OMAHA, Neb. — A look at the eight teams competing in the College World Series, which starts Friday at Charles Schwab Field. (Capsules in order of CWS opening games. Coaches’ records through super regionals) Coastal Carolina (53-11) Coastal Carolina’s Caden Bodine celebrates hitting a solo home run against Auburn on June 6, 2025 in Auburn, […]
OMAHA, Neb. — A look at the eight teams competing in the College World Series, which starts Friday at Charles Schwab Field.
(Capsules in order of CWS opening games. Coaches’ records through super regionals)
Coastal Carolina (53-11)
Coastal Carolina’s Caden Bodine celebrates hitting a solo home run against Auburn on June 6, 2025 in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Coach: Kevin Schnall (53-11 in 1 year at Coastal Carolina and overall)
Road to Omaha: Won Conway Regional: beat Fairfield 10-2, beat East Carolina 18-7, beat East Carolina 1-0. Won Auburn Super Regional: beat Auburn 7-6 in 10 innings, beat Auburn 4-1.
2025 record vs. CWS teams: 0-0
Last CWS appearance: 2016
All-time record in CWS: 6-2 in one appearance (won national title in 2016).
Relievers: LHP Hayden Johnson (4-0, 3.43), RHP Ryan Lynch (2-1, 0.59, 8 saves), RHP Matthew Potok (4-1, 2.55), LHP Dominick Carbone (6-0, 2.61), RHP Darin Horn (5-1, 2.96), RHP Luke Jones (4-2, 3.51), RHP Scott Doran (1-0, 4.15)
MLB alumni: Mickey Brantley, Tommy La Stella, Kirt Manwaring, Taylor Motter, Dave Sappelt, Zach Remillard, Luis Lopez
Short hops: Chanticleers have the nation’s longest active winning streak, at 23 games. Since the NCAA Tournament went to its current format in 1999, no team has entered the CWS with so many consecutive wins. … Schnall was an assistant on Gary Gilmore’s national championship-winning team in 2016. He succeeded Gilmore, who retired after last season, and is in his 22nd season on the staff over two stints. … Chants’ 53 wins are most in nation. … Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament champion. … Chants batters have been hit by 170 pitches, most in the nation.
“This is not a Cinderella story. We’re one of the premier, most successful college baseball programs in the entire country.” — Schnall
Arizona (44-19)
Arizona’s Michael Hilker Jr. reacts after beating North Carolina in an super regional game on June 7, 2025, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
Coach: Chip Hale (152-93 in 4 years at Arizona and overall)
Road to Omaha: Won Eugene Regional: beat Cal Poly 3-2, beat Utah Valley 14-4, beat Cal Poly 14-0. Won Chapel Hill Super Regional: lost to North Carolina 11-2, beat North Carolina 10-8, beat North Carolina 4-3.
2025 record vs. CWS teams: 0-1
Last CWS appearance: 2021
All-time record in CWS: 43-32 in 18 appearances (won national titles in 1976, 1980, 1986, 2012)
Relievers: RHP Tony Pluta (3-0, 1.26, 14 saves), RHP Garrett Hicks (5-0, 5.61), RHP Julian Tonghini (4-2, 4.26), RHP Casey Hintz (7-4, 5.53), RHP Michael Hilker Jr. (2-1, 6.45), RHP Hunter Alberini (1-0, 3.48), RHP Matthew Martinez (3-0, 4.42), RHP Collin McKinney (0-2, 3.98), LHP Eric Orloff (1-0, 5.14)
MLB alumni: Kenny Lofton, J.T. Snow, Tony Clark, Ron Hassey, Scott Erickson, Dan Meyer, Trevor Hoffman, Nick Hundley, Jack Howell, Casey Candaele, Terry Francona, Gil Heredia, Hank Leiber, Craig Lefferts, Joe Magrane, Mark Melancon
Short hops: Wildcats are back in Omaha for the first time since going 0-2 in the 2021 CWS under current LSU coach Jay Johnson. Dawson Netz, who made relief appearances in both games, is a graduate manager. … Hale played on Arizona’s 1986 championship team. … White’s 48 career homers rank second in program history. The Tucson native has hit 35 of them at road or neutral sites. … Wildcats’ 36 triples lead nation. … Pluta’s 14 saves are a school record.
Quotable: “We’re going to go there, put our best foot forward and try to win our fifth national championship.” — Hale
Louisville (40-22)
Louisville’s Eddie King Jr. is celebrated by the bench after hitting a home run against ETSU on May 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Coach: Dan McDonnell (791-357-1 in 19 years at Louisville and overall)
Road to Omaha: Won Nashville Regional: beat East Tennessee State 8-3, beat Vanderbilt 3-2, beat Wright State 6-0. Won Louisville Super Regional: beat Miami 8-1, lost 9-6 to Miami, beat Miami 3-2.
