Sports
Utah Utes react to House


College athletics has been ushered into a never-before-seen era, and the Utah Utes are “all-in” on sharing as much revenue as they can with their student-athletes.
Final approval of the landmark House v. NCAA settlement that came Friday from U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken has opened up a new avenue for schools to directly pay their players moving forward. Starting July 1, institutions can begin sharing up to $20.5 million per academic year with their student-athletes as part of the multi-billion-dollar agreement that’ll also see thousands of former players receive $2.8 billion in back pay and damages from the NCAA and its power conferences over the next decade. These new payments will be made in addition to scholarships and other benefits student-athletes already receive.
Wilken’s long-awaited decision to cut down the NCAA’s amateurism model comes nearly three years after the Utah athletic department organized its Elevate U program to equip student-athletes with the skills needed to capitalize on their NIL value. Utah has been able to increase its investment in its student-athletes through this collective, along with help from the Crimson Collective and the Who Rocks the House Collective.
In a news release from the school’s athletic department, Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan lays out what the future will hold for the Utes as they enter a new world of college sports.
“We are all-in on investing up to the maximum allowable in revenue share, which is approximately $20.5 million for 2025-26, though we are finalizing our plans for how the revenue will be shared,” Harlan said. “We also will add 23 new scholarships with a total value of $1.15 million, implement NIL contracts between the institution and student-athletes, and expand student-athlete endorsement opportunities with businesses and organizations.”
“Through our existing Elevate U program, we have increased our investment with the addition of a Brand Strategy and Governance team dedicated to providing Utah student-athletes comprehensive support as they build their brand, enter into non-exclusive contracts for limited-use rights to their NIL, and profit,” Harlan said.
Needless to say, Harlan has been preparing the Utes’ athletic department for quite some time now. Patrick Nowlin, Utah’s first chief revenue officer, has been tasked with leading the Utes’ revenue-generating initiatives since taking on his new position in October.
Utah has also cut its women’s volleyball program while citing the sport’s “stunted growth” as the reason. Though Harlan didn’t directly mention the House settlement in his statement, it’s reasonable to conclude that there were financial implications tied to the multi-billion-dollar arrangement. Other schools have already axed scholarships and defunded sports that don’t create revenue in preparation for the House settlement’s ripple effect across the country.
Utah student-athletes have earned more than $10 million collectively through charitable NIL activities and have dedicated nearly 7,500 hours to help several organizations achieve their missions and goals with the help of their third-party collectives.
“In recent years, our athletics programs have enjoyed significant and sustained success, and we are committed to building upon that as we compete for championships at both the conference and national level,” Harlan said. “We have a renewed commitment to the culture of excellence that supports our student-athletes for success in the classroom, competition and community.”
MORE UTAH NEWS & ANALYSIS
Sports
T&F Set to Host Penn Select
PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men’s and women’s track & field teams return to the Ott Center on Jan. 10, hosting the Penn Select.
Field events are scheduled to begin at Noon with weight throw, high jump, pole vault, and long jump. Running events will start at 2:00 p.m. with the women’s mile.
PENN SELECT
Saturday, January 10
Jane and David Ott Center for Track and Field | Philadelphia, Pa.
Live Results, Schedule of Events, Watch Live – (ESPN+)
Tickets – $5 Youth (2-12), $10 Adult
Teams Competing
Delaware State, Howard, LaSalle, Lehigh, Morgan State, Penn, Rider, Rutgers, St. Joseph’s, Temple, Townson, and Villanova.
Quaker Notemeal
Jessica Oji made her collegiate debut in shot put at the Penn Opener (Dec. 5), breaking the Ivy League indoor record with a mark of 17.72m (58′ 1.75″).
Adannia Agbo broke the school record in the triple jump recording a distance of 13.05m (42′ 9.75″), rank second in the NCAA.
Jake Rose won six of seven events in the men’s heptathlon scoring 5647 points, setting a school record.
