NIL

Softball player Cayden Baker owns The Place Nutrition in Halls

Al Lesar | Shopper News Subscribe to Knox News: Local journalists covering local stories Knox News journalists cover the important moments in Knoxville. Support local journalism by subscribing. Cayden Baker is a social media intern for Tennessee Mojo, making regular posts and announcements, and giving top players advice on recruiting and name, image and likeness […]

Published

3 weeks ago

June 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Al Lesar
| Shopper News

Cayden Baker is a social media intern for Tennessee Mojo, making regular posts and announcements, and giving top players advice on recruiting and name, image and likeness financial deals.
The former Powell High softball player also is a UT student, owns a business and works part time as a receptionist.

As if owning a business wasn’t enough … or working a second job … or having a time-consuming internship … or carrying a full class load at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville … Cayden Baker’s days — and nights — are full, even without the game of softball that she once loved so much.

Baker, a 2021 Powell High School graduate, had a great softball career at Powell and with the Tennessee Mojo elite summer travel team. She was good enough to get recruited by Texas A&M.

She started 43 games and played in all 52 as a freshman infielder. She hit .261 and didn’t make an error.

However, after a coaching change, the new coach cut four players and Baker was one of them.

She landed at Georgia Tech. Just before the start of the spring season, Baker’s family had an emergency. When the Yellow Jackets’ coach refused to help her through the crisis, she left school and came home.

The last two years, with softball in the rear-view mirror, she has been working on finishing her degree in public relations at UT.

“I would not change anything in my high school or travel (softball) careers,” Baker said. “I had never played for a woman coach (as there were at A&M and Georgia Tech) before. That was hard to get used to. There were way more emotions involved than I had ever seen.”

Knowing customers is essential

Though she has a 3.7 GPA and will graduate at the end of the summer, Baker didn’t come back home to sit back and relax. Her mother, DeLinda, owns Emory Station Nutrition and The Baby Station in Powell. Since they already knew the business, buying Halls Nutrition (which is now The Place Nutrition, 6663 Maynardville Pike in Halls) in December 2022 made sense.

“People think owning a business is a luxury,” Baker said. “It’s a lot of work. You have to prioritize it, keep up with the trends. Customer service is so important. If you don’t know a customer’s name and past order, you’re doing something wrong.”

The Place Nutrition specializes in energy drinks, protein shakes and teas.

Baker, who relies on a quality manager to run the store, works at The Place Nutrition on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Mondays and Wednesdays she is a receptionist at a beauty salon. Weekends are also consumed with work of some sort.

Decision time is coming

Staying in touch with softball by way of a social media internship for Tennessee Mojo scratches her itch for the game. Besides doing regular posts and announcements, she helps top players with advice on recruiting and name, image and likeness financial deals.

“Most of the NIL deals for softball come in the form of equipment or merchandise,” Baker said. “Only a few of the top, top players are getting big money. It’s not like football and (men’s and women’s) basketball.”

By the end of the summer, Baker will have a decision to make: Get more involved with the travel softball team, or dedicate a lot more time to The Place Nutrition.

“I’ve learned a lot about time management by doing all this,” she said. “I’ve learned to hold myself accountable for whatever needs to get done.”

Link

NIL

Virginia Tech football’s 2025 College Football Playoff odds are mind-blowing

Entering the 2024 season, it was the first season with the new 12-team College Football Playoff, something that increased by eight from the previous years. One team that was a national darling as a dark horse for the new 12-team CFP going into last season was Virginia Tech. It was a very doable thing for […]

Published

59 seconds ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

It was a very doable thing for Brent Pry’s team with a favorable schedule and a ton of retention from the 2023 season. In the end, Virginia Tech had things go south in Week 1 at Vanderbilt, and it spiraled into a 6-6 season, which ended with a Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss to Minnesota.

In April, the disappointing season was a confirmed swing and a miss when the Hokies had five players drafted in the NFL Draft in Green Bay, then a handful more signed undrafted free agent contracts with teams. Now entering a season with a ton of questions after some major roster turnover and coaching changes, anything is possible when the dust settles. However, with so many questions entering the season, the Hokies’ 2025 CFP chances from ESPN’s FPI are somewhat eye-opening.

Virginia Tech football’s 2025 College Football Playoff odds are surprisingly high

ESPN released its preseason Football Power Index (FPI), and Virginia Tech’s odds are higher than you would think. The Hokies’ odds to make the CFP are 12.5%, which, for a team with a lot more questions than answers, is high.

There is no question that the Hokies have some talent returning on both sides of the ball, but if they are going to come anywhere close to these odds, they will need quarterback Kyron Drones to return to the form he had in 2023, and he must remain healthy. Then, as Greg McElroy said, winning one-score games under Pry is a must.

If all of that happens, Virginia Tech could be a very interesting team this season, and unlike last season, they could sneak up on some teams. The CFP might be a reach, but a bowl game is not out of the question. Raise your hand if you saw them having a 12.5% chance of playing in the CFP?

