Caitlin Clark is officially headed to the WNBA after her senior season. Iowa‘s star guard made it official on Thursday in a social media post, saying she will be declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft. The reigning National Player of the Year is currently averaging 32.2 points, 8.7 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game while leading the Hawkeyes to a 25-4 record and a top-10 ranking in the country. “While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa,” Clark said in the post. Clark recently broke the NCAA women’s career scoring record previously held by Kelsey Plum and is just 18 points behind Pete Maravich for the all-time NCAA record. The Indiana Fever hold the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft.

Major League Pickleball, PPA Tour Officially Join Forces After Closing Merger

The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) confirmed Thursday they’ve consolidated into one league. Furthermore, the merger is backed by a $75 million contribution from private equity firm SC Holdings, DC Pickleball Team owner Al Tylis, PPA Tour owners Tom Dundon and the Pardoe Family, and a list of current MLP team owners. “MLP and the PPA Tour working as partners creates a sustainable, viable, and healthy ecosystem for all key participants in which the best players in the world can play in both of the thrilling pickleball formats, ensuring that we’re promoting the highest-quality, most exciting events,” PPA Tour Founder and CEO Connor Pardoe said. More than 150 professional pickleball players have agreed to multi-year deals with the new organizations and will participate in an expanded calendar that blends individual (PPA Tour) and team (MLP) events throughout the year.

Russell Westbrook Teams Up with Target to Build Affordable Housing in LA

LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook announced on Instagram earlier this week a partnership with Target that will build 180 affordable housing units in South Central LA. Community-centered businesses will surround the units, the nine-time NBA All-Star added. Westbrook started his Why Not? Foundation in 2012 that, per its website, “is committed to the perseverance of at-risk communities by implementing structured education opportunity, workforce development, and accessible mental health resources.”

Ex-Capitol Chair Michelle Jubelirer Named Billboard’s Women in Music Executive of the Year

Billboard revealed its top women executives in 2024, and former Chair of Capitol Music Group Michelle Jubelirer leads the roster of successful honorees as Executive of the Year. Jubelirer made history in 2021 when she became Capitol Music Group‘s first female chief executive in its 80-plus-year history. Under her leadership, the company won a bidding war in fall 2022 to sign Ice Spice, worked with Universal Music Enterprises to bring back The Beatles with the AI-powered song “Now and Then,” and achieved many more accomplishments. On Feb. 6, Jubelirer announced she was stepping down from her role. Head to Billboard for the full list of winners.

Olympic Champ Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, New Balance Debut New Collection

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is more than just an Olympic champion. The two-time gold medalist also dips her spikes into the fashion space, unveiling her personally designed collection with sportswear partner New Balance on Friday. The capsule features unisex performance and lifestyle products in a neutral color scheme, like a terry hoodie and sweatpant set, high-rise leggings for training or lounging, and a New Balance varsity jacket. On feet are two limited edition iterations of the FuelCell Rebel v4 running shoe and McLaughlin-Levrone’s favorite lifestyle shoe, the 9060. The new pieces are available to shop at www.newbalance.com.

Katie Ledecky Joins Allyson Felix, Simone Biles as Athleta Ambassadors

Athleta is starting off Women’s History Month with a big announcement. The active performance brand announced Friday that it’s entered a five-year partnership with Katie Ledecky, the world’s most decorated swimmer. As part of the collab, Ledecky joins Athleta’s Power of She Collective, a cohort of elite athletes that uphold Athleta’s mission to empower women and girls to build confidence, strength, and well-being through movement. During her tenure with Athleta, Ledecky will also participate in wear testing, rep the brand’s performance apparel outside of the pool, and appear in key campaigns. Ledecky also joins fellow Olympic legends Allyson Felix and Simone Biles as Athleta ambassadors.

Tommy Hilfiger Named Official Partner of F1 Academy

Tommy Hilfiger has joined forces with the F1 Academy as an official partner, Formula 1 announced earlier this week. Entering its second year developing female talent in auto racing, the F1 Academy consists of 15 drivers. In the release, F1 added that Spanish driver Nerea Marti, who returns for her second season with Campos Racing, will represent Tommy Hilfiger, racing in a suit and car featuring the company’s iconic red, white, and blue color pattern. As part of the deal, Tommy Hilfiger will also design and provide all F1 Academy staff uniforms.

The post Caitlin Clark Leaving Iowa for WNBA After Season appeared first on Boardroom.

Caitlin Clark has officially etched her name in history books. On Thursday, the Iowa Hawkeyes star officially passed Kelsey Plum to become the NCAA women’s all-time leading scorer, eclipsing 3,528 points. In true fashion, Clark shot from the logo 2:12 seconds in the first quarter to reach the milestone against Big Ten rivals Michigan. Plum’s record, set during her time as a University of Washington guard, had stood in NCAA record books since 2017.

Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez & Zendaya to Co-Chair 2024 Met Gala

Known as fashion’s most opulent night, the Met Gala will be here before we know it, and excitement has only increased with the unveiling of this year’s co-hosts. Vogue announced on Thursday via Instagram that the 2024 Met Gala will be co-chaired by Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth, who join Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour for the A-list soirée. The star-studded event is held on the iconic steps of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on the first Monday in May. This year’s theme is “The Garden of Time,” which pays homage to the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”

Megan Thee Stallion, Nike Collaborate on ‘Hot Girl Systems’ Capsule

Megan Thee Stallion and Nike unveiled the rapper’s first-ever apparel and Nike By You footwear collaboration — Hot Girl Systems — on Thursday. The capsule combines her personal style and platform of championing mental and physical health. It includes shorts, sports bras, a bodysuit, a onesie, a bomber jacket with removable straps and sleeves, and cropped tees featuring Megan’s signature hottie flames, reflective materials, and Y2K-inspired graphics. On feet is a Nike By You Air Max 97 by Megan Thee Stallion that is customizable and allows the co-creation of a pair of the classic Nike shoes with details and finishes hand-selected by Megan herself. Shop apparel today on megantheettallion.com; Nike and select retailers will have it beginning Feb 20.

Coinbase Stock Surges After Exceeding Earnings Expectations

Coinbase reported its fourth-quarter earnings Thursday, and it looks like the cryptocurrency exchange platform swung to a profit. The reported revenue of $953.8 million exceeded the analyst forecast of $826.1 million, and overall, the company reported a profit of $273.4 million, or $1.04 per share. Compare this to the same quarter a year ago, when the company posted a loss of $557 million, or $2.46 per share reported. Finally, Coinbase saw 100% more trading volume during the final quarter versus the third quarter. Fourth-quarter volume amounted to $154 billion, ahead of the estimated $142.7 billion. On the heels of Thursday’s earnings report, Coinbase’s stock surged 7% in the extended session.

Kylian Mbappé Reportedly to Leave PSG, Eyeing Real Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé has told the club he intends to leave when his contract expires this summer, according to the Associated Press. While the five-time Ligue 1 champion hasn’t officially indicated which club he’d like to play for later this year, Mbappé is reportedly rumored to be heading to Spain to join Real Madrid. Mbappé, who has long said his idols growing up were Bernabéu legends Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo, has always wanted to play for Madrid. Still in his prime, this could be just the right time in the Frenchman’s career to orchestrate a blockbuster move.

