NIL
Insider Reveals Why PJ Haggerty’s $4M Gamble Backfires as Portal Star Struggles To Find New Home
PJ Haggerty, the AAC Player of the Year and a consensus second-team All-American, stunned the college basketball world by entering the transfer portal after a dominant season at Memphis. A redshirt junior at just 21 years old, Haggerty previously spent time at TCU and Tulsa before excelling under Penny Hardaway, where he led Memphis in […]

PJ Haggerty, the AAC Player of the Year and a consensus second-team All-American, stunned the college basketball world by entering the transfer portal after a dominant season at Memphis. A redshirt junior at just 21 years old, Haggerty previously spent time at TCU and Tulsa before excelling under Penny Hardaway, where he led Memphis in scoring, assists, and steals.
However, his reported $4 million NIL asking price has made securing a new team difficult. Once seen as a top portal prize, Haggerty’s situation highlights the risky economics players now face in college basketball’s evolving NIL landscape.
Insider Details: AAC Player of the Year PJ Haggerty Faces Unexpected Portal Setback
PJ Haggerty entered the transfer portal expecting a massive market for his services. However, as discussed by Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander on the CBS Sports College Basketball YouTube channel, that market has not materialized.
Haggerty, who averaged 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 36.4% from three and 82% from the foul line last season at Memphis, reportedly sought a $4 million NIL deal and assurances he would play point guard.
According to Norlander, staffs are hesitant to commit such a significant sum, especially to a player asking to switch positions.
“Staffs are hesitant about throwing $4 million at one player and also throwing $4 million at one player who wants to play point guard when that ain’t really what he did to become an All-American at Memphis,” he said.
Parrish added that Haggerty’s team may have been influenced by JT Toppin’s $4 million deal to stay at Texas Tech, but Toppin was a first-team All-American and a projected first-round pick, which Haggerty was not.
The overall financial landscape in college basketball also complicates Haggerty’s situation. Norlander pointed out the exploding economics of the sport, estimating that more than $330 million — possibly up to $450 million — is circulating in Division I programs through NIL. Still, not every school can commit to multimillion-dollar deals, and Memphis is not among the programs capable of reaching that level.
“There’s a whole bunch more schools that are in that $8 million club,” Norlander noted, but even among those, matching Haggerty’s demands has proven difficult.
With around 70% of major portal commitments already made, options are shrinking. As Norlander explained, finding the right fit at this stage is complicated:
“It’s got to be the right number overall, right the right fit overall.”
KEEP READING: Can the Boozer Twins Carry Duke? Experts Say Jon Scheyer Still Needs Another Strong Player
Although Haggerty remains a high-value player, his steep price tag and role demands have turned his portal journey into a cautionary tale about the new NIL-driven reality of college basketball.
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NIL
Softball America Top 25 Rankings: Final 2025
The 2025 college softball season has concluded after the Texas Longhorns claimed their first national title. Texas, which was the No. 1 in our poll eight of 14 times this season, returns to that top spot after the 2025 Women’s College World Series. All eight Women’s College World Series teams, along with Clemson and Florida […]

The 2025 college softball season has concluded after the Texas Longhorns claimed their first national title. Texas, which was the No. 1 in our poll eight of 14 times this season, returns to that top spot after the 2025 Women’s College World Series. All eight Women’s College World Series teams, along with Clemson and Florida State, round out the Top 10.
Teagan Kavan’s historic WCWS performance leads Texas to first national championship
Three teams that were unranked ahead of conference tournament week. Liberty and Georgia return to the rankings after their Super Regional appearances. North Florida makes its first-ever appearance in the Softball America poll after reaching the Columbia Regional Final.
Read more: Top 100 College Softball Players of the 2025 season
Ranking | Team | Record | Last Week Ranking |
1 | Texas | 56-12 | 6 |
2 | Texas Tech | 54-14 | 9 |
3 | Oklahoma | 52-9 | 4 |
4 | Tennessee | 47-17 | 5 |
5 | UCLA | 55-13 | 11 |
6 | Oregon | 54-10 | 8 |
7 | Ole Miss | 42-21 | 21 |
8 | Florida | 48-17 | 7 |
9 | Clemson | 48-14 | 10 |
10 | Florida State | 49-12 | 3 |
11 | Arkansas | 44-14 | 1 |
12 | Alabama | 40-23 | 15 |
13 | Nebraska | 43-15 | 19 |
14 | South Carolina | 44-17 | 12 |
15 | Liberty | 50-15 | NR |
16 | Georgia | 35-23 | NR |
17 | Texas A&M | 48-11 | 2 |
18 | Arizona | 48-13 | 14 |
19 | Stanford | 42-13 | 16 |
20 | Virginia Tech | 43-13 | 17 |
21 | LSU | 42-16 | 13 |
22 | Mississippi State | 39-19 | 17 |
23 | Ohio State | 45-14-1 | 18 |
24 | Duke | 41-18 | 22 |
25 | North Florida | 47-15 | NR |
Also received votes: Southeastern Louisiana
For transfer portal news, stay up to date with the Softball America transfer wire and the Dugout, our discussion board for members.
NIL
What is the end date for the crazy NIL deals?
Gyandle said… (original post) You don’t think legislation is going to stop teams from finding a way to use rich boosters to slide players money? They did it before NIL. They did… show more That is kind of a ridiculous line of thinking. Sure, there will be some payments outside the system, but for perspective, […]


