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NCAA rule changes extends college basketball regular season

The NCAA Division I Council passed legislation on Wednesday that allows teams to schedule 32 regular-season games, ending a seven-year period where 31 games was the maximum. The current NCAA rules say “teams can schedule 28 games with an additional three-game, multiple-team event, for a maximum of 31 games. Teams can also choose to schedule […]

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The NCAA Division I Council passed legislation on Wednesday that allows teams to schedule 32 regular-season games, ending a seven-year period where 31 games was the maximum.

The current NCAA rules say “teams can schedule 28 games with an additional three-game, multiple-team event, for a maximum of 31 games. Teams can also choose to schedule 29 games with a two-game, multiple-team event, again with a 31-game maximum. Or teams can schedule 29 regular-season games without a multiple-team event included.”

Under the new rules, which begin during the 2026-27 season, teams can schedule up to 32 games without the restriction of having a multi-team event involved. There is no penalty for scheduling fewer than 32 games if a team wishes to do so.

The oversight committee said the NCAA is trying to simplify as many rules as possible and allow for greater scheduling flexibility. Conference expansion impacting non-conference scheduling was also a factor.

There is an expectation that larger MTEs, especially those funded by NIL contracts, will move to three- or four-game formats. Extra home games also have financial implications.

“Multiple high-major coaches told CBS Sports in recent months that they are actively pursuing and hoping to play a nonconference game in the midst of the conference season moving forward, finding benefits in advance of postseason play in March,” CBS Sports senior writer Matt Norlander said.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.





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USC Trojans’ Lincoln Riley Buying Time With NIL?

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley joined the program ahead of the 2022 college football season with high expectations. The program has yet to make the College Football Playoff under Riley, and are coming off a disappointing season. In 2024, the Trojans finished with a 7-6 record, going 4-5 in Big Ten conference play. Though the […]

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USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley joined the program ahead of the 2022 college football season with high expectations. The program has yet to make the College Football Playoff under Riley, and are coming off a disappointing season.

In 2024, the Trojans finished with a 7-6 record, going 4-5 in Big Ten conference play. Though the team did earn and win a bowl game, it was Riley’s worst season with USC. Only winning four conference matchups and going on a three-game losing streak was not a good look for Riley, leading to the belief that he is on the hot seat.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley College Football Big Ten Recruiting Luke Wafle Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer NIL 2026 Commitment

Nov 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the first quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

There is a growing belief that if the Trojans do not turn things around in 2025, this could be it for Riley. The Herd host Colin Cowherd spoke to Fox Sports analyst and former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer about how Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is affecting college football. During the discussion, Cowherd explained how NIL will protect Riley’s job for a little while longer.

“You spend so much time raising the money to pay the players, you can’t buy out the coaches anymore,” Cowherd said. “Lincoln Riley, I know the number; he’s not going anywhere. There’s no way. They just spent  $300 million on facilities. $18 million on NIL. He’s got an $80 million buyout. So I think NIL protects the staff. You probably get a year or two more than you used to.”

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley College Football Big Ten Recruiting Luke Wafle Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer NIL 2026 Commitment

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley greets quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) after scoring a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Riley’s buyout with USC was already a concern, but to add how much the school is spending on NIL, it makes it harder for the program to justify letting go of their current coach. Firing Riley could hurt the school financially more than it could help the program.

MORE: Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans Recruiting Class Sends Shockwaves in California

MORE: USC Trojans At Risk Of Losing A 5-Star Recruit To Ohio State Buckeyes?

