Good morning!
As we close the calendar year and prepare to turn the page to 2026, this week felt like a fitting reflection of everything 2025 has required of us—focus, collaboration and a willingness to lead through complexity. While today’s edition includes important updates from the week, I also wanted to pause briefly to reflect on the year behind us. It has been a year defined by consequential decisions, national engagement and a shared commitment to doing what is best for our student-athletes and institutions. What follows is a look back at some of the moments that shaped The Big West in 2025, and the foundation they have laid for the year ahead.
With that context in mind, let’s get to the most recent updates from the week—before we step back and reflect on the full year.
Let’s get to 2025’s final edition of The Bold Type.
CONGRATULATIONS
- To UC Irvine men’s basketball for winning the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational! Read more >>>
- To our Players of the Week!
VIDEO FEATURE: DEFINING AN ERA WITH ALAN KNIPE OF LONG BEACH STATE
After three years competing for Long Beach State and 22 more as a coach at the Beach, Alan Knipe's legendary career comes to a close at the end of the calendar year. Chloe Clark sat down with the Hall of Fame coach to reflect on his time at LBSU, including the 2025 national championship.
Read more >>>
TUNE IN!
This week sees the start of the men’s volleyball regular season and the first week back for Big West men’s and women’s basketball conference games! As always, fans can see every home basketball game of the season on the ESPN family of networks. Check out the ESPN broadcast schedule here >>>.
Additionally, this week sees two games also airing on Spectrum SportsNet as part of our robust programming package:
And finally, tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 30, The Big West’s 2026 Men’s Volleyball Preview presented by the Hawaiian Islands debuts on ESPN+ at Noon PT/10 a.m. HT! Watch here >>>
MEDIA REPORTS ON NCAA AND LEGAL MATTERS
- More from U.S. Council on Athletes’ Health (USCAH) President and CEO/Big Ten CMO Jim Borchers with Inside Higher Ed. On the topic of money, the integrity of college athletics and what lies ahead: “In the United States, sport is so much a part of what the community is and how people identify with an institution. But the financial markets are creating a transactional nature to it. I think most college athletes just want sport to continue to be part of their college experience, because it’s what they’ve known. They want to go to school, have a peer group and play a sport they enjoy. When it becomes a financial vehicle, there’s a whole different aspect to sport because now your efforts and what you’re doing in sport are objectively equated with a dollar amount. And how do we reconcile those two? It’s really challenging. Now that you have athletes in college making seven figures, they’re probably the financial engine for their families. Their purpose and why they’re there has changed. Not that sport hasn’t always been a big part of the collegiate experience, but if you’re paying somebody $1M or $500K to participate in sport, I don’t think they’re going to have much focus on any of the other reasons why they’re in college.” (link)
- Netflix VP of Sports Gabe Spitzer, appearing on a podcast with Puck’s John Ourand, reiterated that the streamer’s live sports strategy remains focused on marquee events rather than season-long volume, stating: "For us, at least for right now, a more random game on a Friday night is not necessarily the same for us as [MLB] Opening Night or a Home Run Derby." Spitzer explained that live games must win a "battle for attention" against internal hits like Stranger Things and Squid Game, effectively ruling out interest in local rights or RSN-style packages. (link)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Judges Guido Calabresi, Gerard E. Lynch and Sarah A. L. Merriam last week affirmed the dismissal of an antitrust lawsuit brought by former Kansas Men’s Basketball student-athlete Mario Chalmers and 15 other former college basketball players over their NIL usage in ads, broadcast and other commercial purposes. Per Sportico’s Michael McCann, the biggest problem facing lawsuits such as the one filed by Chalmers is that too much time has passed. “Antitrust claims are subject to a four-year statute of limitations. The players sued on July 1, 2024, which means the statute of limitations reaches back to July 1, 2020. The last day any player in this case was enrolled at an NCAA-affiliated university was in 2016. … The three judges disagreed with Chalmers that the alleged damages caused by signing away NIL rights were so speculative that they justify extending the statute of limitations,” while also pointing out “there have been other cases brought against the NCAA over restrictions on athlete compensation—such as the Alston case, which involved compensation for education-related expenses—but Chalmers’ group waited until 2024. The judges quoted [Judge Paul A.] Engelmayer saying these players ‘sat on their hands for more than a decade before bringing this lawsuit.’” More. (link)
- College baseball leaders have already been in dialogue with Major League Baseball over the possibility of “structural change at the professional level that could affect the college game, including scenarios that could involve fewer draft rounds or further contraction of the minor leagues” with the upcoming expiration of MLB’s collective bargaining agreement on Dec. 1, 2026. Per Baseball America’s Jacob Rudner, “college baseball is no longer positioned simply as an alternative pathway for players, but as a competitive one, both in terms of resources and outcomes.” More. (link)
