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NIL in high school? Next-gen athletes balance books, brands in new era

Gregory Graves  |  Cronkite News GCU President Brian Mueller on joining Mountain West, impact on NIL Grand Canyon University President Brian Mueller talked to the media about the impact joining the Mountain West Conference will have on NIL growth. PHOENIX – In the evolving world of amateur sports, the three-letter acronym NIL has begun rewriting […]

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PHOENIX – In the evolving world of amateur sports, the three-letter acronym NIL has begun rewriting the rulebook.

Short for name, image and likeness, this concept has opened the door for monetization at all levels of athletics. A financial revolution once seemingly only available for college athletes is now trickling down all the way to the high school level. NIL is making its way into high school gymnasiums and fields with athletes across the U.S. growing their brand before stepping foot on a college campus.

At the center of this shift in Phoenix is Zaire “Cherri” Hatter, a 14-year-old basketball star from Desert Vista High School who has already begun navigating the life of a high-profile athlete. Hatter is a representation of the new world of youth athletics – a world where Hatter can reach new heights while staying true to herself.

It’s terrain University of Arizona basketball player Jada Williams knows well. She was among the first female high school basketball players to sign a national NIL deal when she was at La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego and continues to reap the financial benefits from companies including Spalding and Gym Shark.

How we got here

To better understand NIL’s rapid growth, we have to look back to the origin. At the start, collegiate athletes competed for either pride or scholarships. But as collegiate sports evolved into a multi billion-dollar industry over time, the model began to shift.

In 2021, after years of legal battles among athletes and the courts, a landmark Supreme Court decision came in the NCAA vs. Alston case. As a result, the NCAA adjusted its rules to allow athletes to receive compensation through NIL deals.

One level lower, discussions began around NIL and high school athletes. As of 2025, at least 42 states and the District of Columbia allow high school athletes to profit from NIL.

Jon Kappes, an associate research professor at Arizona State’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law who recently hosted an event about NIL for young athletes, spoke to this and some of the risks that deals can pose in states where NIL is not permitted.

“I am aware that different states have been slower to change the high school policies, which have in some instances said high school students can lose eligibility,” Kappes said.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association officially approved NIL activity for high school students, allowing students the ability to profit under strict guidelines. Arizona’s high school students are prohibited from wearing school uniforms or logos or have any affiliation to the school in any NIL activities.

“It has added another layer of support and education we need to make sure we address these student-athletes, we have to make sure they are aware of the AIA bylaws,” said Jared Walther, the assistant principal of activities at Desert Vista. “We educate our coaches with the bylaws and help them navigate it with the kids.”

The support system

Hatter’s emergence as one of the top high school athletes, and the top girls state basketball athlete in the class of 2028 has placed the freshman guard at the forefront of the Arizona NIL youth movement. Hatter is already in line for NIL opportunities while also fielding Division I offers from programs like Alabama and Maryland. She recalled her excitement when she received that first offer.

“It was exciting, because it confirms that my hard work has paid off so far,” Hatter said. “I definitely still have a lot of work to keep getting better.”

While she enjoys the spotlight at a young age, Hatter is fully aware of the responsibility that comes with being a high-level athlete. The pressure of living up to the hype comes with its own challenges, but she keeps her mind focused.

“I still have three years left of high school, I am making sure I continue to get better each day,” Hatter said.

Maintaining a positive mindset on and off the court at times can be tricky and hard to manage for young athletes. Having her mother by her side has been one of the keys in her success so far.

With her mother working as an equipment manager for the Desert Vista team, the long afternoon sessions that extend into the evenings become easier with her mother’s sacrifices.

“It is a big time commitment, but I enjoy the process of juggling school, and basketball,” Hatter said.

Another piece of the puzzle is Desert Vista coach Erin O’Bryan, a former university of Arizona women’s basketball player, who understands Hatter is rare and provides guidance based on her own experiences.

“Cherri’s work ethic is unmatched, she puts in hours upon hours in the weight room, on the court, and in the training room. She is dedicated to becoming the best player she can,” O’Bryan said. “Cherri has a very high ceiling, and she has high expectations for herself. She could end up being the most highly sought after player in Arizona.”