A’ja Wilson’s Book Cracks New York Times Bestseller List

Add another career milestone for A’ja Wilson. The Las Vegas Aces star’s “Dear Black Girls” book is officially on the New York Times Best Sellers list, debuting at No. 4 in the “Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous” category. Part memoir, part motivational, Wilson‘s book is described on Goodreads as “one remarkable author’s necessary and meaningful exploration of what it means to be a Black woman in America today ― and an of-the-moment rally cry to lift up women and girls everywhere.”

The post Caitlin Clark Breaks NCAA Women’s All-time Scoring Record appeared first on Boardroom.

If you don’t know Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark by now, you just aren’t paying attention.

The reigning National Player of the Year has been dominant on the court again this season, averaging 32.3 points, 8.7 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game while leading Iowa to a 27-4 record and a top-5 ranking in the country. All of this after she earned unanimous All-American honors while putting up 27.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game last year.

Oh, and she also led Iowa to last year’s national title game, where the Hawkeyes fell to Angel Reese and LSU. As she continues through her last year at Iowa, she became the fastest NCAA D-1 player to eclipse 3,000 points in just 110 games and would go on to break Kelsey Plum’s old NCAA women’s basketball record for most career points scored. Not satisfied, Clark went on to break the all-time NCAA career scoring record, previously held by Pete Maravich, over the weekend against No. 2 Ohio State on Senior Night. She finished the game with 35 points en route to leading the Hawkeyes to victory in the regular season finale.

Clark put her WNBA aspirations on hold to return for her senior season in Iowa City, and with a year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many wondered if she would return to college for one more year. But the star hooper officially let the world know her intentions of heading to the WNBA after this season on Feb. 29, just days ahead of her final regular season game.

Clark is leaving, but not before she’s been able to take full advantage in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) space through various partnerships and deals with some of the biggest brands out there. She signed on with Excel Sports Management to secure representation as she wades through a bevy of deals off the court.

Let’s break it down.

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Caitlin Clark NIL Market Value

All data via On3.com’s NIL rankings as of March 4, 2023.

Women’s College Basketball NIL rank: 1
Overall NIL rank: 4
Annual Valuation: $3,100,000
10-week high: $3,100,000
10-week low: $910,000
Total followers: 1.3 million (1M on Instagram, 186K on X, 159K on TikTok)

The above monetary figures are via On3’s NIL Valuation, a proprietary algorithm that “establishes the overall NIL market and projected 12-month growth rate by measuring two categories, Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index.”

Notable Caitlin Clark NIL Deals

Gatorade

Having eclipsed the 3,000 point mark, Clark joins an iconic club of elite athletes who serve as an ambassador for the legacy brand. The Iowa standout is the fourth college athlete inked by Gatorade, joining UConn hoops phenom Paige Bueckers, Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, and Penn State running back Nick Singleton. 

For Clark, the partnership was a natural one. She was selected as the Gatorade High School Player of the Year two times during her pre-college career. However, it’s also more than just bragging rights. Gatorade will make a commitment of $22,000 to the Caitlin Clark Foundation as part of its broader Equity in Sport initiative.

State Farm

After making history during March Madness, Clark made history as State Farm’s first collegiate athlete and the first female on the company’s roster. Clark is in good company, as State Farm also sponsors Patrick Mahomes and Chris Paul.

“Welcoming Caitlin Clark to our team expands and strengthens our ability to positively impact communities, engage with audiences in meaningful ways, and reinforces our commitment to raising the visibility of women in sports. As a fellow Good Neighbor, we can’t wait to drive progress forward together with Caitlin for years to come,” State Farm Chief Marketing Officer Kristyn Cook said in a statement.

Buick

Ahead of Iowa’s run to the national title last season, Buick tapped women’s college basketball’s best players for its “See Her Greatness” campaign. In addition to Clark, Stanford‘s Cameron Brink, South Carolina‘s Aliyah Boston, UConn‘s Azzi Fudd, and UCLA‘s Kiki Rice also partnered with Buick.

Nike

Whenever a major brand seems to target basketball’s elite for an NIL partnership, Clark always seems to be involved. Last year, Nike teamed up with Clark, Bronny James, DJ Wagner, JuJu Watkins, and Haley Jones on long-term deals.

“I grew up watching Nike athletes across all sports play their game,” Clark said. “They have inspired me to work hard and make a difference. I’m humbled to be part of this first Nike basketball class and passionate about inspiring the next.”

Other notable deals: Topps, Iowa Cubs, H&R Block

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The post Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is Cashing In appeared first on Boardroom.

State Farm has signed Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark to a NIL deal, joining the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Chris Paul on the insurance company’s roster. The standout point guard shared the news on Instagram, along with a separate rapid-fire video opposite Jake from State Farm. The 21-year-old led the Hawkeyes to a Final Four appearance last season and was named the National Player of the Year after averaging 27.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game. Clark, who also boasts NIL deals with Nike, Topps, and Buick, is the first collegiate athlete on State Farm’s roster.

Aces-Liberty Game 1 Garners Largest Audience Since 2000 WNBA Finals

Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty was a ratings success, averaging a 0.45 rating and 729,000 viewers on ABC, per Sports Media Watch. This makes Sunday’s showdown the largest audience for Game 1 of a Finals since 2000 when the Houston Comets and New York Liberty averaged 872,000 on Lifetime. Game 1 saw the defending champion Aces beat the Liberty, 99-82, with Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum combining for 72 of the Aces’ points. Game 2 is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET from Michelob ULTRA Arena, affectionally referred to as “The House.”

Roc Nation School & JPMorgan Chase Launch Financial Health Course

Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at Long Island University (LIU) and JPMorgan Chase announced a new partnership on Tuesday that will establish the school’s first-ever financial health course for the 2023-24 academic year. The three-credit, 16-week course aims to provide nearly 150 students with strong money management skills and build a strong financial future. As part of the alliance, JPMorgan Chase will contribute $115,000 to the Roc School’s Hope Scholarship program, which supports high-achieving students with financial need, and an additional $220,000 grant to support financial coaching efforts at the school. The seminar will also feature special guest speakers, including New York Giants legend Victor Cruz and JPMorgan Chase leadership, sharing wisdom and advice for academic, career, and personal success. 

Carletta Higginson Named WMG’s New Executive VP & Chief Digital Officer

Warner Music Group (WMG) announced Tuesday that Carletta Higginson has joined the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, effective Oct. 16. Higginson comes to WMG from Google, most recently as Global Head of Music Publishing at YouTube and Google Play. The release notes she worked in business development and legal positions during her decade-long tenure across both music publishing and recorded music. In her new role, the Columbia Law grad will “oversee the full spectrum of WMG’s global digital partnerships, from deal-making through account management, while she and her team will explore commercial innovation and forge new digital partnerships.”

Wasserman Acquires J1S, Launches Creators Division

Wasserman has acquired creator company J1S, the company announced Tuesday, and in turn, is launching a “Wasserman Creators” division. J1S co-founder Michael Jones will assume the role of Senior Vice President of the newly formed division which J1S staffers will help operate. “The decision came down to Wasserman’s company culture matching J1S, and a strong alignment on the creator economy,” said Jones in the release. “With the launch of Wasserman Creators, we can continue executing on providing world-class representation, expanding our service offerings, and positioning ourselves in a manner unmatched in today’s environment.” Jones and his wife, Hannah Haarala Jones, founded J1S in 2019.

