Let's Discuss
Playing the Long Game
What’s going on: There’s never been a better time to be a fifth-year senior… at least if you play sports. Revenue sharing and NIL, which lets college athletes cash in on their name, image, and likeness, have upended the assumption that going pro means making more money. The NCAA’s new “5-for-5” model could make staying in school even more valuable. Instead of four seasons to compete over five years, many college athletes can now play all five. Take Carson Beck: The former Miami quarterback reportedly landed an NIL package worth at least $3 million for his final college season before going 65th overall to the Arizona Cardinals. There he’ll make an estimated $885,000 base salary as a rookie. Yep, it looks as if Beck essentially took a pay cut to turn pro. That helps explain why athletes whose eligibility expired just before the new rule took effect have recently challenged the NCAA for a fifth season.
The bigger play: For female athletes, that extra year could be even more worth it. We’re not talking about the Caitlin Clarks of the world, who can leave college with major deals and a clear path to the pros. Only .8% of eligible NCAA women’s basketball players are drafted into the WNBA, and across women’s sports, going pro can mean entering a much smaller market — and taking a much smaller paycheck. Texas Tech softball star NiJaree Canady reportedly made more than $1 million annually through NIL before she signed with Athletes Unlimited Softball League where average salaries are around $45k. Meanwhile, athletes like Livvy Dunne and the Cavinder twins (Hanna and Haley) have shown that college can be a launchpad for businesses and careers that last long after their final season. A fifth year doesn’t just give female athletes more time to play. It could give them more time to build what comes next — and less pressure to decide when, how, or whether to go pro.
Related: The SEC and Big Ten Move To Stop Pro Athletes From Returning to College (ESPN)
In Her Court
“It’s funny how simplifying can help open things up.” — World No. 3 Jessica Pegula shares the strategy she uses when things start to go sideways. (We can see why Coco Gauff says she’d trade lives with her.)
Timeout...
As a new NFL season kicks off, what do we know about the risk of CTE today?
A new study offers a sobering answer: Researchers found that at least one in four former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 likely had CTE, the degenerative brain disease linked to repeated hits to the head. The actual number could be higher: Doctors can only diagnose CTE after death, and researchers received the brains of just under 27% of the former players who died during that period. So what does that mean for today’s players? The study can’t put a number on their risk, but its lead author says researchers haven’t found evidence that newer equipment or rule changes have meaningfully lowered it. One reason: Scientists believe the less severe, repeated hits over years may matter more than any single big one.
Related: Who Decides if an NFL Player Is Safe to Go Back in After a Big Hit? (ESPN)
No Notes
Let's Discuss
Playing the Long Game
What’s going on: There’s never been a better time to be a fifth-year senior… at least if you play sports. Revenue sharing and NIL, which lets college athletes cash in on their name, image, and likeness, have upended the assumption that going pro means making more money. The NCAA’s new “5-for-5” model could make staying in school even more valuable. Instead of four seasons to compete over five years, many college athletes can now play all five. Take Carson Beck: The former Miami quarterback reportedly landed an NIL package worth at least $3 million for his final college season before going 65th overall to the Arizona Cardinals. There he’ll make an estimated $885,000 base salary as a rookie. Yep, it looks as if Beck essentially took a pay cut to turn pro. That helps explain why athletes whose eligibility expired just before the new rule took effect have recently challenged the NCAA for a fifth season.
The bigger play: For female athletes, that extra year could be even more worth it. We’re not talking about the Caitlin Clarks of the world, who can leave college with major deals and a clear path to the pros. Only .8% of eligible NCAA women’s basketball players are drafted into the WNBA, and across women’s sports, going pro can mean entering a much smaller market — and taking a much smaller paycheck. Texas Tech softball star NiJaree Canady reportedly made more than $1 million annually through NIL before she signed with Athletes Unlimited Softball League where average salaries are around $45k. Meanwhile, athletes like Livvy Dunne and the Cavinder twins (Hanna and Haley) have shown that college can be a launchpad for businesses and careers that last long after their final season. A fifth year doesn’t just give female athletes more time to play. It could give them more time to build what comes next — and less pressure to decide when, how, or whether to go pro.
Related: The SEC and Big Ten Move To Stop Pro Athletes From Returning to College (ESPN)
In Her Court
“It’s funny how simplifying can help open things up.” — World No. 3 Jessica Pegula shares the strategy she uses when things start to go sideways. (We can see why Coco Gauff says she’d trade lives with her.)
Timeout...
As a new NFL season kicks off, what do we know about the risk of CTE today?
A new study offers a sobering answer: Researchers found that at least one in four former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 likely had CTE, the degenerative brain disease linked to repeated hits to the head. The actual number could be higher: Doctors can only diagnose CTE after death, and researchers received the brains of just under 27% of the former players who died during that period. So what does that mean for today’s players? The study can’t put a number on their risk, but its lead author says researchers haven’t found evidence that newer equipment or rule changes have meaningfully lowered it. One reason: Scientists believe the less severe, repeated hits over years may matter more than any single big one.
Related: Who Decides if an NFL Player Is Safe to Go Back in After a Big Hit? (ESPN)
No Notes
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