Sports transactions
FILE - Kentucky quarterback Will Levis looks for a receiver against during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., Oct. 29, 2021. The quarterback with the active and entertaining TikTok account has become an intriguing NFL prospect. That combination of personality and athletic potential has never been more valuable in college athletics. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Kentucky QB Levis balances NIL gains with long-term goals

By Ralph D. Russo Jun. 30, 2022 01:22 PM EDT

FILE - Alabama coach Nick Saban watches players warm up for the team's College Football Playoff championship game against Georgia on Jan. 10, 2022, in Indianapolis. The first year of the athlete compensation era in college sports evolved into almost everything the NCAA didn't want when it gave the green light last summer.v“When you see Nick Saban losing his cool over recruiting, it's a sure sign that damage is being done at the highest levels of NCAA athletic competition,” University of Illinois labor law professor Michael LeRoy said, referring to the Alabama football coach's comments in May. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
One year into NIL era, fresh questions about its future

By Eric Olson Jun. 30, 2022 01:20 PM EDT

FILE - Mississippi State coach Mike Leach on the sidelines against Arkansas during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. Leach has signed a two-year contract extension through 2025 after leading the Bulldogs to their second consecutive bowl appearance, as confirmed by an MSU official on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. The third-year coach’s annual base salary increases from $5 million to $5.5 million. (AP Photo/Michael Woods, File)
Leach signs 2-year contract extension with Mississippi State

Jun. 29, 2022 03:55 PM EDT

FILE - Texas players sing "The Eyes Of Texas" after defeating Kansas State in an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Nov. 26, 2021. Texas is one of several states that legally ban using endorsement contracts as pay for play or recruiting, but have shown no interest in questioning the deals, school officials or third-party groups that set them up. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)
No angst about college athletes cashing in at 1st NIL summit

By Ralph D. Russo Jun. 14, 2022 06:15 PM EDT

FILE - Alabama head coach Nick Saban yells instruction before an NCAA college football game against LSU, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Southeastern Conference spring meetings will be held in person for the first time since 2019 in a little less than two weeks. It is unlikely two of the league's superstar coaches will be chumming around Destin, Florida, together. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)
Saban on feud with Fisher: 'I have no problem with Jimbo'

By Ralph D. Russo May. 31, 2022 03:00 PM EDT

FILE - Miami punter Lou Hedley prepares to punt during the second half of an NCAA college football game against North Carolina State, Oct. 23, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Hedley is among thousands of international student athletes who can’t earn income from their name, image and likeness on U.S. soil. Some are trekking home to do it. Hedley had to fly 13,000 miles to western Australia to cash in on his name. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
'It's all legal': Foreign college athletes cash in at home

By Ken Maguire May. 30, 2022 01:35 AM EDT

Highsmith returns to Hurricanes as GM of football operations

May. 26, 2022 12:38 PM EDT
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Alonzo Highsmith is back with the Miami Hurricanes, with the university announcing Thursday that the former player and NFL executive is its...

FILE - Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher speaks to reporters in Cleveland on March 12, 2020. With sports betting now legal in more than half the states and generating millions in revenue for once-apprehensive professional sports leagues, college conferences are starting to explore ways to cash in, too. The MAC was the first to jump in, selling the rights to its data and statistics to a company called Genius Sports, which will in turn sell it to sportsbooks. Steinbrecher said it is impossible to ignore the changing reality. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
College sports eye gambling money amid safeguard concerns

By Ralph D. Russo May. 26, 2022 02:23 AM EDT

Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders reacts following the school's Blue and White Spring football game, an NCAA college football contest, Sunday, April 24, 2022, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Column: A wildly entertaining spat between 2 coaching stars

By Paul Newberry May. 20, 2022 02:25 AM EDT

FILE - Alabama coach Nick Saban watches players warm up for the College Football Playoff championship NCAA football game against Georgia on Jan. 10, 2022, in Indianapolis. Saban called out Texas A&M on Wednesday night, May 18 for “buying” players in its top-ranked recruiting class with name, image and likeness deals, saying Crimson Tide football players earned more than $3 million last year “the right way.” (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
SEC spat: Fisher, Saban exchange accusations over NIL deals

By Ralph D. Russo May. 19, 2022 07:28 PM EDT

FILE - At left, Alabama head coach Nick Saban yells to the sideline during the first half of Alabama's NCAA college football scrimmage, Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. At right, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher reacts to an official's call during the second half of the team's NCAA college football game against Mississippi, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in Oxford, Miss. Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher called Nick Saban a “narcissist” Thursday, May 19, 2022. after the Alabama coach made “despicable” comments about the Aggies using name, image and likeness deals to land their top-ranked recruiting classes. Saban called out Texas A&M on Wednesday night for “buying” players. (AP Photo/File)
'We're done': A&M's Fisher fires back at 'narcissist' Saban

