NIL

Kansas State University

By: D. Scott Fritchen Sunday at 4:24 p.m., and moments after Kansas State in its final home game of the 2025 season pulled off an incredible, remarkable, electrifying 14-9 victory over No. 12 West Virginia to win one of the program’s most important series in recent memory, seventh-year K-State head coach Pete Hughes, dressed in […]

Published

4 weeks ago

May 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By: D. Scott Fritchen

Sunday at 4:24 p.m., and moments after Kansas State in its final home game of the 2025 season pulled off an incredible, remarkable, electrifying 14-9 victory over No. 12 West Virginia to win one of the program’s most important series in recent memory, seventh-year K-State head coach Pete Hughes, dressed in his white uniform, entered his second-floor office at Tointon Family Stadium, peeled off a heavy black backpack, and the weight left his shoulders with a sigh.

“That was a big win, boys,” he said as he emerged from his office and entered the coaches meeting room across the hallway, taking a swig of a San Pellegrino while swallowing the enormity of one of the most crucial wins in program history.

K-State improved to 30-21 overall and 16-11 in the Big 12 Conference while keeping West Virginia, 40-10 and 19-6, from reaching its highest win total in school history this weekend. For the Wildcats, it marked their 16^th league win, tying their most league wins in single-season history, and it also marked their seventh series win against Big 12 opponents — with one final series at Cincinnati to go, and the Big 12 Championship fast approaching.

K-State entered the weekend against West Virginia as one of the final four teams in the NCAA Regionals, according to D1Baseball.

And now?

Well, Keegan O’Connor delivered a walk-off single to compete a dramatic 8-7 comeback victory on Friday night, as the Wildcats erased a five-run deficit in the ninth inning for one of the most exciting finishes you’ll see.

Then after suffering a 10-3 loss to West Virginia, which scored eight unanswered runs to even the series on Saturday, the Wildcats responded in heroic fashion on Sunday. They recorded 17 hits against the Mountaineers, the most WVU had given up all season.

“We might be pretty good at baseball at Kansas State,” Hughes said. “I think we’re poised for the national tournament. I think with this weekend, our resume looks really, really good. We have a really good Cincinnati team left to play. This team has a chance to play a lot of baseball here this year.”

Cincinnati, 29-22 and 14-13, comes off a series loss at TCU and plays Indiana on Tuesday before K-State arrives for a 5:00 p.m. first pitch on Thursday.

Of course, the weeks ahead will sort themselves out.

But on Sunday, Hughes told his players to soak it all in. And there was plenty to take in, including the fact eight seniors played their final home game in front of a sold-out Tointon Family Stadium.

“My message to the team?” Hughes said. “How can you not be motivated to play on Mother’s Day and for our seniors in front of the best community in the country in a winner-take-all game? There’s nothing like it. I told them to soak it in and take advantage of the homefield crowd and to play smart, tough, and play for each other.”

The game featured more twists and turns than the Incredible Hulk ride at Universal Studios.

“It’s the biggest home series since I’ve been here and what it means moving forward,” Hughes said. “I love the way we did it. We played from behind early, took a two-run lead and lost it late, and instead of deflating, tough teams bunce back, and our team showed unbelievable toughness by bouncing back with a seven-run eighth inning. Great team win.”

In the end, with bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, senior Seth Dardar – one of the feelgood stories of this season – crushed a ball over the left-field wall to turn in K-State’s 90^th home run of the season, setting a single-season school record.

Dardar’s grand slam also gave K-State a 14-8 lead and emphatically stuck the dagger into one of the best teams in the country — and served as a redemption of sorts after things did not go so well in the Wildcats’ 10-3 loss on Saturday.

“I was happy to see him up,” Hughes said. “His baseball acumen is super high. I trusted that he was going to make the adjustment and slow the game down and put a good swing on it and that’s what he did.”

Heroes? There were plenty more.

It was shortstop Shintaro Inoue who got the Wildcats started on Sunday with a two-run homer in the bottom of the third inning. The Wildcats scored two more runs in the fourth, three in the fifth, and then went scoreless before putting up seven runs in the eighth.

“Shintaro was awesome all weekend,” Hughes said. “Keegan O’Connor just quietly knocks people in. Then there’s our pitching staff. But I’m going to talk about our offense as the MVP. We went against the No. 1 pitching staff in the league. They have almost a 3.00 ERA in our league. That’s a pretty good staff. I mean, we put 17 hits up on them today.”

Yes, in the end, K-State, with so much on the line, with the proverbial weight of the NCAA Regionals on the backs of the coaches and players, kept its composure and stepped up when it needed to the most in a game and outcome that should be circled for years to come.

