Canadiens Farm Team Ready For Game Three
The third-round series pitting the Montreal Canadiens' farm team, the Laval Rocket, and the Buffalo Sabres' farm team, the Rochester Americans, resumes tonight with the third game. Each team won one game in Rochester and entered tonight's match-up, with the best-of-five series tied 1-1.
Laval won game one 5-4 with Cayden Primeau in the net and lost game two 5-3 with Jacob Fowler in the net. Neither were particularly sharp, with the former posting a .852 save percentage and the latter a .886, and Pascal Vincent is expected to continue rotating his netminders. At the same time, Rochester will keep riding Devon Levi.
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In order to win, the Rocket will need to find a way to neutralise Kale Clague, who's currently third in the league in points. The defenseman was a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in 2016 and spent 25 games in the Canadiens' organization during the 2021-22 season. Jiri Kulich will also need to be closely watched. The rookie spent most of the season in the NHL, scoring 24 points in 62 games, and stands out against AHL competition. In five playoff games, he has seven points.
Offensively, the Rocket will need veterans Laurent Dauphin and Alex Barre-Boulet to continue their strong play. They both have eight points through six games. In Friday's defeat, Laval could only muster 19 shots on goal, with the duo accounting for six of them. Defensemen Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher had three each.
Generating more shots will be essential if the Rocket wants to beat Levi, who sports a .931 SP and has been very stingy in the playoffs with a 2.01 goals-against average. As for Primeau, who should be on duty for Laval, he has a .865 SP and a 3.62 GAA in just two outings. Fowler has the better numbers with a 1.75 GAA and a .929, but Vincent said before the start of the series that he intended to rotate his netminders.
Logan Mailloux, who has looked very good in the postseason, will need to keep up his strong play. The blueliner is fifth in the league for points by a defenseman with five in six games, but he's also been efficient defensively.
The puck is set to drop at 7:00 PM in Laval (you can watch on RDS), and game four is set for Friday, May 22, at 7:00 PM in Laval. If a fifth game is necessary, it will also be played at the Rocket's arena on Sunday, May 25.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
How a 1970s Canadian band provided the surprise song of the Stanley Cup playoffs
Gil Moore readied his putt on the 18th hole of the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club, taking advantage of the relatively brief anonymity. He didn't expect anyone beyond his buddies to recognize him during their round at the course in Mississauga, Ont., considered one of Canada's best. But as the longtime professional drummer stood over his ball on that late-spring day this year, a nearby golfer spotted him and yelled a string of words that have been stuck in Moore's head for nearly half a century. Advertisement 'Just lay it on the line, Gil!' When Moore and his bandmates with the Canadian hard rock trio Triumph created 'Lay It On The Line' in 1979, it took them all of 15 minutes to rehearse and record what received a solid radio run for the time. But they couldn't have imagined that one day, decades into the future, it would become the soundtrack for the Stanley Cup playoffs thanks to a seconds-long commercial that they barely knew existed before it aired. At the beginning of the 2024-25 NHL postseason in April, as a show of support for the five Canadian teams that qualified, Rogers Communications unveiled a televised ad backed by 'Lay It On The Line' on its NHL rights-holding channel, Sportsnet. A similar spot debuted in the second round, featuring a fresh batch of hockey footage yet still backed by the same rousing song. If you live in Canada, you may have seen it or heard it several times — or several hundred. 'Early on, we said we really wanted our campaign idea (to be): 'This is our game,'' Rogers chief brand and communications officer Terrie Tweddle said. 'So, we really wanted to match that with an iconic Canadian musician or band. 'We knew it was the perfect song for the start of the playoffs, just the positivity, the energy and confidence that comes with that song. We just thought it would fit really well with the message we're trying to communicate. And we feel really good about the choice.' With new listeners clamoring to hear it for the first time, the song spent three weeks at the No. 1 spot on Shazam's Top 200 Canadian chart. Since then, throughout its unexpected resurgence, 'Lay It On The Line' has been used by hockey fans as both an anthem to support their favorite team and as TikTok meme fodder. The band was even invited to perform in an NHL-sponsored free concert on Friday night in Edmonton before Game 2 of this year's Stanley Cup Final, as the Connor McDavid-led Oilers look to end Canada's 32-year championship drought against the Florida Panthers. Advertisement 'You can't buy that kind of rotation, right?' Triumph bassist and keyboardist Mike Levine said. 