In this new era of NIL in college sports, the dollar signs trump everything else. The money continues to skyrocket in both basketball and football, as it was recently revealed the staggering amount of money that Duke basketball freshman sensation Cooper Flagg earned during his one year with the Blue Devils.

However, Manny Diaz and the Duke football program are under their own wave of immense pressure after signing Tulane transfer quarterback Darian Mensah to a monster two-year, $8 million deal.

With that insane spending mixed with a successful year one under Diaz, a season where the Blue Devils won nine games for just the third time since joining the ACC in 1953, pressure is amounting on Duke to not only be a good team, but be a true ACC Championship contender and a contender on a national scale.

RJ Young, FOX Sports college football analyst, recently discussed the new wave of pressure on Blue Devil football amid the huge payday to the rising redshirt sophomore Mensah, who will be making much more money than guys like John Mateer, one of the best quarterbacks in college football last season.

“Now, Duke is going to get measured at the quarterback position the way that we measure Clemson and Cade Klubnik,” Young said on Adapt & Respond with RJ Young. “Who made the Playoff, who won the ACC Championship game. Is that dude worth $4 million a year? Damn straight, he is. Think about what Clemson was able to accomplish with him at quarterback.”

Mensah is coming into Durham with a ton of upside, but Diaz and the coaching staff are certainly taking a gamble on the redshirt sophomore with his $8 million contract over two seasons. Mensah finished the 2024 season with 2,732 passing yards to go along with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions en route to leading the Green Wave to an AAC Championship game berth.

The former Tulane signal caller has the game to be a great quarterback in the ACC, but with the spending that the Blue Devils went after in order to sign him, being on the cusp of an ACC Championship is no longer good enough. If the program is willing to go out and make Mensah one of the highest-paid players in the history of college football, the only result that would make this decision rational is a College Football Playoff berth, and at the very least, an ACC Championship victory.

From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about unpopular opinions. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.

We all have some opinions that make people raise an eyebrow. It could be about sports, entertainment, or politics. Since you came to an Ohio State sports website, luckily you won’t have to deal with any opinions on politics. Instead, we are going to reveal our most unpopular opinions on college athletics. When we say unpopular, we don’t mean hurtful; more so, we mean opinions that are a bit unconventional.

When it comes to college athletics, there are plenty of areas to dive into. NIL, the Transfer Portal, how many teams should be included in the College Football Playoff/NCAA Tournament, and rules of the game and how they are interpreted are just the tip of the iceberg of areas that grind the gears of some people. Today, we don’t really need solutions to your unpopular opinions, since in many cases those fixes can be very complicated, we just want to know some things about college athletics that may be popular with others that have gotten under your skin.

Today’s question: What is your most unpopular opinion on college athletics?

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.

Brett’s answer: The Transfer Portal

Just to be clear, I’m not saying that I don’t think college athletes should be able to transfer. Having to wait a year to play after transferring was a bit ridiculous, especially when college coaches could move to another coaching position and not have to wait to coach. I don’t think that the transfer portal is currently utilized is what those in charge had in mind when they made it easier for student-athletes to transfer. Now you are seeing some college athletes transfer three or four times during their college career. At the very most, I think college athletes should be able to transfer twice during their college careers.

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

I have no issues with what Will Howard did. He spent a lot of time at Kansas State and then came to Ohio State to close out his college career. I can’t say the same about Dillon Gabriel. After starting his career at UCF, he transferred to Oklahoma, followed by a spot at Oregon for the final season of his college career. It just seems odd to me that a college athlete can play for three different schools. I understand that he had a redshirt season due to an injury and a COVID year, but even with those, it’s hard to believe that things were so bad at times that he needed to transfer twice during his college career.

Things feel even worse when it comes to basketball. Usually, in the fall before the college basketball season begins, I need to take a crash course to remember who is playing where now. Then, just as soon as fans are getting used to having a player on their team, they have moved on to greener pastures. After transferring out of Auburn following the season, Chad Baker-Mazara is now playing for his fifth team, with four of them being at the Division I level.

