NIL
Ball State University – Official Athletics Site
MUNCIE, Ind. – – Powered by a two-run blast from redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons, the Ball State softball team closed the weekend with a 3-2 victory over Buffalo Sunday afternoon at the Ball State Softball Stadium. With the win, the Cardinals improve to 29-14 on the season and move to 14-7 in Mid-American Conference […]

With the win, the Cardinals improve to 29-14 on the season and move to 14-7 in Mid-American Conference play. With two MAC series left in the regular season, Ball State is currently fourth in the league standings with its .667 winning percentage.
The Cardinals are scheduled to play two games at league-leading Ohio (16-5 MAC) Tuesday, before hosting second-place Central Michigan (16-7) for a three-game set this coming weekend.
After dropping both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader to the Bulls (16-29; 9-13 MAC), Ball State was able to capitalize on a third-inning UB error to score the game’s first run. With leadoff batter Maia Pietrzak at second following a single and advancing on an out at home, Timmons dropped a dribbler off the tip of the bat back at the Bulls’ pitcher. However, her throw went over the first baseman’s head and Pietrzak was able to cross the plate.
The Bulls would counter with two runs in the top of the fifth, taking a one-run lead of its own. However, Pietrzak and Timmons would team up again in the bottom of the frame to turn the tide. Pietrzak started with a two-out bunt single, setting up a two-run blast from Timmons to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run.
From there, junior pitcher Ella Whitney and the Ball State defense went to work and shut down the Bulls. Whitney would ultimately get the pitching win, her 18th of the season, by holding Buffalo to six hits and two runs over her 7.0 innings of work. She also struck out a pair of batters.
Redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland also make a pair of spectacular plays over the final two innings, part of an all-around solid day backing up Whitney. Over the course of day, she collected three putouts and five assists capped by a diving stop and flip to second for the final out of the game.
She also tracked down a pair of foul balls down the first base line, made a spectacular relay throw to get a runner out at the plate and started an inning-ending double play in the third.
NOTES:
– Along with her solid defensive play, Mulholland walked and was hit by a pitch in Sunday’s contest … She has now been hit by a pitch a league-leading 15 times this season which ties the program’s single season record.
– Timmons’ fifth-inning home run was her second of the series, 15th of the season and 56th of her Ball State career … It was also her 199th career hit.
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team travels to Ohio Tuesday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against the league-leading Bobcats. Ohio currently has a two-game lead over the Cardinals in the league standings with a 16-5 league mark.
NIL
‘It Welcomes the Underbelly Back’ — Greg McElroy Sounds Alarm on NIL Go’s Risk for College Football
College football is now at a critical point where rules intended to provide clarity can also bring back the darkest times for the game. Greg McElroy, an ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback with extensive experience in the game’s history, has expressed his concern about new college football regulations that may lead to negative outbreaks. […]

College football is now at a critical point where rules intended to provide clarity can also bring back the darkest times for the game. Greg McElroy, an ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback with extensive experience in the game’s history, has expressed his concern about new college football regulations that may lead to negative outbreaks.
A Champion’s Perspective on College Football’s Dangerous Gamble
McElroy knows college football’s underbelly better than most. The 2010 BCS National Champion turned ESPN analyst has spent over a decade analyzing the sport’s transformation, from his playing days at Alabama through the Wild West era of early NIL to today’s increasingly regulated landscape. His recent comments about NIL Go, the new Deloitte-managed clearinghouse, paint a troubling picture of potential regression.
“Here’s the unforeseen circumstance that surrounds the NIL Go platform: It welcomes the underbelly of college football back into the sport, potentially,” McElroy warned during his Always College Football podcast.
His concern stems from a fundamental shift in how college athletics approaches player compensation. The NIL market is projected to reach $1.67 billion in 2024-25.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Today’s starting quarterbacks for the top 25 teams earn an average of $821,000 annually, expected to climb to $1.31 million by 2025. But McElroy’s warning suggests this prosperity might be short-lived if new regulations drive transactions underground.
“Right now it’s free. It’s fair. You’re allowed to give guys whatever you want to give them,” McElroy explained, referencing the current system where collectives account for over 80 percent of the NIL market. The former quarterback’s concern intensifies when considering that 72 percent of the collective money flows to football players, creating a massive target for regulatory scrutiny.
The NIL Go platform, launched June 11, 2025, requires all third-party deals exceeding $600 to undergo a fair-market-value assessment by Deloitte. As industry expert Stewart Mandel noted, this threshold captures virtually every meaningful NIL arrangement. The College Sports Commission, led by CEO Bryan Seeley, wields unprecedented enforcement power, including player suspensions and postseason bans.
McElroy’s historical perspective proves particularly relevant. College football’s past is littered with scandals involving illegal payments, from Alabama’s Albert Means case that cost the program $200,000 and resulted in a two-year bowl ban, to Arkansas losing scholarships over the J&H Trucking Service violations.
Former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel recently confirmed what many suspected: “There was a bag man at LSU. There was a bag man at ‘Bama. There was a bag man at every school around the country if you were competing for a national title”.
“But now that every single NIL deal could potentially be scrutinized, it welcomes bad actors back into the game,” McElroy continued, highlighting the paradox at the heart of his concern. If legitimate NIL deals face rejection or extensive review, the temptation to circumvent the system through traditional under-the-table payments becomes more attractive.
KEEP READING: Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion Banks $2,500,000 Just Weeks After HC Mike Elko’s NIL Warning
The numbers support McElroy’s anxiety. With the House settlement providing $2.8 billion in back damages to former players while restricting future earning potential through increased regulation, the pressure on programs to find competitive advantages intensifies. Schools can now pay athletes directly up to $20.5 million annually, but this caps total compensation rather than expanding it.
“So does that now welcome back some of the back alley payments we once saw in the sport that had gone away for the last few years?” McElroy asked, capturing the essential tension between transparency and accessibility.
His warning is powerful because it raises awareness of college football’s cyclical nature. It is the nature of the game that specific actions taken in a good-faith attempt to reform might lead to unexpected consequences and thus repeat the problems they aimed to solve.
NIL
UNC baseball gets transfer portal commitment from Duke catcher Macon Winslow
AI-assisted summaryWinslow batted .278 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs in 2024.He is the sixth transfer portal addition for the Tar Heels.Winslow will likely replace outgoing UNC catcher Luke Stevenson, a projected 2025 first-round MLB Draft pick.Duke baseball transfer Macon Winslow has committed to North Carolina, he announced June 16 in a social media […]

