NIL

Quinn Ewers offers advice to next generation of college recruits

Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers offered advice to aspiring college football players during this week’s NFLPA Rookie Premiere, emphasizing the importance of consistency and presence amid the pressures of recruiting and the ever-evolving landscape of NIL deals. Ewers, a former Texas Longhorns standout and the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2021, […]

Published

1 month ago

May 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Ewers, a former Texas Longhorns standout and the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2021, spoke with On3 about his journey and the lessons he hopes to impart to the next generation of athletes.

“Just be present, especially if you’re in high school and you’re not receiving as many offers or whatever it is-coaches aren’t recognizing you as much,” Ewers said. “Just remain present and continue to be consistent. As long as you stay consistent, you’re going to end up where you want to be, at the end of the day. That’s just how it goes.”

Ewers, who began his collegiate career at Ohio State before transferring to Texas, acknowledged his own privileged position as a highly recruited player. “I was lucky enough to be a highly recruited guy, but I just tried to stay as consistent as I could as long as I could, which, at the end of the day, helped me a ton,” he said. “That’s all it is about-remaining present and taking care of business and letting all the other stuff fall in line, because it will if you really put the work in.”

His message comes at a time when young athletes face unprecedented opportunities and distractions, from social media attention to lucrative NIL deals. Ewers’ advice to “take care of business” and trust the process is a reminder of the fundamentals that underpin long-term success.

After leading Texas to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, Ewers chose to enter the 2025 NFL Draft, forgoing his final season of eligibility and a reported $8 million in potential NIL earnings. Despite sliding to the seventh round, he signed with the Dolphins and is expected to make his professional debut in the preseason. The four-year deal Ewers accepted will reportedly be worth $4.3 million. For Ewers, the next step is clear: stay present, work hard, and let the results speak for themselves.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Quinn Ewers shares best advice for next generation of college recruits

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NIL

Shifting the game: the NCAA transfer portal and the new era of college basketball

College basketball used to be about evaluating and developing players; now it’s all about the transfer portal. This spring 2,320 Division I players entered the portal. That’s about 41% of the 5,607 players eligible to play. Coaches aren’t trying to woo players from junior colleges and high school, instead their focus is on the known […]

Published

6 minutes ago

June 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

College basketball used to be about evaluating and developing players; now it’s all about the transfer portal.

This spring 2,320 Division I players entered the portal. That’s about 41% of the 5,607 players eligible to play. Coaches aren’t trying to woo players from junior colleges and high school, instead their focus is on the known talent looking for a new home.

Jamie Dixon, TCU men’s basketball head coach, gets an updated list of the players in the transfer portal every day. His assistant coaches alert him about players of interest, those who are looking for a better team or more time on the court.

“Recruiting in the portal is different,” Dixon said. “You are not going to the player’s school; often you are doing Zoom recruitment, and it is a shorter time frame. The players have been to college, so they are not as interested in taking visits, they just want to get to know their value and role.”

When added to the impact of NIL payments, allowing players to be paid for name, image and likeness, it’s clear to see that recent NCAA rule changes have changed college hoops in significant ways. For decades, players were held to a 1961 rule that made all athletes who transferred schools sit out one year and lose a year of eligibility.

That began unraveling early into this century as student-athletes pressed for structural changes with the governing body of college sports.

Because of the sport’s small-roster teams, the portal has an outsized effect on basketball. For example, after transfers and graduates left, Baylor University brings no returning players into the 2025-26 season. Instead, the team will field a mix of recruits and transfers when they hit the paint this fall. The Bears focus in the portal has been picking up players who have been good at mid-majors. Baylor has picked up seven players from Rice, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, High Point, Omaha and Wyoming.

NCAA men’s Sweet 16 starting fives by the team they played for as Freshmen.

As this year’s NCAA tournament showing, mid-major players are besting recruits as coaches attempt to build a winning team.

Purdue was only team that made the Sweet 16 without having a transfer in their starting five.

This was also the second time in NCAA history that the men’s Final Four was all one seeds.

The transfer portal seems to be a siren to some of the best players from mid-major schools who hope to transfer to schools that are destined for greater success.

This has made the tournament “Cinderella runs” look less likely for the future.

“It is trending towards Power conferences being more dominant because players from mid-majors are transferring up to the Power conferences,” Dixon said.

