LAS VEGAS — In the middle of Thursday’s Mountain West media day, all 12 of the conference’s head football coaches posed with commissioner Gloria Nevarez for a photo that will never be replicated again.

In the summer of 2026, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State are all leaving the Mountain West for a retooled Pac-12 Conference that was reduced to just Oregon State and Washington State in 2024.

As the five schools were being poached away from the Mountain West in the fall of 2024, Nevarez did some retooling of her own, adding five new schools to the conference, including the University of Hawai‘i.

In 2012, Hawai‘i departed the Western Athletic Conference to become a member of the Big West Conference with a football-only affiliation in the Mountain West. Starting on July 1, 2026, the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine will be full-time members of the Mountain West, with men’s volleyball, swimming and diving, beach volleyball and water polo remaining with the Big West as affiliate members.

Joining UH as new Mountain West members next summer are UTEP, Northern Illinois and UC Davis. UTEP will be a full member, while Northern Illinois joins as a football-only member. UC Davis will join as a full member, with the exception of football. Meanwhile, Grand Canyon, which does not have a football team, is joining a year early and is set to compete in the MW in the fall.

“We’re really excited for all of our new members. We’ve really felt an excitement generating, both in philanthropy, investment, facilities, there’s just some real halo effect happening at those campuses since the announcement,” Nevarez told Aloha State Daily. “It’s very important to us to add schools that matched us in mission, purpose, core values. We already had a deep familiarity with Hawai‘i, [former] president [David] Lassner had been with our league and in our council room, and so it just seemed like a very natural step to invite Hawai‘i as a full member.”

The Mountain West and Pac-12 are currently in a legal dispute regarding poaching fees the Mountain West is seeking from the Pac-12. After failing to reach a settlement, the two conferences will meet again in court.

During her address to kick off media days on Wednesday, Nevarez said the Mountain West will pause adding schools for the time being as it negotiates its new media rights deal.

Regardless of who secures those new rights, change is coming Hawai‘i’s way.

Hawai‘i’s deal with Spectrum Sports, which has been the official television partner for UH sports since 2011, runs through July 31. Any extension of the deal will not go beyond 2026 as the timing aligns with UH joining the Mountain West as a full-time member.

New University of Hawai‘i athletics director Matt Elliott acknowledged to Aloha State Daily that negotiations between UH and Spectrum for a 2025-2026 deal are ongoing and he will comment further once it becomes official.

Spectrum airs at least 60 contests involving UH a year, covering a wide range of sports — the list has involved football, basketball, indoor and beach volleyball, soccer, tennis, baseball, softball and water polo.

The expectation is that when UH joins the Mountain West in 2026, the school’s TV rights will have a clean slate.

“Once you become a full member, the conference owns all the rights to the games,” Nevarez said. “We try to sell the national package, and then after several steps and selections, any remaining inventory then goes back to the campus. So, there is an expectation that they are part of the greater negotiation.

“Right now, all the sports are included. But as you know, the TV partners really value football number one, and then men’s basketball right behind that. And we do have partners interested in picking up other sports and championships in bulk.”

As one of the remaining members of the Mountain West, Hawai‘i football head coach Timmy Chang expressed optimism in the school’s standing in the conference.

“It’s pretty exciting that we get all the other sports in with the Mountain West. It’s pretty exciting to know that the rest of the sports are coming to an exciting brand of athletics,” Chang said. “The Mountain West has always been extremely, extremely competitive. And so I don’t think there’s any gonna be any change. It’s sad to see the other teams leave, but we get another year with them. And right now, I know all these guys are shooting for one goal, and that’s the Mountain West championship this year.”

Among the other contingencies in UH becoming a full-time member of the Mountain West is having a new stadium in place by the summer of 2032, though developers have set their sights on 2028.

“Certainly adding a little more paradise to any league is wonderful, and our staff is really excited to go visit and watch some games,” Nevarez said. “It’s really exciting, the commitment to getting the stadium built, rebuilt, refreshed, whatever the words are, so very excited about that. I get out there at least once a year, previously only for football. So, now I’m going to try to get out there for some other events.”

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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.