Freshman Joseph “Tiago” Socarras took over the track in the men’s 1000m crossing the finish line first with a school record time of 2:20.39.
Penn closed out the meet with a fifth school record, as the 4x400m relay team of Leo Francis, Nayyir Newash-Campbell, Tiago Socarras, and Ryan Matulonis ran 3:09.78 to claim victory.
NCAA Top 25
2. Jessica Oji, Shot Put – 17.72m
2. Adannia Agbo, Triple Jump – 13.05m
5. Jake Rose, Heptathlon – 5647 pts
16. Matthew Kathiravelu, Triple Jump – 15.06m
22. Keira Beaumont, 60m – 7.44
25. Ryan Matulonis, 60m H – 7.96
25. Raina Pietrzak, Pentathlon – 3560 pts
6. Men’s 4x400m – 3:09.78
17. Women’s 4x400m – 3:45.22
Leading the Ivy League
Keira Beaumont, 60m – 7.44
Tiago Socarras, 1000m – 2:20.39
Ryan Matulonis, 60m H – 7.96
Mark Hellwig, High Jump – 2:06m
Jake Rose, Long Jump – 7.12m
Paris Ivery, Long Jump – 5.96m
Adannia Agbo, Triple Jump – 13.05m
Jessica Oji, Shot Put – 17.72m
Jake Rose, Heptathlon – 5647 pts
Men’s 4x400m – 3:09.78
Women’s 4x400m – 3:45.22
Ivy League Athlete of the Week
Jessica Oji – Dec. 9
Jake Rose – Dec. 9
Upcoming Meets
Jan. 17 – Quaker Invitational (Ott Center)
Jan. 22-24 – Penn 10 Elite (Ott Center)
Jan. 30 – Penn Invitational (Ott Center)
Jan. 30 – 31 – Stan Scott Invitational (Lubbock, Texas)
About the Ott Center
The 73,000-square foot facility on River Fields Drive is connected to the Hollenback Center, adjacent to the Schuylkill River and south of Penn Park. Designed to be filled with natural light, the new building features large, clear story windows which face the Schuylkill River and align with the multi-story windows on the flanks of Hollenback, which was originally the campus powerplant.
The facility is designed to honor Penn’s long tradition of excellence in track and field and will enhance and provide support to the Penn Relays – the oldest and largest track and field event in the country.
The facility contains a banked 200 meter running track designed around specific geometric relationships between the straight and curved track sections to produce optimal conditions for running events, two long jump/triple jump runways, two pole vault runways, an eight-lane infield for sprints, hurdles and high jump, and a throwing area for the shot put and weight throw. With spectator seating of more than 1,000, the Ott Center will be able to host a series of exciting youth, high school and college events for years to come.
Sports
Michigan State Indoor Track & Field Returns to Action at Wolverine Invitational
Date: Saturday, Jan. 10
Location: U-M Indoor Track & Field Building | Ann Arbor, Mich.
Live Results
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State track & field returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Wolverine Invitational.
This is the Spartans’ first meet since the holiday break. Michigan State will have several sprinters along with a group of field athletes in action.
The field events begin at 10:30 a.m., while the running events start at 11 a.m. Tess Roman will start the running action for MSU in the prelims of the 60m hurdles. Roman will also compete in the women’s shot put. Logan Allen and Dylan Terryberry will follow in the prelims of the 60m hurdles at 11:15 a.m. Last time that Allen competed at the GVSU Holiday Open, he set the Michigan State record with a time of 7.77 in the 60m hurdles.Terryberry will also be in action in the high jump.
In the 300m, Elizabeth Anderson and Alexys Wilson will compete for the Spartans in the final running event for the MSU women. In the field events, the Leila Barmore and Gabrielle Jeffries will be in action in the long jump.
On the men’s side, Michigan State will have three athletes in the 60m dash in Cameron Cheetam, Drew Novak and Carter Bissell. The Spartans will have two more men in field events. Adam Blue will contest the pole vault and Andrew Harding in the long jump.
