June 23 marked the 54th anniversary of Title IX, a law whose passage deserves a moment to reflect on what this landmark accomplished.
For more than five decades, Title IX has expanded opportunities for generations of women and girls in education and athletics. It created pathways that previous generations could only dream of. Because of Title IX, millions of young women have had the opportunity to compete, earn scholarships, develop leadership skills, and pursue excellence on a level playing field.
I am one of those women.
As a former Division I track and field athlete, I dedicated years of my life to pursuing athletic success. Like so many female athletes, I woke up before sunrise for practice, sacrificed social events, trained through injuries, and pushed myself physically and mentally to compete at the highest level. Those sacrifices paid off when I won the Big Sky Conference championship in the 800-meter and set my sights on even greater goals.
Then, during my final year of eligibility, I learned I would be <a href="https://www.iwfeatures.com/profile/the-female-college-athlete-whose-years-of-training-may-now-be-in-vain/">competing against</a> a biological male athlete who had previously competed in the men&#8217;s category. Suddenly, the reality of competition changed.
Athletes are taught to overcome obstacles. If someone is faster, you train harder. If someone is stronger, you improve your technique. But no training program can eliminate biological differences between males and females. Males can run approximately <a href="https://www.independentwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IWLC_3rd-Edition_Competition-Report.pdf">11% faster</a> than females, and can accelerate around <a href="https://www.independentwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IWLC_3rd-Edition_Competition-Report.pdf">20% faster</a> than females. No amount of determination or additional hours of training can erase the physical advantages that Title IX recognized when it created separate athletic categories in the first place.
This is why the Supreme Court&#8217;s <a href="https://www.independentwomen.com/2026/01/15/scotus-snapshot-womens-sports/">upcoming decisions</a> on Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. regarding women&#8217;s sports matters so much.
At its core, the question before the Court is not whether every individual deserves dignity and respect. They do. The question is whether female athletes will continue to be a protected category in which success is determined by talent, discipline, and hard work rather than by biological advantages.
When Congress passed Title IX in 1972, lawmakers understood that equal opportunity did not mean identical treatment. Women&#8217;s sports were created precisely because sex-based differences matter in athletic competition. Without separate categories, female athletes would lose opportunities to compete, earn scholarships, win championships, and break records.
That reality has not changed. Therefore, the Supreme Court should easily be able to come to a unanimous conclusion — biological reality does exist.
Supporters of allowing biological males to compete in women&#8217;s sports often frame the issue as one of inclusion. But inclusion cannot come at the expense of fairness. Asking female athletes to surrender opportunities that Title IX was designed to protect is not advancing women&#8217;s rights — it is diminishing them.
For years, many female athletes have remained silent because speaking out carries consequences. We have been told that raising concerns about fairness makes us intolerant or discriminatory. Yet the very existence of women&#8217;s sports is based on recognizing <a href="https://www.independentwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IWLC_3rd-Edition_Competition-Report.pdf">biological differences</a>. Defending that principle is not discrimination. It is the foundation of women&#8217;s athletics.
To me, Title IX means opportunity, equality, and empowerment. Through track, I found my confidence, developed leadership skills, and discovered my voice. I am forever grateful for the protections this law provides, ensuring that women like me can thrive both on and off the field.
As we celebrate another year of Title IX, we should remember why the law was necessary in the first place. Women fought for decades to gain access to athletic opportunities. They fought for scholarships, facilities, coaching resources, and the chance to compete against one another on fair terms.
Those hard-won gains deserve protection.
The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to reaffirm a simple principle: women deserve their own space in sports. Not because we are less capable, but because equal opportunity requires fair competition.
That was the promise of Title IX 54 years ago. It should remain a promise we keep.
***
Linnea Saltz is an Independent Women ambassador and former NCAA track and field athlete. During her time at Southern Utah University, she was forced to compete against the first male athlete in Division I cross country.

