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>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-953423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.29.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
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="auto, (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>
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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.

MRN 7.29.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Trump Pushes Putin With Tariff Ultimatum, Cincinnati Brawl & College Sports EO

Benjamin Netanyahu

College sports

Donald Trump

Gaza

Israel

Ohio

Racism

Tariffs

U.S.

Vladimir Putin

University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders announced on Monday that he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer — and that he had undergone a successful surgery to remove the tumor.
Sanders gave a <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/45843439/colorado-coach-deion-sanders-said-battled-bladder-cancer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> at the Touchdown Club in the Dal Ward Athletic Center on Monday to update the public on his health, and urged everyone to &#8220;get checked out.&#8221; Sanders appeared alongside Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urological oncology at University of Colorado Cancer Center, to make the announcement and take questions.
Kukreja began by touting the success of the surgery, saying that Sanders had been declared &#8220;cancer free&#8221; after the surgery was completed. &#8220;The results from the surgery are that he is cured from the cancer.&#8221;
After a brief pause, Sanders quipped, &#8220;You can clap, it&#8217;s ok.&#8221;
The audience laughed and applauded.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;You have no idea how good God has been to me.&#8221;
Deion Sanders got emotional after revealing he is cured from cancer. <a href="https://t.co/3VDTX0HMFH">pic.twitter.com/3VDTX0HMFH</a>
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1949882948590752249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It was dynamic. It was tough. It wasn&#8217;t a cakewalk. It wasn&#8217;t easy. That was a fight, but we made it,&#8221; Sanders said, adding, &#8220;You have no idea how good God has been to me.&#8221;
Questions have swirled about Sanders and his health since his son, Deion Sanders Jr., posted a video over the summer in which he could be heard talking about a &#8220;health issue&#8221; he was dealing with: &#8220;I ain&#8217;t all the way recovered.&#8221;
He opted not to address any health-related questions at Big 12 Media Days, further fueling speculation about his condition.
Sanders said on Monday that throughout the ordeal, he has also lost 25 pounds — but that he was ready to return to coaching for the 2025-2026 season.
He followed with a message to the crowd, calling on them to &#8220;get checked out.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Please get yourself checked out… because it could have been a whole other gathering if I hadn’t.”<a href="https://twitter.com/DeionSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeionSanders</a> shares a message to everyone during his health update press conference ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/QBi2v8Ri2L">pic.twitter.com/QBi2v8Ri2L</a>
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1949882650745065622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Please get yourself checked out, especially African American men, we don&#8217;t like going to the doctors, we don&#8217;t like nothing to do with the doctor, you know that — so I&#8217;m not just talking to the brothers, I&#8217;m talking to my caucasian brothers, my hispanic brothers, my Asian brothers, everybody and my sisters. And that&#8217;s all ya&#8217;ll. Get checked out, because it could have been a whole &#8216;nother gathering if I hadn’t.&#8221;
Watch the full press conference here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Deion Sanders addresses health issues, reveals he is now cancer free [FULL PRESS CONFERENCE]" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lasjH5gWMn4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

DEION SANDERS CANCER

Deion Sanders Reveals Cancer Diagnosis, Recovery: ‘You Have No Idea How Good God Has Been To Me’

Deion Sanders Reveals Cancer Diagnosis, Recovery: 'You Have No Idea How Good God Has Been To Me'

