NIL

Athletics and Learfield Launch Buckeye Sports Group

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Department of Athletics and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties have announced the formation of Buckeye Sports Group (BSG), a groundbreaking initiative designed to support, streamline and enhance Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes. By creating a dedicated team of NIL leaders, this strategic partnership will empower […]

Published

1 month ago

June 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Athletics and Learfield Launch Buckeye Sports Group

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Department of Athletics and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties have announced the formation of Buckeye Sports Group (BSG), a groundbreaking initiative designed to support, streamline and enhance Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes. By creating a dedicated team of NIL leaders, this strategic partnership will empower Buckeye student-athletes to maximize their brand value while competing at the highest level.

Ohio State and Learfield Impact, the company’s industry-leading NIL services, are fueled by dedicated on-campus leadership professionals that prioritize Buckeye student-athlete brand engagement and content driven campaigns. Additionally, BSG will have access to Learfield’s Compass NIL technology to facilitate deal transactions and gain insights into student-athlete interests that foster authentic brand connections.

“Ohio State has always been a leader in college athletics, and this initiative is another step forward to build upon our strong NIL foundation,” said Carey Hoyt, Ohio State’s Deputy Director of Athletics. “By combining the power of our athletic brand with Learfield’s expansive network, we are creating an innovative, full-service approach to NIL that directly benefits our student-athletes.”

The House v. NCAA settlement marks a pivotal shift in college athletics. As part of the agreement, signed and approved Friday and that will take effect July 1, schools will now be permitted to directly compensate athletes for use of their Name, Image and Likeness. A key component of the settlement is the implementation of a Fair Market Evaluation process, and a “range of compensation” designed to establish standardized benchmarks for NIL deals across sports and institutions. Buckeye Sports Group will serve as a centralized hub for NIL brand deal facilitation, corporate partnerships, student-athlete storytelling and NIL support.

A Comprehensive NIL Strategy
The Buckeye Sports Group will support Ohio State’s student-athletes with comprehensive efforts within three key areas: deal facilitation and management, content creation and storytelling, and support services.

§  NIL Deal Facilitation & Management
o   Negotiating and securing brand partnerships locally, regionally, and nationally for student-athletes.
o   Overseeing contract preparation and fair market value assessments.
o   Utilizing analytics to track NIL performance and return on investment.

Content Creation & Student-Athlete Storytelling, powered by Learfield Studios
- Creating athlete-driven digital content, including social media campaigns, video series and podcasts.
- Leveraging Learfield’s Fanbase data and digital expertise to optimize distribution across social media and digital channels.
- Providing marketing resources for brand collaborations to maximize results, including the use of Ohio State marks, logos and access to campus facilities.

§  Athlete Support & Services
o   Providing financial literacy and tax support through partnerships with industry experts.
o   Offering branding and social media growth training to help athletes build their personal brands.
o   Connecting student-athletes with brand partners to provide business experience, micro-internships and build professional networking relationships with companies.

A Unified Approach to NIL
In a move to streamline and optimize NIL operations, Buckeye Sports Group will also work to consolidate existing NIL collectives under a single marketing team. This unified structure will provide student-athletes with seamless access to opportunities while competing for the Buckeyes. The founding members of THE Foundation and The 1870 Society will remain engaged and serve in an advisory capacity to the new Buckeye Sports Group. Additionally, re-occurring donations and subscriptions made to The Foundation will continue to play a vital role in supporting Ohio State Athletics.

“We’re incredibly thankful for everything our NIL collective’s leadership, businesses and donors have done to support our student-athletes,” Ross Bjork, Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director, said. “Their commitment has helped shape the landscape in powerful ways. As we move forward with a more unified approach, we’re excited to combine efforts and further strengthen the NIL success of our student-athletes.”

Impact & Vision
Through this partnership, Ohio State Athletics and Learfield are setting a new standard for NIL excellence. The initiative aims to:

Maximize student-athlete earning potential;
Strengthen Ohio State’s brand value through strategic partnerships; and
Create a sustainable, best-in-class NIL ecosystem that benefits athletes, brands, and the university.

“As we enter a new era for college athletics, we’re excited to build on our past successes and create even more meaningful NIL opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes,” said Todd Knisley, Vice President & General Manager of Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties. “Buckeyes have excelled both on and off the field, and we’re committed to amplifying that momentum. We also recognize the unique potential of our footprint in Columbus, one of the fastest-growing metro markets, for impactful deal-making. With the strength of Buckeye Nation behind us, we’re able to unlock incremental opportunities for partnerships on a local, regional, and national scale.”

BSG will fuel Ohio State’s NIL dealmaking success and build upon the momentum of over 500 NIL brand partnerships featuring Buckeye student-athletes across all 36 sports. Buckeye student-athletes have already collaborated with prominent brand partners such as Beats by Dre, Chipotle, RiteRug, Weber Grills, Element Electronics and more.

