NIL
UNC is no longer biggest threat to success of Duke basketball in ACC hierarchy
For as long as anyone can remember the two dominant teams in the ACC were Duke and North Carolina. It didn’t necessarily mean that the programs would finish at the top of the conference, but each team was the standard that everyone tried to match. However, while the Blue Devils have thrived in the new […]

For as long as anyone can remember the two dominant teams in the ACC were Duke and North Carolina. It didn’t necessarily mean that the programs would finish at the top of the conference, but each team was the standard that everyone tried to match.
However, while the Blue Devils have thrived in the new landscape of college basketball while navigating NIL and the transfer portal in addition to still landing impact high school recruits, the Tar Heels have struggled to adjust.
North Carolina only hired a general manager for its program this offseason and despite landing a 5-star recruit in Caleb Wilson, Hubert Davis’ team had a relatively quiet offseason as others in the ACC made major moves.
No program sent more shockwaves through the league than NC State and the Wolfpack have proven that it will not be long before it is consistently battling for ACC championships after hiring head coach Will Wade.
The same can be said for Louisville, who returned to the NCAA Tournament in the first season under head coach Pat Kelsey after a miserable short tenure with Kenny Payne at the helm.
It begs the question that if Duke stays as a contender in the ACC, which is has shown no signs of dropping off anytime soon, can North Carolina still compete at the top of a conference that has not been generating much success over the last two seasons.
Many believed that the Tar Heels should not have made the NCAA Tournament this season, squeezing in as a Last Four In, which would have made two missed postseasons in the last three years.
Now, despite a contract extension there is massive pressure on the shoulders of Hubert Davis to succeed this season and get North Carolina back in the conversation with Duke or risk being passed by Louisville, NC State, and others.
NIL
Atlantic 10 Concludes Annual Spring Meetings; Presidents Council, Athletic Directors and Basketball Coaches Attended
Story Links WASHINGTON — The Atlantic 10 Conference concluded its annual spring meetings Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The A-10 Presidents Council and the Athletic Directors met at the league headquarters in Washington, D.C., and prior to Tuesday the Athletic Directors met with the men’s and women’s basketball coaches, corporate sponsors and select […]

WASHINGTON — The Atlantic 10 Conference concluded its annual spring meetings Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The A-10 Presidents Council and the Athletic Directors met at the league headquarters in Washington, D.C., and prior to Tuesday the Athletic Directors met with the men’s and women’s basketball coaches, corporate sponsors and select NCAA staff in Naples, Fla.
The most significant topics of discussion in both meetings was the future landscape of intercollegiate athletics in the NIL and post-House settlement era, the potential expansion of the NCAA basketball tournament field and the financial challenges facing higher education. Unanimously, all in attendance reaffirmed the league’s commitment to the importance of supporting student athletes athletically, academically and personally through NIL opportunities, mentorships and career development.
The Presidents approved the proposed 2025-26 conference operating budget at Tuesday’s meeting, highlighted by the establishment of an additional revenue distribution incentive fund tied to a program’s success in men’s basketball. The Presidents also reaffirmed another conference-wide supplemental distribution of $2.8 million for the 2025-26 academic year.
“The Presidents Council and Athletic Directors are committed to maintaining the Atlantic 10’s status as one of the nation’s premier basketball-centric leagues, which was evident in the discussions held in both meetings,” stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. “The enhanced financial commitment is crucial to continuing the five decades of success the league has enjoyed. As we prepare to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Conference we will honor the history of the A-10 and enthusiastically embrace the future.”
“Although this is a challenging time in higher education and intercollegiate athletics, our A-10 membership engaged in great discussions, reaffirmed our commitment to national success in basketball, and will focus on supporting and developing our student-athletes,” said Dr. Eric Spina, University of Dayton President and Chair of the A-10 Presidents Council.
The group acknowledged the presentation provided to the Athletic Directors from PPG Paints Arena, host of the 2026 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship and extended the contract with Henrico Sports and Entertainment to host the Women’s Championship through 2029. Approval was granted to host the men’s and women’s basketball media day together for the second year in a row in Pittsburgh, Pa., where the A-10 was founded in 1975-76. In conjunction with the joint media day the Presidents approved a 50th Anniversary Luncheon to “Tip-Off” the year-long celebration. A full slate of 50th Anniversary celebrations and plans were shared with all.
“We had great spring meetings where all of the Atlantic 10 coaches and Athletic Directors came together with a focus on elevating the Atlantic 10 as a top basketball-centric conference that includes many sport programs enjoying high levels of success on the national level,” said Chris May, Director of Athletics at Saint Louis University and Chair of the Athletic Directors. “I want to thank the Presidents for their unwavering support and partnership as we lead the conference through this evolutionary moment in college athletics.”
Review of 2024-25: The A-10 staff reviewed the success the Atlantic 10 in 2024-25, with the addition of women’s golf as the league’s 23rd championship sport, national semifinal appearances in field hockey by Saint Joseph’s and Massachusetts, with the Hawks reaching the NCAA national championship game. Men’s soccer tied a league record and were fourth among all conferences with four bids to the NCAA Tournament. Men’s and women’s basketball had tightly contested championships with record high attendance, including the highest neutral site men’s championship day crowd in league history with 12,516 fans in attendance. Women’s basketball recorded the highest ticket revenue generated in a single championship. Men’s basketball placed eight teams in the postseason while women’s basketball had six postseason teams, including a first-ever appearance by George Mason, Richmond women reaching the NCAA Round of 32 and Duquesne advancing to the Super 16 of the WNIT. Baseball also recorded the first ever sold-out championship game day crowd at 1,121 in attendance.
NCAA Topics: Jenn Fraser, NCAA Vice President of Division I and Dave Schnase, NCAA Vice President of Academic and Membership Affairs attended and provide updates on the pending House Settlement Implementation Committee work, as well as the proposed NCAA ”new” governance structure. NCAA General Counsel Director Greg Pottorff also joined remotely to provide briefings on legal issues facing the Association.
Olympic Sports: Further action taken at the May meetings related to Olympic Sports included approval of the following items:
- Extending the existing agreement with Virginia Beach Sports Center to serve as home of the 2027 and 2028 A-10 Indoor Track & Field Championship site.
- Approval of the full slate of championship sites for 2026.
- A new format for the men’s and women’s tennis championship at the USTA National Campus.
- Addition of required video replay for men’s and women’s soccer championships.
A-10 Reports: Reports on communications, television and streaming, advanced media and an update from the Senior Woman Administrators and the Commission on Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, were delivered and approved.
The Presidents Council recognized Dr. Fred Pestello, President of Saint Louis University who is retiring after 11 years at SLU.
NIL
How Texas Tech’s Softball Team Is Shaping Community Pride
Texas Tech may be establishing itself as the home of female champions—and the softball team might be putting an exclamation point on that idea this week. For years, Texas Tech has chased the elusive dream of a football championship. It came close a few times, but things took a downturn after the departure of the […]

