Mark Pope reveals John Calipari called Kentucky ‘the best program in all of college basketball’
Mark Pope wants the best for Kentucky men’s basketball and, evidently, he isn’t the only one. In a conversation with Kentucky Sports Radio’s Matt Jones, Pope said that all former members of the storied program want to see it succeed, including prior head coach John Calipari. “We have the greatest fanbase in all of college […]
Mark Pope wants the best for Kentucky men’s basketball and, evidently, he isn’t the only one. In a conversation with Kentucky Sports Radio’s Matt Jones, Pope said that all former members of the storied program want to see it succeed, including prior head coach John Calipari.
“We have the greatest fanbase in all of college basketball. There is no one at any other fanbase that would argue that. Nobody can argue that,” Pope said. “So that fanbase deserves the best of everything. You go down the list, and we’re trying to be the best at everything, and that’s what Kentucky’s supposed to be.
“I was just with Karl-Anthony Towns yesterday in New York, and that’s what he expects out of this joint… That’s what all our former players, former coaches [expect]. You know what, that’s what Cal expects! Cal is at Arkansas and he’s like, ‘Don’t you ruin my program, man. That’s the best program in all of college basketball.’”
Calipari’s exit from Kentucky was tumultuous to say the least. The legendary head coach spent 15 seasons with the program and brought the Wildcats back to national prominence after they had a downslide in the late 2000s.
Calipari’s success at Kentucky peaked in 2012 when he won the national championship, but the coach remained in Big Blue Nation’s good graces for many years afterward, taking the team to a Final Four in 2015. Alas, starting in the COVID era, some Kentucky fans began to question if Calipari was the best man for the job.
After Kentucky went four seasons with only one win in the NCAA Tournament, countless ‘Cats fans were calling for Calipari’s job in the spring of 2024. Nonetheless, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart ultimately backed Calipari and announced that he would be returning next season as UK’s head coach.
Just days later, the news broke that Calipari was heading to Arkansas. The unexpected move left Kentucky fans in limbo, wondering whether they should be thankful for all Calipari gave to the program or resent him for leaving UK after publicly stating he was running it back.
In his debut season at Arkansas, Calipari kept it classy when asked about his relationship with Kentucky, always emphasizing that he holds no ill will toward the program. Apparently, Calipari not only isn’t harboring negative feelings for Kentucky, but still fervently wants the program to thrive.
Of course, that feeling doesn’t apply when his Razorbacks square off against Mark Pope and Co. Calipari and Arkansas marched into Rupp Arena last season and silenced Kentucky fans, running away with an 89-79 victory.
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Head softball coach Lauren Karn, entering her third season at the helm of the Terrapins, in conjunction with the Big Ten Conference, has announced Maryland’s 2026 Big Ten softball schedule. The Terps will open their conference slate at home at the Maryland Softball Complex, hosting Rutgers […]
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Head softball coach Lauren Karn, entering her third season at the helm of the Terrapins, in conjunction with the Big Ten Conference, has announced Maryland’s 2026 Big Ten softball schedule.
The Terps will open their conference slate at home at the Maryland Softball Complex, hosting Rutgers for a three-game series from March 6–8.
Maryland will then travel to the West Coast to face Washington in a three-game series from March 13–15, before returning to College Park to host Indiana from March 20–22.
The Terps will hit the road for back-to-back weekends, heading to Madison to face Wisconsin (March 27–29), followed by a trip to University Park to take on Penn State (April 3–5).
Maryland returns home for two consecutive weekends, welcoming Oregon to the Maryland Softball Complex from April 10–12, followed by a series against Illinois from April 17–18.
The Terps will close out their Big Ten regular season schedule on the road, traveling to East Lansing to face Michigan State from April 24–26.
Maryland looks to rebound from last season’s 16th-place finish in the Big Ten and make a push for a return to the Big Ten Softball Tournament.
