Chael Sonnen reacts to Bo Bassett decommitment: ‘I will give you $1 million’ for your NIL rights
Chael Sonnen had quite the reaction to Bo Bassett’s decommitment from Iowa over the weekend. The star wrestler reopened his recruitment nearly five months later and the new finalists are Penn State, Oklahoma State and Nebraska. Sonnen, a former MMA star and All-American wrestler at Oregon, revealed he wanted to get in on the NIL […]
Chael Sonnen had quite the reaction to Bo Bassett’sdecommitment from Iowa over the weekend. The star wrestler reopened his recruitment nearly five months later and the new finalists are Penn State, Oklahoma State and Nebraska.
Sonnen, a former MMA star and All-American wrestler at Oregon, revealed he wanted to get in on the NIL business with Bassett. He offered a lump sum of cash in exchange to do business with the budding superstar.
Bassett’s social media following is more popular than most college wrestlers at this point and he’s a rising senior at Bishop McCort High School in Pennsylvania. Safe to say, Sonnen was stunned and baffled by this move.
“Now I got to tell you, from the beginning, in full disclosure, I tried to do business with Bo, and I didn’t get my way,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I tried to reach Bo, and I finally even went publicly and told him, here’s the deal. I will give you $1 million in exchange you’re going to sign over your NIL rights to me, whatever I can do with that is on me, but you’re guaranteed a million dollars.
“I didn’t get responded to, and I must tell you, it didn’t make me very happy in all fairness, he did it. But now that I’ve disclosed that to you, I follow him very closely.”
Bassett’s decommitment Sunday sent shockwaves throughout the college wrestling world. The No. 2 pound-for-pound prospect in 2026 committed to Iowa back in February following a lengthy recruiting process.
“I don’t wish Bo badly,” Sonnen said. “But it is very fair for me to tell you whatever shirt he pops on and he’s proud to be a student athlete. What the hell am I supposed to do with that? What would I possibly do with that? I don’t know where to get a refund on my Iowa shirt with his face on it that I bought fully to be a supporter. I got it sitting right over here. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that. All of a sudden he’s got six shooters. All of a sudden he’s at State College. What am I supposed to do with that?
“Your word’s either good or it’s not. People have the right to change them, and there’s no such thing as decommit. Let’s just agree on that. You’re lying. You’re lying. Gotta be a man about it. Now there is such a thing as changing your mind, and young people get grace to change their mind, but when you took a shot, you fired a shot at the ethics of the most ethical program in wrestling’s history. Excuse me. You do not stand on the moral high ground, not on this one.”
Chael Sonnen has fiery reaction to Bo Bassett decommitment
Bassett’s younger brother Melvin Miller, the No. 1 prospect in 2027, removed Iowa from consideration following the decision from Bo. They are seemingly a package deal along with youngest brother Keegan (Class of 2028).
Bo Bassett visited Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State and Rutgers throughout his process this past year. Currently, his high school teammates Sam Herring (Penn State) and No. 1 overall prospect Jax Forrest (Oklahoma State) are committed.
“What a beautiful word that we’ve created, decommit, what a beautiful word for lie,” Sonnen said. “What a beautiful word for backstab, what a beautiful word for dishonest, what a beautiful word for waste of everybody’s time. And I must tell you, I’ve never fully understood it … You’re going to commit to somebody else. What the hell does that mean at this point? And I just want you to keep that in mind, because this beautiful word of decommit wasn’t created by Bo. This actually came out about three years ago, and I remember the first time I saw it. He did not create the word. He just implemented it. And they said, I decommit. Oh, you do? You do? Huh, you have a better offer than the Iowa Hawkeyes? Really? Because that would lead me to believe that we’re down to two us. It would just lead me to believe that possibly the Cowboys got to the table, and most definitely, State College got to the table. That’s what it would lead me to believe, and within a week, we’re gonna find out if I’m right …
“He took a shot at the Hawks, and it was nasty. It was a very nasty thing. And much like the commit, he used words that made it sound as though he had the moral high ground. He talked about something, I’m gonna go somewhere that aligns more with my values and faith. He slipped the word faith in there like nobody can ever argue against faith, just it’s one of these things that’s very uncommon. But then read it, okay, we’re dealing with a kid. We’re dealing with a kid. He gets grace. I do understand that, but he took a shot at men. If you want to fight with the men, you’re gonna get treated like a man.”
