NIL
Louis Vuitton signs multiyear partnership with Real Madrid teams
Louis Vuitton has “unveiled an official multiyear partnership with the Real Madrid soccer and basketball teams,” marking yet another “high-profile sports deal for the world’s biggest luxury brand,” according to Joelle Diderich of WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY. The announcement, coming on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S., confirmed “speculation swirling in sports circles since […]


Louis Vuitton has “unveiled an official multiyear partnership with the Real Madrid soccer and basketball teams,” marking yet another “high-profile sports deal for the world’s biggest luxury brand,” according to Joelle Diderich of WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY. The announcement, coming on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S., confirmed “speculation swirling in sports circles since February that Vuitton was poised to succeed Zegna as the team’s official off-field outfitter.” Terms of the deal with Real Madrid were not disclosed, but LV noted that it was the “first time it was placing its tailoring expertise at the service of athletes beyond the pitch.” The formal wardrobe for the men’s and women’s football teams, as well as the men’s basketball team, includes “ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories that will be worn during official representations.” Meanwhile, the brand may have a “strong trackside presence as title sponsor of key races” in F1, but do not expect to see the LV logo “writ large inside the renovated Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid” (WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 6/13).
NIL
Exposing the West’s most deluded college football fan bases
Social media breeds self-delusion. Every fan base has its echo chamber, the memes and retorts they use to reinforce their favorite arguments. “Zero natties.” “Built not bought.” “We are so back.” Some fan bases specialize in living in the past and distorting their record. Others confuse hype with reality. Washington Huskies What they think they […]

Social media breeds self-delusion. Every fan base has its echo chamber, the memes and retorts they use to reinforce their favorite arguments. “Zero natties.” “Built not bought.” “We are so back.”
Some fan bases specialize in living in the past and distorting their record. Others confuse hype with reality.
Washington Huskies
What they think they are: A blueblood program with no limits, a national championship contender.
What they actually are: A window program.
The Huskies had six straight losing seasons between 2004 and 2009, including an 0-12 season in 2008. They proceeded to go 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, and 7-6 under current Texas coach Steve Sarkisian before breaking through with a 9-4 record and a win in the Fight Hunger Bowl in 2009.
Chris Petersen came to Seattle and went 8-6 and 7-6 for two years, then had a run of 12-2 in 2016, settling back to 10-3, 10-4 before falling back to 8-5 in his last year before retiring, 2019.
Jimmy Lake imploded the program again, 4-8 in 2021. Kalen DeBoer had a two-year run before bolting for Alabama. Jedd Fisch took over and finished 6-7 last season.
PAC-12 Throwback:
9/17/22 – Washington stunned #11 Michigan State behind an aerial assault from Michael Penix Jr.
— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) April 6, 2024
In the last 24 seasons, the Huskies have won 10 games or more five times, they’ve finished ranked in the AP Top Ten three times while suffering through eight losing seasons. They’ve had 15 seasons with six or more losses.
They are a window program, a school that occasionally stitches together a couple of good recruiting classes and keeps a staff together long enough to emerge from the shadow of Oregon, USC and UCLA.
UW hasn’t been a consistent top-tier program in over 30 years.
Delusion Grade: 97
While it’s nice to remember the glory years of Don James and Gloomy Gil Dobie or the One Shining Moment when DeBoer brought a potent offense to Montlake, the Huskies haven’t sustained success, and the Petersen era was more brief and more mediocre than remembered (first two years, 8-6 and 7-6, last year 8-5.) They’re competent in two or three-year stretches, awful the rest of the time.
Yet to interact with Dawg fans on X, they’re still the power in the West. In reality they’re living off their three straight wins over the Ducks when during Dan Lanning’s first two years as a head coach, all by a field goal.
USC
What they think they are: “We are back, once again the dominant program in the West.”
What they actually are: A program that had great runs under John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll, but one that has fired its three previous head coaches including Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin, who’ve gone on to success elsewhere.
