University of New Haven to join NEC, moving to NCAA Division I sports
The University of New Haven announced Tuesday it is joining the Northeast Conference (NEC) and will move up to play NCAA Division I sports, according to a release on its website. The school will officially join the league on July 1 and will begin its transition to Division I during the 2025-2026 academic year. The […]
The University of New Haven announced Tuesday it is joining the Northeast Conference (NEC) and will move up to play NCAA Division I sports, according to a release on its website.
The school will officially join the league on July 1 and will begin its transition to Division I during the 2025-2026 academic year.
The University of New Haven Chargers field teams in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track & field (indoor and outdoor) and women’s volleyball.
According to the university, UNH will be added to the NEC athletic scheduled beginning in with the 2025-2026 academic year in all sports except for football. The Chargers’ addition to the NEC football schedule is still to be determined.
“We are thrilled about this opportunity for the University of New Haven,” said UNH President Jens Frederiksen in a statement. “Athletics has been and continues to be a vital driver of enrollment and brand recognition for the University. This move to the Northeast Conference and Division I positions the University for an exciting future – one consistent with the overall strategic focus on academic, professional and global return on investment.”
The University of New Haven will become the tenth fulltime member of the NEC. The others are:
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Long Island University
Saint Francis University
Wagner College
Central Connecticut State University
Stonehill College
Le Moyne College
Chicago State University
Mercyhurst University
UNH must go through an NCAA reclassification period as it moves to Division I. They will immediately be able to participate in NEC Championships in NCAA non-automatic qualifier sports (cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field). The athletic programs will gain full NCAA Championship access as early as the 2026-2027 academic year, but no later than the 2027-2028 academic year. They must wait for other conference member schools undergoing the reclassification period before completeing the process.
The University of New Haven will become eligible for NCAA Championship competition beginning in the 2028-2029 academic year.
Wisconsin sues Miami, alleging tampering in football player’s NIL deal | News
MADISON (WKOW) — UW-Madison is taking legal action after a football player with star potential left the Badgers to play at the University of Miami over the winter. The case could have major implications for how the NCAA handles NIL deals and player transfers. UW-Madison and VC Connect LLC have filed a lawsuit against the University […]
MADISON (WKOW) — UW-Madison is taking legal action after a football player with star potential left the Badgers to play at the University of Miami over the winter. The case could have major implications for how the NCAA handles NIL deals and player transfers.
UW-Madison and VC Connect LLC have filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami, alleging the Hurricanes wrongfully interfered with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) contracts. The complaint, filed on Friday, claims Miami induced Xavier Lucas to break his agreements and transfer.
Lucas had signed lucrative NIL contracts with UW-Madison and VC Connect for the 2025 season. However, Miami allegedly tampered with these agreements, causing him to leave Madison and enroll at Miami, violating NCAA anti-tampering rules.
The up and coming cornerback entered the transfer portal in December 2024. He was coming off a freshman season where he played 11 games, recording 18 tackles and grabbing an interception.
Lucas was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. He was born in Pompano Beach, Florida, about an hour north of Miami.
The complaint outlines how Miami’s actions resulted in significant financial and reputational harm to the plaintiffs. It also highlights the broader implications for college athletics, emphasizing the need to protect contractual commitments amid the evolving NIL landscape.
Miami’s conduct reportedly included contacting Lucas and offering more lucrative financial terms, despite the player’s existing commitments. UW-Madison and VC Connect seek damages and a declaration that Miami’s actions constituted tampering.
The University of Miami has not yet responded to the allegations.
Wisconsin suing Miami football for tampering in historic NIL case
This battle has gone from the gridiron to the courtroom. The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective, VC Collect, filed a historic lawsuit Friday alleging the University of Miami broke the law in poaching one of its football players, according to multiple reports. Both Yahoo and ESPN called it a “first of its kind” […]
This battle has gone from the gridiron to the courtroom.
The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective, VC Collect, filed a historic lawsuit Friday alleging the University of Miami broke the law in poaching one of its football players, according to multiple reports.
Both Yahoo and ESPN called it a “first of its kind” attempt to involve courts in the honoring of a financial deal between a university and an athlete.
Xavier Lucas during a 2024 game. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
While the lawsuit does not mention a specific player, calling him “Student Athlete A,” the lawsuit reportedly is in line with the maneuverings of former Badgers freshman defensive back Xavier Lucas.
Lucas left Wisconsin and enrolled at Miami in January despite Wisconsin not placing him in the transfer portal and after signing a two-year revenue-sharing deal with the school beginning July 1, per Yahoo.
Wisconsin alleges Miami committed “tortious interference” after a Hurricanes staffer and a “prominent” alum met with Lucas and his family in Florida and offered financial compensation to head to the ACC school despite knowing of his deal with Wisconsin, per ESPN.
