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The launch of NIL Go signals a high-stakes evolution in college sports: MoneyCall

Welcome back to MoneyCall, The Athletic’s weekly sports business cheat sheet. (Want to receive it in your email every Wednesday? Easy sign-up here.) Name-dropped today: Bryan Seeley, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Justin Ishbia, Dick Vitale, Sue Bird, David Zaslav, NiJaree Canady, Heather O’Reilly, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Kara Nortman and more. Let’s go: Driving the Conversation […]

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Welcome back to MoneyCall, The Athletic’s weekly sports business cheat sheet. (Want to receive it in your email every Wednesday? Easy sign-up here.)

Name-dropped today: Bryan Seeley, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Justin Ishbia, Dick Vitale, Sue Bird, David Zaslav, NiJaree Canady, Heather O’Reilly, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Kara Nortman and more. Let’s go:


Driving the Conversation

What does the massive money shift in college sports actually change?

A lot has happened to the business of college sports since last Friday, when the historic House v. NCAA settlement was finalized, so let’s go with a “Previously, on college sports upheaval …” theme:

> As of July 1, each DI school can directly pay its athletes via an annual revenue-sharing pool set at around $20.5M. (A salary cap? Umm, not quite.)

> The settlement includes a new oversight and enforcement organization: The “ College Sports Commission.” The CSC enforces the rev-share “cap” and — much more importantly — is empowered to review any meaningfully sized NIL deals with players. (We’ll come back to this in a sec.)

> Name to know: Bryan Seeley, formerly MLB’s head of investigations, now head of the CSC.

> The big conferences (Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, ACC and even the Pac-12) all agree to abide by the new rules. (Umm, not quite?)

> Congress has a proposed bill to codify a lot of the House settlement (good luck with that).

That brings us to today, when that new review system, called NIL Go, launches. NIL Go is overseen by the CSC and managed by the accounting firm Deloitte.

NIL Go is the most pivotal — and persnickety — element of this entire new universe: Athletes must self-report into the NIL Go system any third-party NIL deal worth $600 or more for review. (As my colleague Stewart Mandel pointed out: “Which, in the major sports, is pretty much all of them.”)

Deals that don’t meet a hazy “fair-market value” criteria will be flagged, rejected or sent to arbitration. (But wait: Isn’t “market value”… what the market is willing to pay?)

One college football team’s personnel director put it bluntly to my colleague Justin Williams:

“If you tell a booster or business owner they can’t give a star player $2 million, there will be lawsuits. There’s no enforcing this. Fair market value? F— Deloitte. This is going to get even crazier.”

Mandel says every legal expert he has talked to thinks NIL Go won’t survive a legal challenge. Williams predicts the return of the old-school college football “bag man.”

Here’s the upshot: The system goes live today, and Seeley, his CSC investigators and Deloitte can try to constrain the (ironically pretty efficient!) competitive forces that have always and will always dominate college sports.

Between revenue sharing and NIL (“Go” or no go), the biggest, most well-funded college programs will be spending $50 million or more — per year — on their programs (and that doesn’t count ever-increasing coach or AD or GM salaries). The only limit is that there are no limits.

Judges can rule. Policies can change. Accounting firms can require a login. But Buddy Booster is going to find a way to get that recruit for their program.


Get Caught Up

Epic tennis rivalry spells viewership boom

Big talkers from the sports business industry:

> French Open’s Alcaraz-Sinner final: Did we all just watch the sports event of the year? It’ll be hard to match. (Five-set tennis FTW, and — as expected — the ratings for that match were as blistering as the shots, topping out at 2.6 million in TNT’s first year at Roland Garros. Not all is rosy for TNT: More on that below …)

> F1 2026 schedule reveal: 24 races (three in the U.S.), a new stop in Madrid and a “grueling” season finale, but the eye-opener was F1 choosing to put the Canadian Grand Prix up against the Indy 500. For all F1’s sizzle, the Indy 500 remains the granddaddy of global auto racing.I defer to my colleague Jeff Gluck’s astute analysis of that conflict: “Why would F1 even consider this?”

More Gluck: “Instead of weighing the optics, F1 never hit the brakes on its quest for motorsports domination and plowed right into a head-to-head battle with one of the most cherished traditions on the international racing calendar.”

