NIL

Pressure mounts on Brian Kelly as LSU secures 2025 transfer portal haul that must yield championship results

When Brian Kelly walked into the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas to check in on a Sunday afternoon last summer prior to his appearance at SEC Media Days, he did so in stealth mode. He shook hands with a league administrator near the registration counter, placed his luggage on the floor and greeted the concierge […]

Published

2 weeks ago

May 5, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Free of the customary throng of fans asking for autographs after his arrival, absent were media crews huddled in the corner waiting for comments, and there was no group of LSU handlers around him protecting every move.

This wasn’t Tom Cruise being spotted inside of a local coffee shop with paparazzi in pursuit ahead of a giant movie premiere. No, this might as well have been Kelly back at Cincinnati prior to his run at Notre Dame, unrecognizable to many simply finishing out travel day in Texas.

Delivering this with respect given his track record of success elsewhere, Kelly is still small potatoes within college football’s most competitive conference. Until he wins a league championship or makes his first playoff appearance at LSU, Kelly is just another handsomely paid coach hoping to strike gold with a transfer-infused roster the Tigers have exhausted resources to bring to the field.

Kelly toppled Nick Saban during his first season in Baton Rouge, but the memorable wins have been few and far between since. LSU is 2-7 against ranked competition since Kelly’s dice roll in overtime against the Crimson Tide in 2022 triggered pandemonium inside Tiger Stadium and placed the program in the thick of the playoff conversation.

SEC Media Days 2025 schedule, dates: When coaches, teams will speak as four-day event returns to Atlanta

Will Backus

A flat performance at Texas A&M followed, and a blowout loss to Georgia in Atlanta marked a low point for Kelly to end his first season. The stakes haven’t returned to that level since.

Until now.

Sunday night’s commitment from former All-Big 12 Houston safety A.J. Haulcy brings another immediate-impact starter to LSU’s roster ahead of the 2025 season, further strengthening a group that is undoubtedly Kelly’s deepest of his tenure.

The Tigers beat known big spender Miami for Haulcy, stiff-armed several elite programs for edge rushers Patrick Payton (Florida State) and Jack Pyburn (Florida) this cycle and were first in line to welcome pass-catchers Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) and Barion Brown (Kentucky) to upgrade their wideout room.

Haulcy is the second of two post-spring additions for Kelly, who also signed USF defensive tackle Bernard Gooden, one of the top-rated players available and explosive piece on the interior within LSU’s nickel and dime packages.

The Tigers are one of college football’s “haves” in the NIL arms race, and part of that accomplishment came via Kelly, who agreed in December to personally match up to $1 million in contributions to LSU’s NIL fund.

“LSU has a long and proud tradition of being one of the elite programs in college football,” Kelly said in a statement. “In order to remain among the nation’s elite in this new world of college athletics, we have to be competitive in all areas of our program. I am committed to doing all that we can to win championships at LSU.

“While we are not permitted to financially support our NIL efforts directly, (wife) Paqui and I can certainly match this tremendous fanbase’s generosity by investing in the future of LSU Athletics through the Tiger Athletic Foundation.”

Kelly’s yearning to win big at LSU is indisputable. The pressure to guide LSU to its first playoff appearance since 2019 this season increases with every additional recruiting victory. As it stands, 29 wins over three seasons fails to meet program expectations when the three coaches who preceded Kelly all won national championships in Baton Rouge.

Right now, LSU’s trophy case has only added Citrus, ReliaQuest and Texas Bowl trophies to its expansive case. This is a group in 2025, anchored by potential 2026 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick Garrett Nussmeier, that is capable of bringing Kelly his first national title and punctuating his career with a new defining moment.

Kelly’s coaching seat in the SEC would cool and he’d have to hire a security team for his next media days appearance as a reigning champion.

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NIL

Cowgirl Tennis Adds Big 12 Player of the Year

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State’s women’s tennis team has signed Olivia Lincer to its roster for the 2025-26 season, as was announced on Tuesday by head coach Chris Young. A transfer from UCF, Lincer joins the Cowgirls as the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year after being named the Big 12 Freshman of the […]

Published

18 minutes ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State’s women’s tennis team has signed Olivia Lincer to its roster for the 2025-26 season, as was announced on Tuesday by head coach Chris Young.

