Sports
The Bold Type, with Commissioner Dan Butterly – July 14, 2025
Good morning!
It may be summer, but there’s no slowing down for all of those in The Big West doing incredible work for our student-athletes. The opportunities they create, the stories they tell, and the memories they help shape will stay with our student-athletes for a lifetime. Thank you for continuing to lead with heart, purpose, and passion.
Song of the day is “Living in the Moment” by Jason Mraz. Enjoy this Monday in the summer, and let’s get to The Bold Type.
UC SANTA BARBARA’S TYLER BREMNER DRAFTED 2ND OVERALL IN MLB DRAFT
UC Santa Barbara junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner was selected with the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday afternoon. The FIRST collegiate player taken in the draft! Bremner is the highest Big West alum to get selected since Cal State Fullerton’s Adam Johnson also went second overall in the 2000 iteration of the draft. Read more >>>
CONGRATULATIONS
- To the 2,741 Big West Student-Athletes Named to 2024-25 Commissioner’s Honor Roll! Read more >>>
- To the 14 Former Big West men’s basketball players who are participating in the NBA Summer League! Read more >>>
- To the 13 current and former Big West student-athletes and coaches that will participate in the 2025 World Aquatics Championship! Read more >>>
- To Long Beach State’s Skyler Varga and ‘Eleu Choy of Hawai’i Named CSC Academic All-Americans! Read more >>>
STRATEGIC RESTRUCTURE OF THE BIG WEST STAFF
As the saying goes, with great change comes great opportunity. Last week, I shared several important updates on the realignment of The Big West staff—changes made to ensure we are well-positioned for the evolving landscape of Division I athletics.
Over the past year, and as Division I undergoes significant change, I’ve engaged in thoughtful conversations with leadership within the membership, sponsors, vendors and amongst The Big West staff. In collaboration with Deputy Commission Kristi Giddings, I’ve reviewed the structure and responsibilities within our office and we are implementing a realignment that strengthens The Big West across several core areas: governance, branding, revenue generation, communications, and broadcasting—especially as we prepare for the many changes in DI in 2025-26 and our expanded membership in 2026–27.
This team is amazing, and our collective work leads to the success of The Big West, our championships and managing the changes in NCAA Division I and western realignment. These changes are made to better balance responsibilities, provide needed backup and efficiency, plus better align with the new NCAA Division I. Read more >>>
MEDIA ARTICLES OF INTEREST
- FloSports Co-Founder/CEO Mark Floreani tells SBJ this is the “golden age of streaming” and notes he is keeping an eye on ESPN’s DTC launch this fall. (link)
- Cal State Fullerton will opt into the House settlement and AD Jim Donovan lays out some specifics for the Titans. Fullerton will target a “handful of high-profile sports” for full or increased scholarships as the total cost for all sports would exceed $6M per year. Donovan on how CSUF will approach NIL: “Actually, I envision NIL being handled more effectively by a team. Our ticket sales, corporate sponsorship sales, licensing, and donations all may be utilized for NIL. Our Advancement team would work on soliciting donations and operating fundraisers. Our Senior Associate A.D. and three of our Assistant A.D.’s, with their direct reports, will be working on increasing self-generated revenue, to increase our Distributed NIL paid to student-athletes.” On his feelings about the settlement as a whole: “I don’t know if I would describe it as relief. More as informed. I wish I could say excited, but the truth of the matter is that I’m a bit concerned for the future of intercollegiate athletics as we’ve known it for decades. The House settlement just seems to increase the cost of being a Division I athletics program, although I’m grateful that student-athletes can now receive NIL compensation directly from the institution.” (link)
- Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger has details on an amended college sports bill that could be introduced Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives and “is on track to progress further than any all-encompassing athlete compensation legislation.” The SCORE Act could still face major revision via markups, and if passed through the House, it would need bipartisan support to pass in the Senate. Among the many provisions that would impact the current NCAA revenue-sharing model, the bill would codify the House settlement, preempt state NIL laws and…
- Would require all NIL deals to hold a “valid business purpose” and fall within NIL Go’s fair market value compensation range and anti-circumvention rules
- Would allow schools to restrict athlete NIL deals that violate school code of conduct or present a conflict with an existing school agreement (like an athlete having a shoe deal with a different brand than the school). (link)
- It would require all schools to maintain 16 varsity sports teams (also the FBS minimum)
- Would require schools to provide athletes with academic support and out-of-pocket healthcare within three years of leaving school
- Would keep schools from cutting scholarships for injury or performance
- Would allow the establishment of a one-time transfer rule and eligibility standards
- Would limit agent compensation to 5 percent of an athlete’s compensation (Yahoo was told by coaches that some agents are charging 10 to 20 percent on some deals)
- Would stipulate that schools earning at least $50M annually in media rights could not use student fees to support their athletic programs (impacting SEC and Big Ten schools)
- Would allow the NCAA to require athletes to disclose NIL deals so collected data could be anonymized, aggregated and shared
QUOTE OF THE DAY
To our student-athletes: “Memories are the key to unlocking the future.”– Unknown
Thank you, once again, for continuing to live in the moment—and lead in a time of transformation. Have a great week!
Dan