> U.S. Open at Oakmont: Follow my colleagues at The Athletic for coverage of golf’s U.S. Open this week, but here is a great story at the intersection of the course’s myth and reality. (One more: The secrets of Oakmont’s distinctive “church pew” bunker.)

> World Cup 2026, one year out: Host cities across the U.S. are “taking a light approach,” per my colleague Asli Pelit, but expect the ramp-up to accelerate this summer. (Loved our team’s predictions on how things will play out over the next 365 days.)

> MLB Anonymous Player Poll results: Our league-wide player polls always yield fascinating results (just ask Tyrese Haliburton). MLB players said they would like to play for Texas’ Bruce Bochy, but there is a reason Colorado’s Bud Black got fired. Most interesting data point: Nearly 80 percent of players said legalized sports betting has changed how fans treat them.

Other current obsessions: Netflix returns to boxing with Alvarez-Crawford … Justin Ishbia eventually buying the White Sox … Dick Vitale staying on ESPN … College football front-office consultants getting the bag … the legendary Sue Bird talking with our “No Offseason” crew … the return of “Drive to Survive” legend Guenther Steiner (to MotoGP) …


What I’m Wondering

What happens to TNT Sports?

“It hasn’t been a real driver for us.”

That’s Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, on live sports programming and rights that will be jettisoned from his oversight upon the WBD split into two parts: the high-growth “Streaming and Studios” company Zaslav will oversee and “Global Networks,” a debt-laden collection of presumptively declining cable assets, including TNT Sports.

Ironically, TNT is in the spotlight this week with sports fans for its exceptional French Open coverage and ongoing Stanley Cup Final broadcasts, along with a recent deal to license more CFP semifinals from ESPN.

I checked in with my colleague Andrew Marchand to wonder: What’s the future for TNT Sports?

“For TNT Sports, it will, in theory, be more nimble and have more optionality. Sports will be the main driver of the new company, whereas previously it was very important, but probably not No. 1. Fans will be able to watch all of its networks on linear TV.

“Where it becomes a bit more interesting is in the streaming game. It could do a deal and be on Max, or it could license its programming out, to say, an ESPN DTC. Or it could do both.

“TNT lost the NBA but has picked up rights, so it is still very much in the game to go along with a portfolio that includes the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, MLB playoffs and the Stanley Cup playoffs, among other properties.”


Grab Bag

Ratings Point: 2.4 million

No women’s college softball game ever has drawn a larger audience than Texas’ title-clinching win over NiJaree Canady and Texas Tech.

Oh, and Canady signed another $1M NIL deal to return to Texas Tech next season (BTW: a deal done in advance of the new NIL Go launch, so not beholden to that system). In some nice timing, the startup AUSL pro league debuted last weekend. Stock way, way up on women’s softball.

Don’t miss: My colleague Lindsay Schnell’s profile of Canady. (Congrats to Schnell on her much-deserved 2025 Billie Jean King Award for excellence in women’s sports coverage, given to her by the Associated Press Sports Editors.)

Related: People watched Fever-Sky (even without Caitlin Clark): The WNBA is showing plenty of data-backed signs that the TV-viewing enthusiasm from last season is still building, and it transcends Clark.

Is it possible nearly 2 million fans tuned in to CBS last Saturday thinking they’d see Clark? Perhaps a few of those did, but the far more likely reason was that they saw one of the league’s great rivalries available on broadcast TV and decided to tune in.

Payout of the Week: $1 million

What U.S. women’s national team alum Heather O’Reilly and her squad of former and current players earned for winning The Soccer Tournament, the winner-take-all 7-on-7 competition, for the second straight year.

($1M is a great purse; on a per-player basis, that’s more than MLS players qualifying for the Club World Cup will make.)

Investors of the Week: Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds

The “Deadpool and Wolverine” buddies went in on the Aussie SailGP franchise, a league powerhouse. “Welcome to Wake Waves,” anyone? (I’ll show myself out.)

Meanwhile: SailGP came to NYC last weekend, and it was a scene.

Runner up: Kylian Mbappe, who invested in a SailGP team of his own (France, naturally).

Branding of the Week: Boston Legacy

You might remember the debacle of a brand launch for “BOS Nation,” Boston’s NWSL expansion franchise. To their credit, the ownership team acknowledged their error, pivoted to the solid “Boston Legacy” and then — lessons learned — deftly executed their “crest” reveal.

