College Sports
How NIL in College Basketball Is Changing the NBA Draft
With more prospects electing to return to school because of NIL, NBA teams may be wondering whether they can do anything to reverse that trend. The answer might involve issuing more draft promises. Every year, at least one or two prospects abruptly pull out the predraft workout circuit and shut themselves down until draft night. […]

With more prospects electing to return to school because of NIL, NBA teams may be wondering whether they can do anything to reverse that trend. The answer might involve issuing more draft promises.
Every year, at least one or two prospects abruptly pull out the predraft workout circuit and shut themselves down until draft night. That’s often because a team has promised to pick them if they’re still on the board at that spot, and the prospect is comfortable with the team fit, the draft slot or both.
This year, there’s some suspicion that Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis has a promise.
“There hasn’t been a single word out on him,” Hoops HQ’s Krysten Peek recently wrote. “His draft range is anywhere from 6-16, and there’s a feeling that he left the draft combine with a promise.”
Draft promises aren’t binding, so some prospects might not be willing to gamble on keeping their name in the draft unless they get assurances from multiple teams. However, any team that reneges on a promise would risk ruining their reputation with the prospect’s agent, which could affect other moves of theirs down the road. (In other words, that isn’t likely to happen.)
If a prospect has a guaranteed NIL bag awaiting him in college, promising to take him at a draft slot that pays him even more might be the best way to keep him in the draft.
College Sports
National Collegiate Development Conference Releases 2025-26 Schedule • USPHL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 28, 2025 Nashua, N.H. – The United States Premier Hockey League (“USPHL”) and its top-tier National Collegiate Hockey Conference (“NCDC”) are pleased to announce the release of the 2025-26 regular season schedule, available for viewing on USPHL.com/NCDC. You can also view the schedules with this direct link: https://usphl.com/ncdc/game-center/schedules/?season=65&month=09 (change month […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2025
Nashua, N.H. – The United States Premier Hockey League (“USPHL”) and its top-tier National Collegiate Hockey Conference (“NCDC”) are pleased to announce the release of the 2025-26 regular season schedule, available for viewing on USPHL.com/NCDC.
You can also view the schedules with this direct link: https://usphl.com/ncdc/game-center/schedules/?season=65&month=09 (change month to view each month of the season)
In the 2025-26 season, returning veterans and NCDC newcomers alike will hit the ice with their goal of advancement to higher levels such as NCAA college hockey, the Canadian Hockey League, and the United States Hockey League very much in sight. During the 2024-25 season, there were more than 210 NCAA advancements, including more than 40 alumni who will go on to play NCAA Division I hockey.
The NCDC of 2025-26 will see the league in its greatest period of growth, with 32 teams in both the United States and, for the first time, in Canada. This includes 10 new teams in the league. The NCDC footprint stretches from New Brunswick to Utah. Despite the large footprint, travel time is limited and the focus is on player development and advancement, thanks to well-crafted conferences, including three divisions within the New England Conference, the league’s largest.
“It has been a busy off-season and the NCDC is preparing for its biggest and best season ever,” said Kevin Abrams, the NCDC’s Director of Operations. “With 32 teams across the continent, our footprint continues to grow in exciting markets and passionate communities. Our players will continue to see a focus on advancement and development while playing in extremely competitive conferences all leading to our Dineen Cup Championship in arguably the best junior hockey market in the country in Idaho Falls.”
NCDC Schedule At A Glance
- 864 NCDC games
- 74 games in showcases, representing 8.6 percent of schedule
- Opening Regular Season Games: Sept. 11 NCDC Hitmen Classic season-opening showcase
- Closing Regular Season Game: March 28, Ogden Mustangs at Pueblo Bulls, 7:07 p.m. MST
- New teams making their debut in 2025-26: Eastern Charlotte Kingfishers, Grand Junction River Hawks, Junior Bruins, Lewiston MAINEiacs, New York Dynamo, Presque Isle Frontiers, St. Croix Seawolves, Universel Academy, Universel Quebec, Woodstock Slammers.
- Playoffs begin March 21 in Eastern U.S., March 31 in Mountain Division
- Dineen Cup Championships (Idaho Falls, ID): April 22-28, 2026
(Opening and Closing games subject to change)
About The United States Premier Hockey League
Founded in 2012, the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is the largest junior hockey organization in North America, with over 150 teams and more than 20,000 players aged 8-21. The League’s Junior Divisions include the tuition-free National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), and the Premier and Elite Conferences. The USPHL has sent more than 10,000 players to college hockey, including over 4,600 to the NCAA, and 19 NCDC alumni have been selected in the NHL Draft.
College Sports
Gophers men’s hockey team gets commitment from Grand Rapids goalie Carter Casey
The Gophers men’s hockey team on Monday received a verbal commitment when Carter Casey, a former Grand Rapids High School goalie, announced on the X social media platform that he has chosen Minnesota. Casey will forgo his senior season with the Thunderhawks and instead play for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League […]

