As the NIL era turns college football into a financial arms race, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema isn’t mincing words: “Insanity, at its best.”

With top-tier programs reportedly pushing $35–40 million annually in NIL roster spending, Bielema’s blunt take on the shifting landscape is a wake-up call for fans and administrators alike. His Fighting Illini finished 10–3 recently on a modest $5 million NIL budget — a fraction of what others are spending to chase wins.

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“Last year, we finished fifth in our conference, 18-team conference,” Bielema said during an interview with SiriusXM College Sports Radio. “We had about a $5 million pool… but the four teams ahead of us, I think, were north of $20 million.”

That budget gap, he warns, is unsustainable for programs like Illinois to overcome consistently. One strong season might be possible, but year after year? “That’s just not in the deck of cards that we’re dealt.”

Bielema isn’t just venting. His concern comes as the House v. NCAA settlement looms — a potential turning point that could standardize NIL dealings and introduce revenue sharing. He believes the current system, full of unregulated dollars and inconsistent guardrails, can’t last.

“This is the last… NIL world that’s really uncharted, unprotected and… without consequences,” he said. “There’s probably some growing pains we’ve got to go through.”

Still, he sees value in NIL — especially for athletes. “It’s also awesome for our kids,” he noted. But parity is essential. Bielema put it simply: “Whether we’re all shopping at Walmart or Louis Vuitton, as long as we’re all shopping in the same mall, I can live with that.”

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As NIL continues to evolve, Bielema’s message is clear: structure is key. For college football to thrive, the playing field must be leveled — or at least regulated.

Related: Jeremiah Smith’s $4M NIL valuation continues to rise with new deal

Related: Tulane Football unleashes better NIL structure than some P4 programs

Jim Pierce

Football
5/19/2025 2:54:00 PM

Jarod Minassian

Three newcomers and two promotions finalize the Skyhawks’ 2025 football staff

EASTON, Mass. (May 19, 2025) – Stonehill College Football head coach Eli Gardner announced the addition of three new coaches and the promotion of two assistants to round out the Skyhawks coaching staff going into the 2025 season.
 
The 2025 Skyhawk coaching additions include:
 
Dan Hebert – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Zahneer Shuler – Wide Receivers
Thomas Walsh – Video Coordinator/Tight Ends
 
Along with the new coaching additions, returning coaches Jerry Maher – Special Teams Coordinator/Running backs, and Dylan Berardelli – Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line, received promotions from their previous positions.
 
Hebert was named Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach in March after most recently spending the 2024 season as the Wide Receivers coach at Dartmouth College. In his lone season with the Big Green, the team posted an 8-2 record and won the Ivy League. He helped guide Big Green wide receiver Paxton Scott to an All-Ivy League Honorable Mention with 34 catches and 411 receiving yards in just six games played.
 
Hebert also has experience at the University of Kentucky, where he assisted with quarterbacks and running backs, including NFL draftees, quarterback Will Levis of the Tennessee Titans, and running back Ray Davis of the Buffalo Bills. Hebert coached and played at Central Connecticut State and was a two-year team captain for the Blue Devils.
 
“Hebert has a great background and brings great energy to our program,” said Coach Gardner. “He has great experience coaching at both the FBS and FCS levels, including a successful coaching and playing career in the NEC. The players love the direction Dan is taking our offense, and I am excited for his future here.”
 
Shuler will enter his first season as the Wide Receivers coach for the Stonehill Football program ahead of the 2025 season. He joins the staff after spending the past season at McKendree University, where he was the Bearcats’ wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
 
At McKendree, Shuler helped guide two receivers to all-conference honors as the Bearcats finished second in the conference in passing yards while also assisting with various operational duties.

Shuler also spent two seasons at Notre Dame College (OH), where he was the wide receivers coach, leading two student-athletes to all-conference honors. He also assisted in special teams drills on top of receiver and recruiting duties. Shuler began his coaching career with a one-year stint at Lackawanna College, where he was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.

