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Oklahoma Avoided Elimination Again and Gained Valuable Experience at the WCWS

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma got it done. Again.  The Sooners won their ninth-straight elimination game, fending Oregon off with a 4-1 victory on Sunday night at Devon Park.  Veteran first baseman Cydney Sanders rocketed a pair of home runs to help lead her squad, which looks a lot different from the last OU group who […]

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma got it done. Again. 

The Sooners won their ninth-straight elimination game, fending Oregon off with a 4-1 victory on Sunday night at Devon Park. 

Veteran first baseman Cydney Sanders rocketed a pair of home runs to help lead her squad, which looks a lot different from the last OU group who had to pick themselves off the mat at the 2024 Women’s College World Series against Florida. 

Patty Gasso just wishes her team was as excited as her.

“We walk over and we shake hand,” said Gasso after the win. “And we walk in the dugout like, ‘Hey, okay, and I’m like: Do you know what we just did? Does anyone know what we just… we’re in the Final Four.’

“Can somebody celebrate? Can we do something fun? They’re just the most calm, chill — sometimes I’m like, I don’t know that you know. Do you know?”

Most of Gasso’s Sooners are new, but the returners can be forgiven for showing little emotion.

The expectation is to make it to Wednesday’s championship series. 

But the 2025 Sooners extended the program’s streak of winning elimination games to nine, as Oklahoma still looms as the so far un-killable horror movie villain in OKC.

“That’s impressive. Nine is pretty dang impressive,” Gasso said. “That means you’re a team that when — that’s character. That is we’re not going to quit, so I love, love, love that.”

To keep the dreams of a fifth-straight national title alive, the Sooners will have to stave off elimination twice more on Monday.

The 12-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders and star pitcher NiJaree Canady loom in the semifinals, and 2-seeded Oklahoma has no margin for error.

Oregon took a 1-0 lead on Sunday, and while it lasted just half an inning, Gasso’s new faces got a chance to feel what it’s like to trail in an elimination game at Devon Park.

Every twist and turn through OU’s first three games at the WCWS will help Oklahoma’s next generation grow. 

“They learned a valuable lesson,” Gasso said. “And that’s the one thing that we’re doing this whole season, learning so many valuable lessons to help this team go into next year so much better than when we started.

“Still, I mean, I’m on an amazing ride. I don’t know how they feel. They don’t share a lot… It’s swaggy, but it’s bizarre at the same time. Trying to figure it out.”

The Sooners learned how to handle Sunday’s elimination game. 

Now they’ll have to replicate that success on Monday to get another shot at either Texas or Tennessee. OU will take on Texas Tech at 6 p.m.

Should the Sooners emerge victorious, they’ll immediately turn around and battle the Red Raiders again at Devon Park to try and take down Canady and reach a sixth-straight championship series.

“They just sometimes don’t make a lot of noise.” Gasso said. “Every once in a while they’ll create something. But they were definitely more focused and ready (against Oregon).”



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Travis Kelce net worth, assets and endorsement deals

NFL star Travis Kelce has always been known for his strong performance on the football field. However, his popularity has grown even more since he started dating global music sensation Taylor Swift. Now, people are not only interested in his relationship with her but also in his wealth. One big question many people are asking […]

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Travis Kelce net worth, assets and endorsement deals

NFL star Travis Kelce has always been known for his strong performance on the football field. However, his popularity has grown even more since he started dating global music sensation Taylor Swift. Now, people are not only interested in his relationship with her but also in his wealth. One big question many people are asking in 2025, is Travis Kelce richer than Taylor Swift? Let’s take a look at his earnings and investments to find out.

Travis Kelce, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs has an estimated net worth of around $90 million (about ₹751 crore).

NFL salary

Travis is among the highest paid NFL players. In April 2024, he signed a two-year contract extension worth $34.25 million. Over his entire career in the NFL, he has earned close to $100 million.

There are reports that his current contract might end in 2025 but nothing has been confirmed.

