Sports

NCAA to Sell Gambling Data to Sportsbooks Via Genius Sports

The NCAA will start selling data from its championship events to sportsbooks around the country, part of an expanded partnership between the college sports governing body and Genius Sports. The move, announced Friday, represents a notable departure from the NCAA’s prior arms-length relationship with legal sports betting. While the major pro U.S. leagues have built […]

Published

2 weeks ago

April 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NCAA will start selling data from its championship events to sportsbooks around the country, part of an expanded partnership between the college sports governing body and Genius Sports.

The move, announced Friday, represents a notable departure from the NCAA’s prior arms-length relationship with legal sports betting. While the major pro U.S. leagues have built lucrative commercial partnerships in betting—including data deals like this one—the NCAA has stayed almost entirely on the sidelines. Instead, its executives have been outspoken about the industry’s effect on athletes, and pushed legislation that would limit the types of college bets that are permitted.

Under the new partnership, Genius Sports (NYSE: GENI) will have the right to sell live data from all NCAA championships through 2032. That includes the men’s and women’s March Madness basketball tournaments, the most valuable assets in the NCAA’s portfolio. Regular season contests, and FBS football postseason games like the College Football Playoff, are not included.

Genius is not paying an additional fee for the sportsbook rights, according to someone familiar with the details. The two sides will continue under the revenue share laid out in their original 2018 agreement, said the person, who was granted anonymity because the details are private. Genius announced the deal in a filing on Friday morning; a representative for the NCAA didn’t respond to a request for comment on the financial terms.

The announcement comes four months after NCAA president Charlie Baker spoke at a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., urging Congress to reign in sports betting. He said the NCAA had to provide one team a 24/7 security detail because of a threat from a gambler, and added that hundreds of athletes have told him they’ve been approached to alter their performance. The NCAA in October released the results of a study conducted with Signify Group regarding online harassment of college athletes. The study found that “angry sports bettors” made up at least 12% of public social media abuse, making it one of the most common ways college athletes are harassed.

Paradoxically, the deal may help the NCAA build a larger bulwark against one of its major gambling concerns. Baker has been outspoken about a ban on athlete-specific prop bets, citing their impact on athletes and danger for match-fixing. Under this expanded agreement, Genius will establish an Authorized Gaming License (AGL), under which sportsbooks can access official NCAA feeds and logos. The operators in that program will also agree to limit “risky bet types,” the announcement says, though it is not specific on what it considers risky.

Tim Buckley, the NCAA’s senior vice president for external affairs, said in a statement that the agreement will include a ban on “high-risk proposition bets, specifically underperformance wagers, negative outcome bets and wagers on injuries, officials’ decisions or fan-voted awards.”

“NCAA data will only be available to sportsbooks if they remove risky bets from their platforms and agree to fully cooperate with NCAA investigations and provide key information including geolocation data and device records,” he said. “The NCAA retains the right to terminate any sportsbook data license if integrity protections are violated.”

The NCAA added that this deal was not an endorsement of legal sports betting, and that it will maintain its restrictions on gambling advertising and sponsorships. The governing body also said it would use revenue from the data sales to further education around problem gambling and to monitor gambling-related harassment of athletes.

The NCAA reported $1.38 billion in revenue in fiscal 2024, the majority of it from its media contract with CBS and Turner to broadcast the men’s basketball tournament, and has been looking to diversify its income streams. It’s unclear how the revenue sharing works between the two sides.

Under the new Genius deal, the NCAA’s LiveStats platform will remain free for member schools, and the company will use its AI platform, GeniusIQ, to enhance the feed’s real-time analytics, coaching insights and fan-facing uses. It also includes integrity services that monitor betting patterns for potential fraud.

Data deals have been one of the more lucrative ways that sports leagues and governing bodies have profited off the growing legal betting market in the U.S. The NFL, for example, has a deal with Genius Sports that included cash and at least $450 million in stock at the time of signing. Sportradar’s deals with the NBA and MLB include equity as well.

In college sports, however, these deals have been harder to secure. It’s slightly less clear who actually owns all the data—is it schools, conferences, bowl games?—and it wasn’t until the NCAA clarified its position in April 2022 that anyone felt comfortable signing deals whatsoever. A few smaller conferences have gambling data partnerships, but the bigger ones have spent multiple years in conversations with companies like Genius Sports without any agreements being reached. As a result, the data powering much of college sports betting is collected via low-latency video feeds, or in-person scouting. Sportico examined this specific market, and the changing economics, in a story in October 2023.

