AD Josh Whitman: ‘Disruption is our opportunity’ CHAMPAIGN – The Illini have taken steps forward with a recent Elite Eight berth and a football team that cracked 10 wins for the first time in more than two decades. And just as the Illini have some real momentum and coaches signed to long-term deals with non-compete […]
CHAMPAIGN – The Illini have taken steps forward with a recent Elite Eight berth and a football team that cracked 10 wins for the first time in more than two decades.
And just as the Illini have some real momentum and coaches signed to long-term deals with non-compete clauses, the Illinois athletic department wades into the new world of college sports beginning next week with a determination to take advantage of chaos in the industry.
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By being creative, aggressive and forward thinking, athletic director Josh Whitman said Thursday during a media round table, the Illini plan to maximize opportunity in the greatest era of change of college athletics. Following the House settlement, the game changes Tuesday, July 1, when schools essentially pay players to play, even if the semantics created let you think otherwise.
“I’ve said this for years. Disruption is our opportunity,’’ Whitman said. “We have an industry that is continuing to experience intense disruption. We’re very disciplined in the way we talk about it and think about it. Within Illinois athletics, we see this as our moment and see the change happening across college athletics as an opportunity for Fighting Illini athletics to out-think, out-strategize and out-execute our opposition.
“We will continue to find ways to think differently, to be creative, to maybe zig when others are zagging, to create a competitive advantage for the Fighting Illini going forward. The changes are all around us.’’
Whitman, like his coaches, aren’t sitting back after a couple good seasons.
“We will never confuse being pleased with being satisfied,’’ he said. “We have so much more work to do, so much more opportunity in front of us. We’re really happy with the progress we’ve made, but we have a lot more opportunity in front of us.’’
The revenue sharing starts next week, when the Illini plan to pay out the maximum allowed at $20.5 million, even as they lose a little more than a million from NCAA distributions. While the Illini plan to spread the wealth close to a 75-15-5-5 plan adopted by most schools in the Power 4, Whitman wouldn’t go into much detail, other than saying 98 percent of the revenue would be distributed among the four sports where tickets are sold – football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball.
“We’re not exactly in line with that (75-15-5-5), but we’re not far from that,’’ Whitman said. “It’s a significant investment in those four sports.’’
Through a Big Ten Conference licensing agreement, athletes will sign a contract selling their exclusive rights to promote the university, the Illinois athletic department, the Big Ten and NCAA while retaining their ability to cut deals otherwise in the sponsorship market. The university would retain the athlete’s contract for the length of their eligibility. If the athlete wishes to transfer, Illinois would negotiate with the other school in determining a settlement for those NIL rights.
“A transfer to another school has no mechanism to pay them, unless there’s an agreement between the three parties,’’ Whitman said.
Other power conferences are setting up similar deals. Whitman stressed it’s not pay to play, rather the schools purchasing the NIL rights.
Whatever you want to call it, I guess.
While the number of athletes at Illinois will likely fall from about 500 to 450, about 150 will be paid through NIL. Whitman said no state dollars will be used, even at a time when the university is phasing out student athletic fees.
“We will continue to find ways to think differently, to be creative, to maybe zig when others are zagging, to create a competitive advantage for the Fighting Illini going forward. The changes are all around us.’’
Illini AD Josh Whitman
The Illini are unlikely to fund the maximum number of scholarships allowed in all sports. It makes less sense to fill the jump in scholarships allowed in baseball (up from 11.9 to 34), because of the disadvantages for northern programs, than spreading the money to sports where the Illini face a more level playing field.
Athletic department officials will help athletes secure sponsorship dals through Illini Icon, the former collective’s now shifting to become a conduit between the players and the marketplace.
For this new system to work, schools must still follow the rules. Under-the-table payouts, a long tradition in college sports, would still keep that level playing field from truly existing, so it’s imperative for the College Sports Commission – the new sheriff in town – to keep things clean. Everyone is thinking the same thing. Good luck with that.
