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Data Dives On 5 Likely College Pitcher First

On Wednesday, we used Statcast data from this year’s college baseball season to break down five potential first-round college hitters for the 2025 MLB Draft. Today, we’ll turn our attention to five college pitchers eligible for the 2025 draft who are very likely to be off the board within the first 20 picks of the […]

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3 weeks ago

July 4, 2025

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Data Dives On 5 Likely College Pitcher First

To dig into each pitcher’s strengths and weaknesses, we’ll evaluate data from all games pitched in front of a Trackman device in 2025. We’ll look at movement data and rate stats to get a better feel for what each pitcher brings to the table for their future organization.

Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU

Pitch Type	Total	Avg. Velo	Max. Velo	IVB	HB	Spin	VAA	Ext
Four-Seam	911	93.3	96.8	19.4	-8.2	2145	-5	6.13
Slider	542	85.4	89.9	-1.3	7.3	2692	-7.92	5.6
Changeup	234	83.1	86	9.4	-12.2	1537	-7.38	6.38
Curveball	230	79	85.2	-14.9	11	2865	-9.92	5.52

Anderson’s heroic postseason performance in regionals and College World Series won him Baseball America’s inaugural College Pitcher of the Year Award and established the LSU lefty as the top college pitcher in the class.

Pitchability is the name of the game for Anderson, who boasts solid but unspectacular stuff overall. His fastball features excellent shape, generating above-average ride and armside run while sitting 93-94 mph. Added velocity could see Anderson take a step forward with swing-and-miss generation if he ends up sitting more 95-96 mph as a professional.

His fastball generated a higher rate of whiffs this season than his slider, which is a squarely average offering with a solid combination of velocity and movement. Still, it’s not generated whiffs at the rate you’d expect for a college starter. Anderson’s changeup is his best secondary offering, as it boasted a 56.2% whiff rate in front of Trackman devices. His changeup has nearly a 2.5 degree separation off of his fastball plane, which creates deception and vertical separation.

Overall, it’s an above-average arsenal that could be further bolstered by added velocity or a bridge pitch between the fastball and slider.

Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State

Pitch Type	Total	Avg. Velo	Max. Velo	IVB	HB	Spin	VAA	Ext
Slider	575	85	89.4	-1	11.6	2358.7	-6.44	6.28
Two-Seam	322	93.4	96.6	6.6	-17.7	2256.5	-4.76	6.66
Four-Seam	309	93.5	97.7	11.7	-13.9	2293.7	-3.84	6.71
Changeup	115	85.5	89.2	-4.5	-7.8	1079.1	-6.89	6.7
Cutter	40	87.3	89.4	4.1	0.5	2320.4	-5.26	6.44

Arnold is a low-slot lefthander, not all that different in look from 2022 Cardinals first-round pick Cooper Hjerpe. Arnold’s stuff is better across the board than Hjerpe, however, even if his release traits are less outlier.

Arnold primarily mixes a sweepy mid-80s slider and two fastball shapes. The slider is his go-to pitch and his best whiff-inducing offering, generating a 46.3% whiff rate in Trackman-measured games this season. Arnold’s outlier combination of mid-80s velocity with above-average movement from a deceptive low slot, lefthanded release makes the pitch incredibly difficult to barrel.

Arnold’s four-seam fastball is the bat-missing offering of his two fastball shapes, with his two-seamer working as a groundball-driving pitch that boasted a 54.4% groundball rate in 2025. His changeup performed well in 2025, giving Arnold four shapes and a combination of pitches that move in different directions. The changeup boasted the second-highest groundball rate and second-highest whiff percentage (40%) in his arsenal.

Arnold actually boasts five different pitch shapes when you factor in his rarely-used cutter, giving him the ability to go after different handedness and types of hitting profiles with a unique plane of attack.

Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma

Pitch Type	Total	Avg. Velo	Max. Velo	IVB	HB	Spin	VAA	Ext
Four-Seam	750	96.4	99.3	18.9	6.9	2309.6	-4.47	5.61
Cutter	329	89.2	91.8	5.8	-4	2519.1	-6.65	5.57
Slider	297	85.9	90.3	1	-4.5	2433.5	-7.24	5.45
Curveball	126	78.2	83.4	-16.8	-10.7	2632.8	-10.15	5.23
Changeup	51	88.7	92.1	10	13.7	1916.4	-5.93	5.37

Witherspoon and his twin brother Malachi spent two seasons at Oklahoma after a season at Northwest Florida State (FL.) JC. Witherspoon is an athletic mover on the mound, with buttery smooth mechanics. He had an excellent season in 2025 and showed a balanced arsenal with above-average velocity and good movement profiles.

