What transpired last season at St. John’s was the latest in a career of incredible coaching performances from Rick Pitino. He took over the Red Storm in 2023 and wasted little time turning them into a Big East contender for the first time in decades. St. John’s won 31 games, notching both regular season and conference tournament titles last year, though their postseason experience ended earlier than expected in the round of 32.

There’s a certain buzz in Queens again this season, though this year’s team is going to look largely different from last year’s success. Reigning Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. is gone after a brilliant junior season while starters like Kadary Richmond, Aaron Scott, and Simeon Wilcher also departed in the offseason. It’s not a completely new roster, as star forward Zuby Ejiofor becomes even more of a focal point for Pitino’s squad, but there have been plenty of reinforcements.

Simply put, the Red Storm assembled the nation’s best transfer class and have a roster loaded with talent for 2026. The frontcourt gets a major boost with Bryce Hopkins from Providence and Dillon Mitchell, fresh from his time at Cincinnati. Joson Sanon is a highly-touted shooting guard coming off an underwhelming freshman season with Arizona State. Oziyah Sellers is another brilliant guard from Stanford while Dylan Darling should see decent run after his time at Idaho State.

There almost isn’t a wrong answer when identifying the best new player of this class, but former North Carolina guard Ian Jackson sure might be the most important. A 6-4 guard from the Bronx, Jackson was the #6 freshman prospect in the nation last season and now returns much closer to home after his time with the Tar Heels. A mixed review of a freshman year saw him put up 11.9 points and 2.7 rebounds while knocking down 39% of his 3-pointers, but Pitino and company are excited about his potential.

The expectation is that Jackson doesn’t just step into a major role but likely takes up point guard duties. He’s clearly a very talented prospect coming off a decent freshman season where he didn’t exactly live up to that top billing. He wasn’t the only player who struggled in Chapel Hill last year, but closer to home the hope is that he blossoms and becomes a major leader for St. John’s.

After all he’s stepping into a major role, replacing impressive names like Luis and Richmond from last year’s successful campaign. This transfer class is full of veteran experience and incredible raw talent and St. John’s is hoping they got the combination right for a truly memorable season. If that does come to pass, and the Red Storm get deeper into the Big Dance, then Jackson will have certainly taken a step forward as a sophomore and become a real leader for this squad.

The House v. NCAA settlement, finalized on June 6, 2025, was supposed to bring clarity to the chaotic world of name, image, and likeness (NIL) in college sports, but just weeks later, it’s sparking a new wave of conflict.

House plaintiff attorneys Jeffrey Kessler and Steve Berman have accused the NCAA and power conferences of violating the settlement’s terms, specifically targeting the College Sports Commission’s (CSC) guidance on booster-funded NIL collectives. In a fiery two-page letter sent on July 11, 2025, the attorneys demanded that the NCAA retract the CSC’s memorandum, arguing it undermines the settlement by unfairly restricting collectives, according to Yahoo Sports.

Meanwhile, NIL collectives are gearing up for legal action, according to On3’s Pete Nakos, “Lawsuits are about to come.” This escalating battle raises questions about whether Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork was right to bring NIL operations in-house and if his decisions will position the Buckeyes for success in this new era.

The CSC, tasked with enforcing the House settlement, issued guidance on July 10, 2025, stating that booster-backed NIL collectives must meet a “valid business purpose” to have their deals approved by the Deloitte-run NIL Go clearinghouse. This means collectives can’t just pay athletes to attend a school—deals must involve promoting goods or services for profit, like a pro athlete endorsing a product.

Attorneys are planning to escalate the issue to Judge Nathanael Cousins, the settlement’s appointed magistrate, if the guidance isn’t retracted. Collectives, feeling squeezed out, are already consulting lawyers. But the CSC put out a statement about how they believe the guidance was in line with the settlement terms.

“The guidance issued by the College Sports Commission yesterday is entirely consistent with the House settlement and the rules that have been agreed upon with class counsel,” a CSC spokesperson told Dellenger.

The root of the problem lies in the settlement’s goal to shift athlete payments from collectives to schools, which can now share up to $20.5 million annually with athletes. Ohio State’s Ross Bjork, speaking at a press conference on June 6, 2025, embraced this shift, announcing that Ohio State would allocate $18 million for NIL payments across football, men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball, with $2.5 million for additional scholarships across its 36 varsity sports.

Bjork emphasized the settlement’s clarity, calling it “transformational progress” after years of murky NIL rules. He also expressed confidence in the CSC’s authority, noting that the settlement’s rules, including the “valid business purpose” requirement, were court-approved and backed by arbitration, making legal challenges difficult.

Bjork’s decision to integrate Ohio State’s NIL operations seems prescient given these developments. By bringing NIL Collectives in-house, Ohio State avoids reliance on collectives, which are now under fire. Bjork’s use of analytics to determine position values, guided by experts like defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, mirrors NFL salary cap strategies, ensuring competitive fairness within the $20.5 million cap.

Bjork’s commitment to maintaining all 36 varsity sports, despite potential scholarship reductions in some programs, aligns with the settlement’s flexibility while adhering to Title IX. Unlike collectives, which risk legal battles over rejected deals, Ohio State’s in-house model ensures compliance with CSC rules, reducing the chance of athlete suspensions for unapproved deals.

While other college football programs must worry and fret over if their players can be paid, Ohio State is in the driver’s seat controlling payments through revenue share and monitoring collectives to not go rouge.

