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Baseball To Jump Back Into Big South Play At Radford This Weekend

Story Links Rock Hill, S.C. – Coming off a midweek loss at The Citadel yesterday afternoon, Winthrop jumps back into Big South play by traveling to the Virginia mountains to face the Radford Highlanders in a three-game weekend series beginning on Friday, May 9 at 6:00 p.m. All three games will […]

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2 weeks ago

May 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Rock Hill, S.C. – Coming off a midweek loss at The Citadel yesterday afternoon, Winthrop jumps back into Big South play by traveling to the Virginia mountains to face the Radford Highlanders in a three-game weekend series beginning on Friday, May 9 at 6:00 p.m. All three games will be televised on ESPN+.

A LOOK AT RADFORD

The two schools will meet for the 91^st-93^rd time with Winthrop leading the series, 68-52

Winthrop split a doubleheader from the Highlanders last season in 2024 by scores of 8-6 and 4-5 in Rock Hill on May 5

The Eagles and the Highlanders met for the first time in a doubleheader on Mar. 28, 1985 in Rock Hill, with Winthrop winning 11-1 and 11-2 on the way to winning the first nine meetings from 1985-88

Radford won 15 of the next 24 meetings from 1989-95 but Winthrop answered with a big 32-12 run from 1996-2009, including winning 11 straight from 2000-2004

Radford won 24 of the next 32 meetings from 2010 to 2021 but it has been all Winthrop since then, with the Eagles winning seven of the last eight

In their most recent series, the Highlanders were swept in a Sunday doubleheader at Duke by scores of 15-0 and 17-5

LAST TIME OUT

Winthrop dropped a tight midweek contest at The Citadel Wednesday afternoon, 6-3

Winthrop’s five-game win streak was snapped with the loss

E. Wilson had the lone homer of the game for the Eagles

A LOOK BACK AT 2024

The Eagles finished the 2024 season with a 19-29-1 (8-15 Big South) record

Jaylen Hernandez and Owen Sarna were both named to the Big South All-Freshman Team

The Sacramento Athletics in the 13th round selected Riley Huge in the MLB Draft

Overall, Huge marks the 37th Eagle in history to be selected in the MLB Draft

This was the second straight year that a Winthrop baseball player was drafted

Winthrop also earned the Team Academic Excellence Award from the ABCA for the fifth consecutive year

Winthrop finished last season having recorded the most strikeouts in nine inning games in a single season in program history (9.60 over 413.1 IP)

Winthrop also finished last season sixth in a single season in program history with 440 strikeouts

Against Davidson on Apr. 16, 2024, Winthrop set a new team single-game record for most times hit by pitch with seven

In a minimum of 500 chances, Nate Chronis is currently tied for fourth in school history with a .989 fielding percentage

He also finished last season tied for fifth in school history in most times hit by pitch in a single season with 12

Chronis led the team in putouts last season with 275 and total chances with 306

He was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. Chronis started in 33 of 44 games played, batting in a season-high two runs vs. Radford on May 5

Joey Hylinski led the team in lowest ERA last season with 2.35

WINTHROP AT A GLANCE IN 2025

Winthrop enters 2025 predicted to finish sixth in the Big South Conference

In his first season at the helm of the program is Mike McGuire

McGuire is the fourth head coach in program history

His career record is 504-378-1 in 16 years as a head coach

McGuire returns to the Winthrop baseball program after serving as head coach at USC Upstate the last five seasons. This marks McGuire’s third stint with the Eagle program as he spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach from 1997-2002 and again in 2006-11

The Eagles also welcome back 13 players, 11 of them starters and 27 newcomers, all either freshman or transfers

The program has a record of 1,408-1,022-7

Winthrop is 890-407-4 all-time at home

Winthrop is 494-373 all-time in conference play, the winningest record in conference history

Winthrop is 28-17 all-time in season openers

Winthrop leads the nation in hit by pitches with 129 as of Tuesday, May 6

Gabe Natividad is 2^nd in the nation in hit by pitch with 27 as of Tuesday, May 6

