NIL

Alabama football: Nick Saban to lead Trump commission on NIL

Happy Thursday, everyone. Alabama managed to win one game in the SEC softball tournament, but that was all. 10-seed Alabama softball fell to 7-seed South Carolina 6-2 in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday. This loss eliminated the Crimson Tide, as now all head coach Patrick Murphy and company can do is […]

Published

3 weeks ago

May 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Happy Thursday, everyone. Alabama managed to win one game in the SEC softball tournament, but that was all.

10-seed Alabama softball fell to 7-seed South Carolina 6-2 in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday. This loss eliminated the Crimson Tide, as now all head coach Patrick Murphy and company can do is wait for the NCAA Tournament bracket to be revealed in a few days.

Alabama’s offense struggled in the latter two games of the road series against the Gamecocks just one week ago, but shaking that off needed to happen if the Tide wanted a chance to win this one. Alabama leadoff hitter Audrey Vandagriff only needed six pitches into the game to cement herself as a threat in her first SEC Tournament as she blasted an opposite-field home run.

It seems unlikely that they would get to host a regional, but the top notch facilities do help in that regard.

Blake Toppmeyer posted a solid interview with Kalen DeBoer.

How different will this offense look? Jalen Milroe was unique in some of the things he could do with his athleticism.

DeBoer: Much of the offense is the same offense. It’s how those concepts come together

We wanted Jalen to have a good share of opportunities in his hands, running the football, giving him concepts where he can throw it on time and get the ball delivered to other players, but also times where you let him create. That balance, I think, is hardest when you have a quarterback like him, is letting him have the ball hands long enough but also not too long.

I think all these quarterbacks are really good athletes. I think Ty would surprise you with his quickness. Keelon Russell is a really good athlete. Austin Mack is a big-bodied guy who’s becoming faster and faster, and he can make people miss and run around the edge. Don’t let him get a full head of steam.

They all have athleticism and ability to run and use their feet as well, but obviously Jalen was just different that way, so we had to utilize his strengths.

Every time he speaks, Kalen comes across quite confident about his 2025 squad. We shall see in about three-and-a-half long months.

Kane Wommack’s defense will have the challenge of dealing with a running QB, albeit one making his first start for his new team.

Wommack spoke with the media at the 2025 Mobile Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and touched on the upcoming matchup against FSU. Interestingly, Wommack played for Malzahn when their paths crossed at Arkansas in 2006, serving as a fullback in Malzahn’s offense on a team that finished 10-4.

“You look at our first game of the season against Florida State, athletic quarterback, you know I played for Gus Malzahn. I know how Gus does things from a quarterback run game,” Wommack said. “Mike Norvell does the same thing, so those are the things, right, that you kind of have to be aware of, that everybody has an element to that in their game now.”

Many have called for Nick Saban to be college football commissioner. Those people weren’t thinking big enough.

Saban, a central figure in the fight for college sports legislation, is expected to be integral to the commission’s work. During Trump’s visit to Tuscaloosa last week to give a graduation address at the University of Alabama, Trump and Saban met about college sports legislation — a meeting that’s now transformed into plans for this executive group to be formed.

College athletics is at a seminal moment in its history.

The industry sits in a sort-of purgatory, stuck between its old facade of amateurism and full-blown professionalism. Amid a decade-long athletes rights movement, the NCAA’s rules regulating player movement, compensation and other aspects have crumbled at the hands of local and federal judges.

If there is anyone who has the right ideas to clean up this mess, it’s Nick.

Last, Jaden Bradley testified in the Michael Lynn Davis murder trial yesterday, and Brandon Miller is expected to follow.

After the three left the sports bar, Bradley testified that Davis was dancing and laughing near a black Jeep that was idling on Grace Street. He said that Davis and a man in the Jeep, Cedric Johnson, began speaking to each other. According to Bradley, neither Johnson nor Davis directed threats at each other, but their conversation reached a point where Bradley and Miles tried to pull Davis away from it.

The conversation between Davis and Johnson is one of the focal points of the trial.

After the conversation, Bradley said he, Davis and Miles walked back to Bradley’s car, but that Davis went back toward Grace Street because there was “no room in the back seat.” Bradley testified that Davis said he was “worried about the Jeep.”

Everyone involved is undoubtedly sorry that they ever met Davis.

