The Alabama legend was only recently put in charge of co-chairing the president’s commission into college athletics following successful meetings between the two, yet things have already taken a turn

Donald Trump’s commission into college athletics appears to have hit a roadblock after the Nick Saban-led initiative was put on hold this week.

Earlier this month, various reports stated that the U.S. President had put the Alabama legend in charge of co-chairing his commission following crunch name, image and likeness (NIL) reform meetings ahead of a commencement address at the University of Texas for the Class of 2025.

The move was set to see Saban serve alongside Texas businessman Cody Campbell, founder of Texas Tech’s Matador Club NIL collective and chairman of the Texas Tech board of regents, where the commission would examine prominent issues facing college sports, most notably the transfer portal.

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The move came after Saban’s concern about NIL and the influx of money damaging college sports influenced Trump to take a stand. It was even claimed that the 78-year-old was considering an executive order after the Crimson Tide legend noted how the college sports landscape has changed for the worse.

Since that first meeting with the president, however, Saban has sought to distance himself from the idea of such a commission, repeatedly telling reporters how he believed it to be unnecessary, and that those in charge of college sports could get together and solve problems without a formal government-backed body getting involved.

As a result, it has now been reported that the presidential commission into college sports has come to a grinding halt. According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, the Saban-led project now appears unlikely to come into being any time soon, although there is emphasis on it being “paused” rather than completely cancelled.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Dellenger noted how the move could be “possibly rooted in its potential impact in Senate negotiations over college sports legislation.”

In a follow-up post, he added that it remains unclear how long the pause will extend and that any delay could result from giving five U.S. senators, led by Ted Cruz and Cory Booker, “more time to possibly reach an agreement on federal legislation.”

It would appear, though, that the decision from the White House comes off the back of Saban aiming to distance himself from the matter. Speaking to SEC Network last week, he said: “First of all, I don’t know a lot about the commission.

“Secondly, I’m not sure we really need a commission. A lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them. I think the key to the drill is getting people together so we can move it forward.”

Following up on his comments at his ‘Nick’s Kids Golf Tournament’ in Birmingham, Alabama, Saban also admitted that he would help President Trump in a consultancy role if needed.

“I know there’s been a lot of stuff out there about some commission or whatever. I don’t think we need a commission. I’ve said that before,” Saban said via Mike Rodak.

“I’m all for being a consultant to anybody who would think that my experience would be beneficial to helping create some of those solutions.”

OTTAWA, ON (May 22, 2025) – Britta Curl-Salemme scored late in the third period and again in overtime to lift the Minnesota Frost to a 2-1 series-tying win over the Ottawa Charge, silencing a sellout crowd of 8,206 fans on Thursday night at TD Place. The score remained scoreless for most of regulation until Jocelyne Larocque broke the deadlock at 17:25 of the third period, giving Ottawa the lead. With 15 seconds left in regulation, and the Frost pressing on a power play with their net empty, Curl-Salemme scored the equalizer to send the game to overtime. While both teams traded chances in extra time, it was Curl-Salemme who struck again––scoring with less than four minutes left in the first overtime frame–– to lift Minnesota to the win. Maddie Rooney made 37 saves on 38 shots in her third win of the postseason, while Gwyneth Philips turned aside 22 of 24 shots in her sixth start of the postseason. The loss was Ottawa’s first in four games on home ice this postseason.

Game Three of the best-of-five PWHL Finals, presented by Scotiabank, is set to take place on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET at Xcel Energy Center.

After this past week has been damp with multiple days of rain around the region, we are tracking some drier weather for Memorial Day weekend. Clouds will still linger around for most of the Northland, but showers with remain isolated in two areas, around the arrowhead and western South Dakota for Saturday.

StormTRACKER Weather

Through the weekend overall, winds will remain light and variable for most. Winds do not look to pick up much more than 5-15 mph through the weekend.

Temperatures will not be too warm this weekend, but by the afternoon they will not be chilly either, as we stay seasonable with 60s for most of the area. The couple spots where we look to be cooler will be along the shore of Lake Superior, where highs look to remain in the 50s, as well as where the showers slide in to western South Dakota and keep temperatures in the 50s as well for the afternoon.

StormTRACKER Weather

Showers for Sunday will be even more sparse throughout the Northland, as a few sprinkles may make it into parts of North Dakota with the clouds sliding eastward for the afternoon, but for most, the bulk of the rain will remain across South Dakota with continued cloudy skies.

StormTRACKER Weather

With the increase in clouds, temperatures will be slightly cooler, and stay in the 50s for much of the Dakotas, but with calm winds, it will look to remain a pleasant cool spring day.

StormTRACKER Weather

And for Memorial Day, much of the region will still see clouds through the afternoon, but the sprinkles that do look to form will be rather spotty. By the afternoon, the clouds will give way a little to a mixture of clouds and sun for the later part of the day.

