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Physicians under pressure in name, image and likeness era

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7 months ago

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Physicians under pressure in name, image and likeness era

June 09, 2025

9 min read

Key takeaways:

  • Name, image and likeness policies have professionalized amateur athletics.
  • Physicians have concerns regarding the risks that both themselves and their patients may encounter.

The ruling of the United States Supreme Court in National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston, 2021, paved the way for collegiate athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness.

Since then, the professionalization of amateur athletics has evolved rapidly, with name, image and likeness (NIL) policies expanding to apply to high school athletes in states where it has been legalized. However, many physicians fear the rapid, unregulated growth of NIL may put physicians and amateur athletes at risk.

OT0325Anderson_Graphic_01_WEB
Source: Hunter Firment
Eric McCarty

Eric McCarty

“If done the right way, NIL can be very good,” Eric McCarty, MD, chief of sports medicine and shoulder surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and head team physician at the University of Colorado, told Healio. “But right now, it is out of hand and continues to take turns and courses that put a lot of entities and people in an uncomfortable position.”

New considerations

When treating an athlete with NIL opportunities, Robin V. West, MD, president of the Inova MSK Service Line and team physician for the Washington Nationals, said there are new considerations for both the athlete and the physician.

Robin V. West

Robin V. West

“As a surgeon, the shift is that these athletes are viewing their bodies from more than just the medical or injured aspect but looking at them as business assets,” West, a Healio | Orthopedics Today Editorial Board Member, said.

Because of that shift, Brian D. Anderson, JD, partner and global head of the sports industry team at the international law firm Sheppard Mullin, said physicians need to recognize that high school or collegiate athletes with NIL opportunities should be treated like professional athletes.

Brian D. Anderson

Brian D. Anderson

“It does not change the underlying diagnosis and medical advice, but it is more about appreciating the stakes and the pressures that are involved,” Anderson told Healio.

The addition of high school athletics to the NIL landscape poses its own set of unique challenges, according to West.

“This is a different kind of liability because now they have these high school athletes who potentially could earn $8 million a year,” West told Healio. “But if they tear their ACL their senior year and you reconstruct it and they do not get back to play, then all of a sudden are you then bound to that $8 million a year that he potentially could have made?”

Anderson also said high school or collegiate athletes with NIL opportunities may have NIL representatives, agents, accountants and parents involved in their careers and wanting a say in the decision-making process. To navigate the pressures that external stakeholders may place on athletes, Anderson recommends athletes have adequate legal representation and emphasized the importance of involving family, guardians and loved ones to help look out for the best interested of the young athlete and provide crucial support.

“I would recommend having a lawyer and a trusted advisor to help navigate [NIL] issues,” Anderson said. “There are a lot of intermediaries involved that may not have [the athlete’s] best interests in mind. At the high school level, most of these athletes are not legally allowed to sign a binding contract. The parents need to be involved and sign the contract as well to make sure it is enforceable.”

Mental demands

In addition to the physical demands athletes may already experience from performing on the field, NIL has introduced an increased mental burden as well, according to Alex B. Diamond, DO, MPH, FAAP, FAMSSM, professor of orthopedic surgery, pediatrics and neurological surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and team physician for Vanderbilt University.

Alex B. Diamond

Alex B. Diamond

“It is that dual threat of they are just regular people like the rest of us, and they go through the same things we do, but they also have this entirely separate world that is complex and intense and public that can affect their health and well-being,” Diamond told Healio. “NIL only acts to amplify all of those things.”

He said student athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds may even become “breadwinners” for their families in the NIL era, which can pose additional pressure to provide at such a young age.

The sense of a student athlete’s self-worth may also be tested by the pressures of NIL contracts and opportunities, according to Peter J. Millett, MD, MSc, orthopedic surgeon and partner at The Steadman Clinic in Colorado. Because athletes may associate self-worth with performance, he told Healio an athlete may begin questioning their self-worth after an injury that may prevent them from playing.