His four-seam fastball sits 95-97 mph and touches 99 at peak with above-average ride and some cut. While he creates a flatter plane of approach, his 22.2% whiff rate against the fastball is a bit below-average for the quality of its traits.

He mixes three distinct breaking balls shapes: an upper-80s-to-low-90s cutter, a mid-80s slider and an upper-70s curveball with two-plane depth. His cutter has a whiff rate lower than his curveball, but due to a 56.5% swing rate against the pitch, it boasts the highest swinging-strike rate (21%) in his arsenal. With the trio of breaking balls shapes and his heater, Witherspoon has the ability to generate whiffs with four different pitches.

The questions around Witherspoon from some front offices surround his lack of remaining projection, both in his body and pitch mix. In some ways, he’s a “what you see is what you get” profile, but what you get in this case is a defined five-pitch mix with a variety of shapes and power.

Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee

Pitch Type	Total	Avg. Velo	Max. Velo	IVB	HB	Spin	VAA	Ext
Four-Seam	1,003	95.8	100.4	19.5	-10.9	2345.1	-4.22	5.75
Cutter	184	87.6	92.5	4.6	4.7	2341.6	-6.66	5.73
Slider	183	82.2	89.1	-2.8	9.6	2450	-7.69	5.65
Splitter	183	86.6	90.6	2.1	-10.4	1173.8	-7.31	5.64

Over the last three seasons, Doyle has pitched for three different schools: Coastal Carolina as a freshman in 2023, Ole Miss as a sophomore in 2024 and then Tennessee as a junior in 2025. It was a smart decision to join the defending national champions, as Doyle raised his profile and became viewed as one of the top players in college baseball in 2025.

Doyle’s pitch mix is heavily reliant on a plus fastball that accounts for around 65% of his pitch usage this season. There’s good reason behind this, though, as Doyle sits 95-97 mph from the left side with plus induced vertical break and armside movement from a flatter plane of approach to the plate.

Lack of a breaking ball is the biggest concern with Doyle, as his cutter and slider both grade out as fringe-average offerings. Both post below-average swinging strike rates and will need to be triaged by his future team’s player development group after signing.

That said, Doyle’s power, ability to spin the ball and above-average splitter give him a pathway to grow into a more well-rounded pitcher as a professional. His fastball quality is a defining trait for successful starters, though he’ll need to develop a better breaking ball to reach his ceiling. Doyle will be one of the more interesting players to follow post-draft, as his future organization could have a large impact on how his profile ends up.

Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

Pitch Type	Total	Avg. Velo	Max Velo	IVB	HB	Spin	VAA	Ext
Four-Seam	518	95.3	98.4	19.2	13.5	2231.5	-4.21	5.71
Changeup	356	84.3	87	8.8	18.6	2311.5	-7.09	5.78
Slider	175	86.4	95.6	3	-1.9	2392.4	-7.17	5.51

Considered one of the top prospects heading into the 2025 draft cycle, Bremner dealt with personal tragedy off-the-field and overcame early struggles on the mound to reestablish himself as a top-half-of-the-draft talent as the year has progressed.

Bremner has as defined a three-pitch mix as you’ll see in this year’s class with strong traits across his entire arsenal. The combination of power and movement on his fastball make it a potentially plus offering, and it sits 94-96 mph while generating above-average ride and armside run. It also has a flat plane of approach to the plate, making the pitch project as an above-average fastball in pro ball.

Bremner’s changeup is his primary secondary. With a nearly three-degree separation off of his fastball, it’s likely to play as a plus bat-missing pitch. His college numbers support that, as well, as evidenced by a 24.7% swinging-strike rate against the offering in 2025. His slider is fringe-average with solid velocity and cutter shape, but the pitch lacks the ride of sweep needed to be effective at that velocity.

If Bremner can improve his breaking ball, it will aid his plus fastball and changeup combination in generating whiffs. While he might have seen his draft status tumble since December, Bremner’s overall arsenal is impressive and should make him a Top 100 Prospect after stepping into pro ball.

