Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
NIL
Softball Postseason Run Ends in Regional Semifinal
DURHAM, N.C. – The Coastal Carolina softball team split a doubleheader at the NCAA Durham Regional, defeating Howard 9-1 before its season came to an end with an 16-8 loss to No. 14 national seed Duke. Game 1: Howard 1, Coastal 9 (5 innings) Howard struck first in the […]

DURHAM, N.C. – The Coastal Carolina softball team split a doubleheader at the NCAA Durham Regional, defeating Howard 9-1 before its season came to an end with an 16-8 loss to No. 14 national seed Duke.
Game 1: Howard 1, Coastal 9 (5 innings)
Howard struck first in the top of the first inning when Alyssa Vasquez hit a two-out solo home run over the left-field wall to take a 1-0 lead.
Coastal answered in the bottom of the second inning. Keirstin Roose cracked a double into left field and advanced to third on a throwing error. Maddy Jennings then drove her home on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.
In the bottom of the third Delaney Keith laced a single through the right side, followed by a two-run home run from Georgia Hood to give the Chanticleers a 3-1 lead.
CCU added another run in the bottom of the fourth when Livi Payne lined a sacrifice fly into center field, driving in pinch runner Emma Skovran to make it 4-1.
The Chanticleers sealed the win in the bottom of the fifth when Roose ripped an RBI single through the left side to extend the lead to 5-1. With the bases loaded, freshman McKennah Metzger crushed a walk-off grand slam to send Coastal into the regional semifinals with a 9-1 victory.
Nicolette Picone improved to 29-9 in the circle, allowing one run on five hits over 5.0 innings.
Game 2: Duke 16, Coastal 8 (8 innings)
Duke opened the scoring in the top of the first inning with a solo home run to center field by Aminah Vega to take a 1-0 lead.
Metzger tied the game in the bottom of the second with her second home run of the day, this time over the right-center field wall to make it 1-1.
The Blue Devils regained the lead in the top of the third, scoring on a sacrifice fly to left field and a throwing error to go ahead 3-1.
The Chanticleers responded in the bottom of the third with an offensive surge. After Pippin reached on a walk, Keith smashed a two-run home run over the right-field wall to tie it 3-3. Hood then followed with a solo shot to give Coastal a 4-3 advantage.
The hits kept coming in the bottom of the third when Roose doubled down the left-field line and Jenning launched Coastal’s third home run of the inning, extending the lead to 6-3.
Duke rallied in the top of the fourth with a five-run frame, scoring on a pair of singles and a three-run double by Thessa Malauʻulu to retake the lead at 8-6.
The Chants narrowed the gap in the bottom of the fifth inning when Keith reached on walk and advanced to third on a passed ball and a groundout. The third baseman was then able to cross home plate on a Duke fielding error to make the score 8-7.
Coastal looked to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning after singles from Metzger and Payne put runners on base, but the Blue Devils held strong to record the final out and preserve their 8-7 lead.
The Chanticleers showed their grit in the bottom of the seventh when Keith singled and Hood reached on an intentional walk. Metzger followed with a single to second base, and pinch runner Baxter came home on an errant throw to tie the game once again at 8-8.
Duke put the game away in the top of the eighth, bringing home eight runs on a double, two fielder’s choices, a single, a walk, and a passed ball to secure the 16-8 victory.
Picone took the loss in the circle, falling to 29-11 on the season after allowing nine runs on six hits.
For complete coverage of CCU softball, follow the Chanticleers on social media at @CoastalSoftball (X), @GoCCUSports (Instagram) and facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at GoCCUSports.com.
NIL
Kentucky, JMI Sports sign extension through 2040, includes multimedia rights and NIL support
Share Tweet Share Share Email Kentucky and JMI Sports announced what they called “a historic multimedia rights agreement” on Tuesday. The new deal runs through 2040 and is valued at more than $465 million, which ranks among the largest deals in college athletics. In addition to multimedia rights, […]
NIL
Herd Men’s Soccer Picked as Favorites in SBC Preseason Coaches Poll
Buy Men’s Soccer Season Tickets Here | Championship Fund HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall Men’s Soccer team was picked to finish first in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the league office on Wednesday. In addition to being picked atop the poll, junior defender Takahiro Fujita was named SBC […]

