NIL
An attempt to alleviate the confusion related to House, NIL, pay-for-play, Deloitte, etc.
Are you one of the millions confused about most aspects of the college sports compensation conversation in the wake of the House v. NCAA court settlement? [Sign up for Inside Texas for $1 and get PLUS access up to the Ohio State game!] I’ve found that writing about a topic is a good way to […]

Are you one of the millions confused about most aspects of the college sports compensation conversation in the wake of the House v. NCAA court settlement?
[Sign up for Inside Texas for $1 and get PLUS access up to the Ohio State game!]
I’ve found that writing about a topic is a good way to learn more about it and so I hope this lengthy write-up helps you get a little bit clearer picture on what’s going happening in college sports at the current moment. But even with this data, there remains widespread uncertainty.
This is not a “why Texas is struggling on the recruiting trail” article. But there are some aspects of the current news story that point toward factors that have become relevant in recruitments Texas is involved in and recruitments without any burnt orange influence.
As you’re reading this article, make sure to have this piece from On3’s Pete Nakos opened up along with this from Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger to look through after you’re done. There are a lot of different angles and aspects of this story, and this piece will reference those articles, but one thing is certain: confusion is rampant.
When they say the schools can pay players now…
The House vs. NCAA settlement, which the NCAA and the Power Five conferences agreed to instead of engaging in litigation that would have made the final $2.8 billion in back damages look like chump-change, allows for schools to share revenue up to a cap of $20.5 million per year with athletes. House refers to former Arizona State swimmer Grant House, not the U.S. House of Representatives.
The schools settled for this and agreed to this provision instead of facing the possibility of paying almost $20 billion in back damages. Billion with a B.
That $20.5 million cap looks different school to school in Division I. In the Southeastern Conference, the league is requiring its institutions to dedicate $2 million of its cap to “Alston payments.” What those are don’t matter all that much, just know it’s from another court case where the NCAA essentially was told “you aren’t doing things right.”
So that leaves $18.5 million to share. Most schools are dedicating around 75% of that cap to football.
This is where any concerns about the actual schools themselves and not the ecosystems surrounding them going over the cap ring hollow. Schools don’t want to add a $20.5 million line item to their budget. Texas Athletics brought in $331 million in the 2024 fiscal year. So by percentage points, the Longhorns can share up to 16% of their revenue. Not doing so would put UT athletics at a competitive disadvantage.
That’s a HUGE number. And don’t forget: football is the only revenue producer for many athletic departments.
The percentage points look considerably higher for other schools. There are a number of FBS schools that don’t even bring in $100 million, let alone $200 million. In an era where athletic departments not only have to fully fund scholarships but also pay their players, spending more money than what’s allowed isn’t on their minds.
When you hear the term “publicity rights” or “revenue sharing” or “schools paying players,” proper references are talking about paying players against the $20.5 million cap direct from the institution. This does fit under the overall umbrella of Name, Image, and Likeness, or NIL, but the more specific terms help describe what part of NIL schools provide.
More math to find more money
Last year, it was reported that Ohio State’s “collectives have combined to raise an estimated $20 million to support this year’s football roster.”
So here are a few equations.
20,500,000 (the revenue sharing cap) – 2,000,000 (Alston payments) = 18,500,000
18,500,000 x 0.75 (75% for football) = 13,875,000
That’s a lot less than $20 million. So for championship caliber rosters, ones like Texas’ that are expensive but don’t cost near as much as one report’s projected $35-40 million, where do they find the additional money needed?
This is where what’s now being called noninstitutional NIL payments come into play. Previously, collectives such as the Texas One Fund could pool money from Texas Longhorns fans and reimburse players for their appearances in support of charitable organizations. They have to operate under different rules now in the wake of the House settlement, but the end goal of the Texas One Fund remains the same: putting money in Longhorns’ pockets.
Of course, businesses are able to provide NIL reimbursement to players. This “corporate NIL” is pretty uncontroversial. Think Bijan Mustardson. Think Arch Manning and Red Bull.