Following a 10-3 win over UNC Asheville, Winthrop had been hit by pitch up to that point in the season with 92

This set a new school single-season team school record

Last year’s team was hit by pitch 86 times

Winthrop is 18^th in the nation in doubles with 107 as of Tuesday, May 6

Winthrop is 14^th in the nation in runs with 420 as of Tuesday, May 6

Koby Kropf and Owen Sarna were voted to the Big South Conference Preseason All-Conference Team

Kropf was selected as part of D1Baseball’s Top 100 Outfielders entering the 2025 season, slotting Kropf as the 26-best in the country

Kropf started all 60 games for conference rival USC Upstate in 2024, and became just the third player in Big South history with 20 doubles (21) and 20 home runs (20) in a season. He hit .352 overall with 20 homers, 67 runs batted in, a .704 slugging clip, 81 hits and 56 runs scored. Kropf also drew 29 walks and five hit-by-pitch and finished with a .431 on-base percentage. Kropf recorded a career-high five hits versus Presbyterian on April 27, collected a career-high five RBI versus Queens on April 16, and recorded 25 multi-hit and 19 multi-RBI games a season ago

In Big South contests, Kropf batted .363 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, a .714 slugging average and .463 on-base clip

Last season at USC Upstate, he earned Second-Team All-Big South honors and was a back-to-back Player of the Week honoree (April 22 and April 29)

Kropf was named the 2025 Big South Preseason Baseball Player of the Year Kropf is the first Winthrop baseball player to earn Preseason Player of the Year honors since 2007 and the third time overall

Sarna is coming off a freshman campaign in which he was named to the 2024 Big South Conference All-Freshman Team. He finished 9th in the Big South in overall pitching with an ERA of 4.74. His most notable performances last season were pitching a season-high 6.0 innings vs. Longwood on Mar. 17 and a season-high six strikeouts vs. Maine on Mar. 3

Sarna ended 2024 having pitched 49.1 innings with a record of 4-4 in 13 games played. He was 2nd on the team in ERA and wins with four. He started nine games, striking out 38 batters, which was good for 4th on the team

Harrison Wilson was named to the initial Watch List for the 20th Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball

Wilson is one of the key relievers to return for the Eagles in 2024. Wilson started in nearly all the 49 games that the Eagles played last season. He started in 45 of 47 games he played in and pitched three games in relief, the only Winthrop offensive player on the season to do so. Wilson pitched a season-high 4.0 innings with 10 strikeouts and one walk at Queens (2/27) and offensively had a season-high five RBI’s vs. USC Upstate (4/6). Wilson will also play infield as well

Wilson was also recognized by D1 Baseball as the #3 top prospect in the Big South Conference

He tied for the team lead in walks last season with 44

Hernandez had a terrific freshman season with the Eagles in 2024. He finished tied for 7th in the Big South in doubles with a team-leading 15 doubles; starting in all 45 games he played in, finishing the season with 157 at-bats. He was also tied for the team lead in games started and home runs with seven and led the team in RBI’s with 30 and walks with 19. He was named the Big South Freshman of the Week on May 6, which was the first weekly award of his career. A versatile player, Hernandez will DH, play first base and play in the outfield in 2025

2025 SEASON HONORS

Koby Kropf – Redshirt senior – Outfielder
- 2025 Big South Preseason Player of the Year/Preseason All-Conference Team

Owen Sarna – Sophomore – Pitcher
- 2025 Big South Preseason All-Conference Team

Koby Kropf – Redshirt senior – Outfielder
- 2025 D1Baseball’s Top 100 Outfielders

Koby Kropf – Redshirt senior – Outfielder
- 2025 DIBaseball’s Big South Preseason Player of the Year

Harrison Wilson – Junior – Infielder/pitcher
- 2025 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award Initial Watch List And The #3 Pro Prospect By The Big South Conference

