Why The NIL Gold Rush Is Sending Trae Young And Steph Curry Back To School
Amid the NIL gold rush, college sports programs seeking an edge with top talent are reuniting with star alumni—and sending them out on the recruiting trail. Last month, as the NBA regular season was barreling toward its conclusion, Atlanta Hawks guard Terance Mann had more on his mind than his team’s push for a playoff […]
Amid the NIL gold rush, college sports programs seeking an edge with top talent are reuniting with star alumni—and sending them out on the recruiting trail.
Last month, as the NBA regular season was barreling toward its conclusion, Atlanta Hawks guard Terance Mann had more on his mind than his team’s push for a playoff spot. The basketball program at his alma mater, Florida State University, had won only 17 games and failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament, and Mann wanted to help. So he chipped in with recruiting, connecting the team with guard Martin Somerville—a transfer prospect from the University of Massachusetts whom he knew from off-season workouts—and eventually steering Somerville to Tallahassee.
“Martin Somerville is going to play a lot for us next year,” says Luke Loucks, who was hired as Florida State’s coach in March. “Without Terance, we had no shot at getting him, and we beat out some really big schools that were willing to pay way more in NIL to get him.”
In the four years since the NCAA begrudgingly began to allow its athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, big-time college sports have quickly become a bidding war for top players. In addition to the branded social media posts and local television commercials that rulesmakers might have envisioned when they opened the doors to commercial deals for athletes on campus, boosters have pooled their resources and formed collectives to funnel money to recruits—nominally for marketing services but in practice often a thinly veiled form of pay-for-play.
Three antitrust lawsuits—House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA—are currently awaiting court approval for a settlement that would inject even more money into the system, enabling universities to directly pay athletes a share of their media, ticket and sponsorship revenue and effectively ending college sports’ commitment to amateurism. For example, according to the Houston Chronicle, the University of Texas plans to spend $35 million to $40 million on its football roster next season between its NIL payouts and the revenue-sharing payments, which are expected to be capped initially at $20.5 million. Already, however, programs’ price tags are eye-popping. Last July, Ohio State’s athletic director told the Columbus Dispatch that the school’s football players had received roughly $20 million in NIL deals over the previous year through a variety of third parties.
College Reunion: Stephen Curry played under Bob McKillop at Davidson from 2006 to 2009. Now, the Golden State Warriors star is helping his old team recruit new players.
chris seward/getty images, carlos avila gonzalez/getty images
Naturally, not every university has the wherewithal to keep up, and even the ones that do are fighting for a competitive edge. A handful of institutions believe they have found an answer that goes beyond dollars and cents—all-star alumni like Mann, a six-year NBA veteran who played for the Seminoles from 2015 to 2019.
In April, Mann officially rejoined Florida State as assistant general manager of the men’s basketball program. He will not be an FSU employee or be paid for his role, but he will be expected to play a part in player development as well as recruiting.
“It’s a great idea,” says Mann, 28. “As long as the landscape stays this way, colleges should find somebody that will help them recruit, raise money and be an ambassador all in one, and I think eventually we’re going to see most of them doing it.”
A month before Mann started his new side hustle, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry paved the way by becoming the assistant general manager for the men’s and women’s basketball teams at his alma mater, Davidson College—billed as the first time an active athlete from a major North American sports league had accepted an administrative role with an NCAA program. Three weeks later, Trae Young, Mann’s teammate on the NBA’s Hawks, went back to the University of Oklahoma in a similar role, and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby followed in April by taking a position with Eastern Michigan University’s football program. (And this doesn’t even include former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who became Stanford football’s general manager in November, five years after retiring from the NFL.)
It’s hardly the first time schools have leaned on famous alumni for a boost. Former players of Duke University’s basketball program routinely show up to games at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Loucks notes, and the Blue Devils’ “Brotherhood” has long been a selling point to prospective recruits. But the new trend is a more formal relationship, and it comes with one additional advantage: Official members of a program can contact recruits, whereas alumni and boosters are generally prohibited under NCAA bylaws from calling them directly and are limited to certain types of interaction on campus.
