As kickers, we don't usually get to "enjoy" the spoils of the NCAA's NIL money grab. We often stand on the sidelines, like we do, and wait for our time to shine. And that's a-OK. I write this to simply let you know that at the highest level of play (P4-D1), it's now just a free-for-all. Congress can't get a bill into law to curtail some of the madness, and the NCAA doesn't seem to want to roll-up it's sleeves and get some law and order in place. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.... unless you have some help. I can help provide some guidance. DM me. _ _ READ THIS FROM ON3.com _ _ After a Texas judge blasted a hole Monday in the one NCAA rule everyone seems to agree needs to be on the books (don't bet on your own team), NCAA president Charlie Baker begged Congress to pass a bill Baker didn't fully support as recently as last week. Unfortunately for Baker, the bill probably won't pass. Even if it did, it wouldn't help avoid decisions like the one Judge Ken Curry released Monday. Thanks to an injunction granted by Curry, Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby will be allowed to play in 2026 even though Sorsby has admitted to violating the NCAA's gambling rules multiple times and, more specifically, admitted to betting on Indiana football while a member of Indiana’s football team in 2022 and 2023. This feels like a tipping point. Lots of NCAA rules are controversial. This one is not. It has a 100 percent approval rating outside Lubbock, Texas. If you can't enforce this rule, you can't reasonably expect to enforce any rules. The question now is whether the presidents and commissioners who run the sport will finally give up on the pipe dream of getting bailed out by Congress and start doing the work required to actually fix the mess they've made. The next step should be obvious: It's time to collectively bargain with the players.

This looks like it will become the rule (but is NOT yet). _ _ _ TLTR: • 5 years to play 4 starting at age 19 or date of college enrollment. • No more 25 year olds playing for 7 years. The NCAA Division I Board moved forward with age-based eligibility on Friday, changing the clock to start when the athlete turns 19 or enrolls in college, sources told On3. The formal vote is not set until the end of June, when it is widely expected to pass. The adjustment follows recommendations from stakeholders in hockey, college basketball and service academies. The Cabinet plans to consider the age-based eligibility model at its June 23-24 meeting. The previous age-based eligibility proposal would start the clock at high school graduation. The Cabinet also reiterated that for current athletes, any waivers regarding eligibility under current rules must be submitted by schools and conferences no later than July 31. The NCAA previously stated that athletes whose fourth year of college eligibility ended by spring 2026 would not receive any additional eligibility under the new model. NOTE: It also would give flexibility to currently enrolled athletes with eligibility after the 2025-26 academic year to apply the age-based model or continue previous eligibility rules, whichever is more beneficial to that individual.

Seven years ago, executives from the NCAA asked the government to get involved and help solve the myriad of issues related to NIL, paying athletes, eligibility and so much more that was getting out of control in college sports (football & basketball in particular). They lobbied hard for a congressional bill – in 2019. Today, the SCORE Act (the "answer" to these issues) has received zero floor votes, not even getting to the floor in a very public and embarrassing death. College sports' hopes for a federal solution for their very expensive and self-made problems – unlimited transfers, skyrocketing roster values and 27-year-olds playing in college – now seem to rest with two people: a conservative Texan, Ted Cruz, and a Democratic Senate mainstay, Maria Cantwell. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? You're on your own to figure it out.... so DON'T go it alone. Coaches, parents, compliance officers, leaders in business, branding and marketing and ChatGPT might all have suggestions (and answers) to your questions. But you have to choose what's best for you. The point is... YOU HAVE AGENCY over yourself. Accept it. Embrace it. Go out an get. Don't wait for others to decide for you. Harsh? Maybe, but honest. Want to chat about your situation? DM me.

Our own @Ellis Wangelin sent me a text this morning asking about D3, the Portal and the eligibility of the Anna Maria College football players for the Fall season (since their school just announced that it was closing its doors this Spring). I hadn't even heard of Anna Maria! (It's a small DIII school in Massachusetts — with a great football program). I thought I'd turn Ellis' inquiry into a post, to which the answer I gave him was — YES, THE ANNA MARIA PLAYERS ARE ALL ELIGIBLE TO TRANSFER AND PLAY THIS FALL BECAUSE THERE IS A SPECIAL EXEMPTION FOR WHEN YOUR COACH SUDDENLY LEAVES... AND IF YOU SCHOOL SHUTS DOWN. 😳 As a "joke", I sent a text to my friend Jake Wissing (Head Football Coach at UW-River Falls — Ellis and my alma mater, btw — Defending D3 National Champions🏆) when I saw that their QB was the MASCAC conference's Player of the Year (as a freshman — #14 — every good QB wears number #14 😜). Guess what? He texted me back in seconds that he was having a call with their starting RB this morning! The announcement went out yesterday at 3:13 EST. That's like, 16 hours! 🤪 _ _ _ Understand this... high school/college players, parents and coaches: news travels fast today, at all levels because social media exists in a 24/7 "news cycle". Don't presume people aren't watching. SOME ARE. My advice: BE ABLE TO BE FOUND (on social) — With a "brand" (that's you) that is easy to work with. "I'm a good student, Ive got talent, a passion for the game and a willingness to work hard and compete." "Oh, and my parents aren't crazy." 🤣 That's about it. 🏈 NOTE: I run a brand consultancy company when I am not coaching football. If you make "me" jump through too many hoops, I am not going to buy your product, endorse you or help you succeed. BUT IF YOU ARE EASY TO WORK WITH (and your brand stands for something special), don't be surprised when good things come your way! 🤩

Trying to keep you up-to-date... this just in from Rick Allen: NCAA Division I Transfer Rule: SIGNIFICANT PENALTIES APPROVED The NCAA Division I Cabinet has approved a new rule across all sports that imposes penalties on programs that allow a student-athlete to transfer in from another NCAA institution without properly entering the Transfer Portal. Under this rule: - The head coach will be suspended from coaching duties for 50% of the season, and  - The institution will face a financial penalty equal to 20% of that sport’s budget.  This rule is effective immediately and will be applied retroactively to this type of transfer occurring on or after February 25, 2026. NCAA Division II CONSIDERING TRANSFER PORTAL WINDOWS At its March meeting, the NCAA Division II Legislation Committee discussed the possibility of implementing sport-specific Transfer Portal windows for Division II student-athletes—similar to the limited windows currently used in Division I. To support this discussion, NCAA staff will compile sport-by-sport data showing when Division II athletes have been entering the Transfer Portal. This information will help guide ongoing conversations and potential rule changes in the coming months. For Division II Football, the Committee also reviewed a request from coaches to establish a transfer window that would align with Division I’s January window.