Paul Finebaum Warns House NIL Ruling Is a “Ticking Time Bomb” originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Just days after the groundbreaking House Settlement cleared a major hurdle in court, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum is raising red flags, again.

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During a sharp segment on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, the SEC Network veteran didn’t mince words: The agreement may offer temporary clarity in the chaotic world of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) compensation, but the legal fight is far from over.

“Today they [Power Four commissioners] did [win],” Finebaum said. “But what’s behind the curtain is what always concerns and keeps people that run college athletics up at night.”

For fans celebrating what seemed like a turning point in college sports, Finebaum’s comments are a sobering reminder: This ruling might be just the beginning. While the House Settlement unlocks a future that includes backpay for past athletes, new NIL regulations, and even revenue sharing for current players, it also opens the floodgates to legal chaos.

Judge Claudia Wilken’s 76-page decision explicitly stated that every element of the agreement remains challengeable in court. That, according to Finebaum, is where things get dangerous.

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“If something is challengeable… it will be challenged,” he added. “I know attorneys are actively moving, trying to figure out where the best route is, where the best lawsuit lies.”

Finebaum didn’t just point fingers at the legal system, he lit it up. He criticized lawyers for prioritizing profit over fairness and warned fans to watch out for the same players who filed this case to begin with.

“There will be a bevy of lawsuits,” Finebaum said. “And that’s where this is gonna get uncomfortable.”

He’s not alone in his skepticism. The House ruling contradicts NIL-friendly laws in states like Tennessee, which still allow schools and collectives to exceed the proposed compensation caps. It also introduces a new enforcement body, the College Sports Commission, whose effectiveness remains untested.

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Meanwhile, a potential federal solution seems stalled in the same gridlock that’s frustrated college administrators for years.

“I don’t believe we’re any closer to that than we were… three years ago,” Finebaum said. “Congress is not a body made to make decisions.”

As the dust settles on the House Settlement, fans and athletes alike are left to wonder: Is this the long-awaited stabilization of college sports, or just the calm before another legal storm?

For now, the Power Four conferences are touting a win. But Finebaum, with his finger on the pulse of college athletics for decades, warns this could be a “ticking time bomb” waiting to explode.

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Related: The NCAA is Dead, Long Live the Game

Related: The Last Great Underdogs: College Football’s Top 10 Most Legendary Walk-Ons

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.

Louisville basketball’s 2025-26 roster isn’t completely set, but what the fans do know is that the Cardinals are back. Louisville had a historic season last year, as the Cards’ broke multiple records, made their first ACC Championship game appearance, returned to the NCAA Tournament, and set this program up for future success.

Head coach Pat Kelsey put this program back on the map, and the Louisville Cardinals are just getting started. Mark Packer of the ACCN recently stated that Louisville is the team to beat and his way-too-early prediction to win the ACC next season.

Louisville has been earning National Title recognition all offseason, and they just got more praise from another college basketball expert. CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter recently ranked the ACC, and Louisville is sitting exactly where it belongs, as he has them in the perfect position to earn the program’s first National Championship since 2013.

Related: Louisville basketball’s monster offseason raises 7 burning questions

Louisville basketball already holds perfect blueprint to steal ACC crown from Duke

Trotter went ahead and listed the ACC in four tiers, with tier one being “Title Contenders,” tier two being “Top 25 caliber club”, tier three being “Bubblicious,” and tier four being “The basement.” The ACC was dominated by Duke last season, making them a massive target for the rest of the conference next season. In Trotter’s vision, he sees only the Cardinals with a chance to end the Duke Blue Devils’ ACC dynasty.

Louisville was the first team mentioned in these rankings, implying that they are ranked No. 1 in his eyes. The Cardinals and the Blue Devils are the only teams in tier one, once again making it clear that the two blockbuster showdowns between these two teams next season are going to have a lot at stake.

Trotter really likes the roster Kelsey has built, as he gives high praise to the Cardinals’ additions as well as key returners. He also adds that Louisville will have six players 21 years or older, implying the Cardinals have elite experience, as well as NBA talent.

