Connect with us
https://yoursportsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/call-to-1.png

NIL

Texas Tech Red Raiders – Official Athletics Website

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech softball team was selected Sunday as the No. 12 seed in the NCAA Championship and will host the Regional Round for the first time in program history. The Red Raiders clinched their first spot in the NCAA Tournament since 2019 after winning the Big 12 Championship on Saturday against […]

Published

on


LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech softball team was selected Sunday as the No. 12 seed in the NCAA Championship and will host the Regional Round for the first time in program history. The Red Raiders clinched their first spot in the NCAA Tournament since 2019 after winning the Big 12 Championship on Saturday against Arizona.
 
The Red Raiders (45-12) were crowned the Big 12 Regular Season Champions and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament Champions – both firsts for the program. Tech’s 45 wins are tied for the most in program history and its 20 conference wins are most all-time.
 
Tech recorded three-straight shutout victories in the Big 12 Tournament and finished with a total run differential of 26-0 as the Red Raiders took down Baylor, Arizona State and Arizona in Oklahoma City.
 
The Lubbock Regional will consist of Tech as the No. 1 seed, Mississippi State (37-17) as the No. 2 seed, Washington (34-17) as the No. 3 seed and Brown (33-15) as the No. 4 seed. The Red Raiders will host Brown at 4:30 p.m. Friday afternoon on ESPN+ followed by Mississippi State and Washington at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. 
  
NCAA Lubbock Regional Ticket Information:

  • Softball season ticket holders and Red Raider Club members will have the opportunity to place a request for all-session tickets to the NCAA Lubbock Regional. The deadline to submit requests is 5 p.m. Tuesday (May 13). Please note all ticket requests outside already claimed season tickets are not guaranteed. Any tickets still available after Tuesday will go on sale to the general public at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. 
  • To submit a request, fans must login to their Texas Tech account on texastech.com/myaccount or by calling the Texas Tech Athletic Ticket Office. The ticket office is open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be reached by phone at 806-742-TECH.
  • Ticket information for Texas Tech students will be communicated via email early this week.
  • All tickets for the NCAA Lubbock Regional will be distributed digitally similar to regular-season games. Further instructions on how to receive and manage mobile tickets will be sent out prior to tickets being delivered. 
  • For questions, please contact the Texas Tech Athletics Ticket Office at 806-742-TECH or via email at redraidertickets@ttu.edu

NCAA Lubbock Regional Schedule:

Friday


Game 1: Texas Tech vs. Brown – 4:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 2: Mississippi State vs. Washington – 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Saturday

Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 1 p.m. (TV TBD)

Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 3:30 p.m. (TV TBD)

Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 – 6 p.m. (TV TBD)

Sunday

Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 2 p.m. (TV TBD)

Game 7: If Necessary Game – 4:30 p.m. (TV TBD)



Link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NIL

Unrivaled Announces NIL Deals With College Stars JuJu Watkins, Azzi Fudd, More

Unrivaled has secured name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals with 14 prominent women’s college basketball players, including JuJu Watkins, Azzi Fudd, and Flau’Jae Johnson. This marks the second year that the league, founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, has partnered with college athletes for NIL opportunities. Watkins, sidelined by an ACL injury, has previously […]

Published

on


Unrivaled has secured name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals with 14 prominent women’s college basketball players, including JuJu Watkins, Azzi Fudd, and Flau’Jae Johnson. This marks the second year that the league, founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, has partnered with college athletes for NIL opportunities. Watkins, sidelined by an ACL injury, has previously invested in Unrivaled, while the league continues to spotlight women athletes in its initiative aimed at elevating the women’s game.

By the Numbers

  • 14 top women’s college basketball players signed NIL deals.
  • Players range from sophomores to seniors including stars from USC, LSU, and UConn.

Yes, But

While the initiative has gained traction, the long-term impact of NIL deals on players’ college careers and overall dynamics in women’s college basketball remains uncertain, especially for athletes like Watkins, who are dealing with injuries.

State of Play

  • The 3-on-3 league will host a multi-day event for the signed players in Miami.
  • Last season’s existing partnerships included prominent players like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese.

What’s Next

As Unrivaled prepares for its second season starting in January, the league is expected to further develop athletes’ skills and expand its outreach in women’s basketball through additional NIL opportunities.

Bottom Line

This innovative initiative by Unrivaled not only strengthens the visibility of women’s basketball but also sets a precedent for supporting athletes’ growth and financial independence through NIL deals.





Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Is South Carolina Football on track to join the nation’s elite in recruiting?

If there’s one thing all college football champions have in common, it’s raw talent: height, weight, speed, physical upside, etc. And South Carolina is showing signs of breaking into that tier of elite talent. More than a decade ago, the “Blue-Chip Ratio” (BCR) was created to measure the percentage of top-tier recruits (four and five […]

Published

on


If there’s one thing all college football champions have in common, it’s raw talent: height, weight, speed, physical upside, etc. And South Carolina is showing signs of breaking into that tier of elite talent.

More than a decade ago, the “Blue-Chip Ratio” (BCR) was created to measure the percentage of top-tier recruits (four and five star) over a four-year span. Every national champion in the modern era has surpassed the 50% BCR threshold, confirming what Gamecock fans intuitively feel: talent matters.

What is the Blue-Chip Ratio?

  • Formula: The program needs to sign more four- and five-star recruits than two- and three-star across their last four recruiting classes.

  • Purpose: To determine if a team has the elite recruiting depth needed for a national title run.

  • Reality: The BCR is not a gambling tool, and it does not replace coaching, culture, or quarterback play, but it often makes the difference between a team making the playoff and national champion.

Recent BCR Champions:

Year Team BCR
2024 Ohio State 90%
2023 Michigan 54%
2022 Georgia 77%
2021 Georgia 80%
2020 Alabama 83%
2019 LSU 64%
2018 Clemson 61%

Ohio State’s 2025 National Championship title came with a record-high 90% BCR, proving that even in the new era of the NIL, top-level recruiting is the foundation for national success.

What about transfers?

Transfers are not included in the core BCR. The championship pedigree comes solely from high school talent. While additions from the Transfer Portal fill the gaps in rosters, they have not statistically built champions. Integrating transfers drops most BCRs, but it changes very little at the top.

Where South Carolina stands

According to this year’s BCR report, several big programs maintain elite numbers: Alabama (89%), Ohio State (89%), Georgia (84%), Texas A&M (82%), but consider this encouraging mention from the analysts: “If I had to guess, South Carolina and Ole Miss are likely to make the list grow to 20 in 2026, and no other school is remotely close to joining the club.”

In so many words, South Carolina isn’t just becoming a contender, the Gamecocks are knocking on the door of national elite talent in recruiting. If Shane Beamer and the coaching staff can keep landing top-tier talent in their recruiting class, year after year, South Carolina could crack the BCR threshold soon.



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Kelsey Plum slams Team Caitlin Clark during WNBA halftime interview: ‘We’re a lot better than them’

Team Collier enjoys a nice lead at halftime of the WNBA All-Star Game, up 22 points on Team Clark. A lot of points are on the board as well with the score sitting at 82-60. Unfortunately, a blowout might be on our hands and turns out, it’s exactly what Kelsey Plum is going for. ESPN’s […]

Published

on


Team Collier enjoys a nice lead at halftime of the WNBA All-Star Game, up 22 points on Team Clark. A lot of points are on the board as well with the score sitting at 82-60. Unfortunately, a blowout might be on our hands and turns out, it’s exactly what Kelsey Plum is going for.

ESPN’s Holly Rowe interviewed Plum before heading into the halftime locker room, saying the goal was to win by a large margin. She even jokingly said “We’re a lot better than them,” having some fun with the whole experience.

“I’m just playing hard,” Plum said. “We want to blow them out. We’re a lot better than them, I hate to say it… So, we’re just having fun with it.”

