• Tyon Grant-Foster, a 6-foot-7 wing, is transferring to Gonzaga from Grand Canyon University and seeking an NCAA waiver to play.
• The 25-year-old Grant-Foster was the WAC Player of the Year in 2023-24, leading GCU to their first NCAA Tournament win.

Tyon Grant-Foster apparently is counting on one more Senior Night in his college basketball career.

The No. 11 Clemson Tigers are preparing to face the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament after falling short in the ACC college baseball championship. 

That’s led to a more adversity-riddled path than a win against the UNC Tar Heels would have awarded the Tigers with a coveted top eight seed.

Two of the pitchers on staff are offering a new way for fans to engage outside of home-field advantage, as the team does not have the opportunity to host a Super Regional if they advance from the regional stages.

Clemson pitchers Aidan Knaak and Justin LeGuernic have accomplished an incredible feat in the NIL space.

Clemson Pitchers Launch First-Ever Student-Athlete NIL Brand

On Tuesday, Knaak and LeGuernic became entrepreneurs and launched their new athlete-owned brand, Cardiak Cats.

The Cardiak Cats hats are available exclusively on their website, with a limited supply of the hats running ahead of the NCAA Regional Tournament.

The limited product launch features their personally designed baseball hats that have a unique style in the spirit of their on-field personalities and fan pride.

The duo came up with the brand name in ode to the exciting, come-from-behind style of play that the Tigers are known for.

“This whole thing started with an idea during a road trip: what if we created something that really felt like us?” Knaak said in a press release. “We wanted a brand that captured the energy of playing in big moments and gave fans something authentic to rally behind.”

 NIL deals can feel robotic sometimes, with star athletes pushing products they might not feel that strongly about. That can’t be said for the product Knaak and LeGuernic are behind.

“We worked hands-on with a design team to make sure every detail felt right,” LeGuernic said. “It’s about more than a hat… it’s about building something from scratch and putting our name behind it, literally.”

Most of the talk in the NIL space focuses on college football and basketball, with the upcoming House v. NCAA settlement expected to bring revenue sharing to schools with those teams prioritized.

College baseball has been lost in the shuffle, and the NIL deals aren’t as readily available or prominent for these players.

Perhaps the pitching duo has stumbled upon a new blueprint for student-athletes.

It’s the first-ever independent student-athlete-owned apparel venture in college sports, making it a historic launch for a quieter sport in the landscape.

There’s an importance in the name, image, and likeness world of knowing one’s branding and how to self-promote. The more student-athletes find avenues to innovate and become entrepreneurs, the better the state of college sports is for it.

DESTIN, Fla. — Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte on Wednesday clarified two issues the football program has made recent headlines for, including a scheduling change request for the season opener against Ohio State and the total amount of NIL money poured into the current roster.

Front Office Sports reported Tuesday that Fox Sports approved Ohio State’s idea of moving the blockbuster Week 1 matchup against Texas on Aug. 30 in Columbus from Saturday’s noon time slot to prime time Sunday night.

Del Conte, speaking to a small group of reporters at SEC spring meetings, confirmed he was approached about moving the game to Sunday night — but shut it down because of the day, not the time.

“Why would I want to move the game to Sunday night and have a short week for our boys who were just told we’re kicking off at high noon?” he said. “It was never about moving the time of day. It was just, ‘Hey do you want to move the day?’ And I go, ‘we’re not moving. We’re contractually obligated to this day.’ That was it, but you know, the craziness is oh my God, they said no. I just said no to Sunday. I gotta go to church. I mean, hot dang.”

Del Conte also refuted a report that the football program spent $40 million to comprise its roster.

“That’s bananas,” he said.

Del Conte said that because of Texas state laws, he doesn’t know how much NIL money is going to football players, but that will change soon if the NCAA settlement is approved.

It will introduce a revenue-sharing model that will allow schools to pay about $20 million directly to players in all sports, with football expected to occupy the bulk of that sum.

Del Conte said Texas will split its revenue share into percentages of 75 (football), 15 (men’s basketball), 5 (women’s basketball) and 5 (other sports).

“If you put it in an ecosystem of two years, that could possibly be it,” Del Conte said of a $40 million football revenue, “but that’s not a number that’s accurate 1748464975.”

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian also refuted the number this week.

“I wish I had $40 million on our roster,” Sarkisian told Sirius XM this week. “We’d probably be a little better team than we are.”

Rock Hill, S.C. – Five members of the Winthrop softball team were named to the 2025 Academic All-District Team on Tuesday as selected by the College Sports Communicators.

Seniors Megan Powell and Emma Jackson along with junior Grayson Buckner and sophomores Peyton Bryden and Emmy Cardenas were all selected to the all-district team.

The 2025 Academic All-District® Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Powell graduated this past spring after earning a degree in exercise science. This past season she was voted the Big South Conference Player of the Year and was an All-Conference First Team selection. In 2024 she was also a first team selection and was voted the Big South Newcomer of the Year. Powell finished with a 16-12 record in the circle while sporting a 2.15 ERA with 16 complete games, five shutouts  and 122 strikeouts. At the plate she led the team with a .333 average and had 22 runs, seven doubles, 10 home runs, 22 walks and 35 RBI. In 2021-22 Powell was named an NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete in 2022 and 2024.

Jackson graduated this past spring after earning a degree in biology. This past season she started all 53 games in center field and batted .265 with 40 runs, six doubles, eight home runs, 29 walks and 23 RBI. She was also 8-for-8 on the bases. Jackson is a three-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete. On March 11 she was named the Big South Player of the Week.

Buckner graduated this past spring with a degree in elementary education. Buckner is also a two-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete. At Lees-McRae she was voted the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year and was a Second Team All-Conference selection. This past season she batted .226 with 16 runs, 11 doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI while starting all 53 games.

Bryden is working toward a degree in business. This past season she started 52 of the 53 games she played and was second on the team with a .302 average. She also had 27 runs, 10 doubles, five home runs and 20 RBI. Bryden is a 2024 NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.

Cardenas is working toward a degree in biology and is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. This past season she missed a few weeks with injury but Cardenas did make 19 appearances in the circle with a 2-4 record and tossed 37.1 innings. She did have 16 plate appearances and had a game-tying home run (first of her collegiate career) at Radford in the top of the seventh with two outs. Cardenas is a 2024 NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.

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