Collectives are still around, but they have to operate under the settlement’s regulations and their ability to pay players is more scrutinized than ever considering every noninstitutional NIL deal of $600 or more has to go through a clearinghouse. And that part of the process, along with other aspects of the House settlement, has put college football in its current confusing position.
No one knows what’s really going on
Dellenger is at Big 12 Media Days and gave the conference’s head coaches a chance to sound off about the current landscape, one where prospects like Felix Ojo have agents announcing the details of guaranteed revenue sharing contracts agreed to in exchange for a commitment and an eventual signing day signature.
But are those even allowed? Based off the settlement, you’d think no.
The NCAA released a 36-page Q&A for member schools in June on House and revenue sharing specifically. It included this tidbit.

That sounds all well and good, but we already know about Ojo and his deal with Texas Tech. Everybody knows this is being ignored. It’s obviously not August 1, and yet we know Ojo’s contract details?
There are a few things that make this NCAA guidance as currently feckless as other NCAA guidance, at least as far as bold and well-funded super-boosters or booster corps are concerned.
The first is that obviously, as mentioned, entities like schools and noninstitutional collectives and businesses aren’t waiting on the calendar in the House era.
The second is that there are states passing laws that essentially say schools can do what’s necessary to abide by House regulations and that anything in the legislation signed by their governor supersedes anything passed down by the NCAA. Tennessee did this in May. Michigan has a similar bill on its house floor.
Texas recently passed a bill that doesn’t appear to go as far as Tennessee’s, but it does allow for 17-year old high schoolers in the Lone Star State to receive NIL payments. This pertains to both revenue sharing and NIL and noninstitutional NIL. These laws also fly in the face of NCAA calendar regulations considering many are like Texas’ and permit high schoolers to seek and obtain NIL. In fact, language in these laws say the NCAA and Deloitte have no real say in the matter.
The third… wait… did that say Deloitte? Yes, they’re involved and their involvement adds additional confusion.
As part of the settlement, the NCAA and its member institutions started the College Sports Commission. The CSC created “NIL Go,” which is run by Deloitte and functions as a clearinghouse for third-party NIL deals such as those with collectives or car dealerships or law firms or natural gas companies. They evaluate deals based on payor association, valid business purpose, and range of compensation.
From their website…

Ignore 2026 recruiting for a second. Football teams have rosters full of players that they have to deal with. Then they have men’s basketball players. They have women’s basketball players. They have baseball players. They have softball players. They have entire athletic departments, and many of them likely have some sort of deal in place.
From Dellenger’s article, Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said it best.
“We don’t know the rules,” the Arizona State head coach says. “The settlement passed, but who knows what Deloitte is going to clear. Until there is clarity, you’re living in limbo.”
And there’s something else.
“You are seeing a lot of people lie and promise fake things,” he says.
A parting shot from Nakos’ article that explains where we are…
Recruiting staffers have said some top prospects are making anywhere from $20,000 to $25,000 monthly.
“It doesn’t matter who did it first,” a Power Four general manager recently said. “It doesn’t matter who did it after. It’s the world we live in right now.”
Aug. 1 marks the official offer date for when institutions can begin offering revenue-sharing contracts to recruits. But that has not stopped schools from making verbal offers or informally sending contract numbers. Recruits are not able to sign rev-share deals until National Signing Day.
NIL collectives and schools have changed tactics, too. Some schools are having NIL collectives work as marketing firms, striking deals with recruits that expire before they set foot on a college campus. Signing high school recruits to pure name, image and likeness deals is legal, depending on state rules.
But at the college level, the wait continues for the NIL clearinghouse to rule on highly valued booster-driven contracts.
Confused about which law is the one institutions and collectives have to follow?
And which regulations institutions are ignoring?
And which states permit one thing and which states prohibit another thing?
And which deals work and which deals don’t?
Everyone is. What’s that old Genesis song, Land of Confusion? That’s where college sports and college football are at, and that land of confusion has brought about a waiting game for real answers as to what enforcement is actually going to look like.
