OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Former Arkansas baseball coach and Razorback legend Norm DeBriyn will be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class, the College Baseball Foundation announced Monday, June 23.

In a coaching career that spanned four decades, DeBriyn transformed Arkansas into a national powerhouse after taking over as head coach in 1970 at the age of 28. The winningest coach in school history, DeBriyn guided the Razorbacks to a record of 1,161-650-6 (.641 winning percentage), two Southwest Conference titles, one Southeastern Conference title, one SEC Western Division title, 15 NCAA Tournament appearances and four NCAA College World Series appearances.

The Razorbacks recorded their best national finish is school history under DeBriyn in 1979, finishing as runner-up in the College World Series. In his 33 seasons at the helm of the Arkansas baseball program, DeBriyn coached 19 All-America selections, six Freshman All-Americans, 58 all-conference selections and 48 all-conference tournament selections. He was named SWC Coach of the Year in 1978, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1989 and 1990, and SEC Coach of the Year in 1999.

DeBriyn, the second Razorback to be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 1991, the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2015. The Ashland, Wis., native is also a member of the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame.

The 18th induction class, comprised of players, coaches and other builders of the game who have positively impacted college baseball, will be honored at the 2026 Night of Champions presented on Feb. 12, 2026, in Overland Park, Kan., the home of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The event will serve as the ceremonial start to the 2026 college baseball season, which begins on Feb. 13, 2026. For more information and to reserve your tickets, please visit the CBF website.

Along with the Hall of Fame inductees, the Night of Champions will celebrate the winners of the 2025 College Baseball Foundation awards, including Roch Cholowksy, UCLA (Brooks Wallace Award); Jake Knapp, North Carolina (National Pitcher of the Year); Evan Dempsey, Florida Gulf Coast (John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year); Brad Neffendorf, LSU Shreveport (Skip Bertman Coach of the Year); and Larry Lee, Cal Poly (Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence).

To be eligible for the College Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, players must be out of college for 15 years and have completed one year of competition at a two-year institution in the CCCAA, NJCAA or a four-year NCAA (Division I, II or III) or NAIA institution. Ballot-eligible coaches must be retired for two years or be active and no less than 75 years old.

2025 COLLEGE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS
Players

• Gene Ammann, Pitcher, Florida State University, 1968-70
• Kris Benson, Pitcher, Clemson University, 1994-96
• Kip Bouknight, Pitcher, University of South Carolina, 1998-2001
• Hubie Brooks, Shortstop, Mesa College/Arizona State University, 1976-78
• Gene Hooks, Third Baseman, Wake Forest University, 1947-50
• Mike Loynd, Pitcher, Florida State University, 1984-86
• Mark McGwire, First Baseman/Pitcher, University of Southern California, 1982-84
• Phil Nevin, Third Base, Cal State Fullerton, 1990-92
• David Price, Pitcher, Vanderbilt University, 2005-07
• Earl Sanders, Pitcher, Jackson State University, 1984-86
• Mike Stenhouse, Outfielder, Harvard University, 1977-79
• Stephen Strasburg, Pitcher, San Diego State University, 2007-09
• Joe Thomas, Pitcher/First Baseman, Marietta College, 1994-97

Coaches

• Norm DeBriyn, Coach, University of Arkansas, 1970-2002
• *Clint Evans, Coach, University of California, 1930-54
• *Ray Fisher, Third Baseman/Pitcher/Coach, Middlebury College 1907-09/1910 (Third Baseman/Pitcher/Coach) / University of Michigan / 1921-59 (Coach)
• Les Murakami, Coach, University of Hawai’i, 1968-97
• Ray Tanner, Coach, North Carolina State, 1988-96/University of South Carolina, 1997-2012
• Jerry Weinstein, Coach, Sacramento State College, 1975-98

* To be inducted posthumously

Administrators / Builders / Umpires

• Scott Boras, Agent, University of the Pacific, 1974-77
• Paul Guillie, Umpire – 1990-2014/SEC Coordinator of Baseball Umpires – 2014-current

For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).

On Monday, CBS Sports and the Pac-12 announced an extension of their partnership through the 2030-31 season. The extension will help usher in a new era of the Pac-12.

“Our goal with this process was to find transformational partnerships for the new Pac-12, and throughout our discussions and time together it became more and more clear that a partnership with CBS Sports would be just that,” Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said. “I am thankful to the team at CBS Sports for seeing our vision and investing in our shared future as we build, launch and realize a new Pac-12 together.”

On July 1, 2026, the Pac-12 will welcome the additions of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and Gonzaga. With its pre-existing members, Washington State and Oregon State, the conference will officially have eight members next year.

