NIL

Syracuse Orange

Let me preface this by saying I’m a Syracuse Orange homer and a huge fan of sports announcer Mike Tirico as well. He’s only a few years older than me but old enough that I saw him on WTVH-5 in my teen years and love his work since he’s left. He’s called big sporting events […]

Published

2 weeks ago

May 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

He’s called big sporting events and worked for ESPN, NBC and likely others as well over the years. He will be the voice of the NBA on NBC next season as well and recently had to pull out at the last minute due to health issues before doing the Kentucky Derby.

Today was special.

You never know when you’ll have the chance to turn dreams to reality, and @miketirico helped make that happen for @SamCroston1 and I today.

This interview was joy and a pleasure. We cannot wait to share it with you. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/oEvpEhftib

— Rachel Culver (@rach_culver) May 7, 2025

Recently, while in town, Mike stopped by what used to be the WSTM-3 studios (but now 3 & 5 are combined into CNY Central) and appeared on the Orange Zone podcast alongside CNY Central sports anchor/director Samantha Croston and producer Rachel Culver.

Normally, I might not do a post about a podcast appearance but I think Mike took the time to discuss some interesting topics. In doing so, he shared his opinion as a Syracuse alum, a current board of trustees member and several years as one of the best sports broadcasters and play-by-play guys in the business.

I encourage you to listen to the interview in full because it is hard providing information and preface everything in proper context but much like an elementary school student in the 80s, I’ll try to give you the highlights (Highlights magazine was so fun as a kid, along with Mad Libs).

Tirico’s take on NIL as it relates to college basketball, particularly in March Madness.

“The problem is it becomes a diminished entertainment value, or an entertainment value that is of similar ilk to the NBA or NFL, and we already have that at its best.”

Full episode:… pic.twitter.com/xMdLztN4zf

— Rachel Culver (@rach_culver) May 8, 2025

Syracuse alum and respected broadcaster Mike Tirico recently hopped on the Orange Zone podcast.

But here are a few points in particular I found worth noting and why I wanted to write this. Like for instance, he brought up one possible idea to limit some of the NIL/transfer portal would be having players have buyout options like coaches do.

I personally don’t hate that idea. I also agree 100% with his idea that players would get one free transfer before you sit out a season (unless your coach leaves or you can provide a personal exemption for family reasons or something of that matter).

Samantha asked Mike about football head coach Fran Brown and his style and wanting alumni to be involved in the program, saying maybe it wasn’t welcomed as much in past regimes. He also calls Fran “genuine” with people skills.

One thing I also loved is when Rachel asks if Coach Brown’s impact can help the community as well and Mike touches on it, saying he thinks it also helps players be better people under him and women’s basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack because of their impact on the community and the community on them.

The subject of NIL comes up too and he discusses (and I agree) that NIL should be exactly what the initials imply allowing players to profit off their own merits but because the NCAA “was completely asleep” to allow it to get this way and that conferences looked the other way because it brought in money. He also talks about the SEC and Big East advantages in the NIL space (the Big East, especially in basketball, due to the lack of football money needed).

Mike Tirico’s views on Name, Image, and Likeness: pic.twitter.com/FkCSK5DfLS

— Samantha Croston (@SamCroston1) May 8, 2025

This also led Mike to say what I and others have been saying that if this becomes more semi-pro than the college scene we’ve loved, it will be “watered down” and calling it unsustainable and not good for the college brand.

And while some will say it’s unfair that universities profit off of them, there are still ways to regulate this and allow student athletes to profit as well. Mike even notes that he is married to a former women’s basketball co-captain (along with Coach Jack during their playing days), that he understands they deserve opportunities to get compensated, seeing firsthand how much commitment was involved as a student athlete.

Mike also goes into depth about his time here in Syracuse quite a bit, why he loves shooting live and spontaneously on his feet, his allergic reaction that caused him to not do the Kentucky Derby broadcast and a lot more in this one-hour interview, many of which include memories for older fans like me who remember Syracuse sports in the 80s. Older fans will enjoy the nostalgia and younger fans will appreciate his discussions on current events as well.

You can find this podcast on your usual podcast channels, most likely, or see the video of it now on YouTube here.

