Mario Cristobal reloaded his Miami football roster with a newcomer class stacked with blue-chip transfers and recruits. Talent acquisition at that elite level comes with a hefty price tag in modern college football, and those hesitant to embrace the NIL era are often quick to criticize the programs that engage in immense offseason spending. Cristobal, however, brushed off the narratives that surround his highly-touted haul.

Transfer quarterback Carson Beck is the centerpiece of the roster overhaul and commanded a $4 million NIL package despite the uncertainty surrounding the health of his elbow, which he injured while playing for Georgia in the SEC Championship. He represents just one of the numerous expenditures Miami tallied in a hectic transfer portal cycle.

“I could imagine some of the things that are said out there,” Cristobal said to CBS Sports’ Josh Pate. “I don’t know what value that type of noise or people really have. Actually, I guess the value lies in the fact that you can take your son or you can take a prospect and say, ‘You see all that noise and trash? There’s an example of what’s irrelevant in life and in processes of hard work.’ That’s maybe the only value to it.”

Miami is not alone in its spending. The nation’s top programs ran up the tab on the recruiting trail in an effort to stockpile talent before the House v. NCAA settlement officially opens the door to revenue sharing and reshapes budget constraints. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti said that the most expensive rosters in 2025 cost as much as $40 million.

Ohio State last season became the face of the NIL era when athletic director Ross Bjork said the football program spent $20 million to construct its national championship roster. That figure pales in comparison to the largest payrolls ahead of the 2025 season.

“I think you can also take a parent and say, ‘Look, your son is a high-profile guy,'” Cristobal said. “‘This is great practice, because when you’re playing in college and you miss a tackle or you throw a bad pass or when you’re onto the NFL and you enter a certain city, they’re going to throw tomato cans at you at every stop they can. You have to get used to what comes with sports.’ I guess that would be the only value: practice for the future or just point out what’s irrelevant.”

Cristobal’s primary emphasis during the 2025 transfer cycle was to bolster a defense that allowed far too many explosive plays, especially through the air, en route to last year’s 10-3 record that fell short of a College Football Playoff berth. He added seven defensive backs, a pair of linebackers and a defensive lineman through the portal.

Miami also secured plug-and-play weapons to slot next to Beck on the offensive side of the ball, including speedy former BYU wideout Keelan Marion and ex-LSU veteran CJ Daniels.

IRVING, Texas – Oklahoma State’s Braylen Smith was tabbed the Big 12 Player of the Week and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for his performance against Arizona State on the final week of the regular season.
 
Smith carried OSU to a series sweep of the Sun Devils as he hit .667 with three doubles, two home runs and six RBIs. He went 8-for-12 at the plate and also led the Cowboys with six runs, 17 total bases, two walks, a 1.417 slugging percentage and four stolen bases (4-for-4 on attempts).
 
A junior from Omaha, Neb., Smith hit safely in all three games and tied a career high with four hits in the second game. During one stretch over games two and three, he reached base safely in nine consecutive plate appearances, including collecting hits in seven of those at-bats with three singles, two doubles and two homers.
 
In the series opener, Smith delivered a three-RBI double in the second inning to push OSU’s lead to 5-1 in a game it went on to win by a 6-2 count.
 
The series-clinching second game saw Smith go 4-for-4 with a home run and two stolen bases; the four hits tied a career high.
 
Smith capped his stellar series with a 3-for-4 performance in the finale that included a double, homer and two stolen bases, including a straight steal of home that put the Cowboys up 3-1 in the fifth inning. Then, with OSU trailing 4-3 in the seventh, Smith delivered a go-ahead, two-run homer as the Pokes went on to win, 7-4.
 
The impressive weekend saw Smith raise his season batting average to a team-high .313, and he finished with a .343 average in conference-only games, which also led the team.
 
Smith’s honors marked the seventh and eighth weekly awards for OSU this season. Harrison Bodendorf tied a Big 12 record with four Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors and also garnered a Newcomer of the Week nod, and Sean Youngerman also picked up Newcomer of the Week accolades.  

On Sunday night Liberty Lady Flames softball beat the overall No.1 seeded Texas A&M to advance to Super Regional play for the first time in program history. However and perhaps the most shocking first was the premature exit of the overall No. 1 seed, a feat that had yet to happen in the modern collegiate softball era.

The 64-team regional post season play that began on Friday, May 16 saw several upsets demonstrating the parity and growth within collegiate softball, especially in the NIL era.

Other Notable Regional Upsets

University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) knocked out Power 4 foe Arizona State, a program with a history steeped in post season play including winning the national title in 2008 and 2011. UCSB eventually fell to 12 time national champions and softball powerhouse UCLA in the championship game, but not before knocking out the Sun Devils and San Diego State Aztecs.

In a similar trajectory to Liberty, Southeastern Louisiana shocked and eliminated the No. 10 LSU Tigers in the opening game 4-3, booting them into the losers bracket. The Lady Lions would defeat the Tigers a second time, 8-7, eliminating them from the tournament. Southeastern would eventually fall in the championship game to the Nebraska Cornhuskers led by Player of the Year finalist, two way player Jordy Bahl (formerly of Oklahoma softball).

