NIL

Luke Fickell addresses potential roster limits, impact on players

Last week, the attorneys representing the NCAA and power conferences agreed to a revised plan to phase in roster limits as part of a revised House v. NCAA settlement before Judge Claudia Wilken in the U.S. Northern Districk Court of California. The proposal, which would effectively grandfather all current student-athletes and any that were preemptively […]

Published

4 days ago

May 12, 2025

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Last week, the attorneys representing the NCAA and power conferences agreed to a revised plan to phase in roster limits as part of a revised House v. NCAA settlement before Judge Claudia Wilken in the U.S. Northern Districk Court of California. The proposal, which would effectively grandfather all current student-athletes and any that were preemptively cut before the settlement was finalized, would appear to satisfy Wilken’s request last month.

And while Wilken is currently considering the revised proposal, if approved, the House v. NCAA settlement would pave the way for revenue-sharing between NCAA schools and student-athletes, with some programs able to share between $20-22 million annually, or 22-percent of the average Power Five school’s annual revenue, along with approximately $2.75 billion in back damages to former college athletes over a 10-year span. It would also mean strict roster limits in football (105), men’s and women’s basketball (15), baseball (34), softball (25), men’s and women’s soccer (28) and volleyball (18).

But, at least for any coaches concerned about having to cut players three months before the start of the 2025-26 academic school year, the amended settlement would seem to be a welcomed relief. Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, for one, explained the complicated balancing act football coaches have faced in recent months amid the ongoing uncertainty about the true impact of the settlement.

“I think the hardest thing about that is (that there are) some of the guys within your program that even in the winter we had some conversations with to say, ‘Hey, I don’t know what this thing is going to go to. If it goes to 105, we’re going to have to make some tough decisions.’ So there are some guys I think that could be looming in their head,” Fickell said last month during Spring practice. “If they do make this decision and it does come down and it is across the board, meaning everybody is going to have to conform to it, and there’s going to be obviously somebody paying attention and making sure everybody is on the same page. Then we’ll address that.

“(But) no, we can’t go about doing the things and building the things expecting to have to cut down, but I know that could be difficult on some guys that are curious what’s going to happen, and what their opportunities are going to be.”

Fickell admitted many of those conversations have already taken place at Wisconsin, though no definitive decisions will be made until the settlement has been approved and guidance is provided to programs.

“We have. And just trying to be forthright, … we care about all these kids, especially the guys that have been here for a while. If and when they do go to that, there’s going to have to be some tough decisions made. And it’s not going to be easy,” Fickell continued. “We don’t know the parameters to it all, we don’t know what that entails. Can guys be in waiting, can they still be apart of some things? We have no idea. So for us to jump too far ahead other than just being really honest and open with guys, and making sure they know what we feel and where we are with things, but not making any decisions.”

The devil is in the details, and until Wilken officially approves all parts of the revised House v. NCAA settlement, college football coaches like Fickell remain in wait-and-see mode.

— On3’s Pete Nakos and Nick Schultz contributed to this report.

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Ohio legislator authors bill to curtail Ohio State noon kickoffs

In recent years, Ohio State football fans have become increasingly frustrated with the high volume of noon kickoffs their beloved Buckeyes have been forced to play. One Ohio legislator is hoping to remedy that. Ohio Representative Tex Fischer has authored a bill that would prohibit Ohio State from playing marquee games before 3:30 p.m. ET. […]

Published

6 minutes ago

May 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In recent years, Ohio State football fans have become increasingly frustrated with the high volume of noon kickoffs their beloved Buckeyes have been forced to play.

One Ohio legislator is hoping to remedy that.

Ohio Representative Tex Fischer has authored a bill that would prohibit Ohio State from playing marquee games before 3:30 p.m. ET. A notable exception would be for the Buckeyes’ annual rivalry game against Michigan, which traditionally kicks off at noon.