NIL

The Architect Behind Penn State Football

In this episode of Next Up, Adam Breneman sits down with the man behind the curtain at Penn State Football—general manager Andy Frank. For years, Andy has played a critical but often unseen role in building one of the top programs in college football. He’s been Coach Franklin’s right-hand man going all the way back […]

Published

32 minutes ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In this episode of Next Up, Adam Breneman sits down with the man behind the curtain at Penn State Football—general manager Andy Frank. For years, Andy has played a critical but often unseen role in building one of the top programs in college football. He’s been Coach Franklin’s right-hand man going all the way back to their time at Vanderbilt, and now he’s overseeing everything from roster construction and recruiting strategy to navigating the chaos of NIL (name, image, and likeness), the transfer portal, and revenue sharing.

With revenue sharing on the horizon and college football entering a new era, this conversation is a rare look at how top programs are preparing for massive change — and how Penn State is positioning itself to win big. Andy is one of the most thoughtful minds in the sport, and this conversation is packed with insights you won’t get anywhere else.

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2025 NBA Draft: Florida’s Alex Condon headlines list of five declared prospects who should return to school

The NIL era of college basketball comes with drawbacks, but it also means players who previously would have declared for the NBA Draft are returning to school — either with their original teams or new ones via the transfer portal. Only 106 players declared early for the 2025 NBA Draft — the fewest since 2015, […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Only 106 players declared early for the 2025 NBA Draft — the fewest since 2015, when just 91 elected to forgo their remaining eligibility to turn pro. That trend has played out this offseason with players like Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, who bypassed the draft process entirely thanks to a lucrative NIL deal.

Several players in this year’s class still have a decision to make ahead of the May 28 stay-or-go draft deadline. One of them is Florida starting center Alex Condon, who played a key role in the Gators’ run to the national title. Condon is a borderline late first-round pick, and his return would likely solidify Florida as a preseason top-five team.

Here are five players who should bypass the 2025 NBA Draft and return to school.

Alex Condon, Florida

2024-25 season stats: GP: 37 | PPG: 10.6 | RPG: 7.5 | APG: 2.2

Another college year could do wonders for Condon’s long-term draft stock. The 6-foot-11 forward/center is projected to go at the end of the first round in several mock drafts, but he could easily slide into the second round if he stays. That’s why returning to school — where he would reinforce the deepest frontcourt in the country — is the wise decision.

Condon started all but two games during a magical 2024-25 season and recorded at least 10 rebounds in 10 regular-season games last year. Florida’s star big man didn’t match that production in the NCAA Tournament. He suffered an ankle injury against Maryland in the Sweet 16 but was able to return for the stretch run. If Condon stays and plays well, he could become a lottery pick in 2026.

2024-25 season stats: GP: 30 | PPG: 12.3 | RPG: 4.4 | APG: 2.7

The lengthy 6-foot-7 wing is coming off a breakout 2024-25 campaign, but he still needs more time in college to maximize his stock. Byrd started 30 games and averaged career-highs in points, steals, blocks, assists and rebounds.

Byrd is a volume 3-point shooter who connected on 30.1% of his 5.9 attempts per night. The SDSU star projects as a second-round pick, so it would be wise for him to return to build off a standout season where he showed flashes of being a two-way talent at the next level. Returning to school and being “the guy” at San Diego State should put him in the middle of the first round in 2026. NBA teams will buy into his length and the projectability of his shot if he chooses to stay in the NBA Draft.

2024-25 season stats: GP: 36 | PPG: 16.2 | RPG: 4.7 | APG: 1.7

It makes sense for Oweh to return to school for multiple reasons. It’s doubtful Oweh will sneak into the end of the first round. If he returns to school, Oweh can build off a standout 2024-25 season, which saw him finish as UK’s leading scorer in Year 1 of the Mark Pope era.

Oweh is a true two-way talent, so getting him back in the fold would be a huge win for Pope and his staff. He averaged a career-high 16.2 points and 1.6 steals during his first season with the Wildcats. Kentucky has rebuilt its roster this offseason mostly through the transfer portal, but members of last year’s team running it back include Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler and Trent Noah. Oweh would be the best player on Kentucky’s roster and a potential SEC Player of the Year candidate if he runs it back. The pros of returning to school outweigh the risk of sliding in the second round.

Kentucky basketball recruiting: Braydon Hawthorne’s commitment marks latest offseason win for Mark Pope

Cameron Salerno

2024-25 season stats: GP: 38 | PPG: 11.6 | RPG: 2.2 | APG: 3.0

The door is open for Pettiford to return to Auburn if he doesn’t get a first-round guarantee. Pettiford did have a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month, but it still seems more likely than not that he won’t get that first-round promise he is looking for.

The other reason why Pettiford running it back would be the right decision is he’s a potential All-American if he returns to Auburn. Last year, he was a true microwave scorer off the bench. There were multiple instances when he took over down the stretch to help the Tigers pull away. If he returns for his sophomore season, he will be the focal point of Auburn’s offense. Getting the keys handed to him and improving his all-around game would do wonders for his draft stock in 2026.