abhernandez0530

I Am A Woman Who Had To Compete Against A Man And It’s Anything But Fair Play

College sports

DW Opinion

Title IX

Transgender Athletes

Women's sports

Stadiums filled to capacity with fans in Collegetown, U.S.A. A marching band with full brass in sync with impeccable, crisp, choreographed movements. A cheer squad of young women wearing bright uniforms and brighter smiles — the Saturday ritual that is college football has taken a turn from the homespun, wholesome, right-of-passage, wistful alum, stuff of Americana to a multi-million dollar enterprise complete with eye-popping dollar bids over television rights, legal battles over players’ compensation, and the darker side of gambling. And that’s just football. College sports in the 21st century have evolved into a chaotic mess. But one senator is hoping to make sense of it all through a bipartisan bill. Will it be the last best hope of reviving the charm and spirit of college sports, or are we at the end of an unraveling American legacy? The Daily Wire sits down with Senator Ted Cruz to briefly talk about Iran, followed by an in-depth conversation to see if he can mark one in the W column and save college sports.
***
Ben Domenech: I want to get your initial thoughts on the MOU, this deal, and what you think about it in terms of pros and cons, risk and reward.
Ted Cruz: To the best of my knowledge, the administration has not yet briefed Congress on what this deal entails. I understand that the administration is doing background calls with reporters with the briefer, whom they identify as a &#8220;senior administration official.&#8221; And I&#8217;m told that the official read the MOU verbatim to the reporter. So I assume that is the text, but no one has confirmed it to me.
BD: Assuming that it is essentially the framework that has been publicly discussed and that has been going back and forth, do you think that it&#8217;s a satisfactory end to achieve the goals that this administration set initially?
TC: I am hoping there are more deep details and better details than what has been released so far. What has been released so far suggests that, unfortunately, the president is getting very poor advice when it comes to this deal. History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is a bad idea. Under the terms of what&#8217;s been released, somewhere between $10 billion and $30 billion will flow to the Ayatollah immediately before they make even a single nuclear concession. I think that&#8217;s ill-advised. That money, if it goes to the Ayatollah, will go to fund terrorists trying to kill Americans and weapons that will be used to try to kill Americans.
It also appears to formalize a permanent role for the Islamic regime controlling the Strait of Hormuz. It is difficult to see what possible benefit to America could come from that.
BD: When it comes to control of the Strait, the idea that they&#8217;re going to wait 60 days and then start charging tolls or fees — however you want to describe it — for going through, it shocks me that that&#8217;s something that is acceptable to this administration.
TC: I do not believe the Ayatollah should be able to charge one penny for the free navigation of the seas. It has also been discussed that the financial reward could be $300 billion to the Ayatollah. If that is true, that would be three times more than the money Joe Biden and Kamala Harris funneled to the Ayatollah. It is a virtual certainty that if $300 billion went to the Ayatollah, that money would be used to murder Americans.
I&#8217;ll also say the idea that we should want a Marshall Plan for Iran to come in and rebuild Iran like the United States did for Europe after World War II makes no sense whatsoever.
President Trump was exactly right to initiate military action against Iran because, for 47 years, the regime has been waging war against America, has been the world&#8217;s leading funder of terrorism, and has been murdering Americans for 47 years. Nearly 1,000 Americans have been murdered by the Ayatollah and the Mullahs. That is why the president acted as a strong commander in chief to take out their military capacity, and it is not remotely in America&#8217;s interest for us to pay to rebuild that capacity that we just took out.
BD: Let&#8217;s talk about sports. Only a slightly less fractious moment for sports in America, thanks to the college system and the changes that have happened in recent years. And you have a bipartisan bill to save college sports, with proponents and opponents who cut across political lines in interesting ways. What made you feel like you needed to weigh in on this topic and have a federal solution on these matters?
TC: College sports is an incredible institution. At a time when Americans are divided on so many issues, sports is one of the few things that brings us together — students and alumni and fans and communities. Sharing your hometown team. It is uniquely American. No other nation has anything remotely comparable to what we have in college sports in the United States. College sports has also been an avenue for millions of young men and women to go to college and to get an education. Right now, there are more than 500,000 collegiate athletes competing across the country. Many of those are from low-income environments, where they would have few, if any, other viable paths to a college education.
And yet college sports is in crisis right now. Every week, we see another program being canceled, women&#8217;s sports being canceled, track and field being canceled, Olympic sports being canceled, and non-revenue sports being canceled. The transfer portal is chaotic, with student-athletes transferring two, three, four, or five times, which is not good for them. It&#8217;s not good for the college. It&#8217;s not good for the fans. It&#8217;s not good for the sport. And for a student who transfers two, three, or four times, the odds are vanishingly small that the student will get anything resembling a college education. If you&#8217;re moving from school to school to school, the academic environment is one where students are being robbed of the opportunity to get a meaningful college education. You have college sports being governed by endless lawsuits and injunctions. Eligibility standards are all but nonexistent because of the chaos. And you asked why Congress needs to get involved?
Well, that chaos was caused by the application of laws Congress passed, which means only Congress can change those laws. Only Congress can fix this problem. College sports, universities, and conferences have come to Congress, begging it to act. I&#8217;ve spent three years working on this problem, trying to bring Republicans and Democrats together. This is obviously a deeply divided time with real partisan differences on virtually everything, and miraculously, we were able to forge a bipartisan compromise to save college sports. And I&#8217;ve worked hand in hand with [Sen.] Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who is the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. I&#8217;m the chairman, obviously. The two of us together have spent hundreds of hours negotiating this bill and reaching common ground. This bill is the only viable path for a bill that can actually pass the Senate and be signed into law. My hope is that we will get a big bipartisan vote behind the bill.
BD: From your perspective, what are the three biggest problems? You mentioned the transfer portal, kids moving around, not getting an education. What are the three biggest problems that your bill is attempting to solve?
TC: There are a number of different pieces in this bill that are really important. Number one is the transfer reform — it guarantees every student-athlete one free transfer, and after that, you can have a second transfer only in narrow, specified circumstances: if your coach leaves, your program is discontinued, or you&#8217;re the victim of sexual assault or sexual harassment. If you transfer a second time for any other reason, then that athlete has to redshirt a year. That provision alone will do a lot to fix the chaos because it ensures that athletes will not constantly enter the transfer portal and simply be acting as free agents, but rather will be student-athletes.
