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Cliff Godwin exposes tampering across college baseball

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Cliff Godwin exposes tampering across college baseball

The transfer portal has only been open for a few days in college baseball but already the accusations are flying. On Thursday, East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin accused coaches at Power Four schools of tampering with his players.

East Carolina finished its season over the weekend, coming up a little short in the Conway Regional final against Coastal Carolina. And now Godwin is having to battle illegal contact.

“Our system is so BROKEN!” Godwin wrote on Twitter. “We have coaches at P4 schools texting our players directly who are not in portal! And we have proof!”

Cliff Godwin didn’t provide proof immediately, though his original tweet was still very fresh at the time of this writing. So it’ll be interesting to see if he opts to lay everything bare on social media at some point.

Even if he doesn’t, Godwin has been vocal in the past about the potential pitfalls of NIL and the transfer portal. In conjunction, the two can be especially disruptive for a coach at the non-power-conference level.

“I don’t like the portal and NIL together because it’s become a corrupt business,” Godwin said in January 2024. “So people are cheating. And I’m not perfect. I’m not saying that. But that’s not why that was created.”

As of Wednesday morning, there were more than 2,700 Division I baseball players in the transfer portal, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. So the problems aren’t going away any time soon.

Cliff Godwin outlines issues with NIL

The East Carolina coach has been blunt about how he feels about NIL, too. In short, he thinks its a system ripe for abuse. He even called it ‘pay for play.’

“They kept saying it’s not pay for play,” he said. “Well guess what it is? Pay for play.”

Even though NIL has impacted the way rosters are built at times, that hasn’t changed anything for Godwin’s approach at ECU. But balancing that can be challenging, and when NIL comes into the picture, Godwin admitted that jealousy can play a role, too. That only becomes more challenging when considering college baseball teams only have so many scholarships (currently) to distribute across a much larger roster.

“I’m all for rewarding our guys who have been in our program and have done the things the right way, from Trey Yesavage to Justin Wilcoxen to Joey Berini,” Cliff Godwin added. “I think it’s also worth mentioning that Joey Berini has never received a cent of baseball scholarship money since he’s been at East Carolina because we only have 11.7 (scholarships). [Wilcoxen] has only received scholarship this year in his fifth year. Guys that have grinded, that have developed with our coaching staff, that means something to me, because that’s what this place was built on. Now I still want them to be able to make some money if that is available. And so those guys were able to get some money, but it also creates jealousy.

“I asked Trey Yesavage this summer, ‘Does NIL create jealously?’ ‘100 percent Coach.’ So that’s another thing we have to navigate. But I’m all for helping the returners. I can’t foresee Coach Godwin offering any recruit any amount of money because that is going to take away from the culture that we have in the locker room. A lot of coaches talk about it. And I’m not sitting up here saying that we have the best culture in the country, but it means something to me to have culture. And you can’t sustain success the way we do if you don’t have great culture within that locker room.”

On3’s Jonathan Wagner also contributed to this report.

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College Basketball Rankings: Coaches Poll Top 25 updated after Week 8

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The USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll Top 25 has been refreshed following the eighth week of the season. It was a bit of a light week due to Christmas, but some showdowns still took place amid the holiday celebrations, resulting in some movement throughout the Top 25.

With conference play picking up this coming weekend, we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of the season, where the rankings will fluctuate week-in and week-out. While this past week was packed with tune-up games and not a ton of riveting action, that won’t be the case from now until April.

Regardless, the Coaches Poll Top 25 is certain to see plenty of movement. For now, here’s how things stack up after Week 8. This week’s updated rankings are below.

Michigan enjoyed a full week off and enters the week undefeated at 11–0. The Wolverines return to action with home games against McNeese State on Monday and USC on Friday.

Senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg has been the engine, stuffing the stat sheet with 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Michigan will look to stay perfect as conference play looms.

Arizona
Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Arizona rolled past Bethune 107–71 last Monday to improve to 12–0 on the season. The Wildcats host South Dakota State before traveling to Utah for a road test on Saturday.

Freshman guard Brayden Burries has emerged as a steady scorer, averaging 14.0 points per game. Arizona’s depth and tempo continue to overwhelm opponents early in the season.

Iowa State remained perfect at 12–0 after an off week. The Cyclones host Houston Christian on Monday and West Virginia on Friday.