2025 record vs. CWS teams: 1-0
Last CWS appearance: 2019
All-time record in CWS: 4-10 in 5 appearances
Meet the Cardinals
C Matt Klein (.327, 5 HRs, 30 RBIs)
1B Tague Davis (.286, 18, 50)
2B Kamau Neighbors (.250, 0, 16)
SS Alex Alicea (.310, 1, 24)
3B Jake Munroe (.345, 12, 58)
LF Zion Rose (.315, 12, 63) or Eddie King Jr. (.362, 17, 60)
Relievers: RHP Brennyn Cutts (3-1, 4.89), LHP Justin West (2-2, 6.12), LHP Wyatt Danilowicz (0-1, 2.25), RHP Jack Brown (5-5, 6.69), LHP Ty Starke (1-0, 8.50), RHP Jake Schweitzer (4-2, 2.15)
MLB alumni: Adam Duvall, Will Smith, Adam Engel, Nick Solak, Chad Green, Sean Green, Reid Detmers, Tyler Fitzgerald, Kyle Funkhouser, Matt Koch
Short hops: Cardinals are 5-1 in the NCAA Tournament after entering regionals coming off losses in six of seven games. … King is on a tear, having gone 12 for 22 (.545) with two homers, three doubles and eight RBIs in six tournament games. …Moore leads the nation with 51 stolen bases and has been caught stealing just once. … A thumb injury has forced Alicea, a switch hitter, to bat left-handed exclusively since the start of May. … Biven moved from the closer’s role to weekend starter in May. He has received a no-decision in all four starts but allowed just five earned runs over 17 1/3 innings.
Quotable: “We’re going to Omaha to win it all. We’re not just going there just to play.” — King
Oregon State (47-14-1)
Oregon State head coach Mitch Canham fist bumps players during introductions before a game against Auburn on June 13, 2022, in Corvallis, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
Coach: Mitch Canham (223-101-1 in 6 years at Oregon State and overall)
Road to Omaha: Won Corvallis Regional: lost to Saint Mary’s 6-4, beat TCU 7-2, beat Saint Mary’s 20-3, beat Southern California 14-1, beat Southern California 9-0. Won Corvallis Super Regional: beat Florida State 5-4 in 10 innings, lost to Florida State 3-1, beat Florida State 14-10.
2025 record vs. CWS teams: 1-0
Last CWS appearance: 2018
All-time record in CWS: 21-12 in 7 appearances (won national titles in 2006, 2007, 2018)
MLB alumni: Jacoby Ellsbury, Michael Conforto, Darwin Barney, Bob Forsch, Steven Kwan, Adley Rutschman, Ken Forsch, Trevor Larnach, Matthew Boyd, Drew Rasmussen
Short hops: The Beavers surpassed 100 home runs for the second consecutive season. The 103 are the second-most in program history, trailing the 2024 club’s 118. … Five home runs in Game 3 of the super regional were a postseason program record. … Beavers are 5-1 in elimination games this postseason. … Talt has walked 62 times, fifth-most in the country.
Quotable: “When we’re all hitting, it’s dangerous. No one can really compete with us.” — Caraway
Murray State (44-15)
Murray State celebrates a 9-6 win over Mississippi after an NCAA regional game on May 30, 2025, Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Coach: Dan Skirka (209-150 in 7 seasons at Murray State and overall)
Road to Omaha: Won Oxford Regional: beat Mississippi 9-6, beat Georgia Tech 13-11, lost to Mississippi 19-8, beat Mississippi 12-11. Won Durham Super Regional: lost to Duke 7-4, beat Duke 19-9, beat Duke 5-4.
2025 record against CWS teams: 0-0
Last CWS appearance: None
All-time record in CWS: 0-0
Meet the Racers
C Will Vierling (.316, 10 HRs, 52 RBIs)
1B Luke Mistone (.340, 4, 53)
2B Dom Decker (.361, 0, 48)
SS Conner Cunningham (.257, 7, 38)
3B Carson Garner (.281, 17, 59)
LF Dan Tauken (.257, 11, 76)
CF Jonathan Hogart (.339, 22, 65)
RF Dustin Mercer (.356, 0, 39)
DH Nico Bermeo (.305, 1, 7)
Starting pitchers: RHP Nic Schutte (8-4, 4.85 ERA), RHP Isaac Silva (9-2, 5.09), RHP Kane Elmy (6-2, 4.45)
MLB alumni: Jack Perconte, Kirk Rueter, Pat Jarvis
Short hops: Only the fourth No. 4 regional seed to reach the CWS, joining Fresno State (2008 national champion), Stony Brook (2012) and Oral Roberts (2023). … This is Racers’ fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2003. … 44 wins are program record. … 10.8 runs per game in NCAA Tournament ranks second. … Hogart has hit a nation-leading eight of his 22 homers to lead off a game. … Kelham has recorded four saves and one win over his last five appearances, and his nine saves are a program record.
