It's official. College sports is entering a historic era of change after a settlement was agreed to Friday night in the House v . NCAA class action lawsuits that would allow universities to share revenue with its student-athletes.
Schools will be allowed to start paying its athletes starting July 1. UCLA has already committed to sharing the highest-allowed amount with its student-athletes, which is $20.5 million. The number will increase annually.
UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond released a statement Saturday morning pledging his commitment to rewarding the athletes for their work in every athletic program:
"As a member of the Big Ten Conference, in order to recognize the contributions of our student-athletes and continue to compete at an elite level, UCLA has committed to sharing the highest allowable amount, which will be $20.5 million the first year and will increase annually.
"At UCLA, we are committed to working closely with our coaches to manage these changes thoughtfully and to support all current and prospective student-athletes through the transition."
With this new ruling comes a lot of reshaping of standard practices when it comes to roster building and scholarship distribution. For instance, there is now a limit to how many spots a roster must have in each sport, but there is now no limit to the amount of scholarships a university can offer. A program could offer a scolarship to every person on the roster of a sport if it wanted to.
"After regular meetings with our head coaches and campus leadership, and following a thorough analysis of several proposed revenue sharing models, we have finalized a funding distribution structure for our athletic programs," Jarmond said. "Our goal is to uphold UCLA's tradition of broad-based excellence. In this new era, that will require competitively funding the programs that drive the majority of the revenue that supports our departmental operations. We also remain committed to sustaining the competitiveness of all athletic programs.
"Every Bruin student-athlete will continue to receive the resources to excel athletically and academically, ultimately graduating from the nation's #1 public institution."
Jarmond has made it known that protecting and rewarding his athletes is a priority, which is why, in this historic turn of events, UCLA Athletics will be a pioneer of this new era of college sports.
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana men's basketball is among six finalists for one of the top big men in the class of 2026. Davion Adkins, a four-star center from Dallas, will consider the Hoosiers along with Auburn, Rutgers, UCLA, Houston and Kansas. He hasn't set a date for his commitment. Adkins plans to visit each of his six final options, with Indiana up first Sept. 13, according to Peegs.com. The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Adkins is a top-40 player in his class by both 247Sports and On3 Sports. He's ranked as the No. 3 center by 247Sports and No. 5 power forward by On3 Sports. Adkins will play his senior season for Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Here's 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein's evaluation of Adkins ... "Adkins is one of the most naturally talented frontcourt prospects in the class of 2026," Finkelstein wrote, "and while his tools have been glaring for some time now, he's just starting to turn potential into production at a more consistent rate. A long and athletic southpaw, Adkins is every bit of his listed 6-foot-8 with a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan, and huge hands. "He's a bouncy vertical athlete and major lob threat who can rise-up for emphatic finishes. He also has soft natural touch and clear long-term shooting potential that should eventually allow him to stretch the floor both vertically and to the arc." Though Indiana has just one commitment in its 2026 recruiting class — four-star combo guard Prince-Alexander Moody — the Hoosiers have enjoyed a successful week with rising senior prospects. In addition to Adkins, the Hoosiers are finalists for five-star guard Taylen Kinney, five-star forward Anthony Thompson and four-star power forward Latrell Allmond.
The Indiana Fever’s starters turned in a strong all-around effort in Thursday’s 80-70 win over the Las Vegas Aces. The starting unit scored at least 13 points each, save for Aari McDonald, who registered nine points in 22 minutes of action. Indiana’s starters combined for 76 out of the team’s 80 points on the evening, which only means that the four other players who came off the bench accounted for just four points in the game. All that came from Sydney Colson, who went 2-of-5 in 18 minutes of playing time. Lexie Hull, Makayla Timpson and Damiris Dantas all failed to score in the win. Stephanie White Calls Out Fever's Bench Be that as it may, offense wasn’t even the biggest concern for head coach Stephanie White. In her postgame press conference, the veteran shot-caller called out Indiana’s bench for their lack of intensity on the defensive end, particularly in the first half. “Our bench has to be ready,” she said. “I felt like our bench in the second half was really good defensively. In the first half, I didn't feel that way. You got to be ready to come in and you got to be ready to guard your matchup and execute the game plan. "We have depth for a reason. We've got quality depth and we've got to be able to use it. So if fatigue is a factor in execution, then they just need to ask for a sub and I'll get them out and get them back in." It has been a bit of a busy stretch for the Fever at the midway point of the season. Thursday’s matchup against the Aces was their second game in three nights, and they will be back in action again on Sunday in a rivalry showdown against the Chicago Sky. White, however, isn’t accepting fatigue as an excuse. This is regardless of the fact that Caitlin Clark remains out with a re-aggravated groin injury. White is adamant that this roster has been built for adversity, and she didn’t hesitate to put her bench on notice after Thursday’s showing.
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit into the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .217/.288/.408 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability, and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts, and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is fiery. New York wide receiver Malik Nabers learned that during an intense pickup basketball game. During a Friday interview with Bleacher Report, Nabers revealed he and Dart "got into it" during a pickup game at Giants QB Russell Wilson's house this summer. The second-year WR said he got into the rookie passer's face, asking what he was "going to do?" He then showed the pass-catcher he wasn't going to back down. "I stepped right back to him, no hesitation at all," Dart said Sunday at training camp, via Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com and The Record. "I don't ever want to be in a position where I'm gonna lose, so [Malik] challenged me, I challenged him right back. If you're not going to give it you're all in everything you do, then you're probably gonna lose." In doing so, Dart earned the respect of Nabers. Asked his opinion of the 22-year-old QB, the one-time Pro Bowler said he's "a dog." Dart's confidence is one key reason he's making progress at training camp after a rocky start. The Ole Miss product threw a pick-six on his first pass of 11-on-11 drills on July 23. During his fourth practice on Sunday, however, he looked much sharper. According to Stapleton, he went 11-of-13 during team drills, despite rainy weather at the team's facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Dart isn't expected to be the team's QB1 this season. The Giants signed Wilson, a Super Bowl champion, to a one-year deal in free agency. Head coach Brian Daboll confirmed he's the starter at the start of camp. The Giants still want Dart to become the guy. New York traded back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to grab him with pick No. 25. It bodes well for New York that Dart is already improving. It's also good that Nabers — who led the team in receiving yards (1,204 in 15 games) last season— is gravitating toward him.
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