ICYMI: Last week, we published an exclusive 1-on-1 with superlative women’s sports investor Kara Nortman, whose Monarch Collective owns a piece of the Boston Legacy (along with two other NWSL teams). Hear from Nortman here.

Save the Date: Aug. 30, 2025
Lee Corso’s “College GameDay” farewell (appropriately when Ohio State hosts Texas, given how many times Corso has donned the “Brutus” headgear to predict an Ohio State W.)

Beat Dan in Connections: Sports Edition
Puzzle #261 — 0:30
Try the game here!


Worth Your Time

Great business-adjacent reads for your downtime or commute:

Finding Jordon Hudson: “Hudson did not respond to an interview request for this story… So in lieu of hearing from her directly, the next best option? Walking — or in this case, driving — hundreds of miles in her shoes.” — Brendan Marks, with the definitive story on one of the most fascinating sports figures of the year, including a random run-in with Bill Belichick.

Two more reads worth your time:

(1) Revisiting Roger Federer’s incredible commencement speech.

(2) I enjoy a sash on a soccer/football shirt (as do many!), so this history of the distinctive style had my attention.


Back next Wednesday! Text your colleagues this link so they can get MoneyCall every Wednesday for free. And check out The Athletic’s other newsletters, too.

(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)



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Beau Pribula reveals investment plans, strategy with NIL dollars: ‘I’m going to be smart with this money’

Shortly after Beau Pribula committed to Missouri out of the transfer portal, he landed a seven-figure NIL package. Sources told On3’s Pete Nakos it will pay out $1.5 million in 2025, which is similar to other quarterbacks in the SEC. Before Pribula transferred from Penn State, he didn’t think much about what he would do […]

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Shortly after Beau Pribula committed to Missouri out of the transfer portal, he landed a seven-figure NIL package. Sources told On3’s Pete Nakos it will pay out $1.5 million in 2025, which is similar to other quarterbacks in the SEC.

Before Pribula transferred from Penn State, he didn’t think much about what he would do with his NIL dollars. But once he committed to Mizzou and landed his deal, he decided he was going to “be smart” with his money.

Pribula saw how players across college football used their earnings, whether it be on cars, jewelry, or anything of the like. He chose to take another path and invested, especially taking an interest in real estate. He chose to trust his advisers, and his focus is on setting himself up for success post-college.

“I think it’s kind of a problem in college football, too. Guys buy sports cars, jewelry, clothing – blowing all this well-deserved money they’re getting,” Pribula said on Next Up with Adam Breneman. “I’ve had teammates where it’s like, ‘I got this sports car and all these clothes and jewelry.’ And it’s April, and it’s like, ‘I have to pay 30% to 40% of what I earned all year in taxes? I don’t have it.’ Or, they leave college and they have nothing. That’s really disappointing to see, and that is the No. 1 thing that I wanted to stay away from.

“The first thing I [said] when I signed the contract, I was like, I’m going to be smart with this money. I’m not going to spend a dime. I’m going to invest all of it. Thankfully, I’m around smart businessmen every day. My brother is one. … Right away, I was like, I don’t know much about it right now. I’m new to this thing. But I’m going to trust the people that do and I’m going to let them help me. So I’ve invested in real estate already, a good chunk of it. Just really listening to everything that they have to say because they have a lot of experience with it. Other than that, I’m using my stipend to pay for food.”

Beau Pribula: ‘I’ve seen guys spoil it away’

Beau Pribula recalled a recent run to Chipotle that summed up his philosophy with money. He thought there would be more chicken on his burrito, and his brother told him to get double instead. The quarterback didn’t want to, though. Double chicken costs more.

“I was in Chipotle a couple weeks ago and I was like, ‘They didn’t put enough chicken on my burrito.’ My brother’s like, ‘Get double chicken,’” Pribula said. “I was like, ‘It costs more money.’ … I’m a little stingy, but seriously, I want to be smart with it because I’ve seen guys spoil it away and it’s sad.”

That mindset helped Pribula adjust once he started earning more NIL money. It’s a change of pace from when he was at Penn State, where his focus was simply on football as he backed up Drew Allar.

Now, he’s learning more about the financial world as he invests his dollars. Pribula called that one of the positives of the NIL era, as athletes get educated on the need to spend wisely.

“I had zero interest in January,” Pribula said of real estate investment. “I didn’t care about anything but football. And I still, really, just only care about football, to be honest. But earning this money has kind of forced me to be interested in it and learn all about it and everything like that.