Peter J. Millett

Peter J. Millett

“Sometimes there is a level of grief that sets in, an imposter syndrome type situation where they start to feel like maybe they were not as good as they thought they were, or they did not reach their potential because of this injury,” Millett, a Healio | Orthopedics Today Editorial Board Member, said.

Transfer portal

Increased use of the NCAA transfer portal — a compliance tool used to manage the student-athlete transfer process — has also created challenges in the NIL landscape. According to McCarty, the transfer of student athletes can happen quickly and sometimes there is a lack of communication on where they transferred.

But just because a player may leave an institution, that does not mean they leave the physician’s care, according to Diamond.

“They are always still your patient, whether you are actively treating them or passing them along to a friend or partner or colleague,” Diamond said. “You have to do the right thing regardless of whatever emotions may be there from a school team perspective. We are part of that team, but first and foremost we are providers for that patient.”

McCarty said physicians want to be able to adequately care for student athletes transferring into their institution, as well.

“If we have an athlete coming in, we also want to take care of that athlete if they are having surgery or treatment for an injury,” McCarty said. “We want to make sure that they are taken care of when they come in and get all the records.”

However, with no national shared electronic medical record database for student athletes, physicians may not have all of the documents needed and may need to rely on the athletic trainers and administrative staff to obtain medical records from previous institutions, according to McCarty.

Private equity

As NIL contracts continue to increase in value, private equity firms may start to dip their toes in the NIL pool, which may lead to some positive outcomes, such as providing more money to the athletic program, according to Anderson, who represents teams, leagues, sponsors and investors in the sports industry. He said private equity firms can also provide “expertise in professionalizing organizations that have typically been departments within nonprofit academic institutions.”

“I am sure there are efficiency gains that a smart private equity fund would be able to find and optimize,” Anderson said. “In terms of maximizing media rights and revenue generation and bringing in expertise in commercializing the stadiums and the venues, it could be a good thing.”

However, Millett said the entrance of another external stakeholder would only further increase the risk and liability placed on physicians as there may be “significant legal ramifications for poor outcomes.”

“The medical responsibility gets heightened, and if there are increased financial incentives, you can argue if there is a bad outcome that there are bigger lost earnings. It creates a situation that can be challenging,” Millett said.

Advocacy

According to Diamond, the advanced professionalization of youth sports is a major concern, as children should participate in sports to learn the game, build fundamentals and learn about fitness and exercise.

“We are throwing those aside when we start bringing in this concept of social media likes and presence, and contracts and money,” Diamond said. “We are eroding that base of what makes sports so special at a young age.”

With the added pressures and money surrounding student athletes, Diamond said it is important that physicians advocate for their patients and provide them with an outlet for education and trust in the NIL era.

“That is where we can be effective, providing them that support and safe place,” he said. “We are an independent group that certainly care about their success on the field or court, but our only responsibility is their health and wellness. We can be a safe place for them to raise those concerns and questions with us, and we can hopefully help them navigate this new space.”

West said specialty societies can also play an important role in advocating for both physicians and athletes in the NIL landscape.

“We do not have the legal backing, but we can go and explain the surgeon’s role. We can help to identify that, define it and advocate for the surgeons, which ultimately we are advocating for our patients,” West said. “We can stay involved by understanding [NIL], by educating ourselves on the latest and greatest of what is going on with NIL and then also representing our members.”

Advice

As the NIL landscape continues to develop, Diamond said the hope is it “becomes more straightforward.”

“We see [NIL] being the Wild West right now,” Diamond said. “The hope is that the larger systems and governing bodies will start working together to provide guardrails and guidance to help with this because the structure helps the families and the kids.”

Regardless of the structure NIL takes as it evolves, Diamond said it is important to recognize that it is not going away, and physicians will need to be involved with the student athlete beyond their injury.