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall Men’s Soccer team was picked to finish first in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the league office on Wednesday.
In addition to being picked atop the poll, junior defender Takahiro Fujita was named SBC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and as a member of the conference’s all-preseason team.
Marshall received eight first place votes out of 10 in the poll coming in ahead of second-place WVU by five points after a run to the 2024 College Cup Championship match in 2024.
A native of Nara, Japan, Fujita was a Second-Team All-SBC selection in 2024 and was taken in the third round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft by Orlando. Fujita tallied a pair of assists and a goal during the 2024 season while helping The Herd to 11 shutouts.
MU concludes the preseason with an exhibition at Maryland on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before opening the regular season at Hoops Family Field on August 22 at 7:15 p.m. against George Mason.
To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall men’s soccer, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall men’s soccer team.
For all the latest information about Marshall men’s soccer, follow @herdmsoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
—HerdZone.com—
NIL
Tuberville on NIL legislation: ‘We’re getting a little closer, but it’s almost impossible’
Over the last half decade, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), the transfer portal, and the intertwining of the two have been some of the biggest topics discussed in college football outside of the actual games, and sometimes even more so. It’s a new era in college sports, and the current Presidential administration has taken steps […]

Over the last half decade, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), the transfer portal, and the intertwining of the two have been some of the biggest topics discussed in college football outside of the actual games, and sometimes even more so.
It’s a new era in college sports, and the current Presidential administration has taken steps to try to address the chaos. President Donald Trump recently signed an Executive Order establishing national standards surrounding NIL. Additionally, a bipartisan bill known as the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act was introduced in the House of Representatives last month.
RELATED: As new Alabama-driven NIL bill gains traction, Congress moves to rein in ‘Wild West’ of college sports
Now more so than ever, the federal government is trying to get a handle on things, and former Auburn Tigers head coach and current U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has spoken often on the subject.
Tuberville joined Lance Griffin on Sports Talk The Ball on FM 100.1 in Dothan to discuss a myriad of topics, including NIL. When asked for an update on the legislation, the senator revealed that while he is optimistic, it’s also an extremely complicated issue to tackle.
“We’re getting a little closer, but it’s almost impossible,” Tuberville said. “The President did a lot that he can do with his Executive Order, trying to put things into place…I visited with him quite a bit about it, and if there’s one thing I wish could be addressed, it’s the transfer portal.”
The lawmaker argued that the sport should go back to the former rule where players are allowed to transfer, but they must sit out a full season once they make the move.
“That would quit probably about 70 or 80 percent of the transfers because people aren’t gonna pay a kid to sit on the bench for a year…we have got to come to some sense of reality that education [comes] first, look out for the well-being of the player in terms of getting that degree, but also being fair. I’m for them making money, but this is getting ridiculous the way they’re transferring every year…the NCAA has no backbone…they have no sense of requirement or responsibility for these kids. They have to be accountable, players as well as coaches, and the schools.”
RELATED: Tuberville calls out Texas Longhorns while speaking about issues with NIL
Tuberville said he is continuing to work directly with Trump to analyze how the old rules of the transfer portal can be enforced. Whether or not any change becomes a reality remains to be seen, but the Senator is certainly correct in saying it would cut down on the total amount of transfers, something which most fans would be for.
NIL
Dawn Staley discusses revenue sharing, NIL on Michelle Obama podcast
South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley discussed revenue sharing in depth for the first time, including the challenges of keeping control as college athletics changes, on a podcast with former First Lady Michelle Obama that aired Aug. 13. The House settlement allowed schools to begin paying athletes up to $20.5 million annually beginning July […]