And in the meantime while waiting for that enforcement, if it even shows up at all, monetary offers have flowed to recruits and current players without consequence. And if the enforcement pops up? Well, back to the courts we likely go.
[Want to be the most informed Texas Longhorns football fan? Order the 2025 edition of Thinking Texas Football today!]
There are so many layers to this story, but hopefully this explains where the sport is on July 9. Until there’s teeth enforcement, there’s no enforcement.
Who knows what July 10 will bring.
NIL
Sophie Cunningham receives pro wrestling offer from Lakers owner Jeanie Buss
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has become one of the faces of the WNBA this season. Beyond her play on the court, Cunningham has blown up on social media and partnered with companies such as Adidas, Arby’s and Ring. Now, it looks like she has another job waiting for her if she wants it. Los […]

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has become one of the faces of the WNBA this season. Beyond her play on the court, Cunningham has blown up on social media and partnered with companies such as Adidas, Arby’s and Ring.
Now, it looks like she has another job waiting for her if she wants it. Los Angeles Lakers controlling owner and president Jeanie Buss, who also co-owns Women of Wrestling (WOW), would love to see Cunningham join the professional wrestling promotion.
“We would love to have [Cunningham] join us at [WOW],” Buss wrote on X. “She is talented, dedicated and a fierce competitor!!”
Cunningham, the seventh-year pro, has become an enforcer-like presence for the Fever this season. She notably came to the defense of teammate Caitlin Clark in the June 17 contest against the Connecticut Sun. During the third quarter, Sun guard Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye, resulting in a scuffle between the two teams. Cunningham later retaliated by committing a flagrant foul on Sheldon, and the two went at it before officials ejected both of them from the game.
“During that, it was just part of the game. I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was a build-up for a couple years now of them just not protecting the star player of the WNBA,” Cunningham said of the incident. “At the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates. That’s what I do.”
Women of Wrestling interested in Sophie Cunningham
It caught the attention of WOW founder and co-owner David McLane, who sees a potential superstar in Cunningham. McLane, an Indianapolis native, spoke highly of Cunningham last Friday at the San Diego Comic Con.
“I’m from Indiana,” McLane said. “I’m from Indianapolis, and that’s the home of not only the second-best basketball team in the country this last year, but the biggest name in professional basketball today, Caitlin Clark. And Caitlin Clark has an enforcer. She’s the Marty McSorley to Wayne Gretzky, and she is a stunning athlete.
“I flew to Las Vegas and watched them in action against the Aces, and I would love to have Sophia Cunningham in WOW, because she takes down the competition, and she makes sure that Caitlin Clark is safe on the basketball floor. We’d love to have Sophie in WOW.”
Cunningham has appeared in 21 games this season. She is averaging 7.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
NIL
K-State Baseball Summer Update – July 30
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A summer update of current and former Wildcats. MLB Will Brennan – OF – Cleveland Guardians Years at K-State: 2017-19 Brennan played 35 games for the Guardians Triple-AAA squad before he was recalled on May 12. In six games with Cleveland, Brennan is slashing .091/.231/.091 over 11 at bats. He was put […]

MLB
Will Brennan – OF – Cleveland Guardians
Years at K-State: 2017-19
Brennan played 35 games for the Guardians Triple-AAA squad before he was recalled on May 12. In six games with Cleveland, Brennan is slashing .091/.231/.091 over 11 at bats. He was put on a 60-day injured list on May 22. The Colorado Springs product was drafted in the eighth round by the Guardians in the 2019 MLB Draft.
TRIPLE-A
Nick Martini – OF – Las Vegas Aviators (OAK, AAA)
Years at K-State: 2009-11
Martini played 43 games with the Colorado Rockies in 2025 before electing to free agency on June 2 and signed a minor league contract with the Athletics. With Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, Martini is slashing .265/.406/.401 with four home runs and 20 RBI.
