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'Shady stuff going on'

(Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a multi-part series by MTN Sports on the current state of college athletics.) MISSOULA — Spring football workouts historically allowed players to earn their positions on the depth chart. Coaches could move players up — or down — the two-deep based on their efforts during spring practices. […]

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'Shady stuff going on'

(Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a multi-part series by MTN Sports on the current state of college athletics.)

MISSOULA — Spring football workouts historically allowed players to earn their positions on the depth chart.

Coaches could move players up — or down — the two-deep based on their efforts during spring practices.

Now?

Coaches don’t even know which players from the spring practices will be on the roster come August. A second NCAA transfer portal window opens Wednesday.

“Some guys might leave, and some guys might get told to leave,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck said during a wide-ranging interview with MTN Sports. “That thing cuts both ways, too, now. If I don’t think you’re producing or going to produce, you’ve got to go in this day and age.”

There’s always been a cutthroat element to college athletics where winning almost always matters above all else, especially in the revenue-generating sports of football and men’s and women’s basketball. But, until now, it’s always worked on a consistent, predictable calendar.

A college football roster used to look mostly the same in March and April as it did in August, September, October and November, except for the high school recruits that joined the program over the summer. That’s no longer the case, as players have been given more autonomy to seek different opportunities and freely transfer between programs.

The Grizzlies saw starters like quarterback Logan Fife, receiver Sawyer Racanelli, linebacker Riley Wilson and cornerback Ronald Jackson, among others, enter the transfer portal during the first window in December.

The Montana State Bobcats were hit even harder by defecting players after they lost to North Dakota State in the FCS championship game in early January. At least 14 players entered the transfer portal, including All-Big Sky Conference performers Scottre Humphrey, Conner Moore, Rohan Jones and Andrew Powdrell.

Both teams will likely see more players enter the portal during this next window, which is open April 16-25, for a multitude of reasons. Some will leave for an improved chance at playing time or a better schematic fit. Others might leave for family reasons. Fewer will transfer for academic purposes.

But the chief motivator for many transfers is often financial. In the Big Sky Conference and the rest of the FCS, the best players might garner Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) earnings in the tens of thousands of dollars. At Power 4 programs, those figures can reach hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

“The majority of the people, those wearing the helmets, it’s whoever’s paying the most. I’m talking nationally now, OK? If people are paying them more, they’re going there,” Hauck said. “The idea nationally that most of these guys don’t know where they’re going before they put their name in the transfer portal is head-in-the-sand stuff.

“There’s shady stuff going on. People are recruiting people off other people’s rosters. You’ll see schools that are promising kids they’ve got X amount of money for them next fall, and they show up to play in August and they don’t have the money for them. And they’ve left their old school where they had a good gig.”

All this is to say that programs like Montana and Montana State are in a constant state of flux. They’re no longer operating on three- or four-year team-building plans. At some positions, they could be hitting the reset button twice a year — once after their regular season concludes in December or January and again in April or May.

“I think you still have to do everything you can to build each team in its own right, I guess, but then be able to build upon it so you do have this relative continuation of the foundation that’s been laid,” Montana State coach Brent Vigen said. “I do think still having a program built and then the teams that come out of it is still how we can operate, and maybe that’s easier said than done in this day and age.”

Brent Vigen

Montana State coach Brent Vigen walks on the field prior to the FCS national championship game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.

With the portal opening this week — and Montana wrapping up its spring practices last week and Montana State continuing until April 26 — coaches will be tasked with hitting the recruiting trail again, this time combing through another batch of transfers while simultaneously hosting or visiting high school recruits and putting on camps.

Transfer recruiting will last well into the summer, with smart FCS-level programs waiting to pounce if a prospect doesn’t land his desired NIL deal from a major college football program.

To add to the strain, a formal ruling in the NCAA’s $2.8 billion settlement with collegiate athletes has not yet been made. According to the Associated Press, the terms of the settlement could go into effect as early as July 1, which would allow schools to directly pay athletes and establish a protocol for revenue sharing.

“There’s a lot of change that’s behind us. There’s a lot of change that’s continuing in front of us,” Vigen said. “If you don’t embrace the change, if you don’t adapt to the change, then you probably should be doing something else, so it’s just the nature of where we’re at.”

“The horse is out of the barn on this one, man, and there is no getting it back,” Hauck said. “But it can be reined in to some semblance of sanity at some point, but that’s not on the horizon just yet.”