The Gophers men’s hockey team on Monday received a verbal commitment when Carter Casey, a former Grand Rapids High School goalie, announced on the X social media platform that he has chosen Minnesota.
Casey will forgo his senior season with the Thunderhawks and instead play for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League in the 2025-26 season and could join the Gophers for the 2027-28 season.
The 17-year-old went 10-9-1 with a 2.72 goals-against average and .912 save percentage as a junior for Grand Rapids in 2024-25. He then joined Waterloo of USHL and led the Black Hawks to the Clark Cup Final in which it lost 3-2 to Muskegon in the best-of-five championship series.
Casey, 6-2 and 174 pounds, was outstanding in the playoffs, going 10-3-2 with a 2.53 GAA, .918 save percentage and two shutouts. He made 30 or more saves in six of 15 playoff games, including a 44-save effort in a double-overtime win over Sioux Falls.
He signed with Medicine Hat in June. Under new NCAA rules, players from Canadian major junior teams, such as Medicine Hat, no longer are considered professionals and are eligible to play American college hockey.
College Sports
U.S. Women's National soccer team coming to Chester in October
The U.S. Women’s National soccer team will be making a stop in Philly this October, as part of a three-game friendly series that will also serve as a celebration of the team’s retiring stars Alex Morgan and Alyssa Naeher. U.S. Soccer and the Philadelphia Union announced Monday that the team will face Portugal twice during […]

The U.S. Women’s National soccer team will be making a stop in Philly this October, as part of a three-game friendly series that will also serve as a celebration of the team’s retiring stars Alex Morgan and Alyssa Naeher.
U.S. Soccer and the Philadelphia Union announced Monday that the team will face Portugal twice during the October FIFA window, first at Chester’s Subaru Park, home of the Union, on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m., then at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Conn., on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 4 p.m.
The opponent for the third game at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. has yet to be determined. The game will be the first time the national team has played at that venue.
The Subaru Park game will feature a pregame retirement celebration for Morgan, the San Diego Wave striker who hung up her cleats last September. Morgan, who finished her international career with two FIFA World Cup championships and an Olympic gold medal, coincidentally scored the first of her 123 international goals 15 years ago at Subaru Park, against China.
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Goalkeeper Naeher, who played college soccer for Penn State and was U.S. Soccer’s 2024 Female Player of the Year, will be celebrated in her home state of Connecticut in the second match. She announced her retirement from the USWNT last November, but has continued to play for the NWSL’s Chicago Stars, though she’s been out with an injury since May.
The U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team will also play in East Hartford at 1 p.m. against a yet-to-be-determined international opponent.
Commemorative bobbleheads of Morgan and Naeher will be given to the first 2,000 fans at their respective games.
October’s game will be the ninth time the USWNT have played in Chester, according to U.S. Soccer, and the first since April 2022, when the team walloped Uzbekistan, 9-0.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lx6iWOKzNE
The team last played at Lincoln Financial Field in 2019, coincidentally also against Portugal, in a game that still holds the attendance record for a USWNT home friendly.
Tickets for the game go on sale to the general public this Friday at 10 a.m. There are presale options available for Visa cardholders from 1 p.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Friday through U.S. Soccer’s Insiders program.
The game will also be airing on TNT, truTV and HBO Max in English, on Peacock in Spanish, and on the radio through Westwood One Sports.
College Sports
Clayton County gymnastics coach fights to save program for Black boys
The Brief James Jones, owner of the James Jones Gymnastics Academy, says the gym’s lease is set to expire in less than a week, and zoning restrictions are keeping him from relocating. Jones opened the gym six years ago and has coached more than 500 children. Most of them were young Black men. Now, with […]

The Brief
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James Jones, owner of the James Jones Gymnastics Academy, says the gym’s lease is set to expire in less than a week, and zoning restrictions are keeping him from relocating.
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Jones opened the gym six years ago and has coached more than 500 children. Most of them were young Black men.
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Now, with an August 1 deadline looming, Jones is holding onto hope and leaning on his community.
JONESBORO, Ga. – A Clayton County gymnastics coach says he’s running out of time — and options — as he faces shutting down what he calls the only all-Black boys gymnastics club in the country.
What they’re saying
James Jones, owner of the James Jones Gymnastics Academy, says the gym’s lease is set to expire in less than a week, and zoning restrictions are keeping him from relocating.
“This is the only all Black boys gymnastics club in the United States,” Jones said.
Jones opened the gym six years ago and has coached more than 500 children. Most of them were young Black men.
At its peak, the academy served up to 60 kids per season. The program is free for most families, thanks to fundraising efforts and sponsors.
“We have physically outgrown the space. When we first moved in, most of the boys were small, and now they are teenagers and 6 feet and when they are working out they kick the ceiling,” he said.
Jones says the academy has earned accolades in competitions across the country, but it’s a zoning fight with Clayton County that’s threatening the gym’s future.
“We aren’t closing because we can’t afford it. We aren’t closing because there’s not an interest. We are closing because our county’s zone ordinances are so strict they won’t allow us to move anywhere else,” he said.
Jones says his zoning request to relocate was denied. He was told his use was categorized as “industrial use and construction.”
“When I submitted my zoning request it was denied. It said it was industrial use and construction. However, next to the building is a gym. It’s a basketball, pickleball and tennis gym,” he said.
He also noted the lack of options for boys in other gymnastics programs nearby.
“The city of College Park owns and operates a state-of-the-art gymnastics program, but they will not let boys compete, so I took my own money and opened this gym,” Jones said.
For Jones, this academy has always been more than just a gym — it’s a lifelong dream born from his own childhood experiences.
“This gym means everything to me. I wanted to do gymnastics as a kid and my family couldn’t afford it, and we would drive by the gym and I would see other kids doing gymnastics and I said one day I want to do that,” he said in tears.
Now, with an August 1 deadline looming, Jones is holding onto hope and leaning on his community.
“I’m taking the positivity from the parents and students and letting it fuel me because it’s all about the kids,” he said.
What you can do
The gym is fundraising to help find a new home. You can donate on their GoFundMe.
Dig deeper
FOX 5 reached out to Clayton County for comment and is waiting to hear back.
The Source
Information in this article came from FOX 5 speaking with James Jones.
College Sports
Ray Alcindor (2026) – Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame Ray Alcindor, a member of the Class of 1993, was a standout on the ice for the men’s hockey team and competed in track and field during the early 1990s. Alcindor’s name is found throughout the men’s ice hockey […]