Gyandle said… (original post) You don’t think legislation is going to stop teams from finding a way to use rich boosters to slide players money? They did it before NIL. They did…
That is kind of a ridiculous line of thinking. Sure, there will be some payments outside the system, but for perspective, during the bagman era, major deals were less than 10% of what they became when it was legalized. Tiny in comparison. It’ll go back that way. The ultra rich just can’t launder that amount of money under the table, nor do most of the ultra rich have the stomach for that type of thing. So it will be peanuts compared to what it was…we know, because we saw what it was when it was under the table before. Tiny in comparison. Less than revenue share that is coming by a long shot.
NIL
Kansas State infielder Seth Dardar commits to LSU out of transfer portal
LSU is adding a big bat out of the NCAA transfer portal. Kansas State infielder Seth Dardar has committed to the Tigers, he announced on his Twitter account on Sunday evening. Dardar spent just one season with the Wildcats. He hit .326 with 18 doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBI. He accounted for 39 […]

LSU is adding a big bat out of the NCAA transfer portal. Kansas State infielder Seth Dardar has committed to the Tigers, he announced on his Twitter account on Sunday evening.
Dardar spent just one season with the Wildcats. He hit .326 with 18 doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBI. He accounted for 39 runs during the season.
“I have decided to come home and live out my dream to play at Louisiana State University!” Dardar wrote. “Thank you to everyone who was a part of my journey that has led me to this position, and thank you Coach Johnson, Coach Jordan, and the rest of the LSU staff for giving me the opportunity to live out this dream. Geaux Tigers!!!”
Before arriving at Kansas State in 2025, Seth Dardar spent three seasons at Columbia. He did not play during the 2024 season due to injury.
During that time, he produced a career slash line of .289/.383/.537. In his sophomore season, he slashed .299/.392/.575 with 11 doubles, one triple and eight home runs while driving in 32 runs. He also scored 32 runs with four stolen bases.
Though he spent only one year at Kansas State, Dardar had nothing but good things to say about the Wildcats on his way out. He penned part of his departure note about Kansas State.
“First and foremost I want to thank Kansas State University and the entire coaching staff for affording me the opportunity to make memories and friendships this year that will last a lifetime,” Seth Dardar wrote. “To the Manhattan community and K-State fan base, thank you for taking me in and making me feel at home. The overwhelming support and love I felt from everyone at Kansas State is something I will cherish forever.”
As things stand, Seth Dardar is set to join one of college baseball’s elite programs. LSU is currently looking to advance to the College World Series again in 2025, needing just one more win over West Virginia in the next two games in the Baton Rouge Super Regional.
LSU won the national title in 2023. That’s certainly something Dardar will be helping the Tigers pursue in 2026.
NIL
Evan Stewart releases statement following summer knee injury
Earlier this week, it was reported that rising-senior Oregon football receiver Evan Stewart would miss most of the 2025 football season, if not all of it due to a summer injury. On Saturday evening, Evan Stewart went to social media to confirm the injury and thank fans for their support. He shared this message on […]

Earlier this week, it was reported that rising-senior Oregon football receiver Evan Stewart would miss most of the 2025 football season, if not all of it due to a summer injury. On Saturday evening, Evan Stewart went to social media to confirm the injury and thank fans for their support. He shared this message on Instagram.
“Thank you for all the well wishes. I’m on the road to recovery. Don’t put a timeline on me. Following God’s Plan! Thank you for the Prayers! – 7,” posted Stewart.
There hasn’t been a confirmation from Oregon that states how long Stewart will be out of action, and there isn’t expected to be one from head coach Dan Lanning till likely August when fall camp opens up.