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Brand endorsements

Travis makes around $5 million per year from brand partnerships. He works with well known companies like –

  • McDonald’s
  • Nike
  • Papa John’s
  • Bud Light
  • State Farm
  • Bud Light

Podcast earnings

Travis co-hosts a podcast with his brother Jason Kelce called New Heights. The show began in 2022 and quickly became popular.

In August 2024, both the brothers signed a three-year deal worth $100 million with Amazon’s Wondery to bring the podcast to their platform.

Real estate
Travis owns a large 10,000-square-foot home in Kansas City, Missouri, which he bought in 2019 for $995,000.

In 2023, he purchased another luxury home in a gated community in the same city for just under $6 million.

Even after all the NFL contracts and investments, he is still behind his girlfriend Taylor Swift in terms of net worth. Reports suggest that Taylor has a net worth of massive $1.5 billion, making her one of the richest entertainers in the world.

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Kansas Basketball Guard Makes Late Offseason Transfer Portal Entry

According to reports from On3, Kansas Jayhawks guard Noah Shelby is entering the NCAA transfer portal. NEW: Kansas guard Noah Shelby has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos_ reports. Shelby has made stops at Vanderbilt and Rice.https://t.co/EDWuhfuFZR pic.twitter.com/rZt7GHDEQW — Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) July 7, 2025 Although Bill Self had seemingly rounded out his squad, Shelby […]

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Kansas Basketball Guard Makes Late Offseason Transfer Portal Entry

According to reports from On3, Kansas Jayhawks guard Noah Shelby is entering the NCAA transfer portal.

Although Bill Self had seemingly rounded out his squad, Shelby unexpectedly departed from the program in the late transfer window.

A former 4-star recruit out of high school, Shelby began his collegiate career at Vanderbilt before transferring to Rice.

He was a walk-on redshirt during his first and only year in Lawrence, and his KU career ended before he could play a game in a crimson and blue uniform. The school was planning to elevate Shelby to a scholarship player this upcoming season.

While he never took the floor at KU, Shelby appeared in 30 games for Rice in the 2023-24 campaign. He averaged 3.9 points and 1.0 rebounds for the Owls on 35.1% field goal shooting. 

With transfers Melvin Council Jr. and Jayden Dawson and returning players Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell in the fold, the 6-foot-3 guard did not have a viable path to playing time despite his exceptional athleticism.

Incoming freshman Kohl Rosario’s commitment last month also could have influenced Shelby‘s decision.

Now that Shelby is out of the picture, Kansas has two remaining scholarships on the roster, though it remains unknown whether the program will fill them.

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Season and Single-Game Tickets Now Available for Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Soccer

Story Links MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Mountaineer Ticket Office has announced season and single-game ticket information for the 2025 women’s soccer, men’s soccer and volleyball home schedules.   Season tickets for all three programs are now available, offering Mountaineer fans an affordable and convenient way to support WVU’s fall athletic programs […]

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Mountaineer Ticket Office has announced season and single-game ticket information for the 2025 women’s soccer, men’s soccer and volleyball home schedules.
 
Season tickets for all three programs are now available, offering Mountaineer fans an affordable and convenient way to support WVU’s fall athletic programs throughout the season. All season tickets will be sold as general admission only.
 
Season ticket pricing is set at $75 for all sports. Fans also have the opportunity to purchase an exclusive WVU soccer scarf as part of a bundled offer with either soccer season ticket for a total of $90. Scarves will be available only through this package and will not be sold separately.
 
All season tickets will be delivered via mobile delivery only, and sales will conclude at the beginning of each sport’s first home event. Flex plans will not be offered for the 2025 season.
 
Single-game tickets purchased in advance through WVUGAME.com will be priced at $8. Group tickets for parties of 10 or more will be available for $5 per person in advance. On-site, game day pricing will be $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and youth (ages 18 and under).
 
Tickets can be purchased online at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, or in person at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum.
 