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley discussed revenue sharing in depth for the first time, including the challenges of keeping control as college athletics changes, on a podcast with former First Lady Michelle Obama that aired Aug. 13.
The House settlement allowed schools to begin paying athletes up to $20.5 million annually beginning July 1. It’s in addition to NIL pay.
Staley revealed her players must sign Non-Disclosure Agreements regarding the money they receive. Obama said the players don’t need to be in the business of knowing what each other makes.
“Now whether they can stick with that or not, some of them get disgruntled and maybe transfer and just say what ‘I was making (amount)’ and it can stir up the pot but I’m very honest,” Staley said in the episode recorded June 10. “I’ll tell them, there’s a reason why you get paid this and you get paid that. I’ll explain that to them.”
Dawn Staley on NIL, revenue sharing in college sports
Obama asked how these changes have impacted the locker room and Staley said knock on wood, they haven’t. She said she’s clear in the financial conversations, and tries to do most of the talking with agents. Some players have the same agent, which increases the likelihood of knowing what a teammate makes.
South Carolina hasn’t publicly addressed how the money will be distributed but Staley said in general, “Probably $20 million per school but that’s football, that’s men’s basketball and maybe sprinkling women’s basketball and other Olympic sports.”
Three three-time national championship coach who is now in her 17th season with the Gamecocks was asked by Obama how revenue sharing has changed recruiting.
“That’s the difficult part,” Staley said. “The market says that if you’re a non-contributor and you go into the portal, they can go ask a school like us for $100,000. If I entertain that, they’re going to take it to another school, (say) ‘hey South Carolina offered me a hundred grand, you got $150,000?”
She said South Carolina has a certain amount of money to work with and she stays within budget and doesn’t overpromise but does “innovative things” to “help her players out in that space.”
An example is in November, the Gamecocks will play in the inaugural Players Era Women’s Championship, which gives players the chance at least $1 million of NIL activities. They will play Duke on Nov. 26 then Texas or UCLA on Nov. 27 in Las Vegas.
“I’m supportive of it, I really am,” Staley said about the changes as a whole. “I think it’s long overdue,” but keeping control is necessary.
“We got to find a way to balance,” Staley said. “To keep it an amateur sport while allowing young people to go out there and benefit from their name, image and likeness.”
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com. Follow her on X @Lulukesin and Bluesky @bylulukesin.bsky.social
NIL
Caldeira Named Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year as Mountaineers are Picked Second
Story Links MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Aug. 13, 2025) – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team was tabbed to finish second in the 2025 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll, as announced by the conference on Wednesday. Senior Marcus Caldeira was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while graduate student […]

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Aug. 13, 2025) – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team was tabbed to finish second in the 2025 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll, as announced by the conference on Wednesday.
Senior Marcus Caldeira was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while graduate student Carlos Hernando and sophomore Isaac Scheer joined him on the Preseason All-Conference Team.