Link

NIL

A&M AD Trev Alberts gives insight on Texas A&M’s plan for the NIL Era

The House settlement judgment brought some clarity to NIL and revenue sharing, while simultaneously opening a brand-new can of worms that has led to several lawsuits in its wake. Still, it’s a positive step toward establishing a more level playing field across the board. Texas A&M Athletic Director Trev Alberts took time to discuss the […]

Published

59 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Texas A&M Athletic Director Trev Alberts took time to discuss the school’s plans for navigating this new landscape in college sports. He sees opportunities to capitalize on revenue options to keep Texas A&M competitive within the Power Five conferences.

One of the biggest questions: How did they decide which sports would be included in revenue sharing?

“Part of that decision-making was in concert with our increase in scholarship, so we didn’t look at the investments into individual sports, just from rev share. Some of the sports who didn’t get rev share are obviously getting massive increases in scholarship investment….”

“….we just try to look at what sports are we driving revenue in. We need to maintain the current revenue, and how do we accelerate and advance it? So difficult decisions and those can be adjusted and altered in the future, but that’s how we chose to start can”

Alberts also touched on how the university plans to modernize without losing the traditions that make Texas A&M one of the most unique programs in college sports.

“…..I’m going to push hard on the modernization, I’m going to push hard on thinking differently, because I think if we don’t, we won’t have the business success that we need to ultimately fund the support of our programs to win.”

Even with the House settlement establishing a few guardrails, there’s a long way to go. Alberts hopes federal lawmakers will step in to create clear, enforceable rules that everyone can follow—so schools can focus less on litigation and more on supporting student-athletes.

“…we all got into this to help young people, and we’ve spent all of our time playing defense to lawsuits, and that needs to end. It’s not in the best interest. College athletics is worth saving. It’s really important to the fabric of America, we’re better than this, and it’s time for leaders to lead.”

College athletics is slowly emerging from the chaos of the NIL era with early signs of a more unified regulatory structure. But the road ahead is still long.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.

Link

NIL

Fisher Selected for College Baseball Hall of Fame Induction

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The College Baseball Foundation, in collaboration with the College Baseball Hall of Fame, announced Monday (June 23) that former University of Michigan coach and Hall of Honor member Ray Fisher will be inducted as a member of its 2025 class. The 18th induction class will be honored at the 2026 Night […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The College Baseball Foundation, in collaboration with the College Baseball Hall of Fame, announced Monday (June 23) that former University of Michigan coach and Hall of Honor member Ray Fisher will be inducted as a member of its 2025 class.

The 18th induction class will be honored at the 2026 Night of Champions in Overland Park, Kansas, on Feb. 12.

Fisher took over for Carl Lundgren in 1921 and coached the Wolverines for 38 seasons until 1958, when he retired. He holds the Michigan record for overall wins, with 616 total victories — more than 150 ahead of the next closest coach. Fisher guided Michigan to 15 Big Ten titles, one NCAA berth and one national championship.

His accomplishments culminated in 1953, when he led Michigan to a 21-9 record — just the ninth 20-win season in program history. The Wolverines captured their second straight Big Ten title and defeated Ohio in back-to-back games to win the District title. At the College World Series, U-M beat Stanford, Boston College and Texas on consecutive days before dropping a rematch to the Longhorns, setting up a one-game title showdown. Michigan prevailed 7-5 on June 17, 1953, for its first national title.

Fisher’s 38-season tenure is tied for 32nd all-time in NCAA Division I baseball history. He received multiple honors after retiring, including induction into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1959 and selection to the second-ever Michigan Hall of Honor class, joining Fielding Yost.

Fisher will become the sixth Wolverine inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, tying Michigan for fifth all-time with Southern University for most inductees from one school. Casey Close was the most recent Wolverine to join the Hall in 2022. Jim Abbott, Barry Larkin and George Sisler are enshrined for their playing accomplishments, while U-M’s final inductee is Branch Rickey, who recommended Fisher for the Michigan job and coached the Wolverines from 1910-13.

Link

NIL

Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Opens Up On NFL Jobs, Commitment to Ducks

If a premium coaching job opens up, Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning is almost always instantly mentioned as a potential candidate. The 39-year-old Lanning is a rising star with the resume to back up his ambition, as Lanning leads all college head coaches with 25 wins and a 89.3 winning percentage since 2023. A winning […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Oregon Ducks Coach Dan Lanning On NFL Jobs: ‘I’m Not Going Anywhere’ / Jake Bunn, Oregon Ducks on SI

Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning On NIL, Transfer Portal: 'We Aren't Always Highest Bidder' — Oregon Ducks Coach Dan Lanning On NFL Jobs: ‘I’m Not Going Anywhere’ / Jake Bunn, Oregon Ducks on SI

Link

NIL

Between the Columns for Monday, June 23

It’s Monday morning, so it’s time for me to let you all know what’s been on my mind for the past week. We’ve got a couple more updates around the sport that I think are important to talk about. 1. Wisconsin is suing Miami. That’s an interesting thing to type. But more importantly, the University […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

1. Wisconsin is suing Miami.

That’s an interesting thing to type.

