media @Winthropsoftbal, winthropsoftball (Instagram) or www.facebook.com/Winthrop-Softball
 
 

Great Start To Conference Tournament Action#ROCKtheHILL | #BigSouthSB pic.twitter.com/dCaV18TzJD

— Winthrop Softball (@Winthropsoftbal) May 7, 2025

EAGLES TAKE FLIGHT

Megan Powell delivers a complete-game shutout as #4 @Winthropsoftbal advances to the winners bracket!#BigSouthSB pic.twitter.com/9iyQtqgUuJ

— Big South Conference (@BigSouthSports) May 7, 2025

B4 | Tia drives one to the gap in left center two plate 2 more runs

CSU 0

WIN 6#ROCKtheHILL | #BigSouthSB pic.twitter.com/E2N069E6SC

— Winthrop Softball (@Winthropsoftbal) May 7, 2025

B4 | Winebarger powers a triple to right to lead things off#ROCKtheHILL | #BigSouthSB pic.twitter.com/ecL7puwhFQ

— Winthrop Softball (@Winthropsoftbal) May 7, 2025

Grayson with a strong defensive effort to end the top half of the 4th

CSU 0

WIN 3#ROCKtheHILL | #BigSouthSB pic.twitter.com/EEFz0lj5jd

— Winthrop Softball (@Winthropsoftbal) May 7, 2025

We are now in the waiting game, as attorneys for the NCAA and power conferences have filed their revised briefs regarding roster limits, and how athletes will be permitted to be ‘grandfathered’ in to current rosters. 

For the past two weeks, parties on all sides of the House settlement have been working on a solution that pertains to roster-limits, and how players who are, or were, on rosters would be allowed to keep their place at the current institution. The problem for plenty of schools is that coaches had already begun making cuts, in preparation for what they thought would be an approved settlement that would see walk-ons, along with others, need to be cut to meet the roster limit size. 

UPDATE, 9:50 P.M. ET: Judge Claudia Wilken filed an order on Wednesday night, detailing the timeline moving forward. Objectors to the supplemental brief filed by the NCAA and power conferences have until May 13th to file their response. Then, the plaintiffs and defendants have until May 16th to file any further responses on the matter. 

What The New Briefs Say About Roster Limits Within House Settlement

Along with plaintiff attorneys, the NCAA and power conferences came to an agreement to essentially phase-in these roster cuts. Meaning, if an athlete was already cut by a school, he is eligible to be reinstated, but at the schools’ discretion. 

Here is what was filed this evening, in hopes of approval from Judge Claudia Wilken. You can read the entire House Settlement motion here. 

• The NCAA roster limits in the Settlement (and any Conference-specific roster limits enacted outside of the Settlement) will not apply to any high school athlete who was recruited to be, or was assured they would be, on a school’s Division I roster for the 2025-2026 academic year and who was or would have been removed from that roster for the 2025-2026 academic year due to the implementation of roster limits
• Athletes who fall within categories 1 or 2 above (“Designated Student-Athletes”) do notcount towards any school’s roster limit for the duration of the athlete’s Division I athleticeligibility (i.e., the athlete may transfer to or enroll in another school and remain exemptfrom any roster limits);
• The NCAA roster limits in the Settlement (and any Conference-specific roster limitsenacted outside of the Settlement) will not apply to any athlete who was on a Division Iroster during the 2024-2025 academic year and who was or would have been removed fromthat roster for the 2025-2026 academic year due to the implementation of roster limits;
• Within thirty days of Final Approval, each Division I school is required to use good-faithefforts to identify for Class Counsel their Designated Student-Athletes; Class Counsel will have the right to enforce this obligation if additional athletes should have been identified asDesignated Student-Athletes;
• If any athlete transferred or is scheduled to transfer because they were told that they wouldbe removed from a roster in 2025-2026 due to the implementation of roster limits, nothingin the NCAA rules (e.g., designated transfer windows) will restrict schools from allowingthat athlete to transfer back to—or rescind their decision to transfer from—their original

Also, the revised brief says that players who are not retained by their current school, or decided to leave because they thought their spot would be gone, can keep their grandfather status at their next school of choice. 

How Schools Will Be Tasked With Keeping Track Of Roster Limits. 

In the filing, players who have already enrolled at a school coming out of high school, but had their spot taken away because the team thought they had to make room because of roster limits will now be allowed to stay, under the ‘grandfather’ revision. Essentially, schools will be allowed to keep players who would’ve been cut due to the House settlement, but they will not count towards the team’s overall roster number. 

And, schools will be tasked with keeping track of the players who have been grandfathered in, which will be a list of exceptions. Once the player’s eligibility is exhausted, the school would update its list, which is actually just checking a name off the box. 