Collectives Using Lawsuits To Fight Back Against New NIL Rules In College Athletics
The College Sports Commission is going to play a major role in NIL deals PublishedJuly 19, 2025 8:33 PM EDT•UpdatedJuly 19, 2025 8:33 PM EDT Facebook Twitter Email Copy Link It seems like every week there’s a new, massive change to the world of collegiate athletics. The introduction of name, image and likeness created a […]
The College Sports Commission is going to play a major role in NIL deals
Published•Updated
It seems like every week there’s a new, massive change to the world of collegiate athletics. The introduction of name, image and likeness created a new paradigm in recruiting and program development. The transfer portal. Conference realignment.
Then the House settlement was released in June, paving the way for schools to pay players directly. Though it also created the College Sports Commission, which might lead to even bigger changes. Already, the Commission announced they were denying a number of NIL deals between players and collectives as being without a legitimate business interest.
And several major athletic directors are convinced that the changes are only starting. With some collective leaders saying lawsuits challenging the entire model are a near inevitability.
RELATED: NIL Deals Getting Rejected Already By New College Sports Commission
“Collectives in the form they’ve been going for the last three years, paying athletes directly with donor contributions, is going to be a thing of the past,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan told The Athletic. “’True’ NIL is still being allowed, but just like in pro sports, where there is a hard (salary) cap.”
A view of LSU Tiger Stadium at night after the LSU Tigers 31-0 win over the Southeastern Louisiana Lions on September 08, 2018, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
College Sports Commission Going to Create NIL-Related Lawsuits
Another top collective leader said that every deal is coming under scrutiny, even small ones.
“All of their (athletes’) deals are getting shut down by NIL Go,” the source said. “Even deals of $5,000 or less.”
And while some collectives have shut down or gone in-house, the expectation of those who refuse to give up is that NIL Go is going to create lawsuits.
“They said the quiet part out loud: We hate collectives and pay-for-play, and our sole purpose is to restrict that money and regain control,” said one collective head. “Now they have provided direct evidence for the lawsuits that will start flying.”
Several lawsuits already have, with the underlying argument that the current language of the College Sports Commission could be viewed as an unreasonable restriction of the rights of young athletes. As well as the rights of the collectives. With collectives being told that their NIL deals are preemptively invalid, it’s understandable they’d be upset. And litigious.
Fernando Mendoza Named As Nominee For the 2025 Allstate / AFCA Good Works Team
Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association today announced a record-breaking 197 nominees for the 2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, the highest in the award’s 34-year history. College football student-athletes and head coaches from all levels of the sport are recognized for their commitment to community service and leadership beyond the gridiron. Indiana junior […]
Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association today announced a record-breaking 197 nominees for the 2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, the highest in the award’s 34-year history. College football student-athletes and head coaches from all levels of the sport are recognized for their commitment to community service and leadership beyond the gridiron.
Indiana junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza was recently named as a nominee for the 2025 Allstate / American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team ®, both organizations recently announced.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Cal transfer partnered with La Burrita in Berkley to launch the Mendoza Burrito. Honoring his Cuban heritage with the ingredients, all proceeds from each sale went to the National MS Society in honor and support of his mother has multiple sclerosis, and to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis.
Mendoza said in a recent interview with NBC Sports the initiative raised over $11,000 for the National MS Society.
Allstate and Wuerffel Foundation Elevate Impact
For the second year, Allstate is partnering with the Wuerffel Foundation to align two of college football’s most meaningful honors: the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy. Together, they recognize student-athletes who demonstrate excellence in community service, academics and athletics.
Established in 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team recognizes college football athletes for their unwavering commitment to community service and their “good works” off the field. In addition to being actively involved with a charitable organization or service group, each player must also maintain strong academic standing to be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
“When nearly 200 young athletes choose to serve, it creates a ripple effect far beyond the game,” said Danny Wuerffel, former NFL quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer for whom the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy is named. “Their leadership in the community is just as worthy of recognition as their performance on the field.”
