North Carolina‘s football program has undergone a massive roster overhaul in the last five months. A total of 51 players left UNC to enter the college football transfer portal this offseason, the most transfer departures of any ACC team and the most for the Tar Heels in the portal era. General manager Michael Lombardi told ACC Network’s Mark Packer on Monday that multiple players have backed out of signed NIL deals since he and Bill Belichick arrived on campus in December, citing the “loosely written” language of the contracts as a contributing factor.

“The most disappointing thing about the college game that I’ve experienced is that the players don’t view the contracts as binding,” Lombardi said. “I come from a league where the contracts are binding. We’ve had four or five players we signed in in December, before we got here, that have left already without any hesitation. They’re free to do that because the contracts are loosely written based on NIL. We, as a league, the NCAA, and all these conferences have to make players honor a contract when they put their John Hancock on it. Just like I have to honor my contract. That’s part of life. That’s the only disappointing thing.”

Two of UNC’s biggest transfer portal departures came in recent weeks as last season’s sack leader Beau Atkinson and top returning linebacker Amare Campbell entered the transfer portal. Atkinson landed at Ohio State, while Campbell visited SMU and Penn State ahead of his decision. 

Lombardi and Belichick have assembled an impressive transfer portal class. The Tar Heels’ 34-man portal class ranks No. 9 in the nation and No. 3 in the ACC behind Miami (No. 3) and Florida State (No. 6). Only three Power Four schools have larger commitment lists than UNC: West Virginia (51), Purdue (50) and Oklahoma State (38). There’s been a noticeable emphasis on size with UNC’s portal additions. Ten of the Tar Heels’ transfers are 6-foot-5 or taller and nine are 300+ pounds.  

“I’ve got to make this team look like a Southeast Conference team,” Lombardi said. “We need a roster conducive to building a big, fast, physical football team. A roster that can play in any kind of weather, has mental and physical toughness and can control the middle of the field. You cannot be a great executive in football without studying the past history of football. Why did Clemson win a national championship? Why was Florida State good in the ACC? What made Miami good? It’s because they’ve been so damn good along the offensive and defensive lines. They’re physical, and they’re big up front. They have 6-foot-5 defensive linemen, not 6-foot-1. The first thing I noticed on this roster is that we have to get bigger, more physical and stronger. We’ve added an (NFL) weight program. We’ve added 450 pounds of muscle and lost 125 pounds of fat within the team that we have since January. We’re making progress.”

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech softball is set for the Conference USA tournament after ending the regular season at 30-23 (15-12 CUSA). The Bulldogs enter this week’s tournament as the No. 4 seed and will open with New Mexico State on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. for their first-round matchup.
 
The six-team tournament is a double elimination event, with the top two seeds earning first-round byes. Liberty is the No. 1 seed, followed by WKU (No. 2), Jax State (No. 3), LA Tech (No. 4), New Mexico State (No. 5) and SHSU (No. 6).
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Date: May 7-10
Time: Wednesday – 2:30 p.m. vs. No. 5 New Mexico State
Location: WKU Softball Complex (Bowling Green, Ky.)
Watch: ESPN+
CUSA Tournament History: 11-12
 
CUSA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
 
This will be LA Tech’s 10^th appearance in the CUSA Tournament. The Bulldogs have made every tournament since joining the league except for 2014. LA Tech is 11-12 in CUSA tournament games after going 1-2 in last year’s CUSA tournament. LA Tech has won two CUSA Tournament Championships (2017, 2019). The Bulldogs went 4-1 in the 2017 tournament and defeated FIU 1-0 in the Championship game. The 2019 tournament saw the Bulldogs go 3-0 with a 3-1 win over Marshall in the Championship game.  
 
ABOUT LA TECH
 
LA Tech concluded its regular 53-game season at 30-23 (15-12 CUSA). The Bulldogs went 1-2 this past weekend in Huntsville, winning the middle game of the series 5-4 in eight innings.
 
The win marked number 30 for the Bulldogs, giving head coach Josh Taylor 30+ wins in each of his first four seasons at the helm. It also marked the 27^th time in program history that the Bulldogs have finished with 30+ wins.
 
The Bulldogs had three players finish with 50+ hits in the regular season, and five players with a .300 average or better. Alexis Gilio leads the team with 55 hits, followed by Elena Heng (54), and Nicole Hammoude (53). Claire Raley (49) and Reagan Marchant (47) were the only other two Bulldogs to finish with 45+ hits. Hammoude’s .353 batting average leads the team, followed by Marchant (.322), and Gilio (.318).
 
Three LA Tech player’s drove in 30+ runs, with two driving in 45+. Marchant leads the team with 49 RBI, followed by Hammoude (42), and Raley (33). The Bulldogs launched 36 home runs this season, with 17 of them coming off the bat of Marchant. Hammoude finished second with eight long balls, followed by Raley who hit six. Marchant hit her 17^th home run this past weekend against SHSU to tie the program’s single season home record. The redshirt sophomore just needs one more to set a new mark.
 