Carson Seymour – RHP Sacramento River Cats (SF, AAA)
Years at K-State: 2020-21
This season, Seymour boasts a 3.86 ERA with a 4-8 record and opponents hitting .225 against him. He has struck out 90 against 39 walks, that included striking out a season-high nine over 5 2/3 innings against Tacoma on June 13. Seymour made his MLB debut on June 29, logging one scoreless inning against the Chicago White Sox and was sent back to Sacramento a few days later.
Jordan Wicks – LHP – Chicago Cubs
Years at K-State: 2019-21
In July, Wicks made two relief appearances for the Cubs, logging 6 1/3 innings before being option back to Triple-A Iowa Cubs. With Iowa, Wicks boasts a 4.10 ERA with a 1.4 overall record. The Conway, Arkansas native has struck out 50 this season in Triple-A, averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
DOUBLE-A
Blake Adams RHP Hartford Yard Goats (CO, AA)
Years at K-State: 2022
In 17 appearances (16 starts), Adams is 4-7 with a 6.45 ERA (48 ER, 67 IP) and 65 strikeouts. Alongside a 1.31 WHIP, Adams registers a 3.42 strikeout-to-walk ratio, recording season-high five-strikeout games on June 1 vs. New Hampshire and July 5 vs. Binghamton.
Kaelen Culpepper – INF – Wichita Wind Surge (MIN, AA)
Years at K-State: 2022-24
Culpepper was quickly promoted to Double-A Wichita Surge, following a strong start to the 2025 season with High-A Cedar Rapids. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Culpepper is slashing .333/.414/.510 with an .924 OPS for Wichita. He was named to the American League Roster for the 2025 All-Star Futures Game —the only Twins prospect named to the squad.
Brendan Jones – OF – Somerset Patriots (NYY, AA)
Years at K-State: 2022-24
Jones was promoted to Double-A Somerset on June 3. In 42 games for Somerset, Jones is slashing .238/.331/.449 with 35 hits that include seven doubles, three triples and six home runs. Jones has driven in 30 RBI and stolen 10 bases.
Zach Kokoska – OF – Hartford Yard Goats (CO, AA)
Years at K-State: 2019-21
Kokoska, who was drafted in the 10th round by the Colorado Rockies in 2021, has produced a slash line of .187/.282/.393 in 2025 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI. Kokoska has produced nine multi-hit games.
Connor McCullough – RHP – Birmingham Barons (CHW, AA)
Years at K-State: 2020-22
McCullough came back from rehab assignment on July 1. Across five starts, McCullough posts a 0-2 record and boasts a 4.22 ERA, striking out 11 in 10 2/3 innings. He is holding opponents to a .214 average.
Tyson Neighbors – RHP – San Antonio Missions (SD, AA)
Years at K-State: 2022-24
After a hot start with High-A Fort Wayne where he owned a 1.18 ERA and averaged 15.49 strikeouts per nine innings, Neighbors was promoted to Double-A San Diego on June 11. In 13 appearances with the Missions, Neighbors boasts a 2-0 record with a 2.75 ERA. In seven relief appearances in the month of July, Neighbors has only surrendered one run (unearned) with 12 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings, limiting opponents to a .108 batting average.
HIGH-A
Nick Goodwin IF Vancouver Canadians (TOR, A+)
Years at K-State: 2020-23
In his third season in the minors, the Overland Park product is slashing .230/.346/.396 with 53 hits, including 10 homers and 38 RBI. He has produced 11 multi-hit games and eight games with two or more RBI, including three games with a season-high four.
Wesley Moore – LHP – Jersey Shore BlueClaws (PHI, A+)
Years at K-State: 2020-22
Moore has split time between High-A and Double-A in 2025, compiling an overall record of 1-4 with a 6.08 ERA and 27 strikeouts. With High-A Jersey Shore, Moore is 0-3 with a 5.68 ERA and three holds.
Dylan Phillips – LHP – Tri-City Dust Devils (LAA, A+)
Years at K-State: 2019-22
Phillips has split time between High-A and Triple-A in 2025, making his Triple-A debut on May 11. Overall, in 2025, Phillips boasts a 3.49 ERA with a 2-3 record and opponents hitting .235 against him. Against opponents in High-A, Phillips has registered eight saves with two holds with a 1.23 ERA.