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.

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My biggest unanswered questions about EA Sports College Football 26

Good morning, and thanks for your continued support of Extra Points. Quick reminder: I, along with the entire Extra Points team, will be headed to Orlando next weekend for NACDA. I’ll be in town from around 11 AM on Sunday the 8th until the evening of the 10th. If you’re in town, I’d love to […]

Published

25 minutes ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Good morning, and thanks for your continued support of Extra Points.

Quick reminder: I, along with the entire Extra Points team, will be headed to Orlando next weekend for NACDA. I’ll be in town from around 11 AM on Sunday the 8th until the evening of the 10th.

If you’re in town, I’d love to chat! Our team is giving free demos of Extra Points Library to anybody interested, but I’m also trying to catch up with sources, do a little good ol’ fashioned professional development, and shoot the breeze. Drop me a line at [email protected] if you’re around!

In non-NACDA news, yesterday was the official Trailer Release Day for the follow-up to last year’s spectacularly success, EA Sports College Football 25….EA Sports College Football 26. If you’re the kind of person who is interested in this sort of thing and somehow missed it, I’ve got you.

I know that an awful lot of people read Extra Points last year to learn as much information as possible about the game’s development. I’m still working to get answers on some of the biggest questions, but if you are most interested in learning whether a particular song made this year’s game, or how the new physics-based tackling works, I would defer to my friends who have actually gotten their hands on the sticks at this point. I haven’t played the game.

But after watching, reading, and asking around the industry for the last few weeks, I still have a few unanswered questions about this year’s game…questions that are more big-picture in scope.

How will consumers, and the industry at large, react to college coaches finally being included in the game?

Last year was the first time that actual, current college athletes had their NIL included in a college football video game. It was a massive undertaking, as more than 11,000 real people had their likeness depicted. If there’s been another video game in history that included likenesses of so many real people, I haven’t heard of it, and neither has EA.

EA CFB25 had real players, real mascots, real stadiums, real logos…but did not include real coaches. EA CFB26 will be the first edition in the series to change that, as developers say more than 300 coaches will be included. So that’s not just most of the head coaches, but also most of the offensive and defensive coordinators.

As of right this second, I do not know exactly how EA pulled this off. I don’t know the licensing agent for the coaches, I don’t know what kind of contract they got, how much they earned (if anything? Lane Kiffin famously said he’d do it for free), if they get a royalty rate, etc. I hope to better understand this in the near future.

But beyond that, I’m very curious what this will mean for the game’s consumers, and how it might impact future non-athlete, non-university IP decisions.

Here’s the thing. The most commonly played game mode for any of the college football video games is the Dynasty mode, where the user takes over a college football program, recruits players, hires staff, and eventually tries to turn Louisiana Tech or Kent State or even Purdue into a five-star signing powerhouse.

In this mode, you’re the coach. Is the fantasy for the user to play as “themselves?”, or a fictionalized version of a coach, or are users actually clamoring for the chance to play a Joe Harasymiak simulator?

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Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Indiana | State

Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Indiana The recruiting race for the Class of 2026 is already heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, […]

Published

41 minutes ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Indiana

The recruiting race for the Class of 2026 is already heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2026 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they’re entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Indiana using data from 247Sports. Here’s the players from Indiana set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.

#20. Tyler Klaner (TE)

– National rank: #1,332 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #65

– College: Northern Illinois

– Offers: Northern Illinois, Toledo

– High school: Boonville (Boonville, IN)

#19. Anthony Coellner (QB)

– National rank: #1,303 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #99

– College: not committed

– Offers: Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Indiana, Maryland, Miami (OH)

– High school: Carmel (Carmel, IN)

#18. Dominick Barry (TE)

– National rank: #1,300 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #63

– College: not committed

– Offers: Kansas, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana

– High school: Center Grove (Greenwood, IN)

#17. Deacon King (S)

– National rank: #1,235 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #110

– College: not committed

– Offers: Akron, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Illinois State, Kent State

– High school: Westfield (Westfield, IN)

#16. Brady Ballart (LB)

– National rank: #1,150 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #95

– College: Louisville

– Offers: Louisville, Air Force, Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan

– High school: South Dearborn (Aurora, IN)

#15. Brock Brownfield (IOL)

