ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — The Big Ten has approved a new rule limiting schools to $27.5 million in third-party name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals for players. This aligns with the revenue-sharing cap in the proposed Protect College Sports Act. The conference says the rule will ease the transition if the act becomes law and shows their commitment to it. However, attorneys who sued the conferences and NCAA argue the rule violates agreements on paying players. They plan to challenge it. The Senate passed the act in September, and it's awaiting action in the House. The rule takes effect immediately, with penalties for violations.
UNDATED (AP) — College basketball fans don’t need to wait until March to see some high-profile matchups. They don’t even need to hold out for the start of conference play. This year’s men’s college basketball schedule features plenty of huge games long before Christmas. The most notable early-season games include a rematch of last year’s NCAA Tournament final as well as a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the preseason Top 25. Many of the top five teams will be facing off with one another over the next six weeks.
UNDATED (AP) — College football is seeing a surge in close games, with 30 one-score contests in conference play last week alone. This trend is the highest since at least 1973, according to Sportradar. So far this season, 128 conference games have been decided by eight points or fewer, with an average point differential of 13.9. The Power Four conferences have seen 69 one-score games, making for exciting matchups. This weekend's games include Miami at North Carolina, Ohio State at Southern California, and Florida at Georgia.
UNDATED (AP) — Week 9 of the college football season features a pair of Top 25 matchups with No. 22 Arizona visiting No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 17 Florida meeting No. 3 Georgia in Atlanta. Fans must be wondering what's going to happen next in a season marked by upsets. A total of 10 teams in The Associated Press Top 25 have lost over the last three weeks. That includes two No. 1s and a No. 2 that were beaten by unranked opponents.
UNDATED (AP) — Tony Rojas opted to stay at Penn State because he believed the Nittany Lions could compete for a conference championship.The team’s star linebacker now knows a Big Ten title is out of reach, but he still believes the Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) can win. They’ll need to win three of their final five to salvage a bowl appearance. Mired in a four-game losing streak, Penn State will try for its first conference win of the Matt Campbell era when Purdue (3-4, 2-2) visits Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lincoln Riley affirmed his love for the University of Southern California and his confidence in his program’s direction while praising his relationship with athletic director Jen Cohen as he prepares the Trojans to face No. 2 Ohio State on with their College Football Playoff hopes in big trouble. Riley acknowledged he understands why questions are being asked about his future after USC’s embarrassing 24-7 loss at Wisconsin last weekend in the worst offensive output ever from a Riley-led team. The Trojans are unranked two-thirds of the way the fifth season of Riley’s tenure, in which he has yet to earn a conference title or a Playoff berth.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says running back Kamari Moulton will miss the rest of the season with an upper-body injury. The Big Ten’s second-leading rusher left last week’s loss at Minnesota in the second quarter and did not return. Moulton was averaging 90 yards per game with four touchdowns in his fourth season with the Hawkeyes. He ran for a career-high 208 yards and two TDs in a 41-24 win at Washington on Oct. 9. Xavier Williams will start in Moulton’s place when the Hawkeyes host No. 25 Wisconsin on Saturday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The backup quarterback spot has become crucial in the Big Ten this season. Half of the conference's 18 teams might start their second-string QBs this weekend. That includes Ohio State and UCLA, both dealing with injuries. Michigan and Rutgers could also see a backup battle on Saturday. Ohio State coach Ryan Day says the transfer portal and NIL make it hard to keep a solid QB room. Ohio State will choose between Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair for their game against Southern California. UCLA's Ty Dieffenbach is expected to start for the rest of the season.