“We are committed to making Ohio State the premier destination for NIL success,” Hoyt added. “With Buckeye Sports Group, we’re building a model that will serve as the new standard for college athletics.”

#GoBucks

NIL

Texas Picked to Win 2025 SEC Championship With Arch Manning at QB

Texas, with Heisman Trophy candidate Arch Manning set to take over as starting quarterback, is the preseason pick to win the SEC championship. The Longhorns received 96 of the 204 votes cast from media members covering the SEC media days this week to be crowned SEC champion on Dec. 6 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. […]

Published

23 minutes ago

July 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Texas, with Heisman Trophy candidate Arch Manning set to take over as starting quarterback, is the preseason pick to win the SEC championship.

The Longhorns received 96 of the 204 votes cast from media members covering the SEC media days this week to be crowned SEC champion on Dec. 6 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Georgia, with 44 votes, received the second-most votes.

If that scenario plays out, it would mean a rematch of the 2024 SEC Championship Game, which Georgia won in an overtime thriller. The SEC title game pits the two teams with the best regular-season conference record against one another.

Alabama was third with 29 votes, while LSU got 20. South Carolina was next with five, while Oklahoma received three and Vanderbilt and Florida each got two votes. Tennessee, Ole Miss and Auburn each received one vote.

Since 1992, only 10 times has the predicted champion in the preseason poll gone on to win the SEC championship.

The 2024 SEC title game averaged 16.6 million viewers, the fourth-largest audience on record for the game. The OT win for Georgia, which peaked with 19.7 million viewers, delivered the largest audience of the college football season.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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NIL

Ryan Williams inks major – and legitimate

Not many stars are shining brighter in college football these days than Ryan Williams. Nicknamed “Hollywood”, Williams burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old true freshman in 2024. He had one of the biggest plays of the season when he caught the eventual game-winning touchdown to lead the Crimson Tide to a win over Georgia […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Last season was just the beginning for Williams, and he was just scratching the surface of where his immense talent will eventually lead him.

His talent and stardom are being recognized outside of Tuscaloosa. Williams was one of the two cover athletes for College Football 26, joining fellow star sophomore WR Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State. Now, Williams has inked a major NIL deal with the biggest brand in sports.

Ryan Williams signs an NIL deal with Nike

Nike announced the deal on Friday morning:

Officially official 📝

Nike Football just went Hollywood 🎥 pic.twitter.com/zBfeV956Sj

— Nike Football (@usnikefootball) July 18, 2025

Via a press release from Nike, Williams said: “Since I can remember, Nike has always been the best fit on and off the field. Family has always been a huge part of who I am. When I had the opportunity to join the Nike family, I knew I had to just do it.”

Details of the deal have yet to be made public, but this is a major, and legitimate, NIL deal for Williams. Per Pete Nakos, he becomes just the second college football player to sign an NIL deal with Nike, joining former Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who signed with Nike last August before his final season in Boulder.

This deal is exactly what NIL is supposed to be in college sports. This is Williams capitalizing on his and Alabama’s brand, not just money being funneled to him through a collective. This is one of the first legitimate NIL deals to be publicized since the groundbreaking House vs. NCAA settlement, which legalized revenue-sharing and is expected to bring major changes to NIL and the end of booster-backed collectives.

Williams is gearing up for his sophomore season in Tuscaloosa, and Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer was highly complimentary of his star WR at SEC Media Days, praising his work ethic this offseason.

New OC Ryan Grubb will look to find creative ways to get the ball in the hands of Williams. The sophomore WR will have more help alongside him this season, with an impressive core of receivers joining him to prevent too much bracket coverage. Germie Bernard is back, and Miami (FL) transfer Isaiah Horton gives Alabama a legitimate No. 3 option on the outside, which the team sorely lacked a season ago.

The depth behind that trio is impressive, too, with young WRs like Rico Scott and Lotzeir Brooks plenty good enough to find playing time.

Williams should be in store for an even bigger year two.

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Ohio State football makes the Top 5 for nation’s No. 2 QB but there’s a catch

While the focus has been on the 2026 class and trying to stay competitive with the way NIL has changed everything, that doesn’t mean Ohio State football hasn’t lost focus on 2027. Ryan Day and Co. have been working overtime in sending out new offers. One top target for ’27 is no question signal-caller Teddy […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

One top target for ’27 is no question signal-caller Teddy Jarrard, who is ranked the No. 2 quarterback in the country for his class. On Thursday, Jarrard revealed his Top 5 and the Buckeyes made the list. That’s the good news. The bad news here, however, is that Notre Dame is considered the overwhelming favorite to eventually land him.