– National rank: #1,096 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #92

– College: Purdue

– Offers: Purdue, Ball State, Bowling Green, Indiana, Miami (OH)

– High school: New Palestine (New Palestine, IN)

#14. James Williams Jr. (IOL)

– National rank: #983 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #84

– College: Purdue

– Offers: Purdue, Appalachian State, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois

– High school: Lawrence Central (Indianapolis, IN)

#13. Bo Polston (QB)

– National rank: #972 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #64

– College: Toledo

– Offers: Toledo, Akron, Appalachian State, Ball State, Central Michigan

– High school: Decatur Central (Indianapolis, IN)

#12. Malachi Mills (OT)

– National rank: #950 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #76

– College: Kansas

– Offers: Kansas, Akron, Colorado State, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic

– High school: Westfield (Westfield, IN)

#11. Benjamin Novak (IOL)

– National rank: #928 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #83

– College: Wisconsin

– Offers: Wisconsin, Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Indiana

– High school: Andrean (Merrillville, IN)

#9 (tie). Blake Smythe (DL)

– National rank: #914 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #92

– College: Indiana

– Offers: Indiana, Ball State, Illinois, Kansas, Louisville

– High school: Franklin Community (Franklin, IN)

#9 (tie). Carsen Eloms (CB)

– National rank: #914 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #79

– College: Wisconsin

– Offers: Wisconsin, Purdue, Akron, Ball State, Central Michigan

– High school: Fishers (Fishers, IN)

#8. Trevor Gibbs (LB)

– National rank: #855 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #67

– College: Indiana

– Offers: Indiana, Purdue, Cincinnati, Iowa, Ball State

– High school: Crown Point (Crown Point, IN)

#7. Terry Walker III (QB)

– National rank: #817 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #47

– College: Duke

– Offers: Duke, Appalachian State, Ball State, Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina

– High school: Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, IN)

#6. Tayshon Bardo (WR)

– National rank: #703 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #107

– College: Wisconsin

– Offers: Wisconsin, USF, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan

– High school: Penn (Mishawaka, IN)

#5. Jett Goldsberry (ATH)

– National rank: #682 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #44

– College: not committed

– Offers: North Carolina, Ole Miss, Rutgers, Purdue, Air Force

– High school: Heritage Hills (Lincoln City, IN)

#4. Kasmir Hicks (CB)

– National rank: #509 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #41

– College: Indiana

– Offers: Indiana, Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, Ball State, Central Michigan

– High school: Decatur Central (Indianapolis, IN)

#3. Tyler Ruxer (TE)

– National rank: #477 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #24

– College: not committed

– Offers: Minnesota, Purdue, Duke, Northwestern, Baylor

– High school: Heritage Hills (Lincoln City, IN)

#2. JJ Finch (DL)

– National rank: #443 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #50

– College: not committed

– Offers: Purdue, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, Central Michigan

– High school: Warren Central (Indianapolis, IN)

#1. Jerquaden Guilford (WR)

– National rank: #430 (3 stars)

– Position rank: #67

– College: not committed

– Offers: Ohio State, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, Georgia

– High school: Northrop (Fort Wayne, IN)

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Ohio aims to regulate NIL contracts for college athletes: What lawmakers say

A new Ohio bill could serve as consumer protection for collegiate athletes. It would shield students from contracts that extend into their professional careers. COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the wild west of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), there is a lot of money to be made for college athletes. That has led to a new […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A new Ohio bill could serve as consumer protection for collegiate athletes. It would shield students from contracts that extend into their professional careers.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the wild west of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), there is a lot of money to be made for college athletes.

That has led to a new effort to establish parameters, with a bill that Ohio lawmakers hope will provide new standards of protection.

“We can excel on the field and also excel at protecting our student athletes,” said Ohio State Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), who is a primary sponsor of the bill.

House Bill 184 would set limits for NIL contracts, keeping them contained to the athlete’s period of eligibility in college.

The idea sparked from a real-life situation, as a Buckeye superstar made his transition to the pros.

“We got involved in this based on an example right here out of Ohio, where we had Marvin Harrison Junior, who was a highly talented, high draft pick from the Ohio State Buckeyes,” said Rep. Stewart. “His jersey couldn’t be sold for a period of time, based on a dispute involving a booster that believed they had a contract with him that extended into his professional playing career. It would’ve bound his professional earnings, so we don’t think that’s good policy.”