Rebuilding Pac-12 reaches deal with CBS for its football and men’s basketball games
Associated Press The Pac-12 struck a media-rights deal with CBS on Monday that sets up the network to broadcast a minimum of four football and men’s basketball games per season on its main network and provide a cable and streaming presence for the reconfigured league from 2026-31. Financial details of the new deal were not […]
The Pac-12 struck a media-rights deal with CBS on Monday that sets up the network to broadcast a minimum of four football and men’s basketball games per season on its main network and provide a cable and streaming presence for the reconfigured league from 2026-31.
Financial details of the new deal were not disclosed. Conference Commissioner Teresa Gould called it a “transformational partnership” that allows the Pac-12 to grow when it starts as a remodeled league in 2026-27.
An inability to secure a media deal is what nearly cratered the league in 2023, with all but Oregon State and Washington State departing for the Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Big Ten Conferences.
The Pac-12 already had deals in place to put all of the two remaining teams’ football games on the CW, ESPN and CBS for the upcoming season.
The new deal with what the league calls its “primary long-term media partner” kicks in the next season, when Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State and San Diego State will join the Pac-12 in all sports, with Gonzaga joining in everything but football.
The Pac-12 needs to add another football program to reach the minimum eight teams necessary to be in the Football Bowl Subdivision and, thus, the College Football Playoff. Multiple reports say Texas State has emerged as the top candidate.
Under the new deal, CBS will broadcast at least three regular-season football and men’s basketball games per season, along with the championship games for both sports. The league also will have what it called a “consistent regular-season presence” on the cable CBS Sports Network.
Details are still being finalized as Pac-12 media negotiator, Octagon, works on finding additional media partners for the league.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective VC Connect filed a joint lawsuit on Friday against the University of Miami alleging it knowingly induced one of the Badgers’ football players to abandon a lucrative name, image and likeness contract to play for the Florida school this upcoming season. What You Need To Know The […]
The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective VC Connect filed a joint lawsuit on Friday against the University of Miami alleging it knowingly induced one of the Badgers’ football players to abandon a lucrative name, image and likeness contract to play for the Florida school this upcoming season.
What You Need To Know
The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective have sued the University of Miami
It said it knowingly induced one of the Badgers’ football players to abandon a lucrative name, image and likeness contract to play for the Florida school this fall
The suit could have a a wider impact on future NIL deals across college athletics
The case describes facts that line up with the situation involving cornerback Xavier Lucas, who last December announced plans to leave the Badgers
Allegations of tampering rarely get to this level and the 23-page lawsuit, which was filed in state court in Wisconsin and obtained by The Associated Press, is unusual. Depending on its resolution, it could have a a wider impact on future NIL deals across college athletics.
The player in question in the filing is referred to only as “Student-Athlete A.” But the case summary describes facts that line up with the situation involving cornerback Xavier Lucas, who last December announced his plans to enter the transfer portal.
Shortly afterward, Darren Heitner, who has been representing Lucas, indicated that Wisconsin was refusing to put Lucas’ name in the portal and that it was hindering his ability to talk with other schools. In January, Heitner announced that Lucas would be playing for Miami this fall.
The situation is fallout from the rapid changes engulfing college athletics, specifically a combination of two things: Athletes went to court and won the ability to transfer with much more freedom and the 2021 NCAA decision clearing the way for them to strike NIL endorsement deals now worth millions of dollars. That has changed the recruiting landscape and forced the issue of contracts and signed commitments to the fore.
“Indeed, student-athletes’ newfound NIL rights will be rendered meaningless if third parties are allowed to induce student-athletes to abandon their contractual commitments,” a portion of the lawsuit reads.
Wisconsin said in January that it had credible information that Miami and Lucas made impermissible contact with each other before the former Badgers cornerback decided to transfer.
Wisconsin and VC Connect allege that the inducement for Lucas to attend Miami happened within days of him entering his NIL agreement to play for the Badgers, and that they incurred substantial monetary and reputational harm. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and “a declaration that Miami’s conduct directed towards Student-Athlete A constituted tampering.”
A message left with the University of Miami seeking comment was not immediately returned. In a text message Friday, Heitner declined to comment on the lawsuit but he said that Lucas still plans to attend Miami and play football.
Wisconsin said it had the support of its leadership and the Big Ten Conference in filing the lawsuit, noting its commitment to “ensuring integrity and fundamental fairness in the evolving landscape of college athletics.”