Sports
Five Volleyball Student-Athletes Earn Southland All-Academic Honors
NEW ORLEANS – Five New Orleans Privateers volleyball players earned a spot on the Southland Conference All-Academic Team that was announced by the conference office on Friday afternoon.
Courtney Roundtree, Defne Eciroglu, Vanae Sapp, Alessandra Meoni and Lani Alleman all earned spots on the team.
Roundtree has a 3.33 GPA as a Sociology major with a minor in Psychology. The senior middle blocker played every set this season and accrued 236 kills. For her career, Roundtree finished with 653 kills and 199 total blocks. She had a stretch of eight consecutive matches with 10 or more kills this season.
Eciroglu currently has a 3.87 cumulative GPA after the fall semester as a Chemistry major. The junior setter entered the top 10 in program history in career assists and now has 1,601 assists in her three years on the Lakefront. She had 713 assists and 198 digs for the 2025 campaign.
Sapp finished holds a 4.00 GPA while in a Master’s program for Education. Sapp transferred to the Privateers for her final year in 2025 and finished with 158 kills along with 228 digs. She had a pair of double-doubles against Lamar this season. Sapp also had 10 matches with 10 or more digs on the year.
Meoni is also a graduate transfer with a 4.00 GPA. She is in a Master’s program for Mathematics. Meoni finished the year with a team-high 249 kills and added 128 digs and 49 total blocks. She had five double-doubles on the season and had a 20-kill match against Nicholls and a 25-dig performance against East Texas A&M.
Alleman currently holds a 3.60 GPA as a Psychology major. The junior libero had 151 digs this season. She also finished her career in the top 15 in career digs per set in program history with 2.34. In her three seasons with the Privateers, Alleman finished with 658 digs in 259 career sets played.
These five women are the first Southland volleyball all-academic selections since Kaitlyn Grice in 2018.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Sports
Cross Country Lands Six on Academic All-MAC Team
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Mid-American Conference announced the 2025 Cross Country Academic All-MAC Team on Thursday morning, celebrating the achievements of 117 student-athletes who have excelled both in competition and in the classroom. The Broncos were headlined by six honorees on this year’s list.
The Academic All-MAC distinction honors student-athletes who demonstrate outstanding dedication to both their academic and athletic pursuits. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20 and participate in at least 50% of their team’s competitions during the season.
Ava Kurczewski (3.93, Exercise Science), Lara Machado Pereira (3.76, Biomedical Sciences), Larissa McGrath (3.97, Biomedical Sciences), Lily Overton (3.70, Exercise Science), Lauren Sancrant (3.68, Strategic Communications: Public Relations) and Madison Zarembski (3.98, Elementary Education) were the representatives this season.
Sports
No. 19 George Mason Hosts Catawba College in 2026 Season Opener
WHEN: Saturday, January 10 (5 p.m.)
WHERE: The RAC | Fairfax, Va.
2025 RECORDS: #19 George Mason (16-13, 6-6 EIVA); Catawba College (13-12, 1-2 IVA)
ALL-TIME SERIES: First-ever meeting
LIVE STATS: Click Here
WATCH (ESPN+): Click Here
FAIRFAX, Va. – The No. 19 George Mason Men’s Volleyball team will begin their 2026 campaign this Saturday, January 10, when they host Catawba College at the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC) at 5 p.m. in Fairfax. This will be the Patriots’ first-ever meeting with the Indians and the first time since 2023 the Patriots will start the season with a home opener.
Head coach Jay Hosack, who is entering his 11th season at the helm and recently signed a three-year contract extension with George Mason, said he is looking forward to get the new season underway.
“We are excited to get the 2026 season underway!” said Coach Hosack. “Our guys have worked hard in the preseason, and we are stoked to start the march towards an EIVA title run!”
George Mason ended their 2025 season with a 16-13 overall record and a EIVA Conference record of 6-6. After sweeping Charleston (WV) in the first round of the EIVA tournament, the Patriots’ season came to a close when they lost 3-1 to top-seeded Princeton in the semifinals.
