After going through the NBA Draft Combine/NBA Draft process, All-SEC guard Otega Oweh is returning to Kentucky for his senior season of college basketball. Oweh, who averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season, is set to be one of the premier faces of the sport this fall.

That means he can once again earn money through NIL. During a media opportunity on Tuesday, the Newark, NJ native was asked how NIL and money are changing college basketball.

“They’re paying us,” Oweh responded with a laugh. “That’s it. That’s a great thing for sure, but I don’t really be keeping up with the settlement stuff like that. As long as we’re getting paid, that’s good for me. Anything extra, that’s cool.”

The settlement Oweh is referring to is the House settlement. Judge Claudia Wilken approved that last Friday in the U.S. Northern District of California, marking a landmark decision in the history of college sports.

Since the NCAA was founded in 1906, institutions had never directly paid athletes. That will now change with the settlement ushering in the revenue-sharing era of college sports. Beginning July 1, schools will be able to share $20.5 million with athletes, with football expected to receive 75%, followed by men’s basketball (15%), women’s basketball (5%) and the remainder of sports (5%). The amount shared in revenue will increase annually.

That July 1 date is symbolic, as the NIL era began four years prior on July 1, 2021. That was the date that states enacting laws would allow college athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness rights. Since then, NIL collectives have formed, the transfer portal window was created and the House settlement was crafted.

“Nah, because when I came into college, that’s when NIL started,” Oweh said when asked if NIL had changed the locker room dynamic. “That’s what I’m used to, really. I’m a senior now, so the guys after me it’s going to be the same with them. It hasn’t really changed anything for me.”

Oweh, who currently has an On3 NIL valuation of $385k (thought that number is likely to rise), will be one of the senior leaders on Mark Pope‘s second roster at Kentucky.

Kentucky brought in the No. 2-ranked Transfer Portal class this offseason. The Wildcats signed guard Denzel Aberdeen (Florida), forward Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), guard Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh), forward Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State), center Reece Potter (Miami OH) and forward Kam Williams (Tulane).

On3’s Pete Nakos contributed to this report.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State baseball junior shortstop Alex Lodise has been named the 2025 recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy as the national player of the year.
 
Lodise is the third player in program history to win the Dick Howser Trophy, along with outfielder J.D. Drew in 1997 and catcher Buster Posey in 2008. The prestigious award, presented annually since 1987 to college baseball’s best player by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), is named after FSU All-American shortstop (1955-58) and head coach Dick Howser (1979).
 
A shortstop from St. Augustine, Florida, Lodise already is a two-time First Team All-American, by the NCBWA and Perfect Game. He also is a finalist for two other national player of the year accolades, the Golden Spikes Award, which recognizes the best amateur player in the country, and the Brooks Wallace Award, which is presented to the nation’s top shortstop.
 
One of the nation’s most prolific hitters and best defenders, Lodise had a breakout 2025 campaign. He ranked No. 9 in the country in hits (95), No 11 in total bases (170) No. 12 in hits per game (1.64) and No. 23 in batting average (.394). Lodise was third in the ACC in RBI (68), fourth in slugging percentage (.705) and fifth in triples (3). He hit 17 home runs, had 18 doubles, scored 62 runs with 27 walks and was a perfect 6-of-6 in stolen base attempts. With a .977 fielding percentage, Lodise was part of 34 double plays and committed just five errors in 216 total fielding chances.
 
While starting all 58 of FSU’s games at shortstop, Lodise had at least one hit in 48 of those 58 games played, with 31 multi-hit games. He notched three or more hits in 13 games, which is more than the number of times he was held hitless (10) and almost as many games as he had just one hit (17). Additionally, Lodise is believed to be the first player in major college or professional baseball history to complete the cycle with a walk-off grand slam. The historic performance to beat rival Florida in his hometown of Jacksonville on March 25 was one of seven game-winning hits for Lodise in 2025.
 
The ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Lodise also was named the NCBWA District 3 Player of the Year. An NCBWA and Perfect Game First Team All-American and named to the Southeast All-Region First Team by the ABCA, Lodise was recognized as the midseason National Player of the Year and the country’s No. 1-ranked shortstop late in the season. He was selected as a team captain in 2025 for the Seminoles.
 
His two All-America honors this week come after he was named to one Freshman All-America team in 2023 at North Florida.
 
Lodise helped the Seminoles to a second consecutive NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2025 with a 42-16 record. As they both earned All-ACC honors, FSU went 17-10 in the conference and finished in second place with a .630 winning percentage. The ACC runner-up finish and No. 2 seed at the conference tournament were the team’s best since 2014.
 
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
 

The Super Football Conference—the largest high school football conference in the country—in collaboration with Accelerate Sports Ventures, one of the leading NIL strategy, revenue generation and, innovation advisory firms for colleges and high schools, announced the launch of the SFC Network, the official streaming home for premier high school football starting in New Jersey.

Recognized as one of the top high school football conferences in the nation, The SFC Network will stream coverage of New Jersey’s top-tier programs including, Bergen Catholic, Delbarton, Paramus Catholic, St. Joseph Regional, Don Bosco, Seton Hall Prep, St. Peter’s Prep, Pope John, DePaul, and others.