Liberty Lady Flames Looking to Add to Historic Campaign, Eyeing the 2025 Women’s College World Series

This parity continues to evolve in the game with more teams not only making the post season, but taking games from larger, stacked Power 4 teams. Despite this parity, only eight mid-majors (Fresno State in 1997, 1998, & 1999; UMass in 1998; DePaul in 1999, 2000, 2005, & 2007; Louisiana-Lafayette in 2003, 2008, & 2014; Hawaii in 2010; South Florida in 2012; Southern Mississippi in 1999 & 2000; and James Madison University in 2021) have made the Women’s College World Series since 1997 when the tournament took its permanent residence at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK.

The Lady Flames will look to be the ninth team added to this small, but mighty list of mid-major teams etching their name into the Women’s College World Series history books.

For the full schedule and bracket for Super Regionals, click here.

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Watching ex-SEC coaches and players—who were handing out duffel bags before NIL was a twinkle in the NCAA’s eye—whine about Miami’s bankroll is the kind of irony that should come with a laugh track.

PHOENIX (May 19, 2025) – Position Sports, in partnership with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, announced the matchups for the 2025 Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas on Monday, November 3, at T-Mobile Arena. The Hall of Fame Series returns to the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World for the third consecutive year following a successful event this past November.
 
For the second year in a row, the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas will showcase a reigning national champion, following last season’s appearance by the South Carolina women’s team. This doubleheader will spotlight the men’s national champion, Florida, as the Gators take on Arizona. In the second matchup, BYU—featuring consensus No. 1 incoming recruit A.J. Dybansta and former Las Vegas prep standout Xavion Staton—will face Villanova to officially tip off the 2025-26 college basketball season.
 
Tickets for the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas will go on sale on Friday, May 30, at 7:00 AM PT (10:00 AM ET) at HOFSeries.com.
 
“We’re thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as the Hall of Fame Series returns to Las Vegas and T-Mobile Arena for a third consecutive year,” said Melissa Meacham-Grossman, President of Position Sports. “Opening Night promises to deliver a tremendous start to the season, with defending national champion Florida tipping off their title defense and both games airing across TNT Sports’ national platforms. It’s an exciting way to showcase Las Vegas and celebrate the Hall of Fame’s impact on college basketball.”
 
Both games will be nationally televised across TNT Sports’ networks and platforms, with additional programming details to be announced. 
 
Further details regarding game times and media credentials for the doubleheader will be shared at a later date. 
 
The Hall of Fame Series, owned and operated by Position Sports, is a premier collection of multi-game, singular events that feature top collegiate basketball programs in high-profile non-conference matchups played both domestically and abroad. Past stops have included the following cities: Baltimore (2024), Charlotte (2023), Las Vegas (2023-24), New York (2024), Phoenix (2023-24), San Antonio (2023), and Toronto (2023).
 
For more Hall of Fame Series information and updates, please visit HOFSeries.com or follow @HOFSeries on all social platforms.
 

Arizona vs. Florida Series History

The Wildcats and Gators have split the four all-time matchups, with two of those games decided by a single point and another going to overtime. Arizona claimed the more recent meeting on December 15, 2012, in Tucson, edging Florida 65-64 after rallying from a six-point deficit in the final 58 seconds. The programs also faced off in a Hall of Fame event at the 2003 Tip-off Classic in Springfield, Mass. (Florida won, 78-77). 
 
Quotes from Head Coaches:
“Opening the season in the Hall of Fame Series against a team like Florida in Las Vegas is a tremendous opportunity for our program and our fans. I know T-Mobile Arena will be rocking that night, and we look forward to competing against one of the best teams in the country on opening night.”
Tommy Lloyd | Arizona
 

BYU vs. Villanova Series History

Villanova holds a 2-1 edge in the all-time series, with all three matchups taking place at neutral sites. The Wildcats earned a 72-58 victory in the first meeting on December 29, 1951, at the Sugar Bowl Tournament in New Orleans. The Cougars then posted a 102-93 overtime win on December 29, 1970, at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. Villanova won the most recent contest 91-61 on December 28, 1984, at the Cotton State-Kiwanis Classic in Atlanta.
 
Quotes from Head Coaches:
“One of our main focuses heading into the 2025-26 season was playing a tougher non-conference schedule, and the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas helps us achieve that. We are excited to open the season against Villanova at T-Mobile Arena in November and expect to see Cougar Nation out in full force.”
Kevin Young | BYU
 
“We’re looking forward to opening our 2025-26 season at the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas. BYU is an outstanding opponent with its own great basketball tradition. We’re honored to represent Villanova and the entire Nova Nation in the Hall of Fame Series.”
Kevin Willard | Villanova
 

Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas History

2023:
W: USC (83), Ohio State (74)
M: Oregon (82), Georgia (71)
W: Colorado (92), LSU (78)
M: USC (82), Kansas State (69)
 
2024:
W: South Carolina (68), Michigan (62)
M: Ohio State (80), Texas (72) 

 
About Position Sports
Position Sports, established in 2005, is a premium event production and brand marketing firm that specializes in event operations, activation development, media relations, and digital engagement. Over the years, Position Sports has worked with many of the world’s leading brands, including Nike, Jordan Brand, Red Bull, the Basketball Hall of Fame, ESPN Events, USA Basketball, Upper Deck, MLB, and T-Mobile in nearly every major U.S. city and on a global scale. Position Sports provides clients with the expanded strategic direction needed to succeed in the sports marketing arena, also known as Positioning. To learn more, visit positionsports.com or follow @positionsports on Twitter and Instagram.
 
About Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level—men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors—both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 475 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo “Court of Dreams.” Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com and follow @hoophallU.