NIL
Kansas State University
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Sophomore Alenka Navarro and freshman Nanami Nakashima each tallied under-par rounds to lead the Kansas State women’s golf team during the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Championship on Friday at the par-72, 6,330-yard Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. The Wildcats recorded a first-round total of 1-over par 289 as […]

The Wildcats recorded a first-round total of 1-over par 289 as they are in seventh place in the 30-team field. K-State is one shot back of a tie for third place, while the Cats are two shots ahead of an eighth-place tie between Tennessee and Northwestern.
Navarro finished her first round at 2-under par 70 and is tied for 10th place, while Nakashima was one shot back and is tied for 17th.
“There were a couple of nervy moments starting out today, but we just hung in there,” head coach Stew Burke said. “We didn’t let it get away from us thanks to a couple of nice birdies toward the end. We are in a fairly good position. I am really proud of the effort today. Now, it’s all about getting some good rest. We were up at 4:45 a.m., having breakfast. We will be able to sleep in a little bit in the morning, make sure we have a good warm up and go again tomorrow.”
The Wildcats tied for third in the first round by carding 15 total birdies on a course that is averaging 4.69 strokes over par per player.
Navarro parred each of the first nine holes before her first birdie of the day on the par-4 11th. After a bogey on No. 15 to bring her score back to even, the Mexico City product birdied two of her final three holes – including a five-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the day – for her eighth under-par round of the season.
The sophomore finished the first round by tying for 11th in the 156-player field with 14 pars, while she is tied for first with only one bogey on the day.
Nakashima entered the NCAA Championship with momentum after a final-round total of 67 in the NCAA Lexington Regional. She used that momentum in the opening round as she birdied two of her first four holes. After running into trouble with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8, the Kani, Japan, native was able to rebound with a birdie at No. 9 to close out the front at 1-under par. A bogey at No. 13 lowered her to even par before a birdie on No. 16 and pars on the final two holes put her in the clubhouse with her 11th under-par round of the year.
Senior Carla Bernat is tied for 27th place after a first-round score of even par. She bogeyed No. 4 but responded with birdies on three of her next four holes to make the turn at 2-under par. She got to 3-under par with a birdie on No. 10, but two bogeys and a double bogey – along with a birdie on No. 17 – made her 2-over par on the back. She finished the first round tied for seventh with five birdies.
Senior Sophie Bert went 4-over par 76 as she enters the second round in a tie for 98th place, while junior Noa van Beek is tied for 144th place at 8-over par 80.
Vanderbilt holds the 18-hole lead at 6-under par 282, two shots ahead of Oklahoma State. Bailey Davis of Tennessee is atop the individual leaderboard at 5-under par 67.
Kansas State starts its second round of the 2025 NCAA Championship with tee times beginning at 12:12 p.m. (PT) off the 10th tee, and the Wildcats will once again be paired with Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt. Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.
NIL
Which 68 teams make our first 2026 Bracketology, and which teams may be hoping for NCAA Tournament expansion
With college basketball’s 2025-26 rosters now mostly set, a clearer picture of the season ahead is beginning to emerge. On the heels of a historic NCAA Tournament tally for the SEC, a couple of other power conferences are assembling their horses. The Big Ten has nine of the top 30 and 14 of the top […]

With college basketball’s 2025-26 rosters now mostly set, a clearer picture of the season ahead is beginning to emerge. On the heels of a historic NCAA Tournament tally for the SEC, a couple of other power conferences are assembling their horses.
The Big Ten has nine of the top 30 and 14 of the top 50 in Bart Torvik’s preseason rankings, while the Big 12 has eight of the top 35. The ACC and Big East don’t have quite such strong collections, but they have amassed enough talent to, at minimum, match their combined tally of nine NCAA Tournament bids from 2025.
Returning to the record-setting threshold of 14 entrants to the Big Dance will be a tough task for the SEC, but it certainly won’t be impossible as the league heads toward a new season with 13 of the nation’s top 40 teams in Torvik’s ratings.
NCAA tables tournament expansion, delaying March Madness decision with 72, 76-team options still possible
Bryan DeArdo