Owen Sarna-Big South Co-Starting Pitcher of the Week
- Sarna allowed one hit and no runs over 5.2 innings to earn the win for Winthrop against Merrimack
- He walked one and struck out nine, a new career-high
- The right-handed sophomore struck out the side in the top of the first inning and the first four batters of the game overall
- He finished with at least one strikeout in every inning, including fanning the final batter he faced in the sixth
- The only hit Sarna allowed was a single to center in the top of the fifth

Colin Crowley-Big South Freshman of the Week
- Crowley batted .429 (6-14) with seven runs, four RBI and four doubles in Winthrop’s three-game sweep of Merrimack
- He posted at least one double and one RBI in all three games and walked once
- The freshman infielder went 3-for-5 with three runs, a double and one RBI in his collegiate debut on Friday
- He added another double and an RBI in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader and then capped off the weekend with two doubles, three runs, and two RBI in the final game of the series on Sunday

Harrison Wilson-Big South Co-Starting Pitcher of the Week
- Wilson earned the win for Winthrop with a career-long 7.0 innings against UNC Asheville
- The junior right-hander allowed just three hits and one run while striking out a season-high nine batters
- He walked only two, didn’t allow an extra-base hit, and surrendered his lone run on a fielder’s choice groundout in the fourth
- Wilson recorded strikeouts in six of his seven innings and got stronger as the game went on, fanning two batters in each of his final three frames

Harrison Wilson – Junior – Infielder/pitcher
- 2025 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List by the College Baseball Foundation

Liam McCallum – Senior – Pitcher/first baseman
- 2025 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List by the College Baseball Foundation

Walker Brodt-Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week
- Brodt came on in relief in consecutive games
- He pitched one inning vs. Davidson, giving up just one hit and striking out three batters
- He then outdid himself two days later in the first game of the series with Gardner-Webb, pitching the final four and one thirds inning to cement the 7-5 victory, giving up a pair of hits, one and punching out six Runnin’ Bulldogs

Nate Chronis-Big South Player of the Week
- Chronis batted .438 (7-for-16) for the week with 15 RBI in a series sweep at Longwood, highlighted by a historic nine-RBI performance on Saturday
- Over four games overall, he tallied four doubles, a home run, four runs scored, and two stolen bases
- The senior delivered a career day in game two against the Lancers, going 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, a pair of bases-clearing doubles, and a sacrifice fly to finish with nine RBI, tying for the most in the NCAA this season
- Chronis opened the week by going 2-for-4 with a double at Davidson, then added a double and two RBI in Friday’s series opener in Farmville
- He capped the weekend with another four RBI and two stolen bases to help lead the Eagles to a three-game sweep in conference play
- He rounded out the week slugging .875 with a .455 on-base percentage

Josh Skowronski-Big South Freshman of the Week
- Skowronski homered twice, doubled twice, posted a pair of three-hit games, and drove in five runs across four games for Winthrop
- He batted .421 (8-for-19) for the week, recorded at least one hit in every game, and added six runs and two stolen bases
- After opening the week with an RBI double at Davidson, Skowronski totaled seven hits during a three-game series sweep at Longwood
- He went 3-for-6 on Saturday, blasting a solo homer, adding an RBI single and a double, and scoring three times
- He followed that performance by going 3-for-5 with a two-run homer on Sunday to help cap off the sweep
- Skowronski finished the week slugging .842 with a .476 on-base percentage

Mason Tompkins-Big South Freshman of the Week
- Tompkins earned the midweek win for the Eagles by limiting Queens to just two hits and four total baserunners over 6.0 scoreless innings, striking out four
- He needed only 75 pitches to complete his outing, inducing 10 popups and four groundouts while striking out the side in the second inning
- The only hits he allowed were a leadoff single in the first and another to open the fifth, with just one runner advancing into scoring position all game

Connor Harris – Graduate student – Right handed pitcher
- 2025 Tony Gwyn Trophy Finalist (Top 9) – NCBWA

WATCH THE EAGLES ON ESPN+
Of the 33 home games this season, 22 of them will air live on ESPN+. You can also catch most of the road games in Big South Conference play on ESPN+. To watch Big South games on ESPN+ you must have a subscription to ESPN+. For more information on how to subscribe, click here.

