NIL
USA dominates men's 4x400m in Nanjing
But the Jamaican quartet of Rusheen McDonald, who claimed 2024 world indoor 400m bronze but struggled in the individual event this time around, plus Jasauna Dennis, Kimar Farquharson and Demar Francis ran them mightily close.But this wasn’t quite the race against the clock that many anticipated. Godwin set the tempo on leg one but did […]


But the Jamaican quartet of Rusheen McDonald, who claimed 2024 world indoor 400m bronze but struggled in the individual event this time around, plus Jasauna Dennis, Kimar Farquharson and Demar Francis ran them mightily close.But this wasn’t quite the race against the clock that many anticipated. Godwin set the tempo on leg one but did not pull out quite the gap he and his teammates would have hoped. Faust promptly disappeared off into the distance at the first changeover only to find himself also pegged back in the latter stages.
The result also continued the US hegemony in this particular event. From 1993 to 2016, they claimed 10 of the 13 gold medals available in the men’s 4x400m at the World Indoor Championships.
Matt Majendie for World Athletics
And with that trio again lining up in the 4x400m relay – joined by Elija Godwin – gold looked like being a mere formality.
The United States had already picked up a historic 1-2-3 in the men’s individual 400m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25 courtesy of Chris Bailey, Brian Faust and Jacory Patterson.
There was not to be a world record which the US quartet had been targeting in a final made up of five teams.
Some of the world’s leading nations were absent from the final after opting to forgo it. But there was still calibre in the line-ups put forward by the US, Jamaica and Hungary in particular.
On leg three, Farquharson then closed the gap markedly on Patterson to at least add a frisson of doubt to what had long ago appeared a foregone conclusion as a race result.
The Hungarians were embroiled in a fight for the final place on the podium with China but Attila Molnar, who could not upset the US 1-2-3 in the individual event, was too good for Ju Tianqi, who ran the final leg for the Chinese team.
Briefly, the home crowd in Nanjing dared to dream of a relay medal, that prospect lifting the noise inside the venue, only for Molnar, the European champion a few weeks back in Apeldoorn, killing both the home hope and the volume as he increased his pace towards the end of the final leg.
USA did not win at the past three editions but with normal service resumed in China, the nation has taken the tally of titles to 11 overall.
But with individual gold medallist Bailey on the final leg, another US gold was assured. However, it wasn’t until the final straight that he kicked clear to win by nearly two seconds in a season’s best 3:03.13.
MEN’S 4x400m MEDALLISTS | ||
United States (USA) | 3:03.13 SB | |
Jamaica (JAM) | 3:05.05 SB | |
Hungary (HUN) | 3:06.03 NR | |
Full results |
It provided a fifth gold of these championships for the US team and helped to cement their place at the top of the medal table.
NIL
How Will the Proposed New College Sports Commission Enforce House Settlement Rules?
On the heels of a stunning announcement by the NCAA ahead of the pending House settlement announcement, the power that shifted to individual conferences has taken on new form in the Power Four. NCAA President Charlie Baker all but ended their enforcement of amateurism—a thinly veiled one with the state of college football and basketball—acknowledging […]

