NIL legislation advances, has exemption for public records laws
(The Center Square) – Authorization of sports agents to sign North Carolina’s collegiate athletes for “name, image, and likeness” contracts used in product endorsements is in legislation approved Wednesday by a committee of the state Senate. Authorize NIL Agency Contracts, known also as Senate Bill 229, is headed to the Rules Committee after gaining favor in […]
(The Center Square) – Authorization of sports agents to sign North Carolina’s collegiate athletes for “name, image, and likeness” contracts used in product endorsements is in legislation approved Wednesday by a committee of the state Senate.
Authorize NIL Agency Contracts, known also as Senate Bill 229, is headed to the Rules Committee after gaining favor in the Judiciary Committee. It would likely next get a full floor vote.
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Former Gonzaga star Brynna Maxwell joins Eastern Washington staff as assistant coach | Eastern Washington
CHENEY, Wash. — Former Gonzaga women’s basketball standout and WNBA draftee Brynna Maxwell is joining the Eastern Washington women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach. “We are excited to have Brynna Maxwell join our crew,” EWU head coach Joddie Gleason said on X. “Thrilled to have her start her coaching journey with the Eags.” Welcome […]
CHENEY, Wash. — Former Gonzaga women’s basketball standout and WNBA draftee Brynna Maxwell is joining the Eastern Washington women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach.
“We are excited to have Brynna Maxwell join our crew,” EWU head coach Joddie Gleason said on X. “Thrilled to have her start her coaching journey with the Eags.”
Maxwell spent two seasons with the Zags after transferring from Utah ahead of the 2022-23 season. In her final year at Gonzaga, the Gig Harbor, Washington, native started all 36 games and helped guide GU to a historic 16-0 mark in West Coast Conference play, a 32-4 overall record and a berth to the Sweet 16 of the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament.
The 6-foot guard appeared in 69 games, starting 65, and totaled 955 career points, 72 steals, 64 assists and 228 rebounds. Her performance earned back-to-back All-WCC First Team honors.
Maxwell was selected with the first pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky but did not make the final 12-player roster.
With her playing days now over, Maxwell embarks on her coaching career close to home. She joins a staff that includes head coach Joddie Gleason, associate head coach Skip Gleason and second-year assistant coach Jamie Loera, who had a record-breaking playing career with the Eagles from 2022-24.
Last season, with a roster full of new faces, Eastern Washington finished eighth in the Big Sky Conference standings with an 11-20 overall record and a 7-11 mark in conference play. The Eags lost to Sacramento State in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament and will look to keep improving in 2025-26 with a young but talented team.
Zakai Zeigler, a former UT basketball player, sues NCAA to play for a fifth year and collect NIL compensation
Zeigler’s lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction to let him compete in the upcoming season while pursuing graduate studies. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A popular former University of Tennessee basketball player filed a lawsuit Tuesday, aiming to keep his eligibility to play for an additional year while collecting compensation for his name, image and likeness while pursuing […]
Zeigler’s lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction to let him compete in the upcoming season while pursuing graduate studies.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A popular former University of Tennessee basketball player filed a lawsuit Tuesday, aiming to keep his eligibility to play for an additional year while collecting compensation for his name, image and likeness while pursuing his graduate degree.
Zakai Zeigler said he is hoping to compete in his fifth year of college basketball and argued that he has a five-year eligibility window, despite already graduating from UT’s undergraduate program. The lawsuit argues that an “arbitrary” National Collegiate Athletic Association rule limits student-athletes to participating in four seasons of competition.
The lawsuit argues that many other student-athletes compete during their fifth year of eligibility and earn compensation for their name, image and likeness while playing. The lawsuit said Zeigler’s NIL valuation for the 2025-2026 season ranges between $2 million and $4 million.
It said if he had been barred from playing for a single year through the NCAA redshirt system, he would still be eligible to play now, and argued that through the system, the NCAA ultimately gets to decide if student-athletes have the chance to play during their fifth year of eligibility instead of the student-athletes themselves.