Quotable: “Hopefully, it motivates everybody. This team could do it with 28 newcomers and three new coaches. Came together and hit their stride at the right time.” — Skirka
UCLA (47-16)
Niko Gallegov congratulates UCLA’s Roman Martin on his home run in the third inning on May 30, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
Coach: John Savage (723-479-2 in 21 seasons at UCLA; 811-563-3 in 24 seasons overall)
Road to Omaha: Won Los Angeles Regional: beat Fresno State 19-4, beat Arizona State 11-5, beat UC Irvine 8-5. Won Los Angeles Super Regional: beat UTSA 5-2, beat UTSA 7-0.
2025 record vs. CWS teams: 0-1
Last CWS appearance: 2013
All-time record in CWS: 9-9 in 5 appearances (won 2013 national title)
Relievers: RHP Jack O’Connor (3-0, 1.80), RHP August Souza (0-0, 5.40), RHP Easton Hawk (1-1, 4.84), LHP Chris Grothues (4-1, 4.94), RHP Cal Randall (2-1, 3.09), LHP Ian May (7-3, 5.00)
MLB alumni: Chris Chambliss, Todd Zeile, Jeff Conine, Bobby Grich, Chase Utley, Eric Karros, Brandon Crawford, Troy Glaus, Jackie Robinson, Don Slaught, Eric Byrnes, Shane Mack, Mike Magnante, Matt Young, Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer
Short hops: Bruins were Big Ten regular-season co-champions in their first season in the league. … Their .372 batting average in the NCAA Tournament ranks first. … UCLA more than doubled its win total from 2024, when it went 19-33. … Cholowsky is Big Ten player of the year and defensive player of the year. … Cholowsky’s 23 home runs are the most by a Bruins player since Forrest Johnson in 2000. … Bruins lead the nation with 63 double plays.
Quotable: “We’re the only team that has gotten to play there. We have played in front of a big crowd there, too, which is useful. Just using that is going to help us.” — Cholowsky, on playing in the Big Ten Tournament at Charles Schwab Field last month
LSU (48-15)
LSU outfielder Chris Stanfield celebrates a home run during a regional game against Dallas Baptist on May 31, 2025, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Coach: Jay Johnson (185-77 in 4 seasons at LSU; 502-249 in 13 seasons overall)
Road to Omaha: Won Baton Rouge Regional: beat Little Rock 7-0, beat Dallas Baptist 12-0, lost to Little Rock 10-4, beat Little Rock 10-6. Won Baton Rouge Super Regional: beat West Virginia 16-9, beat West Virginia 12-5.
2025 record vs. CWS teams: 2-1
Last CWS appearance: 2023
All-time record in CWS: 46-29 in 19 appearances (won national titles in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009, 2023)
Meet the Tigers
C Luis Hernandez (.272, 9 HRs, 30 RBIs)
1B Jared Jones (.328, 20, 70)
2B Daniel Dickinson (.312, 12, 48)
SS Steven Milam (.290, 11, 55)
3B Michael Braswell III (.201, 2, 17) or Tanner Reaves (.266, 3, 12)
LF Derek Curiel (.347, 7, 52)
CF Chris Stanfield (.309, 1, 28)
RF Josh Pearson (.297, 7, 32) or Jake Brown (.315, 8, 44)
DH Ethan Frey (.340, 13, 49)
Starting pitchers: LHP Kade Anderson (10-1, 3.58 ERA), RHP Anthony Eyanson (11-2, 2.74), RHP Jaden Noot (2-1, 4.26)
Relievers: LHP DJ Primeaux (0-0, 3.86), RHP William Schmidt (7-0, 4.73), RHP Maverick Ritzy (0-0, 4.74), LHP Cooper Williams (0-1, 1.83), RHP Chase Shores (5-3, 5.24), RHP Casan Evans (4-1, 1.90), RHP Zac Cowan (3-3, 3.09), LHP Conner Ware (4-1, 5.48)
MLB alumni: Joe Adcock, DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Hill, Albert Belle, Todd Walker, Ben McDonald, Alex Bregman, Brad Hawpe, Ryan Theriot, Russ Springer, Kevin Gausman, Jason Vargas, Warren Morris, Austin Nola, Paul Byrd, Aaron Nola, Mark Guthrie
Short hops: Tigers went 2-1 this season against Arkansas, their opening opponent. … Tigers have second-highest all-time NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.708, 182-75). … Anderson’s 163 strikeouts are most among CWS pitchers and rank second nationally. Eyanson’s 135 Ks rank third. … Pitching staff is in top 10 nationally in ERA (3.80), hits allowed per nine innings (7.34) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.9).
Quotable: “Everyone just plays for each other. We know we’re a team and if we don’t get the job done, the guys behind us or the guy in front of us is going to protect us and get it done for us. Everyone genuinely cares about each other.” — Eyanson
Arkansas (48-13)
Arkansas pitcher Parker Coil throws against North Dakota State on May 30, 2025, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Coach: Dave Van Horn (931-470 in 23 seasons at Arkansas; 1,516-710 in 38 seasons overall)
Road to Omaha: Won Fayetteville Regional: beat North Dakota State 62, beat Creighton 12-1, beat Creighton 8-3. Won Fayetteville Super Regional: beat Tennessee 4-3, beat Tennessee 11-4.
