La Sasso seemed unfazed during championship round
Michael La Sasso talks about winning the NCAA Men's Golf national championship and the Golf Central desk discusses what they saw from the Ole Miss junior.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NCAA will pay its current and former athletes in an agreement that will transform college sports
The business of college sports was upended after a federal judge approved a settlement between the NCAA and former college athletes on June 6, 2025. After a lengthy litigation process, the NCAA has agreed to provide US$2.8 billion in back pay to former and current college athletes, while allowing schools to directly pay athletes for the first time. Joshua Lens, whose scholarship centers on the intersection of sports, business and the law, tells the story of this settlement and explains its significance within the rapidly changing world of college sports. What will change for players and schools with this settlement? The terms of the settlement included the following changes: The NCAA and conferences will distribute approximately $2.8 billion in media rights revenue back pay to thousands of athletes who competed since 2016. Universities will have the ability to enter name, image and likeness, or NIL, agreements with student-athletes. So schools can now, for example, pay them to appear in ads for the school or for public appearances. Each university that opts in to the settlement can disburse up to $20.5 million to student-athletes in the 2025-26 academic year, a number that will likely rise in future academic years. Athletes' NIL agreements with certain individuals and entities will be subject to an evaluation that will determine whether the NIL compensation exceeds an acceptable range based on a perceived fair market value, which could result in the athlete having to restructure or forego the deal. The NCAA's maximum sport program scholarship limits will be replaced with maximum team roster size limits for universities that choose to be part of the settlement. Why did the NCAA agree to settle with, rather than fight, the plaintiffs? In 2020, roughly 14,000 current and former college athletes filed a class action lawsuit, House v. NCAA, seeking damages for past restrictions on their ability to earn money. For decades, college athletics' primary governing body, the NCAA, permitted universities whose athletics programs compete in Division I to provide their athletes with scholarships that would help cover their educational expenses, such as tuition, room and board, fees and books. By focusing only on educational expenses, the NCAA was able to reinforce the notion that collegiate athletes are amateurs who may not receive pay for participating in athletics, despite making money for their schools. A year later, in 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in a separate case, Alston v. NCAA, that the NCAA violated antitrust laws by limiting the amount of education-related benefits, such as laptops, books and musical instruments, that universities could provide to their athletes. The ruling challenged the NCAA's amateurism model while opening the door for future lawsuits tied to athlete compensation. It also burnished the plaintiffs' case in House v. NCAA, compelling college athletics' governing body to take part in settlement talks. What were some of the key changes that took place in college sports after the Supreme Court's decision in Alston v. NCAA? Following Alston, the NCAA permitted universities to dole out several thousand dollars in what's called 'education benefits pay' to student-athletes. This could include cash bonuses for maintaining a certain GPA or simply satisfying NCAA academic eligibility requirements. But contrary to popular belief, the Supreme Court's Alston decision didn't let college athletes be paid via NIL deals. The NCAA continued to maintain that this would violate its principles of amateurism. However, many states, beginning with California, introduced or passed laws that required universities within their borders to allow their athletes to accept NIL compensation. With over a dozen states looking to pass similar laws, the NCAA folded on June 30, 2021, changing its policy so athletes could accept NIL compensation for the first time. Will colleges and universities be able to weather all of these financial commitments? The settlement will result in a windfall for certain current and former collegiate athletes, with some expected to receive several hundred thousands of dollars. Universities and their athletics departments, on the other hand, will have to reallocate resources or cut spending. Some will cut back on travel expenses for some sports, others have paused facility renovations, while other athletic departments may resort to cutting sports whose revenue does not exceed their expenses. As Texas A&M University athletic director Trev Alberts has explained, however, that college sports does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending problem. Even in the well-resourced Southeastern Conference, for example, many universities' athletics expenses exceed its revenue. Do you see any future conflicts on the horizon? Many observers hope the settlement brings stability to the industry. But there's always a chance that the settlement will be appealed. More potential challenges could involve Title IX, the