NIL

Trent Dilfer details how NIL resources dictate schemes available to coaches everywhere

The majority of the conversations around NIL and the transfer portal revolve around roster management and how coaches are structuring their support staff and structuring them similar to NFL front offices. One aspect that NIL in particular has been impacting that has not gotten nearly the amount of headlines it deserves is how it is […]

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7 days ago

May 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

One aspect that NIL in particular has been impacting that has not gotten nearly the amount of headlines it deserves is how it is impacting schemes, especially at the Group of Five level.

While on the Blazer Victory Podcast recently, UAB head coach Trent Dilfer highlighted just how NIL directly impacts the schemes they’re able to run.

“There’s Bill Clark’s defense, which was awesome. ‘Mint’ defense. 2-gap. Punch and hold up. It’s a great way to play defense. It’s a problem to play against. I love that system. I hate playing against it.”

“But they were recruiting a different…it’s a different era now. Those guys are very expensive. To run that defense right now is probably about a $2 million and we have $1 million for the entire team.”

“So I would challenge any Mint defensive coach, I would ask ‘How are you going to pay for it? How are you going to find the 4i’s? How are you going to find the Jack?”

“The Jack position alone is a $750,000 player, right now. In our conference, he’s a 6’5+, 34-inch arms, 265-280 pounds, and can run, can cover, and can drop. Like he is a draftable player. That’s a $750,000 player in our conference. He’s $1.5 million in the Power Fours.”

“So yeah, it’s one thing as a fan to say ‘Why aren’t they playing Mint? Why are they a four-down team?’ Well, we all love Mint. I’d lvoe to play that defense. I can’t afford that defense. What we can afford is a four-down structure of eight or nine twitchy, explosive get-off guys that can slice-and-dice, create havoc in the backfield, create negative plays. Are we going to hold up like a brick wall in the run game? No. We’re not build to hold up like a brick wall in the run game, so you’ve got to stop the run in different ways.”

“See where I’m going with the ‘Moneyball’ analogy? You’ve only got so much money, and you’ve got to make it go the furthers.”

Dilfer, who UAB announced would return to lead the program for a third season back in December despite a 7-17 record since taking over following the late retirement of legendary Blazers coach Bill Clark just before the 2022 season (when Bryant Vincent was then tabbed to lead the program as interim head coach), now enters a critical fall where they open with two of three games at home. They’ll have Alabama State (FCS) and Akron at home with a game in between those two at Annapolis to take on Navy. Week four they will hit the road for Knoxville to take on the Vols before starting conference play.

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NIL

Kirby Smart Paints Grim Picture For College Sports in Latest Statement Regarding NIL

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL. College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more […]

Published

12 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL.

College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more headache-inducing than the emergence of NIL.

While the policy change has been viewed as an overall positive, it has brought forth its fair share of issues. Many of which have created financial ripples throughout college athletics. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shared his thoughts on the issue and expressed his desires for the sport moving forward.

“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.” Said Smart. “You know, we’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports.”

While football is a massive sport that produces millions of dollars in revenue each season, other sports may be forced to go by the waist-side due to the increase of competitive prices when it comes to fielding a football roster.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a simple fix for the issues that the NIL era of college football presents, and the sport (along with other college athletics) will likely continue to undergo a litany of changes in the near future.

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NIL

Mark Pope, Kentucky Receive Bad Update from No. 1 College Basketball Prospect

Mark Pope is feeling the urgency at Kentucky. His first season as the Wildcats’ head coach ended with an appearance in the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament and a respectable No. 12 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. But Pope understands that his task is to take the historic Kentucky program back to […]

Published

13 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

“We want to play the hardest schedule; we want to play the best teams; we want to win the most games; we want to have the best players; we want to have the highest NIL; we want to have the coolest uniforms; we want to have the most media attention. This is Kentucky,” Pope said at his first offseason press conference.

It must have been a little discouraging then for Pope to learn that top 2026 recruit Tyran Stokes has opted to postpone his visit to Lexington, a visit that was set to begin Thursday and last through Saturday.

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Powell Earns NFCA All-Region Honors

Story Links Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop senior pitcher/designated player Megan Powell has earned National Fast Pitch Association All-Region Team honors, announced Thursday afternoon. Powell was named First Team All-Conference and the 2025 Big South Conference Player of the Year. She was selected to the All-Region 3rd Team as a […]

Published

15 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop senior pitcher/designated player Megan Powell has earned National Fast Pitch Association All-Region Team honors, announced Thursday afternoon.

Powell was named First Team All-Conference and the 2025 Big South Conference Player of the Year. She was selected to the All-Region 3^rd Team as a Utility/Pitcher as she turned in strong performances both in the circle and at the plate this season.

2025 Division I All-Region Teams

This year she led the team with a .333 average to go along with 27 runs, seven doubles, 10 home runs, 35 RBI, 22 walks and an on-base percentage of .425. In the circle she was 16-12 with a 2.15 ERA, 16 complete games, five shutouts and 122 strikeouts in 163 innings. She also held an opposing batting average of .206.