The commission needs to “investigate fast, punish hard,’’ Whitman said. “In order for this to work, that has to be the mandate. We want the College Sports Commission work quickly and swing a big hammer. We need to demonstrate early that it’s different from what we’ve known from the NCAA.’’
Whitman called this new era “the most ambitious, comprehensive project in the history of athletics.’’ But without enforcement in an arena where dark money flows at a remarkable pace, creating true change might be impossible.
If the old guard continues to spread the wealth past the $20.5 million (a number that increases 4 percent annually), will they take the slap on the wrist, or is that when the true upper crust splits again, leaving the rest of the programs to realign.
While those powerhouses can still spend more money than others on facilities, coaching salaries and the day-to-day expenditures, the perceived level playing field comes with the roster construction tied to revenue sharing and outside sponsorship deals passing through an NIL clearinghouse.
“This is a new ballgame,’’ Whitman said. “We’re building teams largely year to year with the ability to compensate them. As we move into the new environment, that’s a really significant variable exerted into the mix that’s not been there before.’’
Like previous seasons, football is driving the boat, and Whitman has great confidence in coach Bret Bielema’s ability to carry Illini athletics into the future.
“If we can get within spitting distance of our competitors, I’m here to ride with the guy in the Smith Center, because he’s pretty good,’’ Whitman said.
The new game officially begins Tuesday. It’s sink or swim for the Illini, like everyone else in the Power 4.
Molly Robertson Commits To Penn State Volleyball Posted on: July 26th, 2025 by Jonathan Spina By: Jared Barton Rising junior Molly Robertson has made her college commitment official with two seasons left at North Allegheny. Robertson announced her commitment to Penn State Women’s Volleyball via Instagram Saturday afternoon. Robertson was named the Pennsylvania MaxPreps Player […]
Rising junior Molly Robertson has made her college commitment official with two seasons left at North Allegheny.
Robertson announced her commitment to Penn State Women’s Volleyball via Instagram Saturday afternoon.
Robertson was named the Pennsylvania MaxPreps Player of the Year back in December of 2024. She led the Tigers with 391 kills and finished second on the team in digs with 250. She was the key offensive contributor on a team that went 21-1, winning the section title, WPIAL championship and PIAA Championship. The Tigers have won the state title now eight years in a row, with Robertson being a mainstay for the last two runs.
Robertson was recently named the 2024 Girls Volleyball Player of the Year by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette along with being named to the PG All-Area Team. Additionally, she was a first-team all-section player, named first-team All-WPIAL and first-team All-Big 56.
The junior becomes the fourth recruit to Penn State’s 2027 class, joining Nejari Crooks, Taylor Harrington and Olivia Henry. Last season, the Nittany Lions went 35-2, including a 19-1 Big 10 record en route to a share of the conference title as well as a National Championship victory over Louisville.
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ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland Volleyball announces its promotional schedule for the upcoming 2025 season. The Golden Grizzlies will host 14 matches, including three neutral site tournament matches, in the OUCU O’rena this year, with many exciting theme nights and promotions. Promotional highlights include:
Club Day, 9/13 vs. Eastern […]
ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland Volleyball announces its promotional schedule for the upcoming 2025 season. The Golden Grizzlies will host 14 matches, including three neutral site tournament matches, in the OUCU O’rena this year, with many exciting theme nights and promotions. Promotional highlights include:
Club Day, 9/13 vs. Eastern Michigan
2000’s Night, 10/10 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
Volleyween, 10/31 vs. Youngstown State
Tickets for the 2025 season will be on sale soon, for further ticket information about Oakland Volleyball home events, click HERE.
AUGUST
Friday, August 22 vs. Black & Gold Scrimmage – 6:00 PM
Kick off the season with our annual intrasquad scrimmage. This free event gives fans a first look at this year’s team.
Saturday, August 23 vs. Ferris State – 2:00 PM
Join us for a non-conference matchup with Ferris State. Admission is free for all fans.
SEPTEMBER
Friday, September 12 vs. Southern Illinois – 10:00 AM
Come support the team during this special morning match.
Friday, September 12 – Xavier vs. Eastern Michigan – 12:00 PM
Neutral site matchup as part of our weekend tournament action.