federal gender equity statute that prohibits discrimination based on sex in schools. What if, for example, a university subject to the statute distributes the vast majority of revenue to male athletes? Such a scenario could violate Title IX. On the other hand, a university that more equitably distributes revenue among male and female athletes could face legal backlash from football athletes who argue that they should be entitled to more revenue, since their games earn the big bucks. And as I pointed out in a recent law review article, an athlete or university may challenge the new enforcement process that will attempt to limit athletes' NIL compensation within an acceptable range that is based on a fair market valuation. The NCAA and the conferences named in the lawsuit have hired the accountancy firm Deloitte to determine whether athletes' compensation from NIL deals fall within an acceptable range based on a fair market valuation, looking to other collegiate and professional athletes to set a benchmark range. If athletes and universities have struck deals that are too generous, both could be penalized, according to the terms of the settlement. Finally, the settlement does not address – let alone solve – issues facing international student-athletes who want to earn money via NIL. Most international student-athletes' visas, and the laws regulating them, heavily limit their ability to accept compensation for work, including NIL pay. Some lawmakers have tried to address this issue in the past, but it hasn't been a priority for the NCAA, as it has lobbied Congress for a federal NIL law. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Joshua Lens, University of Iowa Read more: Caitlin Clark's historic scoring record shines a spotlight on the history of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women The man responsible for making March Madness the moneymaking bonanza it is today Nick Saban's 'epic era' of coaching is over, but the exploitation of players in big-time college football is not Joshua Lens owns The Compliance Group, which provides NCAA compliance consulting services for universities and conferences.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alcaraz tops Sinner in a French Open final for the ages
Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning. 🚨 Headlines 🏀 All knotted up: The Thunder dominated the Pacers, 123-107, on Sunday to draw even in the NBA Finals and improve to 30-2 against Eastern Conference teams this season. Advertisement 🎓 Revenue sharing is here: The NCAA's landmark antitrust settlement was finally granted approval on Friday, ushering in a new era of college sports where schools will make direct payments to athletes. We'll go deeper on this in the coming days. 🥎 Texas breaks through: The Longhorns were in the WCWS finals for the third time in four years. After losing to Oklahoma in their first two trips, they broke through against Texas Tech to win the school's first softball national championship and 64th NCAA crown. 🏀 Behind the scenes at MSG: Complaints from key Knicks players in exit interviews led to Tom Thibodeau being fired, sources told Yahoo Sports. The decision was spearheaded by owner James Dolan, whom sources said was never a huge Thibodeau fan. 🏒 Dallas fires DeBoer: The Stars are parting ways with head coach Pete DeBoer, who has led his team to the Western Conference Finals in six of the past seven seasons… and been fired three times. 🎾 Best match ever? Alcaraz wins five-set epic Carlos Alcaraz remains perfect (5-0) in major finals. () Normally, I wouldn't advise sitting on the couch for six straight hours with your eyes glued to the TV screen. But on Sunday, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner engaged in a tennis match for the ages, watching six straight hours of TNT was one of the best decisions you could have made. Advertisement Instant classic: Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat Sinner, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2), and defend his title at Roland Garros in the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era (5 hours, 29 minutes). Points won: Sinner 193, Alcaraz 192 Games won: Alcaraz 30, Sinner 29 Marathon man stays perfect: Alcaraz's 5-0 record in major finals is the best mark to begin a career since Roger Federer won his first seven. "Carlitos," known for his endurance, is now 13-1 in five-setters, while Sinner falls to 0-7 in matches that last more than four hours. Alcaraz won this match, nearly two hours later. (TNT Sports) The second coming: Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal (his childhood idol) were the exact same age when they won their fifth major: 22 years, 1 month, 3 days old. Nadal won No. 5 against Federer in "the greatest match ever played." 17 years later, his protege won No. 5 in another all-time final that rivaled his own. "When I was struggling, I tried to think of Rafa and all of the comebacks he made," said Alcaraz on Sunday. (TNT Sports) Summed up in a GIF: This was Alcaraz and Sinner's first meeting in a major final. I have a feeling it won't be their last. When that inevitable rematch does occur, can we please make sure Andre Agassi* is in the crowd? He could not believe what he was seeing on Sunday, and his reactions were priceless. Advertisement 🎥 Watch: Match highlights (YouTube) *Speaking of Agassi: The eight-time major champion is a fantastic analyst. I thought TNT aced its first year of French Open coverage, and he was a big reason why. I could listen to him explain the nuances of Alcaraz's revamped backhand all day long. 🌎 The world in photos () 🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, New York — Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty surged ahead of Preakness winner Journalism to win the 157th Belmont Stakes by multiple lengths, earning his owners $1.2 million of the $2 million purse. Déjà vu: Sovereignty (1st), Journalism (2nd) and Baeza (3rd) finished in the same order at Saratoga as they did at Churchill Downs. We'll never know if they would have done the same at Pimlico, where Journalism took first while the other two skipped the race. () 🇨🇦 Edmonton, Canada — Brad Marchand's double-overtime winner lifted the Panthers past the Oilers, 5-4 (2OT), on Friday to even up the Stanley Cup Final at one game apiece. Advertisement Postseason legend: Since entering the NHL in 2010, Marchand ranks first among all players in playoff goals (63) and playoff game-winners (15). He's also second in playoff points (155) and third in playoff penalty minutes (205). () 🇩🇪 Munich, Germany — Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears on Sunday after Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win their second Nations League title. Ronaldo's 138th international goal (26 more than anyone else) took the final to a shootout, where Rúben Neves converted the winning kick. Tragic death: A spectator died after falling from the second tier of the main stand during extra time. The match continued as the fan received medical treatment but could not be revived. () 🇮🇹 Venice, Italy — Hundreds of rowboats took to Venice's iconic canals and surrounding lagoon on Sunday for the 49th Vogalonga, an annual regatta to celebrate Venetian rowing culture and protest the use of powerboats in the island city. Advertisement Tourist hot spot: Venice welcomes around 30 million visitors per year, which dwarfs the local population of ~60,000. A fascinating watch if you're interested: Why Nobody Lives in Venice ⛳️ 3 years in, LIV's future is cloudier than ever LIV signage at this weekend's tournament in Virginia. () We're in the midst of two pretty significant anniversaries for LIV Golf. If you weren't aware of that, well, that's one of the many challenges that the breakaway tour continues to face, month after month, year after year. From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: Three years ago on June 9, 2022, LIV Golf's first-ever event teed off at the Centurion Club in London. Two years ago on June 6, 2023, LIV and the PGA Tour announced a stunning "framework agreement" that brought an end to the legal hostilities between the two tours and, in theory, laid the groundwork for future reconciliation and unification. Advertisement Now, in 2025, the dream of a LIV-PGA Tour unification seems about as likely as Tiger Woods winning the U.S. Open next week… and no, Tiger Woods is not playing in the U.S. Open next week. Whatever LIV Golf is now, "threat" is not it. And for all the PGA Tour's many missteps, misfires and mistakes, there's a very clear leader in the match-play duel between the two. It's worth remembering that for several months in 2022, LIV appeared to pose an existential threat to the PGA Tour. Yes, that first tournament was more spectacle than competition, but it did feature some of the biggest names in the sport — Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio García — and some astounding paychecks. Soon afterward, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and Bryson Dechambeau would join LIV, giving the breakaway tour a shot of juice and attitude the PGA Tour, at the time, simply couldn't match. The problem for LIV, though, was that attitude and gobs of cash were pretty much all the series had to offer. That's the fundamental problem for LIV Golf — it's a series that still hasn't found a way to connect with most fans on a deep level. And two years out from the "framework agreement," the PGA Tour doesn't seem particularly inclined to do anything but wait out LIV until its Saudi financial backers either capitulate or pull the plug entirely. Advertisement Keep reading. 📊 By the numbers () 🎾 10th American Coco Gauff beat top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday to win her first French Open title and her second Grand Slam (2023 U.S. Open). The 21-year-old is just the 10th American to win an Open Era singles title at Roland Garros, joining six women (Evert, Williams, Navratilova, Capriati, King, Richey) and three men (Agassi, Courier, Chang). ⚾️ 497 feet Top prospect Roman Anthony hit a 497-foot grand slam on Saturday during the Worcester Red Sox's 10-4 win over the Rochester Red Wings. That's the longest homer in the majors or minors this season, and the fifth-longest since Statcast began tracking fly balls in 2015. Advertisement Name to know: Anthony, 21, is MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect, and the sweet-swinging lefty outfielder is expected to make it to the big leagues sometime this season. ✈️ 2,541 miles Edmonton to Miami is the furthest distance between two cities in Stanley Cup Final history. That made Saturday an extra-long travel day, but players were happy to spend six hours relaxing, playing cards and enjoying the comforts of charter plane life. "If you are ever in our room, you hear guys talking about how excited they are to get on the bird," said Oilers forward Evander Kane. ⚽️ 3 straight losses Turkey beat a makeshift USMNT squad, 2-1, on Saturday in a soaking-wet friendly in Connecticut. That's three straight losses for the Americans, and seven straight matches against a European foe without a victory. 