NIL
Texas Tech billionaire super-booster Cody Campbell to join Nick Saban on presidential commission
Texas Tech super-booster Cody Campbell will join Nick Saban on President Donald Trump’s commission to examine college athletics, sources told FootballScoop on Wednesday. Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger first reported the news. When the committee was first announced earlier Wednesday, it was reported that “prominent businesspeople with deep connections to college football” would join along with Saban’s […]
Texas Tech super-booster Cody Campbell will join Nick Saban on President Donald Trump’s commission to examine college athletics, sources told FootballScoop on Wednesday. Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger first reported the news.
When the committee was first announced earlier Wednesday, it was reported that “prominent businesspeople with deep connections to college football” would join along with Saban’s anticipated presence, and Campbell indeed has a deep connection to the game.
A Texas Tech offensive lineman under Mike Leach, Campbell went into the oil business after his brief NFL career and made a fortune. In February, Campbell and his partner sold their firm Double Eagle for $4 billion.
Campbell has also spearheaded Texas Tech’s efforts in NIL. He co-founded Texas Tech’s collective The Matador Club. In November, when a Red Raiders fan asked Campbell to purchase a new offensive line for Texas Tech in the transfer portal, Campbell infamously responded, “I will.” The Red Raiders signed the No. 2 transfer class in college football, according to the 247Sports database.
Campbell’s interests in the NIL space extend beyond doing his part to get his alma mater a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth, though.
Since January, Campbell has written three columns in the conservative publication The Federalist on the state of college athletics. Those columns were titled:
Only Congress and the President Can Save College Sports
D.C. Decision Makers Could Kill College Sports By Giving NCAA Big Dogs a Legal Monopoly
The Saga of Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava Is The Latest Expression of the Brokenness of College Sports
In the second column, Campbell wrote:
The top 40 most-viewed college football programs already hog 89.3 percent of TV eyeballs and 95 percent of media cash. Give the Autonomy Four (especially the Big 10 and SEC) a free antitrust hall pass, and they’ll build a super conference, a gilded monopoly that starves everyone else of the revenue needed to provide opportunity to more than 500,000 student athletes per year. Of 134 FBS schools, 90 or more could lose funding for Olympic sports, women’s teams, and even football itself (not to mention the FCS and Division II). Local towns could crumble. Smaller colleges would fade. College sports would shrink from a national treasure to an elite clique, and countless dreams would be crushed.
Campbell and Saban approach the issue of our time from the same direction, but it remains to be seen how much influence their commission will have.
NIL
Trump and Coach Saban have the right game plan to save college sports » Coach Tommy Tuberville
“Regardless of which path Trump chooses to address the current state of college sports, I’m confident that his administration — which has already proven to be both effective and unafraid to shake up the status quo — can make meaningful reforms to make sure college sports remain intact.” WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed […]
“Regardless of which path Trump chooses to address the current state of college sports, I’m confident that his administration — which has already proven to be both effective and unafraid to shake up the status quo — can make meaningful reforms to make sure college sports remain intact.”
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed in Fox about the current state of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and college sports amidst the everchanging NIL landscape. In the piece, Sen. Tuberville addresses the growing problems college athletes are facing with the pay-for-play environment making it nearly impossible for Olympic sports and female athletics to survive. The current “patchwork” of laws has created an uneven playing field that President Trump and Congress are well-positioned to address in the near future. Sen. Tuberville currently serves as the Chairman of the HELP Subcommittee on Education and the American Family.
Read excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s op-ed below or the full piece here.
“As a former college football coach for 40 years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of college sports in shaping young lives. From the locker room to the classroom, athletics instill discipline, teamwork and resilience — values that extend far beyond the field. But ever since the Supreme Court ruled that college athletes can be compensated for the use of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), college sports have been in a tailspin.
While I’m all for players making money, we need to create national standards to protect the integrity of college sports. Because there are no national rules for NIL contracts, every state has passed its own laws. This patchwork of laws has created an uneven playing field and given some universities advantages over their competitors.
We now have pay-to-play as bidding wars for recruits are starting in middle and high school. This is not to mention the transfer portal, which has become a revolving door with student-athletes jumping from school to school in pursuit of more money.
[…]
Regardless of which path Trump chooses to address the current state of college sports, I’m confident that his administration — which has already proven to be both effective and unafraid to shake up the status quo — can make meaningful reforms to make sure college sports remain intact.
Meanwhile, I’ll continue to work with my colleagues to hopefully draft legislation that could pass both chambers. The challenges facing college sports today are formidable, but not insurmountable. With President Trump’s leadership and a unified approach, we can navigate this new era while preserving the integrity and spirit of collegiate athletics.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
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NIL
OSU announces coaching change – Oklahoma State University Athletics
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State University Director of Athletics Chad Weiberg has announced that Cowgirl golf coach Greg Robertson will not return next season. “We appreciate Greg’s service over the past six years and wish him well in the future,” Weiberg said. Annie Young will serve as interim head coach. A national search for […]
“We appreciate Greg’s service over the past six years and wish him well in the future,” Weiberg said.
Annie Young will serve as interim head coach. A national search for the next head coach will begin immediately.
NIL
Geno Auriemma, UConn Land Elite Transfer Portal Guard From Rival USC Trojans
The USC Trojans women’s basketball team lost a couple of players through the NCAA Transfer Portal including guard Kayleigh Heckel. Heckel spent one season with the Women of Troy before announcing her intentions to enter the portal on April 3. Heckel was one of the top available guards in the transfer portal after earning extended […]
The USC Trojans women’s basketball team lost a couple of players through the NCAA Transfer Portal including guard Kayleigh Heckel. Heckel spent one season with the Women of Troy before announcing her intentions to enter the portal on April 3.
Heckel was one of the top available guards in the transfer portal after earning extended minutes in the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament. Heckel posted on her Instagram on May 20 that she will be transferring to the UConn Huskies.
“K9 by name, husky by nature. see you in storrs! Go huskiesss,” Heckel wrote.
The UConn Huskies knocked out the USC Trojans in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, 78-64. It was the second year in a row the Huskies knocked the Trojans out of the tournament in the same round. UConn went on to win the tournament.
The UConn Huskies lost star guard Paige Bueckers, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft. Forward Sarah Strong just completed her freshman season, already on a path to being a top college basketball player. UConn is looking to win back-to-back championships, and Heckel is set to be a part of that team.
Coming out of high school, Heckel was a five-star recruit who committed to the USC Trojans. Throughout her freshman season, Heckel continued to develop as a player, averaging 16.9 minutes with 6.1 points. She also averaged 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.3 steals.
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With USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins set to miss time, though it is still unknown exact timetable, Heckel could have competed for a starting role with the Women of Troy but ultimately chose to enter the portal. Heckel chose the UConn Huskies over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
While Heckel may begin as a depth piece for the UConn Huskies, she will be led by coach Geno Auriemma, a 12-time national champion-winning head coach. Heckel will be on a squad looking to compete for another national title.
The USC women’s basketball team is heading into a season with a new starting five. With Watkins recovering from her ACL tear, center Rayah Marshall and forward Kiki Iriafen in the WNBA, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb and the staff have their work cut out for them.
Guard Kennedy Smith will be returning which is a positive for the Trojans. Smith finished the season averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.2 steals. The USC guard is entering just her sophomore season. Guard Malia Samuels only had one start in the 2024-2025 season but earned more minutes as the season progressed.
Through the Transfer Portal, the Women of Troy acquired guard Kara Dunn, from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Dunn led Georgia Tech in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game, and averaged 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.1 blocks. The Trojans also acquired former Washington State forward Dayana Mendes. The forward averaged 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game last season.
USC will have a standout incoming freshman next season, with five-star recruit Jazzy Davidson joining the team. While the USC team may look different next season, the Women of Troy will be just as competitive, and look to take the next step in the NCAA Tournament.
NIL
Vols' Zakai Zeigler sues for fifth year of eligibility, citing NIL pay
Field Level Media May 21, 2025 at 2:42 PM Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler (5) during Senior Day presentations after a men’s college basketball game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler is suing […]
Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler is suing the NCAA for another year of eligibility, claiming he could lose up to $4 million in NIL money if he isn’t allowed to play in 2025-26.
Zeigler’s lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction allowing him to play a fifth season and arguing he will suffer irreparable harm without immediate relief, with schools currently finalizing rosters and settling NIL deals.
According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Zeigler’s lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s redshirt rule in which players are allowed to play a fifth year if they sit out a year of competition.
Zeigler played four consecutive seasons for the Volunteers from 2021-22 through 2024-25. He argues that he should get be allowed a fifth year of eligibility and its earning potential instead of being punished for not taking a redshirt year, per the News Sentinel.
“All NCAA athletes should be eligible to compete and earn NIL compensation during each year of the five-year window — not just those selected to redshirt,” the court filings state.
Zeigler filed his suit in the Eastern District of Tennessee. In it, he claims he could make between $2 million and $4 million in name, image and likeness money in 2025-26 after making $500,000 in 2024-25.
The lawsuit calls a fifth year “the most lucrative year of the eligibility window for the vast majority of athletes.”
Zeigler set the Tennessee career records for assists (747) and steals (251). The three-time All-SEC pick and two-time league defensive player of the year averaged 11.3 points, 5.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 138 career games (83 starts).
He graduated this month from Tenneseee and plans to pursue a graduate degree.
–Field Level Media