For more information on team schedules, ticket policies, and promotional events, visit WVUsports.com and follow @WVUsports on social media.



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Ohio State’s 2024 National Championship Proved NIL, Revenue-Sharing Strategy Works Without Winning Every High School Recruit

It’s impossible to tell exactly how much NIL and revenue sharing dollars factored into Felix Ojo’s decision to attend Texas Tech, but there’s no denying it was a factor. Being a five-star offensive tackle, Ojo represented what’s been a desperate recruiting desire for the Buckeyes for the better part of a decade. Ohio State hasn’t […]

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It’s impossible to tell exactly how much NIL and revenue sharing dollars factored into Felix Ojo’s decision to attend Texas Tech, but there’s no denying it was a factor.

Being a five-star offensive tackle, Ojo represented what’s been a desperate recruiting desire for the Buckeyes for the better part of a decade. Ohio State hasn’t landed a five-star offensive line bookender from outside The Buckeye State since Nicholas Petit-Frere signed on in the class of 2018. The Buckeyes haven’t landed a top-100 OT in general since Ohio five-star Paris Johnson Jr. in 2020  – not counting Donovan Jackson in 2021 – though Sam Greer (the composite No. 109 overall prospect in 2026) and Maxwell Riley (No. 127) could buck that trend with a bit more rankings climb.

Texas Tech is reportedly ready to shell out $5.1 million over the next three years for Ojo. Conflicting reports are out about whether that’s fully guaranteed or if it’s a $775,000 per year deal that can be renegotiated later, but in both cases, the Red Raiders are at least willing to cough up more than $1.5 million each season.

Could Ohio State have pooled its resources and extended Ojo a better offer and possibly brought him to Columbus? Perhaps. But that has not been the strategy of Ryan Day’s program since NIL entered college football back in 2021.

And it’s working. It’s the strategy that built the Buckeyes a national championship roster in 2024.

“The number one thing is wanting to be a Buckeye,” Ryan Day said of the players he recruits during Big Ten Media Days in July 2024. “Understanding the tradition, what our city can do, what our program can do, how we can develop you, playing for championships, all those things. If the number one thing is NIL, it probably isn’t the right place for you.”

There’s an inherent risk to throwing millions of dollars at an 18, 17 or even 16-year-old kid. Just ask Texas A&M.

The Aggies poured out proverbial oceans of cash to help sign the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2022, the first cycle where NIL was fully available to recruits after the NCAA implemented its first NIL-allowing policy in July 2021. What has it reaped the program? Well, Texas A&M still hasn’t had a 10-win season since 2012. A number of the prospects from its 2022 class who received lucrative payouts from collectives transferred elsewhere later in their college careers, including the nation’s composite No. 2 player, Walter Nolen (Ole Miss). Oh, and the school paid a record $77 million buyout to fire former head coach Jimbo Fisher in 2023.

Beyond feel-good talks about loyalty or “wanting to be a Buckeye,” as Day put it, he and his program devised a clear, consistent and better long-term plan than funneling most of its NIL resources into recruiting. Ohio State figured out what it felt a prospect’s worth was and its now-disbanded NIL collectives would orchestrate deals for around that amount, but the Buckeyes have rarely, if ever, entered bidding wars for recruits. Some NIL resources went to recruiting, yes, but roster retention and the transfer portal were equal or higher priorities.

Alright, maybe there was bidding for Jeremiah Smith out of high school, but he’s as obvious a generational talent as there’s ever been. And Smith wanted to be a Buckeye all along, too, despite some of the last-minute drama around him on Early Signing Day, 2024.

Ohio State might not have won the recruitments of 2025 five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. or five-star cornerback Na’eem Offord, both of whom drew top-dollar NIL deals, reportedly. It stung. But they invested in an all-in push with more proven assets earlier in 2024.