“We have to understand that these [injuries] affect their overall health and well-being,” Diamond said. “We need to be better about recognizing and referring to where they need to be. This is a time where we have to work as a collaborative unit. It is not just the physicians and athletic trainers, but our sports psychologists, mental health professionals and academic partners. It is using that whole network as available to the students and trying to connect them to the right people sooner rather than later.”

According to Millett, it is also important for physicians to overcommunicate with the patient and their team, and to continue to lean on their medical expertise and judgement.

“Do not get caught up in all the noise of the media or the press or the pressure from the team,” Millett said. “If the patient is ready to return to play, you can clear them. If they are not ready to return to play or it is unsafe for them, you do not clear them. If they need surgery, you recommend surgery. If surgery is optional, you tell them it is optional, and then you do a shared decision-making process to help figure out what the best solution is.”

Surgeons should also remain educated on the latest developments in NIL and participate in policy formation and advocacy of both physicians and athletes, according to West.

“The most important thing is staying athlete-centered,” West said. “As this commercialization of sports continues to grow, how do we stay true to our focus and our mission?”

Although the appropriate care of student athletes should be one of the top priorities of physicians, McCarty said it is also important for physicians to protect themselves in the face of financial risk and liability.

“It is important that the physicians make sure they have the appropriate malpractice insurance for the reason that these athletes, because they now have a value attached to them when they are in this NIL, may also have people or agents or attorneys now looking at that value in case they get hurt and cannot return,” McCarty said. “Unfortunately, that is becoming more common, and we need to make sure that physicians and any providers are protected as we do the right thing for these athletes.”

References:

For more information:

Brian D. Anderson, JD, can be reached at banderson@sheppardmullin.com.

Alex B. Diamond, DO, MPH, FAAP, FAMSSM, can be reached at alex.b.diamond@vumc.org.

Eric McCarty, MD, can be reached at eric.mccarty@cuanschutz.edu.

Peter J. Millett, MD, MSc, can be reached at drmillett@thesteadmanclinic.com.

Robin V. West, MD, can be reached at robin.west@inova.org.


Sources/Disclosures

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Source:

Healio Interviews

Disclosures:
Millett reports receiving stock options from VuMedi. Anderson, Diamond, McCarty and West report no relevant financial disclosures.

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Why the College Football Playoff system isn’t to blame for lopsided postseason

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December 21, 2025

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Everybody wants to fix the College Football Playoff, but nobody seems to know how. There’s a good reason for this. It’s because the College Football Playoff isn’t broken … college football is.

On Saturday, college football die-hards and casuals alike tuned in to watch two games that were largely decided before a snap ever took place. Sure, the possibility of an upset always looms, but the first quarters of Ole Miss’s 41-10 win over Tulane or Oregon’s 51-34 win over James Madison made it clear quickly how those games would go. They were results that would do nothing to slow the ceaseless wave of the college football literati who had spent the last few weeks gnashing their teeth in despair over the possibility these blowouts would happen and what it would all mean.

But the pearl-clutching, hemming and hawing are all directed at the wrong target. What we’re seeing in the College Football Playoff is the result of a far bigger problem in the sport. College football has always been a top-heavy sport, and while we’ve seen a more even distribution of that weight up top thanks to NIL and the transfer portal (the GLP-1 of college football), on the whole, the sport is more top-heavy than ever before.

Resources, talent shifting in one direction

There is far more talent available and far more money coming in than at any time before, and it’s all flowing overwhelmingly in one direction.

If you look at the top recruiting classes for the 2026 cycle, you’ll notice a couple of things. The first is that, for the first time since 2008, the top class in the country belongs outside of the SEC. USC took the honors this year, the first non-SEC program to do so since Miami way back when. Furthermore, Alabama is the only SEC school to finish in the top four, but while that’s nice to see as far as spreading the talent around, it ignores the larger picture.

