The launch of Tennessee State University’s historic men’s hockey program will shift to the 2026-27 season. The decision, made in collaboration with the National Hockey League (NHL); the Nashville Predators; and College Hockey, Inc., underscores a shared commitment to building a sustainable and competitive program from day one.

The announcement coincides with a $250,000 grant from the NHL/National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) Industry Growth Fund and continued support from the Nashville Predators. TSU remains poised to become the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to sponsor NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey.

“Working closely with the NHL and the Predators, we agree that an additional year will provide the program with the time and resources it needs to launch at full strength and with long-term financial success in mind,” said TSU Interim President Dwayne Tucker.

The extra preparation period will focus on recruiting, facility planning, staff development, and fundraising efforts. It also aligns with a broader vision to grow the sport of hockey in diverse communities.

“We continue to look forward to helping to make the Division I hockey dream a reality at Tennessee State,” said Bill Wickett, ‘chief marketing officer’ of the Nashville Predators. “We applaud university leadership, led by interim President Tucker, for its desire to ensure that when the Tigers step on the ice for the first time, they are doing it for a long time, and we pledge to walk hand-in-hand with that leadership in making it happen.”

The NHL and the NHLPA Industry Growth Fund have been catalysts for the historic launch of TSU hockey. From funding the initial feasibility study to providing seed funding that is attracting even greater investment, the IGF exemplifies how bold, innovative initiatives can grow the game and expand hockey’s reach into new communities.

“Deferring the inaugural season of TSU Tigers hockey to 2026-27 is the right step to build a foundation worthy of the university,” said Kevin Westgarth, NHL vice president of Hockey Development & Strategic Collaboration. “TSU has faced challenges before and always met them and come back stronger, and we expect hockey to be the latest chapter of that story. We have faith in President Tucker’s vision and look forward to adding new names to the TSU Athletics history alongside legends like Olympic Gold medalist Wilma Rudolph and NBA Champion Dick Barnett. Hopefully, we’ll see an ex-Tiger raise the Stanley Cup one day, not too far in the future.”

College Hockey, Inc. has provided key support throughout the process, beginning with its initial feasibility study in 2021. Its continued guidance will help ensure TSU’s successful transition into NCAA Division I hockey.

“College Hockey, Inc. remains fully supportive of Tennessee State’s commitment to adding men’s ice hockey to its athletics program,” said Sean Hogan, ‘executive director’ of College Hockey, Inc. “We’re excited to work closely with TSU as it prepares to launch and to see the impact this historic initiative will have on both the university and the growth of college hockey.”

TSU’s inaugural season is now set for Fall 2026. In the meantime, preparations will continue through the upcoming academic year, including community engagement, donor initiatives, and program development.

For more information or to support TSU hockey, visit .

Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Sam Pittman says a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that went into effect this month levels the college football playing field in a good way for his Arkansas team.

Pittman said Arkansas now has a chance to compete on more even terms with other Southeastern Conference powers like Georgia, Alabama and Texas. Pittman said Thursday at SEC media days his program previously dealt with a financial disadvantage against the schools with more established name, image and likeness collectives since NIL payments began in 2022.

According to the terms of the House settlement, each school now can share up to about $20.5 million with their athletes.

“Financially with revenue sharing I think we are finally back on even keel with everybody, which we weren’t,” said Pittman, whose team finished 7-6 in 2024. “If I was going to make an excuse, it would be financially is why we haven’t done quite as well. … But I think now with it being even, look out, the Razorbacks are coming.”

Pittman and most other coaches brought seniors and graduate players to represent their teams at SEC media days, which concluded on Thursday. Pittman brought two 2021 recruits and a transfer, but Arkansas could have difficulty finding seniors next year from his original 2022 signing class because many members of that class have transferred.

Pittman, whose Razorbacks have earned bowl bids in four of his five seasons, said players have different reasons for transferring but many were lured away from Arkansas by more attractive NIL packages at other schools. When asked about the 2022 class, Pittman said, “Here’s what it’s not because of: the way they’re treated, because of the way they’re developed, because of the way they’re taught.”

“That’s not the reason. It could be playing time. It could be finances. Probably the majority of it is finances.”

The House settlement era began on July 1.

The enforcement of the House settlement is still being worked out as the new College Sports Commission has informed athletic directors in letters last week it was rejecting payments to players from collectives created only to pay players instead of as payment for name, likeness and image.

Some seniors at SEC media days said NIL payments and the transfer portal have contributed to their decisions to complete their eligibility instead of leaving school early to pursue opportunities in the NFL.

“I would most definitely say so,” Missouri offensive lineman Connor Tollison said. “Obviously, you know, you have a chance to make some money these days. … With the transfer portal, if you don’t have a necessarily a good opportunity at this place you’re at, you have the chance to go somewhere else and get a fresh start. It wasn’t necessarily something I experienced to my college career, but I’ve seen it. You know, it works for plenty of players. So yeah, I think it’s good for the players.”

When asked if NIL makes it easier for players to complete their eligibility, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops, coming off a 4-8 season, said, “Listen, we all love our players, whether they’re one year in our program, six months, or four years.”