College Sports

Hartwick College Announces Connor Bishop as Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach

Men’s Lacrosse | 7/30/2025 11:30:00 AM Story Links ONEONTA, N.Y. – Paul Vecchio, Hartwick’s Executive Director of Athletics, has announced the appointment of Connor Bishop as the new Head Coach of the men’s lacrosse program, effective August 4th, 2025.   Bishop comes to Hartwick after most recently serving as Associate Head Men’s […]

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Men’s Lacrosse | 7/30/2025 11:30:00 AM

ONEONTA, N.Y. – Paul Vecchio, Hartwick’s Executive Director of Athletics, has announced the appointment of Connor Bishop as the new Head Coach of the men’s lacrosse program, effective August 4th, 2025.

 

Bishop comes to Hartwick after most recently serving as Associate Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach at his alma mater, Shenandoah University, a role he has held since October 2024. Prior to becoming Associate Head Coach, Bishop also served as an Assistant Coach at Shenandoah for over three years. During his tenure with the Hornets, Bishop assisted in bringing the program to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference quarterfinals every season, while the team maintained an impressive cumulative GPA of over 3.13 each year.

 

Connor has all of the qualities I was looking for in our next head coach: proven recruiting ability, a passion for developing student-athletes holistically, a love for the game of lacrosse and a non-stop work ethic,” comments Vecchio. “His experiences at both Swarthmore and Shenandoah, who compete in two of the premier athletic conferences in Division III – the Centennial and ODAC – also stood out. I know Connor is going to go above and beyond to continue the momentum our team has – coming off our first-ever Empire 8 playoff victory – while building a program capable of competing for Empire 8 Championships.”

 

Bishop also spent considerable time as an assistant coach at both Swarthmore College and Adrian College, respectively. While at Swarthmore, Bishop helped develop a man-up strategy that ranked the Garnet as high as 19th nationally. His recruiting efforts at Swarthmore set the table for them advancing to the NCAA Tournament for three straight seasons (2022-24).

 

I’m incredibly honored, humbled, and excited to join Hartwick College as the Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach,” Bishop says. “I want to thank Paul Vecchio for seeing the vision I have for this program. A great foundation has been laid and I’m looking forward to relentlessly pursuing excellence for the young men in this program.”

 

Before beginning his coaching career, Bishop earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science from Shenandoah University in 2017. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership.

 

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE

The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.

 

EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA

YouTube – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram





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Kleber, Plante don’t hold grudge against Bulldogs who left – Duluth News Tribune

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Duluth’s Adam Kleber and Max Plante don’t hold a grudge against any of their former Bulldogs teammates who left the program in the spring via the transfer portal. But the departures of classmates and friends does sting, a little, they said. “The relationships you build, that kind of eats at you, the […]

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MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Duluth’s

Adam Kleber

and

Max Plante

don’t hold a grudge against any of their former Bulldogs teammates who left the program in the spring via the

transfer portal.

But the departures of classmates and friends does sting, a little, they said.

“The relationships you build, that kind of eats at you, the human side of it,” Plante said. “But they decided they didn’t want to be here.”

Seven players

left the UMD men’s hockey program via the transfer portal

in the spring to continue their college hockey careers elsewhere. Meanwhile, Bulldogs coach

Scott Sandelin is bringing in five transfers,

plus

seven freshmen

in 2025-26.

Kleber

and

Plante

, who are taking part this week in

USA Hockey’s World Junior Summer Showcase

in Minneapolis, were part of UMD’s 11-member freshmen class last season. All but one are returning for their sophomore season as Bulldogs in 2025-26.

“At the end of the day, we want guys that want to play in Duluth, so it’s all good,” Kleber said. “We don’t want guys that are coming for money or things like that. We want guys that want to wear the Bulldog logo and that’s the most important thing. Winning is more important than anything else.”

The Bulldogs have missed the NCAA tournament and finished under .500 the last three seasons, but Kleber and Plante said they both see the 2025-26 Bulldogs being more like the squads that made seven straight NCAA tournament appearances, played four Frozen Fours, three consecutive NCAA title games and won back-to-back national championships.

Kleber said it was “definitely weird” watching so many of the would-be upperclassmen — four would-be seniors and two would-be juniors — hit the transfer portal in the spring, but you have to turn the page.

