Today’s Power Up is investment-heavy, with Bryson DeChambeau providing details on his LIV Golf team’s new relationship with Qualcomm, plus the addition of $4.4M in combined funding for two startups: Edge Sound Research and Movetru (see More Headlines for that latter story). That dovetails nicely with this week’s SBJ Tech newsletter, which will provide a […]
Today’s Power Up is investment-heavy, with Bryson DeChambeau providing details on his LIV Golf team’s new relationship with Qualcomm, plus the addition of $4.4M in combined funding for two startups: Edge Sound Research and Movetru (see More Headlines for that latter story). That dovetails nicely with this week’s SBJ Tech newsletter, which will provide a Q2 breakdown of the sports tech investment space. — Ethan JoyceIn today’s edition of Power Up:Athletes Unlimited Softball League equipping with PitchComBryson DeChambeau talks new Qualcomm connectionEdge Sound Research raises $2.8MThe AUSL is the first pro softball league to use PitchCom. Courtesy of PitchCom The Athletes Unlimited Softball League has equipped all its teams with PitchCom devices to help catchers call pitches during all league games. PitchCom, which was first adopted by MLB in 2022, now has spread widely across all ranks of softball. Roughly 70 NCAA Division I softball programs use the technology — including Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas Tech — as well as USA Softball and Alliance Fastpitch. The AUSL is now the first pro softball league to fully deploy PitchCom, which its CEO, John Hankins, called a “natural progression” for his company.“The next biggest sport for women on television and around the country is softball,” Hankins told SBJ, “And the professional AUSL is the future of softball.”The PitchCom system can be used not just for communication between catcher and pitcher but also coaches and fielders. It helps with efficient decision making without the risk of signs getting stolen, eliminating the need for more complicated, tech-free systems to relay pitch types. “It helps speed up the game,” Hankins said. “These games are meant to play in a certain amount of time on television, and it would be a lot harder to meet those demands without a product like ours.”AUSL Softball Operations Senior Manager Sam Fischer emphasized the role of PitchCom’s technology to improve game flow, support player development and create “the best possible player experience.” The AUSL received an investment from MLB this spring.
In addition to its work in baseball and softball, PitchCom recently expanded into football through the CFL.
Captain Bryson DeChambeau and his Crushers GC LIV team have added Qualcomm on a multi-year sponsorship. Courtesy LIV Golf and Qualcomm
Bryson DeChambeau’s LIV Golf team, Crushers GC, officially announced Qualcomm had signed a multiyear sponsorship, aligning the sport’s most tech-centric golfer with a blue-chip brand. SBJ first reported the news last month.
As part of the deal, Qualcomm branding will appear on all Crushers GC apparel and in team activations, while DeChambeau will collaborate on content creation.
In a video call from LIV Golf’s next tournament in Andalucia, Spain, DeChambeau spoke about working with Qualcomm engineers on projects to use its Snapdragon processors to enhance data capture and analysis on the course, particularly on the putting green where DeChambeau said he is already building some technology.
“We need Qualcomm’s help to make it down into a small, bite-sized product for us, where we can use the hardware and then ultimately build software on the backbone of some other partnerships we’re working with, too,” he said. “That’s currently where we’re at: looking at putting. We’re looking at some AI as well, and how to integrate that model for golf swings. I’m using an AI company right now. It’s helping me understand my golf swing on a deeper level.”
A physics major at SMU who has won two majors — the U.S. Open in 2020 and 2024 — DeChambeau is an early adopter of AI who first began working with Microsoft Azure in 2016 on a project about grip pressure. He has invested in 3D training system Proteus and more recently joined smartphone motion capture company Sportsbox AI as a partner after the app helped him win his second U.S. Open. He also cited ongoing work with Google Cloud, a partner of Liv Golf since 2024. (Other league-wide tech partners of LIV include PMY, Salesforce and TikTok.)
Bringing the disparate technologies together is one of DeChambeau’s current aims, citing Qualcomm’s communications expertise as a way of better transmitting and processing data from cameras, sensors and other inputs.
“There’s quite a few synergistic relationships that I have where we’re trying to roundhouse this and [go] full steam ahead with some new tech in an ecosystem that has been quite stagnant for a long time,” DeChambeau said, adding:
“Man, AI is going to throw a quite big wrench in the whole ecosystem of golf.”