Stuff like this just doesn’t happen.

But it certainly happened Sunday at K-State.

And Hughes peeled his heavy backpack from his shoulders and sighed.

“What a great day,” he said. “What a great day for our K-State family, our players, and their families, and our seniors.”

He paused.

“That,” he said, “was awesome.”

Link

NIL

Lady Spartans sweep Vikettes 5-2, 6-1 in WaMaC Softball Tourney – Solon Economist

SOLON — Sighs of relief swell over the diamond as the late inning attempted comeback is squandered with a fly out. Cheers erupt from the Solon stands. Victory music sings as the Lady Spartans take the field to celebrate their doubleheader victories against the Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings. Game One Through the fourth inning, few had been […]

Published

23 minutes ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Game One

Through the fourth inning, few had been on base and the score was tied at nil. Early hits from the likes of Dillon Ostrander, Laeni Hinkle, and Keegan Kleppe were forgotten when factoring in the Vikings stellar defense.

“It took a while for our offense to get going,” said Spartan head coach Brad Holub. “We were just under everything and popped up a lot of them but, of all the pitchers we’ve faced this year, she [Vikings pitcher] probably gave us the most trouble.”

As the top of the fifth progressed, the Spartans were trailing. One fielding mishap let to another, allowing for Vinton-Shellsburg to hit their way around the diamond, bringing the score to 0-2.

When pitcher Beckitt Kabela, keeping her composure and focus, struck the last Viking out swinging in the fifth, the tension was loosened and you could both hear, and feel, the determination from the Spartans.

“Come on Spartans, let’s do this!” Yelled one Solon parent, followed by an array of motivational applause.

That may have been just the motivation that the Spartans needed as they came out swinging in the bottom of the fifth. A single to left field from Beckett Kruse got the crowd on its feet and opened the flood gates. A successful bunt from Kleppe, a single from Hinkle, and a long double to center from shortstop Izzy Frees followed, scoring three runs to end the inning, putting the Spartans in the lead.

Hinkle came into the game as a reliever and kept the Vikings at bay for the rest of the game. A few more hits and a masterclass of base stealing from Kruse, Kleppe, and Dillon Ostrander put this game in the past, beating Vinton-Shellsburg 5-2.

Game Two

After what felt like an offensive lull in the beginning of game one, the Spartans came out swinging right off the bat in the second game, scoring two in the first, three in the third, and one in the fourth.

The big story of the second game was its lone home run from first baseman Addison Walter in the first at bat of the fourth inning, making it her first of her career. The ball was smacked toward center, hitting the top of the fence and bouncing right over, leaving her teammates jumping for joy around home plate.

“It was great to see,” said Holub, commenting on Walter’s home run. “She really barreled one up and it paid dividends, so I felt really good for her.”

From that point on in game two, there was no stopping the Spartans as they went on to maintain their large lead through a defensive performance. Pitcher Emerson Miller threw the entirety of game two, putting on a show and allowing only one score through seven innings.

“We knew it was going to be a challenge… we messed with the line up a little bit, you know trying to look at matchups and not overusing somebody, but I thought our pitching did really well as a whole tonight,” said Holub.

Final score: 6-1

Link

NIL

Stone, Tech Soccer announces three transfers

LUBBOCK, Texas – Looking to bolster its roster ahead of the 2025 season, Texas Tech Soccer has added three incoming transfers in Eleanor Hays (Clemson), Emilie McCartney (Miami) and Chloe Japic (Virginia), head coach Tom Stone announced Wednesday. “We were fortunate to be able to add three players of the caliber of Eleanor, Emillie and […]

Published

24 minutes ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LUBBOCK, Texas – Looking to bolster its roster ahead of the 2025 season, Texas Tech Soccer has added three incoming transfers in Eleanor Hays (Clemson), Emilie McCartney (Miami) and Chloe Japic (Virginia), head coach Tom Stone announced Wednesday.

“We were fortunate to be able to add three players of the caliber of Eleanor, Emillie and Chole from the May portal,” Stone said. “All three are all wonderful players, with extraordinary character and are great students. They fit our team dynamic and system of play nicely and are ready now to compete in the Big 12 and nationally.”

The Red Raiders first addition, Hayes, joins Tech after spending a pair of seasons at Clemson. A native of Lewisville, Hays played in 15 matches in 2024, making eight starts. Known as a strong box-to-box defender, Hayes tallied one assist and four shots in her 738 minutes of action.

A member of the Tigers 2023 NCAA College Cup Team, Hays assumed a key role for the Tigers in 2024, making the 15 appearances and eight starts including her first career start in the season opener against Auburn. Hayes started the final six matches of the season for the Tigers.

