During her final years at FIU, she also worked with Next Level (nXlvl). It was a new NIL app geared toward student athletes and bringing them together with fans, brand marketers and recruiters.

The CEO of the company was Tom Broering – she called him “a family friend” – and she became his executive assistant even as she was a shooting guard for the Panthers.

Although Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities were not yet permitted for college athletes when she was at BGSU, they were when she was at FIU.

Along with some deals she got with Walgreens and CVS pharmacies, she developed her own line of clothing – called OT2 – which incorporated her initials and her jersey number in college.

Ordered online, the hoodies and shirts came with a Scriptures reference: “Be Strong and Courageous”

It’s part of the Bible verse – Joshua 1:9 – that says:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

As for her, after grad school she went to Ann Arbor, Michigan and became a players’ liaison with University of Michigan athletes and an onsite marketing manager for nXlvl.

She helped Wolverines athletes with NIL deals, especially by assisting them to create content for the nXlvl app.

But by last fall she was beginning to miss her involvement in basketball and after going to a couple of early-season FIU games, she knew she wasn’t done with the sport.

And no wonder.

She’s a Trice.

And they are one of the best-known and most-accomplished basketball families ever in the Miami Valley.

Her dad, Travis Trice Sr. – now an assistant coach of the Wright State Raiders men’s team – had played collegiately at Purdue and Butler and was the longtime leader of Wayne High basketball.

He had coached the boys’ team for a decade and in 2015 he led the Warriors to the Division I state title. He then switched to the girls’ team at the school – in part to coach Olivia – and one team made it to the regional finals.

In all, 24 of Travis Sr.’s players got Division I basketball scholarships. Three of them went to his and wife Julie’s children – Travis II, D’Mitrik and Olivia.

Travis II became Wayne High’s all-time leading scorer with 1,555 points. He then helped guide Michigan State to the Final Four and finished his collegiate career with 1,135 points.

Since then, he’s flirted with the NBA – through Summer League and preseason stints – and has been playing professionally overseas for the past decade.

D’Mitrik became a starting guard for the Wisconsin Badgers and in five seasons scored 1,430 points. He has played professionally overseas since 2021.

Another brother, Isaiah, played at Sinclair Community College.

With her family so deeply rooted in the sport, Olivia was open to the offer from Scott Johnson, the program director and head coach of the West Virginia Thunder, the AAU team she’d played for as she was finishing her own stellar career at Wayne.

Johnson asked her to coach one of the Thunders’ elite teams and another one involving the younger girls in the program.

Thanks to her dad, she also met Clint Sargent, who took over the WSU program when Scott Nagy left.

She said Sargent allowed her to “job shadow” the coaches last season and she promptly immersed herself in Raiders basketball.

She was at most early-morning practices and sat a couple of rows behind the bench at Nutter Center home games. She went on a few road trips with the team and often talked to players, coaches and WSU administrators, including new athletics director Joylynn Brown.

“I learned the ropes at Wright State.” Olivia said. “I learned what it took to be a coach and see if it was something I’d like to pursue.”

She hit it off with Sargent and saw how he ran the program: “He’s a great coach; a great man; and a great father. I can’t say enough about him. He has integrity.”

Offering that same type of salute when talking about her dad, she soon realized what others already knew.

Some people thought she’d be a good coach from the way she approached the game as an athlete.

“I wasn’t always the strongest or fastest or most athletic player, but I could think through the game pretty well,” she said.

After her season at WSU, she was planning to take the AAU job in West Virginia when she got a call from Raiders’ women’s coach Kari Hoffman, who had tried to recruit her when she entered the transfer portal on her way from Bowling Green to FIU.

This time Hoffman’s offer was a dream come true.

She brought the now 24-year-old Trice onto her staff as the director of basketball operations and an assistant coach.

‘They didn’t get off easy’

Growing up, she said people compared her to “the coach’s daughter in Remembering the Titans.”

In that movie, Coach Bill Yoast’s daughter Sheryl – played by Hayden Panettiere – is a passionate and fully-engaged follower of the high school football team her dad guides alongside head coach Herman Boone, played by Denzel Washington.

“On my Instagram page I do have a picture of me in the gym with my dad and I can’t be more than about two,” she said.

She said her parents didn’t push her into sports and let her develop her own love.

“I was a girlie girl, too,” she laughed. “I had princess heels, and I tried to put on makeup when I could.

“I remember making my brothers join me in little tea parties,” she said with delight. “They didn’t get off easy.”

Soon, though, she put down the cup and saucer and picked up a ball and that’s when the party really began.

She won All-Greater Western Ohio Conference honors three years in a row; was a good student and ended up being named Miss Wayne High School.

