Welcome to the new college math: A college football player’s name, image, likeness dollar value is based on his marketability as much or more than his performance.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 10: Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns warms up before the Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on January 10, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images)

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Arch Manning going into the 2025-26 football season has the highest NIL valuation in college football at $6.8 million according to Sports Illustrated. More than $2 million higher than the next closest player. He has yet to start a game for Texas.

The Current State of College Football: The Wild West

Three issues have turned college football into the wild west entering the 2025 season:

1. The NCAA Transfer Portal

2. The Player Opt-Out Option

3. NIL Valuations

The main focus of this article will be around issue 3. NIL Valuations but I want to touch briefly on issues 1 and 2 first.

The NCAA Transfer Portal

Today coaches have to not only manage the year-round recruitment of high school players; They must be constantly vigilant of their own rosters and players transferring. Players can transfer currently during two windows a year: December 9-28 and April 16-25. Think about it. You are a head coach. Your team works hard and has a good season and gets rewarded with a bowl game in December or January. Then while preparing for the bowl game you unexpectedly lose a key player to the December portal!

Starting Georgia Cornerback Julian Humphrey is Exhibit A but just one of many. Last December Humphrey committed to Texas A&M after starting all 10 games for Georgia during 2024. I would presume Head Coach Kirby Smart did not see that one coming.

The Player Opt-Out Option

It used to be more rare but today many key players on college teams are opting out of bowl games or even entire seasons. Why? To avoid possible career threatening injuries. For upperclassmen to further prepare for the NFL draft. Understandable on one level, yes. But for a team sport like football where players depend on one another like soldiers in a foxhole during war, it can demoralize teammates. Opt-outs can undermine the collective commitment to team goals, particularly in high-stakes games.

In 2024 Michigan Football All-American defensive tackle Mason Graham opted out of the Wolverines’ upcoming bowl game, and skipped his senior year of eligibility to declare for the 2025 NFL draft. Graham was already a two-time all Big 10 player and second-team All-American as a junior. “Yes Mason has declared and will sit out of the bowl game,” his agent Ryan Matha said in a text message in December 2024. I am sure Head Coach Sherrone Moore took the high road wishing Graham well and defending his right to do what was in his best interests–while now scrambling to prepare for a bowl game without his best defensive lineman. Again Graham was just one of many examples in 2024.

NIL Valuations

I am not against college athletes getting paid based upon the perceived commercial value of their name or image or likeness. It is wrong for an institution or a retailer to profit off an athlete’s name and keep 100% of the profits generated by merchandise, ticket sales, etc., But too many student-athletes are making decisions more on potential NIL earnings and less on athletic development and academic fit.

Secondly the disparities in earning potential among teammates can create resentment and fracture team unity. Individual stars can overshadow team achievments. In the end NIL makes college football a more transactional relationship between a player and a program/university.

Lastly as was stated at the beginning of this story, NIL rewards an athlete as much or more for their marketability as their performance. NIL reflects as much as anything an athletes’ ability to “Sell snow to Eskimos.” No value judgements here–just calling it the way I see it.

Shedeur Sanders Versus Jeremiah Smith

Two college football stars from the 2024 season best illustrate this dichotomy between marketability and performance: Shedeur Sanders, quarterback of the Colorado Buffalo’s and Jeremiah Smith, wide receiver for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Shedeur Sanders was the top NIL earner for the 2024-25 season. By the end of the season his NIL value was estimated at $6.5 million. He signed endorsement deals with brands like Nike, Gatorade, Beats by Dre, Google, and the 5430 Alliance. Many of those deals are likely to follow him into the NFL.

In the meantime, what did Sanders accomplish on the football field for the Buffs? Make no mistake, he was truly good. In just two seasons with the Buffs, he threw for 7,364 yards with 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He led his team to a four-way tie for first in the Big 12 only to lose to BYU in a bowl game 36-14. He was named the Big 12 Conference offensive player of the year as he helped turn the Buffaloes back into a winning football program. He set a program record for touchdown passes on the season with 37, and his 74% completion rate was both a program and FBS record for a single season. And he finished 8th in Heisman trophy voting.

However he would fall to the fifth round in the 2025 NFL draft. The Cleveland Browns took him No. 144 overall. The NFL uses a slotting system for rookie salaries, based on where a player is selected. Sanders’ pick, No. 144 overall, is expected to get a four-year deal worth $4.6 million. Sanders’ NIL value had little to do then with his NFL draft value which is a more purely performative-based metric.