The reinforcements give colleges a new tool to build—and preserve—their rosters in an era complicated by not only NIL money but also laxer transfer rules, which allow athletes to seek better compensation from rival schools without having to sit out seasons if they switch programs. The offers can be enticing: According to NIL deal marketplace Opendorse, the top 100 earners in men’s college sports bring in more than $1 million on average, and the corresponding figure for women’s athletes is around $250,000. There is even big money to be found in smaller sports, such as softball, which saw ace pitcher NiJaree Canady jump from Stanford to Texas Tech last year with a guarantee of more than $1 million for a single year’s commitment.
Across NCAA Division I men’s basketball, more than 2,500 players entered the transfer portal in 2025, according to college basketball recruitment website VerbalCommits.com, nearly triple the 957 that did so in 2019, a year after the new transfer system was introduced.
“Because players can leave and go to other schools, how do you keep them happy?” says Mark Conrad, director of the sports business program at Fordham University. “You can’t sign them to long-term contracts, yet you want them to stay.”
One strategy might be to keep around a professional athlete like Young, a four-time NBA All-Star who was the league’s fifth overall draft pick in 2018. He could help Oklahoma identify talent, mentor young players and balance the egos that come with uneven compensation in a locker room, Conrad contends. Young could also assist with creating a culture of retaining athletes—even if that might be a bit ironic for a player who spent a single season in college, in 2017-18, before turning pro.
Lesson Plan: Terance Mann, who played at Florida State from 2015 to 2019, will be hands-on in his new role with the Seminoles, saying, “I don’t think it’s just an ambassador thing where we show up, smile, shake hands and post on our social medias about it.”
Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
Young says college sports’ emerging obstacles are exactly what drew him back to his alma mater. After Oklahoma lost its first-round NCAA tournament matchup against the University of Connecticut this year, he was moved when he heard Sooners coach Porter Moser say that winning in April and May—a key time for transfers and recruiting in college basketball—translates to winning in March Madness.
“It hit home,” Young says. “I definitely am always rooting for my school.”
Since leaving college life in Norman, Young has maintained close ties with the university and says he spent years talking with athletic director Joe Castiglione about how he could get involved. The idea to step in as an assistant general manager materialized shortly before the school made the announcement in March. (Mann says that when Young struck his deal, a “light bulb went off” for him, too, and he got a call from Loucks the same day.)
Young, whose Hawks ended up losing their two play-in games and missing the NBA playoffs, has already begun talking to athletic department donors as well as recruits and transfers, although he declined to name anyone. His most impactful move thus far, however, was a $1 million commitment he made to Oklahoma as part of his deal to join the program. Castiglione did not offer specifics on how the money would be deployed but says it will be used in “areas that help the basketball program,” which could include NIL funding. (Oklahoma also declined to reveal the amount of NIL money its athletes receive.)
Young hasn’t ruled out making additional donations in the future—and he could certainly afford to. In addition to his $43 million NBA playing salary this season, Forbes estimates he earned $3 million off the court over the past 12 months from endorsements, appearances, licensing income and other business endeavors. Mann, meanwhile, collected more than $12 million in total earnings (before taxes and agent fees) and made an undisclosed donation to Florida State. And Curry—who pulled in an estimated $156 million over the past 12 months, ranking second among the world’s highest-paid athletes—is contributing to a new eight-figure fund for Davidson athletes.
It remains to be seen exactly how much time these celebrities will dedicate to their schools since none are planning to give up their day jobs anytime soon. Young, who just finished building a house in Norman, says there will be weeks or months when he’s more involved and others when he’s less engaged, depending on the ebbs and flows of the NBA season. The same goes for Mann, who plans to make a few trips to Tallahassee this summer and has already joined the Florida State coaches’ group chat.
“I don’t think it’s just an ambassador thing where we show up, smile, shake hands and post on our social medias about it,” Mann says. “I think me and [Young] are very much involved in our colleges, and we are hands-on. We both don’t want to see anything on our name not be good. We’re both competitors.”
Young is also thinking in competitive terms.
“I need myself a ring,” he says. “I only had one chance at it, and I didn’t do really well in my tournament experience—we lost in the first round.
“You need four, five, six, seven guys that can win you a championship, so I’m going to go get them and bring me and this university our first championship.”
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Although we could’ve submitted a USC prediction for coveted four-star New Jersey Edge Luke Wafle on Sunday (June 15) morning when his USC official visit concluded, it was in our best interest not to. About 24 hours before his scheduled announcement, it appeared that decision would work out in our favor. Less than 12 hours later, the […]
Although we could’ve submitted a USC prediction for coveted four-star New Jersey Edge Luke Wafle on Sunday (June 15) morning when his USC official visit concluded, it was in our best interest not to.