A transfer from UCF, Lincer joins the Cowgirls as the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year after being named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year a season prior. The upcoming junior also earned All-Big 12 First Team honors in singles and doubles in 2025 and was named to the 2024 All-Big 12 Freshman Team.

Playing the majority of her matches on court one, Lincer went 15-2 in singles and 11-11 in doubles during the dual season for the Knights. She collected two ranked singles wins and four ranked doubles wins on her way to reaching No. 19 in the national doubles poll.

During her freshman season, Lincer went 7-10 in singles and 5-11 in doubles to earn her multiple conference honors. Five of her singles wins came in conference play, and she notched a win against Kansas at the Big 12 Championships in Stillwater.

Prior to entering collegiate tennis, Lincer ranked as the No. 5 recruit in her class and reached the Round of 16 at the 2022 Wimbledon Juniors. She also ranked as high as the No. 1 junior and No. 8 female player in Poland and entered college with four singles titles and two doubles titles on her resume.

For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State women’s tennis, follow @CowgirlTennis on social media and visit okstate.com.

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NIL

College Athletes’ Controversial NIL Deals

Published

19 minutes ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In 2021, College Sports changed forever when the NCAA allowed student athletes to make money using their name, image and likeness – known as NIL. According to one study – the total NIL market is projected to reach nearly $1.7B this year. Bloomberg Open Interest takes a deep dive into the controversial sponsorships with Learfield CEO Cole Gahagan. Learfield is a sports marketing company which represents over 200 division 1 colleges and and has helped over 2,000 athletes secure NIL sponsorships

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NIL

Julian Edelman and Josh Duhamel Speak Out on How NIL Is Affecting Schools Like NDSU

Because of the current transfer portal system and the ongoing NIL landscape, athletes can now earn a healthy amount of money early by signing with a top-tier college. This has created huge problems for mid-level and smaller programs trying to acquire top-tier talent. NFL stars Julian Edelman and Josh Duhamel recently highlighted North Dakota State […]

Published

37 minutes ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

NFL stars Julian Edelman and Josh Duhamel recently highlighted North Dakota State University (NDSU) as one of the schools impacted badly by this shift in college football.

CSN CFB Transfer Portal Tracker — With College Sports Network’s Transfer Portal Tracker, you can stay ahead of the chaos. Follow every entrant, commitment, and decommitment as they happen.

Why Julian Edelman and Josh Duhamel Believe NIL Is Hurting Small-School Football Programs

NFL stars Julian Edelman and Josh Duhamel are speaking up about the growing impact of NIL deals and the transfer portal on college football. During a recent episode of the “Games With Names” podcast, Duhamel opened up about how these changes are making it harder for smaller programs like North Dakota State University (NDSU) to hold on to talent.

“We’re developing a show based on all this stuff. It was called QB Gambit, focused on the quarterback position,” Duhamel said. “We could do spin-offs on the receiver position or other roles, because there’s money out there. But the way these quarterbacks move around changes the trajectory—not only for their career but for their school and conference.”

As a proud NDSU fan, Duhamel explained how one high-profile transfer can create a domino effect. He pointed to Caleb Williams transferring to Oklahoma, which forced Spencer Rattler to move to South Carolina. Then Williams left for USC, pushing Jaxson Dart to Ole Miss. One move can shake up the whole college football map.

Duhamel didn’t hold back when talking about how schools like NDSU are being hit hardest by these changes. He added, “But you know, for schools like NDSU, who really get hurt by this NIL, this transfer portal thing.. so they’re like the Alabama was for all those years. They’ve won like eight of last 10 national championships.”

He also reminded listeners of NDSU’s track record of developing quarterbacks. Their second-leading rusher, Carson Wentz, along with Trey Lance, Easton Stick, and Cam Miller, have all gone to the league in recent years. They may not be superstars, but getting there is tough.

Edelman also added that college football is starting to resemble professional football, where money plays a bigger role in player decisions. “It’s just Pro Football now. It’s crazy,” he said.

KEEP READING: Bill Belichick’s Relationship History Amid Latest Wedding Rumors

Duhamel’s concerns reflect a growing trend: smaller programs, even dominant ones like NDSU, are struggling to compete in this new era of college football. While schools with strong NIL backing are thriving and stockpiling talent. And nobody has the answer on how to get rid of this problem.

