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View image in fullscreen This mortifying stew of boredom, pablum, and money is good for the platforms, but terrible for sports fans. Football content producers and the organizations that pay them are not only failing to tell interesting stories; they’re also, in a way, killing the very institution of the sports documentary, flattening viewers’ expectations […]

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How the tell

Documentaries such as those on the Saudi Pro League do little more than offer free advertising.

This mortifying stew of boredom, pablum, and money is good for the platforms, but terrible for sports fans. Football content producers and the organizations that pay them are not only failing to tell interesting stories; they’re also, in a way, killing the very institution of the sports documentary, flattening viewers’ expectations of the insight that narrative exposés of professional sport’s inner workings can offer and normalizing a tabloid-like transactionalism in the way that stories about sport’s central personalities and institutions are presented to the public. A documentary worthy of the name enjoys a measure of distance from its subject; the films responsible for the modern mainstream documentary boom – Fahrenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine, Super Size Me, and so on – had a real outsider’s zeal, and they were all, in one way or another, exercises in challenging power. Streaming has upended all of that; in the hands of the platforms the sports documentary has become an instrument for consolidating power rather than holding it to account.Sport’s mightiest personalities and institutions don’t need to “get ahead of the narrative” anymore; increasingly they are the narrative, and the streamers’ seemingly inexhaustible resources and Haalandesque appetite for content are responsible for making sports cinema the most reliably lifeless and propagandistic viewing experience on the internet today. Rooney’s managerial career may be close to the end, but it’s still further from death than the modern sports documentary – as a vehicle for uncovering the truth, contesting authority, and surprising the viewer – now appears. Are you still watching?

As a revealing recent piece by the film writer Will Tavlin notes, Netflix’s real concern is scale rather than standards: sports documentaries, like all the other productions hosted on its platform, are merely a means to the company’s real end, which is acquiring ever-more subscribers. The streaming service’s priority is to have enough of everything to satisfy everyone. Under the dominion of the platforms, filmmakers cede the terrain to unquestioning, zombie-like “content producers”; cinematic ambition gives way to simple calculations of length (the longer the series, the better); and artistic and journalistic values take a back seat to volume, which is the coin of the realm. If there’s one thing sport is good at, it’s generating endless amounts of content; indeed, much of it already exists in the form of game footage, which makes the modern streaming sports documentarian’s work a stress-free exercise in rearrangement, light contextualization and packaging.And yet, despite the slight cooling in clubs’ ardor for the tell-nothing documentary, the streaming platforms’ thirst for soccer content remains insatiable. Open up Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock, and the rest, and you’ll immediately be struck by both the size and sheer tedium of the streamers’ football-related libraries. In sport, the age of perpetual content is upon us, and it is viciously uninteresting. On Netflix, to take the biggest and most influential of these platforms as an example, recent highlights include Saudi Pro League Kickoff, a six-part series that introduces the Saudi domestic league to outsiders while doubling as a four-hour advertorial for the shopping malls and car parks of Riyadh and Jeddah; La Liga: All Access, which makes good on its promise of access but uses it to produce a startlingly sunny, uncritical snapshot of Barcelona’s financial woes and the Spanish top flight’s gentle decline; Together: Treble Winners, a heart-stoppingly dreary trudge through the B-roll and highlights of Manchester City’s treble-winning 2022-23 season; Captains of the World, a recap of the 2022 World Cup that neutralizes the burning issue of that tournament (migrant worker deaths and the serial human rights abuses of the host nation) by emphasizing how tough it is for professional footballers to have to think about politics; Anelka: Misunderstood, which departs from the defensible premise that Nicolas Anelka was one of the most enigmatic and difficult talents of his generation then proceeds to do nothing with it, reducing episodes like Anelka’s famous confrontation with Raymond Domenech at the 2010 World Cup to a series of platitudes like, “It was a moment I’ll never forget”; and Neymar: The Perfect Chaos, a look at the Brazilian supernova so fittingly half-assed it gives up after three episodes.Won’t someone think of the streaming platforms? Wayne Rooney’s departure from Plymouth Argyle, after seven months and a winless run that left the club bottom of the Championship, not only suggests the former England star’s managerial career has reached its end – it’s also a signal of how contentious the fly-on-the-wall documentary has become in modern football. Rooney was the driving force behind Plymouth’s announcement last November that it would produce a behind-the-scenes documentary about the club’s battle to stay in the Championship. This was a scheme cooked up in the fires of the post-Welcome to Wrexham content jamboree, which has made seemingly every sub-top flight club across England eager to spin its struggles to stay afloat – amid deindustrialization, post-Brexit economic malaise, the stresses and joys of small-city life, and the slog of the English Football League – into streaming gold. The plan was to sell the finished product to a streaming service like Amazon or Netflix, thereby boosting the club’s coffers and stamping Plymouth Argyle on the cultural map with a force that games away to Preston and Oxford United alone can’t quite muster. Now, however, the plan is dead: with Rooney dispatched, the club has scrapped the documentary, which it feared could become a distraction as the team fights relegation. Neither decision has been lamented by the club’s fans, who never warmed to Rooney and reviled the idea of the documentary from its inception.