- The News & Observer’s Jadyn Watson-Fisher analyzes the ACC’s resurgence in men’s basketball, fueled by new coaches, increased budgets, and a strategic scheduling overhaul that has the league poised to exceed its recent average of just five NCAA Tournament bids. As of Dec. 22, the conference boasted nine teams in the NET top 50 (tied with the SEC for the most) and led all leagues with 16 Quad 1 wins, a sharp turnaround from last season when it finished with only five top-50 NET teams. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips’ perspective: “There’s no question the ACC is significantly better, and I’m pleased and energized by the league’s collective successes already this season. The improvement is a tribute to our coaches and student-athletes, along with the tremendous support and commitment to competing at the highest level by the chancellors, presidents and athletic directors. The success of our teams in the nonconference portion of the season will position us well as we enter conference play and ultimately look ahead to March.” ESPN analyst/former Virginia Tech HC Seth Greenberg adds: “Investment equals expectation, and I think that the ACC and administrations and athletic departments decided they want to not just have a basketball team, but back to being the ACC; a dominant conference. If you look at it, the return on the investments have been pretty good. ... I think the league is getting back its depth. The talent level is way up. Recruiting is way up. Style of play has been terrific." (link)
- U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) and Dan Goldman (D-NY) have introduced the Honest Oversight of Ticketed Dining and Onsite Grub (HOTDOG) Act, directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a nationwide study of concession pricing practices at sports venues by examining the prices of comparable food and drinks inside and outside stadiums, that were constructed or are operated with public subsidy funds; pricing practices such as dynamic pricing, service fees, and promotions; transparency of concession prices to consumers, and other types of pricing policies. More. (link)
- Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is no longer looking to play more college football, but his attorney, Ryan Downton, continues to push on the NCAA for additional eligibility for other clients & is now pointing to Baylor men’s basketball’s recent addition of former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji as another breaking point. In a new U.S. District Court filing by Downton: “When what to my wandering eyes should appear, but ... the hypocrisy of the NCAA granting four years of eligibility to a 21-year-old European professional basketball player with four years of professional experience who was drafted by an NBA team two years ago. ... Meanwhile, the NCAA argues to this court that high school seniors are harmed if a 22- or 23-year-old former junior college player plays one more year of college football.” (link)
As these updates reflect, the pace has not slowed—and yet they also underscore why it is worth pausing briefly to reflect on the year that brought us here.
2025 IN REVIEW - LEADERSHIP IN THE ROOM, DECISIONS THAT MATTER, AND MOMENTUM THAT ENDURES
As 2025 comes to a close, it is worth pausing—not to slow our momentum, but to reflect on the magnitude of the year behind us. This was a year that required clarity amid complexity, unity amid uncertainty, and steady leadership during one of the most consequential periods in the history of college athletics.
National Leadership at a Pivotal Moment
2025 placed The Big West squarely in the center of national NCAA conversations.
Conference leadership was deeply engaged in:
-
NCAA Division I governance reform, advocating for meaningful representation, balanced decision-making, and realistic implementation timelines.
-
House v. NCAA settlement discussions, where the conference consistently emphasized sustainability, equity, and the long-term health of Division I—particularly for conferences outside the Power Four.
-
National leadership roles across the NCAA Cabinet, Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, Women's Basketball Oversight Committee, Collegiate Commissioners Association, and Congressional engagement—ensuring The Big West’s perspective was not only present, but respected.
These discussions were not theoretical. They will shape budgets, rosters, championships and student-athlete experiences for years to come.
Membership Decisions That Shape the Future
Few years have required more institutional alignment than 2025.
-
The Big West welcomed California Baptist University, Utah Valley University and Sacramento State University, set to join in 2026–27, reinforcing the conference’s geographic logic, competitive strength and long-term vision.
-
The conference navigated the pending departures of UC Davis, Hawai‘i and UC San Diego with professionalism, transparency and mutual respect—honoring their current membership while preparing for the future.
-
Throughout the year, the focus remained on unity among continuing members, shared governance and trust—recognizing that stability is not accidental, but earned through communication and collaboration.
Basketball as a Platform for Visibility and Stability
-
The conference had the greatest number of men’s basketball programs in the NCAA’s National Invitational Tournament in Big West history, featured an NIT championship game participant, and was one of only two conferences with two teams reaching 30+ wins.
Championship Excellence Across the Conference
2025 delivered moments that will be remembered for decades.
Student-Athletes at the Center
Amid change, one constant remained clear: student-athletes come first.
Innovation, Partnerships, and the “Only The Bold” Identity
2025 reinforced that progress requires partners and vision.
Looking Ahead
As we turn the page to 2026, The Big West does so with:
The work is far from finished—but the foundation is strong.
Year-End Music of the Week
Billy Joel – “Vienna”
Of all of the songs I selected in 2025, this one is a reminder that leadership is not about rushing to the next headline, but about making the right decisions, at the right time, for the right reasons.
“Slow down, you crazy child… Vienna waits for you.”
Year-End Reflection
“Leadership is not about being in control. It is about being accountable—especially when the decisions are hard and the consequences last.”
Thank you to our presidents and chancellors, athletic directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives, student-athletes, coaches, administrators, partners and conference staff for your leadership, trust, candor and collaboration throughout 2025. This was not an easy year, nor was it a simple one—but it was a meaningful one. Together, we navigated complexity, made consequential decisions, and continued to place student-athletes at the center of our work.
As we turn the page to 2026, we do so with clarity, alignment and confidence in who we are and where we are going. The work continues—but the foundation is strong, and the purpose remains clear.
Here’s to the year ahead—and to continuing this work together.
Dan