Much of my focus was not about the superstars — the Michael Jordans of the world — they&#8217;re going to do fine. They&#8217;re going to make millions of dollars. They&#8217;re going to be on the cover of Wheaties boxes. They&#8217;re going to do great. My focus is very much on the 99% of student-athletes who will never play in the NBA. They&#8217;re never going to play in the NFL. But sports provide them a pathway to get a college degree. It also teaches them life skills — hard work and grit and discipline and teamwork and sportsmanship — all of which set them up for success in the future. So bringing some sanity to the transfer portal is an important element of this bill.
Another important element of this bill is providing clear eligibility rules. Every athlete is entitled to five years of eligibility, a hard age cap of 24, so that you don&#8217;t have what we have right now, which is 27- and 28-year-olds competing against 17-year-olds. That&#8217;s not fair. And what it&#8217;s doing is crowding out high school graduates from the scholarship slots they used to get to go to school.
The bill also makes clear that professional athletes can&#8217;t compete in college sports. If you choose to be a professional athlete, you&#8217;re no longer eligible to be a student-athlete in college. Both of those provisions are very important. The bill addresses the problem from two directions: cost and revenue. On the cost front, the bill provides the authority to enforce the House settlement and slow the constant cost spiral. Right now, virtually every athletic program in the country is losing millions of dollars; many are losing tens of millions. And if Congress doesn&#8217;t act, we&#8217;re on a path that, within five years, there will be 30 to 50 schools playing competitive college football. They&#8217;ll essentially be a mini-NFL, and the rest of the athletic programs will collapse. They will not be able to keep up with the arms race, and when they cancel football, football is what pays for every other sport, so the remainder of their sports will go away as well. That would be a disastrous outcome. That would be bad for student athletes, bad for colleges, bad for academic programs, and bad for fans.
This bill, on the cost side, provides the authority to enforce revenue-sharing limits to keep costs manageable. And then on the revenue side, we provide the legal authority for colleges to join together and negotiate their media rights collectively as pooled media rights. That is designed to substantially increase the revenue that they extract for college sports. Right now, college football has roughly twice as many eyeballs. Roughly twice as many people watch college football as watch the NBA, and yet the NBA&#8217;s media deals are worth billions more than college football’s.
That&#8217;s because right now every conference negotiates separately, and they&#8217;re fractured. By allowing the schools to negotiate jointly, I believe this will substantially grow the available revenue pie, and that revenue is what will enable these programs to survive and thrive. It&#8217;s also what enables us to keep and protect women&#8217;s sports, Olympic sports, and all of the remaining sports that are not college football. And I underscore that media pooling is purely voluntary. The bill does not force them to do that, but it creates an avenue they can pursue if they determine it is in their interest to do so.
BD: How important is transparency in the NIL [Name, Image, and Likeness] world?
TC: I think it&#8217;s very important. The bill has provisions that require reporting of NIL deals and protect the rights of student-athletes to be compensated. The old system, where student-athletes could not be compensated, was unfair.
You had college sports producing millions of dollars of revenue, and everyone got a piece of the pie except for the athletes, and that was not a fair system. As a conservative, I believe you ought to be entitled to earn the fruits of your labor. And so this bill explicitly protects the right of athletes, number one, to participate in genuine NIL contracts. If a quarterback can sell millions of tennis shoes, then that quarterback ought to be able to reap millions of dollars as a result. Now, those NIL deals have to be genuine NIL deals for a valid business purpose. This also protects athletes’ right to share in the school&#8217;s revenue. Both of those are protected, but what it prohibits is phony NIL — essentially a booster with a bag of cash in a back alley simply paying an athlete to be at the school, and that kind of abuse, unfortunately, has been rampant.
By requiring reporting of the NIL deal, the bill is designed to ensure transparency. The bill also puts important restrictions on agents. One problem we&#8217;re seeing across the country is unscrupulous agents taking advantage of often 17- or 18-year-old kids who are not financially sophisticated, extracting huge fees and exploiting these young athletes. And so this bill creates an agent registry, and it caps agent fees at 5%, which is consistent with where they are in the NFL or the NBA, and it provides important protections for student athletes.
BD: Looking at the Brendan Sorsby situation, which obviously applies particularly to those who have issues with gambling, there are different polls that suggest that, given its ubiquity, it&#8217;s going to be a bigger problem going forward with athletes participating. What&#8217;s the solution to avoid this from being resolved just by local judges? There has to be a way to adjudicate this and feel like it has fairness and also understands these situations in ways that don&#8217;t feel like there&#8217;s something corrupt going on.
TC: The Sorsby judicial decision was indefensible, and it is a perfect illustration of why this bill is necessary and of the chaos that currently exists in college sports. I&#8217;m very glad, by the way, that Texas Tech made the right decision to no longer continue down that path, but if the Protect College Sports Act had already been signed into law, you would never have had the judicial decision in Sorsby because this bill makes explicit that eligibility rules can be fully enforced and that gambling is explicitly a basis for denying eligibility. Gambling will only grow as a problem. Gambling goes right to the heart of sports integrity across the board, so this bill provides the authority to enforce those eligibility rules and prevent another situation like what happened with Sorsby.
BD: How optimistic are you that you&#8217;ll be able to get it done?
TC: I’m quite optimistic. Right now, the bill has two Democrat sponsors and two Republican sponsors. So [Sen.] Maria Cantwell and I, but then also [Sens.] Chris Coons (D-DE) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO). On the Democrat side, both Cantwell and Koons are senior Democrats. They have a lot of respect in their conference. My hope is that the markup will produce a meaningful bipartisan vote. I don&#8217;t know if it will, but I hope that it will. We&#8217;re having very productive conversations with members of the Commerce Committee, both Republicans and Democrats, and trying to find consensus and common ground.
We&#8217;ve seen overwhelming support for this bill. Twenty-two conferences have come out and endorsed the bill. It&#8217;s been endorsed by the NFL, the NFL Players Association, and the NBA Players Association. It&#8217;s been endorsed by Coach Nick Saban and upwards of 50 college coaches across the country. Coach John Calipari has been vocal in supporting it. It has been endorsed by Notre Dame&#8217;s athletic director, who testified at the hearing. The breadth of support is significant. There have been a handful of critics, and I would say any critic bears the burden of pointing to the alternative, and I don&#8217;t believe there is a viable alternative. Some have pointed to the SCORE Act in the House. I like a lot of provisions of the SCORE Act. The House has worked hard on the SCORE Act, but Senate Democrats strongly oppose it.
In order to pass into law, we&#8217;ve got to get at least 60 votes, and the SCORE Act would get zero Democrats in the Senate. What made this difficult was negotiating a compromise that could actually pass the Senate. My objective is not just to eke by with barely 60 votes. My hope is to get substantially more than 60 votes — a big bipartisan vote — and to do that, we had to compromise. I made compromises that I don&#8217;t like. I think Senator Cantwell made compromises that she doesn&#8217;t like. And we tried to reach a middle ground designed to solve the problem, and I think this is the only path that can result in legislation that is actually signed into law and able to solve the problem.
***