The legislation would create new rules to assist student athletes and their families in an area that can be confusing.

“One thing you’re hearing from parents of some of these big-time athletes who are having a lot of success with NIL opportunities is one – read the fine print,” said sports analyst Jay Richardson, former Ohio State Buckeye and NFL player.

Still connected to the OSU football program, he sees what’s at stake, as players and families do their best to maneuver within these growing NIL opportunities.

“You’re trying to figure out how all these dots connect and who’s getting what, so we’re all on the same page,” said Richardson, referring to the NIL maze. “And there’s zero transparency right now in this space and that’s why they’re calling it the wild, wild west – it’s because of the lack of transparency.”

Richardson says this bill is necessary and that Ohio is the state to set the standard for college athletes nationwide.

“If Ohio can get some things passed and bring some guard rails and some guide rails and some oversight to their NIL process, then you’ll see other states follow suit,” said Richardson.

Representative Stewart sees this legislation as crucial for the integrity of Ohio sports.

“Let’s have ‘Name, Image and Likeness’ deals limited to collegiate eligibility and have professional deals for the professionals,” said Stewart.

Already receiving bipartisan support, House Bill 184 passed through the Ohio House of Representatives.

It is now in the hands of the Ohio Senate.

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Florida Atlantic University Athletics

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Five members of the 2025 Florida Atlantic softball team were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. The accolade recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Five members of the 2025 Florida Atlantic softball team were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. The accolade recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.

Ainsley Lambert, Kiley Channell, Kylie Hammonds, Gabby Sacco, and Kiley Shelton have received the prestigious nod for their strong performances on the diamond and in the classroom.

Lambert was on top of the NCAA during her senior campaign, leading the nation with 11 saves. She went 7-1 over the course of the season with an ERA of 2.20 on the way to the American Athletic Conference’s second team. As a double major in public administration and communications, Lambert tallied a cumulative GPA of 3.77.

Sophomore Channell started 56 games at shortstop and earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team after leading the back-to-back AAC regular season champion Owls (45-12) with 14 doubles. She also set the individual single-game program record with a five-hit performance on May 2 versus Tulsa. Channell, a pre-business major, has a cumulative GPA of 3.7.

Hammonds, a redshirt sophomore outfielder, had a breakout campaign as the Owls’ leadoff hitter. As another All-AAC Second Team selection, she reached base safely in 53 out of 57 games and in her final 26 appearances of the season. Hammonds led FAU in on-base percentage (.515), runs (54), walks (33), and hit-by-pitches (14). In the classroom, the communication studies major has built a cumulative GPA of 3.56.

Senior pitcher Gabby Sacco concluded her fourth and final season with Florida Atlantic making 22 appearances in the circle and owning a 7-2 record. This season, she recorded her second career no-hitter against Missouri State on Feb. 8. As a communications major, Sacco owns a cumulative GPA of 3.85.

In her first season as an Owl, sophomore Kiley Shelton batted for a .312 and tallied 11 doubles along with 22 RBI. She saved her best for last, earning an AAC Honorable Mention in the final week of the regular season and then delivering the walk-off RBI single to give FAU its first NCAA Regional victory since 2016. Shelton is majoring in exercise science and health promotion with a GPA of 3.82.

FOLLOW THE OWLS
To follow the team socially, visit @fausoftball, or for the most up-to-date information, go to www.fausports.com.

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Big 12 coach isn't sure Texas Tech's NIL efforts will buy TTU a championship in 2025

Heading into year four of the Joey McGuire era of Texas Tech football, the Red Raiders are at a pretty interesting spot. This is a team that, given the influx of NIL money and the way that TTU worked in the transfer portal, could conceivably make a run for the Big 12 championship this season. […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Big 12 coach isn't sure Texas Tech's NIL efforts will buy TTU a championship in 2025

While it previously appears like Texas Tech may have hit a ceiling under McGuire’s leadership with an average of 7-8 wins a season, the Red Raiders might be a bit closer to breaking through than what some are comfortable acknowledging. Yes, Texas Tech gave up 51 points to Abilene Christian a season ago, but the Red Raiders also went out and put up a 6-3 Big 12 record last season.