Even the widely praised Beckham, despite the documentary’s undeniable nostalgic appeal and meme-generating power, is designed as a publicity vehicle to keep its subject couple in the public eye, to ensure the Beckhams stay relevant. Perhaps the sole exception to this torrent of banality on Netflix is The Final: Attack on Wembley, which offers a riveting, if analytically superficial, tick-tock of the chaos that engulfed Wembley on the day of the Euro 2020 final.How is it that such shockingly boring material keeps getting shoveled through the side door of the streaming platforms? The subjects’ motivation – for money, for attention – is of course part of the story, but the real answer lies in the priorities of the platforms themselves. The streamers understand that these films, like many of the others they host, are uninteresting – hence Netflix’s notorious “Are you still watching?” prompt after 90 minutes of unagitated viewing – but they don’t care. Their sole goal is to stuff their platforms with as much content as possible, turning them into the technological-cultural equivalent of ducks fattened by gavage.For the streaming platforms, professional sport has become the perfect partner, an unending source of primary and secondary material with a need for exposure as deep as the streamers’ own hunger for fresh televisual meat. The marriage between the two rests on a perfect balance of interests: the sporting entities get money and attention, the platforms get content, and both leave the scene with only quality left on the floor as evidence of their collaborative crime. These documentaries won’t win awards or huge followings; but there are enough people out there obsessed with Neymar, say – or passingly interested in him, or just plain bored – for Netflix to justify splashing some cash on a three-episode splodge of nothing about the Brazilian’s footballing career. Those viewers who do walk through the door of Netflix’s “ta-dum” intro won’t ascend to televisual heaven, but they’ll spend just enough time with Neymar: The Perfect Chaos to continue forking out .49 a month to keep their subscription. And that, ultimately, is all these productions are designed to do: help platforms maintain and grow their user numbers. Meanwhile, as the streamers’ economic arrangements – in particular, payment for sources and access – become the norm, ambitious documentaries with a less partial connection to their subjects get squeezed to the margins.Plymouth’s abandonment of this sweaty content “play” points, perhaps, to a broader indecision among professional teams across Europe about the benefits of flinging open the training ground gates to the corporate documentarian’s camera. Amazon’s All or Nothing is the series most emblematic of the modern soccer club’s need to “tell its story”, but it appears to have lost much of the momentum it had a few years ago, after the success of its seasons featuring Tottenham and Arsenal. This may have something to do with the overwhelmingly negative perception of these documentaries among players: former Spurs captain Hugo Lloris, for instance, was withering about the Amazon series in his recent autobiography, describing it as a muzzle on the players’ freedom of speech and movement (“We had to be careful all the time,” he wrote). It may also be the product of simple cost-benefit analysis: Spurs and Arsenal each reportedly hauled in around £10m for their respective stints on the All or Nothing merry go round, and while that sum is nothing to be sneezed at (it’s good enough for a decent back-up defender, say, or an under-the-radar prospect from the lower reaches of Ligue 1), it’s perhaps not quite enough to justify the disruptions and reputational risks involved.Finally there’s the question of what, exactly, these types of documentaries, which always claim to “tell all”, are supposed to achieve: by now viewers have realized that these shows are exercises in corporate PR rather than documentaries in any true sense of the term, which rather dilutes their appeal and pretensions to revelation. The only way this type of material can rise above the mundane is if it offers fresh perspective on a misunderstood protagonist (such as the Arsenal All or Nothing season, which did much to humanize Mikel Arteta for many of the club’s fans), or if events on the pitch do not go according to plan and the club suddenly descends into chaos. In some ways it’s a shame that Plymouth, careering towards near-certain relegation, did not follow through on Rooney’s plan since the best of the streaming era’s productions – the first season of Netflix’s Sunderland ’Til I Die – gets all its juice from a calamitous and unexpected downturn in on-field fortunes.That so few of these documentaries produce anything worth paying attention to comes as no real surprise when you consider the entities behind them. More often that not, the subjects of these series are also their creators, which violates, of course, every principle of independence governing traditional documentary filmmaking: Together: Treble Winners was produced by City Studios, Manchester City’s in-house branded content agency; Fifa+, Fifa’s streaming and content platform, made Captains of the World; David Beckham’s Studio 99 co-produced the Netflix series about his life; and so on. Neymar himself may not have been responsible for the crime against cinema that is Neymar: The Perfect Chaos, but Uninterrupted, the LeBron James-backed content studio formed with the promise of cutting out the journalistic intermediary and giving fans access to the unfiltered athlete’s voice, was, so the result does not deviate from the fare produced via more straightforward narrative conflicts of interest.