The Buckeyes returned 11 seniors who became 2025 NFL draft picks. From the transfer portal, they pulled unanimous All-American safety Caleb Downs, Rimington Trophy-winning center Seth McLaughlin, national title-winning quarterback Will Howard, 1,000-yard rusher Quinshon Judkins and excellent blocking tight end Will Kacmarek.

That core, plus Smith, banded together after Ohio State’s fourth consecutive loss to Michigan and went on the greatest national championship run in college football history. The Buckeyes’ four-game College Football Playoff gauntlet featured victories over No. 7 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Texas and No. 5 Notre Dame based on the final batch of CFP rankings. It’s been recounted on here numerous times. There’s an entire library you can check out by clicking the banner below:

But that memorable journey was enabled by Ohio State’s NIL spend, not in recruiting but in the portal and especially in retention. Plus, it made the Buckeyes’ title feel very homegrown, and it says much about the culture of Day’s program that so many draft-caliber players stuck around for a senior season.

“I think that’s where it’s just easy for people to say, you know, Ohio State just had NIL for this amount of money or whatever, and it’s just so cheap and so easy for someone to say,” Day told Josh Pate on his Pate State Speaker Series in May. “If you actually do the research, all it does it really tell you the value of an Ohio State football player. When you look at a brand that has just south of 12 million fans and the city of Columbus with 2 million people and the power of Ohio State, yeah, our guys are going to make a lot of money in NIL.”

None of this is to excuse lost recruitments like that of Ojo’s. Ohio State also whiffed on a few big-time defensive linemen recently in Luke Wafle (USC) and Carter Meadows (Michigan). The Trojans reportedly upped their NIL offer to Wafle in the final hours. However, the Buckeyes are still attracting elite recruiting classes, signing the composite No. 5 class in 2024 and the No. 4 class in 2025. The Buckeyes currently hold the composite No. 6 class in 2026.

Revenue sharing is shaking up the structure of recruiting again and Ohio State is unifying its NIL and revenue sharing efforts under the oversight of the athletic department. But its tactics remain the same. In an ever-crazier era of player movement through the transfer portal, the Buckeyes didn’t lose any contributors to the portal this offseason.

From the portal, they added back the best available tight end in Purdue’s Max Klare, a defensive end with proven production in North Carolina’s Beau Atkinson and West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson, who is projected to work in tandem with James Peoples atop Ohio State’s depth chart at the position. 

Perhaps the Buckeyes’ approach to roster building will yield more national championships soon.

“Once you win that national championship, for the most part, you’ll get the benefit of the doubt moving forward,” Day told NBC in May. “Not that anything is guaranteed because once you lose a game, it’s not good (laughs). But that’s part of the job here. It’s part of the excellence. It’s a wonderful place to be. You get to be around great people, you get to recruit great people — even in a day and age where there’s a lot of craziness going on.

“But we do, we have good people here. Our culture is very, very strong. I always kind of said to recruits and families, ‘If we win one of these national championships, watch out, we’re gonna be doing it for a while, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun.’”





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Koby Brea was included in the NBA's first ever seven team trade

Years from now, Koby Brea can say that he helped Kevin Durant find his way to the Houston Rockets — well, sort of. ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Durant’s trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Rockets all the way back on June 22. But because of how the league calendar is set up, the […]

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Koby Brea was included in the NBA's first ever seven team trade

Years from now, Koby Brea can say that he helped Kevin Durant find his way to the Houston Rockets — well, sort of.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Durant’s trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Rockets all the way back on June 22. But because of how the league calendar is set up, the transaction couldn’t be made official until Sunday. And when all was said and done, the dealing of Durant to Houston included a record-setting seven teams. Brea, who was taken 41st overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, ended up being a part of it, with the Golden State Warriors trading his draft rights to Phoenix.

