-Duke v Michigan was close all throughout the game, which was what we were all expecting, and Duke managed to hold on and win 68-63. Both teams have been projected as #1 seeds and both are still likely #1 seeds, but Duke probably jumps over Michigan in the seedlist and is perhaps now the overall #1 seed. The game was in Washington DC and our own Jon Teitel was there.
-Arizona may also have a claim to the overall #1 seed, and while I don’t know what the real committee would do, Arizona is who my overall #1 would be. They won at Houston 73-66. Houston was also within range of a #1 seed, and Arizona beat them in a true road game. Arizona now has true road wins against both UConn and Houston and I think has the best overall profile. Speaking of UConn…
-UConn bounced back from their upset loss against Creighton with a really solid 73-63 road win at Villanova. UConn is still within reach of the 1-line despite the recent loss.
-The biggest upset of the day, and perhaps one of the most surprising results of the year, was Cincinnati’s 84-68 win at Kansas. It was close for the entire game, and then with about five minutes to go Cincinnati just ran away from them. The Bearcats have been playing with much more of a purpose these last few weeks, and while it may be too little too late they still have a small chance of getting inside the bubble. Had they played like this all year we’d be talking about them as a first ballot team.
-BYU, who had been in a tailspin since getting hit with injuries, picked up a big win last night at home against Iowa State 79-69. It’s a huge win for the Cougars even though they were at home because they played really well against a really good team and now appear to have some of their momentum back.
-UCLA, who seems to always win a big game after Mick Cronin does something or says something publicly, got their biggest win of the year as they held off Illinois in Overtime 95-94. The Bruins fell behind early but battled back, had a chance to win in regulation that came up short, and after Illinois hit what appeared to be a game winning basket they drove the length of the court for a game winning (and perhaps season saving ) layup as time expired. It was a HUGE win for UCLA
-Virginia won a tight one at home against Miami FL 86-83. Miami is inside the bubble and has been playing really well. This is a win that would have really boosted their profile had they pulled it off.
-Tennessee, who was having a really good year but didn’t have a really good true road win yet, has one now! They knocked off Vanderbilt 69-65 on the road after nearly knocking off Kentucky at Rupp Arena recently. The Vols are very solid and have now shown they can beat top 25 teams in a true road game.
-Clemson, who a short time ago was looking like a protected seed, now can’t seem to beat anyone at home, on the road, or anywhere else. The Tigers have now lost four straight after falling at home to a Florida State team that’s nowhere near the bubble 70-65.
-Georgia, who had been in a tailspin of their own, but a big win against Texas at home 91-80. It’s a decent win on paper, but more importantly Georgia now seems to have things turned back around after a big week that featured a win at Kentucky a few days ago.
-USC, who was on the fringe of the bubble, did something bubble teams should never do and that’s lose at home to a team that’s nowhere near the bubble. They fell to an Oregon team that’s just flat out really bad 71-70 yesterday.
-Liberty, who I thought would have a shot at landing inside the bubble if they were able to win out, no longer has that shot. They were blown out at home by Western Kentucky yesterday 94-73. This follows a game where the Flames needed overtime to beat FIU earlier in the week.
-Kentucky finished off a rough week with a second straight loss as they fell to Auburn 75-74 in what was a close and hard fought game. Auburn really needed the win as they had lost five straight coming into this one. Kentucky has now lost three straight and is in a skid of their own.
-Utah State, who had been rolling through the Mountain West, fell at Nevada yesterday 80-77. We knew this would be a tough game, but it was still one that we felt Utah State was good enough to win. It won’t knock them outside the bubble, but it will perhaps keep them out of the top half of the bracket (for now).
-Last, and perhaps least, Mississippi Valley State picked up their first D1 win of the season as they stole an in-bounds pass from Texas Southern in the final seconds and laid it in for the 72-71 win!!