'In the old days on radio, that was in heavy rotation. You (couldn't) get away from the song, but it was because people liked the song. 'I think, certainly, a whole lot more people (now) got introduced to the song and the band (through the Rogers ad).' And so, despite the occasional annoyance of an overzealous fan interrupting a putt, the members of Triumph are enjoying their surprising brush with fame long after they burst onto the music scene. 'There's a lot of terrible things going on across the globe and some horrible wars,' Moore said. 'Canadians can unite and relax for a little bit and enjoy hockey. It's a really special thing and not just for Canadians. Obviously, the Panthers have massive fans all across America. So, being part of something where music's used as a tool to bring people together, that's what's special to me.' It was the 1970s, and Moore and Levine were in another band. Abernathy Shagnaster's Wash & Wear featured four members instead of three, and played blues instead of rock and metal. They weren't taking the project all that seriously either. Moore had grown interested in sound and lighting, while Levine worked for a record company and produced commercial jingles. 'Making it just seemed like scaling Mount Everest,' Moore said. 'It was just that none of the (Canadian) bands that were around were making it. It didn't seem like it was even possible. The Guess Who had success earlier, but that's one band out of the entire country. It's not a very good track record.' Against those long odds, Moore and Levine persisted. They would sit down with a bottle of scotch, listening to rock acts such as The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream. That's how they got the idea to become a 'power trio.' But they needed a guitarist, auditioning a handful of them to no avail. Finally, the two men got a tip about a guitarist and singer named Rik Emmett, then fronting a band called Act III, who was slated to perform at the Hollywood Tavern in nearby Etobicoke, Ont. Advertisement 'Immediately, we flipped,' Moore said. 'He's the guy.' 'This guy's amazing,' Levine said. 'He can sing, he can dance.' Emmett joined the band, and together, Triumph kicked off their 1975 tour at a high school gym in Simcoe, Ont. Three years later, the trio began work on their third album, 'Just A Game.' The tracks were recorded at the now-defunct Sound Interchange Studios in Toronto, as British rock megastar Rod Stewart was in the booth next door. According to Moore, after writing 'Lay It On The Line,' Emmett had more or less figured out the chords and rhythms as well when he presented it to Moore and Levine. Once they began rehearsing, it took about 15 minutes to put the whole song together. 'One of the things about a song that's well written is we didn't have to wrestle it to the ground,' Moore said. 'So, Rik really did a great job on that song. It was complete from the ground up.' As 'Just A Game' achieved Gold status in the United States and platinum in Canada through record sales, 'Lay It On The Line' peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks. Still, the song's reinsertion into the public sphere took the band by surprise. Had it not been for a contact at Live Nation tipping him off, Moore wouldn't have known that Triumph's song was slated for a national commercial. Levine learned even later, when he flipped the channel on his television to Sportsnet one day after the Stanley Cup playoffs had started. 'It's like a brilliant commercial,' Levine said. 'The editing was fantastic. They put together a great visual. (They) edited the song perfectly. I go, 'Oh, that was really cool.' I called my wife, and 15 minutes later it runs again. And then it runs again, and then it runs again.' Thanks to the song going viral, the repetition has paid off for the band. Along with the spike in listens, plus the added exposure from its live Cup Final concert, a tribute album to Triumph was also released Friday, featuring covers of the trio's best songs — including 'Lay It On The Line.' Advertisement The same recent day that one golfer hollered at him to, 'just lay it on the line, Gil,' the drummer of Triumph was approached at the same country club by another stranger — or, as Moore put it, a 'funny well-wisher.' This person asked whether the drummer had grown tired of hearing the song quoted back to him so often in recent weeks. 'No,' Moore replied. 'As a matter of fact, I was sick of it 30 years ago from playing it every night.' (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; photos: Jeff Goode / Getty, Icon sportswire / Getty, Brian Babinau / Getty, Courtesy of Chipster PR; video courtesy Sportsnet)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Mitch Marner NHL free-agency tiers: How hard should each team pursue the star UFA?