After two seasons at Bowling Green she said she wanted to get a new, more expansive experience of life and found that with FIU and the city of Miami.

“I loved all the diversity,” she said.

At FIU, she was one of just four players on the roster from the U.S. She saw considerable playing time there and would end up playing 139 games in her college career.

Across the hall

When we spoke late Wednesday afternoon, she’d just returned from the airport where she picked up Travis II, who’d come in from Puerto Rico where he’s played the past couple of seasons, while also playing in China.

D’Mitrik already was home from his team in Slovakia. His girlfriend had just given birth to their daughter, Londyn, and now the whole Trice family – including Travis II’s son, also named Travis, but known as Trace – was together for the first time in a while.

“I’m a family girl and that’s why I’m so excited being back home,” Olivia said.

While she feels a special connection with her dad, she also has a bond with her mom.

“My mom is a super mom,” she said. “She was always rippin’ and runnin’ with us kids when we were a young age. She made sure we all got where we were supposed to be – at games, practices, wherever. And she made sure we had someone there to give us support.

“At one time my parents had one of their kids in college, one in high school, another in middle school and one in elementary school. And my little sister Ace (Acelynne) was in preschool.

“When I had Senior Night at FIU, she and my aunt made the 19-hour drive to get there.”

She said her mom – who has been an interpreter for the deaf for almost 27 years – taught her sign language and now she’s fluent in it. She said that’s important to her and she’s proud of it.

“It just feels good being back around my family,” she admitted.

And at WSU that means being right across the hall from her dad’s office in the Raiders practice facility.

“We can go to lunch together or I can walk across and pick his brain on how to handle different things, both on and off the court,” she said. “It’s been amazing. I just feel really blessed to be here.

“Kari is a great boss to have and I believe we have a special group of girls for this season. I’m just a few years older than the players and I can connect with them on some levels.

“I’m really looking forward to our season.”

More and more, Olivia Trice is realizing she’s not done with her basketball involvement.

She’s just getting started.

Nico Iamaleava sought to downplay the significance of NIL money in his transfer to UCLA at Big Ten media day Thursday.

The former Tennessee QB said he had always wanted to play closer to his home in California and didn’t feel comfortable after “false reports” had emerged at Tennessee this spring.

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“Just false reports that made me not feel comfortable in the position that I was in,” Iamaleava said. “But in the back of my head I always wanted to come back home. And be closer to my mom, closer to my dad. And you know, just have my family, their support at our games. In our Samoan culture we’re always together, and I think that’s the main thing for me, the driving factor for me to come back home.”

In an immediate follow-up about the “false reports” Iamaleava referenced, he said they weren’t about an alleged NIL dispute with the school.

“Just false stuff about whether it was a financial thing or not,” Iamaleava said. “My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that. That it was really one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make. But I had to do what was best for me and my family, and ultimately I wanted to come back home and be closer to my family.”

Iamaleava sat out portions of Tennessee’s spring practices amid reports he was looking to redo his name, image and likeness deal with the school. His father disputed the idea Iamaleava was looking for more money, and the QB entered the transfer portal April 12.

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As Iamaleava entered the portal, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said after his team’s spring game “there’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T. And that includes me.”

Iamaleava’s appearance at media day Thursday led to his first public comments about his transfer to UCLA. The former five-star recruit chose the Bruins after his younger brother de-committed from Arkansas to go to UCLA.

Iamaleava’s transfer then led to UCLA QB Joey Aguilar’s departure for Knoxville. The former Appalachian State QB transferred to UCLA earlier in the offseason with the goal of being the Bruins’ starting QB in 2025. Once Iamaleava arrived, Aguilar left for Tennessee as the Vols were suddenly in need of a starting quarterback.

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In his lone season as Tennessee’s starter, Iamaleava was 213-of-334 passing for 2,616 yards and 19 TDs with just five interceptions. Eleven of those 19 TD passes came in Tennessee’s four non-conference games. He had eight TD passes and three interceptions over eight SEC games and the College Football Playoff. In UT’s loss to Ohio State in the first round of the playoff, he was 14-of-31 for 104 yards.

As universities across the country gear up to directly pay their athletes, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aiming to not only “preserve” but expand college sports where possible.

“My administration will therefore provide the stability, fairness, and balance necessary to protect student-athletes, collegiate athletic scholarships and opportunities, and the special American institution of college sports,” according to the July 24 order.

“It is common sense that college sports are not, and should not be, professional sports, and my administration will take action accordingly.”

A federal judge last month approved the House v. NCAA settlement on revenue sharing, clearing the way for schools to set aside up to $20.5 million to pay college athletes, which works out to about 22% of the average athletic department revenue at Power Four schools. Most schools have said the bulk of the payments would go to football players.