Sure, the Big Ten has the top spot, but 23 of the top 35 classes call the Big Ten or SEC home. The only non-Big Ten and SEC schools to crack the top 20 were Notre Dame, Miami, Florida State, North Carolina, Texas Tech and Clemson. Of those six, only Notre Dame and Miami are in the top 10, and Miami is 10th.

Pete Golding shows he’s in charge as Ole Miss dominates without Lane Kiffin: ‘He controls what he wants’

John Talty

Pete Golding shows he's in charge as Ole Miss dominates without Lane Kiffin: 'He controls what he wants'

Damage done by mass realignment

Recruiting rankings are not the only area in which the Big Ten and SEC have consolidated power. They’re just another result of that consolidation. In the last 15 years, the Big Ten has added Nebraska, Maryland, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington to the fold. Taking the last four essentially killed the Pac-12, while reaching out and taking Nebraska caused a destabilizing effect on the Big 12. An instability the SEC was all too happy to take advantage of as it poached Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M from the league over the last 15 years, too. Both leagues will exist in 2026 but largely in name only. Clearly, the Big 12 has survived the attacks much stronger than the Pac-12 has, but the league has seen all of its biggest brands taken from it, which leaves it at a disadvantage when it comes to finding a television deal, causing the gap to grow only wider.

Perhaps that’s why, while we were all forced to suffer the horrors of two uncompetitive football games on Saturday, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham was sending out a call to any possible billionaires who wanted to buy him a new roster. Because that’s where we are now with NIL. The sport dragged its collective feet and ignored the giant tidal wave coming at it for decades, only to dive in full speed ahead on openly paying players (some of) what they’re owed. Only, you know, with hardly any regulations or guidelines that everybody can follow and no viable way to enforce them. Whose fault is that? I don’t know? Everybody’s?

Anyway, right now, people are looking at the Group of Five as the problem with the playoff, but believe me: if finances continue to work the way they’re working in this sport, it’s only a matter of time before the ACC and Big 12 get the same treatment people are giving Tulane and James Madison. After all, it’s the Big Ten and SEC who have been handed complete control of the future of the format as a compromise to simply let the ACC and Big 12 continue to exist.

Big Ten, SEC will win out in the end

But, the truth is, the Big Ten and SEC have always controlled the College Football Playoff. The Big Ten and SEC have won nine of the first 11 College Football Playoffs. Clemson is the only team from outside those leagues to win it, and it’s done so twice. Of course, Clemson has only made the field once since the NCAA stopped forcing transfers to sit out a year after changing schools and hasn’t won a playoff game at all. That’s mostly due to Clemson’s stubbornness, but it’s fitting nonetheless.

To drive the point home even further, of the 22 teams that have played in a College Football Playoff National Championship, 16 currently reside in the Big Ten or SEC. Clemson (4x), TCU and Notre Dame are the only teams to get there who aren’t in those leagues (Oregon and Washington made it while still members of the Pac-12, but are now in the Big Ten).

As the Big Ten and SEC expanded, the Big 12 and ACC did what they had to do to try to keep up. All of which has led to bloated conferences spanning the entire continent where you only play half the league in any given season, leading to ridiculous tie-breaker scenarios that end up with a five-loss Duke winning the ACC, which puts those damned Dukes of James Madison in the field!

So what’s the solution? How do we fix it all? I don’t know that you can, but I do believe there’s a natural outcome from all of this that at least leads to equilibrium of some sort.

You simply let nature take its course. Let the Big Ten and SEC finish what they started. Whether you’re excited about it or not — and believe me, I am not — the Super League or whatever dumb name you want to give it is coming. I don’t know if it will be the result of a hostile takeover by the Big Ten and SEC pilfering all the remaining valuable brands once the current television deals expire, or if it’ll be the result of a compromise between the four leagues to break off from the NCAA and form their own, fully professionalized league. But whatever the method, and whatever the final makeup of the schools involved, it is coming.

And when it does, your College Football Playoff will finally be “fixed.” The blowouts, however, will continue.