Beckham Documentary Claims No. 1 Spot on Netflix in First Week

In its first-week debut, David Beckham‘s Netflix docuseries Beckham clinched the top spot among the platform’s English-language series, recording 12.4 million views. The program is a trip down memory lane for international football fans and pop music enthusiasts alike. The $20 million project features interviews with Beckham and his wife of 24 years, Victoria. Famous Manchester United teammates like Gary Neville, Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand, and, of course, former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson also speak to his impact on the game. As for his Real Madrid colleagues, Diego Simeone shows up to address that 1998 red card debacle.

The post Caitlin Clark Joins Mahomes, CP3 on State Farm Roster with NIL Deal appeared first on Boardroom.

Get set for the weekend’s action with the latest betting insights from FanDuel — let’s college football picks Week 1 style.

This is not a drill. Week 1 of the new college football season is upon us! I repeat; this is not a drill.

To up the ante, we will see FBS games played on Thursday through Monday. Of course, many of the contests in these first couple of weeks are staggering mismatches. However, there are still plenty of lucrative markets we can play to start the season in the green.

With an eye on September 2nd, let us survey the slate for the first full Saturday of college football’s 2023 campaign. Spoiler alert: I am confident in the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes early on. In a different contest, I’m eager to see if the No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes will return just as stout on defense.

Keeping in mind that all odds and spreads are subject to incremental movement, let’s go through our Week 1 college football predictions and betting insights, including the USC Trojans’ clash with Nevada in LA.

2023 College Football Picks Week 1

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Fresno State Bulldogs @ Purdue Boilermakers

• Time: 12 p.m. ET
• TV: Big Ten Network
• Spread: PUR -4.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: FRES +160/PUR -194
• Total: 47.5 (-105/-115)

As the cream of Mountain West football, the Fresno State Bulldogs are entering 2023 after winning their fourth conference title in the current grouping last season. However, since head coach Jeff Tedford took over the program in 2017, the Bulldogs have twice risen to the top of the Mountain West.

Eagerly awaiting Fresno State on Saturday will be the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue was not as successful as Fresno in 2022, but naturally, the Big Ten offers challenges that the Mountain West does not. Still, the Boilermakers went 8-6 last year. However, they will be going forward without Jeff Brohm, for he returned to Louisville to lead his alma mater. That brings in Ryan Walters as head coach at Purdue; Walters played safety for the Colorado Buffaloes two decades ago.

Naturally, Fresno, California and West Lafayette, Indiana aren’t exactly bordering towns. That means the Bulldogs will endure a 2,000-mile flight before Saturday’s game at Purdue.

According to ESPN’s final SP+ Preseason Rankings, the Bulldogs and Boilermakers actually matchup quite closely. Out of 133 FBS schools, Purdue comes in at 58th while Fresno State is ranked 63rd. Candidly, this contest should be the closest competition that Saturday has to offer.

Best Bet: Fresno State +4.5 (-115)

For FRES-PUR, I will be taking the points with the underdog Bulldogs. Coach Tedford has been one of the most underrated leaders in college football for some time now. From Aaron Rodgers with the California Golden Bears to Jake Haener in Fresno, Tedford has always had a way with quarterbacks. I think that transitions to current Bulldog starting signal-caller Mikey Keene, who transfers in from the Central Florida Knights.

The game projections at numberFire support my ATS play on Fresno State. Per their model, the Bulldogs are showing a winning estimated score of 31.57-30.89. Genuinely, I don’t mind taking it a step further for a Fresno play on the moneyline — especially since Purdue is now under a rookie Division I head coach.

Let’s start simple in Week 1. Give me 4.5 points with the Bulldogs.

We’re Tracking the Biggest Conference Realignment Moves

Who’s in, who’s out? From the Pac-12 exodus to the Big Ten and Big 12’s expansions, Boardroom has you covered.

Let’s Go!

College Football Picks Week 1: Utah State Aggies @ No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes

• Time: 12 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1
• Spread: IOWA -23.5 (-104)
• Moneyline: USU +1160/-2800 IOWA
• Total: 42.5 (-115/-105)

As alluded to in the introduction, the No. 25 Hawkeyes boast one of the best defenses in the nation year in and year out. In 2022, Iowa suffocated opponents into scoring just 13.3 points per game, which was the second-best clip in FBS.

Iowa will host the Utah State Aggies in Week 1 this year. Utah State won the MWC as recently as 2021, but they experienced a major fall from grace last season behind a 6-7 overall record. Heading out to Iowa City, do the Aggies have any chance of getting by the Hawkeyes?

2023 will mark a quarter-century since head coach Kirk Ferentz took over as Iowa’s head coach. Last year, Ferentz notched his 10th bowl win in school history by shutting out the Kentucky Wildcats in the Music City Bowl. Simply, all signs point to the Hawkeyes staying consistent this season.

When perusing through ESPN’s 2023 College Football Power Index, Iowa shows up at 38th overall out of 133 institutions. For Utah State, they land all the way down at 118th. Transparently, I am not ruling out Iowa pitching their second consecutive shutout.

Best Bet: Under 42.5 (-105)

As usual, the Hawkeyes take the field with a hyper-athletic defense. Linebackers Nick Jackson and Jay Higgins play the game with sideline-to-sideline speed, which should thwart the Aggies for most of the day. Iowa’s secondary also features star players, such as Cooper DeJean and Xavier Nwankpa.

I like under 42.5 total points in this contest rather than banking on the Hawkeyes to cover an expansive spread of 23.5. On offense, Iowa does not do a ton of scoring, producing just 17.7 points per game last year. So, even if they were to defeat Utah by three scores, let’s say 21-0 (which is entirely possible), that still would not cover.

Everything considered, under 42.5 is my best play here.

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No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes @ Indiana Hoosiers

• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
• Spread: OSU 29.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: OSU -10000/IU +2200
• Total: 59.5 (-105/-115)

As per usual, the Ohio State University is champing at the bit for football season to return. Head coach Ryan Day is preparing to commence his fifth full season leading the Buckeyes, and make no mistake: they have authentic national title aspirations in Columbus this year. At FanDuel Sportsbook, the Buckeyes’ odds to win the next CFP National Championship are +700, which are currently third-shortest in the market.

No. 3 Ohio State will begin 2023 with a conference clash against the Indiana Hoosiers. Last season, the Hoosiers were quite awful on the gridiron, playing to a 4-8 record (including 2-7 in Big Ten games). In their 2022 meeting with the Buckeyes, Indiana was flattened by a score of 56-14.

Frankly, we know what Ohio State is looking to do. Behind starting quarterback Kyle McCord, the Buckeyes’ spread option scheme will produce many astronomical point sums this year. Considering McCord’s offensive skill group, which is headlined by star receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, I think there is a high probability of a blowout in Bloomington this Saturday.