📺 8.91 million viewers Game 1 of the NBA Finals averaged 8.91 million viewers on ABC, making it the least-watched Game 1 of the Nielsen meter era (since 1988) outside of the COVID downturn in 2020 and 2021. It also marks an 18% drop from last year's Celtics-Mavericks opener. 📺 Watchlist: Monday, June 9 Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. () 🏒 Stanley Cup Final, Game 3 | 8pm ET, TNT Aaron Ekblad (Panthers), Sam Reinhart (Sabres), Leon Draisaitl (Oilers) and Sam Bennett (Flames) were the first four picks in the 2014 NHL Draft. 11 years later, Ekblad, Reinhart and Bennett are teammates in Florida and facing Draisaitl in the Cup Final for the second straight year. ⚾️ NCAA Baseball, Super Regionals | 7pm, ESPN The eighth and final spot in the Men's College World Series is on the line today in Durham, where Duke hosts Murray State. The winner will join No. 3 Arkansas, No. 6 LSU, No. 8 Oregon State, No. 13 Coastal Carolina, No. 15 UCLA, Louisville and Arizona in Omaha. ⚽️ TST, Finals | ESPNU The Soccer Tournament concludes tonight with $1 million championship games for the women (7pm) and the men (8:30). Team to watch: Carli Lloyd-led US Women are seeking back-to-back titles in the 7-on-7 event. Advertisement Today's full slate → 🏆 NCAA trivia For the first time ever, the Longhorns are softball national champions. (Tyler McFarland/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) Only two Division I schools have won national championships in the "big three" women's sports: basketball, volleyball and softball. Question: Texas just became the second school to do it. Who was the first? Hint: Recently switched conferences. Answer at the bottom. 🍿 Baker's Dozen: Weekend highlights (Yahoo Sports) Watch all 13. Trivia answer: UCLA We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Meet the 15 amateurs playing in the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club
Meet the 15 amateurs playing in the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club Nearly 10 percent of the field at the 2025 U.S. Open is comprised of amateurs. When the 125th edition of the U.S. Golf Association's national championship gets underway Thursday at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, there will be 15 amateurs in the field. Josele Ballester, the 2024 U.S. Amateur champion, is also teeing it up, but he turned pro last week and joined LIV Golf. There remain plenty of notable ams teeing it up, including the No. 1 in the world, the NCAA individual champion and numerous qualifiers, too. The 15 amateurs competing in 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Evan Beck Beck had a dominant 9-and-8 victory in the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur, punching his ticket to his first U.S. Open start. Trevor Gutschewski The son of Scott Gutschewski and Florida commit, Trevor won the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur and will make his first start at the U.S. Open. Frankie Harris Harris, who will be a senior at South Carolina, advanced through local and final qualifying to earn his first start at the U.S. Open. Justin Hastings Hastings recently finished his college career at San Diego State, and he earned his spot at Oakmont thanks to winning the 2025 Latin America Amateur Championship. Mason Howell Howell, the 17-year-old Georgia commit, dominated final qualifying in Atlanta, shooting 18 under over 36 holes to tie for medalist honors. Ben James James is making his second straight U.S. Open start after advancing through qualifying at Canoe Brook Country Club, where he qualified in 2024, too. Noah Kent Kent, who transferred to Florida from Iowa over the winter, is making his first U.S. Open start thanks to his runner-up finish at the U.S. Amateur. Jackson Koivun The top-ranked amateur in the world advanced via final qualifying at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta, Georgia, and is making his first appearance. Michael La Sasso La Sasso locked up his first major championship start after winning the NCAA individual title last month at Omni La Costa. Bryan Lee The rising senior at Virginia punched his ticket to the U.S. Open after advancing through the Woodmont Country club qualifier. Zachary Pollo Pollo advanced through local and final qualifying, helping the rising senior at Arizona punch his ticket for Oakmont. Lance Simpson Simpson, a rising junior at Tennessee, shot 8 under at Bent Tree Country Club qualifier in Dallas to earn his first U.S. Open start. Cameron Tankersley The junior at Ole Miss also advanced from the Dallas qualifier at Bent Tree, and it will be his U.S. Open debut. Matt Vogt One of the best stories of the U.S. Open, Vogt is a dentist by day and will make his debut at Oakmont after advancing through local and final qualifying. Tyler Weaver Weaver, a sophomore at Florida State, advanced via the Piedmont Driving Club qualifier in Atlanta and will make his major debut at Oakmont.
