UC Irvine Athletics and Learfield's Anteater Sports Properties Announce an Exclusive Multi …
“As a family-owned business, Upscale CBD & VuVuV CBD are strategically focused on introducing high-quality, hemp-derived CBD, THC-FREE products to a diverse clientele and their pets,” said Tamara Rodgers, CEO of Upscale CBD. Upscale CBD & VuVuV CBD is an innovative health, wellness and personal care products company based in Chicago, Illinois. Upscale & VuVuV […]
“As a family-owned business, Upscale CBD & VuVuV CBD are strategically focused on introducing high-quality, hemp-derived CBD, THC-FREE products to a diverse clientele and their pets,” said Tamara Rodgers, CEO of Upscale CBD.
Upscale CBD & VuVuV CBD is an innovative health, wellness and personal care products company based in Chicago, Illinois. Upscale & VuVuV have successfully and strategically focused on introducing high-level, high-quality, hemp-derived CBD products to a diverse clientele and their pets, enriching their breadth of health, personal care and wellness.
“Upscale & VuVuV offers an exceptional health and wellness product and we’re ecstatic to partner with them on their first venture into college athletics,” said John Abdou, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Health, Wellness & Sports Performance at UC Irvine. “CBD products can have exceptional benefits and we’re proud to have Upscale on our team.”
By partnering with UC Irvine Athletics through Anteater Sports Properties, Upscale & VuVuV will receive enhanced social media collaboration with the Anteaters as well as one million digital impressions annually through Fan365 – Learfield’s programmatic digital sponsorship and marketing program. About Learfield Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions. IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine Athletics along with Upscale CBD & VuVuV CBD Petline are kicking off the new year with an exclusive multi-year partnership agreement utilizing Upscale and VuVuV’s unique marketing assets while leveraging data and digital expertise through Anteater Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the media and technology company powering college athletics.
“We’re excited to bring Upscale CBD & VuVuV CBD into the Anteater family and see their brand grow in front of the UC Irvine fanbase and community,” said Joseph Huerta, General Manager of Anteater Sports Properties. “We look forward to delivering them a premium social and digital presence for many years to come.”
Anteater Sports Properties is the exclusive multimedia rights holder for UC Irvine Athletics and oversees all sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Anteaters.
“We are thrilled about this historic collaboration between Upscale CBD, VuVuV and UC Irvine. Upscale is the first CBD owned company to sign a collegiate contract with UC Irvine,” said Prescott Browne, President & Co-Founder of Upscale CBD. “As a minority-owned business, we are excited for the fans of UC Irvine to experience our CBD products that we personally developed. Our line has been chemically tested and approved for individuals and our furry friends.”
Upscale & VuVuV’s relationship with the Anteaters also features category exclusivity and in-venue signage at the Bren Events Center – both courtside and on the arena’s ribbon boards – which will be visible on all upcoming ESPN+ broadcasts of UC Irvine men’s and women’s basketball beginning with this Thursday’s men’s basketball game against Cal State Fullerton. About Upscale CBD UPSCALE™ is an innovative, Chicago, Illinois-based health, wellness, and personal care products company. The vision and mission at UPSCALE™ is simple: to illustrate and showcase the dynamic, restorative advantages of hemp-derived products. Upscale aims to inspire and educate consumers to experience the uniquely refreshing lines of hemp-derived CBD products for themselves and their furry animal companions through VuVuV CBD Petline – each developed THC FREE.UPSCALE™ lifestyle brand is a family-owned company led by its CEO Tamara Rodgers and her son, Co-Founder/President, Prescott Browne. Together, they have successfully and strategically focused on introducing their high-level, high-quality, hemp-derived CBD products to a diverse clientele enriching their breadth of health, personal care, and wellness. Upscale & VuVuV to Utilize its Unique Marketing Assets at Each UC Irvine Home Game while Leveraging Data and Digital Expertise through Learfield’s Fan365 Platform
Angel Reese responds to ‘Mebounds’ term, hints at plan to trademark it
There’s no denying that Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese has established herself as an elite rebounder early in her WNBA career. But some fans online have often trolled her, claiming that the numbers are inflated due to the number of second, or sometimes third, chances she gets off her own misses. It’s gotten to the […]
There’s no denying that Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese has established herself as an elite rebounder early in her WNBA career. But some fans online have often trolled her, claiming that the numbers are inflated due to the number of second, or sometimes third, chances she gets off her own misses.
It’s gotten to the point where the term “mebounds” has been coined by some to describe it. Reese hasn’t been immune from seeing it when she logs online either, and responded to the criticism in a Tik Tok post.
