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Welcome back to “On the Air,” in which Sports Media Watch Podcast co-host Armand Broady will offer in-depth breakdowns of broadcasters’ on-air performance and career journeys, plus chronicle broader trends in the industry.

Live television after a big game can be mayhem. Production associates are hurriedly finishing shot sheets and cutting highlights while producers offer instructions to the postgame anchor and communicate with the game crew on-site. Many times, production team members from the stadium or arena are setting up audio and video with the game’s hero, preparing the star performer for an interview with the postgame host.

In the midst of the pandemonium, viewers look to the anchor to enthusiastically deliver highlights, direct traffic and fill time with commentary when there’s an unexpected delay. No one at ESPN performs television’s postgame juggling act better than SportsCenter host Scott Van Pelt. In fact, Van Pelt has been so good for so long that it’s easy to take his work for granted.

Take this past Wednesday night. After Arkansas committed costly blunders in its 6-5 College World Series loss to LSU, Van Pelt opened his interview with analyst Kyle Peterson by focusing on the dejected state of the Arkansas players.

“I saw young men in tears and you realize what it means,” Van Pelt said. He then went on to ask Peterson about some of the mental errors Arkansas had made, but for a brief moment, Van Pelt reminded us of something fans can forget: these players are human. Their season was over, their dreams shattered. It wasn’t a moment to pass blame, as debate shows often do. Van Pelt’s observation presented an opportunity for viewers to feel the Razorbacks’ pain.

It’s one of the things that separates Van Pelt from his peers. Besides that, he is an excellent conversationalist and interviewer. Van Pelt understands that as the face of the show, he’s allowed to give opinions and to even set up his questions with some editorializing, but he does it intelligently and in a way that gives his interview subjects somewhere to go.

After Oklahoma City’s comeback win over Indiana in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Van Pelt teed up his question to analyst Tim Legler this way: “For the balance of this evening, it felt like we were going to be talking about the home team (Indiana) ahead 3 games to 1 in this series. They had a 10-point lead late in the 3rd. But Oklahoma City managed to stay in the fight and, when push came to shove — sometimes literally — late, they had more and won. How?”

Van Pelt has mastered the art of cleverly infusing his questions with his own observations. It’s a mix of what SportsCenter used to be — just the highlights — with what sports television has now become: highlights, perspective, commentary, interviews and creative content.

And when news breaks, Van Pelt shines. After Buffalo Bills S Damar Hamlin’s medical emergency in 2023, Van Pelt sensitively guided viewers through. From tossing to various reporters on site to his conversation with analyst Ryan Clark, Van Pelt navigated a terrifying moment with professionalism and poise.

When ESPN rolled out this reimagined SportsCenter in 2015, Van Pelt told Sports Illustrated, “I’m an adult and so are many of the viewers and we will approach it that way. I’m not going to talk down to you. I have a sincere enthusiasm for what we get to do and I think that will translate. I think it will work because they have put me in a position where if it does not I would be surprised.”

Ten years later, not only has it worked, it has lifted Van Pelt’s career to new heights. He was named National Sportscaster of the Year in 2021, he’s the host of Monday Night Countdown — ESPN’s most important pregame show — and he’s the face of the network’s golf coverage.

While he has his detractors, Van Pelt has largely earned a level of trust with viewers that is difficult to attain in this divisive sports television age. He’s not a rambunctious provocateur like Pat McAfee. Don’t look for him to needlessly engage in verbal sparring matches with athletes the way Stephen A. Smith does. Van Pelt is an old school anchor who’s adopted new school approaches and it’s made him ESPN’s most respected host.

Plus: What else can Dan Orlovsky do at ESPN?

After hinting at an uncertain future with ESPN, longtime NFL and college football analyst Dan Orlovsky is expected to re-sign with the network, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

Orlovsky will continue his work on NFL Live and the secondary Monday Night Football broadcast crew. He also appears on ABC college football studio coverage and across ESPN’s daytime talk shows.

As one of ESPN’s most prominent football voices, Orlovsky faces a dilemma. His reported talks to succeed CBS lead analyst Gary Danielson suggest he is, at minimum, open to the idea of becoming a lead game commentator. But ESPN’s prime spots — Troy Aikman for the NFL and Kirk Herbstreit for college football — are taken. Tom Brady is on the front end of his mammoth 10-year deal as Fox’s top NFL analyst, while Tony Romo gears up for another season on the primary CBS crew. Last year, Cris Collinsworth reportedly signed a contract extension that will keep him on as NBC’s Sunday Night Football analyst through the 2029-30 season.

