NIL
As NCAA navigates the courts, IU’s Cignetti just wants level playing field for NIL – The Daily Hoosier
IU football coach Curt Cignetti has spent his entire life around college football, and he’s seen plenty of change along the way. But there’s been nothing like the last five years, as name, image and likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal have completely reshaped the landscape of college athletics. Cignetti didn’t lead a team on […]

IU football coach Curt Cignetti has spent his entire life around college football, and he’s seen plenty of change along the way.
But there’s been nothing like the last five years, as name, image and likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal have completely reshaped the landscape of college athletics.
Cignetti didn’t lead a team on the field as head coach until he was 50, so while some coaches around his age (63) have stepped away in the face of this new era, he’s just hitting his prime as the leader of a Power Four program. And that has meant this relatively old dog has had to continuously learn new tricks.
“You got to adjust, adapt, or die,” Cignetti said at a Bloomington fundraiser earlier this month. “You got to be light on your feet and be flexible, which I’ve tried to do the last five years.”
The NCAA and its conferences recently agreed to a landmark settlement of three antitrust cases (collectively referred to as House) over athlete compensation, agreeing to permit schools to directly pay athletes revenue starting July 1 under a capped system.
The settlement is in the final stages of approval. Whether it will bring stability to college sports or the next round of lawsuits remains to be seen.
While Cignetti has proven his ability to thrive in the face of uncertainty, what he wants more than anything else is a level playing field.
“I’d like to be able to see some regulation down the road so that us, Texas, and Oregon are playing by the same rules,” Cignetti said. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask for, but it’s a complicated issue right now when you get the courts involved.”
“Hopefully in the next couple years there will be some kind of rules, because right now us coaches are like ‘what are the rules?’”
The House settlement is anticipated to bring some measure of rules, at least temporarily. All schools will have a cap of around $20.5 million in revenue they can share with athletes.
And any other payments to athletes, such as those from NIL collectives, will have to be vetted by an independent third-party to determine whether they are legitimate arms-length transactions. Ostensibly, that should help reduce the scenario where the schools with the richest, most motivated boosters are making sham NIL payments to assemble elite rosters. Cignetti was vocal recently about some programs currently having as much as $40 million in booster funds available to build rosters.
The legality of the House settlement will no doubt be tested. Does it pass Title IX scrutiny? Will any agreement that didn’t involve the athletes at the bargaining table hold up? There are still more questions than answers.
But whatever the future holds for the particulars of college athletes getting paid, it’s clearly here to stay in some form. And as a basic concept, that’s something Cignetti says he is happy to see.
“I think there’s a lot of great things about NIL and rev-share,” he said. “The players definitely deserve a cut.
“These guys (the players), they work a job. This is a job. The amount of time they put into it, then they’ve gotta go to school. It’s entertainment. It’s big-time business, there’s a lot of money rolling in. They deserve a cut and I’m glad they’re getting it.”
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
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NIL
After missing out on 5-star, Kirby Smart says he prefers ‘a freshman come in and not make more than a senior’
The last two weeks have been eventful for Georgia in recruiting, as the Bulldogs added three commitments, including five-star quarterback Jared Curtis and Top 100 safety Jordan Smith. But this week has been headlined by Georgia missing out on five-star offensive tackle target Jackson Cantwell, who made his commitment to Miami on Tuesday. The Bulldogs […]