Christian Ruebeck – RHP – Great Lakes Loons (LAD, A+)
Years at K-State: 2022
In 26 relief appearances, Ruebeck posts a 1-2 record with a 7.71 ERA and two saves. The right-hander has struck out 38 across 25 2/3 innings.
Jackson Wentworth – RHP – Vancouver Canadians (TOR, A+)
Years at K-State: 2023-24
Wentworth has a record of 1-4 with a 5.04 ERA. He has struck out 86 batters over 89 1/3 innings in his 19 starts with a 1.40 WHIP. Wentworth logged six innings of one-run ball with a season-high nine strikeouts on June 24 against Tri-City. Wentworth was drafted 158th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2024 MLB Draft.
SINGLE-A
Brady Day – INF – Clearwater Threshers (PHI, A)
Years at K-State: 2022-24
Before being placed on a 7-day injured list on July 23, Day was slashing .261/.346/.348 in his second season with Clearwater, registering 60 hits and driving in 25 RBI. Day has produced nine multi-hit games, including three-hit performances on May 8 and May 10, both against St. Lucie.
REHAB ASSIGNMENT
German Fajardo RHP Modesto Nuts (SEA, A)
Years at K-State: 2020-23
Fajardo appeared in five games in 2025 with a 0.00 ERA in 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven and holding opponents to a .083 average. He picked up a win on May 17, striking out three in 2 2/3 innings. Fajardo, who signed as a free agent with the Mariners organization in 2023, was placed on the 7-day injured list.
2025 MLB DRAFTEES
Jacob Frost – LHP
Years at K-State: 2024-25
Frost was taken with the 315th pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers to close out the round, becoming the ninth player in program history selected by the Dodgers.
Maximus Martin – INF
Years at K-State: 2025
Martin was selected in the 10th round by the Boston Red Sox with the 298th overall pick. Martin is just the second Wildcat ever drafted by the Red Sox, joining Robert Youngdahl (2011).
WILDCATS IN SUMMER BALL
Player | Position | Year in ’26 | Hometown | League | Team |
Adam Arther | LHP | JR | Altadena, Calif. | Cape | Harwich |
Tazwell Butler | RHP | R-SR | Sandy Springs, Ga. | Cape | Harwich |
AJ Evasco | INF/OF | SO | Lincoln, Neb. | NECBL | Newport |
Austin Haley | INF/RHP | JR | Howe, Texas | Northwoods | St. Cloud |
Shintaro Inoue | INF | SR | Yamaguchi, Japan | Cape | Harwich |
Cadyn Karl | OF | R-JR | Edmond, Okla. | Appy | Elizabethton |
Dee Kennedy | INF | JR | Fort Worth, Texas | Cape | Harwich |
Donte Lewis | RHP/OF | SO | Pearland, Texas | Appy | Elizabethton |
Adan Longoria | RHP | JR | Plant City, Fla. | Cal Ripken | Alexandria |
Chandler Murray | INF | R-FR | Honolulu, Hawaii | Appy | Tri-State |
Rohan Putz | OF | R-SO | Loch Lloyd, Mo. | Valley | Purcellville |
Jack Quetschenbach | OF | FR | Futures | Westfield | |
Miles Smith | RHP | R-SR | Flintville, Tenn. | Appy | Bristol |
Ty Smolinski | INF | SO | Gretna, Neb. | Appy | Tri State |
NIL
CBS Sports ranks Michigan’s Sean Magee among top college football executives
This article has been updated. Wolverines fans doubted the strategy of the team in many ways more than halfway through last season, in terms of recruiting and building out the future of the program. Then, Bryce Underwood, Elijah Dotson, Nate Marshall, Jordan Young, and Ty Haywood committed. And, to boot, Justice Haynes left Alabama for […]
This article has been updated.