The NCAA was one of the major sports entities that spent years fighting the more widespread legalization of sports betting in the U.S. When that fight ended in 2018, it kept the industry at arm’s length. For the past seven years, there’s been no gambling data deal, nor any “Official Sportsbook of the NCAA” type partnerships. A few colleges signed sponsorship deals with operators, but those were all unwound after public and political backlash. When the NCAA held the men’s Final Four at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans in 2022, it concealed all of the gambling company’s advertising.

More recently, the NCAA has been vocal about the harassment of athletes due to betting. In a related push, the organization has been encouraging state lawmakers to restrict the number of markets for college sports contests. In particular, Baker has called for a ban on athlete-specific prop bets.

“I despise the idea that we put these kids in the position where people would expect their individual performance to be more important than the performance of their team,” Baker told ESPN in October.

The NCAA has had a relationship with Genius since 2018, when it signed a 10-year deal to take NCAA data and package it for broadcasters and fan sites. That work will also now continue until 2032. The partnership put Genius in pole position if/when the NCAA ever decided to expand its data customers to include sportsbooks. The company’s other partners include MLB, the PGA Tour, the Premier League and the NFL.

Recent consolidation in sports data has left Genius and Sportradar as a near duopoly in the U.S. Genius stock has more than doubled in the past 12 months, and 22% so far this calendar year, bucking broader market volatility.

The NCAA does not control the College Football Playoff or the top bowl games, but it does organize almost every other major college championship. That includes men’s and women’s March Madness, of course, but also collegiate lacrosse, softball, baseball, ice hockey, volleyball and wrestling, just to name a few.

(This story has been updated with comment from the NCAA.)

Sports

TF Preview: Shocker Open – Wichita State Athletics

Story Links Live Results Meet Schedule WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State track and field hosts one final tune up before the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships Friday afternoon in Cessna Stadium. Field events begin at 1 p.m., and the […]

Published

2 minutes ago

May 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State track and field hosts one final tune up before the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships Friday afternoon in Cessna Stadium.

Field events begin at 1 p.m., and the Shockers will honor their 20 seniors at 5 p.m. prior to the first running event.

The Shocker Open serves as one last tune up before the postseason as some Shockers will go for NCAA West Preliminaries qualifying marks, and others will take the weekend off ahead of the conference meet.

Wichita State will compete against athletes from Bethany, Bethel, Cowley CC, Dodge City CC, Harding, Kansas Wesleyan, Neosho County CC, Northwestern Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist, Ottawa, Pratt CC, Science and Arts, Southern Nazarene, and Tabor.

SENIORS
MEN
Hudson Bailey
Adrian Diaz Lopez
Erik Enriquez
Joakim Genereux
Athan Huelskamp
RJ Hutchison
Jaleel Montgomery
Adam Rzentkowski

WOMEN
Bailey Hartley
Marissa Jensen
Sydney Brown
Grace Lange
Samantha Marx
Destiny Masters
Farrah Miller
Jenna Muma
Chidera Okoro
Audrey Parson
Faith Turner
Kylie Zimmer

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE LEADERS
Yared Kidane – 800m – 1:46.73
Josh Parrish – 110m hurdles – 13.50
Josh Parrish – long jump – 7.98m/26’2.25″
Rikard Trogen Hedin – decathlon – 7,191 points

ROAD TO EUGENE
The 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor will take place June 11-14 in Eugene, Ore. at Hayward Field. This year for the west region, the road to Eugene goes through College Station, Texas, where the top 48 individual athletes and the top 24 relays in the region will compete at the NCAA West Preliminaries (NCAA First Round) May 28-31 for a spot at the NCAA Championships. The top 12 in each event advance to the championship. Combined event athletes (heptathlon and decathlon) do not attend the First Rounds, but instead, the top 24 athletes overall advance directly to the NCAA Championship in Eugene.