But more importantly, the University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective are suing the University of Miami for tampering. We’ve heard a lot of coaches complain about tampering the past few years as the transfer portal has gotten ever more active each season, but nobody has ever done anything about it.

But now the Badgers have decided rising sophomore defensive back Xavier Lucas is the guy to make this a big issue about.

For some context, Lucas was a four-star corner in the class of 2024, we had him rated as the No. 45 cornerback in the country coming out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He played in all 12 Wisconsin games last year, making 18 tackles, a sack and an interception.

He transferred during the winter portal, but there were issues with his transfer because he claimed the Wisconsin staff refused to file the proper paperwork to enter his name in the portal.

I guess we know why now.

Wisconsin claimed a Miami staffer and “prominent alumnus” met with Lucas at a relative’s home in Florida and offered him money to transfer, which was shortly after Lucas had apparently signed a two-year contract with the Badgers’ NIL collective in December.

So the argument is Miami sent a staffer to offer money to knowingly break the contract.

Definitely tampering.

The question isn’t whether tampering has been happening. It has.

There have been reports from baseball coaches whose team’s are in the College World Series that their players are receiving texts and calls from other coaches while they’re still playing to get them to transfer. Same with softball, same with both men’s and women’s basketball. Football was happening through bowl prep. That’s one of the major reasons why there’s been talk about moving the portal windows after the postseason in each sport.

We all knew tampering was happening.

But, finally, we’re going to find out if it’s actually against the rules.

2. The timing is fascinating to me.

NIL

LSU Baseball Player’s NIL Deal With Crocs Turns Heads

LSU Baseball Player’s NIL Deal With Crocs Turns Heads originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Some athletes wear lucky socks. Jake Brown? He wears Crocs. And now, the LSU Tigers star has turned his off-field fashion statement into a full-fledged NIL win by partnering with Crocs in a move that has fans buzzing and teammates styling. […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LSU Baseball Player’s NIL Deal With Crocs Turns Heads originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Some athletes wear lucky socks. Jake Brown? He wears Crocs. And now, the LSU Tigers star has turned his off-field fashion statement into a full-fledged NIL win by partnering with Crocs in a move that has fans buzzing and teammates styling.

The deal didn’t start with an agent or a contract, it started with Brown’s love for quirky, customized Crocs, from Star Wars-themed Jibbitz to Pizza Planet prints. After Brown mentioned his passion for the iconic slip-ons in an interview during the Tigers’ 2025 College World Series run, Crocs came calling.

“They reached out and they said, ‘Hey, we’re looking forward to sending you a little bit of stuff. Just send us your address,’” Brown told Hurrdat Sports.

“They messaged back right away saying, ‘We actually want to hook up all the guys… we can overnight ship them to the hotel.’ I was like, ‘Absolutely. Yes. Please do that.’”

What followed was pure NIL magic. LSU’s team strolled into Game 1 of the CWS final against Coastal Carolina decked out in fresh Crocs, with Brown at the center of it all. His message to the team group chat, “Everyone send me your Croc size.”

The Tigers went on to win 1-0, led by a dominant shutout from pitcher Kade Anderson, who struck out 10 across nine innings. Confidence? Style? Luck? Whatever it was, it worked.

“I didn’t think they thought it was going to happen,” Anderson said. “In about five minutes, the group chat just, boom, boom, boom. It was blowing up.”

A few days later, LSU clinched its second national title in three years with a 5-3 win in the Men’s College World Series finals. Brown may not have thrown the final pitch, but his NIL savvy helped unify a locker room and earned him one of the most unique deals in college baseball.

The Crocs origin story? Even better.

Brown used some of his NIL cash to grab themed pairs and design ideas for a custom LSU-inspired version.

“I have Pizza Planet-Toy Story Crocs that I bought with per diem money thanks to Champ Artigues, our baseball ops guy… I love my Crocs,” he said.

He even pitched Crocs a Louisiana-style collab: gator and pelican Jibbitz, purple and gold themes, and of course, a Tiger or two.

In a crowded NIL landscape where logos and car deals often dominate the headlines, Jake Brown’s Crocs moment feels fresh, authentic, and fun. It’s a reminder that NIL isn’t just about the money. Sometimes, it’s about the magic of being seen, being yourself, and sharing it with your team.

So, what’s next?

If Crocs and Brown roll out that LSU-themed pair, fans, and maybe future recruits will be lining up to walk in his shoes.

Related: Oregon QB Turns NIL Into Detroit Dreams

Related: NIL Struggles Far From Over After NCAA’s House Settlement

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.

Link