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Let me try and understand this, because I’m a little fuzzy after decades of deceit and distrust.  

It now appears that college football is headed toward the implementation of a commissioner, a czar of sorts who will control enforcement and whose rulings will be final.

Unless, of course, you want to head to arbitration.  

A commissioner, or CEO or whatever you want to call him or her, whose office will control oversight of all things NIL and declare what deals are within fair-market range. 

In a free-market economy.

A commissioner who, despite this brand new power and influence given to them by university presidents (see: fox, meet henhouse), will have zero – and when I say zero, I mean zero – control over player movement. 

The most pressing problem for which there is no legal answer, short of players becoming employees and collectively bargaining.

A commissioner who will be paid a boatload of cash to do, in theory, what current NCAA president Charlie Baker should’ve been doing all along — if given the opportunity.

Apparently, a man who ran one of the largest state budgets as governor of Massachusetts needs another multimillion dollar salaried colleague to pull college sports from its self-induced mess.

I have no doubt this, too, will be a resounding success. That’s sarcasm, everyone. 

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Want to blame someone for this never-ending, unwieldy morass? Blame the eggheads at the very top of the food chain. 

The same university presidents that have no business sticking their noses in the business of college sports, but do so, anyway. Why, you ask? 

Because the last thing they need is for athletics to encroach onto academics, for athletics to need financial support from the university. Most university presidents are hired for fundraising first, and everything else second. 

That everything else doesn’t include paying for athletics.

So don’t blame SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, or Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti for the ills of college football. They’re doing what their respective university presidents – their bosses who sign their paychecks – tell them to do. 

The same university presidents who have lost in nearly every single legal case brought against their association of schools.

What’s constantly lost in these inevitable screwups is the NCAA is nothing more than a conglomeration of 300-plus university presidents, each with egos the size of Desmond Watson. These presidents vote each other and their subordinate athletic directors into various committees and subcommittees that eventually decide Boise State will be placed on probation for buying a recruit a bagel.

Or that North Carolina won’t be placed on probation because years of fake classes to keep athletes eligible were – and I still can’t believe I’m writing this – also available to the rest of the student population.

So excuse me if I’m a little hesitant about this latest iteration of change from a group of men and women at the highest level of higher education. The same group that not long ago swore up and down there would never be “second semester” football.

Now the College Football Playoff ends in late January, well into the second semester. And competes for television ratings against the big, bad NFL ― a losing proposition by anyone or anything that has tried.

The same university presidents who not long ago swore up and down that pay for play would never work for any number of reasons, the least of which was Title IX. There’s no way to pay men to play, and then pay women equally, they declared. 

Women, they said, deserve the same opportunities as men. 

Now we’re days away from a U.S. District judge potentially signing off on the House case – another devastating loss for the sharp legal minds at the NCAA – and more than $2 billion in back pay for former student athletes, complete with a future revenue sharing plan that will give nearly 90 percent of a salary pool of $20 million-23 million to football and men’s basketball.

But buddy, you better believe they have it figured out this time. This new commissioner or CEO or czar will solve all problems.

There’s no chance he’ll strike down an NIL deal because it isn’t fair, and the NCAA – or whatever they’ll eventually call the elite football-playing schools – won’t be sued and lose again.

Look, I have no law degree, but I did pay attention in college during ECON 101. The market dictates what services are worth.

Not some doofus plopped into a position by 300-plus university presidents, whose sole purpose is to protect their own asses at all cost. 

Yeah, this new CEO will be a resounding success. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

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The 2025 WNBA season kicked off on Friday, with seemingly more media attention than the NBA as well as more interest from brands. That’s not surprising given the growth in women’s sports in recent years.

In fact, Deloitte projects women’s sports to generate $2.35 billion in 2025, a 25% jump from last year’s record-breaking $1.88 billion, according to Deloitte Global’s report “Beyond the Billion-dollar Barrier: Charting the Next Phase of Growth.” 

Sponsorship deals across major women’s sports properties increased by 12% year over year during their 2024-25 seasons, growing at a rate almost 50% faster than major men’s pro leagues experienced last year, according to SponsorUnited’s Women in Sports Report. (ICYMI: Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin and luggage brand Away recently teamed up with the WNBA’s New York Liberty.)

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the WNBA saw the biggest increase in sponsorship deals, with one of those being Gatorade. The beverage brand boasts five NWSL partnerships with teams, in addition to being a sponsor of the WNBA, which it’s been since the beginning in 1997. 

“Gatorade has long been a champion of women’s sports, from being a founding partner of the WNBA to signing trailblazing athletes like Serena Williams, A’ja Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, and Paige Bueckers,” said a Gatorade spokesperson about the brand’s investment in women’s sports leagues. The brand is active across five women’s professional sports leagues—the Women’s Tennis Association, LPGA, WNBA, NWSL, and Liga MX Femenil, a professional women’s football league in Mexico.

“Our commitment today remains just as strong. We continue to invest in top-tier women’s sports talent and team partnerships, fueling athletes across every level of play and celebrating their impact on and off the field. For us, it’s about showing up consistently and authentically to help move the game forward.” 

While major brands like State Farm, Microsoft, and Michelob Ultra are looking to the big leagues like the WNBA and NWSL, brands like BIC are scoring with up-and-coming sports—a trend noted by Deloitte, which reports that cricket, rugby, and volleyball are attracting investment. 

Earlier this month, BIC Soleil announced its title sponsorship of the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) Championship tournament, which was held at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nev., just outside Las Vegas, May 9-11. This partnership builds on the brand’s presence in women’s sports, following its debut as the Official Razor of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) during its inaugural season last year and continuing this year.

“We see a real connection between the PVF’s passionate fan base and their talented players and the confident, dynamic women who choose BIC Soleil razors,” said Bethridge Toovell, vice president and head of global communications at BIC. “Following along during the PVF’s impressive first season and their clear dedication to uplifting women made the championship sponsorship opportunity a compelling one. It aligns perfectly with our values and our desire to support organizations that empower and enable women to shine.”

As part of the sponsorship, BIC Soleil debuted the “Set a BIC, Score a BIC” commercial, which cleverly riffs on a real volleyball move called a “bic” —a fast, back-row attack designed to surprise opponents. Also, when a “bic” happened during the tournament, viewers at home and attendees at the games were prompted to scan a QR code, leading them to BIC’s Instagram page for a chance to win BIC x PVF merchandise.

There was also on-site Soleil razor sampling during the tournament. Toovell said that the campaign generated over 150,000 organic impressions and an average engagement rate of 3.68%. “With the campaign just running for a few days, this enthusiastic response exceeded expectations, highlighting the exciting momentum and growing support for this emerging league,” she added.

Earlier this month, Soleil brand ambassador and PWHL Toronto Sceptres player Emma Maltais welcomed 20-plus guests to the team’s final home season game. The venue, Coca-Cola Coliseum, was transformed into a floral oasis, where the pinks and golds of the Soleil Glide razor were brought to life. Influencers and media were able to watch the game, engage with Maltais, learn more about the BIC Soleil Glide razor, and capture content.

Guests received custom gift bags filled with Soleil Glide razors, a Tangle Teezer brush, luxe skincare goodies, and an Emma Maltais hockey card. Toovell said that the PWHL “partnership is about more than just shaving. It’s about helping women feel empowered, confident, and ready to shine in all aspects of their lives.” 

“For brands like BIC Soleil, whose very essence is about celebrating women, investing in women’s sports is a powerful and direct way to build lasting connections with their target market,” she added.

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