Texas Tech may be establishing itself as the home of female champions—and the softball team might be putting an exclamation point on that idea this week.
For years, Texas Tech has chased the elusive dream of a football championship. It came close a few times, but things took a downturn after the departure of the late, great Mike Leach. Since then, the coaching position has been a revolving door. With the constantly shifting landscape of NIL deals, it’s hard to predict what the next season will bring—but it’s safe to say the Red Raiders won’t bulldoze their way through the Big 12 just yet.
Basketball? Sure, Tech has remained competitive. The Red Raiders are always a threat, backed by one of the loudest, most loyal fanbases in the country. But let’s not forget who really put the spotlight on Lubbock sports. The Lady Raiders brought home a national championship in 1993. And while it’s been decades, that pride still echoes across the South Plains.
Read More: Why Slaton Bakery Is A Must-Visit From Lubbock |
Now, a new group of women is capturing the city’s attention. Six months ago, if you’d told me that people would be fired up about women’s softball, I would’ve laughed. But no one’s laughing now. This team is dominant. Clips of a player stealing home are going viral. There’s electricity around this program—and it’s real.
I don’t know exactly what it’ll take to keep the momentum going, but whatever it is, it’s worth it. It may not generate the revenue of college football, but it’s bringing something just as valuable: attention, pride, and a national identity that sets Texas Tech apart.
Hopefully, the coaches, donors, and decision-makers recognize that building a powerhouse on the diamond is something special. It’s not just about the wins—it’s about what this team means for Lubbock and the Texas Tech community.
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NIL
New Texas NIL bill signed into law by Gov. Abbott, opening revenue sharing with athletes
(KBTX) – House Bill 126- which amends the previous name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation legislation in Texas- was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday. The law goes into effect immediately, as the bill received two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of the Texas legislature. This bill, authored by Rep. Carl Tepper […]