Where it gets a bit murky for the league is in the lower half, as there are five SEC teams ranked between No. 31 and 40, per Torvik. Will the conference produce an ironclad non-league run again this season that fortifies its down-ballot squads as NCAA Tournament teams?
The league should be great again, but the Big 12 and Big Ten are stocked with enough talent to cut into the SEC’s haul. If the ACC’s crop of four first-year coaches can breathe some life into that conference, it could also impede the SEC’s effort at producing another tally in the teens. Then, there’s the Big East. Will proud programs at Providence, Georgetown and Villanova continue languishing on the wrong side of the bubble?
Pay attention to the “first four out” teams of Mississippi State, Indiana, Georgia and Kansas State. Those teams would make the field if NCAA Tournament expansion were to be approved to 72 teams ahead of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Potential expansion to 72 or 76 teams remains a possibility, and the additional teams would be at-large participants required to win a preliminary game — like what is currently called the “First Four” — before advancing into the main 64-team bracket.
Here’s our first effort at answering those questions with a summertime edition of Bracketology ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Bracketology top seeds
Since Houston is the host site of the South Regional, the Cougars would be ineligible to compete in that region. However, the Houston Chronicle reported in May that the school is looking for another local university to be the host institution, which would free the Cougars to be eligible to play inside the Toyota Center on the second weekend of the Big Dance. For now, they are slotted as the No. 1 seed in in the Midwest Region.
On the bubble
Last four in
Cincinnati
Texas A&M
Georgetown
Boise State
First four out
Mississippi State
Indiana
Georgia
Kansas State
2026 Bracketology matchups
First Four (Dayton)
(11) Georgetown vs. (11) Boise State
(11) Cincinnati vs. (11) Texas A&M
(16) LIU vs. (16) Norfolk State
(16) Montana vs. (16) Quinnipiac
West Region (San Jose)
Philadelphia (Fri/Sun)
(1) St. John’s vs. (16) Bethune-Cookman
(8) Wisconsin vs. (9) Texas
Oklahoma City (Thu/Sat)
(4) Auburn vs. (13) Abilene Christian
(5) Arizona (12) Liberty
Greenville (Thu/Sat)
(2) Duke vs. (15) Vermont
(7) Missouri vs. (10) South Florida
Greenville (Thu/Sat)
(3) Tennessee vs. (14) Arkansas State
(6) Creighton vs. (11) Maryland
South Region (Houston)
St. Louis (Fri/Sun)
(1) Purdue vs. (16) Navy
(8) Baylor vs. (9) Vanderbilt
Portland (Thu/Sat)
(4) Iowa State vs. (13) UCSB
(5) Arkansas vs. (12) Akron
Philadelphia (Fri/Sun)
(2) Kentucky vs. (15) Florida Gulf Coast
(7) USC vs. (10) VCU
Tampa (Fri/Sun)
(3) Alabama vs. (14) Towson
(6) Michigan State vs. (11) SMU
East Region (Washington D.C.)
Tampa (Fri/Sun)
(1) Florida vs. (16) Montana/Quinnipiac
(8) Marquette vs. (9) Ohio State
San Diego (Fri/Sun)
(4) Texas Tech vs. (13) High Point
(5) Illinois vs. (12) McNeese
Buffalo (Fri/Sun)
(2) UConn vs. (15) Robert Morris
(7) Oregon vs. (10) Ole Miss
St. Louis (Fri/Sun)
(3) Louisville vs. (14) Furman
(6) San Diego State vs. (11) Cincinnati/Texas A&M
Midwest Region (Chicago)
Oklahoma City (Thu/Sat)
(1) Houston vs. (16) LIU/Norfolk State
(8) Iowa vs. (9) NC State
San Diego (Fri/Sun)
(4) UCLA vs. (13) Northern Iowa
(5) Kansas vs. (12) Yale
Buffalo (Thu/Sat)
(2) Michigan vs. (15) Southeast Missouri State
(7) North Carolina vs (10) Saint Mary’s
Portland (Thu/Sat)
(3) BYU vs. (14) South Dakota State
(6) Gonzaga vs. (11) Georgetown/Boise State
NIL
Class 3A Blog: North Clayton’s Justin Murphy signs NIL deal with Phenom Elite
North Clayton athlete Justin Murphy recently announced on social media that he has signed an NIL deal with popular sports brand Phenom Elite. Murphy is listed as a 4-star recruit on Rivals and a top-15 player in the state in the Class of 2027. Phenom Elite is very popular among high school athletes. The brand […]