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College Sports

News: CFP, Okmin, Nielsen – Sports Media Watch

No consensus reached after CFP meetings; a longtime Fox reporter will depart the network; Nielsen reports streaming tops linear TV for the first time last month. No agreement on CFP format College Football Playoff leadership has no clear consensus on the future of the tournament after meetings this week, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich. The […]

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No consensus reached after CFP meetings; a longtime Fox reporter will depart the network; Nielsen reports streaming tops linear TV for the first time last month.

No agreement on CFP format

College Football Playoff leadership has no clear consensus on the future of the tournament after meetings this week, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich. The Big Ten and SEC, who control the discussion about the playoff, are in disagreement about key points of a new deal.

Previous models explored include a format in which the Big Ten and SEC would be guaranteed four spots each, with two more reserved for each the Big 12 and ACC. The “5+11” model appeared to gain traction last month, which would simply expand the current format to four additional at-large teams.

Among the points of contention is the Big Ten’s objection to the SEC and ACC continuing to play eight conference games annually, instead of nine. The SEC is seeking compensation from ESPN as well as assurances of playoff access before adding additional losses to its teams’ resumes.

A deadline of December 1 is in place to reach agreement on the playoff format for 2026-27 and beyond. This year’s playoff will repeat the twelve-team format from last year, with the slight modification that conference champions will not automatically be given a bye if not ranked in the top four spots.

Laura Okmin departing Fox Sports

Longtime Fox Sports NFL sideline reporter Laura Okmin will not renew her contract, ending her 23-year run with the network, according to Front Office Sports. The network was reportedly “surprised” by Okmin’s departure. Okmin primarily worked on Fox’s lower-tier NFL crews, including this past season alongside Kevin Kugler and Daryl Johnston.

Okmin said in an interview with FOS that she will continue to work the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl for Westwood One’s radio coverage, but her primary focus will be on her own women’s sports development company.

Okmin finishes her TV career at #3 on the list of all-time NFL sideline broadcasts worked, behind Fox’s Pam Oliver and former NBC reporter Michele Tafoya. Prior to Fox, Okmin worked for TNT Sports and CNN.



Streaming surpasses linear in May, per Nielsen

Viewing of streaming video in the US has surpassed broadcast and cable viewership combined for the first time, according to Nielsen’s analysis of May 2025 data. Combined streaming viewership was 44.8% of all content, exceeding the combined share of broadcast TV (20.1%) and cable (24.1%).

