NIL

Lottery.com Debuts Racing Sponsorship as Murray Impresses at INDY NXT Alabama

Rhea-AI Impact Rhea-AI Sentiment Rhea-AI Summary Sebastian Murray made his second INDY NXT by Firestone appearance at the Grand Prix of Alabama, driving the No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara for Andretti Cape, sponsored by Lottery.com (NASDAQ: LTRY) and Sports.com. Murray showed promising performance by qualifying in P10, his best qualifying result of the season. […]

Published

1 month ago

May 5, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Lottery.com Debuts Racing Sponsorship as Murray Impresses at INDY NXT Alabama

Rhea-AI Impact

Rhea-AI Sentiment

Rhea-AI Summary

Sebastian Murray made his second INDY NXT by Firestone appearance at the Grand Prix of Alabama, driving the No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara for Andretti Cape, sponsored by Lottery.com (NASDAQ: LTRY) and Sports.com. Murray showed promising performance by qualifying in P10, his best qualifying result of the season. During the race, he advanced to P8 before an incident in Turn 8 damaged his tires, ultimately finishing in P16. Murray currently stands P17 in the championship with 27 points. The race marked the debut of Lottery.com and Sports.com branding on the car, featuring a distinctive red and black design. Murray’s next challenge is a double-header at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 9 & 10.

Sebastian Murray ha partecipato per la seconda volta alla INDY NXT by Firestone al Grand Prix of Alabama, guidando la No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara per Andretti Cape, sponsorizzata da Lottery.com (NASDAQ: LTRY) e Sports.com. Murray ha mostrato una performance promettente qualificandosi in P10, il suo miglior risultato in qualifica della stagione. Durante la gara, è avanzato fino alla P8 prima che un incidente alla Curva 8 danneggiasse le sue gomme, concludendo infine in P16. Attualmente Murray occupa la posizione P17 nel campionato con 27 punti. La gara ha segnato il debutto del marchio Lottery.com e Sports.com sull’auto, caratterizzata da un design distintivo rosso e nero. La prossima sfida di Murray sarà un doppio appuntamento all’Indianapolis Motor Speedway il 9 e 10 maggio.

Sebastian Murray hizo su segunda aparición en INDY NXT by Firestone en el Gran Premio de Alabama, conduciendo el No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara para Andretti Cape, patrocinado por Lottery.com (NASDAQ: LTRY) y Sports.com. Murray mostró un rendimiento prometedor al clasificarse en P10, su mejor resultado de clasificación de la temporada. Durante la carrera, avanzó hasta la P8 antes de que un incidente en la Curva 8 dañara sus neumáticos, terminando finalmente en P16. Actualmente, Murray ocupa la posición P17 en el campeonato con 27 puntos. La carrera marcó el debut de la imagen de Lottery.com y Sports.com en el coche, con un diseño distintivo en rojo y negro. El próximo desafío de Murray será una doble jornada en el Indianapolis Motor Speedway los días 9 y 10 de mayo.

세바스찬 머레이는 앨라배마 그랑프리에서 두 번째 INDY NXT by Firestone 경기에 출전하여 Andretti Cape 팀의 No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara를 운전했으며, Lottery.com (NASDAQ: LTRY)과 Sports.com의 후원을 받았습니다. 머레이는 시즌 최고 예선 성적인 P10에 자리하며 유망한 성적을 보였습니다. 경기 중에는 P8까지 순위를 올렸으나 8번 코너에서의 사고로 타이어가 손상되어 최종적으로 P16에 머물렀습니다. 현재 머레이는 27점으로 챔피언십 17위에 위치해 있습니다. 이번 경기는 Lottery.com과 Sports.com 브랜드가 차량에 처음 적용된 경기로, 독특한 빨간색과 검은색 디자인이 특징입니다. 머레이의 다음 도전은 5월 9일과 10일 인디애나폴리스 모터 스피드웨이에서 열리는 더블 헤더 경기입니다.

Sebastian Murray a disputé sa deuxième course INDY NXT by Firestone lors du Grand Prix d’Alabama, au volant de la No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara pour Andretti Cape, sponsorisée par Lottery.com (NASDAQ: LTRY) et Sports.com. Murray a montré une performance prometteuse en se qualifiant en P10, son meilleur résultat en qualifications cette saison. Pendant la course, il est remonté jusqu’en P8 avant qu’un incident au virage 8 n’endommage ses pneus, le contraignant à finir en P16. Murray est actuellement 17e du championnat avec 27 points. Cette course a marqué les débuts du branding Lottery.com et Sports.com sur la voiture, avec un design distinctif rouge et noir. Le prochain défi de Murray sera un double meeting au Indianapolis Motor Speedway les 9 et 10 mai.

Sebastian Murray gab sein zweites INDY NXT by Firestone-Rennen beim Grand Prix von Alabama und fuhr den No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara für Andretti Cape, gesponsert von Lottery.com (NASDAQ: LTRY) und Sports.com. Murray zeigte eine vielversprechende Leistung und qualifizierte sich als P10, sein bestes Qualifikationsergebnis der Saison. Im Rennen verbesserte er sich bis auf P8, bevor ein Zwischenfall in Kurve 8 seine Reifen beschädigte, sodass er letztlich auf P16 ins Ziel kam. Murray steht derzeit mit 27 Punkten auf Platz 17 der Meisterschaft. Das Rennen markierte das Debüt der Lottery.com- und Sports.com-Branding auf dem Auto, das ein markantes rot-schwarzes Design aufweist. Murrays nächste Herausforderung ist ein Doppelrennen auf dem Indianapolis Motor Speedway am 9. und 10. Mai.

05/05/2025 – 03:30 PM

Strong Qualifying for Andretti Cape Driver & Red-and-Black Branding Turn Heads

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rising open-wheel talent Sebastian Murray made his second INDY NXT by Firestone start this weekend at the Grand Prix of Alabama, driving the No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara for Andretti Cape, backed by Lottery.com Inc. (Nasdaq: LTRY, LTRYW) and Sports.com.

Key Highlights:

Qualified P10 – Murray’s best qualifying result of the season so far
Climbed to P8 during the race before an incident forced a drop in pace
Finished P16, now P17 in the championship standings (27 points)
Next stop: Double-header at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – May 9 & 10

Murray impressed in qualifying, starting P10 on the grid at the technically demanding Barber Motorsports Park. He was running inside the top ten and pushing toward the front until a snap in the rear of the car forced him off-track in Turn 8, damaging his tires and limiting his pace over the final 26 laps.

“Our race pace was really good up until we were involved in an incident,” said Murray. “We were sitting in P8, and it was going well — we were going to collect some solid points.”

“It’s unfortunate, but I think there are a lot of positives to take from the weekend,” he added. “The team has done a great job, so thank you to everyone at Andretti Cape. We’ll move on to Indy next week, and hopefully we can get some proper points.”

This race marked the official debut of Lottery.com and Sports.com branding on the No. 2 car and Murray’s race suit, with logos featured on the rear wing, front nose cone, and driver overalls — launching a full-season campaign that blends elite motorsport exposure with fan engagement and digital content.

Murray now prepares for a back-to-back test of endurance and precision at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, with two INDY NXT races scheduled for May 9 and May 10.

“We’re incredibly proud of Sebastian Murray’s race,” said Marc Bircham, Director of Sports.com and Head of Sporting Acquisitions. “To qualify in the top 10 was an outstanding achievement. In my career, I’ve coached many young athletes, and the first few times on the big stage is nerve-racking. Seb showed great promise and made a gallant effort to move up to 8th position before the incident. Overall, we are pleased with his performance and are looking forward to seeing Sebastian progress as the season goes on. He’s definitely a driver for the future.”

“We were also delighted with the look of the car — the red and black design with Lottery.com and Sports.com branding stood out as the most attractive car on the grid.”

Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding the Company’s strategy, future operations, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Form 8-K, the words “could,” “should,” “will,” “may,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “initiatives,” “continue,” the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of the date they are made. The Company cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. In addition, the Company cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, any future findings from ongoing review of the Company’s internal accounting controls, additional examination of the preliminary conclusions of such review, the Company’s ability to secure additional capital resources, the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, the Company’s ability to respond in a timely and satisfactory matter to the inquiries by Nasdaq, the Company’s ability to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement, the Company’s ability to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company’s ability to become current with its SEC reports, and those additional risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Form 10-K/A filed by the Company with the SEC on April 22, 2025, and the other documents filed, or to be filed, by the Company with the SEC. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in the reports that the Company has filed and will file from time to time with the SEC. These SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this press release materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/724aabd4-2a8b-4de7-ae2d-600625e48439

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/32715559-f998-4b13-a748-cd122743c8be

This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

For more information, please visit www.lottery.com or contact our media relations team at press@lottery.com.

FAQ

How did Sebastian Murray perform in his second INDY NXT race for Lottery.com (LTRY)?

Murray qualified P10, his best of the season, and reached P8 during the race before an incident forced him to finish P16 at the Grand Prix of Alabama.

What is Sebastian Murray’s current position in the INDY NXT championship standings?

Murray currently stands in P17 in the championship standings with 27 points.

When is Sebastian Murray’s next INDY NXT race for Lottery.com (LTRY)?

Murray’s next races are a double-header at Indianapolis Motor Speedway scheduled for May 9 & 10, 2025.

How is Lottery.com (LTRY) featured on Sebastian Murray’s race car?

Lottery.com branding appears on the rear wing, front nose cone, and driver overalls of the No. 2 car, featuring a distinctive red and black design.

Related Topics:auto big black car company design featured matter media motorsports review season sports team test track

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Zac Selmon addresses why Mississippi State invests NIL, resources in baseball

Mississippi State Athletic Director Zac Selmon made a splash earlier this month when he poached National Championship winning coach Brian O’Connor from Virginia to replace Chris Lemonis, who was fired mid-season. During O’Connor’s time with the Cavaliers, he led the program to an 885-370-2 (362-234-1) overall record. In that time, he was named ACC Coach […]

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3 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Mississippi State Athletic Director Zac Selmon made a splash earlier this month when he poached National Championship winning coach Brian O’Connor from Virginia to replace Chris Lemonis, who was fired mid-season.

During O’Connor’s time with the Cavaliers, he led the program to an 885-370-2 (362-234-1) overall record. In that time, he was named ACC Coach of the Year five times, helped the Cavaliers to two ACC titles, made seven total trips to the Men’s College World Series and won a National Championship in 2015.

After winning the National Championship in 2021, Mississippi State posted just a 129-102 (50-70) record over the next four seasons. In that span, the Bulldogs made two NCAA Tournaments but failed to advance to a Super Regional.

Selmon explained why this was unacceptable and why they’ve spent the resources to completely rebuild the Mississippi State baseball program (from the players to the staff) this offseason. Simply put, they want to get back to Omaha.

Selmon wants to dog-pile in Omaha

“It’s important because of the players we’ve had here,” Selmon said. “Throughout this process, I’ve heard from so many great players. It’s household names that you grew up listening to or knowing who they were. I’m blessed to have coach [Ron] Polk here everyday. To get to be around people like that, you start to know what the expectation is. You can’t do anything now unless you put resources behind it. So much of our business has changed and we’ve had some unbelievable supporters that have stepped up throughout this entire year and specifically throughout this week because they want to be a part of it.”

Dudy Noble Field, which opened in 1967, is often regarded as one of the best stadiums in all of college baseball. It set its record attendance of 16,423 fans back in 2023, showing how massive fan support for baseball is at the university.

“Our job is to make sure we put our programs in a position to be successful, and we can’t do it in this era without a lot of support,” Selmon said. “For us, we’re committed to making sure we put our coaching staff in a position to where we fast forward 20 years from now, we see letter-winners come back and say ‘man, do you remember that time we dog-piled in Omaha?”

“It starts with the investment we made today, and clearly it’s something we know it’s going to be so good for not only our athletics department, but our entire institution and the state of Mississippi. That’s something we’re really excited about.”

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NIL

UofL vs Miami super regional schedule

Louisville baseball coach, players on super regional win vs. Miami Louisville baseball beat Miami 8-1 in the NCAA Super Regional Friday. The Cardinals are one win away from going to the College World Series in Omaha. The ACC will have at least one team in the 2025 College World Series bracket with Louisville baseball hosting […]

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3 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The ACC will have at least one team in the 2025 College World Series bracket with Louisville baseball hosting Miami in NCAA Tournament super regionals.
Louisville routed Miami 8-1 in Game 1 at Jim Patterson Stadium on Friday thanks to impressive pitching by righty Patrick Forbes and clutch hitting by Jake Munroe. The Hurricanes won Game 2.

Coverage from the game:

Louisville baseball still win away from College World Series after falling short vs. Miami

Coverage during the game:

The ACC will have at least one team in the 2025 College World Series bracket. Louisville baseball and Miami are set to play in Game 2 of the NCAA Tournament super regionals at 11 a.m. today. Both teams have experience playing in Omaha, though Louisville has been most recently.

The Cardinals routed Miami 8-1 Friday on a rainy evening at Jim Patterson Stadium thanks to impressive pitching by righty Patrick Forbes and clutch hitting by Jake Munroe.

Miami’s last trip to the CWS was in 2016, and U of L went three years later. So, which one will return to Omaha this year?

Stay tuned below for updates throughout the second game of the Louisville vs. Miami super regional series.

Stream Louisville baseball vs. Miami (free trial)

The Cards’ rally fell short, after bringing the tying run to the plate with no outs.

1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Miami’s Daniel Cuvet hit his 18th homer on the season with a three-run shot off Starke.

3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

The Canes brought their closer Brian Walters, who has 10 saves this season, and he got the Cards out in order.

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Dorian Gonzalez hit a lead-off double and was brought home by a Renzo Gonzalez single.

1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

The Cards brought in left hander Ty Starke to relieve Jack Brown, who faced five batters in 1.1 innings. Starke will face Renzo Gonzalez with a runner on third and one out.

Just when it seemed the Cards bats had cooled off, Eddie King Jr., belted his second homer of the game to tie the score.

1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB

The Cardinals turn a 5-4-3 double play to eliminate the Hurricanes’ scoring opportunity.

0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Jack Brown will start the sixth inning on the hill for the Cardinals. Wyatt Danilowicz ends his day with a strikeout and walk without giving up a hit over 1 1/3 innings.

The Hurricanes retire the side to preserve their one-run lead.

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

After walking one batter and hitting another, Wyatt Danilowicz made the final two plays to end the inning.

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Eddie King, Jr. and Garret Pike are left stranded after Carson Fischer struck out the final two batters.

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Jake Ogden’s two-out, three-run home run helped the Hurricanes regain the lead.

4 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB

Tucker Biven’s day ends with him allowing five runs, one earned, on seven hits with a strikeout and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. Wyatt Danilowicz will now enter the game for the Cardinals

With the bases loaded and two out, Kamau Neighbors got caught stealing to end the inning.

0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Evans threw 2/3 of an inning, allowing a hit while plunking a batter, and is replaced by Carson Fischer.

After giving up a leadoff home run to Jake Munroe and a single to Tague Davis in the top of the fourth inning, Griffin Hugus is replaced on the mound by Rob Evans. Hugus ended the day allowing four earned runs on five hits with one strikeout and two walks in three-plus innings on the mound.

The Cardinals preserve their lead with a 1-2-3 inning.

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Eddie King, Jr.’s two-run home run to left-centerfield highlighted the Cardinals’ three-run inning.

3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

The Hurricanes strike first with Michael Torres’ two-out RBI base hit.

1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Eddie King, Jr. and Tague Davis were left stranded at the corners after Griffin Hugus struck out Kamau Neighbors.

0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Jake Ogden is left stranded after hitting a leadoff double as the Cardinals retired the next three batters.

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Matt Klein reached base after getting hit with a pitch, but a Hurricanes double play ended the inning.

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Tucker Biven will get the start for the Cardinals with a trip to Omaha on the line. The right-handed pitcher is 3-0 on the season with 31 strikeouts over 35 innings and 20 appearances with four starts.

Date: Saturday, June 7
Time: 11 a.m. ET
Where: Jim Patterson Stadium

Louisville baseball’s Dan McDonnell on pitcher Patrick Forbes’ talent

Louisville baseball coach Dan McDonnell explains what makes pitcher Patrick Forbes a great athlete and Forbes’ future at the professional level.

Here is the latest college baseball schedule and NCAA Tournament bracket update.

Reach Louisville football, women’s basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.

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5 former College Football stars deserve the most back pay from the NCAA settlement

On Friday Night, College Football changed forever as Judge Claudia Wilken signed off approving the settlement in the landmark House Vs NCAA case. The case brings about wholesale changes to College Athletics like we know it as revenue sharing, roster limits, NIL regulations, and a ton of new aspects are brought to the sport. As […]

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4 hours ago

June 8, 2025

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As part of the settlement, the NCAA also agreed to back pay former athletes $2.8 billion over the next ten years. The athletes that will receive the funds had to of played since 2016 through current day. It seems more fair that the players prior to 2020 who weren’t in this modern era should get the lions share of the funding.

Based on star power, potential earnings they missed out on, and their impact to the game, 5 former College Football stars deserve the backpay more than anyone else.

Part of the reason that many of the athletes feel they missed out on NIL is the fact that they emerged as stars as true freshmen before putting together great careers as a whole. DeVonta Smith perfectly fits the bill as he played sparingly as a Freshman before catching the National Championship game winner against Georgia.

From that moment on, DeVonta Smith and Tua Tagovailoa would’ve been NIL stars with their entire careers ahead of them. Instead, DeVonta Smith’s Sophomore and Junior seasons were among some of the best in the Country in a star-studded Alabama offense.

If Devonta Smith wasn’t earning a ton by his Senior season, it would’ve been more than enough for him to earn massive NIL deals. Winning the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship as a Senior would’ve made Smith one of the most sought after players in recent history.

Like DeVonta Smith, Tua Tagovailoa’s burst onto the scene in the National Championship Game would’ve been a great moment to launch him into superstardom. Over the next two seasons, Tagovailoa was the engine of the most explosive offenses of Nick Saban’s time in Tuscaloosa which would’ve made him an attractive option for companies spending NIL money. Luckily in Tua’s case an d for some others on this list, it’s tough to feel too bad seeing the NFL contracts for quarterbacks.

The NIL backpay dating back to 2016 puts Lamar Jackson solely in the conversation as one of the athletes that could’ve cashed in. After winning the Heisman Trophy in 2016, Lamar Jackson would’ve had a whole season to cash in on the fact that he had just won the Heisman Trophy. In a State where we’re seeing athletes cash in with big deals in basketball, Jackson would’ve gotten a massive NIL deal simply not to transfer elsewhere.

Joe Burrow’s case is a little more difficult to make just because of when in his career he became a superstar. When Joe Burrow fully became a household name he was in the midst of his Senior season which means he truly missed out on half of a season earning NIL deals. Based on how popular the team became that season, Joe Burrow likely would’ve made himself a ton of money after that Alabama game.

During his tenure in College Football, there wasn’t a more electric player to watch than Baker Mayfield. He first showed up on the scene as a walk on at Texas Tech starting the team’s season opener but, left after one season. When Mayfield arrived at Oklahoma he took over the College Football world, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2017 while finishing in the Final 4 every season at Oklahoma.

When Mayfield got to the NFL, he quickly became the pitch man for several companies with commercials during almost every commercial break. Given that Baker Mayfield was the most polarizing player in the sport, he would’ve gotten some massive NIL deals during his time.