The praise is consistent among all coaches, friends and family, but the admiration does not change Hatter’s personality. O’Bryan mentioned that the era of NIL has not changed any team dynamics.

Hatter’s acknowledgment extends beyond just the court for Walther, who sees how well she handles the pressure at her age.

“For being only a freshman and having these expectations placed on her, she has gone with the flow and not let any of it disrupt her usual day to day life,” Walther said. “She continues to do well in the classroom even with her basketball responsibilities.”

Beyond the court

The pressure of NIL reaches beyond just the financial aspects and collegiate recruitments – they also influence mental health. The feeling of starting early and standing out can at times train kids to not only train to like professionals but seemingly market themselves like that as well.

Lindsey Markwell, a lecturer at Arizona State University in the Movement Sciences Programs with expertise in sport psychology and mental performance, echoes those concerns.

“When sport becomes the only thing a youth athlete does or the only thing others talk to them about it can lead to single-performance based identity,” Markwell said. “Their self-worth becomes tied to how well they perform.”

In most cases, especially in Arizona, sports such as basketball are year-round due to school commitments and club or team commitments resulting in a situation where most do not get that break or that “offseason” away.

In Hatter’s case, it is vital to her success to have a strong environment surrounding her to ensure the road trips or the early practices are possible, and the enjoyment of being a kid isn’t lost.

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Luckily for Hatter that is exactly what she has from her mom by her side, to her sister, to all coaches and teachers, everyone in Hatter life is there to support her and see her grow not just as an athlete but as a person.

While the mental load for anyone at this age let alone a teenager is quite a lot, it is simply hard to put NIL or competitive sports at fault. For all athletes alike, positive mental health outcomes will always be possible when someone such as Hatter has the ability to be heard and feel valued past how they play on a given day.

“When supported well, early commitment can build resilience, discipline, and confidence,” Markwell said. “Balance, autonomy, and having a voice in their schedule makes all the difference.”

For Desert Vista girls basketball the show is not all just about Hatter instead she is the beacon that shines brightest for the team and inspires each person to give it their best. Ultimately, by serving as leader on the court, Hatter’s passion and love for the game echoes across the locker room and classroom.

“Cherri gives our team confidence, she is reliable and plays well every time she steps on the court,” O’Bryan said. “She upholds the culture of toughness and winning.”

A quick comparison

As the spotlight continues to grow on young athletes such as Hatter, it is brought to question that what we’re witnessing isn’t entirely new – it just looks different. NIL, with the branding and pressure to perform mirrors some of the experience of the youth entertainment culture of child stars in Hollywood.

“In terms of an age threshold, what comes to my mind is that this context of athletics and sports is not that different from young actors,” Kappes said. “So you’ve got child actors that are toddlers, that are babies, nine months old, two years old.”

Like child actors, NIL athletes tend to be thrusted into adult conversations and spaces while still developing as a person mentally and emotionally. In a lot of situations they are learning to market themselves and perform under pressure before they can even legally drive a car.

“Athletes are branding themselves at 14 or 15, constantly curating how they’re seen,” Markwell said. “That pressure to always perform – both in real life and online – is a lot for anyone, let alone a teenager.”

Though unlike child stars in Hollywood, students like Hatter are expected to attend school, take tests and homework like everyone else and in some situations to a higher degree.

When hearing from people close to her though, this is exactly what makes Hatter special — managing both lives – as a freshmen student and a high profile athlete. She is able to thrive as a person in the classroom and on the court.

A new era

The NIL era has unlocked untapped doors for young athletes to offer opportunities to profit from not only themselves but their passions. As time moves on, expectation starts to grow and the pressure to perform is more than just sport.

“The first thing for a young person to look at: Do they want to be engaged in sanctioned high school athletics, or do they not,” Kappes said.

Luckily for Hatter the decision is easy as becoming the best player she can be is a simple mindset that continues to take her places. Hatter is not just navigating NIL – she is acting as a pioneer in a world that is still unknown and fresh – serving as a representation of young athletes to come.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.