On the heels of a stunning announcement by the NCAA ahead of the pending House settlement announcement, the power that shifted to individual conferences has taken on new form in the Power Four.
NCAA President Charlie Baker all but ended their enforcement of amateurism—a thinly veiled one with the state of college football and basketball—acknowledging that the creation of the new entity, the College Sports Commission, will assume that deferred responsibility.
The question is; what precisely is the College Sports Commission and what role does it play in college sports and the ever-evolving NIL landscape?
Intriguingly, Yahoo! Sports Insider Ross Dellenger’s report on the new enforcement entity was tied to the recent Tennessee Senate Bill that allows in-state schools to move freely in the revenue-sharing era of NIL without fear of adverse action by the NCAA.
In essence, the drafted “Membership Agreement” that has been in the works since February would require power conference members to waive their right to sue the commission.
The stunning consequences include being kicked out of the conference or risking being blackballed by the Power Four should schools elect not to sign.
“You have to sign it,” one athletic director said. “Or we don’t play you.”
This new agreement is likely to lead to a multitude of legal issues.
For one, it’s concerning to sign something that proscribes following state laws. Compounding this concern is the potential eviction from the conference should schools fail to comply.
That’s what the Tennessee law set out to combat, as it specifically prohibits adopting and enforcing rules that violate state law and consequential interference with schools’ membership statuses.
Moreover, the law protects schools in the state from not abiding by rules that violate antitrust law.
The Deloitte-run NIL clearinghouse known as “NIL Go,” an entity that will strictly enforce booster payouts, is the subject of that intense scrutiny.
As Dellenger reports, Deloitte officials shared alarming news with athletic directors and coaches at last week’s ACC spring meetings that 70% of past deals from booster collectives would have been denied.
They also stated that they would have approved 90% of deals from public companies.
However, Deloitte prefaced that announcement with figures shared in March, which should give pause regarding the encouraging 90% approval rate.
The value of about 90% of those deals was less than $10,000, and 99% were under $100,000.
That implies a severely restricted future where the clearinghouse will threaten millions in earning potential that athletes previously received via collectives backed by boosters that are thinly veiled as endorsement deals—aka pay for play.
That will likely receive antitrust challenges, but it appears that the members who sign the affiliation agreement cannot be a party to them.
The comments included by athletic directors suggest that schools want to go back to an era where they stop circumventing the rules.
These new state NIL laws are essentially permissions to do just that. It may be enticing for schools to follow them and seek competitive advantages, but the majority is direly searching for stability in the sport.
This membership agreement presents an imperfect solution, particularly when schools feel all but coerced into signing it.
However, since the NCAA declined to be a part of a clear enforcement future, someone must intervene to halt the circumventions and chaos in college sports.
NIL
White House halts Donald Trump’s plan for college sports commission amid ongoing legislation talks, per report
The White House has put President Donald Trump’s plans for a college sports commission on pause, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. There’s no clear timeline for how long the plans will be halted, but the roadblock appears to be a product of Senate negotiations over ongoing college sports legislation. President Trump initially constructed plans […]

The White House has put President Donald Trump’s plans for a college sports commission on pause, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. There’s no clear timeline for how long the plans will be halted, but the roadblock appears to be a product of Senate negotiations over ongoing college sports legislation. President Trump initially constructed plans for the commission with the intent to gather information on college athletics’ most pressing issues and solve the types of problems stakeholders — including coaches and conference commissioners — have been vocalizing for years.
Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell and former Alabama coach Nick Saban were set to hold prominent roles on the commission, but the latter pumped the brakes after he emerged as a potential co-chair.
“I know there’s been a lot of stuff out there about some commission or whatever. I don’t think we need a commission,” Saban said. “I’ve said that before. I think we need — we know what the issues are, we just have to have people who are willing to move those and solve those and create some solutions for some of those issues. I’m all for being a consultant to anybody who would think that my experience would be beneficial to helping create some of those solutions.”
Saban is among the countless current and former coaches to speak up with concerns over name, image, and likeness (NIL), the transfer portal and the future of Olympic sports. He spoke with Trump earlier this month ahead of the University of Alabama commencement, at which both addressed the graduating class, discussing with the President the need for NIL reform.
Senator Tommy Tuberville, a former college football coach who made stops at Auburn and Ole Miss, among others, was also heavily involved in building the commission.
SEC and Big Ten will be thrilled
The two most powerful college sports conferences stand to gain the most from the status quo. The unregulated NIL and transfer portal eras benefited the SEC and Big Ten disparately as the richest and most prominent programs distanced themselves from the pack. Legislation to level the playing field could empower the rest of the Power Four and put the ACC and Big 12 on more equal footing.
House v. NCAA settlement takes center stage
With the presidential commission on pause, all eyes turn to the House v. NCAA settlement, which promises to bring substantial change of its own to the college athletics landscape. The arrival of revenue sharing and an NIL clearinghouse, on paper, accomplish some of the same goals as the paused commission.
The settlement terms include a $20 million revenue sharing cap for universities to split among student-athletes. It paves the way for schools to pay their players directly for the first time in NCAA history. NIL deals will supplement student-athletes’ revenue sharing income but must be approved by the soon-to-be-established clearinghouse, which will determine the validity of such deals and prevent schools from using them to circumvent the salary cap.
NIL
Vols’ Zakai Zeigler sues for fifth year of eligibility, citing NIL pay
Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler (5) during Senior Day presentations after a men’s college basketball game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Saturday, March 8, 2025. Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler is suing the NCAA for another year of eligibility, claiming he could lose up to $4 million in NIL money if […]


Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler is suing the NCAA for another year of eligibility, claiming he could lose up to $4 million in NIL money if he isn’t allowed to play in 2025-26.
Zeigler’s lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction allowing him to play a fifth season and arguing he will suffer irreparable harm without immediate relief, with schools currently finalizing rosters and settling NIL deals.
According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Zeigler’s lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s redshirt rule in which players are allowed to play a fifth year if they sit out a year of competition.
Zeigler played four consecutive seasons for the Volunteers from 2021-22 through 2024-25. He argues that he should get be allowed a fifth year of eligibility and its earning potential instead of being punished for not taking a redshirt year, per the News Sentinel.
“All NCAA athletes should be eligible to compete and earn NIL compensation during each year of the five-year window — not just those selected to redshirt,” the court filings state.
Zeigler filed his suit in the Eastern District of Tennessee. In it, he claims he could make between $2 million and $4 million in name, image and likeness money in 2025-26 after making $500,000 in 2024-25.
The lawsuit calls a fifth year “the most lucrative year of the eligibility window for the vast majority of athletes.”
Zeigler set the Tennessee career records for assists (747) and steals (251). The three-time All-SEC pick and two-time league defensive player of the year averaged 11.3 points, 5.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 138 career games (83 starts).
He graduated this month from Tenneseee and plans to pursue a graduate degree.
–Field Level Media
NIL
Tracking UAB's May Transfer Portal Signees
BIRMINGHAM – The UAB football team has signed nine transfers during the May portal window who will join the Blazers for the 2025 season. Below is a list of the nine new players. Jeremiah Vessel – DB – 5-11, 190 – R-So. – Baton Rouge, La./Bishop Gorman HS/New Mexico State/UNLV AT UNLV:2024: 12 GP, 10 tackles, 1 […]


BIRMINGHAM – The UAB football team has signed nine transfers during the May portal window who will join the Blazers for the 2025 season. Below is a list of the nine new players.
Jeremiah Vessel – DB – 5-11, 190 – R-So. – Baton Rouge, La./Bishop Gorman HS/New Mexico State/UNLV
AT UNLV:
2024: 12 GP, 10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT
AT NEW MEXICO STATE:
2023: 6 GP, 11 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 PBU
Marquise Collins – RB – 5-9, 210 – R-So. – Bryan, Texas/College Station HS/Duke
AT DUKE:
2024: Did not play
2023: 2 GP, 1 carry for 15 yards
Delvon Gulley – DB – 6-1, 186 – So. – Saraland, Ala./Saraland HS/Alabama A&M
AT ALABAMA A&M:
2024: 11 GP, 29 tackles, 3 INT, 4 PBU
Kyrik Mason – OL – 6-3, 285 – R-Sr. – Columbia, Md./St. John’s Catholic HS/Monmouth/Georgia State
AT GEORGIA STATE:
2024: 2 GP
AT MONMOUTH:
2023: 10 GP
2022: 2 GP
2021: DNP
Jailen Holmes – WR – 5-10, 172 – R-Jr. – Huntsville, Ala./Madsion Academy/Independence Community College/Oregon State
AT OREGON STATE:
2024: 1 GP vs. Air Force and redshirted
2023: DNP
AT INDEPENDENCE CC:
2022: 9 GP, 13 catches, 164 yards, 12.6 avg., 18.2 yards/game
Daniel Mincey – OL – 6-4, 290 – R-Fr. – Pompano Beach, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons/Kentucky
AT KENTUCKY:
2024: 1 GP vs Southern Miss
Nelson Ramirez – OL –6-6, 292 – Jr. – Newnan, Ga./East Coweta/College of San Mateo
AT COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO:
2024: 12 GP…Helped San Mateo go 12-1 and win the CC National Championship
2023: Helped San Mateo to an 11-2 record
Brandon Sneh – OL – 6-6, 316 – R-Jr. – Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann Goretti/Elizabeth City State Univ./Wagner/Kansas State
AT KANSAS STATE:
2025: Participated in spring football
AT WAGNER:
2024: 11 GP/11 GS
AT ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIV:
2023: 10 GP/10 GS
2022: 4 GP
Isaiah Crozier – CB – 6-0, 175 – R-So. – Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central/Youngstown State
AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE:
2024: 9 GP, 10 tackles, 1 PBU
2023: 1 GP, 1 tackle
2025 TICKET INFORMATION
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NIL
Alabama Five-Star Quarterback Uses Lucrative NIL Dollars to Buy Mom New Car
Amid the negative atmosphere of NIL in the college football landscape as the NCAA has made landmark decisions ahead of the impending House settlement, some feel good stories exist. There have been several stories of players signing multi-million-dollar deals and buying luxury items for themselves. There are several stories of players using their NIL deals […]