Networks are signing large deals with their chief analysts, leaving no room for up-and-comers like Orlovsky to move up the ranks.

While he is just 41 years old, Orlovsky has worked for ESPN for seven years, gaining respect from viewers and industry professionals for his detailed tape breakdowns and unique insights. So respected is he that some have suggested he consider leaving broadcasting for coaching.

ESPN insider Adam Schefter addressed those sentiments earlier this year during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show.

“I think Dan aspires to be a head coach in time,” Schefter said. “He’s been talking to people to see if there’s a spot that would work for him. It’s not automatic. He does a great job on TV. Obviously he could stay in TV and do that for the rest of his career if that’s what he wanted.”

While his TV talent is hard to deny, his path to greener TV pastures could be a challenge. Orlovsky lacks the fame and career accolades of Aikman, Romo, Brady, or Peyton Manning. When you’re not a household name, a Super Bowl champion, a former Dallas Cowboy or a future Hall-of-Famer, the route to sports television’s most coveted assignments can be circuitous.

It is possible Orlovsky re-signed with the network because he likes where he is. His chemistry with the rest of the NFL Live cast is strong, and his appearances on ESPN’s daily talk shows allow him to connect with diverse audiences and stand out among his peers.

Orlovsky feels like an ESPN guy. But should he long for more, perhaps a spot on an “A” or “B” Sunday NFL crew, he’ll have to look outside ESPN and make some tough decisions about his broadcasting career.

USC is making some big moves this offseason. The Trojans have landed elite edge rusher Luke Wafle.

Josh Newberg and Steve Wiltfong of On3 sat down for an episode of “Wiltfong Whiparound” on Thursday to discuss how USC pulled off the commitment.

”Relentless recruiting,” Wiltfong said. “Over the weekend, I thought Luke Wafle was gonna go to USC following his official visit to the Trojans campus.”

Wiltfong opined that NIL played a role in Wafle’s commitment. It was originally suggested that Wafle would take his talents to Ohio State. However, according to Wiltfong, the Trojans offered the biggest NIL package to the four-star recruit, with the deal estimated to be two years and $2.2-$2.6 million.

“They came to terms from an NIL perspective and there was the best offer on the table financially,” Wiltfong said. “When Luke Wafle came back, slept on it, was still feeling USC …by Wednesday, they look like the program to beat.”

Regardless of the financial aspect, USC is a good choice for Wafle. He is happy with the campus, already knows how to surf, and is confident that defensive line coaches Shaun Nua and Eric Henderson would develop him well as a player. However, Wiltfong argued that it all came down to money.

“At the end of the day, USC wins the bidding war, modern recruiting, to land one of the most coveted defensive players in the country in Luke Wafle and they add him to the No. 1 recruiting class in the land,” Wiltfong added.

While several top programs were in the running to land Wafle, USC’s bold NIL package secured the deal.

What Luke Wafle brings to USC

Luke Wafle is the top-ranked 2026 prospect from the state of New Jersey and adds to a Trojans class that On3 praises as the best in the country.

According to 247Sports, Wafle is a four-star recruit ranked as the No. 13 edge in his class. The sizable star stands at 6’5” and 245 pounds and is a dominant defensive force. In his junior season, he accumulated 140 total yards over nine games.

Wafle is an athletic edge with a high ceiling who was a highly sought-after defensive player.

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball!

Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics.

That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions.

Friends of UNILV is the collective for UNLV, one in which Paulos leads.

The House settlement allows athletes to be directly compensated by their schools via revenue sharing. There is a limit of $20.5 million this season, though that number has yet to be officially decided.

UNLV has opted in to terms of the settlement and will pay athletes directly. It’s unknown to what threshold the Rebels will reach when deciding how much to distribute.

Then there is the NIL money athletes can continue to receive.

NIL Go is the clearinghouse that will require any athlete to report deals more than $600. Contracts will be reviewed to guarantee they represent fair market value.

Whole new world

“I’m absolutely in favor of there being more (oversight),” Paulos said. “The unfortunate thing is there is a lot of mud in the water. Do you know how many applications there will be for anything over $600? Mind-boggling. We still don’t know what the real definition of revenue is going to be.

“It’s a new world with (the settlement) that will be in constant change. It’s like a new business model — NIL is the startup business. There will be trips and falls and mistakes, but there are a set of rules now. That’s a big step and certainly what the universities want.