Cancer

College Football

Colorado

Deion Sanders

Health

The following article was adapted from a “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1arnooNZK8">Morning Wire</a>” interview with “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/crain-and-company">Crain &amp; Company</a>” host David Cone that was released on Wednesday, June 11. 
A new era has dawned in the world of college sports. Something that was illegal just a week ago – schools paying players – is now the law of the land. 
Last week, a settlement was <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2025/06/07/ncaa-revenue-sharing-settlement-questions/83221673007/">approved</a> in the case, House vs. NCAA, a class-action lawsuit that claimed the NCAA was illegally limiting the earning potential of college athletes. This agreement ends three separate antitrust lawsuits, and it means schools can now begin paying their athletes directly. 
Outkick’s Trey Wallace joined us over at “Crain &amp; Company” earlier this week to lay out how he believes this decision will affect college athletics going forward. Wallace said the settlement will eventually lead to some schools cutting certain sports.
“I hate to say it,” Wallace told us. “But you’re gonna see cuts in track and field, rowing, volleyball, mid-major softball programs. You can’t afford them anymore. You&#8217;re relying on football to pay the bills.” 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="What the House v. NCAA Settlement Means for College Sports w/ Outkick’s Trey Wallace" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mBdaSIRX7dM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
With this settlement comes an annual cap, much like a salary cap in professional sports, and it is expected to start at roughly $20.5 million per school in 2025-26. It will then increase every year during the decade-long deal. These new payments are in addition to scholarships and other benefits the athletes already receive.
The first checks will be cut on July 1, so schools and conferences need to act quickly and establish the necessary infrastructure to enforce their new rules. And this doesn’t just affect current and future athletes; the NCAA will also pay nearly $2.8 billion in back damages over the next 10 years to athletes who competed in college at any time from 2016 through the present day.
In short, this is a shift from name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals student athletes made with companies and collectives to direct pay from the schools. So the cases of O’Bannon vs. NCAA and Alston vs. NCAA paved the way for college athletes to receive NIL money, but those payments were coming from third parties rather than from the athletic programs themselves. This settlement allows schools to share their revenue directly with athletes for the first time, and it also enables programs to create new rules designed to limit the influence of boosters and collectives. Starting this summer, any endorsement deal between a booster and an athlete will be vetted to ensure it’s for a &#8220;valid business purpose&#8221; rather than a recruiting incentive.
Now, what will be interesting to monitor is how each athletic director allocates that $20.5 million between their various sports, as Wallace hinted at in his interview with us. Another thing to watch for is how each program will continue to incorporate NIL deals on top of the revenue-sharing payments.
This development still won’t end the debates regarding how long athletes can compete at the college level, and whether or not they should be considered employees who are represented by a union for the purposes of collective bargaining. 
However, NCAA president Charlie Baker does believe this will help regulate what has been a very volatile market in college sports. In an <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/6/6/media-center-a-letter-from-ncaa-president-charlie-baker.aspx">open letter</a> posted last Friday, Baker stated, “This is new terrain for everyone. Given the defendant conferences&#8217; new ownership of complicated pieces of rulemaking and enforcement, there will be a transition period and certainly bumps in the road. Opportunities to drive transformative change don&#8217;t come often to organizations like ours. It&#8217;s important we make the most of this one. We have accomplished a lot over the last several months, from new health and wellness and academic requirements to a stronger financial footing. Together, we can use this new beginning to launch college sports into the future, too.”

NCAA

A Landmark Settlement Rings In A New Era Of College Sports. Will The Tradition We Love Survive?