North Clayton athlete Justin Murphy recently announced on social media that he has signed an NIL deal with popular sports brand Phenom Elite. Murphy is listed as a 4-star recruit on Rivals and a top-15 player in the state in the Class of 2027.
Phenom Elite is very popular among high school athletes. The brand sells football gear such as gloves, cleats, and more. The brand has signed multiple players in the state of Georgia before, including Douglas County’s Aaron Gregory. Murphy told me nothing can be said yet about what he is going to do with Phenom Elite, but based on some of the things athletes did from last season, it is sure to be interesting.
Murphy is hyped to sign his first major NIL deal with such a major brand.
“I have been seeing the brand since the age of nine or 10, so to be a Phenom Elite athlete and rep the brand now feels good,” said Murphy. “As of right now it is the cleats, shorts, and the shirt,” he said when mentioning his favorite products.
As for Murphy, the 2027 athlete holds offers from 17 schools to play at the next level. He holds offers from Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, and Tennessee to play quarterback and from LSU to play defensive back. Murphy blew up as a sophomore at North Clayton along with teammate Kelsey Adams (who has since transferred).
Murphy has had a busy offseason, competing in many events. One of those events was the Elite 11 regional camp in Atlanta, and more can be read about that here. Murphy also runs track and was named an all-sophomore team honorable mention. North Clayton’s team also participated in multiple 7-on-7 tournaments this offseason.
North Clayton went 4-6 last season in what was arguably the most loaded region in all of 3A. With schools like Stephenson, Cedar Grove, and others in its region, North Clayton will have to rely on Murphy heavily in 2025.
The Eagles open up their 2025 schedule by taking on McDonough on August 15th. Some other notable matchups are versus Riverdale (September 5th), Stephenson (September 26th), and at Douglass-Atlanta (October 17th). The Eagles are led by Cap Burnett, who is heading into year 10 as head coach of the team. The North Clayton graduate returned to his alma mater after playing at UGA. His son Cayden Burnet is also on the team.
No official details about the contracted deal between Murphy and Phenom Elite are available at this moment.
NIL
How Topicals Cracked Beauty Storytelling in Sports
Welcome back to SportsVerse, my twice-weekly newsletter that tells stories you can’t find anywhere else about the intersection of sports, fashion, business, and culture. Powered by OffBall. When a beauty brand wants to launch a campaign to promote a new product in 2025, where does it turn? To sports, of course. In this instance, the […]

Welcome back to SportsVerse, my twice-weekly newsletter that tells stories you can’t find anywhere else about the intersection of sports, fashion, business, and culture. Powered by OffBall.
When a beauty brand wants to launch a campaign to promote a new product in 2025, where does it turn?
To sports, of course.
In this instance, the brand in question is Topicals, the popular beauty industry disruptor founded by Olamide Olowe in 2020.
The LA-based brand, which raised $10 million in a Series A funding round in 2022, quickly built up a reputation for its masterful storytelling and super-identifiable products, which double as marketing and brand discovery tools (see Topicals’ ubiquitous pink eye masks, as an example).
I’ve long seen Topicals akin to a brand like Aimé Leon Dore — equally adept in product development as it is in marketing.

Not only Topicals’ products compelling, but the brand has an aspirational aura of cultural relevance that oozes from everything it touches, from its billboards to its digital campaigns to its sold out fashion week pop-ups to its proud connectivity to Black and West African diasporic culture to the carefully curated list of friends of the brand it frequently works with or brings on its famous influencer trips.