Punch 5-5 – Fly Me to the Moon-1-1 (2)

Can College Sports Survive The Chaos?

College Transfer Portal

Protect College Sports Act

Punch

Ted Cruz

LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin apologized on Tuesday to anyone offended by recent comments he made about recruiting challenges for black players when he was at Ole Miss.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.on3.com/news/lane-kiffin-is-chasing-greatness-after-leaving-ole-miss-for-lsu/">On3</a> Sports, Kiffin addressed backlash to his remarks published in a <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/lane-kiffin-explains-himself" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vanity Fair</a> profile, in which he discussed obstacles he faced while recruiting some out-of-state black prospects to Mississippi.
&#8220;In a four-hour interview, I was asked a lot of questions on a lot of things, and Ole Miss has been wonderful to me and to my family,&#8221; Kiffin said. &#8220;I was asked questions about the differences in recruiting, and I said a narrative that we battled there from some out-of-state black parents and grandparents was not wanting their kid to move to Mississippi. That’s a narrative that coaches have been fighting forever. It wasn’t calculated by bringing it up.&#8221;
In the Vanity Fair piece, Kiffin said some recruits told him family members were hesitant to allow them to move to Oxford, Mississippi, citing the state&#8217;s history and perceptions about race.
&#8220;That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana,&#8221; Kiffin said, contrasting his current program at LSU.
The author of the piece, Chris Smith, claimed that Kiffin was willing to &#8220;indirectly invoke Ole Miss&#8217;s struggle to distance itself from symbols like the Confederate flag, Colonel Rebel, and the nickname &#8216;Ole Miss&#8217; itself.&#8221;
The comments drew criticism from some Ole Miss supporters and added to lingering tensions after Kiffin ditched the program during last season&#8217;s College Football Playoff run.
ESPN senior writer Ryan McGee described Kiffin&#8217;s comments as &#8220;on schedule,&#8221; fitting a familiar pattern of the &#8220;Lane Kiffin playbook.&#8221; He <a href="https://x.com/dpshow/status/2054250249309376955?s=20">told &#8220;The Dan Patrick Show&#8221;</a> that Kiffin should be cautious when discussing topics like race and regional history, citing Ole Miss&#8217;s past controversies and LSU&#8217;s ties to the Confederacy.
McGee went on to say he thinks Kiffin simply wants the fans to &#8220;love him where he is and he doesn&#8217;t really care if they still love him where he was.&#8221;
Smith, who penned the Vanity Fair article, said on &#8220;The Paul Finebaum Show&#8221; that he was fascinated that Kiffin was &#8220;willing to go there,&#8221; adding that using demographics as a factor in recruiting could become part of Kiffin&#8217;s strategy at LSU.
Kiffin is set to return to Oxford on September 19, when LSU faces Ole Miss in his first game back since bailing on the program.

Credit: Mark Reinstein/Corbis/Ella Hall via Getty Images

Lane Kiffin Apologizes For Comments On Race And Recruiting

Lane Kiffin

News

Ole MIss

Sports

Former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore will not serve jail time after being convicted of stalking his ex-mistress, Paige Shiver.
Moore was instead sentenced Tuesday to 18 months of probation by Judge Cedric Simpson in Washtenaw County Court, as The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/14/sports/ex-michigan-football-coach-sherrone-moore-sentenced-to-probation-for-stalking-incident-involving-ex-mistress/">reported</a>. The former head coach appeared in court arm-in-arm with his wife, with whom he shares three children.
Prosecutors said Moore threatened to kill himself in front of Shiver, with whom he had been having a relationship. The 40-year-old had faced charges including felony home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering. Shiver was Moore&#8217;s executive assistant during their two-year affair.
Details of the charges were first revealed during Moore&#8217;s arraignment in December, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sherrone-moore-charged-with-home-invasion-threatened-to-kill-himself-prosecutors-say">reported</a>.
According to prosecutors, Moore forced his way into Shiver&#8217;s apartment in mid-December, grabbed several butter knives and a pair of scissors, and threatened to take his own life after repeatedly calling and texting her. 
“I am going to kill myself. I am going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You’ve ruined my life,” Moore said, according to prosecutors.
First Assistant Prosecutor Kati Rezmierski said Shiver, 32, was terrorized by a &#8220;series of very intimidating and terrifying statements and behaviors&#8221; inside the apartment.
Prosecutors said Shiver and Moore had been in an intimate relationship for years before she broke it off, which they argued led to Moore’s erratic behavior. 
Judge Simpson noted the seriousness of Moore’s crimes during sentencing. 
“You had no right to do what you did,” the judge stated, per the Post. “I know that [Shiver] was placed in fear. It was a traumatic experience that day for you. It was certainly a traumatic experience for her.&#8221;
“You had no right to spread your pain to her,” Simpson added. “I don’t know where your wife, Kelli, finds her strength… you, sir, took her for granted.”
Moore’s lawyer said he has taken steps to address his behavior since the incident. 
“Sherrone has engaged in counseling, gained insight into his life … recentered himself around his family and taken responsibility, expressing genuine remorse,” attorney Ellen Michaels said.
The judge ordered Moore to have no contact with Shiver. His probation is set to be reviewed in October.