SHOCKERS IN THE NCAA WEST TOP 48
MEN
23. Jaleel Montgomery – 100m – 10.23
6. Yared Kidane – 800m – 1:46.73
27. Josh Parrish – 110H – 13.67
25. Jason Parrish – 400H – 50.84
20. Josh Parrish – LJ – 7.69m/25’3.75″
32. Ridge Estes – Discus – 56.72m/186’1″
42. Jordan Rider – Javelin – 64.81m/212’7″

WOMEN
12. Destiny Masters – HJ – 1.82m/5’11.5″
39. Arantxa Cortez – PV – 4.16m/13’7.75″
31. Jenna Kuepker – Javelin – 48.74m/159’11”
40. Destiny Masters – Javelin – 46.74m/153’4″

RELAYS IN THE NCAA WEST TOP 24
MEN
20. 4×100 – Joakim Genereux, Jason Parrish, Josh Parrish, Jaleel Montgomery – 39.89
16. 4×400 – Joakim Genereux, Josh Parrish, Yared Kidane, Jason Parrish – 3:06.79

MULTIS IN THE NCAA TOP 24
WOMEN
8. Destiny Masters – Heptathlon – 5,715 points

FOLLOW THE SHOCKERS

Follow along and get to the know the team on our social media pages: Facebook (Wichita State T&F / XC), Instagram (@goshockerstfxc), and X (@GoShockersTFXC).

Link

Sports

107 Student-Athletes Set to Graduate This Weekend – University of South Carolina Athletics

The University of South Carolina will confer 107 degrees to Gamecock student-athletes representing all 21 intercollegiate sports in four ceremonies over two days at Colonial Life Arena. The commencement ceremonies will take place on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10. Many of the 107 student-athletes took part in the annual Senior Ring Ceremony, held […]

Published

7 minutes ago

May 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Many of the 107 student-athletes took part in the annual Senior Ring Ceremony, held at the Jerri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility on Thursday.

Overall, more than 8,300 students will graduate from the University of South Carolina system this weekend, including 6,623 on the Columbia campus.

The list of student-athletes graduating this weekend by sport is as follows:

Baseball (12):
Matthew Becker
Jordan Carrion
Wyatt Evans
Blake Jackson
Kennedy Jones
Caleb Jones
Roman Kimball
Talmadge LeCroy
Dalton Mashore
Evan Stone
Matthew Vogel
Jase Woita

Men’s Basketball (5):
Tre Kelley
Myles Stute
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk
Jamarii Thomas
Jacobi Wright

Women’s Basketball (2):
Sania Feagin
Raven Johnson

Beach Volleyball (6):
Jordan Benoit
Hanna Bissler
Sadie Nelson
Kristen Schenck
Virginia Blair Trost
Kennedy Westendorff

Equestrian (10):
Ellie Beard
Brianna Carter
Madison Hammon
Tierney Horton
Sophie Mitchell
Mya Pinski
Payton Potter
Ava Pratt
Haley Turner
Chloe VanStone

Football (12):
John Abraham
Jatius Geer
Nick Barrett
Jared Brown
Colin Bryant
Joseph Byrnes
Mike Davis
Juju McDowell
Aaron Morton
Ronnie Porter
Eriq Rice
Larry Scott

Men’s Golf (2):
Nathan Franks
Laurens Schulze- Döring

Women’s Golf (2):
Hannah Darling
Louise Rydqvist

Men’s Soccer (4):
Gabriel Atienza
Jack Burgess
Sonny Quintanilla
Martin Yahia

Women’s Soccer (6):
Emma Bucci
Chidubem Dike
Dru Drake
Jenna Hall
Emma Misal
Lily Render

Softball (10):
Brooke Blankenship
Ella Chancey
Giulia Desiderio
Marissa Gonzalez
Natalie Heath
Kianna Jones
Abigail Knight
Emma Sellers
Alana Vawter
Emily Vinson

Men’s Swimming & Diving (5):
Michael Laitarovsky
Linus Kahl
Liam Kerns
Wilder Kruse
Kaden Smesko

Women’s Swimming & Diving (9):
Isabella Bassock
Paige Collins
Peyton Curry
Elizabeth Isenhour
Makenzy Mills
Pia Murray
Greta Pelzek
Annaliese Streeter
Sophie Verzyl

Men’s Tennis (1):
Casey Hoole

Women’s Tennis (3):
Sarah Hamner
Olympe Lancelot
Misa Malkin

Men’s Track & Field (6):
Rogerio Amaral
Jalen Clark
Channing Ferguson
Anthony Greenhow
Aidan Hatton
Prescott Jefferson

Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country (9):
Brooke Donoghue
Jayla Jamison
Jahnile Registre
Cailyn Scharneck
Emma Stone
Rachel Valentine
Lily Weeks
Ally Wilson
Ella Zeigler