Plum might be working her way toward winning All-Star Game MVP. In just nine minutes played, she has 14 points on six of nine shooting. You can add four rebounds and an assist to the stat sheet as well, all with two quarters remaining in the game.

Team captain Napheesa Collier is leading the way, though. She goes into the break with 20 points and to this point, has only missed one shot from the field. Not much has gone wrong thus far from Indianapolis.

Of course, there is an important piece missing from Team Clark. Caitlin Clark herself was not able to suit up for the game due to an injury. It’s one she suffered on Tuesday night, reaggravating the groin issue she was previously dealing with.

WNBA players fighting for better pay amid CBA discussions

On Oct. 31, the WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement will officially be over. A new deal needs to be reached between the league and the players’ association. It’s turning into a critical time for the WNBA as the league’s popularity continues to explode throughout the sports world.

One of the big issues players will be fighting for is better paychecks from the league. Caitlin Clark, alongside Napheesa Collier, spoke on the topic when speaking to the media ahead of the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday. Yes, off-court deals have gotten lucrative for players but higher pay is still wanted.

“WNBA All-Star capts. Napheesa Collier & Caitlin Clark addressing the media right now,” Annie Costabile of FOS said via X. “Both have fielded questions on the CBA. Clark said players are fortunate to have lucrative deals off the court, but they’re fighting for better W paychecks as the league continues to grow.”



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Was Jim Nagy the offseason’s best hire in college football?

The Oklahoma Sooners made a very big hire this offseason when they brought in Jim Nagy as their new general manager. Nagy previously ran the Senior Bowl, but he’s got plenty of experience in NFL circles and was a huge get for OU. Oklahoma needed a new general manager and a new direction when it […]

Published

on


The Oklahoma Sooners made a very big hire this offseason when they brought in Jim Nagy as their new general manager. Nagy previously ran the Senior Bowl, but he’s got plenty of experience in NFL circles and was a huge get for OU.

Oklahoma needed a new general manager and a new direction when it came to player evaluation and player acquisition. Nagy offers both, as the Sooners have altered the way they view high school recruiting, NIL and the transfer portal in the months that Nagy has been on staff. The new GM has also shifted Oklahoma’s front office model, making plenty of new hires this offseason.

It was a bold move for the Sooners, but one that the program and its fan base are hoping will work out. After six straight conference titles and four College Football Playoff trips from 2015 to 2020, OU has fallen behind in the four years since, as the portal and name, image, and likeness have changed the game more than Oklahoma thought they would. The Sooners haven’t played for a conference championship in the last four years, went through a coaching change, and haven’t gotten all that close to the CFP. Nagy has been hired to fix all of that on the player acquisition side of things where Oklahoma has slipped behind the pack. He’s also going to be managing the new revenue-sharing era of college football in the near future.

Brad Crawford, who covers college football for CBS Sports, believes the Sooners nailed it with the Nagy hire and that things will pan out in a positive way for Oklahoma. He made one bold prediction for each SEC team this week and believes that Nagy will be tabbed as the conference’s best offseason hire.

How often does someone in an off-the-field role take center stage in the SEC? The general manager position is rapidly gaining importance in college football. We’re likely to see that evolution accelerate this season, thanks in part to the success already shown by Oklahoma with the arrival of Jim Nagy. He brings nearly two decades of personnel and scouting experience to Norman, drawn from the NFL and his time as executive director of the Senior Bowl. Most importantly, Nagy is coach Brent Venables’ designated talent evaluator — tasked with managing the roster and identifying the right personnel fits for what Oklahoma wants to build on both sides of the ball. – Brad Crawford, CBS Sports.

Nagy’s talent evaluation skills and roster management will be put to the test in Norman. It’s been a rocky stretch at OU over the past few seasons, but the Sooners swung for the fences with multiple moves this offseason, one of the biggest being the Nagy hire.