The lawsuit alleges that Wisconsin’s revenue-sharing deal prohibits a player from transferring to another school to continue playing sports, although ESPN noted that similar Wisconsin contracts make it clear the individual is not being paid to play football but is being compensated for NIL.
Wisconsin’s mascot, Bucky. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Badgers reportedly stated in the lawsuit they hope this will help the integrity of college sports and hold programs legally accountable if they interference with athlete’s commitments.
Yahoo reported that Wisconsin in seeking unspecified financial damages with the filing.
“While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,” Wisconsin said in a statement to ESPN.
Lucas’ attorney, Darren Heitner, told ESPN that the athlete is not being sued directly, and added to the Associated Press that his client still intends to play football for Miami this upcoming season.
He tweeted in January that Wisconsin violated NCAA rules by not placing Lucas in the transfer portal and that the school had not paid its player any money, meaning Lucas did not owe them any compensation.
It’s an MOU conditioned on approval of the House settlement (which has yet to receive final approval) and Xavier attending classes no later than Spring 2025 (he unenrolled from the Institution). Furthermore, he sought to enter his name into the Transfer Portal, but the… https://t.co/XwIxNYF0wX
Lucas, a native of Pompano Beach, Fla., tallied 18 tackles across 11 games last year for the Badgers.
The Big Ten is supporting its conference member’s efforts.
Miami’s mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, from 2011. AP
“The Big Ten Conference is aware of the litigation recently filed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison against the University of Miami and is supportive of UW-Madison’s position,” the league said in a statement, according to On3. “As alleged, the University of Miami knowingly ignored contractual obligations and disregarded the principle of competitive equity that is fundamental to collegiate athletics. The Big Ten Conference believes that the University of Miami’s actions are irreconcilable with a sustainable college sports framework and is supportive of UW-Madison’s efforts to preserve.”
This lawsuit comes right after the landmark court ruling that schools can start paying their student athletes directly beginning July 1.
23 NCHC Student-Athletes Earn 2024-25 Academic All-District Honors from CSC
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2025 Academic All-District Men’s At-Large Team
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Twenty-three (23) National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) student-athletes landed a spot on the 2025 Academic All-District Men’s At-Large Team for their performance in the classroom and on the ice during the past […]
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Twenty-three (23) National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) student-athletes landed a spot on the 2025 Academic All-District Men’s At-Large Team for their performance in the classroom and on the ice during the past season. College Sports Communicators (CSC), which selects the Academic All-District Teams, announced both the men’s and women’s 2025 At-Large Teams on Tuesday.
The 23 honorees from the NCHC played for seven different schools, led by six from national champion Western Michigan. Denver and Omaha each placed four on the 2025 Academic All-District Team, while Colorado College and St. Cloud State are home to three members each. Miami saw a pair of players recognized and Minnesota Duluth has one recipient.
The Academic All-District Men’s At-Large Team distinguishes the nation’s top student-athletes in a variety of sports for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. The 23 CSC Academic All-District Team members from the NCHC in 2024-25 are (listed alphabetically):
Kent Anderson, Denver, Jr., D
Brock Bremer, Omaha, Gr., F
Boston Buckberger, Denver, So., D
Max Burkholder, Colorado College, So., D
Stanley Cooley, Colorado College, Sr., F
Cole Crusberg-Roseen, Western Michigan, So., D
*Matt Davis, Denver, Sr., G
*Jack Devine, Denver, Sr., F
Christophe Fillion, Miami, Gr., F
Ty Gallagher, Colorado College, Gr., D
Daimon Gardner, St. Cloud State, So., F
Jimmy Glynn, Omaha, Gr., F
Brian Kramer, Western Michigan, Gr., D
Nolan Krenzen, Omaha, Gr., D
Griffin Ludtke, Omaha, Jr., D
Blake Mesenburg, Miami, Jr., F
Joey Pierce, Minnesota Duluth, Jr., D
Isak Posch, St. Cloud State, So., G
Mason Reiners, St. Cloud State, Jr., D
Samuel Sjolund, Western Michigan, Jr., D
Grant Slukynsky, Western Michigan, So., F
Garrett Szydlowski, Western Michigan, So., F
*Tim Washe, Western Michigan, Gr., F
Three of the 23 NCHC student-athletes were selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists (denoted with an asterisk above) and will advance to the national ballot: Denver goaltender Matt Davis, Denver forward Jack Devine and Western Michigan forward Tim Washe. The Men’s At-Large Academic All-America Teams (First, Second and Third), as voted by CSC members, will be announced on Wednesday, July 9. Devine is a two-time First-Team All-NCHC selection and two-time First-Team All-American, while Davis garnered the NCHC’s Senior Scholar-Athlete Award this past season and Washe collected NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year honors in 2025.