“But, because Zeigler participated in athletics for four consecutive years, the NCAA bars him from representing his school in interscholastic competition in the fifth year of the competition window—and thereby excludes him from the market for NIL compensation,” the lawsuit said.
Typically, “redshirted” student-athletes have the chance to sit out for a year, but still maintain their four-year eligibility. These kinds of student-athletes are usually still allowed to practice with the team, receive academic scholarships and financial aid, attend class or train with a coach. The system is meant to give student-athletes a chance to recover from injuries, improve their GPA or sharpen their skills, according to North Central College.
The lawsuit also claims the NCAA’s rule violates the Sherman Act, constituting an “unreasonable restraint of trade” because when student-athletes’ eligibility ends, they are effectively locked out of the NIL market.
“For Zeigler specifically, his NIL earning potential in a fifth year of eligibility would substantially exceed his current earning potential due to his established performance record and name recognition,” the lawsuit said. “By restricting Zeigler’s participation in this market through an arbitrary limitation on player eligibility, the NCAA directly impacts his ability to compete in the commercial marketplace.”
It also argues that effectively undoing the four-season rule would further the NCAA’s academic mission.
Zeigler graduated this week after completing UT’s retail and merchandising management undergraduate program. While studying and playing with the Tennessee basketball team, he also partnered with at least one local law firm for promotional content.
Garza Law Firm sponsored his sold-out “I AM G.I.A.N.T. Basketball Camp” in April 2025. He also appeared in a video promoting the law firm. Zeigler is represented by Litson PLLC and the Garza Law Firm.
The lawsuit asks for a 12-person jury to review the case, and for a judgment that the NCAA’s four-season rule violates the Sherman Act, as well as the Tennessee Trade Practices Act. It also asks for a preliminary and permanent injunction keeping the NCAA from enforcing the rule against Zeigler, allowing him to compete next season.
WBIR reached out to the NCAA for comment on the lawsuit.
Tennessee basketball has 12 out of 13 scholarship players on the 2025-26 roster.
IRVING, Texas – Oklahoma State’s Harrison Bodendorf highlights the list of Cowboys to earn All-Big 12 recognition for the 2025 season. Bodendorf was named the 2025 Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Year, sharing the award with Arizona State’s Matt King, and the junior southpaw also earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team. […]
IRVING, Texas – Oklahoma State’s Harrison Bodendorf highlights the list of Cowboys to earn All-Big 12 recognition for the 2025 season.
Bodendorf was named the 2025 Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Year, sharing the award with Arizona State’s Matt King, and the junior southpaw also earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team.
Also collecting all-conference honors for the Cowboys was Sean Youngerman, who was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team both as a starting pitcher and as a reliever.
Five Cowboys were named Honorable Mention All-Big 12, with Colin Brueggemann, Ian Daugherty, Mario Pesca, Nolan Schubart and Brayden Smith making that list.
A native of Temecula, Calif., who transferred to OSU after spending his first two seasons at Hawaii, Bodendorf is the sixth OSU player to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors, joining Tyler Mach (2006), Zach Johnson (2011), Matt Kroon (2018), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (2021) and Tyler Wulfert (2023).
Bodendorf has been dominant as OSU’s top weekend starter in 2025, compiling a 10-1 record and 2.43 ERA in 15 appearances, 14 of those starts. His 10 wins leads the Big 12 and are the most by a Cowboy pitcher since 2019; the win total also ranks fourth nationally, two behind the NCAA leader.
In 81 1/3 innings of work, Bodendorf has racked up 96 strikeouts, which ranks fourth in the Big 12. He has worked at least five innings in 11 of his 14 starts (one of those was shortened due to rain), including tossing a 10-inning complete game at Arizona.
Opponents are hitting just .194 against Bodendorf, which ranks second in the league, and he is also tied for second in the conference in ERA.
In conference play, Bodendorf started 10 games and finished with a 6-1 record and 2.20 ERA while posting 69 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings.