 

Shuler played two seasons at Lackawanna College, earning himself the role of team captain as well as Second Team All-Conference honors before transferring to the University of New Mexico. At New Mexico, Shuler played both tight end and running back and was named to the 2018 All-Region Team.

 

“Zahneer has great energy, along with a technical approach to coaching,” said Coach Gardner. “He has multiple coaching stops already in his young career and brings a good knowledge foundation. He is clear and direct in his coaching, and our guys gravitate towards him and his approach.”

 

Walsh returns to his alma mater to begin his first season as Video Coordinator and Tight Ends coach. Most recently, Walsh spent the past season at Wagner College, where he was the Offensive Line Coach, Run Game Coordinator, and an Offensive Quality Control Coach for the Seahawks football program.

A 2024 Stonehill graduate, Walsh was a five-year starter on the offensive line, a two-time team captain, and was named to the NE10 All-Conference Second Team and the Phil Steele FCS All-NEC Team. Walsh also interned in the Stonehill Equipment room as a student-athlete.

 

“Having Tom return to Stonehill was a no-brainer when the opportunity presented itself,” said Coach Gardner. “He was an extremely successful student-athlete and former captain of our program. He knows and loves Stonehill, and that comes out in his approach in recruiting and coaching. He provides great perspective and relatability for our student-athletes.”

 

With coaches entering and departing ahead of the 2025 season, Gardner promoted both Dylan Berardelli and Jerry Maher with new titles and responsibilities.

 

Berardelli will retain his role as Offensive Line coach while beginning his first stint as Run Game Coordinator for the Skyhawks.  For the past three seasons, Berardelli has been the O-Line coach, guiding multiple Skyhawks to All-Conference honors, including Walsh and David Satkowski, ’24, who most recently played professionally in the United Football League (UFL) with the DC Defenders.

 

Satkowski became the first Stonehill football player to receive a minicamp invitation from an NFL team when he participated in the Chicago Bears’ offseason program. Berardelli has also coached at Rice University, Kenyon College, and Western New England. He played four seasons at Hamilton College and was a four-year starter at left guard before becoming a team captain.

 

“Berardelli has done a great job of developing our offensive line room and maintaining the culture we have,” said Coach Gardner. “He is extremely intelligent and thoughtful in his approach, and his guys play hard. He has a shared vision for the style of offense we want to run and will continue to help us win games up front.”

 

After spending the past three seasons as Video Coordinator and Running Backs coach, Maher will take on the new role of Special Teams Coordinator while retaining his responsibilities with the running backs.

 

Maher has guided the Stonehill rushing attack to new heights, which includes three straight seasons with at least 10 rushing touchdowns and the top rushing attack in the Northeast Conference in 2022 when the Skyhawks rushed for 21 touchdowns and over 200 yards per game. Along with his work on offense, Maher has also worked with various special teams units over the past two seasons.

 

“Maher did a great job overseeing multiple special teams units the last 2 seasons, which made the decision easy for me to expand his role,” said Coach Gardner. “He is very organized, thoughtful, and direct in his coaching philosophy. I am excited for him to play a larger role on Special Teams and for him to provide the edge we need to win that phase of the game.”

 

Stonehill football will open its 12-game 2025 season on August 30 in Fairfield, Conn., when the Skyhawks take on Sacred Heart University to begin their fourth Division I campaign. The first game at the comforts of W.B. Mason Stadium will be on Saturday, Sept. 6, with Lafayette College making the trip to Easton, Mass.

 

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

 

DULUTH — Minnesota Duluth redshirt junior forward Mary Kate O’Brien is receiving a promotion for her redshirt senior season, being named captain of the Bulldogs women’s hockey program for 2025-26.

O’Brien was an alternate captain for UMD in 2024-25 when she scored seven goals and 18 assists for a collegiate-high 25 points. The Wilbraham, Massachusetts, native received a medical redshirt her freshman year after missing all but three games due to injury. She graduated from UMD this spring with degrees in business analytics and marketing but will return as a graduate student to work on a Master of Business Administration in 2025-26.