About 24 hours before his scheduled announcement, it appeared that decision would work out in our favor. Less than 12 hours later, the tide had changed in favor of the Trojans again. USC was battling Ohio State, Penn State and Texas, but the fight for the highly coveted Hun School athlete was really down to the Trojans vs the Buckeyes.
Ohio State upped its NIL offer to become more competitive and keep the blue-chipper close to home. Wafle even informed USC that he was opting to stay closer to home. That phone call came early on Wednesday morning.
By early Wednesday evening, USC’s relentless pursuit appeared to pay off. We learned USC was back in the pole position after multiple sources confirmed. On Monday morning the update was, “It’s done.” Obviously USC won the battle with Wafle announcing for the Trojans at 2pm ET on the On3 Recruiting YouTube channel.
USC, Luke Wafle and a three-year NIL deal
With high profile recruits and battles between schools and NIL collectives, speculation on how lucrative the NIL opportunity was gets hot. By Thursday afternoon, fans from multiple schools were speculating on what Wafle’s deal might be.
On3 offered their take on Thursday.
“The Trojans were tracking for Wafle’s commitment coming out of last weekend’s official visit to Los Angeles. Ohio State upped its NIL package and began to trend Wednesday morning. USC then made a counter-offer to that and ultimately got the pledge locked in. We’re hearing Wafle’s package is between 2.2 and 2.6 million dollars over two years.”
What we’re told at WeAreSC from a very trusted source, is while Wafle’s NIL deal with USC is an extremely strong opportunity, it’s not a two-year deal. At the last minute USC changed it to a three-year deal.
Summary of events with USC and Wafle June 15-19
Here’s a brief summary of events with Wafle starting on Sunday morning.
On Sunday morning (June 15) I checked in on the status or vibe with Luke Wafle. At that time I was told by a source he would likely commit to USC on Monday. I posted we expected some huge news by the end of the week. Even though I was told it would be Monday, I know how this stuff works sometimes, so I said “later this week.”
Obviously it didn’t happen on Monday and a few days passed. I checked in again Wednesday afternoon and was told “Thursday.” That’s what prompted a “Still Happening” thread on our message board at WeAreSC.
Then on Wednesday morning we learned with an assist from Steve Wiltfong, that it looked like Ohio State would get Wafle. I checked myself and was told USC was out….at least at that time.
Not long after that, we’ve learned from Steve and USC sources that were definitely still in the battle. I was getting ready to watch Jonas Williams at the Elite 11 Finals, but checked in again last night it still looked good for the Trojans.
On Thursday morning we submitted a USC prediction for Wafle and USC has an 87% chance of getting him per the On3 RPM.
The trend of USC getting dunked on with NIL sort of ended with Jahkeem Stewart in December, but USC getting Wafle as predicted, it’s kind of an exclamation point on where things currently stand with the USC football program.
2026 USC Commits (No. 1 Ranking)
USC’s No. 1 ranked 2026 recruiting class currently has 30 committed players from the 2026 recruiting class in Luke Wafle, Talanoa Ili, Peyton Dyer, Mark Bowman, Shaun Scott, Luc Weaver, Keenyi Pepe, Elbert Hill, Roderick Tezeno, Kannon Smith, Vlad Dyakonov, Deshonne Redeaux, Jake Johnson, TomTom Topui, Malik Brooks, Chase Deniz, Jaimeon Winfield, John Fifita, Esun Tafa, Trent Mosely, Simote Katonaga, Jonas Williams, Brandon Lockhart, Braeden Jones, Madden Riordan, Joshua Holland, Shahn Alston, Andrew Williams and Ja’Myron “Tron” Baker.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech softball announced the signing of 2025 NFCA First Team All-American catcher Jasmyn Burns on Friday. Burns joins the Red Raiders after two seasons at Ohio State. This past season, Burns slashed .455/1.006/.540 this past season with 25 home runs and 72 RBI on her way to being named an NFCA […]
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech softball announced the signing of 2025 NFCA First Team All-American catcher Jasmyn Burns on Friday. Burns joins the Red Raiders after two seasons at Ohio State.