Rep. @texfischer is out with a bill designed to curtail the Big Ten from scheduling Ohio State football games at noon.

The bill includes an exception that allows the Michigan game to kick off in its traditional noon slot.

Buckeyes have been in heavy noon rotation thanks to Fox. pic.twitter.com/LHKSxgEOUI

— The Rooster (@rooster_ohio) May 15, 2025

Since Fox, one of the Big Ten’s television partners, introduced its “Big Noon Saturday” window ahead of the 2019 season, Ohio State has become a fixture of the earliest broadcast time of the day. The Buckeyes have played 35 noon games since the start of the 2019 season, including seven last year on their way to their first national championship in a decade. Each of Ohio State’s final six regular-season games began at noon, three of which came at home.

The bill, as written, would prevent any game from being played in the state of Ohio if it meets both of the following criteria:

One of the competing teams is a football team from a state university
Both teams are ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll of the FBS

Of note, only one of the Buckeyes’ 2024 games would have fallen under that criteria: The Nov. 23 meeting with Indiana, a game in which the Buckeyes and Hoosiers were ranked No. 2 and No. 5 in the AP Top 25, respectively. Ohio State played only one other top-10 team in the noon slot against No. 3 Penn State, though that was on the road.

If the bill becomes law, the ramifications for skirting it would be steep. The legislation states that if a game starts before 3:30 p.m., the Ohio attorney general will impose a fine of $10 million against either the host team’s conference (the Big Ten) or the television network, whichever one scheduled the earlier kickoff.

While noon kickoffs offer fans, particularly those watching from home, time to take in other college football games from across the country later in the day, they’re generally an annoyance for fans attending the game in person, forcing them to wake up earlier in the morning and giving them less time to tailgate.

When Fox debuted “Big Noon Saturday,” it was a way for the network to air a marquee matchup during what’s typically a barer early slate rather than having to compete against the SEC’s longstanding 3:30 p.m. game on CBS or ESPN’s primetime game (CBS now primarily airs a Big Ten game during the 3:30 p.m. slot as part of a new media rights deal with the conference). Fox adds some pageantry to its noon kickoff by bringing the network’s pregame show, “Big Noon Kickoff,” to the site of the game, much in the same way ESPN does with “College GameDay.”

Unfortunately for Ohio State, the Big Ten’s most consistently successful program since “Big Noon Saturday” launched six years ago, that interest in putting the Buckeyes in marquee time slots for Fox often means receiving a disproportionate share of early start times.

The bill hasn’t yet appeared on the Ohio legislature database, but text of it was published Thursday by journalist D.J. Byrnes of The Rooster.

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Kirby Smart Paints Grim Picture For College Sports in Latest Statement Regarding NIL

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL. College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL.

College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more headache-inducing than the emergence of NIL.

While the policy change has been viewed as an overall positive, it has brought forth its fair share of issues. Many of which have created financial ripples throughout college athletics. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shared his thoughts on the issue and expressed his desires for the sport moving forward.

“I just want to be able to have a freshman come in and not make more than a senior and I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive.” Said Smart. “You know, we’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports.”

While football is a massive sport that produces millions of dollars in revenue each season, other sports may be forced to go by the waist-side due to the increase of competitive prices when it comes to fielding a football roster.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a simple fix for the issues that the NIL era of college football presents, and the sport (along with other college athletics) will likely continue to undergo a litany of changes in the near future.

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Top Brands, Trends, and Social Media Gold Mines

Last Updated on May 15, 2025 As we approach the fourth anniversary of name, image, and likeness, let’s examine the rise of its $1 billion-plus economy. This past year has brought notable changes to NIL, including deals with influential voices on and off the field and the landmark decision of the House v. NCAA legal […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Last Updated on May 15, 2025

As we approach the fourth anniversary of name, image, and likeness, let’s examine the rise of its $1 billion-plus economy. This past year has brought notable changes to NIL, including deals with influential voices on and off the field and the landmark decision of the House v. NCAA legal settlement, which will allow athletes to participate in revenue sharing with their respective institutions.