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Ohio State is coming off a big win against Wisconsin and is right on the fringe of the bubble. A win like this could be enough to move them inside the bubble for now, but it won’t be easy. Michigan State is a likely protected seed who is a really strong 13-2 at home and who is looking to hold serve themselves.
-IOWA AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten). Both teams are hovering around the middle of the bracket and both are safely inside the bubble. This is just a resume-building opportunity for both teams. Wisconsin already has some big wins on their profile, so Iowa could probably use this one a little more.
-Iona @ Merrimack (Metron Atlantic) – Merrimack has already clinched 1st place
-Wright State @ Robert Morris (Horizon League) – it has been a wild season in the HL, but Wright State can clinch 1st place outright with a win today
Posted inNews and Notes|Comments Off on Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Sunday, Feb 22nd
HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel has spent the past few months covering several Georgetown basketball home games, with a very special reward coming in March. However, since 2 of the sport’s bluebloods decided to play a 1-off game in DC in late-February, he was in attendance Saturday night for the Duke-Michigan game at Capital 1 Arena and prepared this photo essay.
My evening got off to an inauspicious start due to the pregame meal (none) and my seat location (upper level press box, which was so high that I felt like I was sitting atop the Washington Monument, and which is why this will be heavy on essay and light on photo).
Let’s tip it off in front of an announced crowd of 20,537, which makes this the highest-attended neutral-site game in the nation all season:
The 1st half was the Yaxel Lendeborg show, as the Michigan star made a bank shot, a pair of layups, an old-fashioned 3-PT play, and a pair of shots from behind the arc to lead the way with 16 PTS as his team built an early lead. However, Duke G Caleb Foster knocked down back-to-back 3s to give his team a 22-21 lead, and the 2 heavyweights went back and forth before we headed into halftime with Duke leading Michigan 35-33. Patrick Ngongba did a lot of damage inside during the 2nd half on a pair of layups and an alley-oop dunk, while Cameron Boozer did a little bit of everything all night long (18 PTS/10 REB/7 AST/2 BLK/1 TO) to help the Blue Devils knock off the top-ranked Wolverines 68-63. After heading down to the court I FINALLY saw some people I recognized including former Duke star Kon Knueppel (left) and former UNC standout Coby White (right):
In the postgame press conference I asked Lendeborg and his fellow big man Morez Johnson Jr. about getting outrebounded 41-28. Morez (left) said that it was due to their fellow/even-taller big man Aday Mara getting into foul trouble (the 7’3″ Spaniard only played 22 minutes due to picking up 4 fouls), but that they still needed to step up as a team. Yaxel (right) confirmed that Aday grabs so much attention that missing him on the floor was a really big hit for the team:
I wondered how Michigan coach/friend-of-Rocco Dusty May would compare Boozer to some of the other great players he has faced this season (Graham Ike/Bruce Thornton/Braden Smith/etc.). He admitted that Boozer’s physicality is impressive…and then did his best Kelvin-Sampson-evasive-answer impression by proceeding to discuss how the entire Duke team deserved credit for getting their own misses because they are well-trained. They have a good feel for knowing where the misses were coming off the rim and were able to get there quicker:
I reminded Duke coach Jon Scheyer that the East Regional would be taking place in this same areana in less than 5 weeks, then tried to get him to admit that he wants to be playing here, and if so then whether this win would give him any advantage. He claimed he was unsure because he tries to stay incredibly present…but also understands the future ramifications. However, he confirmed that not only would this game help his squad understand what an NCAA tourney environment is like, but even at open practice this morning it helped to be in front of the fans during College GameDay because it simulates what it will be like next month:
That is a wrap on an incredible day/night of basketball, but check back next month because the best moth of the year is almost here!
Since it was not easy to follow all the action in the Duke-Michigan game from the upper-level nosebleed pressbox seats, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel figured he would make better use of his time and sneak in a quick halftime interview with John McKenney Jr., whose son Trey is a freshman for the Wolverines.