Wolverines fans doubted the strategy of the team in many ways more than halfway through last season, in terms of recruiting and building out the future of the program. Then, Bryce Underwood, Elijah Dotson, Nate Marshall, Jordan Young, and Ty Haywood committed. And, to boot, Justice Haynes left Alabama for Ann Arbor — a stunning coup given his ability as a standout running back.
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Then, fans were ecstatic and understood exactly why immediate results earlier in the year weren’t feasible. Because general manager Sean Magee was plotting and planning.
Magee came aboard for his second stint with Michigan football after Sherrone Moore was hired as the head coach, and he masterfully made move after move. Even when fans got a little antsy when the 2026 recruiting class appeared to be languishing behind some of the field, after the month of June, it became clear that Magee still knew what he was doing.
CBS Sports put together a list of the 21 best college football executives, and Magee was one of a select few who made the cut.
Sean Magee, Michigan
Associate AD for football and general manager
Magee landed the coup of the 2025 recruiting class when he orchestrated the flip of No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood from LSU. He has one of the most unique backgrounds in the space as a former Navy offensive lineman, Surface Warfare Officer and former chief of staff for the Chicago Bears. (…)
NIL attorneys and agents who have worked with Magee praise his intellect and ability to navigate potentially difficult negotiations. His arrival in Ann Arbor signaled a shift in Michigan’s approach, showing a greater willingness to be aggressive in NIL efforts to land top talent such as quarterback Bryce Underwood and five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola.
Magee came aboard, working with the foundation set by collectives such as Valiant and Champions Circle which had established themselves in the years while he was in Chicago. There are always numbers bandied about for certain players (like Underwood), Michigan insists that they’re not always accurate.
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“First of all, there’s this random number that people throw out that they think Bryce got, which I don’t know where they got it from, but good for them,” Sherrone Moore said at Big Ten media days. “Bryce knows that. The conversation I have with Bryce is that, ‘Bryce, you come here, I’m not giving you anything. You have to go earn it.’ Verbatim out of his mouth, ‘I would want it no other way.'”
Surely, it was still a move made possible by NIL, and with Magee connecting with Larry and Jolin Ellison to make that recruitment possible after it was dead on arrival shows that much more of his prowess behind the scenes.
While there might not be any big, marquee transfers outside of Haynes, many appear to be flying under the radar, like wide receivers Donaven McCulley and Anthony Simpson. And, with a year under his belt, it will be interesting to see how he continues to modernize the football department from the inside.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: CBS Sports names Michigan’s Sean Magee a top CFB executive
NIL
CBS Sports names Michigan’s Sean Magee a top CFB executive
This article has been updated. Wolverines fans doubted the strategy of the team in many ways more than halfway through last season, in terms of recruiting and building out the future of the program. Then, Bryce Underwood, Elijah Dotson, Nate Marshall, Jordan Young, and Ty Haywood committed. And, to boot, Justice Haynes left Alabama for […]

This article has been updated.
Wolverines fans doubted the strategy of the team in many ways more than halfway through last season, in terms of recruiting and building out the future of the program. Then, Bryce Underwood, Elijah Dotson, Nate Marshall, Jordan Young, and Ty Haywood committed. And, to boot, Justice Haynes left Alabama for Ann Arbor — a stunning coup given his ability as a standout running back.
Then, fans were ecstatic and understood exactly why immediate results earlier in the year weren’t feasible. Because general manager Sean Magee was plotting and planning.
Magee came aboard for his second stint with Michigan football after Sherrone Moore was hired as the head coach, and he masterfully made move after move. Even when fans got a little antsy when the 2026 recruiting class appeared to be languishing behind some of the field, after the month of June, it became clear that Magee still knew what he was doing.
CBS Sports put together a list of the 21 best college football executives, and Magee was one of a select few who made the cut.
