Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg’s reportedly large NIL deal may affect his 2025 NBA draft future, as he could choose to play for the Wolverines during the 2025-26 season.

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo reported Monday that NBA teams are “aware Lendeborg has a multimillion-dollar NIL package to attend Michigan next season.”

The 22-year-old spent two years at UAB from 2023-25 before transferring to Michigan in April, but explained that he wanted to go through the pre-draft process.

“I’m focused on the draft process and making the NBA right now,” Lendeborg said, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “I want a guaranteed contract. That’s the biggest thing, make sure I am in a good spot. I would prefer to play college basketball in Ann Arbor than be in and out of the G League on a two-way. I want to find a safe spot.”

If Lendeborg’s projected draft range drops, he may earn more from playing a year with the Wolverines compared to his first contract in the NBA. The No. 30 overall pick in the 2025 draft can earn as much as $2.7 million for the 2025-26 season, via Spotrac.

Lendeborg was projected to be selected with the No. 31 pick in the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman.

In 37 games with UAB last season, he averaged 17.7 points while leading the AAC with 11.4 rebounds per game. Lendeborg also racked up 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks on a nightly basis, shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from behind the arc.

As the draft draws closer, NBA teams appear to have an eye on Lendeborg’s pending decision regarding his college career.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In partnership with Seminole County and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, the 2025 Florida High School Softball State Championships will take place this week at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood. The softball specific complex just North of Orlando will host the state championships for the first time in the event’s history.

Built within a final four style format, this multiple day championship event will consist of both semifinal and championship title games in their respective classification. To qualify for their state championship game, teams will compete in a semifinal matchup in the days prior.

Tickets are currently on sale via GoFan at an advanced purchase rate of $14.00 per day, and a day of price of $17.00. There is no charge for parking onsite, as the $3.00 cost is already built into each ticket of admission. For a complete event schedule, playoff brackets, and any additional event and venue information, please see below or visit the softball sport page.

 

2025 Softball State Championships

Tuesday, May 20 – Saturday, May 24
 
State Championship Game Schedule by Classification

Wednesday, May 21

• Class Rural State Championship, 1:30 p.m.
  

  • Defending champion: new classification

• Class 1A State Championship, 4:30 p.m.

  • Defending champion: Trenton

• Class 2A State Championship, 7:30 p.m.

  • Defending champion: Evangelical Christian (Fort Myers)

Thursday, May 22

• Class 3A State Championship, 6:30 p.m.
  

  • Defending champion: Montverde Academy

Friday, May 23

• Class 4A State Championship, 6:30 p.m.
  

  • Defending champion: Eustis

Saturday, May 24

• Class 5A State Championship, 11 a.m.
  

  • Defending champion: Parrish

• Class 6A State Championship, 2 p.m.

  • Defending champion: Pace

• Class 7A State Championship, 5 p.m.

  • Defending champion: Western (Davie)

*Schedule, time and field usage are subject to change as deemed necessary by Tournament Administration

Know Before You Go:

Where: Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park (Longwood)

When: Tuesday-Saturday, May 20th – 24th     

Host: Greater Orlando Sports Commission

Facility: Field Layout and Map

Brackets: Class 7A | Class 6A | Class 5A | Class 4A | Class 3A | Class 2A | Class 1A | Class Rural

Event Schedule & Results: click here

Admission: $14.00 per day general admission with advance purchase, and $17.00 the day of

• All tickets available via GoFan with NO onsite ticket sales taking place 
• $3.00 cost of parking already included in each ticket of admission 
• Gates to open approx. 60 minutes prior first pitch each day

Parking: no charge for parking onsite, $3.00 cost of parking already included in each ticket of admission
Championship lodging: click here (provided by the host organization)
Official Merchandise: Team IP
Webcast: NFHS Network

As the NIL era turns college football into a financial arms race, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema isn’t mincing words: “Insanity, at its best.”

With top-tier programs reportedly pushing $35–40 million annually in NIL roster spending, Bielema’s blunt take on the shifting landscape is a wake-up call for fans and administrators alike. His Fighting Illini finished 10–3 recently on a modest $5 million NIL budget — a fraction of what others are spending to chase wins.

“Last year, we finished fifth in our conference, 18-team conference,” Bielema said during an interview with SiriusXM College Sports Radio. “We had about a $5 million pool… but the four teams ahead of us, I think, were north of $20 million.”

That budget gap, he warns, is unsustainable for programs like Illinois to overcome consistently. One strong season might be possible, but year after year? “That’s just not in the deck of cards that we’re dealt.”

Bielema isn’t just venting. His concern comes as the House v. NCAA settlement looms — a potential turning point that could standardize NIL dealings and introduce revenue sharing. He believes the current system, full of unregulated dollars and inconsistent guardrails, can’t last.

“This is the last… NIL world that’s really uncharted, unprotected and… without consequences,” he said. “There’s probably some growing pains we’ve got to go through.”

College football is facing a financial reckoning, and it’s happening at breakneck speed. In just three years since introducing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules in 2021, the sport has stumbled into what some call the “Sam Bradford Problem.” While the term may seem complex, the problem is familiar to football.

What Is the Sam Bradford Problem?

The “Sam Bradford Problem” is a term that harkens back to the NFL’s own salary struggles in 2010. Bradford signed a staggering six-year, $78 million contract with the St. Louis Rams as a rookie, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league before he’d even taken a snap.

In 2010, Bradford’s deal with the Rams set a dangerous precedent in the NFL. Rookies, often drafted high based on potential rather than proven performance, were commanding salaries that dwarfed those of established stars who’d been grinding for years. This led to resentment in locker rooms and financial strain for teams, as massive rookie contracts ate up salary cap space.

The NFL took 90 years to confront this kind of rookie-veteran pay disparity, eventually addressing it with a rookie wage scale in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). College football, however, has barreled into the same issue in a fraction of the time, and the fallout could reshape the sport as we know it.

Fast-forward to this year, and college football is grappling with a similar imbalance, but the stakes feel even higher. The landscape has shifted dramatically since the NCAA allowed athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness in 2021.

Speaking on “The Paul Finebaum Show” recently, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart, one of the most successful coaches, sounded the alarm on this issue. He implied that he wants a respectful system and more pay for seniority.

“I just want to be able to have a freshman come in and not make more than a senior, and I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive. You know, we’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports,” highlighting how this pay disparity disrupts team hierarchy and threatens the broader ecosystem of college sports to a great extent.

RELATED: Georgia Coach Kirby Smart Issues Stark Warning About NIL Chaos and What’s Coming Next for College Sports

Top recruits are signing NIL deals worth millions before they even step on campus, often out-earning upperclassmen who’ve put in years of work. While it is impressive to see such young talent perform well in life, our favorite players build a strong financial foundation, the lopsided pay has created frustrations and instability, to say the least.

Multiple calls have reiterated some form of control on the pay scale, and those who value loyalty have been hurt by the ever-changing landscape.

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