NIL
Texas Tech Red Raiders – Official Athletics Website
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Texas Tech’s historic season seems to add another monumental chapter each day with the latest being the Red Raiders’ 3-1 victory Saturday night over UCLA to advance to the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series. The Red Raiders will await the winner of Sunday evening’s elimination game between No. 2 […]
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Texas Tech’s historic season seems to add another monumental chapter each day with the latest being the Red Raiders’ 3-1 victory Saturday night over UCLA to advance to the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series.
The Red Raiders will await the winner of Sunday evening’s elimination game between No. 2 seed Oklahoma and No. 16 Oregon with the winner facing Texas Tech at 6 p.m. Monday evening on ESPN. Until then, here’s a look at where the Red Raiders stand in the history books and a look ahead at Monday’s potential matchup.
WHERE THIS RUN RANKS IN TEXAS TECH HISTORY
It’s well known the Red Raiders are making their first-ever appearance in the Women’s College World Series, placing the 2025 edition of the Red Raider softball program among the best teams in Texas Tech history (all sports). The Red Raiders will be looking to secure the fourth team national title in program history as Texas Tech previously cut down the nets for the 1993 women’s basketball national title and won two national championships in men’s track and field at the 2019 outdoor meet and most recently at the 2024 indoor championships.
Texas Tech’s run in Oklahoma City builds upon the athletics department’s recent success as softball is already the ninth program to finish among the top-eight teams in the country for their respective sports since 2015. In addition to the two recent men’s track and field national titles, Texas Tech finished in the semifinals of the Men’s College World Series in 2019, advanced to the National Championship Game for men’s basketball earlier that same year and has competed in the match play portion of the NCAA Golf Championships three times (men twice, women once) during that span. The track and field program, has finished among the top eight teams an impressive 11 times between its men’s and women’s programs over the last decade.
Texas Tech has secured a school record eight Big 12 trophies this season, including two from the softball program after the Red Raiders won both the regular season and tournament titles. Texas Tech also claimed the regular season and tournament titles in women’s tennis and has won all four Big 12 track and field championships with both the men’s and women’s teams sweeping the indoor and outdoor meets. That list doesn’t include success in football as the Red Raiders advanced to their fourth-consecutive bowl appearance, while the men’s basketball program moved on to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, falling late to eventual national champion Florida.
GLASCO IN RARE COMPANY IN WCWS HISTORY
Much has been said about Gerry Glasco‘s impact since being named Texas Tech’s head coach last summer, taking the Red Raiders from the fringes of the NCAA postseason all the way to Oklahoma City in less than a calendar year. Glasco quickly transformed Texas Tech’s roster, holding on to important pieces like outfielder Demi Elder and the nation’s top recruiting class while adding mainstays in the lineup in All-American pitcher NiJaree Canady and All-Big 12 first team honorees Mihyia Davis and Alana Johnson, among others.
That roster has gelled into one of the nation’s top teams, especially late in the season as Texas Tech enters the WCWS semifinals riding an 11-game winning streak that dates back to its final Big 12 series at BYU. Texas Tech already completed a series of “firsts” after earning a national seed for the first time, hosting the NCAA Lubbock Regional for the first time and advancing to its first-ever NCAA Super Regional where the Red Raiders went on the road to sweep Florida State over two games.
Texas Tech’s two wins already this week in Oklahoma City have accomplished another “first,” this time for Glasco, marking the first time a first-year head coach has advanced to the WCWS semifinals since Hall of Fame coach Yvette Girouard at LSU in 2001. Like Glasco, Girouard departed a successful Louisiana program for a new opportunity as she took the Tigers to four-consecutive WCWS appearances to start her tenure in Baton Rouge. LSU had to overcome an opening-game loss to Stanford to advance to the 2001 semifinals, however, rebounding to top Iowa and Oklahoma before falling to UCLA in 13 innings to end its season.
In total, Glasco is only the sixth first-year head coach to advance to the semifinals since the first WCWS in 1982. That list also includes a pair of Nebraska head coaches in Wayne Daigle (1984) and Ron Wolforth (1987) as well as Lou Piel at South Carolina (1983) and UCLA’s Sue Enquist, who led the Bruins to nine WCWS appearances with three titles in her own Hall of Fame career.
Of the head coaches who advanced to the WCWS semifinals in their first year, Glasco and Enquist are the only two to do so by winning their first two games in Oklahoma City. UCLA, with Enquist as its co-head coach alongside Sharron Backus, went 5-0 in Oklahoma City en route to winning the 1989 national championship, its second in a three-year run of hoisting the trophy.