Since Carroll left after the 2008 season, SC has finished in the AP Top Ten exactly once, when they went 10-3 in 2016 under Clay Helton. It’s been 22 seasons since their last national championship and since then they’ve had 11 seasons of 10-4 or worse, 8 seasons with 5 or more losses, never returned to the the college football playoff. In the last four years they’ve gone 30-22.
An impressive 2026 recruiting class can’t help the Trojans in 2025. Coming off seasons of 8-5 and 7-6, can Lincoln Riley survive another year in the same range?
Big Ten Offensive Line Rankings Entering 2025, per @jrs_rankings
LISTEN: https://t.co/bTAgxLaWKO pic.twitter.com/oaFH2e6Rzt
— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) June 27, 2025
Continuing the series of hot seats, Of these three B10 coaches with the hottest seats, who is the most likely to be out of a job after 2025, and who is the most likely to cool their seat after 2025? pic.twitter.com/fZfhUEfx3D
— Sidelines – CFB (@SSN_CollegeFB) July 15, 2025
Delusion Grade: 89
Oregon State
What they think they are: Lunchpail U., the Little Program That Could
What they actually are: A Power 4 also-ran with a small stadium.
Among Beaver fans the expectations are to be competitive against Oregon, have a winning season and make a bowl, so the fanbase is reasonably realistic. They’ve been to a bowl game 13 times in the last 25 seasons, won 11 games once and had 13 winning seasons, finished in the AP Top 25 five times.
Against Oregon since 2000, they’re 8-17, though the Ducks have won 14 of the last 17 and two in a row. In Trent Bray, they’ve hired a defensive-minded coach with roots in the program so they should be competitive in the reconfigured PAC-12.
Hopes are high for Duke transfer at quarterback Maalik Murphy, a former four-star who started his college career at Texas, 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns with the Blue Devils in 2024.
The Oregon State turnover chainsaw is the energy CFB needs ⚡️🔥 pic.twitter.com/KUvVPRKVHb
— College Football Alerts (@CFBAlerts_) May 19, 2025
Although the OSU program has fallen on hard times, passed over by the Big Ten and relegated to a rebuilt conference with an unimpressive lineup, it’s hard to really hate on them. The fans are realistic; they’re loyal to their school and have modest expectations.
Delusion Grade: 53
Colorado Buffaloes
What they think the are: A resurgent juggernaut and future national champion.
What they actually are: Playing for clicks.
The national media has fueled the Deion Sanders hype, understandably because he’s quotable and flamboyant and had a brilliant career as a player.
In 2023 the Buffs started 3-0 and pundits like Skip Bayless and RJ Young went full blast about the Buffs being a national championship threat until Oregon thumped them 42-6. Moving to the Big 12 in 2024 they put together a nice season that ended with a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl and a 9-4 record.
The “Cinderella Story is Over” Game.
Ducks dominate Colorado 42-6
— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) July 19, 2025
Travis Hunter won the Heisman and Shedeur Sanders got drafted by Cleveland in the 5th round. Coach Prime, battling health problems, has to start over with Kaidon Salter or Julian Lewis at quarterback. He’s trying to rebuild the offensive line around five-star Jordan Seaton and the portal.
Last season, Shedeur Sanders was sacked 40 times, and the Colorado defense ranked 71st against the run. It’s the lack of progress in the trenches that’s holding them back.
Travis Hunter’s stats today:
• 80+ snaps
• 8 catches for 53 yards
• 1 catch given up and 1 INTIt’s 100+ degrees out and Colorado is up 24-21 after coming into the game as 20-point underdogs.
Deion Sanders was right…he is HIM!pic.twitter.com/xXM4spaDkW
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 2, 2023
Although moving to the Big 12 gives them a renewed chance to be competitive, Colorado isn’t as back as the fanbase thinks, and it remains to be seen whether Coach Prime has staying power in Boulder. One thing is certain though: He’s elevated attention and interest.
Delusion Grade: 83
What about the Ducks?