“While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,” the statement said. “In addition to our legal action, we will continue to be proactive to protect the interests of our student-athletes, our program and the broader collegiate athletics community.
Lucas, who is from Pompano Beach, Florida, had 12 tackles, an interception and a sack as a freshman for Wisconsin last season.
Heitner said that Lucas hasn’t received any money from Wisconsin and therefore owes no money to the school. Heitner also argued that Wisconsin had violated an NCAA bylaw by not entering Lucas into the transfer database within two business days of the player’s request.
Wisconsin issued a statement at the time saying it hadn’t put Lucas’ name in the portal because he had entered a two-year binding NIL agreement.
In April, the surprise transfers of brothers Nico and Madden Iamaleava from Tennessee to UCLA prompted fresh questions about contracts and buyouts.
Nico Iamaleava, who led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff last season, walked away from a reported $2.4 million NIL contract. Arkansas freshman quarterback Madden Iamaleava entered the portal after spring practices wrapped up.
Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek released a statement indicating he would support efforts by the Razorbacks’ NIL collective to enforce buyout clauses in athlete contracts. Iamaleava reportedly had a contract valued at $500,000 upon signing with Arkansas.
Deion Sanders’ son shares video of Colorado coach to give health update
Deion Sanders’ eldest son has shared an encouraging video of the Hall of Famer as the Colorado head coach continues to recover from an undisclosed health issue Deion Sanders recently took a break from coaching at Colorado(Image: Getty Images) Deion Sanders’ eldest son, Deion Jr., has served up some reassuring news regarding the renowned Colorado […]
Deion Sanders’ eldest son has shared an encouraging video of the Hall of Famer as the Colorado head coach continues to recover from an undisclosed health issue
Deion Sanders recently took a break from coaching at Colorado(Image: Getty Images)
Deion Sanders’ eldest son, Deion Jr., has served up some reassuring news regarding the renowned Colorado head coach’s health woes, releasing a video of the Pro Football Hall of Famer enjoying some fishing.
There’s been a bit of worry circulating about Sanders’ condition these past few weeks. The 57-year-old NFL legend took a hiatus from Boulder and jetted back to his Texas property, missing out on the yearly youth camps he’s known for leading.
The details of the illness remain under wraps, as neither Sanders nor Colorado has spilled any specifics. But come Sunday, Junior dropped a clip from their angling jaunt that featured ‘Coach Prime’ at the helm of a vessel in the Lone Star State.
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The footage also includes former Colorado star and Heisman Trophy victor Travis Hunter, who the Jacksonville Jaguars snagged as the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” Deion Jr. says in the footage. “Coach Prime back active, moving around. God is great. Not back active moving around, but it’s progress.”
Looking ahead, Sanders Sr. plans to show his face on July 9 at a Big 12 media day. Colorado gets its season rolling by hosting Georgia Tech at Folsom Field come August 29.
Sanders’ son has posted a video of his father fishing amid concerns about his health(Image: Well Off Media)
It was June 11 when Sanders Sr. last spoke publicly about his health status. “I can assure you all that everything is OK and will continue to be so,” he wrote on social media.
“I’m excited to get back to Colorado to be at home with my staff, team and all associated to our program. When we arrive back to Boulder you will be updated on everything.”
The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers legend, who also played in Major League Baseball, has grappled with some serious health setbacks.
Following repeated complications from blood clots, he underwent procedures that resulted in the loss of two toes back in 2021.
Taking charge of the Buffaloes, Sanders turned a struggling one-win team into contenders over two successful seasons. The Colorado squad showcased some serious style, finishing with a strong 9-4 record in 2024 and just shy of making it to the Big 12 title game and the College Football Playoff.
With the dawn of the 2025 season bringing a wave of change, Sanders will see his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, along with Hunter, taking their game to the NFL pros. Alongside them, several starting players have also exited the roster.
Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter will step into Shedeur’s quarterback role at Colorado, with five-star hotshot Julian ‘Ju Ju’ Lewis as a promising backup.