Youngerman has also been dominant on the mound in his first season in an OSU uniform, shining whether starting or coming out of the bullpen.
In 19 appearances, five of those starts, Youngerman is 3-1 with a team-high four saves and a 2.08 ERA. The righty has tallied 54 strikeouts and issued only six walks in 47 2/3 innings.
Youngerman posted a 3-1 record and 2.14 ERA to go along with a save in nine Big 12 appearances, four of those as a starter.
Brueggemann is enjoying his best year in his final season with the Cowboys. The senior first baseman is hitting .312 with 11 doubles, 14 home runs and 51 RBIs, all of which rank second on the team.
A starter in all 49 games, Brueggemann owns a .603 slugging percentage and is now a three-time all-conference performer after earning second-team honors in each of the last two seasons.
Daugherty is also in his final collegiate season and has been a mainstay behind the plate, starting 37 games for the Cowboys. He sports a .264 batting average to go along with 10 doubles, six homers and 21 RBIs.
Another pitcher in his first season in Stillwater, Pesca has filled a variety of roles on the pitching staff. In 19 appearances, seven of those starts, the right-hander is 6-2 with a 3.64 ERA.
Pesca emerged as a weekend starter over the final five weeks of the season and posted four wins in Big 12 play. He is 4-1 with a 2.58 ERA on the year as a starter.
Schubart has continued to stake his claim as one of the top sluggers in OSU history. The junior is hitting .288 and leads the Cowboys with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs. His 17 round trippers rank third in the conference as do his 44 walks.
An All-Big 12 selection each of the last two years, Schubart ranks fourth on OSU’s career chart with 57 home runs.
In his first season in Stillwater, Smith leads OSU with a .313 batting average and 14 doubles to go along with 10 homers and 36 RBIs.
Smith hit a team-high .343 in Big 12 play and also led the Cowboys in doubles (9), slugging percentage (.627) and on-base percentage (.424) in league games; his 23 RBIs was second.
Sprock Named Semifinalist for John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award
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Overland Park, KS.- Junior Ryan Sprock was chosen as a semifinalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year award, as announced by the College Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday. Earlier today, Sprock was announced as being a member of the All-CAA First Team as well. “This […]
Overland Park, KS.- Junior Ryan Sprock was chosen as a semifinalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year award, as announced by the College Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday. Earlier today, Sprock was announced as being a member of the All-CAA First Team as well.
“This may be the most competitive semifinal list we’ve had since the award was created as there is no clear-cut favorite yet to win the award in 2025,” said Olerud Award chairman George Watson. “The next two weeks are going to be vital in determining not only who our finalists will be, but also to see whether someone puts on a late-season surge to rise to the top.”
Earlier this season, Sprock earned the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Week award for his performances against both #4 North Carolina and Towson. The junior got it done from both sides of the ball as he collected his first save of the season on the mound against Towson and finished his week 7-for-14 (.500) at the plate with two home runs, six runs scored and four RBI.
On the mound, Sprock has been the top arm out of the Phoenix bullpen. Sprock has a team-low ERA of 1.69 and a team low WHIP of 0.81. The junior has made 13 relief appearances and been a part of three Elon shutouts. His four saves lead the club and his strikeouts to walk ratio of 3:1 is also tops on the Phoenix.
In the batter’s box, Sprock has been the top power hitter in the Phoenix lineup. He leads the club in doubles, home runs, Rbis and total bases. Sprock is also top 10 in the CAA in all previous categories mentioned apart from doubles. He has set career bests in batting average, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs and total bases this season.
Sprock and the Phoenix will match up against #3 Campbell in the first round of the CAA Championships tomorrow. First pitch against the Camels will be at 4 PM.
Budweiser, Bud Light Celebrate Grill Season With ESPN, Star Athletes
Grilling season is here, and Budweiser and Bud Light are out to give backyard BBQers the props they deserve with their latest campaign. “Grill Like a Pro” incorporates both brands, along with NFL legend Emmitt Smith (aka “The Boss of Brisket”) and baseball great Ken Griffey Jr. ESPN is … 0
Grilling season is here, and Budweiser and Bud
Light are out to give backyard BBQers the props they deserve with their latest campaign.