Relievers: RHP Ben Bybee (3-0, 4.38), RHP Steele Eaves (1-0, 1.86), LHP Colin Fisher (3-0, 4.62), RHP Gabe Gaeckle (4-2, 4.76), LHP Parker Coil (3-0, 1.27), LHP Landon Beidelschies (4-0, 4.92), RHP Will McEntire (1-0, 2.59), RHP Dylan Carter (6-0, 2.18)
MLB alumni: Kevin McReynolds, Eric Hinske, Jeff King, Andrew Benintendi, Les Lancaster, Tom Pagnozzi, Ryne Stanek, Blake Parker, Drew Smyly, Cliff Lee, Dallas Keuchel, Colin Poche, Jalen Beeks, Robert Person, Tim Lollar
Short hops: No. 3 Razorbacks are the highest remaining national seed. … Wehiwa Aloy is the SEC player of the year. His first name means “prized one” in Hawaiian. He leads the team with 20 homers and is among seven Arkansas players with double-digit homers. … Hogs’ 123 homers are program record and fifth in the country. … Arkansas has had at least one player selected in each of the past 50 MLB drafts dating back to 1975.
Quotable: “We want to win a natty bad for him. He deserves it. So yeah, we’ll give it all we got in Omaha for him, for sure,” — Davalan, on Van Horn
NIL promises made to recruits, now coaches wait for key decision to learn whether they can keep them
Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Next week, college football coaches can put the recruiting promises they have made to high school seniors on paper. Then the question becomes whether they can keep them. Uncertainty over a key element of the $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement that is reshaping college sports has placed recruiters on […]
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Next week, college football coaches can put the recruiting promises they have made to high school seniors on paper.
Then the question becomes whether they can keep them.
Uncertainty over a key element of the $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement that is reshaping college sports has placed recruiters on a tightrope.
They need clarity about whether the third-party collectives that were closely affiliated with their schools and that ruled name, image, likeness payments over the first four years of the NIL era can be used to exceed the $20.5 million annual cap on what each school can now pay players directly. Or, whether those collectives will simply become a cog in the new system.
Only until that issue is resolved will many coaches know if the offers they’ve made, and that can become official on Aug. 1, will conform to the new rules governing college sports.
“You don’t want to put agreements on the table about things that we might have to claw back,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day explained at this week’s Big Ten media days. “Because that’s not a great look.”
No coach, of course, is going to fess up to making an offer he can’t back up.
“All we can do is be open and honest about what we do know, and be great communicators from that standpoint,” Oregon’s Dan Lanning said.
Aug. 1 is key because it marks the day football programs can start sending written offers for scholarships to high school prospects starting their senior year.
This process essentially replaces what used to be the signing of a national letter of intent. It symbolizes the changes taking hold in a new era in which players aren’t just signing for a scholarship, but for a paycheck, too.
Paying them is not a straightforward business. Among the gray areas comes from guidance issued earlier this month by the newly formed College Sports Commission in charge of enforcing rules involved with paying players, both through the $20.5 million revenue share with schools and through third-party collectives.
The CSC is in charge of clearing all third-party deals worth $600 or more.
It created uncertainty earlier this month when it announced, in essence, that the collectives did not have a “valid business purpose.” if their only reason to exist was ultimately to pay players. Lawyers for the players barked back and said that is what a collective was always met to be, and if it sells a product for a profit, it qualifies as legit.
The parties are working on a compromise, but if they don’t reach one they will take this in front of a judge to decide.
With Aug. 1 coming up fast, oaches are eager to lock in commitments they’ve spent months, sometimes years, locking down from high school recruits.
“Recruiting never shuts off, so we do need clarity as soon as we can,” Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork said. “The sooner we can have clarity, the better. I think the term ‘collective’ has obviously taken on a life of its own. But it’s really not what it’s called, it’s what they do.”
In anticipating the future, some schools have disbanded their collectives while others, such as Ohio State, have brought them in-house. It is all a bit of a gamble. If the agreement that comes out of these negotiations doesn’t restrict collectives, they could be viewed as an easy way to get around the salary cap. Either way, schools eyeing ways for players to earn money outside the cap amid reports that big programs have football rosters worth more than $30 million in terms of overall player payments.
“It’s a lot to catch up, and there’s a lot for coaches and administrators to deal with,” Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said, noting the terms only went into play on July 1. “But I don’t think it’s unusual when you have something this different that there’s going to be some bumps in the road to get to the right place. I think everybody is committed to get there.”
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, whose program tapped into the transfer portal and NIL to make the most remarkable turnaround in college football last season, acknowledged “the landscape is still changing, changing as we speak today.”
“You’ve got to be light on your feet and nimble,” he said. “At some point, hopefully down the road, this thing will settle down and we’ll have clear rules and regulations on how we operate.”