Related: Louisville basketball sharpens claws for sweet revenge after dream matchup reveal

“Louisville’s offense is going to turbo-smash. Pat Kelsey has endless lineup versatility after building a backcourt that is the envy of everyone in college basketball circles. Brown is a five-star freshman who is a terrific playmaker, and he’s surrounded by two special shot-makers in Conwell and McKneely. 100 3-pointers apiece for those two studs? It’s not impossible in this 3-point-happy scheme. If paint touches are hard to come by, Kelsey can insert Wooley, who is going to get to the rim by land or by sea.

The Cardinals can rotate dudes throughout this frontcourt. Fru is no typical freshman. The 21-year-old German import is armed with 7-foot-5 wingspan, and figures to be an impact defender. Five-out offense with Pryor or Khalifa (when he gets eligible)? Sure. Four-out, one-in with Fru? Sure. Scheme versatility is everything these days, and Louisville has it. Oh, and Hadley is also back to do all the winning stuff. There’s just a beautiful mix of veterans (six of Louisville’s top-eight players are 21+) and the NBA talent you need to go big-game hunting.

Louisville looks like Louisville again, and that’s a beautiful sight for this sport.”

Isaac Trotter

His projected starting five is somewhat different, as he predicts Ryan Conwell to start at shooting guard and Isaac McKneely to start at small forward. He also has J’Vonne Hadley at power forward and Sananda Fru at center. The starting five is impossible to predict right now, but Trotter laid down a perfect blueprint for the Cardinals on how to defeat Duke: take advantage of Duke’s lack of experience.

Multiple freshmen will lead Duke, and while they have the best 2025 recruiting class, it is crucial to have key veterans on the roster to win big-time games. Louisville has the better roster from top to bottom, and the Cardinals will need to utilize their experience to win the big games against Duke and claim the ACC crown from Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils.

Related: Projected 2025-26 Louisville basketball starting lineup with and without Aly Khalifa

The ACC will see a massive upgrade from the past season, and the Cardinals are expected to lead the pack with this stacked roster. Louisville fans are already counting the days to tip-off, as this upcoming season is expected to be another historic one. However, this time, the Cardinals are expected to cut down some nets and hang some banners.

For all the latest on Louisville basketball’s offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.

Buckeye fans at the national championship celebration on Jan. 26. Ohio State announced the creation of Buckeye Sports Group Monday. Credit: Carly Damon | Lantern Photo Vault

Name, image and likeness will have a new look at Ohio State.

Just days after the landmark House v. NCAA court settlement was approved, allowing colleges to share revenue directly with athletes, Ohio State’s department of athletics and its partner, Learfield, unveiled the Buckeye Sports Group, also known as BSG, a sweeping new initiative that redefines the university’s approach to name, image and likeness.

“Ohio State has always been a leader in college athletics, and this initiative is another step forward to build upon our strong NIL foundation,” said Carey Hoyt, Ohio State’s deputy director of athletics. “By combining the power of our athletic brand with Learfield’s expansive network, we are creating an innovative, full-service approach to NIL that directly benefits our student-athletes.”

Under the House settlement agreement, schools may now distribute up to $20.5 million per year directly to athletes. Previously, schools had to rely on third-party resources, such as NIL collectives, to aid and assist athletes to garner NIL opportunities, as universities were not allowed to pay-for-play.

Until now, Ohio State has operated under two primary collectives: The Foundation, a nonprofit established in 2022 by former Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones and Brian Schottenstein to facilitate charitable partnerships; and The 1870 Society, a for-profit collective launched in 2023 to focus on football branding, content and monetization.

BSG represents a formal merger of these efforts. While both collectives will continue to function in advisory roles and maintain their donor bases, according to Ohio State’s official athletics website, BSG will now serve as the university’s NIL command center. 

“We’re incredibly thankful for everything our NIL collectives’ leadership, businesses and donors have done to support our student-athletes,” Ross Bjork, Ohio State’s senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation–Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director, said in a statement. “Their commitment has helped shape the landscape in powerful ways. As we move forward with a more unified approach, we’re excited to combine efforts and further strengthen the NIL success of our student-athletes.”

Bjork will hold a press conference today to discuss the settlement and its implications on Ohio State athletics. 

Learfield Impact, the athletics department’s partner, is an industry leader in collegiate sports marketing, according to its website. It will provide a suite of services to Ohio State through BSG, including the Compass platform, which streamlines NIL operations and ensures compliance. Learfield will also embed a full-time NIL team on campus to give athletes hands-on guidance through branding, contracts, and deal navigation, while opening doors to Learfield’s expansive network of brand partners and media studios to grow athlete visibility and value.

“As we enter a new era for college athletics, we’re excited to build on our past successes and create even more meaningful NIL opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes,” Vice President & General Manager of Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties Todd Knisley said in a press release. “With the strength of Buckeye Nation behind us, we’re able to unlock incremental opportunities for partnerships on a local, regional, and national scale.

Ohio State has been leading the charge in maximizing opportunities in the NIL space. Since the start of NIL in 2021, athletes from all 36 teams have inked more than 500 brand partnerships, with Buckeyes Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs both currently ranking in the top 15 of football NIL valuation, according to On3 Sports.

The civil lawsuit against BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff could take months or even years to resolve and could even raise questions about name, image and likeness rules, lawyers who spoke to The Salt Lake Tribune say.

Here’s a look at some of the questions facing the quarterback, the university and the courts in the days ahead.

The basics of the suit

On May 21, a Salt Lake County woman filed a civil lawsuit against Retzlaff, accusing him of sexually assaulting her. The woman, identified in a 3rd District Court filing as Jane Doe A.G., alleges in the lawsuit that Retzlaff assaulted her in November 2023 after they had connected on social media and began messaging a month earlier. She is suing Retzlaff in civil court for alleged battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and is asking for punitive damages from him.

What’s the difference between a civil and criminal case?

Civil cases have a lower standard of proof than criminal cases.

“In a criminal case, you must show beyond a reasonable doubt that somebody has committed the crime. It’s a pretty high bar,” Utah law professor Lincoln Davies said. “In the civil context, it’s a preponderance standard, which is a much lower standard. It’s just more likely than not that something happened — like a 51% chance.”

Retzlaff has not been criminally charged.

Is Jane Doe anonymous?

While the lawsuit publicly names the plaintiff as Jane Doe A.G., the woman’s “full name and identifying information will be filed under seal with the court and provided to [the] defendant,” the lawsuit states.

What’s next in the case?

The lawsuit was filed on May 21.

Typically, the next step in a civil suit would be for a defendant to file a motion to dismiss. According to Utah’s rules of civil procedure, a defendant must typically file that within 21-30 days after the service of the summons and complaint.

If the motion to dismiss is not granted, the case enters the discovery phase.

His attorney, Mark Baute, said in a statement in May that his client is a “nice young man” who is “factually innocent.”

“Jake’s focus this year will be on football,” Baute wrote. “We don’t try cases in the media, we will respect the process and establish Jake’s innocence through the judicial system.”

How long could the case take?

Two legal experts who spoke to The Tribune said the fastest the case could go to trial is several months from now.

“Super fast, nine months. Super long, two and a half years to trial,” said Jonas Anderson, a professor of law who teaches civil procedure at the University of Utah. “That’s the range you’re looking at. But you’re not going to have a [trial] before this football season starts.”

In the meantime, both sides would engage in discovery, the exchange of information and evidence gathering before a trial.

“The more the discovery, the more time you are looking at before a trial,” Davies said.

In civil cases in Utah, discovery is broken down into tiers. Tier 1, is typically for disputes seeking less than $50,000 in damages. Tier 1 discovery sets a 120-day time limit to complete the standard fact finding. The suit against Retzlaff is seeking in excess of $300,000, which would qualify for Tier 3 discovery. That comes with a 210-day deadline for standard fact finding.

Is a settlement possible?

A case doesn’t have to go to trial. Both parties could decide to settle for an undisclosed amount of money. That could provide BYU with a legal resolution before August, but Davies noted that isn’t always a good bet in Utah.

“In general, the Utah rules are set up to try to push cases toward trial compared to many other jurisdictions,” Davies said. “In the sexual assault context, that analysis becomes a little bit more complicated because you also have the public airing of what has happened, and the risk of somebody feeling retraumatized from that re-airing. Some plaintiffs may be more willing to settle in the face of that. Obviously, other plaintiffs may feel like they want their day in court and the chance to do justice.”

NIL implications

BYU needs to prepare for the possibility it will have to make a choice about Retzlaff’s football future before the courts do.

The Cougars could allow Retzlaff to suit up and play and while the legal process plays out. He has not been charged criminally, nor has he been found liable in the pending civil suit.