11 players from the NCAA FBS
11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Divisions II, III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
1 honorary head coach
The final roster of 23 award recipients announced in September will bring together:A voting panel of former Good Works Team members, head coaches and journalists select the team roster based on outstanding leadership on and off the field.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2024, Mendoza passed for (3,004 yards). He finished in the top-10 on Cal’s single-season charts in total offensive yards (No. 7; 3,109 yards), passing efficiency (No. 8; 144.59) and yards passing (No. 9; 3,004 yards).
Indiana opens fall camp on July 30, and begins the 2025 season on Aug. 30 against Old Dominion at home.
Patrick Mahomes Gets Honest About Eli Manning’s Hot Take on NIL: “You’re Bringing So Much Money to the University”
Some college sports fans will tell you that they support the concept of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Others will tell you that true amateurism should have remained the standard in collegiate athletics. And there are plenty of people, athletic background or not, on both sides of the aisle. Take Eli Manning. In May 2024, […]
Some college sports fans will tell you that they support the concept of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Others will tell you that true amateurism should have remained the standard in collegiate athletics. And there are plenty of people, athletic background or not, on both sides of the aisle.
Take Eli Manning. In May 2024, he teamed with Jaxson Dart to raise money for his alma mater’s NIL collective. His general feeling on NIL when it was first introduced, though, paints a picture opposite to that of his future partnership.
“I know how immature I was at 20 years old and I wouldn’t have spent it the right ways. It scares me from that perspective, it scares me from chemistry of the locker room with some guys getting endorsements and if they’re not playing well, how his teammates will handle that.”
Manning has every right to change his mind, especially after experiencing three seasons with NIL. His adaptation of his mindset demonstrates an understanding of the nuance required for NIL debates.
When discussing NIL as a whole, you can’t limit the conversation to future NFL and NBA stars. There are thousands of players in countless other sports, not to mention football and basketball themselves, that will never get professional contracts, let alone generational wealth.
This is why Patrick Mahomes told CNBC’s Alex Sherman that NIL is a boon for college athletics.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s a good thing that players are getting paid. I mean… you’re bringing so much money to a university. There has to be a way that you can earn a profit. It doesn’t have to be a huge profit… it’s cool to see people that might not have the ability to earn this money at any other point of their life… being able to change their families.”
Non-athletes can use their talents to generate revenue while in college. Prior to NIL, universities saw immediate returns on a team’s hard work while the athletes pocketed nothing.
It wasn’t fair to the players. NIL took some of that power and redistributed it to them. So it’s good that Mahomes and others are recognizing that NIL’s main mission is being accomplished.
UConn stars Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong sign NIL deals with Unrivaled league founded by Huskies legends
UConn women’s basketball stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong will be among the new collegiate faces of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league launched by Huskies legends Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in 2025, after signing NIL deals with the organization. Fudd and Strong announced they will be a part of the league’s 14-player NIL class this […]
UConn women’s basketball stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong will be among the new collegiate faces of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league launched by Huskies legends Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in 2025, after signing NIL deals with the organization.
Fudd and Strong announced they will be a part of the league’s 14-player NIL class this season during an event at WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis on Saturday. The UConn duo appeared at Unrivaled’s All-Star headquarters alongside LSU star Flau’jae Johnson, who signed a deal with the league last year. Johnson and former UConn star Paige Bueckers launched the league’s “The Future is Unrivaled” campaign in Dec. 2024, and Bueckers is expected to compete in Unrivaled this upcoming season after completing her rookie year in the WNBA with the Dallas Wings.
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The new class of NIL athletes also includes USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren and Sienna Betts and Kiki Rice, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Texas’s Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, TCU’s Olivia Miles, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords.
Johnson and Bueckers, like every professional player who competes in Unrivaled, received an investment stake in the league as part of their agreements, so the same will likely be true for the 2025 NIL signees. Watkins is also already part of Unrivaled’s star-studded investor group, which includes UConn coach Geno Auriemma, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, NBA stars Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and USWNT legend Alex Morgan.
Unrivaled exceeded expectations in 2025, reportedly generating more than $27 million in revenue and nearly breaking even in its inaugural season. The league averaged 221,000 viewers on TNT during the regular season and the playoffs, and the championship saw a significant increase drawing 364,000 viewers. Unrivaled also paid its 36 players an average of $220,000, which is higher than the WNBA’s regular maximum salary in 2025.