2024-25 season stats: GP: 40 | PPG: 11.4 | RPG: 3.1 | APG: 4.3

Uzan took a significant step forward during his first year at Houston. He was the Cougars’ best 3-point shooter, connecting on 42.8% of his shots from beyond the arc, but outside of Uzan’s performance against Purdue in the Sweet 16 — which saw him score a game-winning bucket to help the Cougars advance — he didn’t have his best showing in the NCAA Tournament.

Uzan running it back would be a perfect marriage for both parties because, at this moment, he’s a second-round pick if he stays in the draft.

Houston projects as a preseason top-three team heading into the 2025-26 campaign. Getting Uzan back would help the Cougars make the case for preseason No.1. He can also shake off a lackluster showing at the NCAA Tournament, which saw him shoot just 5 of 19 against Duke and Florida during the final weekend of the college basketball season.

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2025 NCAA Softball Tournament Bracket: Updated Super Regional matchups, scores, schedule

The Super Regionals are underway during the 2025 NCAA Tournament following an action-packed Regional weekend. Now, each team are two wins away from qualifying for the 2025 Women’s College World Series. Matchups in the 2025 NCAA Softball Super Regionals kicked off with two top-16 matchups on Thursday. That includes the Tallahassee Super Regional between Florida […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Matchups in the 2025 NCAA Softball Super Regionals kicked off with two top-16 matchups on Thursday. That includes the Tallahassee Super Regional between Florida State and Texas Tech, as well as the Austin Super Regional between Texas and Clemson. After that, the six other series will begin on Friday.

The second stage of the tournament will feature eight best of three series between the Regional champions crowned last weekend. These matchups will begin play on May 22 and conclude on May 26, if a game three is necessary. The winners of these two cities will meet for the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City at the WCWS later this month. Here’s how those series shape up:

Eugene Super Regional: Liberty vs. No. 16 Oregon

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 10:00 p.m. ET | ESPNU
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Norman Super Regional: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Alabama

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 5:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 3:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Gainesville Super Regional: No. 3 Florida vs. Georgia

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 11:00 a.m. ET | ESPN2
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 11:00 a.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Fayetteville Super Regional: No. 4 Arkansas vs. Ole Miss

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 8:00 p.m. ET | ESPNU
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 9:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Austin Super Regional: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Clemson

Knoxville Super Regional: No. 7 Tennessee vs. Nebraska

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 5:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Columbia Super Regional: No. 8 South Carolina vs. No. 9 UCLA

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 1:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 1:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

All times ET.

2025 Women’s College World Series

May 29 through June 5 or 6 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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Texas A&M QB, former MBA star Marcel Reed has NIL deal with jet company

Texas A&M football quarterback and former Montgomery Bell Academy player Marcel Reed has just landed an NIL deal with private jet charter company ENG Aviation Group. According to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos, Reed will be an ambassador for the ENG’s organ donation services, as well as have access to the company’s private jets. […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Texas A&M football quarterback and former Montgomery Bell Academy player Marcel Reed has just landed an NIL deal with private jet charter company ENG Aviation Group.

According to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos, Reed will be an ambassador for the ENG’s organ donation services, as well as have access to the company’s private jets.

The Texas-based aviation company, which has been offering premier private charter flights for businesses and individuals for over 30 years, has recently begun signing high-profile college football players to name, image, and likeness deals to promote their brand. Reed joins former Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, former Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart and Miami quarterback Carson Beck as ambassadors for ENG.

A post on Reed’s instagram account puts an emphasis on the deal’s organ donation awareness.

“ENG runs a premium charter jet service, but when those jets aren’t in the air with private clients, they’re flying something far more important: life-saving organ transplants,” the caption reads.

Reed, a former four-star recruit out of Montgomery Bell Academy, signed with the Aggies in 2023, backing up then-starter Max Johnson. During his sophomore season with the Aggies in 2024, Reed threw for 1,864 yards with 15 touchdowns and rushed for 547 yards with seven touchdowns.

Reed is the son of former Tennessee State head coach Rod Reed. Reed coached the Tigers to a 57-60 record over 11 seasons, but his contract was not renewed in 2021.

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex atjdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.

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President Trump Halts Plans To Create Anticipated NIL Commission on College Sports

Just as quickly as things can be formed, they can dissipate in the continually evolving state of college sports in the NIL landscape. Things appear to be on hold when it comes to action on the future of college athletics, as the House v. NCAA settlement has yet to earn final approval, and the NCAA […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Just as quickly as things can be formed, they can dissipate in the continually evolving state of college sports in the NIL landscape.