The Stanley Cup Final is underway, and there are just over three weeks until NHL free agency opens July 1. In a shallow UFA class this year, longtime Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner is going to be the most prominent name to watch this summer. How hard should each NHL team pursue the 28-year-old top forward this offseason? Advertisement This week, The Athletic asked its NHL staff to put teams into four tiers — 'they should do everything they can,' 'they should consider it,' 'they should at least look into it' and 'they shouldn't bother' — based on how they think each club should go about pursuing one of the biggest UFAs to hit the market in years. Here's what they said. The Ducks are positioned to make a gigantic splash in free agency. Marner was the NHL's fifth-leading scorer. Wanting him and getting him might be different matters, but the last Ducks player to finish that high in the scoring race was Ryan Getzlaf (with 87 points) in 2013-14. Can you imagine a top line with Marner, Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier as they chart a path to the playoffs? — Eric Stephens The Bruins are short on game breakers after David Pastrnak. Marner would make them an instant offensive threat. He would play big minutes in all situations. The Bruins have the cap space to make the investment. — Fluto Shinzawa Convincing Marner to sign in Buffalo might not be realistic, but the Sabres should still make the effort to signal to their fans and to the league that they're serious about spending and winning. The fact Marner is from the Toronto area gives them an angle to pitch if he's interested in staying closer to home. — Matthew Fairburn A top-line winger coming off a 100-point season doesn't just come along every day. Even if there are questions about his playoff performances, injecting the market with a player of Marner's quality would change the expectations for the franchise. However, the sensible thing for the Flames is to continue retooling and let the young players take over when they're ready. — Julian McKenzie Marner would give the Hurricanes an elite point producer who fits their style. He's a hardworking forward who is defensively responsible and can be used in all situations. Though Carolina could use an upgrade at center over another wing, the team's ongoing pursuit of a superstar would be accomplished by landing Marner. — Cory Lavalette Advertisement The Blackhawks haven't given Connor Bedard an established star winger since he entered the NHL. Marner would be that and would help elevate Bedard's game. The Blackhawks are mindful of their cap space with so many young players coming, but they have the room now. The question for Kyle Davidson is whether he can project Marner to be worth the money if his rebuild plan comes together. — Scott Powers Before signing Brock Nelson to the three-year, $22.5 million contract extension Wednesday, there was a chance the Avalanche could've thrown their hat into the Marner sweepstakes. After that deal, Colorado has the biggest cap hit of any team in the league for 2025-26, with roughly $1 million in space. That all but guarantees they won't be in on Marner. — Jesse Granger The rebuild is over. It's time to win. The Blue Jackets' biggest needs are on defense and in goal, but the addition of Marner would give them one of the most dynamic groups of forwards in the league. The Blue Jackets were seventh in the NHL last season in goals scored (267 — tied with Toronto), and that was with a power play that languished for months. It would also be a major statement the Blue Jackets are in 'win' mode. — Aaron Portzline Any general manager owes it to his team to at least look into it anytime a 100-point player is available, but Dallas doesn't have the cap space to go after Marner. And even if Jim Nill were silly enough to trade away someone like Jason Robertson to clear up room, the Stars need some high-end grit more than they need more high-end skill. The blue line is more likely to be a focus this summer, anyway. — Mark Lazerus The Red Wings might not be just one player away from Stanley Cup contention, but Marner would nonetheless be a true difference-maker for a team hungry for a player of his caliber. Yes, he'd be another smaller forward in Detroit's top six, but he's also a 100-point forward who kills penalties. Those are rare. And for a team at risk of getting stuck in the middle, Marner would be a major needle-mover. — Max Bultman Advertisement The Oilers are always interested in improving their team with players who can mesh with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Marner certainly fits that description. Realistically, though, it's hard to figure out how the Oilers could make this work, even if Marner wanted to come to Edmonton. Draisaitl's big contract is kicking in, McDavid is eligible for an extension, and Evan Bouchard needs a new deal. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman There are dots to connect here — and most are on the player's end. No income tax, minimal pressure and a championship core are attractive to anyone. Bill Zito is fearless, so we shouldn't rule out his taking a look, especially if Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad are on track to head elsewhere. If Marner is willing to take a significant discount to land in a great spot, why not have the conversation? — Sean Gentille The Kings are still in win-now mode despite their inability to win a playoff series for a fourth consecutive year. One element they've lacked is an A-list star. Marner hasn't wowed in the playoffs, but he just had his first 100-point season. He's averaged 100 points for every 82 games he's played the last seven years. Adding him to a deep group that has lacked top-end firepower would boost their contending chances. — Eric Stephens When you have a player of that talent level, it's always worth a phone call. But it's just not realistic for the Wild to get Marner. They have around $15.6 million in cap space left, and a Marner deal would take up pretty much all of it. Minnesota needs to address its need at center, especially if it moves on from Marco Rossi (a restricted free agent whose contract is not included in that cap space). — Joe Smith Firstly, Marner is not leaving one powder keg in Toronto only to head to another one down the road in Montreal. Secondly, the Canadiens are not at a stage of their build when throwing lots of money at a premier free agent makes a whole lot of sense, even if there are timing similarities with the New York Rangers when Jeff Gorton signed Artemi Panarin in free agency. — Arpon Basu The choice would really be somewhere in between 'at least look into it' and 'shouldn't bother,' but when you're as awful as the Preds were last season, you need to keep an open mind about any sort of impact player. That said, it's highly doubtful Barry Trotz would sign up for all that comes with Marner. — Joe Rexrode The Devils probably can't make a Marner move happen unless they clear some cap space, but they should at least be open if Marner is at all interested. He would make New Jersey's top six elite, though signing him would probably come at the expense of some bottom-six depth because of the money Tom Fitzgerald would have to move around to make it happen. — Peter Baugh Advertisement GM Mathieu Darche wasn't hired to conduct a teardown and full rebuild. Islanders ownership views the team as not that far away from being better; a good way to accelerate that process is to use some of their ample cap space on a dynamic player who's also defensively sharp. — Arthur Staple The Rangers want a big fish, and their lineup could most certainly use someone such as Marner, but their salary-cap situation makes it difficult to envision them making a play for the winger. They'd have to clear multiple contracts and would probably have to convince either Artemi Panarin or Mika Zibanejad to waive their no-movement clauses. That doesn't feel particularly feasible. — Peter Baugh There are two hurdles in the way of such a scenario that sees Marner turn to the dark side: the Sens' salary-cap picture and Marner's interest. The Sens have around $15 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia. Ottawa still has Fabian Zetterlund and Claude Giroux to sign, among other pending UFAs. Also, we haven't seen any smoke that suggests Marner would play for the Sens. Moving on. — Julian McKenzie The Flyers are devoid of high-end skill, so they should at least gauge Marner's interest. But this doesn't seem like a fit at the moment. The Flyers are set at right wing long-term with Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny, but perhaps more crucially, they've always been targeting the 2026 offseason as the one in which they're going to open their wallets. — Kevin Kurz Marner is a great player. He's buddies with Sidney Crosby. He and Kyle Dubas know each other very well. The Penguins need an infusion of talent and have money to spend. Sounds great, right? But they are in the early stages of a rebuild, and a $100 million contract doesn't make sense right now. — Josh Yohe The Sharks are further away from contender status than other teams with plenty of cap space at their disposal, but players such as Marner hitting free agency don't come around every year. It doesn't hurt to have ex-teammates Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau selling him on the virtues of San Jose and playing with Macklin Celebrini outside a pressure-packed cauldron. — Eric Stephens There is one no-question bona fide elite talent in unrestricted free agency, and the Kraken don't have that caliber of player. They have a lot of other interesting