WHERE TO SHOP
Find all your needs for Winthrop gear– ShopWinthropeagles.com | ShopWinthropGear.com | BSNTeamSports.com

LOOKING AHEAD
Winthrop heads to South Carolina for the final true road game this season on Tuesday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

To keep up with the latest news on the Winthrop baseball program follow the Eagles on Twitter (@WinthropBSB), Instagram (@winthropbaseball) and Facebook (winthropbaseball).

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College basketball analysts’ take on the ACC is extremely bad news for Virginia Tech

The 2024-25 men’s basketball season was a very rough one for Virginia Tech and veteran coach Mike Young. After a mass exodus in the transfer portal out of Blacksburg last spring, the Hokies went 13-19 and were bounced in the first round of the ACC Tournament by first-year member California. Young vowed that Virginia Tech […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Young vowed that Virginia Tech would be better next season as a bigger NIL package is going to help and he has added some key players from the transfer portal and some incoming freshmen. The problem for Young and the Hokies is that the conference is getting better, mainly the teams that were around them in the standings this past season.

The ACC has got a whole lot better since the end of the season

When it comes to the ACC, Duke is always going to be Duke, while North Carolina, Louisville, and Clemson were NCAA Tournament teams this year. Wake Forest has been knocking on the door, but three schools, Virginia, North Carolina State, and Miami were schools which the Hokies went a combined 4-1 against this past season, have got a whole lot better with new coaches.

Like every other school, all three of those programs lost key players to either graduation or the transfer portal, but the new coaches have done over the rosters and that is not good for Virginia Tech. Looking to take a ginat step next season and try and get back into the NCAA Tournament, the road in the ACC alone is getting a lot tougher.

Will Wade at NC State, Ryan Odom at Virginia, and Jai Lucas at Miami have quickly upgraded their rosters since being hired. Look, it’s no secret that the ACC has been a punch line across the country when it comes to men’s basketball and you could make the case that there’s really nowhere to go but up, and now it appears that it is going up and that might not be good news for Young and Virginia Tech.

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AAC Expands Revenue Focus as NIL and Realignment Reshape College Sports

The American Athletic Conference (AAC) has launched American RISE Ventures, a new business division aimed at enhancing revenue generation for the benefit of its member institutions. According to a conference press release, the new unit “will lead all aspects of the league’s revenue generation, sponsorship strategy, media rights, brand partnerships, technology, emerging business ventures, and long-term commercial […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

AAC Expands Revenue Focus as NIL and Realignment Reshape College Sports

The American Athletic Conference (AAC) has launched American RISE Ventures, a new business division aimed at enhancing revenue generation for the benefit of its member institutions.

According to a conference press release, the new unit “will lead all aspects of the league’s revenue generation, sponsorship strategy, media rights, brand partnerships, technology, emerging business ventures, and long-term commercial innovation across the conference.”

Bryan Calka has simultaneously been appointed Chief Commercial Officer of the AAC and will play a significant role in supporting RISE Ventures. Calka brings significant expertise from prior roles in revenue generation for the New York Yankees, New York Islanders, Barclays Center, and the Professional Fighters League.

The strategic investment comes amid a momentous shift in collegiate athletics, as direct athletic compensation from schools to athletes is rapidly approaching.

NIL revenue sharing will begin this July, but it remains indeterminate in what form it will take place. If Judge Claudia Wilken grants final approval to the novel House v. NCAA settlement, each institution that opts into the settlement will be constrained to a maximum revenue sharing allotment — effectively a salary cap, schools would be limited to spending $20.5 million for the 2025-26 season across all sports.

Without an approved settlement, revenue sharing will be subject to state law regulation.