Hall of Fame
Ray Alcindor, a member of the Class of 1993, was a standout on the ice for the men’s hockey team and competed in track and field during the early 1990s.
Alcindor’s name is found throughout the men’s ice hockey record books, including a second-place tie for the most goals in a single season (28) and sixth in assists (30). The Panther was tabbed the Sid Watson Award Winner in 1993, given to the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. He garnered All-American First-Team honors, All-NESCAC First-Team praise, and was the lone Division III player selected to compete in the Shriners’ NCAA Senior All-Star Game.
A captain, Alcindor was instrumental in leading Middlebury to an 18-4-2 record and the top spot in the ECAC East standings during his final campaign. He played in 95 games during his career, accumulating 62 goals and 68 assists, which ranks him 11th in program history with 130 points. The program was a combined 82-17-4 during Alcindor’s career, including a 22-3-1 mark with an ECAC Championship during his sophomore year.
Following graduation, Alcindor was invited to try out with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. He played professionally in the ECHL, QSPHL, the Swiss Division 2 League, and the Professional Roller Hockey League.
Alcindor also competed in track and field, participating in the sprints and relay events, while holding the College’s bench press record at the time of graduation.
College Sports
Baseball Announces the Additions of Podbelski and McKeon to Coaching Staff
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown Baseball Head Coaching Chair Frank Holbrook has announced the additions of Eric Podbelski and Andrew McKeon to his inaugural coaching staff for the upcoming 2026 season. Podbelski has been named the Associate Head Coach, while McKeon will serve as Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. Podbelski brings nearly three decades of collegiate […]

Podbelski brings nearly three decades of collegiate head coaching experience to College Hill after a decorated 28 years as head coach at Wheaton College. During his tenure from 1998-2025, he posted an 817-342-5 overall record, the 15th-most wins among active Division III coaches as of 2025, while his .704 winning percentage was seventh-best among active coaches. At Brown, he will have the opportunity to work directly for one of his former players in Holbrook, who pitched at Wheaton from 2009-2013.
Podbelski’s squads captured at least a share of 21 NEWMAC regular season titles, 17 tournament championships, made 18 NCAA Tournaments, and four trips to the Division III College World Series, including a pair of national runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2012. He coached 114 All-NEWMAC selections, as well as 132 all-region honorees and 21 All-Americans. Sixteen of his players were also named NEWMAC Players of the Year. Nine of his former players went on to sign professionally, including MLB veteran Chris Denorfia.
Click here for Podbelski’s full bio
McKeon most recently served as the Associate Head Coach at Salve Regina, where he helped lead the Seahawks to an appearance in the 2024 Division III College World Series. During his time on staff, Salve saw sustained success with a 193-67-5 overall record, the program’s first NEWMAC title, six regional and two super regional appearances, and a trip to the national semifinals during their historic 2024 run.
In 2025, McKeon helped the Seahawks win their first NEWMAC title, set a program record with a 20-game winning streak, and later advanced to the super regionals for the second straight year.
During the 2024 season, Salve set a program record with 40 wins and finished the year ranked second nationally in earned run average and tied for the lead in shutouts. Additionally, the pitching staff ranked 15th in hits allowed per 9, 13th in strikeout-to-walk ratio, 26th in strikeouts per 9, and 9th in WHIP. Offensively, the team ranked 17th in batting average, sixth in hits, 11th in runs and 29th in stolen bases. Sean Mulligan earned NEWMAC and Regional Pitcher of the Year, along with Third Team All-America honors.
Prior to Salve, McKeon spent the 2018 season at Ana Maria College as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator and spent the 2017 and 2018 summers on staff for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks who were competing in the Futures League.
Click here for McKeon’s full bio
BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
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