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Texas’ Steve Sarkisian makes bold College Football Playoff prediction

Kirby Smart on college football’s future Kirby Smart urges leaders to prioritize the game’s future over personal or conference agendas in playoff talks. MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – Alert the statue makers. Their services would be needed in January, if a college football team navigates this season undefeated. That’s the way Steve Sarkisian sees it, anyway. […]

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MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – Alert the statue makers. Their services would be needed in January, if a college football team navigates this season undefeated.

That’s the way Steve Sarkisian sees it, anyway.

The Texas coach boldly predicted Tuesday that college football might have seen its last undefeated national champion. And in the off-chance that another perfect team emerges, bust out the bronze, Sarkisian says.

Michigan most recently pulled off perfection with its 2023 team. The Wolverines went 15-0, emerging victorious from a four-team College Football Playoff.

Now, with a 12-team playoff in place and a bigger playoff likely on the horizon, national champions play more than 15 games.

This season’s national champion will play a minimum of 16 games. Ohio State captured glory with a 14-2 record last season. The Buckeyes lost twice during the regular season before winning the national championship from the No. 8 seed line.

Ohio State became the first two-loss champion since 2007 LSU. Get used to more of that, says Sarkisian.

“This idea of somebody is going to go 16-0 in college football, man, put a statue up somewhere of that team,” Sarkisian said before the SEC’s spring meetings began here this week, “because I just don’t know if that’s going to happen again.”

Interesting opinion.

Count me among the skeptics, though, that we’ve seen the last of the undefeated national champions. This sport isn’t known for parity. It’s known for a small batch of schools dominating.

Sarkisian himself built a roster that could be poised to do some dominating this year.

Kirby Smart explains why perfection remains possible

Consider Georgia coach Kirby Smart skeptical of Sarkisian’s prediction that we’ve seen the sport’s last undefeated team.

Smart’s 2022 squad went undefeated, one of five teams to achieve the feat during the 10 years of the four-team playoff.

Smart’s thinking goes like this: Unless some framework is put in place to keep a team from outspending everyone else in this pay-for-play era, what’s to stop the emergence of an undefeated super team filled with highly paid players?

“You could end up with some haves and have nots out there,” Smart said, “and ultimately teams could drive prices and go buy a championship with a super team. I think we could see that if there’s not parity. We don’t really know if there’s going to be or not.”

A federal judge is considering whether to approve a legal settlement that would unlock revenue-sharing with athletes. That settlement would cap how much revenue each institution could share with athletes, functioning as something of a salary cap on rosters. However, even in that revenue-sharing landscape, separate NIL deals outside the school framework still could be brokered, allowing a roster to exceed the revenue-sharing cap.

College football’s landscape started evolving after NIL deals launched in 2021. Transfer rules also loosened that year. Those changes made it more difficult for one team – say, Alabama or Georgia – to stockpile a three-deep of all-stars.

“The portal and the lack of the depth” made going undefeated more difficult, Smart acknowledged.

Also, a longer season increases the runway for injuries. Both Texas and Georgia dealt with injuries to their starting quarterbacks last season. Georgia lost in the CFP quarterfinals to Notre Dame while starting a backup quarterback, after Carson Beck injured his elbow in the SEC championship game.

Texas is top candidate to be next undefeated national champion

Sarkisian ranks among the likeliest coaches to produce an undefeated champion within this structure.

The Longhorns possess the necessary ingredients to go undefeated:

A lush bankroll. A handsomely paid roster doesn’t guarantee success, but let’s not kid ourselves, no pauper is winning a title in this pay-for-play model. Ohio State won with the help of spending $20 million to improve its roster. Texas, with its deep war chest, is believed to be among the teams driving up the market price this season.

A good quarterback. Ohio State’s Will Howard peaked at the right time last season and delivered some of his finest performances throughout Ohio State’s four playoff victories. Texas will hand its quarterback reins to Arch Manning. He’s among the preseason favorites for the Heisman Trophy.

A coach (and a school) that attracts talent and develops it. Ohio State’s Ryan Day can recruit and develop. So can Sarkisian. Day entered last season on the shortlist of best coaches without a national championship. Sarkisian heads up that list this season, after Texas’ consecutive trips to the CFP semifinals.

Arch Manning leads a talented Texas team that’s transitioning

Perfection talk aside, it’s evident that Sarkisian likes his roster. Texas must transition to new starters at key positions, including quarterback, but fresh starters doesn’t equate to a youthful roster.