So, maybe with the hiring of brilliant young coaching minds like a brand new defensive coordinator in Shiel Wood and a brand new offensive coordinator in Mack Leftwich, we’ll see some improvement in the very near future.

Oh, and by the way, the Red Raiders also managed to churn through their roster (shoutout to that aforementioned NIL push and the transfer portal) that resulted in 20ish new players showing up in Lubbock to help reinforce things across the board.

But as one anonymous coach told Athlon Sports, it’s not clear if that sort of spending will put the Red Raiders on the throne of the Big 12 in just one cycle.

Rival Big 12 coach questions if Texas Tech football will be elevated into conference championship contenders via NIL spending

“They’re better pretty much everywhere, obviously. But don’t assume you can spend your way to a power conference championship in one cycle,” one coach anonymously told Athlon Sports. “Don’t get me wrong — all of us would rather have an NIL collective that’s throwing a ton of cash instead of the alternative, but there’s a lot of questions here.”

And there is a pretty big thing that this coach brings up in that quote there. That whole thing about “one cycle.” It’s worth pointing out just how quickly some rebuilding projects are happening these days. Like the Arizona State Sun Devils going from the bottom of the Pac-12 to, with some portal work and some changes on the coaching staff, thriving in the Big 12.

Will we see similar sorts of elevation from the Red Raiders this fall? I don’t know. Will this be something that takes another year or two? Maybe? But with as volatile as this conference can be and with the way the Red Raiders were looking pretty good in conference play last year, maybe we see things actually work out in Texas Tech’s favor.

Also, is that sort of success sustainable? Will Texas Tech continue to spend in a way that brings that sort of recruiting boost to Lubbock on an annual basis? We’re really still pretty early in this current era of college football and the sample sizes are still pretty small, all things considered.

NIL

Football Times and Network Partners Announced For First Three Games and Friday Night …

Football May 29, 2025 11:58 AM Mike Montoro Story Links MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 2025 game times and broadcast partners for West Virginia’s first three football games and the Friday night matchup at BYU have been announced by the Big 12 Conference office and ESPN. Coach Rich Rodriguez‘s second tenure at West Virginia officially begins […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Football Times and Network Partners Announced For First Three Games and Friday Night ...

Football
May 29, 2025 11:58 AM

Mike Montoro

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 2025 game times and broadcast partners for West Virginia’s first three football games and the Friday night matchup at BYU have been announced by the Big 12 Conference office and ESPN.

Coach Rich Rodriguez‘s second tenure at West Virginia officially begins with the season-opener at Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m. against Robert Morris. The first-ever game between the two schools will be televised on ESPN+.

The Mountaineers travel on Saturday, Sept. 6, for game two against Ohio University in the 18^th meeting between the schools. This year’s contest marks the first time the two teams have played in Athens, Ohio, since 1949, and the sixth time it has not been played in Morgantown. The game will be played at 4 p.m. on ESPNU.

ESPN has selected to televise the Sept. 13 “Backyard Brawl” against Pitt at Milan Puskar Stadium at 3:30 p.m. The 108^th meeting between the schools marks the final year in the current series with the new contract beginning in 2029.

West Virginia’s game at BYU in Provo, Utah, on Friday, Oct. 3, will be televised by ESPN at 10:30 p.m., ET.

Starting with the Sept. 20, Big 12 opening matchup at Kansas, the conference game times and network partners will be released on either a 12-day or six-day window prior to the date of the game.

Season tickets are now on sale for West Virginia’s six-game home schedule and can be purchased online at WVUGAME.com.

The 304 Mobile Pass season ticket option returns this season as the most affordable season ticket options! The price will be $304 plus fees for all six home games this season, a 20% savings compared to that of a traditional season ticket. There is no Mountaineer Athletic Club (MAC) per seat contribution associated with this season ticket option. Unlike a traditional season ticket, the 304 Mobile Pass gives purchasers a randomly assigned seat in Milan Puskar Stadium for every regular season home football game during the 2025 season. Each game fans will have a different seat in an upper level or south end zone section. Fans can purchase the 304 Mobile Pass, HERE.

At this time due to high demand, the Pitt game on Sep. 13 is only available in season ticket packages to the general public. Single game tickets to the Backyard Brawl will not be available through the Mountaineer Ticket Office.

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