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Kickin’ It with Kiz: We comin’? They leaving. CU stars dump Coach Prime for greener pastures

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December 21, 2025

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These young men leaving the CU football program want wins. Wins equal NIL money.

– Joe, ninja-like tendencies

Kiz: Maybe it was Deion Sanders’ magnetic personality that attracted wide receiver Omarion Miller and safety Tawfiq Byard to Boulder. But they’re both hitting the transfer portal, because, as it turns out, the Buffs’ top offensive playmaker and most impactful defender from a wretched 3-9 CU team find money more attractive than Coach Prime. We comin’? They leavin’. Louis Vuitton cuts both ways, eh? 

Maybe it’s not such a doom-and-gloom situation with Sanders and the Buffs if other football programs are getting hit by the transfer portal in the same way.

– S.D., Buffs fan

Kiz: Can you handle the truth? Sanders came to Boulder to make the CU football program a pro showcase for his son and Travis Hunter. Coach Prime also got his bag. More power to him. But CU was so busy countin’ the money from the increased attention that athletic director Rick George was blind to what’s painfully obvious now. The University of Colorado is not a serious football program. As a coach, is Prime ready to get serious about becoming something more than an Aflac pitchman? We’re fixing to find out.

The NIL mess has ruined college football, Kiz.

– Allison, chasing the sun

Kiz: I am all for an athlete at a big-time football school getting paid, because it’s a strenuous and pressurized job. Always has been. But college football has become a game without any semblance of financial rules, loyalty or ethics. That’s not sport, it’s chaos. College football is my first love. So, this mess not only hurts my heart, but it also gives the Buffs next to no shot at winning another national championship.

The college football system is a wreck. So much is wrong that I wonder how you begin to fix it. The question isn’t: What would you do to fix it? In a practical sense, it’s more like how do you convince people to make the necessary changes?

– Z., Denver

Kiz: ESPN should replace its happy little charade of bowl week with more meaningful programming and call it tampering week. Texas at San Antonio playing Florida International in a bowl on the day after Christmas is a complete waste of everybody’s time, especially when you consider UTSA coach Jeff Traylor expects 20 of his players to opt out of their last dance with teammates. “I hate what’s going on in college football,” Traylor said. “It’s sad, it really is sad. I never thought we’d be punished for making a bowl game by being leveraged, that if you don’t give (players) a certain number, they’re not going to play in a bowl.” Nothing short of a collective bargaining agreement, with binding contracts between players and college teams, is going to fix this mess.

And today’s parting shot warns the Broncos to not start taking their football magic for granted.

Beware the Jags. The Broncos will be facing a tough test. Denver needs to keep its edge. Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence is playing at a high level. Fingers and toes crossed.

– Z.G., true Bo-liever





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I’m deeply disturbed by what just happened with BYU’s football coach

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December 21, 2025

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We continually talk about serving the collective good, creating inclusive environments and making ethical choices. The spectacle of multimillion-dollar contracts in athletics sends a conflicting message.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake as BYU hosts TCU, NCAA football in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.

Since the onslaught of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals in college sports, Brigham Young University has made it clear that it is not just willing to play the game — it is willing to pay top dollar.

The recent contract our football coach signed is the latest example. As a BYU student, I am deeply disturbed by the attitude our university has taken toward athletics.

Although the numbers are not officially confirmed, Coach Kalani Sitake’s new annual salary is reportedly in the ballpark of $9 million. Those millions could provide clean drinking water and food to people around the world; it could fund thousands of full tuition scholarships at BYU each year. Yet that same money is tied up in a single athletic contract. What does this suggest about BYU’s priorities?

I am not against sports, nor do I begrudge athletes or coaches for earning compensation. But BYU’s approach raises difficult questions about our values. President Shane Reese is clearly a big proponent of BYU athletics, but the frequency with which he attends sporting events, speaks of athletic outcomes and invests his bully pulpit and limited time in sports, can feel to the rest of campus like our academic focus lags behind. BYU cannot control what donors do with their money, but it can choose what it does with donor money, and that’s what students, faculty and Cougar Nation are watching.