In any case, Group of Five Conferences, like the AAC, will continue to face significant challenges in their ability to compete with power conference peers that enjoy more revenue generation capacity through more valuable media rights and sponsorship valuations.

As college athletes’ talents become increasingly valuable, and recruitment and retention are increasingly predicated on compensation, being able to pay as close to the NIL revenue sharing cap as possible is imperative for fielding a program worthy of national relevance. The divide between the haves and have-nots in college sports is anticipated to grow in the wake of direct payment to student-athletes.

The AAC’s current media rights deal generates approximately $7 million annually per school, a stark contrast to its geographic power four counterpart, the Big 12, whose media deal nets roughly $32 million per institution starting in 2025-26.

Compared to super conferences like the Big Ten, the AAC nets only a small fraction of the $75 million distributed to each school annually through the landmark Big Ten broadcasting rights agreement.

In the wake of widespread conference realignment, the AAC has seen itself as one of the biggest impacted by the poaching of Group of Five schools that have achieved national success and prominence by power conferences that can offer more financial resources.

UConn left for the Big East in 2020; UCF, Houston, and Cincinnati left for the Big 12 in 2022; and most recently, SMU departed for the ACC in 2023.

The AAC has already taken proactive steps to maximize the value of the brands it has been able to retain. The conference will require every institution, except Army and Navy (which are precluded from providing athlete NIL payments due to federal law), to provide a minimum of $10 million in revenue-sharing funds over the next three years.

While the revenue sharing minimum requires schools to provide some investment in their direct athletic payment, the number is far below the virtually universal commitment of power conference schools to paying the full cap.

Empowering schools with new revenue streams at the conference level through RISE Ventures will ideally reduce the burden of finding ways to compensate revenue-generating athletes for AAC institutions.

NIL

Sam Leavitt conquers the youth camp battlefield with $3M NIL statement and selfless …

In the heart of Arizona, amidst the scorching heat and the relentless pursuit of excellence, a young quarterback named Sam Leavitt has emerged not only as a beacon of hope for the Arizona State Sun Devils but also as a shining example of altruism in the competitive world of college football. His recent actions, both […]

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3 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Sam Leavitt conquers the youth camp battlefield with $3M NIL statement and selfless ...

A Leader On and Off the Field

Sam Leavitt’s journey is a testament to his extraordinary talent and unwavering character. As a player, his prowess on the field is undeniable, commanding the attention of fans and foes alike with his precision and determination. But it is his actions off the field that have truly captured the essence of his leadership. Arizona State’s Head Coach, Kenny Dillingham, couldn’t help but praise Leavitt, stating, “His willingness to sacrifice for his teammates, both on and off the field, is what makes him truly exceptional and a great role model for future Sun Devils.”

A Gesture of Generosity

In a remarkable display of selflessness, Leavitt recently made headlines not for his athletic achievements but for his generous spirit. At a youth camp, he made a significant financial gesture, donating a five-figure sum from his own earnings. This act of kindness was not just a donation but a statement, highlighting his belief in giving back to the community and supporting those around him. It’s a rare sight in the fiercely competitive arena of college sports, where individual accolades often overshadow team spirit and community support.

The Impact of a $3M NIL Statement

Beyond his philanthropic efforts, Leavitt’s approach to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities has been equally groundbreaking. By securing a staggering $3 million in NIL deals, he has not only set a new benchmark for collegiate athletes but has also shown a keen understanding of the value of his platform. This monumental achievement is not just a personal victory for Leavitt but a clear indication of the evolving landscape of college sports, where athletes are now recognized for their worth beyond the field.

A Role Model for Future Generations

Sam Leavitt’s story is a powerful reminder of the impact one individual can have when talent is matched with humility and generosity. His actions speak volumes about his character and set a shining example for young athletes everywhere. In a world where sports figures are often idolized for their physical abilities, Leavitt stands out as a role model who demonstrates the importance of compassion, teamwork, and community engagement.