As a junior at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, your son Trey had 32 PTS/10 REB in a win over North Farmington High School in the state championship game: what did it mean to him to win a title, and where does that rank among the best birthday gifts of your life?! It was the greatest birthday gift ever: it meant everything to me.
In 2024 he won a gold meal with Team USA at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup (along with Morez Johnson Jr.), and in 2025 he scored 22 PTS off the bench for Team USA in an OT win at the Nike Hoop Summit: what did it mean to him to represent his country? It meant the world to all of us when he went to Argentina and won a gold medal.
Last year he was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Michigan and a McDonald’s All-American: how proud were you of all his amazing accolades? I was very proud, but he is even better as a person than as an athlete.
He received more than 40 D-1 scholarship offers before becoming the 1st Flint native since Glen Rice to pick Michigan over Michigan State: why have more players from Flint not ended up in Ann Arbor during the past 4 decades? The scandals in the 1990s hurt them in recruiting. Michigan is diverse and has high academic standards, but Dusty is turning it around.
I read that he lost 18 pounds last offseason while gaining some muscle/increasing his athleticism: how hard did he have to work to make that happen? He had o sugar for 5 months, and his body fat went from 13% to 6%.
Your family is from Flint, which is about 50 miles north of Ann Arbor: how many of his home games have you been able to attend this season? Every single 1: it is just a 60-minute drive.
He stands 6’4″ but has a 6’9″ wingspan: how much of an advantage is his length on the court? A lot!
Michigan has already had an incredible season: what is your favorite memory so far (Trey’s 21-PT effort in his debut win over Oakland/his 17-PT game in the 40-PT win over Gonzaga at the Players Era Festival/other)? His game-winning basket against Nebraska (www.instagram.com/reels/DUCYQKmkdap/)
His aunt Linnell Jones McKenney was the 1st female pro basketball player in Flint history: who is the best athlete in the family? He is.
Any predictions for tonight’s game vs. Duke in DC? Michigan will win!
College GameDay (aka ESPN College GameDay covered by State Farm) made its Saturday morning debut more than 20 years ago and remains the best in the business. Host Rece Davis and analysts Jay Bilas/Seth Greenberg/Jay Williams/Andraya Carter break down all the results/news/games that you need to know as it travels from campus to campus. Since the game of the day is a 1-off non-conference game in DC tonight featuring Duke & Michigan, the crew headed south from Bristol to get everyone hyped up for the possible NCAA title game preview. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel was in attendance and prepared this photo essay from a memorable morning.
You know it is a big deal when the big red bus comes to your city:
I was unsure how many people would show up at 10AM on a (finally) decent weather day to see 2 teams whose campuses are not anywhere near DC, but the lower-level sideline was pretty packed:
As the clock struck 10AM, it was lights/camera/action (with Stanford Steve standing to the side):
No cheerleaders/dance team for Duke, but they did send their band/mascot:
Usually the GameDay crew set up shop right on the court, but today they were behind the basket so that each team could hold an open practice and then get their emotions in check before heading back to their respective hotels:
I did not get any good shots of the Michigan players/coaches, but national POY frontrunner Cameron Boozer and his coach Jon Scheyer were a little easier for me to see:
During the final minutes of the show the crew came onto the court to cheer on 1 lucky fan who tried to make a half-court shot for a lot of money (close, but no cigar):
Props to J-Will and Rece for taking time to walk over to the crowd after the show to shake some hands/take some selfies:
Rece was kind enough to autograph my own homemade sign, which made the whole morning worth it!
And last, but certainly not least, here are some of the best signs I saw during my 2 hours at the arena:
That is a wrap for now, but check back tonight for what just might be the game of the year!
Posted inNews and Notes|Comments Off on The best pregame show in the business: HoopsHD visits College GameDay
-UC RIVERSIDE AT UC DAVIS (Big West). UC Riverside will be elimianted if they lose this one. They will no longer be able to qualify for the Big West Tournament.