The last two weeks have been eventful for Georgia in recruiting, as the Bulldogs added three commitments, including five-star quarterback Jared Curtis and Top 100 safety Jordan Smith. But this week has been headlined by Georgia missing out on five-star offensive tackle target Jackson Cantwell, who made his commitment to Miami on Tuesday. The Bulldogs were the perceived leader in his recruitment, but on the day of Cantwell’s decision, word emerged that the Hurricanes’ NIL offer was well and beyond that of any other program. The discussion since then has centered around the difference in NIL packages offered by both programs and how that factored into the decision, with Cantwell pushing back on the “false narrative” that reporters have put out there with sourced info.
This comes five months after the Early Signing Period commitment of class of 2025 in-state five-star Justus Terry to Texas, where Georgia was seen as the prohibitive favorite throughout his recruitment, only to see the Longhorns swoop in with an enticing NIL package and land the coveted defensive lineman. Georgia signed the No. 2 recruiting class in the country that cycle and is likely to sign a top 3 recruiting class in the current cycle as well, so Kirby Smart will not be hurting for talent anytime soon.
Even though Georgia, like every program, misses out on prospects every cycle, the narrative has emerged that the Bulldogs will not win a NIL bidding war for talent. The high-profile recruitments of players like Cantwell and Terry have the fanbase debating whether Georgia should, and wondering whether Smart would have lost these recruiting battles before NIL was approved four years ago. Others have wondered whether Smart needs someone with a general manager title to specifically handle the financial decisions on the roster, something he pushed back on this week.
Speaking on the Paul Finbaum Show at the celebrity pro-am at the Regions Tradition Champions Club in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Smart noted his preference is to pay top dollar to the established contributors already on his roster.
“I just want it to be able to have a freshman come in and not make more than a senior,” Smart said.
Smart bracketed that statement by framing his stance as one that protects non-revenue sports and smaller programs.
“And where we are right now, I think every coach agrees, we’re in a good place with being able to compensate players,” Smart said. “Call it pay-for-play, call it NIL, I don’t care what you call it. We’re all in a good place with that. We just want it to be in a way that’s sustainable.
“I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive. We’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports. What’s the pushback going to be then when you start cutting non-revenue sports? I don’t want that to happen.”
The open market has led to high school recruits signing NIL deals that rival those of some rookie contracts in the NFL. Meanwhile, in the four years since NIL was approved, Georgia has had 46 players selected in the NFL Draft, more than any other program. Smart has continued to recruit players with the mindset that long-term development for the NFL outweighs a bigger payday immediately out of high school.
“It’s not the fact they’re making money. It’s not that. It’s not an issue,” Smart said. “The issue is the inability to pinpoint what the rules are and what we can do. Nobody’s upset about it. We’re all very thankful. SEC players are the most marketable players. They get the most coverage. They get seen on TV. I am so comfortable with that. We’re past that point. We just want to know the parameters with which we’re playing by and be able to sustain a budget and have other sports survive. I think every coach would take that at this point. There’s no old school, young school. There’s none of that. We’re comfortable paying the players.”
Georgia is preparing for a House settlement that could provide some structure, with the ability to pay athletes directly from a $20.5 million pool on July 1, with about $13.5 million expected to go to football players.
“It’s trying times, because not everybody knows kind of what we’re playing by, you know, in terms of the rules and everything,” Smart said. “But it’ll work itself out. It’s one of those challenging times for everybody. Our coaches and assistants are the ones on the road having to deal with it, and the head coaches are out trying to raise money and playing golf tournaments.”
NIL
SB | Buckley’s List of Postseason Accolades Grows, Named NFCA Third Team All-Region
Story Links LOUISVILLE, Kent. — After her historic 2025 campaign, sophomore infielder Sam Buckley has been honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as a third team member of the All-West Region Team. Arguably one of the most stacked region’s in Division I Softball, featuring the likes of NCAA Postseason Qualifiers Arizona […]

LOUISVILLE, Kent. — After her historic 2025 campaign, sophomore infielder Sam Buckley has been honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as a third team member of the All-West Region Team. Arguably one of the most stacked region’s in Division I Softball, featuring the likes of NCAA Postseason Qualifiers Arizona State, UCLA, Arizona, Stanford, Grand Canyon, Cal, UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State, Buckley was the lone honoree out of the West Coast Conference. This is the second straight year that the Gaels have had an honoree on the All-West Region team, as Odhi Vasquez earned a spot a season ago.
With one of the most prolific seasons in Saint Mary’s Softball history, Sam Buckley broke the 10 year old single season records for home runs (14), the 15 year old single season runs scored record (47) and the 13 year old single season RBI record (41), all while becoming just the fourth Gael to hit over 0.400 for the entirety of a season, and the first in 25 years. If her impressive offensive numbers weren’t enough, Buckley also committed just two errors all season while manning the hot corner, finishing off the year with a stellar 0.983 fielding percentage, tied for the best of any Gael non-first base infielder with Marissa Montelongo from a season ago.
T4 | SMC 6-2 OSU
HISTORY
Sam Buckley hits home run number 13 to break the all-time single season record!!#GaelsRise @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/78XtdmMDB0
— Saint Mary’s Softball (@GaelsSoftball) April 27, 2025
Buckley was a driving force behind the Gaels first two WCC titles last season and this season. Just a sophomore, she is on pace to break the program batting average, runs scored, RBI, triple, home run and walk records.
#GaelsRise
NIL
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 2-seed Florida Atlantic softball team opens play in the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Friday, May 16, against No. 3-seed Georgia Tech. First pitch between the Owls (44-10) and the Yellow Jackets (27-22) is at 2 p.m. on ESPNU. For the second straight year, Florida Atlantic is in the NCAA Regionals, […]