In the offseason, Coach Hosack signed Patriot alum Sam Greenslade (’20) as an assistant coach and added freshmen Brady Ruth of Orlando, Fla., and Alex Venes of Plainfield, Ill.
George Mason is also highly ranked in both conference and national preseason polls. The Patriots are ranked No. 19 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Collegiate MVB Preseason Poll, and they are ranked third in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Preseason Coaches Poll.
Redshirt senior outside hitter Liam French and sophomore middle blocker Alexander Lillie were also selected to the 2026 EIVA Players to Watch list. Last season, French played 72 sets from 24 matches and scored 233 points with 191 kills. The Virginia Beach, Va., native also had 29 service aces, the second-most on the team, as well as a .242 hitting percentage, 57 digs and 22 blocks. French recorded a season-high of four service aces against Charleston (WV) on April 23rd.
Lillie’s freshman campaign was a decorated one, as he was named a three-time EIVA Defensive Player of the Week and was also selected to the EIVA First-Team. The Ronkonkoma, N.Y., product appeared in 82 sets across 24 matches and recorded 30 solo blocks, which was the second-most in the country. In total, his 94 blocks with 1.132 blocks per set was good for ninth-best in the country as well.
The team this season comprise of the following:
SENIORS (4)
JUNIORS (6)
SOPHOMORES (6)
FRESHMEN (2)
SCOUTING CATAWBA COLLEGE
Catawba College will begin their second-ever men’s volleyball season this Saturday in Fairfax. Last season, the Indians finished their inaugural season with an overall record of 13-12 and an Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (IVA) Conference record of 1-2. They entered the IVA Tournament as the four-seed and fell to No. 5 Rockhurst in the first round of the tournament, 3-1, in St. Louis, Mo.
HISTORY WITH THE INDIANS
This will be George Mason’s first-ever meeting with Catawba College.
UP NEXT
After the home opener, the Patriots will travel to Columbus, Ohio, for two matches. They will face host Ohio State on Jan. 15, followed by meeting with Long Beach State the following day (Jan. 16). The Patriots will then return home to host Merrimack on Jan. 24th at 6 pm at the RAC.
Sports
Mizzou Track & Field Preview: Tigers Ready to Pounce in Season Opener
The University of Missouri’s track and field team returns to the recently renovated Hearnes Center indoor track facility for its first home meet of the season, hosting the Alexis Jarrett Invitational in Columbia, Mo., at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10.
First opened in 1972, the Hearnes Center has served as a central home for Missouri’s volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics (until 2026) and track & field. The Fieldhouse originally featured a 200-meter track, sprint straightaway and multiple event runways. Now, it features a 200m, 21m Radius and 12 Degree Banked Mondo Track. Over its history, the center has hosted major competitions including the 1991 Big Eight Indoor Track & Field Championship and continues to be a key site for the team.
Last Year’s Alexis Jarrett Invitational
Last year, the Tigers had their first home meet of the season during this invitational. During this meet, 15 Tigers set personal bests across nine different events. On top of that, 12 different Tigers had event wins such as Sam Innes and Petra Gombas for their throws. Alongside them, Reagan Kimrey had a 13.60m shot put throw and Anna Vedral led the pole-vaulters. Lastly, Rahel Broemmel set a career mark in the 1000m.
The Tigers have 39 women athletes on the roster this season, each competing in their respective events.
The Tigers’ roster features 30 male athletes ready for the 2026 season.
With a deep and stacked roster on both the men’s and women’s sides, the Tigers enter the Alexis Jarrett Invitational ready to open the indoor season strong at home. Veteran leaders and new athletes across all event groups will push for early success this weekend.
“I think that they’re ready to be better versions of themselves in a really short period of time, based on what I’m seeing,” assistant coach TJ Harris said.
To read more about Missouri’s Track & Field team, follow @Rock MNation and @SophBleedsLa on X.com
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