Junior forward Milan Momcilovic leads the team at 18.3 points per game. Iowa State’s balance continues to separate it from most of the field.

UConn had the week off and remains one of the nation’s most complete teams at 12–1. The Huskies head to Xavier on Wednesday before hosting Marquette on Sunday.

Junior guard Solo Ball leads the backcourt with 15.4 points per game. This week offers a strong measuring stick against Big East competition.

Purdue
Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Purdue stayed idle last week but remains firmly entrenched near the top of the Coaches Poll with an 11–1 record. The Boilermakers face a tricky week with a home matchup against Kent State on Monday before heading to Wisconsin on Saturday.

Senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn continues to anchor the frontcourt, averaging a double-double at 13.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Purdue’s ability to maintain consistency through a two-game week will be closely watched.

Duke remained idle last week and sits at 11–1 entering a two-game stretch. The Blue Devils host Georgia Tech on Wednesday before traveling to Florida State on Saturday.

Freshman phenom Cameron Boozer has been dominant, averaging 23.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Duke will be tested defensively as ACC play intensifies.

Gonzaga extended its winning streak with a victory over Pepperdine on Sunday and sits at 13–1. The Bulldogs play three times this week, traveling to San Diego before hosting Seattle U and LMU.

Junior forward Braden Huff leads the way with 19.1 points per game. Gonzaga’s depth will be tested during the busy stretch.

Houston
John Jones-Imagn Images

Houston enters the week at 11–1 after a quiet stretch. The Cougars host Middle Tennessee State on Monday before heading to Cincinnati on Saturday.

Senior guard Emanuel Sharp continues to pace the offense with 17.9 points per game. Houston’s defensive pressure remains its calling card heading into conference play.

Michigan State enjoyed a week off and sits at 11–1 on the season. The Spartans host Cornell on Monday before traveling to Nebraska on Friday.

Senior forward Jaxon Kohler has been a force inside, averaging 13.9 points and 10.3 rebounds. Michigan State will look to sharpen its execution away from home.

BYU cruised past Eastern Washington 109–81 last Monday to improve to 12–1. The Cougars face a lone test this week with a road trip to Kansas State on Saturday.

Freshman star AJ Dybantsa has lived up to the hype, averaging 23.1 points per game. BYU’s offense remains one of the most explosive in the country.

11. Vanderbilt
12. North Carolina
13-T. Nebraska
13-T.
Louisville (+1)
15. Alabama
16. Texas Tech
17. Kansas
18. Arkansas
19. Illinois
20. Tennessee
21. Virginia
22. Florida
23. Iowa
24. Georgia
25. St. John’s

Dropped Out: No. 25 USC

Others Receiving Votes: Kentucky 35; USC 25; Utah State 14; Auburn 7; Saint Louis 6; Clemson 6; Seton Hall 5; Oklahoma State 5; Yale 4; UCLA 4; Saint Mary’s 4; LSU 3; California 2; Villanova 1; Miami (OH) 1; Indiana 1



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Petrino’s Friend Found a Workaround to Pay Taylen Green That’s Now Prohibited by NCAA

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Petrino’s Friend Found a Workaround to Pay Taylen Green That’s Now Prohibited by NCAA
photo credit: Craven Whitlow

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When Bobby Petrino returned to Arkansas after the 2023 season, his first task was finding a new quarterback.

In this era of college football, that also meant funding a new quarterback. For that, the former head coach leaned on his old friend Frank Fletcher.

The Little Rock-based businessman stepped up and footed a large chunk of the bill for Taylen Green, the talented signal caller Petrino identified to run his offense for the Razorbacks.

It hasn’t only been a transactional relationship, though. Over the last two years, Fletcher has been mindful of Green’s life after sports. Rather than simply handing the star quarterback a boatload of cash, he offered something few college athletes receive: personal relationship and mentorship.

“I had a wonderful two years with Taylen Green,” Fletcher said during Monday’s edition of Morning Mayhem on 103.7 The Buzz. “I was lucky that I happened to back a player that was that nice a kid and [had] great parents. I’ve learned a lot from him. I’m teaching him everything I know, and he wants to learn.”

Fletcher helped Green navigate the financial market by giving the QB1 homework, making him chart a series of stocks over a few months – something that could prove even more important after his subpar finish to the 2025 season likely impacted his pro prospects.