“One thing that is good for college athletes earning money, I think it kind of forces you to mature quickly and think strategically with your money. So yeah, I’ve become more interested in real estate and investing and all that stuff because you kind of have to.”



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Ex-Michigan Staffer Connor Stalions Says TCU’s ‘Dummy Signals’ Were Overblown

The college football world, specifically the Big Ten, was taken for a ride during the 2023 season amid revelations that Michigan gained impermissible access to opposing teams’ on-field signals — an effort spearheaded by former Wolverines defensive analyst Connor Stalions. Earlier this week at Big 12 Media Days, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes stated that […]

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The college football world, specifically the Big Ten, was taken for a ride during the 2023 season amid revelations that Michigan gained impermissible access to opposing teams’ on-field signals — an effort spearheaded by former Wolverines defensive analyst Connor Stalions.

Earlier this week at Big 12 Media Days, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes stated that the Horned Frogs had to use “dummy signals” against the Wolverines in their 2022-2023 College Football Playoff semifinal round matchup.

Stalions vehemently denied what he referred to as “the same recycled story” from Dykes.

He went on to provide some details on social media in response, saying that Michigan lost because of turnovers and poor defensive play, not because TCU “fooled” the Wolverines with changed signals. 

“TCU kept everything from the coordinator to QB the same, but had dummy signals & some new signals from the QB to Receivers,” Stalions wrote. “But that didn’t matter because I’m watching the coach and seeing what they changed in real time. Similar to Ohio State “changing their signals.” They changed their route concepts & some run concepts — not their formations & pass protection signals, which is all I cared about.”

Stalions doubled down, saying that if TCU had changed its signals, it “would have confused the 18-year-olds on the field more than it would confuse me.”

“If you don’t want teams to steal your signals, then don’t signal,” Stallions wrote. “Any team that signals on offense is trying to force the defense to signal so they can steal it. There’s really no other advantage. … The continuous attempt to correlate signals to any wins & losses at Michigan is funny. There were 7 games in my time at Michigan where I knew almost every signal the whole game. … We lost 3 of those games because we didn’t tackle well, and Georgia was historically good. We won the four other games because we dominated the line of scrimmage & tackled well.

“Blocking, ball security, tackling, run fits & coverage tools. That’s football. This is not rocket science.”

[MORE: Greed. Selfishness. Lack of Integrity. Big 12 Coaches Propose Change in NIL Era]

Stalions resigned from his position in November 2023 in the wake of the scandal and amid the NCAA’s investigation. Michigan later fired linebackers coach Chris Partridge for purportedly covering up details about the scandal. Then-head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for the team’s final three games of the regular season.

Harbaugh returned for the CFP, and Michigan went on to win the national championship for the first time in 26 years. That offseason, Harbaugh departed Michigan to become the new head coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers.

Following its tumultuous yet successful 2023 season, Michigan finished 8-5 in 2024. As for Stalions, he became the defensive coordinator at Detroit Mumford High School and then the offensive coordinator at Belleville High School, where star quarterback Bryce Underwood played, in 2024. Underwood committed to Michigan in November 2024, flipping his commitment from LSU.

Stalions joined Michigan as a volunteer assistant in 2018 and was then promoted to defensive analyst in 2022.

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Mount Savage native gaining interest as college soccer prospect

MOUNT SAVAGE — Mount Savage native and Mountain Ridge rising senior Jesseca Kline is garnering interest from numerous college soccer programs after spending the last decade playing high-level travel and club soccer. Kline has a chance to become the first Division I women’s soccer recruit from Mountain Ridge since 2016. Advertisement Kline does not hold […]

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MOUNT SAVAGE — Mount Savage native and Mountain Ridge rising senior Jesseca Kline is garnering interest from numerous college soccer programs after spending the last decade playing high-level travel and club soccer.

Kline has a chance to become the first Division I women’s soccer recruit from Mountain Ridge since 2016.

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Kline does not hold any offers but has received interest from 15 Division I and 11 Division II programs, also holding interest from 31 Division III and several Juco and NAIA schools.

“It is an honor to represent the area at any division, especially D1,” Kline said. “I love playing soccer very much, but my academics are very important to me. I’m looking for the right fit for myself to balance both academics, athletics, and costs, which might be a D2 instead.”

Niven Hegeman was the Miners’ last Division 1 recruit, signing with the University of Maryland.