Friday, September 12 – Eastern Michigan vs. Southern Illinois – 4:00 PM
Another exciting tournament match featuring regional opponents.
Friday, September 12 vs. Xavier – 6:00 PM – Scavenger Hunt Night
Join us for an interactive scavenger hunt on campus pre-game.
Saturday, September 13 – Southern Illinois vs. Xavier – 12:00 PM
Final neutral site tournament match of the weekend.
Saturday, September 13 vs. Eastern Michigan – 3:00 PM – Club Day
All local youth volleyball club teams are invited to attend with free admission for players and coaches. Come enjoy high-level volleyball and a great team outing.
Tuesday, September 30 vs. Cleveland State – 6:00 PM – Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night
We’re celebrating OU faculty and staff. All OU employees receive free admission with ID as we recognize their dedication and support.
OCTOBER
Friday, October 10 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne – 6:00 PM – 2000s Night
Throw it back to the 2000s with themed music, decade-inspired games, and a nostalgic atmosphere inside the OU Credit Union O’rena. Dress in your best early-2000s fashion and relive the hits, trends, and energy of the new millennium throughout the night.
Saturday, October 11 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne – 2:00 PM – Kids & Camper Day
All campers and kids 12 and under receive free admission.
Friday, October 17 vs. Green Bay – 6:00 PM – Breast Cancer Awareness Night
We honor breast cancer survivors, thrivers, and all who are part of the fight. Free admission for all survivors, thrivers, and participants in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
Saturday, October 18 vs. Green Bay – 2:00 PM – Leukemia Awareness Day
Join us in raising awareness for leukemia research and support. Special recognitions and educational resources will be available at the match.
Friday, October 31 vs. Youngstown State – 6:00 PM – Volleyween
Our annual Halloween match. Fans in costume receive free admission. Come early for festive music, themed games, and candy giveaways.
NOVEMBER
Saturday, November 1 vs. Youngstown State – 2:00 PM
Continue the weekend series with another key Horizon League matchup.
Friday, November 7 vs. Northern Kentucky – 6:00 PM – Alumni Night
We welcome all Volleyball alumni back to the OU Credit Union O’rena. Free admission for all alumni.
Saturday, November 8 vs. Northern Kentucky – 2:00 PM – Senior Day
Join us as we honor our graduating seniors in a special post-game ceremony. Help us celebrate their contributions and close out the regular season with a strong home crowd. Additionally, we welcome all Volleyball alumni back to the OU Credit Union O’rena. Free admission for all alumni.
How to Follow Oakland Volleyball: For complete information on Oakland Volleyball, follow the team on X at @OaklandWVB and head coach Krista Rice at @KKg1007. The team is also on Instagram.
Franklin Regional welcomes new girls volleyball coach
By: Bill Beckner Jr. Saturday, July 26, 2025 | 10:47 AM Erin Salas has been named the girls volleyball coach at Franklin Regional ahead of the 2025 season. Girls volleyball season is fast approaching and Erin Salas is preparing to lead a different team this fall. Salas coached Greensburg Central Catholic for three seasons and […]
Erin Salas has been named the girls volleyball coach at Franklin Regional ahead of the 2025 season.
Girls volleyball season is fast approaching and Erin Salas is preparing to lead a different team this fall.
Salas coached Greensburg Central Catholic for three seasons and had a successful run with a WPIAL and PIAA championship in 2024. But she left the program and is now the head coach at Franklin Regional.
Teams can begin official practice Aug. 11 and the WPIAL season opens Aug. 22. Salas lives in Murrysville, so the Franklin Regional campus will be closer than GCC.
She hopes it feels like home.
“It is close, it is the school district I live in, and my children attend the school,” she said. “When the opportunity came up in November, I decided to apply.”
Salas is also the middle school softball coach at Franklin Regional, so she has familiarity with the program.
She coached the GCC middle school girls volleyball team for 10 years (2014-24), then was a varsity assistant for one season before becoming head coach.