Things appear to be on hold when it comes to action on the future of college athletics, as the House v. NCAA settlement has yet to earn final approval, and the NCAA is no longer in the business of enforcing college amateurism, instead deflecting power to the individual conferences.

While approval by Judge Claudia Ann Wilken is expected to transform college football and basketball in the revenue-sharing era, so was the potential for oversight by a presidential commission that will, at this time, not move forward.

Pete Nakos with On3 Sports reported Thursday that President Donald Trump put his plans for a presidential commission on college athletics on an indefinite pause.

“Donald Trump’s presidential commission on college sports has been paused,” Nakos wrote on X. “Expectation is commission will eventually be formed, but is being delayed as U.S. Senator Ted Cruz works to push through federal legislation.”

The proposed presidential commission was put together rather quickly and perhaps haphazardly, and Cruz has pushed for Trump to halt efforts to form one while he works on federal legislation regulating NIL.

The commission’s intent was to evaluate the role of NIL in college sports, but it lacked substantial details beyond identifying its members.

Former Alabama Crimson head football coach Nick Saban was expected to spearhead the commission as co-chair alongside Texas Tech billionaire booster Cody Campbell, and the two reportedly were talking behind the scenes.

Saban has come out since initial reports surfaced of the commission and his purported role to declare that he isn’t sure one is necessary.

“I know there’s been a lot of stuff out there about some commission or whatever,” Saban said. “I don’t think we need a commission. I’ve said that before. I think we know what the issues are; we just have to have people that are willing to move those and solve those and create some solutions for some of those issues.”

Nakos further reports that Campbell is expected to continue his quiet work on the commission until it’s ready to come to fruition, though again, the details are scarce on what that means.

Perhaps the best move is to simply wait until the impending July 1 date of the settlement’s approval and assess the state of college sports thereafter.

For now, the state of athletics remains in limbo, with no plan for oversight via an executive order.

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Bluefield State hires coach Luke D'Alessio from CIAA rival FSU

Published

2 hours ago

May 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Bluefield State hires coach Luke D'Alessio from CIAA rival FSU

Fayetteville State men’s basketball will face off against its former coach next season.In what turned out to be a swap, Bluefield State announced Thursday, May 22, that Luke D’Alessio had been hired as head coach after leading FSU to a CIAA championship and first-ever NCAA D2 Tournament win in his five seasons in Fayetteville.”We are thrilled to welcome Coach D’Alessio to the Big Blue family,” said Dr. Darrin Martin, Bluefield State University President, in a school-issued press release. “His extensive experience and proven track record of developing competitive programs make him an ideal leader for our men’s basketball team.”The Broncos didn’t renew D’Alessio’s contract; instead, they hired Devin Hoehn away from Bluefield State after the Big Blues’ CIAA tournament runner-up finish.

The move came as a surprise on the heels of D’Alessio being named CIAA Coach of the Year and earning national recognition as the HBCU All-Stars Clarence “Big House” Gaines NCAA Division II Coach of the Year. He compiled a 103-52 record at FSU, winning 69% of the Broncos‘ conference games and going 53-11 at Capel Arena.

Hoehn’s Big Blues knocked FSU out of the CIAA semifinals this season before falling to Virginia State in the championship game. With that win over the Broncos, the Blues played their way into the NCAA tournament field as an at-large bid for their first appearance since 1996.

Hoehn had a 51-63 record (45%) in four active seasons at Bluefield State after the 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID-19. He’s bringing a chunk of his Bluefield State roster to FSU, where he’ll implement the up-tempo, full-court-pressure system learned under the tutelage of two-time national championship-winning coach Jim Crutchfield. Hoehn played for Crutchfield, a coaching guru with a career .867 winning percentage, at West Liberty and then served on his staff at Nova Southeastern.

Nine Bluefield State players and five from Fayetteville State have entered the transfer portal, including FSU’s Jayden Beloti, Jordan Foster, Anthony Latty, Myles Pierre and Isaiah Sutherland. All-CIAA guard Ezekiel Cannedy has withdrawn from the transfer portal and will return to Fayetteville.

D’Alessio brings nearly 40 years of coaching experience to West Virginia, ranging from high school to JUCO to Division II, Division I, and professional staffs including Siena, Loyola-Maryland, NC Central and Bowie State — another CIAA program he led to a league tournament title and NCAA D2 Final Four.