By Ralph D. Russo May. 19, 2022 11:42 AM EDT

FILE - Ohio State linebacker Brian Rolle (36) holds up the Sugar Bowl trophy after they defeated Arkansas 31-26 during the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, on Jan. 4, 2011. The 2010 season of the Ohio State University football team, vacated after a memorabilia-for-cash scandal, should be restored because of recent changes allowing college athletes to be compensated, under a symbolic resolution approved by Ohio lawmakers, Wednesday, May 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Lawmakers want Ohio State's 2010 football season restored

By Andrew Welsh-Huggins May. 19, 2022 10:41 AM EDT

FILE - Alabama coach Nick Saban watches players warm up for the College Football Playoff championship NCAA football game against Georgia on Jan. 10, 2022, in Indianapolis. Saban called out Texas A&M on Wednesday night, May 18 for “buying” players in its top-ranked recruiting class with name, image and likeness deals, saying Crimson Tide football players earned more than $3 million last year “the right way.” (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
Saban calls out Texas A&M for using NIL deals to buy players

May. 19, 2022 01:53 AM EDT

Georgia coach Kirby Smart talks with defensive back Nyland Green (1) after a play during the NCAA college football team's G-Day game Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Athens, Ga. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
College football, XFL, Australian Open headline ESPN slate

By Joe Reedy May. 17, 2022 12:08 PM EDT

FILE - Kansas players celebrate a win over North Carolina after a college basketball game in the finals of the men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Monday, April 4, 2022, in New Orleans. College football and men's basketball players on scholarship in one of the major conferences can expect to soon earn a minimum of $50,000 each year he plays because of the influx of cash from so-called booster collectives brokering name, image and likeness deals. That prediction, based on market trends, was made this week by Blake Lawrence, co-founder and CEO of a company that helps athletes and schools navigate the ever-changing NIL landscape. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
States hands off when it comes to NCAA, athlete compensation

By Jim Vertuno May. 16, 2022 02:45 AM EDT

FILE - Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith answers questions during a news conference, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio. The NCAA seems to have inadvertently opened the door for boosters when it comes to college athletes cashing in on their fame. The latest guidance was developed by a group of college sports administrators that included Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
Keeping schools out of NIL dealings opened door for boosters

By Ralph D. Russo May. 13, 2022 01:46 PM EDT

FILE - Alabama celebrates after their win against Ohio State in an NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. College football and men's basketball players on scholarship in one of the major conferences can expect to soon earn a minimum of $50,000 each year he plays because of the influx of cash from so-called booster collectives brokering name, image and likeness deals.That prediction, based on market trends, was made this week by Blake Lawrence, co-founder and CEO of a company that helps athletes and schools navigate the ever-changing NIL landscape. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
NIL expert predicts $50,000 minimum pay for Power 5 players

By Eric Olson May. 10, 2022 03:04 PM EDT

FILE - UConn's Paige Bueckers stretches during a practice session for a college basketball game in the final round of the Women's Final Four NCAA tournament April 2, 2022, in Minneapolis. In 2019, California became the first state to pass a law allowing athletes to earn money on endorsements, autograph signings and other activities, and by July 2021, the NCAA lifted its decades-old ban. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
As leaders lobby, NCAA searches for ways to rein in boosters

By Ralph D. Russo May. 05, 2022 06:09 PM EDT

FILE - UConn's Paige Bueckers stretches during a practice session for a college basketball game in the final round of the Women's Final Four NCAA tournament April 2, 2022, in Minneapolis. In 2019, California became the first state to pass a law allowing athletes to earn money on endorsements, autograph signings and other activities, and by July 2021, the NCAA lifted its decades-old ban. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Miami's Wong shows college sports hurtles toward free market

By Jim Vertuno May. 05, 2022 04:45 PM EDT

FILE - Alabama coach Nick Saban watches players warm up for the College Football Playoff championship NCAA football game against Georgia on Jan. 10, 2022, in Indianapolis. Saban is concerned about the current state of college football. He recently told The Associated Press "I don't think what we’re doing right now is a sustainable model.” (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
AP source: SEC, Pac-12 leaders to push for NIL law in DC

By Ralph D. Russo May. 05, 2022 12:25 AM EDT