“The incredible success we achieved this season was only possible because of the championship-caliber student-athletes, coaches and staff that call Florida Atlantic home,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White. “I am grateful for their dedication to the Owls, and thankful for the unwavering support from President Adam Hasner, Board Chair Piero Bussani, the university community, our fans, alumni and donors. As the Hometown Team, we are proud of the contributions athletics has made to the positive trajectory of the entire university and the very best “hometown” on the planet. The future is bright in Paradise!”

Headlined by a pair of conference championships for softball and beach volleyball, FAU maintained its Winning in Paradise spirit that also included four teams reaching postseason play – softball, beach volleyball, women’s tennis and men’s basketball. Both volleyball and men’s swimming & diving finished as the runner-up at the conference championships, women’s golf recorded a program-best third-place finish at the conference championship, while men’s golf had an individual qualify for the NCAA Regional for a second straight year.

The on-field successes were united by another record-breaking year for the Paradise Club with $26.4 million in philanthropic giving. The figure rose by 15% over last year’s record and is up a staggering 625% since 2020-21.

Winning on the field, combined with the department’s grassroots marketing efforts to brand FAU as the Hometown Team, allowed the Owls to boast a record overall total attendance with nearly a quarter of a million fans attending games in Paradise this season.

The branding, marketing and media efforts extend well beyond the tri-county as the department generated a record $3.3 billion in equivalent earned media and placed nearly 45,000 news stories about athletics. The Owls have totaled $8.38 billion in earned media over the last three years.

Florida Atlantic played in more nationally-televised games in 2024-25 than any single year in school history. The Owls’ national TV appearances have doubled over the last three years with millions viewing FAU on TV and streaming.

Academically, 112 student-athletes earned their FAU degrees in 2024-25, while the department produced a cumulative GPA of 3.286, including a single semester school record of 3.334 in the spring. For 20 consecutive semesters, Owl student-athletes have maintained a GPA above 3.0 – seven consecutive semesters above a 3.1.

Sixty-one Owls earned All-Conference honors in 2024-25, with Marketa Svozilova and Ashleigh Adams of beach volleyball and Autumn Courtney and Bella Foran of softball meriting All-America distinctions. Noah Kvifte (men’s soccer) and Svozilova garnered Academic All-America honors. Head Softball Coach Jordan Clark and Head Beach Volleyball Coach Steve Grotowski were honored as their respective conferences’ Coach of the Year.

To access the complete 2024-25 Athletics Annual Report, click here.

#WIP

Zhang Yumian (R) of China competes during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Wang Huan of China competes during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Lucrezia Lys Cergol of Italy competes during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Morena Leone (R) of Italy competes during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Dafne Bettini of Italy celebrates during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Roberta Bianconi (R) of Italy competes during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Wang Huan of China competes during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Yan Siya of China competes during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Miguel Angel Oca Gaia (2nd L), head coach of China, gives instructions during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Roberta Bianconi (R) of Italy competes during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Zhou Shang (R) of China competes during the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

China’s head coach Miguel Angel Oca Gaia (front) hugs with Italy’s head coach Carlo Silipo after the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Players of China and Italy greet each other before the women’s crossover match of water polo between China and Italy at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore, on July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)

When ChatGPT first hit the creator space, it seemed like it might be another fad. We’d just been through crypto and NFTs in rapid succession, and in both cases purveyors had sworn they heralded a new age of content creation–that web3 flashes in the pan like fan tokens and CryptoZoo were going to become an integral part of our world, making it easier (supposedly) for creators to monetize content and connect with fans.

But, they didn’t.

Generative AI, however, looks like it’s sticking around. It arrived on the scene with similar promises, but unlike crypto and NFTs, which were never embraced–let alone endorsed–by major platforms, gen AI has gotten a seal of approval from the big-tech owners of YouTube and TikTok, and has become a ubiquitous presence in our industry. Creators hear it from everyone: they should be using gen AI to improve production process speed and cost-saving.

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The marketers who do their selling on creator-driven platforms are hearing the same thing. And they’re listening.

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau‘s 2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Full Report, 30% of digital video ads are currently made with or “enhanced by” gen AI tools. That’s up from 22% last year.