StormTRACKER Weather

Highs for Memorial Day will look to be a bit warmer around the region, with areas that see the clouds clear out early on getting into the 70s by the afternoon. A few spots across the Dakotas may remain in the 60s for another day, but as we then head into the week ahead we get some warmer temperatures. But for Memorial Day weekend itself, you may want to grab that sweatshirt for any evenings that you plan to enjoy outside.

StormTRACKER Weather

I grew up in Central Minnesota, and my in weather and storms led me to pursue my passion for meteorology. I got my Bachelor of Science from Iowa State University, and my experiences with forecasting there led me to start my career as a Meteorologist for WDAY as well as The Forum.

NEWS RELEASE

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

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The Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League have announced another one of their players has committed to attended school and continue his on-ice career playing collegiately in the U.S.

Forward Benjamin Pouliot will attend Grand Valley State University, who are members of the Division I conference of the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

In two NOJHL seasons with the Eagles, the 20-year-old Pouliot, who hails from Howell, Mich, was over a point-per-game producer.

This recently completed campaign saw him collect 53 points in 42 outings, including notching a career single-season best 27 goals.

Back in 2023-24, he had 58 points in 56 contests on 24 tallies and 34 assists.

In all, Pouliot had 111 points in 98 league match-ups with 14 of his 51 career markers coming on the power play, while five came shorthanded. His 12 game-winning goals led his club over those two seasons.

His career point totals over the past two years tied him for seventh-most among all NOJHL skaters.

For his part, Pouliot stated: “Playing two seasons in the NOJHL with the Soo Eagles was an incredible experience. It helped me grow both as a player and a person. The staff; my billets and the quality of competition in the league were all great. I’m excited for the next chapter.”

Located in Allendale, Mich., the Grand Valley State Lakers compete out of the ACHA’s D-I conference.

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May 22, 2025

BRADENTON, Fla. (May 22, 2025) – IMG Academy, the world’s leading sports education brand, today announced the acquisition of SportsRecruits, a college sports recruiting service with specialized products for families, club and high school teams, college coaches and event operators. The acquisition brings SportsRecruits alongside IMG Academy’s NCSA College Recruiting to create an even more robust college sports recruiting network to help student-athletes and their families navigate the ever-evolving college sports landscape. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition marks a significant milestone for IMG Academy as it continues to expand its reach, with ambition to provide world-class IMG Academy experiences to any student-athlete who believes in the power of sport as a platform for life.

With its vision in mind, in addition to the SportsRecruits acquisition, IMG Academy has recently launched a variety of new on-campus and online experiences. On-campus IMG Academy has announced new sports, including softball, and girls and boys volleyball. Online, IMG Academy launched IMG Academy+ Essentials, a low-cost digital product with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance. And as a first-of-its kind hybrid experience, combining campus and online experiences, IMG Academy recently announced IMG Academy Elevate, a new product aimed at providing elements of IMG Academy’s holistic personal development curriculum to school partners globally.

“Our responsibility is to prepare student-athletes for all aspects of college and life, and to positively impact as many lives as we possibly can,” said Brent Richard, CEO of IMG Academy. “The evolving opportunities for student-athletes create a new obligation to teach, support and prepare our families to meet the moment. Through our existing products and services, and now with SportsRecruits, we are helping student-athletes realize their dreams and enjoy the benefits that come from continuing their academic and athletic careers in college.”

“We’ve always been committed to empowering student-athletes and their families,” said Chris Meade, co-founder and CEO of SportsRecruits. “Partnering with IMG Academy amplifies our ability to deliver top-notch resources and opportunities to student-athletes everywhere. The combined strength of our networks and technology will redefine the recruiting landscape for the better.”

“The value of a college roster spot is growing and so too is the need for college sports recruiting,” added Rick McDole, COO of IMG Academy Online. “NCSA and SportsRecruits creates a holistic, best-in-class solution for student-athletes and their families, club coaches, and event operators. Our complementary strengths will more effectively connect student-athletes with college coaches and help student-athletes and their families find the right college fit.”

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About IMG Academy

IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future, preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for all student-athletes through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:

• Boarding school and camps, via a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Fla.
• Online coaching via IMG Academy+, with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance
• Online college recruiting, via NCSA and SportsRecruits, providing unmatched college recruiting education and services to student-athletes and their families, club coaches, and event operators, and is the premier service for college coaches.

To learn more about IMG Academy and its on-campus and online experiences, visit www.imgacademy.com.

Contact

Mike Lovecchio / [email protected]

HOUGHTON, Mich. — Michigan Tech has hired Bill Muckalt to lead its three-time national championship college hockey program.

The school announced it signed Muckalt to a five-year contract Thursday, bringing back a former assistant coach who led Lindenwood last season. He led the Missouri-based university to wins over Notre Dame and Wisconsin in its third season of Division I hockey.

Muckalt was the associate head coach from 2017-23 at Michigan, where he was a two-time national champion as a forward before a five-year career in the NHL. He was an assistant coach at Michigan Tech from 2011-15.

The Huskies won national titles in 1962, 1965 and 1975.

“This is a great hockey community and world-class university,” Muckalt said.

Muckalt replaces Joe Shawhan, who was 54-120-29 over eight seasons.