The stout defender was the Area Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015 and went 29-1 in the Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference (AMAC) in her career, losing her first high school game to Hampshire.

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Hegeman spent the next four seasons at Maryland and played 35 games for the Terrapins with 26 starts.

Kline played five of her six years of club soccer in sanctioned leagues, earning two State Cup championships and three finalists.

In 2022 with BVBIA (BVB International Academy) of Morgantown, Kline’s team finished first in West Virginia.

The BVB Academy is the international academy for Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund with locations across the United States.

Kline’s team became one of two girl’s teams in BVBIA club history to reach the USYS (United States Youth Soccer) National League, competing in the Great Lakes Conference against teams from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

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“I think Jesseca’s got a great personality, she’s a hard worker,” BVBIA head coach Kernell Borneo said. “Definitely understands the game as well as a level of commitment, being able to drive over an hour to practice in Morgantown.”

After Kline’s freshman year, she was offered to compete in the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) midwest division as part of the Super Y.

The ECNL is considered the top level of youth soccer while the Super Y is one of the top tier summer leagues.

In Super Y play, Kline scored one goal and added a pair of assists, leading her team to a third-place finish and a berth in the national championship.

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Due to a lack of available players, her team was unable to compete at nationals.

In Kline’s sophomore year, she competed in the Olympic Development Program and reached the East Region ID event, one level shy of the interregional event that provides the selection pool for the national team.

As BVBIA was changing leagues, Kline joined the top ranked team in PA West, FC 814 Energy in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

“From a skill standpoint, I would say decision making,” Travis Delio, Kline’s trainer, said of where she’s improved the most in the two years he’s worked with her. “She’s always had a nice foundation of skill. Her decision making has improved, and her willingness to be more involved in the game because of her confidence in her skill level.”

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Kline played her second consecutive season in the USYS National League Great Lakes Conference, leading FC 814 to it’s highest national ranking in North America (12th).

FC 814 earned a spot in the 2023 USYS National Championship Playoffs, considered one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious youth soccer tournaments.

Kline earned the game-winning assist in the first game and went the length of the field for a goal denying tackle in the 75th minute, securing a 2-1 win and earning the top seed in the semifinals.

After dropping the first semifinal game in penalties, and the second 1-0, Kline’s play at defender prevented any scoring opportunities and allowed her team to complete a 3-2 comeback victory.

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“My biggest benefit from playing club soccer would be that it makes me a better all-around player,” Kline said. “They focus more on the smaller stuff and controlling the ball at your feet. They are also really big on confidence and believing that you can beat someone one-on-one with confidence and always hyping you up. The girls are fantastic and always supportive.”

Her father Dave Kline has been involved in travel soccer for 15 years and does not believe anyone else from the area has played in two national championships.

In Kline’s first season on varsity at Mountain Ridge last fall, she led the Miners in shots on goal (63%), goals per SOG (50%), tackles (74%), one-on-one duels/challenges (73%) with beating up to three defenders, pass completion (67%), and forward passes completed in the attacking third (66%).

Dave Kline said he acquired the stats from iSportsAnalysis in England, which calculates the stats based on minutes played.

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Kline was on all but one of the area statistical leaderboards for points and finished second on the Miners and 22nd locally with 14.

Notably, Kline did not start a game last season.

“I think the biggest difference is the level of play, and all the teams play possession soccer,” Jesseca Kline said of comparing club soccer to high school. “In the National League, everyone trains and practices year-round. Final decision making and passing are critical because the speed of play is fast.”

Kline spent the following winter playing in the YMCA U19 boy’s winter indoor league, scoring nine goals over eight games.

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Several Mountain Ridge boys players were on the team including Owen Cooper, Trey Idol and Austin Simpson.

Kline then rejoined her BVBIA team which won three games over college teams including Division II West Virginia Wesleyan and Hagerstown Community College, which was a quarterfinalist in Region 20.

“We really push our girls playing at our level to understand the level of competition, and what it takes to play at the college level,” Borneo said.

They also defeated Christendom College of the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) who reached the national championship in 2024.

Kline’s team tied Division II Fairmont State which is also coached by Borneo.

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Kline competed at the Eastern Regional Championships last weekend in Aldie, Virginia, where her team defeated the third-ranked team in the country before falling to the fourth-ranked squad.