BYU’s mission emphasizes providing an education that is spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging and character-building, with a focus on service and the full realization of human potential. How then, do we justify advocating for self-reliance, helping the poor and the needy and promoting ethical values while simultaneously celebrating multimillion-dollar contracts in athletics?

NIL deals became legal in 2021, creating opportunities for college athletes to profit from endorsements and sponsorships. BYU has clearly embraced this reality, investing heavily to compete financially and attract top talent. While the university maintains that its mission remains intact, the optics are hard to ignore. Students who work campus jobs are still earning sometimes under $10 an hour, while they see athletes and coaches earning millions. Professors researching cures for cancer, promoting democratic ideals, championing global ecological stewardship and strengthening families earn less than our assistant coaches. What message does this send about fairness, value and the culture we are promoting on campus?

Some defenders of this system argue that the sports budget is separate from university funds, and, technically, that is true. But every time BYU’s name, logo or likeness is used in media coverage, sponsorships or promotions, the university’s reputation is leveraged for profit. The supposed separation of funds does little to address the ethical and practical implications for the rest of the student body. What we are celebrating now is a kind of hypocrisy — one that contradicts the core principles meant to guide the university community.

In our classes, we talk often about serving the collective good, creating inclusive environments and making ethical choices. Yet, the spectacle of multimillion-dollar contracts in athletics sends a conflicting message. Sports can inspire and unite communities, and I have no wish to diminish athletic achievement. But BYU has to ask: Are we actually serving our mission, or are we just keeping people entertained with bread and circus?

I don’t see BYU’s attitude toward sports changing anytime soon. But the next time a student faces a family member with cancer, a community is devastated by a natural disaster or any urgent need arises, I expect BYU administrators, mega-donors and alumni to respond just as quickly and generously as they did to retain a football coach.

(Elias Johnson) Elias Johnson is a senior at Brigham Young University.

Elias Johnson is a senior honors student studying biodiversity in conservation at Brigham Young University.

The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We rely on your insight to do this. Find out how to share your opinion here, and email us at voices@sltrib.com.



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NCAA reaches settlement over NIL lawsuit with Tennessee, other states – The Daily Beacon

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December 21, 2025

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The NCAA has reached a settlement in principle with several states, including Tennessee, surrounding a lawsuit of name, image and likeness. Tennessee attorney general Jonathan Skrmetti announced the settlement in a statement Friday.

The lawsuit began when Skrmetti sued the NCAA alongside Virginia attorney general Jason Miyares. It was filed Jan. 31 of last year following an NCAA investigation into Tennessee and Spyre Sports. Prior to the lawsuit, Tennessee athletic director Danny White and chancellor Donde Plowman responded in statements against the NCAA.

A federal judge gave the plaintiffs a preliminary injunction on Feb. 23, temporarily suspending the NCAA’s regulations on name, image and likeness. Nine days later, the NCAA decided to pause the investigation into Tennessee athletics and Spyre Sports.

“We’ve been fighting hard to protect Tennessee student-athletes,” Skrmetti said in a statement. “Last year, we blocked the NCAA’s unlawful enforcement against Tennessee students and schools, and now this settlement in principle lays the groundwork for a permanent solution.”

Per the statement, the settlement will allow students to retain rights from NIL and not allow the NCAA to ban NIL recruiting procedures. Finalization of the settlement is scheduled for March 17.

Prior to the most recent investigation, the NCAA investigated the Tennessee football program, finding several violations from September 2018 to November 2020. The violations, numbering in their hundreds, resulted in significant punishment against Tennessee football.