A HIGHLIGHT WORTHY PLAY
Texas Tech took over social media Saturday night with its daring move to steal home with two outs in the fifth inning. In less than 24 hours since, Lubbock native Makayla Garcia’s game-opening run has been widely seen across every social media platform as Texas Tech’s softball accounts have generated more than 3.2 million impressions since Saturday. That does not include the additional interactions the Red Raiders have received thanks to the play being shared by the likes of ESPN, Major League Baseball and the NCAA Softball account, among others.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
??ESPN | https://t.co/5fj3lk6mhr https://t.co/fUXhDAlxVM pic.twitter.com/RSyNV3N9Ea
— Texas Tech Softball (@TexasTechSB) June 1, 2025
OKLAHOMA CITY HAS BEEN GREAT TO THE RED RAIDERS
Texas Tech improved to 5-0 at Devon Field in Oklahoma City this season Saturday night following its 3-1 victory over UCLA. The Red Raiders appear more than comfortable in the neutral-site environment as Texas Tech has combined to outscore its opponents, 30-1, this season in Oklahoma City. UCLA’s lone run Saturday on a leadoff home run from Kaniya Bragg to start the fifth snapped a streak of 30.0 consecutive shutout innings at Devon Field this season for the Red Raiders, who previously downed Baylor (4-0), Arizona State (18-0, 5 innings) and Arizona (4-0) in the Big 12 Tournament and then Ole Miss (1-0) in their WCWS opener.
WHO WILL IT BE? INSIDE THE POTENTIAL OREGON OR OKLAHOMA MATCHUP
Thanks to its 2-0 start to the Women’s College World Series, Texas Tech will only need to beat either Oklahoma or Oregon in one of two potential opportunities Monday night to advance to the championship series. Here’s a look at each of those series histories entering Monday night’s semifinals.
Oregon – The Red Raiders are only 3-7 all-time against the Ducks as the two schools have mainly faced each other historically in early-season tournaments and never in postseason play. Texas Tech has won the last two meetings against the Ducks after a 4-3 victory in 2010 at the season-opening Arizona State Kajikawa Classic and then a 5-0 shutout in 2019 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Each of the 10 previous meetings in the series have come at a neutral site, similar to what Monday’s potential matchup would be at Devon Field.
Oklahoma – Texas Tech has a vast history against the Sooners after the two schools were Big 12 Conference members from 1996 until this season when Oklahoma departed for the SEC. If the Sooners were to get past the Ducks, Texas Tech will need to reverse recent history in order to advance to the championship series as Oklahoma has won 36-consecutive games against the Red Raiders. Texas Tech’s last win in the series actually came in the state of Oklahoma as the Red Raiders delivered a 5-4 victory on April 6, 2012, in the second game of a three-game conference series. Ashley Hamada scored the game-winning run in the seventh after stealing third base and then racing home on an errant throw to left field. The one-run lead was enough for Cara Custer to retire 5th-ranked Oklahoma in order in the bottom half as she needed only three pitches to deliver Texas Tech’s first victory over a top-five ranked team at the time since defeating Texas A&M, 6-2, on April 29, 2007.
NIL
Coach Johnny Jones Sheds Light On HBCU Basketball’s Biggest Challenges
HOUSTON — The landscape of college basketball continues to evolve and shift for HBCUs, which continue to spiral from the effects of NILs. HBCU Legends spoke with Texas Southern head basketball coach Johnny Jones about the decreasing opportunities for HBCU basketball players hoping to “shoot their shots” at an NBA career. “I think the hard […]
HOUSTON — The landscape of college basketball continues to evolve and shift for HBCUs, which continue to spiral from the effects of NILs. HBCU Legends spoke with Texas Southern head basketball coach Johnny Jones about the decreasing opportunities for HBCU basketball players hoping to “shoot their shots” at an NBA career.
“I think the hard part is finding that “diamond in the rough” like you used to,” Coach Johnny Jones said. “Before the days of, I guess, with the social media and all the camps and everything that’s ongoing, there may have been someone there that you could get that could really blossom as a freshman that people may not have seen or heard about, and then they could put themselves in position to possibly be considered even for the draft.”
It’s been more than a decade since an HBCU player (Kyle O’Quinn in 2012) heard their name called in the NBA draft. Coach Jones noted that opportunities for discovery have diminished despite Travis Williams’ efforts to showcase HBCU basketball talent over the past four years at the HBCU All-Star Games.