The settlement imposes new scholarship rules and roster limits, and resolved multiple antitrust lawsuits with a $2.8 billion payout to athletes who couldn’t access NIL opportunities in the past due to the timing of their college careers. Athletes were allowed to profit from the use of their name, image and likeness starting in 2021.

Some schools say that revenue sharing — football and men’s basketball generate the most for college athletics departments — will force them to cut or drop non-revenue sports.

What’s in Trump’s executive order?

According to the order, a national solution is “urgently” needed to keep college sports from “deteriorating beyond repair” and to protect non-revenue sports, including many women’s sports.

The order mandates college athletics departments take measures to expand or maintain scholarship opportunities and roster spots next season based on their 2024-25 revenue:

• Schools that make more than $125 million in the 2024-25 season should provide more scholarships and the maximum number of roster spots for non-revenue sports next season.
• Schools that make more $50 million in the 2024-25 should provide at least as many scholarships and the maximum number of roster spots for non-revenue sports next season.
• Schools that make less than $50 million in the 2024-2025 athletic season or that do not have any revenue-generating sports should not disproportionately reduce scholarship opportunities or roster spots for sports based on the revenue that the sport generate.
• Revenue sharing between schools and athletes should preserve or expand scholarships and athletic opportunities in women’s and non-revenue sports.

The federal policy calls third-party, pay-for-play payments to college athletes “improper” and should not be permitted by universities. It doesn’t apply to compensation for the fair market value that the athlete provides to a third party, such as for a brand endorsement.

Are college athletes university employees?

The executive order also addresses the question of whether college athletes are university employees, though it makes no determination.

The order leaves it to the Secretary of Labor and the NLRB to “implement the appropriate measures with respect to clarifying the status of collegiate athletes,” including through guidance, rules or other actions to maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by universities through athletics.

A Biden administration memo deemed college athletes employees under federal labor law. Trump revoked the guidance shortly after taking office. Also, a National Labor Relations Board regional director ruled last year that the Dartmouth men’s basketball players attempting to unionize were university employees. The team ultimately dropped the effort.

The NCAA and universities across the country have adamantly held that college athletes are not employees. A U.S. House committee held at least one hearing on the issue last year.

Republicans, including Utah Rep. Burgess Owens, who says unionization poses an “existential threat” to the future of college athletics, condemned the Dartmouth decision. Democrats, though, like California Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, say the “sky is not falling” and athletes should have a seat at the table through collective bargaining.

Should government be involved with college sports?

The Trump order calls for the secretary of Education, in consultation with the attorney general, the secretary of Health and Human Services and Federal Trade Commission chairman, to develop a plan to advance the policies in the next 30 days.

Steve Berman, one of the co-lead plaintiff attorneys in the antitrust settlement, criticized Trump for trying to intervene.

“Plain and simple, college athletes don’t need Trump’s help, and he shouldn’t be aiding the NCAA at the expense of athletes,” Berman said last week, per ESPN. “… As a result of our case, college athletes are now free to make their own deals. For Trump to want to put his foot on their deal-making abilities is unwarranted and flouts his own philosophy on the supposed ‘art of the deal.’”

NCAA president Charlie Baker has advocated for a federal standard to create competitive balance in college sports. Specifically, Baker and other college sports leaders have asked Congress for an antitrust exemption so they can enforce rules, many of which would limit athlete earning power, per ESPN.

“The association appreciates the Trump administration’s focus on the life-changing opportunities college sports provides millions of young people and we look forward to working with student-athletes, a bipartisan coalition in Congress and the Trump administration to enhance college sports for years to come,” Baker said in a statement regarding Trump’s executive order.

More than two dozen college athletic conferences, including Power Four leagues, have also called for federal legislation and a uniform NIL standard across college sports. At least 30 states, including Utah, have NIL laws.

Utah legislators modified the law this year to allow schools in the state to directly compensate athletes regardless of the outcome of the House settlement. HB479 also clearly states that college athletes are not university employees.

Congress has debated several bills, including as recently as this month, aimed at regulating college athlete compensation.

The proposed SCORE act would codify the right for student athletes to get paid for the use of their NIL and override a patchwork of state laws, including in Utah, around the country. The bill, approved by two Republican-led House committees, would also give the NCAA broad antitrust leeway. It could go to the full House for Representatives for a vote this fall. It has little Democratic support.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing national regulations for the NCAA’s name, image and likeness (NIL) program, which top college athletes have relied on for compensation for their playing and endorsement deals. The order, titled “SAVING COLLEGE SPORTS,” addresses recent litigation on athlete compensation, pay-for-play recruiting inducements and transfers between universities.