College basketball

Crain and Company

Morning Wire

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom moves to block the Marines and National Guard as anti-ICE riots continue in Los Angeles. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ousts an entire vaccine advisory panel, saying they’ve lost the public’s trust. And college athletes will now get paid to play.
It’s Wednesday, June 11, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Riots Spread &amp; Vaccine Board Fired" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y1arnooNZK8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riots-spread-vaccine-board-fired-6-11-25/id1576594336?i=1000712407855" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
And here&#8217;s a quick programming note: You asked for it, so we’ve brought it back. Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update show is back – with a few slight tweaks. Look for Evening Wire in your podcast feeds on weekdays at 5 p.m. Eastern Time!
<h2>Anti-ICE Riots Spread</h2>
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Topline: As anti-ICE riots continue in L.A., more violent demonstrations have broken out in cities nationwide.
In the last day, we’ve seen the demonstrations spread. In San Francisco, for example, more than 150 people were arrested after a riot began outside of an ICE office, where cars and city buses were destroyed, storefronts vandalized, and police assaulted. In New York City, at least a dozen protesters were arrested outside Trump Tower after resisting police while attempting to shut down traffic. Anti-ICE organizers say they are planning demonstrations in Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, and elsewhere.
But Los Angeles is still the epicenter of the unrest. A section of downtown is cleaning up after stores were looted and the area was vandalized, with a large Apple Store robbed by hundreds of rioters — we also saw jewelry and shoe stores looted as well.
&#8220;This is ridiculous,” one local business owner told <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1932473175679373387">NewsNation</a>. “This doesn&#8217;t look like they&#8217;re protesting for ICE or anything. &#8230; Just looting the stores.&#8221;
L.A.’s Democratic Mayor Karen Bass continued to downplay the riots, saying on Tuesday that the violence is only taking place in “several isolated streets in downtown Los Angeles. It is not even all of downtown Los Angeles.&#8221; Bass has made clear from the start that she places the blame on the Trump administration, which she says “provoked” unrest with their raids and threat of bringing in the National Guard. Bass has also said that the media has blown the situation out of proportion and that the LAPD has the situation under control.
However, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell <a href="https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1931919309229392192">said</a> earlier this week that his force had been overwhelmed. “Tonight, we had individuals shooting commercial-grade fireworks at our officers. That can kill you. … We are overwhelmed as far as the number of people out there engaged in this activity. … There is no limit to what they are doing to our officers.&#8221;
President Trump has deployed 700 U.S. Marines and 4,000 members of the California National Guard to the area since the unrest began. Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump had a clear message for folks in the rest of the country: the ICE raids will continue, and if you riot, we will respond with force.
Democrats nationwide have continued to push back on Trump’s mobilizing of the National Guard and Marines, saying it is unnecessary and even fascist. Governor Newsom is suing the Trump administration, calling the mobilization of troops an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.” On Tuesday, he also filed an <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/newsom-files-emergency-motion-to-block-military-deployment-in-la/">emergency motion</a> requesting a restraining order to block the deployment of Guardsmen and Marines.
<h2>Vaccine Panel Gutted</h2>
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Topline: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired all members of a key vaccine advisory panel.
The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, meets a few times a year and makes recommendations to the CDC; it basically sets the childhood vaccine schedule and makes other vaccine-related recommendations, like flu shots and COVID vaccines. ACIP also heavily influences which vaccines are covered by both public and private insurance.
On Monday, Kennedy announced that he’s “retired” all 17 members. In an op-ed submitted to The Wall Street Journal, Kennedy argued that ACIP had become a rubber stamp for all vaccines, and they weren’t appropriately diving into potential safety risks. He wrote that ACIP has “never recommended against a vaccine—even those which were later withdrawn for safety reasons,” adding that the panel “failed to scrutinize vaccine products given to babies and pregnant women.” Kennedy also highlighted conflicts of interest from ACIP and cited past investigation findings that said ACIP’s enforcement of conflict of interest rules was “weak to nonexistent” and said the panel didn’t offer transparency with their decision-making.
Thirteen of the 17 ACIP panelists were appointed by the Biden administration in 2024. Kennedy said that if he waited for them to serve out what is typically four years on the job, he wouldn&#8217;t be able to get a new panel until 2028, which is part of the reasoning for this swift “clean sweep.”
<h2>College Athletes&#8217; Pay Day</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-932545" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_18_04.Still003-2.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_18_04.Still003-2.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_18_04.Still003-2-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: College athletes can now be paid directly by their schools after a huge lawsuit was settled this week.
A new era has dawned in the world of college sports. Something that was illegal just a week ago – schools paying players – is now the law of the land.
A settlement in the case of House vs. NCAA, a class-action lawsuit which claimed the NCAA was illegally limiting the earning potential of college athletes, has been approved by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken. This agreement ends three separate antitrust lawsuits, and it means schools can now begin paying their athletes directly.
The first checks will be cut on July 1. The settlement doesn’t just affect current and future athletes. The NCAA will pay nearly $2.8 billion in back damages over the next 10 years to athletes who competed in college at any time from 2016 through the present day. The settlement comes with an annual cap, much like a salary cap in professional sports, that is expected to start at roughly $20.5 million per school in 2025-26. It will then increase every year during the decade-long deal. These new payments are in addition to scholarships and other benefits the athletes already receive.
It will be interesting to see how each athletic department allocates that $20.5 million between their various sports, and how each program will continue to incorporate NIL deals on top of the revenue-sharing payments.
“If you’re a fan of a group of 5 school, if you’re a fan of one of these middle schools, get ready for hard times,” sports commentator Paul Feinbaum said in response to the deal. &#8220;Women&#8217;s sports will be hurt, Olympic sports will be crushed, football wins, basketball — other than maybe the Big East — takes a slight back seat.”
NCAA President Charlie Baker was more optimistic and said he believes the settlement will help regulate what has been a very volatile market in college sports. “Opportunities to drive transformative change don&#8217;t come often to organizations like ours. It&#8217;s important we make the most of this one.”

MRN 6.11.25 Wed Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Anti-ICE Riots Spread, Vaccine Panel Gutted, & College Athletes Get A Big Payday