Reflecting on a Bright Future

As we look to the future, Sam Leavitt’s journey offers a glimpse into the potential of modern athletes to influence society positively. His blend of exceptional talent, selfless acts, and savvy business acumen represents a new era of sportsmanship—one where success is measured not only by victories on the field but also by the impact made off it. For aspiring Sun Devils and young athletes around the world, Leavitt’s legacy is a beacon of hope, showing that true greatness comes from the heart.

In the end, Sam Leavitt’s story transcends the realm of college football, serving as a profound narrative about the power of giving, the importance of community, and the endless possibilities that arise when we choose to lead by example.

NIL

Should revenue

College sports are in a weird place these days. It’s hard to keep up with all the media reports and chatter about the NCAA, ongoing conference realignment, NIL, potential revenue-sharing, a future CEO and so on and so forth. Much remains in flux. One thing that is clear is that collegiate athletics, as I knew […]

Published

4 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

College sports are in a weird place these days.

It’s hard to keep up with all the media reports and chatter about the NCAA, ongoing conference realignment, NIL, potential revenue-sharing, a future CEO and so on and so forth.

Much remains in flux. One thing that is clear is that collegiate athletics, as I knew them when I was a student at Syracuse University from 1996 to 2000, is toast. Assuming a federal judge approves the House settlement, and that hadn’t transpired as of this past Friday heading into the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Syracuse Orange and its peers nationwide will be able to start directly paying their athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness.

If revenue-sharing does occur beginning with the 2025-26 sports season, there are some things to monitor as it pertains to SU Athletics and other athletics departments across the country.

Keep tabs on these potential themes related to Syracuse Orange Athletics.

One thing to monitor. Could SU Athletics end up cutting staff in the future due to upcoming revenue-sharing? In recent days, a report came out that Oklahoma’s athletics department would lay off 15 people “due to the looming realities of starting to share revenue with athletes.”

That’s unfortunate. But this is where we are. If athletics departments elect to set aside millions of dollars every year to pay their players, that could force these departments to cut overhead, resulting in layoffs. I hope this doesn’t transpire at SU Athletics, but I’ll be keeping a watchful eye.

To be fair, SU Athletics earlier this year made a new hire, bringing on board veteran sports executive Kevin Morgan as the department’s first general manager and chief revenue officer.

A few weeks ago, Kentucky’s board of trustees approved the school’s athletics department converting to a limited-liability company called Champions Blue LLC.

On May 22, Vanderbilt announced that it had hired long-time hospitality industry executive Markus Schreyer as CEO of that school’s newly created Vanderbilt Enterprises, which will focus on, among other things, “enhancing Vanderbilt Athletics resources, support for student-athletes and the fan experience.”

Might SU Athletics convert to an LLC in the future? We’ll have to wait and see. One other item to keep tabs on. Syracuse Orange athletics director John Wildhack, in early March, said that effective July 1, he will streamline the third-party NIL entities supporting ‘Cuse players and not have all three organizations operating into the future.

Those entities are Orange United, SU Football NIL and Athletes Who Care. Even with revenue-sharing potentially on the horizon, it’s vital for the Syracuse Orange to have strong third-party NIL to remain competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally.

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From “neglect” to “real commitment”

Was Indiana football always a sleeping giant, simply short on the necessary investment to the elevate the program, and often lacking a competent head coach? Probably. That’s what Curt Cignetti thinks, anyway. And he certainly has a more than adequate frame of reference to make that determination. “You’ve got to be good in football nowadays, […]

Published

4 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Was Indiana football always a sleeping giant, simply short on the necessary investment to the elevate the program, and often lacking a competent head coach?

Probably. That’s what Curt Cignetti thinks, anyway. And he certainly has a more than adequate frame of reference to make that determination.

“You’ve got to be good in football nowadays, because that’s where the money is. And maybe Indiana was a little late to the game in realizing that. I think getting a president in Pam Whitten who loves football and is from Alabama really helped,” Cignetti told ESPN’s Greg McElroy earlier this month.