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NEWS AND NOTES:
-VCU jumped out to big lead early at Saint Louis and for most of the first half it looked like the Rams were going to get the big signature road win they needed to land inside the bubble. Then the second half started, and SLU Played played an absolutely perfect 20 minutes and not only came back, but blew it open. Oh, and there was a bit of a scuffle after the game, which is starting to just become a footnote whenever these two play. After several technical freethrows and ejections in the final seconds, SLU won 88-75 and the score looked a little more respectable. VCU also ended the game with only 4 players on the floor after multiple ejections for leaving the bench area during the scuffle.
-Purdue boat-raced Indiana 93-64. The score was not respectable. Nothing about it was. They blew out their rivals as if it were a buy game.
-Congrats to Merrimack who clinched 1st place in the MAAC!!! They got a battle from Siena, but held on to win 79-72. It is their first 1st-place finish since transitioning up to D1.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-MIAMI FL AT VIRGINIA (ACC). The Canes have won six of their last seven and have three solid wins in a row against North Carolina, NC State, and Virginia Tech. This is a really tough road test against a Virginia team that looks to be good enough to earn a protected seed and who has just one loss since New Years Day.
-TENNESSEE AT VANDERBILT (SEC). Vandy has a path to a protected seed. they’re also a team that if they fall behind by 20 or more you know they may come roaring back (yet still lose in the process). Tennessee has won seven of their last eight with the only loss being a close one to Kentucky on the road. They have a solid profile, but this would perhaps be their biggest win of the season if they can pull it off. It would at least be their biggest true road win of the year, so both teams have a lot to play for. That, and they don’t like each other!
-ARIZONA AT HOUSTON (Big 12). Both teams are ranked in the top five and both are within reach of the #1 line. That’s really all you need to know. It goes without saying that winning this game would be a big step toward ending up as a #1 seed. Houston may be the toughest place in the country for visiting teams to win at, so it’s a great test for Arizona.
-TEXAS AT GEORGIA (SEC). Both teams are in our brackets, but they are in the bottom half of them and still have work to do. This has a bit of a bubblicious feel to it. I won’t go so far to say that it’s a must win, but it’s certainly a very pivotal game that both teams need.
-MISSOURI AT ARKANSAS (SEC). Missouri is hovering around the bubble. A win on the road in a game like this would make them much much safer. Arkansas still has a path to a protected seed, but they need to really finish strong in order to get there. They’re coming off a double OT thriller at Alabama where they lost 117-115 and are looking to bounce back.
-WINTHROP AT HIGH POINT (Big South). This is an Under the Radar game, but it’s between the two best teams in the Big South and it’s two teams that are good enough to really give someone fits in the Round of 64 if one of them were to get there, so we are putting it up with the highlighted games. High Point’s roster is rich with talent and Winthrop is dead even with them in the conference standings. You may recall that Winthrop nearly won at Arkansas earlier this season.
-CONNECTICUT AT VILLANOVA (Big East). This is likely UConn’s toughest remaining game until perhaps the Big East Final if they were to match up against Saint John’s. Villanova appears to be heading for the top half of the bracket and has a chance at a huge upset today
-MICHIGAN VS DUKE (Washington DC). In the grand scheme of things this is a showcase game more than a stakes game. Both teams are likely #1 seeds regardless of what the outcome of this game ends up being. Having said that, there actually is SOMETHING at stake and that’s the overall #1 seed. Michigan has stated that if they are the overall #1 seed that they would like to go to Philadelphia even though Buffalo is closer. It wouldn’t shock me at all if Duke would also like to go to Philadelphia. So…it’s quite possible that Philadelphia is what’s at stake today!!! (Granted, both teams have a lot of games to play after this).
