Catch up with CJ Kirst after Cornell's National Championship win
FOXBOROUGH, MA (WSYR) — The NCAA all-time leading scorer is now a national champion. CJ Kirst racked up seven points (6 goals and an assist) in the Big Red's 13-10 win over Maryland in the National Championship.
Sports Director Steve Infanti talked with the star following the win.
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Congress introduces bill addressing national guidelines for college sports
Congress introduces bill addressing national guidelines for college sports With the settlement of three athlete-compensation antitrust cases against the NCAA and the Power Five conferences having received final approval from a federal district judge on June 6, members of the U.S. House of Representatives have moved into action with new legislative proposals regarding national rules for college sports. On Wednesday, June 10, Reps. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., introduced a bill that comes shortly after Reps. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., circulated a discussion draft of a bill that would largely put into federal law the terms and new rules-making structure of the settlement. The discussion draft is set to be the centerpiece of a hearing June 11 by a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Bilirakis, who has been involved in previous college-sports bill efforts, chairs the subcommittee. Guthrie chairs the full committee. The bill – in addition to being a bi-partisan presentation – continues recent work related to college sports from McClain, who is the current House Republican Conference chair. That makes her the GOP's No. 4-ranking member in the House. In April, McClain introduced a bill that would prevent college athletes from being employees of their schools, conferences or an athletic association. The discussion draft – as posted on Congress' general resource site, - includes language that specifically would allow the NCAA, and potentially the new Collegiate Sports Commission, to make rules in areas that have come into legal dispute in recent years and in areas that the NCAA wants to shield from legal dispute. The discussion draft, first reported on by The Washington Post, also includes language that would require most Division I schools to provide a series of benefits for athletes that are currently called for under NCAA and some conferences' rules but do not have the force of federal law. In addition, the discussion draft includes a 'placeholder' section for language that likely would be connected to providing antitrust or other legal protection for various provisions. According the discussion draft, an 'interstate collegiate athletic association' would be able to 'establish and enforce rules relating to … the manner in which … student athletes may be recruited' to play sports; 'the transfer of a student athlete between institutions'; and 'the number of seasons or length of time for which a student athlete is eligible to compete, academic standards, and code of conduct'. The NCAA's rules regarding when recruits can be offered money in exchange for the use of their name, image and likeness; athletes' ability to freely transfer; and the number of seasons in which they are eligible to compete all of have been – or currently are being – addressed in federal and state courts across the country. That has raised concerns for NCAA officials about the future of rules such as those concerning academic eligibility requirements The discussion draft also includes language that would require most Division I schools to provide a series of benefits for athletes that are currently called for under NCAA and some conferences' rules but do not have the force of law. These include medical coverage for athletically related injuries for at least two years after the conclusion of an athlete's career; guaranteed financial aid that would allow an athlete to complete an undergraduate degree; and 'an administrative structure that provides independent medical care and affirms the unchallengeable autonomous authority of primary athletics health care providers (team physicians and athletic trainers) to determine medical management and return-to-play decisions related to student athletes.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Congress introduces bill addressing national guidelines for college sports
With the settlement of three athlete-compensation antitrust cases against the NCAA and the Power Five conferences having received final approval from a federal district judge on June 6, members of the U.S. House of Representatives have moved into action with new legislative proposals regarding national rules for college sports. On Wednesday, June 10, Reps. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., introduced a bill that comes shortly after Reps. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., circulated a discussion draft of a bill that would largely put into federal law the terms and new rules-making structure of the settlement. Advertisement The discussion draft is set to be the centerpiece of a hearing June 11 by a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Bilirakis, who has been involved in previous college-sports bill efforts, chairs the subcommittee. Guthrie chairs the full committee. The bill – in addition to being a bi-partisan presentation – continues recent work related to college sports from McClain, who is the current House Republican Conference chair. That makes her the GOP's No. 4-ranking member in the House. In April, McClain introduced a bill that would prevent college athletes from being employees of their schools, conferences or an athletic association. The discussion draft – as posted on Congress' general resource site, - includes language that specifically would allow the NCAA, and potentially the new Collegiate Sports Commission, to make rules in areas that have come into legal dispute in recent years and in areas that the NCAA wants to shield from legal dispute. The discussion draft, first reported on by The Washington Post, also includes language that would require most Division I schools to provide a series of benefits for athletes that are currently called for under NCAA and some conferences' rules but do not have the force of federal law. Advertisement In addition, the discussion draft includes a 'placeholder' section for language that likely would be connected to providing antitrust or other legal protection for various provisions. According the discussion draft, an 'interstate collegiate athletic association' would be able to 'establish and enforce rules relating to … the manner in which … student athletes may be recruited' to play sports; 'the transfer of a student athlete between institutions'; and 'the number of seasons or length of time for which a student athlete is eligible to compete, academic standards, and code of conduct'. The NCAA's rules regarding when recruits can be offered money in exchange for the use of their name, image and likeness; athletes' ability to freely transfer; and the number of seasons in which they are eligible to compete all of have been – or currently are being – addressed in federal and state courts across the country. That has raised concerns for NCAA officials about the future of rules such as those concerning academic eligibility requirements The discussion draft also includes language that would require most Division I schools to provide a series of benefits for athletes that are currently called for under NCAA and some conferences' rules but do not have the force of law. Advertisement These include medical coverage for athletically related injuries for at least two years after the conclusion of an athlete's career; guaranteed financial aid that would allow an athlete to complete an undergraduate degree; and 'an administrative structure that provides independent medical care and affirms the unchallengeable autonomous authority of primary athletics health care providers (team physicians and athletic trainers) to determine medical management and return-to-play decisions related to student athletes.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Congress introduces college sports bill proposing national rules
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Ravens should explore adding CB Jaire Alexander, but there's plenty to consider
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — A decorated veteran defensive player suddenly becomes available, and the Baltimore Ravens are immediately mentioned as potential suitors. It's a tale as old as time. When the now available player just happens to be a former college teammate and close friend of Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson, the speculation — and fan expectations — go into overdrive. Such was the case Monday when two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander was officially released by the Green Bay Packers after the two sides couldn't agree on the terms of a restructured contract. Advertisement To be clear, adding Alexander would make plenty of sense for Baltimore. The team's decision-makers abide by the philosophy that you can never have enough corners. 'When you think you have enough, add one more,' former Ravens general manager and current executive vice president Ozzie Newsome was fond of saying. Their current roster, however, is thin on experienced cornerbacks beyond Marlon Humphrey and free-agent signing Chidobe Awuzie, a 30-year-old who has played just eight games in two of his last three seasons. The Ravens believe 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins is going to be a star. After enjoying a promising rookie season, Wiggins will be an every-down starter on the outside. Humphrey, a four-time Pro Bowler, will be the other starter. When the Ravens go to three-cornerback looks, Humphrey will bump inside, where he's probably better at this stage of his career, and Awuzie will enter the game. That's at least how the Ravens are drawing it up in June. Nobody needs to remind general manager Eric DeCosta that things don't always go as planned, and it's fair to ask what happens if one of the Ravens' frontline corners gets injured. Do they have enough trust in T.J. Tampa, a fourth-round pick last year who played just 18 defensive snaps as a rookie, that they're comfortable with him becoming a starter if there's an injury at the position? Are the Ravens holding out hope that Jalyn Armour-Davis will finally stay healthy in his fourth NFL season? Or does the defensive coaching staff truly believe that one or both of their rookie sixth-round cornerbacks, Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam, are ready to play meaningful roles this early in their careers? Because beyond a few undrafted rookies, that's it. Those are their options. You could have made a really strong case that the Ravens needed to add another veteran cornerback before the Packers abandoned their efforts to trade Alexander and he suddenly became a free agent, and before it became abundantly clear that the Miami Dolphins were working to move on from another accomplished cornerback, Jalen Ramsey. There's been no indication, by the way, that the Ravens are involved in the Ramsey talks. Advertisement The question is whether Alexander fits the Ravens