It was only a matter of time, therefore, before Topicals dipped its toes into the world of sport, which has been the single most alluring cultural arena to beauty brands over the past year.
I’m often asked by brand leaders or marketers how they can activate in sports if they can’t afford/don’t want to pay ridiculous money for an official team or league sponsorship.
This is how.
Sport provides myriad storytelling opportunities that brands can leverage in their favour. One thing that increasingly drives consumers mad is when brands are lazy. A brand knows sports bring positive associations, so they release a tacky sports-related product like a football jersey or some imitation sports equipment and think they have done their job.

But the smartest beauty and fashion brands enter sports with intention. Topicals decided to use sports to help launch its latest new product, a bar of body soap under its “Slather” product line, which is a “retinol-infused exfoliating body bar which scrubs away dry skin, texture, and bumps associated with KP, revealing softer skin after just one use,” according to the brand.
Who better to market this skincare product than professional athletes, whose skin and bodies are continually on show, being pushed, tested, scratched, bruised and stretched on the floor, night in and night out.
Topicals tapped WNBA star Lexie Brown of the Seattle Storm, already a well known fashion and beauty lover, along with Jarred Vanderbilt of the LA Lakers (a fashion cool kid in his own right), for a campaign rollout to spread awareness for the new product launch, titled Smoothest In The Game. I like both of these picks because they’re not necessarily the first basketball players who come to mind when you think of the NBA and the WNBA. But they are both players with cultural relevance and natural fits in the Topicals ecosystem.
The brand also decided to go a layer deeper, including college hooper Rian Forrester (USC Trojans) in the campaign rollout, in a post that showed before-and-after images of the product in action.

College basketball remains such a fertile marketing environment which beauty brands still haven’t seemed to fully crack effectively. Certain schools (like USC, Duke or UConn) have such avid fanbases for their women’s programmes and have teenage players who are genuine global stars and social media phenomena in their own right that it seems odd how underutilised they are as marketing partners by beauty brands.
Topicals waited to enter sports until it had a good launchpad to do so. I wish more brands — across beauty and fashion — would consider doing the same.
Sports like basketball now represent a critical marketing arena for beauty brands to compete in.
Up until recently, professional sport was a completely untapped market as far as beauty companies were concerned. All of a sudden, brands woke up to the fact that athletes were indeed some of the most compelling and versatile ambassadors when it comes to marketing the appeal and effectiveness of a range of beauty products.
Whenever I discuss the role the beauty industry plays in sports, particularly basketball, I always draw attention to Glossier, which was an early mover in partnering with the WNBA in 2020 (the league’s inaugural beauty sponsor) and later with USA Basketball Women’s National Team. The brand has activated those partnerships in thoughtful and innovative ways, which I have previously explored in this newsletter.

Inside WNBA Draft Night: The Biggest Sports-Fashion-Beauty Showcase to Date
Since then, there has been an influx of brands, including Sephora, Il Makiage, CeraVe, e.l.f. Cosmetics and NYX Cosmetics, following in their lead with partnerships of their own across different sports, though some of these brands have struggled to cut through the noise in an increasingly congested marketing environment.
It’s not just other beauty brands they’re up against either: fashion brands continue to flock into the sports sponsorship market, as do a range of other corporate entities, all looking to cash in on sports’ booming cultural relevance. Naturally, beauty’s role in all of this has been covered on SportsVerse in previous newsletters, too.
Beauty Brands Are Cashing In on Sports Culture
As mentioned earlier, I’m excited to see beauty brands explore the opportunities presented by NIL in the college sports landscape, in a way that goes beyond gifting athletes products. I want to see the next generation of college stars (women and men) show up in campaigns and help brands craft products and marketing efforts that align with their audiences.
This is still a space in sports which is ripe for a disruption.
I’m not surprised that Topicals is the brand at the forefront of this push.
That’s all for today, friends. Thanks for being here.
See you Thursday,
DYM
NIL
Michigan football listed as top NIL spender
The Michigan Wolverines established themselves as one of the premiere NIL spenders when they reportedly signed quarterback Bryce Underwood to a $10.5 million deal last November to get him to flip his commitment from LSU to Michigan. Now, they are being recognized for their deep pockets. According to a survey conducted by Pete Nakos of On3, […]