That just seems crazy to me. As soon as you become comfortable with players, coaches, and a school, players are hitting the portal. At Ohio State, Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart transferred to Columbus following their freshman season, and now both are elsewhere after spending one year with the Buckeyes.

I guess this is just how the world is these days. Our attention spans have become so short that it’s easy to see why college athletes are so quick to jump to a new school. Ohio State’s 2024 football season was so special because you had a bunch of players who were Buckeyes their whole college careers, finally getting to the top of the mountain after a number of close calls.

As the years go on, it feels like we’ll see less of that just because college athletes are constantly on the move these days, and there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon.

Matt’s answer: College football should adopt relegation

On the Land-Grant Podcast Network this week, I spoke to The Athletic’s Editor in Chief for college football, Stewart Mandel. He ran me through some of the ridiculous proposals that the SEC and Big Ten commissioners are seemingly pushing for the next round of College Football Playoff tweaks.

While nothing has been decided, and Mandel notes that the seemingly disastrous proposals could just be a negotiating tactic (and a much more sane plan does appear to be gaining traction), but it got me thinking.

If the CFP were to go with a more robust automatic bid process, similar to what happens in the UEFA Champions League, where participants are determined solely by their finish in their respective home country leagues. In that case, college football should also adopt one of the aspects that makes European soccer so exciting: relegation.

Say, the B1G and SEC’s plan to expand the playoff to 14 teams goes through and the two power conferences get four autobids apiece, then two each for the ACC and Big 12, and the Group of 5 would get one. That would mean that conference rankings would determine the vast majority of playoff spots, rendering non-conference play irrelovent.

So, if the goal is to pick the best teams based on how they play in their league, then we should do everything possible to make sure that the play in those leagues is at the highest possible level.

For example, the Purdue Boilermakers finished 0-9 last season in B1G play. Due to that, they should be relegated to Big 12. They still have a chance at two AQ spots in the playoffs, but not the four afforded the Big Ten. Conversely, SMU went 8-0 in the ACC, so they would be bumped up to the SEC for this season, giving them an even better shot at a playoff berth, despite the stiffer competition.

This would also work at the lower levels. Army was 8-0 in the AAC last season, so the Black Knights would become members of the ACC for this season, and the 0-9 Oklahoma State Cowboys would be relegated out of the Big 12 and into Comferemce USA.

If the goal — as it would seem to be by this playoff berth proposal — is to emphasize conference performance, then the entire college football system should do everything in its power to keep those conferences competitive and interesting. Suddenly, the end of the season is important for the teams at the bottom of the barrel.

The 2024 version of Mississippi State would have been relegated out of the SEC thanks to its 0-8 conference record, but would the coaching staff and players approached the last month of the season differently if they knew relegation was on the table?

Sure, there would be things that would need to be worked out, including a team like Florida State who went 1-7 in the ACC last season; once the ‘Noles realize that their season is essentially done, would they tank to get bumped down into a conference with an easier path to a playoff berth? Not if you institute the rule that a team who gets relegated can’t go to the playoff the following year!

Regardless of what future playoff system the college football powers that be come up with, the entire landscape of the sport will be different, and they need to embrace more forward-thinking, innovative ways to keep the sport compelling to fans. I don’t know if relegation would work or not, but what I definitely don’t want is for the beautiful, chaotic sport that college football is to become another cold, cookie-cutter version of pro sports in America.

So, if that means we’ve got to kick some teams out of conferences every year, I’m all for it.

Oregon is officially the first Regional host to be eliminated from the 2025 NCAA Tournament following its 10-8 loss to Cal Poly on Saturday.

The Ducks led 8-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, until junior left-handed pitcher Ian Umlandt surrendered four runs and the Oregon lead. Cal Poly had jumped out to a 9-8 lead, and extended it with a solo home run from first baseman Zach Daudet in the bottom of the eighth.

Mustang senior left-handed pitcher Jake Torres then returned to the mound in the top of the ninth and struck out all three batters he faced, cementing the upset win for Cal Poly.

It was an extremely disappointing NCAA Tournament appearance for the Ducks, who were crowned Big Ten Regular Season Champions. This is the first season that Oregon has lost a home Regional since 2021.