He believes IU has always had the potential to achieve the new heights the football program experienced in 2024.

“What happened here in the past is only because of neglect. We’ve got a great campus, great university, great resources, second-largest alumni base in America.”

Neglect is a harsh word delivered by a man who isn’t known as one to sugarcoat his thoughts.

But on his way out the door, Cignetti’s predecessor Tom Allen signaled the same kind of concerns.

IU made some moves over the 15 prior years that signaled some degree of recognition the investment in football had to increase. Both ends of Memorial Stadium were enclosed, a locker room project was completed, and other amenities were added.

But during Allen’s tenure, Indiana was confronting the new realities of college football in the NIL era.

And in Allen’s mind, IU’s efforts were inadequate.

“College football has changed dramatically over the past several years. Some of those changes have been a shock to the conscience of those who support IU football. The time has come to fully embrace those changes and I pray that IU does just that,” Allen said in November 2023.

As he set out to replace Allen, IU AD Scott Dolson knew he had to demonstrate to prospective candidates Indiana was ready, willing and able to test the limits of successful football at Indiana.

IU was at a major inflection point in 2023, with the Big Ten expanding to 18 teams and a massive new media rights deal about to help replenish the coffers. The opportunity was there for university leadership intent on building a competitive football team.

It started with securing significant investments from donors in Indiana’s forgotten revenue sport.

“Coach Cignetti would not be here if we didn’t have a robust NIL program,” Dolson told WRTV last year. “That’s just because you have to have the resources to be able to win. As good as he is, he needs those resources as well. The NIL opportunity for us has enabled us to really level the playing field around the country.”

Ironically, one of Indiana’s biggest initial investments in the program was the $15.5 million it paid Tom Allen to buy out his contract in 2023. In addition to that and the NIL commitment, IU leadership has substantially increased the salary pool for assistant coaches, and then gave major raises to Cignetti and his entire staff. IU’s spending on football coaching salaries alone has more than doubled over the last six years.

But the investment goes much deeper, into things like recruiting budgets, player perks and benefits, the gameday experience, support staff, and more.

According to information published in the Knight-Newhouse database, IU has increased its football expenditures every year since 2021, from $23.9 million to $61.6 million. 2024 was the first year at least going back to 2005 that IU exceeded the Big Ten median in total football spending.

Cignetti believes he’s getting what he needs to not rev the IU football engines like he did in 2024, but keep the Hoosiers in the national conversation going forward.

“I felt a real commitment from the President Pam Whitten and the Athletic Director Scott Dolson to get football going,” he said. “I mean football generates 90% of the athletic revenue across the country, and they wanted to get it rolling. I think you can win anywhere in America with the proper commitment from the top.”

For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.

The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

NIL

NiJaree Canady’s NIL deal with Texas Tech softball is a bargain

Back in January as I was working on the preseason story about NiJaree Canady, her name, image and likeness deal with the Matador Club, and the Texas Tech softball team’s great gamble, I had to start thinking about what’s realistic. Every team goes into a season thinking the Women’s College World Series is within reach. […]

Published

4 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Every team goes into a season thinking the Women’s College World Series is within reach. The Red Raiders had plenty of reason to think that was the case. Not just because of Canady’s arrival, but the team that, on paper, was solid enough around her to complement the best pitcher in the country.

There are never any guarantees in the NIL world. Those lofty goals become even harder when a deal such as Canady’s becomes public. There’s a reason most massive NIL deals for individual players are left to vague terms. Words like “around” and “roughly” are used more often than a real-life dollar amount are put out to the world.

There’s a reason for that. Once dollar amounts are attached to an athlete, suddenly that’s all they’re known for. It becomes the ultimate talking point whenever they have a bad game, and it’s used as the qualifier for any achievements or downfalls that come along.

This past basketball season had a couple major cases of this. While Kansas didn’t have any individual NIL deal made public, it was well known the Jayhawks shelled out a bunch of money to get back to prominence. And when those big deals didn’t make Bill Self’s team any better, Kansas became the proof positive that big money in NIL doesn’t automatically generate team success.