Jeremiah Smith on the other hand.had an NIL valuation at the end of the 2024 season of $4.2 million ($2.3 million less than Sanders). And regardless of position or age, many around college football would argue today that Ohio State’s true sophomore wide receiver is the best player in the sport.

The former number-one recruit in the class of 2024 more than lived up to the billing, as he played a key role in the Buckeyes winning the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

In his 2024 season with Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith had a remarkable freshman campaign, recording 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. His 1,315 receiving yards ranked fourth in single-season history for Ohio State, and he became the first Buckeye freshman to surpass 1,000 receiving yards. He also led the team in receptions (76), receiving yards (1,315), and receiving touchdowns (15).

In the end Smith was arguably a better performer at his position and a more crucial piece of the puzzle in the Buckeye’s national championship run in 2024 than Sanders as quarterback of a 9-4 Colorado Team that lost their bowl game. Yet Sanders made millions more in NIL money.

College football desperately needs some new guard rails put in place to manage all these new capitalist trends and forces. I believe it can and must happen. But for now, welcome to the wild west.

by Rachel Duke, USA Gymnastics Communications

NEW ORLEANS – Asher Hong (Tomball, Texas/Stanford University) dominated the senior all-around competition Saturday evening to conclude men’s action at the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans. The Senior National and World Championships Teams Presented by Xfinity were selected following competition.

Hong commanded the all-around both Thursday and Saturday, winning the title with a combined 170.020 – a nearly eight-point lead from second place. He also collected gold medals on vault (29.594), floor exercise (30.016) and still rings (29.286), and picked up silver on parallel bars (28.100).

With a late push, Frederick Richard (Stoughton, Mass./University of Michigan) rallied to a second-place finish in the all-around, winning silver with a 162.555. Fuzzy Benas (Richmond, Texas/University of Oklahoma) completed the top three, securing bronze with a 162.310.

Winning apparatus titles on Saturday were Patrick Hoopes (Lehi, Utah/U.S. Air Force Academy) on pommel horse (31.300), Brody Malone (Aragon, Ga./EVO Gymnastics) on parallel bars (28.150), and Taylor Burkhart (Arvada, Colo./Stanford University) on horizontal bar (28.960).

The 2025 Junior and Senior National Teams and World Championships teams Presented by Xfinity also were announced Saturday evening. Complete teams are listed alphabetically below.

Senior Men’s World Championships Team Presented by Xfinity

October 19-25 in Jakarta, Indonesia

• Taylor Burkhart — Arvada, Colo./Stanford University^
• Brandon Dang — San Jose, Calif./University of Illinois
• Asher Hong — Tomball, Texas/Stanford University
• Patrick Hoopes — Lehi, Utah/U.S. Air Force Academy
• Brody Malone — Aragon, Ga./EVO Gymnastics
• Kameron Nelson — Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University
• Donnell Whittenburg — Baltimore, Md./EVO Gymnastics

Junior Men’s World Championships Team Presented by Xfinity

November 20-24 in Manila, the Philippines.

• Maksim Kan — Muskego, Wis./Salto Gymnastics Center*
• Danila Leykin — Sarasota, Fla./EVO Gymnastics
• Dante Reive — West Point, N.Y./United States Military Academy
• Nathan Roman— Poway, Calif./University of Oklahoma
• Hunter Simpson — Palmetto, Fla./EVO Gymnastics^

Senior Men’s National Team Presented by Xfinity

• Fuzzy Benas — Richmond, Texas/University of Oklahoma
• Taylor Burkhart — Arvada, Colo./Stanford University
• Crew Bold — Delray Beach, Fla./University of Michigan
• Brandon Dang — San Jose, Calif./University of Illinois
• Asher Hong — Tomball, Texas/Stanford University
• Patrick Hoopes — Lehi, Utah/U.S. Air Force Academy
• Jun Iwai — Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics
• Josh Karnes — Erie, Pa./Penn State University
• Riley Loos — El Dorado Hills, Calif./ Stanford University
• Brody Malone — Aragon, Ga./EVO Gymnastics
• Kameron Nelson — Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University
• Dante Reive — West Point, N.Y./United States Military Academy
• Frederick Richard — Stoughton, Mass./University of Michigan
• Donnell Whittenburg — Baltimore, Md./EVO Gymnastics
• Colt Walker — Austin, Texas/Stanford University

