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The First Whistle: No. 1 Pick
____ ____ invests in Unrivaled, ___ ____ named EMU Assistant GM, ___ ____ retires, and MORE!
December 11, 2025
Hi ,
Amongst all the NIL backlash and college sports mayhem lately, there’s one success story that I think deserves a little more attention. That is, the Paige Bueckers story.
Enabled by NIL to stay in college for another year, hone her skills, and double down on building her brand, she secured her spot as the first-overall pick in the WNBA draft last week and has now announced she’ll be continuing her off-court endeavors as an investor in Unrivaled.
Read more below👇
— Avery Glover
Current Offerings:
Wings' Paige Bueckers invests in Unrivaled at 'great time'
Paige Bueckers, first-overall pick in the WNBA draft, has confirmed that she is an investor in the 3-on-3 league, Unrivaled. The 3-year deal is expected to be worth far more than Bueckers' four-year WNBA rookie contract, which is valued at $348,198. Bueckers believes it's a great time to invest in women's sports, citing Unrivaled's impressive growth and numbers within only its first year. Bueckers will balance her Unrivaled role with her WNBA rookie season, starting with the Dallas Wings' May 16 opener.
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How Bryson DeChambeau's YouTube channel has benefitted him at the Masters
Bryson DeChambeau's YouTube golf channel, hosting over 1.82 million subscribers, helped him rediscover his love for the game and improve his mental toughness. Through unscripted videos featuring celebrity golf matches and challenges, DeChambeau has developed a more relaxed approach to the game. The channel's focus on achieving specific goals, like breaking course records, has simultaneously strengthened his competitive mindset. He has applied these skills and approaches to his pursuit of a Masters title.
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Maxx Crosby Named Assistant General Manager for EMU Football
Eastern Michigan University (EMU) has named Maxx Crosby, a four-time NFL Pro-Bowler and current defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, as the Assistant General Manager of the EMU football team. Crosby will assist with recruiting, evaluating prospects, managing the team's NIL budget, and fundraising. As part of his commitment, he's launched the "Maxx Match" fundraising challenge, where he'll personally match donations to EMU Football up to $100,000 by the end of May. This builds on his $1 million donation to EMU football in 2023. The program will also be renaming their weakside defensive end position to "MAXX" and retiring his iconic jersey number 92 as a tribute to his legacy. |
NCAA's most valuable college basketball teams
An analysis by Indiana University Columbus professor Ryan Brewer marks the University of North Carolina men's basketball team as the most valuable in the NCAA, valued at $378 million and closely followed by Duke at $370 million. In contrast, the report values the Florida Gators at $121 million, ranking 31st on the list despite being this year's national champions. Meanwhile, the UConn women's basketball team tops the women's list with a valuation of $95 million following their national championship win.
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Longtime ESPN 'College GameDay' analyst Lee Corso to retire after Week 1
Lee Corso, the iconic 89-year-old analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay," will be retiring following Week 1 of the upcoming 2025 season. Corso has been a key figure on the show for 38 seasons and will do one final episode before hanging up his headset. He joined ESPN in 1987 and has worked alongside Kirk Herbstreit for 29 years, with the two developing a close bond. Corso's final show will be a tribute to his career, with potential locations including Ohio State vs. Texas or Alabama vs. Florida State, the latter being a nod to his alma mater where he first donned headgear in 1993.
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How Florida’s Men’s Basketball Title Run Is Fueling NIL Fundraising
The University of Florida's men's basketball team's national title is fueling NIL fundraising efforts, with their collective earning between $1 million and $1.5 million during the Final Four week. Various donors contributed over $325,000 after the Gators secured the title game spot, and alum Gary Condron pledged $1 million. The collective plans to focus on membership-driven products to ensure deals pass the fair-market value test in the upcoming revenue-sharing era. With schools potentially sharing up to $20.5 million with players, Florida aims to build another championship-caliber roster by retaining current players and strategically using NIL funds.
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Start 2/Bench 2
⬆️ The Dallas Wings. The Dallas Wings selected University of Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, bolstering their roster with a generational talent who has potential to increase fan interest and lead the team to success. — Dallas Wings
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