Ohio State enters the upcoming season ranked tops overall on ESPN’s CFPI while also showcasing the very best offense according to the SP+ scale. Simply put, I don’t think the Hoosiers have much of a chance in Week 1; that is reflected in FanDuel Sportsbook’s moneyline prices in this contest of -10000/+2200.

Best Bet: Ohio State -29.5 (-115)

There have already been a few games through Week 0 and Week 1 this season when my ATS interest was deterred due to imposing point spreads. Well, that is not the case this week with Ohio State. Laying 29 points with a hook, I am all over the Buckeyes at Indiana.

In 2022, Ohio State trounced the Hoosiers by 42 points at “The Shoe.” The season prior, the Buckeyes won in Bloomington by 47 points, so give me Ohio State in a major way.

I can hear my next-door neighbor yelling it now: O-H! I-O!

College Football Picks Week 1: Nevada Wolf Pack @ No. 6 USC Trojans

• Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Pac-12 Network
• Spread: USC -38.5
• Moneyline: N/A
• Total: 66.5

The No. 6 USC Trojans are back for their second contest of the season. In Week 0, USC did well to outduel the San Jose State Spartans by a score of 56-28. Despite the lopsided victory, the Trojans failed to cover a 30.5-spread. Now in Week 1, Southern Cal faces the Nevada Wolf Pack and another daunting spread. This time, they’ll 38.5 points. Go big or go home?

Obviously, Nevada is not in the same talent tier as Lincoln Riley’s Trojans. Not only is USC returning last year’s Heisman winner, Caleb Williams, but they embark on 2023 with the second-best offense in the nation via the final preseason SP+ rankings. Additionally, the Trojans are currently operating with the fifth-best offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus.

When surveying the Wolf Pack in 2023, there really is not a ton to feel great about. Reflecting back on the SP+ rankings, Nevada is slotted at 106th overall, but their offense is even worse. The unit is ranked 113th out of 133 schools.

Nevada closed out 2022 on a 10-game losing streak, so don’t expect any historic upset in this contest against USC. It won’t be a grueling flight from Reno to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Pack, but it has the potential to be a very long trip back home if they lose by 40 — or more.

Best Bet: USC -38.5

I stayed away from USC laying 30.5 in Week 0 against SJSU, but I like this matchup with Nevada much more for the Trojans. Frankly, I don’t think San Jose State’s offense got their due respect in Week 0, which is why they easily put up 28 points versus USC while losing — but covering. Simply, I don’t see the Wolf Pack scoring that much this Saturday in L.A.

Williams and the Trojans did well to score 56 points against the Spartans last week. I think they can eclipse that number this week against Nevada and would not be surprised if USC crosses the 60-point threshold this week — something they last did in Week 1 of 2022 against the Rice Owls. Remember: the Trojans were the second-most prolific scoring team last year, producing 41.4 points per game.

It’s ambitious, but I am on USC -38.5 this week.

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The post College Football Week 1 Predictions: Ohio State, USC, Iowa & More appeared first on Boardroom.

Take a bow, Angel Reese. The LSU Tigers hoops star deserves as much after putting up yet another double-double with 15 points and 10 boards in her team’s 102-85 victory over Iowa in the finale of the Women’s NCAA Tournament en route to Most Outstanding Player honors.

In most cases in sports, the days following such a championship accomplishment are filled with praise and congratulations. Instead, a large part of the national discourse has been focused on players’ celebrations rather than celebrating the women themselves that put on literally record-breaking performances on both sides.

In the final moments of the game, cameras caught Reese doing the same “you can’t see me” celebration that Iowa star Caitlin Clark did in the Elite Eight against Louisville in the direction of her opponent. She added her own twist on the gesture popularized by G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo and wrestler/actor John Cena by pointing to her ring finger, alluding to the jewelry she just locked up by winning a natty.

My first thought? What a badass, the same thought I had when Clark did the same thing in the Elite Eight against Louisville. Both of these players have been phenomenal all season long and have helped elevate women’s basketball forward in very real ways.

But thanks to social media, the conversation surrounding this brief celebration turned vile.

As anyone who works in sports knows, keyboard warriors are nothing new, so perhaps we shouldn’t be all that surprised. When you have grown men with high-profile presences in media throwing out profanities at a young woman who isn’t even of legal drinking age as if she committed a crime on the court for their millions of Twitter followers to see, however, that’s where we have a problem:

It’s exhausting. It’s unnecessary.

Luckily, being the badass that she is, “Bayou Barbie” doesn’t care what the retrograde haters think. She also couldn’t care less what this author — or any other writer that feels the need to chime in on the matter — thinks of her, and rightfully so.

“I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit the box that y’all want me to be in. ‘I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto.’ Y’all told me that all year. When other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing. This was for the people that look like me,” Reese said to members of the media after the game.

She doubled down with the sentiment on ESPN the next day with host Malika Andrews.

Talk that talk, Angel.

Honestly, it’s refreshing to see. She has every right to feel the way she feels and say what she wants to say, and if anyone has a problem with it, well, that problem may lie within. Do you know who hasn’t had a problem with it? Caitlin Clark, who got the ESPN treatment with a specific segment discussing her trash-talking ahead of the title game — and that’s because she’s a competitor who understands that if you dish it out, you gotta be able to take it back in return.

“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all. No matter what way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I compete, she competed,” Clark said to the Worldwide Leader. “It was a super, super fun game. I think that’s what’s going to bring more people to our game.”

This is sports. It doesn’t need a clarifier ahead of it. Men or women, this is supposed to happen when the best of the best put it all on the line on the biggest stage.

Plenty of rabble-rousers out there are trying to turn this into an individual battle between Reese and Clark rather than encouraging healthy competition. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure some of it was personal; perhaps Reese’s postgame comment of “I don’t take disrespect lightly” was meant to refer directly to Clark’s waving-off of South Carolina’s Raven Johnson in the Final Four.

But even so, I refuse to give in to that notion and pit these two women against each other when they’re likely on the same page about it. Again, competitors compete, and I’m here for it.

So, all that said, let’s get into it.

I could talk about how there were clear-as-day racial biases here, with pundits and fans alike choosing sides instead of enjoying the two of the best players the sport of basketball has to offer at peak performance. Not to harp too much on two individual professional Twitter instigators, but simply take the words used to describe Angel’s actions above — “classless piece of shit” and “fucking idiot” — and compare them to those used for Clark while doing damn near the same celebration: “Queen of Clapbacks.”

Some observers have comparied the length of each respective celebration to bolster one’s “argument,” but talk about nitpicky. The sentiment is the same, but Reese’s was done amid much higher stakes.

Excuse her extending the championship moment for just a bit, putting one more personal stamp on it.

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This isn’t the first time words during this tournament have carried racial implications, either. When South Carolina, undefeated all season long and the top seed heading into the tournament, fell to the hands of Clark and Iowa in the Final Four, head coach Dawn Staley used her postgame remarks to defend her team.

“We’re not bar fighters. We’re not thugs. We’re not monkeys. We’re not street fighters,” she said. “This team exemplifies how you need to approach basketball on the court and off the court. And I do think that that’s sometimes brought into the game, and it hurts.”

The “bar fighters” reference may have been in response to Iowa’s coach Lisa Bluder likened offensive rebounding against the Gamecocks to a bar fight, but in reality, Staley may have simply been fed up with the narrative surrounding her team all season long.