In 2026, we can expect nearly 40% of the ads we see online to have gen AI involvement.

86% of companies told the IAB they either already do use gen AI or are planning to use gen AI to build their video ads. Their top two reasons for using it? (1) to create different versions of the same ad to target different audiences, and (2) to make “visual and style changes.”

The IAB asserts that gen AI tools “become more valuable [to marketers] when buyers have already solved for reaching the right audience first.” So these tools won’t take over the entire pipeline; marketers still have to know who their buyers are (and hope those buyers aren’t turned off by their use of AI).

At the same time, IAB CEO David Cohen said gen AI is “[transforming] the economics of advertising.”

“As the costs of production fall, the opportunities for advertisers multiply,” he said.

Advertisers intend to exploit those opportunities outside of browser and mobile ads. If you’ve been following YouTube’s updates, you know the platform is now the #1 most-watched connected TV destination in the U.S., beating all streaming services and TV networks for watch time. To, well, connect with these many living room viewers, YouTube has been increasingly rolling out more TV-specific ad formats.

Marketers told IAB they want in on connected TV, with 74% saying they have built or intend to build internal teams specifically to secure living room spots.

While much of the content watched on TV is VODs, marketers are also looking at live and sports content, the report added. A third of marketers said they want platforms like YouTube and Twitch to offer inventive, digital-exclusive ways to weave brand content into interactive experiences during things like livestreams.

“Buyers are excited about sports and other live content coming to streaming,” Chris Bruderle, the IAB’s VP of Industry Insights & Content Strategy, said. “They expect to see new and better capabilities than they can get in linear.”

Where does all this leave us? With gen AI as an inextricable part of digital content, apparently. While this data is about marketers, their usage of gen AI reflects what’s happening in the creator industry. Long-established creator services companies like RHEI (formerly BBTV) and Spotter have turned quickly to build their businesses around gen AI products for creators–and now, more and more creators are using those tools in their content and talking them up in biz dev chats. Just look at MrBeast‘s AI thumbnails and Colin & Samir talking about how AI is “powering” production.

So yes, gen AI is going to be used in 40% of digital ads in 2026. That number is big. But we’re guessing the amount of digital content produced with AI over the next 12 months will be astronomical.

Lynchburg, Va. — The University of Lynchburg women’s volleyball team has unveiled its schedule for the 2025 campaign. 

The Hornets enter this season after finishing in the top four in the ODAC last year for the first time since 2020, along with claiming their first playoff win since 2017. Lynchburg looks to build on its 19-win season, returning all but one player from a year ago, along with five additions through the transfer portal. 

The Hornets begin their year with a round-robin style tournament to square off against Washington College (Md.), William Paterson on August 29 in Wayne, N.J., followed by Mount Aloysius and Kean in Union, N.J. 

Cardoza and company return to the Hill City for their home opener on September 2 to take on the Southern Virginia Knights. 

Lynchburg goes back on the road to Haverford, Pa., for the Ford Invite, where they’ll challenge Scranton, Haverford, and Springfield, who all finished top-100 in last season’s NPI, from Sept. 5-6. 

The Hornets then go on to host their own tournament with the Hill City Classic in Turner Gymnasium on Sept. 12, hosting matchups against Columbia College and Hood College. The following day, the squad returns to the road to travel to Bridgewater, Va., for two matches against  Pfefiffer and Greensboro. 

The Hornets begin conference play in a Hill City clash, taking on Randolph across town on Sept. 17. Conference play continues at home as Lynchburg hosts Bridgewater for a Code Red affair on Sept. 19, followed by Washington & Lee on Sept. 20. 

Lynchburg returns to the road for a three-game away stint, starting with Catholic in the nation’s capital on Sept. 26, followed by Pitt Bradford at Randolph College on Sept 27, and finishing in Virginia Beach, Va., on Oct. 1 against Virginia Wesleyan. Then, the team is back in Turner Gymnasium for three consecutive home matches, taking on Shenandoah on Oct. 4, Guilford on Oct. 8, and Averett on Oct.15. 