MORE: Bronny James Turns Heads In NBA Summer League Despite Lakers Loss To Boston Celtics

MORE: What Kirk Herbstreit Said About USC Trojans Success: ‘Good For The Sport’

The USC Trojans football program will have a new facility set to open in 2026. This is a major investment being made in the team, and one of the reasons Riley took the USC job. With the money going into the new facilities, it is hard to imagine the program also would spend the money to let go of Riley.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley College Football Big Ten Recruiting Luke Wafle Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer NIL 2026 Commitment

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Riley and the Trojans have become one of the most successful programs to utilize NIL with recruiting. USC’s class of 2026 is ranked No. 1 in the nation and features 31 commits. 55 percent are in-state recruits, showing the Trojans’ much-needed emphasis on recruiting. The recruitment has provided hope for the future of the program, and in part is due to NIL deals.

One of the reasons USC can bring in such a talented class is through NIL deals. Four-star edge Luke Wafle committed to the Trojans over the Ohio State Buckeyes through a reported bidding war. Ohio State made a late push by boosting their offer to Wafle, but the four-star recruit ended up choosing USC.

The Trojans are building an elite team and investing in them, which lessens the chances of the program letting go of Riley before the class joins the team. The incoming recruits are excited about what Riley and the team are building, and avoiding potential flips before the players sign will be crucial.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley College Football Big Ten Recruiting Luke Wafle Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer NIL 2026 Commitment

Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While the program may not want to spend the money on Riley’s buyout, that does not mean the coach is under any less pressure. While Riley’s job may be safe for the next year or two, USC must start turning things around, winning more in-conference games, and making a college football playoff push.

The USC Trojans will kick off the 2025 college football season on Aug. 29 against the Missouri State Bears.



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LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson inks NIL deal with pro league Unrivaled

Electric LSU women’s basketball guard Flau’jae Johnson is among the 14 college stars who have signed an NIL deal with pro women’s league Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday. Also signing a deal is guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who transferred to LSU this offseason after two seasons with rival South Carolina. Unrivaled, founded in 2023, is a […]

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Electric LSU women’s basketball guard Flau’jae Johnson is among the 14 college stars who have signed an NIL deal with pro women’s league Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.

Also signing a deal is guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who transferred to LSU this offseason after two seasons with rival South Carolina.

Unrivaled, founded in 2023, is a three-on-three women’s basketball league with six teams. Its season takes place during the WNBA offseason and offers an alternative to playing overseas, which many WNBA stars do once their season ends.

Now the league is investing in college basketball’s current stars with NIL deals. Johnson is renewing her deal with Unrivaled after signing one in December. Unlike her previous contract, she won’t have an ownership stake in the league, according to ESPN.

USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice and Sienna Betts, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, TCU’s Olivia Miles, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords have also signed deals with Unrivaled.

Johnson averaged 18.6 points per game in her junior season and decided not to enter the WNBA Draft. She’ll come back to Baton Rouge looking to win her second championship with the program.

Since entering college, Johnson has been one of the sport’s most valuable commodities in the NIL sphere. That’s due not only to her standout personality and skills on the court, but also because of her work as a rapper.



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USC’s JuJu Watkins headlines 13 new Unrivaled NIL signings

INDIANAPOLIS — Unrivaled announced 13 new NIL deal signings, headlined by USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Azzi Fudd. Sarah Strong (UConn), Olivia Miles (TCU), Madison Booker (Texas), Kiki Rice (UCLA), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Syla Swords (Michigan), and Sienna Betts (UCLA) […]

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INDIANAPOLIS — Unrivaled announced 13 new NIL deal signings, headlined by USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Azzi Fudd.

Sarah Strong (UConn), Olivia Miles (TCU), Madison Booker (Texas), Kiki Rice (UCLA), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Syla Swords (Michigan), and Sienna Betts (UCLA) are also signing NIL deals with the three-on-three league.

LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson is also continuing her partnership with Unrivaled with a new NIL deal, after inking a first one back in December. Unlike her last partnership, this one will not include equity in the league.

“Unrivaled was lit,” Johnson said. “When I watched the first game I was like, this is real. It was super professional and catered to the athletes.

“It’s going to get more and more active more and more competitive. I don’t know what’s happening in the back, but I think there’s just going to be more incentive to turn up.”