Sherrone Moore

Former Michigan Football Coach Sentenced After Stalking Ex-Mistress

College Football

Crime

Football

Michigan

University of Michigan

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to reshape college sports, targeting what the White House described as &#8220;an out-of-control financial arms race&#8221; driven by Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules.
Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/04/urgent-national-action-to-save-college-sports/">order,</a> signed last week, places new limits on eligibility and transfers, allowing collegiate athletes five years of eligibility and restricting most to one transfer, with an additional transfer permitted after earning a four-year degree. The order seeks to &#8220;ensure that the transfer window does not incentivize interference with athletic seasons or the academic year, or otherwise undermine the integrity of participation and competition in college athletics.&#8221;
&#8220;Fair competition cannot occur without a consistent set of rules concerning pay-for-play or player eligibility that cannot be endlessly relitigated in court,&#8221; Trump&#8217;s order states.
The policy is set to take effect on August 1 and threatens to withhold federal funding from universities that do not comply.
The order follows a series of court rulings, including a Supreme Court decision, that weakened the NCAA&#8217;s ability to restrict athletes&#8217; compensation, fueling the rapid expansion of NIL deals and a more fluid transfer portal. Under the current NIL system, athletes can move freely between programs while negotiating compensation.
The shift has increased financial pressure on universities, which the order says is &#8220;driving universities into debt, threatening to siphon resources from other sports, and damaging student-athletes’ educational and graduation opportunities.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s order also prohibits professional athletes from returning to collegiate competition, closing a loophole that allowed some players who had played professionally in Europe or in the NBA&#8217;s G League to join college teams.
The White House argues that the current system is straining universities and could jeopardize non-revenue sports.
&#8220;Absent a comprehensive national solution, therefore, the escalating financial demands to succeed in football and basketball combined with the significantly loosened rules governing eligibility, transfers, and pay-for-play schemes may force curtailment of women’s and Olympics sports, and may even jeopardize the overall financial well-being of universities with which the Federal Government has important financial relationships,&#8221; the order continues.
College sports fans and many coaches have criticized the apparent lack of structure for the transfer portal after the introduction of NIL. Since college football and basketball players have begun receiving compensation, with some athletes negotiating massive contracts, many fans argue that major college sports have turned into semi-professional leagues.
Coaches, meanwhile, have complained that NIL paired with a wide-open transfer portal hurts player and program development. With college athletes now eligible to sign contracts, players effectively become free agents immediately after the season as they or their agents shop for more favorable contracts.
The order, which will likely face a flurry of lawsuits, urges Congress to codify the president&#8217;s policies into law and protect college sports in the long term. Courts have consistently ruled in favor of athletes on NIL matters, making it nearly impossible for the NCAA to impose restrictions on transfers and eligibility.
The &#8220;Power 4&#8221; college sports conferences lauded Trump&#8217;s action last week and renewed their calls for Congress to pass legislation addressing the issue. A piece of legislation, called the SCORE Act, was introduced in the House last summer to address some of the issues around NIL and college athlete eligibility. The bill has bipartisan support but faces scrutiny from lawmakers and has stalled in committee.
Hall-of-fame former Alabama football coach Nick Saban also praised Trump for leading the effort to enact &#8220;regulation that would help us manage and fund all sports, so that we can continue to create opportunities for young people.&#8221;
Former University of Michigan quarterback David Cone, the co-host of On3&#8217;s sports talk show &#8220;Crain &amp; Cone,&#8221; told The Daily Wire that Congress ultimately needs to act for anything to change with the current college sports structure, otherwise Trump&#8217;s order could be overturned by the courts. Still, he added that he&#8217;s skeptical Congress will take up the issue anytime soon.
&#8220;I haven&#8217;t seen anything from Congress over the last few years that tells me they&#8217;re all going to get their act together and, pun intended, pass one of these acts. I think this was a great showing by President Trump to attempt to solve some of the problems that will ultimately end up going nowhere.&#8221;

Donald Trump/College Sports

Trump Steps In As College Sports Turn Into A Money-Driven Free-For-All

College basketball

Donald Trump

NCAA

President Donald Trump, as well as some of the biggest names in sports, are at the White House Friday for a roundtable discussion on college sports.
&#8220;The president wants to save college sports,&#8221; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Friday, &#8220;It&#8217;s very important to him and to so many athletes across the country to fix the broken system.&#8221;
According to Fox News, the president is fed up with the overspending on players and the constant transfer of players between schools. A big focus of the meeting will be how to rein in NIL, which stands for name, image, and likeness. NIL is how the players make their millions. Another area of focus will be collective bargaining.
&#8220;The president is saying enough is enough,&#8221; Darren Botelho said.
Trump is not against players being paid, but instead he is focusing on keeping college sports as amateur as it can be in the new NIL era.
Trump will be the chair of the Saving College Sports Roundtable, alongside vice chairs Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and New York Yankees President Randy Levine.
Notable sports figures attending Friday&#8217;s gathering include Nick Saban, Tiger Woods, Urban Meyer, and Tony Dungy.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is set to attend alongside several NCAA conference commissioners and media execs. In total, more than 30 people will be in attendance. As of now, there are no current players or coaches participating in the roundtable.
In response to the lack of current athletes attending the roundtable, Temple University football player Kahlil Poteat said: &#8220;We deserve a seat at the table. We as athletes are the reason the stands are filled, logos are worn, and the game thrives the way it does. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed about making it to the Division I level to play the sport I love. It is unfair and unfaithful to hold a discussion without the main attraction in mind. We deserve a say, just like the executives and leaders, in sports and in our futures. I believe that we, as athletes at every level, deserve to be at the table and fight for our best interest. We want college sports to thrive just like everyone else in the room. So let’s bond together to generate the best outcome for all.&#8221;
Trump hasn&#8217;t shied away from sports during his second term; the president signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-saves-college-sports/">executive order</a> to ban third-party pay-for-play payments, while allowing legitimate NIL endorsement deals. He also <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-saves-college-sports/">called on schools</a> to expand &#8220;opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports.&#8221;
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has long supported Trump getting involved with the landscape of college sports. Last May, Tuberville said he is confident the Trump administration can find a solution to the current chaos at the college level.
&#8220;While I’m all for players making money, we need to create national standards to protect the integrity of college sports,&#8221; Tuberville said.

Credit: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

Trump Convenes Star-Studded Roundtable To ‘Save College Sports’

Executive

Trump

U.S.

Legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz has died at the age of 89, the university <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/legendary-national-championship-coach-lou-holtz-passes-away/">announced</a> on Wednesday.
A cause of death was not immediately stated.
Holtz was considered one of the most influential coaches in college football history, winning 249 games as a collegiate head coach. He began his coaching career at William &amp; Mary in 1969 and spent one season in the NFL before returning to college football.
One hundred of those wins happened at Notre Dame, where he served as head coach from 1986 until 1996.
“Notre Dame mourns the loss of Lou Holtz, a legendary football coach, a beloved member of the Notre Dame family and devoted husband, father and grandfather,” University of Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. said in a statement published on their website.
“Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field, earning their respect and admiration for a lifetime. In the years since leaving the head football coach position, Lou, together with his beloved wife, Beth, supported Notre Dame in innumerable ways, among them making possible the refurbishment of four residence hall chapels and the construction of the Beth and Lou Holtz Grand Reading Room on the first floor of Hesburgh Library — tangible signs of their great love for their Catholic faith and the mission of Our Lady’s University.”
The statement went on, “Whenever Notre Dame called to ask for his help, Lou answered with his characteristic generosity, and he will be sorely missed. The prayers of the entire Notre Dame community are with his family and many friends in this time of sorrow. May he rest in the peace and love of Christ.”
Holtz called coaching for Notre Dame “the dream of a lifetime.” 
&#8220;I remember at school that we would pray every Friday before a game for Notre Dame&#8217;s success,” he said, per <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/48103098/legendary-football-coach-commentator-lou-holtz-dies-89">ESPN</a>. “So, it&#8217;s just part of our religion. It&#8217;s a part of the way we are, and the football team should reflect the values of Notre Dame. That means we had to play with great enthusiasm, we had to play together. We had to play with great character, great integrity, but we also should be playing for our lady on the Dome.&#8221;
After retiring from coaching, Holtz worked in television, including spending more than a decade with ESPN.
The coach was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, the university website noted, and was the man behind several honored Notre Dame football traditions including the “Play Like A Champion” sign in the locker room.
Holtz was also a close friend and longtime supporter of Donald Trump. The president honored Holtz with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in December of 2020 for his contributions to the nation. 
Holtz is survived by his four children, Luanne, Lou “Skip” Junior, Kevin and Elizabeth. The latter three graduated from the University of Notre Dame.
&#8220;He was successful, but more important he was Significant,&#8221; his son Skip <a href="https://x.com/CoachSHoltz/status/2029313222537253174">shared</a> on X.

Lou Holtz

Beloved Notre Dame Football Coach Lou Holtz Dies At 89

Death

A former Charlotte Hornets guard is showing some regret about heading to the NBA after one year of college basketball.
Former UCLA standout Amari Bailey is testing the murky waters of college eligibility after playing just 10 games in the NBA.
Bailey, who was drafted by the Hornets in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft, is seeking college eligibility, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/47780686/amari-bailey-10-games-nba-seeks-college-eligibility">ESPN</a>. He would be the first to go back to the NCAA ranks after playing in the NBA, but the outlet reports Bailey&#8217;s goal is to play one more collegiate season.
&#8220;Right now I&#8217;d be a senior in college,&#8221; the 21-year-old told ESPN. &#8220;I&#8217;m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that&#8217;s their journey. But I went to go play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So, like, why not me?&#8221;
ESPN reports Bailey has hired an agent and a lawyer and is prepared to challenge the NCAA in court. Bailey left UCLA after one season when he averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game during his freshman campaign.
So why go back now? After one season with the Hornets, Bailey joined the Brooklyn Nets organization, but ESPN indicated he was cut last summer by the Nets. He hasn&#8217;t played a single game this season.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not a stunt,&#8221; Bailey said to ESPN. &#8220;I&#8217;m really serious about going back. I just want to improve my game, change the perception of me and just show that I can win.&#8221;
The state of college basketball has been at the forefront of some of the biggest names in the sport. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said last October that college basketball is nothing but transactional these days.
&#8220;We&#8217;re still in an educational institution, but there is nothing educational about college basketball right now. It&#8217;s all transactional. And we all put our heads in the sand,&#8221; Sampson <a href="https://x.com/ChrisYBaldwin/status/1981114982474654121">said</a>.
Bailey&#8217;s fight to play college hoops again comes after another fellow 2023 second-round pick, James Nnaji, joined Baylor&#8217;s team. NCAA president Charlie Baker said the NCAA &#8220;has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract).&#8221;
Unlike Bailey, Nnaji never signed an NBA contract. He only played during NBA Summer League games last year after spending years with the FC Barcelona basketball team.
In Tuscaloosa, Charles Bediako returned to play for Alabama after playing for the Crimson Tide during the 2022-2023 season. He ended up going undrafted, but did sign a two-way deal with the San Antonio Spurs in 2023.
How did he get around the NCAA rules? A judge granted a temporary restraining order to allow Bediako to return to Alabama and play for the Crimson Tide.
Bailey is aiming for a return next season, per ESPN, provided his potential team petitions the NCAA for a waiver to allow him to play. If that waiver is denied, Bailey and his legal team can file a lawsuit.

Credit: Nick Cammett via Getty Images

Is College Basketball Cooked? Failed NBA Player Seeks NCAA Comeback

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza continues to impress even after leading the Hoosiers to their first College Football Playoff National Championship title in school history.
The Heisman winner took to LinkedIn to share what he learned from Monday&#8217;s title game in a lengthy post that has already garnered quite the response from the corporate world.
&#8220;Monday night, my teammates and I had the honor of raising the National Championship trophy and bringing a CFB title back to Bloomington, Indiana, for the first time in history. With the guidance of our coaches and the unwavering support of Hoosier Nation, our band of brothers made the unbelievable believable,&#8221; Mendoza wrote.
The MBA student continued to share what winning has taught him about putting his major to use:
<blockquote>Here’s what winning a National Championship taught me about B2B sales 🏆 (kidding…kinda)
1. Believe in yourself: Four years ago, I was a two-star recruit playing high school football 30 minutes from Hard Rock Stadium with a dream of playing at the highest level. Two days ago, I became a National Champion in that same stadium, surrounded by the family who never stopped believing in me.
2. Take the risk: When it’s 4th and 5 at the 12-yard line, go for it.
3. Remember who got you there: Thank you to my teammates, coaches, support staff, professors, and everyone behind the scenes who helped make this happen.&#8221;
This isn&#8217;t his first update on the networking app. After winning the Heisman Trophy in December Mendoza shared the news on LinkedIn and updated his Honors and Awards section to reflect college football&#8217;s highest achievement.
This weekend, I was incredibly honored to be named the 2025 Heisman Trophy recipient. To the Heisman Trophy Trust, the voters, and the legendary winners who have come before me, it is a privilege to be recognized alongside such an esteemed fraternity.</blockquote>
Of course, now the awards section reflects winning the College Football Playoff National Championship.
LinkedIn is showing the world what Mendoza can do off the field. His football skills include insane runs on 4th and 5 that result in touchdowns, setting Indiana&#8217;s single-season touchdown record, and a nation-leading 33 passing touchdowns on the year. But off the field, he lists the following skills on his LinkedIn profile: Microsoft Excel, Accounting, Commercial Real Estate, Event Management, to name just a few.
There shouldn&#8217;t be a need to add the common LinkedIn headline &#8220;Open to work&#8221; to Mendoza&#8217;s profile. For someone who is projected to be the number one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Mendoza keeps his LinkedIn job-interview ready.
The Raiders, who desperately need a franchise quarterback and have the number one pick, sent executives to Miami to watch Mendoza ball out on college football&#8217;s biggest stage.
With a degree from Cal and Indiana, the football star has his business-to-business sales experience to fall back on if, for some reason, the whole NFL quarterback thing doesn&#8217;t work out. Either way, his 55,000+ followers on LinkedIn will eagerly await a profile update.