I also could address the hypocritical takes out there — and there have been plenty — expecting female hoopers (or female athletes in general) to fall in line and behave like “ladies.” In the wide world of celebrations and taunts, this whole episode should have just been considered just another day on a basketball court; Reese’s clip would get played once on SportsCenter, dudes at the local bar would note how cool it was, and the world would move on. This doesn’t even come close to some of the worst or most egregious trash-talking during a basketball game when compared to male counterparts.

So, why all the hate toward Angel?

Take one of the most disrespectful taunts in basketball for example — the “too short”/”too small” gesture. It’s been done so often in the game that it has become accepted, especially by the men. The same can be said for a staredown after posterizing someone on a dunk, another taunt that occurs regularly. These things happen all the time in the men’s game without any of us batting an eye.

So circling back to my original point: Why are we even talking about this?

Instead of harping on the subject further, I’ll choose to speak on Angel Reese’s and her team’s accomplishments en route to winning a national championship. I choose to focus on the fact that she shows up to the court every single night as her true self, unapologetically so. Or how about we celebrate her breaking a single-season record for double-doubles with 34 on her way to unanimous First Team All-American honors?

Then, there’s Caitlin Clark, who was the best player in the country all season long, landing consensus National Player of the Year honors for her troubles. In case you forgot in all this hoopla, she broke an NCAA Tournament record with 193 total points while putting up Stephen Curry-like daggers on the regular.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Sunday’s championship game was a huge win for women’s college basketball, as LSU and Iowa made TV history by attracting 9.9 million viewers, peaking at 12.6 million. It was the most-watched college event — men’s or women’s — on the ESPN+ streaming platform on top of being the most-viewed women’s college basketball game ever. Oh, and the viewership was up 103% year over year.

For reference, this game boasted higher US viewership than the following events:

• Any MLS game ever
• Any Stanley Cup Finals game since 1973
• The 2023 Orange Bowl and 2023 Sugar Bowl
• Any 2021 NBA Finals game
• The season finale of HBO’s The Last of Us
• The most recent All-Star Games for the MLB, NBA, & NHL.

(Now, imagine if networks started to invest in women’s sports much sooner! But that’s a topic for another day.)

Here are a few more records that fell during Sunday’s title game:

• LSU’s Jasmine Carson scored 16 second-quarter points, breaking the single-period scoring record in a women’s Final Four game. 
• Clark broke the NCAA title game record for 3-pointers with eight.
• The Tigers’ 102 points are the largest point total in any semifinal or national title in tournament history dating back to 1982. Throwing in Iowa’s 85 points, the 187 combined points were the highest-ever total for a national championship game. 
• Iowa’s 14 3-pointers set a record for most team triples in a title game.

To be clear, that list is not exhaustive of all the records that were broken in this game, but it’s a fine place to start given the extent to which all this unhealthy discourse in recent days has distracted from the matter.

So, no more celebration talk from me, thanks — I’m handing out flowers.

Congratulations to Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers, who went through the gauntlet on their way to bringing home a national title to Baton Rouge. And congratulations to Caitlin Clark and Iowa, too, for making a run to the championship that included an upset victory over one of the best teams in recent memory in the previously undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks. While we’re at it, congratulations to Dawn Staley and Co. as well for also doing their part in pushing things forward with a 42-game winning streak that sure inspired challengers nationwide to go harder and do more.

With authentic personalities in Reese, Clark, and Staley leading the way, women’s basketball is in good hands and trending in the right direction.

Those who prefer to ignore even the most impressive sporting achievements in favor of harmful discourse, on the other hand, I’m not so sure about. Maybe it’s time for a different hobby.

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The post For Women’s Hoops, Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark’s Trash-talking Was Never the Problem appeared first on Boardroom.

This isn’t your typical women’s Final Four, but if you want to see the best of the best, you’ll want to tune in.

Undefeated, defending national champion South Carolina is back in the Final Four and the runaway favorite to repeat. But to get to the final, the Gamecocks will have to get through Iowa, the team with likely national player of the year Caitlin Clark. The Hawkeyes have the offensive firepower to win, but South Carolina defends as well as any team we’ve ever seen.

But don’t pencil in the winner of that game as the automatic national champion. Virginia Tech and LSU will go at it in the other national semifinal, and you shouldn’t take either lightly.

For starters, Angel Reese of LSU is one of the best players in college basketball. How good is she? She went just 3-15 from the field in the Tigers’ Elite Eight win over Miami…and still ended up with 13 points and 18 rebounds, notching her 400th double-double this season (estimated). In the Second Round against Michigan, SHE HAD 25 POINTS, 24 REBOUNDS, AND SIX BLOCKS. That does not happen. But it did.

Somehow, 1 seed Virginia Tech almost feels overlooked in this Final Four. Elizabeth Kitley might have something to say about that. Fresh off a 25-and-12 performance against Ohio State in the Elite Eight, Kitley has been the Hokies’ big star. But she wasn’t even the Most Outstanding Player in Virginia Tech’s region. That honor goes to Georgia Amoore, who is closing in on the all-time NCAA Tournament three-point record — she has 20 so far, two shy of the all-time best.

So there’s plenty to be excited about this week in Dallas. But who’s going to win the whole thing? We’ll leave it to our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook to fill you in on the odds.

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Final Four Odds 2023: Women’s NCAA Tournament

All betting odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of Tuesday, March 28, 2023.

National Semifinals:

• LSU -1.5 (-108)
• Virginia Tech +1.5 (+112)
• Iowa +11.5 (-110)
• South Carolina -11.5 (-110)

To Win National Championship:

• South Carolina: -310
• LSU: +600
• Iowa: +900
• Virginia Tech: +1000

South Carolina vs. The Field:

• South Carolina: -310
• The Field: +230

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The post Women’s Final Four Odds: South Carolina Eyes a Repeat appeared first on Boardroom.

In true March Madness style, the first weekend of the women’s NCAA Tournament played out in unexpected fashion. When the dust settled, yes, the No. 1 overall seed South Carolina reached the Sweet 16 rather easily. Caitlin Clark‘s Iowa Hawkeyes advanced as well, along with Final Four stalwart UConn.

But that’s about where the predictability ended. For the first time in more than two decades, two 1 seeds failed to reach the tournament’s second weekend, with Miami upending Indiana and Ole Miss defeating Stanford. Naturally, that’s changed the odds equation a bit as the remaining 16 teams inch closer to the Final Four in Dallas.

The action resumes on Friday in the women’s tournament with a quartet of games, taking you from 2:30 p.m. to midnight Eastern on ESPN. Before we get there, however, let’s take a look at where this year’s women’s March Madness odds stand, with an assist from our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Women’s March Madness Odds 2023

National Champion:

• South Carolina: -200
• UConn: +500
• LSU: +750
• Iowa: +1200
• Maryland: +2000
• Virginia Tech: +4000
• Tennessee: +4000
• Utah: +5500
• Villanova: +5500
• Notre Dame: +11000
• Colorado: +13000
• Louisville: +13000
• Ole Miss: +13000
• Ohio State: +16000
• UCLA: +24000
• Miami: +24000

To Make Final Four:

• South Carolina: -550
• UConn: -165
• Iowa: -140
• LSU: -135
• Louisville: +310
• Villanova: +330
• Virginia Tech: +420
• Utah: +430
• Tennessee: +440
• Colorado: +480
• Maryland: +500
• Ole Miss: +550
• Miami: +750
• Ohio State: +850
• Notre Dame: +2300
• UCLA: +3500

South Carolina to Win Championship vs. The Field

• South Carolina: -200
• The Field: +150

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The post March Madness Odds: Women’s Tournament Hits the Sweet 16 appeared first on Boardroom.