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Trump signs order to clarify college athletes’ employment status

By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for in an attempt to create clearer national standards in the NCAA’s name, image and likeness era. Trump directed the secretary of labor and the […]

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1 hour ago

July 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for in an attempt to create clearer national standards in the NCAA’s name, image and likeness era.

Trump directed the secretary of labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify the status of collegiate athletes through guidance or rules “that will maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education institutions through athletics.” The order does not provide or suggest specifics on the controversial topic of college athlete employment.

The move comes after months of speculation about whether Trump will establish a college sports commission to tackle some of the thorny issues facing what is now a multibillion-dollar industry. He instead issued an order intended to add some controls to “an out-of-control, rudderless system in which competing university donors engage in bidding wars for the best players, who can change teams each season.”

“Absent guardrails to stop the madness and ensure a reasonable, balanced use of resources across collegiate athletic programs that preserves their educational and developmental benefits, many college sports will soon cease to exist,” Trump’s order says. “It is common sense that college sports are not, and should not be, professional sports, and my administration will take action accordingly.”

There has been a dramatic increase in money flowing into and around college athletics and a sense of chaos. Key court victories won by athletes angry that they were barred for decades from earning income based on their celebrity and from sharing in the billions of revenue they helped generate have gutted the amateurism model long at the heart of college sports.

Facing a growing number of state laws undercutting its authority, the NCAA in July 2021 cleared the way for athletes to cash in with NIL deals with brands and sponsors — deals now worth millions. That came mere days after a 9-0 decision from the Supreme Court that found the NCAA cannot impose caps on education-related benefits schools provide to their athletes because such limits violate antitrust law.

The NCAA’s embrace of NIL deals set the stage for another massive change that took effect July 1: The ability of schools to begin paying millions of dollars to their own athletes, up to $20.5 million per school over the next year. The $2.8 billion House settlement shifts even more power to athletes, who have also won the ability to transfer from school to school without waiting to play.

At Big Ten Conference football media days in Las Vegas, Purdue coach Barry Odom was asked about the Trump order.

“We’ve gotten to the point where government is involved. Obviously, there’s belief it needs to be involved,” he said. “We’ll get it all worked out. The game’s been around for a hundred years and it’s going to be around 100 more.”

The NCAA has been lobbying for several years for limited antitrust protection to keep some kind of control over this new landscape — and avoid more crippling lawsuits — but a handful of bills have gone nowhere in Congress. Trump’s order makes no mention of that, nor does it refer to any of the current bills in Congress aimed at addressing issues in college sports.

NCAA President Charlie Baker and the nation’s largest conferences both issued statements saying there is a clear need for federal legislation.

“The association appreciates the Trump administration’s focus on the life-changing opportunities college sports provides millions of young people and we look forward to working with student-athletes, a bipartisan coalition in Congress and the Trump administration,” said Baker, while the conferences said it was important to pass a law with national standards for athletes’ NIL rights as soon as possible.

The 1,100 universities that comprise the NCAA have insisted for decades that athletes are students who cannot be considered anything like a school employee. Still, some coaches have recently suggested collective bargaining as a potential solution to the chaos they see.

It is a complicated topic: Universities would become responsible for paying wages, benefits, and workers’ compensation and schools and conferences have insisted they will fight any such move in court. While private institutions fall under the National Labor Relations Board, public universities must follow labor laws that vary from state to state and it’s worth noting that virtually every state in the South has “right to work” laws that present challenges for unions.

Trump’s order also:

Calls for adding or at least preserving athletic scholarships and roster spots for non-revenue sports, which are those outside football and basketball. The House settlement allows for unlimited scholarships but does impose roster limits, leading to a complicated set of decisions for each program at each school that include potential concerns about Title IX equity rules. Trump said “opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports must be preserved and, where possible, expanded.”
Asks the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to “preserve college athletics through litigation” and other actions to protect the rights and interests of athletes — a stance that could influence ongoing lawsuits filed by athletes over eligibility and other issues.
Directs White House staff to work with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to protect the collegiate pipeline feeding Team USA. College sports programs produce around three-quarters of U.S. Olympians at a typical Summer Games, but some are on uncertain footing as schools begin sharing revenue with athletes and the lion’s share going to football and basketball.

AP National Writer Eddie Pells contributed.