College football has changed so drastically in the first half of the 2020s. It’s no secret that things have slipped at bit at Oklahoma. Bring in Jim Nagy is OU’s big move to make sure that they can get back to the top.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.





Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong sign NIL deals with Unrivaled

Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are among 14 women’s college basketball stars who signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, a 3×3 basketball league that operates during the WNBA’s offseason. The pair will help promote the fledgling league while also attending events throughout the year. The hope is they’ll eventually suit up when they turn pro. Fudd […]

Published

on


Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are among 14 women’s college basketball stars who signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, a 3×3 basketball league that operates during the WNBA’s offseason. The pair will help promote the fledgling league while also attending events throughout the year. The hope is they’ll eventually suit up when they turn pro.

Fudd could play in Unrivaled as early as 2027 as she embarks as her final year in Storrs but Strong still has three more seasons of eligibility to go.

Former UConn stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart co-founded Unrivaled as a way to keep WNBA stars stateside during the offseason instead of playing overseas. Seven Huskies participated in the inaugural campaign — Collier, Stewart, Tiffany Hayes, Aaliyah Edwards, Katie Lou Samuelson, Stefanie Dolson and Azura Stevens — with Collier taking home MVP honors while winning the 1v1 tournament.

Paige Bueckers is set to join Unrivaled this upcoming season after signing an NIL deal with the league last August. Unlike the current crop of signees, Bueckers received an ownership stake.

The other 12 players to sign as part of Unrivaled’s “Class of 2025” are JuJu Watkins (USC), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Olivia Miles (TCU), Madison Booker (Texas), Kiki Rice (UCLA), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Syla Swords (Michigan), and Sienna Betts (UCLA).



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Exposing the West’s most deluded college football fan bases

Social media breeds self-delusion. Every fan base has its echo chamber, the memes and retorts they use to reinforce their favorite arguments. “Zero natties.” “Built not bought.” “We are so back.” Some fan bases specialize in living in the past and distorting their record. Others confuse hype with reality. Washington Huskies What they think they […]

Published

on


Social media breeds self-delusion. Every fan base has its echo chamber, the memes and retorts they use to reinforce their favorite arguments. “Zero natties.” “Built not bought.” “We are so back.”

Some fan bases specialize in living in the past and distorting their record. Others confuse hype with reality.

Washington Huskies

What they think they are: A blueblood program with no limits, a national championship contender.

What they actually are: A window program.

The Huskies had six straight losing seasons between 2004 and 2009, including an 0-12 season in 2008. They proceeded to go 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, and 7-6 under current Texas coach Steve Sarkisian before breaking through with a 9-4 record and a win in the Fight Hunger Bowl in 2009.

Chris Petersen came to Seattle and went 8-6 and 7-6 for two years, then had a run of 12-2 in 2016, settling back to 10-3, 10-4 before falling back to 8-5 in his last year before retiring, 2019.

Jimmy Lake imploded the program again, 4-8 in 2021. Kalen DeBoer had a two-year run before bolting for Alabama. Jedd Fisch took over and finished 6-7 last season.

In the last 24 seasons, the Huskies have won 10 games or more five times, they’ve finished ranked in the AP Top Ten three times while suffering through eight losing seasons. They’ve had 15 seasons with six or more losses.

They are a window program, a school that occasionally stitches together a couple of good recruiting classes and keeps a staff together long enough to emerge from the shadow of Oregon, USC and UCLA.

UW hasn’t been a consistent top-tier program in over 30 years.

Delusion Grade: 97

While it’s nice to remember the glory years of Don James and Gloomy Gil Dobie or the One Shining Moment when DeBoer brought a potent offense to Montlake, the Huskies haven’t sustained success, and the Petersen era was more brief and more mediocre than remembered (first two years, 8-6 and 7-6, last year 8-5.) They’re competent in two or three-year stretches, awful the rest of the time.

Yet to interact with Dawg fans on X, they’re still the power in the West. In reality they’re living off their three straight wins over the Ducks when during Dan Lanning’s first two years as a head coach, all by a field goal.