Get ready for March Madness with the latest NCAA women’s basketball tournament championship odds, courtesy of FanDuel SportsBook.

The bracket is set and the field of 68 for the 2023 women’s NCAA Tournament is official. You know what that means: One of the year’s biggest sports betting events is on.

South Carolina is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as national champs, to the point where you can’t even get plus money on picking the Gamecocks to win it all at -165. Stanford and UConn are the odds-on biggest threats to Aliyah Boston and Co. cutting down the nets at +700, with Indiana not far behind at +800. You can even get the field at +120 to win it all if you don’t like South Carolina at -165.

With some help from our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the latest 2023 women’s March Madness odds:

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2023 Women’s March Madness Odds

National Champion

• South Carolina: -165
• UConn: +700
• Stanford: +700
• Indiana: +800
• Iowa: +2000
• LSU: +3000
• Maryland: +3500
• Utah: +5000
• Notre Dame: +5000
• Virginia Tech: +5000
• Texas: +6500
• Ohio State: +10000

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The post Women’s March Madness Odds: South Carolina Favored to Repeat appeared first on Boardroom.

We’ve seen college athletes sign plenty of name, image, and likeness deals that technically qualify as “unique” or “historic” in some form or fashion, but a week ago, the UFC delivered what can only be described as a first — The world’s biggest MMA promotion announced the signing of University of Iowa wrestler Bella Mir to a brand ambassador partnership, marking the first time a major professional sports league has signed a college athlete to an NIL pact.

Bella Mir, a freshman on the Hawkeyes’ wrestling team, is the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. During her time at Centennial High School in Vegas, the 20-year-old ranked sixth nationally in her weight class and won multiple championships. Today, she already boasts a 3-0 record as a mixed martial artist.

As UFC President Dana White said on the occasion:

“Bella was destined to become a member of the UFC family her entire life, and I’m proud that she’s making history as our first NIL ambassador in one of the best programs at the University of Iowa. She’s a four-time state high school wrestling champion who has won jiu-jitsu tournaments and three professional MMA fights before turning 19. Bella is an incredible role model for young women who are not only looking to get into sports, but also pursue their dreams. She’s on another level, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.”

“At UFC, one of our brand maxims is ‘be first’,” UFC Senior Executive Vice President and COO Lawrence Epstein told Sportico this week. “This is another example of UFC leading the way among professional sports organizations… So many of our great UFC athletes came out of college wrestling programs and were All-Americans or Olympians, too. It’s been a natural fit for UFC to support college wrestling, and [Mir’s NIL deal] is just the latest iteration of that.” 

MMA isn’t recognized as an NCAA sport, but they’ve utilized college wrestling as a means to recruit talent, including former two-division UFC champions Daniel Cormier and Henry Cejudo.

“So many of our great UFC athletes came out of college wrestling programs and were All-Americans or Olympians, too,” Epstein said. “It’s been a natural fit for UFC to support college wrestling, and [Mir’s NIL deal] is just the latest iteration of that.”

Other pro sports leagues like the NBA and NFL won’t be able to replicate such a deal because any money offer to a college student or upcoming prospect from the leagues themselves would threaten their eligibility; thus, wrestling and MMA are in pole position to own this space. And while the WWE is a scripted sports entertainment organization, they recently signed Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet (wrestling) and Nick Dawkins (football) to NIL deals as part of their own expanding college athlete program.

In the case of WWE, Kerkvliet and Dawkins will be part of the “Next In Line” initiative — a program to help the WWE find its future talent while they’re still competing. This enables them to monitor their growth as athletes and opens the door for them to train at the WWE’s Performance Center after graduating.

In the case of Bella Mir, it’s another sign of evolution in the NIL space — not only a pioneer for such NIL deals in MMA fighting, but also in signing women in sports to respective deals. According to a study from Opendorse, 60% of NIL deals — excluding football — involve female athletes.

Watch this space. The NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL might not be able to execute such a deal as this, but the UFC just capitalized on the NCAA’s inability to recognize MMA as a sport. Expect more in a similar capacity as the worlds of combat sports and pro wrestling find increasingly creative ways to expand their scouting and talent development operations.

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The post Who is Bella Mir, the UFC’s First-ever NIL Athlete? appeared first on Boardroom.

I mean no disrespect to Glenn Hansard and Markéta Irglová, but bowl season is truly the Swell Season. And while several of the supposed top contenders in August have since found themselves Falling Slowly — and some have fallen All the Way Down — there are other times in which the momentum builds and you’re a team of destiny and perhaps you just need to get lucky Once.

Yes, we’ll get to the CFP when we get there. But in the meantime, there’s a movable gridiron feast of Cheez-Its, mayonnaise, oranges, sugar, and the military-industrial complex to regale in, perhaps drown in, and When Your Mind’s Made Up about where these festive chips are to fall, you might consider making some safe, legal bowl game wagers about it.

If you are indeed Feeling the Pull, you’re in luck, because we called upon our best friends at FanDuel to point us in the proper direction with some expert-level college football bowl game predictions to finagle some best bets for Wisconsin-Oklahoma State, Texas-Washington, Notre Dame-South Carolina, Tennessee-Clemson, Alabama-Kansas state, and many, many more.

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2022-23 CFB Bowl Game Predictions

Thursday, Dec. 22

ARMED FORCES BOWL: Baylor vs. Air Force

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

Baylor might be the favorite at the Armed Forces Bowl, but Air Force shouldn’t be overlooked. The Falcons have been one of the better teams on both sides of the ball. On one hand, they average the most rushing yards in the nation (312.9) and are more than capable of making big plays through the air. On the other, their defense allows the fewest total yards (256.4) and third-fewest points (13.3).

It’s just hard to like much that Baylor has done lately, regardless of how tough its opponents have been. I don’t expect the Bears’ frontline to stop the Falcons’ run attack either, especially after the former has averaged 169.0 rushing yards against in their last three games, having just surrendered 208 to Texas.

Air Force’s versatile attack should get the lead here before the run game locks things down until the final whistle.

AIR FORCE VS. BAYLOR ARMED FORCES BOWL PREDICTION: Air Force 33, Baylor 20

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

Friday, Dec. 23 Bowl Predictions

GASPARILLA BOWL: Wake Forest vs. Missouri

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

Wake Forest might have the better record here, but don’t let that distract you from its awful defense. The Demon Deacons haven’t been able to keep the ball out of their end zone lately, allowing 30-plus points in each of their last five games, averaging out to a 36.6 PPG rate.