“We know how important New Jersey high school football is in our communities and can’t wait for our student-athletes, coaches, parents, alumni, and fans to experience the SFC Network,” says SFC President Tom Mullahey.

In partnership with the new venture with the Super Football Conference, Accelerate Sports Ventures will strategically advise the league by creating the operational engine behind the streaming platform. This includes securing corporate partnerships and investing capital as well as executing strategic branding and marketing efforts for the platform. In addition, Accelerate will also work with technology and production partners to deliver the highest quality production and customer experience.

“Now is absolutely the perfect time to launch the SFC Network,” says Doug Fillis, CEO of Accelerate Sports Ventures. “With the evolution of NIL and college football programs on the verge of revenue sharing, we must deliver a high-quality production so student-athletes in the SFC can take advantage of these new opportunities. The SFC Network and the high-quality content will not only help athletes find opportunities with NIL and revenue-sharing at the next level but also help players begin building their personal brands.”

The SFC and Accelerate have partnered with Varsity Media, a leading high school sports production company based in Long Island to produce each game. Hudl, the industry leader in sports technology, will act as the technology backbone of the platform for subscribers to watch on SuperFootballConferenceNetwork.com.  

“The game production that Varsity Media will deliver for SFC athletes will be outstanding. They bring a first-class reputation from the work they’ve done in Long Island and beyond,” the conference says. “Each game will feature professional announcers, multiple camera operators, a scoreboard, graphics, and a sideline reporter.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced the 2025 men’s soccer schedule.
 
Coming off winning the Sun Belt Regular Season and Tournament titles, the Mountaineers will play 17 regular season matches, including 10 at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown. WVU will also play three exhibition matches before the season.
 

The year gets started with a preseason match on the road at Georgetown, Aug. 8. The Mountaineers will then host Montgomery College, Aug.12, and Robert Morris, Aug. 16.
 
The Mountaineers officially open the season with two home contests, beginning with Manhattan on Thursday, Aug. 21 before playing host to LaSalle on Sunday, Aug. 24.
 
WVU will then hit the road for a matchup with perennial power Akron on Friday, Aug. 29 before returning home for a contest against 2024 NCAA Tournament team Gardner-Webb on Wednesday, Sept. 3. A road match at defending Atlantic 10 champion George Mason follows on Sunday, Sept. 7.
 
It is then three straight matches at DDSS for the Mountaineers as California Baptist comes to Morgantown on Friday, Sept. 12, James Madison on Friday, Sept. 19 for the Sun Belt opener, and High Point, the defending Big South champions, on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
 
West Virginia heads to Orlando to take on UCF on Sunday, Sept. 28, before returning home on Saturday, October 4, for a game against Georgia Southern. Another road conference game at Coast Carolina follows on Friday, Oct. 10.
 
The final non-conference match of the season occurs on Tue. Oct. 14 as the Mountaineers host American. WVU will then go back on the road for a Sun Belt contest at Georgia State on Saturday, Oct. 18.
 
Two more Sun Belt matchups follow on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at home against Old Dominion before heading to Lexington to take on Kentucky, Sunday, Oct. 26.
 
The Mountain State Derby is on Friday, Oct. 31 as Marshall comes to Morgantown. The regular season concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 4 on the road at South Carolina.
 
All dates, times and locations are subject to change. Information about tickets for the 2025 home slate, will be announced at a later date.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 

As college baseball’s best head to Omaha this weekend to play for the national title, data suggests that brands seeking players with the best marketing value may be watching the wrong College World Series.

Athlete media network Opendorse compiled data from TikTok, Instagram, and X from the Top 13 NCAA Division I baseball and softball teams based on rating percentage index (RPI) rankings from May 1, just before each sport’s College World Series. It found that softball not only has a marketing edge over baseball among younger demographics, but it’s drawing more attention on social media and bringing brands more value for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) sponsorship dollar.

“I truly believe, and the data backs us up, these female student athletes are the most effective media buy in sport right now,” said Opendorse CEO Steve Denton. “If I’m a marketer, I’m just not going to throw money at bad marketing. Their engagement metrics are higher, and viewership is growing.”

The total social media following for the top baseball teams still tilts in baseball’s direction, with its Top 13 teams drawing 2.3 million to softball’s 2.2 million. However, Louisiana State University softball tops all programs at 445,000 followers, ahead of LSU Baseball (342,000) and the heavy hitters at Arkansas (351,000). Other softball programs outpacing their baseball counterparts on social media included Tennessee (291,000) and Florida State (261,000).

The composition of those followers, meanwhile, varied wildly by sport. Opendorse found that 82% of softball’s social media followers were under 34, compared to 43% of baseball followers. Women make up 52% of softball’s followers, compared to just 17% for baseball.

With social media data already showing softball players more engaged and effective than baseball players—and continuing into the professional ranks with such efficacy that Major League Baseball has invested in Athletes Unlimited’s new women’s softball league—Opendorse sees an opportunity for brands.

NIL isn’t nothing

This data comes at a time when the divide between college baseball and softball broadcast audiences is narrowing, making softball an increasingly viable option for brands amid years of growth. With both softball and baseball College World Series shown on Disney channels including ESPN and ABC, softball saw its most-watched College World Series ever in 2025, averaging 1.3 million viewers per game—a 24% increase from a year earlier—including an average 2.4 million who tuned in to all three games of the final round.