“Whoever came up with the ‘mebounds’ thing, y’all ate that up,” she said. “Because rebounds, mebounds, keybounds, crebounds, tebounds — anything that comes off that board, it’s mine. And a brand? That’s six figures right there. The trolling, I love when y’all do it because the ideas be good.”
Angel said: “Whoever came up with the ‘mebounds’ thing… y’all ate that up cuz rebounds, mebounds, crebounds, keybounds, tebounds… anything that comes off that board… ITS MINE”pic.twitter.com/iqnZIoZYEz
Reese’s comments about a brand suggest that she may attempt to try to trademark the term and make some merchandise off of it. She even responded to a post on X that claimed that’s what she intended to do, tagging her agent Jeanine Ogbonnaya.
Reese is in her second season with the Sky after being drafted with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft out of LSU, where she won a national championship in 2023. She broke the league record for rebounds in a single season with 446 as a rookie while also setting another record for consecutive double-doubles with 15.
Reese’s rebounding average is double slightly so far this season from 13.1 to 11.8. Her points per game has also dropped from 13.6 to 10.3 through the first nine games, though there is plenty of season left to get both averages up.
Surprisingly, she is shooting just 36.3% from the floor and has more total rebounds (106) than points scored (93) this season. The shooting numbers are certainly a fair criticism, but Reese argued that her rebounding prowess goes far beyond her own missed shots.
“Because statistically, all the rebounds that I get aren’t always just mine,” she said. “They’re defensive too or somebody else’s on my team. But yeah, when ya’ll came up with ‘mebounds,’ y’all ate that.”
So far this season, Angel Reese and the Sky are out to a 2-7 record. They’ll be back on the court Sunday at 12 p.m. ET when they take on the Connecticut Sun on the road.
Former Tennessee softball player Taylor Pannell intends to transfer to Texas Tech for her redshirt sophomore season. The outfielder announced her plans to leave Knoxville earlier this offseason.
The Vols won 47 games last year while making a run to the Women’s College World Series. Despite the success, she’s opted for greener pastures.
Pannell played a huge role in Tennessee’s dream season. She hit a team-leading .399 with 16 home runs and 65 RBIs. She paced the lineup in runs scored, total bases, doubles, hits, and at-bats.
The Volunteers hoped the production would return in 2026. That won’t be the case. She’s headed to Lubbock.
Texas Tech backed the Brinks truck up to land Taylor Pannell’s commitment. It’s something the program’s quite familiar with doing.
Last year, they paid pitcher NiJaree Canady $1 million to join the roster after she left Stanford. It paid off with an appearance in the national championship series.
The Red Raiders finished one win shy of a national title. They’ll now continue to spend in hopes of bringing a trophy home next year.
While Pannell is eager to join her new team, her family is burning its bridge with her former school.
— National Champion Tony Vitellos Smile (@bigorangetony) June 15, 2025
Brandon Pannell posted a series of bizarre tweets aimed at Vol Nation. Most disrespected fans of the program, with some crossing the line of insensitivity.
In one particular response, he provided reasoning to his daughter’s move. NIL seems to have played a large role.
It’s been reported that the Red Raiders plan to spend $55 million on student-athletes between NIL and revenue sharing. Some of that small fortune is going into Taylor Pannell’s bank account.
Brandon Pannell flaunted that wealth this weekend. While Texas Tech will get a superstar on the diamond, they might also have a headache in Pannell’s dad.
NCAA explains multi-year player contracts with incentives and buyouts
Though overdue and underutilized, it appears athletic departments will finally include stability and consequences into name, image and likeness contracts with their players. A lengthy Q&A crafted and distributed by the NCAA covers several aspects of the post-House settlement world, and one section relevant to this conversation addresses multi-year contracts with players, buyouts and incentives. For starters, the […]
Though overdue and underutilized, it appears athletic departments will finally include stability and consequences into name, image and likeness contracts with their players.
A lengthy Q&A crafted and distributed by the NCAA covers several aspects of the post-House settlement world, and one section relevant to this conversation addresses multi-year contracts with players, buyouts and incentives.
For starters, the NCAA said that contracts covering “additional payments” do count against the “benefits cap,” which is the $20.5 million limit schools are now permitted to split up among those participating in NCAA sports on campus. If a school pays a player a share of revenue and/or NIL, which is also permissible now, the amount specified for a year in the contract is counted toward the cap that year. The amount specified for any subsequent year counts toward that year.
In short, the school has to report the benefit in the year the benefit is provided. That’s important to note if and when takes its NIL operation in-house. If NIL agreements are with WVU, the payments count toward the cap. If NIL agreements are made outside of WVU, those wouldn’t count toward WVU’s cap.
