Sports
Recovery footwear brand Oofos taps into power of microinfluencers through widespread collegiate partnership
The GIST: Last week, Oofos teamed up with Her Campus Media (HCM) to offer over 1.5K college women athletes a chance to partner with the recovery footwear brand. The open-ended opportunity could mean the first NIL deal for many of these athletes, who still offer significant value as microinfluencers.
- While recent legal rulings aim to ensure athletes are fairly compensated, there are still major gaps in sponsorship, especially for women. That’s why several sponsors are making noise to address these gaps, which may be something college women — who overindex in women’s sports fandom and brand awareness — find especially compelling. Fresh on campus.
The details: Oofos is now the official recovery footwear sponsor of the Her Campus Athletic Club (HCAC), which connects college athletes with each other and potential NIL sponsors. Eligible HCAC members (2.1K across over 200 universities) can opt into an Oofos partnership, which equips athletes with shoes, premium gear, and content creation tools.
- It’s a bold move for Oofos, but one that can have a massive payout because of its potential impact on college women. HCM surveyed more than 700 college students and found almost 90% of Gen Z women consider themselves sports fans, 73% follow at least one women’s college sport, and 45% are more likely to buy from brands that invest in college sports.
The context: Oofos has deep sports connections, especially with South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley. She partnered with the brand in 2022, became a leading investor in 2023, and prompted Oofos to sponsor her team’s practice squad this March.
- Oofos isn’t the first brand to initiate widespread sports partnerships: Nutrition brand HoneyStinger created The Hive in 2021, which allows eligible athletes to sign up and represent the brand. Sprouts has also supported over 160 women athletes since 2021, and this March, C4 Energy became the first brand to sign 128 college basketball players at once.
The takeaway: While college women athletes have outsized impact on social media, many are still microinfluencers with under 10K followers — yet their fans are often fiercely loyal. Local brands can harness the power of these hometown heroes, but if a company partners with hundreds of athletes, it can play like a beloved local favorite at campuses across the country.
- Microinfluencers are especially effective when promoting new or emerging brands, making them smart (and affordable) alternatives that still pack a punch. It also makes sense for companies headlining national campaigns with local needs, or for Oofos, a trendy Gen Z brand that’s finally making the move from DTC to brick-and-mortar. If the shoe fits.
Sports
Volleyball Ranked 16th in Final American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll
The Hope College volleyball team ranked 16th in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association TARAFLEX NCAA Division III poll for the 2025 season.
The MIAA-champion Flying Dutch totaled 844 points after finishing the season with a 23-7 overall record.
Led by head coach Becky Schmidt, Hope advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Championships before losing to nationally-ranked Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Flying Dutch claimed their third consecutive MIAA regular-season crown for the second time in program history with an 8-0 league record.
Hope’s roster featured three standouts who garnered AVCA All-America accolades: senior setter Lauren Lee (first team), junior middle blocker Kamryn Burbridge (third team), and sophomore middle blocker Olivia Wyma (honorable mention).
Lee was also named MIAA MVP and joined by three teammates on the All-MIAA teams: Burbridge (first team), Wyma (first team) and Kathryn Oates (second team).
Sports
CCIW Places Three Teams in AVCA Men’s Volleyball Preseason Rankings
NAPERVILLE — The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) will open the 2026 men’s volleyball season with a strong national showing, placing three programs in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll released Monday.
Defending league champion Carthage headlines the conference contingent, checking in at No. 2 nationally with 533 points. The Firebirds, voted as the CCIW preseason favorite on Monday, trail only Springfield in the preseason rankings as they prepare to defend their league crown.
Loras also earned preseason recognition, debuting at No. 14 with 133 points, while North Central rounds out the CCIW presence at No. 18 with 78 points.
| CCIW on X | CCIW Instagram | CCIW Facebook |
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wis.), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Ill.), Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.), North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), North Park University (Chicago, Ill.) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.).