Sean Magee, Michigan
Associate AD for football and general manager
Magee landed the coup of the 2025 recruiting class when he orchestrated the flip of No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood from LSU. He has one of the most unique backgrounds in the space as a former Navy offensive lineman, Surface Warfare Officer and former chief of staff for the Chicago Bears. (…)
NIL attorneys and agents who have worked with Magee praise his intellect and ability to navigate potentially difficult negotiations. His arrival in Ann Arbor signaled a shift in Michigan’s approach, showing a greater willingness to be aggressive in NIL efforts to land top talent such as quarterback Bryce Underwood and five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola.
Magee came aboard, working with the foundation set by collectives such as Valiant and Champions Circle which had established themselves in the years while he was in Chicago. There are always numbers bandied about for certain players (like Underwood), Michigan insists that they’re not always accurate.
“First of all, there’s this random number that people throw out that they think Bryce got, which I don’t know where they got it from, but good for them,” Sherrone Moore said at Big Ten media days. “Bryce knows that. The conversation I have with Bryce is that, ‘Bryce, you come here, I’m not giving you anything. You have to go earn it.’ Verbatim out of his mouth, ‘I would want it no other way.'”
Surely, it was still a move made possible by NIL, and with Magee connecting with Larry and Jolin Ellison to make that recruitment possible after it was dead on arrival shows that much more of his prowess behind the scenes.
While there might not be any big, marquee transfers outside of Haynes, many appear to be flying under the radar, like wide receivers Donaven McCulley and Anthony Simpson. And, with a year under his belt, it will be interesting to see how he continues to modernize the football department from the inside.
NIL
Jon Rothstein shares alarming outlook on Kansas, Baylor in changing of the guard in Big 12
There was a stretch in the Big 12 from around 2016 to 2023 where Kansas and Baylor could consistently find themselves among the top spots in the conference’s standings. That hasn’t necessarily been the case the past two years, though, and could continue into a third, as noted by Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports. Rothstein […]

There was a stretch in the Big 12 from around 2016 to 2023 where Kansas and Baylor could consistently find themselves among the top spots in the conference’s standings. That hasn’t necessarily been the case the past two years, though, and could continue into a third, as noted by Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports.
Rothstein released a breakdown of the Big 12 on Monday on ‘Inside College Basketball Now’. That included one of his top-point in the conference being the recent downfalls of the Jayhawks and Bears amidst the new, expanded looks of the Big 12 in 2024 and 2025
“We have a changing of the guard in the Big 12 Conference because, for years, and other people took a seat at the table from time to time. But, for a long time, Kansas and Baylor were 1 and 1a in this conference with Bill Self, with Scott Drew,” said Rothstein. “I’m going to go through my Big 12 Preseason Power Rankings here in just a second, but I’ll tell you this. Kansas and Baylor are not picked in the top-five.”
Starting with Rock Chalk, Kansas has been, over the past two years, unlike the program they’ve been under Self, going 44-24 overall, including 21-17 in conference play, with a pair of first-weekend exits from the NCAA Tournament. Now, with a different-looking roster for this season, led by one of the top freshman in the country in Darryn Peterson, Rothstein has some questions as he had the Jayhawks at No. 6 in the Big 12 entering ’25-’26.
“Kansas is coming off the worst two years that it’s ever had under Bill Self, who’s a Hall of Fame coach who has won multiple national championships,” said Rothstein.
“I’ve got Kansas in the six spot. Now, people may, you know, throw their arms up in the air and say, ‘How can Kansas be in the spot?’. Well, let me tell you something. I know Darryn Peterson could be projected to be the top overall pick, right there with AJ Dybantsa, in the 2026 NBA Draft. Just because a player is projected to be highly selected in the next year’s NBA Draft does not mean that the team that he’s playing on is going to reach certain heights…Kansas is going to two All Big-12 caliber players. I feel confident saying that – Darryn Peterson and Flory Bidunga…Can those two players give Bill Self the ancillary support that he needs for Kansas to be vintage Kansas? Right now, I am somebody who always proceeds with precaution. I take a wait-and-see type of approach. Because you’re looking now at a Kansas team that doesn’t have a lot of returning personnel and has a brand new roster. I got to get to Lawrence in the preseason to take this, obviously, in first-hand.”