“One is speed, something she certainly has,” Delio said of what separates college prospects from high school players. “Some people can train it, some people have it naturally. I think she has a little bit of both, naturally fast but also improving in speed. It’s a major element, especially in women’s soccer. If you’re fast, a coach will find you.”



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How Ohio State Will Dominate with the House Settlement and SCORE Act Wins

The landscape of college football is shifting faster than TreVeyon Henderson on a screen pass through the Texas defense! Recent developments like the House settlement, the proposed SCORE Act, and the push for collective bargaining are reshaping the sport, and the Buckeyes are ready to capitalize. With Athletic Director Ross Bjork both steering the ship […]

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The landscape of college football is shifting faster than TreVeyon Henderson on a screen pass through the Texas defense!

Recent developments like the House settlement, the proposed SCORE Act, and the push for collective bargaining are reshaping the sport, and the Buckeyes are ready to capitalize. With Athletic Director Ross Bjork both steering the ship for Ohio State and deeply involved with the recent changes to College Football, Ohio State’s strategic moves and massive fan base make it a powerhouse in this new era of revenue sharing and regulated Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.

The House settlement, a multi-billion-dollar agreement finalized in 2025, is a game-changer. It allows schools to share revenue directly with athletes, capped at $20 million annually, while cracking down on shady NIL deals orchestrated by booster-backed collectives.

The College Sports Commission (CSC), the settlement’s enforcement arm, is already rejecting deals that don’t meet a “valid business purpose,” particularly those from collectives trying to skirt the cap with pay-for-play schemes disguised as NIL.

Ohio State, under Bjork’s leadership, has been well out in front and prepared for this new reality. By bringing NIL operations in-house and partnering with firms like Learfield, the Buckeyes are playing by the rules and avoiding the pitfalls of third-party collectives.

Some programs have seemingly given in to temptation to try and game the system, as they have thrived in the wild west era of college athletics, where money has been flaunted and seemingly purchased players. Ohio State’s compliance-focused approach ensures it won’t face the CSC’s wrath of penalties that could range from fines to roster restrictions, depending on the violation’s severity.

The introduction of the SCORE Act in Congress is just one more piece of reassurance that Ohio State and Ross Bjork have been prepared. This bipartisan bill, moving at lightning speed, aims to codify the settlement’s rules into federal law, preempting state laws like those in Tennessee or Michigan that tried to dodge oversight. It also protects athletes from predatory agents by capping fees at 5%.

While other programs like those up north have banked on legal loopholes, Ohio State’s legal team—backed by the university’s formidable resources—knew Congress was likely to step in. The SCORE Act’s swift progress means the Buckeyes’ above-board approach will pay dividends, potentially limiting recruiting disruptions to just one cycle.

Ohio State’s edge doesn’t stop at compliance. The Buckeyes’ massive fan base and deep-pocketed alumni network are tailor-made for the new NIL landscape. With millions of supporters and Ohio State’s national brand, businesses across America are lining up to ink legitimate NIL deals with Buckeye players.

Jeremiah Smith’s recent deal with Adidas is a prime example. Ohio State is giving players real deals that pass the CSC’s scrutiny, not collectives funneling booster cash. Ohio State’s in-house Buckeye Sports Group can broker these deals, acting as a middleman to connect players with companies while staying within the rules. This setup maximizes opportunities for athletes to earn without risking penalties, and bolsters their names before they ever get to the NFL.

As the sport inches toward a model where athletes are treated more like employees, the Buckeyes’ infrastructure—legal expertise, financial resources, and brand power—positions them to negotiate favorable terms. Unlike smaller programs or those reliant on single billionaires, Ohio State’s broad support base and institutional stability make it a leader in shaping this future.

The Juck on Bucks podcast nailed it: the days of collectives are numbered, and Ohio State’s decision to internalize operations was a masterstroke. While collectives scramble to justify their existence, Ohio State is building a sustainable model that empowers athletes and engages fans without the chaos of “lawlessness.”

In this new era, Ohio State isn’t just keeping up—they’re setting the pace. The House settlement ensures fair compensation, the SCORE Act locks in a level playing field, and collective bargaining looms as a chance to cement their advantage.

With Bjork’s foresight, a compliance-first mindset, the national brand of Ohio State, and a fan base that bleeds scarlet and gray, the Buckeyes are poised to dominate recruiting, revenue, and, yes, the national championship race. As the CSC shuts down shady deals and Congress steps in, Ohio State’s rivals might be sweating, but Buckeye Nation can sit back and enjoy the view from the top.