Originally Published: July 24, 2025 at 2:09 PM PDT

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The Clemson Insider

CHARLOTTE — After a career year a season ago, Antonio Williams seriously considered forgoing his senior season at Clemson and making the move to the NFL. Williams was a catalyst for the resurgent Tigers’ offense last season, recording 75 receptions for 904 yards with 11 touchdown catches, leading the team in all three categories. After […]

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2 hours ago

July 26, 2025

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CHARLOTTE — After a career year a season ago, Antonio Williams seriously considered forgoing his senior season at Clemson and making the move to the NFL.

Williams was a catalyst for the resurgent Tigers’ offense last season, recording 75 receptions for 904 yards with 11 touchdown catches, leading the team in all three categories. After that kind of season, it would have been understandable had he decided to enter the NFL Draft.

However, Williams wasn’t pleased with some of the feedback he was getting and ultimately decided to return for one more go around at Clemson.

“I had to really sit down and think about what was best for my future,” Williams told The Clemson Insider. “I didn’t like some of the grades I was getting back from the draft. I didn’t want to settle and just go be a draft pick just because I could. I have a level of expectation for myself of where I want to go and what type of player I think I am. That was the biggest thing coming back.”

There is a risk/reward involved with coming back due to the ever-existent possibility of an injury. After missing most of his sophomore campaign for that very reason, it’s something Williams is more than familiar with.

At the end of the day, Williams decided the risk was worth the reward because he feels that he has unfinished business with the Tigers.

“Wanting to be remembered and build a great legacy here,” Williams added. “I want to leave the receiver room better than I found it.”

Then there is the money factor. With the advent of NIL and a new revenue-sharing model that took effect on July 1, Williams is going to be well compensated for his final season at Clemson, and depending on where he might have been picked, possibly being paid even more than he would have next season had he decided to enter the draft.

“For sure. When you look at the numbers and things like that, if we couldn’t make any money in college, then obviously, if you are in it for money, then there would be no question of going to the NFL,” Williams said. “You can actually profit off your NIL in college and that is great.”

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Cumberland partners with Opendorse to launch NIL program

Cumberland is partnering with Opendorse to enhance its efforts surrounding name, image and likeness (NIL), providing Phoenix student-athletes the tools and resources needed to build their personal brand and capitalize on new opportunities. Opendorse is a leading NIL platform and marketplace in college athletics, helping student-athletes connect with brands, fans and donors to monetize their […]

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3 hours ago

July 26, 2025

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Cumberland partners with Opendorse to launch NIL program

Opendorse is a leading NIL platform and marketplace in college athletics, helping student-athletes connect with brands, fans and donors to monetize their name, image and likeness. With this partnership, Cumberland student-athletes will gain access to a suite of tools through the Opendorse platform including education, compliance resources and marketing opportunities to support NIL growth.

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What to know about Donald Trump's executive order on NIL and college sports

President Donald Trump on Thursday issued an executive order titled “SAVING COLLEGE SPORTS,” a directive aimed at regulating the rapidly shifting landscape in college sports. Since 2021, college athletes have been able to profit off their name, image and likeness after a Supreme Court ruling on antitrust laws went in favor of the athletes. In […]

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3 hours ago

July 26, 2025

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What to know about Donald Trump's executive order on NIL and college sports

President Donald Trump on Thursday issued an executive order titled “SAVING COLLEGE SPORTS,” a directive aimed at regulating the rapidly shifting landscape in college sports.

Since 2021, college athletes have been able to profit off their name, image and likeness after a Supreme Court ruling on antitrust laws went in favor of the athletes. In the ensuing years, players have been able to get paid legally via third parties, and after a separate lawsuit was settled in June, athletes can now also be paid directly by their schools.

The NIL era, however, has raised a variety of concerns for both schools and athletes, with issues ranging from maintaining equality in women’s sports to a potential push for collective bargaining between athletes and their respective colleges.

Trump’s order, which is not itself a law, essentially calls for an implementation of policies that are widely viewed as NCAA (as opposed to athlete) friendly.

Here’s what to know.

What exactly does Trump’s order call for?

Trump’s order said that, in the wake of legislation that allows athletes to be compensated and transfer freely between schools, “the future of college sports is under unprecedented threat.”

The EO goes on to say that the recent rulings have unleashed “a sea change that threatens the viability of college sports” and more guardrails are needed to ensure a fairer system.