Allie Floyd finished the season 21-13 after earning a win and taking a loss against SHSU. The right-hander led CUSA in wins (21), complete games (17), innings pitched (195.1), and strikeouts (177). She recorded three shutouts and was the only pitcher in the league to record more than 145 strikeouts. She became the program’s all-time single season record holder with 13 CUSA wins this season, while she became the 18^th Bulldog to record 20+ wins in a single season.
 
Laney Johnson finished with a 5-4 record in the circle during the regular season. The true freshman was second on the team in wins, innings pitched (69.1) and finished tied for second with 21 strikeouts.
 
Alyssa Martin and Mattison Buster both earned two wins this season. Martin had a career day in the season finale against SHSU as she carried a perfect game into the bottom of the seventh inning. The former walk-on registered a career-high 6.0 innings, while allowing one run and one hit.
 
ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE
 
The Aggies enter this week’s tournament as the No. 5 seed after recording a 27-25 (14-13 CUSA) mark.
 
New Mexico State had two players finish with 50+ hits in Kristiana Watson (60) and Desirae Spearman (53). Watson led the team with 47 RBI, followed by Spearman with 44. Spearman led the team with 19 home runs while Watson blasted 15.
 
The Aggies are batting .299 as a team with 67 total home runs this season. Opponents are batting .297 against the NMSU pitching staff, which carries a 4.46 team ERA.
 
In the circle, Faith Aragon led the team with 12 wins, followed by Spearman with 11. Aragon tossed a team-high 122.1 innings, followed by Spearman’s 108.0. Spearman led the staff with 112 strikeouts while Aragon fanned 83.
 
The Bulldogs went 1-2 against the Aggies when they made a visit to Ruston during the regular season (Mar. 7-9). NMSU won the opener 5-0, while defeating the Bulldogs 3-1 on Saturday. LA Tech defeated NMSU 10-4 in the series finale. Floyd earned the win in the circle after allowing four runs on 11 hits with seven strikeouts. Heng collected three hits, while Raley had two base knocks in the win. Addison Snyder drove in three runs followed by Hammoude with two.
 
SUPPORT LA TECH ATHLETICS
Championships require championship resources.  Fans can make a direct impact on the success of LA Tech Athletics through LTAC, Aillet Society, T-Club, and Young Alumni program as well as the Bulldog Community Outreach which is the NIL collective that supports Bulldog and Lady Techster student-athletes.  Visit BuildTheLegacy.com today.  
 
BARK LOUDER
Our mission is to engage, develop, and advance the Louisiana Tech Athletics brand.  You can do that by spending time consuming our content and by investing your talents.  By barking louder with your time and talent, you can affect progress and brand advancement in a meaningful way.  Visit LATechSports.com/BarkLouder today.  You bark.  We bark.  Louder together.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Softball, follow us on X (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LouisianaTechSoftball).
 

Attorney: Saban should stay on the sideline

When someone is jealous of you, that’s usually a great sign. Thus, the recent tantrum that Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti has thrown over his program’s inability to keep pace with Texas Tech and other programs in the NIL game is certainly satisfying for folks in scarlet and black.

When the college football transfer portal opened up last month, Cignetti went on record to complain about the massive amount of money that is being spent in the college game. In fact, it sounds as if he’s already making excuses for his program’s inevitable return to irrelevance.

“This is an unprecedented couple days, weeks, where everybody’s waiting on this rev share, and the five or six out there that have unlimited NIL resources, it’s kind of scary for everybody else,” Cignetti told John Talty of CBS Sports. “I think our little pot of gold is pretty nice, but we’re not at $40 million. Or $30 million. Or even $25 million.”

Of course, last season, Cignetti took the college football world by storm. He guided the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. By taking one of the worst programs in the nation to heights it has never experienced, he earned Associated Press Coach of the Year recognition.

Cignetti accomplished that in his first season in Bloomington after coming over from James Madison. Using a number of transfers himself, many of whom played at smaller schools, he performed a near miracle with the Hoosiers in 2024.

However, it appears that Cignetti isn’t confident in his ability to keep his program in the playoff picture. In fact, he’s already started to make excuses by pointing out how much money that other programs are spending on their rosters.

One of the schools in Cignetti’s crosshairs is Texas Tech. In fact, Cignetti went so far as to name all of the schools that he believes have an unfair financial advantage.

“I mean if you want to be the best, you got to be able to compete against the best,” Cignetti said. “Right now I understand that is Oregon, Ohio State, Texas. … Texas Tech because of their oil money. I think Notre Dame’s up there pretty good right now, too. Miami, of course.