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Angel Reese declares Chicago Sky ‘best young core in the league’ after upset of Minnesota Lynx

For the first time this year, the Chicago Sky defeated a team over .500. They did so by taking down the best team in the WNBA with an 87-81 victory over the Minnesota Lynx at Wintrust Arena. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso helped lead the charge, each recording a double-double. In fact, Reese saw Saturday’s […]

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For the first time this year, the Chicago Sky defeated a team over .500. They did so by taking down the best team in the WNBA with an 87-81 victory over the Minnesota Lynx at Wintrust Arena.

Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso helped lead the charge, each recording a double-double. In fact, Reese saw Saturday’s performance as a statement.

The former LSU star declared the sky the WNBA’s “best young core,” likely alluding to an ESPN article released last month on that topic. The Sky came in as the No. 7-ranked core in the league, though the trio of Reese, Cardoso and Hailey Van Lith were listed as players to build around. To Reese, though, Chicago proved it should be at the top.

“Somebody said we wasn’t the best young core in the league. I think we’re the best young core in the league, for sure. Hands down,” Reese told Angel Gray on the ABC broadcast. “The Skyscrapers, we’re doing it every single night. I’m really proud of everybody, including [Elizabeth Williams]. E-Will comes in and does what she does. I’m just super happy for the team.”

Reese recorded her eighth straight double-double with Saturday’s victory as she totaled 19 points and 11 rebounds. Cardoso – in her second straight game back in Chicago following her stint with the Brazilian National Team – had 17 points and a game-high 15 boards.

But Ariel Atkins was the top scorer in the victory, dropping 27 points. She hit some big shots down the stretch, and Reese sees a player finding her stride with her new team. Of course, that includes on the defensive end of the floor.

“She’s tough,” Reese said. “And people slept on her, people kept saying she was washed. She shows up every single night and put on. Every bucket was tough. … I’m just really happy for her. She’s getting her groove. That’s just not offensively – that’s defensively, too.

“You’ve got to know, this is a two-way player. She’s been on defensive teams. I’m super happy to have her. Dubs in the chat.”

With the victory, the Sky improve to 7-13 overall this season while also handing the Lynx their fourth loss. The two teams will square off again on Monday, staying in Chicago at Wintrust Arena. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET.



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Paul Finebaum warns Ohio State football coach Ryan Day of ending up back on hot seat this season

Paul Finebaum doesn’t expect the honeymoon period in Columbus to last long. The SEC Network host made a bol prediction that Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day could struggle this season to return another high-priced roster back to the College Football Playoff. Finebaum also spoke about losing to the Texas Longhorns in Week 1 […]

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Paul Finebaum doesn’t expect the honeymoon period in Columbus to last long.

The SEC Network host made a bol prediction that Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day could struggle this season to return another high-priced roster back to the College Football Playoff. Finebaum also spoke about losing to the Texas Longhorns in Week 1 because of Arch Manning as a formality.

“I am as married to Arch Manning as an old geezer like me can be to a young, great college quarterback, but I like everything about him, and I think you said something,” Finebaum said on ESPN’s “Get Up.”

“The Manning name matters, but it isn’t going to matter on that field in a couple of weeks at Ohio State. The experience of being an understudy to Ewers and understanding Sark’s system is what’s going to get them over the top and probably — well, not probably — definitely beat Ohio State in the opener.

“I don’t like Ohio State. I think Ohio State is going to lose in the opener against Texas, and they are going to struggle to make the playoffs, let alone win it all.”

New NIL rules could change the game slightly for OSU. In August, the new house settlement will go into effect, and it’s unclear if the juggernauts of the country like Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Georgia are playing by the rules — the other headline juggernaut, Michigan, has been confirmed not to play by the rules.

Were the numbers these schools threw around lies? Some recruits may get clarity on that popular college football conspiracy in a few weeks and hit the portal before the season starts, just ahead of the summer transfer window closing on August 5.

If Ohio State is one of those schools, Finebaum has a point. And if Jim Knowles was the glue that made everything fit in leading that legendary defense last year, then he really has a point.

Otherwise, Finebaum may have to adjust with the times and realize Day has something that could be sustainable beyond what the talking head is implying could’ve been a flash-in-the-pan year in 2024.



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