Regional will be remembered for Aroz call

In the game on Friday, Oregon fell to No. 4 seed Utah Valley 6-5 in what was an extremely controversial matchup. In the bottom of the eighth inning of that game, Oregon catcher Anson Aroz was ejected for malicious contact on a collision at home plate with Utah Valley catcher Mason Strong. If the run had counted, Oregon would’ve cut Utah Valley’s lead to 6-5.

Instead, Utah Valley escaped the inning still ahead by two runs and ended up winning by one after Oregon scored what would have been the game-tying run in the bottom of the ninth.

To make matters worse for Oregon fans, the Ducks out-hit both Utah Valley and Cal Poly in the losses. They doubled Utah Valley’s hit total with 10 in the first game, and out-hit the Mustangs 14-11 in the second game. However, pitching failed Mark Wasikowski’s team.

On Friday, starting right-handed pitcher Jason Reitz gave up four hits and five earned runs in six innings of work. On Saturday, starting left-handed pitcher Grayson Grinsell gave up seven hits and six earned runs in six innings.

Oregon’s starting pitching duo of Reitz and Grinsell, who combined to accrue a 14-4 record this season, allowed 11 earned runs in just 12 innings. Not the starts you want from your top two starting pitchers at this point in the season.

Although the Oregon offense totaled double-digit hits in both games this weekend, it is headed home early. Cal Poly will now face the winner of Saturday night’s matchup between No. 2 Arizona and No. 4 Utah Valley on Sunday.

It was never a secret that Duke basketball freshman phenom Cooper Flagg was in for a massive NIL payday once he committed to Duke, as the former No. 1 overall recruit was one of the more hyped-up prospects of the last two decades.

However, the amount of money that the rookie sensation made while with the Blue Devils has been revealed, and it’s pretty unbelievable.

Howard Bryant, a well-known sports journalist and author, recently had a sit-down conversation with Bob Costas in New York City at The 92nd Street Y, and the pair discussed Flagg’s valuation.

During the conversation, Howard revealed the number Flagg made as a freshman at Duke, and the answer resulted in an audible gasp from the event’s audience.

“$28 million,” Bryant revealed as the number the Blue Devil sensation earned in one year with Duke. “He had a $13 million deal with New Balance and then $15 million with Fanatics.”

Now, Flagg’s deal with New Balance is a multi-year contract, so that number is likely given in totality. Still, Flagg became one of New Balance’s signature new athletes ahead of his first season in the NBA.

Along with his NIL valuation from Duke alone, which On3 reported was around $4.8 million, the highest in college basketball, Flagg earned a substantial amount with just one year of college basketball. And keep in mind, he entered the college game as a 17-year-old. Flagg didn’t even turn 18 years old until December.

Regardless of the insane amount of money that Flagg was able to earn through one year of college basketball, it’s hard to say it wasn’t fully earned with his play. The Maine native was the best player in college basketball as he took home the Naismith National Player of the Year award. Flagg also won ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Player of the Year while leading the Blue Devils in all five major statistical categories.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals a night for the Blue Devils en route to leading the program to a Final Four appearance.

As a lock to be the first overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg will now add much more to his already loaded paycheck as a future member of the Dallas Mavericks.

The Oregon Ducks season has come to an end. Now, head coach Mark Wasikowski is looking ahead at how he can continue to build up the Oregon baseball program.

Immediately following the Ducks’ NCAA Regional elimination, Wasikowski met with media members. There, he emphasized that the next step for Oregon is continuing to build the culture and the program as a whole to eventually get over the proverbial hump.

“Well, continuing to build a culture,” Mark Wasikowski said. “Continue to build a program. It’s a program that we’re trying to build. It’s not just a player. We pride ourselves on not being a transactional group. We invest in these young people with all of our hearts, we love them.”

Oregon dropped their first two games in the Eugene Regional. That included against Cal Poly on Saturday to get eliminated and end their season. Still, from that, Mark Wasikowski pointed to players like Jeffery Heard both as who he wants the program to represent and who he feels the worst for amid the loss.