This past season, Burns slashed .455/1.006/.540 this past season with 25 home runs and 72 RBI on her way to being named an NFCA First Team All-American, NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team member and All-Big Ten First Team member. Burns was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshmen Team and the NFCA All-Midwest Region Third Team in her freshman year.
This past season the rising junior ranked t-5th in home runs (25), t-5th in slugging percentage (1.006), 5th in total bases (166), t-8th in batting average (.455) and t-14th in RBI (72). Her 25 home runs was not only a program record, but a Big Ten single-season record.
A native of Menifee, California, Burns was the 26th best player in the country by D1Softball and the No. 6 ranked player in the portal according to Softball America.
Wisconsin sues Miami, alleging tampering in football player’s NIL deal | Sports
MADISON (WKOW) — UW-Madison is taking legal action after a football player with star potential left the Badgers to play at the University of Miami over the winter. The case could have major implications for how the NCAA handles NIL deals and player transfers. UW-Madison and VC Connect LLC have filed a lawsuit against the University […]
MADISON (WKOW) — UW-Madison is taking legal action after a football player with star potential left the Badgers to play at the University of Miami over the winter. The case could have major implications for how the NCAA handles NIL deals and player transfers.
UW-Madison and VC Connect LLC have filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami, alleging the Hurricanes wrongfully interfered with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) contracts. The complaint, filed on Friday, claims Miami induced Xavier Lucas to break his agreements and transfer.
Lucas had signed lucrative NIL contracts with UW-Madison and VC Connect for the 2025 season. However, Miami allegedly tampered with these agreements, causing him to leave Madison and enroll at Miami, violating NCAA anti-tampering rules.
The up and coming cornerback entered the transfer portal in December 2024. He was coming off a freshman season where he played 11 games, recording 18 tackles and grabbing an interception.
Lucas was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. He was born in Pompano Beach, Florida, about an hour north of Miami.
The complaint outlines how Miami’s actions resulted in significant financial and reputational harm to the plaintiffs. It also highlights the broader implications for college athletics, emphasizing the need to protect contractual commitments amid the evolving NIL landscape.
Miami’s conduct reportedly included contacting Lucas and offering more lucrative financial terms, despite the player’s existing commitments. UW-Madison and VC Connect seek damages and a declaration that Miami’s actions constituted tampering.
The University of Miami has not yet responded to the allegations.
Wisconsin files lawsuit against Miami, alleging tampering led to Xavier Lucas’ transfer
The University of Wisconsin and its name, image and likeness collective sued the University of Miami on Friday, alleging it interfered with what it said were binding NIL revenue-sharing contracts with former cornerback Xavier Lucas. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Dane County (Wis.) Circuit Court, alleges Miami made “impermissible contacts with (Lucas) and his representatives […]
The University of Wisconsin and its name, image and likeness collective sued the University of Miami on Friday, alleging it interfered with what it said were binding NIL revenue-sharing contracts with former cornerback Xavier Lucas.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Dane County (Wis.) Circuit Court, alleges Miami made “impermissible contacts with (Lucas) and his representatives this past December and January, leading to Lucas’ withdrawal from Wisconsin and enrollment at Miami.
“As a result of Miami’s actions, (Lucas) abruptly left UW-Madison’s football program and enrolled at Miami, causing plaintiffs to suffer substantial pecuniary and reputational harm,” the lawsuit states. The lawsuit, which Yahoo Sports first reported on, does not name Lucas but refers to him as “Student-Athlete A.”
The suit adds another layer to the power struggle between schools, conferences and athletes, as athletes sign NIL deals but abandon those contracts to enter the transfer portal.
The House v. NCAA settlement, which will allow schools to directly compensate athletes through revenue sharing for the first time, was approved June 6. For months, schools have signed players to revenue-sharing deals contingent on the settlement’s approval, with the intention it would eliminate tampering and slow player movement. The two-year revenue-share agreement Lucas signed shortly after the end of his freshman season in Madison was set to begin July 1, the first day schools can begin directly compensating athletes.
In January, Wisconsin released a statement accusing Miami of tampering, citing “credible information” and threatening to pursue legal action. The Big Ten backed Wisconsin in a statement Friday.
“As alleged, the University of Miami knowingly ignored contractual obligations and disregarded the principle of competitive equity that is fundamental to collegiate athletics,” the Big Ten said. “The Big Ten Conference believes that the University of Miami’s actions are irreconcilable with a sustainable college sports framework and is supportive of UW-Madison’s efforts to preserve it.”
