The Wisconsin Badgers have joined the trend and hired a general manager for their men’s basketball team. Only it’s coming from within, as Wisconsin is promoting chief of staff Marc VandeWettering to general manager.

According to UW Athletics, in his new role, VandeWettering will collaborate with Gard on recruiting, roster management, player personnel and revenue sharing strategy, highlighting UW Athletics’ dedication to adapting to the changing landscape of collegiate athletics. VandeWettering will also continue to handle the Badgers’ non-conference scheduling.

Head coach Greg Gard praised the move in a statement, sharing VandeWettering’s work with personnel, as the latter has been involved with Wisconsin’s work in the transfer portal and on the NIL side as well.

“I’m extremely happy for Marc and our program,” Gard said. “He has worked tirelessly to make us better every day and has helped us navigate this new era of college basketball very successfully.

“Marc has been a central figure in our evolution as a program and has already been handling many of the personnel tasks for the last couple years. Looking to the future, I’m excited to have Marc officially elevated to this administrative role and know that he will help drive our sustained success.”

VandeWettering shared his excitement for his new opportunity, as he looks to help continue building the program’s legacy.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to support Coach Gard, our staff, and our student-athletes in this role,” VandeWettering said. “Wisconsin Men’s Basketball is built on a foundation of consistency, accountability, and a team-first approach — and I’m committed to helping us build on that legacy.

“Our focus is on sustaining the high standards of this program while continuing to evolve and position ourselves for long-term success in a changing landscape.”

A Wisconsin alum, VandeWettering had been the chief of staff for the past two seasons, while also holding the Director of Basketball Operations role, which he’s had since 2017.

He’s a former student manager for the Badgers who has spent time working with the Big Ten as the assistant director of basketball and football operations. Now, he’s Wisconsin’s general manager.

On June 6, 2025, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved a settlement allowing NCAA schools to pay student-athletes in an agreement now simply known as The House Settlement. The House Settlement directly resolved outstanding antitrust lawsuits arising out the NCAA’s compensation system for the use of a student athlete’s name, image and likeness (“NIL”) by universities and colleges, namely House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA.  

The first of these actions, House v. NCAA, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in 2021, was brought by Grant House (yes, this is a person, not the House of Representatives),  a swimmer at Arizona State University and Sedona Prince, a basketball player at the University of Oregon and later Texas Christian University, who were pursuing these claims on behalf of a class of student-athletes.  Grant House and Sedona Prince v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, 545 F. Supp. 3d 804 (2021).  The plaintiffs challenged the existing NCAA rules limiting NIL earnings, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, as well as unjust enrichment by the schools and NCAA. 

The next lawsuit, filed in the same federal court, was brought by Chuba Hubbard, a former football player at Oklahoma State University, and Keira McCarrell, a former member of the track and field teams at both the University of Oregon and later Auburn University.  Hubbard v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, No. 4:23-cv-01593 (N.D. Cal. filed Apr. 4, 2023).  The plaintiffs here alleged violations by the NCAA and member institutions under Section 1 of the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. Section 1) and Section 4 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. Section 4), related to failure to pay past education related benefits, which have come to be called “Alston Awards.”  In Alston, the United States Supreme Court found that the NCAA and member institutions had violated the Sherman Act in restricting the student-athletes ability to receive additional education related benefits.  National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston, 594 U.S. 69 (2021).  Those financial benefits included benefits for academic achievement and related educational expenses, which are not related to athletic performance but instead to academic matters, such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, and other educational items.  SCOTUS made such academic achievement benefits permissible to student-athletes, up to $5,980 per year.

The third in the trio of House Settlement lawsuits filed in the Northern District of California was Carter v. NCAA. The plaintiffs, DeWayne Carter, a football player at Duke, Nya Harrison, a soccer player at Stanford, and Sedona Prince, who was also a plaintiff in the House v. NCAA lawsuit, challenged the NCAA and member institutions’ restrictions on pay for play, e.g. direct compensation for athletic performance and service.  Carter v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, No. 4:23-cv-06325 (N.D. Cal. filed Dec. 7, 2023).

In light of the commonality of the House, Carter and Hubbard actions, in challenging NCAA rules regarding compensation and NIL, the district court consolidated the three actions, and the parties have since entered into the House Settlement.

So, what is the House Settlement and what are the terms of the settlement?  The House Settlement addressed some, but not all, past grievances, as well as established a framework of rules and procedures going forward to compensate student-athletes.  With regard to past wrongs, the NCAA and college athletic departments have agreed to pay $2.8 billion for what it referred to as “back-pay” for student-athletes who competed beginning in 2016 through the date the court approved the settlement.  The lion’s share of the payments will go to student-athletes who competed in football and basketball, but the House Settlement also allows for a share to go to other student-athletes in other sports. 

While the House Settlement addresses some, but clearly not all, of the sins of the past, the crux of the settlement is how it changes college athletics going forward.  For the first time, revenue earned through college athletics will be shared between schools and the student-athletes, with a salary cap of $20.5 million in year one and increasing each year over the next ten years.  Schools will also have roster caps per sport.  For example, football teams will be allowed 105 roster spots and men’s and women’s basketball will be allowed 15, while other sports will have their own roster limits.

Schools have the option to opt in or out of these rules, but if they opt in, they must follow the guidelines imposed by the House Settlement.  These schools are also governed by the newly formed College Sports Commission (“CSC”), which will be aided by Deloitte, using a clearinghouse called NIL Go. Colleges that opt in to the settlement are required to report every NIL deal between a student athlete and a third party that exceeds $600 to determine whether the deal equates to “fair market value.”

So, you might say to yourself the House Settlement resolved all the issues in college sports, NIL and compensation, but not by a longshot.  The House Settlement only resolved the three lawsuits…House, Hubbard and Carter.  As Seth Waxman, an attorney who argued the Alston case warned SCOTUS, failing to preserve amateurism in college athletics would result in “perpetual litigation and judicial superintendence.” 

Most recently, student-athletes have sought to do away with the NCAA limit on years of eligibility.  In the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Cary Arbolida, a college baseball player, initiated suit to extend his college baseball tenure. Arbolida v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, No. 2:25-cv-02079 (D. Kan. filed Feb. 14, 2025).  Arbolida played for three years at a junior college (one of which was cut short by Covid), followed by two years at the University of Houston.  Arbolida subsequently transferred to Kansas State University and sought an injunction related to eligibility, which would have permitted him an additional two years of eligibility.  Arbolida contended that these eligibility rules prohibited his ability to earn compensation, including NIL related earnings.  The court denied the request for injunctive relief, after which Arbolida voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit. 

At the same time as Arbolida, another college baseball player, Alberto Osuna Sanchez, at the University of Tennessee, filed an action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, against the NCAA seeking an additional year of eligibility.  Alberto Osuna Sanchez v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, No. 3:25-cv-00062 (E.D. Tenn. filed Feb. 12, 2025).  Similar to Arbolida, Osuna first played baseball at a junior college.  As such, he too sought additional eligibility, claiming that his junior college tenure should not bar him from eligibility for additional time at the Division 1 level.  And, consistent with the Arbolida court, the Osuna court denied injunctive relief.

However, as has been the problematic case with college athletics litigation (and state by state legislation), not all courts across the country have been consistent.  In fact, in April 2025, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Jett Elad, a football player for Rutgers University, and thus enjoined the NCAA from enforcing the junior college rule regarding eligibility.  Elad v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, No. 3:25-cv-01981 (D.N.J. April 25, 2025). The NCAA has filed a motion to stay this ruling pending determination on appeal, which as of the date of this article has yet to be decided.

This is but one of the many avenues of litigation that remain despite the ambitious intent of the House Settlement.  College athletics needs to pursue a better path forward for its student-athletes and academic institutions.  This will require all parties to be more proactive, instead of waiting for courts to issue rulings and legislatures to act.  As we have seen, court rulings are inconsistent from state to state.  More troubling, state legislatures are considering their own actions, often only considering the best interests of their own state institutions and student-athletes, to the detriment of national consistency, fair competition and an even playing field.  As just one example, Tennessee’s governor, on May 1, 2025 (just one month before the House Settlement was approved), signed into law an expansion of Tennessee’s existing “Intercollegiate Name, Image and Likeness Law.” State of Tennessee (SB536/HB194). The law prohibits any limits on NIL compensation unless certain conditions are met, such as a court order or a federal law expressly prohibiting or limiting such limitations, and even attempts to provide immunity to Tennessee academic institutions and NIL collectives.  If academic institutions, their governing bodies and the student-athletes don’t take this bull by the horns, we will continue to exist in a state of perpetual litigation.

Georgia football continues to adapt to the NIL and recruitment process within college football, as evidenced by a shocking change to the class of 2026: linebacker Tyler Atkinson and DL James “JJ” Johnson have both committed to the University of Texas over Georgia. 

Tyler Atkinson made a splash this past week by committing to the play for Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns on the Pat McAfee Show. The No. 9 overall player and No.1 ranked linebacker in the country according to 247Sports, was heavily recruited by Georgia after they first extended him an offer when he was in eighth grade. 

As the No.1 recruit in the state of Georgia, Atkinson made more than a dozen visits to Athens during his recruitment, and many sources saw the Bulldogs as a favorite to yet again land the class’ best linebacker. This marked the second year in a row that Texas has stolen a top-rated Georgia native who most thought was a surefire recruit for the Bulldogs after Justus Terry committed to Texas last year. 

Just hours after Atkinson’s commitment to Texas, James “JJ” Johnson followed Atkinson as he flipped his commitment from Georgia to Texas. Johnson, the No. 1-ranked defensive lineman in the class of 2026 according to On3, committed to Georgia on June 28, but will now play football in Austin come next fall. 

These stunning commitments exemplify the new era of college football as players are allowed to be paid for their services. Despite the loss of these two players, Georgia’s recruiting class is still ranked No. 2 overall by 247Sports. The Bulldogs will still have elite talent in their front seven from the class of 2026. Tray Scott has secured commitments from PJ Dean, Carter Luckie, Preston Carey, Seven Cloud and Corey Howard, who will look to have an impact come fall of 2026.

This week marked the 2025 MLB draft. Three USC baseball players heard their names called in this year’s event: Ethan Hedges by the Colorado Rockies, Caden Hunter by the Baltimore Orioles, and Bryce Martin-Grudzialanek by the New York Yankees.

This is an opinion column.

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Hugh Freeze was feeling bullish about Auburn football at SEC Media Days, but it appears like he has a major problem festering with this team.

The players keep getting arrested for allegedly committing serious crimes.

The latest Auburn football player to run afoul of the law is Malcolm Simmons, the once promising wide receiver from Alexander City. I say “once” because Simmons is presumably no longer on Auburn’s football team after being charged with domestic violence on Wednesday.

Fall camp is close, but it can’t get here fast enough for the Tigers. Freeze predicted that Auburn would contend for a playoff spot this week, but he’s going to need some players to make that happen.

Is Freeze building winners or criminals down on the Plains?

A couple weeks ago, a now-former Auburn football player from Birmingham was arrested for allegedly planning to deal drugs. D’Angelo Barber, who is 19 years old, was stopped by Dadeville police traveling between his hometown and Auburn. In his car were two and a half pounds of marijuana and the things modern-day drug dealers need to turn NIL cash into a budding criminal empire on college campuses: scales, vapes, a gun and a bunch of cash.

Two and half pounds is a lot of dope. Was the plan to sell weed to football players or just students?

Barber’s arrest reminds me of former Alabama football star Sherman Williams, who went to prison for 15 years for crimes related to selling drugs. The difference between Williams and Barber is that Williams was a pro football player when he was busted and Barber was just beginning his career in college.

The problem with this NIL-era of college football is that a lot of these players are becoming wealthy based on potential rather than accomplishments. When people don’t actually do anything to gain their wealth, then there’s a greater tendency to take it all for granted. Just look at bone-headed Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn’s star basketball player who was arrested for driving under the influence last week.

Pettiford has everything going for him after helping Auburn reach the Final Four. He decided to return to Auburn instead of going pro. I’m beginning to question that decision. Maybe he needs to get away from the college scene to fully mature.

At baseline, fans are wary of this era of NIL-infused college football and basketball. How long are supporters of teams going to tolerate paying players who turn around and use that money to bail themselves out of jail?

And the new revenue-sharing model for collegiate athletics is about to give players even more green. With so much cash around, character among players is going to matter more than ever before.

Georgia has had its problems and so has Alabama. Auburn’s string of arrests aren’t unique. But Georgia football and Alabama basketball are established programs. They’ve been able to correct the problems internally and continue winning. Character issues among players can ruin Freeze’s plan of resurrecting Auburn football before the season even begins.

I really wanted this Auburn football team to break its cycle of under-achieving mediocrity and give fans something to love, but I’m beginning to have some doubts. It was only 24 hours ago that I wrote a column backing Freeze and these Tigers. They can be the surprise team of the SEC, but you have to suddenly question all that jive that Freeze was saying at Media Days about a winning culture in this locker room.

“Heading into our third year — with respect obviously to our great league — our roster is just better,” Freeze said. “We’re bigger, we’re faster, we’re stronger. Our culture is strong.”

Really, Hugh?

Earlier this week, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey raised serious questions about the erosion of values in this new era of pay-for-play. Freeze played the holier-than-though routine a couple weeks ago when he accused SEC rivals of cheating, but he might want to focus on his players being arrested for allegedly dealing drugs and choking women.

What is it that I wrote on Tuesday at Media Days? Something about there being no saints in the SEC?

Georgia’s Kirby Smart talked about building character this week and so did LSU’s Brian Kelly. Isn’t it hard to take these guys seriously?

Pretty words mean nothing when players are getting picked up by the cops.

Freeze has a well-documented history of questionable decisions, of course. In the end, for good or ill, every team is a reflection of its coach’s character.

And I really wanted Simmons to be a great player, too. He was fun to watch last season. He was so fast and quick that even his mistakes on the field offered proof of his potential. There were times when he looked like a future All-SEC receiver.

I hope it works out for him, but it can’t be at Auburn. Alleged strangulation and suffocation of a girlfriend? These are charges that can’t be ignored or made to go away. No coach can be associated with domestic violence under any circumstance. Even former coach Urban Meyer, during those notorious years at Florida, had a zero-tolerance policy for girlfriend abusers.

Hopefully the character issues related to Barber and Simmons are isolated to those players and Auburn can be better without them around. We’ll see. Too many times, though, arrests and poor offseason decisions are the beginning signs of a larger problem.

The guys in charge have cut corners building a roster and the foundation of a team crumbles from within.

BE HEARD

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Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”