(KBTX) – House Bill 126- which amends the previous name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation legislation in Texas- was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday.
The law goes into effect immediately, as the bill received two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of the Texas legislature.
This bill, authored by Rep. Carl Tepper (R-District 84) widens existing NIL legislation so that athletes can be paid NIL compensation directly from their universities, while they are performing team-sanctioned events or to be used as influence for enrollment at a school. It also contains a clause allowing new NCAA rules or court orders to supersede the state law, circumventing the need to update NIL law every two years.
“It’s more like satisfying that you might have had a small hand in saving college football in Texas,” Tepper told KBTX last week. “Of course, it’s something we had to do and it’s something that we worked with a lot of the institutions to get done, including their legal counsel.”
With a settlement waiting for approval in the House v. NCAA antitrust case in the coming weeks, the state was in need of the new language in the bill to comply. As it currently reads, the House settlement provides $2.6 billion in back payments for athletes who missed out on NIL from 2016 to the legalization of the payments in 2021. More important to this bill, the settlement allows universities to share revenue for the use of the athletes’ NIL in television broadcasts of games, among other things, which violates the previous law in the state.
Universities opting into the settlement are expected to enter into contracts with individual athletes with compensation varying by sport and position. Under the new law and the settlement, these contracts can be used as recruiting enticements for perspective athletes.
Legal counsel from the Texas A&M University System testified in front of both House and Senate committees for the bill.
“Well, the current law says we can’t do revenue sharing,” Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko said of the bill last week at Southeastern Conference Spring Meetings. “So, I would imagine that would be a significant disadvantage for our football programs if everyone else in the country can do revenue sharing and we couldn’t, and so, I think we’re going to need some help there.”
The Texas legislature passed NIL bills in the last two sessions, both of which sailed through the process without much friction.
However, a floor amendment in the Senate was necessary to appease the concerns of senators who worried that financially predatory actors might take advantage of talented children as young as middle school. Now, the law states that universities and third-party entities cannot enter into an NIL contract with an athlete until they are 17. The University Interscholastic League (UIL), the governing body for high school athletics in the state, also has a rule that high school athletes cannot earn NIL compensation.
General council from the A&M System, as well as the Texas Tech University System, confirmed that payments on NIL contracts with universities will not begin until the athlete is enrolled.
“This was one of the toughest bills I’ve carried yet onto the House floor,” shared Tepper. “I wasn’t expecting the challenges I had in committee, and then on the floor. A lot of concerns about the future of NCAA football- that’s not what this bill is about but it seems that a lot of the members wanted to vent their frustration with their concerns about college football, and where this is going.”
The new bill also provides some flexibility. If the NCAA or a new court order changes rules or laws around NIL compensation, the Texas law automatically conforms to those changes without the need for passing new legislation.
Now, athletic directors and coaches across the country wait to see if Judge Claudia Wilken approves the House settlement, making revenue sharing a national standard. However, with this law on the books in Texas, A&M athletic director Trev Alberts said the Aggies might start revenue sharing even if the settlement is not approved.
“I think the general sentiment is, we may just go forward and share revenue anyway,” he said at SEC Spring Meetings. “This is what we want to do. I think we’ve built something that makes a lot of sense, that brings some- stability is the wrong word all the time- but brings some common sense to what we’re doing.”
Copyright 2025 KBTX. All rights reserved.
NIL
Colton Book Named Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Baseball Performer of the Year
Story Links PHILADELPHIA – Saint Joseph’s pitcher Colton Book has been selected as the 2025 Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Baseball Performer of the Year and is one of 12 student-athletes honored for their performance on the field and in the classroom with a spot on the 2025 Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Baseball Team. […]

PHILADELPHIA – Saint Joseph’s pitcher Colton Book has been selected as the 2025 Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Baseball Performer of the Year and is one of 12 student-athletes honored for their performance on the field and in the classroom with a spot on the 2025 Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Baseball Team.
The All-Area Team is selected through voting conducted by the sports information offices of 30 institutions in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area.
A native of Manheim, Pennsylvania, Book was voted the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year and earned First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors after turning in one of the finest seasons by a hurler in Hawk history. A four-time Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week and named the College Baseball Foundation’s National Pitcher of the Week on February 25, Book spent the season ranked among the top three in Division I in strikeouts before finishing the regular season fifth in the nation.
The lefthander is the first pitcher in Saint Joseph’s history to strike out 100 batters in a season, setting a new program record with 122 punchouts for the year, and fanned 13 or more on four different occasions. Ranking in the top 12 in the country in both WHIP and strikeouts-per-nine-innings at the end of the regular season, he also showed his durability by throwing at least six innings in 10 of his starts, with five starts of seven frames or more.
Book was joined on the team by two-time honorees Anthony Bruno of Arcadia and Casey Murphy of Holy Family; also earning All-Area accolades were Kevin Bukowski of Widener, Penn’s Marty Coyne and Jarrett Pokrovsky, Shane Fillman of Penn State Abington, Justin Geiger and Colby Seelig of Chestnut Hill, Immaculata’s Alex LePage, Avery Spencer of West Chester, and Nick Struble of Rowan.
NIL
Kentucky Quarterback Commit Transfers to Football Powerhouse
A future Kentucky quarterback is going to get vital experience beneath some of the brightest lights in all of high school football. DJ Hunter is a three-star prospect in the class of 2027 who committed to play for Kentucky in April. He spent his sophomore season playing quarterback for Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. […]