players. Serious speed at the center. Some really interesting two-way wingers with one-shot goal-scoring ability. A legitimately good, deep blue line. A solid young starter. Add in Marner, the Kraken could have a stew. — Thomas Drance I have to imagine Marner wants to go to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and wants to maximize his value. Though the Blues appear to be on the upswing, they also don't seem positioned to meet those criteria. But he fits the type of player they need, and you'll never know his interest level unless you ask, so it's worth a phone call. Have Robert Thomas make that call since they're friends. — Jeremy Rutherford Advertisement Every team should at least look at the possibility of signing Marner this summer, even if it doesn't seem plausible. It's not often that elite talent makes it to free agency, so why not kick the tires? Can the Lightning pull it off? Almost definitely not, considering their cap outlook. But it doesn't hurt to check. — Shayna Goldman The writing has been on the wall for some time now that Marner would prefer to head elsewhere this summer. The Leafs tried to extend him this season and were unable to. Afterward, Marner spoke about his tenure with the team in the past tense and never expressed a desire to stay. After all this time and so much baggage, a split is what's best for Marner and the Leafs. — Jonas Siegel The Mammoth fell just short of a wild-card berth this season, and a big reason was that their offense couldn't keep up with most of the playoff teams. Utah finished 21st in scoring despite Clayton Keller's having a career year (90 points). They have a lot of intriguing prospects coming, a lot of cap space and aren't far from being a playoff team routinely. Marner would put them over the top. — James Mirtle Marner isn't going to come to Vancouver, but if it were hypothetically a realistic option, the Canucks should be all in on trying to make it happen. This team wants to get back to contending and needs elite talent up front more than anything else to do so. Marner's addition would be worth the price and whatever cap surgery the club would have to perform to make the pieces fit. — Thomas Drance On one hand, the Golden Knights and Marner appear to be a match. Vegas checks a lot of boxes for what Marner will be looking for, and Vegas' biggest need is scoring on the wing. On the other hand, Vegas already has several sizable cap hits, and Jack Eichel will be eligible to sign what projects to be a mega extension July 1, so adding Marner's contract could risk becoming too top-heavy. — Jesse Granger We just saw the Caps can maximize distressed assets in their mid-20s. Marner's game, say what you will about the postseason, is in better shape than that, and he'd work perfectly on a line with Alex Ovechkin and Ryan Strome. Washington's cap situation is challenging — raises for Jakob Chychrun and Logan Thompson are kicking in, among other factors — but the fit makes it worth a look. — Sean Gentille There's no way Marner is signing in Winnipeg. It's highly unlikely he's their guy and highly unlikely the Jets are his team. I didn't have the heart to commit to 'they shouldn't bother,' though, because that's a defeatist attitude. Winnipeg should obviously have the conversations, assess Marner's interest and consider his price. He's a tremendous player. It's just hard to imagine him as a UFA fit. — Murat Ates
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NCAA's House settlement approved, ushering in new era where schools can directly pay athletes
College athletics is officially entering a new world. A California judge on Friday night a little bit past 9 p.m. ET granted approval to the NCAA's landmark settlement of three antitrust cases, often referred to as the 'House settlement,' ushering in an era where schools are permitted to share revenue with athletes within a new enforcement structure led by the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. Advertisement Claudia Wilken, the 75-year-old presiding judge in California's Northern District, granted approval of an agreement between the named defendants (the NCAA and power conferences) and the plaintiffs (dozens of suing athletes) to settle three consolidated cases, all of them seeking more compensation for athletes. "Despite some compromises, the settlement agreement nevertheless will result in extraordinary relief for members of the settlement classes. If approved, it would permit levels and types of student-athlete compensation that have never been permitted in the history of college sports, while also very generously compensating Division I student-athletes who suffered past harms," Wilken said as part of the 76-page opinion. Unsuccessful in so many legal battles recently — most notably a 9-0 loss in a 2021 Supreme Court decision — the NCAA and