2025 PWHL Draft Profile: Maya Labad
Maya Labad is a prospect for the 2025 PWHL Draft. The left wing spent the past four seasons playing NCAA hockey at Quinnipiac.
Labad likes to take the puck to the middle of the ice and isn't afraid to get herself to the net. She has a good shot and tracks loose pucks well in the offensive zone.
After four consistent years at Quinnipiac, Labad is excited for the opportunity the PWHL has created in women's hockey.
"The PWHL is an exciting and important step forward for women's hockey, giving top players a professional league to compete in," Labad told The Hockey News. "Having the chance to play in it would be an incredible and rewarding opportunity to pursue what I love to do at the highest level."
Off the puck, Labad is a hard worker who can be tough on the forecheck. She is a good skater who can keep pace at the next level.
Last season Labad recorded 15 goals and 27 points in 38 games for Quinnipiac. She also represented Canada's national development team at the Six Nations Tournament.
Prior to the NCAA, Labad won silver as a member of Canada's U-18 national team at the 2020 U-18 women's World Championships.
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New York Times
28 minutes ago
- New York Times
In 2025 FCS football, the Dakotas or everybody else? Plus CFB news
Until Saturday Newsletter 🏈 | This is The Athletic's college football newsletter. Sign up here to receive Until Saturday directly in your inbox. Today in college football news, 'Return of the Jedi' might be the funniest post-'Andor' rewatch of all. With everything that's been sacrificed and everything at stake, your plan is to … demonstrate some sick backflips in front of Jabba? Everyone here, except the warrior-hearted Ewoks, would drive Luthen berserk. Around this time each year, every college football outlet begins some sort of season preview series, and Until Saturday is no exception. There will be no consistent outline to these, and if I were to start handing out superlative categories, I'd forget to do them at some point. I do not have any Phil Steele-style acronyms yet, but maybe I'll invent some. We're just gonna wing it. Let's start it off by going a little broader than just FBS, even though there isn't exactly space to dig into each Division III conference's 2025 schedule. (Then again, this parenthetical is now the newsletter's third mention this year of Middlebury College.) Just to have it all in one place, here are the defending champs in these NCAA levels — and as you can see, repeats would not be shocking: Beyond the who's-gonna-win basics, though: Considering the amount of national attention usually paid to college sports outside of Division I's upper levels, it feels urgent to check in on the big-picture status of small schools in The NIL And Portal Era. So I asked a couple-ish questions to Matt Brown (no relation to The Athletic's Matt Brown, though they have hung out at Big Ten media days, per sources), the proprietor of Extra Points, an excellent newsletter digging into loads of off-field stories about college sports from the NAIA on up. (This includes Matt's extensive coverage of the video game.) Over the past five years or so, how has life generally changed for athletic directors in levels outside of FBS? Matt: 'Being a small-school AD has always been a tough gig, because smaller staff sizes require you to be more involved in everything from fundraising to hiring and coach development. In the NIL era, the job had become even harder — because now you have to pretend you have the donor support to justify a meaningful collective, and your players can leave faster. That isn't to say it's all bad, but a lot of folks aren't sleeping as well as they used to.' What about when it comes to football in particular? 'The thing that's tougher about football is that the roster is so much larger. If a third of your basketball roster transfers, that really sucks, but that's four people. In football, that's like 28 dudes, people who then have to be replaced during a very truncated recruiting cycle. That puts even more pressure on your coaches and donors, and makes sustaining success much harder. Winning the league is awesome, but if it means seven of your starters bounce for the ACC, it takes a toll on everybody.' If you had to take either The Dakotas or Everybody Else to win the FCS title this year: Who ya got? 'Few people have ever gone broke betting on the Dakotas to win a national title.' Hey, follow Matt on Bluesky here. Poll time! Same question for you: Dakotas or non-Dakotas for this season's FCS title? As for me and my house, once again we will ride with the pride of the beautiful Big Sky Conference, the Montana State Bobcats, who fell just short of the title in Frisco, Texas last year. They're No. 2 behind NDSU in the early FCS top 25s by Hero Sports and Flo Football, with 2023 champ South Dakota State and the rapidly emerging South Dakota right behind. (North Dakota unleaded is currently the local straggler.) Up next week: Conference USA and the MAC. 🎮 Who's gonna be the first College Football 26 team you try out? Fifteen recommendations here. (In Dynasty Mode, I'm eying either Pitbull Stadium's FIU or Missouri State, likely the weaker of the two FBS newcomers, as my fixer-upper. Delaware, you're too powerful to be considered.) ⏰ 'Three-fourths of the players taken in the draft over the last five years played for only one college program. That number, however, is decreasing.' Manny Navarro with lots of things 2020s NFL Drafts can teach us about modern college football. Advertisement 🐶 'We thought we were on the same page. What was that?' The Big Ten and SEC: currently the dogs that both caught the same car, by Ralph Russo. 