Missouri’s offense isn’t elite, but it should be able to generate some numbers against Wake Forest’s defense. After all, the Tigers are averaging 40 more passing yards over their last three games (240.0) compared to their season average (204.7).

Those numbers are encouraging as they’re set to take on a Demon Deacons’ secondary that surrenders the fifth-most passing yards (285.0), which has only increased to a 398.7-yard rate over their last three games.

Though Wake Forest is decent enough to win, I smell a Missouri upset win in the cards.

MISSOURI VS. WAKE FOREST GASPARILLA BOWL PREDICTION: Missouri 38, Wake Forest 35

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

Tuesday, Dec. 27

GUARANTEED RATE BOWL: Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma State

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

Oklahoma State’s campaign took a massive nosedive the longer the season went on. The Cowboys haven’t been able to keep things close when they lose, either, with their last four losses coming by an average margin of 22.3 points. Even if you remove the 49-0 blowout loss to Wisconsin from the group, losing by 13.7 points on average still isn’t anything to be proud of.

Wisconsin isn’t an offensive powerhouse (25.5 PPG, No. 76), but there should be plenty of opportunities to score. Oklahoma State surrenders 31.4 points (No. 104) and 460.0 total yards (No. 121) per game while allowing opponents to hold the ball for 31:13 (No. 93).

With how bad Oklahoma State has looked lately, the Cowboys are destined to be faded. Back a more consistent Wisconsin squad getting the job done in Phoenix.

OKLAHOMA STATE VS. WISCONSIN GUARANTEED RATE BOWL GAME PREDICTION: Wisconsin 27, Oklahoma State 18

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

Wednesday, Dec. 28 College Football Bowl Predictions

MILITARY BOWL: UCF vs. Duke

As Larry Rupp writes at TheDuel:

Things are not trending in the right direction for the Knights. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee was in and out of the AAC Championship Game with an injury, while his backup Mikey Keene has entered the transfer portal. Plumlee will be far from 100% healthy if he suits up, so expect a ton of running plays.

That bodes well for a Duke defense that gives up only 111.5 rushing yards per game (No. 17 in FBS) and allows just 3.5 yards per carry (No. 21 in FBS). The Blue Devils also average 31.6 points per game this season (No. 33 in FBS) and could pull away early in this one if they can force the Knights to pass.

Duke players will want to give first-year head coach Mike Elko a win here, so I’ll back the Blue Devils.

DUKE VS. UCF MILITARY BOWL PREDICTION: Duke 35, UCF 31

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

LIBERTY BOWL: Kansas vs. Arkansas

As Larry Rupp writes at TheDuel:

Kansas’ early season success was a great feel-good storyline, but its defense regressed as the season went on. The Jayhawks went from allowing 24.0 points per game in their first five games to giving up an average of 40.9 over their final seven games. Talk about falling apart.

A shaky run defense was to blame as Kansas finished last in the Big 12 when it came to rushing yards allowed per game (193.8). Look for Arkansas’ powerful backfield to make an impact in this matchup, as running back Raheim Sanders and quarterback KJ Jefferson have combined for 1,936 rushing yards.

Arkansas needs this win to salvage an otherwise disappointing season, so I’ll back the Razorbacks to pick up their third straight win in the Liberty Bowl.

ARKANSAS VS. KANSAS LIBERTY BOWL PREDICTION: Arkansas 41, Kansas 31

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

HOLIDAY BOWL: Oregon vs. UNC

As Larry Rupp writes at TheDuel:

This is going to be an exciting game between two teams that know how to reach the end zone. Oregon averages an impressive 36.9 points per game (No. 14 in FBS), while North Carolina puts up 33.3 points per game (No. 23 in FBS). Each team ranks among the top 20 in yards per game as well.

The Tar Heels will be without one of their top offensive players, though. Wide receiver Josh Downs has declared for the NFL Draft and will not suit up for the Liberty Bowl. He had logged 1,029 yards on 94 receptions this season. Ducks quarterback Bo Nix has announced he will play, however, which is a boost.

Look for freshman QB Drake Maye to struggle early on without his top target. That will give Oregon a chance to grab the lead and never look back.

UNC VS. OREGON HOLIDAY BOWL GAME PREDICTION: Oregon 38, North Carolina 28

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

TEXAS BOWL: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

A date with Texas Tech might be exactly what Ole Miss needs to taste success once again. The Rebels are 4-2 in six all-time matchups against the Red Raiders, tallying a 47-27 victory in their last meeting (Sept. 2018), which also happened to be at NRG Stadium.

Besides, it’s not like Ole Miss’ recent losses have come against bad teams. Three of those losses stem from games against LSU, Alabama, and Mississippi State — all ranked programs at the moment. Meanwhile, Texas Tech’s run is comprised of wins against Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Kansas, who have a combined 16-20 record with none of the trio being over .500.

Ole Miss is still a solid team despite its recent record and has the defensive edge over Texas Tech. I’ll take the Rebels forgetting about their recent woes with a victory in Houston.

OLE MISS VS. TEXAS TECH TEXAS BOWL PREDICTION: Ole Miss 38, Texas Tech 35

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

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Thursday, Dec. 29

CHEEZ-IT BOWL: Oklahoma vs. Florida State

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

Florida State’s offense has been firing on all cylinders over its five-game winning streak. The Seminoles have averaged 43.6 points over that stretch, finishing above 40 on four occasions. That’s not exactly good news for the Sooners, who’ve allowed opponents to score 32.3 PPG over their last four games and were just burned for 51 points by the Red Raiders.

Meanwhile, Florida State’s defense has looked much better. Opposing teams have scored more than 17 points only once against the Seminoles during their impressive run. With FSU also boasting a plus-14.4 scoring margin this season (No. 9), I just don’t see Oklahoma keeping things close.

Give me Florida State winning this one in lopsided fashion.

FSU VS. OKLAHOMA CHEEZ-IT BOWL PREDICTION: FSU 43, Oklahoma 24

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

ALAMO BOWL: Texas vs. Washington

As FairwayJay writes at TheDuel:

The Longhorns qualify as a defensive dominator, allowing just 21.2 points and 362 yards per game. Washington allows 28.2 points and 390 yards per game, and 5.5 yards per play vs. FBS opponents. The Longhorns’ strength is run defense, but they allow 239 passing YPG (No. 82) and Washington has the top pass attack in the country led by QB Michael Penix Jr. He’s passed for 4,354 yards (362/game) to lead the country while passing for 29 TDs.

Texas has a solid, balanced offensive attack led by top RB Bijan Robinson. The Longhorns run for 200 YPG and pass for 231 YPG. Quarterback Quinn Ewers has failed to pass for more than 200 yards in his last four games, but the Longhorns scored 34, 55 and 38 points in three wins. Texas was perfectly balanced on offense in beating Baylor to close the season against the Bears’ Big 12 average defense.

Washington’s run defense is pretty solid allowing 131 YPG vs. FBS foes, but their pass efficiency defense is below average. Washington only punted 22 times this season, but they will punt more than two times in this contest. Penix passed for 298 yards vs. Oregon State’s top Pac-12 defense, but wasn’t sacked in 52 dropbacks in a 24-21 win.