“Things have gotten ridiculous with (NIL) across the country. It’s the Wild West. Hopefully, this means you will no longer have someone reach in their pocket and give a kid a million dollars for coming to their birthday party. You won’t be able to do that if you follow these new rules.”

Translation: A large percentage of previous NIL deals would not have been approved under the new system. Most of those were funded by boosters. You have a better chance at being approved via corporate sponsorships.

Which goes to the point about fair market value.

You would guess a starting quarterback at Alabama might be compensated more for a car dealership sponsorship in Tuscaloosa than one with the same deal in Provo, Utah. Even perhaps one in Las Vegas.

But the real goal is to eliminate any “pay for play” situations defined by NIL dollars. To curtail the millions often thrown at recruits to attend certain schools. The real goal is to tame the Wild West.

Here’s one fear, however: that many of the bigger deals simply won’t be reported for approval. That it will be more of a wink-wink situation between collectives and athletes.

“Look, if there’s a rule, someone out there is going to cheat it, unfortunately,” Paulos said. “But at least this is a beginning to try to control things. That’s a positive thing right now.”

Paulos said UNLV’s collective will pay the university some out of its donations while still compensating athletes via NIL deals. That there is still a Rolodex of donors willing to pay and that the collective can be a conduit between them and UNLV.

That commercial donors use such deals as business expenses when the athlete performs a service for them once cleared through NIL Go. The contract just can’t be excessive in what will be deemed fair market value or risk being rejected.

“We’ll be another fundraising arm for the university as long as it wants us,” Paulos said.

Coaches matter

The collective has taken in more money in the past four months than the past four years, Paulos said. He credits much of it to the excitement and anticipation of the football season, but also to coaches the Rebels have hired.

Lindy La Rocque reaffirmed her commitment to the women’s basketball program, ending rumors that she might be on the way out to take the head coaching job at Arizona.

Former Mississippi State and Florida coach Dan Mullen was hired to continue the historic levels football reached over the past two years under Barry Odom.

Josh Pastner, a former coach at Memphis and Georgia Tech, now leads the men’s basketball program.

It has all made for more interest in UNLV athletics and more donations to NIL efforts.

“Quite frankly, the entire university has also stepped up,” Paulos said. “We’re doing this the right way in accordance with every rule. I can tell you exactly what each kid has made over the last four years — how many hours he or she has worked and where. And we will continue to operate in this manner.”

Get those contracts ready to be approved.

It’s a whole new NIL world, is right.

Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.

Olivia “Livvy” Dunne set social media abuzz Friday after making an apparent sexual reference about her and actress Madelyn Cline. 

The comment came in response to a post on X referencing the College World Series final matchup as the “Madelyn Cline vs Livvy Dunne bowl,” since Cline briefly attended Coastal Carolina and Dunne went to LSU, where she was on the gymnastics team.

Dunne quoted the post, writing: “Gooner World Series.”

“Gooner” is a slang term for a person who masturbates to pornography for a prolonged period of time, sometimes hours or days, without climaxing. 

The post instantly went viral, with some users in the comments questioning whether Dunne had been hacked, while some joked that she was referencing a different meaning of “Gooner” — a nickname for Arsenal fans.

“I sweat this can’t be real,” wrote on user on X.

“This is crazy work,” wrote another.

Besides her gymnastics career, Dunne is an influencer with more than 5 million followers on Instagram.

The 22-year-old is also a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and the boyfriend of Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes, who led LSU to the 2023 national title with a 1.69 ERA and 209 strikeouts.

Cline, 27, is best known for her portrayal of Sarah Cameron in the Netflix series “Outer Banks,” which propelled her into stardom. 

She also gained notoriety for her role in the film “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”

Cline dropped out of Coastal Carolina to pursue acting full-time in 2017, reportedly just six weeks into her freshman year. 

Coastal Carolina, which has become a college baseball powerhouse despite being a mid-major, is 56-11 and enters the College World Series final on a 26-game winning streak that dates back to April 22. 

Since arriving in Omaha for the College World Series, the Chanticleers have defeated Arizona (7-4), Oregon State (6-2) and Louisville (11-3). 

LSU, on the other hand, clinched its spot after a thrilling come-from-behind 6-5 win over Arkansas on Wednesday. 

The Tigers are riding the momentum of a six-game winning streak. 

Game 1 of the best-of-three series begins Saturday night in Omaha.