So, what would Trump like to see? The order calls for the following:

Prohibiting third parties from engaging in direct “pay-for-play” payments to athletes, which the order deems improper. Currently, school boosters can sign players to multimillion-dollar NIL deals that are widely viewed as a workaround to directly paying players to attend a certain university. Trump’s order says players should only earn “fair market value” for a legitimate service to a third party, such as a brand endorsement. Advocates for athletes say this would impose a cap on their earnings.

Protections on scholarships for nonrevenue sports, requiring schools to maintain or increase scholarships for such sports, depending on the revenue of their athletic departments. This would be a measure largely to protect Olympic sports and women’s sports from potential decreases in funding as more money goes to revenue-generating athletes in football and basketball.
A clarification from the National Labor Relations Board on the employment status of athletes “that will maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education institutions through athletics.” During the Biden administration, the NLRB issued a memo stating that certain college athletes should be considered employees. That memo was rescinded earlier this year, and now Trump is seeking to codify athletes as non-employees, which would almost certainly take away any opportunity they have to collectively bargain with schools.
Protections for the NCAA from lawsuits by athletes. The NCAA has been lobbying for these protections for many years, as many of the big changes in college athletics have come as the result of antitrust lawsuits. Protections against further court cases would allow the NCAA to enforce its rules on issues such as transfers and third-party payments without fear of them being upended by another court ruling.

What does this all mean for the immediate future?

Nothing immediately.

Trump cannot unilaterally impose rules in this scenario. His executive order also comes as the House tries to push through the SCORE Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that is aligned with much of Trump’s executive order. The SCORE Act has moved through committee and can be debated on the House floor when representatives return from recess in September.

Meanwhile, there has been a bipartisan push in the Senate to introduce its version of legislation regarding college athletes, with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., among those involved.

“The many challenges facing college sports are important and complex,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in a statement to NBC News. “The Executive Order recognizes the importance of preserving Olympic sports, women’s sports, and maintaining competitiveness for big and small schools alike. I’m disappointed that the President abandoned his earlier plan for a commission to examine all the issues facing college sports. We need a sustainable future for college sports, not a future dominated by the biggest and wealthiest schools who can write their own rules without accountability.”

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Saban praises Trump order on college sports, pay-to-play restrictions

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban gave kudos to President Donald Trump for signing an executive order that set new restrictions on payments to college athletes on Thursday. The order prohibits athletes from receiving pay-to-play payments from third-party sources. However, the order does not impose any […]

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4 hours ago

July 26, 2025

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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban gave kudos to President Donald Trump for signing an executive order that set new restrictions on payments to college athletes on Thursday.

The order prohibits athletes from receiving pay-to-play payments from third-party sources. However, the order does not impose any restrictions on NIL payments to college athletes by third-party sources.

“I think President Trump’s executive order takes a huge step in providing the educational model, which is what we’ve always tried to promote to create opportunities for players, male and female, revenue and non-revenue, so they can have development as people, students, and develop careers and develop professionally if that’s what they choose to do,” Saban told “Fox & Friends” on Friday.

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President Donald Trump shakes hands with legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban before delivering a special commencement address to University of Alabama graduates at Coleman Coliseum. Graduation occurs over the weekend. (Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News)

“I think we sort of need to make a decision here relative to do we want to have an education-based model, which I think the president made a huge step toward doing that, or do we want to have universities sponsor professional teams? And I think most people would choose the former.”

The order states that “any revenue-sharing permitted between universities and collegiate athletes should be implemented in a manner that protects women’s and non-revenue sports.”

“The Order requires the preservation and, where possible, expansion of opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports.”

No clear guidelines for how those sports would be accounted for were provided in the initial announcement. However, Saban seemed confident that college sports are safe.

President Donald Trump poses with Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban and members of the Crimson Tide ceremony honoring the college football playoff champion Crimson Tide on the South Lawn at the White House on April 10, 2018. (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

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“I think the clearing house is there to authenticate name, image and likeness. In other words, is your marketing value relative to what you’re getting paid to do a marketing opportunity? When you cross that line, that’s when it becomes pay for play,” he said. “So you have collectives that raise money that pay players, and they really don’t do a relative marketing job to earn that money, and that’s where this whole thing has kind of gotten sideways. I think this whole clearing house is there to sort of protect the collective affecting competitive balance in college sports.”