Senior Men’s Development Team Presented by Xfinity

• Sasha Bogonosiuk — Buffalo Grove, Ill./University of Oklahoma
• Danila Leykin — Sarasota, Fla./EVO Gymnastics
• Preston Ngai — Elk Grove, Calif./University of Illinois
• Alex Nitache — Knoxville, Tenn./University of Nebraska
• Nathan Roman — Poway, Calif./University of Oklahoma

Junior Men’s National Team Presented by Xfinity

• Peyton Boerner — Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Gym World
• Hayden Brown — Corona Del Mar, Calif./SCATS Gymnastics
• Lincoln Dubin — Bellefonte, Pa./EVO Gymnastics
• Hunter Egan — Montgomery, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
• Cooper Gunderson — Delano, Minn./Mini-Hops Gymnastics
• Elijah Gutierrez — South Lyon, Mich./Infinity Gymnastics Academy
• Kiefer Hong — Tomball, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
• Maksim Kan — Muskego, Wis./Salto Gymnastics Center
• Jakson Kurecki — Nokomis, Fla./EVO Gymnastics
• Jovan Jimeno — Manassas, Va./Capital Gymnastics
• Ori Reilly — Windermere, Fla./Gymnastics USA
• Hunter Simpson — Palmetto, Fla./EVO Gymnastics
• Anthony Ruscheinsky — Summit, Wis./Salto Gymnastics Center
• Jay Watkins — Morristown, Tenn./GymTek Academy

*Denotes traveling replacement athlete

^Denotes non-traveling replacement athlete

The Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships conclude Sunday with the final day women’s competition. The 2025 Junior and Senior Women’s National Teams will be determined along with national titles.

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — The St. Louis Blues have been steadily expanding the Girls Hockey Development Program they launched in 2020 as the organization’s NHL All-Star Legacy initiative.

The Blues marked a new milestone this weekend when they hosted the inaugural 12U Tier 1 Ice Breaker Invitational at Centene Community Ice Center from Friday to Sunday, bringing together elite programs for both on-ice competition and off-ice development.

Event coordinator Brittany Koch is Blues senior coordinator, community hockey, and an on-ice instructor for the program with playing experience at the high school and college level.

“This is really important because I grew up playing hockey,” Koch said. “I’ve been to plenty of youth tournaments, so I’ve kind of seen what’s been done, and I haven’t really seen anything like this. We’re just really focusing on the off-ice portion. I’ve went to games and either I made it to the championship game, or I left, but I never got to learn what to do off ice. We didn’t have anything. The tournaments were fun, don’t get me wrong, but there was nothing to do between games, but to do this and have something for the girls to keep them going and not have them sit in their hotel rooms, was really important.

“Games are great, but think we also need to focus on the off-ice aspect as well.”

Five of the nation’s top Tier 1 girls hockey programs — the St. Louis AAA Lady Blues, Carolina Jr. Canes, San Jose Jr. Sharks, Arizona Kachinas, and Milwaukee Jr. Admirals — took part in a round-robin style tournament with a four-game minimum and a championship game.

They also participated in a session on nutrition and leadership training from 1st Phorm, a Women in Sports Panel and Festival, and a Skills Competition.

Two-time Olympic medalist Alex Cavallini is an on-ice instructor and youth hockey ambassador for the Blues. The goalie won gold with the United States at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and silver at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

“It’s such a special event,” Cavallini said. “When I first spoke to the Blues about it when they came to me, I was so ecstatic for it. It’s something that I’ve been personally looking forward to just bring in teams here to St. Louis to see how great the Blues organization is because I just know how important girls hockey is to the St. Louis Blues and how much they want to grow the game. This is just a testament to what they are out here trying to do every day in St. Louis.”

When Jordan Cornette joined NBC Sports two years ago, he had a premonition that the company would reacquire broadcasting rights to the National Basketball Association. Cornette proved to be correct and will officially add NBA coverage to his slate of responsibilities beginning in the fall, when Comcast commences a sweeping 11-year media rights deal reportedly worth $2.45 billion/year that will place regular-season and playoff games on the NBC broadcast network and Peacock streaming platform.