Coach Dixon also said the shift will require high school players to be patient with their recruitment.

With the transfer portal high school recruits are not only trying to compete against other high school kids for a spot on a division one roster. They are also competing against every other division one basketball player.

Another way coaches are filling their rosters is buying out a player from a European basketball league, promising them NIL money to play in college.

This is something that has never been seen before, and top programs like Kentucky, Michigan, Illinois and Purdue have all done it. The days of teams trying to get young players and keep them together so they can develop seems to be a thing of the past.

It is now about putting the oldest team with the most amount of experience on the court.

“The evaluating is not really there,” Dixon said. “It’s strictly get the production guys that have produced most recently, you are not projecting, you are not evaluating, you are not developing.”

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NIL

Extra Points is hiring a new FULL-TIME Writer! Here are the details

Recently, we expanded our Extra Points Editorial Team to include a part-time editor. Today, I’m pleased to announce that we’re hiring again. We’re looking to add a Full-Time Writer to the Extra Points team. I don’t want to spill all the beans about the new content initiative we’re looking to launch (stay tuned, I’ll be […]

Published

29 minutes ago

June 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Recently, we expanded our Extra Points Editorial Team to include a part-time editor. Today, I’m pleased to announce that we’re hiring again.

We’re looking to add a Full-Time Writer to the Extra Points team. I don’t want to spill all the beans about the new content initiative we’re looking to launch (stay tuned, I’ll be doing that very soon), but I can share enough to start our hiring process. Here are the details:

Extra Points, a leading newsletter covering business, policy and off-the-field stories in the college athletics industry, is now seeking a writer to lead a newsletter project that will cover the “Money in College Athletics”, from NIL to Private Capital and everything in between. This is a full-time, remote, position.

Here’s what we’d really need this person to do:

Write three newsletters a week, combining original reporting and analysis with smart, value-adding curation, on issues relating to NIL, college sports business, and dealmaking in college athletics.
Take ownership of the editorial direction and voice of a new, standalone newsletter, shaping the voice, focus, and community around that brand.
Serve as a thought leader in the college sports business space.

It would be nice, but not required, if this person could also:

Here’s what we really need, experience-wise, from this person:

Experience writing about related issues professionally. This is not an entry-level position, as we’ll need a writer who is capable of being a self-starter, knows how to find and cultivate sourcing, and where to find the information that matters to our audience. We don’t necessarily need experience writing about NIL or college sports business, but we would want experience writing about business, college sports, or related industries.
A comfort level working with a small team. This is not a role where each newsletter topic can be directly assigned to you. We work very collaboratively and will be happy to provide advice and structure, but we need folks who are self-motivated.
Comfort working in a remote working environment
An understanding of what Extra Points is and who we’re writing for.

Here are some things we’d like from this person:

At least some understanding and connections within the college sports business space. Who are the relevant stakeholders, what are the major policy questions, and where to find relevant and interesting stories.
Some experience in writing for email-first audiences and platforms. Writing newsletters is slightly different from writing newspaper articles or digital-first blogs.

What we can offer this person:

A remote working environment with flexible hours. When you log in is not important to us. We have employees all over the United States right now, so chances are, somebody will be around when you are.
Annual compensation in the $75,000-$105,000 range, with opportunities for bonuses and equity.
Professional mentorship in the sports business/newsletter space

Send a resume (or link to a LinkedIn profile), a clip, and two ideas for stories you’d want to write in this newsletter to THIS LINK RIGHT HERE. We don’t need a cover letter. Please do not email me your application.

I hope this isn’t the last opening we advertise for in the near future. Your readership, paid subscriptions, advertising campaigns and Extra Points Library usage helps give us the resources we need to hire in a sustainable and healthy way.

I’ll share more updates about what we’re up to very, very soon. Thanks for reading!

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NIL

A look at Cooper Flagg’s multi-million endorsement deals

Cooper Flagg is anticipated to join the Dallas Mavericks as the No. 1 NBA Draft pick, potentially boosting his $28M endorsement value. DALLAS — Projected No. 1 pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg, is expected to become a Dallas Maverick. That contract would increase Flagg’s endorsement value, which is estimated to be well north […]

Published

30 minutes ago

June 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Cooper Flagg is anticipated to join the Dallas Mavericks as the No. 1 NBA Draft pick, potentially boosting his $28M endorsement value.