At stake at Oregon is what is widely regarded as a top-10 recruiting class for a team that finished first in the Big Ten and made the College Football Playoff last year along with three other teams from the league.
“It’s an interpretation that has to be figured out, and anytime there’s a new rule, it’s how does that rule adjust, how does it adapt, how does it change what we have to do here,” Lanning said. “But one thing we’ve been able to do here is — what we say we’ll do, we do.”
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
Longtime Florissant Valley College soccer coach Sorber dies
Tom Timmermann | Post-Dispatch Pete Sorber, who coached Florissant Valley Community College to 10 national championships in a 30-year career and became a beloved fixture on the local soccer scene, died Wednesday, July 23, 2025. He was 95 and a week away from turning 96. Sorber took over at Flo Valley when Harry Keough left […]
Pete Sorber, who coached Florissant Valley Community College to 10 national championships in a 30-year career and became a beloved fixture on the local soccer scene, died Wednesday, July 23, 2025. He was 95 and a week away from turning 96.
Sorber took over at Flo Valley when Harry Keough left to become the head coach at St. Louis University in the halcyon days for St. Louis soccer. Keough went on to win five NCAA titles at SLU, but Sorber won twice that many, using a roster built totally on local players to win national championships in 1967, ’69, ’70, ’71, ’73, ’75, ’81, ’84, ’85 and ’89.
Flo Valley also went to the championship game in 1968, giving it a run of five years in the championship game at a level where no player was on the team more than two years. Sorber, who retired in 1997 and became an avid golfer, had a record of 415-85-22 and was named national coach of the year five times.
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“He touched everyone, not just in soccer but as a person,” said his son Mike, who had a long playing career that included starting for the United States at the 1994 World Cup before becoming a coach himself, as an assistant with St. Louis University, in Major League Soccer and with the U.S. national team. “He found the best in everyone and brought that out. That was his specialty.”
“Pete taught me how to be a player, a coach, a friend, a father, a husband and a man,” said Matt McVey, who played for and coached with Sorber and is still an assistant at Flo Valley, “and at least 800 other guys like me, just by example. One of first things he said was, it’s not fun if you don’t make it fun.”
In addition to coaching at Flo Valley, Sorber also was an assistant coach with the indoor St. Louis Steamers from 1979 to 1985.
Gene Francis Sorber (as a child, someone called him “Little Pete,” after his father, and the name stuck) was born Aug. 1, 1929. He attended South Side High (now St. Mary’s), didn’t go to college and played only as an amateur in the extensive club system that existed in St. Louis at the time. He served three years in the Navy, then went to work for the Wabash Railroad and as a fireman in the city of St. Louis.
It was while a fireman, working on the snorkel crew out of a firehouse downtown, that he joined Flo Valley. Keough was leaving Flo Valley to take the SLU job and recommended Sorber, who had retired as a player two years before and had been coaching at St. Mary’s, for the job, figuring Sorber could fit that into his fireman’s schedule the same way Keough had juggled coaching and being a mailman.
Sorber had been skeptical of taking the job because of the long commute from his home on the South Side but said yes. The success was immediate, and after two seasons, he was able to quit being a fireman and work full time at Flo Valley, adding the job of gym supervisor.
Some prominent local players moved through Sorber’s program, including Steve Pecher and Denny Vanniger, both of whom went straight from Flo Valley to play in the North American Soccer League (“Without Pete, there’s no Pecher,” McVey said) and later for the U.S. national team. Mike Margulis was playing at Flo Valley when he was selected for the 1972 U.S. Olympic team.
Sorber is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marlene; his son, Mike, currently the coach of St. Louis City SC’s under-16 academy team; and two grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending.
City SC beat writer Tom Timmermann and co-host Beth O’Malley reflect on a disappointing, crushing loss for City SC and what the team’s future looks like after acquiring a young striker from Minnesota in the transfer window.
Utah football legends will be inducted into Utes Hall of Fame
Two standouts from the 2012 Utah football team are set to have their college careers immortalized this fall. Former defensive linemen Star Lotulelei and Nate Orchard will join five iconic Utes as part of the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025, the school announced on Tuesday. C.J. Cron (baseball), Georgia Dabritz (gymnastics), Bernt […]
Two standouts from the 2012 Utah football team are set to have their college careers immortalized this fall.
Former defensive linemen Star Lotulelei and Nate Orchard will join five iconic Utes as part of the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025, the school announced on Tuesday. C.J. Cron (baseball), Georgia Dabritz (gymnastics), Bernt Lund (men’s skiing), Ashley Mason (women’s soccer) and contributor Kem Gardner will be inducted alongside Lotulelei and Orchard this October.
