• Q&A With Titan A.D. Jim Donovan – Subject: The Ever-Changing World of College Athletics (LINK) 
• Forgotten in the consternation over veteran student-athletes suing the NCAA in hopes of extending their eligibility for another season are colleges that incentivize athletes to sue the association by promising them roster spots if they can defeat the NCAA in court. Per Sportico’s Michael McCann, if student-athletes didn’t have such a promise, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t sue. Vanderbilt’s Jalen Washington and Oakland’s Brody Robinson, 22-year-old men’s basketball student-athletes who are currently suing the association in a Tennessee court, identified Louisville, San Diego State, LSU and Washington as schools that have either promised them roster spots or expressed strong interest in enrolling them if their lawsuit succeeds in securing another season of eligibility. Interestingly, those same four colleges have also been critical of efforts to challenge NCAA rules and have advocated for clarity and stability in college sports. More. (link) 
• “They’re trying to kill Cinderella.” That’s what Dayton President Eric Spina and Saint Mary’s President Roger Thompson posit in a special op-ed for The Columbus Dispatch, noting the fairy-tale underdog serves as the lifeblood of college basketball. More of the pair’s position… 
  • At the heart of the issue is the House settlement, which the pair observe was presented as essential to the future of college athletics, but is now being reconsidered a year later because some parties no longer like the consequences of the bargain they struck. “The issue is not whether the settlement was perfect. … The question is whether a landmark agreement deserves the opportunity to work before it's rewritten. If not, what confidence should anyone have that the next version will endure any longer?” 
  • More: “Few believed the settlement would be the final word on college athletics governance. It was widely understood as a first step toward broader reforms, potentially including federal legislation or a more comprehensive national framework. But the first step only works if participants are willing to build upon it. … The future of college sports will not be secured by continually raising the price of admission until only a handful of giants can afford to play. If we refuse to honor the agreements we make, we aren’t just changing the rules of the game – we are ensuring Cinderella never even gets an invitation to the ball.” (link) 
• Judge Christopher Wagner has denied the NCAA’s motion to stay the preliminary injunction in the Ohio eligibility case. The players will remain eligible to play, pending appeal. (link) 
• Texas’ Jordan Pope and UCLA’s Donovan Dent are the latest notable men’s college basketball student-athletes to file an age-based eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA, per On3’s Pete Nakos. Filed in California by attorneys Darren Heitner and Ryan Downton, the suit seeks an injunction for more than 45 athletes to play during the 2026-27 season. (link)  
• CBS’ Gary Parrish explains how the NCAA's newly adopted five-for-five eligibility rule will create a roster bottleneck impacting high school basketball recruits in the Class of 2027, noting that programs are prioritizing proven talent in the transfer portal over unproven prep prospects. Here’s the deal…  
  • That reality is reflected in 247Sports data indicating that only 12 of the 101 players ranked between 50th and 150th in the 2027 class currently hold commitments to Power 4 institutions.  
  • The resulting lack of available roster spots allows UNLV HC Josh Pastner and other non-P4 coaches to recruit highly rated high schoolers by offering immediate playing time with the understanding they will eventually transfer to wealthier programs.  
  • Alabama HC Nate Oats on the mathematical reality limiting opportunities for the upcoming high school recruiting cycle: "I made the point to [Alabama AC] Preston [Murphy] that this year's high school class is going to get screwed a little bit because, essentially, all of these guys who should be filtering out are not going to filter out."  
  • Parrish adds: “So, outside of an exception here or there, of course, only the best of the best from the 2027 high school class will get the kind of offers those ranked similarly in previous years received -- and some won't get Division I offers at all. Because there are only so many tables and chairs in this big restaurant we call Division I college basketball, and, thanks to the new five-for-five rule, just about every person inside next season is going to grab dessert and do at least one more round before heading for the door.” (link) 
• Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould to Hero Sports’ KC Smurthwaite: “We are at a time in our industry where it feels like relationships are becoming less and less important. I don’t agree with that at all. … Whether I was on a campus, in a conference or working in the private sector, I will always go back to that. Nothing matters more than relationships. … I’m hopeful that, in the long term, we as leaders can figure out a different way forward. We need to discontinue what I think is an unhealthy practice of realigning conferences year after year, chasing after something that maybe isn’t the right motivation." (link) 
• Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger shares the latest from lawmakers as they work on revisions to the Protect College Sports Act to secure backing from the SEC and Big Ten before the August 7 congressional recess. One proposal includes a $20M to $30M roster retention pool that would push the $21.3M revenue-sharing cap toward a $40M to $50M total limit. The adjusted financial framework attempts to offset prohibitions against sending NIL compensation to student-athletes through multimedia rights partners. Dellenger: “However, not everyone believes that such cap changes can be made without a formal approval process as outlined in the NCAA's House settlement agreement. That process starts with a formal request from the conferences and NCAA to the plaintiff attorneys, who must, along with Judge Claudia Wilken, approve any changes.” House plaintiffs’ attorney Jeffrey Kessler warns that any legislative attempt to adjust the agreed-upon revenue-sharing figures must clear formal judicial approval before Congress can take action: "It depends on what they would do. If it changes terms within the settlement, they cannot do that. They are not going to use the legislation to do that. I can guarantee you that." More from Dellenger. (link) 