“I’m for keeping all the sports that we have as many as we can have, but there are financial concerns relative to how many sports can you promote that don’t create revenue,” Saban added. “I think one of the things people need to understand about college sports, they say it’s a business, but it’s really not a business. It’s revenue-producing, and two sports have created the revenue to have 20 other sports. And I think that’s why it’s important we have a system in place. I think President Trump’s made the first step…that would protect the opportunities that we’ve been able to provide male and female non-revenue sports. I think it’s everybody’s goal to keep all those opportunities intact.”

FILE – President Donald Trump gestures as Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban (L) smiles at a ceremony honoring the college football playoff champion Crimson Tide on the South Lawn at the White House on April 10, 2018. (Geoff Burke-USA Today Sports)

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Saban and Trump met back in May to discuss the current state of college athletes and NIL deals. Saban retired in 2024, largely due to the new culture.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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Florida AD Scott Stricklin issues statement regarding executive order on NIL

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Thursday designed to improve the state of name, image and likeness, specifically to prohibit third-party payments. The order, titled “Saving College Sports”, is in lockstep with the goals established by the College Sports Commission’s name, image and likeness clearinghouse and is widely supported by athletic directors around the country. The College […]

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5 hours ago

July 26, 2025

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The College Sports Commission, or CSC, was established to govern financial issues in the revenue-sharing era, and it was created in partnership with financial consulting firm Deloitte, . The CSC established an “NIL Go” portal designed to ensure fair market value and valid business purpose based on an actual endorsement. The NIL Go portal provides student-athletes an avenue to report third-party NIL deals to be evaluated for rules compliance; an athlete can do this before accepting any deal, ensuring their eligibility won’t be jeopardized.

The executive order also has the support of the NCAA, which released a statement late Thursday after the executive order was issued.

“The NCAA is making positive changes for student-athletes and confronting many challenges facing college sports by mandating health and wellness benefits and guaranteeing scholarships, but there are some threats to college sports that federal legislation can effectively address and the Association is advocating with student-athletes and their schools for a bipartisan solution with Congress and the Administration,” NCAA President Charlie Baker wrote in a statement. “The Association appreciates the Trump Administration’s focus on the life-changing opportunities college sports provides millions of young people and we look forward to working with student-athletes, a bipartisan coalition in Congress and the Trump Administration to enhance college sports for years to come.”

In the 24 hours since, athletic directors around the country have chimed in on the order, including from the Southeastern Conference; Alabama’s Greg Byrne praised the order, for example, Thursday night.

“The University of Alabama applauds this executive order from President Trump to help ensure a long-term, sustainable model of intercollegiate athletics,” Byrne wrote. “We are proud of our broad-based athletics programs and strongly support future regulatory and congressional action that will preserve these opportunities for student-athletes.”

Now, Florida’s athletic director, Scott Stricklin, has followed suit, praising the order and its intention to improve the current state of collegiate athletics in the era of NIL and, most recently, revenue sharing.

“The attention President Trump and congressional leaders are giving to the future of college athletics is welcomed and appreciated. Yesterday’s executive order underscores the growing recognition in Washington of the need to modernize the collegiate model while preserving the educational and competitive opportunities it provides to student-athletes nationwide,” Stricklin wrote. “At the University of Florida, we remain committed to supporting our student-athletes in every aspect of their development. We’re encouraged by the White House’s and Congress’s engagement and look forward to working with policymakers, the SEC, and our peers across college sports to shape thoughtful solutions that ensure the long-term strength and sustainability of college athletics.”

Unsurprisingly, the current state of collegiate athletics was a consistent talking point at SEC Media Days, with coaches in attendance discussing the impact of NIL and revenue sharing following the House v. NCAA settlement.

“Right now, I would say that there’s a ton of different interpretations of the market,” Florida football head coach Billy Napier said at SEC Media Days in Atlanta. “We need clarity on: what is the role of a collective? What is going to be approved from a third-party NIL deal? What is legal relative to high school players, pre-enrollment? And then, you know, we have no idea what this market – where’s the dust gonna settle for a veteran player on the team when it comes to marketing, corporate sponsorship, true NIL. We don’t know.”

Less than a week after Napier’s comments, the immediate future of the roles collectives looked a bit clearer. Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports reported attorneys for the House plaintiffs reached an agreement with NCAA officials and the power conferences to allow booster-backed collectives or any “school-associated entity” to operate as traditional businesses do in handing out NIL deals and sponsorships.

If there’s any guarantees regarding NIL and the state of collegiate athletics, President Donald Trump’s executive order won’t be the final action taken at the federal level – it’s simply the latest implementation.

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