But if BYU doesn’t want one of its most recognizable athletes playing while facing these allegations, it could decide to bench or even part ways with the quarterback before the lawsuit is resolved.

If he were to be cut, would the school’s NIL collective still have to pay him his seven-figure share?

In a copy of the BYU NIL collective’s standard contract, which The Salt Lake Tribune obtained, there is a termination clause. It says that a player “acknowledges that the value of his likeness is closely tied to the manner in which he publicly conducts himself. … He will also conduct himself in a manner exhibiting the utmost character and integrity.”

The contract goes on to say that that for the “avoidance of any doubt,” the university has the “right to terminate the agreement if the publicized actual, proven conduct is illegal or otherwise causes the [university] to reasonably believe that public association with the [player] would subject the [university] to public ridicule, contempt or embarrassment.”

Anderson said a “morality” clause like this is fairly common in agreements and could give BYU an out.

“Where it says, ‘If there’s anything that the university reasonably thinks is going to reflect badly on them,’ that’s a broad series of categories” to terminate the contract, Anderson said.

But Anderson pointed out the agreement says “actual, proven conduct.”

Retzlaff could potentially sue the university if he were cut before trial and had his contract voided.

“He definitely has grounds to say, ‘I didn’t do anything. I’m innocent, and just having someone accuse me of something shouldn’t eliminate this entire contract,’” Anderson said.

Anderson said that could leave open the possibility to strike a deal if the school wants to part ways with the quarterback.

“There’s some negotiation here,” he said. “It’s not going to be, ‘You’re out, we’re done.’ It’s going to be more, ‘How about we give you some money and then we call it a day?’ So it would be a negotiation in the shadow of potential litigation.”

What has BYU said?

Other schools have recently allowed players to play despite sexual assault allegations. Most recently, Texas Tech allowed basketball star Pop Isaacs to play while he had a civil sexual assault lawsuit actively pending. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.

But is BYU willing to handle it like Texas Tech?

BYU is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has a strict honor code that prohibits, among other things, premarital sex.

“I think the allegation carries more weight with the BYU administration than it would with most other schools,” Anderson said. “It doesn’t affect the law at all, but it affects how you approach the case.”

BYU said in a statement that it became aware of the civil lawsuit against Retzlaff on May 21. The university said it “takes any allegation very seriously,” but would not provide additional comment due to “federal and university privacy laws and practices for students.”

John Calipari has long-since gained the reputation as one of the top recruiters in college basketball. That hasn’t changed in the NIL era, as the Arkansas head coach has dealt with some of the most highly-touted recruits each season.

These big-time names now come with big-time paychecks. In this regard, Calipari and his staff have to tread even more lightly when evaluating talent.

“Did you see the interview with the Kansas State player (Coleman Hawkins) after the season last year, where he cried? Cried. ‘They paid me $2 million and I couldn’t live up to it.’ There’s one thing about being the star on any team,” Calipari said during an appearance on Golic & Golic on FanDuel Sports Network on Wednesday. “You guys did it, that star makes the most and, wow, but the most is expected from them. So, there’s some guys in college basketball this year making between three, four and $5 million dollars. Well, everybody knows now they’re making three, four and five. There’s teams spending 20 million on rosters. You know what? Now there’s an expectation. You better win a national title, or you better be a guy.

“If one of you paid a college player four million, would you expect that $4 million player to drag us to the Final Four? So, what’s happening is I’m dealing with 17- and 18- and 19-year-olds.”

In the instance of Kansas State’s Coleman Hawkins, he signed a highly-publicized $2 million deal to play for the Wildcats. He finished the year averaging 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists — and revealed that he believes he hadn’t lived up to his expectations during his season with the program.

Now that millions of dollars are being thrown at highly-touted prospects and transfer portalers, being able to live up to the expectation becomes that much more necessary. The risk may not be greater than the reward and it may cost some programs, literally. In some cases so far, it already has.

“That’s totally different than a seasoned professional dealing with it. So trying to keep that away from what we do, but social media brings it right back,” Calipari said. “This guy’s making $3 million and this is the best he is. So, you know, it’s — I think we gotta really protect our kids, but some of it, you can’t. You want to be paid a lot. You’re now professional. You need to perform.”