For the second straight year, Florida Atlantic is in the NCAA Regionals, this time as the only team from a non-power conference to earn an at-large bid. In the double-elimination bracket, the victor of this game will play on Saturday against the winner of the matchup between No. 1-seed Florida and No. 4-seed Mercer.
This marks the program’s 13th postseason berth, the most among any FAU sport.
- The Owls are led by Head Coach Jordan Clark in her third season at the helm of the program with a record of 120-46. She and her assistants have been named AAC Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season.
- Florida Atlantic has won 40+ games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2003-04.
- The Owls lead the nation in fielding percentage (.984).
- Nationwide, FAU is 12th in ERA (2.37), 18th in doubles (90), 19th in batting average (.336), 22nd in runs (356), 24th in hits (486), and 30th in strikeouts thrown (306).
- As a pitching staff, Florida Atlantic has allowed two runs or less in 11 straight games.
- Junior pitcher Autumn Courtney (23-3) was voted unanimously as the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and to the All-Conference First Team. She has the fifth most victories nationwide and is 21st in ERA (1.80) as well as 32nd in strikeouts (163). Her one-hit, seven-strikeout performance in the AAC Semifinals earned her a spot on the All-Tournament team.
- Senior pitcher Ainsley Lambert leads the NCAA in saves with 11 to go with her 7-1 record and an ERA of 1.63, the 15th lowest nationwide.
- The Owls have set its single-season program record in runs.
- Redshirt sophomore outfielder Kylie Hammonds has reached base in 50 out of 54 appearances on the season and has a current streak of 23 games. She leads the Owls in on-base percentage (.515). runs (52), walks (33), and hit-by-pitches (13).
- Junior catcher Chloe Yeatts’ 51 RBI in a single season is the most by an Owl since 1995 and is one away from tying the program record.
- Florida Atlantic boasts the AAC Defensive Player of the Year in junior third baseman Jesiana Mora. She also has a team-high eight home runs.
- Outfielder Bella Foran leads the team in batting average (.420) as a freshman.
- FAU is No. 31 in the RPI rankings.
- Georgia Tech is led by Head Coach Aileen Morales in her eighth season.
- The Yellow Jackets are making their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2022.
- Freshman outfielder Alyssa Willer leads the team in batting average (.354), on base percentage (.496), and slugging percentage (.636).
- Senior pitcher Sophia Voyles has totaled 130 strikeouts and holds a 2.79 ERA.
- The Yellow Jackets and the Owls have faced off eight times, with the series currently tied at 4-4. Their last meeting was in 2015, an FAU 2-0 victory.
Owl fans are encouraged to make the trip to Gainesville and paint Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium in red as another postseason run begins this weekend. Tickets, both all-session passes and single-session, are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.
Fans in the South Florida area who are unable to make the trip to Gainesville can attend a watch party at the Duffy’s Sports Grill on St. Andrews Blvd. in Boca Raton for an early Happy Hour on Friday to cheer on their hometown team and take advantage of 2-for-1 drink specials.
To stay up to date on all things FAU softball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUSoftball.
The Owls’ 2025 postseason is powered by Demand the Limits Injury Attorneys.
NIL
Lucas Named NFCA All-Central Region Third Team
Story Links WICHITA, Kan. – For the third time in her career Wichita State outfielder Lauren Lucas has earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region honors, it was announced Thursday afternoon. A native of Little Elm, Texas, Lucas was named to the NFCA All-Central Region Third Team after another standout season on […]

WICHITA, Kan. – For the third time in her career Wichita State outfielder Lauren Lucas has earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region honors, it was announced Thursday afternoon.
A native of Little Elm, Texas, Lucas was named to the NFCA All-Central Region Third Team after another standout season on the diamond for the Shockers. Lucas returned to action after missing all of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury to lead the team in batting average (.378), hits (62) and on base percentage (.493). She added 11 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 42 RBIs. Her 13 home runs were a career high, besting her previous high of 10 back in 2022. Lucas closed the book on her collegiate career, becoming just the second Shocker in school history to finish with 40+ doubles, 10+ triples and 25+ home runs. Her name is found on several Top 10 career charts at Wichita State, including batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, doubles, triples, RBIs, runs scored, total bases and walks.
Last week Lucas was named a First Team All-Conference honoree for a third time. She was also an NFCA Third Team All-Central Region selection in 2022 and 2023.
Wichita State has placed at least one on the All-Central Region teams every season since 2018.
NIL
Kirby Smart Paints Grim Picture For College Sports in Latest Statement Regarding NIL
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL. College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more […]

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL.
College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more headache-inducing than the emergence of NIL.
While the policy change has been viewed as an overall positive, it has brought forth its fair share of issues. Many of which have created financial ripples throughout college athletics. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shared his thoughts on the issue and expressed his desires for the sport moving forward.
“I just want to be able to have a freshman come in and not make more than a senior and I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive.” Said Smart. “You know, we’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports.”
While football is a massive sport that produces millions of dollars in revenue each season, other sports may be forced to go by the waist-side due to the increase of competitive prices when it comes to fielding a football roster.
Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a simple fix for the issues that the NIL era of college football presents, and the sport (along with other college athletics) will likely continue to undergo a litany of changes in the near future.
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NIL
Mark Pope, Kentucky Receive Bad Update from No. 1 College Basketball Prospect
Mark Pope is feeling the urgency at Kentucky. His first season as the Wildcats’ head coach ended with an appearance in the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament and a respectable No. 12 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. But Pope understands that his task is to take the historic Kentucky program back to […]

Mark Pope is feeling the urgency at Kentucky. His first season as the Wildcats’ head coach ended with an appearance in the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament and a respectable No. 12 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. But Pope understands that his task is to take the historic Kentucky program back to the top of college basketball.
“We want to play the hardest schedule; we want to play the best teams; we want to win the most games; we want to have the best players; we want to have the highest NIL; we want to have the coolest uniforms; we want to have the most media attention. This is Kentucky,” Pope said at his first offseason press conference.
It must have been a little discouraging then for Pope to learn that top 2026 recruit Tyran Stokes has opted to postpone his visit to Lexington, a visit that was set to begin Thursday and last through Saturday.
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