Gavin Newsom

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Karen Bass

Los Angeles

Media

Politics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Vaccines

A female fencer was disqualified from a tournament in Maryland this past weekend after she took a knee and refused to compete against a transgender-identifying male opponent.
Redmond Sullivan, who is male and identifies as transgender, was allowed to participate in the female tournament per USA Fencing rules, the organization confirmed to The Daily Wire. Sullivan formerly competed with males, and quickly won the top prize at Connecticut Division Junior Olympic Qualifiers last year after switching to female fencing, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14186601/Trans-fencer-switches-womens-team-gold-wagner-college.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ns_campaign=1490&amp;ito=social-facebook-wdijw&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawJafzFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaQlJ1A_qym2V8T7bzoQt6jecrt0xp39hJDg6FYgi69AMyCu-sRsXJxi5Q_aem_6G9JoKpTjr2OsHFEqtcb8w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Daily Mail.
Sullivan&#8217;s female opponent, a young woman from the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia, refused to compete against the male and was presented with a black card, meaning she was disqualified from the entire event, a source relayed to The Daily Wire and USA Fencing confirmed.
The Daily Wire asked Bryan Wendell, the director of communications for USA Fencing, why the female fencer, who&#8217;s been identified as Stephanie Turner, was not merely presented with a loss for the forfeited bout, but instead kicked out of the tournament.
&#8220;In the case of Stephanie Turner, her disqualification was not related to any personal statement but was merely the direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent, which the FIE rules clearly prohibit,&#8221; Wendell said. &#8220;USA Fencing is obligated to follow the letter of those rules and ensure that participants respect the standards set at the international level. We remain committed to inclusivity within our sport while also upholding every requirement dictated by our governing body.&#8221;
Wendell&#8217;s email signature includes &#8220;Pronouns: He, Him, His.&#8221;
The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) obtained video of the protest and disqualification and posted it online Wednesday:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🤺🚨Historic Protest: Female Fencer Takes a Knee in Bout Against Male Opponent, Faces Immediate Disqualification
After receiving a black card for refusing to compete against a man, Redmond Sullivan&#8217;s female opponent was expelled from the <a href="https://twitter.com/USAFencing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAFencing</a> event at the Univ. of… <a href="https://t.co/IloSnrb2Iu">pic.twitter.com/IloSnrb2Iu</a>
— ICONS (@icons_women) <a href="https://twitter.com/icons_women/status/1907487751664247154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
USA Fencing also sent the following email to The Daily Wire concerning their rules for trans-identifying athletes:
<blockquote>USA Fencing enacted our current <a href="https://www.usafencing.org/transgender-and-nonbinary-policy" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usafencing.org/transgender-and-nonbinary-policy&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1743711078280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0MyFDJbD95AHYWmD9I2wBc">transgender and non-binary athlete policy</a> in 2023. The policy was designed to expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces. The policy is based on the principle that everyone should have the ability to participate in sports and was based upon the research available of the day. We understand that the conversation on equity and inclusion pertaining to transgender participation in sport is evolving. USA Fencing will always err on the side of inclusion, and we’re committed to amending the policy as more relevant evidence-based research emerges, or as policy changes take effect in the wider Olympic &amp; Paralympic movement.
We respect the viewpoints on all sides and encourage our members to continue sharing them with us as the matter evolves. It&#8217;s important for the fencing community to engage in this dialogue, but we expect this conversation to be conducted respectfully, whether at our tournaments or in online spaces. The way to progress is by respectful discussion based in evidence.
</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-was-injured-by-a-trans-athlete-state-legislatures-need-to-do-more-to-protect-womens-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I Was Injured By A Trans Athlete. State Legislatures Need To Do More To Protect Women’s Sports</a>

Redmond Sullivan

VIDEO: Female Fencer Booted From Tournament After Refusing To Compete Against Male Opponent

Sports

Transgender Athletes

Women

Women's sports

The Trump administration demanded on Tuesday that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ncaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCAA</a> strip the records and awards of the male athletes who competed in female sports at the collegiate and high school levels because of their transgender identity.
The Department of Education wrote a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) demanding that they take action to restore the awards, records, and titles that female athletes would have won had they not been displaced by male athletes who identified as female.
“The NCAA and NFHS should also immediately act to rectify the injustices that female athletes across the nation endured during the years that NCAA and NFHS policies promoted and facilitated men competing on women’s teams,” Deputy General Council Candice Jackson wrote.
The letter, written to NCAA President Charlie Baker and NFHS President Bob Lombardi, said that the Education Department would be enforcing Title IX to “hold educational institutions accountable for depriving female athletes of the awards, records, points, prizes, titles, trophies, announcements or other recognition assigned in favor of male athletes who were allowed to compete in female sports.”
This would mean stripping male athletes who identified as female, like University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who won the women’s NCAA Division 1 championship in the 500-yard freestyle, of their accolades.
“Whether the number of records in women’s events attributed to men is 1 or 1 million, every official record of women’s performances must accurately reflect the achievements of female athletes, not of male ones,” Jackson wrote.
Riley Gaines, who competed against Thomas, and shared a fifth place result with him at the women’s 200-meter NCAA championships back in 2022, praised the Education Department.
“Restoring stolen athletic accolades to their rightful owners is a crucial step towards reinstating accountability, integrity, and common sense – one that I wholeheartedly support,” she said.
The letter also pointed to an executive order from President Donald Trump that strips funding from schools that force female athletes to compete with males and instructs the Education Department to enforce Title IX against schools that allow trans-identifying males in women’s sports or force girls to share locker rooms with males. One day later, the NCAA <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ncaa-backs-down-changes-transgender-athlete-policy-after-trump-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed its policy</a> to keep sports segregated by sex.
“While NCAA has amended its policy to state that a male may not compete for a women’s team, officially correcting the records is another critical step in rectifying the miscarriage of justice against female athletes allowed under the Biden Administration and giving female athletes the recognition they rightfully earned,” Senior Advisor for the Office of Communication in the Department of Education Julie Hartman told The Daily Wire.