Salas, 40, said it was time to begin a new chapter. She is a GCC alum who played volleyball, basketball and softball. She went on to play softball and basketball at Saint Vincent.
“It was a very difficult decision to leave GCC, but it felt like it was time,” Salas said. “With the senior class graduating and my own daughter entering high school this past year, who I wasn’t able to see play volleyball very much. I felt it was the right time for a change.”
Salas replaces Rachel Carter, who resigned at Franklin Regional and is ready to welcome her first child.
GCC hired Jenna Yezavich, who was Salas’ assistant.
“I will always be grateful to the GCC administration, players, families and Jenna Yezavich for the opportunity to coach at the high school level and the amazing years while there,” Salas said. “I learned so much coaching there and I am so thankful I got the opportunity.
“Winning (the) WPIAL was always the goal for myself and the girls for the last four years. Continuing on, watching the team jell the way they did during playoffs and winning states was an amazing experience and something I will never forget.”
As far as what Salas plans to bring to her new program, which is a bump-up from Class A to 3A, she is learning to work with a larger crop of girls.
“I am bringing in a new set of eyes and a different view on serve-receive and defense,” she said. “There are a lot of talented girls who are willing to work hard. We have been working all summer on serve-receive and spot servicing to get ready for the 2025 season.”
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
APSU Beach Volleyball Earns Sixth-Straight AVCA Team Academic Award – Clarksville Online
Lexington, KY – For the sixth-straight year, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) beach volleyball program earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Awards, announced by the AVCA earlier this week. The Governors posted at least a 3.8 grade-point average across both the fall and spring semesters of the 2024-25 academic year, with a […]
Lexington, KY – For the sixth-straight year, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) beach volleyball program earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Awards, announced by the AVCA earlier this week.
The Governors posted at least a 3.8 grade-point average across both the fall and spring semesters of the 2024-25 academic year, with a 3.8 GPA in the fall and a 3.84 in the spring.
Additionally, APSU had 12 student-athletes selected to the dean’s list and another four who earned Athletic Director’s Honor Roll last year. The program also has posted at least a 3.0 GPA for 17-straight semesters and had all 10 of its student-athletes post at least a 3.0 GPA during the previous academic year.
“It is very exciting to see that the record-setting, on-court successes during the 2024-25 season have extended to the classroom,” said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. “The fact that more programs earned the Team Academic Award than ever before is evidence of how committed our coaches are when it comes to helping their players reach their goals as both students and athletes.”
Austin Peay State University’s beach volleyball team was among 1,450 collegiate and high school teams which maintained a year-long GPA of at least 3.3 to earn the honor. The Governors were one of 40 Division I beach volleyball programs to earn the award.
Penn State women’s volleyball earns commit from 2027 setter Molly Robertson | Penn State Volleyball News
Penn State women’s volleyball has earned another commit in the class of 2027. Setter Molly Robertson announced her commitment to the Nittany Lions on Instagram, becoming the fourth recruit to join the blue and white’s 2027 class. Robertson is a standout player for high school powerhouse North Allegheny, earning the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Girls Volleyball Player […]
Penn State women’s volleyball has earned another commit in the class of 2027.
Setter Molly Robertson announced her commitment to the Nittany Lions on Instagram, becoming the fourth recruit to join the blue and white’s 2027 class.
Robertson is a standout player for high school powerhouse North Allegheny, earning the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Girls Volleyball Player of the Year in 2024.
The Wexford, Pennsylvania, native has been a key piece to North Allegheny’s most recent two of its eight-straight state championships.
Robertson joins Nejari Crooks, Taylor Harrington and Olivia Henry as Penn State’s Class of 2027 commits.
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Entering the 2025 season, Penn State women’s volleyball had three players selected to the pr…
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Swimming An impressive 19 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) earned medals in swimming. The USA topped the table with 28 medals, including eight golds. Australia followed with 18 medals, including seven golds, six of them in women’s events. Image Source: Daniel Wiffen became the first male Irish swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris […]
An impressive 19 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) earned medals in swimming. The USA topped the table with 28 medals, including eight golds. Australia followed with 18 medals, including seven golds, six of them in women’s events.