However, the collectives’ pushback could disrupt this system. Their threat of lawsuits echoes concerns raised by industry experts who predicted the settlement’s restrictions would spark litigation.

If it is deemed that the CSC’s actions violate antitrust laws, and the collectives succeed in court, it could loosen restrictions, allowing them to continue operating outside school control. This would challenge Bjork’s strategy, as third-party deals could outpace Ohio State’s capped $18 million, especially in a market like Columbus, where fan passion fuels lucrative opportunities.

Bjork’s confidence in the CSC’s rulings holding up in court may be tested. While he argued the settlement’s legal backing makes challenges unlikely, the attorneys’ letter and the collective deals according to Deloitte’s data, has created a bottleneck that frustrates coaches and athletes alike.

If lawsuits force a retraction of the CSC’s guidance, schools like Ohio State may face pressure to compete with unregulated collective payments, potentially undermining the settlement’s goal of a level playing field.

In the end, Bjork’s proactive move to bring NIL in-house positions Ohio State to navigate this turbulent landscape better than most. If collectives win, Ohio State can cancel the Buckeye Sports Group and have collectives act as they were before. But if the CSC is right and survives court, Ohio State has been set up and ready for this for over a month now.

With collectives preparing to fight, the battle over NIL is far from over. Whether Bjork’s strategy proves to be the right call depends on whether the courts uphold the CSC’s authority or side with collectives, potentially reshaping the rules he’s banking on. For now, Ohio State’s structured approach seems like a smart play in a game that’s still very much in flux.

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers are part of the new generation of women’s basketball stars who have been able to profit off their name in college and build brands that have helped them excel off the court in the WNBA.

All three players had national star power before stepping foot in the pros. Clark and Reese have made the All-Star Game in each of their first two seasons and are two of the most popular players in the league.

Bueckers was voted a starter in her first All-Star Game this weekend.

The next group up in college that is led by Hannah Hidalgo, Flau’jae Johnson, Olivia Miles and JuJu Watkins has already benefitted from the name, likeness and image. According to On3, Johnson’s NIL valuation is $1.5 million.

“NIL, man, it is beautiful,” Johnson said. “This year in March Madness, I had about five commercials running and you know it was so cool watching the game, then seeing myself come on. It’s just a great opportunity.”

Johnson is a guard at LSU, one of the top schools for NIL in a variety of sports from football to women’s gymnastics to women’s basketball. Johnson, who also has a music career, has gained from the exposure the school has given her, doing national media campaigns with Experian and Powerade.

Hildago, who will be entering her junior year at Notre Dame, is happy that players can finally profit off their own images as opposed to the school getting it all.

“It’s a blessing. Schools for decades have been able to make money off of college players’ names. So for now, for student athletes to be able to make money off of how they carry themselves, you know, we’re a brand ourselves,” she said. “I’m a brand myself and so be able to make money off of my name is honestly truly a blessing and just taking advantage of it is the biggest thing.”

Johnson, Hidalgo and Miles, who helped the U.S. qualify for the World Cup next year by winning gold at the AmeriCup earlier this month, all said that they don’t let the NIL deals they have get in the way of their sport. They credit having a strong support system around them as well as people who handle the deals for them.

“I really dedicate one or two times a week to kind of get all my stuff done,” Miles said. “My agent is very good at scheduling that, but most of my money comes from the collective deal, so for that I really don’t have to do much, which is nice. But any other of the other side deals, my agent will send a videographer out to help me or have her edit stuff or whatever it may be.”

Getting deals and earning money hasn’t just helped the players financially. Some have given back to their communities, including Johnson.

“I just want to be one of those people that uses NIL the right way,” she said. “This year I did a campaign with Experian and we relieved $5 million in debt right for families in Louisiana and then every game we won we added $100,000 to the pot.”

Johnson said it was really touching and emotional when she would receive videos on Instagram from people she helped.

“I’m really using my platform for impact for real. So I think that’s the best part of NIL and just making it better for the young girls that’s coming behind us,” she said.

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WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State head softball coach Kristi Bredbenner has added three graduate assistants to her staff, all three former All-Americans for the Shockers during their playing days.

Sydney McKinney, Lauren Lucas and CC Wong will all make their return to the Shocker softball program after highly decorated playing careers in the Black and Yellow.

“We are ecstatic to have Sydney, Lauren and CC back,” Bredbenner said. “Their willingness to want to stay and give back to Shocker Softball says a lot about their experience. Most importantly, their knowledge, passion and desire to develop the next generation of Shocker is evident. All three of them continue to represent Wichita State at the highest level. We are proud of their accomplishments, and we are so excited to have them share their experiences with our program.”

McKinney, the former No. 1 overall draft pick is in her first season with the Bandits, the inaugural season of the AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League). She is wrapping up her third professional season overall with Athletes Unlimited. McKinney is the most decorated softball player in program history, earning All-America honors three times and a two-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Lucas just completed her eligibility this past season at Wichita State, picking up First Team All-Conference honors for the third time in her career. Fresh out of college, Lucas is nearing the end of her first season as a professional with the New York Rise.

Wong made the most of her lone season in uniform for Wichita State, earning All-America honors and ranking 2nd nationally in batting average. She was a student assistant on the softball team in 2024-25 while finishing her bachelor’s degree. Wong is currently representing her home country on the Canadian National Team.