NCAA SWIMMING: MAR 18 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships

Trump Admin Tells NCAA To Strip Records Of Male Athletes Who Competed In Women’s Sports

Department of Education

Lia Thomas

Riley Gaines

Social Issues

Swimming

Trump Administration

Walmart, Target, McDonalds, Amazon, Ford — the list goes on and on. Corporate America is finally waking up — their customers don’t want so-called Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) forced into their everyday lives. This is good. It’s a sign that companies may be returning their focus to goods and services, rather than politically motivated barometers of social justice. It appears, though, that some areas of higher education remain boxed in to DEI control — and who is actually calling those plays may surprise you.
Taxpayer-funded schools shovel billions of dollars into an organization insistent on DEI promotion: the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The most powerful organization in college sports <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2022/11/29/ncaa-division-i-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-attestation-frequently-asked-questions.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requires members</a> to sign <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2016/3/2/ncaa-inclusion-statement.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a constitution</a> promising schools, and thus their funds, will “commit to promoting DEI in athletic activities and events, hiring practices, professional and coaching relationships, leadership and advancement opportunities.”  
With the weight of football national championships, volleyball scholarships, and March Madness behind them, the organization has the power to flex and is strategically using it to push woke agendas. The pressure begins with athletics, but it does not stop there. The cost of admittance into the association creeps into every aspect of the school’s “community.” This compromises the integrity of academic staff, housing, curriculum, culture, and more of every member institution. Division One schools are even required to conduct a “DEI review” every four years “for the good of the greater community.” 
“The NCAA is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture in college athletics and to supporting DEI efforts of member schools, conferences and the national office,” the background statement on their “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Review Framework” reads, “Building on the intent of the NCAA’s Presidential Pledge and Commitment to Promoting Diversity and Gender Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics, Division I adopted legislation that requires institutions to attest to completing a self-directed DEI review once every four years.” 
If a school wants to impress future students with a prestigious football program, they’ll have to bend the knee to DEI authorities to play elite competition. 
This was evident to me as I participated in the recent 2025 NCAA Convention. The annual meeting came at the cusp of the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act and a landmark court decision striking down former President Biden’s illegal Title IX re-write. Athletic Directors flooded my line with, “What does this mean for us?” So, I attended a panel titled “Navigating the Inclusion Landscape” to see exactly how they were advising Athletic Directors. Sadly, they provided no guidance. The tone-deaf panel of DEI experts failed to mention the impending lawsuits, recent rule changes, and other elephants in the room that actually define the landscape. Rather, the panel of NCAA experts touted the phrase: “DEI is good!” 
The constant religious-like repetition of the phrase reeked of desperation. “There is still purpose in DEI programs and initiatives,” they promised. 
One panelist’s strategy hinted at how they plan to fight the will of most Americans: 
“I got academic freedom,” she exclaimed, “I got tenure! I might be able to say things to your student athletes that would be harder for you all to say. If your campus has tenured faculty, USE US! USE US to help you do this work and to figure out how not to be silent.” 
During the session, participants were careful to use unbound identifiers such as “black identifying athletes.” I grabbed several of their handouts on my way out including a pamphlet detailing how “language can impact how your athletes perform,” complete with a “social identity wheel.” 
Resources also specifically addressed how private faith-based institutions can focus on “respect and inclusion for LGBTQ student-athletes and staff.” The actions include embracing their presence, displaying resources, and initiating conversations with high-level school administrators and board members about creating an “inclusive campus for LGBTQ people.” 
I came out of the experience with one prevalent realization. While NCAA President Charlie Baker tells Congress the NCAA is forced to follow federal law in this area, the evidence suggests they aren’t followers but radical leaders actively pushing the DEI infestation compromising school athletics and academia at-large.
Congress, the White House, and the American people shouldn’t let the NCAA’s shiny national championship trophies distract them from the problem at hand. Americans voted for Donald Trump in large part because they wanted to see a change of direction in DEI. But to realize these goals, they must demand transparency and accountability from the NCAA for their coercive DEI policies that roadblock meaningful change.
* * *
Macy Petty is a Legislative Strategist and Women’s Sports Spokesperson at Concerned Women for America.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