“There’s always surprises because you go through the season and you think that guys are going to be back based on they have another year. But you never really know what someone’s thinking,” Kleber said. “At the end of the day, it’s hard to judge someone for their decision because maybe it’s the best thing for them and might work out.”

The new-look Bulldogs all got together for two weeks in June for some offseason work. They’ll be reporting to campus in August, with 14 of the 26 players

living in two houses

within a block of each other, Plante and Kleber said.

If that doesn’t help the team bond right away,

a season-opening trip to Fairbanks, Alaska, to play the Nanooks

on Oct. 3-4 should help, as well.

college men play ice hockey

Minnesota Duluth goaltender Zach Sandy (31) gives direction to defenseman Adam Kleber (6) during an official review Saturday, March 1 at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.

Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group

Plante said the group clicked back in June, and they he’s confident the coaching staff was able to fill any holes that were created this spring.

“It’s a good feeling. I feel like it’s almost refreshing, the new faces,” Plante said of the 2025-26 team. “I liked the guys that were on our team last year, but it’s exciting because the guys that want to be here, are here now.”

Matt Wellens

Co-host of the Bulldog Insider Podcast and college hockey reporter for the Duluth News Tribune covering the Minnesota Duluth men’s and women’s hockey programs.





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LSU Tigers Gymnastics Adds Boise State Graduate Transfer to 2026 Roster

BATON ROUGE – The LSU Gymnastics program announced the final piece to their 2026 roster on Tuesday as Boise State graduate transfer Courtney Blackson is set to join the Tigers this upcoming fall. Blackson achieved one of the most successful careers with the Broncos from 2021-2024, where she individually advanced to nationals two years in a […]

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BATON ROUGE – The LSU Gymnastics program announced the final piece to their 2026 roster on Tuesday as Boise State graduate transfer Courtney Blackson is set to join the Tigers this upcoming fall.

Blackson achieved one of the most successful careers with the Broncos from 2021-2024, where she individually advanced to nationals two years in a row, including being the national vault runner up in 2023.

She was a nominee for the AAI Award in 2024, which is given to the top senior gymnast in the nation.

“I am incredibly grateful to be spending my fifth year of eligibility at LSU! From the moment I stepped on campus, there was a palpable feeling of belonging that confirmed this was exactly where I was meant to be,” said Blackson. 

“I felt truly seen, valued, and inspired from the moment I first connected with the coaching staff, and their genuine belief in me as both an athlete and a person fostered a sense of purpose and belonging that I couldn’t overlook.

“LSU’s culture balances the pursuit of excellence with a strong sense of family, empowering every athlete not just to develop their skills but also to grow as individuals. I feel honored to join a community that challenges me, believes in me, and celebrates every step of my journey with sincerity and compassion.”

Blackson entered the transfer portal a year after completing her final year at Boise State in 2024. Now, the two-time All-American out of Elk Grove, California, plans to use her final year of eligibility with the two-time defending SEC Champions at LSU.

Blackson adds depth on three events for the Tigers this upcoming season.

She competed in all but three meets throughout her four years at Boise State and owns career bests of 10.000 on vault and 9.950 on bars and floor.

Blackson’s Career Accolades:

LSU Football, Texas Longhorns and Michigan Wolverines Trending in Recruiting

LSU Football and Notre Dame Fighting Irish Making Early Impression on Top Cornerback

No. 1 Athlete in America, Five-Star LSU Football Commit Helping Recruit Top Prospect

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.





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St. Thomas Students Go ‘Beyond the Buzzer’ in Collaboration With Athletics – Newsroom

When College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Bill Tolman and Vice President and Director of Athletics Phil Esten began discussing opportunities for a collaboration, they knew one thing: They wanted University of St. Thomas students to be at the center of the project. The result is a student-driven series of video shorts called “Beyond […]

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When College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Bill Tolman and Vice President and Director of Athletics Phil Esten began discussing opportunities for a collaboration, they knew one thing: They wanted University of St. Thomas students to be at the center of the project. The result is a student-driven series of video shorts called “Beyond the Buzzer” and delivered in a big way. 

The series was filmed, edited and produced by Digital Media Arts students Corina Sandy ’25 and Max Lidtke ’25, and then released in a social media campaign. Topics covered included sports medicine, broadcast production, gym setup and a preview of the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, which will host its first competitive events this fall and winter for men’s and women’s basketball and ice hockey. 

“This collaboration between Athletics and CAS provided an impactful learning experience for the students,” Tolman said. “Corina and Max were empowered to express their creative energy and skills to tell stories about people working behind the scenes to support athletic events and programs.” 

Corina Sandy smiles with her diploma during the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony

Corina Sandy ’25

Major: Digital Media Arts

Minors: Catholic Studies, Theology

Hometown: Zimmerman, Minnesota

Future Plans: This summer I’ve begun doing wedding videography more full time, and I also manage social media at Cal & Lily Flower Farm. For the future, we will see where God takes me. I just know I will always be doing videography in some way! 

The duo were a natural fit for the project. In addition to their time studying Digital Media Arts at St. Thomas, both had previously worked as members of Tommie Athletic Productions. (TAP). “Our idea was inspired by our personal experiences working with TAP and our desire to highlight the behind-the-scenes work,” Sandy said. “That led us to think about all the other roles within Athletics that many students and supporters may not be aware of.”

“Corina and Max are two very talented folks. To see them work, grow, and thrive in their time at St. Thomas, culminating in their excellent output on this keystone project, was special,” said Assistant Athletic Director and TAP lead Mike Gallagher, who connected the students with subject matter experts and oversaw the final editing process.

Max Lidtke ’25

Major: Digital Media Arts

Hometown: Hastings, Minnesota

Future Plans: My goal is to work in the NHL as a videographer/editor. I am currently a video production intern for the St. Louis Blues so my goals are becoming much more tangible!

Sandy and Lidtke both commented on the value of hands-on, experiential learning emphasized in the College of Arts and Sciences. Lidtke said that “this is the best type of learning. We get to use everything we already know to solve a problem or create something – and when we need help, it’s there.” 

Dr. Peter Gregg, an associate professor and chair in the Emerging Media Department, provided key guidance throughout the project, often meeting weekly with Corina and Max to brainstorm topics and develop a robust proposal to pitch to Tolman and Gallagher. “Beyond the Buzzer reflects a student-led, professional media production experience,” Gregg said. “Being able to take the skills they’ve learned in their coursework and connect it to a Division I athletics organization is a significant opportunity and challenge, and the students succeeded in what they set out to do.”

As St. Thomas seeks to expand its impact and visibility as a national Catholic university, academic and athletic excellence will both play critical roles. “This is an area of great opportunity,” Tolman added. “I’m excited by this and other occasions for CAS and Athletics to work together to drive the university forward.”

This experience helped grow my confidence as a creator, pushing me to make decisions and trust them. I often remind myself, ‘Act confident and no one will question you,’ and I found myself leaning on that mindset often as I navigated a more professional environment as a student.

— Corina sandy ’25



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Coaches race to master art of retention amid NIL, revenue sharing and transfer portal challenges

Whether it was an ACC, SEC, Big Ten or Big 12 coach taking the podium at media days, one theme remained consistent: In an era where revenue sharing and NIL opportunities can swiftly steer athletes toward the transfer portal, programs across the country are racing to master the art of player retention. Its importance is […]

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Whether it was an ACC, SEC, Big Ten or Big 12 coach taking the podium at media days, one theme remained consistent: In an era where revenue sharing and NIL opportunities can swiftly steer athletes toward the transfer portal, programs across the country are racing to master the art of player retention.

Its importance is clear to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, who has seen all but five players from his 2023 recruiting class leave for different programs.

“Here’s what it’s not because of: the way they’re treated, because of the way they’re developed, because of the way they’re taught,” he said. “That’s not the reason. It could be playing time. It could be finances. Probably the majority of it is finances, but you’d have to ask those guys.”

More than 3,000 Bowl Subdivision players reportedly entered the transfer portal this past spring, which would average out to about 22 players per team. For the Razorbacks, 10 starters will be back and one of them is senior defensive lineman Cam Ball. He has remained with Arkansas his entire career, a somewhat rare occurrence for an NFL hopeful these days.

“I’m just a loyal guy. I’m loyal to the state of Arkansas; Arkansas has been loyal to me,” Ball said.