Image Source: Daniel Wiffen became the first male Irish swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Leon Marchand delivered four gold medals for France, becoming one of the standout performers of the Games. Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen became the nation’s first male Olympic swimming champion with victory in the 800m Freestyle. Tatjana Smith of South Africa won gold in the 100m Breaststroke, ensuring the Games concluded with swimming champions from all five continents – an astonishing display of the strength of aquatic sports worldwide.
Over nine days of competition at Paris La Défense Arena, 21 Olympic records, 19 continental records and four world records were set.
Diving
In a remarkable display of talent, Team China won gold in all eight diving events. Great Britain had its most successful Olympic diving campaign to date, with five medals – a national record. Divers from Great Britain and the People’s Republic of China cumulatively exceeded the 10,000-point mark with their scores in the eight diving events at the state-of-the-art Olympic Aquatics Centre. This serves as an illustration of the high level of diving consistently produced throughout the Games.
Image Source: Tsutomu KISHIMOTO/World Aquatics
Mexico and Australia also performed strongly, scoring close to 9,000 and 7,500 points respectively across their events.
Artistic Swimming
Artistic swimming saw the widest spread of Olympic medalists in 20 years. For the first time in five Olympic Games, three continents were represented on the artistic swimming podium.
Image Source: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Water Polo
In the women’s tournament, Spain won gold with a tournament-leading 94 goals from 224 shots (42% accuracy). Their top goal scorer, Bea Ortiz, recorded 19 goals from 34 shots. The tournament top goal scorer, Alice Williams, scored 21 goals from 48 shots, which accounted for more than 40 percent of Australia’s goals.
On the men’s side, Dušan Mandić of Serbia was the top goal scorer with 26 from 49 shots, a 53 percent accuracy rate that helped his team win gold.
Image Source: Istvan Derencsenyi/World Aquatics
Open Water Swimming
For the first time since 1923, Olympic competition returned to the River Seine. Open water swimmers raced in the heart of the French capital, marking the completion of a long-term project to return the river to swimmable condition.
Following Sharon van Rouwendaal’s success in the Women’s 10km, the Netherlands remain the most successful open water swimming nation at the Olympic Games. This was their fourth gold medal since the sport was added to the Olympic programme for Beijing 2008.
Image Source: Istvan Derencsenyi/World Aquatics
Hungary became the second nation to win multiple gold medals in open water swimming since its Olympic debut, with Kristof Rasovszky triumphing in the Men’s 10km.
Following the conclusion of the Games, the Seine has also since reopened to the public, establishing it as one of Paris 2024’s most enduring legacies. From 5 July and continuing through August, three designated sections of the city have transformed into “Paris Plages” – urban swimming sites complete with sandy beaches, bungalows, and palm trees. Read more here.
Digital Reach
The Paris 2024 Olympics delivered the strongest digital performance at an Olympic Games in World Aquatics history. Over the period of competition, World Aquatics platforms saw:
That represents an increase of more than 1,800% in social media impressions compared to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. For 24 consecutive days, video output averaged more than 1 million views per hour.
The World Aquatics website was the home for longer-form content and live results. Taking into account the World Aquatics Championships over the past year in Fukuoka (2023) and Doha (2024), where many athletes and National Olympic Committees qualified for the Paris 2024 Games, the website generated over 1.5 million unique visitors who recorded more than 34 million page views over the event period for these three events. During that time, the World Aquatics website has generated 48.2 million page views from 2.6 million active users who spend an average of 4 minutes and 52 seconds per session – making the year encompassing Paris 2024 the most followed period of aquatic sports ever.
One Year On
Paris 2024 was a true celebration of aquatic sports. Medal distribution reflected the strength of all the sports globally. National, World and Olympic records fell across the 24 days. New champions emerged.
As the post-Paris 2024 legacy continues, athletes are now competing at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025, the next major step in the journey towards LA28. Keep up to date on all the action here!
Lexington, KY – For the sixth-straight year, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) beach volleyball program earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Awards, announced by the AVCA earlier this week.