DALLAS — Projected No. 1 pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg, is expected to become a Dallas Maverick. That contract would increase Flagg’s endorsement value, which is estimated to be well north of $28 million, according to CBS Sports.

After just one season in college ball, the former Duke star became one of the highest-paid players in NCAA basketball history. One of his most notable NIL deals is a $13 million contract with New Balance.

The partnerships don’t stop there. Several other brands, ranging from internet providers to a furniture business, have also partnered with Flagg.

Here is a breakdown of Flagg’s endorsements and their estimated worth:

New Balance

Flagg struck a $13 million multi-year shoe deal with New Balance back in August of 2024, according to CBS Sports, making him one of the brand’s newest signature athletes. That was before he even stepped foot in a college basketball game. ESPN noted that New Balance manufactures a majority of its shoes in Flagg’s home state of Maine, which could have been part of the reason he chose the brand over other notable companies.

Fanatics

Fanatics announced a multi-year deal with Flagg in January 2025. This deal included trading cards and memorabilia, and according to sports journalist Howard Bryant, during his recent sit-down with Bob Costas, it is worth a staggering $15 million. The deal with Fanatics, which also owns trading card company Topps, also included Flagg’s first rookie card.

Gatorade

Flagg landed an endorsement with Gatorade prior to his first college game at Duke. This makes him the first NCAA men’s basketball player to sign an NIL deal with the company, according to the Duke Chronicle. Flagg joined the Gatorade team alongside some of the biggest names in professional basketball, like Caitlin Clark, Jayson Tatum and Paige Bueckers. The estimated value of this deal is unclear.

AT&T

Dallas-based AT&T offered Flagg an NIL deal during the 2024-25 season. According to Fox Sports, this deal has not been clearly outlined outside of being confirmed, and an estimated value of the partnership has not been disclosed.

CORT Furniture

Flagg has been reported to have endorsements from the home and office furniture rental company, CORT Furniture. Specific information regarding the deal and the estimated value has not been disclosed. The partnership was confirmed after Flagg posted an Instagram video thanking the company for helping him move to North Carolina for the 2024-25 basketball season at Duke.

New Era

New Era, the apparel company, and Flagg were reportedly partnering during his freshman season at Duke. Similar to his announcement with CORT Furniture, Flagg posted on Instagram to inform the public of the partnership. Specific information, including the estimated value of the deal, was not disclosed.

NIL Store

Flagg partnered with the NIL Store brand and became the face of their new collection: “Hometown Hero”, according to On3. The collection featured throwback jerseys of Flagg’s high school, Maine United. Information regarding the estimated value of this deal is not available.

If the 6’9″ forward does become a Mav Wednesday night, his NBA rookie contract is estimated to pay him $13.8 million. Over four years, his contract will be worth $62.7 million.

If Flagg stands in a position to sign a second contract at the end of the four years, the five-year deal would be worth more than $350 million.

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NIL

Report: College basketball regular season expanding to 32-game limit

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, the number of college basketball games played in a season is set to increase. Norlander reports beginning with the 2026-2027 season, teams can play on 32 occasions. They will not be required to but the move allows programs to schedule more nonconference matchups any given year. “College basketball’s regular […]

Published

53 minutes ago

June 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

“College basketball’s regular season is set to expand,” Norlander said. “Barring an unexpected and extremely unlikely motion to vote against, the NCAA Division I Council will approve on Wednesday an increase from 31 to 32 games, beginning with the 2026-27 season, sources told CBS Sports.”

***UPDATE*** – Later Wednesday evening, Norlander confirmed the deal was done. The change will apply to both men’s and women’s college basketball.

Norlander added that multiple team events (MTEs) are in the middle of the decision to expand. Events such as the Player’s Festival in Las Vegas can produce as many as four games in the later portion of November. Adding a game to the overall total gives schools more flexibility.

Finding some better high-profile nonconference matchups appears to be another goal, especially in the later portion of the regular season. Norlander said, “The additional game should also enable more teams to bring back nonconference opportunities in January or February.” Duke facing Illinois last year is an example, as is the Blue Devils recently agreeing to a matchup against Michigan in 2026.