• U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) continues his push against the Protect College Sports Act, per a release from his office, which reads: “Five years after NCAA v. Alston, unrestricted transfers, eligibility exceptions, NIL bidding wars, and nonstop litigation have destabilized rosters, disrupted athletes' academics, and weakened the NCAA's ability to enforce basic rules. Senator Tuberville believes Congress should address the two issues driving much of the current chaos: transfers and eligibility. His legislation, the Student Athlete Act (S.4177), would establish five consecutive years of eligibility, permit one penalty-free transfer, eliminate discretionary waivers, and restore meaningful enforcement authority. By contrast, the Protect College Sports Act (S.4668), fails to establish firm transfer and eligibility rules and instead creates a broad federal system governing nearly every aspect of college athletics. The bill is framed as a path to stability and legal certainty in college sports. In reality, its core provisions would expand exceptions, invite litigation, increase uncertainty, and deepen federal involvement in college athletics. College sports do not need a federal takeover. They need clear rules governing transfers and eligibility.” (link) 
• In a sit-down with CBS’ Brandon Marcello, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey explains that “the headline that’s developed, that there's a breakaway being considered, that’s not actually what the answer was. What we actually talk about is conference-led change. Should we have different policies for ourselves that make more sense rather than simply saying we follow NCAA eligibility rules? Those conversations are real. We also understand we have a responsibility beyond just our 16. America expects March Madness to exist. … I also think that if we just walked away from the NCAA, whether we’re frustrated or not, we’d be back in front of Congress in a conversation. So, my observation to our league is that’s not a priority for us.” (link) 
• Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger shares the latest on the negotiations between federal lawmakers and conference commissioners regarding the Protect College Sports Act, clarifying that the SEC is exploring a self-governance model rather than a full competitive breakaway from the NCAA. Here’s more of what you need to know… 
  • Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) are actively working with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark to revise the legislation and secure power-conference support, and Dellenger explains the current discussions center on adjusting the $21.3M revenue-sharing cap by adding a $25M roster retention pool, capping conference membership at 19 schools, requiring power-conference defectors to operate as independents for five years and prohibiting private equity firms from forming a super league.  
  • SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey maintains that passing the congressional bill remains his preferred course of action, dismissing rumors that the league intends to abandon the College Football Playoff and national championships to host its own exclusive postseason. Sankey on the exact nature of the conference's contingency planning if lawmakers fail to establish a national regulatory framework: Without a bill, the SEC's conference-led governance model “takes on more interest. But that doesn't mean something is poised to happen. If the headline remains that we're breaking away, that's uninformed." Dellenger notes that Petitti and Phillips are on Capitol Hill today. (link, link) 
• Writing for Extra Points, KC Smurthwaite spoke with both Summit League Commissioner Josh Fenton and San José State AD Jeff Konya about the Protect College Sports Act. Fenton: “It is important to eliminate chaos we currently experience from varying state court decisions on enforcing the same regulations that are being codified in the bill. Lawsuits should not have merit for following law Congress enacts, and given our industry operates across state lines, it is important to create a system where national rules can be enforced and interpreted consistently.” Konya adds: “When you get to complex issues like this act, you’re never going to get consensus. People are always going to be arguing across the margins. To move forward in the industry, we need some kind of a guiding light. If that act gets through, I believe it’s a necessary and a positive step in the right direction. Is it a panacea for all of the ills in college athletics at this point? I probably would say it will stop short of that. But at least it would give a common understanding so we can all do what we want to do.” (link)  

   QUOTE OF THE DAY   

"I wouldn't give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn't have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little looking out for the other fella, too." – From Jefferson Smith in the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” 

   LET’S CLOSE IT OUT!   

As preseason practices and the start of another academic year quickly approach, the pace of change across Division I athletics shows no signs of slowing. While many conversations continue to focus on legislation, litigation and governance, our daily mission remains unchanged—providing outstanding opportunities and experiences for our student-athletes. 

Thank you for everything our administrators do to advance that mission on our campuses each day. 

Dan