“Grill Like a Pro” incorporates both brands, along with NFL legend Emmitt Smith (aka “The
Boss of Brisket”) and baseball great Ken Griffey Jr. ESPN is …
Adding Boogie Fland Elevates Florida's Shot at Back
Florida’s hopes of repeating as men’s basketball national champions in 2025–26 just got a whole lot more real. In one of the biggest transfer portal commitments of the offseason, the Gators reeled in Arkansas Razorbacks transfer guard Boogie Fland. Fland, who once seemed likely to go one-and-done, withdrew his name from the NBA draft last […]
Florida’s hopes of repeating as men’s basketball national champions in 2025–26 just got a whole lot more real.
In one of the biggest transfer portal commitments of the offseason, the Gators reeled in Arkansas Razorbacks transfer guard Boogie Fland. Fland, who once seemed likely to go one-and-done, withdrew his name from the NBA draft last week and officially made his commitment to Florida during an official visit early this week. The former elite recruit averaged over 13 points and five assists per game in an injury-shortened first college season at Arkansas and profiles as one of the best guards in college basketball in 2025–26. Sources indicate Fland spurned higher-dollar NIL promises from other programs to join the Gators, buying into a Florida system that developed Walter Clayton Jr. into a likely first-round pick and Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
The Fland addition continues a monster offseason for the defending national champions, who have rapidly rebuilt a championship-caliber roster after losing essentially their entire backcourt rotation headlined by Clayton. The Gators beat out Kansas, St. John’s and a host of other top programs for Princeton Tigers transfer Xaivian Lee, who was expected to share backcourt duties with returner Denzel Aberdeen. But after Aberdeen surprisingly hit the portal close to the entry deadline in late April, the Gators’ pursuit of another high-level backcourt option intensified. They were long believed to be a favorite to land Fland’s services once he officially entered the portal on April 22, and things moved quickly once Fland decided to return to college basketball over being a likely second-round pick in this year’s draft.
Todd Golden’s staff also successfully retained huge pieces from a frontcourt rotation that was among the nation’s best last season. Super sub Thomas Haugh (who’s expected to slide into the starting lineup at the three next season) and starting center Rueben Chinyelu both announced their return to Gainesville, Fla., on NIL deals worth well over $1 million each. The final domino is starting power forward Alex Condon, who is still going through the NBA draft process. Sources indicated Condon is likely to return to Gainesville unless he receives the type of draft day promise that would be impossible to turn down, likely from a team drafting in the top 20 or so . If Condon returns, Florida’s roster is expected to be set outside of perhaps adding a developmental piece or two.
That core of five players (Fland, Lee, Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu) would make up perhaps the most talented starting lineup in the country. How Haugh takes to playing as more of a wing is a legitimate question, though he made strides as a three-point shooter as a sophomore and the Gators have more natural wings in AJ Brown (Ohio) and CJ Ingram who will allow Haugh to slide to his more natural power forward spot at times. While there have been questions about how Lee and Fland (two high-usage players) might fit together, each should be able to relieve some of the pressure on the other to carry an offense that otherwise lacks shot creation. Whether it comes together as seamlessly as last year’s group did remains to be seen, but there’s a strong case to be made that Golden and staff have built an even more talented roster than the one that cut down the nets in San Antonio last month.
And if things weren’t already going great in Gainesville, the Gators also locked in Golden for the foreseeable future with a contract extension through 2030–31 that makes him one of the five highest-paid coaches in men’s college basketball. That extension essentially takes him off the market as a potential target from other schools next spring, with a buyout of $16 million if he leaves for another college job following the 2025–26 season.
Repeating as national champions is an incredibly challenging endeavor, no matter how easy the 2023–24 UConn Huskies made it look. But with Fland in tow, the Gators now have a legitimate chance to challenge for another championship next April in Indianapolis.
(@EWUWBB) May 20, 2025