This is the first all-region selection for Winthrop since Lisa Kingsmore was voted to the 1^st team in 2009. Powell is the sixth different Eagles to earn NFCA All-Region honors.

Powell is a two-time First Team All-Conference selection and earned the Big South Newcomer of the Year honor in 2024. Powell became just the third Eagle in program history to earn the conference’s top regular season honor. Lisa Kingsmore earned it back-to-back in 2008 and 2009 while Lisa (Kemme) Raio also had back-to-back seasons earning the honor (1990, 1991).

The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association’s 10 regions with first, second and third-team selections. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region nominated student-athletes (eight maximum) and voted for the teams. All awarded student-athletes now become eligible for the 2025 NFCA Division I All-America squads.

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Explosion of NIL money adds new wrinkle to 2025 NBA draft decisions

Dwyane Wade shares thoughts on Dallas Mavericks getting first pick NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade shares his thoughts on the NBA and whether or not the Mavericks getting the first pick in the draft is a “coincidence.” Sports Seriously CHICAGO − Yaxel Lendeborg rubbed his hands together seated inside Wintrust Arena, a wave of […]

Published

40 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHICAGO − Yaxel Lendeborg rubbed his hands together seated inside Wintrust Arena, a wave of excitement and anxiety coursing through him as he laid out the options again before his first official NBA audition was set to begin. The former UAB star is an intriguing figure among the group of players taking part in this week’s 2025 NBA Draft Combine. He’s facing the sort of decision prospects invited to this annual league event never did in the past.

Lendeborg is a potential late first-round draft pick, according to draft experts, who could also slide into the second round – when contracts are not guaranteed – depending on how his pre-draft workouts go. The 6-foot-10 big man also committed to Michigan in April as one of the country’s most coveted transfers amidst an explosion of money being paid to college football and basketball players through name, image and likeness compensation and the anticipated implementation of revenue sharing by the NCAA for the 2025-26 season.

The 22-year-old has until the NCAA’s May 28 withdrawal date to pull out of the draft and retain his college eligibility. And sounds torn about it right now. More torn than any of the other college hopefuls around him this week.

“The NBA is ultimately the goal for a lot of guys. It’s just college is so tempting because of the money,” Lendeborg told USA TODAY Sports. “I’m 50-50 between the NBA and Michigan, and I just hope that a team can let me know early so I don’t mess anything up.”

How NIL changed the 2025 NBA draft

The dynamics and financial implications of the traditional NBA draft decision tree have changed because of the money players can now make at the college level. There were only 106 early entrants in the 2025 NBA draft, which is the lowest figure in a decade and down from 353 in 2021. There were also more players (18) from the Portsmouth Invitational, a pre-draft event for college seniors, invited to the NBA Draft Combine than recent years.

The trends are in direct correlation to the rapid increase in NIL money being doled out by college basketball programs. For one season, the starter for a power conference team in college will often make more than an NBA player on the first year of a rookie deal. For many, it might be the most money they ever make in one season playing basketball.

The attempts to thread that needle, of maximizing money made in college and in the NBA, has infused chaos into the college ranks through the transfer portal and constant roster churn. It played out this week in Chicago as numerous college coaching staffs were on hand to both support their participating players at the NBA draft combine, and quietly hope the feedback convinces them to come back to college for another season.

“A case of food poisoning – nothing serious – would be good for the University of Michigan right now,” Wolverines assistant coach Mike Boynton joked on Tuesday before explaining they always knew there was a chance Lendeborg would go to the NBA.

It’s yet another ripple effect of the power shift within college sports.

“We’ve got the best of both worlds,” said St. John’s star R.J. Luis, who entered the NBA draft and the NCAA’s transfer portal this offseason. “We’re basically like semi-pros. We got like one-year contracts basically (in college). It’s just about trying to find the best opportunity at the right moment.”

‘Good for the basketball ecosystem’

The NBA doesn’t seem to mind this, either.

Five league executives told USA TODAY Sports at the draft combine that the implementation of name, image and likeness at the college level has produced minimal disruptions for the league and its draft process. Some view it as a positive development despite the issues NIL created for college basketball teams. As one NBA general manager put it, “The guys will come into the draft eventually.”

“You’re still getting the top-end guys, but you’re not going to get sophomores and juniors,” said an NBA front office executive who runs his team’s college scouting operation. “You’re going to see a gap in the draft the next couple years, especially in the second round. But most guys choosing to go back (to college) would struggle to stay (in the NBA) anyways. Now these guys can build brands in college. In the long run, it might be better.”

“It’s good for the basketball ecosystem,” added another NBA team executive.

But there will still be players like Lendeborg placed in a precarious spot, hoping the measurements, scrimmage performances and meetings with NBA officials at the combine and a flurry of workouts the next two weeks provide more clarity.