USC

What they think they are: “We are back, once again the dominant program in the West.”

What they actually are: A program that had great runs under John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll, but one that has fired its three previous head coaches including Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin, who’ve gone on to success elsewhere.

Since Carroll left after the 2008 season, SC has finished in the AP Top Ten exactly once, when they went 10-3 in 2016 under Clay Helton. It’s been 22 seasons since their last national championship and since then they’ve had 11 seasons of 10-4 or worse, 8 seasons with 5 or more losses, never returned to the the college football playoff. In the last four years they’ve gone 30-22.

An impressive 2026 recruiting class can’t help the Trojans in 2025. Coming off seasons of 8-5 and 7-6, can Lincoln Riley survive another year in the same range?

Delusion Grade: 89

Oregon State

What they think they are: Lunchpail U., the Little Program That Could

What they actually are: A Power 4 also-ran with a small stadium.

Among Beaver fans the expectations are to be competitive against Oregon, have a winning season and make a bowl, so the fanbase is reasonably realistic. They’ve been to a bowl game 13 times in the last 25 seasons, won 11 games once and had 13 winning seasons, finished in the AP Top 25 five times.

Against Oregon since 2000, they’re 8-17, though the Ducks have won 14 of the last 17 and two in a row. In Trent Bray, they’ve hired a defensive-minded coach with roots in the program so they should be competitive in the reconfigured PAC-12.

Hopes are high for Duke transfer at quarterback Maalik Murphy, a former four-star who started his college career at Texas, 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns with the Blue Devils in 2024.

Although the OSU program has fallen on hard times, passed over by the Big Ten and relegated to a rebuilt conference with an unimpressive lineup, it’s hard to really hate on them. The fans are realistic; they’re loyal to their school and have modest expectations.

Delusion Grade: 53

Colorado Buffaloes

What they think the are: A resurgent juggernaut and future national champion.

What they actually are: Playing for clicks.

The national media has fueled the Deion Sanders hype, understandably because he’s quotable and flamboyant and had a brilliant career as a player.

In 2023 the Buffs started 3-0 and pundits like Skip Bayless and RJ Young went full blast about the Buffs being a national championship threat until Oregon thumped them 42-6. Moving to the Big 12 in 2024 they put together a nice season that ended with a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl and a 9-4 record.

Travis Hunter won the Heisman and Shedeur Sanders got drafted by Cleveland in the 5th round. Coach Prime, battling health problems, has to start over with Kaidon Salter or Julian Lewis at quarterback. He’s trying to rebuild the offensive line around five-star Jordan Seaton and the portal.

Last season, Shedeur Sanders was sacked 40 times, and the Colorado defense ranked 71st against the run. It’s the lack of progress in the trenches that’s holding them back.

Although moving to the Big 12 gives them a renewed chance to be competitive, Colorado isn’t as back as the fanbase thinks, and it remains to be seen whether Coach Prime has staying power in Boulder. One thing is certain though: He’s elevated attention and interest.

Delusion Grade: 83

What about the Ducks?

Duck fans are pretty realistic about the Oregon program. They’ve known adversity and disappointment on big stages. The program has been a consistent winner with relatively few clunker seasons.

The Ducks have won 9 conference championships since 2000 and three Rose Bowls. They’ve been to the national championship game twice and finished in AP Top Ten 11 times. And no, they’ve never won a natty.

Yet Oregon fans are realistic about all this. They’ve remained loyal and enthusiastic through the downturns, filled Autzen Stadium and made it a loud, raucous environment. Oregon has had two losing seasons in 25 years; they’ve won 10 or more games 15 times over that span.

All in all, a successful if not elite program, though they are 35-6 under Dan Lanning. The noise and derision from opposing fans won’t stop until they win a national championship, and even then the references to “Phil Knight’s money” will end never.

Duck fans themselves have a pretty realistic view of the program and they’ve maintained admirable loyalty.

Delusion grade: 39

Read More:





Link

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending