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

College Football

College sports

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: 
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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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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>
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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

Donald Trump

Gavin Newsom

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Karen Bass

Los Angeles

Media

Politics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Vaccines

For the first time in 17 years, the four top-seeded teams in the March Madness tournament will meet in the Final Four — and in the same city as the last time it happened.
On Saturday, the University of Florida Gators beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and Duke University defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide. On Sunday, Auburn defeated two-seed Michigan State, while Houston defeated Tennessee. Florida and Auburn, both from the SEC, will meet in the semifinals, while Houston plays Duke on April 5 at the Alamodome.
Such a matchup hasn&#8217;t happened since 2008, when Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, and UCLA met in San Antonio. That year, Kansas defeated Memphis to take the crown.
Duke, coached by Jon Scheyer, is favored to win the title, with star freshman Cooper Flagg seeming a probable choice for the most outstanding player.
However, the Blue Devils face a tough match against Houston; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6243379/2025/03/31/final-four-no-1-seeds-duke-auburn-florida-houston/">according</a> to statistical archivist Ken Pomeroy, Duke has the best offense in college basketball, but Houston has the best defense. Additionally, Houston led the country in 3-point shooting, making almost 40% of their shots. One key difference could be Duke’s youth: their frontcourt of four freshmen will face three players who are 22 or older.
Florida, led by star player Walter Clayton Jr., defeated Auburn earlier in the season 90-81/
Duke has won the national title five times, all coached by Mike Mike Krzyzewski, who also brought the team to the finals four times. Florida won the national title in 2006 and 2007 under Coach Billy Donovan. Houston made the finals twice, in 1983 and 1984.
Auburn has never played in a national championship game.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – Elite Eight – San Francisco

Final Four Is All No. 1 Seeds For Only The Second Time In March Madness History

Alabama

Basketball

Duke University

United States Air Force 2nd Lieutenant Wyatt Hendrickson stopped to salute President Donald Trump, his commander in chief, just after he won his NCAA wrestling championship.
Hendrickson could be seen just after his win turning to President Trump, snapping to the position of attention, and rendering a salute. Trump, who was attending the event and seated in the front row, raised his fist in salute to Hendrickson.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Wyatt Hendrickson — a second lieutenant in the <a href="https://twitter.com/usairforce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usairforce</a> — salutes President Donald J. Trump after winning an <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAAWrestling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCAAWrestling</a> national championship 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/KK4ngwH7mW">pic.twitter.com/KK4ngwH7mW</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1903633710462775472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The announcers could be heard referring to Hendrickson as &#8220;Captain America,&#8221; laughing as the Air Force LT draped himself in an American flag. &#8220;I can&#8217;t believe it,&#8221; one said, and another added, &#8220;My jaw is on the floor.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/23/sport/wyatt-hendrickson-gable-steveson-trump-ncaa-wrestling-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hendrickson&#8217;s win</a> against Olympic champion Gable Steveson came after he delivered a stunning takedown — the only takedown Steveson allowed the entire season — in the final moments of the match, coming from behind to win the heavyweight title.
&#8220;All the matches were terrific last night, but they saved the best for last! Wyatt Hendrickson, an Air Force Academy graduate, pulled off a huge upset — something I know a little bit about — beating an Olympic champion. When I say when I watch wrestling, I see America — this is what I’m talking about,&#8221; Senator David McCormick (R-PA) commented.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
All the matches were terrific last night, but they saved the best for last! Wyatt Hendrickson, an Air Force Academy graduate, pulled off a huge upset &#8211; something I know a little bit about &#8211; beating an Olympic champion.
When I say when I watch wrestling, I see America &#8211; this is… <a href="https://t.co/GIyeYTyNg6">https://t.co/GIyeYTyNg6</a> <a href="https://t.co/L8WAAaginU">pic.twitter.com/L8WAAaginU</a>
&mdash; Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMcCormickPA/status/1903820472023749076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hendrickson, who wrestles for Oklahoma State University, made an appearance Monday morning on Fox News and told &#8220;America&#8217;s Newsroom&#8221; anchor Bill Hemmer about how &#8220;special&#8221; it was to have Trump in the audience when he won the title.
&#8220;That&#8217;s pretty special, I gotta be very honest with you,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That is very special, you know when we talk about the final boss — like that is the boss of my boss of my boss, so, you know, having him be there and support the great sport of wrestling and be able to watch me have a historic moment like that, I mean, that&#8217;s something I&#8217;ll remember for the rest of my life.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Oklahoma State wrestler and Air Force Second Lieutenant Wyatt Hendrickson on winning the national championship with President Trump watching: &quot;Having him be there and support the great sport of wrestling and be able to watch me have a historic moment like that &#8212; that&#39;s something… <a href="https://t.co/qg4LE8MNsX">pic.twitter.com/qg4LE8MNsX</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1904179323906437626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championship

Air Force LT Wins NCAA Wrestling Title, Stops In His Tracks To Salute President Trump

General

Sports

U.S.

U.S. Air Force

Wrestling

West Virginia Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey wants more “objective criteria” to determine which college basketball teams secure a bid to the NCAA basketball tournament.
Morrisey appeared on Daily Wire’s sports podcast Crain and Company on Tuesday after the West Virginia Mountaineers (19-13), a team on the bubble, did not make the bracket. The team finished 10-10 in Big 12 Conference matchups.
“That was outrageous for a lot of reasons. And that&#8217;s why it&#8217;s important that we step up and get to the bottom of things, because I don&#8217;t think we should have this kind of travesty, this kind of robbery, ever occur in the future,” Morrisey said. The governor has called for an investigation into the tournament selection process.
Critics have blasted the NCAA tournament selection committee for including the North Carolina Tar Heels (23-13) in the bracket over the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers had a more impressive resume when the strength of their schedule was taken into account. WVU had six Quad 1 wins, the most impressive wins as measured by the NCAA, and no losses below Quad 2. UNC, on the other hand, went 1-12 in Quad 1 matchups and a Quad 3 loss, which means a loss to a relatively weak team.
In early December, WVU star Tucker DeVries, the son of WVU’s head coach, Darian DeVries, sustained a season-ending injury. That was the primary reason WVU did not make it into the tournament, according to Bubba Cunningham, the NCAA tournament selection committee chairman. Cunningham also serves as North Carolina&#8217;s athletic director.
Even with DeVries out, experts expected the Mountaineers to receive a tournament invite.
“Everyone had WVU safely in the bracket. One hundred eleven out of 111 bracketologists – these are these people that do this for a living, they come up with these formulas – universally say WVU is in,” Morrisey said. “By the way, UNC, 27 of the 111 bracketologists say that.”
Cunningham’s dual roles as chairman of the selection committee and athletic director for UNC have incited allegations that the WVU snub may be about more than incompetency or favoritism. Cunningham said he was not in the room when the decision on UNC was made and asserted that &#8220;all the policies and procedures were followed.&#8221;
In a press conference earlier this week, Morrisey raged against the NCAA from behind a podium with a sign that read “National Corrupt Athletic Association.”
“You have an athletic director walk out the door at the supposed just right time, and then their team gets secured as the last team in, and, meanwhile WVU is the last team out,” Morrisey said. “So, I want sunlight, I want disinfectant. That&#8217;s what this is all about. Let’s fix it for the future.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="March Madness TAMPERING?! West Virginia Governor Explains His Investigation | Crain &amp; Company" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JDFrujL4RYA?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>

Patrick Morrisey

West Virginia GOP Governor Wants NCAA Tourney Overhauled After WVU Snub

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey Wants NCAA Tourney Overhauled After WVU Snub

March Madness

West Virginia

A new ad from the pro-woman brand XX-XY Athletics calls out the NCAA for a new transgender policy that women’s sports advocates warn will still allow a possible loophole for trans-identifying males to continue to compete in women’s sports.
The ad — shared by Riley Gaines on <a href="https://x.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1894764315250491500">X</a> — from the company’s founder Jennifer Sey, showcases female athletes who’ve lost out on opportunities because of male trans-identifying athletes and those who have faced attacks for standing up for themselves and other girls.
“We see you NCAA,” the ad starts out. “You announced a new policy after [President Donald] Trump’s executive order, this policy does not protect females. It sets no clear boundary.”
“This policy does nothing to ensure women’s sports are for women only,” the athletes added. “You said you were going to comply with federal law, but you didn’t. Your policy is based on a birth certificate. That’s the proof required. But it’s no proof of sex.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The new NCAA policy is in direct conflict with President Trumps beautifully written Executive Order, &#8220;Keeping Men Out of Women&#8217;s Sports&#8221;.
We see you, <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCAA</a><a href="https://t.co/6QHTXozSVr">pic.twitter.com/6QHTXozSVr</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1894764315250491500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
Gaines and others in the ad point out that in 44 states birth certificates can be altered.
The ad closes with a call to the NCAA to go back to the drawing board and fix the policy, warning the governing body that athletes and women’s sports advocates can see right through what it appears the NCAA is attempting to do.
“We see you [NCAA President] Charlie Baker,” the female sports players concluded. “We see you NCAA. We see you … you tried to silence us but we are not going away. Young athletes are depending on us. Depending on you. And if you won’t stand up for female athletes, we will.”
Gaines, Sage Steele, and other women’s sports advocates recently warned that there was a loophole in the NCAA policy that could be exploited to allow trans-identifying male athletes to compete against women.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/ncaas-new-trans-participation-policy-as-clear-mud-riley-gaines-says?utm_campaign=feed&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=later-linkinbio">Fox News</a>, the former collegiate female swimmer said that the new policy is “explicitly in conflict” with Trump’s executive order, which asserts an outright ban on biological men competing in women’s sports.
NCAA announced its new policy for “student-athletes ‘assigned male at birth’ and their participation on women’s teams” following Trump’s EO, which uses “gender identity” language instead of male and female definition for sex. It is that “gender identity” language that has Gaines and other advocates for girls sports concerned.
“No. 1, first and foremost, this policy removes all accountability from the NCAA, which, of course, is something that has been on their minds for a long time,” Gaines said. “It provides loopholes for both states and schools because it does not define sex, which we have seen now is a problem, unfortunately.”
“I mean, it’s wild we have to define sex-based terms like male and female, but we’ve seen what happens when we don’t,” she added, noting that all but 6 states in the U.S. allow birth certificates to be altered.
A spokesperson for the NCAA told the outlet, “The policy is clear that there are no waivers available, and athletes assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team with amended birth certificates or other forms of ID.”
Despite NCAA comments, Gaines expressed concern and said “the policy is as clear as mud.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/riley-gaines-sage-steele-warn-about-possible-ncaa-loophole-for-trans-identifying-male-athletes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines, Sage Steele Warn About Possible NCAA Loophole For Trans-Identifying Male Athletes</a>

Trans Sports

‘We See You’: New Ad Calls Out NCAA For New Transgender Policy

Riley Gaines

Transgender Athletes

Women's sports

Three Fresno State University college basketball players are at the center of a university and NCAA investigation into alleged sports gambling, including two players accused of betting on their own games.
One player, Mykell Robinson, has been removed from the team, and two other players, Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins, have been suspended over their potential ties to sports gambling, ABC 30 Action News <a href="https://abc30.com/post/fresno-state-mens-basketball-players-allegedly-placed-bets-games-played-sources-say/15946235/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. According to the report, Robinson and Weaver allegedly placed bets on their own team, including bets that the Bulldogs would underperform in total points and rebounds in one game. Collins, meanwhile, is being investigated for placing bets on professional sports.
Fresno State, which is in the middle of its worst season in program history, will now lose two of its top three scorers — Weaver and Collins — for the foreseeable future, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/43969441/fresno-state-holds-players-source-confirms-betting-inquiry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>. Weaver is averaging 12.5 points per game this season, while Collins averages 12 points per game. Collins also leads the team with 4.7 assists per game.
The Bulldogs moved to 5-23 on the season after their last loss to Air Force, which put them on a 10-game losing streak. The team&#8217;s head coach, Vance Walberg, reportedly discovered the alleged gambling by the student-athletes and notified the university&#8217;s administration.
Robinson — who averaged 10.3 points per game — has not played since January 11, while Weaver and Collins were suspended just before the team tipped off against Air Force on Saturday. The Bulldogs, playing with only seven players, lost in overtime, 72-69. Just 30 minutes before the game started against Air Force, Fresno State announced that the two players were &#8220;being withheld from competition as the University reviews an eligibility matter.&#8221;
&#8220;The University and Athletics Department will have no further comments regarding the matter at this time,&#8221; Fresno State added.
Fresno State, currently part of the Mountain West Conference, announced last year that it would join the Pac-12 effective July 1, 2026.

Fresno State v UNLV

College Basketball Players Allegedly Placed Bets On Games They Played In

California

California State University Fresno

Crime

Fresno, California

gambling

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

Social Issues

Swimming

Trump Administration

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) National Board of Management (NBM) will have the chance on Saturday to vote to keep trans-identifying men out of the historically female group.
“Last year I called attention to the radical trans-identifying men who are attempting to invade the Daughters of the American Revolution,” The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles wrote on <a href="https://x.com/michaeljknowles/status/1887576702194258365">X</a>. “This Saturday, DAR leadership will vote on whether or not to let them.”
On Feb. 8, the DAR NBM, a group made up of executive officers, state regents, and honorary vice presidents general, will meet to vote on a bylaw amendment to prohibit all men, including trans-identifying males, from the group. If approved, it will be heard by the entire DAR membership at its Continental Congress gathering in June. 
Knowles <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michael-knowles-exposes-transgender-attempt-to-infiltrate-daughters-of-american-revolution">previously revealed</a> — in a viral thread on <a href="https://x.com/michaeljknowles/status/1838267625962405922">X</a> — how a group of daughters were “channeling their rebellious spirit of their forebears” by fighting back “this time building a larger, grassroots effort to affirm the original intent of the bylaws and prevent men from continuing to invade their genealogical society.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPDATE: Last year I called attention to the radical trans-identifying men who are attempting to invade the Daughters of the American Revolution. This Saturday, DAR leadership will vote on whether or not to let them.<a href="https://t.co/SXtcYYbkaN">https://t.co/SXtcYYbkaN</a>
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1887576702194258365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
Knowles shared details of an internal DAR FAQ document which said that “members are expected to pretend that ‘transgender women’ have always been eligible and that their inclusion took place ‘organically,’ as if implicit in bylaws written before ‘transgenderism’ was even thought to exist.”
In January, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas">Texas</a> DAR Chapter decided to fight back against its national organization’s decision to allow trans-identifying males into their organization, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daughters-of-the-american-revolution-chapter-is-fighting-to-keep-men-out">reported</a>.
In a letter from the Martha Laird Chapter — with help from the Center for American Liberty (CAL) — it has pushed back against a threat from its leadership that by prohibiting transgender males, the DAR would somehow lose its tax-exempt status, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/texas-daughters-american-revolution-chapter-challenges-premise-must-admit-transgender-members">Fox News</a> reported.
“Members have been told that in order to keep our nonprofit status we must allow men who submit an altered birth certificate indicating they are female to be eligible members,” a letter on the DAR <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1659132851538607/permalink/1776056659846225/?mibextid=wwXIfr&amp;_rdr">Facebook</a> page read. “Our hope is that once members and the NBM can feel confident that our nonprofit status is not in jeopardy, they will no longer feel intimidated and vote to allow this bylaw amendment to be heard at Continental Congress.”
In Sept. 2024, the Texas chapter — with the endorsement of eleven other Chapters — submitted a second proposed bylaw amendment to prohibit all men, including trans-identifying males, from the group, after a prior one was rejected on the basis that it would put their nonprofit status in jeopardy, a letter from the group posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1659132851538607/permalink/1776056659846225/?mibextid=wwXIfr&amp;_rdr">Facebook</a> read.
The new proposed bylaw amendment says, “A woman is defined as a biological female at conception, having naturally occurring X chromosomes, exclusive of Y chromosomes, and certified as female or girl on the original birth certificate. NSDAR and its chapters may not discriminate against an eligible applicant.”
The NBM vote comes after President Donald Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/">Executive Order</a> defining that the United States will only recognize two genders, male and female. It read, “‘Sex’ is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender identity.’” The EO also <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/20/us-news/trump-executive-order-to-define-sex-as-male-and-female/">reverse</a>s the prior <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-sign-executive-order-defining-sex-as-male-and-female">policy</a> of allowing people to change their sex on passports and personnel records.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daughters-of-the-american-revolution-chapter-is-fighting-to-keep-men-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daughters Of The American Revolution Chapter Is Fighting To Keep Men Out</a>

Symbol of transgender and female and male gender symbols

Daughters of the American Revolution Board To Vote To Keep Trans-Identifying Men Out

Daughters of the American Revolution

Michael Knowles

Transgenders

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)