“We’re not necessarily young. We’ve just got some new faces (starting),” Sarkisian said, “guys who have been in our program, who have been working on their craft, who have been developing, and now it’s their opportunity.”

Take Manning, for example. He’s no pup, after two seasons as Quinn Ewers’ backup.

Manning started two games last season while Ewers recovered from an injury, and Sarkisian kept using Manning in select situations after Ewers returned.

The toughest roadblock to Texas achieving perfection probably isn’t the season’s length, but rather the location of its toughest regular-season games.

The Longhorns will play at Ohio State in the season opener and at Georgia in November.

If Manning and the Longhorns beat the Buckeyes at The Horseshoe, the victory would trumpet a message that Texas perfection is possible.

Anyone know any statue makers in Austin?

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.





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Lehigh University – Official Athletics Site

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Four members of the Lehigh softball team have been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, announced Tuesday. The Mountain Hawks are represented by senior Julia Mrochko, junior Sydney Parlett and sophomores Holly Lovett and Peyton Sward.   To be eligible for Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must have a 3.50 […]

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Four members of the Lehigh softball team have been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, announced Tuesday. The Mountain Hawks are represented by senior Julia Mrochko, junior Sydney Parlett and sophomores Holly Lovett and Peyton Sward.
 
To be eligible for Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must have a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and meet certain competitive benchmarks for games played or games started. Student-athletes who meet this criteria and have significant on-field accomplishments will move on to the Academic All-America ballot. First-year student-athletes are not eligible for Academic All-District or Academic All-America honors.
 
From Lehigh’s four honorees, Mrochko and Sward will move on to the Academic All-America ballot, with those honors expected to be announced in mid-June. Mrochko and Sward were both All-Patriot League honorees on the field, with Mrochko earning second team honors and Sward being selected to the first team. The middle infield duo both garnered Academic All-Patriot League honors earlier this month.
 
Mrochko graduated May 18 with a 3.74 GPA in finance. She hit .325 in 2025 with 17 doubles, three home runs and 32 RBIs.
 
Lehigh’s primary catcher in 2025, Parlett holds a 3.61 GPA majoring in industrial and systems engineering. Parlett had 10 extra base hits and drove I 17 runs in 47 games this past season.
 
An economics major with a 3.76 GPA, Lovett appeared in all 52 games, primarily at third base, and had 30 hits, including five doubles, and 17 runs batted in.
 
Sward’s 3.78 GPA ranks first among Lehigh’s upperclass student-athletes. She hit .318 with 49 hits and 31 runs scored in 52 games last season.
 
Lehigh finished the 2025 season at 28-24.
 
Follow Lehigh Softball on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
 





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Five Named to CSC Academic All-District Team

Story Links CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Five Chattanooga Mocs softball players were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, the organization announced Tuesday.   Peja Goold, Olivia Lipari, Taylor Long, Acelynn Sellers and Kailey Snell each earned a spot on the All-District Team and Goold is eligible for Academic All-America consideration. […]

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Five Chattanooga Mocs softball players were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, the organization announced Tuesday.
 
Peja Goold, Olivia Lipari, Taylor Long, Acelynn Sellers and Kailey Snell each earned a spot on the All-District Team and Goold is eligible for Academic All-America consideration.
 
Goold was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and NFCA All-Region. The junior is a marketing major with a 3.64 GPA. She had a SoCon-best 244 strikeouts in 2025, tied for fourth in a single season at UTC and is seventh on the Mocs all-time list with 465. She was ranked fourth in the NCAA for shutouts with eight, sixth in wins with 25 and seventh in the NCAA for strikeouts.
 
Olivia Lipari was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. The senior infielder graduated in May with a degree in Biology with Latin Honors. She is the sixth Chattanooga player to earn the postseason honor and the first since 2012. She led the Mocs at the plate this season and was fifth in the league. Her 17 doubles ranked second in the SoCon and in the Top 30 in the NCAA.
 
Taylor Long, a junior Health and Physical Education K-12 major carries a 3.65 GPA. She was named All-Southern Conference Second Team and was second in the SoCon with 160 strikeouts. The Calhoun, Ga., native led the league in strikeouts per seven innings with 8.7 and was second in opponent batting average at .206.
 