The Red Raiders next addition, McCartney, also hails from Texas. A transfer from the University of Miami, McCartney played in 33 matches and made 31 starts for the Hurricanes including starting all 17 matches in 2024 for the Hurricanes.

Logging over 1500 minutes of action in 2024, McCartney played all 90 minutes in all 17 matches a season ago and has recorded a full 90-minute effort in 25 of her career 33 matches played. In 2023, McCartney started the final 14 matches in-a-row, meaning she concluded her Miami career having started 31 straight matches.

Tech’s third and final addition of the summer portal season, Japic, is no stranger to the Big 12 Conference having spent two seasons at Baylor before transferring to Virginia for the last three seasons.

A veteran of 71 career matches and 34 starts, Japic arrives at Tech having scored four career goals including a pair of goals in just six matches played in 2021. A 2020 Big 12 All-Freshman team selection, Japic made 52 appearances and 16 starts for the Cavaliers during her three years, tallying a goal and two assists in nearly 2200 minutes played.

In addition to her five years of Power Conference soccer experience, Japic also has extensive experience at the youth international level having played for the Bosnia and Herzegovina U15, U17 and U19 National teams throughout her career.

All three student-athletes will enroll at Tech for the Summer session later this month and will join the team ahead of preseason workouts in July.

Link

NIL

Allyson Felix Still Regrets This $7000 Purchase She Made As A Young Olympian

Allyson Felix at the 2024 Baby2Baby Gala at Pacific Design Center on November 9, 2024 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images) We all have those luxury purchases we splurged on and wish we could get that money back. For most of us, it might be an overpriced gadget or an […]

Published

35 minutes ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Allyson Felix Still Regrets This $7000 Purchase She Made As A Young Olympian

Allyson Felix at the 2024 Baby2Baby Gala at Pacific Design Center on November 9, 2024 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)

We all have those luxury purchases we splurged on and wish we could get that money back.

For most of us, it might be an overpriced gadget or an impulse buy that seemed like a good idea at the time (for me, it was a hot pink Louis Vuitton bag that I’ve literally only worn once because I have nothing in my closet that even matches it). Even Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete in Olympic history, has a few early purchases that she regrets from when she first came up on some money.

Felix recently opened up on SoFi’s Richer Lives podcast with host Vivian Tu, sharing candid details about her financial journey that many successful athletes rarely discuss publicly (but should, to inspire others).

“I remember two things I bought that to this day, I still regret,” she admitted. “I bought this anaconda skin Gucci bag for $7,000 and at that time, that was a huge splurge. And I was like, did I really need that? And then I remember, these were like the early days, I got rims on my Escalade in the early 2000s. I was doing the most.”

Felix’s story is one of many from both “regular” people and celebrities. Many of us often struggle with the balance between enjoying success and making smart financial decisions. And if you’ve never been exposed to a large amount of cash at one time, you can feel a large sense of overwhelm to not let the money burn a hole in your pocket. Felix’s honesty during her conversation with Tu shows the human side of building wealth, but also that you can learn from those early mistakes. Because Lord knows, many of us need to!

Article continues after video.

This foundation to want to become better financially came directly from her family (and not business agents or managers). Her parents, a teacher and seminary professor, provided the values that would guide her through decades of athletic and business success.

“They have been so influential. When I came into this sport, I didn’t grow up in it. We were just figuring it out on our own. I was raised by parents who were very hard workers, who really taught us these foundational principles and I felt like I really held on to them throughout my career,” Felix explained.

Those principles extended beyond personal achievement. “It was all about work ethic, never quitting and really being in service, helping others. My mom was a teacher and my dad a seminary professor. So they were really people who cared about people who gave back,” she said.

Despite having strong family values, Felix had to learn the business realities of professional athletics through experience. A lot of fans think an Olympic medal comes with a fat paycheck, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. And for many athletes, that reality doesn’t hit until it’s too late.

“You definitely don’t go to the Olympics to get paid. Everything is going to come from other sources. Your big deals are going to be your footwear sponsor, and all your other partnership and brand deals. That’s where you’re going to make your money,” Felix revealed.

This reality creates unique financial challenges for elite athletes. Income fluctuates dramatically based on performance, sponsorship deals, and market conditions. During the interview, Felix spoke openly about how this uncertainty affected her approach to career planning, “”As an athlete you’re so hyper focused on performance. I didn’t quite think so much about the practicality of it all. I tried to surround myself with really great people, but it’s one of those things now looking back that it’s like ‘wow, if you’re not at the very top 1% it’s a hard industry to maintain and have longevity.”