“To see Jeffery Heard today,” Wasikowski said. “When he gets an opportunity to play for Anson Aroz, who doesn’t get a chance to finish possibly his last season of college baseball by being somebody that the NCAA would be extremely proud of. A young man who has a college degree was a near 4.0 student. He was our SAAC, which is Student Athlete Advisory Committee representative, to the president and athletic director. He served on multiple boards at the University of Oregon and was a spokesman for the program and truly a tremendous young man. For him to not get the opportunity to be able to be on the field today is probably the thing that hurts me personally, right now, at the moment.”

Jeffery Heard was a key offensive player for Oregon. He went 3-5 at the plate with two RBIs. He’d also score two runs. Still, that wasn’t enough to overcome Cal Poly and now Oregon turns to the future.

“Without getting into the grand scheme of things, I just hurt for that young man because of his investment in college sports, in the great University of Oregon that it is, and the people. For us not to be able to have him on that baseball field today, maybe it’s the reason why he chooses to come back,” Wasikowski said. “But if he doesn’t choose to come back, I hope it’s not for the heartburn of the experience that he just had.” 

When Mark Wasikowski took over at Oregon, the Ducks were coming off a 27-29 season. At that time, the Ducks hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2015. They had also not won a conference regular season since 1957 and had never won a conference tournament. Since Wasikowski has taken over, the Ducks have made the NCAA Tournament five times and made the Super Regional twice. They’ve also won a conference tournament and won the Big Ten regular season in 2025.

Now, Oregon looks to take the next step as a program. That would mean making it to the College World Series for the first time since 1954.

Houston basketball coach Kelvin Sampson erupted and was visibly frustrated during a online press conference when questioned about NIL’s impact on college recruiting. The veteran coach’s outburst revealed growing tensions between traditional coaching methods and modern financial realities.

Sampson’s response highlighted the frustration many established coaches feel as NIL transforms college basketball. His defiant stance positions Houston as one of the few major programs actively resisting the money-driven recruiting culture.

Kelvin Sampson Refuses To Discuss NIL in Recruiting

During the online press conference posted on Houston Athletics’ YouTube channel, Sampson said, “I don’t ever talk about NIL, ever. Ever’s a long time. Never do I ever talk about NIL.” His rejection of financial discussions revealed an unwavering commitment to traditional coaching methods.

The outburst came as college basketball grapples with unprecedented financial chaos. While competitors offer million-dollar packages to teenage recruits, Sampson refuses to participate in bidding wars that have transformed the sport’s landscape.

Sampson challenged skeptics to verify his claims, boldly stating, “If you can go interview every single one of our players and not one of them will ever say, ‘Well, Coach Samson said this about NIL.’ I don’t talk about it.”

Instead of financial discussions, Sampson focuses on basketball fundamentals and character development.

“I don’t talk about NIL,” Samspon said. “I talk about what you’ve got to do to be good. You know, how hard you’re going to work, how challenging our program is and how great our program can be for you.”

Houston’s traditional approach has proven remarkably successful despite avoiding NIL-heavy recruiting tactics. The Cougars just completed their most successful season in program history, finishing 35-5 overall and capturing both Big 12 regular season and tournament championships before reaching the national championship game.

The current NIL deals expose how it has forced traditional programs to make difficult choices. Rather than engage in financial arms races, Houston simply walks away from prospects demanding excessive compensation packages.

This approach stands in stark contrast to rival programs actively recruiting players with lucrative NIL deals. Major universities now allocate millions annually to secure top talent, fundamentally changing how coaches build their rosters.

KEEP READING: Houston’s Loaded 2025 Roster: Ranking Kelvin Sampson’s Top Recruits and Returning Stars

Houston’s success under Sampson’s traditional approach adds weight to his criticism. The Cougars have consistently competed at elite levels without embracing NIL-heavy recruiting tactics that dominate contemporary college basketball discussions.

Sampson’s defiant stance may prove unsustainable as NIL regulations evolve. However, Houston’s championship-level success demonstrates that traditional coaching methods can still compete against financial incentives in modern college basketball.

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