🚨NEWS🚨 4-star QB Teddy Jarrard is down to Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State, @SWiltfong_ reports‼️

Jarrard is the No. 2 QB in the 2027 Rivals300.

Read: https://t.co/jFgDdUBlLH pic.twitter.com/Ksp4K1Grfv

— Rivals (@Rivals) July 17, 2025

Ohio State is a finalist for 4-star QB Teddy Jarrard but Notre Dame is the favorite

Marcus Freeman is doing an unreal job recruiting wise right now, which is not good for the Buckeyes. However, as of this writing, the elite QB is yet to shut down his recruitment and nothing is set in stone. Could Ohio State catch up and pass ND here? It’s possible.

In addition to Ohio State and Notre Dame, Jarrard also included Penn State, Georgia and Michigan among his finalists. While Jarrard is a top target for Ohio State, keep in mind that 2027 QB Brady Edmunds has been committed to Ohio State since December.

He gave the Buckeyes an incredibly early verbal, which can also be said about 5-star wideout Jamier Brown, who is on board as well for the 2027 group with Edmunds. Is Day looking at taking two QBs for next year’s class? It sure looks that way.

Again, no decision has been made by Jarrard other than the fact that he’s now down to five programs. Even though Notre Dame is the favorite, if Day wants him bad enough, he can take things to the next level in showing Jarrard he’s a priority – getting him on campus this fall for a game is a no-brainer move. Will Jarrard end up playing his college ball in Columbus? It’s hard to say, but everyone knows better than to count Day out.

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Kentucky star trying to lift Wildcats over UNC basketball isn’t fooling anyone

Andrew Harrison is certainly a hero at Kentucky after leading them to back-to-back Final Four appearances and a National Championship appearance in 2014, but that was all 10 years ago, and he never won a title. When sitting down with current Kentucky players for interviews, Harrison made quite the claim that many other college football […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

When sitting down with current Kentucky players for interviews, Harrison made quite the claim that many other college football experts would disagree with: Kentucky has the best basketball culture and is the best blue blood program in the country.

Yes, Harrison is making that claim knowing the type of programs that the Duke Blue Devils and, of course, the North Carolina Tar Heels have. He even made an emphasis on saying they are certainly better than both of those blue blood programs.

“I don’t care what anybody says about North Carolina, Duke — it’s not like this,” Harrison said. “It’s not like this, I’m telling you.”

“I don’t care what anybody says about North Carolina, Duke — it’s not like this. It’s not like this. I’m telling you.”

Andrew Harrison on coming to Kentucky versus any other CBB Blue Blood.

📹: UK Athletics pic.twitter.com/O4ameB03WV

— Tres Terrell (@TerrellTres) July 17, 2025

That is certainly a crazy claim to make, and especially as emphatically as he made it. When college basketball greats are talked about, UNC and Duke are always the first two programs to come out of someone’s mouth. First of all, that rivalry is the end all be all rivalry in college basketball, but also both programs had two of the most legendary coaches to ever coach the game.

Harrison said his reasoning behind it all was that if you win a championship with Kentucky, you can go back to campus in 50 years and everyone will still recognize you. The irony in that statement is that while Harrison led the Wildcats to a title game, he didn’t actually win it, so he can’t be talking about himself by saying that.

Also, that is trying to say that the star UNC and Duke players wouldn’t be recognized. Heck, even players who didn’t win a championship are still remembered in Chapel Hill and Durham. Harrison is just trying to elevate the Kentucky program; he isn’t really doing it in the best manner.

The Wildcats have just one championship in this century, back in 2012, when both UNC and Duke have each won three since the turn of the century. So nice try, Harrison, but the logic just isn’t backing you up here.

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As Trump considers NIL executive order, granddaughter Kai Trump just got another NIL deal

Questions about whether President Donald Trump will issue an executive order to address name, image and likeness standards in college sports after media reports surfaced he was working on one earlier this week. Following a 2021 Supreme Court ruling, student athletes have been allowed to profit from their publicity with sponsorship deals. The change has […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Following a 2021 Supreme Court ruling, student athletes have been allowed to profit from their publicity with sponsorship deals. The change has drastically changed the landscape of collegiate sports, and college sports leaders have repeatedly met with lawmakers to push for federal standards and guidelines.

CBS News reported on July 15 that Trump was planning to sign an executive order in the following days to establish those standards. Front Office Sports and Yahoo! Sports also reported the order was in the works.

This is not the first time reports have surfaced on Trump’s plans to address NIL, and the U.S. House of Representatives is working on legislation known as the SCORE Act. The White House did not comment on the media reports, and USA TODAY Sports reported college leaders did not have knowledge of an imminent order.

But whatever new laws or regulations come into fruition on NIL for student athletes, the consequences could hit close to home for the president. Trump’s eldest granddaughter, Kai Trump, is a young golf star and future college athlete with her own NIL deals. Here is what to know:

More: College sports leaders unaware of Donald Trump’s plan for executive order addressing NIL

What is NIL?