The Pennsauken, New Jersey native only played 11 varsity basketball games in high school and had to go the junior college route before arriving at UAB. There is no precedent for what he’s going through because a fringe first-round pick five years ago wouldn’t also be mulling NIL deals worth millions of dollars.

He doesn’t want to stay in school just because of the money. But he also doesn’t want to go to the NBA and not have a chance to be a rotation player quickly. He only needs one team to promise he will get one to stay in the draft. He just needs to know before May 28.

“If it doesn’t happen by then,” Lendeborg said, “then the decision is going to be really hard to make.”

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Brown and Hall Named NFCA All-West Region

Story Links Softball All-Region Selections TEMPE – Kenzie Brown and Kelsey Hall of Sun Devil Softball were each honored by the NFCA on Thursday by being named to NFCA DI All-Region selections. Brown was voted to the first team as a pitcher while […]

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42 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

TEMPE – Kenzie Brown and Kelsey Hall of Sun Devil Softball were each honored by the NFCA on Thursday by being named to NFCA DI All-Region selections. Brown was voted to the first team as a pitcher while Hall made the third team as the designated player.

This is the first All-Region honor for each player during their time at ASU. Hall was twice named to the All-Region team during her time at Boise State.

After sitting out last season with an injury, Brown developed as one of the top pitchers in the country in 2025. At the moment, Brown is third in the NCAA with 265 strikeouts and second at 11.77 strikeouts per seven innings. Her strikeout total is the highest of any pitcher in a Power 4 conference.

Brown had 18 strikeouts against BYU on March 6 to tie the ASU record for strikeouts in a 7-inning game. She ranks in the Big 12 top five in 11 statistical categories, including second by allowing 4.13 hits per seven innings, third with a 1.29 ERA, and fourth with 19 wins. Brown’s strikeout total is the 10th-most for a season in ASU history, and she has double-digit strikeouts in a game 11 times.

Hall opened the season in the starting lineup 277 days after tearing her ACL. Having started all 54 games this season, Hall is batting .325 with a .929 OPS. She leads the team with 47 RBIs, posting 53 hits with six doubles and 10 home runs.

In her sixth season of collegiate softball, Hall ranks 28th among players with 159 RBIs and 30th with 364 total bases. She is also 33rd with 152 runs scored and 39th with 40 home runs.

With these two selections, ASU has now had 68 players named All-Region a total of 114 times. Brown is the program’s 54 selection to an All-Region First Team and the 20th pitcher to be recognized. Hall gives ASU 17 All-Region Third Team honors while becoming the seventh DP honored.

This is the 19th consecutive season at least one Sun Devil has been named All-Region and the 28th time there has been multiple Sun Devils honored in the same season.

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SDSU’S GENTRY TABBED NFCA 1ST TEAM ALL-REGION

Story Links LOUISVILLE, Ky. — South Dakota State’s Abby Gentry continued her haul in prestigious honors for the 2025 softball season as she was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association 1st Team All-Region performer by the organization on Thursday. Gentry was chosen as the third base honoree for the 1st Team in […]

Published

58 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — South Dakota State’s Abby Gentry continued her haul in prestigious honors for the 2025 softball season as she was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association 1st Team All-Region performer by the organization on Thursday.

Gentry was chosen as the third base honoree for the 1st Team in the Mountain Region. Other selections include individuals representing programs such as Boise State, BYU, Nebraska Nevada and Oregon. Gentry is the sixth Jackrabbit to earn All-Region 1st Team accolades joining recent selections in Mia Jarecki (2024) and Tori Kniesche (2021-24).

The Benton, Ark., native was previously selected as The Summit League Player of the Year.

Gentry ended her sophomore season ranked among the top 60 individuals in Division I softball for the season in batting average (.427), doubles (16), hits (70) and RBIs (56). She finished among the top three among conference individuals in several categories including slugging percentage (.701), on-base percentage (.503), hits, RBIs, doubles, home runs (9) and sacrifice flies (4), along with leading The Summit League in average.

SDSU’s third baseman played in 54 of the Jackrabbits’ 55 games and started in 53. The 2025 season saw Gentry set the program’s Division I record for batting average topping the previous best .418 mark set by Jocelyn Carrillo in 2021. Multiple other totals ranked among the top five for single seasons in program history set by Gentry including the second-best mark in on-base percentage, third most hits and RBIs in a season, fourth most total bases (115) and fifth best marks in doubles and slugging percentage.

The NFCA announced 380 student-athletes from 146 programs for the Division I All-Region accolades. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region nominated student-athletes and voted for the teams. All awarded student-athletes now become eligible for 2025 NFCA Division I All-America squads.

The South Dakota State softball season ended with a 29-26 record at The Summit League Championship held at Jerald T. Moriarty Field last week. The winning record continues a streak of seven straight seasons which is the longest stretch in the program’s history.