Linebacker Alex Afari, defensive back Jordan Lovett and tight end Josh Kattus were the seniors who accompanied Stoops to Atlanta.

“Of course I love making money from name, image and likeness,” Lovett said. “But I love football first. You know, football was my first love. So I play for the game, not for money.”

Lovett added his primary motivation for returning was to earn his first win over Georgia.

“It’s the big part of college football now because some dudes just make decisions off, you know, the financial stuff,” Lovett said. “I love football. … I still haven’t, you know, beat Georgia yet. You know, Georgia’s one of my goals.”

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Bemidji State University Men’s Basketball has been named a National Association of Basketball Coaches Academic Team of Excellence for the 2024-25 school year. Five Beavers, Christian Koonce, Jareon Mayo, Jobe Juenemann, John Sutherland and Malang Athian, earned individual spots on the NABC Honors Court.
 
“Being a student-athlete is very challenging, so I love the fact that our guys understand this is more than just about basketball,” said Beaver Head Coach Mike Boschee. “Being a well-rounded person and being disciplined in the classroom is so important to their overall growth.”
 
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize programs that completed the 2024-25 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior and graduate student men’s basketball players who finished the 2024-25 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
 
The NABC’s academic awards are presented annually to teams and athletes from all levels of college basketball.
 
“Education is one of the NABC’s five core values, and we are proud to recognize the academic accomplishments of these programs and individual student-athletes across our sport,” said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. “The dedication and hard work of these athletes, along with their coaches and support staff members who prioritize academic success, deserves to be widely celebrated.”
 
Over 2,400 players earned spots on the NABC Honors Court and nearly 400 programs received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2024-25.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State Men’s Basketball program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversMBB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversMBB).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 

In a candid conversation about the shifting landscape of college football, one HBCU coach didn’t mince words about the impact of NIL deals.

“The game has changed so much since NIL came apart,” said Grambling State coach Mickey Joseph at SWAC Media Day on Wednesday. “Now, it’s money. It’s bank accounts. That’s what’s running college football right now.”

With top recruits being lured by sizable monthly payouts, programs with limited financial resources are finding it hard to keep pace.

“It looks like whoever has the most money — that’s who’s going to win,” Joseph admitted. “We lost eight to nine kids in the portal, not because they wanted to leave, but because of money. When you offer a kid $8,600 or $10,000 a month, it’s hard to say no.”

While other college football coaches have lamented about NIL and the inequity it has created, Joseph said he remains focused on preparing to win games in the SWAC.

“I worry about nobody else but the SWAC,” he said. “You’ve got to figure out, financially, are you going to be able to compete with the other schools in the conference?”

But the fight isn’t just about this season — it’s about retaining talent and building loyalty.

“We develop them, and they [FBS schools] have enough money to take them,” said Joseph, who is in his second year at Grambling. “It’s no different than a coach at an FCS school getting hired away by an FBS program. That’s why I’ve said we need buyouts, so maybe kids will know what commitment is.”

For now, Grambling remains proud of its national reputation. “At the end of the day, we are a national brand. But we have to understand that we’re still Grambling. We have to find a way to compete — on and off the field.”

Whether the financial arms race in college football will slow down, the coach can’t say. “We’ll see if the game changes. But right now, money talks.”

Former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne provided some insight into her rise to social media fame during a discussion with former WWE CEO Stephanie McMahon on Thursday.

Appearing on What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon (beginning at the 14:20 mark), Dunne talked about how she grew her social media following, particularly on Instagram where she now has 5.4 million followers:

“My social media took off during COVID. I actually started social media when I was probably 10 years old, I think. That’s when I remember I downloaded Instagram, and ever since then I was just in love with looking at the analytics. What people liked, what people didn’t. …

“During quarantine I got stuck at my grandma’s condo in Florida. I kept scrolling on TikTok, my mom’s like, ‘If you’re going to be sitting there scrolling, you might as well create something. Do something while everyone’s bored.'”

Dunne took her mom’s advice to heart, and her social media presence exploded thanks to the regularity of her posts, as well as the subject matter:

“I started posting during quarantine consistently. That’s the key. … It just blew up from there. I’d flip around at the beach. It was kind of like morphing my passion, gymnastics, and bringing it to where I was stuck during quarantine. …

“I feel like maybe it was just like a happy part of people’s day, seeing someone flipping around at the beach. And then I got to college after and people couldn’t believe that I was an actual gymnast.”

Dunne, 22, starred for five seasons on the LSU Tigers’ gymnastics team, winning a national title in the team competition at the 2024 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships.

She retired from gymnastics at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, but Dunne’s success on social media has earned her numerous opportunities across multiple fields.

Dunne was featured in the 2023 and 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and she was one of four women chosen to be a cover model for the 2025 edition.

She was also named to the prestigious Time 100 Creators list for 2025 as one of the most influential digital voices in the world.

Dunne is perhaps even more recognizable than her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star pitcher Paul Skenes, which speaks to the following she has gained over the past several years.