Illustration by Daily Wire staff

Hoosiers Quarterback Shares What Winning The National Championship Taught Him … On LinkedIn

Fernando Mendoza Shares What Winning The National Championship Taught Him On...LinkedIn

Indiana University

President Donald Trump loves being the man in the arena. From the broadcast booth of football games to the ringside at UFC main events, Trump is arguably the most sports-centered president this country has ever seen.
Trump on Monday shared a good luck message with the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship.
&#8220;Melania and I congratulate the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes on making it to the College Football Playoff National Championship,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;God bless the talented players and dedicated coaches, the families who love and support them, and the faithful fans who cheer them on. May the best team win!&#8221;
When Trump takes the stands with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Monday night, it will only be the latest instance of this administration embracing sports. This season alone, Trump has attended the Army-Navy game, an NFL matchup between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders, and, with most of his cabinet in tow, a UFC fight last June.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-and-rubio-get-ready-to-bro-out-at-college-football-national-championship-game">RELATED: Trump And Rubio Get Ready To &#8216;Bro Out&#8217; At College Football National Championship Game</a>
Trump has capitalized on his record of attending sporting events, inviting Americans to see a different side of him from the comfort of their living rooms. Athletes have even used the famous &#8220;Trump Dance&#8221; to celebrate a score or a knockout.
Before the game in Miami, Trump took time to reflect on the history of the sport.
&#8220;For more than 150 years, college football has been a cherished fixture in American culture,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;Every fall and winter, massive crowds flock to stadiums in college towns all across our Nation to witness the epic display of loyalty, rivalry, tradition, and regional identity erupting throughout the stands and on the field below.&#8221;
&#8220;From the very first collegiate matchup in 1869, our country’s love of this storied Saturday ritual has been passed down from one generation to the next and endured as an iconic American institution,&#8221; the president added.
Both Trump and Rubio are connected to the Canes. Trump&#8217;s granddaughter, Kai Trump, will be playing golf at the University of Miami next year. Rubio has a law degree from The U, and was raised near the campus, just like Indiana&#8217;s quarterback, Fernando Mendoza. Like Rubio, Mendoza is a proud Cuban-American who credits his drive to their roots.
While Trump did not say which team he was backing in his National Championship message, he emphasized what college football means to Americans.
&#8220;At its best, college football reflects our timeless American values of family, freedom, unity, and hard work and represents the pinnacle of our national spirit. It is seen in the players whose focus, discipline, and unwavering grit are forged in every practice and workout. It is upheld by the coaches who set high standards, demand greatness, and help cultivate incredible student-athletes — and even better Americans — who stop at nothing to achieve their God-given potential both on and off the field.&#8221;
Indiana is the No. 1 seed and heavy favorite in the title game. Miami comes in as the No. 10 seed in the 12-team playoff, with the Hurricanes eager for a victory on their home turf. Kickoff is at 7:30 eastern.
The president has inserted himself into several sports narratives by praising on-field talent, endorsing players in the NFL Draft, and vouching for coaches. Most recently, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hire-john-harbaugh-fast-trump-weighs-in-after-ravens-fire-longtime-nfl-coach">went to bat</a> for recently fired NFL coach John Harbaugh. The longtime Baltimore coach just landed a job with the New York Giants after Trump suggested they hire Harbaugh.
“The New York Football Giants should hire, without question, John Harbaugh,&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social. &#8220;And John, a great guy, should TAKE THE JOB!!!”
Then there&#8217;s the history-making part of Trump&#8217;s fandom: last NFL season, he became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl. Right after taking office for the second time, he was in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.

‘May The Best Team Win!’: Trump Sends Message Ahead Of College Football Championship