Sports Media Watch contributor Derek Futterman caught up with Cornette ahead of the October launch of the NBA on NBC and Peacock to discuss the new venture and his time with NBC Sports. The interview is edited for length and clarity.

Sports Media Watch: How significant is it to have NBC Sports back involved broadcasting NBA contests?

Jordan Cornette: “Look at the names on the roster. I won’t rip through them all because I don’t want to leave one out, and they’re all so impressive. I’m just excited to be on that list to be able to deliver that. I know that what NBC is going to do with the NBA this year is going to be so well received by everybody, and we’re so diligent in our preparation and we’re so committed to covering this the proper way and to elevate a league that’s already so elevated.”

SMW: What was your level of confidence in the company landing broadcast rights to the NBA?

JC: “I’m never confident in anything but my ability. You could never be confident that you think media rights are going to go one way or a company’s projection and the momentum they have going this way is where it’s always going to stay. The landscape is just too ever-changing. It’s a turbulent business, this TV thing, in a great way and then sometimes in a frustrating way, but there was definitely no part of me that was like, ‘Oh, they’re guaranteed to get this.’ I had a good feeling that they would get it.

“I guess there was part of me that was thinking, ‘It makes too much sense. I know the NBA would love a partner like NBC because of how great it was when they were working in a partnership before,’ so there was a belief that it could probably happen, but I can’t ever say I was super confident about it because you just never know in this business. But what I did know is honestly, full disclosure, even if the NBA didn’t come, my role with NBC was so fortified and great things that I was doing, I was already very happy with my role. So to add the NBA on top of that, which is like the ultimate dream for a basketball guy, that’s when I feel like, ‘I’m playing with house money right now,’ to add that element of work to what I’m doing.”

SMW: You are going to be working as a courtside reporter for the new entity along with Ashley ShahAhmadi, Zora Stephenson and Grant Liffmann. What were the conversations like in securing this new position and expanding your responsibilities?

JC: “It was a big part of why I wanted to come over to NBC and why there was no negotiation with them and somebody else once I knew that there was full-time opportunity with NBC because I saw the future, and knowing that the NBA was coming and knowing what my ability was as a TV personality — because it’s more vague and far-reaching — I knew that there’d be some space for me, whether it be hosting in studio, whether it be a courtside reporter or whether it ever became an analyst for a game. I knew there’d be a fit somewhere for me in that NBA coverage…

“I know, and I’d like to think that my bosses know, ‘Whatever position we think Jordan can potentially do, he’s going to deliver because that’s what he’s done since he’s gotten here with NBC,’ and so I knew that that potential with the NBA, there’d be some opportunity, and whatever that opportunity is,  I’m going to wrap my arms around that thing, I’m going to give it my all, and I’m going to thrive in that role and help enhance what is already this incredible team.”

SMW: Former basketball players seldom take on courtside reporting roles on the broadcasts, instead usually serving as an analyst. How can you leverage your esoteric knowledge and distinctive experiences with enterprising journalism?

JC: “I’m, by nature, I like to tell stories. I’m a very curious person in nature, so I think that lends well to the role of sideline reporter is tell stories, be curious, ask questions, but I also am going to frame this thing in my own way, and then collaboratively, we’ll see how that looks with management and the vision…

“Everything about my approach has been kind of unique, and so I’m going to bring that to sideline reporting. I don’t know how many guys that hold collegiate records on the basketball court that are sideline guys, so that’s the way to differentiate me.”

SMW: What are your thoughts on working under the leadership structure of NBC Sports president Rick Cordella and executive producer and president of production Sam Flood? How do they assist in facilitating success?

JC: “With the leadership of Rick and Sam, everybody knows where they stand. Everybody knows the direction of the company, everybody knows where they stand with the group, everybody has direct lines to leadership. So it just feels like, ‘Okay, I know where I stand, I know who I am,’ and when you have that, it makes your teammates truly teammates, and it fosters such a special environment, and one that is really unique, and it’s really cool to see what’s going on there at NBC.”

SMW: How will you go about working alongside the variety of play-by-play announcers and analysts on the talent roster?