A Miami representative declined to comment on the report of Friday’s lawsuit because the school had not been served papers yet.
Wisconsin is seeking unspecified damages in the lawsuit, as well as “a declaration that Miami’s conduct directed towards (Lucas) constituted tampering.”
Lucas unenrolled from Wisconsin after school officials denied multiple requests from him and his attorney, Darren Heitner, to place his name in the transfer portal during the 20-day winter window (Dec. 9-28). Wisconsin maintains it told Lucas and his mother it would not put his name into the portal because of the two-year NIL contract he signed in December.
In the lawsuit filed Friday, Wisconsin alleges Miami’s “wrongful conduct” led to Lucas’ reaching out to a Wisconsin assistant coach on the evening of Dec. 17 — two days after returning home to South Florida for winter break — and asking to be placed in the transfer portal.
A day later, Lucas “offered a personal, family-related reason for wanting to enter the transfer portal” in a text message. Three days later, however, a relative of Lucas’ contacted a Wisconsin coach and provided information “inconsistent with his family-related rationale for seeking to transfer,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit alleges Lucas told his position coach before heading home for winter break that he had been contacted by other schools to enter the portal but “reaffirmed that he was committed to UW-Madison.”
Wisconsin said it obtained information indicating that Miami had impermissible contact with Lucas and his representatives on multiple occasions in December and January, including sending a coach and “prominent Miami alumnus” to Lucas’ South Florida home; and offering him a “more lucrative” compensation package than the one Wisconsin was paying him.
Lucas enrolled in classes at Miami in January and participated in the Hurricanes’ spring football practice in March and April. The sophomore, who had 18 tackles as a freshman, is expected to be one of Miami’s best defensive players this fall.
The NCAA said in January that its rules “could not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately.” Wisconsin, though, was not punished for keeping Lucas’ name out of the portal.
“Enforcement is shaky — schools can block portal entry, even if it is against NCAA rules, as seen with Lucas,” Heitner told The Athletic earlier this month. “Wisconsin appears to have escaped punishment, at least for the time being, despite the clear rules violation.”
Wisconsin’s lawsuit also alleges Miami’s conduct toward Lucas was not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of Miami’s tampering with student-athletes.
“Now more than ever, it is imperative to protect the integrity and fundamental fairness of the game, including in connection with NIL contracts,” the lawsuit states. “Indeed, student-athletes’ newfound NIL rights will be rendered meaningless if third parties are allowed to induce student-athletes to abandon their contractual commitments.”
— The Athletic’s Chris Vannini contributed to this report.
WVU on Verge of Naming Rights Deals for Athletic Venues
In an effort to compete in the new landscape of college athletics, WVU is going to have to do everything possible to generate extra revenue. And while WVU director of athletics Wren Baker has continuously stressed West Virginia will be in position to compete nationally in this era, there’s still a way to take the […]
In an effort to compete in the new landscape of college athletics, WVU is going to have to do everything possible to generate extra revenue.
And while WVU director of athletics Wren Baker has continuously stressed West Virginia will be in position to compete nationally in this era, there’s still a way to take the athletic department’s finances to another level.
Baker admitted during a recent appearance on the “3 Guys Before the Game” podcast that WVU is shopping the naming rights to both Milan Puskar Stadium and the WVU Coliseum.
“We’re down the path on one naming rights opportunity that’s significant, a seven-figure opportunity,” Baker said. “To be named soon, but we’re shopping both of those. One of those is close. And we’re shopping other things as well.”
“I think with Mountaineer Field, we would probably try to encourage somebody to leave Mountaineer in there, so Three Guys Mountaineer Field, something like that. I know that West Virginians get endeared to tradition, but I’ll tell you something else that I have found that West Virginians are pretty endeared to is winning. If it pencils at an amount that makes sense for us to do, we have to look at it even if it slightly adjusts some of the things on tradition.”
There is no reason why WVU shouldn’t sell the naming rights to anything, most notably a stadium or arena, and yes, that includes the beloved WVU Coliseum. The fact Wren Baker is shopping the rights shouldn’t even be news to anyone who has been paying attention.