This massive, seven-team deal was made up of a series of smaller transactions that leaked out since the Durant deal was made public in June. All seven franchises somehow managed to get on the same page and make it work. Also included in the trade was former Kentucky guard Adou Thiero, who had his draft rights traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Los Angeles Lakers. Thiero was the 36th overall pick in the draft.

via @BobbyMarks42

Would it have been nice for Brea to begin his professional career with the Warriors, learning under the greatest shooter of all time in Steph Curry? Of course. But here at Kentucky Sports Radio, we think learning under Devin Booker in Phoenix is a pretty solid consolation prize. There should be a pretty clear pathway to a rotation spot for Brea, too — especially if the Suns’ front office can figure out a way to offload Bradley Beal and his expensive, no-trade clause contract.

Brea will make his NBA debut later this week (Friday, July 11) in Las Vegas at the NBA 2K26 Summer League. He’ll be one of a dozen former Wildcats set to suit up and make some noise.

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How Fans Can Play EA Sports College Football 26 Before July 10 Release

College football fans can get their hands on EA Sports College Football 26 three days early, starting July 7. The game officially launches July 10 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but several early access options let players jump in sooner. Whether you want to spend big on premium editions or test the waters […]

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College football fans can get their hands on EA Sports College Football 26 three days early, starting July 7. The game officially launches July 10 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but several early access options let players jump in sooner.

Whether you want to spend big on premium editions or test the waters with a budget trial, there’s an early access path that fits your wallet and gaming style.

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Dive into Try out PFSN’s FREE college football playoff predictor, where you can simulate every 2025-26 NFL season game and see who wins the National Championship!

How the Deluxe and MVP Bundles Get You Playing First

EA Sports gives players two premium ways to start playing July 7 at Noon Eastern Time. The Deluxe Edition costs $99.99, which is $30 more than the standard version but gets you three full days of early access.

That extra $30 also nets you 4,600 College Football Points, a College Ultimate Team All Hands Pack, Dynasty Coach Points, Road to Glory Skill Points, and an Ultimate Team Hero Player Item. For players who plan to dive deep into the game modes, those bonuses add real value beyond just the early access.

The MVP Bundle takes things further at $149.99 by combining both Madden NFL 26 Deluxe Edition and College Football 26 Deluxe Edition. You get the same July 7 early access for both games plus 4,600 Madden points, 4,600 CUT Points, and a Cover Athlete Elite Item. For fans who buy both games anyway, this bundle saves money while delivering early access to both titles.

This year’s College Football game packs over 2,800 new plays and 45+ new formations into the experience. The developers brought in 300 real-world coaches who use their actual schemes, making each team feel authentic to their real-life counterparts. Road to Glory mode now starts in high school with full recruiting experiences, complete with the traditional Hat Ceremony where players announce their college choice.

The NIL features let players chase brand partnerships and endorsement deals throughout their virtual careers, mirroring the modern college football landscape. These additions make the early access period valuable for players who want to explore all the new systems before the general release.

The Smart Money Play: EA Play Trial and Pre-Loading Perks

EA Play subscribers get a 10-hour trial of College Football 26 starting July 7, the same day as premium early access. The monthly subscription costs just $5.99 and includes a 10% discount on game purchases. Any progress you make during the trial carries over if you decide to buy the full game.

This trial option gives you plenty of time to test the gameplay, try different modes, and see if the game lives up to the hype. Ten hours is enough to play through several games, experiment with Road to Glory, and get a feel for the Dynasty mode improvements.

Both console platforms offer pre-loading to make the most of early access time. PlayStation 5 users can download the 39.51 GB file 48 hours before early access begins, while Xbox Series X/S players with pre-orders can start downloading the 40.5 GB file immediately after purchase.

The EA Play route makes the most financial sense for casual players or those unsure about the game. You get substantial gameplay time for under $6, plus the discount if you decide to purchase. Players who know they want the game can jump straight to the Deluxe Edition for the full early access experience with bonus content.

For those who prefer to wait, the Standard Edition launches July 10 at noon Eastern Time for $69.99. But with college football season approaching and the first game in over a decade generating massive excitement, those three extra days might be worth the investment for die-hard fans.





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