The example the NCAA provides details a two-year agreement and includes a “signing incentive.” A player is promised $50,000 “upon enrollment” as well as $100,000 on Jan. 1 of the first year and then $100,00 on Jan. 1 of the second year. The school would have to count $150,000 for the first year, because the player received the signing incentive and the annual payment. The school would count the second $100,000 annual payment for the second year.
However, the NCAA also acknowledges the obvious, which is that players will inevitably breach the contract and transfer to another school. The NCAA presented a scenario with a $100,000 payment split into $50,000 paid at the beginning of the academic year and the remaining $50,000 paid at the end of the academic year and, most importantly, a $100,000 buyout if the player transfers.
Supposing the player transfers before the end of the academic year, the school has made just one of the $50,000 payments and counts that toward the cap. The second payment never happened, so it doesn’t count. The new school that the player transfers to then pays the original school a $100,000 buyout, and that’s one benefit of bringing NIL in-house.
If a WVU player transfers to a new school and breaches the NIL contract with WVU’s in-house setup, the player’s new school would pay WVU the buyout. However, if that transferring player breaches an NIL contract with a third party NIL and not with WVU, the new school wouldn’t owe WVU anything and would only pay the third party the buyout if that was in the NIL contract.
In the NCAA’s scenario, the new school has to count the $100,000 buyout, as well as any other payment promised and made to the player that year, toward the cap. The new school “may not increase its benefits cap allowance by $100,000 as a result of this buyout payment.”
The NCAA is also allowing contract incentives and explained a scenario for a two-year contract with a payable bonus if a player has a 3.0 GPA after the fall semester. The player is to be paid $50,000 on Jan. 1 of the first year and Jan. 2 of the second year, and both payments would count toward the cap for the respective year. If the player earns the incentive, the $5,000 counts, and if the player falls short of the GPA “the payment will be removed from the benefits cap allowance for that year.”
Overview: Gaucho chief must wear many hats in recruiting and training next season’s group of Gauchos Joe Pasternack is amid Finals Week, although there’s no real finality to his work as the UC Santa Barbara men’s basketball coach. One season merely turns to the next in the blink of a shooting eye. “It’s constant,” he […]
He just held his final spring workouts, sent his Gauchos to their final exams for the spring quarter, and then headed to Oklahoma City for Monday’s Game Five of the NBA Finals.
Mitchell was his point guard at UCSB for three seasons. McConnell played the same position for Arizona a decade ago when Pasternack served on the Wildcats’ staff.
The ever-changing landscape of college basketball has made the Gaucho coach feel like he’s “now the owner of an NBA team.”
“You’re the general manager and you’re the fund raiser,” Pasternack said. “I have to raise every penny, recruit the kids, coach them, and manage the expectations of people.
“It’s a 180-degree change in the job title from when I came here eight years ago.”
But if it sounds like a complaint, be assured that it’s not.
Pasternack’s success in finding donors to remodel the Thunderdome proved that he was built for this kind of competition.
“I love the chase, so I love it,” he said. “These are the rules now, and in business you have to adjust and go after it.
“Some have had to change their personality to deal with it, but I feel like the luckiest man in the world.
“I get to live in Santa Barbara and do this.”
Springing Forward
Watching the NBA Finals gives him a brief respite after a busy spring of recruiting and training.
“The guys are going home after finals, and then we’ll have eight weeks of summer workouts starting July 7,” Pasternack said. “They’re going to be open to the public.”
He’s excited to showcase what’s new in this latest reboot.
“I think we have the most returners of anybody in our league,” Pasternack said. “Retaining players was first and foremost our No. 1 priority when the season ended.”
They all hit the court running during the postseason workouts.
“It was one of the best springs we’ve had,” Pasternack said. “Colin Smith played healthy in only 18 of last year’s 31 games, but he was awesome this spring.
“He’s really changed his body and was fully healthy the entire time.
“And KK (Koat Keat Tong) made a huge amount of progress this spring.
Colin Smith, a 6-foot-8 forward, averaged 8.7 points on 46% shooting — 43.5% from the three-point line — despite suffering through several injuries last season. Credit: Jeff Liang / UCSB Athletics photo
“It was the first spring he’s ever practiced basketball with us, when you really think about it, because he’s always had to deal with a knee injury.”
Pasternack took nothing for granted, however, in restocking his roster.
Injuries knocked his team down a few pegs after its NCAA tournament seasons of 2021 and 2023. The Gauchos finished seventh in the Big West Conference in 2024 and fifth last season.