SponsorsUnited, an innovative global sports and entertainment platform, released a NIL Endorsements Report for 2024-25. The report spans from March 2024 to March 2025 and incorporateed roughly 2,000 brands, 3,000 deals, and over 4,000 social media posts. Further, SponsorUnited’s proprietary social media tracking metrics were used to collect the data around total engagement across athlete-controlled accounts on TikTok, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. A critical component is that this report includes athletes with a combined following of over 10,000 followers across the platforms above for the social analysis portion. Below are some of the key findings that stood out about the report.

Top Brands Leading the NIL Market

Five brands lead the way among the athletes tracked in this report: EA Sports, Raising Cane’s, Powerade, Epsilon, and Adidas. EA Sports has claimed pole position on the NIL brand scale with the launch of their highly anticipated College Football 26 video game. Over 14,000 FBS collegiate players received $1,500 for appearing in the game, a $600 increase from last year’s edition. Moreover, Epsilon took a page out of EA Sports’ book and created a similar campaign, ensuring every athlete had a chance to monetize their NIL through a $500 Instagram campaign on teamwork. Raising Cane’s has cemented itself as a NIL mainstay, partnering with National Championship collegiate athletes to surprise customers and utilize high-traffic advertising areas like Times Square to market its apparel.

Dec 31, 2024; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) makes a catch while Michigan Wolverines defensive back Jyaire Hill (20) pushes him out of bounds during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Photo courtesy: Matt Pendleton via Imagn

Technology and Beverage Deals on the Rise

Technology and non-alcoholic beverage deals saw a surge in activity amongst top athletes. Technology partnerships increased by 29%, while beverage deals increased by 19% year-to-year, prioritizing athlete-led partnerships. In addition to EA Sports’ influence on the technology side of things, Nintendo and Epic’s Fortnite video game drove key partnerships with some of college football’s top stars, including Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and Florida quarterback DJ Lagway. Additionally, athletes took part in Prime Video’s exclusive content, which promoted products and Prime trials to other athletes and adults. The campaigns highlighted the parallels between the athletes’ lifestyle and Prime’s ease across music streaming, entertainment, and retail.

The Surge of Energy Drink Partnerships

Energy drink companies led a new influx of partnerships, accounting for a quarter of the 39 new non-alcoholic beverages that made new deals, which energy drink companies represented. Behind them was water at 20% and a three-tier system between sports drinks, juices, and carbonated beverages. According to the report, what led to the increase in the amount of non-alcoholic beverage deals is the brands’ focus on tailored content experiences. These include content centered on taste tests and health, further strengthening the relationship between athletes and fans.

Retail NIL Deals Experience a Decline

Retail NIL brand deals have decreased by 9% year-to-year. Companies like Urban Outfitters and Champs Sports have taken a step back. The move by brands is not due to one-off content campaigns but to reevaluate their NIL strategies as we advance.

TikTok: An Untapped NIL Opportunity

The biggest area of opportunity lies within TikTok. On the social side, Instagram leads the way for branded posts across the major NIL categories. TikTok represents an underutilized social vehicle despite its potential for optimal engagement. TikTok dominates in engagement in categories like Food and Consumer products, where brands see more than 10,000 engagements on average. Further, the report examined the top 150 most engaging social posts and identified that they included characteristics such as humor, personal updates with authentic tones, subtle call to action, and show don’t tell integrations where the featured athletes were the central theme in the campaigns.

Darian is a Sports Industry Management graduate of Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies. Darian hosts The Jersey Podcast and is a sports documentary fanatic who loves to talk professional and college football and basketball.

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SB Has Two Named to NFCA All-Region Team

WACO, Texas – Baylor Softball had two named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Central Region team, announced Thursday by the organization. First baseman Shaylon Govan and left-handed pitcher Lillie Walker were both named to the third-team. A junior from Katy, Texas, Govan led BU with a .407 batting average, seven home runs and […]

Published

3 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WACO, Texas – Baylor Softball had two named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Central Region team, announced Thursday by the organization.

First baseman Shaylon Govan and left-handed pitcher Lillie Walker were both named to the third-team.

A junior from Katy, Texas, Govan led BU with a .407 batting average, seven home runs and 28 RBIs. The 2023 and 2024 All-American leads the Big 12 in batting average, which earned her the Big 12 Batting Champion honor, while also leading the conference with her .587 on-base percentage. Setting a Baylor all-time record in career-walks with 143, she also set Baylor career records in batting average (.407) and on base percentage (.558). Govan also earned All-Big 12 first team honors for the third-straight season, Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year, and Big 12 All-Defensive Team.

A graduate senior from Inola, Okla., Walker was a staple in the circle for the Bears this season, picking up second team All-Big 12 honors while ranking in the top five in conference play in wins (8), innings pitched (96.1), strikeouts (49), appearances (21), games started (15), shutouts (3) and complete games (9). This marks the graduate transfer’s first all-region honor of her career.

The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association’s 10 regions with first-, second- and third-team selections. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all student-athletes now become eligible for the 2025 NFCA Division I All-America squads.

The 2025 NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced on Wednesday, May 28.

– BaylorBears.com –

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FAU's Baba Miller commits to Cincinnati from NCAA Transfer Portal

Wesley Hale | Imagn Images FAU’sBaba Miller has committed to Cincinnati from the NCAA Transfer Portal. That comes per reporting by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony this afternoon according to his representation. Miller has also since confirmed that news himself with a post on social media. He shared his farewell graphic to the Owls earlier today before […]

Published

3 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

FAU's Baba Miller commits to Cincinnati from NCAA Transfer Portal

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3fUsZC_117z9Zka00 — Wesley Hale | Imagn Images

FAU’sBaba Miller has committed to Cincinnati from the NCAA Transfer Portal. That comes per reporting by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony this afternoon according to his representation.

Miller has also since confirmed that news himself with a post on social media. He shared his farewell graphic to the Owls earlier today before posting his commitment graphic for the Bearcats.

Miller has played in Florida throughout his three-year collegiate career with this past season spent at Florida Atlantic after the two prior at Florida State. He has averaged 8.5 points (47.1% FG), 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game, in 82 games played with 68 starts, for the Owls and Seminoles. He had a career-best season this past year as a junior at 11.3 points (48.6% FG), 7.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks for FAU, which earned him a selection as Second Team All-AAC.

Miller, a native of Mallorca, came from overseas as a Top-200 recruit and a three-star in the 2022 cycle. He also rated just outside the Top-30 at power forward in the class. That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Now, in his second transfer in as many offseasons, Miller was one of the top players still available in the portal. He, per the latest update to On3’s Industry Ranking of 2025’s Top Transfer Portal Players, ranked at No. 106 and as a Top-20 PF.

This report will be updated further

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

The post FAU’s Baba Miller commits to Cincinnati from NCAA Transfer Portal appeared first on On3.

NIL

Friday’s Game Against Kansas Moved Up to 5 p.m.

Story Links MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Due to expected inclement weather on Friday evening, Friday’s baseball game between West Virginia and Kansas has been moved up to a 5 p.m. ET first pitch. Fans with tickets for Friday’s game can use that ticket for the earlier start time or can exchange it for a […]

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Due to expected inclement weather on Friday evening, Friday’s baseball game between West Virginia and Kansas has been moved up to a 5 p.m. ET first pitch.

Fans with tickets for Friday’s game can use that ticket for the earlier start time or can exchange it for a ticket of equal or lesser value to Saturday’s regular-season finale at the Kendrick Family Ballpark ticket windows, the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or by calling 1-800-WVU-GAME. Exchanged ticket seat location is subject to availability.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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