Fudd has always had a national presence as the former No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, but she joins Unrivaled amid a spike in popularity following UConn’s run to the NCAA Championship. The redshirt senior’s first three college seasons were heavily impacted by injuries, but she completed a triumphant comeback from an ACL tear in 2024-25 and was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Fudd’s NIL portfolio includes partnerships with Bose, TurboTax, skincare brand Paula’s Choice and hair color brand Madison Reed among others. She also announced Thursday that she is hosting a new podcast on the iHeart Radio network titled “Fudd Around and Find Out,” the viral phrase that her mother Katie wore on a t-shirt during the national title game.
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Strong is also a rising star in the college game after coming to UConn as the No. 1 ranked recruit in the 2024 class and winning WBCA Freshman of the Year in 2025. She had a historic first season with the Huskies, making the All-Final Four team and breaking the record for most points by a freshman ever in an NCAA Tournament. Unrivaled will be one of Strong’s most prominent NIL deals to date, but she has also partnered with Epic Games and VKTRY, a performance shoe insole for athletes.
Patrick Mahomes Gets Honest About Eli Manning's Hot Take on NIL
Some college sports fans will tell you that they support the concept of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Others will tell you that true amateurism should have remained the standard in collegiate athletics. And there are plenty of people, athletic background or not, on both sides of the aisle. Advertisement Take Eli Manning. In May […]
Some college sports fans will tell you that they support the concept of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Others will tell you that true amateurism should have remained the standard in collegiate athletics. And there are plenty of people, athletic background or not, on both sides of the aisle.
Advertisement
Take Eli Manning. In May 2024, he teamed with Jaxson Dart to raise money for his alma mater’s NIL collective. His general feeling on NIL when it was first introduced, though, paints a picture opposite to that of his future partnership.
“I know how immature I was at 20 years old and I wouldn’t have spent it the right ways. It scares me from that perspective, it scares me from chemistry of the locker room with some guys getting endorsements and if they’re not playing well, how his teammates will handle that.”
Manning has every right to change his mind, especially after experiencing three seasons with NIL. His adaptation of his mindset demonstrates an understanding of the nuance required for NIL debates.
When discussing NIL as a whole, you can’t limit the conversation to future NFL and NBA stars. There are thousands of players in countless other sports, not to mention football and basketball themselves, that will never get professional contracts, let alone generational wealth.
This is why Patrick Mahomes told CNBC’s Alex Sherman that NIL is a boon for college athletics.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s a good thing that players are getting paid. I mean… you’re bringing so much money to a university. There has to be a way that you can earn a profit. It doesn’t have to be a huge profit… it’s cool to see people that might not have the ability to earn this money at any other point of their life… being able to change their families.”
Non-athletes can use their talents to generate revenue while in college. Prior to NIL, universities saw immediate returns on a team’s hard work while the athletes pocketed nothing.
It wasn’t fair to the players. NIL took some of that power and redistributed it to them. So it’s good that Mahomes and others are recognizing that NIL’s main mission is being accomplished.
Memphis guard Sincere Parker arrested on assault charge after girlfriend says he choked her
Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis guard Sincere Parker was arrested Saturday on an aggravated assault charge for an attack on his girlfriend, who told police that he choked her and hit her, according to court documents. The woman told police that the attack occurred on May 27 at the Memphis apartment the couple […]
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis guard Sincere Parker was arrested Saturday on an aggravated assault charge for an attack on his girlfriend, who told police that he choked her and hit her, according to court documents.
The woman told police that the attack occurred on May 27 at the Memphis apartment the couple shared. She reported that Parker pushed her, slapped her in the face and choked her, leaving her bruised and bloodied, according to a police report.
The woman also told police that Parker broke her cellphone because he didn’t want her to have the digital key to the apartment.
A warrant for Parker’s arrest was issued Friday and the 22-year-old was taken into custody Saturday. An arraignment was scheduled for Monday on charges of felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor vandalism.
It was not immediately clear whether Parker had an attorney.
The 6-foot-3 Parker transferred to Memphis after averaging 12.2 points last season for McNeese, helping the Cowboys and coach Will Wade reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He played his first two seasons for Saint Louis.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll
