NY Racing announced a landmark partnership with SU Football NIL and the Syracuse University football team ahead of the Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, August 10. The Orange will take center stage as a primary sponsor on the No. 44 Chevrolet, driven by veteran racer J.J. Yeley.

The collaboration marks a unique crossover between college football and motorsports, bringing the identity and legacy of Syracuse University into the NASCAR spotlight.

“I’m excited to be a part of this NASCAR race,” said Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown. “I can’t wait to see the NY Racing Team compete while repping the Orange No. 44 DART.”

The Orange football program is riding momentum from a breakout 2024 campaign, which saw the team finish inside the top 20 of the national polls under Brown’s leadership in his first year at the helm. Syracuse competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The partnership carries deep symbolic significance. At Syracuse, the No. 44 is more than a jersey — it’s a revered part of the university’s athletic history. Legendary running backs Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little all wore the number, embedding it into the school’s identity. Even the university’s zip code, 13244, reflects the importance of 44 to the Orange.

This tribute comes full circle for NY Racing Team owner John Cohen, who selected the No. 44 for his NASCAR team in honor of Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy and a Syracuse icon.

The race at Watkins Glen International promises to be more than just another entry in the NASCAR Cup Series — it’s a celebration of sports legacy, pride, and a partnership that connects the track to the turf.

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Last month, EA Sports announced its long-awaited return to the college basketball video game space now that players can be in the game thanks to NIL rule changes. The new installment is set to come out in 2028, according to the company.

During a quarterly earnings call Tuesday, EA CEO Andrew Wilson received a question about the game’s return. While he didn’t provide too many details, he confirmed the goal is to include every men’s and women’s team.

Wilson also pointed out the “opportunity” presented to EA Sports, especially after the success of College Football 25. It became one of the biggest sports video games ever, and Wilson said basketball could get a boost as a result. In fact, he sees “momentum” in the college hoops space.

“We can’t say too much about it yet, but if I think about the opportunity, going back to where we are on College Football, college sport has one of the most vibrant fanbase in the world,” Wilson said, via Insider-Gaming’s Mike Straw. “And that trickles over to basketball certainly.

“We’re seeing momentum of fandom in college basketball also continue to grow. Fans, athletes, universities pour their passion into these sports. And it is that passion that makes it special, that makes the games different.”

EA Sports saw its return to the college football video game pay off in a big way last year as College Football 25 became one of the top-selling games of the year. Quick math shows EA brought in more than $400 million in sales from the game.

And while 2K Sports is also reportedly planning to challenge EA with a college basketball video game of its own, Wilson made it clear his company would maintain a commitment similar to what it did with football. That includes “capturing the action on the field or the court, representing the energy, pageantry, the traditions and celebrating the unique sights and sounds and stories of every school and rivalry,” he said.

“We feel like we deliver that incredibly well with College Football,” Wilson said. “We’d love to do the same for basketball. All 350 programs, men’s and women’s teams, the iconic traditions and rivalries, and of course, March Madness.

“So for us, college sports broadly is an exciting opportunity. We feel like we’ve done a really strong job, and remain committed to doing that in the context of college football. We believe that with what we’ve done with the teams, the technology, and our commitment around College Football, we’d have a great ability to do the same for college basketball, and as we look to try and activate against that opportunity, we’ll be able to share more.”

News of EA’s pending return to the college basketball space came in late June when Extra Points’ Matt Brown reported details of what could be coming. He said three companies filed formal bids to create a game, and the College Licensing Company recommended EA’s.

Saniyah Hall, ESPN’s No. 1 women’s basketball prospect in the high school class of 2026, has committed to play at Southern California.

Hall, a 6-foot-2 guard from northeast Ohio, announced her decision last week on ESPN’s “NBA Today.”

USC has landed three of the last four No. 1 recruits, with Hall joining JuJu Watkins in 2023 and Jasmine Davidson in 2025.

Watkins is expected to miss most of the upcoming season with a torn ACL that she suffered during the women’s NCAA Tournament. She would most likely return for the 2026-27 season, which would be Hall’s freshman year.

Hall, who turns 17 on Wednesday, recently helped the United States win gold at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup. She averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists and was named MVP of the tournament.

Hall will play for SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, for her senior season after transferring from Montverde Academy in central Florida.

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Arizona State, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State. College football’s elite in 2025? Not necessarily. But the five schools have something in common: they are all projected to be favored in every regular season game.

Based on power rankings from Brad Powers, of Bet the Board Podcast, those five programs enter the 2025 season projected as favorites in each of their 12 regular-season games.

The actual point spreads for every game is not available. Also, the projections can (and will) change based on the actual on-the-field results.

Based on Powers’ projections, Ohio State is at least a double-digit favorite in nine games. The only games he Buckeyes are less than a 10-point favorite: at home vs. Texas (-3) on Aug. 30; at home vs. Penn State (-3½) on Nov. 1 and at Michigan (-3½) on Nov. 29.

Notre Dame is a prohibitive favorite in nearly each game. The Fighting Irish are less than a 10-point favorite in only their first two games: at Miami (-2) on Aug. 31 and home vs. Texas A&M (-7½) on Aug. 13. Notre Dame is more than a two TD favorite in eight of its 12 contests, including its final five games.

Georgia is at least a two-TD favorite in seven games and at least a touchdown favorite in every game, except home vs. Alabama (-3½) on Sept. 27 and home vs. Texas (-2½) on Nov. 15.

ACC favorite Clemson is less than a 10-point favorite in only three games: vs. LSU (-4) on Aug. 30, at Louisville (-6) on Nov. 14 and at Georgia Tech (-4½) on Nov. 29

While Arizona State is favored in every game, the Sun Devils don’t have much margin of error. Arizona State is less than a one-score favorite in six games: at Baylor (-1) on Sept. 20; home vs. TCU (-6½) on Sept. 26; at Utah (-1) on Oct. 11; home vs. Texas Tech (-5½) on Oct. 18; at Iowa State (-2) on Nov. 1; and at Colorado (-8) on Nov. 22.

Ironically, the Texas Longhorns, the consensus favorite to win the national title, is projected to be an underdog in two games: at Ohio State and at Georgia. Texas is a 3-point underdog at Ohio State on Aug. 30 and projected a 2½-point underdog at Georgia on Nov. 15.

Powers’ power ratings also projects eight teams to be favored in 11 of 12 regular season games: Alabama, Boise State, James Madison, Liberty, Miami, Oregon, Penn State and Toledo.

Being projected as a favorite in 11 or 12 games before the season is no guarantee of a perfect – or even a winning season.

Before the 2024 season, Georgia, Kansas State, Liberty, Miami and Oregon were all projected to be favored in every game. Their final regular season records: Georgia (10-2), Kansas State (8-4), Miami (10-2), Oregon (12-0).

Also last year, Florida State, Oklahoma State and Utah were each projected before the season to be favored in 11 games. Yet they all crashed and burned. The Seminoles finished 2-10, Oklahoma State 3-9 and Utah 5-7.

However, before the 2023 season, the five schools projected to be favorite in every game all nearly ran the table in the regular seasons. Alabama, Georgia, Louisville, Michigan and Washington were all projected to be favored in each game. Their final regular season records: Alabama (11-1), Georgia (12-0), Louisville (10-2), Michigan (12-0) and Washington (12-0). 

The Wolverines defeated the Huskies in the 2023 national title game.

The college football season kicks off in less than a month, but the amount of time players have to enter the transfer portal following the 2025 season could still change. The NCAA Division I Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on Aug. 5 for a videoconference call to vote on recommendations from the D-I Decision-Making Working Group.

Among the changes the working group has proposed is cutting 30 committees and providing the Power Four more control to steer D-I governance outcomes. If the proposal passes, the structure would be implemented effectively on Sept. 1, phasing in over time as committees are populated.

The proposed model would grant the power conferences as much as 65% weighted voting power in rules-making committees for decisions on the transfer portal and athlete eligibility, among other topics. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey recently said he’d like that percentage to move up to 68%.

Specifically, the move would reduce the layers of review, opening a pathway to an accelerated legislative process. At the proposed 65%, all Power Four conferences would have to vote in unison to pass an item.

The Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee is already populated and could introduce a proposal to change the transfer portal calendar. A committee could vote and implement a portal change before the portal opens at the end of the upcoming season, per an NCAA source.

The composition of the oversight committees could be adjusted, but the committee itself already exists. The Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee has meetings scheduled for Aug. 1 and Aug. 7.

The NCAA’s House Implementation Committee has also been working on calendar recommendations to commissioners by the end of August for changes to the portal for this season. The House committee has discussed a one-time-only window in January or April.

The Division I Council approved changes to the notification-of-transfer windows in FBS and FCS and men’s and women’s basketball from a total of 45 days to 30 days last October. College football players currently have 30 days to enter, with a 20-day December window and 10-day April window. But grad transfers can enter at any time up until April, and multi-time transfers don’t have to wait to play.

Back in January at the American Football Coaches Association convention in Charlotte, head coaches proposed to move the transfer portal to a 10-day window in early January after bowl games, with the spring window eliminated. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day recently told On3 he prefers a one-time-only portal window in the spring, opposed to the winter. He said he’s not worried about building a roster only months before the season.

“I think there should be one transfer portal in the spring,” Day said. “I don’t think it should be right after the national title game and when the season is over.”

With just over three months to go until college basketball season, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi is already shaking up his latest Bracketology projections. He made some big changes as the summer rolls along.

Houston once again comes in as the No. 1 overall seed, but Washington is now the first team out of the preseason bracket. The Cougars are looking to build off last season’s Final Four berth and appear poised for success once again with plenty of key contributors returning in 2025-26.

However, there were some changes in Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN. Here’s where he sees the bracket as the calendar flips to August.

ESPN Bracketology: On the bubble

Last Four Byes: Ole Miss, Georgia, Maryland, Baylor
Last Four In: Texas A&M, Iowa, Miami, SMU
First Four Out: Washington, Indiana, Marquette, Nebraska
Next Four Out: Clemson, Kansas State, Virginia, Georgetown

Washington, fresh off its debut season in the Big Ten, is Joe Lunardi’s first team out of his ESPN Bracketology update. The Huskies went 13-18 overall and 4-16 in Big Ten play last year, but won big in the transfer portal with seven additions as part of On3’s No. 3-ranked transfer class.

Still, Lunardi has UW as the first team out behind SMU, which became the last team in ahead of Andy Enfield’s second season at the helm. The Mustangs finished fourth in the ACC a season ago, but has a Top-15 recruiting class on its way.

ESPN Bracketology: Midwest Region – Chicago

1. Houston vs. 16. Northern Colorado
8. Texas vs. 9. Creighton
5. Alabama vs. 12. Yale
4. Illinois vs. 13. McNeese State

6. Texas Tech vs. 11. Texas A&M/Miami
3. Tennessee vs. 14. UNC Wilmington
7. Wisconsin vs. 10. Ole Miss
2. UConn vs. 15. Siena

In 2025, Houston made its first national championship appearance since the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Phi Slamma Jamma team of 1984. Although the Cougars fell short against Florida, they still have plenty of continuity this season, meaning another run to a No. 1 seed could be in the cards.

Joe Lunardi has some other interesting teams in his projected East Region, including UConn. The Huskies failed to win a third straight championship last year, but made some big additions this offseason to help replace some departing production.

West Region – San Jose

1. Duke vs. 16. Southeast Missouri State/Norfolk State
8. Mississippi State vs. 9. Maryland
5. Gonzaga vs. 12. UC Santa Barbara
4. UCLA vs. 13. Utah Valley

6. Kansas vs. 11. Iowa/SMU
3. Kentucky vs. 14. Furman
7. USC vs. 10. VCU
2. BYU vs. 15. Navy

With Cooper Flagg now in the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick, Duke will now look to continue the momentum built by last year’s Final Four run. The Blue Devils have another strong recruiting class coming in, led by twins Cam and Cayden Boozer, as they look to keep things going in 2025-26.

At the No. 2 seed, though, Joe Lunardi has BYU moving up a line. The Cougars made the biggest splash on the recruiting trail this cycle, landing top overall recruit AJ Dybantsa, who’s already generating buzz as the potential No. 1 pick in next year’s draft.

East Region – Washington, D.C.

1. Florida vs. 16. Vermont
8. Cincinnati vs. 9. Oklahoma
5. Michigan State vs. 12. Illinois State
4. Arkansas vs. 13. Miami (OH)

6. North Carolina vs. 11. San Diego State
3. Iowa State vs. 14. South Dakota State
7. NC State vs. 10. Georgia
2. Michigan vs. 15. Youngstown State

After winning the national championship, Florida became one of the offseason’s biggest winners. The Gators notably got Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu back while also adding key players such as Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland from the portal.

Michigan then came in as Joe Lunardi’s No. 2 seed in ESPN’s East Region projections as the Wolverines continue to generate buzz this offseason. Following a huge debut season for Dusty May, UM landed the No. 4-ranked portal class – headlined by No. 1 overall transfer Yaxel Lendeborg.

South Region – Houston

1. Purdue vs. 16. Jackson State/Long Island
8. Missouri vs. 9. Baylor
5. Louisville vs. 12. Liberty
4. Auburn vs. 13. High Point

6. Ohio State vs. 11. Memphis
3. Arizona vs. 14. Arkansas State
7. Oregon vs. 10. Vanderbilt
2. St. John’s vs. 15. Florida Gulf Coast

A No. 4 seed last year, Purdue’s only notable departure was Myles Colvin. The program has returning core led by Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer – along with transfer center Oscar Cluff – and that could put the Boilermakers in the conversation for the 1-seed line this year.

Additionally, Joe Lunardi projects St. John’s to be back as a No. 2 seed after the Red Storm broke out in Year 2 under Rick Pitino. The program once again used the transfer portal to reload, bringing in six names. Ian Jackson and Bryce Hopkins are among the most notable additions.

Practice is set to begin in September, but the preparations are already underway for the 2025-26 season. It all gets underway Nov. 3.