Then, Baylor is in a similar spot at 44-26 overall, also at 21-17 in league play, over the past two seasons as they too have not advanced out of the opening weekend of March Madness. Their roster turnover is then even more significant for this upcoming season, which is why Rothstein nearly had them outside his top-ten in the conference with the Bears at No. 9 for him in the Big 12 coming into ’25-’26.
“Baylor, okay, has not been to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since it won a national championship in 2021. And Baylor is going to be also in a situation where it is replacing its entire team from a year ago,” said Rothstein. “That’s right. Baylor didn’t just lose Rob Wright. Baylor lost everybody of significance from last season. It is a complete rebuild in Waco.
“At the nine spot, we go to the Baylor Bears, a program that did not return a single player from last year’s team that went to the NCAA Tournament and went to the second round. Rob Wright? Gone. Langston Love? Gone. VJ Edgecombe? Off to the NBA. Norchad Omier? No longer there. So, Scott Drew went to the portal. I think Baylor, and I’ve talked with their staff about this, has a chance to be a good defensive team, maybe an above-average defensive team. But I think Baylor, when it’s all said and done, will have to scratch and claw to make the NCAA Tournament.
With the respective slides by Kansas and Baylor, new teams have emerged to take those top spots in the Big 12. Houston (67-8, 34-4 in Big 12) is the prime example of that, having won three conference titles since their arrival into the league while also playing for a national championship this past spring. Iowa State (54-18, 26-12), Texas Tech (51-20, 26-12), Arizona (51-22, 29-11), and BYU (49-21, 24-14) have also succeeded with the Cougars, Cyclones, Red Raiders, Wildcats, and Cougars all having made a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight in 2024 or 2025. Those five teams also make up the top-five in the power ranking of the conference by Rothstein.
“The league has changed with Houston, Texas Tech, and BYU. These additions, with realignment a couple years ago, have completely reshaped the makeup of the Big 12 Conference. All three of those programs – Houston, Texas Tech, and BYU – went to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament last year. Houston went to the national title game, Texas Tech was inches away from being in the Final Four,” said Rothstein. “Those additions have disrupted things in terms of the Big 12 hierarchy. And now you’re looking at a season where Kansas is going to try to get back to being Kansas and Baylor is just trying, let’s be honest right now, to find a place in the NCAA Tournament.”
With their past success and two of the best coaches in the conference, Kansas and Baylor aren’t just out of contention completely. Still, things have clearly changed for each of them in relation to where they stand right now in this new era of the Big 12.
NIL
How NIL Money Shapes G League: Keeping College Stars in NBA Path
The rise of NIL opportunities is reshaping player paths in both college basketball and the G League. Students are now incentivized to enhance their skills longer in college, benefiting from financial support while pursuing NBA aspirations. This has resulted in increased G League engagement, with many players like Drew Timme finding success stories after staying […]

The rise of NIL opportunities is reshaping player paths in both college basketball and the G League. Students are now incentivized to enhance their skills longer in college, benefiting from financial support while pursuing NBA aspirations. This has resulted in increased G League engagement, with many players like Drew Timme finding success stories after staying in the league longer. G League salaries average around $43,000, compelling players to weigh overseas opportunities against the benefits of NIL earnings.
By the Numbers
- Averaging $43,000 per year, G League salaries drive players to consider foreign leagues.
- 79 NBA call-ups occurred last year, with over half of NBA players now having G League experience.
State of Play
- Rising G League call-ups indicate the developmental league’s growing importance.
- Coaches and players are looking to leverage NIL funds to enhance G League opportunities.
What’s Next
As NIL dynamics evolve, more G League players may explore branding and marketing strategies to maximize their visibility and income. This transition could spur further collaborations with brands and sponsors, ideally allowing players to retain marketability post-graduation.
Bottom Line
Investing in NIL knowledge and brand building will be pivotal for G League players aiming to sustain financial security and career longevity. Empowering athletes with the right tools can enhance their prospects, both during and after their developmental league tenure.
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