YouTube led all platforms with 12.5% share of media consumption. To put it another way, one out of every eight minutes of video watched last month in the US was accessed through YouTube. Netflix remains in second place with a 7.5% share. Even smaller free platforms have a surprising audience: the combined viewership of Tubi, Roku Channel, and PlutoTV was larger than any individual broadcast television network last month.

Nielsen’s “broadcast” and “cable” categories include linear networks like ABC and ESPN, even when accessed through a streaming platform like YouTube TV. Viewership of ESPN+ is included in the “streaming” category, along with other platforms like Prime Video, Peacock, and Paramount+.



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Class of 2027 NCAA Gymnastics Stars to Watch This Season

The class of 2027 NCAA gymnastics recruits are garnering attention as they can now commit to college programs despite competing elite through summer and fall. Prominent gymnasts like Claire Pease, Lia Monica Fontaine, and Alyssa Guerrier Calixte highlight the talent pool. Pease has already made headlines with standout performances in the junior ranks, while Fontaine […]

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June 20, 2025

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The class of 2027 NCAA gymnastics recruits are garnering attention as they can now commit to college programs despite competing elite through summer and fall. Prominent gymnasts like Claire Pease, Lia Monica Fontaine, and Alyssa Guerrier Calixte highlight the talent pool. Pease has already made headlines with standout performances in the junior ranks, while Fontaine dominates in Canadian competitions. This recruiting period marks a pivotal moment for these young athletes as they aim to secure their spots in top gymnastics programs.

By the Numbers

  • Claire Pease won the U.S. junior all-around title and multiple elite competitions.
  • Lia Monica Fontaine achieved a personal best all-around score of 54.316 at the Canadian Championships.

State of Play

  • Recruiting for the class of 2027 has officially begun, with gymnasts actively competing in elite events.
  • Pease and Fontaine are among the leading figures, attracting attention from major NCAA programs.

What’s Next

As these recruits continue to perform in competitions, their collegiate commitments will likely be announced over the coming months. Expect further developments in outstanding performances at national and international events that could elevate their recruitment status. The upcoming U.S Championships will be crucial for Pease and others seeking to enhance their visibility.

Bottom Line

The class of 2027 is poised to make a significant impact on NCAA gymnastics, with talented individuals like Pease and Fontaine leading the charge. As they solidify their skills and competitive standings, all eyes will be on them as potential future stars in the sport.





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First HBCU gymnastics program at Fisk University to end in 2026

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Fisk University made history in 2023 as the first Historically Black College or University to launch a gymnastics program. Now, just three years later, the university has announced the program will end after Spring 2026. The team quickly gained national attention, breaking records, competing nationwide, and inspiring fans across the country. […]

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June 20, 2025

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Fisk University made history in 2023 as the first Historically Black College or University to launch a gymnastics program. Now, just three years later, the university has announced the program will end after Spring 2026.

The team quickly gained national attention, breaking records, competing nationwide, and inspiring fans across the country.

“I didn’t really realize we were making history or I was making history until maybe halfway through, because at the end of every meet we have to stay, Oh my God, sometimes an hour after the competition, signing autographs, taking pictures, meeting alumni from Fisk, and also letting the other little girls that were looking up to us and inspired by us,” said Naimah Muhammad, a former Fisk University gymnast.

Muhammad, who graduated in May, had hoped to mentor the team but was shocked to learn about the program’s discontinuation.

“Never expected it to happen, especially knowing how much support we got from not just people on the outside of school, but inside the school. The students, the faculty, the staff, the alumni especially really loved the gymnastics team,” Muhammad said.

The university cited the lack of HBCU Athletic Conference sanctioning as a major hurdle, making it difficult to schedule meets and recruit athletes. Fisk competes in the HBCU Athletic Conference, where gymnastics isn’t sanctioned.

“While we are tremendously proud of the history our gymnastics team has made in just three years, we look forward to focusing on our conference-affiliated teams to strengthen our impact in the HBCU Athletic Conference,” said Valencia Jordan, Director of Fisk Athletics. “Fisk is grateful for the hard work, dedication, and tenacity of its gymnasts, staff members, and coaches who made this program possible.”