“Those people are kind of playing their own game, but you’ve got to be in that next tier. There are enough good ones out there. You’ve got to be able to retain your good ones and then go get what you need.” 

You’ll have to excuse Texas Tech fans if we don’t feel sympathy for Cignetti and the Hoosiers, or any other program that doesn’t try to participate in the NIL game at the top levels.

It isn’t as if the only schools allowed to hand out big NIL deals are the richest schools in the country. Rather, every university is operating under the same constraints (or lack thereof).

Thus, the schools that have the most motivated and committed donors are the ones who have the best opportunity to succeed. If Cignetti can’t get his donor base as motivated as Joey McGuire has been able to get his, then that is Cignetti’s fault.

After all, it isn’t as if Indiana doesn’t have its own group of massively wealthy alums. In fact, IU grad Mark Cuban is worth an estimated $6 billion. We already know that he’s a massive sports fan, given that he has owned the Dallas Mavericks, so it shouldn’t be too hard for Cignetti to convince Cuban to help with his school’s NIL efforts.

If Cuban doesn’t want to support his school’s football program in the same way that Cody Campbell is supporting Texas Tech’s, then Cignetti should be angry with Cuban (or his other wealthy potential IU donors) rather than throwing shade at Texas Tech and other schools that are excelling in the NIL game.

The system isn’t rigged against Cignetti’s Indiana program or any other university that can’t afford to keep pace. What’s more, we’ve already seen Cignetti have success with a roster that wasn’t one of the most expensive in the nation.

So why is he throwing a fit? It seems that he is already laying the foundation of excuses in case his program takes a step backward in 2025.

That seems possible given that 2024’s success was due in large part to a favorable schedule that saw the Hoosiers play only two ranked teams. Of course, the Hoosiers lost both of those games by double figures, suggesting to many that they weren’t as good as their record indicated.

This fall, IU has to play a much more difficult schedule with games against Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, and Penn State in Big Ten play. Thus, Cignetti likely sees a regression on the horizon, and he’s scrambling to soften the fall. To do that, he’s trying to throw big-spending schools like Texas Tech under the bus.

They say if you can’t beat them, join them. Unfortunately, Cignetti can’t do that either, given that IU alums and fans aren’t supporting their program the way Texas Tech fans are.

Of course, Red Raiders won’t be losing any sleep over Cignetti’s complaints. That’s because they are too busy trying to keep up with all the blue-chip recruiting wins Tech has experienced in the portal this offseason. Obviously, that’s not something Cignetti has to worry about.

Basketball insider Jeff Goodman publicly refuted claims that Arkansas freshman Boogie Fland could command up to $7 million in NIL deals by returning to college. This highlights the explosive growth and rampant speculation surrounding college athletics’ NIL landscape.

Fland simultaneously entered the NCAA transfer portal and declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, and his decision has become a flashpoint in debates about player compensation, professional readiness, and the evolving economics of college sports.

Inflated Figures or Market Reality?

This sparked after college basketball analyst Bo Mattingly shared his assertion that the talented guard could secure a massive payday from the reigning national champion Florida Gators, in case he withdraws from the NBA Draft.

“This is insanely inaccurate ,” Goodman stated bluntly on Twitter , joining numerous basketball insiders who are questioning the reported figures. The assessment reflects growing concerns about misleading NIL valuations being used as recruiting tools, particularly for high-profile transfer portal candidates like Fland.

While the freshman guard showcased impressive talent during his season with Arkansas, averaging 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, most analysts believe realistic NIL offers would max out around $3-4 million, still an exceptional figure by college standards.

Fland’s actual market value remains undisclosed, though his basketball credentials are substantial. Despite missing 15 games due to thumb surgery, he led Arkansas in assists and ranked second in scoring average.

His performance earned him recognition as a Kyle Macy Award finalist for the nation’s top freshman and Freshman All-American honors from CollegeInsider.com.

NBA Prospects vs. College Compensation

The controversy underscores the complex calculations facing elite college athletes in the NIL era.

Projected as a fringe first round to early second round pick, Fland would likely earn $2-3 million on a multi-year NBA contract if drafted, potentially less than top tier NIL offers for returning to college.

For the Bronx native who became New York’s first high school athlete to sign an NIL deal at age 15, the decision transcends pure economics. Basketball development, long-term earning potential, and competitive opportunity all factor into the equation as Fland weighs professional readiness against another collegiate season with enhanced compensation.

As Fland weighs his options, his situation highlights college basketball’s transformed landscape where transfer portal movement, million-dollar NIL deals and NBA draft considerations create complex career paths for elite prospects.

KEEP READING: Why College Basketball Players Keep Transfer Options Open After Declaring for the NBA Draft

The debate over his true market value demonstrates how rapidly the economics of college sports continue to evolve and how difficult accurate valuations remain in this new era.

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