Sports
UCLA Announces 2026 Women’s Beach Volleyball Schedule
SOCIAL MEDIA: BeachVB on Twitter | BeachVB on Facebook | BeachVB on Instagram
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA Women’s Beach Volleyball team announced its 2026 schedule today, highlighted by hosting three regular-season tournaments (two at Mapes Beach and one at legendary Manhattan Beach Pier) and “Senior Day” against CSU Bakersfield.
The Bruins will compete in seven different regular-season tournaments during the year, beginning with the season opener against Texas on Friday, Feb. 19, at 9:45 a.m. PT at Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic at Queen’s Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Bruins will also face Hawai’i, LMU, Stanford, California, and USC in the opening weekend.
UCLA will return home to host the Battle for LA (along with USC) on Friday-Saturday (Feb. 27-28). The Bruins will face Boise State, Cal Poly, Long Beach State, and Pepperdine in the friendly confines of Mapes Beach for the home opening weekend.
UCLA will host the MPSF Midseason Rumble at Mapes Beach on March 6-7, where the Bruins will face Grand Canyon, Washington, Oregon, and Stanford.
The Bruins will then host the annual East Meets West Invitational at iconic Manhattan Beach Pier on March 13-14. The Bruins will open with Arizona State and LSU on day one and conclude the event with Texas and FiU.
After a week off, UCLA will head to Austin, Texas to compete in the Texas Invitational on March 27-28. The Bruins will take on LSU, Texas, North Florida, and Florida Atlantic at Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex.
The sixth tournament of the season will take place in Laguna Beach, Calif., where the Bruins will face Cal Poly, Stanford, USC, and Long Beach State at the Best in the West tournament on April 3-4 at the Main Beach.
The final regular season tournament will see the Bruins in San Luis Obispo, Calif., for the Center of Effort Challenge on April 10-11. UCLA will open with California and Cal Poly on the first day and will conclude bracket play with Arizona State on day two before heading into the playoff portion of the bracket.
The Bruins will complete their home slate with CSU Bakersfield on April 14 at 3:00 p.m. PT for “Senior Day,” and will conclude the regular season with a date at USC on April 16 at Noon.
For the second straight year, the Bruins will head to Spiker Beach in Hutington Beach, Calif., for the 2026 MPSF Championship Tournament (April 22-24). The winner will earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament in Gulf Shores, Ala., to be held May 1-3.
2026 UCLA Women’s Beach Volleyball Schedule
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Sports
UMBC Baseball Releases 2026 Schedule
BALTIMORE — UMBC Baseball coach Liam Bowen announced the Retrievers 2026 schedule on Monday afternoon. The 52-game slate features 25 contests at Alumni Field, highlighted by a visit from Maryland on April 7.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SCHEDULE
The non-conference road schedule features the first trip to Longwood since 2012 to open the season (2/20-2/22), and the first ever meetings with Penn (3/7-/3/8) and Florida Atlantic (3/13-3/15).
After the Longwood series, home Opening Day at Alumni Field will be on February 24 against Georgetown at 3 p.m., followed by a weekend series with Monmouth (2/27-31). UMBC will then play midweeks at George Washington (3/3) and Delaware State (3/4) before heading to Penn. They then return home to face Mount St. Mary’s (3/10), travel to FAU and then host a rematch with Delaware State (3/17).
America East play then begins as the Dawgs host Maine (3/20-3/22), they then have road tilts Coppin State (3/24) at UAlbany (3/27-29) before closing March by hosting George Washingto (3/31). April opens with a three-game non-conference home series against Iona (4/2-4/4) followed by the visit from the Terps.
Trips to Binghamton (4/10-4/12) and Georgetown (4/14) are then followed with a four-game homestand against UMass Lowell (4/17-4/19) and Towson (4/21). The Retrievers then make the return trip to Maine (4/24-4/26) and head to La Salle (4/28) before returning to Alumni Field to host UAlbany (5/1-5/3) and Coppin State (5/5).