More College Football News:

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Roster limits, revenue sharing and new NIL rules are announced by NCAA

The NCAA makes changes to its roster limits, NIL guidelines and revenue sharing with players On Friday night, the NCAA got news that its hearing in the House vs. NCAA suit had been resolved, with a significant amount of changes heading across college sports as On3 reports. It detailed the biggest change was revenue sharing […]

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4 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NCAA makes changes to its roster limits, NIL guidelines and revenue sharing with players

On Friday night, the NCAA got news that its hearing in the House vs. NCAA suit had been resolved, with a significant amount of changes heading across college sports as On3 reports.

It detailed the biggest change was revenue sharing with the players, sharing up to $20.5 million, with football most likely getting 75% of the cut, and men’s basketball next at 15%. Women’s basketball will get around 5% and the rest will be split with the other sports.

As for program spending, each major school will have around $14 million this coming season. It will be very interesting to see how this is handled across the nation. There is some backpay that the NCAA will have to make as well, a whopping $2.776 billion over the next 10-years as the report states.

As for Name, Image and Likeness, any deal worth more than $600 has to go through the clearinghouse, and if rejected that school and athlete could face ineligibility or the university a fine. On3 mentioned that “Deloitte officials reportedly shared that 70% of past deals from NIL collectives would have been denied,” so big changes are coming with how the players get compensated.

Not only that On3 says that roster limits will be imposed, with football being allowed 105 members, basketball rosters at 15, soccer having 28, softball at 25 and volleyball at 18. Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman has prepared for this, as surely the rest of the program’s have done the same in South Bend.

It will definitely change the path of college sports, and we will see if this is the right decision.

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House v. NCAA settlement quells issues in college sports? No, but be prepared for a whole …

Judge Claudia Wilken approved the House v. NCAA settlement late Friday, ending three federal lawsuits that alleged the NCAA was illegally limiting the earning power of student-athletes in college. CBS Sports’ John Talty has a nice piece on it. My favorite line is his last. “There’s never been a better time to be a lawyer […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 8, 2025

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House v. NCAA settlement quells issues in college sports? No, but be prepared for a whole ...

“There’s never been a better time to be a lawyer with an interest in college sports.”

Yeah, that’s where this is headed.

What happened Friday in California is significant, no doubt. But anybody describing it as a solution to the issues ailing college athletics simply lacks an understanding of the history of NCAA sports and exactly what will and won’t be allowed moving forward.

The end of chaos?

Nah.

It’ll just be a different kind of chaos that leads to more legal threats and billable hours than you can wrap your mind around. Plus, high-level cheating will return. Oh, we’re back baby! Illegal cash-deals are on tap.

The biggest winners and losers from House v. NCAA settlement: Amateurism is dead and the class divide grows

John Talty

The biggest winners and losers from House v. NCAA settlement: Amateurism is dead and the class divide grows

Before I explain why, let’s go over the basics.

This settlement will allow schools to start directly paying athletes — for the first time ever — next month with an expected salary cap of roughly $20.5 million. That’s $20.5 million for all sports to be distributed however each school sees fit. Additionally, all future NIL deals between boosters/collectives and athletes will be vetted by a new entity designed to ensure they’re for valid business purposes and not merely the kind of recruiting incentives that have been flying around the country in recent years.

That paragraph is littered with problems.

Let’s start with the salary cap. Simply put, it won’t work as intended.

As Matt Norlander and I have discussed many times on the Eye On College Basketball Podcast, the most obvious problem with a salary cap for entire athletic departments is that all athletic departments don’t have football rosters to purchase. In other words, at a place like Alabama, the school is expected to devote the majority of that $20.5 million to football, leaving relatively little for other sports, most notably men’s basketball. Meantime, at a place like St. John’s, where there is no football, most of that $20.5 million could be spent however Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino sees fit.

Now, let’s be real.

Do you actually think a SEC school with millions tied up in football is going to concede a recruiting battle in basketball to a Big East program sans football because, you know, the money just isn’t in the budget, according to the rules? LOL. When it comes to that, not all basketball staffs, but certainly lots, will simply do what they’ve always done, i.e., find a way to get the player even if it requires circumventing the rules.