Volleyball (3):
Oby Anadi
Morgan Carter
Claire Wilson

Link

Sports

Gauchos Track & Field Begins Postseason with Big West Multis

Story Links LONG BEACH, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men’s and Women’s heptathletes and decathletes are ready to take on the Big West Multis this weekend on May 9-10. This meet marks the beginning of the postseason for the Gauchos, with the Big West Track & Field Championships occurring a week […]

Published

22 minutes ago

May 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men’s and Women’s heptathletes and decathletes are ready to take on the Big West Multis this weekend on May 9-10. This meet marks the beginning of the postseason for the Gauchos, with the Big West Track & Field Championships occurring a week later. The Multis will take place in Long Beach, Calif. at the Jack Rose Track.

The Gauchos are one of ten men’s teams and one of eleven women’s teams competing during the two-weekend event. On the women’s side, the heptathletes competing for Santa Barbara will consist of sophomore Hanna Barmettler as well as freshman Ally Tito and Amanda Eames. The men will be comprised of four athletes, two seniors in Brad Thomas and Jeramiah Havens and two freshman in Hudson Shaver and Braylon Noble.

MEET SCHEDULE

On the first day of competition, the Men’s Decathlon will take place at 12 p.m. to start off the weekend. The first event will be the 100m dash, followed by the long jump at 12:45 p.m., shot put at 1:50 p.m., high jump at 2:50 p.m., and the 400m at 4:45 p.m.

Following the start of the decathlon will be the Women’s Heptathlon starting promptly at 12:30 p.m. The 100m hurdles will be the first event for the women, with the high jump, shot put, and 200m dash all coming after.

The second day will see the latter halves of the decathlon and heptathlon, with the men once again resuming events at 12 p.m. and the women continuing where they left off at 1 p.m. The men will compete in the 110m hurdles first and the discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500m will follow in that order. The women will start their day off with the long jump and finish the day with the javelin and 800m race.

MORE DETAILS

For more information regarding the meet schedule and live results, visit UCSBGauchos.com.

UP NEXT

After the conclusion of the Multis, the second half of the Big West Championships will commence the following weekend on May 16-17. The Gauchos will look to bring their A-game in hopes of advancing further to Outdoor Regionals held in College Station, Texas.

Link

Sports

Men’s Volleyball vs Penn State (Quarterfinals) on 5/8/2025 – Box Score

— Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin. Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin. — PSU subs: Gabriel, Gaige. PSU subs: Gabriel, Gaige. — […]

Published

28 minutes ago

May 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

—

Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin.

—

PSU subs: Gabriel, Gaige.

—

Hawaii subs: Choy, ‘Eleu; Todd, Justin.

—

PSU subs: Merk, Ryan; Rose, Owen.

PSU

0-1

[Kuhns, Will] Service error.

Hawaii

0-2

[Rosenthal, Tread] Kill by Roure, Adrien (from Kearney, Finn).

Hawaii

1-2

[Rosenthal, Tread] Kill by Harvey, Sean (from Merk, Ryan).

—

PSU subs: Rose, Owen; Merk, Ryan.

PSU

2-2

[Gabriel, Gaige] Kill by Harvey, Sean (from Rosenthal, Tread), block error by Kearney, Finn.

PSU

3-2

[Gabriel, Gaige] Attack error by Nusterer, Kurt (from Rosenthal, Tread).

PSU

3-3

[Gabriel, Gaige] Attack error by Luoma, Matthew (block by Kearney, Finn; Nusterer, Kurt; Roure, Adrien).

—

PSU subs: Merk, Ryan; Gabriel, Gaige.

Hawaii

3-4

[Roure, Adrien] Kill by Nusterer, Kurt.

Hawaii

3-5

[Roure, Adrien] Kill by Kearney, Finn (from Rosenthal, Tread), block error by Luoma, Matthew.

Hawaii

4-5

[Roure, Adrien] Attack error by Sakanoko, Louis (block by Rose, Owen; Harvey, Sean).

PSU

5-5

[Harvey, Sean] Attack error by Kearney, Finn (block by Rose, Owen; Luoma, Matthew).

PSU

6-5

[Harvey, Sean] Attack error by Kearney, Finn (from Rosenthal, Tread).

PSU

6-6

[Harvey, Sean] Attack error by Schwob, Michael.

—

Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin; Choy, ‘Eleu.