Edge Sound Research’s latest raise brings its total funding to $5.5M. Edge Sound Research
Edge Sound Research has raised $2.75M in new funding, bringing the audio innovation startup’s total backing to $5.5M. The latest round, which Edge’s co-founder & CEO Valtteri Salomaki described to SBJ as an extension of its seed raise last year, was led by Elevate Ventures and included participation by USTA Ventures, the DeVos family, LEAD VC, Cartan Capital and Potential Capital, among other angels in the audio and entertainment space.
“It’s all [for] commercialization,” Salomaki said of the new capital. “Contract manufacturing … and team momentum, so we can execute on the contracts and commercial deals we have in front of us.”
Edge has begun contract manufacturing the units that underpin its “Embodied Sound” technology, which, as one use-case example trialed by the NBA’s Pacers and Kings, can be embedded into sports venue seats to create immersive, sound-emitting objects.
Edge has also partnered with audio equipment distributor Sweetwater Integrations to scale its Embodied Sound deployments in sports venues and themed attractions.
“You can treat it like a GoPro [now],” Salomaki said of the Embodied Sound units. “The idea is that the form factor stays consistent, but we can change attachment mechanisms, whether it’s on walls, seats, whatever.”
Edge now has a core team of 11 full-time staff, including key recent hires in Head of Operations Guido Voltolina (former GM at Dolby) and Lead Broadcast Engineer Dave Grundtvig (whose career as an audio engineer spans more than four decades and includes work on NBA, NHL, NFL and Masters broadcasts).
Salomaki said the company plans to raise a Series A next year.
In-house collective, intellectual property, and asset protection
The “BBNIL Suite” is now officially the in-house collective for University of Kentucky athletics. Now run by JMI, this new agency will help athlete secure third-party NIL deals in addition to the rev-share payments that will be made by school. Kentucky has officially become one of the few schools to move a collective in-house. This […]
The “BBNIL Suite” is now officially the in-house collective for University of Kentucky athletics. Now run by JMI, this new agency will help athlete secure third-party NIL deals in addition to the rev-share payments that will be made by school. Kentucky has officially become one of the few schools to move a collective in-house.
This group’s top priority will be to negotiate deals, build athlete brands, and ensure every deal passes through the newly established NIL Go clearinghouse. Kentucky is moving everything under one roof and attempting to protect the brand.
“It gives us an opportunity so that our partners are somewhat protected, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart said on Tuesday. “The intellectual property, institutional property; it’s really important that if people want to use our marks, use our facilities for part of their endorsement property, that’s part of the deal. You come to the University of Kentucky and you’re part of our family and you get to use our things, but also that’s part of the relationship. There’s a responsibility and a right that comes with that.”
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This new collective will replace Club Blue as the official collective for Kentucky athletics. However, it will not be the only avenue for athletes to try and broker NIL deals. Barnhart says that UK players can try and get deals elsewhere but it will be tricky. The UK brand will not be available if they leave the BBNIL umbrella.
“Under the rules, they can still provide NIL opportunities. They would have to go through the range of compensation in NIL Go nationally like everybody else. We think that now if they do that, they probably wouldn’t have the IP rights and those kind of things. So we’re hopeful that as we go, we can sort of keep folks focused on what has been sort of our pathway forward. We have the financial responsibility in this new world that we’ve gotta take care of,” Barnhart said. “We gotta make sure that we protect both the folks that are in the program in terms of the sponsors as well as protect our student-athletes.”
“If a couple athletes decide to go off and do their own thing, it sort of hurts the entire team. The team is stronger together in everything you do. On the field and off the field. On the court and off the court. Your marketing value and those kind of things are better if you can do those things together. There’s lots of examples of that.”
Barnhart also specifically mentioned that BBNIL would strike some individual deals when needed, but to use the Kentucky brand, athletes will need to work directly with JMI. This is important because collectives are not going away anytime soon. The SCORE Act is a bill that codifies the House settlement and will provide national framework for NIL enforcement. This would give college athletics antitrust protection and could legitimately enforce “valid business purpose” rules upon booster-drive third-party collectives. However, it needs to pass first. Schools need collectives and rev-share payments to fund programs.
The athletic department is eliminating its successful third-party collective and handing the keys over to JMI in this historic deal. UK is all-in on this new NIL venture as the school adjusts to the rev-share era.