2024 Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship

Why College Sports Need To Kill DEI Programs

American Universities

College

Diversity

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

The co-captain of the San Jose State University women&#8217;s volleyball team says she was repeatedly assigned to share a room with a trans-identifying player on her team for overnight trips, apparently at the request of that player. 
Brooke Slusser, speaking to journalist Megyn Kelly, said she was never told her teammate, Blaire Fleming, was biologically male, and only later heard whispers about the rumor from other athletes. Slusser said that when she found out, things started to make sense, namely how Fleming was able to jump so high and spike the ball like no other female player.
“When we have travel trips, there’s two girls to a room, usually, and your coaches just give you anyone on the team,&#8221; Slusser <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3Kt1hO-6Vs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Kelly, adding that this typically rotates between players so the girls can bond with new teammates. 
However, Slusser was repeatedly assigned to room with Fleming — all while not knowing Fleming was trans-identifying and male.
&#8220;I noticed as time went on that I kept getting roomed with Blaire, which I found very odd because everyone else on the team was getting switched around,&#8221; she said.
 &#8220;Come to find out later, they asked Blaire who he was comfortable rooming with on away trips,&#8221; the athlete said. &#8220;And apparently there was a selected few of us that were on that list.” 
Slusser also told Kelly that she’s scared for her safety at practices and said her teammates are constantly dodging spikes from Fleming, who’s six-foot-one.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We don&#8217;t feel safe&#8230;the power is just unmatchable for any woman&#8230;&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeSlusser?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrookeSlusser</a>, college volleyball player, speaks out about competitive advantage her male teammate has &#8211; and her decision to speak out about it and sue the NCAA.
FULL interview: <a href="https://t.co/dbmnQj00th">https://t.co/dbmnQj00th</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tm0qSx1TnX">pic.twitter.com/Tm0qSx1TnX</a>
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/MegynKellyShow/status/1845521056867434821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
San Jose and the NCAA allegedly concealed the fact that Fleming is male from other teams in the Mountain West Conference. After the girls in the conference became aware, a total of five teams so far — Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State, and the University of Nevada, Reno — have refused to take the court against San Jose. The forfeits have been catalogued as losses. 
After the Nevada team departed from their administration and announced that they would not play against San Jose, Slusser applauded the girls.
&#8220;Round of applause to the girls of the [Nevada Wolf Pack] volleyball team,&#8221; she wrote on X. &#8220;Deciding to go against what the school was forcing on you as young women and taking a stand for what you believe takes courage! Another great step in the right direction for women’s sports!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Round of applause to the girls of the <a href="https://twitter.com/NevadaWolfPack?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NevadaWolfPack</a> volleyball team.Deciding to go against what the school was forcing on you as young women and taking a stand for what you believe takes courage! Another great step in the right direction for women’s sports!
— Brooke Slusser (@BrookeSlusser) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeSlusser/status/1846004360557613399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
Currently, more than a dozen collegiate female athletes are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/riley-gaines-other-collegiate-athletes-sue-ncaa-for-allowing-men-to-compete-in-womens-sports">suing</a> the NCAA for knowingly violating Title IX by permitting biologically male athletes to compete against females, violate their privacy, and cost them opportunities. Riley Gaines, an advocate for girls and women&#8217;s sports, is named as a plaintiff. Gaines was a top swimmer from the University of Kentucky who was forced to compete against a man named Lia Thomas at the NCAA women’s championship. 
In September, Slusser joined the lawsuit. She told Kelly it’s been a challenge with some of the hate she’s received, even from her own school, but says her teammates have been her support.

White volleyball on the ground in the school gym

NCAA Volleyball Player Says Coaches Repeatedly Assigned Her To Room With Trans Player At His Request

Megyn Kelly

A fifth women&#8217;s collegiate volleyball team — this time from the University of Nevada — announced on Monday that they would forfeit a game against San Jose State University rather than play against that school&#8217;s star player, a trans-identifying male.
&#8220;We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against @SJSU and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, &amp; Utah State University,&#8221; the statement read in part.
Former NCAA swimmer-turned-women&#8217;s rights activist Riley Gaines shared the school&#8217;s statement, adding, &#8220;University of Nevada becomes the 5th team to forfeit their upcoming match against SJSU. They&#8217;re the first school to specifically cite fairness and safety concerns as reason for forfeit. Incredibly proud of these girls. This is the way!!!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
University of Nevada becomes the 5th team to forfeit their upcoming match against SJSU. They&#39;re the first school to specifically cite fairness &amp; safety concerns as reason for forfeit. 
Incredibly proud of these girls👏🏼 this is the way!!! <a href="https://t.co/chEtM8CBKB">pic.twitter.com/chEtM8CBKB</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1845848295538569259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gaines then highlighted the second half of the statement, which outlined the reason the team had opted to forfeit, saying, &#8220;Can we recognize how great this statement is? &#8216;We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes.&#8217; Athletes defend themselves while the adults stay silent.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Can we recognize how great this statement is?
&quot;We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes.&quot; 🔥
Athletes defend themselves while the adults stay silent. <a href="https://t.co/9n9wsoaqHt">https://t.co/9n9wsoaqHt</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1845860479689777625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And Gaines was not the only one cheering on the University of Nevada team for taking a stand.
Captain Sam Brown, an Army veteran and Republican who is currently campaigning to be a U.S. Senator from the state of Nevada, commented, &#8220;As a father of an athletic daughter, I’ve got one clear message: Ladies, I’m proud of you, and I’ve got you! Your courage is admirable. America needs more leaders who will stand up and support women athletes on the basis of fairness, safety, and privacy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
As a father of an athletic daughter, I’ve got one clear message:
Ladies, I’m proud of you, and I’ve got you! Your courage is admirable. 
America needs more leaders who will stand up and support women athletes on the basis of fairness, safety, and privacy. <a href="https://t.co/hU4S2igVBn">https://t.co/hU4S2igVBn</a>
&mdash; Sam Brown (@CaptainSamBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaptainSamBrown/status/1845860956934660106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We are finally building momentum. Courage begets courage,&#8221; Seth Dillon added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We are finally building momentum. Courage begets courage. <a href="https://t.co/22GvRpiKmP">https://t.co/22GvRpiKmP</a>
&mdash; Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) <a href="https://twitter.com/SethDillon/status/1845904031794831543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony (R-NV) threw his support behind the team as well, saying in a post on X, &#8220;The University of Nevada women’s volleyball team has my full support and admiration for their courageous decision.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The University of Nevada women’s volleyball team has my full support and admiration for their courageous decision. <a href="https://t.co/CxmwS2dE59">https://t.co/CxmwS2dE59</a>
&mdash; Stavros Anthony (@StavrosAnthony) <a href="https://twitter.com/StavrosAnthony/status/1845886635889905752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Portrait of volleyball player