JC: “The commonality of our love for the game also forges that thing into a better place, and so I’ve always prided myself on being able to find that connection, that synergy with a group that I’m working with, to have that great back and forth, so that’s never been something I’ve shied away from, that’s not something that I ever step into with trepidation. That’s always pretty much come organically, that chemistry, and I’ve seemingly always been able to find it with whoever I’m working with.”

SMW: You lost your job at ESPN as a result of layoffs implemented as a cost-cutting measure. What were your feelings upon discovering that you would not be returning?

JC: “I was completely blindsided because I thought I was safe, but it was a great learning opportunity for me that the jobs that we hold [are] not ours. We’re just borrowing them, and anybody can be replaceable, so never put too much of your identity in your job. Give all you can to the job, but understand that there’s so much more to you than just the role you hold, and also be grateful in every day you step in and get to do the really cool things we get to do in sports…

“I’m grateful for ESPN because of that platform it provided for me to kind of showcase my ability, and I learned very quickly that there was a high demand for me to go other places, and to find NBC, what ultimately became an even better place for me and an even better place to work and thrive and work in even cooler entities and properties and be a part of those, somehow what I thought was one of the tougher days of my career ended up being the best thing that ever happened for me.”

SMW: You met your wife, Shae, while working at Campus Insiders and ended up hosting two shows together at ESPN. What has it been like to work alongside her and watch her concurrently thrive in the business?

JC: “A guy named Josh Wine brought me over to Campus Insiders, and I don’t know if he’s well known in a ton of circles, but he should be because he’s discovered a lot of talent, one of them being my wife too in Shae and bringing her over there. And we were two young and raw people but very passionate and committed to working and climbing in this business, and we met there as friends and co-workers, and it blossomed into something that we never could have imagined a couple of kids later and a career in working in two of the most powerful networks in this business.”

SMW: In addition to reporting on the NBA, you will continue appearing on NBC Sports coverage of college basketball. How are you going to go about balancing both responsibilities?

JC: “I can truly cover so many different sports, and I can sit in so many different chairs and I can achieve in so many different verticals within the medium that I think that is rare, and I’ve always prided myself on that, but it comes with a lot of work. I’ve been lucky to get a lot of reps, and I’ve been lucky to get a lot of opportunities along the way that have positioned me to be this guy.”

SMW: How do you go about preparing for the regular season as the start of basketball approaches?

JC: “It’s funny — I get to watch my Netflix shows and other things in this part of the year because once we hit basketball — so once we really hit the start of football from college football on to the last major golf season, I’m only watching sports. That’s all that’s on the TV, and it really helps to have a wife who works in the business because she’s perfectly okay with that, she’s watching it with the same level of interest, so that’s all that’s on my screen, so the NBA and college basketball during that part of the season, and obviously college football as well, so that’s very easy for me.”

SMW: Why is the arrangement for the NBA to air on broadcast, cable and streaming platforms under the 11-year media rights deals the best path forward for the league?

JC: “Accessibility. You can get it in so many different ways, and each network is going to approach it differently. Nobody wants to go to a restaurant, look at a menu and see one thing on the menu. They want a variety, they want to try a bunch of different things, and so each network’s going to have its own flavor, its own style, and I think that’s great for every viewer and all the consumers and audiences out there that it won’t feel monotonous.

“You’ll get a different vibe with each different place, but also just the offering will be so robust — you’ll be able to see it everywhere, it’ll be more accessible to everybody to watch these games, and I think that’s great, and I’m excited for the league. That’s why I’m excited to be covering it because it’s a league that I love, and I think with these rights deals, it’s putting the league in its best possible position, and that’s a win for everybody, so I am lucky to be one of a few lucky people across different networks that get to cover this great game at its highest level.”

On Thursday, the NCAA announced some new appointees to its Board of Governors, and one of those names included was Ohio State president, Ted Carter. The board, though not nearly as powerful as before, is a collection of influential individuals who help shape the landscape of college sports.

Carter was appointed as the 17th president of Ohio State by the OSU Board of Governors on August 22, 2023. Before that, he served in the same capacity at Nebraska. He is a former college athlete himself, having played ice hockey at Navy from 1977 to 1981, lettering all four years.

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Carter will serve a two-year stint on the Board of Governors. The appointment is a significant one, especially considering all the changes that we’ve seen in college athletics over the last few years. Having a voice from Ohio State involved in the room can’t do anything but help.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State president Ted Carter joins NCAA Board of Governors