Preseason AP Poll: First Top 25 revealed ahead of 2025 College Football Season
The preseason AP Poll is here as the top 25 rankings were revealed ahead of the 2025 college football season. It’s time to gear up for the regular season. There are plenty of national championship contenders near the top of the AP Poll. This could very well be a wide open college football season. Without […]
The preseason AP Poll is here as the top 25 rankings were revealed ahead of the 2025 college football season. It’s time to gear up for the regular season.
There are plenty of national championship contenders near the top of the AP Poll. This could very well be a wide open college football season.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the AP Poll Top 25 ahead of kickoff. We start at the top!
Texas is geared up to win a national title this season with what they have at their disposal. Arch Manning steps in at quarterback and, arguably, he’ll be the most responsible.
Steve Sarkisian has led this program to the CFP semifinals twice but it’s time to take the next step. They’re all in to become kings of the college football world.
Practice (Photo by Steve Manuel)
Penn State is running it back, similar to what Big Ten foe Ohio State did last season. Drew Allar leads the charge at QB and is aided by RBs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
On defense, Dani Dennis-Sutton headlines an elite defensive unit, as they’ll collectively replace Abdul Carter. The Nittany Lions are on the short list of national title contenders.
Ohio State comes in as the defending national champions but can they win back to back? Georgia did it recently of course, but the Buckeyes have to replace their QB.
Even with someone new like Julian Sayin under center, WR Jeremiah Smith can make him look like a superstar. On defense, DB Caleb Downs is back and captains a very solid defense, despite the unit losing NFL-talent to last year’s draft.
Dabo Swinney and Clemson returned to a large national spotlight last season with their most successful year in a few seasons. Winning the ACC and returning to the CFP was just the first step.
As far as how the AP Poll sees them, this will be a very competitive team that could climb its way to national title contender. QB Cade Klubnik is the de facto leader, but there are first round picks, potentially, on defense with Peter Woods and TJ Parker on the defensive line.
(Joshua L. Jones | USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Georgia comes into the season, perhaps, more under the radar than in recent seasons. The AP Poll has them high up considering this team just won the SEC and had the No. 2 seed.
Kirby Smart is arguably the best coach in college football, so thinking this team’s time at the top is done would be foolish. But a lot hinges on Gunner Stockton at QB. Good thing he has new WR Zachariah Branch (USC transfer).
Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame nearly won it all last year. If that was the case, maybe this team could’ve been No. 1 in the AP Poll!
Still, RB Jeremiyah Love is back, and he’s a Heisman contender. The defense is veteran-heavy as well. They added DB transfer DeVonta Smith (Alabama).
Oregon had a massive opportunity to make a run for a national title last year, but were picked off by Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinals. Still, the Ducks went 13-0 and won the Big Ten.
Now how do you follow that up? Dan Lanning ushers in a new quarterback in Dante Moore, keeps attacking the recruiting trail and transfer portal and hopes it all breaks right. The AP Poll is a bit of a believer.
Ryan Williams (Courtesy of Alabama Athletics)
Year 1 for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama didn’t go as planned, not making the playoff and losing to Michigan in a bowl game. Still, DeBoer’s coaching prowess and development can’t be understated.
Ty Simpson is the expected QB and he has an all-star at WR in Ryan Williams to throw to. The defense is loaded with stars such as LT Overton. They’re back to SEC contender and have a chance to make a run in the CFP.
LSU gets preseason respect from the AP Poll and now it’s time to prove their worth. Brian Kelly goes into Year 4 with the Tigers and the CFP has to be the requirement right?
Garrett Nussmeier is back at QB and is firmly in the Heisman Trophy race. Harold Perkins, should he return to form, could be one of the best linebackers in the country.
Miami fell short last season with some missed opportunities to get to the ACC title game. To be fair, they had a little bit of Lady Luck on their side as well.
Carson Beck transferred in to replace Cam Ward at QB. That’ll be the biggest spotlight in Coral Gables this season. Mario Cristobal has a lot of talent at his disposal and the College Football Playoff should be the minimum.
Preseason AP Poll: First Top 25 revealed
11. Arizona State 12. Illinois 13. South Carolina 14. Michigan 15. Florida 16. SMU 17. Kansas State 18. Oklahoma 19. Texas A&M 20. Indiana 21. Ole Miss 22. Iowa State 23. Texas Tech 24. Tennessee 25. Boise State
Others receiving votes: BYU 156, Utah 144, Baylor 132, Louisville 90, Southern Cal 64, Georgia Tech 63, Missouri 33, Tulane 23, Nebraska 23, UNLV 21, Toledo 13, Auburn 10, James Madison 9, Memphis 9, Florida St. 8, Duke 6, Liberty 5, Navy 5, Iowa 5, TCU 4, Pittsburgh 3, Army 2, Colorado 1, Louisiana-Lafayette 1.