This move came after the conference disintegrated last year, with its members joining either the ACC, Big 12 or Big Ten. Pac-12 games will air on Paramount+, along with CBS.
 
“As the new Pac-12’s primary media partner, CBS Sports’ top-tier coverage will showcase the best of the conference’s football and men’s basketball games annually across our platforms, including the championship game for both sports,” said Dan Weinberg, executive vice president, programming, CBS Sports. “Extending this partnership strengthens our multiplatform college football and basketball schedule and, at a pivotal moment for the new Pac-12, allows us to collaborate, grow the conference and expand its reach.”

The conference’s current and incoming members were both responsible in the decision to sign an extension with CBS. For some of the key details in the conference’s latest deal, look below.

• Annual football championship game on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+.
• Annual men’s basketball tournament championship game on CBS and Paramount+.
• A minimum of three regular season football games on CBS and Paramount+ each season.
• A minimum of three regular season men’s basketball games on CBS and Paramount+ each season.
• Football and men’s basketball games throughout the regular season on CBS Sports Network, with details to be announced at a later date.

Per the Pac-12’s release, the conference will announce other media rights deals after it finalizes the agreements. For a league that looked all but gone only a year ago, the conference suddenly seems to have a bright future ahead.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.- Announced by the College Baseball Foundation, former NC State Baseball head coach Ray Tanner has been selected as one of 21 college baseball standouts to be inducted into the 2025 class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tanner is one of six coaches inducted in this year’s class and is the first NC State Wolfpack Baseball member to be inducted in the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

“Ray Tanner’s long and illustrious career has made a tremendous lasting impact on two very proud and prestigious baseball programs,” head coach Elliott Avent said. “His outstanding contributions to the great baseball traditions of NC State and the University of South Carolina have set the table for this distinguished and well-deserved honor.”

From 1977 to 1980, Tanner played for the Wolfpack under head coach Sam Esposito, starting four seasons at shortstop and third base. In 1980, he was named to the All-ACC first team.

Immediately after graduating in 1980 with a B.S. in Recreational Administration, Tanner remained an assistant coach under Coach Esposito. After seven seasons as an assistant, he was promoted to head coach following Tanner’s retirement. At 28 years old, Tanner became one of the youngest head coaches in the country.

In his first season as head coach, Ray Tanner led NC State to a then-school record forty-five wins, a second-place finish in the ACC, and a spot in the NCAA tournament. His team again broke the school victory mark in 1990 and was named ACC Coach of the Year after winning forty-eight games. The last NC State ACC Tournament championship came under Tanner in 1992.

In 1993, Tanner led the Wolfpack to win 49 games again, breaking his record, which stood for the next 20 years. Under coach Tanner, NC State made five straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

He finished his NC State career with a 395-173-3 record and a .694 winning percentage, which ranks fifth all-time in the ACC among head coaches who have coached at least four seasons. The Wolfpack saw eight All-Americans under the guidance of Tanner.

The 18th induction class will be honored at the 2026 Night of Champions presented by Prairiefire on February 12, 2026, in Overland Park, Kansas, the home of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The event will be the ceremonial start to the 2026 college baseball season, which begins on February 13, 2026.

To be eligible for the College Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, players must be out of college for 15 years and have completed one year of competition at a two-year institution in the CCCAA, NJCAA, or a four-year NCAA (Division I, II or III) or NAIA institution. Ballot-eligible coaches must be retired for two years or be active and at least 75 years old.

Each year, more than 200 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since then, 175 players, coaches, umpires, administrators, and contributors have been selected for induction. Click here for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.

 

The landscape of college athletics is undergoing a seismic shift with the rise of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. As student-athletes gain the ability to monetize their personal brands, a new era of opportunity—and liability—is expanding far beyond the athletes. In addition to the student-athletes, NIL stakeholders include universities, athletic conferences and organizations, sponsors, and the athletes’ families, among others. Whether the goal is to guard against emerging liabilities or protect the NIL revenue stream itself, stakeholders should consider both traditional and specialty lines of insurance. Here’s what you need to know.

1. What Are NILs?

NIL rights allow college athletes to profit from their personal name, image and likeness—essentially, their brand—while maintaining amateur status. This includes earning income through endorsements, social media, appearances and other commercial ventures. Ever since the US Supreme Court held in 2021 in NCAA v. Alston that NCAA member institutions were free to offer education-related compensation to student-athletes, doors have opened wide for athletes to engage in business opportunities that were previously off-limits, fundamentally altering the collegiate sports economy.