“The rich history of Utah Athletics has been established by the accomplishments of countless individuals who have worn a Utah uniform or contributed to Utah’s success in a significant way, and the most distinguished of those are recognized with enshrinement into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame,” said Utah director of athletics Mark Harlan in a statement. “We are excited to announce seven additions to the Hall of Fame, whose legacy of success will forever be documented by their induction into the Hall of Fame. We look forward to celebrating these exceptional Utah Utes in October, as we congratulate the Class of 2025.”
Lotulelei became one of the program’s most decorated defensive linemen over the course of his three seasons in Salt Lake City, bringing home All-America First Team honors from the Associated Press and the Walter Camp in 2012, while being named to the All-Pac-12 first team for the second straight year. Lotulelei was also recognized as the best player at his position in the Pac-12 in 2011, which earned him the Morris Trophy for his efforts.
November 3, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes defensive tackles Tenny Palepoi (91) and Star Lotulelei (92) celebrate a sack during the first half against the Washington State Cougars at Rice-Eccles Stadium. / Russ Isabella-Imagn Images
Lotulelei finished his college career with 22.5 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, five fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles. After the Carolina Panthers selected him No. 14 overall in the 2013 draft, Lotulelei went on to serve as a full-time starter for his first seven seasons in the NFL, including five with the Panthers (2013-17) and two with the Buffalo Bills (2018-19). Buffalo released him in March 2022.
Orchard, who was teammates with Lotulelei for two seasons from 2011-12, was a dominant force along Utah’s defensive line in his own right. By the end of his four-year stay in Salt Lake City, Orchard was tied for fifth in school history in career sacks (25) and had set the single-season school record with 18.5 sacks in 2014, earning him All-America first team honors from the likes of Walter Camp, ESPN and Phil Steele, among other outlets. He also received the Ted Hendricks (top defensive end) award and was the Morris Trophy winner in 2014 as well.
Aug 28, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes defensive end Nate Orchard (8) and Utah Utes defensive back Brian Blechen (4) look on during the fourth quarter against the Idaho State Bengals at Rice-Eccles Stadium. / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Orchard was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2015 draft and went on to play seven seasons with four different teams in total.
Lotulelei and Orchard will be the seventh and eighth former Utah football players inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame since 2020. The program honored former punter and kicker Louie Sakoda last year after inducting Eric Weddle (2022), Chris Kemoeatu (2022), Anthony Brown (2021), Alex Smith (2021) and Eddie Johnson (2021). The entire 2008 team that was credited by Anderson & Hester as the national champions of the sport that year was enshrined by the school in 2023.
Introducing the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025!
Congratulations to these seven distinguished inductees who will join the Hall in October! #GoUtes
Trump likes renaming people, places and things; He’s not the first to deploy that perk of power
History, it has been said, is written by the winners. President Donald Trump is working that lever of power — again. This time, he’s insisting that Washington’s NFL team change its name from the Commanders back to the Redskins, a name that was considered offensive to Native Americans. Predictably, to Trump’s stated delight, an […]
History, it has been said, is written by the winners. President Donald Trump is working that lever of power — again.
This time, he’s insisting that Washington’s NFL team change its name from the Commanders back to the Redskins, a name that was considered offensive to Native Americans. Predictably, to Trump’s stated delight, an internet uproar ensued.
It’s a return to the president’s favorite rebranding strategy, one well-used around the world and throughout history. Powers-that-be rename something — a body of water, a mountain in Alaska, St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Mumbai, various places in Israel after 1948 — in line with “current” political and cultural views. Using names to tell a leader’s own version of the nation’s story is a perk of power that Trump is far from the first to enjoy.
A name, after all, defines identity and even reality because it is connected to the verb “to be,“ says one brand strategist.
“A parent naming a child, a founder naming a company, a president naming a place … in each example, we can see the relationship of power,” Shannon Murphy, who runs Nameistry, a naming agency that works with companies and entrepreneurs to develop brand identities, said in an email. “Naming gives you control.”
Trump reignited a debate on football and American identity
In Trump’s case, reviving the debate over the Washington football team’s name had the added effect of distraction.
“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” he wrote on his social media platform, adding a threat to derail the team’s deal for a new stadium if it resisted.
In fact, part of the reaction came from people noting that Trump’s proposed renaming came as he struggled to move past a rebellion among his supporters over the administration’s refusal to release much-hyped records in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation. Over about two weeks, Trump had cycled through many tactics — downplaying the issue, blaming others, scolding a reporter, insulting his own supporters, suing the Wall Street Journal and finally authorizing the Justice Department to try to unseal grand jury transcripts.
Trump’s demand that the NFL and the District of Columbia change the team’s name back to a dictionary definition of a slur against Native Americans reignited a brawl in miniature over race, history and the American identity.
Trump’s reelection itself can be seen as a response to the nation’s reckoning with its racial history after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. That year, Americans elected Democratic President Joe Biden, who championed diversity. During his term, Washington’s football team became first the Washington Football Team, then the Commanders, at a widely estimated cost in the tens of millions of dollars. And in 2021, The Cleveland Indians became the Cleveland Guardians.
In 2025, Trump has ordered a halt to diversity, equity and inclusion programs through the federal government, universities and schools, despite legal challenges. And he wants the Commanders’ name changed back, though it’s unclear if he has the authority to restrict the nearly $4 billion project.
Is Trump’s ‘Redskins’ push a distraction or a power play?
What’s clear is that names carry great power where business, national identity, race, history and culture intersect.
Trump has had great success for decades branding everything from buildings he named after himself to the Gulf between Mexico, Cuba and the United States to his political opponents and people he simply doesn’t like. Exhibit A: Florida’s governor, dubbed by Trump “Meatball Ron” DeSantis, who challenged him for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
And Trump is not the first leader to use monikers and nicknames — branding, really — to try to define reality and the people who populate it. Naming was a key tool of colonization that modern-day countries are still trying to dislodge. “Naming,” notes one expert, “is never neutral.”
“To name is to collapse infinite complexity into a manageable symbol, and in that compression, whole worlds are won or lost,“ linguist Norazha Paiman wrote last month on Medium.
”When the British renamed places throughout India or Africa, they weren’t just updating maps,” Paiman wrote. “They were restructuring the conceptual frameworks through which people could relate to their own territories.”
This is not Trump’s first rebranding push
Trump’s order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America is perhaps the best-known result of Executive Order 14172, titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.”
The renaming sent mapmakers, search engines and others into a flurry over whether to change the name. And it set off a legal dispute with The Associated Press over First Amendment freedoms that is still winding through the courts. The news outlet’s access to events in the Oval Office and Air Force One was cut back starting in February after the AP said it would continue referring to the Gulf of Mexico in its copy, while noting Trump’s wishes that it instead be renamed the Gulf of America.
It’s unclear if Trump’s name will stick universally — or go the way of “freedom fries,” a brief attempt by some in the George W. Bush-era GOP to rebrand french fries after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
But there’s evidence that at least for business in some places, the “Gulf of America” terminology has staying power. Chevron’s earnings statements of late have referred to the Gulf of America, because “that’s the position of the U.S. government now,” CEO Mike Wirth said during a Jan. 31 call with investors.
And along the Gulf Coast in Republican Louisiana, leaders of the state’s seafood industry call the body of water the Gulf of America, in part, because putting that slogan on local products might help beat back the influx of foreign shrimp flooding American markets, the Louisiana Illuminator news outlet reported.
Renaming is a bipartisan endeavor
The racial reckoning inspired by Floyd’s killing rippled across the cultural landscape.
Quaker retired the Aunt Jemima brand after it had been served up at America’s breakfast tables for 131 years, saying it recognized that the character’s origins were “based on a racial stereotype.” Eskimo Pies became Edy’s. The Grammy-winning country band Lady Antebellum changed its name to Lady A, saying they were regretful and embarrassed that their former moniker was associated with slavery.
And Trump didn’t start the fight over football. Democratic President Barack Obama, in fact, told The Associated Press in 2013 that he would “think about changing” the name of the Washington Redskins if he owned the team.
Trump soon after posted to Twitter: “President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them, not nonsense.”
Fast-forward to July 20, 2025, when Trump posted that the Washington Commanders should change their name back to the Redskins.
“Times,” the president wrote, “are different now.”
News: Danny Parkins, Ian Baker-Finch, Jimbo Fisher and more
Danny Parkins is reportedly moving to afternoons on FS1; Ian Baker-Finch is stepping away from the microphone; and Jimbo Fisher is joining the ACC Network and ESPN. Plus additional news about Baron Davis, Justin Fuente, Flora Kelly and Dan Steinberg. Danny Parkins reportedly joining “First Things First” on FS1 As part of an overhaul of […]
Danny Parkins is reportedly moving to afternoons on FS1; Ian Baker-Finch is stepping away from the microphone; and Jimbo Fisher is joining the ACC Network and ESPN. Plus additional news about Baron Davis, Justin Fuente, Flora Kelly and Dan Steinberg.
Danny Parkins reportedly joining “First Things First” on FS1
As part of an overhaul of its daily lineup, FS1 is reportedly expanding its afternoon program “First Things First” to three hours and adding Danny Parkins as a daily member of the show. Parkins, who was a regular on the now-canceled “Breakfast Ball,” will be working alongside Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes in the new third hour of the program, which has been on the airwaves since 2017 and airing in afternoons for the last three years.
Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports was the first to report the news of Parkins’ addition.
Parkins joined FS1 on a full-time basis last year as part of a “Breakfast Ball” cast that included Craig Carton and Mark Schlereth. His move to “First Things First” marks a reunion of sorts with Wright, a friend of his dating back to their college years at Syracuse.
Prior to working in television, Parkins hosted the afternoon drive slot at 670 The Score in Chicago with Matt Spiegel, and he continues to appear on the station for an annual 24-hour radiothon to raise money for cancer research.
Ian Baker-Finch to retire from broadcasting
Longtime CBS golf analyst Ian Baker-Finch announced his retirement on Tuesday, ending a 19 year-run working for CBS Sports. Baker-Finch will work the final two CBS-produced tournaments of the season, ending his broadcast career from the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, Aug. 3.
“Golf has been an enormous part of my life,” Baker-Finch said in a statement. “I was fortunate to compete against the best players in the game and more recently work with the very best in television. To my CBS Sports family–my teammates, producers, directors and crew — thank you for your extraordinary talent, dedication, and camaraderie. You’ve made every moment in the booth a joy, transforming broadcasts into cherished memories.”
Prior to working with CBS Sports, Baker-Finch served as an analyst for ESPN golf coverage and was also a hole announcer for ABC Sports. Upon joining CBS Sports in 2007, he started contributing to broadcasts as both an analyst and hole announcer where he had the chance to commentate alongside broadcasters such as Jim Nantz, Trevor Immelman and Dottie Pepper. Baker-Finch said he has “immense gratitude and pride” for moments that have been shared with colleagues and golf fans around the world and that he is looking forward to new adventures while maintaining his “enduring love of golf.”
“As a major champion during his successful playing career and over three decades in broadcasting, Ian Baker-Finch distinguished himself as one of the most respected and trusted voices in golf,” David Berson, president and chief executive officer of CBS Sports, said in a statement. “As he announces his retirement, we’ll miss his passion, insight, warmth and steady presence on the air but know he will continue to make his mark across the world of golf. Finchy will always be part of the CBS Sports family, and we thank him for being an incredible teammate and friend, and for his immeasurable contributions the past 19 years at CBS.”
Jimbo Fisher to join ACC Network, ESPN
Former Florida State football head coach Jimbo Fisher is joining the ACC Network as a studio analyst, it was announced Tuesday. Fisher, a three-time ACC champion and National Championship winner, will be appear weekly on ACC Huddle where he will appear on a weekly basis alongside host Taylor Tannebaum and analysts Eric Mac Lain and Eddie Royal. EJ Manuel, who was on the program since joining the network in 2019, will be transitioning to a new ESPN studio role in the fall and also maintain a presence on the ACC Network.
In addition to delivering analysis on ACC Network, Fisher is also going to be a college football analyst at ESPN.
“I’m looking forward to joining ACC Network and the Huddle team this season,” Fisher said in a statement. “I’ve always had tremendous respect for this conference, and I’m looking forward to breaking down the action each week with such a talented group.”
Fisher led Florida State to the national championship in the 2013-14 season and accrued a 83-23 record throughout his time with the university. He departed FSU in 2017 to become the head coach of Texas A&M, but was fired within his sixth season with the team. Although Fisher has not resumed coaching since 2023, he joined SiriusXM ahead of the last football season where he worked alongside the aforementioned Manuel and Jacob Hester to host a weekly program on its College Sports Radio channel.
Plus: Baron Davis, Justin Fuente, Flora Kelly, Dan Steinberg
Former NBA guard Baron Davis has been named the host of “Raiders: Talk of the Nation,” anchoring a 30-minute sit-down interview series analyzing lifestyle, culture and community surrounding the team. Silver & Black Productions is producing the show, which will include “in-depth conversations with a rotating mix of local voices, national media personalities and celebrity guests.”
Former Virginia Tech football coach Justin Fuente has been named the lead color analyst for TCU Horned Frogs football games airing on the Horned Frog Sports Network. Fuente, who formerly coached at the collegiate level for more than two decades, will work on the radio with play-by-play announcer Brian Estridge and sideline analyst Elvis Gallegos.
Vice president of ESPN Research Flora Kelly has been promoted to senior vice president of the division. Kelly has been working with the company since 2006 starting as a research analyst and helping the company measure its multiplatform success.
Digital sports editor and columnist Dan Steinberg announced that he is departing The Washington Post after working for the publication since 2001. Steinberg, who founded D.C. Sports Bog in 2006, said that Wednesday is his final day on the job.
HANOVER, N.H.—The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced its academic awards for the 2024-25 season. Dartmouth women’s tennis earned the All-Academic Team Honor while nine student-athletes earned Scholar Athletes honors. For a team to earn ITA All-Academic Team honors the team must have had a GPA 3.2 or above. Dartmouth is one of 222 team across […]
HANOVER, N.H.—The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced its academic awards for the 2024-25 season. Dartmouth women’s tennis earned the All-Academic Team Honor while nine student-athletes earned Scholar Athletes honors.
For a team to earn ITA All-Academic Team honors the team must have had a GPA 3.2 or above. Dartmouth is one of 222 team across Division I to be awarded the honor.
Peyton Capuano, Sam Grosjean, Caroline Lemcke, Elizabeth Fahrmeier, Valentina Cruz, Michela Moore, Ujvala Jupalli, Brooke Hess, and Elise Wong each earned Scholar Athlete honors.
For student-athletes to earn Scholar Athlete honors they must have held a GPA of at least 3.5.