College Football Playoff Predictions: Projecting 12-team field using 2025 Preseason AP Poll
The latest College Football Playoff predictions are here, utilizing the AP Poll Top 25 Preseason Rankings. The 12-team field is projected based on the five-highest ranked conference champs and the highest ranked teams in general. The top four seeds, which are given byes in the first round, no longer automatically go to conference champs. It’s […]
The latest College Football Playoff predictions are here, utilizing the AP Poll Top 25 Preseason Rankings. The 12-team field is projected based on the five-highest ranked conference champs and the highest ranked teams in general.
The top four seeds, which are given byes in the first round, no longer automatically go to conference champs. It’s simply a straight ranking. That was a huge point of change from decision-makers ahead of the 2025 season.
Without making it more complicated, let’s dive into the projected field based on the AP Poll. Check it out below, as anticipation continues to rise for what should be an awesome season of college football this year.
1. Texas (SEC Champion)
Texas is the projected No. 1 team in the Playoff. As the SEC Champion, the Longhorns are likely 12-1 or 13-0 by season’s end.
If that’s the case, everything breaks right for Texas and Arch Manning is as good as advertised. It’ll be a well-earned first round bye for the Longhorns.
2. Penn State (Big Ten Champion)
Matthew O’Haren | Imagn Images
Penn State will rise above and become Big Ten champions, according to these AP Poll projections. Breaking through the glass ceiling, they’ll get a bye week this time around in the CFP.
The Nittany Lions will run it back with Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Dani Dennis-Sutton and more. This team is certainly talented enough to win the entire thing, after making it to the Semifinals last season.
The defending national champions are slotted in the No. 3 spot. W while they’re not champions in the Big Ten, Ohio State would get a bye in the CFP based on the poll. The Buckeyes remain among the best.
Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs give the program two of the best overall players in college football. Julian Sayin is expected to step in at QB and based on Ryan Day’s track record, it might be a seamless transition.
4. Clemson (ACC Champion)
Clemson is projected to win the ACC for the second straight year and will make the CFP again. The Tigers will receive the final bye this time around, after once again clinching their spot as the champion of their conference.
Cade Klubnik is back under center this fall, and Clemson might have two first round picks on the defensive line. TJ Parker and Peter Woods will certainly wreak havoc this year.
The Bulldogs fall to Texas in the SEC Championship this time around. They’ll just miss out on the final bye in the CFP, it seems, but remain a dangerous squad.
A lot hinges on QB Gunner Stockton this season, but it helps that WR Zachariah Branch is in the fold. The defense should be able to reload and be excellent under Kirby Smart.
With the CFP adjustments, Notre Dame could actually play itself into a top four seed and a first round bye. But for now, the AP Poll had them at No. 6, so they’ll host a first round game once again.
Marcus Freeman led this team to the national championship last year, and he could do it again this time around. They bring it a lot back, including Heisman contender Jeremiyah Love at running back.
Oregon will return to the Playoff for the second straight year under Dan Lanning. They’ll be on the outside looking in though, as far as the top of the Big Ten is concerned. The good news is, since the Ducks are No. 7 in these rankings, they’ll host a first round game in Eugene.
Dante Moore takes over at quarterback after sitting a year to develop. He’ll be the biggest key to Oregon’s success in 2025. We’ll see if he can reach the heights Dillon Gabriel took them to last season.
Gary Cosby Jr. | Imagn Images
The Crimson Tide will return to the CFP, and get there for the first time under Kalen DeBoer. All is right in Tuscaloosa. The pressure is on, but DeBoer has the talent and the mettle to handle it.
Quarterback Ty Simpson is expected to step in and operate the offense with superstar wide receiver Ryan Williams being his top target. A revamped defense should help the Tide more often than not in 2025. Based on projections, they’ll host a first round game.
LSU will finally make the CFP under Brian Kelly, but they’ll have to go on the road in the first round. Still, they’ll be in the tournament, based on the projections via the AP Poll, and a dangerous draw for any opponent.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will be in the Heisman conversation, and he’ll likely be the biggest reason why this team is great. Don’t underestimate a resurgent season from linebacker Harold Perkins, as well.