“Ajay wasn’t able to practice one day during his last season here, and it had a domino effect on us,” he said.
“Injuries have derailed us the last two years and we just want to make sure that we have enough depth of experience.”
He’s taking full advantage of the NCAA’s new scholarship limit, which has been expanded to 15 from 13.
“I’m really excited about these guards, and the big kid worked out with our guys and looked unbelievable,” Pasternack gushed. “It’s exciting to think of these guys playing with our returning players, like Jason Fontenet.
“Our two returning freshmen, Zion and ZZ, are looking really good, too.”
Mahaney went for the gold ring after entering last year’s transfer portal by signing with UConn, the two-time defending NCAA champion.
The 6-foot-3 guard had averaged nearly 14 points per game as both a freshman and sophomore at Saint Mary’s to earn All-West Coast Conference first team honors both seasons.
Aidan Mahaney is embraced by UConn coach Dan Hurley after making a flurry of shots in a game last season. Credit: University of Connecticut Athletics photo
“He can really score the ball and he has an incredible amount of confidence,” Pasternack said. “We didn’t recruit him out of high school because he was set on Saint Mary’s for a long time, but we saw him a ton.
“He obviously had a great two years there and was then one of the hottest commodities in the portal.
“He visited Kentucky and UConn, which was coming off its two national titles, and he chose UConn.”
But Mahaney envisions the NBA as his final destination. He figured his playing time with the Huskies of 12.3 minutes per game last season wasn’t helping him get there.
And Cole Anderson, whose 47.4% shooting from the three-point line last season broke James Powell’s Gaucho record of 46.7% (2007-2008), was invited to work out with the Lakers last week.
Finnish Product
Little, a member of Finland’s senior national team since age 17, is making UCSB his third college after having played one season at Baylor and another at Utah.
He led the Utes last season with 96 assists but decided to transfer after they fired head coach Craig Smith.
“Miro is big, he’s strong and he’s versatile,” Pasternack said. “He also has a lot of international basketball experience, just like Ajay had with Belgium.
“I recruited (Utah Jazz star) Lauri Markkanen to Arizona, and he’s playing with Miro this summer on Finland’s national team.
“Miro talked to Lauri, and I think that really helped in our recruitment of him. He wanted to make sure this next stop was his last stop.”
Miro Little, a transfer from the University of Utah, has played for Finland’s senior national team since he was 17. Credit: University of Utah Athletics photo
“Miro comes from a real big basketball family,” Pasternack said. “Our goal in this recruiting class was to find high-character guys that No. 1, care about getting a degree from UCSB, and No. 2, care about team.
“We wanted to find two-way players who can play offense and defense and are driven to compete for a championship … Guys who are really hungry because of the situation they’ve come from.
“That’s how we’ve been successful in the past, and Miro fits that.”
McGhee showed his long-distance marksmanship against the Gauchos on Jan. 9, making 3-of-5 three-pointers while scoring 11 points in Bakersfield’s 78-66 defeat at the Thunderdome.
He shot 47.1% from three (40-for-85) for the season.
“We needed some outside shooting, and he gives us that,” Pasternack said. “But he’s also 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and incredible upside.
“He’s a two-way player who can shoot, score, defend and rebound.
“We feel like he’s a versatile player who can play three different positions, and that gives us a lot of flexibility.”
He plans to play a three-guard, two-forward offense next year.
“All these guys can come off ball screens,” Pasternack said.
Center Attraction
Kitenge, a powerfully built, 6-foot-8 senior, figures to be an anchor to that offense.
He received All-Sun Belt Conference honors after averaging 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for Louisiana during the 2023-2024 season. He missed all of last year with a torn Achilles tendon.
“It was a similar injury to Colin Smith’s, except he did it in October — two months earlier in the year than Colin,” Pasternack said. “He had a physical and practiced with us this spring.
“He’s gone from 275 pounds to 242, which is pretty incredible, and his attention to detail has been excellent.”
Even before the injury, former Louisiana coach Bob Marlin said Kitenge “improved from start to finish as much as any player I’ve coached.”
His versatility fits the mold of the recruits that UCSB pursued this offseason.
Hosana Kitenge, a transfer from the University of Lousiana, sat out last season with a torn Achilles tendon after having earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors during the 2023-2024 season. Credit: University of Louisiana Athletics photo
“He’s got an incredible motor defensively, can shoot threes, score in the post, drive the ball and he can really pass it, too,” Pasternack said. “But what I like most about him is how hard he plays.
“On top of everything, he talks on the court. He’s such a great young man.”