This group combines for 32 NCAA tournament appearances, 25 Sweet 16 appearances, 14 Elite Eight appearances, 10 Final Four appearances, and 4 national championships.

Last season, Watkins was named the Naismith Player of the Year and Big 10 Player of the Year, and Betts was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Strong was the Big East Freshman of the Year, while Booker was the SEC Player of the Year and Hidalgo won ACC Player of the Year.

These signings build off of NIL partnerships with 2025 WNBA No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers and Johnson. Watkins was also already involved with Unrivaled through her investment in the league as part of its Series A funding last December.

“Investing in elite women’s basketball talent is central to Unrivaled’s mission,” Unrivaled president of basketball operations Luke Cooper said. “This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women’s game and holistically supporting athletes.”



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Unrivaled league signs 14 top college players to NIL deals

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday. It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, […]

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INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.

It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded 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 USC but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.

Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, 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.”

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 multiday event at the league’s headquarters near 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 in March and is gearing up for its second in January.

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Unrivaled announces 14 of the top NCAAW players have signed new NIL deals

Fourteen of the top women’s NCAA basketball players have signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, the professional 3×3 league announced Saturday, July 19, ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. The list of players includes Lauren and Sienna Betts, Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, Audi Crooks, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, as well as MiLaysia Fulwiley, Flau’Jae […]

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Fourteen of the top women’s NCAA basketball players have signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, the professional 3×3 league announced Saturday, July 19, ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. The list of players includes Lauren and Sienna Betts, Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, Audi Crooks, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, as well as MiLaysia Fulwiley, Flau’Jae Johnson, Ta’niya Latson, Kiki Rice, Syla Swords, and JuJu Watkins.

The move is a major one for Unrivaled, which will enter its second season in January 2026. The new players will also participate in a multi-day summit called The Future is Unrivaled between July 31 and August 2.

The relationship between the two leagues has been a hot topic for months, and conversation has reached a bit of a fever pitch during the league’s All-Star events. While speaking to reporters Thursday, Unrivaled’s president Alex Bazzell said that a lot of the speculation has come as a surprise.

“It’s funny we’ve laughed about it because we’ve never once looked at this as a competitive tool towards the WNBA,” he said. Bazzell also emphasized that there are “so many positives” from both leagues existing, and added, “I’m hopeful that they come to a CBA agreement, and play resumes next April, and for us, we’re not going to change anything we do based on what happens in those conversations, so the conflict of interest has never really made sense internally.”

WNBA GMs aren’t as sure about Unrivaled

Despite those positive feelings, not everyone seems to agree. In May, one WNBA GM speaking anonymously to CNN put blame for an increase in preseason injuries squarely on the new league. “They were surprised by the intensity, duration and amount of practices,” one person told ESPN — and writer Kendra Andrews noted that “multiple” GMs admitted too many injuries “could hurt our league” if it means players aren’t available during the WNBA season.

There have also been questions about whether the existence of Unrivaled presents a conflict of interest. The league was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, of the Lynx and Liberty respectively.

“I just see ourselves as such an additive to the space that it’s always confused us why people would think that it’s a conflict of interest,” Bazzell also said Thursday night. In reference to Collier (who is also his wife), and Stewart, Bazzell added, “If anything, there’s no one who’s more equipped to sit at that table than Napheesa or than Breanna because they’ve been through all the negotiations of media rights and sponsorships.”

That this topic hasn’t been raised before is likely due to the fact that Collier and Stewart are well known for their long-time advocacy for women’s basketball, equity in the WNBA, and the pursuit of greatness for as many women as possible. The idea that either could operate in bad faith is difficult to even begin to debate, let alone give any degree of seriousness.



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Unrivaled announces NIL deals with 14 college players, including JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday. It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, […]

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Unrivaled announces NIL deals with 14 college players, including JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.

It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded 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 USC but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.

Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, 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.”

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 multiday event at the league’s headquarters near 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 in March and is gearing up for its second in January.

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