The Michigan Wolverines established themselves as one of the premiere NIL spenders when they reportedly signed quarterback Bryce Underwood to a $10.5 million deal last November to get him to flip his commitment from LSU to Michigan.
Now, they are being recognized for their deep pockets. According to a survey conducted by Pete Nakos of On3, the Wolverines are one of the top ten NIL spenders in the country. On the list, Michigan was tied for 7th with USC.
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The Wolverines and Trojans come in just ahead of noted SEC spenders Tennessee and Auburn. The list is led by Texas, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas A&M, and Miami.
Regarding the Wolverines’ spending, Nakos wrote:
“Michigan’s highest-paid player on this year’s roster is well documented. The Wolverines flipped On3’s No. 1 overall recruit from LSU in November. The quarterback inked a multi-year deal that is expected to pay out over $12 million in his career at Michigan. The Wolverines are another program that is expected to cross the $20 million threshold in 2025.”
With this type of spending, the Wolverines are able to keep themselves on the same playing field for top-end recruits and transfers. Coach Sherrone Moore can use this expanded budget to seek out more players like Bryce Underwood and Alabama transfer running back Justice Haynes.
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The Wolverines finished with the 6th-best 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. It is safe to assume the extra funds played a role in Michigan achieving that ranking by being able to offer competitive payouts to top recruits.
NIL
Argument over ‘valid business purpose’ for NIL collectives threatens college sports settlement
Less than two weeks after terms of a multibillion-dollar college sports settlement went into effect, friction erupted over the definition of a “valid business purpose” that collectives making name, image and likeness payments to players are supposed to have. The new College Sports Commission sent a letter to athletic directors last week saying it was […]

Less than two weeks after terms of a multibillion-dollar college sports settlement went into effect, friction erupted over the definition of a “valid business purpose” that collectives making name, image and likeness payments to players are supposed to have.
The new College Sports Commission sent a letter to athletic directors last week saying it was rejecting deals in which players were receiving money from collectives that were created solely to pay them and don’t provide goods or services to the general public for profit.
A lead attorney for the players responded by saying those instructions went against settlement terms and asking the CSC to rescind the guidance.
“This process is undermined when the CSC goes off the reservation and issues directions to the schools that are not consistent with the Settlement Agreement terms,” attorney Jeffrey Kessler wrote to NCAA outside counsel Rakesh Kilaru in a letter obtained by The Associated Press.
Yahoo Sports first reported details of the letter, in which Kessler threatens to take the issue to a judge assigned with resolving disputes involved in the settlement.
Kessler told the AP that his firm was not commenting on the contents of the letter, and Kilaru did not immediately respond to the AP’s request for comment.
Yahoo quoted a CSC spokesman as saying the parties are working to resolve differences and that “the guidance issued by the College Sports Commission … is entirely consistent with the House settlement and the rules that have been agreed upon with class counsel.”
When NIL payments became allowed in 2021, boosters formed so-called collectives that were closely tied to universities to work out contracts with the players, who still weren’t allowed to be paid directly by the schools.
Terms of the House settlement allow schools to make the payments now but keep the idea of outside payments from collectives, which have to be approved by the CSC if they are worth $600 or more.
The CSC, in its letter last week, explained that if a collective reaches a deal, for instance, for an athlete to appear on behalf of the collective, which charges an admission fee, that collective does not have a “valid business purpose” because the purpose of the event is to raise money to pay athletes, not to provide goods or services available to the general public for profit.
Another example of a disallowed deal was one an athlete makes to sell merchandise to raise money to pay that player because, the CSC guidance said, the purpose of “selling merchandise is to raise money to pay that student-athlete and potentially other student-athletes at a particular school or schools, which is not a valid business purpose.”
Kessler’s letter notes that the “valid business purpose” rule was designed to ensure athletes were not simply being paid to play, and did not prohibit NIL collectives from paying athletes for the type of deals described above.
To prevent those payments “would be to create a new prohibition on payments by a NIL collective that is not provided for or contemplated by the Settlement Agreement, causing injury to the class members who should be free to receive those payments,” Kessler wrote.
NIL
Crimson Champions Club offers tax-deductible way to support WSU athletes via NIL
MANY WASHINGTON STATE FANS have heard of the Cougar Collective but in the world of NIL, a crimson entity called the Crimson Champions Club is on the rise and it’s favorable to your taxes because it’s a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. “NIL Is Not Optional,” the organization said in an executive summary distributed earlier this year. “The Name, […]