Talks of Trump interfering with NIL have been floating around since May, after reports came out of former University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, during a private congressional roundtable, urging the president to release an executive order on NIL compensation because he claimed players were showing “less resiliency to overcome adversity.”

For decades, the NCAA imposed strict limitations on how much student athletes could be paid to discourage them from pursuing commercial opportunities on the basis of “amateurism,” the belief that college sports are separate from professional sports in that they should only be played in the spirit of the game, not necessarily for monetary gain. But naturally, athletes began to feel cheated out of their cut of the millions in revenue that their universities were making from major programs such as football and basketball, largely based on their performances.

It wasn’t until last month that a federal judge approved a landmark NCAA settlement that cleared the way for schools to pay athletes directly. This new revenue-sharing model establishes clear and specific rules for schools to regulate third-party NIL agreements and allows for student athletes to have more autonomy and power over their personal brands.

The case of University of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is a textbook example of how NIL deals have shaped the college football landscape. Back in 2022, the California native had signed a four-year, $8 million contract with the university. After two seasons, his first as a redshirt and second as starting quarterback, he wanted to increase his deal to $4 million annually.

After unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with Tennessee, the team moved forward without Iamaleava, leaving him to enter the transfer portal. Shortly after, he announced his commitment to UCLA, despite claims that his final contract was nowhere close to the initial figure he wanted.

Iamaleava’s story is representative of the kind of issues Trump’s executive order seeks to address, namely the pay-for-play system that incentivizes athletes to negotiate competitive contracts. The order states that “the third-party market of pay-for-play inducements must be eliminated before its insatiable demand for resources dries up support for non-revenue sports.”

The order looks to level the playing field by preventing an oligarchy of teams that can simply buy the best players, in fear of reducing competition and resembling the world of professional sports too closely.

Section 2 of the executive order proposes that “opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports must be preserved and, where possible, expanded.” This is in response to concerns about money being concentrated in football and basketball programs.

“While major college football games can draw tens of millions of television viewers and attendees, they feature only a very small sample of the many athletes who benefit from the transformational opportunities that college athletics provide,” the first section states.

The order also notably calls on the secretary of labor and the National Labor Relations Board to “determine and implement the appropriate measures with respect to clarifying the status of collegiate athletes.” The concern here is that should college athletes be considered employees, they would be able to form a union and bargain for increased pay and other benefits.

Ultimately, the issue goes back to power and money and who is in control. Regardless of whether players are compensated as independent NIL contractors or as employees being paid for their performance, Trump’s insertion into the already tumultuous landscape of college sports proves that there is no such thing as avoiding politics, not even in a seemingly bipartisan space such as sports.

Since taking his second term in office, Trump has displayed an interesting, if not puzzling, interest in the world of professional and college sports. In the past few months, we’ve witnessed attempts to ban transgender athletes from Pennsylvania to California, ICE agents show up to Dodger Stadium, and Trump’s disorderly appearance on the Club World Cup stage. Then, this past Sunday, the president threatened to restrict the Washington Commanders deal to build a stadium if they did not change their name back to the controversial “Redskins.”

Given all this, it isn’t unreasonable to be skeptical of what the president actually means when he proclaims to be “SAVING COLLEGE SPORTS.” The reorganization of college sports in the last few years has placed an emphasis on money, sure — but it has also allowed for more equity in the field.

For instance, NIL deals are significantly benefiting female college athletes, who generally continue to be paid far less than their male counterparts, providing them opportunities that weren’t possible even just a few years ago. Major stars such as WNBA player Paige Bueckers and Olympic gymnast Suni Lee are among the most prominent earners in women’s sports in part as a result of a quickly evolving NIL market.

Even Trump’s oldest granddaughter, Kai, recently signed an NIL deal with Accelerator Energy to support her budding golf career. The 18-year-old University of Miami commit made the announcement in a presidential-style Instagram video, promoting the energy drink brand that is also partnered with the likes of Travis Kelce and Livvy Dunne.

Now, Kai joins the ranks not only in an NIL partnership, but as an equity partner in the brand.

“She’s going to be a leading voice in NIL and beyond,” said Andrew Wilkinson, CEO of Accelerator.

The world of college sports is already unrecognizable from what it was a few years ago, new conflicts are arising that haven’t existed before, and the NCAA’s inconsistencies against the shifting political landscape have left many athletes uncertain about their futures. As Kai makes NIL history, her grandfather has cemented his influence in the collegiate sports world in his own way. Instead of creating long-term solutions, the signing of this executive order seems poised to cause even more instability among yet another disenfranchised group in the country.