Defenseman Tova Henderson, who will be a senior next year, and forward

Grace Sadura,

a junior in 2025-26, will serve as first-time alternate captains for UMD. Henderson, of Richmond, British Columbia, was an All-WCHA second-team pick in 2024-25. Chanhassen’s Sadura posted a collegiate-high six goals and eight assists for 14 points as a sophomore.

O’Brien is UMD’s lone returning captain after graduating senior defenseman and alternate captain Hanna Baskin, as well as fifth-year senior co-captains Clara Van Wieren and Nina Jobst-Smith. UMD is replacing its nine seniors and fifth-year seniors with

five transfers and eight freshmen in 2025-26.

Shedeur Sanders made things official with the Cleveland Browns on Monday when the quarterback signed his rookie contract.

While the NFL gives Sanders the chance to make plenty of money, his first contract might not compare to what he was bringing in at Colorado last season. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Sanders’ rookie deal is a four-year, $4.6 million contract with a $447,380 signing bonus.

His exact NIL earnings aren’t clear, but On3 gave him a valuation of $6.5 million last season.

The good news for Sanders is that he’ll likely keep many of his partnerships from college, like his deals with Nike, Beats by Dre and Gatorade. Sanders is also one of the biggest names in this year’s rookie class, so he’ll have plenty of other endorsements heading his way soon.

Sanders’ rookie contract could have been worth much more had he not faced a historic slide after being widely projected as a first-round draft pick. The NFL grants higher rookie salaries to players who were drafted earlier, meaning a first-rounder’s salary is much higher than a fifth-rounder like Sanders.

Per Spotrac, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward will get a four-year deal worth $48.757 million and a $32.1 million signing bonus. Sanders’ Colorado teammate, Travis Hunter, will get a $46.571 million contract with a $30.509 million signing bonus.

The lost money is something Sanders can’t ignore, but he now has the chance to use it as motivation to get a massive payday when it’s time to sign his second contract.

Sanders was one of the most talented quarterbacks in the draft, throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in his final season at Colorado. He was the No. 2 quarterback on the final big board from Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department, only behind Ward.

Unfortunately, some mistakes from Sanders during the draft process meant teams passed on him until the fifth round, but he’ll look to let his play do the talking this fall.

Official NFCA Release

–Thirteen Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) individuals have been selected to the 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division III All-Region VIII Team.

 

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Sydney Nemetz, UW-Platteville’s Melissa Dietz and UW-Stevens Point’s Morgan Harwood were first team selections.

 

Nemetz secured her second straight first team award and owns a 12-3 record across 93.0 innings pitched with 19 starts this season. She has a 1.20 earned run average and a 1.01 WHIP with eight complete games, 79 strikeouts, five shutouts, and a .207 opponent batting average. Nemetz became just the third Titan to reach 400 career strikeouts on April 12 against UW-La Crosse. Her 419 career strikeouts rank second in school history and 11th in conference history.

 

Dietz, the WIAC Kwik Trip Position Player of the Year, also earned first team accolades in 2023. This season, she broke the program single season records with a .526 batting average and 21 doubles. She leads the conference with a .897 slugging percentage, .590 on-base percentage, and 1.487 OPS. Dietz had at least one hit in 32 of the 36 games she played, and 19 multi-hit contests.

 

Harwood claimed first team status for the second consecutive year after setting school single season records with 25 starts and 38 appearances. She leads all WIAC pitchers with 158 strikeouts, while her 16 wins are second in the conference. Harwood started a combined no-hitter against Ripon College (Wis.) on February 27, and College of New England (Maine) on March 21.

Second team honorees on the NFCA squad included: UW-Eau Claire’s Paige Lathrop, Molly Marquardt and Kenna Strunsee; UW-Oshkosh’s Sydney Rau and Sophie Wery; UW-Platteville’s Allison Peters; and UW-Whitewater’s Josie Hammen and Kiarra Kostroski.

 

UW-Eau Claire’s Brooklyn Swanepol and UW-Whitewater’s Bella Eggert were third team picks.

 

Wery was a second team selection in 2023, while Kostroski was a third team pick a year ago.

 

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