Also in the state of Kansas was Coleman Hawkins, who signed with Kansas State for a one-year, $2 million deal. At the time it seemed excessive for someone who’s career-high averages of 12 points and six rebounds a game related more to a second or third option on a team rather than one of the highest-paid players in the country.

Hawkins and the Wildcats didn’t have a great year, at all, and Kansas State fans let Hawkins hear about how he wasn’t living up to his contract. Hawkins tearfully talked about how the pressure got to him throughout the season, and how he felt like he didn’t make the impact many felt he should have in Manhattan.

Keeping in mind that Coleman Hawkins and NiJaree Canady are in no way, shape or form the same people, or types of players in their respective sports, it was still fair to wonder how Canady and the Red Raiders would handle all of it.

Any conversation around Canady this season inevitably led to the NIL deal worth $1,050,024. ESPN came to town for a documentary about it, then sent a writer to Lubbock for their own full-length feature story. During the TV broadcast of the Tallahassee Super Regional against Florida State, it came up time and time again.

One thing that’s stood out about Canady throughout the year is just how she’s handled it all. She had the same quotes to me in January as she did to ESPN in March and April. The money didn’t matter to her. It’s not nothing, but it’s not the end goal.

But it was the one thing anybody who wanted to talk about Texas Tech could think of as a discussion point. And you can’t blame them. It’s one of the biggest stories in college softball and women’s sports in general.

Each of these things have been in the back my mind throughout Texas Tech’s season. Talk of a trip to the Women’s College World Series came quick, and never really dissipated as the Red Raiders moved throughout the year. The team got better throughout, able to find ways to win with or without Canady at 100% or in the circle at all.

From the jump, the thought was if Texas Tech could host a regional, anything else would be gravy. The plate is overflowing now. A regular-season title, a Big 12 tournament title, a regional title and now a Super Regional title later, Canady’s deal has not only been worth it, not only has she lived up to the massive expectations on her, but it could also be said Tech contributors John and Tracy Sellers got a bargain.

Canady has been as good as ever as a pitcher. Her 30-5 record gives Canady the second-most wins in a season for Texas Tech. Her current 0.89 ERA leads the nation (for the third year in a row) and is easily the best in Tech history. And some of these numbers would probably be better if not for the leg injury that hampered her for much of Big 12 play.

That leg injury also prevented her from taking as many at-bats as she and coach Gerry Glasco had intended. Even without a plate appearance for well over a month, Canady still leads the team with 11 home runs and is third on the team in RBIs with 34.

Derrick Shelby, Canady’s manager with Prestige Management Group, told me in January his client wants to be softball’s equivalent to Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ two-way sensation who signed a massive contract two years ago. Were it not for the leg injury — suffered while playing first base — it’s fair to wonder how much better Canady could’ve been both in the circle and at the plate.

Canady hasn’t just been as good as advertised; she’s made even my modest “let’s see how this goes” approach seem foolish. She made the unreachable seem inevitable. Her seventh-inning home run in Game 1 against Florida State, in which she was pitching a complete-game shutout against one of the best teams in the country, felt comical in its absurdity.

Of course she was going to deliver in that moment. It’s what Canady has done her entire career. She’s made being a million-dollar softball player feel like she’s doing some charity work.

What Canady has helped the Red Raiders achieve this season is stuff of legend, and it goes beyond the softball field. Attendance records have shattered at Rocky Johnson Field repeatedly this season. The sales of her jersey have been astronomical. The hoard of fans, from all ages and walks of life, that surround her for autographs and pictures after games is enough to make me uncomfortable, yet she’s done it all year with the look of joy and appreciation each time.

Will Texas Tech finish the impossible again and win the national championship? I could say probably not, but at this point it’s hard to say what the Red Raiders aren’t capable of anymore. Canady has changed that perception.

Whatever happens in Oklahoma City is just more gravy on top. And we might need a bigger plate when all is said and done.

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