“You really can’t dip below too much, which can also play into your performance because it’s stressful to be thinking about your next paycheck. I really tried to focus on my performance and let that take care of everything,” she shared.

NIL

College Athlete NIL Agreements Updated in New Texas Law | Education

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Country United States of […]

Published

43 minutes ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

State

Zip Code

Country

Link

NIL

Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard issues statement to the rest of college basketball

It does not feel that long ago since Ole Miss basketball had an incredible NCAA Tournament run. Head coach Chris Beard has lost a lot of that roster but has reloaded via the transfer portal and has built another good-looking team that can go to the postseason in the 2025-26 season. Beard spoke to the […]

Published

44 minutes ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Beard spoke to the media ahead of summer workouts regarding the team and the upcoming season. The third-year Rebel coach stated the rest of the college basketball teams but confirmed it was not arrogance on the team’s part.

“You know, at Ole Miss, it’s not arrogance or self-promotion, but we will play anyone, anytime, anywhere, it’s the way we have always been. We want to play that schedule.”

Chris Beard

The comment came after Chris Beard discussed the game, scheduled against St. John’s in December, which would be played at Madison Square Garden. He gave a nod to the program and its head coach, Rick Pitino, with the Red Storm, one of the top teams in college basketball, making the second round in this past season’s NCAA Tournament.

The scheduled game backs up what Beard is looking to do at Ole Miss. Despite having an uber-competitive conference schedule with the SEC, the premium conference in college basketball, he still wants to have big teams in the non-conference schedule.

Last season, the Rebels faced BYU, Purdue, Louisville, Memphis, and Colorado State in non-conference play, all of which are NCAA Tournament teams from the 2024-25 season. They will face another ACC team in the SEC/ACC challenge, which is likely to be another top team from that conference, stacked in college basketball. They will also play Memphis once again this coming season.

Beard confirmed that they are working to get more top teams on the schedule, but it’s not easy after playing so well last season.

Latest Ole Miss News

Link

NIL

NCAA approves multiple major rule changes in men’s college basketball

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved proposed changes that are expected to enhance the flow of men’s college basketball beginning in the 2025-26 season, according to a release Tuesday. Those changes include allowing coach’s challenges to review out-of-bounds calls and goaltending or basket interference, as well as modifications to the rule on continuous motion […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Regarding the proposed coach’s challenge, much like in college football, teams must have a timeout to request an instant replay review. If the challenge review is successful, teams will be granted an additional video review challenge for the remainder of the game, including overtime. If unsuccessful, the team loses the ability to challenge any other calls in the game.

Coach challenges will not impact an officials’ use of instant replay for timing mistakes, scoring errors, shot clock violations, 2-point vs. 3-point field goal attempts, flagrant fouls, etc.

Officials can initiate video reviews on basketbat interference/goaltending and restricted arc plays in the final two minutes of regulation and in overtime. The NCAA revealed recent data showed these sort of reviews caused “minimal game interruptions,” and the Men’s Basketball Rules Committee members beliee the coach’s challenge “will have a significant impact on the flow of the game.” NCAA officials aren’t allowed to conduct video review on out-of-bounds calls unless first prompted by a coach’s challenge.

Other enhancements approved Tuesday include new points of emphasis for officials to address delay-of-game tactics, limiting time at the review monitor, improving game efficiency and reducing physicality.

With regard to the changes to the continuous motion rule, an offensive player who ends his dribble going toward the basket and takes contact from a defensive player is now permitted to pivot or complete the step and finish the field goal attempt. Currently, players are awarded the basket/field goal only when they’re are fouled in the process of shooting the ball.

Last month, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee also recommended the creation of a joint working group to gather feedback from conferences on potentially moving from halves to quarters, though any potential changes to the game’s format won’t come until the next rules change year.

“In considering the decisions last month, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee had conversations about ways to continue this direction in the upcoming years, which includes positive momentum for moving the men’s game from halves to quarters,” the NCAA release said Tuesday. “The committee realizes there are hurdles to implementing the quarter format to the game, including the structuring of media timeouts to accommodate commercial inventory. The committee recommended NCAA Division I conferences create a joint working group to provide feedback on the potential change from halves to quarters.”

Officials will now the the option to call a Flagrant 1 foul whenever a player makes contact with another player’s groin area. Previously officials could only call a common foul or a Flagrant 2, leading to an ejection for the offending player.

Other rules changes included involve a player using the rim to gain an advantage will be now called basket interference, and if one shot clock becomes inoperable, the other shot clock can be utilized. Previously, if one shot clock wasn’t working, both had to be turned off.

Link