The First Whistle: The $120M Cornerback

President Trump plans to sign an executive order creating national standards for college athletes’ Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights, stepping into an issue that has transformed college sports since the NCAA began allowing NIL compensation in 2021. The move comes just after a House subcommittee advanced the SCORE Act, a bill aiming to replace the current patchwork of state NIL laws with a federal framework—though critics on both sides worry it gives too much power to the NCAA without sufficiently protecting athletes. Trump's expected order would follow a recent legal settlement permitting schools to pay players directly, further signaling a seismic shift in how college athletes are compensated.

🧑‍⚖️ Read full CBS News article here

NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell is under fire for a potential conflict of interest after revelations that he has been working as a paid, part-time consultant for The Carlyle Group — a firm approved by the NFL to invest in team ownership — while simultaneously leading the players’ union. Despite internal concerns and a request from union lawyers for him to resign from Carlyle, Howell declined. This has raised serious questions about his ability to represent player interests without bias. His secretive hiring process, ties to former NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, and recent controversies have only intensified scrutiny. Now, many argue Howell must either step down from Carlyle or leave the NFLPA entirely.

👀 Read full NBC Sports article here

At SEC Media Days, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin raised serious concerns about the integrity of college football’s new revenue-sharing model and questioned its lack of enforcement and transparency. While Ole Miss has been building its roster within the new financial guidelines, Kiffin believes that some programs are already ignoring and exceeding the NCAA’s $20.5 million cap. Efforts are being made to regulate NIL deals through the Deloitte-managed clearinghouse, but Kiffin remains skeptical about how violations will be monitored or punished. As revenue sharing takes shape, he wonders whether programs that play by the rules will be rewarded — or simply left behind.

💰️ Read full Athlon Sports article here

The five major U.S. players associations—NFLPA, NBPA, MLBPA, NHLPA, and MLSPA—issued a joint statement urging Congress to reject antitrust exemptions or legal liability shields for the NCAA as part of the proposed SCORE Act. The unions argue that granting such protections would enable the NCAA and its member schools to collude in limiting athlete compensation, reversing progress made through court decisions like NCAA v. Alston and the recent House settlement. Citing the rarity of antitrust exemptions in U.S. law and their historical use to suppress wages and shield monopolies, the associations emphasized that removing antitrust protections would undermine current and future athletes’ ability to challenge unfair treatment and restrict their earning potential.

❌ Read full NFLPA article here

New Maryland athletic director Jim Smith, hired in May from the Atlanta Braves, has made it clear that increasing revenue is his top priority. Smith earns a $1.5 million annual base salary with a major incentive. He will receive a bonus equal to his full salary if the athletic department grows its revenue by $50 million by the 2029–30 fiscal year, excluding increases in Big Ten distributions and adjusted for inflation. With Maryland ranking near the bottom of the Big Ten in athletic revenue, Smith faces a significant challenge. The contract allows most revenue sources to count toward the bonus threshold and includes additional incentives for fundraising, academic, and athletic success. His deal shows how college sports are placing financial performance at the center of athletic leadership.

📃 Read full Sportico article here

Fox Sports has announced a broad partnership with Barstool Sports and its founder Dave Portnoy, integrating Barstool personalities into its college football and basketball coverage. Starting this fall, Portnoy will be a regular on “Big Noon Kickoff,” which will also feature Barstool’s “College Football Show” at select game locations and air across both Barstool and Fox platforms. Barstool will also contribute to Fox’s college basketball programming and produce a new weekday show for FS1 featuring Barstool and Fox Sports talent. This deal marks Barstool’s first major media collaboration since Portnoy reacquired the company in 2023.

📺️ Read full Variety article here

Louisiana Tech will officially join the Sun Belt Conference by July 1, 2026, taking the place of Texas State, which is departing for the Pac-12. This move marks a return for Louisiana Tech, which was a full Sun Belt member from 1991 to 2001. Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill emphasized the value of reuniting regional rivalries and strengthening the league’s footprint. Louisiana Tech has competed in Conference USA since 2013, earning two West Division titles but no overall championships. The Bulldogs reached the Independence Bowl last season, their first bowl game since 2020.

📈 Read full CBS Sports article here

An arbitrator ruled in January that while NFL owners didn’t collude to suppress quarterback contracts after Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed deal, league executives (including commissioner Roger Goodell) did encourage teams to limit guaranteed money. The NFL and NFLPA agreed to keep the ruling confidential, withholding it from players and union leadership until it was leaked six months later. The union’s lack of transparency sparked backlash from players, agents, and former leaders, raising concerns about executive director Lloyd Howell Jr.’s leadership and prompting an external review of his actions. The situation has exposed internal tensions within the NFLPA, questions about its commitment to player interests, and a growing mistrust around its handling of financial and legal matters.

🏈 Read full ESPN article here

⬆️ Sauce Gardner. The Jets signed the two-time All-Pro to a four-year, $120.4 million extension with over $85 million guaranteed — making him the highest-paid corner in NFL history at $30.1 million per year average. - Rich Cimini

⬆️ Garrett Wilson. Agreeing to a four-year, $130 million extension with $90 million guaranteed, the Jets player becomes the first receiver in NFL history to average over $31 million per year after just three seasons. – Rich Cimini

⬆️ Trey Smith. The Chiefs signed right guard Trey Smith to a four-year, $94 million extension, making him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history. The deal includes $70 million guaranteed — the most ever for a guard. – Nate Taylor and Adam Schefter

⬆️ T.J. Watt. T.J. Watt and the Steelers have agreed to a three-year, $123 million extension, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at $41 million per year. – Nick Shook

⬇️ Shemar Stewart. With training camp approaching, Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart remains unsigned and is training at Texas A&M amid ongoing contract disputes. – Jason Owens