Duck fans are pretty realistic about the Oregon program. They’ve known adversity and disappointment on big stages. The program has been a consistent winner with relatively few clunker seasons.
The Ducks have won 9 conference championships since 2000 and three Rose Bowls. They’ve been to the national championship game twice and finished in AP Top Ten 11 times. And no, they’ve never won a natty.
Yet Oregon fans are realistic about all this. They’ve remained loyal and enthusiastic through the downturns, filled Autzen Stadium and made it a loud, raucous environment. Oregon has had two losing seasons in 25 years; they’ve won 10 or more games 15 times over that span.
All in all, a successful if not elite program, though they are 35-6 under Dan Lanning. The noise and derision from opposing fans won’t stop until they win a national championship, and even then the references to “Phil Knight’s money” will end never.
Duck fans themselves have a pretty realistic view of the program and they’ve maintained admirable loyalty.
Delusion grade: 39
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NIL
Unrivaled announces NIL deals with 14 college players, including JuJu Watkins and Flau’Jae Johnson
INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are three of 14 top women’s college basketball players that Unrivaled is signing to NIL deals, the league announced Saturday. It’s the second consecutive year that the 3-on-3 league that was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart has had name, image and likeness deals with […]

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are three of 14 top women’s college basketball players that Unrivaled is signing to NIL deals, the league announced Saturday.
It’s the second consecutive year that the 3-on-3 league that was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, Unrivaled had deals with Paige Bueckers and Johnson.
Watkins, who plays for Southern California but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has also previously been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.
Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, both were on hand for the announcement, as were Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong.
“Unrivaled is doing something amazing for women sports. It’s a big reason why we’re all here today,” Johnson said at Unrivaled’s pop-up headquarters in Indianapolis. “They’re doing it in the W and really giving us a chance in college to really go at it.”
Other players signed include TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Lauren and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords. The players range from sophomores to seniors.
“Just seeing from the first year what (the league) was able to build, you know it’s only going to get better,” Fudd said. “I’m super excited.”

Guard Flau’jae Johnson warms up during practice at USA Basketball women’s Americup trials, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the USA Olympics training center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
Women’s basketball players have been able to take advantage of NIL opportunities over the last few years with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Bueckers and Johnson at the forefront of it. Reese played in Unrivaled in its first season.
As part of the initiative, the class will be attending a multi-day event at the league’s headquarters in Miami, which will include skill development and content shoots.
“Our job is to try to bridge the gap between the current stars that are in Unrivaled and the future stars sitting on the stage right now,” Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations, said at the announcement. “Everyone that we asked to be a part of this said yes.”
Unrivaled completed its inaugural season this past March, and is gearing up for its second this coming January.
NIL
JuJu Watkins, Flau’jae Johnson, Azzi Fudd Among 14 to Sign Unrivaled NIL Contracts
USC’s JuJu Watkins, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and UConn’s Azzi Fudd are among the 14 college stars who have signed new NIL contracts with Unrivaled ahead of its second season, the 3×3 women’s basketball league announced Saturday. UCLA’s Kiki Rice, Lauren Betts and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, Notre […]

USC’s JuJu Watkins, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and UConn’s Azzi Fudd are among the 14 college stars who have signed new NIL contracts with Unrivaled ahead of its second season, the 3×3 women’s basketball league announced Saturday.
UCLA’s Kiki Rice, Lauren Betts and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson, TCU’s Olivia Miles, UConn’s Sarah Strong and Michigan’s Syla Swords also inked contracts with the league.
Johnson previously signed an NIL deal including an equity stake in Unrivaled ahead of the league’s inaugural 2025 season. Her new contract does not include a stake in the league, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
She joined Fudd, Hidalgo and Strong with league representatives in Indianapolis for an announcement made during the WNBA All-Star Weekend, per Winsidr’s Myles Ehrlich.
Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers signed her own deal involving a stake in the league ahead of the 2025 season.