Kitenge wasn’t the only newcomer who worked out with the Gauchos this spring. Shaw graduated early from Mojave High so he could enroll at UCSB for the spring quarter.
“He’s been here and able to practice with the team,” Pasternack said. “It’s been great having guys like Jason Fontenet and Colin Smith, the leaders of our team, teaching him the ropes and giving him such a huge head start.”
Developing talent, he noted, can be more important than having it transfer to you.
“Basketball is a game of habit,” Pasternack said. “Everyone plays a different offense and a different defense, and it’s not easy for a transfer to learn a new habit.
“We didn’t want to have to teach 14 whole new players.”
He plans to mix and match when it all starts again in three weeks.
Tottenham signs Mathys Tel on a permanent long-term deal until 2031
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Tottenham has signed forward Mathys Tel to a permanent contract, the club confirmed on Sunday. The 20-year-old joined the London club on loan in February from Bayern Munich. Tottenham said Tel will sign a contract until 2031 when his current loan deal expires on June 30. He has played 20 […]
BYU’s AJ Dybantsa Leads College Basketball In NIL Valuation
by Daniel Johnson June 15, 2025 As BYU’s first-ever five-star recruit, the expectations for Dybantsa’s freshman season are sky high. AJ Dybantsa, the number one high school player in the country and arguably the biggest college basketball signing in Brigham Young University’s history, also leads all of college basketball in NIL valuation, logging an estimated […]
As BYU’s first-ever five-star recruit, the expectations for Dybantsa’s freshman season are sky high.
AJ Dybantsa, the number one high school player in the country and arguably the biggest college basketball signing in Brigham Young University’s history, also leads all of college basketball in NIL valuation, logging an estimated $4.1 million value according to Athlon Sports.
According to their reporting, his portfolio, although somewhat selective, like fellow West Coast native Juju Watkins, also contains a fair amount of groundbreaking NIL deals. The 6’9 Dybantsa is reportedly the first male basketball athlete to be sponsored by Red Bull and like Watkins, he is also signed to Nike, his deal is valued at over $4 million.
As BYU’s first ever five star recruit, the expectations for Dybantsa’s freshman season are sky high, and although he has denied rumors that he has a $7 million contract with the school, BYU has been projected to contend with the defending conference champions, the University of Houston, for the Big 12 title due in large part to his presence on the team.
Regardless of how BYU’s season goes, Dybantsa has already indicated that he is going to be a one and done player and will declare for the NBA draft at the end of his freshman year.
According to The Athletic, his rejection of the rumors of a $7 million NIL contract from BYU squares with his distaste over receiving a $1,000 grant which being awarded the Gatorade National Player of the Year entitled him to.
As he told the outlet, “Don’t take anything for granted.” Dybantsa’s father, Ace, is Congolese, and gave him a lesson on the haves and have nots on a visit to Brazzaville, the capital of the Congo. “People are less fortunate and don’t have what we have. If I continue this route, I’m going to get a lot more money than that. So, I might as well just donate (that check) back to the community.”
Dybantsa, if he pans out as the draft prospect that scouts believe he can be, will most assuredly be firmly in the haves camp, per an analysis that an anonymous NBA front office executive provided to The Athletic.
“He’s what the NBA is looking for. Wings with legitimate size that understand the game can create offense and then, in theory, can guard multiple guys,” the executive said.
Dybantsa seemed unconcerned with the exact value of his deals in January when he told the outlet that his deals more or less were executed by his father, and he just wants to hoop.
“People just gonna talk, but I (didn’t) even know how much I’m getting. They just tell my dad all of that. I’m trying to make it to the NBA, so wherever they can get me the fastest there with the best development, there’s a whole lot of pillars that come with it. Money’s going to come if I do the work, so I’m not worried about the money in a year,” Dybantsa said.
An example of his aversion to chasing a bag just to chase a bag is his NIL deal with the prep academy Utah Prep, which he chose to sign a $600,000 deal with to finish his high school career with, despite having a more lucrative offer from Florida’s more prestigious Montverde Academy.
“Montverde, we can use them as an example, I’m trying to show people you don’t have to go to a school like that to accomplish certain things,” Dybantsa said. “They’re a great school, and they’ve got the most league guys from high school. So, there’s no knock going there. But you don’t have to go to a school like that.”
He continued, “You don’t want to just sign with somebody. You want to be partners with them. There’s a lot more to an offer than just money. People only see the money part of it, but it’s not just about money. I’m not gonna change. They might. There are some people I know that become famous and change their whole personality. They want to have this lavish lifestyle, but I just stick to who I am, and I think people mess with that.”
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