Hawaii

7-6

[Nusterer, Kurt] Kill by Luoma, Matthew (from Schwob, Michael).

—

Hawaii subs: Choy, ‘Eleu; Nusterer, Kurt.

PSU

7-7

[Luoma, Matthew] Kill by Kearney, Finn (from Rosenthal, Tread).

Hawaii

8-7

[Kearney, Finn] Kill by Luoma, Matthew (from Schwob, Michael).

—

PSU subs: Gabriel, Gaige; Merk, Ryan.

PSU

9-7

[Rose, Owen] Kill by Kuhns, Will (from Harvey, Sean).

PSU

10-7

[Rose, Owen] Kill by Gabriel, Gaige, block error by Rosenthal, Tread.

PSU

10-8

[Rose, Owen] Kill by Sakanoko, Louis.

—

PSU subs: Merk, Ryan; Rose, Owen.

Hawaii

10-9

[Sakanoko, Louis] Kill by Todd, Justin (from Rosenthal, Tread).

Hawaii

10-10

[Sakanoko, Louis] Attack error by Luoma, Matthew (from Schwob, Michael).

Hawaii

11-10

[Sakanoko, Louis] Kill by Gabriel, Gaige (from Schwob, Michael).

PSU

12-10

[Schwob, Michael] Service ace (Team).

PSU

12-11

[Schwob, Michael] Service error.

—

Hawaii subs: Nusterer, Kurt; Choy, ‘Eleu.

Hawaii

12-12

[Todd, Justin] Attack error by Gabriel, Gaige (from Schwob, Michael).

Hawaii

12-13

[Todd, Justin] Service ace (Merk, Ryan).

Hawaii

12-14

[Todd, Justin] Kill by Rosenthal, Tread (from Sakanoko, Louis).

Hawaii

13-14

[Todd, Justin] Kill by Gabriel, Gaige (from Schwob, Michael), block error by Nusterer, Kurt.

—

Hawaii subs: Choy, ‘Eleu; Todd, Justin.

PSU

13-15

[Kuhns, Will] Kill by Sakanoko, Louis (from Choy, ‘Eleu).

Hawaii

14-15

[Rosenthal, Tread] Kill by Luoma, Matthew (from Schwob, Michael).

—

PSU subs: Rose, Owen; Merk, Ryan; Cosgrove, Matt; Gabriel, Gaige.

PSU

14-16

[Cosgrove, Matt] Kill by Kearney, Finn (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

PSU subs: Gabriel, Gaige; Cosgrove, Matt; Merk, Ryan; Gabriel, Gaige.

Hawaii

14-17

[Roure, Adrien] Attack error by Harvey, Sean (block by Sakanoko, Louis; Kearney, Finn; Nusterer, Kurt).

Hawaii

15-17

[Roure, Adrien] Kill by Rose, Owen (from Schwob, Michael).

PSU

16-17

[Harvey, Sean] Attack error by Sakanoko, Louis (block by Rose, Owen; Schwob, Michael).

PSU

16-18

[Harvey, Sean] Kill by Kearney, Finn (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

Hawaii subs: Taylor, Kai; Nusterer, Kurt; Todd, Justin; Choy, ‘Eleu.

Hawaii

17-18

[Taylor, Kai] Kill by Luoma, Matthew (from Schwob, Michael), block error by Kearney, Finn.

—

Hawaii subs: Nusterer, Kurt; Taylor, Kai; Choy, ‘Eleu; Nusterer, Kurt.

PSU

17-19

[Luoma, Matthew] Kill by Kearney, Finn (from Rosenthal, Tread).

Hawaii

18-19

[Kearney, Finn] Kill by Luoma, Matthew (from Schwob, Michael).

—

PSU subs: Gabriel, Gaige; Merk, Ryan.

PSU

18-20

[Rose, Owen] Kill by Kearney, Finn (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

PSU subs: Merk, Ryan; Rose, Owen.

Hawaii

18-21

[Sakanoko, Louis] Service ace (Merk, Ryan).

Hawaii

19-21

[Sakanoko, Louis] Service error.

PSU

19-22

[Schwob, Michael] Attack error by Gabriel, Gaige (from Schwob, Michael).

—

Hawaii subs: Nusterer, Kurt; Choy, ‘Eleu; Wade, Kainoa; Todd, Justin.

Hawaii

20-22

[Wade, Kainoa] Kill by Gabriel, Gaige (from Schwob, Michael).