its richest, most influential conferences decided last spring to strike a revolutionary agreement by settling these cases instead of risking a court defeat that might cost them as much as $10 billion. The House settlement will pay thousands of former athletes — playing from 2016-2024 — a whopping $2.8 billion in backpay from lost name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation. Even more groundbreaking, the settlement paves the way for schools, for the first time ever, to directly compensate athletes in a system that features an annual cap and a new enforcement entity that is expected to more heavily scrutinize booster-backed payments. While paychecks can begin to be distributed from schools to athletes on July 1 — the official start date of settlement implementation — the new enforcement entity, the College Sports Commission, an LLC operated mostly by the power leagues, immediately takes effect with Wilken's approval of the agreement. "This is new terrain for everyone. ... Opportunities to drive transformative change don't come often to organizations like ours. It's important we make the most of this one," NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement released Friday night. "We have accomplished a lot over the last several months, from new health and wellness and academic requirements to a stronger financial footing. Together, we can use this new beginning to launch college sports into the future, too." Advertisement It means that any new contract struck between an athlete and a third-party entity, such a business, brand, booster or collective, is now subject to the new Deloitte-run NIL clearinghouse. The clearinghouse, dubbed "NIL Go," is charged with evaluating NIL deals between athletes and third parties to determine their legitimacy. It puts an end, perhaps, to schools hurriedly signing current players and transfers to new contracts before the approval of the settlement in deals that frontload a majority of the compensation. Contracts signed before the settlement approval and paid out before July 1 were not subject to the clearinghouse or cap, leading to a 'mad dash' in the basketball and football portal. Power conference leaders are targeting a Major League Baseball executive to manage the College Sports Commission as CEO, multiple sources tell Yahoo Sports. Bryan Seeley, a former assistant U.S. attorney who has served for more than a decade as MLB's vice president of investigations and deputy general counsel, is believed to be the preferred candidate for the CEO role of college sports' new enforcement entity. Despite plenty of hurdles in the settlement's years-long approval process, those who negotiated the deal have long expected it to be approved because of the sheer numbers involved. More than 85,000 athletes have filed claims for the backpay and just 600 have opted out or objected to the agreement — a paltry number that did not faze the judge. Advertisement Wiken's decision, coming two months after the final hearing in Oakland, California, puts an end to what was thought to be one of the last looming hurdles of a deal: roster limits. In a concept authored by the power conferences, the settlement imposes new limits on sports rosters, many of which had not previously existed. In a recent filing, the NCAA and power leagues agreed to revise settlement language to permit schools to grandfather-in athletes on existing teams or those who have been cut this year, as well as recruits who enrolled on the promise of a roster spot. College sports is about to enter a whole new era. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) With its approval, the settlement ushers into college sports a more professionalized framework but one, many believe, that is ripe for more legal scrutiny. Already, attorneys are gearing up for future legal challenges over, at the very least, the new NIL clearinghouse, Title IX and the capped compensation system — much of which can be resolved, legal experts contend, with a collective bargaining and/or employment model that college executives have so far avoided. Advertisement The settlement's approval is only the first in what many college leaders describe as a two-step process to usher in stability in the college sports landscape. Step 2 may be even more difficult: lawmakers producing a congressional bill to codify the settlement terms and protect the NCAA and power conferences from legal challenges over enforcement of their rules. Five U.S. senators have been meeting regularly in serious negotiations over legislation, but no agreement has been reached. Here's an explainer of college sports' new world delivered by the settlement's approval: Revenue-share pool Each school is permitted — not required — to share up to a certain amount of revenue annually with their athletes (the cap). Per the settlement agreement, the