The Mountaineers tallied 92 points, including two first-place votes in the coaches poll. Marshall, the 2024 national runner-up, was picked to win the conference with 97 points and eight first-place votes. UCF was slotted in third behind WVU with 74 points while Kentucky (67) and South Carolina (65) were fourth and fifth, respectively.
James Madison was voted sixth (48), ahead of seventh-place Old Dominion (36) while Georgia Southern (30), Georgia State (24), and Coastal Carolina (17) rounded out the poll.
Caldeira is the Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. In 2024, he finished the season with 11 goals and 23 points en route to being named to the All-Sun Belt second team and United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region second team. In his career, he has 28 goals, ninth most in WVU history.
Hernando returns for his third season as an anchor for a strong WVU back line that allowed just 1.05 goals per game last season and recorded 10 shutouts. He totaled 1,548 minutes played, scoring two goals and tallying one assist. Both his goals came in the Sun Belt Championship as he was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Scheer is back for his second season after a strong freshman campaign. He played in all 22 games with 13 starts, logging 1,255 minutes. He scored three goals and had five assists, second most on the team.
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year:
Marcus Caldeira, West Virginia (Sr., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year:
Takahiro Fujita, Marshall (Jr., Nara, Japan)
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year:
Sebastian Conlon, Kentucky (Sr., Reston, Va.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
F – Ethan Ballek, South Carolina (Sr., Timnath, Colo.)
F – Marcus Caldeira, West Virginia (Sr., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)
F – Ryan Holmes, Georgia Southern (Jr., Milton Keys, England)
M – Agustin Lopez, Kentucky (So., Santa Fe, Argentina)
M – Isaac Scheer, West Virginia (So., Charlotte, N.C.)
M – Alexander Stjernegaard, South Carolina (Sr., Rungsted Kyst, Denmark)
M – Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez, South Carolina (So., Knoxville, Tenn.)
D – Takahiro Fujita, Marshall (Jr., Nara, Japan)
D – Carlos Hernando, West Virginia (Grad., Madrid, Spain)
D – Josh Gordon, Kentucky (Jr., Scarborough, Ontario)
GK – Sebastian Conlon, Kentucky (Sr., Reston, Va.)
*Ties were not broken.
2025 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Marshall (8) – 97
2. West Virginia (2) – 92
3. UCF – 74
4. Kentucky – 67
5. South Carolina – 65
6. James Madison – 48
7. Old Dominion – 36
8. Georgia Southern – 30
9. Georgia State – 24
10. Coastal Carolina – 17
Parentheses indicate first-place votes
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
NIL
BYU Football Still Waiting on NCAA Decision for Senior Running Back Hinckley Ropati
BYU is still waiting on an NCAA decision regarding the eligibility of senior running back Hinckley Ropati, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake announced on Tuesday. Ropati has been not been on the roster since the end of the 2024 season. In the spring transfer window, Ropati entered the transfer portal. He announced his plans to […]


BYU is still waiting on an NCAA decision regarding the eligibility of senior running back Hinckley Ropati, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake announced on Tuesday. Ropati has been not been on the roster since the end of the 2024 season. In the spring transfer window, Ropati entered the transfer portal. He announced his plans to return to BYU for the 2025 season on his podcast. However, Ropati has not been able to participate in Fall Camp while he waits on the decision from the NCAA.
Sitake said that Ropati would be on the practice field as soon as he is granted an extra year of eligibility, assuming the NCAA rules in his favor. Ropati is seeking a medical hardship waiver after suffering multiple season-ending injuries.
Ropati arrived at BYU for the 2020 season. He suffered a season-ending knee injury during Fall camp and did not play that season.
In 2021, Ropati had 4 carries for 15 yards. In 2022, he had 189 yards on 36 carries and he had 6 receptions for 97 yards.
Prior to the 2023 season, Ropati suffered another season-ending knee injury during Fall camp and did not play. The 2024 season was presumed to be his final season of college football. He was the backup running back behind LJ Martin and he ran for a career high 360 yards and 1 touchdown. He also had 5 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Getting Ropati back would be a major boost to the depth of the running back room. Just last year, BYU used five running backs in the month of September due to injury.
Back in Spring Camp, BYU was counting on redshirt freshman Pokaiaua Haunga. Haunga was used sparringly in 2024 and was going to take on a much greater role for the BYU offense in 2025. Then, Haunga was removed from the roster during Fall Camp for “personal reasons.”
BYU’s top two running backs are LJ Martin and Sione Moa. At this point in camp, that’s not in question. Both Martin and Moa could be very effective for the BYU offense and as long as they are healthy, the running back position will be in a good spot for BYU.
Behind Martin and Moa, the Cougars will turn to other players further down the depth chart like Enoch Nawahine, Jovesa Damuni and Preston Rex. Rex moved to running back over the Summer after starting his career at safety.
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