-ILLINOIS AT UCLA (Big Ten). Illinois looks to be on path to end up as a protected seed and other than Michigan may be the best team in the Big Ten. UCLA is right on the bubble and is coming off back-to-back blowout losses to Michigan and Michigan State. Mick Cronin has been all over social media for what he did during and after the game, but every time Mick Cronin does something like that his team seems to play well. UCLA desperately needs this win and I actually wouldn’t be shocked if they somehow pulled it off.
-KENTUCKY AT AUBURN (SEC). Auburn has lost five straight to fall to 14-12 overall and while none of those losses were bad in and of themselves, five straight losses does add up. They really need to win this game in order to pull themselves out of the tailspin they’re in, but it won’t be easy. Kentucky has lost two straight and could use a road win a road win like this themselves, so both teams should have a sense of urgency.
-UTAH STATE AT NEVADA (Mountain West). Even though Nevada is nowhere near the field this is still one of the toughest remaining tests for Utah State this season. They should end up in the top half of the bracket if they can win out.
-IOWA STATE AT BYU (Big 12). BYU has not been the same since getting hit with injuries (understandably so), but they are still a good team. Having said that, they need a big win to help things get fully turned back around. Iowa State is a great team, but like all other teams they’re not as good on the road as they are at home. This would be a huge win for the Cyclones and may even put them within reach of the 1-line.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Florida @ Ole Miss (SEC) – Florida should be able to win this one on the road and continue to keep themselves atop the SEC
-Creighton @ Saint John’s (Big East) – Creighton just got a big win against UConn, which was a great moment in their season but not nearly enough to get them anywhere near the bubble. The Johnnies can continue their string of wins and work toward a protected seed. However, they better not be looking ahead to their next game at UConn which will likely determine the Big East regular season champion.
-Wake Forest @ Virginia Tech (ACC) – VA Tech is on the outside looking in and cannot afford to lose at home to a team that’s nowhere near the bubble
-Florida State @ Clemson (ACC) – Clemson has lost three straight and gone from looking like a fringe protected seed to maybe falling out of the top half of the bracket if they can’t pull themselves out of it. They need to win this one at home, but Florida State has had a knack for playing spoiler this year.
-Cincinnati @ Kansas (Big 12) – Cincinnati has been playing better, but I don’t think they’re improved to the point of being able to beat Kansas on the road
-North Carolina @ Syracuse (ACC) – since their big win against Duke, UNC appears to be sliding down instead of trending up. They’ve lost two of their last three and were absolutely blown out by NC State earlier in the week. This is a road game they should win, but Syracuse can be tough to beat at home
-Penn State @ Nebraska (Big Ten) – Nebraska has lost four of their last six and all those games have been battles. They should be able to catch their breath at home today against a less than mediocre Penn State team
-Georgia Tech @ Louisville (ACC) – it’s a conference home game that may as well be a buy game
-Kansas State @ Texas Tech (Big 12) – it’s a conference home game that may as well be a buy game. Having said that, it’s Texas Tech’s first game without JT Toppin
-Oregon @ USC (Big Ten) – USC is right on the fringe of the bubble and absolutely must hold serve at home against non-tournament teams (much less a potential Stallings Award winner)
-Boston College @ SMU (ACC) – SMU is inside the bubble and should be able to hold serve at home in this one
-West Virginia @ TCU (Big 12) – I don’t think West Virginia has a path to get inside the bubble unless they win out and get some big wins in the Big 12 Tournament. TCU is right on the bubble and needs to hold serve in this one
-Alabama @ LSU (SEC) – the Tide have a very solid profile and can still end up as a protected seed. They should be able to add another road win to their profile tonight
-Stanford @ California (ACC) – Cal can still reach the bubble, but they need a very strong finish in order to do it
-New Mexico @ Fresno State (Mountain West) – New Mexico pretty much needs to win out in order to have any real shot at an at-large, and even then they will likely need some help