The Hurricanes were Playoff bound last year, until they went 1-2 down the stretch. Mario Cristobal brings back a talented squad in 2025, along with a new star at quarterback, with a motivation to make things right.
Carson Beck takes over at the position after coming over from Georgia and the defense should be a strong suit this season. Based on the projections, Miami will be the ACC runner-ups.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Sun Devils will return to the Playoff as Big 12 champions once again. However, they won’t get a first-round bye this time around, based on the AP Poll rankings.
Sam Leavitt returns at QB, giving ASU one of the better ones in the country. Kenny Dillingham, if he’s not already, is a rising superstar of a head coach. We’ll see how far he can take his team in 2025.
12. Boise State (Mountain West Champion)
The Broncos are back in the CFP, but will get the last seed considering they’ll be the lowest ranked conference champ and outside the top 12 overall. Boise State will still make two straight Playoffs, which is an awesome accomplishment.
Before their move to the PAC 12 next year, the program is looking to finish their final season in the MWC on top of the college football world. However, based on these rankings, they’ll have to head to Georgia in the first round, so it won’t be easy for Boise State.
Playoff Bracket
First Round Byes: No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Clemson No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Georgia No. 11 Arizona State at No. 6 Notre Dame No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Oregon No. 9 LSU at No. 8 Alabama
First Four Out:Illinois, South Carolina, Michigan, Florida Next Four Out: SMU, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
Todd McShay reacts to NIL investment by LSU, potential to win SEC
LSU enters Year Four under head coach Brian Kelly with national championship-or-bust expectations, as the Tigers seek the program’s return to the College Football Playoff for the first time since winning it all in 2019. Suffice it to say, it’s been a long five years for fans in Baton Rouge. That championship appetite led Kelly […]
LSU enters Year Four under head coach Brian Kelly with national championship-or-bust expectations, as the Tigers seek the program’s return to the College Football Playoff for the first time since winning it all in 2019. Suffice it to say, it’s been a long five years for fans in Baton Rouge.
That championship appetite led Kelly and company to dive head-first into the NCAA Transfer Portal this past offseason, supplementing an already-talented LSU roster with the nation’s second-ranked transfer class, according to the On3 | Rivals Team Transfer Portal Rankings. That included adding four-star SEC receivers Nic Anderson and Barion Brown, from Oklahoma and Kentucky, respectively, as well as four-star EDGEs Patrick Payton from Florida State and Jack Pyburn from Florida among the Tigers’ 18 transfer newcomers.
It’s LSU’s overwhelming NIL commitment to improving its roster this offseason that has longtime NFL Draft expert Todd McShay believing 2025 might just be the Tigers’ year. Of course, that starts with Kelly, who is 29-11 overall and 17-7 in SEC play over his first three years in Baton Rouge but hasn’t managed to break through the 10-win plateau yet.
“The Tigers allocated more NIL funds, is what I’ve read, to this portal cycle than any other program in the country. … But essentially LSU and Texas Tech are the two programs that just … opened it up,” McShay said during Monday’s episode of The McShay Show on YouTube. “LSU always has edge rushers, they haven’t developed the guys they wanted, apparently, so they brought in two guys (Payton and Pyburn) to make sure they always have edge rushers. And they’ve brought in weapons for Nuss(meier). Now, can Brian Kelly do what Lane Kiffin couldn’t do (at Ole Miss) and make it all gel, to a national championship level? Lane did it, they were a damn good football team, they just couldn’t take that next step. So, it’ll be fascinating to see.”
Whether or not the Tigers finally break through and secure a Playoff bid this season will undoubtedly rest on the shoulders of senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who bypassed the 2025 NFL Draft after a breakout 4,000-yard and 29-touchdown season in 2024. Of course, that championship plan appeared to hit a bit of a snag last week when reports of a preseason knee injury sent shockwaves through Baton Rouge. Kelly later clarified the situation, downplaying Nussmeier’s injury as a “(pissed off) patella tendon.”
Still, that injury raised a pre-existing red flag for McShay, who saw serious wear-and-tear impacting Nussmeier’s play late last season. Which is why McShay, for one, believes LSU’s ability to run the football, and thus taking pressure off Nussmeier to do it all offensively, will be the single determining factor whether the Tigers finally break through in Year Four under Kelly.