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NIL

Boogie Fland transferring to Florida: National champions land former Arkansas standout and five-star recruit

Getty Images The national champs have loaded up and may well have a roster to make a push for another Final Four. Arkansas transfer Boogie Fland committed to Florida, he announced Tuesday, meaning the Gators’ 2025-26 backcourt will be led by two high-profile transfers. Xaivian Lee, a former Princeton standout, committed to UF on April […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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The national champs have loaded up and may well have a roster to make a push for another Final Four. Arkansas transfer Boogie Fland committed to Florida, he announced Tuesday, meaning the Gators’ 2025-26 backcourt will be led by two high-profile transfers. Xaivian Lee, a former Princeton standout, committed to UF on April 16.

The NIL deal to land Fland was more than $2 million, sources told CBS Sports. Florida had been involved with recruiting Fland for nearly a month.

The 6-foot-3 lead guard is a former five-star prospect and charts as one of the 10 best portal players in this year’s cycle. He flirted with the pre-NBA Draft process but announced last week he’d be returning to college. Fland averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds at Arkansas last season, playing in 21 games — missing 15 contests due to a thumb injury. He visited Florida over the weekend; momentum had been cresting in the Gators’ favor ever since.

College basketball transfer rankings 2025: Yaxel Lendeborg, PJ Haggerty headline the top 150 free agents

Isaac Trotter

The Fland commitment comes after Florida explored adding USC transfer Desmond Claude before ultimately continuing to look elsewhere. Fland is a creative shot-taker and playmaker, though his inconsistency betrayed some of his potential. He shot a mere 37.9% overall, including 34% from 3-point range. For Florida, the addition means Todd Golden’s Gators will have a roster that is in the mix and likely to land as a preseason top 10 team. With Fland and Lee in the backcourt, the Gators also return power forward Thomas Haugh, power forward Rueben Chinyelu (who withdrew from the draft process a few days ago) and center Micah Handlogten. Also likely to return is big man Alex Condon, who participated at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, but sources said he’s more likely than not to ultimately make his way back to Gainesville. The Gators will welcome in a pair of four-star freshmen (CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd) as well.

College basketball rankings: BYU, No. 3 in Top 25 And 1, bolsters roster with impressive transfer portal haul

Gary Parrish

It’s a huge win for Florida, as the Gators are losing Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard to expiring eligibility, plus Denzel Aberdeen (off to Kentucky), so landing at least one more high-ceiling guard was a huge priority. UF in effect traded Aberdeen for Fland. With Fland off the board, the biggest names to watch for in the transfer portal include Texas Tech transfer Derrion Williams, St. John’s t transfer RJ Luis, Memphis transfer PJ Haggerty and Claude.

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NIL

Buckeyes Included in Softball America Postseason Awards

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Softball America announced its All-America team and award winners on Tuesday, and the Ohio State Buckeyes were well represented. Jasmyn Burns, a sophomore catcher, was named a second team All-American while the Buckeyes’ coaching staff – consisting of head coach Kirin Kumar and assistant coaches Matthew Guemmer and Courtney Vierstra – took […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Softball America announced its All-America team and award winners on Tuesday, and the Ohio State Buckeyes were well represented.

Jasmyn Burns, a sophomore catcher, was named a second team All-American while the Buckeyes’ coaching staff – consisting of head coach Kirin Kumar and assistant coaches Matthew Guemmer and Courtney Vierstra – took home Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

Burns, a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection and first team NCFA All-Great Lakes Region honoree, hit .455 with a Big Ten-record 25 home runs and 72 RBI. She ranks in the top 10 nationally in batting average, home runs, home runs per game, slugging percentage and total bases.

In her first season with the Buckeyes, Kumar led Ohio State to 45 wins and an NCAA Regional appearance. Her team was powered by the best offense in the country, as Ohio State led the nation in home runs (147), slugging percentage (.701), runs scored (495), runs per game (8.25) and walks (280). In the circle, the staff saw pitchers Lorin Boutte, a freshman, and Kennedy Kay, a fourth-year junior, finish a combined 34-14 in over 256 innings pitched.

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NIL

Boogie Fland Elevates Florida’s Shot at Back-to-Back NCAA Men’s Basketball Titles

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 […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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.

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