5th Women’s Volleyball Team Nixes Game Against College With Trans-Identifying Star Player

5th Women's Volleyball Team Nixes Game Against College With Trans-Identifying Star Player

Volleyball

The Boise State women&#8217;s volleyball team announced on Friday that it would forfeit its match over the weekend against San Jose State.
&#8220;Boise State volleyball will not play its scheduled match at San José State on Saturday, Sept. 28,&#8221; the team said in a statement. &#8220;Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Boise State.&#8221;
The team, 8-5 overall and 0-1 in the Mountain West Conference, will play their next game against Air Force on October 3.
Outkick sports reporter David Hookstead said that sources told him that the team forfeited the game &#8220;because the team’s best player is a male.&#8221;
&#8220;Sources close to the situation tell me the players have the complete support of the school, coaches and parents,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Boise State women’s volleyball announces it will not play San Jose State because the team’s best player is a male.
Sources close to the situation tell me the players have the complete support of the school, coaches and parents. <a href="https://t.co/bICfJgwBLU">pic.twitter.com/bICfJgwBLU</a>
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) <a href="https://twitter.com/dhookstead/status/1839783184218693752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
Online, the team received overwhelming support from their governor, U.S. Senators, and Representatives.
&#8220;I applaud @BoiseState for working within the spirit of my Executive Order, the Defending Women’s Sports Act,&#8221; said Governor Brad Little. &#8220;We need to ensure player safety for all of our female athletes and continue the fight for fairness in women’s sports.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&#8220;Kudos to @BoiseState for taking a stand for women in sports!&#8221; said Sen. James Risch (R-ID). &#8220;Idaho’s hardworking, talented female athletes deserve a fair playing field where they can compete and WIN.&#8221;
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) posted on X: &#8220;The safety of Idaho’s female athletes is paramount to the appeasement of a woke agenda. @BoiseState made the right call.&#8221;
Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID) said on social media that men should not be allowed to compete against women in sports.
&#8220;I commend @BoiseState for their decision to protect women in sports and ensure a level playing field for their athletes!&#8221; he added.</blockquote>

Albertsons Stadium

Boise State Women’s Volleyball Forfeits Game To Protect Players From Trans Opponent: Report