“And now, Nuss – the reports are that Garrett Nussmeier and this patella tendinitis in his knee – they call it a 1.5 out of 10. It’s nothing to see here, right? But I told you last year, it was unique to me because I don’t always see from a quarterback that the season wore on the quarterback and (Nussmeier) didn’t have the same twitch and urgency,” McShay continued. “Mentally, he did, but physically, with his body, it was too much on him. They gotta run the football this year. That’s the No. 1 thing. … If they can’t run the football significantly better than last year, it’s gonna end with disappointment.
“These are the programs that think they solved all their issues and threw a lot of money at it, now it’s kind of on the coaching staff to make it all work.”
No. 3 Ohio State still doing some shuffling along the offensive line ahead of opener vs. No. 1 Texas
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State coach Ryan Day says there’s still some shuffling along the Buckeyes’ offensive line ahead of their Aug. 30 season-opener. Some of that the coaches credited to a new emphasis this preseason: players learning primary and secondary positions. But as the third-ranked Buckeyes get closer to their matchup with top-ranked […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State coach Ryan Day says there’s still some shuffling along the Buckeyes’ offensive line ahead of their Aug. 30 season-opener.
Some of that the coaches credited to a new emphasis this preseason: players learning primary and secondary positions. But as the third-ranked Buckeyes get closer to their matchup with top-ranked Texas, Day is hoping to lock in his frontline sooner rather than later.
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“It’s important as we get closer to this first game for guys to really dig in and get the majority of the snaps at where they’re going to play,” Day said this week.
Austin Siereveld, a third-year sophomore who entered preseason as the presumed starter at right tackle, has been working at left tackle over the past week. That’s because Phillip Daniels, who transferred in January after two years at Minnesota, is in the running to start on the right side.
Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa is the potential backup at either spot. He is also getting a look at guard, where Tegra Tshabola and Luke Montgomery finished last season as starters flanking Carson Hinzman at center.
“We’ll see,” Day said. “By the end of this week, we’ll have more and more snaps, more and more information, and go from there.”
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Onianwa started 25 games at right tackle and nine at left tackle for Rice.
“I feel like it’s kind of important for all the O-linemen to have experience in these positions because you never know how the season’s going to progress, and that’s just been kind of like the plan,” Onianwa said Tuesday. “I’ve been playing guard, I’ve been playing tackle on both sides, and it’s just a learning experience, and I’m enjoying every second of it.”
Daniels redshirted in 2023 and played in 12 games last season for the Golden Gophers.
If outsiders were surprised at his ascension, he indicated he is not.
“I know the plays now, so everything’s just clicking,” Daniels said. “Once I know the plays, I feel like I can kill anybody.”
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Offensive line coach Tyler Bowen, who is in his first season in Columbus after spending three at Virginia Tech, downplayed the significance of the movement to a certain degree, but he confirmed the staff is putting an emphasis on learning multiple positions.
“It’s something we believe in, and that’s a good example of it,” Bowen said of Siereveld’s moving around. “He’s bounced to tackle. He’s played guard. I think what you see up front, we do that a lot. Nothing’s set in stone. We have a lot of versatility. We have some depth, but we’ve got to be able to perform at a high level on the spot we settle into, and that’s what we’ve got to figure out this week. And we’ve got to figure it out fast.”
While the starting lineup is still being determined, Day said he is happy about the depth up front with redshirt freshmen Gabe Van Sickle and Ian Moore making progress this month.
The AUSL is the first pro softball league to use PitchCom. Courtesy of PitchCom The Athletes Unlimited Softball League has equipped all its teams with PitchCom devices to help catchers call pitches during all league games. PitchCom, which was first adopted by MLB in 2022, now has spread widely across all ranks of softball. Roughly 70 NCAA Division I softball programs use the technology — including Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas Tech — as well as USA Softball and Alliance Fastpitch. The AUSL is now the first pro softball league to fully deploy PitchCom, which its CEO, John Hankins, called a “natural progression” for his company.“The next biggest sport for women on television and around the country is softball,” Hankins told SBJ, “And the professional AUSL is the future of softball.”The PitchCom system can be used not just for communication between catcher and pitcher but also coaches and fielders. It helps with efficient decision making without the risk of signs getting stolen, eliminating the need for more complicated, tech-free systems to relay pitch types. “It helps speed up the game,” Hankins said. “These games are meant to play in a certain amount of time on television, and it would be a lot harder to meet those demands without a product like ours.”AUSL Softball Operations Senior Manager Sam Fischer emphasized the role of PitchCom’s technology to improve game flow, support player development and create “the best possible player experience.” The AUSL received an investment from MLB this spring. 