—

Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin; Wade, Kainoa; Choy, ‘Eleu; Todd, Justin.

PSU

21-22

[Kuhns, Will] Kill by Harvey, Sean (from Schwob, Michael).

PSU

22-22

[Kuhns, Will] Kill by Luoma, Matthew (from Schwob, Michael).

PSU

22-23

[Kuhns, Will] Attack error by Luoma, Matthew (from Schwob, Michael).

Hawaii

22-24

[Rosenthal, Tread] Service ace (Kuhns, Will).

Hawaii

23-24

[Rosenthal, Tread] Attack error by Kearney, Finn (block by Gabriel, Gaige; Luoma, Matthew).

PSU

23-25

[Gabriel, Gaige] Kill by Nusterer, Kurt (from Rosenthal, Tread).

Link

Sports

Trees close 2025 home slate with Sycamore Open

Story Links TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State hosts its final home meet of the 2025 outdoor season Friday, as the Sycamores welcome teams to the John McNichols Memorial Track at the Gibson Track and Field Complex for the Sycamore Open. Friday’s first events will start at noon, with the first […]

Published

42 minutes ago

May 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State hosts its final home meet of the 2025 outdoor season Friday, as the Sycamores welcome teams to the John McNichols Memorial Track at the Gibson Track and Field Complex for the Sycamore Open.

Friday’s first events will start at noon, with the first events on the track beginning at 2:30 p.m. Indiana State will recognize its senior class at 4:30 p.m., in between the 4x100m relay and the 110m hurdles finals.

Who’s In The Field?
Joining Indiana State in the Sycamore Open field are Brescia, Dayton, Eastern Illinois, Huntington (Ind.), Illinois State, IU-Kokomo, Kentucky State, Marian (Ind.), Maryville (Mo.), Millikin, Purdue Northwest, Rose-Hulman, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Southeast Missouri State, Taylor, UIndy, Vincennes and Washington University (Mo.).

Last Time Out
Indiana State senior Will Staggs broke his own pole vault record for a second consecutive weekend, headlining the results for the Blue and White at the Jesse Owens Classic.

In a meet marred by poor weather, long delays and equipment malfunctions, Staggs cleared the 18-foot mark for the second straight weekend and fifth time in his career with his 5.53m (18-1.75) clearance. Staggs maintained his stranglehold as the highest-ranked MVC athlete in any event, as his pole vault mark ranks in the top 10 nationally.

Indiana State also got a top-five program mark from Emerson Fayman in the 5000m (14:14.68) after more than six hours of weather delays on the opening day. The Trees also picked up five event wins over the course of the weekend, with first-place finishes coming from Lillian Gibbs (javelin), Trent Jones (200m), Michelle McDonald (100m), Rachel Mehringer (100m hurdles) and Ivan Weaver (400m).

Senior Sendoff
Friday’s meet marks the last home meet for Indiana State’s senior class, with the 2025 class cementing a strong legacy during their time in Terre Haute. Indiana State’s 2025 senior class has been a part of 10 MVC Championship-winning teams over the last four years, including the first men’s and women’s indoor-outdoor sweep in program history.

Included in this year’s senior class are two-time All-American Will Staggs, NCAA East First Round qualifiers Noah Bolt, Ali Ilupeju, Daunte Majors, Brooklyn Pfaff, Wyatt Puff and Luigi Rivas, and all-conference honorees Erica Barker, Jason Dworak, Tahj Johnson and Michelle McDonald.

Soaring Higher
Indiana State senior pole vaulter Will Staggs won his second straight MVC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honor Tuesday afternoon after yet another record-breaking performance on the runway.

Staggs cleared the 18-foot mark for the second straight weekend and fifth time in his career with his 5.53m (18-1.75) clearance at the Jesse Owens Classic, breaking his own program record for a second consecutive meet. He cleared marks of 5.23m (17-1.75, third attempt) and 5.38m (17-7.75, first attempt) before clearing the record-breaking mark of 5.53m (18-1.75) on his third attempt. Staggs tied for the top clearance in Columbus at 5.53m (18-1.75), a mark which ranks in the top 10 nationally this season, placing second at the meet on misses. He remains the highest-ranked MVC athlete in any event this season, while his pole vault clearance was the best for a Valley athlete since 2007.