-Texas A&M @ Oklahoma (SEC) – TAMU just snapped a four game losing streak and has another winnable road game tonight. They need it because their next three opponents are really tough
-Pacific @ Gonzaga (West Coast) – Gonzaga should roll at home and stay within range of a protected seed
-UCF @ Utah (Big 12) – UCF has not been good on the road and even though Utah is nowhere near the tournament adding any sort of a road win to their profile will make it look better
-Santa Clara @ San Francisco (West Coast) – Santa Clara is straddling the bubble and can’t afford to lose this one. It’s a rivalry game against a talented San Francisco team that is talented, but that’s undearchieved a little bit. Still, they may be way up for this one
OTR WATCH: (I think you meant Under The Radar Griggs, not Over The Radar)
-NC Central @ Howard (MEAC) – Howard is the best overall team in the MEAC and may be good enough to win out through the MEAC Tournament
-UAlbany @ UMBC (America East) – UMBC is in 1st place in the AEast and has a path to getting home court advantage in the conference tournament
-Marshall @ Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt) – in a league where every day of play feels like there are cataclysmic shifts, Marshall is now in a tie for 1st place, but only has a 1 game lead over the 5th place team and has a tough road game today
-Navy @ Army (Patriot League) – Navy has clinched 1st place, but still wants to beat their rival on the road today
-Penn @ Yale (Ivy League) – Yale is trying to hang on to their one game lead with just three games to play
-Long Island @ Mercyhurst (NEC) – Long Island barely escaped the other night, but got the win. They can clinch 1st place outright with a win today, which means home court advantage in the conference tournament
-SIUE @ Tennessee State (Ohio Valley) – Tennessee State finds themselves in 1st place after a crazy couple of weeks. They should hold on to get this one at home today
-UNC Wilmington @ Campbell (CAA) – UNCW is having a fantastic year and should be able to hold on to their lead in the CAA
-East Tennessee State @ UNC Greensboro (SoCon) – ETSU can clinch at least a share of 1st place with a win today
-Troy @ South Alabama (Sun Belt) – another big game in the completely logjammed SBC. A win for South Alabama could put them into 1st place. A loss could knock them down to 8th place. Troy could fall as low as 5th place with a loss. And this conference has the super-extended ladder format for its tournament
-SEMO @ Little Rock (Ohio Valley) – SEMO is in a tie for 1st place and could be in for a battle this afternoon. It seems like every game in this conference has been a battle
-Western Kentucky @ Liberty (Conference USA) – Liberty appeared to be dead in their game against FIU on Thursday, but they somehow forced OT and then somehow held on to win to stay unbeaten in the league. They an clinch 1st place outright with a win today
-Morehead State @ Western Illinois (Ohio Valley) – Morehead State is the third team that’s tied for 1st right now. They have what should be an easy win against a Western Illinois team that’s already been eliminated from the conference tournament
-Eastern Washington @ Portland State (Big Sky) – Portland State can clinch at least a share of 1st place with a win today
-Alabama A&M @ Bethune Cookman (SWAC) – Cookman has a two game lead in the SWAC standings with just four games remaining, so they are very close to clinching
-Nicholls @ Stephen F Austin (Southland) – SFA has a two game lead over McNeese in the SLC standings with just four games remaining
-Vermont @ NJIT (America East) – NJIT has a one game lead over Vermont and is trying to keep pace with UMBC
-Indiana State @ Belmont (Missouri Valley) – Belmont can clinch 1st place outright with a win tonight and will be a very dangerous team in the Round of 64 if they can win the auto-bid.
-UC San Diego @ UC Irvine (Big West) – UC Irvine is now atop the Big West standings and should be able to hold serve in this one
1 of the best sessions at the NCAA Convention last month was the 1 featuring panelists from the College Sports Commission (CSC). There are so many things happening these days that did not exist even a few years ago (NIL, revenue sharing, etc.) that it is hard to know what is going on behind the scenes. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel went to the source by asking the CSC to shed some light on what it has accomplished so far, and here is what he learned from their spokesperson.