As of now, no mention of expanding the calendar as to when the season begins. Early November appears to still be the target date. For example, this season’s opening night will take place on Nov. 4, spanning all the way to the first Monday in April for the national championship game.

Decision on NCAA Tournament expansion expected soon

Will the NCAA Tournament expand beyond the current format to include more teams? We should know soon enough.

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the decision or whether to expand the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments for 2026 “is expected to come in the next few weeks.” Thamel notes that the expansion would be to no more than 76 schools, which would be a maximum increase of eight new teams from the current format.

Thamel also notes that the NCAA remains engaged in talks with its media partners over any potential changes. That’s no surprise, as the primary driver in any decision is likely to be maximizing viewership and revenue.

The last major expansion to the NCAA Tournament field came in 2011. At that point, the field expanded from 64 teams to 68 teams. That brought about the advent of the play-in game.

On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report

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NIL

How NIL money is reshaping the NBA draft | Sports

Will Wade’s work building N.C. State into an immediate winner included the pursuit of an entrant in the NBA draft, just in case he returned to college. It wasn’t a huge risk: With all the cash flowing in college, the number of early entrants to the NBA draft has continued to shrink. This year’s draft […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Will Wade’s work building N.C. State into an immediate winner included the pursuit of an entrant in the NBA draft, just in case he returned to college.

It wasn’t a huge risk: With all the cash flowing in college, the number of early entrants to the NBA draft has continued to shrink. This year’s draft starts Wednesday night with its lowest total of those prospects in at least 10 years.

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NIL

NIL Money Affecting NBA Draft

This year’s drop is significant when compared to the years before anyone had heard of COVID-19. There was a spike of college players jumping into the draft in the pandemic’s aftermath, when they were granted a free eligibility year to temporarily make even a fourth-year senior an “early” entrant. But those numbers had fallen as those five-year […]

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June 25, 2025

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But those numbers had fallen as those five-year players cycled out of college basketball, and they’re now below pre-pandemic levels. That decline coincides with NIL’s July 2021 arrival, from athletes doing paid appearances or social-media endorsements to boosters forming collectives offering NIL packages amounting to de facto salaries.

As a result:

— Eighty-two players appeared on the NBA’s list of early entrants primarily from American colleges with a smattering of other teams, down 49% from 2024 (162) and nearly 47% compared to the four-year average from 2016-19 (153.5);

— Thirty-two remained after withdrawal deadlines, down from 62 last year and 72.0 from 2016-19;

— Adding international prospects, 109 players declared for the draft, down from 201 last year and 205.0 from 2016-19;

More college players weighing options

Duke coach Jon Scheyer understands draft dynamics, both for no-doubt headliners and prospects facing less clarity. He sees college athlete compensation as a “legitimate gamechanger.”

“Hopefully it allows players to decide what’s truly best for their game,” Scheyer told the AP. “It allows them to analyze: ‘Am I actually ready for this or not?’ Where money doesn’t have to be the deciding factor. Because if money’s the deciding factor, that’s why you see kids not stick. The NBA’s cutthroat. It just is.”

The Blue Devils are expected to have three players selected in the first-round Wednesday, including presumptive No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg alongside top-10 prospects Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. They also had players sorting through draft decisions.

Freshman Isaiah Evans — a slender wing with explosive scoring potential — withdrew instead of chasing first-round status through the draft process. Incoming transfer Cedric Coward from Washington State rapidly rose draft boards after the combine and remained in the draft.

“There’s no substituting the money you’re going to make if you’re a top-15, top-20 pick,” said Scheyer, entering Year 4 as successor to retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. “But if you’re not solidified as a first-round pick, why risk it when you can have a solid year and a chance to go up or be in the same position the following season?”

College compensation is re-shaping the draft pool

Langdon, himself a former Duke first-rounder, sees that evolution, too.

His Pistons had their first playoff appearance since 2019, but lack a first-round selection and own a single pick in Thursday’s second round. Fewer candidates could make the already imperfect science of drafting even trickier in this new reality.

According to the NBA’s 2024-25 rookie scale, a player going midway through the first round would make roughly $3.5 million in first-year salary. That figure would drop to about $2.8 million at pick No. 20, $2.3 million at No. 25 and $2.1 million with the 30th and final first-round draftee.

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds and AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed to this report.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

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