The acronym stands for name, image and likeness. NIL deals protect student athletes’ rights to earn money from their publicity and sometimes includes a big-name brand endorsement, like Kai Trump’s.

Until a historic 2021 Supreme Court decision that led to an NCAA rule change, the NCAA didn’t allow student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.

An array of state laws have been passed to regulate it, but college sports leaders have pushed for federal intervention.

Who is Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump?

Kai Trump, 18, is President Trump’s eldest granddaughter, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and ex-wife Vanessa Trump.

Kai Trump made her political debut at the Republican National Convention ahead of the 2024 election, talking up the human side to her grandfather, who she said calls her to check in on her golf game.

She is a rising senior at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. She has committed to playing golf at the University of Miami after graduating.

Does Kai Trump have a NIL deal?

Yes, she has a few brand partnerships.

On July 15, Kai announced a new partnership with Accelerator Active Energy. In February, Kai announced her first lucrative endorsement deal with big-name golf equipment company TaylorMade.

On3, a website that rates high school and college athletes, valued her name, image and likeness (NIL) at more than $1.2 million. The valuation makes her No. 1 in women’s high school golf and No. 98 among high school and college athletes’ valuation, according to On3.

Her recent announcement with Accelerator energy drinks, where Travis Kelce is also a brand ambassador, was presidential-themed in a nod to her grandfather. She later went on “Fox & Friends” to announce the new deal.

“He really just taught me to keep on fighting and keep on practicing and whatnot,” Kai said in the interview, according to Golfweek. “I’ve loved playing golf with him my whole life. It’s the reason that we share a special bond together.”

Contributing: Tom Schad, Matt Hayes, Jennifer Sangalang, Eric J. Wallace, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Kai Trump? POTUS granddaughter gets NIL deal amid fed lawmaking

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How President Trump’s Proposed NIL Executive Order Could Impact the Kansas Jayhawks

President Donald Trump reportedly plans to sign an executive order establishing national standards for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiatives in college athletics, according to CBS News. This news comes on the heels of the SCORE (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements) Act advancing out of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

President Donald Trump reportedly plans to sign an executive order establishing national standards for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiatives in college athletics, according to CBS News.

This news comes on the heels of the SCORE (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements) Act advancing out of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade earlier this week. That bill is also aimed at standardizing NIL for college student-athletes and would reportedly supersede state laws currently regulating the NIL space.

While it’s currently unclear what changes the executive order from Trump would fully entail, any type of federal directive or legislation that would help reign in some of the wild spending happening across college athletics right now would likely be welcomed by Kansas Athletics administrators and coaches.

It’s not an enviable task that Kansas Athletics Director Travis Goff and the various KU coaching staffs have with schools now able to pay players directly through revenue sharing and players wanting to earn money from NIL on top of that.

It’s a lot to manage, and it can make fielding a competitive team year after year that much more difficult, especially with tampering going on – something Kansas football coach Lance Leipold recently addressed at Big 12 Media Days.

And although KU Athletics teams as a whole have performed very well recently despite the challenges, the NIL setup as it exists currently is simply not equitable or sustainable with different states having different regulations and many universities having more financial opportunities than others.

However, more limitations and guardrails in place on NIL earnings could help balance out the playing field between schools competing for the best talent while also providing an edge to schools such as KU.

Take Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self for example. He was already a great recruiter before NIL came into play. And while he has used it to KU’s advantage to help land some of the best high school and transfer prospects in the country these past few years, NIL standardizations – such as player earning caps – could lessen the bidding wars for players and allow him to use more of the traditional (and successful) recruiting tools he’s used in the past.

Right now, money is largely the deciding factor for these student-athletes deciding where to play. And while more NIL restrictions could reduce KU’s ability to outbid other schools for players’ services, it would also allow Self to go back to selling kids more on KU’s winning tradition, the allure of Allen Fieldhouse, national exposure, etc.

There are several schools who can compete with KU on money, but few who can match up when it comes to the intangibles, history, and sustained success of Kansas basketball.

NIL regulation could be advantageous for Kansas football as well, with the program soon to have some of the newest and best facilities in all of college football – which Leipold and his staff can use to out-recruit schools when money isn’t as much of a factor.

Having limitations on NIL income could also allow KU programs such as football, baseball, volleyball and others to prevent some of their top talent from transferring at season’s end if other schools are no longer easily able to outbid them for a player through promised NIL earnings. And having more restrictions on NIL could restore some control and integrity to the recruiting process for both KU coaches and their athletes.

Overall, federal NIL regulation could prove to be very beneficial for KU sports programs and provide much-needed stability across the college athletics landscape.

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