Right now, if this were not to take place, there would be thousands of athletes who would be without a roster spot, which is something Judge Claudia Wilken was not keen on during the hearing two weeks ago. Judge Wilken was not going to approve the monumental settlement if all parties did not agree to fix the problem she saw with how roster spots were being eliminated. 

Massive Decision Awaits. Schools Preparing To Start Paying Players

There will be plenty of objectors to this late filing, with the schools having an option to keep a player or not being at the forefront of their arguments. Those objectors who are against having these spots taken from players are going to argue that leaving it up to the school is not fair to the athlete who was either offered a spot and took it, or was committed to a program and enrolled, only to have the school take away his spot on the team. 

Also, this is a massive decision based on the amount of money at-stake in this case, with $2.8 billion that is set to be paid to former athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness. And, the most important aspect of this entire matter is the revenue-sharing that will come from this House settlement agreement, where schools will pay athletes for their NIL, with schools set to pay upwards of $21 million annually. This financial figure would be divided up between sports, with football getting the majority. 

If the judge decides that she will not approve the settlement, multiple athletic administrators have told OutKick that they will continue with their plan to pay these athletes, using state laws as a protection. There will also be other states who have not yet approved this, that are prepared to pass laws that would allow universities to pay athletes. 

One school is not going to have an advantage over another, based upon which state they are in. We have seen how this has played out in the past when it comes to NIL laws being passed. 

The problem for schools that were already cutting their rosters down was the fact that they were working under the assumption that Judge Wilken would approve the final settlement agreement, because of a preliminary agreement. 

But, as we saw recently, Judge Claudia Wilken told all parties to either fix the problem, or she would not approve this settlement. 

Now, this is in the hands of a California judge, who has the authority to not agree, and this entire matter will go to trial. Obviously, the NCAA does not want this to happen, and neither do the power conferences. 

We now wait. While schools are hoping for the best, they are preparing for the worst, just in case. 

EAST LANSING – Michigan State baseball coach Jake Boss and pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde had said their goodbyes to Joseph Dzierwa. They thought they had lost their star pitcher to the transfer portal and to Vanderbilt, a college baseball powerhouse which offered the limelight and a significant NIL package. No hard feelings. They understood.

VILLANOVA, P.a. – The No. 2 seed UConn softball team won their opening round game in the 2025 BIG EAST Tournament on Thursday afternoon, defeating the Providence Friars, 5-4 at the Villanova Softball Complex. Senior outfielder Lexi Hastings delivered a go-ahead ribbie single with two out in the bottom of the sixth, propelling the Huskies past the Friars. 

Payton Kinney got the nod in the circle in UConn’s opening round game, making her 24^th start of the season for the Huskies. After a rocky first inning, Kinney settled in, retiring eleven straight Friar batters. The Florida native went the distance in the circle, giving up three earned runs on five hits, adding three strikeouts, picking up her 13^th win of the season. 

Providence jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. 

Kaitlyn Breslin got the Huskies offense going in the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff triple, setting the stage for a three-run inning.  Kaiea Higa gave the Huskies the lead with a two-run home run, her third of the year, giving the Huskies a 2-1 lead. 

Later in the inning, Lexi Hastings extended the UConn lead with a sac fly to left field, scoring Haley Coupal from third base, making it 3-1. 

The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Cat Petteys added to the Huskies lead in the third inning with a solo home run to left center field, the 13^th in her rookie campaign, giving UConn a 4-1 lead.

Providence battled their way back into the game, scoring two runs in the fifth and a run in the sixth to tie the game up at 4-4. 

Hastings came through in the bottom of the sixth inning, down 1-2 in the count, the Huskies senior captain delivered a go-ahead two-out RBI double to center field, scoring the game-winning run in Coupal, making it 5-4.

Kinney locked down the final three outs in the circle, marking her fifth complete game this season.  

News and Notes

• Lexi Hastings had two clutch RBIs, notching her 9^th multi-RBI game this season. 
• Payton Kinney retired 11 straight Friars hitters from the first inning to the fifth inning.
• Grace Jenkins extended her on-base streak to 28 straight games with a pair of walks.
• Haley Coupal recorded her 9^th multi-hit game this season, scoring two of UConn’s five runs. 
• Kaiea Higa recorded her third home run of the season in the second inning, giving the junior 9 multi-RBI games this season. 
• Cat Petteys recorded her 13^th home run of the season in the third inning, extending her hitting streak to five straight games. 
• The Huskies totaled five extra base hits. 

Up Next

UConn moves on to the BIG EAST semifinal on Friday, May 9, where they will matchup with the Creighton Bluejays. First pitch is set for 12:00pm and will be streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

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