Why/how was the College Sports Commission created? The College Sports Commission (CSC) was established following the approval of the House settlement in June 2025. The CSC oversees and enforces the rules stemming from the House settlement, including revenue sharing, third-party NIL deals and roster limits. More information about the House settlement and the creation of the CSC can be found here: www.collegesportscommission.org/about
As a result of the House v. NCAA settlement, participating institutions are now allowed to share revenue directly with student-athletes: what is the biggest impact of the settlement that college sports fans might be unaware of? Student-athletes have more opportunities than ever before to financially benefit during their participation in intercollegiate athletics. Institutions are now able to share revenue directly with student-athletes, in addition to providing existing benefits such as athletic scholarships, access to world-class training facilities, academic counseling, medical care, post-eligibility medical coverage, mental health resources, nutritional guidance and life skills development. Student-athletes are also able to continue receiving compensation from third-parties other than their institutions for the use of their NIL, so long as their NIL deals are made with the purpose of using their NIL for a valid business purpose and do not exceed a reasonable range of compensation. The settlement also created the CSC, bringing strong, fair, and consistent enforcement to college sports, while continuing to support greater opportunities for more student-athletes.
It sounds like your entire office is busy: can you give us a brief idea of what sort of work is taking up the most time (quality), or is it mostly due to the sheer # of deals that are being negotiated (quantity)? We welcomed key leaders to the CSC, including John Bramlette as Head of Operations and Deputy General Counsel and Katie Medearis as Head of Investigations and Deputy General Counsel. Their experience is already proving valuable as we build out our enforcement and compliance functions and assemble strong supporting teams.
What is the single-biggest deal that your group has overseen, and if you cannot give me any specifics then can you confirm how big a dollar amount was involved (6 figures/7 figures/8 figures)? The CSC does not share information about individual deals. Since the NIL Go platform launched on June 11 through December 31, 2025, the CSC has cleared a total of 17,321 deals worth a combined $127.21M.
1 of your group’s roles is to manage compliance with revenue sharing rules: is there a specific rule that has gotten people in trouble the most No.
1 of the requirements for 3rd-party NIL deals is that they be for a “valid business purpose”: what is an example of a close call that was ruled valid, and what is the most ridiculous proposed deal that has been ruled invalid? The CSC does not share information on individual deals.
The “Range of Compensation” for a student-athlete’s unique NIL value is based upon factors such as their athletic performance /social media reach/local market: do you fear that will encourage players to act selfishly on the court/spend too much time on social media/only play for schools in big cities? No.
The old scholarship limit for men’s basketball teams was 13 but the new roster limit is now 15: has it been as much of a win-win as it sounds (coaches get 2 extra scholarship players they can use to help their team win, while 2 players who would have previously been walk-ons now get scholarships)? Removing scholarship limits gives schools the flexibility to better support their student-athletes and their education, while supporting the long-term success of broad-based sports programs. This change also provides more opportunities for student-athletes to receive scholarships, including in non-revenue-generating sports.
Your inaugural Chief Executive Officer (Bryan Seeley) was hired in June 2025 after previously serving as Executive Vice President, Legal & Operations at Major League Baseball: why did he take the job, and how does he like it so far? Sharing Bryan’s quote when he was named CEO: “I am honored to serve as the first CEO of the College Sports Commission at this pivotal moment in the history of collegiate athletics. I look forward to implementing a system that prioritizes fairness, integrity, and opportunity, while preserving the values that make college sports unique. I am energized by the work ahead and excited to begin building out our team.”
When you look into your crystal ball, how do you think the CSC’s work will change 5 or 10 years down the road compared to now? The CSC’s mandate is to oversee and enforce the rules stemming from the House Settlement, including revenue sharing, third-party NIL deals and roster limits – and that is where our focus remains.