front office's mantra of 'right player, right price.' Fans love names, and Alexander was once considered one of the top cornerbacks in football, a true shutdown guy in a league where elite cover men are at a premium. In 2022, the Packers made Alexander the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, giving him $21 million annually. But Alexander played just seven games in 2023 and 2024. When you take into account his injury-plagued 2021 campaign, Alexander has missed 34 games over the past four seasons. So the Ravens and every other team contemplating signing Alexander are going to first have to be comfortable with where he is health-wise, because he hasn't played much football in the last two years. Maybe Baltimore's attitude is that Alexander and Awuzie, who has his own injury issues, should be able to scratch together 18 games between them. Either way, the Ravens have watched many veteran corners languish on injured reserve over the years, so the decision to sign another player with an extensive injury history won't be taken lightly. They'll also need to make sure Alexander is willing to embrace a role where he's not necessarily on the field for 100 percent of the defensive snaps. The Ravens love loading the field and mixing and matching with their defensive backs. Safeties line up in the slot, and cornerbacks have the versatility to play safety, all part of the team's vision of having a position-less defense. It requires unselfishness and a total buy-in. Alexander, who is said to have several free-agent options, would have to be interested in Baltimore. If Alexander is deemed healthy and is totally on board, is there any downside to the move? Nothing overly significant stands out, but projecting Alexander on the 53-man roster in September means subtracting someone who was earmarked to make the team. The Ravens don't have too many unaccounted roster spots as is. Each added veteran before training camp potentially means cutting a younger player whom the Ravens had designs on developing or going short at another position group. Advertisement The Ravens also don't have a lot of salary-cap flexibility. According to the NFL Players Association Public Salary Cap Report, they currently have just under $16 million of space. However, a chunk of that will be needed to maintain the roster through the season and to withstand the inevitable injuries that occur. DeCosta has lamented in the past not having enough cap space to make a pre-trade deadline deal, and he has no desire to go back to that reality. Alexander probably isn't going to break the bank. He theoretically could be willing to accept a one-year deal to prove he's healthy before he hits the open market next March. But Alexander almost certainly isn't going to be OK with a veteran minimum type of deal like the one Awuzie signed. Any cap space that Alexander would absorb would subtract from the team's flexibility to make other moves. There's also the matter of what Alexander's addition would mean to the young corners on the roster. Armour-Davis may have been chalked up as a lost cause by segments of the fan base due to his struggles staying healthy — the Ravens don't share that sentiment — but what about Tampa? It's tough to develop young players who are stapled to the bench on game days. If Tampa, Kone and Longerbeam don't get opportunities to play on defense this year, the Ravens would head into the offseason with Alexander and Awuzie presumably free agents and Humphrey entering his age-30 season and the final year of his deal. Baltimore would have no real knowledge of what it has with its young corners beyond Wiggins. That wouldn't be ideal, but neither would running out of healthy cornerbacks during a season that has a Super Bowl or bust feel to it. Ravens fans have seen that movie before, and they have no interest in reliving it, especially with quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love on Baltimore's 2025 schedule. Ravens officials have predictably been mum about their interest level in Alexander, and that isn't surprising. They tend to operate in the shadows, and the more that you hear about their interest level in a player, the less believable it is. However, DeCosta and the front office are always looking and always making calls to see if there's a trade or free-agent fit that makes the team better. Alexander also just happens to be represented by Roc Nation's John Thornton, who has spent plenty of time on the phone with Ravens officials in recent weeks. Thornton reps Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who just finalized a contract extension with Baltimore last week. Thornton was at the Ravens' Under Armour Performance Center when Bateman signed the deal. Advertisement If the topic ever turned to Alexander, only DeCosta or Thornton knows. But you can be sure the Ravens are at least doing their due diligence, which is consistent with what they do every time a quality player becomes available. The Ravens don't make 'wow' offers to free agents, particularly not in June when they are clinging to every bit of salary-cap space they have. The bet here is that Alexander will find that he could make more money and have a more solidified role elsewhere, that there will be more motivated buyers than the Ravens. That would make this 'should they or shouldn't they sign him' debate moot. However, this is the Ravens we're talking about, and an accomplished player at a potential position of need is suddenly available. Did we mention that the player just happens to be close to Jackson from their days together at Louisville? It feels like an obligation to at least explore the possibility.