cap is calculated by taking 22% of the average of certain power school revenues, most notably ticket sales, television dollars and sponsorships. Advertisement In Year 1 — July 2025 through June 2026 — the cap amount is projected to be $20.5 million. While each school is charged with determining how to distribute those funds, most power conference programs are planning to distribute 90% to football and men's basketball, as those are, for the most part, the only revenue-generating sports for an athletic department. In Year 1, that's about $13-16 million for a football roster and $2-4 million for men's basketball, with the remaining amount shared with women's basketball, baseball, volleyball and other Olympic sports. While the 22% cap will remain the same through the 10-year settlement agreement, the cap money figure will rise based on built-in escalators (4% increase in Year 2 and Year 3), scheduled recalculations (after each third year) and additional cash flows into athletic departments, such as when conferences enter into new, more lucrative television deals or/and begin receiving new College Football Playoff monies. Advertisement Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork told Yahoo Sports this summer that he expects the cap to break $25 million by the time the Year 4 recalculation happens. There are exceptions, though, that can artificially lower the annual cap, most notably up to $2.5 million in additional scholarships that a school offers. Enforcement entity A new non-NCAA enforcement entity — an LLC predominantly managed by the power conferences — will oversee and enforce rules related to the revenue-share concept. The company, College Sports Commission, is expected to be headed by a CEO as well as a head investigator for enforcement matters. The entity is charged with assuring that schools remain under the cap and that third-party NIL deals with athletes are not the phony booster-backed deals so prevalent over the last four years. Advertisement An enforcement staff is expected to be hired to investigate and enforce rules related to cap circumvention, tampering, etc., and are charged with levying stiff penalties. Violators may be subject to multi-game coach suspensions, reductions in a school's rev-share pool as well as reductions in allowed transfers, and significant schools fines. However, the biggest looming uncertainty of the settlement agreement involves a Deloitte-run NIL clearinghouse that must approve all third-party NIL deals of at least $600 in value. The "NIL Go" clearinghouse is using a fair market value algorithm to create 'compensation ranges' for third-party deals. Deloitte is expected to approve or disapprove deals in as little as one day, and athletes can resubmit rejected deals at least once with alterations suggested by the clearinghouse. For example, Deloitte may deem a submitted $100,000 deal between an athlete and third party to actually be valued at $50,000. The player can alter the deal to align with the clearinghouse's suggested figure or the school can cover the difference by accepting a reduction against their revenue-pool cap. Deals rejected for a second time are referred to the CEO and enforcement staff and are then processed through an appeals system via court-overseen arbitration. Arbitration rulings are expected within 45 days, according to the settlement. Advertisement Athletes who lose arbitration cases and still accept compensation in the rejected deal are deemed ineligible. Rev-share contracts Starting with the fall basketball and football signing periods, schools began readying for this new era. Some even signed players to revenue-sharing agreements that begin to make payments on July 1 or later, contingent on the settlement's approval. Other players signed contracts with school booster collectives that featured a clause assigning the contract to the school on July 1. For the most part, the contracts grant schools permission to use a player's NIL rights — a reason for the compensation — but these agreements feature language often found in employment contracts, including buyouts, athlete requirements and prohibitions as well as the freedom for schools to reduce the players' compensation based on their academic standing and performance. Advertisement Already, the agreements are a subject of legal scrutiny. In January, Wisconsin defensive back Xavier Lucas left the university to enroll at Miami despite signing a revenue-share contract with UW. In public statements, Wisconsin has suggested it will pursue legal action against Lucas and/or Miami, which, it suggested, tampered with an athlete under contract. Lucas' representatives believe the contract is not enforceable as it was contingent on settlement approval when signed. The situation is a potential landmark case on settlement-contingent revenue-sharing agreements.