2. The House Settlement: A New Precedent

In May 2025, the landmark $2.8 billion settlement reached in House v. NCAA was finalized, reshaping NIL and revenue-sharing frameworks for college athletics. Often referred to as the “House Settlement,” it resolves multiple antitrust lawsuits and paves the way for direct revenue sharing between universities and athletes. Importantly, this settlement marks a turning point, signaling the NCAA’s acknowledgment of athletes as stakeholders in the multibillion-dollar collegiate sports industry.

3. New Precedent Breeds New Risks for Stakeholders

With new rights come new risks. The expansion of NIL rights and revenue-sharing models introduces complex liability exposures for all parties involved:

• Universities may face management and board-level liability for failing to adequately monitor NIL deals, ensure Title IX compliance, or for violations of the tax code that could jeopardize their 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.
• Athletes risk breaching contracts, violating NCAA or institutional policies, or becoming entangled in disputes over representation and compensation.
• Brands partnering with athletes must navigate reputational risks and ensure compliance with advertising and endorsement regulations.
• Families of athletes, often involved in managing NIL opportunities, may inadvertently expose themselves to tax liabilities or legal disputes if not properly advised.

And, critically for all of the above, consideration must be given to the potential for injury, academic failure, disciplinary suspension or expulsion and transfer, all of which stand to impair or cut off lucrative NIL revenue streams. Interested parties will want to take appropriate steps to protect NIL revenue should a disrupting event occur.

4. Insurance Solutions to Hedge Against Liability

To mitigate NIL-related risk, stakeholders should consider both specialized and traditional insurance products tailored for the NIL era. For example, NFP’s Sports and Entertainment Group offers a suite of coverage options designed to protect athletes, institutions, and affiliated entities, including:

• Permanent Total Disability (PTD) and Temporary Total Disability (TTD): Protects athletes’ future earnings in case of injury or illness.
• Loss of Value (LOV): Covers the financial gap if an athlete’s projected professional value declines due to injury.
• Critical Injury Coverage: Offers lump-sum benefits for catastrophic injuries.
• Group Disability Plans: Customizable for universities, conferences, or NIL collectives, these plans spread risk across multiple athletes and sports.

Traditional lines of insurance—such as directors and officers liability (D&O), commercial general liability (CGL), errors and omissions (E&O), and media liability—can also protect stakeholders against NIL-related liabilities. For example:

• CGL and media liability policies may provide coverage for claims arising from the advertising and use of an athlete’s NIL.
• E&O and D&O insurance can protect institutions and brands from allegations of missteps in negotiating or overseeing NIL agreements.

Insurance is not just a reactive measure—it is a strategic tool that enables stakeholders to participate in the NIL ecosystem with confidence and foresight. As the NIL era continues to evolve, look for the emergence of more specialized insurance products, as well as litigation surrounding the scope and applicability of both traditional and NIL-specific coverage.

Final Thoughts

The NIL era is here, and with it comes a new set of responsibilities. Universities, athletes, brands, and families must work proactively to navigate this evolving landscape. By understanding the risks and leveraging both traditional and tailored insurance solutions, stakeholders can protect their interests while empowering athletes to thrive both on and off the field.

Hunton’s Higher Education working group, of which the insurance team is a member, is actively monitoring these developments and seeking proactive risk mitigation and financing solutions for its clients. Stay tuned to stay informed on all things insurance in the NIL era.

Ever since the advent of the name, image and likeness (NIL) era in college sports in 2021, football and men’s basketball players have typically been the highest earners. However, women’s college basketball has been a major beneficiary of NIL, too.

In fact, women’s college athletes’ NIL deals outpaced men’s college athletes’ NIL deals in 2023, according to a report from SponsorUnited. The report showed that NIL deal distribution among the top 100 most endorsed athletes that year was balanced between women’s athletes earning 52% of the money from those partnerships and men’s athletes earning 48% of the money from those deals. Women’s college basketball players made up 35% of the money earned by women’s athletes in NIL that year, the report added. 

Of course, stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Hailey Van Lith and Cameron Brink were all still in college at the time of the report, helping to spearhead a rise in the popularity of women’s basketball in recent years. 

That said, let’s take a look at the 10 most valuable players in women’s college basketball entering the 2025-26 season, via On3.

School: LSU
Position: Guard
NIL valuation: $1.5 million

Flau’jae Johnson has been one of the premier faces of NIL across all college sports, being able to profit on her rapping career while also starring on the court. Ranked 52nd in On3’s most valuable college athletes list, Johnson has landed countless NIL deals, reportedly inking deals with Powerade, JBL Audio, Raising Cane’s, Campus Ink, Papa John’s, Doritos, Uninterrupted, Amazon, Turbo Tax, Experian, JanSport, The Athlete’s Foot, Tinder, Bazooka, Apple Cash and Mondelez. 