Again, this weekend, cheating returned to college sports.

It’s inevitable.

Every Power Four conference features a coach who has violated one recruiting rule or another. If you think they won’t do it again, if required, you’re silly. And now every time a player picks a school with little known-money left in the budget over a school that’s reportedly offering much more, fans on the wrong end of the commitment will assume something happened in violation of the rules and scream for an investigation.

We lived that life for decades. Who really wanted that again?

And don’t even get me started on the document Power Four conferences are circulating that’s intended to force schools to play by the rules or face serious consequences. Among other things, schools are being asked to forfeit their right to legally challenge the new enforcement entity on any and all decisions. Reportedly, schools that refuse to sign the document could face expulsion from their conferences.

Please.

All it will take for this goofy idea to fail is one powerful school — like, say, Texas or Ohio State — declining to sign it, at which point other schools will say, “If they’re not signing it, we’re not signing it.”

Then what?

Do you really think the SEC is going to expel Texas? Do you really think the Big Ten is going to expel Ohio State? Do you really think the television networks paying billions to those conferences would allow it?

Please.

Now, to NIL.

According to the settlement, a new thing called the NIL Go clearinghouse will be charged with approving future NIL deals to ensure they are within a “reasonable range of compensation based on multiple factors.”

I look forward to the word “reasonable” appearing in court.

Don’t ever forget how we got here — specifically by the NCAA being sued repeatedly for illegally limiting the earning power of student-athletes. So what do you think is going to happen when a school with serious softball ambitions like Texas Tech offers a NIL deal worth more than a million dollars to the next NiJaree Canaday? Let me tell you. NIL Go will likely deem the deal “unreasonable” for obvious reasons and void it. Then everybody will be back in court based on the idea that, once again, a student-athlete’s earning power is being illegally limited.

Rinse and repeat.

Last month, NIL Go officials told ACC administrators that more than 70% of current NIL deals with booster collectives would have been denied according to the new rules. That suggests NIL Go will frequently be in the business of telling student-athletes they cannot take what somebody is willing to give them, and not every student-athlete will accept that decision without pursuing legal action.

The end of chaos?

Hahaha. No way!

Trust me when I tell you, this is only the beginning. Because when a solution to a problem just creates more problems, you’re not really fixing anything as much as you’re simply trading in one set of issues for a new set of issues that will have to be addressed again, sooner or later. Like Talty wrote, congrats to the attorneys. They’re the real winners here, as always.

NIL

Sons of Hall of Famers Included in Latest WWE NIL Class

The latest wave of WWE NIL signings include sons of WWE Hall of Famers among its crop of talented young athletes. The fifth wave of signings include: Fatima Katembo (Basketball) Jacob Henry (Amateur Wrestling, son of Mark Henry) Garrett Beck (Lacrosse) Zuriel Jiménez (Track and Field) Bianca Pizano (Field Hockey) Hidetora Hanada (Football) Madison Kaiser […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Sons of Hall of Famers Included in Latest WWE NIL Class

The latest wave of WWE NIL signings include sons of WWE Hall of Famers among its crop of talented young athletes. The fifth wave of signings include:

Fatima Katembo (Basketball)
Jacob Henry (Amateur Wrestling, son of Mark Henry)
Garrett Beck (Lacrosse)
Zuriel Jiménez (Track and Field)
Bianca Pizano (Field Hockey)
Hidetora Hanada (Football)
Madison Kaiser (Ice Hockey)
TJ Bullard (Football)
Kerrigan Huynh (Track and Field)
Brock Rechsteiner (Football, Son of Rick Steiner)
Gina Adams (Basketball)

The WWE NIL program launched in 2021 and gives young athletes the opportunity to access WWE’s state-of-the-art training programs. The signings are also able to access WWE’s expertise on controlling their name, image, and likeness in the wider world of professional athletics.

It remains to be seen if any of these signings go on to become WWE Superstars. Whatever’s next, WWE is investing heavily in the future.