No President Has Championed Sports Like President Trump

Fernando Mendoza

Miami

Everyone’s favorite college sports fans have an exciting new home.
Crain &amp; Co., The Daily Wire’s flagship sports show hosted by Jake and Blain Crane and David Cone, is now part of On3, one of the biggest college sports sites in the world. Their show, now called Crain and Cone, launched today and will continue to bring audiences the same incisive analysis and color commentary that have made the boys fan favorites.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Some of our favorite moments from <a href="https://twitter.com/CrainCompany?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@CrainCompany</a> over the years!
Wishing the guys the best of luck in the next step of their journey at <a href="https://twitter.com/On3sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@On3sports</a>!
Thank you for everything, <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeCrain_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@JakeCrain_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Blain_Crain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Blain_Crain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/davidadamcone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@davidadamcone</a>. <a href="https://t.co/1Nym7FJPsj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/1Nym7FJPsj</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2006792168875368654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“I’ve been a huge fan of Crain &amp; Cone for years,” On3 founder and CEO Shannon Terry said. “They’re true ‘ball knowers,’ incredibly entertaining, with a chemistry that takes years to build.”
“With the rise of On3 and our brand, it’s the perfect fit and the proper time to come together to achieve something great,” Jake Crain said.
The Crain &amp; Co. hosts will remain members of The Daily Wire family as they embark on this new adventure, something they each mentioned in their touching sendoffs to viewers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I can’t say enough about this company.
Class all the way. Always have our backs. I hope to forever remain a part of the DW family. <a href="https://t.co/ZuECaVm7jm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://t.co/ZuECaVm7jm</a>
— David Cone (@davidadamcone) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidadamcone/status/2006746308221284795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“I wanted to record one final video here in our studio at The Daily Wire, mostly to say thank you and to express how grateful I am,” David Cone shared on X. “The company is headed in a great direction.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you for 4 amazing years <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@realDailyWire</a> &#8211; and thank you to everyone has who supported us.
What an honor. I hope to always be a part of the DW family. <a href="https://t.co/DKuLUYusLG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/DKuLUYusLG</a>
— David Cone (@davidadamcone) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidadamcone/status/2006761084594839967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“I hope that my professional and certainly my personal relationship will continue with The Daily Wire, because I was a Daily Wire member long before I was given the opportunity to speak from these airwaves,” he added.
“I just wanted to take a second to let everybody know how appreciative we are of The Daily Wire, what The Daily Wire means for us, what they did for us and our families,” Jake Crain said. “There is not an ounce of anger or bitterness between either party.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A special thank you to the <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@realDailyWire</a>
🙏🙏🙏 <a href="https://t.co/jNWBeH6WBw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/jNWBeH6WBw</a>
— Jake “JBOY” Crain (@JakeCrain_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeCrain_/status/2006742370591867143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“It’s really not goodbye for us,” Crain added. “It’s really just a see you later.”
So congrats, fellas, and best of luck on your new adventure!

CrainCo

An Exciting New Chapter For Crain & Company

Crain and Company

Daily Wire

President Trump shortens the deadline for Vladimir Putin to agree to a peace deal in Ukraine and breaks with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. A viral video of a brutal street brawl in Cincinnati sparks a national conversation about media silence and racial dynamics in violent crime. President Trump signs an executive order to “save college sports,” aiming to regulate NIL payments and protect non-revenue sports. 
It’s Tuesday, July 29, 2025, and this is news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Trump Gives Putin Ultimatum, Breaks With Netanyahu On Gaza</h2>
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Topline: President Trump announced on Monday that he is shortening the deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, while also taking the rare step of publicly disagreeing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 
After a string of successfully brokered ceasefires around the globe, President Trump’s patience with Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine appears to be waning. On Monday, Trump announced he was shortening his previous 50-day deadline for Russia to agree to a peace deal.
“I’m gonna make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/HarrisonKrank/status/1949820788082692176">said</a>. “There’s no reason in waiting.” He also took direct shots at the Russian leader, saying, &#8220;I’m not so interested in talking anymore. We have such nice conversations &#8230; and then people die the following night with a missile going into a town.”
If Putin fails to meet the new deadline, the U.S. could increase military aid to NATO or impose crippling 100% tariffs on Russia and secondary tariffs on any country that trades with them. 
In another major foreign policy development, the president broke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on the issue of starvation in Gaza. When asked if he agreed with Netanyahu’s claim that there is “no starvation” in Gaza, Trump <a href="https://x.com/HarrisonKrank/status/1949820788082692176">responded</a>, “I don’t know. Based on television, not particularly. Those children look very hungry&#8230;” He added that the U.S. would work with European allies to set up food distribution centers in the region. 
These moves come as a new poll from The Wall Street Journal found that voters trust the GOP over Democrats on foreign policy by an 8-point margin. 
<h2>Viral Cincinnati Brawl Ignites National Debate</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-953421" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-2.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: A graphic video of a brutal street beating in downtown Cincinnati has gone viral, sparking widespread outrage and a national conversation about media bias and the reality of violent crime in America. 
The video, captured Saturday during the Cincinnati Music Festival, shows a man being thrown to the ground and beaten by a group of what appear to be mostly black men. A woman who steps in to protect the man is then sucker-punched in the face, falls to the concrete, and appears to lose consciousness. No police were visible during the two-and-a-half-minute clip, a fact the local Fraternal Order of Police president highlighted while condemning witnesses for recording instead of calling 911. 
The video drew immediate condemnation from prominent conservatives. Vice President JD Vance said, &#8220;We have got to make great American cities safe again for families and children.&#8221; The lack of coverage from most national media outlets on Sunday was noted by Elon Musk and others. 
Author Heather Mac Donald told Morning Wire that the media’s relative silence is due to racial dynamics. &#8220;The only black lives they care about are those extremely rare instances where a white police officer has taken the life of a black person,&#8221; she said. Mac Donald argued that the media’s narrative ignores the reality of violent crime, citing a National Academy of Sciences report showing that &#8220;blacks commit violent crime against whites at 35 times the rate at which whites commit violent crime against blacks.&#8221; The DOJ&#8217;s Civil Rights Division, headed by Harmeet Dhillon, stated that &#8220;where race is a motivation, federal law may apply.&#8221; 
<h2>Trump Signs Order To ‘Save College Sports’</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-953419" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at creating federal guardrails for the new landscape of college athletics, particularly regarding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) payments to athletes. 
In recent years, court rulings and the House v. NCAA settlement have allowed student-athletes to profit from NIL deals and revenue sharing, creating what many call an unsustainable &#8220;wild, wild west&#8221; in college sports. President Trump’s executive order attempts to bring order by prohibiting &#8220;third-party, pay-for-play payments,&#8221; a reference to donor-funded &#8220;collectives&#8221; that have sprung up to pay athletes. The order allows for &#8220;legitimate, fair-market-value compensation&#8221; for endorsements, but as Crain &amp; Company&#8217;s David Cone told Morning Wire, defining and enforcing &#8220;fair-market-value&#8221; remains a subjective and significant challenge. 
Critics of the order, including an attorney for the plaintiffs in the NCAA settlement, accuse Trump of &#8220;aiding the NCAA at the expense of athletes.&#8221; The order also seeks to protect women&#8217;s and non-revenue sports. With athletic departments now facing the high cost of paying football and basketball players, these other programs are at risk of being cut. The executive order states these sports are vital for &#8220;developing world-class athletes&#8221; and serving as a pipeline to the Olympics.

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