A future Kentucky quarterback is going to get vital experience beneath some of the brightest lights in all of high school football.
DJ Hunter is a three-star prospect in the class of 2027 who committed to play for Kentucky in April. He spent his sophomore season playing quarterback for Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. Hunter got on the Cats’ radar by completing 76-142 passes for 1,431 yards and nine touchdowns in ten games as a starter. The exceptional athlete also rushed for three more scores.
Following the season, his head coach was dismissed after a state investigation into the Bearden High School Booster Club revealed that it had improperly paid two coaches under the table. After the coaching change, Hunter told the Knoxville News he was ready for a change of scenery, seeking out his third high school in three years. He started his career in Horn Lake, MS.
Hunter considered transferring to a school in Central Kentucky. After all, he is committed to Kentucky and has family in the area. Instead, he will transfer to Buford High School in Georgia. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because the school went viral earlier this year. Buford will be playing in a $62 million coliseum this fall.
Buford is a powerhouse program with 14 state titles, including three straight from 2019-21. They went 12-2 last fall and will open their new stadium in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Buford is hosting another regularly nationally ranked program, Milton, on August 14.
You probably won’t be able to see Hunter in action during that game. In January, he suffered a knee injury that may sideline him for the entire season. Buford also already has a pretty good starting quarterback, Dayton Raiola. He’s the younger brother of the Nebraska QB and he’s planning on following those footsteps to Lincoln after the 2025 season.
Want more Kentucky football recruiting intel? Join KSR Plus for the most comprehensive coverage of the Cats on the internet. With a KSR membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.
NIL
Cliff Godwin exposes tampering across college baseball
The transfer portal has only been open for a few days in college baseball but already the accusations are flying. On Thursday, East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin accused coaches at Power Four schools of tampering with his players. East Carolina finished its season over the weekend, coming up a little short in the Conway Regional […]


The transfer portal has only been open for a few days in college baseball but already the accusations are flying. On Thursday, East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin accused coaches at Power Four schools of tampering with his players.
East Carolina finished its season over the weekend, coming up a little short in the Conway Regional final against Coastal Carolina. And now Godwin is having to battle illegal contact.
“Our system is so BROKEN!” Godwin wrote on Twitter. “We have coaches at P4 schools texting our players directly who are not in portal! And we have proof!”
Cliff Godwin didn’t provide proof immediately, though his original tweet was still very fresh at the time of this writing. So it’ll be interesting to see if he opts to lay everything bare on social media at some point.
Even if he doesn’t, Godwin has been vocal in the past about the potential pitfalls of NIL and the transfer portal. In conjunction, the two can be especially disruptive for a coach at the non-power-conference level.
“I don’t like the portal and NIL together because it’s become a corrupt business,” Godwin said in January 2024. “So people are cheating. And I’m not perfect. I’m not saying that. But that’s not why that was created.”
As of Wednesday morning, there were more than 2,700 Division I baseball players in the transfer portal, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. So the problems aren’t going away any time soon.
Cliff Godwin outlines issues with NIL
The East Carolina coach has been blunt about how he feels about NIL, too. In short, he thinks its a system ripe for abuse. He even called it ‘pay for play.’
“They kept saying it’s not pay for play,” he said. “Well guess what it is? Pay for play.”
Even though NIL has impacted the way rosters are built at times, that hasn’t changed anything for Godwin’s approach at ECU. But balancing that can be challenging, and when NIL comes into the picture, Godwin admitted that jealousy can play a role, too. That only becomes more challenging when considering college baseball teams only have so many scholarships (currently) to distribute across a much larger roster.
“I’m all for rewarding our guys who have been in our program and have done the things the right way, from Trey Yesavage to Justin Wilcoxen to Joey Berini,” Cliff Godwin added. “I think it’s also worth mentioning that Joey Berini has never received a cent of baseball scholarship money since he’s been at East Carolina because we only have 11.7 (scholarships). [Wilcoxen] has only received scholarship this year in his fifth year. Guys that have grinded, that have developed with our coaching staff, that means something to me, because that’s what this place was built on. Now I still want them to be able to make some money if that is available. And so those guys were able to get some money, but it also creates jealousy.
“I asked Trey Yesavage this summer, ‘Does NIL create jealously?’ ‘100 percent Coach.’ So that’s another thing we have to navigate. But I’m all for helping the returners. I can’t foresee Coach Godwin offering any recruit any amount of money because that is going to take away from the culture that we have in the locker room. A lot of coaches talk about it. And I’m not sitting up here saying that we have the best culture in the country, but it means something to me to have culture. And you can’t sustain success the way we do if you don’t have great culture within that locker room.”
On3’s Jonathan Wagner also contributed to this report.
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