Following the injury, DuckTerritory.com’s Erik Skopil broke down how the Ducks could get by this upcoming season if they have to play without their expected star receiver.
Little details are currently known of the injury, aside from that it was to his knee. The initial report from College Football Headlines suggested it could cost him the entire season.
With Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden gone, Stewart acted as the team’s leading returning receiver after catching 48 passes for 613 yards and five touchdowns in 2024. Formerly a 5-star recruit who began his career at Texas A&M, he was entering his senior season with the Ducks and had been expected to be among the team’s top targets this fall.
A lower back injury forced him to miss the final game of the 2024 season, a loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs. He did not participate in April’s spring game either.
With Stewart gone, the Ducks will be forced to rely on a less experienced group of wide receivers. Upperclassmen Gary Bryant Jr. and Justiuis Lowe each have recent starting experience, but the pass game’s success will likely come down to the readiness of wide receivers like true freshman Dakorien Moore, redshirt freshmen Jeremiah McClellan and Dillon Gresham and unproven older players like Kyler Kasper, Jurrion Dickey and Florida State transfer Malik Benson.
NIL
Tony Vitello on House settlement: ‘Dumbest thing I’ve ever been involved in my life’
The long-awaited approval of the $2.8 billion House settlement was passed, allowing universities to pay their players directly. This sweeping change took five years to complete and was largely hung up on roster limitations, among other minor details. Tennessee Volunteers baseball coach Tony Vitello provided a brief statement on the House Settlement’s approval. His response, […]

The long-awaited approval of the $2.8 billion House settlement was passed, allowing universities to pay their players directly. This sweeping change took five years to complete and was largely hung up on roster limitations, among other minor details.
Tennessee Volunteers baseball coach Tony Vitello provided a brief statement on the House Settlement’s approval. His response, directly following Saturday’s 4-3 loss to Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regionals, may surprise you.
“Yeah, I don’t have anything specific. Tight game, so we’ll look back and see how I can do a better job,” Vitello said during his opening statement. “I know it was good to get to the park today. That deal last night (House settlement) was the dumbest thing I’ve ever been involved in my life. And I lived at the Lake of the Ozarks one summer. So it was just good to get here and play, get the series underway.”
It’s unclear based on Vitello’s initial vague comments whether he’s referring to his involvement in the matter, it’s prolonged outcome, or the contents of the settlement itself. Either way, it appears he’s glad that it’s over.
The overall response to the settlement has been a positive one, as it ushers in a new era with NIL in college athletics. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey provided a statement of his own on behalf of the entire conference on Friday.
“The approval of the House settlement agreement represents a significant milestone for the meaningful support of our student-athletes and a pivotal step toward establishing long-term sustainability for college sports, two of the Southeastern Conference’s priorities,” Sankey said in a statement following the settlement. “As the journey to modernize collegiate sports continues, we remain focused on identifying and implementing innovative opportunities for our student-athletes across all sports while maintaining the core values that make collegiate athletics uniquely meaningful.”
The fallout from the approval will see schools be able to share $20.5 million with athletes beginning July 1. Football will receive 75% of the allotted amount, followed by men’s basketball (15%), women’s basketball (5%) and the remainder of the institution’s sports (5%). It’s expected that power conference football programs will have between $13 to $16 million to spend on rosters for the upcoming season.
Moreover, the NCAA will have to pay $2.776 billion in back damages over the next decade to former college athletes who had competed after 2016. The aforementioned roster limits and new NIL clearinghouses were all a part of the settlement as well.
NIL
Kansas Basketball Officially Misses Out on Top-50 Transfer Target
There’s been no shortage of chatter about Kansas’ lack of success this offseason. Seeing a perennial blue blood program fall short on multiple top targets (Darrion Williams, Dame Sarr, among others) is a rare sight in college basketball, although it’s becoming less uncommon with each passing year as NIL has evened out the college landscape. […]

There’s been no shortage of chatter about Kansas’ lack of success this offseason.
Seeing a perennial blue blood program fall short on multiple top targets (Darrion Williams, Dame Sarr, among others) is a rare sight in college basketball, although it’s becoming less uncommon with each passing year as NIL has evened out the college landscape.
Even in early June, well over a month after the transfer portal closed, the Jayhawks had an opportunity to save their offseason with a remaining option in the portal – and a high-quality one at that: USC transfer Desmond Claude.
On Sunday though, Claude officially came off the board, committing to a fellow west coast Big Ten squad in Washington.
Last season, as a junior at USC, Claude averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Tabbed as the 31st transfer in the country by 247 Sports, Claude was the final top-100 player to make his transfer decision.
Back in April, the Jayhawks were heavily linked to the 6-foot-6 guard. Kansas made Claude’s final cut, alongside North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida.
Quickly, the defending national champion Gators became the frontrunner, but after landing highly-touted Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee, coach Todd Golden and his crew backed off in their pursuit of Claude.
Since then, the discussions around Claude’s status had been quiet, but Washington ultimately snuck in to land its second top-50 transfer this offseason, as Claude is set to follow his former USC teammate Wesley Yates III (24th transfer) to Seattle.
While Kansas had appeared to be out of the Claude sweepstakes for a few weeks, his commitment all but ensures the Jayhawks don’t make any additional moves through the portal. The two remaining options for coach Bill Self and his staff: international prospects or 2026 reclasses.
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