AI-assisted summaryWinslow batted .278 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs in 2024.He is the sixth transfer portal addition for the Tar Heels.Winslow will likely replace outgoing UNC catcher Luke Stevenson, a projected 2025 first-round MLB Draft pick.Duke baseball transfer Macon Winslow has committed to North Carolina, he announced June 16 in a social media post.
A sophomore catcher for the Blue Devils, Winslow had a .278 batting average, nine home runs and 48 RBIs as the primary option behind the plate. He entered the transfer portal after former Duke coach Chris Pollard was hired by Virginia.
“New Chapter,” Winslow wrote in an Instagram post, which featured a ram emoji and #GoHeels.
Winslow had 13 doubles and 31 walks for Duke, which was one win away from a trip to the College World Series in Omaha. UNC was in the same position, coming up a victory short of consecutive trips to Nebraska, but the Tar Heels have likely found their replacement for starting catcher Luke Stevenson.
Stevenson, a sophomore standout at UNC, is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Winslow steps in as a two-year player who became a reliable option in Durham, where he started 96 of his 100 games with the program.
Winslow is the Tar Heels’ sixth transfer portal addition and second catcher, joining Georgia State catcher Colin Hynek. Stony Brook first baseman Erik Paulsen, Georgia State outfielder Michael Maginnis, North Dakota State shortstop Jake Schaffner and UNCW pitcher Trace Baker also committed to join coach Scott Forbes at UNC.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
NIL
LaNorris Sellers offered $8 million NIL deal to leave South Carolina, father says
LaNorris Sellers emerged as one of college football’s best young quarterbacks and one of the top returning players at the position, but the SEC Freshman Player of the Year was being offered big money to turn his back on South Carolina. Sellers’ father says the quarterback was offered an NIL deal worth $8 million over […]

LaNorris Sellers emerged as one of college football’s best young quarterbacks and one of the top returning players at the position, but the SEC Freshman Player of the Year was being offered big money to turn his back on South Carolina.
Sellers’ father says the quarterback was offered an NIL deal worth $8 million over two years to leave the Gamecocks and go to their school.
“He was offered all kinds of crazy numbers,” Sellers’ father told The Athletic.
“I told him he could say, ‘I’m gonna stay or I’m gonna go.’ By my two cents, it was to get into college on a scholarship, play ball, get our degree, and go on about our business.
“This NIL deal came later. We didn’t come here to make money. We came here to get our education, play ball. And with schools calling, we’re not gonna jump ship because they’re offering more than what we’re getting. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Sellers threw for 2,534 yards and scored 18 touchdowns while throwing 7 interceptions last fall, helping propel South Carolina to a turnaround 9-4 record last season.
He became the third freshman in history to throw for at least 2,500 yards and rush for another 500 yards, alongside Jalen Hurts and Johnny Manziel.
The quarterback preferred to stay at South Carolina and establish his legacy there.
“You’re 19. You don’t need [$8 million]. You’re in a great spot,” Sellers’ father said. “There were several talks, but it never really crossed his mind [to leave].
“It’s a challenge with colleges offering younger guys that kind of money. Who’s gonna say no to $8 million for two years? They’re gonna be swayed if you don’t have the right people in your corner.”
(Athletic)
—
NIL
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Unpacking the House settlement
Your business can reach over 3 million women’s sports fans every single month! Here at The Next and The IX, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women’s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, reach out to our team at editors@thenexthoops.com to discuss […]

Your business can reach over 3 million women’s sports fans every single month!
Here at The Next and The IX, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women’s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, reach out to our team at editors@thenexthoops.com to discuss ways to work together.
Heidrick actually opens the show by taking a moment to talk about the WNBA. “First and foremost, Caitlin Clark missed five games for the Fever, and it has been a struggle for them,” Heidrick says. “But she was back … [with] 32 points in her big return. … She got hot, she found a rhythm.” Per Heidrick, the Fever needed that.
Later on, Heidrick discusses the implications of the House settlement and how it will affect current and former college athletes. “The NCAA is going to pay almost $3 billion in back damages over the next 10 years to athletes who competed in college at any time from 2016 to the present day,” Heidrick informs listeners. She goes onto provide more context for this massive update, including how the funding will be allocated and which programs will benefit the most from this settlement.