With the mushrooming of scouting opportunities, camps, and AAU circuits fueled by social media, most elite prospects are snatched early by power conference programs.
But recent years have seen even top Power 5 talent slip through the cracks, with Jones citing players like Alabama’s Sears and Arizona’s Love as high-profile examples who didn’t get drafted despite immense exposure. With just 60 spots in the NBA draft — and the increased focus on international pros — HBCU hopefuls face “even more difficulty,” Jones said.
“I just think it’s going to have to be one of those guys that come up and have an exceptional season and get a great deal of exposure from that season that they’re at the school because if they last, unfortunately, if they’re good enough, they certainly won’t be at the school for two years because you get that type of exposure because of the new age of NIL.”
The NBA’s widening global approach is yet another obstacle. Jones noted that international players often face a different development curve—many play professional-level basketball as teenagers, giving them an advantage in terms of maturity and skill.
“You had some guys opt not to even put their name in the draft this year because they have an opportunity to excel and do well at the colleges that they’re at, especially if it’s one that have the ability to take care of guys with the NIL that they have available to them now.” – Johnny Jones
With the lure of NIL deals, international players now even come stateside to play college basketball before hopping into the draft, squeezing an already bottlenecked pipeline even tighter for HBCU players.
NIL rules have revolutionized the college sports landscape, but for HBCUs, it’s a double-edged sword. Years ago, an athlete might have stayed and built a name and legendary career at one school. Today, if an HBCU player has a breakout year, it’s likely major programs with deeper NIL pockets will woo them.
One recent case study is Blake Harper at Howard University. Harper was a phenomenal player during his freshman season in 2024-25, making it almost impossible for the Bison to keep him in their locker room.
Creighton won the sweepstakes for his services, and Harper is headed to Nebraska.
“It’s extremely difficult,” Jones admitted, to keep top talent. Yet, he also sees these transfers as opportunities to showcase HBCU development success, which can help attract the next wave of recruits.
“Programs got to be proactive and I think at the same time be creative in a sense of what they can do to try and have the ability to have some type of NIL or collective, so to speak, at their representative at certain schools,” Coach Jones shared.
Coach Jones emphasizes that academics remain the priority for the student-athlete. The “main thing is still the main thing,” he noted. The percentages are low for most collegiate athletes to transition to the NBA as professionals. Thus, how are the coaches preparing their players for life after collegiate sports? Leveraging the surrounding community and networking.
“People come to Houston to make it their home. It’s not one of those places you pass through,” Jones stated.
Leveraging Houston’s rich network of professional athletes and business leaders, Texas Southern, for example, is committed to exposing students to real career possibilities—before and after their playing days.
Looking ahead to the 2025–26 season, Jones expresses optimism about his new recruits and returning players. Even as they fill gaps left by key losses and brace for a demanding non-conference schedule — including heavyweights like Gonzaga and Texas A&M — he believes the team’s chemistry and collective ethos will be a difference-maker.
“We couldn’t be happier. You know, a lot of times it’s hard and difficult to get high school kids, but when you get a kid on that level that is making that type of impact and in high school come from a very short high school program, had a teammate that was obviously being looked at a lot of coaches in their gym night in and night out. And LJ was one of those guys that did a tremendous job of holding his own in every game.”
The Texas Southern basketball staff’s commitment extends beyond the court to include professional development, with initiatives focused on social media branding, NIL education, and post-basketball career guidance.
It’s a complex tapestry of issues HBCU basketball faces. The fierce competition for talent and the lack of resources to remain competitive will always be a challenge for our HBCU student-athletes.
However, through ingenuity, visibility campaigns, and a relentless focus on education, HBCUs can remain a beacon for student-athletes with big dreams—on and off the basketball court.
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Phil Steele predicts order of finish for ACC Football in 2025
College football writer Phil Steele predicted his order of finish for the ACC ahead of the 2025 college football season. It should be a competitive race for the conference crown and some College Football Playoff spots. Clemson returns as the defending ACC champions and is projected to perhaps do so again. SMU, Miami and maybe […]
College football writer Phil Steele predicted his order of finish for the ACC ahead of the 2025 college football season. It should be a competitive race for the conference crown and some College Football Playoff spots.
Clemson returns as the defending ACC champions and is projected to perhaps do so again. SMU, Miami and maybe a couple of other teams could have something to say about that.
Without further ado, let’s dive into how the ACC could wind up this year. We start at the top!
Clemson is the favorite in the ACC and the projected top team per Steele. Cade Klubnik is back under center following a career year.
Sure, he’s the headliner on the team in 2025, but Dabo Swinney has a solid defense. There are two potential first round picks on the defense line: TJ Parker and Peter Woods.
SMU made the ACC title game last season against Clemson, lost, but still made the College Football Playoff. We’ll see if that’s still the case this coming season.
Kevin Jennings returns as the QB and it’ll help to have WR Jordan Hudson (no, not the one you’re thinking of), TE RJ Maryland and offensive linemen such as Addison Nichols, Logan Parr and PJ Williams up front.
Miami landed Carson Beck in the transfer portal from Georgia to replace Cam Ward at QB. That was the biggest get for their offseason and they are squarely in the ACC title mix.
Running back Mark Fletcher will be key in the backfield, as well as WR CJ Daniels. On defense, DE Rueben Bain, CB OJ Frederique and LB Wesley Bissainthe will be key to the entire unit.
Steele likes what Brent Key is doing at Georgia Tech and has them in the upper tier of the ACC this season. On offense, WR Eric Rivers and offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge are stars to watch, with QB Haynes King getting them the ball.
Not to mention, RB Jamal Haynes is a stud as well. Defensive tackle Jordan van der Berg should be a problem for opposing offensive lines as well.
Florida State was a disaster last year, but Steele likes them to finish within the top five of the ACC this season. QB Thomas Castellanos has the talent, but also a ton of confidence that some are hoping won’t backfire when FSU plays Alabama to open the year.
Some other playmakers include WR Duce Robinson and CB Jeremiah Wilson. Head coach Mike Norvell really needs a bounce back campaign.
Jeff Brohm and company were picked to finish in the top half of the ACC by Steele for the 2025 season. Isaac Brown and Caullin Lacy should be fun to watch at RB and WR. Transfer QB Miller Moss has a lot of eyes on him after leaving USC.
Linebacker Stanquan Clark leads the defense for the Cardinals this season. Defensive linemen Clev Lubin, Rene Konga and TJ Quinn should be circled on the film too.
The ACC gets some new blood with Bill Belichick this season. The Tar Heels are like Colorado when Deion Sanders took over in 2023: everything will be microanalyzed.
As far as what the Tar Heels have, RB Davion Gause will be interesting to watch, as well as offensive lineman Daniel King. On defense, watch out for CB Thaddeus Dixon.
Pitt is projected to be just above the middle of the ACC this coming season, per Steele. They’re coming off a 7-6 season, losing to Toledo in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.
RB Desmond Reid is back in the fold, along with center Lyndon Cooper leading the charge up front on the offensive line. Kenny Johnson will add to the skill on offense at WR and linebacker Kyle Lewis will be one to watch on the opposite side of the ball. Oh yeah, Reid is one of the best returnmen in the country too.
NC State is projected to finish in the middle of the pack, per Steele. Can they rise up the ACC this season? It remains to be seen.
TE Justin Joly might be flying under the radar outside the conference, but Steele has him on his preseason first-team. Linebacker Sean Brown is also a stud and should be a menace for opposing defenses.
Duke played really well under Manny Diaz last season. However, Steele has the Blue Devils in the middle tier of the ACC going into 2025.
There are some preseason first-team players though, such as OT Brian Parker and DB Chandler Rivers. Perhaps the Blue Devils are under the radar.
Brent Pry seems to be pushing some right buttons, but the Hokies have yet to get over that hump. Steele has them below the median in the ACC.
As far as the players on Steele’s All-ACC list, it starts at the second-team with offensive lineman Tomas Rimac. TE Benji Gosnell is also a player to watch for the Hokies this season.
Fran Brown had an awesome debut season with the Orange. It helped that QB Kyle McCord was under center, but now he’s off to the NFL.
Steele has Syracuse taking a step back in the ACC this coming season. Still, with the way Brown coaches and recruits, don’t be surprised if this time stuns a few people.
Tony Elliott needs a breakthrough year and to get to the postseason. Steele thinks they can do it in this year’s ACC, but it won’t mean much in terms of the race for the conference crown.
There are nine returning starters for the Cavaliers this season. At some point, something has to give, whether Elliott takes a step forward with the program or not.
O’Brien had a great debut season with Boston College, going 7-6. However, Steele doesn’t like them to finish too far out of the basement of the ACC this year.
According to Steele, there’s 12 returning starters, but BC has the third toughest schedule in the conference. Some players to watch for are OL Logan Taylor and safety KP Price, named to Steele’s preseason All-ACC teams.
Justin Wilcox is on the hot seat, Steele writes. Finishing near the bottom of the ACC won’t help that narrative either.
The Bears felt some losses in the transfer portal and don’t have much star power represented in the preseason right now. We’ll see if Cal can surprise some people this fall.
Jake Dickert takes over as head coach after coming over from Washington State. He did a solid job out west but it might take some time to get it going in the ACC.
The good news is, Dickert and Wake had 11 returning starters and attacked the transfer portal. So maybe some good news is on the way in Year 1.
At the bottom of the ACC for Steele is Stanford, which goes into 2025 with Frank Reich as the interim head coach and former QB Andrew Luck in his role as GM, looking to resurrect the program. How this goes is anyone’s guess, but Steele maintained he wasn’t the only one to pick Stanford to finish last.
Tight end Sam Roush should be a player to watch out for on offense. Others are offensive lineman Simione Pale and kicker Emmet Kenney.
NIL
Jake Retzlaff News
Retzlaff plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal due to a possible suspension in relation to an ongoing civil lawsuit, per On3 Sports. Retzlaff’s time with BYU will come to an end as the 6-foot-1 quarterback will head elsewhere in the wake of his current lawsuit. Retzlaff would face a possible Honor Code suspension due […]
Retzlaff plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal due to a possible suspension in relation to an ongoing civil lawsuit, per On3 Sports.
Retzlaff’s time with BYU will come to an end as the 6-foot-1 quarterback will head elsewhere in the wake of his current lawsuit. Retzlaff would face a possible Honor Code suspension due to the suit should he remain with the Cougars. The senior signal caller will retain a single year of eligibility at his next destination, barring any further legal complications. With Retzlaff out of the picture, Treyson Bourguet and Bear Bachmeier will likely battle for the starting spot in Provo.
NIL
Former Heisman winner makes clear demand after Wisconsin sues Miami for tampering
The chaotic nature of the transfer portal and NIL space has reached a boiling point, and that is no surprise to former Alabama running back Mark Ingram II. College football leaders, including a large number of head coaches, have spoken out against tampering within the transfer portal. While against NCAA rules, the governing entity has […]
The chaotic nature of the transfer portal and NIL space has reached a boiling point, and that is no surprise to former Alabama running back Mark Ingram II.
College football leaders, including a large number of head coaches, have spoken out against tampering within the transfer portal. While against NCAA rules, the governing entity has failed to crack down on the violation that is believed to be prevalent across the country.
Now, the issue has found its way into the court system, as Wisconsin and its NIL collective filed suit against Miami on June 20 for alleged “tortious interference” with former Badgers defensive back Xavier Lucas.
Lucas had signed a revenue share contract agreement to remain at Wisconsin for his sophomore season before unexpectedly entering the transfer portal and signing with Miami, according to the suit. The Hurricanes are accused of knowing about that contract while illegally contacting Lucas.
It remains to be seen what will come out of the first-of-its-kind lawsuit. But, according to Ingram, situations like this will continue to happen if rules new aren’t established.
“I just don’t understand, like, what are we supposed to do?” Ingram said on “The Triple Option.”
The former Heisman Trophy winner and three-time Pro Bowler compared the Wisconsin-Miami suit to the transfer debacle surrounding Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.
The former five-star spent his true freshman season under Nick Saban before his retirement in 2024, prompting Proctor to transfer to his home-state Iowa Hawkeyes. However, after taking NIL money from unaffiliated Iowa sponsors, Proctor transferred back to Alabama nearly four months later.
Proctor went on to start 11 games for the Crimson Tide in 2024, earning second-team All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches.
“So he takes the NIL money from Iowa, comes back to Alabama, and I’m happy he’s at Alabama because he is a huge player and a huge part of what were going to have this year,” he continued. “But what’s the difference? … I just don’t know. Until you put rules in place that punish the teams that do it, or punish the individual that does it, this stuff is going to continue to happen.”
Ingram went on to side with Wisconsin, as the Badgers fight with Miami for compensation over Lucas’ unfulfilled contract.
“So I agree with Wisconsin,” Ingram said. “They should be getting whatever they are compensated. Whatever they gave the player, they should get it back (from Miami).”
Although the lawsuit is ongoing, Lucas is expected to be fully eligible to play for the Hurricanes this fall and will make his Miami debut in the season opener against Notre Dame at home on Aug. 31.
NIL
What NIL would have meant for Johnny Manziel’s legacy
The moment that former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel stepped on the gridiron, all eyes instantly gravitated toward him. His spectacular acts of magic created moments that will be remembered forever, highlights that gained millions of views and etched his name into history. Manziel rejuvenated Aggieland into one of the top programs in just two […]
The moment that former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel stepped on the gridiron, all eyes instantly gravitated toward him.
His spectacular acts of magic created moments that will be remembered forever, highlights that gained millions of views and etched his name into history. Manziel rejuvenated Aggieland into one of the top programs in just two years at the helm, becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.
It was not all sunshine and rainbows for Manziel and the Aggies, however. Shortly after winning the Heisman, the NCAA investigated him for signing autographs for his name, image and likeness. From that moment, “Money Manziel” was born.
Manziel’s success at Texas A&M was well known, even before NIL became widely accepted by the NCAA and the powers of the college football world.
That sparks the question: What if Manziel played for Texas A&M during the NIL era?
Million Dollar Manziel
For starters, Manziel would have made millions. According to official reports from the New York Post, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah’s two-year deal will bring in $8 million, making him the unofficial highest-paid player in college football history heading into the 2025 campaign.
Players around the country are racking up million-dollar deals for their name, image, and likeness, while Manziel was punished for capitalizing on his. There’s no sugar-coating how much money he would have made during this era of college football. Between his performance on the field and popularity on social media, there would be no limit to his potential endorsements. His autographs alone brought in approximately $30,000, and who knows how much more he was offered that he likely had to turn down at the time.
As simple as this statement seems, it makes you take a step back and realize the importance of Manziel’s contributions to Texas A&M. During a time when the Aggies were just officially entering the Southeastern Conference, the freshman quarterback went into Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and defeated Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide. Few first impressions in college football history matched what Manziel was able to accomplish in his first year leading the Maroon and White.
Manziel’s Portal Potential
After last year’s college football season concluded, a record-setting 3,843 players were in the transfer portal in search of their next destination. While giving some the benefit of the doubt for coaching or personal situations, most of the top-rated athletes in the portal were looking for their next paycheck, as financial incentives became the major determinant in a player leaving their respective school.
When reminiscing on the days of Manziel’s incredible acts at Kyle Field, it is difficult not to think about whether he would have hit the portal multiple times as well. While Texas A&M did have talented targets like Ryan Swope and Mike Evans, Manziel put the Aggies on his back. That pressure, combined with the potential offers from other schools, could have persuaded him to pursue opportunities elsewhere as a sophomore. Storied programs like Oregon and Texas would likely lead the way, as he initially committed to the Ducks in 2010 and was a lifelong Longhorns fan before he ultimately came to College Station.
If NIL was a true established idea back when Manziel was tearing teams to shreds, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could have transferred to a different program as a sophomore. If there is more money to be made and championships to be claimed, it would have been a tough decision to pass and stay with the Aggies, who were not exactly in a prime position to claim a national title just yet.
Setting the Bar
Manziel’s success is written into the history books and will never be taken away, as he established a precedent for the quarterbacks who will follow in his footsteps at Texas A&M. If NIL were as massive during his playing days, Manziel would have likely set a standard for quarterback pay across the college football landscape.
The NCAA would likely be in a different position than it is now, as programs could be in a position to pay their respective signal-caller double or even triple the amount that athletes are currently being paid. Manziel’s endorsement deals would have had a seismic impact on college athletics. Chaos is the most fitting term for what could have happened in the years following Manziel’s stint with the Aggies.
It might have helped athletes earn the compensation they deserve, however. At that moment, there were mixed feelings about the NCAA punishing Manziel for collecting money for his signature, but the situation is different now. Was he really in the wrong for signing autographs on merchandise that the university is capitalizing on?
When the problem is put in that sense, it is difficult to fault Manziel for what he did. He deserved compensation for the jerseys, shirts, and other memorabilia flying off the shelves when he was with the Aggies. Arguments can be made about how much he was worth, but it is hard to deny the legendary status that he created for himself with his play on the field.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
NIL
Aaron Donald's Business Moves After Football
Aaron Donald’s Business Moves After Football: His Top Deals Home » NFL » Aaron Donald’s Business Moves After Football: His Top Deals 0
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