Let me preface this by saying I’m a Syracuse Orange homer and a huge fan of sports announcer Mike Tirico as well. He’s only a few years older than me but old enough that I saw him on WTVH-5 in my teen years and love his work since he’s left.

He’s called big sporting events and worked for ESPN, NBC and likely others as well over the years. He will be the voice of the NBA on NBC next season as well and recently had to pull out at the last minute due to health issues before doing the Kentucky Derby.

Today was special.

You never know when you’ll have the chance to turn dreams to reality, and @miketirico helped make that happen for @SamCroston1 and I today.

This interview was joy and a pleasure. We cannot wait to share it with you. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/oEvpEhftib

— Rachel Culver (@rach_culver) May 7, 2025

Recently, while in town, Mike stopped by what used to be the WSTM-3 studios (but now 3 & 5 are combined into CNY Central) and appeared on the Orange Zone podcast alongside CNY Central sports anchor/director Samantha Croston and producer Rachel Culver.

Normally, I might not do a post about a podcast appearance but I think Mike took the time to discuss some interesting topics. In doing so, he shared his opinion as a Syracuse alum, a current board of trustees member and several years as one of the best sports broadcasters and play-by-play guys in the business.

I encourage you to listen to the interview in full because it is hard providing information and preface everything in proper context but much like an elementary school student in the 80s, I’ll try to give you the highlights (Highlights magazine was so fun as a kid, along with Mad Libs).

Tirico’s take on NIL as it relates to college basketball, particularly in March Madness.

“The problem is it becomes a diminished entertainment value, or an entertainment value that is of similar ilk to the NBA or NFL, and we already have that at its best.”

Full episode:… pic.twitter.com/xMdLztN4zf

— Rachel Culver (@rach_culver) May 8, 2025

Syracuse alum and respected broadcaster Mike Tirico recently hopped on the Orange Zone podcast.

But here are a few points in particular I found worth noting and why I wanted to write this. Like for instance, he brought up one possible idea to limit some of the NIL/transfer portal would be having players have buyout options like coaches do.

I personally don’t hate that idea. I also agree 100% with his idea that players would get one free transfer before you sit out a season (unless your coach leaves or you can provide a personal exemption for family reasons or something of that matter).

Samantha asked Mike about football head coach Fran Brown and his style and wanting alumni to be involved in the program, saying maybe it wasn’t welcomed as much in past regimes. He also calls Fran “genuine” with people skills.

One thing I also loved is when Rachel asks if Coach Brown’s impact can help the community as well and Mike touches on it, saying he thinks it also helps players be better people under him and women’s basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack because of their impact on the community and the community on them.

The subject of NIL comes up too and he discusses (and I agree) that NIL should be exactly what the initials imply allowing players to profit off their own merits but because the NCAA “was completely asleep” to allow it to get this way and that conferences looked the other way because it brought in money. He also talks about the SEC and Big East advantages in the NIL space (the Big East, especially in basketball, due to the lack of football money needed).

Mike Tirico’s views on Name, Image, and Likeness: pic.twitter.com/FkCSK5DfLS

— Samantha Croston (@SamCroston1) May 8, 2025

This also led Mike to say what I and others have been saying that if this becomes more semi-pro than the college scene we’ve loved, it will be “watered down” and calling it unsustainable and not good for the college brand.

And while some will say it’s unfair that universities profit off of them, there are still ways to regulate this and allow student athletes to profit as well. Mike even notes that he is married to a former women’s basketball co-captain (along with Coach Jack during their playing days), that he understands they deserve opportunities to get compensated, seeing firsthand how much commitment was involved as a student athlete.

Mike also goes into depth about his time here in Syracuse quite a bit, why he loves shooting live and spontaneously on his feet, his allergic reaction that caused him to not do the Kentucky Derby broadcast and a lot more in this one-hour interview, many of which include memories for older fans like me who remember Syracuse sports in the 80s. Older fans will enjoy the nostalgia and younger fans will appreciate his discussions on current events as well.

You can find this podcast on your usual podcast channels, most likely, or see the video of it now on YouTube here.

VILLANOVA, P.a. – The No. 2 seed UConn softball team defeated the No. 4 seeded Creighton Bluejays in the BIG EAST semifinal, 12-1 in a six inning run rule on Friday evening, advancing the Huskies to the BIG EAST championship game on Saturday, May 10 at 5:00pm. UConn advances to the championship series for the for the third time in the last five years.

Payton Kinney made her second consecutive start in the circle at the BIG EAST Tournament for the Huskies, marking her 25^th start of the season. Kinney was sensational, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit, adding three strikeouts. The right hander moves to 14-5 this season. 

UConn got their offense going early, scratching a run across in the first inning, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead. UConn loaded the bases for Kaitlyn Breslin who was hit by a pitch, forcing in Grace Jenkins from third base. 

In the third inning Grace Jenkins doubled the Huskies lead with a solo home run to center field, her 20^th of the season, edging the UConn lead to 2-0.

In Jenkins’ next plate appearance in the fifth inning, the BIG EAST Player of the Year took Creighton’s starter deep once again, this time it was a towering two-run shot to right field, her 21^st of the year, extending the Huskies lead to 4-0. 

The two-run homer from Jenkins jump started the UConn offense, as the Huskies pushed across three more runs in the fifth inning, putting UConn in the driver’s seat with a 7-0 lead. 

Cat Petteys continued her hot hitting at the plate, homering in her fourth straight game, as the rookie hit a two-run shot to right center field, the 14^th homer of the season for the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. 

Later on in the fifth inning, UConn manufactured another run with two outs on back to back base hits. Haley Coupal got it started with a single to left field. Kaitlyn Kibling followed with a double to left center, scoring Coupal all the way from first base. 

Sydnee Koosh came on in relief for Kinney in the fifth inning, making her 26^th appearance this season for the Huskies. Koosh went just 0.2 inning giving up one run on a pair of hits. 

Creighton scored their lone run of the game in the fifth inning on a bases loaded walk, making it 7-1.

Hope Jenkins came on in relief for Koosh in the middle of the fifth inning, making her 31^st appearance of the season for the Huskies. Jenkins closed out the game in the circle, keeping the Bluejay lineup hitless through her 1.1 innings, adding a strikeout. 

UConn’s offense put up another five spot in the sixth inning, putting the game out of reach for Creighton at 12-1. The Huskies once again loaded up the bases for the middle of the order to do damage. Petteys knocked in her third RBI of the game with sac fly to center field, scoring Grace Jenkins from third base. Breslin followed with a single to left field, scoring Kaiea Higa from second base. 

Haley Coupal capped off the big inning with a three-run homer off the scoreboard in left field, her second of the season, securing the run rule victory in the BIG EAST semifinals. 

News and Notes

• Three Huskies had three RBI in Grace Jenkins, Cat Petteys, and Haley Coupal. 
• Grace Jenkins recorded her third multi-home run game this season and the fourth of her career. She notched her fourth three-hit game this year, and her team leading 18^th multi-RBI game, giving her 67 RBI this season. Jenkins extended her on-base streak to 29 straight games. 
• Cat Petteys has hit two home runs through her first two career postseason games. Petteys has homered in her last four straight games, the most by a Husky this season. 
• Payton Kinney has started in five straight games for the Huskies. She retired 8 straight Bluejay hitters from the first to fourth innings. 
• Haley Coupal has had back to back multi-hit games to begin her 2025 BIG EAST campaign. This is the fourth multi-RBI game for Coupal this season. 
• Kaitlyn Breslin recorded her 14^th multi-RBI games this season. 
• Kaiea Higa recorded her 15^th multi-hit game this season. 
• UConn’s offense scored double digit runs for the 14^th time this season. 
• UConn loaded the bases twice. 
• UConn advances to the championship series for the for the third time in the last five years.

Up Next

UConn advances to the BIG EAST championship game on Saturday, May 10 at 5:00pm. UConn will play the winner of Creighton vs. Providence set to take place before the championship game at 1:30pm. 

Follow our social media pages for updates.

Twitter – UConnSoftball

Instagram – UConnSoftball

Facebook – UConn Softball

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma – Texas Tech (44-12) completely dominated its Big 12 Championship Semifinals game against Arizona State (35-19) on Friday afternoon, defeating the Sun Devils 18-0 – setting a new Big 12 Championship record for runs in a game.
 
The Red Raiders picked up their 22^nd shutout win of the season and their first run-rule win in the Big 12 Championship since 2001. Tech’s 18-0 victory also set a new program record for most combined runs in a Big 12 Championship game as they improved to 21-29 all-time in the event.
 
18 hits and 17 RBI including, five extra-base hits, were racked up by the Red Raider’s offense. Mihyia Davis and Demi Elder both went 3-for-4 out of the one and two spots in the lineup while Raegan Jennings and Hailey Toney both went 3-for-3 out of the eight and nine holes in what was true team effort on offense.
 