Acelynn Sellers carries 3.67 GPA in Chemical Engineering. She started every single game she played in her fourth seasons with the vast majority at first base. She closed out her career with 27 home runs, including a team-best 12 this season. Twice she hit a UTC record three home runs in a single game, including the Mocs SoCon Tournament game against Mercer.
 
Kailey Snell graduated last May with a degree in Child and Family Studies and is currently working on her Masters in Secondary Education: Licensure with a 4.0 GPA. The Shelbyville, Tenn., native is a three-time CSC Academic All-District Honoree. She made 219 starts, primarily at short stop and gained an extra year after suffering a season-ending injury in her junior year. Snell was the Mocs lead off batter most of the season and was third on the team with a .328 batting average. She had 11 sac bunts, eight doubles, two triples and a .396 on-base percentage.
 
Goold is up for consideration for CSC Academic All-America as well as with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. She was named to the 643 Charts All-American Second Team. She was determined to be one of the most impactful pitchers in the country based on the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) metric.
 
FOLLOW CHATTANOOGA SOFTBALL
For the most up-to-date information and news regarding Chattanooga Softball, please follow @GoMocsSB on Twitter & Instagram and ChattanoogaSB on Facebook.
 
 





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College football burns as SEC coaches complain from yacht

Kirby Smart on college football’s future Kirby Smart urges leaders to prioritize the game’s future over personal or conference agendas in playoff talks. MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — Let’s not look past the obvious and wade into the ridiculous.  They’re football coaches, OK? Their job is to win games, and everything should be seen through that […]

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MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — Let’s not look past the obvious and wade into the ridiculous. 

They’re football coaches, OK? Their job is to win games, and everything should be seen through that lens.

Even paradigm change in the sport. 

So while just about everyone else associated with college football trudges through the weeds of drastic change, SEC football coaches are talking roster management at the league’s annual spring meetings. That’s right, bubba. 

It’s roster size and roster management, right down to the third-team long snapper. 

“If I lose two long snappers, where do I get my third one?” said Texas A&M coach Mike Elko.

And if you can’t believe a coach in the biggest, baddest conference in all of college football would say such a tone-deaf thing when the world is crashing down on 70 percent of the sport, that’s just the beginning.

“The biggest problem from our perspective is we don’t have access to a revolving roster (like the NFL) during the season,” Elko said. “The fear we have is if you get a rash of injuries, there’s no avenue to fix it.”

On a 105-man roster. 

It is here where we pause, ever so briefly, to soak in the absurdity of that statement — and underscore just how detached coaches are. Again, it’s not their fault; they’re paid to win games. 

They’re not paid to fix the College Football Playoff format, or negotiate terms on a pooled media rights revenue concept, or figure out billions in back pay to former players, or have any impact on the SEC playing eight or nine conference games.

They’re given football parameters, and told to win football games within those parameters — or you’re out. It’s about as simple and cutthroat as it gets. 

So while college football careens closer and closer to an NFL model, coaches are left wondering why the sport’s leaders refuse to embrace the benefits of a professional structure. Why there are not one, but two free player movement transfer portals. 

One access to free movement and an uncapped salary pool (because that’s what it will be with private NIL deals) is bad enough. Two bites at the apple for players, coaches say, is devastating for development.

On a 105-man roster. 

“It’s really hard to be playing in a championship setting and have to deal with that,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart.

Ladies and gentlemen, the biggest, baddest coach in all of college football really said that.

“But when I brought that up as a complaint or a problem,” Smart continued, “It was told to me there’s no crying from the yacht.”

And he was dead serious. 

Smart has everything he could possibly want at his alma mater, and every possible advantage to winning. It also helps that he’s the best coach in the business, and Georgia will do anything to keep him happy.

Smart once flew in a helicopter to a high school football game of a recruit, and landed right next to the field before the game began. He and his staff recruit better than anyone in the sport, and he annually has the most talented roster in the nation.

On the other side of the grind, where reality resides, SMU chose to forgo millions in media rights payments from the ACC just to get in the door of power conference football — after paying a what was essentially a $200 million initiation fee by forgoing media rights payments for nine years.