LSU goes for 2nd national title in 3 years as it opens CWS finals against streaking Coastal Carolina
Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — LSU and Coastal Carolina have met only two times previously as they enter the College World Series finals Saturday night. Those games back in 2016 have not been forgotten. Coastal Carolina swept the Tigers on their home field in super regionals on the way to their first national championship. […]
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — LSU and Coastal Carolina have met only two times previously as they enter the College World Series finals Saturday night. Those games back in 2016 have not been forgotten.
Coastal Carolina swept the Tigers on their home field in super regionals on the way to their first national championship. The Chanticleers’ opponent in the CWS finals that year was Arizona. Jay Johnson, now at LSU, was Arizona’s coach.
Tigers outfielder Jake Brown was 11 years old and living in Sulphur, Louisiana, at the time, and he recalled Friday how the players on that LSU team were superheroes to him.
“A little bit of heartbreak,” he said Friday. “That was a great team, a team I think could have made a good run in the championship. Obviously, things didn’t go our way that time. Looking forward to turning it around and making something good happen for us this time.”
LSU (51-15) will be playing for its eighth national championship and second in three years. Coastal Carolina (56-11), which brings a 26-game win streak into the best-of-three series, is going for its second title in its second all-time CWS appearance.
“That would put Coastal Carolina baseball on a different planet,” Chanticleers coach Kevin Schnall said.
Cameron Flukey (8-1), who pitched four innings of relief against Arizona on June 13, will start for Coastal Carolina. Johnson has not named his starter. Ace Kade Anderson (11-1), who limited Arkansas to three hits and struck out seven in seven innings on June 14, is available.
The Tigers and Chanticleers each went 3-0 in bracket play. LSU had to beat SEC rival Arkansas twice, winning the bracket final 6-5 in walk-off fashion after a wild three-run ninth inning.
LSU’s Brown is 4 for 6 with four RBIs in three CWS games and Jared Jones is 5 for 9 with two homers and six RBIs in the last two games after striking out five times in the opener against Arkansas. Tigers pitchers have walked just four in 27 innings.
“I think if you’re at this point in the NCAA tournament, you’ve been battle-tested,” Johnson said. “I don’t believe there’s anything we have not seen. … I feel like we’re well-trained and well-prepared for, in my opinion, probably the best team that we’ve played this year in Coastal.”
The Chanticleers are yet to hit a home run at Charles Schwab Field. Colby Thorndyke has two bases-clearing doubles and is 5 for 12 with eight RBIs. Dean Mihos is 5 for 12 with a double and triple. Their pitchers have walked four in 25 innings.
Johnson, in his fourth year at LSU after six at Arizona, said his heart still aches for his 2016 Wildcats team. Arizona erased a 4-0 deficit against the Chanticleers in the third and final game of the CWS finals and stranded a runner at third base in the bottom of the ninth inning.
“We were one base hit away,” Johnson said, “and it took a couple of years to get past that. I think what I do remember about all of that is it has really helped me the next three times that we’ve been here in terms of knowing how to prepare for this.”
Scoring first is key
Fast starts are a distinguishing feature of Coastal Carolina’s offense. The Chanticleers have outscored their three CWS opponents by a combined 11-0 in the first inning and are a Division I-best 37-2 when they score first. LSU is 32-7 when it opens the scoring.
5 is magic number
LSU has won 16 straight CWS games when scoring at least five runs since losing 9-5 to Miami in 2004.
High expectations
Coastal Carolina’s Schnall makes it a point to remind the media that the Chanticleers are a national power, but that doesn’t mean in February he expected the 2025 team to play for a national championship.
“We were picked fourth in the Sun Belt,” he said. “No problem. We’ll move forward, keep our head down and keep grinding. That’s what this team did. But we clearly felt like this pitching staff was going to be the best pitching staff we ever had.”
The Chanticleers were 19-8 on March 29 and are 37-3 since.
Hit by pitch leaders
Coastal Carolina leads the country with a program record 176 hit-by-pitches this season, breaking UC Irvine’s single season-record 175 in 2024. The Chanticleers have been plunked six times in three CWS games.
“They don’t eat if they get out of the way,” Schnall said, drawing laughs. “No, it’s just something that our guys have bought into. Our guys are obsessed with getting on base. They understand the way you score runs is having guys on base. And any way you can get on base helps our team win.”
Line of the day
LSU’s Brown drew laughs at Friday’s news conference when he explained the straightforward and simple way Johnson prepares him and his teammates to play.
“We came here to play baseball,” he said. “We’re not really scholars.”
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