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Heidrick closes out the show by discussing how roster limits, another aspect of the House settlement, will affect some women’s sports. Per Heidrick, unless some teams and programs find other ways to generate revenue, “someone is going to get left behind.” As Heidrick warns, “there are going to be cuts, people are going to feel this, because that money just does not grow on trees.”
Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about women’s college basketball, the WNBA, basketball history and much more!
The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom
The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.
NIL
College World Series 2025 Monday Scores, Winners and Bracket Results
The 2025 College Baseball World Series rolled along on Monday with a pair of Bracket 2 games in Omaha. In the opening matchup, Arkansas defeated Murray State 3-0 in an elimination game behind a no-hitter by Gage Wood to keep its title hopes intact. No. 6 LSU and No. 15 UCLA will follow with a […]

The 2025 College Baseball World Series rolled along on Monday with a pair of Bracket 2 games in Omaha.
In the opening matchup, Arkansas defeated Murray State 3-0 in an elimination game behind a no-hitter by Gage Wood to keep its title hopes intact.
No. 6 LSU and No. 15 UCLA will follow with a showdown in the winner’s bracket in hopes of staying unbeaten.
Here are the results and highlights from Monday.
Monday, June 16 – Bracket 2
No. 3 Arkansas def. Murray State, 3-0 (Murray State eliminated)
No. 15 UCLA vs. No. 6 LSU, 7 p.m. ET
Updated bracket can be found here.
Arkansas 3, Murray State 0
Arkansas staved off elimination from the College World Series in historic fashion, as starting pitcher Gage Wood threw the third no-hitter in CWS history to help the Razorbacks stay alive.
Wood threw a program-record 19 strikeouts, the most by a single pitcher in a nine-inning CWS game. Out of his 119 pitches, 83 of them were thrown for strikes.
Wood pitched a perfect game through seven innings before Murray State’s first baserunner came in the bottom of the eighth inning on a hit-by-pitch. Still, he remained composed with two more strikeouts in the inning to preserve the no-hitter.
After taking an early 1-0 lead in the third inning, the Razorbacks created more separation with two more runs in the seventh inning.
However, the day belonged to Wood, as he etched his name in the history books with his incredible outing on Monday.
NIL
NIL partner creates new holiday for Cooper Flagg ahead of NBA Draft
On June 25, Duke All-American and National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg is expected to be the top selection in the NBA Draft and a NIL partner of his is marking the occasion with its own new holiday. New Balance – the New England-based sneaker brand that signed the likely future Dallas Maverick ahead […]


On June 25, Duke All-American and National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg is expected to be the top selection in the NBA Draft and a NIL partner of his is marking the occasion with its own new holiday.
New Balance – the New England-based sneaker brand that signed the likely future Dallas Maverick ahead of his freshman season at Duke – has established the date as “Flagg Day,” tipping off a new campaign to celebrate his robust on-court accomplishments at such an early age.
Flagg led Duke is every offensive statistical category this season, winning the ACC title and reaching the Final Four. In addition to his national awards, he also earned ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, joining fellow former Blue Devil and No. 1 NBA Draft pick Zion Williamson – in addition to Marvin Bagley III and Jahlil Okafor – as the only players to win both.
According to New Balance, the holiday “is about putting in the work. It’s the culmination of years and years of early mornings and late nights. ‘Flagg Day’ is about the pure love of the game; no glitz, no glamour, just the ball, the court and the enjoyment of the experience.”
New Balance announced the campaign with a post across social media showcasing Flagg’s basketball resume, while modeling a new apparel collection.
New Balance plans to launch the special-edition collection – including a new Made in USA Flagg Day Graphic Crewneck and Made in USA T-shirt – on June 23.
Unable to wear New Balance on-court as a freshman for the Nike-sponsored Duke, Flagg debuted a pair at the NBA Draft Combine in May. A recent report shared that Flagg earned $28 million in NIL money over the past year, with $13 million from his New Balance deal.
With an “O2W Score” of 96 – from Out2Win, the leading AI-powered athlete marketing intelligence platform – Flagg was one of the top brand ambassadors in all of college sports this past season. He will now be among the most coveted rising star pitchmen in the NBA, adding to his current brand portfolio that also includes a historic deal with Fanatics.
Flagg will find out his next basketball destination when the NBA Draft tips off live from Barclay Center in Brooklyn on June 25, now referred to as “Flagg Day” per New Balance.
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