Arkansas, like many schools, is also trying to scare up more money from donors as it faces the financial ramifications of the $2.8 billion House settlement; last fall, the athletic director said the school needed some $12 million more annually to “be in the NIL game from a football perspective.” Besides the money, the Razorbacks have to find talented players; Ball grew up in Atlanta, just barely within the regional footprint in which Pittman prefers to recruit.

“We have to go outside our state,” Pittman said. “In-state recruiting has changed over the last three or four years because of NIL. So you have to think about the talent — who it is versus what pay is expected. So that’s been a little bit more difficult in our state.”

Pittman isn’t the only coach who wants prospects to be familiar with what their college experience will look like before making any life-changing decisions. Florida coach Billy Napier paints a clear picture of life in Gainesville and the challenges and perks that come with it.

“We present our product in a way where we’re selling the degree, the alumni network, the Gator-made program, and you have to be up for the challenge of trying to get Florida back to where it’s been before,” he said. “And I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to keep it together.”

Florida’s 2023 recruiting class remains mostly intact, and from Napier’s perspective, hungrier than ever. Compared to other SEC teams, the Gators have had more success with retention. Napier doesn’t think it’s a coincidence.

“We told them when they came in, you know, look, it’s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows here. We’re in this thing for the long haul,” Napier said. “I think a lot of this is how you pitch it in recruiting. We’re going to continue to do that, and retention is more important than it’s ever been.”

Coaches scrambling to prevent transfers and maintain consistency isn’t exclusive to the SEC. The approval of the House settlement is a double-edged sword when it comes to retention, and Power Four schools and beyond are feeling the effects. Third-party NIL deals are no longer the only negotiation tactic schools need to worry about.

Complex contracts are becoming common and legal risks grow for athletes and programs alike as college football increasingly resembles the pros. Some deals are being negotiated solely by athletes as young as 18.

As a redshirt senior, Louisville linebacker TJ Quinn is used to the process.

“I wouldn’t say I was nervous (to negotiate) because this is my third year of having to do that,” Quinn said. “You’ve got to kind of stand your ground with what you feel like is your worth. If you’re comfortable with their offer, then sign. Then you have some guys that’ll leave and go to schools to get more money and stuff. That was never really like a big pusher for me, to go out and get more money because I feel like I’m in a good situation here at Louisville.”

Quinn’s loyalty could be the most convincing negotiation tactic of them all. While programs use revenue-share dollars to sway prospective transfers, coaches have begun to reward loyalty.

“To some degree, it’s capitalism that you get what you earn. So the guys that go out and play well are going to get more than the guys who haven’t proven it yet,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “Everybody on the team’s not going to make the same. Fair doesn’t always mean equal.”

But he also said the Mustangs are not going to add players “making a whole lot more than those guys who have already earned it here.”

“And I think that’s what helps us keep a good culture, is try to start with: Let’s retain first, and then whatever’s left, let’s go build the best team we can for those guys,” Lashlee said.

North Carolina State’s Dave Doeren doubled down.

“A guy that’s been on a team three years, that’s playing well and earned it on the field should make more than a guy coming in the door. I think that’s a proper way to do business,” Doeren said, though he warned that might not be the case across the board. “Right now, common sense is not prevailing in college football.”





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23 forwards to watch for Aug. 1

Carter Meyer is accelerating to be a junior. (Robert Chalmers/Cohen’s Hockey) This will be an interesting opening to college recruitment. For starters, there are high-end players that colleges are already recruiting hard. There is a slew of forwards who are pretty easily projectable as impact college hockey players. On defense, there is quite a bit […]

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Carter Meyer is accelerating to be a junior. (Robert Chalmers/Cohen’s Hockey)

This will be an interesting opening to college recruitment.

For starters, there are high-end players that colleges are already recruiting hard. There is a slew of forwards who are pretty easily projectable as impact college hockey players. On defense, there is quite a bit of size, which has become all the rage for defensemen these days.

However, this recruiting cycle will be most interesting because of what happened last year: the CHL ruling.

With CHL players now eligible to play NCAA Division 1 hockey, there will likely be heavy implications on recruiting.

Will programs send out fewer offers? Will they wait for many of these players to develop further, pitting them against current CHL players?

And on the other side of it, will recruits be more hesitant to commit somewhere because of how many CHL players that school is taking in?

Time will tell.

Here are the top first-year eligible forwards to watch come Aug. 1, which is when rising juniors in high school can accept an offer. A separate story will be run on defensemen and goalies.



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