MANY WASHINGTON STATE FANS have heard of the Cougar Collective but in the world of NIL, a crimson entity called the Crimson Champions Club is on the rise and it’s favorable to your taxes because it’s a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
“NIL Is Not Optional,” the organization said in an executive summary distributed earlier this year. “The Name, Image, and Likeness era has redefined college sports. Success now demands more than performance, it requires brand building, community impact, and professional growth. NIL gives student-athletes the platform to grow, give back, and gain real value.”
The CCC is taking a unique approach to how it supports WSU athletes, writing, “Crimson Champions Club is non-profit reshaping the NIL landscape at WSU. CCC connects Cougar student-athletes with charitable organizations across the Pacific Northwest, blending athletic excellence with meaningful community service.
“We empower athletes to create impact beyond the field, promoting leadership, personal growth, and a culture of giving back. Our mission is rooted in service and lasting community engagement.”
Unlike the Cougar Collective, whose motto — “mighty by the many” — is reflected in its minimum monthly membership fee of $18.90, the Crimson Champions Club begins its solicitations at a $5,000 per year minimum (or $416.67 per month).
The CCC was launched last year by long-time WSU partisan John Glass of Spokane and others. The organization so far has kept a fairly low profile — so much so that repeated attempts by Cougfan.com to land an interview have been unsuccessful.
“WSU doesn’t need to be among the nation’s elite in NIL,” the CCC writes, “But it absolutely must lead the way in NIL for the new Pac-12.”
The organization is bullish on the Cougs. But there is a window and Cougar Nation must act before it closes.
“The path to the College Football Playoff and NCAA Basketball Tournament has never been clearer for Washington State,” reads the executive summary. “With the right resources in place, success isn’t just possible — it’s inevitable. This is WSU’s time to shine. With dedicated alumni support, WSU is in a great position to lead the new Pac-12
“The next few years will determine WSU’s athletic legacy and national standing,” says the CCC.
THE CCC’S GOAL WITH WSU ATHLETES is to build lasting community engagement by connecting them with Pacific Northwest charities. “We focus on building futures, not buying performance,” the organization says.
In addition, the CCC plans to offer athletes programs in financial literacy, leadership, and business skills, and is partnering with the Carson College of Business in that quest. “We’re building champions on the field and in life,” the CCC says.
THERE ARE SIX donation levels, all named after the stadiums and arenas on WSU’s campus.
- Mooberry – $416.67 per month or $5,000 per year
- Fieldhouse – $833.33 per month or $10,000 per year
- Bohler – $2,083.33 per month or $25,000 per year
- Bailey-Brayton -$4,166.67 per month or $50,000 per year
- Beasley – $6,250 per month or $75,000 per year
- Martin – $8,333.33 per month or $100,00 per year
Donations can be made HERE and also via checks sent to 8030 Bracken Pl SE, Snoqualmie, WA 98065, and also via the 1890 Foundation on Benevity and through a bank deposit via QuickBooks. More information is available on the CCC website HERE.
CLICK THIS IMAGE TO GET YOUR WSU SEASON TICKETS TODAY!

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