Alana Johnson and Lauren Allred each picked up two hits, Anya German and NiJaree Canady recorded RBI hits and Bailey Lindemuth record an RBI on a sac fly.
 
Canady and Samantha Lincoln combined to throw 5.0 innings, allowing just three hits while striking out seven batters as Canady improved to 25-5 on the year. Canady’s 25 wins this season is tied for the second most in a single season in program history.
 
How it happened:
The Sun Devils were the first team to make any noise on offense as they had runners on first and second with two outs to open up the game after a hit-by-pitch and walk. Canady worked out of the jam getting the next batter to pop out to third base.
 
The Red Raiders went down in order in the first inning as Arizona State’s pitching needed just seven pitches to get the outs.
 
That would be the only inning Tech didn’t have multiple runs as they picked up three runs in the bottom of the second thanks to a double by Canady and a two-run single off the bat of Toney. Johnson and Jennings both recorded stolen bases in the inning to advance from first to second and put themselves in scoring position.
 
Tech effectively ended the game in the third inning, putting up 11 runs – the most in a single inning since 2013 – on 10 hits and were helped out with one Sun Devil error. Davis started things out strong with a solo home run on the first pitch she saw.
 
Elder passed the bat after a double to right field and Allred moved her over to third with a single up the middle. Lindemuth recorded the first out of the inning but did so on a sacrifice fly to put Tech up 5-0. Johnson drove in Allred the next at-bat with a single before becoming the second out of the inning after Victoria Valdez reached on a fielder’s choice.
 
Up 6-0, five straight Red Raiders singled including Jennings, Toney, Davis, Elder and Allred as Tech had an 11-0 lead. Only one batter saw more than two pitches during that stretch as the Red Raiders came up in attack mode and gained confidence with each at bat. Lindemuth reached on a fielder’s choice and Johnson finished up the inning with another single to make it 14-0 going into the fourth inning.
 
Lincoln entered in relief of Canady in the circle and after getting a quick out on the first batter had the bases loaded. The freshman didn’t panic however, striking out the next batter for the second out before getting the final via a pop up to shortstop.
 
The Red Raiders added four more runs in the fourth, opening the inning with the first five batters reaching safely. Freshman catcher Anya German delivered the record-breaking RBI on a single to the left field that brought home Elder from third.
 
Lincoln closed out the game with a 1-2-3 inning to secure Tech’s first appearance in the Big 12 Championship game.
 
UP NEXT: The Red Raiders will take on No. 2 Arizona tomorrow at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
 

Matt Rhule arrived with much pomp and ceremony as the chosen one to drag Nebraska out of the endless spiral of losing seasons. He placed an enormous emphasis on in-state players on scholarship or the walk-on program.

The world of college football has been turned on its head with NIL and roster limits to the point where Rhule had to pivot. To see this playing out in real time, one only has to look at the top-ranked in-state players in the 2026 class and where they are heading.

Lone Ranger

Linebacker Jase Reynolds (6-3/206lbs) out of Elkhorn North in Omaha is a 3-star recruit ranked 10th in Nebraska’s 2026 class, according to 247. He is currently the only in-state recruit committed to the Huskers, and only a handful of crystal balls are floating around for in-state recruits, but nothing concrete.

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Reynolds is a rangy athlete with great instincts, blowing up plays, but he is raw and will need considerable bulking up to play as an inside linebacker.

To 105 or not to 105?

The ever-changing debate on roster sizes has not yielded any real answers, and Nebraska’s lack of real portal subtractions bears that out. The trimmer roster sizes will undoubtedly hurt the in-state prospects’ chances of being offered.

It was almost a given that the top 10 players in the state could rely on a Nebraska offer—that is no longer the case. The fact that some in-state prospects have publicly said that the coaching staff is not in contact is a sign of the future.

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Nebraska will continue cherry-picking players it feels can make a realistic difference on the team and ‘culture players’ who may not threaten the two deep but are key to maintaining standards.

The state produces capable, tight-end body types, and these sorts of players will always be in demand.

Isaac Jensen (6-6/205lbs) is the next in the conveyor belt of tight ends, and this trend will continue as long as football needs beefy blockers.

Football has changed so rapidly that it may very well shift again, but for right now, in-state prospects can’t guarantee a Nebraska offer.

GBR

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