Six NCHC student-athletes repeated on the Academic All-District Team, including Colorado College senior Stanley Cooley, who received the honor for the third time. Along with Cooley, Denver’s Kent Anderson, Davis, Miami’s Blake Mesenburg, Western Michigan’s Samuel Sjolund and Washe also collected Academic All-District honors in 2024.
To be eligible for Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. Nominated student-athletes must have participated in at least 90 percent of their team’s games this season or started 66 percent of the games (50 percent for goaltenders).
Each school is limited to six nominees for the Men’s At-Large Academic All-District Team, which includes athletes from the NCAA men’s sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
CSC, previously known as CoSIDA, serves as the voting body for all Academic All-America Teams. Last year, DU’s Kent Anderson was chosen to the Academic All-America Team.
GREENWOOD, Ind. – University of New Hampshire senior men’s hockey captain Alex Gagne (Bedford, N.H.) was named to the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Men’s At-Large Team. This is the second straight season he has earned this accolade.
The Academic All-District Team, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for […]
GREENWOOD, Ind. – University of New Hampshire senior men’s hockey captain Alex Gagne (Bedford, N.H.) was named to the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Men’s At-Large Team. This is the second straight season he has earned this accolade.
The Academic All-District Team, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for combined performance in athletics and the classroom (must have a 3.50 or higher overall GPA). The 12 sports which are included on the men’s at-large ballot are fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
Gagne graduated in May with a 3.58 GPA as a Sport Management and Leadership major. He was the sixth two-time captain in program history, was a nominee for the Hockey Humanitarian Award and was a two-time Hockey East Third Team All-Star (2024 and 2025). Gagne also won the 2025 Jim Urquhart Outstanding Student-Athlete Award which is the most prestigious UNH Athletics Award a student-athlete can win.
This past season, Gagne led the team in blocks (62) for the third consecutive year and he ranked fourth in Hockey East. He led UNH defensemen in goals (four), assists (13) and points (17). Gagne ranked first in the nation in defensive-zone puck battle wins, second in D-zone stick checks, third in D-zone denials and seventh in D-zone blocked passes. Gagne concluded his career with seven goals, 41 assists and 48 points while playing in 139 games.
Gagne won the team’s Whoop Snively Citizenship Award three times, while he received the team’s Roger A. LeClerc Most Valuable Player Award and Rod Langway Best Defenseman Award twice. He has been named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team every season.
2025-26 UNH men’s hockey season tickets are now available and can be purchased at UNHWildcats.com/BuyTickets or by calling the ticket office at (603) 862-4000. Don’t miss the most exciting family entertainment in New Hampshire.
Corpus Christi FC connects on the pitch; 10 nationalities, 1 universal language
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi FC Sharks are hosting the top team in the Lone Star Division, Laredo Heat SC this Saturday. The Sharks’ home stand heroics have been unmatched, and no matter where they come from their universal language is on the pitch. “You’re used to like saying the words in your […]
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi FC Sharks are hosting the top team in the Lone Star Division, Laredo Heat SC this Saturday. The Sharks’ home stand heroics have been unmatched, and no matter where they come from their universal language is on the pitch.
“You’re used to like saying the words in your own language, so sometimes you get confused and say something in your own language and they don’t understand,” said Chile native and University of Wisconsin forward Cristobal Porter. “Happens sometimes, but once you get used to it just flows naturally. Like you start to just connecting with the people.”
Porter is back in Corpus Christi for his second season. The Sharks roster features players from 10 different nationalities and four continents led by Corpus Christi FC Head Coach Manuel Iwabuchi.
“For the collective. Right,” Iwabuchi told his players in a practice huddle. “Those of you that were successful in the exercise were the ones that were talking the most.”
Igor Goncalves was raised in Portugal. When he’s not in Corpus Christi, he plays college soccer at St. John’s University in New York.
“It’s very nice to have that diversity,” Goncalves said. “Obviously it’s hard in the beginning because we have to get used to each other, but it’s about the connections and about building relationships.”
So far this season the Sharks have a (3-3-1) record. It will be a tough road to the playoffs, but that change starts back at home at Cabaniss Field where they’ve recorded an impressive (15-2-1) total record the last three seasons.
“We’re just very comfortable playing in big, open spaces,” Iwabuchi said. “We like playing in front of our own support, but for us it’s really just that. I feel like it’s the best form of expression for us because of the dimensions and because of all of the little things as far as style of play goes.”
The Sharks are hosting Laredo Heat SC this Saturday, and they’ve got a perfect (8-0) record.
“Playing against Laredo at home is a big game for us, and I hope y’all can come,’ Goncalves said. “The more support we get, the more motivation we get as well.”
