#10: Nebraska Executive AD for Compliance Jamie Vaughn is headed to Texas A&M as Executive Assoc. AD for Internal Operations. (link)
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#9: The WWE has unveiled collegiate legacy belts for several schools: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Miami (FL), Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas. (link)
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#8: Former Colorado Football AC Trevor Reilly says he spent time overseas this past holiday season lobbying Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) for NIL funding. Reilly, who resigned on August 1, wrote in his resignation letter to Buffs AD Rick George and HC Deion Sanders: "The arrangement was that, because I did all the NIL work at Jackson (State) and got us through, you guys would pay me a modest salary and make me the Special Teams Coordinator, which should have freed up time for me to handle NIL activities. You paid me $90,000 a year and let me handle special teams. I did all this work in your name and was told to pursue it. I burned through all my contacts in my Mormon community, which is worth about $3 trillion. Now, I can't get these people to answer my calls because I just found out today that none of my endeavors will happen. I even went to Saudi Arabia and got a meeting with the Saudis, who were interested in pursuing business. I have email receipts to prove it, and you guys let it fall flat on its face." Reilly goes on to note he acted on his own accord, adding: “I did nothing illegal and was trying to help Colorado the best way I knew how.” (link)
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#7: Army West Point AD Mike Buddie was back in the Pinstripes as he threw out the first pitch of Tuesday night’s Yankees-Guardians game. (link)
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#6: Sportico’s Michael McCann, Indiana law professor John T. Holden and Fordham law professor Marc Edelman co-author a paper for the Boston College Law Review titled “(Still) Anticompetitive College Sports” in which they note: “Some commentators, eagerly amplifying talking points shared by class action attorneys who stand to handsomely profit, have described this proposed [House, et al.] settlement as a monumental step to resolve the longstanding labor strife within college sports. However, this rosy portrayal of the proposed settlement ignores that, as proposed, the settlement would continue to allow NCAA member schools to deny college athletes access to free labor markets, as well as would continue to deny them any meaningful voice in determining the future governance of the college sports industry. The settlement also ignores important questions in terms of implementation, including the role of Title IX on proposed revenue allocation. This article explains why, even in the proposed new era of intercollegiate sports, there remain bona-fide anticompetitive concerns pertaining the NCAA's rules, as well as meaningful concerns pertaining to the future representation and voice of college athletes.” The paper goes on to analyze the current antitrust cases facing the NCAA, the employment cases facing the NCAA, unsettled Title IX issues and other factors complicating the House settlement. It also offers four “better alternatives to remove anticompetitive restraints in college sports,” including a true free market approach, a competitive conference approach, a labor union approach and an athlete equity approach. “The true free market approach is a superior way for allocating college sports revenue to the athletes than the proposed House settlement approach for at least four different reasons. First, to the extent one believes that the fair market price is the free market price, all college athletes under the free market approach would receive their ‘fair’ wage and not some wage designated through ad hoc mechanisms. Second, a true free market approach would obviate NCAA member colleges’ potential liability under federal antitrust law because schools would no longer be colluding to fix athlete salaries.” Full paper. (link)
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#5: New Orleans AD Tim Duncan has accepted a new position as Senior Deputy AD at Memphis. The Tigers have also named Morgan State Senior Assoc. AD for Strategic Communications and Brand Advancement Terrence Lollie as Senior Assoc. AD of Integrated Communications/Chief of Staff. (link)
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#4: Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs has resigned from his position effective immediately and will be replaced on an interim basis by Scarlet Knights Deputy AD for Competitive Excellence/Chief of Staff Ryan Pissari. Hobbs announced his decision in an email to the athletic department: “Earlier this morning, I shared with [Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway] that I am departing my position as Athletic Director at Rutgers University. I truly believe we are writing the greatest chapter in Rutgers history and I am confident that you will continue to do so. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve with you. I look forward to enjoying all your success this season and in the years ahead.” (link); According to NJ.com, Hobbs informed Holloway that “after meeting with my cardiac team this week and having just been apprised of the results of my latest round of testing, it is clear that I can not continue to serve as Athletic Director given the requirements of the position.” We extend our best wishes to Hobbs for a full and speedy recovery. (link)
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#3: Ohio State AD Ross Bjork and President Ted Carter met with trustees this week to discuss the changes in college sports, and Bjork noted that roster limits means Ohio State will likely lose about 150 student-athletes. Carter added: “We'll still have scholarships, we'll still have programs. Some of those sports may start to look and act a little bit more like a club sport, but yet compete at the Division I level and still travel and still compete." (link)
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#2: NJ.com’s Steve Politi dives into the exit of Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs: “Hobbs, multiple sources told NJ Advance Media, was part of a regular staff meeting just on Wednesday and showed no signs that anything was amiss. The news that he was stepping aside stunned even some high-level people in the athletic department. [...] …he got the unceremonial Friday afternoon news dump treatment, while Rutgers employees were told not to reach out to Hobbs immediately after the news went public. There is no indication that Hobbs will stick around in an advisory role as [Interim AD Ryan] Pisarri, his loyal lieutenant, tries to lead the department through this turbulent time. [...] We don’t have the answers. Rutgers saw the leader of its athletics department step aside on Friday afternoon just weeks before the biggest season in recent history, and as everyone inside and outside of Piscataway processed the news, they were all left with the same question. So what really happened?” (link)
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#1: Houston has its new AD in New Mexico’s Eddie Nuñez. UH President Renu Khator: “Eddie Nuñez brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success during a time of great transformation in college athletics. His leadership will be critical as we continue to elevate our athletics programs, enhance the student-athlete experience and build on the tremendous momentum at the University of Houston.” UH System Board of Regents Chair Tilman Fertitta: “Eddie has spent much of his career living just few hours away in Baton Rouge, so he knows Houston and has many connections to the city. I know he will hit the ground running.” Nuñez has signed a five-year deal to lead the Cougars that will be reviewed by Regents next week. ESPN's Pete Thamel had the news first. (link, link)
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