“It was very much a shock when they announced the dismantling,” Muhammad said. “It made me very upset.”

Now, Muhammad and fellow alumni are rallying to save the program, launching a petition to raise awareness.

“At the end of the day, you can’t take away the history we made for the past three years that literally shook and impacted the whole world,” Muhammad said.

Since Fisk’s groundbreaking move, two other HBCUs created gymnastics programs. Talladega College in Alabama started shortly after Fisk in 2023 but ended its program in 2024 due to financial reasons. After Spring 2026, only Wilberforce University in Ohio will remain as an HBCU with a gymnastics program.

Muhammad says if she can’t save Fisk’s program, she will focus her efforts on supporting Wilberforce.

This story was reported on-air and written by Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Longtime breakfast tradition continues for friends who met through Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorship

This is a beautiful story of chosen family, proving a father figure doesn’t have to have biology in common to make a difference in a child’s life. The story of De’Andre and Alex will remind you that our relationships help determine the course of our lives. And that being supportive of someone – through a meal, a shared experience or even swim lessons can make all the difference.

– Rebecca Schleicher





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ABCA Honors Kedrow as Region 7’s Best Defensive Catcher

Story Links ADRIAN, Mich. – The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) announced its Regional All-Defensive Teams on Thursday afternoon, with each region selecting one player per position. Representing Adrian College on the Region 7 All-Defensive Team for the 2025 season is catcher David Kedrow. Kedrow had an outstanding season behind the […]

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ADRIAN, Mich. – The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) announced its Regional All-Defensive Teams on Thursday afternoon, with each region selecting one player per position. Representing Adrian College on the Region 7 All-Defensive Team for the 2025 season is catcher David Kedrow.

Kedrow had an outstanding season behind the plate, earning First Team All-MIAA honors. In 321 defensive chances, he recorded 285 putouts, 33 assists, and committed just three errors, finishing the year with an impressive .991 fielding percentage. He also threw out 20 baserunners attempting to steal.

The honor follows the recent announcement of Kedrow signing a professional contract with the Eastside Diamond Hoppers of the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL).

Kedrow becomes the first player in Adrian College history to be named to an ABCA Regional All-Defensive Team since the awards were introduced in 2023. He joins Todd Meyers (2009) and Gunner Rainey (2021) as the only Bulldogs to receive ABCA Defensive Awards, with both earning national Gold Glove honors.



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Wisconsin men's soccer welcomes 16 newcomers in highly

Story Links MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men’s soccer program welcomes 16 newcomers to the program for the 2025-26 school year, including some who joined the Badgers for the 2025 spring semester and boast a head start. The class as a whole ranks No. 13 in the nation according to Top Drawer Soccer. “We are thrilled about the […]

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Wisconsin men's soccer welcomes 16 newcomers in highly

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men’s soccer program welcomes 16 newcomers to the program for the 2025-26 school year, including some who joined the Badgers for the 2025 spring semester and boast a head start.
 
The class as a whole ranks No. 13 in the nation according to Top Drawer Soccer.
 
“We are thrilled about the depth and quality of this incoming class,” head coach Neil Jones said. “We have a great mix of freshmen and transfers who will each bring their own skill set, personality, cultural background and positional acumen to the program.
 
“I must give a huge thanks to all of our coaching staff who have worked tirelessly to put together this outstanding recruiting class. Coaches Nate Boyden, Simon Brown and Daniel Bermingham, as well as previous staff members Andrew Bordelon and Ryan Osborne, were all instrumental in putting this group of fine young men together.”
 
Meet the Badgers’ 2025 additions below:
 
Ola Arntsen | Midfielder | Hitra, Norway | Louisville | Sr.
Ola Arntsen joins Wisconsin as a transfer from Louisville. The Hitra, Norway, native appeared in 12 games for Louisville in his junior year, recording one start. He saw the field for a total of 490 minutes and tallied 10 shots and four on target. Prior to Louisville, Arntsen played two seasons with Evansville. He tallied two goals and two assists in 27 games with the Purple Aces. 
 