Required reading

Why Donde Plowman sent a letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker

State of Tennessee, NCAA conclude preliminary injunction hearing, expect decision in ‘short order’

Injunction granted in Tennessee vs. NCAA, court freezes NIL rules

Breaking down the state of Tennessee’s suit against the NCAA

Who is Jonathan Skrmetti? The Tennessee attorney general who isn’t scared

States of Florida, New York, District of Columbia join Tennessee’s antitrust suit against NCAA

Why adding Florida, New York, District of Columbia will benefit Tennessee in antitrust suit against NCAA



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James Madison vs. Oregon prediction: Odds, picks, best bet for College Football Playoff

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December 21, 2025

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James Madison vs. Oregon. In the College Football Playoff. These are the weirdest of times.

When the field expanded to 12 teams, it meant we were eventually going to get a matchup like this.

On one side of the field stands Oregon, a juggernaut backed up by one of the most robust NIL budgets in the country, and on the other, James Madison, playing in just its fourth season at the FBS level.

James Madison now heads across the country to Eugene as 21-point underdogs, hoping to pull off one of the most profound upsets in the history of the sport.

James Madison vs. Oregon odds, prediction

The Dukes were unquestionably one of the best teams in the Group of 5 this season, but they also ranked 121st in strength of schedule, with their only loss coming against their lone Power 4 opponent — Louisville.

You can only beat the teams in front of you, however, and James Madison did that in style in 2025.


Brandon Finney #4 of the Oregon Ducks reacting during the second half against the Washington Huskies.
Brandon Finney of Oregon celebrates. Getty Images

The Dukes had an average margin of victory of 21.5 points, went 8-5 against the spread and won eight games by at least three possessions.

James Madison hit the 45-point mark five times, including against a couple of decent sides in Old Dominion and Texas State.

That kind of scoring power certainly makes the Dukes a tough out as a 21-point underdog, especially since James Madison excels at controlling the clock.

Only two teams (Army, Miami) average more time of possession per game than the Dukes, who lean into the run more than just about anybody outside of the Service Academies.

Betting on College Football?

Whether or not the Dukes will be able to pull that kind of game plan off against an elite Oregon defense remains to be seen, but it bodes well for James Madison’s chances to cover a large spread that it is committed to the run. That should keep the clock moving, which is a great thing for underdog bettors.

Oregon is likely going to prove to be too much for James Madison over the course of 60 minutes, but the Dukes are uniquely set up to be a thorn in the Ducks’ side on Saturday night.

The Play: James Madison +21 (-110, bet365)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.



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Freshman Ebuka Okorie scores season-high 32 to lead Stanford over Colorado 77-68

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December 21, 2025

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PHOENIX (AP) — Freshman Ebuka Okorie scored a season-high 32 points to help Stanford beat Colorado 77-68 on Saturday night in the Hall of Fame Series at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Okorie made 6 of 13 shots with two 3-pointers and 18 of 21 free throws for the Cardinal (10-2). He entered averaging 21 points per game.

Benny Gealer hit three 3-pointers and scored 13, adding three steals for Stanford in a third straight victory. Chisom Okpara scored 11 but made only 3 of 12 shots and 4 of his 10 free throws.

Barrington Hargress had 16 points and six assists to pace the Buffaloes (10-2). Sebastian Rancik totaled 14 points and eight rebounds, while reserve Isaiah Johnson scored 11.

Rancik and Hargress both had nine points by halftime to help Colorado build a 35-33 lead.

Hargress followed his 3-pointer with a fastbreak layup, and the Buffaloes took their largest lead at 29-22 with five minutes left. Gealer had 3-pointers on both sides of one by Ryan Agarwal, and the Cardinal used a 9-2 run to tie it 33-all. Felix Kossaras scored with 1:37 remaining for the final points of the half.

Gealer hit a 3-pointer to tie it 37-all, sparking a 9-0 run for a six-point lead, and the Cardinal led for the final 18:20. Oskar Giltay scored to give Stanford its largest lead at 65-49 with six minutes left.

Up next

Stanford: Hosts Cal State Northridge on Saturday.

Colorado: Hosts Northern Colorado on Dec. 28.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football



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