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> House Republicans unanimously called on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to reverse its controversial decision to allow trans-identifying males in women&#8217;s sports.
The new letter signed by all 75 House Republicans was sent on the first day of the NCAA&#8217;s annual convention, which takes place in Nashville.
&#8220;The hard work of female athletes is now in serious jeopardy. The NCAA’s 2010 rule change allowing men who decide to be women and displace real women in competitive sports has had devastating consequences,&#8221; read the letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker.
The NCAA oversees more than 500,000 college athletes at about 1,100 schools.
The letter outlines several concerns with trans-identifying males in women&#8217;s sports, including the physical safety of female athletes, lost victories, and lack of privacy in women&#8217;s locker rooms.
&#8220;Forcing women to compete against males in noncontact sports is unfair at best, but allowing them to compete in contact sports approaches abuse and creates opportunities for serious injury,&#8221; the Republicans wrote. &#8220;And when a man is given access to female locker rooms and bathrooms, it infringes on every woman’s reasonable expectation to the right of privacy and robs their dignity.&#8221;
The lawmakers called the idea &#8220;absurd&#8221; that men competing against women is &#8220;inclusive and safe.&#8221;
&#8220;The actions by the NCAA are humiliating and destructive to young women and the NCAA’s leaders should know and act better,&#8221; they said.
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The Republicans called on the collegiate sports governing body to &#8220;take bold action to protect women’s sports&#8221; during their convention this month.
The letter was spearheaded by House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett, who also on Tuesday filed a measure honoring Tennessee native and former college athlete Riley Gaines for her advocacy against men in women&#8217;s sports.
“Americans have spoken loud and clear on this issue, and they do not want men entering their daughters’ locker rooms or bathrooms, stealing their scholarship opportunities and robbing them of their records and hard-fought victories. We are hopeful the NCAA will do the right thing; Men have no place in women’s sports,” Garrett said in a statement.
Over the last few years, the country has seen fierce backlash to trans-identifying men competing with and against women.
Female athletes have spoken out about losing competitions to male competitors, their uncomfortable experiences being in a locker room with a male, and several have suffered devastating <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/female-student-athlete-seriously-injured-in-field-hockey-game-involving-male-player-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">injuries</a> due to a male player.
Tennessee has passed several laws aimed at keeping males out of women&#8217;s sports at both the <a href="https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/112/pub/pc0040.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">K-12</a> and <a href="https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/112/pub/pc1005.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">college</a> level.

Woman running outdoor.

Tennessee House Republicans Call On NCAA To Reverse Decision Allowing Men In Women’s Sports

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Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders slammed the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award on Tuesday after it snubbed two-way Colorado star football player Travis Hunter from its finalist list.
Hunter, who starts at both wide receiver and cornerback for the 8-3 Buffaloes, is the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy heading into the final weeks before the winner is announced on December 14. The latest odds in betting markets have Hunter at -1,000 — giving him an implied 90.9% chance of winning the most prestigious award in college football, according to BetMGM. The award is given to the most valuable player in college football every year.
The <a href="https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2025-nfl-mock-draft-three-quarterbacks-go-in-the-top-10-shedeur-sanders-new-york-giants">projected</a> No. 1 NFL Draft pick for next year was named as a finalist for multiple awards on Tuesday, including the Maxwell Award (for best all-around player), Biletnikoff Award (for best wide receiver), Bednarik Award (for best defensive player), Hornung Award (for most versatile player) and Walter Camp Award (for most outstanding player).
However, it was the one award for which Hunter was not a finalist that upset Sanders — who starred in the NFL and MLB at the same time.
&#8220;How is Travis Hunter snubbed for the Jim Thorpe Award?&#8221; Sanders asked at a press conference. &#8220;You could have my award. You could have it back. Matter of fact, I’m gonna give him mine. I ain’t using it. It’s just sitting up there collecting dust. So Travis can have my Thorpe award because if this ain’t the most idiotic thing in college football that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and he is — I would say arguably but I don’t really think it’s an argument about this young man being the best defensive back in college football.&#8221;
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&#8220;He rarely gets thrown at,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;He’s won a game for tackling for us. And he’s always on point. So if you bring up the statistics I don’t know how in the world is Travis Hunter not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. They just pretty much messed up all the integrity of the award, and he can have mine.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Coach Prime on Travis Hunter not being a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award:
“How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Thorpe. You can have my award, you can have it back. In fact i’m gonna give him mine” <a href="https://t.co/vHHUF24CzA">pic.twitter.com/vHHUF24CzA</a>
— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNVR_Buffs/status/1861473018503143744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
If Hunter wins the Heisman Trophy, he will become only the second defensive player in history to win the award.
Michigan Wolverines cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997 was the only defensive player to win the Heisman.
However, there is a key difference between Woodson and Hunter. Woodson only played situationally on offense and started on defense, whereas Hunter starts on both sides of the ball and plays nearly every play in the game outside of special teams.
During Woodson&#8217;s Heisman year, he intercepted seven passes and made 43 tackles on defense while catching 11 passes for 231 yards and a receiving touchdown on offense. He also had 1 rushing touchdown.
So far in 2024, Hunter has intercepted three passes and deflected breakups — despite rarely being thrown at — and had a game-winning forced fumble on the goal line against Baylor. On offense, Hunter has 82 catches for 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown.

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