That hometown support is why Corpus Christi FC has scored 69 goals at home, holding their opponents to only 17 in three seasons.
“They call soccer the world’s game because it’s a game that quite honestly you step on and you can speak 50,000 different languages,” Iwabuchi said. “You’re all going to get along because the ball is the same.”
Corpus Christi FC and Laredo Heat SC kickoff their Lone Star Division duel on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Cabaniss Soccer Field. Tickets can be purchased here.
CORPUS CHRISTI FC SHARKS ROSTER Cuba Grant – Canada Brock Walkowski – American Joao Gustavo – Brazil Juan Demichelis – Uruguay Jin Tokishi – Japan Igor Goncalves – Portugal Alexander Kiss – American Arthur Medina – American Alexander Romero – American Emerson Nieto – American Sofian Maghouz – UK Abel Mendoza – American Jose Garcia – Chile Jahiem Rose – Jamaican Nacho Abeal – Spain Cristobal Porter – Chile Alvaro Abeal – Spain
'College Football 26' Gets Its Own Deep Dive Trailer
After the slightly odd decision to drop the Madden 26 Deep Dive trailer first, Electronic Arts has come up with the College Football 26 Deep Dive trailer. I say the initial decision was weird because CFB 26 comes out next month. Seems like you’d want to prioritize the hype for that, but then I read […]
After the slightly odd decision to drop the Madden 26Deep Dive trailer first, Electronic Arts has come up with the College Football 26 Deep Dive trailer. I say the initial decision was weird because CFB 26 comes out next month. Seems like you’d want to prioritize the hype for that, but then I read the first part of the CFB 26blog, and I understood.
“This year, our gameplay motto is what we called the 4-minute offense. Why? Because after putting points on the board last year, we wanted to come right back out, take control, and march down the field again and put the game away. That means staying true to the foundational vision, continuing to solve football problems with football solutions, and executing on what matters most.”
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That is the first thing you see once the explanation of College Football 26‘s features comes into play. The in-house competition/collaboration is in play here. EA Orlando doesn’t have to hype. They just have to keep improving. CFB 25 was a great first run, and the Madden team saw what worked, implemented it, and now they’re both piggybacking off each other. It’s like the good old days.
What seems to be clear about College Football 26 is that this is not a year when the team is resting and admiring the success of the previous game. And while I wasn’t the biggest fan of the wear and tear system in the last game, I recognize its overarching effect. Specifically, the importance it places on recruiting. And EA seems to have addressed my misgivings about wear and tear.
Wearing on me
Screenshot: Electronic Arts
“Wear and Tear was never meant to be just another injury system. It was designed as a gameplay balance mechanic, bringing real strategic depth and meaningful roster decisions. The foundation was set, now we continue to build on it.”
In College Football 25, that’s exactly what it felt like to me: another injury system. Seeing how much control they’re giving players over how this system works makes me far more likely to not go straight to turning it off like I did before.
To accommodate these diverse styles, we introduced fully customizable Wear and Tear Auto-Sub settings and sliders, bringing unprecedented depth to player management. Here’s how deep the options go:
Default: Standard CPU substitution logic.
Keep Fresh: Inspired by real-world rotation strategies, like Michigan’s frequent running back substitutions.
Grind It Out: For teams that want to keep their best players on the field as long as possible. Players push through being banged up and only sub out when absolutely necessary.
Custom: Players sub based on the lowest health of specific body parts, giving you precise control.“
Add to this a system that allows you to sub players in and out without having to dig into menus, and I’m locked in on getting in the weeds on this.
It’s time for wisconsin to get back to running the ball
Screenshot: Electronic Arts
The thing I’m most excited for is getting that damn Air Raid offense away from my Badgers. EA has added over 2,800 new plays and 45 formations in College Football 26. Which they’re calling “the single biggest playbook expansion in EA SPORTS history.” And I believe it. As long as it allows me to really feel like I’m holding down the trenches at Camp Randall, I’ll be happy.
You can also see some of the exchange of ideas with Madden in that both games are utilizing the same system that makes QB height an actual factor in games. Icons fade in and out depending on the window they’re in relative to the spacing of the offensive lineman. I can’t wait to see how that College Football 26 feature plays out. Not just in-game, but dealing with recruiting battles. Personally, I’m not gonna be over here going for Brock Osweiler height guys. But when the pipeline dries up, you never know what might happen.
I’m glad to see some of the excitement coming back into EA Sports summers. For too long, we’ve had to hope that EA just decided to make a better Madden. Now that the College Football 26 team is here (and a certain deal is coming up), we’re seeing some movement. Oh, and that score bug is great. Hopefully, EA Orlando can continue the success they had last year and deliver another elite showing.