Flau’jae Johnson #4 of the LSU Tigers pregame against the UCLA Bruins in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. (Photo by Reagan Cotten/University Images via Getty Images}

Johnson also agreed to an NIL deal with Unrivaled, the new women’s professional basketball league that just finished its first year. A third-team All-American last season, Johnson has been viewed as a top prospect in the 2026 WNBA Draft as she enters her senior year. 

School: Oklahoma
Position: Guard
NIL valuation: $755,000

Aaliyah Chavez was ranked as the No. 1 recruit by 247 Sports in the Class of 2025, allowing her to profit before she entered college. It was rumored that she was commanding a $1.5 NIL package before committing to Oklahoma over Texas. It was also reported that she was expected to agree to an NIL deal with Jordan Brand shortly after committing to Oklahoma in March.

School: USC 
Position: Guard
NIL valuation: $739,000

NIL has also allowed JuJu Watkins to profit early in her college career. After being named a consensus first-team All-American as a freshman for the 2023-24 season, Watkins became a fixture in State Farm ads. Watkins also has reported deals with Nike, Fanatics, Mondelez, United Airlines, Spotify, AT&T and Gatorade, among others. 

JuJu Watkins #12 of USC looks on during a game against Indiana in the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

In fact, Watkins starred in a Gatorade ad alongside Bueckers and Cooper Flagg that aired during the men’s and women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments in March and April. As Watkins rehabs from an ACL tear, she has been viewed as one of the future faces of the sport, and she has two years of eligibility remaining. 

School: Iowa State
Position: Guard
NIL valuation: $412,000

Jada Williams has earned a handful of reported NIL deals that date back to before she began college in 2023, agreeing to partnerships with Overtime, Nerf, Lace Clips, Lemon Perfect, Spalding, Bumble, Gymshark and more. Williams averaged 12.7 games as a sophomore in 2024-25, transferring from Arizona to Iowa State.

School: Alabama A&M
Position: Guard
NIL valuation: $299,000

One of the few players from a mid-major school to appear on any of these lists, Shelomi Sanders — the daughter of Colorado football coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders — has collected a handful of NIL deals from notable brands through the end of her sophomore season. She has reportedly agreed to deals with Dexcom U, EA Sports, Meta, Instagram, KFC and more. 

School: UConn 
Position: Guard
NIL valuation: $218,000

Azzi Fudd was collecting NIL deals even before she helped UConn win a national championship in 2025. The No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, Fudd notably signed a deal with Under Armor to reportedly join Steph Curry’s personal brand as a freshman. 

Azzi Fudd #35 of UConn looks on in the fourth quarter against South Carolina in the National Championship of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Fudd has also reportedly received deals with Chiptole, TikTok, American Eagle, TIAA, Nerf, Buick, Bose, Door Dash, Madison Reed and more, as she opted to return to UConn for one last season in 2025-26. She’s expected to be a top prospect in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

School: South Carolina
Position: Forward
NIL valuation: $159,000

Chloe Kitts, who helped South Carolina win a national title as a sophomore in 2024, has logged a few notable NIL deals in her college career. She’s reportedly earned deals from Powerade, Sephora, Marathon and Mondelez. As she enters her senior year, Kitts has emerged as one of the top players on Dawn Staley’s squad, winning SEC Tournament MVP in 2025. 

School: UConn
Position: Guard
NIL valuation: $145,000

KK Arnold, who was one of the top recruits in the Class of 2023, has several NIL deals with notable brands. She has reportedly agreed to deals with the NIL Store, Powerade, Intuit TurboTax, Raising Cane’s and others. After coming off the bench for UConn’s title-winning squad in 2025, Arnold seems in line to have a larger role in 2025-26, which could help her earn more NIL money.

School: Florida
Position: Guard
NIL valuation: $138,000

The daughter of NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal, Me’Arah “Meezy” O’Neal is in the top 10 on this list following her freshman year at Florida. She doesn’t have any reported NIL deals. 

School: LSU
Position: Guard
NIL valuation: $125,000

MiLaysia Fulwiley was one of the top transfers in women’s college basketball this offseason, making the move from South Carolina to LSU after winning SEC Sixth Woman of the Year in 2024-25. She reportedly inked a handful of NIL deals during her time at South Carolina, agreeing to partnerships with RITZ Crackers, Curry Brand, Red Bull, Intuit TurboTax and more.

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