Why Wisconsin?
“Wisconsin has great academic and athletic programs. I believe in success with these guys. I look forward to playing games in the Big Ten Conference.”
 
Isaac Brown-Samper | Defender | Mystic, Connecticut | Austin FC | Fr.
Isaac Brown-Samper comes to Madison from Austin FC. He’s worked on his game around the world, including a stop with Serie A Sassuolo U16-17 and Serie C Ascoli Clacio U20 in Italy, as well as stops in Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Brown-Samper is a dual citizen with the United States and Costa Rica.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“The great team atmosphere and level of soccer.”
 
Caleb Capone | Forward | New York | Edgware & Kinsbury FC | Fr.
Caleb Capone arrives in Madison from Edgware & Kinsbury FC First Team in England, where he led the squad with 11 goals during the most recent season. A New York native, Capone trialed with Arsenal Academy U16 & Crystal Palace from the Premier League. He also attended three U-15 USA Men’s Youth National Team Clinics and ranked as one of the top 250 players in the country through the process.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“Other than the outstanding reputation Wisconsin holds in both men’s soccer and academics, the team’s philosophy led by [head coach] Neil [Jones] is built upon by work, effort and the closeness of all the boys.”
 
Reece Cousino | Defender | Tipp City, Ohio | FC Cincinnati (U17) | Fr.
Reece Cousino arrives in Madison from his hometown of Tipp City, Ohio, where he plays for FC Cincinnati Academy.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“I chose to attend Wisconsin because it offers best in class opportunities both on and off the soccer field and it just felt right. I’m excited for the opportunity to develop and grow under the coaching staff and for the opportunity to compete for titles alongside my talented teammates.”
 
Gianluca Del Priore | Midfield | St. Catharines, Ontario | Niagara | Jr.
Gianluca Del Priore played in 29 games over two seasons at Niagara before transferring to Wisconsin. He tallied four assists in 16 games during the 2024 campaign after contributing two goals and an assist in 13 games as a freshman.
 
The St. Catharines, Ontario, native attended St. Francis High School and earned mention on the NCDSB Division All-Star team. He played his club soccer for Empire Niagara.
 
Aden Green | Defender | Sydney, Australia | Sydney FC | Fr.
Aden Green played for Sydney FC U20 in 2024 after playing for the Western Sydney Wanderers U18 team for two seasons. The Sydney, Australia, native represented his home country at both the 2023 AFC U17 Asian Cup, the Antalya Cup and 2022 Maccabiah Games.
 
An attendee at Moriah College for high school, Green earned most valuable player of the 2022 Australian National Schools Football Championships. He was also named Player of the Tour for the U16 Australian Schoolboys tour of the UK and Ireland.
 
Owen Hornig | Defender | San Clemente, California | Irvine Strikers FC (Calif.) | Fr.
Owen Horning joins the Badgers after a strong juniors career with the Irvine Strikers FC. The San Clemente, California, native assisted Strikers FC to the U19 MLS Next Cup runners up spot. The next year, the centerback helped the Strikers beat the Cedar Stars to lift the U19 MLS Next Cup. Off the field, Hornig was named 2025 valedictorian of San Clemente High School and earned a spot on the superintendent’s honor roll.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“I chose to attend the University of Wisconsin because of the vast opportunities that it provides. Seeing the university and Madison in general for the first time was an amazing experience that showed me the amazing traditions, social life and the beautiful setting. Being a part of the large fan base at a basketball, soccer and football game truly highlighted the famous traditions that I immediately wanted to be a part of.”
 
Robert Kaemmerer | Midfielder | Torrance, California | Oregon State | Jr.
Robert Kaemmerer joins the Badgers after two seasons at Cal State Northridge and a short stop at Oregon State. At CSUN, the Torrance, California, native played 32 games over two season, collecting one assist in 16 starts during his freshman season and starting 15 of 16 appearances his sophomore year.
 
He graduated from South Torrance High School in 2023 and was named an all-league player in helping his school to a league title.
 
On the international stage, he attended the USA National U-15 Team Camp and the Peruvian U-17 National Team camp. 
 