The regular season wraps with trips to Bryant (5/8-5/10) and Towson (5/12), and then NJIT (5/14-5/16) comes to Baltimore for senior weekend.
The America East Tournament begins the following wek in Binghamton. The top six teams qualify, with the top two earning a bye to the double-elimination portion of the bracket.
Sports
Men’s Volleyball Picked to Finish Fifth in Inaugural Season’s NEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll
BRIDGEWATER, NJ – The NEC has announced the 2026 Men’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, that featured the Manhattan Jaspers placing fifth, per release on Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m excited to begin competing this weekend, after a semester of hard work with the team,” said Head Coach Chris Schortgen.
“We have a competitive schedule ahead of us full of opportunity and I know our guys will make the most of these opportunities.”
The Jaspers open their stint as Associate Members of the NEC with a 15-squad roster, which includes 12 freshmen, and will be immediately eligible to compete in the 2026 NEC Men’s Volleyball Championship come the end of April.
Full List:
T1. Daemen (3)
T1: Saint Francis (2)
3. LIU (1)
4. FDU (1)
5. Manhattan
6. University of Maryland Eastern Shore
7. D’Youville
This season, the Jaspers have packed in a schedule that features teams like Penn State, and Loyola Chicago, while playing home matches against Roosevelt, and conference foes such as LIU, Saint Francis University, and FDU to open its Draddy Gymnasium residency.
The Men’s Volleyball program will open its first ever season on Saturday, January 10, when the Jaspers visit the Nittany Lions of Penn State for a 3 p.m. start in State College. The contest will be viewable on Big Ten Network Plus with a paid subscription.
Sports
Gleason Named Head Sports Performance Coach
VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton Division of Athletics has announced that Lori Gleason has been named its new Head Sports Performance Coach. Having served as an assistant and associate sport performance coach on the staff since 2006, she was promoted to the head job effective Jan. 2.
Gleason will oversee the sports performance programming for all 21 Bearcat athletic programs. In this role, she will lead two assistant sports performance coaches and collaborate closely with team coaches and student-athletes to establish and uphold training programs and performance standards that support continued growth and development of student-athletes.
“Lori has a long-standing reputation as a leader and mentor whose impact extends well beyond the weight room,” Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Sports Medicine & Performance Kara Gorgos said. “Her elevation to Head Sports Performance Coach is a testament to her dedication to Binghamton Athletics and her proven ability to continue raising the performance standards of our student-athletes. We are excited for the continued evolution and advancement of our sports performance program under Lori’s leadership.”
“I would like to thank Binghamton University, Director of Athletics Eugene Marshall Jr, the search committee, and my supervisor Kara Gorgos for this incredible opportunity to move into the role of Head Sports Performance Coach,” Gleason said. “Also, for the continuous support I have been given, I would like to thank my family and coworkers/coaching staff. I am very excited and look forward to growing our area, as well as collaborating with our staff as we all work together to achieve what is most important for our student athletes to be successful in their sport and performance.”
Since being hired as an Assistant Sports Performance Coach in 2006, Gleason has worked directly with seven of the Bearcat athletic programs, six of which have captured America East team championships during her tenure. In addition, Gleason has worked with a track & field program that has produced one NCAA champion as well as seven other All-Americans during that same span.
In 2024, Gleason was elevated to Senior Assistant Sports Performance Coach. Her additional duties included collaborating on the Bearcat teams’ performance programs and injury prevention tactics, establishing a 15+ week Preventive Exercise Plan specifically for ACL injuries and providing mentorship for the Sports Performance interns. In addition, Gleason served as an Athletic Department staff liaison for the Student-Athlete Mental Health Committee.
A 2002 graduate of SUNY Cortland, Gleason went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Applied Exercise Science from Springfield College in 2006. She served as both an intern and graduate assistant strength coach during her years at Springfield.
TRANSACTION
Binghamton University – Lori Gleason named Head Sports Performance Coach
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