Women Sports

The starting quarterback for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, announced late Tuesday night that he will not play any more games this season for the unbeaten Rebels, alleging that the program did not keep some of its &#8220;commitments.&#8221;
Matthew Sluka, who helped get UNLV to a 3-0 record and in the conversation for a playoff bid this season, shocked the sports world, writing in a statement posted to X, &#8220;I have decided to utilize my redshirt year and will not be playing in any additional games this season.&#8221; Sluka, who transferred from Holy Cross last season, did not mention specific promises that he says were not being fulfilled, but reports suggest that he was upset with UNLV over name, image, and likeness (NIL) guarantees that allow student-athletes to be paid by companies and third-party organizations.
&#8220;I committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled,&#8221; Sluka added. &#8220;Despite discussions, it became clear that these commitments would not be fulfilled in the future. I wish my teammates the best of luck this season and hope for the continued success of the program.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/oK5BDRpoxK">pic.twitter.com/oK5BDRpoxK</a>
&mdash; Matthew Sluka (@MatthewSluka) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewSluka/status/1838799758577799607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Later on Tuesday, ESPN college football Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg <a href="https://x.com/ESPNRittenberg/status/1838948515113767100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Sluka&#8217;s father said his son&#8217;s agent &#8220;agreed to an NIL deal with the school back in February, never received payments despite requests and never asked for any adjustments to the original deal.&#8221; Sluka&#8217;s father added, &#8220;We have no idea what the hell happened.&#8221;
One of Sluka&#8217;s representatives, Marcus Cromartie, said that the quarterback was promised $100,000 if he transferred to UNLV, but none of that money was paid, <a href="https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1838949768787096036" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ESPN Senior Writer Pete Thamel. Cromartie alleged that UNLV offered Sluka $3,000 per month for the next four months, which would amount to $88,000 less than what Cromartie said Sluka was initially promised.
Rob Sine, who runs Blueprint Sports — a company that manages UNLV&#8217;s collective — said that the collective never agreed to a $100,000 deal with Sluka, Yahoo Sports <a href="https://x.com/RossDellenger/status/1838975453262233881" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Sine added that the collective was working on a deal with Sluka that would pay him $3,000 per month before the quarterback announced his decision to quit playing.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Jake Crain, the host of The Daily Wire&#8217;s &#8220;Crain &amp; Co.&#8221; podcast, said that people should wait for more information before rushing to pin the blame on either Sluka or UNLV.
&#8220;The whole Sluka situation sucks but there is a massive difference in: A) Not getting paid what you were promised before the season B) Asking for more money and quitting when you don’t get it. Need to find out which one it is,&#8221; Crain <a href="https://x.com/JakeCrain_/status/1838944098532614315" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
Sluka&#8217;s decision to redshirt after just three games of UNLV&#8217;s season <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/41430604/unlv-qb-matthew-sluka-no-longer-play-rebels-representations-were-not-upheld" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allows</a> the senior to keep his final year of eligibility, which means he could play a full season for a team next year. The quarterback was off to a good start in UNLV&#8217;s backfield, throwing for 318 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 286 yards and one touchdown.
The Rebels defeated a ranked Kansas team in week 3, moving them to their first 3-0 start since the 1984 season. With college football&#8217;s expanded playoffs going into effect this season, UNLV was considered a potential dark horse program that could sneak into the new 12-team format.
Sluka&#8217;s sudden departure has already affected <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/betting/story/_/id/40159558/betting-buzz-latest-sports-betting-odds-updates-changes-line-moves-industry-intel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">betting odds</a> on UNLV in their next game against Fresno State. The Rebels were a 4.5-point favorite at the beginning of the week, but now Fresno State is listed as a 1-point favorite, according to ESPN BET.

Matthew Sluka

Starting College QB Quits Unbeaten Team, Alleges Promises ‘Were Not Upheld’

Starting College QB Quits Unbeaten Team, Alleges Promises 'Were Not Upheld'

Business

General

Las Vegas

Nevada

Former collegiate swimmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/riley-gaines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines</a> tore into Georgia Tech President, Dr. Angel Cabrera, for failing to intervene when it became clear that the NCAA was going to allow a biological male to not only compete against the females, but to have full access to their locker rooms while they were changing as well.
Gaines spoke on Tuesday before the Georgia General Assembly’s Special Committee on Protecting Women’s Sports, where she called Cabrera out for allowing trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas to compete against and change alongside the women who had worked their entire lives to get to the NCAA championship. Prior to her appearance, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/riley-gaines-rips-georgia-tech-president-remarks-lawmakers-why-didnt-you-protect-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a> obtained a copy of her prepared remarks.
&#8220;Dr. Cabrera, you knew that a 6’4&#8243; fully intact man was coming to compete against me, my teammates, and my competitors in the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming &amp; Diving National Championships. Do you have a daughter? You could have stopped it, you could have at least said, ‘not here, not on the campus of Georgia Tech University,’ but you did not,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;You had the chance at the outset to bring a sane, rational, science-based perspective to the protection of women’s sport, but you looked the other way, and you did nothing. Why didn’t you intervene? The scientific evidence for immense male performance advantages in sport is overwhelming — I don&#8217;t have to explain that to you or this committee, but you ignored the science to the harm of women.&#8221;
Gaines went on to say that officials had known Thomas, still a fully-intact male, would be changing in close proximity to the women — and that they would have no ability to escape the situation.
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&#8220;This was intentional, premeditated, sexual harassment, and it happened right here, in the capitol city of the State of Georgia, just a few blocks away the grounds of Georgia Tech University,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;Because you did nothing, that man walked into the women’s locker room at your university and saw me undressed down to nothing. I did not even know he had access to the women’s locker room until I heard a man’s voice and turned around and saw him a few feet in front of me, and I was unclothed. You allowed college women to be traumatized on your campus in this way. Why didn’t you protect me? Why didn’t you protect us?&#8221;
Gaines called on Cabrera to respond, saying that the Georgia Tech President could &#8220;redeem&#8221; himself by speaking up now, adding, &#8220;Thousands of women across this country and hundreds of girls who dream of swimming for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and more broadly who dream of competing in sports at all look forward to your response.&#8221;

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‘Why Didn’t You Protect Us?’ Riley Gaines Demands Accountability From Georgia Tech President

'Why Didn't You Protect Us?' Riley Gaines Demands Accountability From Georgia Tech President

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