Unrivaled already inked Bueckers to a second deal spanning three years ahead of her selection on top of the 2025 WNBA draft.
According to Andrews, the first year of Bueckers’ Unrivaled deal is expected to pay her more than her entire four-year WNBA rookie contract.
Bueckers is set to earn just over $348,000 on her first WNBA contract if the Wings pick up her fourth-year club option, per Spotrac.
Johnson and Bueckers aren’t the only players to ink new deals with Unrivaled after previous involvement with the league. Watkins joined investors, including Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, in contributing to league’s $28 million Series A investment round last winter, per Sportico’s Jacob Feldman.
Unrivaled ultimately spent more than $7 million on player salaries while making $27 million in revenue during its first season, per Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports. Unrivaled commissioner Micky Lawler told Costabile the league “almost broke even.”
Unrivaled’s inaugural season featured 36 players split across six clubs of the Lunar Owls, Rose, Laces, Vinyl, Mist and Phantom.
League president Alex Bazzell told USA Today‘s Safid Deen that the league plans to add between six and eight players to the pool in 2026 and expand to multiple other playing sites outside of Miami in the future.
Drawing interest by bringing in some of the top players in college basketball, including the reigning player of the year in Watkins and defensive player of the year in Betts, could help Unrivaled pursue those revenue and expansion goals in the future.
NIL
Veteran Florida OL arrested on multiple charges including felony weapon possession
The Florida Gators are getting ready to start fall camp in less than two weeks, but some eye-opening news has come in on a veteran offensive lineman. That’d be second-year Gator Devon Manuel, who transferred to Florida after previously playing for Arkansas. According to multiple reports, the redshirt senior was arrested a little after midnight […]

The Florida Gators are getting ready to start fall camp in less than two weeks, but some eye-opening news has come in on a veteran offensive lineman. That’d be second-year Gator Devon Manuel, who transferred to Florida after previously playing for Arkansas.
According to multiple reports, the redshirt senior was arrested a little after midnight on Friday and he’s now facing charges for a misdemeanor DUI and also a second-degree felony for the possession of a concealed weapon. Manuel was arrested in Gainesville on Southwest 34th Street.
Veteran Florida OL Devon Manuel was arrested on Friday and he’s facing multiple charges
According to Graham Hall of 247Sports, Manuel was pulled over and officers quickly smelled an odor to marijuana – he admitted to smoking out of a cartridge. Per the police report that Hall referenced, the arresting officers asked Manuel if he had a card to possess marijuana and he confirmed with them that he didn’t.
On top of that, Manuel also admitted that he had a gun in the car with him. Per Hall, the officers then found a Glock 20 pistol right next to the driver’s seat. Manuel was taken to Alachua County Jail – he was then granted his release after posting bond.
Via On3’s GatorsOnline, a Florida spokesperson released the following statement after the news of Manuel’s arrest was made public: “We are aware of the situation with Devon Manuel. We will gather all the facts and monitor the situation.”
Last season for Florida, his first suiting up for Billy Napier, the 6-7 lineman appeared in three games as a backup for the Gators. The previous two seasons, he played in 10 games combined for Arkansas before he decided to enter the transfer portal.
Manuel was expected to battle for Florida’s right tackle job at fall camp, but we’ll now have to wait and see how Florida and Napier handle his arrest. Not long ago, nose tackle Stephon Shivers was dismissed from the program after being charged with felony false imprisonment.
NIL
South Carolina women’s basketball star Ta’Niya Latson signs NIL deal with Unrivaled
South Carolina women’s basketball player Ta’Niya Latson is among a group of 14 college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced on July 19. The “Future is Unrivaled” group of college stars signed to NIL deal include Latson, former South Carolina player MiLaysia Fulwiley (who transferred to LSU this offseason), UCLA center […]

South Carolina women’s basketball player Ta’Niya Latson is among a group of 14 college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced on July 19.