Seven of the final eight matches of the season for Lynchburg will be away, starting with a four-game slate. The Hornets begin with two conference opponents, matching up against Roanoke on Oct. 17 and Randolph-Macon on Oct. 22. Lynchburg then goes up to Owings Mills, Md., to play Stevenson and Rutgers Camden. 

For the final home game of the season, the Hornets host Eastern Mennonite on Oct. 29. Lynchburg wraps up their season with two matches in Salisbury, Md., on Nov. 1, playing Mary Washington and Salisbury before its final match-up of the year against Hollins on the road on Nov. 5.

Visit Lynchburg athletics’ home online, LynchburgSports.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news on all Hornets sports and coverage from the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network.

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–LYN–

The English squad were the youngest in the four-strong Pool A out in Cisterna di Latina, Italy that also comprised of the hosts, Ukraine and Denmark. 

And while, as expected, they struggled in terms of results against teams ranked much higher than themselves, there were lots of promising performances, particularly from some of the younger members of the travelling contingent. 

“We took the likes of Jim Cox, Josh Sturland, Torin Cole, Finn Chalkley-Beales and others because we know these guys are going to be young enough do it again (at U22 level),” said Loftus. 

“It was our approach, a bit different to what we have done before, to give these players the experience of playing at this level. 

“The good news is that the younger players have got the NEVZA Championship coming up this year, so that group have got more opportunities to develop again. 

“Getting good competition is important in terms of trying to move things forward. It’s too soon to know if these players are going to come through to the Senior set-up, as there are too many variables, but we have to keep trying to raise their expectations and standards.” 

England prepared for their time in Italy with a stint in their Netherlands where they trained at the Dutch Olympic Centre and scrimmaged against its U20 side. 

The first of their Euro qualifiers pitched them against hosts Italy where they lost 25-11, 25-20, 25-15, before they were beaten by Denmark (26-16, 25-21, 25-13) and then took a set off Ukraine in their final match (25-20, 24-26, 25-14, 25-15). 

Analysing each of the matches in turn, Loftus said: “Against Italy, I think they only made two service mistakes in the first set, they were superb, and it’s very hard to play against that. 

“In the second set, once we had got used to things a little bit, we played really well and perhaps surpassed our own expectations. In the third set, they upped their game and were better than us, but, overall, the guys were pretty pleased. 

“The Danish game was a bit disappointing on the back of that… it was a bit after the Lord Mayor’s show. Mentally and physically we invested so much in the first match that we started terribly. 

“But credit to the boys because we made some changes and were competitive in the second set, getting into the twenties. 

“It proved a bit too much for us in the third set and we weren’t as reliable on the first day, but after five or six days away, and a young group, it was understandable. 

“Ukraine had beaten Italy 3-1, so we feared the worst, but we did remarkably well. The first set was close and they just edged it with a bit better serving than us. 

“In the second set, we played to our maximum and they dropped off and we took an opportunity, when we were down but then won it in extra points. 

“We forced them to go back to their strongest six and, at that, point, they showed their class, but the team played at their best level for most of the match, which was really encouraging to see. 

Loftus was quick to praise the University of Nottingham’s Rob Morgan for the way he conducted himself on and off the court. 

“I’m not a massive fan of talking about individuals, and all 14 players contributed while we were there,” he said. 

“But we made Rob captain and he did an unbelievable job with his leadership and attitude. His spirit and caring nature were great to see.” 

The rest of the England staff was also most welcome to Loftus, who says each had important input during the trip.

He added: “Jeff(erson) Williams has been my mentor for years, and I wouldn’t be where I was in the game if it wasn’t for him. 

“Phil Crawford did some amazing things and worked really hard on the players’ development off the court, asking questions of them and trying to reframe things. 

“Chris (Jones), as ever, has done a great job organising all the logistics and we wouldn’t have been there without him. 

“Binh (Hai-Binh Ly) does an unbelievable job with all the analysis and stats and for the first time the sports therapy of Misa (Kalinova) gave us that extra level of professionalism.” 

“They are the best staff in the world, and I’d like to offer all of them my thanks.”

Images courtesy of CEV

Find out more about the national teams by clicking here.