Heading into the new season, the Buffaloes boast bragging rights with the No. 24 recruiting class and the No. 19 transfer class. High-profile additions like Chauncey Gooden, Carde Smith, and London Merritt are set to wear Colorado’s colors.
The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective VC Connect filed a joint lawsuit on Friday against the University of Miami alleging it knowingly induced one of the Badgers’ football players to abandon a lucrative name, image and likeness contract to play for the Florida school this upcoming season. What You Need To Know The […]
The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective VC Connect filed a joint lawsuit on Friday against the University of Miami alleging it knowingly induced one of the Badgers’ football players to abandon a lucrative name, image and likeness contract to play for the Florida school this upcoming season.
What You Need To Know
The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective have sued the University of Miami
It said it knowingly induced one of the Badgers’ football players to abandon a lucrative name, image and likeness contract to play for the Florida school this fall
The suit could have a a wider impact on future NIL deals across college athletics
The case describes facts that line up with the situation involving cornerback Xavier Lucas, who last December announced plans to leave the Badgers
Allegations of tampering rarely get to this level and the 23-page lawsuit, which was filed in state court in Wisconsin and obtained by The Associated Press, is unusual. Depending on its resolution, it could have a a wider impact on future NIL deals across college athletics.
The player in question in the filing is referred to only as “Student-Athlete A.” But the case summary describes facts that line up with the situation involving cornerback Xavier Lucas, who last December announced his plans to enter the transfer portal.
Shortly afterward, Darren Heitner, who has been representing Lucas, indicated that Wisconsin was refusing to put Lucas’ name in the portal and that it was hindering his ability to talk with other schools. In January, Heitner announced that Lucas would be playing for Miami this fall.
The situation is fallout from the rapid changes engulfing college athletics, specifically a combination of two things: Athletes went to court and won the ability to transfer with much more freedom and the 2021 NCAA decision clearing the way for them to strike NIL endorsement deals now worth millions of dollars. That has changed the recruiting landscape and forced the issue of contracts and signed commitments to the fore.
“Indeed, student-athletes’ newfound NIL rights will be rendered meaningless if third parties are allowed to induce student-athletes to abandon their contractual commitments,” a portion of the lawsuit reads.
Wisconsin said in January that it had credible information that Miami and Lucas made impermissible contact with each other before the former Badgers cornerback decided to transfer.
Wisconsin and VC Connect allege that the inducement for Lucas to attend Miami happened within days of him entering his NIL agreement to play for the Badgers, and that they incurred substantial monetary and reputational harm. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and “a declaration that Miami’s conduct directed towards Student-Athlete A constituted tampering.”
A message left with the University of Miami seeking comment was not immediately returned. In a text message Friday, Heitner declined to comment on the lawsuit but he said that Lucas still plans to attend Miami and play football.
Wisconsin said it had the support of its leadership and the Big Ten Conference in filing the lawsuit, noting its commitment to “ensuring integrity and fundamental fairness in the evolving landscape of college athletics.”
“While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,” the statement said. “In addition to our legal action, we will continue to be proactive to protect the interests of our student-athletes, our program and the broader collegiate athletics community.
Lucas, who is from Pompano Beach, Florida, had 12 tackles, an interception and a sack as a freshman for Wisconsin last season.
Heitner said that Lucas hasn’t received any money from Wisconsin and therefore owes no money to the school. Heitner also argued that Wisconsin had violated an NCAA bylaw by not entering Lucas into the transfer database within two business days of the player’s request.
Wisconsin issued a statement at the time saying it hadn’t put Lucas’ name in the portal because he had entered a two-year binding NIL agreement.
In April, the surprise transfers of brothers Nico and Madden Iamaleava from Tennessee to UCLA prompted fresh questions about contracts and buyouts.
Nico Iamaleava, who led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff last season, walked away from a reported $2.4 million NIL contract. Arkansas freshman quarterback Madden Iamaleava entered the portal after spring practices wrapped up.
Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek released a statement indicating he would support efforts by the Razorbacks’ NIL collective to enforce buyout clauses in athlete contracts. Iamaleava reportedly had a contract valued at $500,000 upon signing with Arkansas.
(via silentpyrotechnics/IG)