Staggs is the MVC and Great Lakes Region leader in the pole vault, while his school record-setting mark ranks second in NCAA East Qualifying and eighth nationally. He is the only athlete in the MVC to rank in the top 10 in the nation in any event this season.

The weekly honor is the 12th of Staggs’ career and third this outdoor season. Staggs previously earned the honor eight times during indoor track and field seasons and once during a previous outdoor track and field season, prior to his three weekly honors during the 2025 outdoor campaign.

Eyes On The Prize
Indiana State seeks to repeat as MVC Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Champions, and the Sycamores will be among the title favorites on both sides in 2025. Entering the final weekend before the conference championships, the Trees are the top-ranked team on both the men’s and women’s side in the USTFCCCA MVC Ratings Index.

Indiana State’s championship aspirations are bolstered by nine conference-leading marks this season. The events in which the Sycamores feature the top-ranked athlete in the MVC are:

In addition to the conference-leading marks, Indiana State currently has 44 marks which rank in the top five in the conference, with 12 different events featuring multiple Sycamores in the top five (men’s 100m, men’s 200m, men’s 400m, men’s 110m hurdles, men’s high jump, men’s pole vault, women’s pole vault, men’s long jump, women’s long jump, women’s triple jump, men’s discus, women’s discus).

It’s Going Down
Indiana State athletes have broken five school records this season, with at least one program record falling in five of the first six weekends of the 2025 outdoor season. All four disciplines (sprints, distance, jumps, throws) have had at least one school record broken this outdoor season.

The Sycamores’ program records broken during the 2025 season are:

Indiana State’s record setting ways are just a continuation from the 2024-25 indoor season, where Tahj Johnson (300m – 33.85), Rachel Mehringer (60m hurdles – 8.19) and Staggs (pole vault – 5.56m/18-2.75) all broke program records for the Blue and White.

Trees In The National Ranks
Indiana State is seeking its fourth straight season with double-digit entries in the NCAA East First Round, and the Sycamores are currently on pace to accomplish the feat. Included in the Sycamores’ current qualifying entries are the top-ranked pole vaulter in NCAA East Qualifying in Will Staggs and four school record holders (Casey Hood Jr., Will Staggs, Wyatt Puff, Lillian Gibbs)

Entering the weekend, Indiana State has 12 entries currently in a qualifying spot, with multiple additional entries near the current cutline. The Sycamores currently in qualifying positions for the NCAA East First Round are:

Casey Hood Jr. – 100m (13th, 10.08)

Terrance O’Bannon – 100m (45th, 10.30)

Rachel Mehringer – 100m hurdles (44th, 13.48)

Will Staggs – pole vault (second, 5.51m/18-1)

Brooklyn Pfaff – pole vault (48th, 4.08m/13-4.5)

Kilan Macklin – long jump (34th, 7.56m/24-9.75)

Wyatt Puff – shot put (22nd, 18.47m/60-7.25), discus (33rd, 55.06m/180-8)

Sloan Cox – shot put (37th, 17.97m/58-11.5)

Aliseonna Garnett – shot put (42nd, 15.34m/50-4)

Noah Bolt – discus (25th, 56.11m/184-1)

Lillian Gibbs – javelin (36th, 47.07m/154-5)

Indiana State also has multiple athletes within reach of top-48 spots, with Janiya Bowman (100m and long jump), Garnett (discus) and Bolt (hammer throw) all within the top 60 of additional event rankings heading into the weekend.

Forever A Sycamore

The Indiana State University Athletic Department has announced the Gibson Track & Field Complex will now honor John McNichols by naming the John McNichols Memorial Track after the legendary Sycamore Hall of Famer. The Sycamores made the announcement in October following the passage of a vote by the Indiana State Board of Trustees.

McNichols, who led the Sycamore cross country/track and field programs from 1983 until his death in 2016, guided the Blue and White to 38 MVC Championship titles while winning 23 MVC Coach of the Year honors. He coached 15 NCAA Track National Champions, 112 All-Americans, 173 NCAA Track National Qualifiers and 13 NCAA Cross Country National qualifiers. He oversaw the design, development and construction of the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course which has hosted 13 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships.

The John McNichols Memorial Track was officially dedicated at the Gibson Invitational, which took place April 17-19.

Up Next
Indiana State sets its sights on keeping the conference hardware in Terre Haute when the Trees compete in the MVC Outdoor Championships May 16-17 in Carbondale, Illinois.