The same SMU that somehow, some way, trudged through the hardships of building a team and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff.

In its first season of big boy football.

I mean, imagine if SMU had lost two long snappers along the way. The horror.

To be fair to these multimillion dollar SEC coaches, they’re creatures of habit. When a plan works, they stick with it. 

Who among us could’ve not only seen change, but a completely sidetracked system evolving into an unthinkable abyss?

“We saw where this was going when NIL began,” Elko said, because of course they did. “I don’t think any of it is a surprise to us, once that can got opened.”

So now they’re asking for a single transfer portal window, one that doesn’t affect roster building. Which is sort of like asking for peace in the Middle East.

There are pitfalls for both the winter and spring portals. Place the portal window in the winter, after the regular season, and everyone is dealing roster management during the postseason. 

Place the portal window in the spring, and everyone is dealing with a changed roster after three months of preparation and practice for the upcoming season. Teams would then spend a majority of the summer reorganizing a roster, and in some cases, completely changing the face of a team.

Then there’s another teeny weeny problem: If you think player tampering is out of control now, imagine what it looks like in a spring-only portal.

“If there were a (portal) sometime between the end of the last game of the season, and the start of spring ball, that would be ideal,” said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. “But I don’t think there are a lot of presidents lining up to shift the start of the spring semester for the College Football Playoff.”

You never know. It is the SEC, after all.

Where long snappers mean everything.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.





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NIL Has Killed College Football as we Knew it

College football is one of the most popular sports in America. Every Saturday families gather in front of their television screen to cheer on their favorite team. However, since the NCAA passed the rule allowing college athletes to make money off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) while in school, things have noticeably changed. The […]

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College football is one of the most popular sports in America. Every Saturday families gather in front of their television screen to cheer on their favorite team. However, since the NCAA passed the rule allowing college athletes to make money off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) while in school, things have noticeably changed. The shift instantly impacted the college world, allowing athletes to rake in big revenue. How bad can making money in college actually be? Not as good as one might think.

In April, former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava held out of spring practice due to an NIL dispute. According to Mark Giannotto of USA Today, Iamaleava was trying to renegotiate his NIL contract since the NCAA is expected to approve revenue sharing with schools. The quarterback’s deal was set up for him to make over $2 million per year.

During all the NIL drama with Iamaleava, Vols head coach Josh Huepel was forced to move on from his starting five-star quarterback. “We’re moving forward as a program without him,” he said, “there’s no one that’s bigger than the power T.” Iamaleava entered the transfer portal shortly after the dispute with Tennessee.





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EA Sports Releases Covers for ‘College Football 26’ Video Game

EA Sports is set to release their newest video game this summer, highlighting the most talented college football players in the business. The upcoming release has generated excitement for players and programs, opening up plenty of opportunity for name, image and likeness business. EA Sports brought back their beloved game last year after things were […]

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EA Sports is set to release their newest video game this summer, highlighting the most talented college football players in the business.

The upcoming release has generated excitement for players and programs, opening up plenty of opportunity for name, image and likeness business.

EA Sports brought back their beloved game last year after things were put on hold amidst some legal issues involving NCAA Football 14.

But now, progressive NIL rules and regulations have brought life back to EA Sports’ virtual football game, and fans have been excited about it ever since.

Ryan Williams (Alabama) and Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) will be starting their sophomore seasons in 2025. Both receivers had impressive freshman years, which helped earn their spots on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26.

Smith had an especially successful college football debut, leading the entire freshmen receiving class with 76 catches for 1,315 yards on his way to winning a national championship with the Buckeyes.

The evolution of NIL rules and regulations pioneered this new movement for EA Sports, giving each player that is featured in the game an estimated $600 and a copy of the video game.

The game is set to be released on July 10, 2025, carrying EA Sports’ new-found legacy after the success of “College Football 25.”

EA Sports will continue their promotion of their new game this week.

The trailer will be released on Thursday and is sure to generate even more excitement before the pre-order date approaches.

The special deluxe edition of the game will feature the coaching staff of teams on the cover, with reports that some coaches will be available during gameplay.

EA Sports is set up nicely and ready to build off the success of the video game from last year, and that should only create more interest in the sport and create a larger NIL platform for the players.



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