Cal Kurzawa | Forward | Carmel, Indiana | Indy Eleven Pro Academy | Fr.
Cal Kurzawa finished off his senior season getting voted Indiana Mr. Soccer by the Indiana Coaches Association after he scored 28 goals and 13 assists for Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. The school’s all-time leader with 78 goals, he earned 2024 United Soccer Coaches High School All-America honors, to go along with all-state, all-city and all-district honors. During his career, his team finished as state runner-up, while also winning a pair of regional titles and a trio of sectional championships. Following his high school career, Kurzawa joined Indy Eleven Pro Academy.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“I’m excited to be playing with new players on Wisconsin”
 
Aidan Martinez | Midfield | Austin, Minnesota | Minnesota United FC 2 | Fr.
Aidan Martinez joins the Badgers from Minnesota United FC 2 where he currently plays for the MLS NEXT Pro franchise. He boasts two goals in seven appearances this season after tallying a pair of goals and an assist in 19 gamed in 2024.
 
Martinez joined Minnesota United Academy after playing his freshman season for Austin High School. That season, the Austin, Minnesota, native tallied 13 goals and two assists in an all-conference season.
 
The midfielder comes from a soccer family, with his brother Andres Garcia playing for St. Cloud State.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“I chose to attend Wisconsin because of the great coaches that I know will push me to be my best not only in soccer, but academics as well.
 
“After visiting the campus, I knew right away that it was the right environment for me because of how active and happy everybody seemed.”
 
Matias Mott | Defender | San Marcos, California | City SC San Diego | Fr.
Matias Mott, who spent the spring semester with the Badgers, arrived from City SC San Diego of MLS NEXT. Mott was named to the 2024 MLS NEXT Best of the Best West Team last year before arriving on campus.
 
The San Marcos High School graduate’s soccer experiences include a 2023 international tournament in Spain and France.
 
The AP Scholar and honor roll student’s mother played a year of tennis for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“I chose to attend Wisconsin because of its amazing reputation both athletically and academically. Also, because I loved the city of Madison when I first visited and felt it was a right fit for me.”
 
Bart Muns | Forward | Amsterdam, Netherlands | UIC | Gr.
Bart Muns comes to Wisconsin as a graduate transfer from UIC where he was a two-time first-team All-MVC forward. A United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Team honoree, he tallied eight goals and 22 points as a senior last season, when he also earned MVC All-Tournament Team accolades. He posted 19 goals and 11 assists in two years with the Flames.
 
Prior to UIC, the Amsterdam, Netherlands, native played for Santa Barbara City College, where he scored 36 goals and 16 assists, and Southeastern Community College, where he helped his squad to the 2021 NJCAA national championship as national player of the year. He scored 19 goals and 11 assists as ICCAC Player of the Year, a first-team All-American and NJCAA All-Tournament Team standout.
 
Muns grew up playing soccer in The Netherlands before arriving in the United States in 2021
 
Why Wisconsin?
“Because of the big school, Big Ten and another experience after all the schools I have attended.”
  
Cristobal Porter | Forward | Concepcion, Chile | University of Montevallo | Jr.
Cristobal Porter started all 16 games for the University of Montevallo as a redshirt freshman, leading his squad with six goals and 18 points. He added a pair of game-winning goals.
 
Porter earned Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year accolades for his season-long efforts that also included three GSC Freshman of the Week and a GSC Player of the Week nod. He was at Montevallo for two seasons.
 
The Concepcion, Chile, native played for St. Johns School in his home country.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“I came to Wisconsin because it is a great program and school, and because of the opportunity to play on the highest level of college soccer.”
 
Patryk Stechnij | Goalkeeper | Chicago | Chicago Fire FC II | Fr.
Patyrk Stechnij arrives in Madison from Chicago Fire FC II of MLS NEXT Pro and with international experience on his resume. Stechnij made his MLS NEXT Pro debut for Chicago Fire FC II against FC Cincinnati in July 2024 and earned his first start in October 2024 during the playoffs. He made his first international start for the U.S. Under-15 Men’s Youth National Team against Belgium in April 2022 in a 3-2 victory.
 