💎 Texas Tech softball pitcher NiJaree Canady, a legit breakout star. Final game of the Women's College World Series against Texas is tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. 📰 Legal news: Remember a few months ago, when CFB social media erupted for a few hours with stories of UNLV allegedly being unable to actually pay new head coach Dan Mullen's contract? Not quite, per AD Erick Harper in our new story on the Rebels: 'Harper responded (to a question) that the school had the funds to pay the first two years of Mullen's contract, then watched national reports fixate on that answer as an implication that the school had promised Mullen more than it could afford to pay over the final three years. 'Harper shoulders the blame for not being more direct in his explanation, saying he has 'zero fear' the athletic department will have trouble fulfilling any coaching contracts on the books. '… 'What was missed is the fact I said, 'and we also generate ticket sales, donor contributions, multimedia rights partners with Learfield, all those self-generated revenues that pay for salaries.'' UNLV, long considered college football's biggest sleeping giant outside the power conferences, has been in a lot of news over the last year. Plenty more in that story, along with all the details about the Rebels' geography that make you wonder all over again: Why has this football program so rarely succeeded? Thank you for reading, as always, and hit me up at untilsaturday@ 📫 Love Until Saturday? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Top 25 college athletes with highest NIL valuations
The complicated, frustrating and often murky world of NIL (name, image and likeness) has touched every corner of college sports. From college football and basketball to gymnastics and softball, the landscape of college athletics drastically changed four years ago when the NCAA changed rules to allow student athletes to profit from NIL. Names like Shedeur Sanders, Bronny James and Livvy Dunne topped the charts when it comes to NIL valuations in the past. In fact, we got a sense of how much money Cooper Flagg agreed to in NIL endorsements during his one year at Duke recently, as he's expected to become the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. As the summer approaches, we're one step closer to the 2025-26 academic year, and there's a new crop of athletes topping the NIL charts. Remember, NIL deals are not solely dependent on athletic performance on the field. Sanders, who had a reported $4.7 million valuation last year — the highest among college football players — was not a Heisman Trophy finalist and went on to be a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns. Arch Manning, who had the second-highest reported NIL valuation heading into last year's college football season at $3.8 million, had not started a college game before last season. With that, here is a look at the top 25 college athletes with the highest NIL valuations heading into the 2025-26 academic year. *NIL valuations are from which calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects outcomes over the next 12 months. 1. Texas QB Arch Manning ($6.8 million) Manning instantly became one of the most-valued athletes in college sports the moment he stepped foot on campus in Austin, Texas in 2023, holding a $3.8 million NIL valuation at the time. Manning has reportedly inked deals or partnered with EA Sports, Red Bull, Uber and Vuori as he prepares for his first full season as Texas' starting quarterback. While Manning is the highest-valued NIL athlete in college sports, he doesn't take any money from Texas' NIL collective, the Houston Chronicle previously reported. 2. Miami (Fla.) QB Carson Beck ($4.3 million) Beck initially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft this offseason before surprisingly transferring to Miami. It was rumored that Beck received $3 to $4 million from Miami's NIL collective to make the move to South Florida, moving on from Georgia after he helped the Bulldogs win the SEC title in 2024. According to On3, Beck has inked 11 deals and partnerships over his college career, with Chipotle, Beats By Dre and Powerade headlining the notable brands. 3. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith ($4.2 million) Following a standout freshman season, Smith shot up the board as one of the most valuable players in college sports. He was recently unveiled as a co-cover star athlete for "College Football 26," adding to the list of notable endorsement deals he has secured. He has reported deals with American Eagle, Lululemon, Red Bull and Nintendo, among others. Smith also agreed to a local car dealership deal — which appeared to gift him a new Mercedes — in May. Before he even steps on the court in Provo, Utah, Dybantsa is already one of the highest-valued players in college sports with reported deals with Nike and Red Bull. It was reported at the time of his commitment that he secured a deal worth around $7 million, giving one of the top prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft a significant payday. 5. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier ($3.7 million) Nussmeier opted to forgo early entry into the 2025 NFL Draft, making him one of the top prospects in 2026. Set to enter his second season as LSU's starter, Nussmeier has multiple reported NIL deals and partnerships, including Powerade and EA Sports, among others. 6. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers ($3.7 million) Sellers was one of the SEC's breakout stars in 2024, winning the conference's Offensive Freshman of the Year Award. He has reportedly secured NIL deals with Collegiate Legends and Cheez-It, and another strong year could help him continue to climb this list. 7. Florida QB DJ Lagway ($3.7 million) Similar to Sellers, Lagway was also a breakout star in 2024. He went 6-1 in the seven starts he made as a true freshman, helping Florida turn its season around. He has reportedly earned an NIL deal with Nintendo since the end of the season, while Gatorade has featured him in a commercial, as he agreed to a deal with the iconic brand before his freshman year. Lagway certainly seems to be a candidate to be No. 1 on this list next year if Manning declares for the draft. 8. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik ($3.4 million) Klubnik, who FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt recently named as his top quarterback for the 2025 season, is entering his third year as Clemson's starter. He led the Tigers to an ACC title last season and reportedly has existing NIL deals with Rhoback and ONIT, among others. 9. Penn State QB Drew Allar ($3.1 million) Allar turned down early entry into the 2025 NFL Draft despite speculation he could be an early-round pick. According to On3, Allar hasn't logged any new NIL deals since he helped Penn State reach the CFP last season. However, he reportedly has pre-existing deals with Bose and Frosted Flakes. 10. Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt ($3.1 million) Leavitt only has a pair of reported NIL endorsement deals, agreeing to partnerships with Jones Ford Verde Valley and Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, but he also agreed to a deal with Arizona State's NIL collective in January, shutting down transfer rumors. 11. Michigan QB Bryce Underwood ($3 million) After dealing with struggles at quarterback during the 2024 season, Michigan made Underwood a reported offer through its NIL collective worth $10.5 million over four years to get him to flip his commitment from LSU to the Wolverines. Underwood, ranked as the top quarterback recruit in the Class of 2025, wound up flipping his commitment to remain in his home state of Michigan. 12. Texas Tech F JT Toppin ($2.8 million) Toppin has the highest NIL valuation among returning college basketball players this upcoming year. It was reported that Toppin is expected to earn $4 million in NIL after forgoing entry into the 2025 NBA Draft. Toppin won Big 12 Player of the Year and was named a second-team All-American after scoring 18.2 points per game in the 2024-25 season. 13. Duke QB Darian Mensah ($2.8 million) Duke landed Mensah in the transfer portal after he had a strong first season as Tulane's starting quarterback (2,723 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, six interceptions) in 2024. It was reported that Mensah earned an $8 million deal from Duke's NIL collective to transfer to the school in December 2024. 14. Oklahoma QB John Mateer ($2.7 million) Mateer is also among the list of the most valuable college athletes after transferring from Washington State to Oklahoma this offseason. Klatt recently ranked him as his third-best quarterback for the 2025 season after he threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go with 826 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. 15. Alabama WR Ryan Williams ($2.7 million) The other co-cover star athlete of "College Football 26" is among the most valuable athletes in college sports for 2025-26. Williams emerged as one of the best receivers as a 17-year-old freshman in 2024, recording 865 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. Williams also has a pretty diverse list of NIL endorsement deals as well, reportedly securing partnerships with Uber Eats, Hollister and Sally Hansen. 16. TCU QB Josh Hoover ($2.4 million) Hoover doesn't have any listed NIL brand deals on On3 beyond the one he has with TCU's NIL collective. However, after his strong 2024 season (3,949 yards, 27 touchdowns, 11 interceptions), he could've earned more this offseason. Tennessee offered Hoover roughly $1 million more in NIL money than what he's currently receiving at TCU, which is at least seven figures, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in April . 17. Ohio State S Caleb Downs ($2.4 million) Ohio State has two of the highest-valued non-quarterbacks in college football entering the 2025 season. Downs, who is arguably the best defensive player in the nation (81 total tackles, two interceptions in 2024), has a few reported NIL brand deals, highlighted by partnerships with Panini, Beats by Dre and American Eagle. He also signed an NIL deal with Ohio State's collective, The Foundation, when he transferred from Alabama following Nick Saban's retirement in 2024. 18. North Carolina State QB CJ Bailey ($2.3 million) Bailey doesn't have any known NIL deals with brands, but he signed a new deal with NC State's collective, One Pack, in December 2024 to remain in Raleigh, North Carolina. That deal helped ensure Bailey wouldn't transfer after he scored 22 total touchdowns to go with 2,413 passing yards as a true freshman in 2024. 19. Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola ($2.3 million) Following a wild recruiting process that saw him commit to two schools before landing at Nebraska in 2024, Raiola has earned a few NIL deals with notable brands. He reportedly signed a deal with Panini right after he committed to Nebraska in December 2023, before signing a deal with Campus Ink early in his freshman season. He reportedly signed an endorsement deal with Adidas in April, following in the footsteps of his idol, Patrick Mahomes. He also has a deal with Nebraska's NIL collective, 1890. 20. Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg ($2.3 million) Lendeborg announced he was transferring from UAB to Michigan in April, but he wasn't fully committed to the Wolverines until he removed his name from the 2025 NBA Draft in May. The top-ranked player in the transfer portal this offseason by 247 Sports, Lendeborg received an NIL package believed to be in the neighborhood of $3 million to return to school, CBS Sports previously reported. Lendeborg was viewed as a potential first-round pick prior to his decision to remove his name from the 2025 NBA Draft, as he was named first-team All-AAC the past two seasons. 21. Arkansas QB Taylen Green ($2.1 million) Green earned a few endorsement deals with local companies during his time at Boise State before he transferred to Arkansas ahead of the 2024 season. After transferring, he reportedly signed a deal with the school's NIL collective, Arkansas Edge. It's unclear how much that deal is worth, but the collective helped Green land an endorsement deal with a local car dealership in 2024, which landed him a Ram 1500 truck. 22. Florida G Boogie Fland ($2.1 million) Similar to Lendeborg, Fland was one of the top players in the transfer portal this offseason but also declared for the 2025 NBA Draft. He removed his name from the draft in May, while simultaneously announcing his transfer from Arkansas to Florida. The defending champion's NIL collective reportedly gave Fland a package worth over $2 million, according to CBS Sports. 23. UCLA G Donovan Dent ($2 million) Dent, who won Mountain West Player of the Year at New Mexico this past season, reportedly received a $3 million NIL deal to transfer to UCLA in March, according to The Santa Fe New Mexican. He received $2 million of that deal up front, while he'll earn the other $1 million during the 2025-26 season. 24. UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava ($2 million) Iameleava arguably became the face of the NIL debate this offseason. He transferred out of Tennessee after the program reportedly denied his request for a pay raise from its NIL collective, seeking $4 million annually. He wound up at UCLA, agreeing to an NIL deal rumored to be in the $1.5 million range, according to Front Office Sports. That's actually a pay decrease from what he was getting at Tennessee, as he was set to earn $2.4 million from the Vols' collective in 2025, per ESPN. Iamaleava was also one of 11 college football players to sign a deal with Beats by Dre ahead of the 2024 season. 25. Auburn QB Jackson Arnold ($2 million) Arnold was among the handful of quarterback transfers who reportedly earned a multi-million-dollar payday this offseason. It has been rumored that Arnold received a deal worth at least $2 million to transfer from Oklahoma, which got a laugh out of former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron. Arnold finished the year with 1,421 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, 444 rushing yards and three rushing scores. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Sui Wenjing, Han Cong to return to pairs' figure skating for first time since 2022 Olympic gold
Sui Wenjing and Han Cong are set to return to pairs' figure skating competition next season for the first time since winning the 2022 Olympic title on home ice in Beijing. Sui, 29, and Han, 32, are entered in Grand Prix Series events in China in October and Japan in November. Their return could also help China earn an Olympic spot spot in pairs' for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. China had no pairs' teams at this past March's World Championships, so the nation so far has not qualified any 2026 Olympic pairs' spots. China can qualify a maximum of one pairs' spot at the last qualifier in September in Beijing, where three total pairs' spots are available. Entries have not been announced. Han announced his retirement in August 2023 and has been a member of the International Skating Union's singles and pairs' skating technical committee. Sui has worked as a choreographer for Chinese pairs since the 2022 Beijing Games. Sui and Han also won Olympic silver in 2018 and world titles in 2017 and 2019 among five total world championships medals. The last pairs' team to repeat as Olympic champion was Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev for the Soviet Union in 1976 and 1980. None of the other top seven pairs from the 2022 Olympics are currently competing together internationally. That includes the Russian pairs who finished second, third and fourth behind Sui and Han in Beijing. Russian skaters have been banned from international competition since shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine two and a half years ago. While singles skaters from Russia have been cleared to compete as individual neutral athletes at the last Olympic qualifier in September, no pairs' teams from Russia were cleared. At last season's World Championships, the pairs' medalists were Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan, followed by Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany and Sara Conti and Niccolò Macii of Italy. As of last season, Volodin was in the process of obtaining German citizenship to become eligible for the Olympics. Nick Zaccardi,
