ATLANTA (AP) 鈥 The Aflac Kickoff Game has announced a name, image and likeness deal with Auburn leading up to the Tigers鈥 game against Baylor on Sept. 5. The Peach Bowl and Kickoff Game say this multimillion deal marks the first time a neutral-site college football game has incorporated NIL compensation for student-athletes. The NIL agreement also will involve third-party entities. According to the announcement, as many as two dozen Auburn student-athletes will promote the game through social media posts, public appearances, advertisements, in-game promotions, branding opportunities and interviews.
UNDATED (AP) 鈥 Beginning with next year鈥檚 NCAA women鈥檚 basketball tournament, the top 16 teams will be placed in the bracket in their true ranking regardless of conference affiliation. In the past, the top four teams in a conference would be placed in different regions to protect them from playing each other until the Final Four. For example, the tournament this past season had four SEC teams in the top eight overall seeds. Texas was third, South Carolina fourth, LSU fifth and Vanderbilt seventh. The Gamecocks and Tigers would now be in the same region instead of moving them to different ones.
AMES, Iowa (AP) 鈥 Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard says he plans to retire next summer after a 22-year run leading the school鈥檚 sports programs. Pollard is the nation鈥檚 longest-tenured active Power 4 athletics director. He expects to step down on June 30, 2027. The school says it will begin a national search for Pollard鈥檚 successor in the fall. Iowa State has won 24 Big 12 team titles in eight different sports during Pollard鈥檚 tenure. The Cyclones have also had 24 NCAA individual champions during his tenure.
CINCINNATI (AP) 鈥 An Ohio judge has granted a preliminary injunction for 24 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 college basketball players suing the NCAA to be eligible, claiming the new age-based model unfairly shuts them out of further competition. Judge Christopher Wagner said Thursday the NCAA eligibility rules have been applied in an arbitrary and capricious manner. Wagner鈥檚 ruling allows the athletes in the lawsuit an opportunity to enter the transfer portal. He scheduled a conference for Aug. 4 to prepare for a trial. Downton has filed similar lawsuits against the NCAA on behalf of nearly 30 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball players.