The goalkeeper made his first national team appearance at the U-15 level, playing with the U.S. Men’s Youth National Team in the Torneo delle Nazioni in Italy. The squad won its group, before going on to a fourth-place finish. He also earned an invite to the U-16 U.S. Men’s National Youth National Team for a domestic camp in Chula Vista, California, in 2022. Stechnij also attended 2023 Poland National Team ID Camp.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“I chose Wisconsin because of the competitive program, strong team culture and the opportunity to grow both athletically and academically at a top tier.” 
 
Wade Stinson | Defender | Coventry, Connecticut | Northern Kentucky University | Sr.
Wade Stinson joins Wisconsin after three seasons with Northern Kentucky. With the Norse, Stinson posted two goals and one assist in his 44 games played. The Coventry, Connecticut, native posted a career high three points with a goal and an assist in the 2024 season. He enjoyed a career high 1527 minutes in his sophomore season and a similar 1407 minutes in his junior year.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“I chose to attend Wisconsin because of its great and extensive history of successful sports teams and being an incredible institution. I knew I would be able to grow as a person and athlete as it is one of the greatest institutions in America. I know it will set me up for the future from the relationships I make and qualities I learn.”
 
Arien van Mol | Defender | Madison, Wisconsin | Minnesota United | Fr.
Madison native Arien van Mol joins the Badgers from Minnesota United FC 2. Named to the 2024 MLS NEXT Cup All Star Game, van Mol was named Minnesota United FC Academy Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season after transitioning from midfield to left back. As part of the U18 team, van Mol earned the award for his skill, leadership, attitude, inspiration and hard work.
 
A product of the Madison 56ers soccer program, van Moll played two seasons for Middleton High School. He also won two national futsal titles.
 
Why Wisconsin?
“Being from Madison, it’s every kid’s dream to be able to play for the Badgers. This city and university mean a lot to me. Being able to play at Wisconsin isn’t like playing for any team, it means something to me and I’m really excited to do big things here.”

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MSU Hockey Lands Top 2025 NHL Draft Prospect

Another big-time prospect has chosen to play college hockey at Michigan State. First reported by Nathaniel Bott of the Lansing State Journal, the Spartans have landed forward Mason West of Edina High School (Minnesota). Michigan State hockey secured a commitment from Mason West. 6’6 forward ranked 27th by NHL Central Scouting for North American skaters […]

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June 20, 2025

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Another big-time prospect has chosen to play college hockey at Michigan State.

First reported by Nathaniel Bott of the Lansing State Journal, the Spartans have landed forward Mason West of Edina High School (Minnesota).

West, a 6-6 dual-sport athlete who plays both hockey and football, plays for the USHL’s Fargo Force.

The 2007-born prospect posted nine points (one goal and eight assists) in 10 games for Fargo last season and 49 points (27 goals and 22 assists) in 31 contests for Edina.

West had narrowed his decision down to Michigan State and Boston College.

Pat Cullen of NHL Central Scouting recently spoke on the prospect, who is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, on the “NHL Draft Class” podcast.

“He’s a high-level hockey player, no question about it. But he’s an elite, elite kid,” Cullen said. I mean, anybody you talk to about him just raves about his character, his make-up, his personality; all the little things that Mason does as a hockey player, he does even more so as a person.

” … It might scare some teams off a little bit because of the football thing, but I think the upside he has is unbelievable. And he’s kind of the unicorn in the whole draft class because he’s not hockey 24/7, he’s been splitting his skills amongst two sports. So, I still think there’s room for a ton of growth in his game.

“And he was the guy that every time I went in, I saw something that I didn’t see in the previous viewing. And every time I went in, he left me saying, ‘Wow, this kid just continues to get better and better and better.'”

West, who plays quarterback for Edina, plans to play his last season of football this year before joining Fargo again next winter.

The prospect is ranked 27th on NHL Central Scouting’s ranking of North American Skaters.

Michigan State already has high aspirations of winning a national title next season. Should it reach such a goal, having a prospect like West to come in and look to defend it would be instrumental.

One step at a time, of course.

Follow along with all your Michigan State hockey news when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and please let us know your thoughts when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Be sure to also follow us on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.





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