Amid the negative atmosphere of NIL in the college football landscape as the NCAA has made landmark decisions ahead of the impending House settlement, some feel good stories exist.
There have been several stories of players signing multi-million-dollar deals and buying luxury items for themselves. There are several stories of players using their NIL deals to better the lives of those around them.
Alabama Crimson Tide freshman quarterback Keelon Russell joined the latter group with his first big NIL purchase.
Rather than making a splashy purchase for himself, the five-star recruit bought his mom a new luxury Mercedes-Benz car that he and his mom shared on social media.
Russell, who has a $1.3 million On3 NIL valuation, is well-positioned for success in the NIL landscape, but he prioritized his family’s needs.
He’s currently competing for the starting job with the Crimson Tide alongside Austin Mack and Ty Simpson, though Simpson is said to have the edge to be the starter based on his experience.
As Russell assimilates and battles through summer workouts and fall camp, he’s capitalized on his name, image and likeness before even taking a college football snap.
With his million-dollar valuation, Russell ranks No. 37 in On3 Sport’s college football NIL rankings and second among incoming freshmen behind Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood.
The 18-year-old has a sage outlook on NIL as a young player, as he shared his biggest lessons about NIL all the way back in February, speaking with media during Super Bowl LIX.
“The best advice was to understand what’s coming towards you,” Russell said in an interview with On3 Sports. “Understand that your profile is your profile. Understand that your name is your name. Building that is the most successful thing that you can do, especially with how the NIL space is getting bigger. The performances of the platforms are getting way more advanced. NIL is something that takes away from the aspects of football. Somebody told me, focus on the key things.”
It’s true that college athletes need to build up their name, and a lot of that comes from their play on the field, something Russell seems to keenly understand.
“NIL is a great thing, but focus on your key things and NIL’s gonna come,” Russell said. “All the stuff’s gonna come. Focus on football, and the NIL space is gonna come. Your profile is your profile. You do good, your profile is gonna be on the rise.”
Russell has this offseason to focus on his craft ahead of the 2025 college football season. In terms of “doing good,” however, Russell has already succeeded in that aspect by using his NIL funds to give back to his mom.
NIL
Jerome Tang, Kansas State Given Poor Grade Mostly Due To NIL Failures
Under normal circumstances, the Kansas State basketball season wasn’t all that bad. The Wildcats finished under .500 for the first time since 2021-22. It was the first losing record during coach Jerome Tang’s tenure. It led to ESPN giving the Wildcats a D grade for the season. But it wasn’t solely because of performance. The […]

Under normal circumstances, the Kansas State basketball season wasn’t all that bad. The Wildcats finished under .500 for the first time since 2021-22. It was the first losing record during coach Jerome Tang’s tenure. It led to ESPN giving the Wildcats a D grade for the season.
But it wasn’t solely because of performance. The Wildcats were among the most scrutinized programs in the country because the amount of money spent in NIL.
“The NIL era has altered the way a team’s potential is analyzed,” the ESPN article read. “The more a team spends, well, the more their fans expect. That’s what happened with Kansas State this past season.”
Big money was spent on transfers Coleman Hawkins, Dug McDaniel and Achor Achor. They were expected to build on the progress made by Tang.
“Coleman Hawkins, a transfer from Illinois, reportedly made $2 million after he picked the Wildcats over a list of other elite programs — and he wasn’t the only highly compensated transfer whom Jerome Tang added,” the ESPN article stated. “But the team missed the mark. Tang and Michigan transfer Dug McDaniel weren’t on the same page, and Samford transfer Achor Achor left the team for personal reasons after playing just seven games.”
Kansas State was among six teams in the Big 12 given D grades, joining Kansas, Arizona State, Utah, Cincinnati and Baylor. Colorado received the only F.
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