Follow the Sycamores

For the latest information on the Sycamore Track & Field and Cross Country teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.

– #MarchOn –

Link

Sports

2025 NAIA Men’s Volleyball All-America Teams and Special Awards

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2024 Men’s Volleyball All-America Teams, along with Player and Coach of the Year, on Thursday. The NAIA-MVCA Executive Committee selects the NAIA All-America Volleyball first through third teams. The All-America Selection Committee must select players from a pool of candidates from the All-Conference/Independent […]

Published

43 minutes ago

May 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2024 Men’s Volleyball All-America Teams, along with Player and Coach of the Year, on Thursday.

The NAIA-MVCA Executive Committee selects the NAIA All-America Volleyball first through third teams. The All-America Selection Committee must select players from a pool of candidates from the All-Conference/Independent Teams.

Tom Ryan was named the 2025 NAIA Coach of the Year in his fifth season as head coach of the Cougars. Ryan saw his team to its best record yet at 31-1 overall and 12-0 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. His team made its fifth appearance at the NAIA National Championship and advanced to the championship match for the first time.

Matt Pennala of Saint Xavier (Ill.) was named the 2025 NAIA Player of the Year. Pennala recorded 395 kills on the season, averaging 4.29 per set. The right side hitter also recorded a 0.364 attack percentage. He also added 42 service aces (0.46 per set), 143 digs (1.55 per set) and 71 total blocks (10 solo, 61 assisted; 0.77 per set) to his season stat line.

Saint Xavier (Ill.) had the largest number of All-Americans, with five total honorees. Lawrence Tech (Mich.), Missouri Valley and St. Thomas (Fla.) garnered their first All-America mentions this year.

There were five All-Americans who received All-America honors in previous years. Landon Fuller of Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.) is the only one to receive multiple previous All-America honors.

2025 NAIA Men’s Volleyball All-Americans

(Alphabetical order by institution)

First Team

NAME	INSTITUTION	POSITION	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Finn Heinemann	Georgetown (Ky.)	S	Sr	Paderborn, Germany
Nestor Addah *	Lawrence Tech (Mich.)	OH	Gr	Navrongo, Ghana
David Rudic	Missouri Baptist	S	Sr	Gornji Milanovac, Serbia
Michael Olson	Missouri Baptist	OH	Gr	Wildwood, Mo.
Samuel Essilfie	Missouri Valley	OPP	Jr	Tema, Ghana
Andres Velez	Saint Xavier (Ill.)	L	Jr	Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Matt Pennala	Saint Xavier (Ill.)	OH	Sr	Long Beach, Calif.
Braden Van Groningen ^	The Master’s (Calif.)	OH	Sr	Ripon, Calif.
Max McCullough	The Master’s (Calif.)	MB	Sr	San Marcos, Calif.

Second Team

NAME	INSTITUTION	POSITION	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Landon Fuller % ` $	Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.)	OH	Gr	Tempe, Ariz.
Adam Szewinski	Georgetown (Ky.)	MB	So	Czestochowa, Poland
Cole Oliver	Hope International (Calif.)	OH	Jr	Bellflower, Calif.
Brendon Down	Lawrence Tech (Mich.)	OH	Sr	Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Marko Jovanovic	Missouri Baptist	OH	Jr	Belgrade, Serbia
Caydann Cox #	Saint Xavier (Ill.)	OH	So	Jamestown, N.D.
Gabriel Negrao	St. Thomas (Fla.)	OH	Fr	Sao Paulo, Brazil
Kaelen Ingram	St. Thomas (Fla.)	RS	Sr	Belize City, Belize
Britten Beallis	William Penn (Iowa)	MH	Jr	Naperville, Ill.

Third Team

NAME	INSTITUTION	POSITION	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Dapre Rogers #	Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.)	RS	Gr	Tempe, Ariz.
Richard Struska	Mount Mercy (Iowa)	L	Fr	South Moravia, Czech Repiblic
Nicolas Tenius	Park (Mo.)	OH	Sr	Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Cameron Daniels	Saint Xavier (Ill.)	S	So	Omaha, Neb.
Drew Ehlers	Saint Xavier (Ill.)	MB	Gr	Plainfield, Ill.
Matheus Collares	St. Thomas (Fla.)	S	Gr	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Preston Schmidt	The Master’s (Calif.)	L	So	Irvine, Calif.
Trace Oswald	The Master’s (Calif.)	OH	Fr	Cypress, Calif.