The “Future is Unrivaled” group of college stars signed to NIL deal include Latson, former South Carolina player MiLaysia Fulwiley (who transferred to LSU this offseason), UCLA center Lauren Betts, UConn stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, Southern California star Juju Watkins and others.
Unrivaled is a 3-on-3 league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier that completed its first season during the spring and featured a long list of WNBA players including Collier, Stewart, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu and more.
Latson, an incoming senior, transferred to South Carolina from Florida State in the offseason after three straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game. She is expected to give a major scoring boost to the Gamecocks’ 2025-26 team after Fulwiley’s transfer to LSU.
The start of the women’s college basketball season is less than four months away, though South Carolina’s season opener has not yet been announced. Announced non-conference matchups for 2025-26 include trips to Southern California, South Florida and Louisville along with Players Era Tournament games against Duke and either UCLA or Texas in Las Vegas.
NIL
UConn’s Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong sign NIL deals with Unrivaled
UConn women’s basketball stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong will be among the new collegiate faces of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league launched by Huskies legends Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in 2025, after signing NIL deals with the organization. Fudd and Strong announced they will be a part of the league’s 14-player NIL class this […]

UConn women’s basketball stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong will be among the new collegiate faces of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league launched by Huskies legends Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in 2025, after signing NIL deals with the organization.
Fudd and Strong announced they will be a part of the league’s 14-player NIL class this season during an event at WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis on Saturday. The UConn duo appeared at Unrivaled’s All-Star headquarters alongside LSU star Flau’jae Johnson, who signed a deal with the league last year. Johnson and former UConn star Paige Bueckers launched the league’s “The Future is Unrivaled” campaign in Dec. 2024, and Bueckers is expected to compete in Unrivaled this upcoming season after completing her rookie year in the WNBA with the Dallas Wings.
The new class of NIL athletes also includes USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren and Sienna Betts and Kiki Rice, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Texas’s Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, TCU’s Olivia Miles, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords.
Unrivaled presented by Samsung Galaxy just signed 14 of the top women’s college hoopers to game-changing NIL deals.
We’re kicking it off with The Future is Unrivaled Summit Presented by Samsung Galaxy in Miami at the end of July 🤩 Stay tuned for more 👀 pic.twitter.com/xhuCOewiWj
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) July 19, 2025
Johnson and Bueckers, like every professional player who competes in Unrivaled, received an investment stake in the league as part of their agreements, so the same will likely be true for the 2025 NIL signees. Watkins is also already part of Unrivaled’s star-studded investor group, which includes UConn coach Geno Auriemma, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, NBA stars Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and USWNT legend Alex Morgan.
Unrivaled exceeded expectations in 2025, reportedly generating more than $27 million in revenue and nearly breaking even in its inaugural season. The league averaged 221,000 viewers on TNT during the regular season and the playoffs, and the championship saw a significant increase drawing 364,000 viewers. Unrivaled also paid its 36 players an average of $220,000, which is higher than the WNBA’s regular maximum salary in 2025.
Fudd has always had a national presence as the former No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, but she joins Unrivaled amid a spike in popularity following UConn’s run to the NCAA Championship. The redshirt senior’s first three college seasons were heavily impacted by injuries, but she completed a triumphant comeback from an ACL tear in 2024-25 and was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Fudd’s NIL portfolio includes partnerships with Bose, TurboTax, skincare brand Paula’s Choice and hair color brand Madison Reed among others. She also announced Thursday that she is hosting a new podcast on the iHeart Radio network titled “Fudd Around and Find Out,” the viral phrase that her mother Katie wore on a t-shirt during the national title game.
Strong is also a rising star in the college game after coming to UConn as the No. 1 ranked recruit in the 2024 class and winning WBCA Freshman of the Year in 2025. She had a historic first season with the Huskies, making the All-Final Four team and breaking the record for most points by a freshman ever in an NCAA Tournament. Unrivaled will be one of Strong’s most prominent NIL deals to date, but she has also partnered with Epic Games and VKTRY, a performance shoe insole for athletes.
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