WASHINGTON VS. TEXAS ALAMO BOWL GAME PREDICTION: Texas 31, Washington 27

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

Friday, Dec. 30 Bowl Game Predictions

SUN BOWL: Pittsburgh vs. UCLA

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

Despite Pittsburgh’s solid play this season, the Panthers didn’t fare too well against ranked schools. After all, they lost a combined 76-51 against Tennessee and North Carolina. While they did secure a victory over Syracuse at the start of November, it’s worth pointing out that the Orange are 1-5 in their last six games and the loss to the Panthers was one of five in a row.

UCLA isn’t perfect, but it boasts an elite offense that puts up 39.1 points (No. 8) and 510.0 yards (No. 3) per game. UNC proved that the key to beating Pittsburgh is through the air (388 passing yards), which is doable for the Bruins, who average 261.2 aerial yards this season (No. 33).

Throwing in the fact that UCLA has also won 10 of its last 11 games as the favorite, it’s easy to see why the Bruins should be victorious at the Sun Bowl.

UCLA VS. PITT SUN BOWL PREDICTION: UCLA 41, Pitt 33

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

GATOR BOWL: Notre Dame vs. South Carolina

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

While South Carolina has played well recently, its run defense has left a lot to be desired this season. Not only do the Gamecocks surrender the 21st-most rushing yards in the nation (197.2), but they’ve also allowed an average of 254.3 yards on the ground over their last three games. If that wasn’t bad enough, the 5.0 yards per carry that they surrender is also among the worst in the nation (No. 113).

The good news for Notre Dame is that its rushing attack is quite strong. The Fighting Irish put up 182.8 rushing yards per game (No. 41), with a lot of that having to do with names like Audric Estime and Logan Diggs in the backfield.

Considering how Diggs has toppled 100 yards three times in his last six games while Estime has also hit the century mark thrice this season, the duo will be key to Notre Dame’s Gator Bowl success.

While I expect South Carolina to put up a solid fight, I’m going with Notre Dame as the victor.

SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NOTRE DAME GATOR BOWL PREDICTION: Notre Dame 30, South Carolina 27

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

ORANGE BOWL: Tennessee vs. Clemson

As Larry Rupp writes at TheDuel:

Tennessee’s season truly took a turn when starting quarterback Hendon Hooker went down with a gruesome knee injury in Week 12. Backup Joe Milton was unable to mount a comeback against South Carolina, but the good news is that he looked improved against Vanderbilt (11-of-21, 147 yards, 1 touchdown).

That kind of effort is not going to be enough to beat Clemson, though. The Tigers have been stellar on defense, allowing 20.8 points (No. 16 in FBS) on 328.8 total yards per game (No. 21 in FBS). They have been especially great against the run, allowing just 100.8 rushing yards per contest (No. 9 in FBS).

Clemson is 18-2 straight up in its last 20 games as a favorite, so I trust the Tigers to earn a victory.

CLEMSON VS. TENNESSEE ORANGE BOWL FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Clemson 34, Tennessee 24

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

Saturday, Dec. 31

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF @ FIESTA BOWL: Michigan vs. TCU

Click here for Boardroom’s Michigan vs. TCU predictions and picks.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF @ PEACH BOWL: Ohio State vs. Georgia

Click here to read Boardroom’s OSU vs. UGA predictions and picks.

SUGAR BOWL: Alabama vs. Kansas State

As Larry Rupp writes at TheDuel:

These teams have reached this bowl in very different ways. Alabama entered the season touted as an SEC Championship contender, yet failed to live up to those expectations due to a few close losses. Kansas State was not originally seen as a Big 12 threat, yet proved everyone wrong week after week.

Momentum is key at this point in the season and the Wildcats have it. They are expected to have zero opt-outs, meaning their stellar defense will be ready to go. Kansas State allows only 21.8 points per game (No. 27 in FBS) and has a third-down conversion percentage of 33.9% (No. 24 in FBS).

Alabama has lost in three of its last four Sugar Bowl appearances, so I’ll back Kansas State to pull off the upset.

KSU VS. ALABAMA SUGAR BOWL GAME PREDICTION: Kansas State 27, Alabama 24

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

MUSIC CITY BOWL: Iowa vs. Kentucky

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

If Iowa’s going to win this game, it’s going to be due to its stout defense. Before the loss to Nebraska, the Hawkeyes had allowed 13 or fewer points in four straight games. In fact, their scoring defense ranks sixth-best in the nation (15.5 PPG). They’re also allowing the seventh-fewest total yards per game (292.3) as well.

Meanwhile, Kentucky’s offense has been far from consistent. Not only do the Wildcats average roughly five fewer points away from home (18.0 PPG) than they do at Kroger Field, but they also have been held to exactly six points twice in the last five games.

I’m expecting Iowa to rely on its defense to slow down and frustrate Kentucky, leading to another low-scoring win for the Hawkeyes.

KENTUCKY VS. IOWA MUSIC CITY BOWL PREDICTION: Iowa 20, Kentucky 17

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

Monday, Jan. 2 Bowl Predictions

RELIAQUEST BOWL: Mississippi State vs. Illinois

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

I really like Mississippi State in this matchup, especially after its win over Ole Miss (ranked No. 20 at the time), proving that the former can handle some of the better competition. It’s hard to say the same about Illinois, especially after three losses in its last four games with the only win in that stretch coming against the 1-11 Northwestern Wildcats.

Even with the Fighting Illini’s strong defense, they’re beatable through the air. They allow over 80 more passing yards in road and neutral site games (219.8) than they do at home (139.5). That might not be an eye-popping total, but it gives the Bulldogs’ offense more than enough to work with after averaging 32.6 completions (No. 1) and 310.9 passing yards (No. 11) this fall.

Illinois has also been outscored 70-38 in its last two bowl games, having not won in over a decade. With Mississippi State having won the Armed Forces Bowl just two years ago and going 10-5 in its last 15 bowl outings, it’s easy to see that the Bulldogs are capable of pulling off an upset to kick off 2023.

ILLINOIS VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE RELIAQUEST BOWL PREDICTION: Mississippi State 24, Illinois 21

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

NOTE: The above was written before the passing of Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach.

COTTON BOWL: Tulane vs. USC

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

One of the reasons why the Trojans came up short in the Pac-12 Championship Game is that they only generated 56 rushing yards on 27 carries against the Utes. Fortunately, Tulane’s frontline isn’t nearly as stout, surrendering 161.7 rushing yards per game (No. 74), which has increased to 173.7 over the last three outings.

USC also has the edge when it comes to the turnover department. Not only do the Trojans give up the ball less than any other team (0.5 per game), but they also force the seventh-most turnovers (2.1). While Tulane is relatively decent at holding onto the ball, the offense is coming off a three-turnover performance against UCF, so some vulnerability is there.

As long as USC sticks with what’s worked this season, a Cotton Bowl victory is attainable.

USC VS. TULANE COTTON BOWL GAME PREDICTION: USC 41, Tulane 38

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

CITRUS BOWL: LSU vs. Purdue

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

Though Purdue has won three of its last four games, two of those victories came against Indiana and Northwestern, who have a 5-19 combined record. As soon as the Boilermakers faced tougher competition in the form of the Wolverines, they collapsed, allowing 386 total yards and six offensive touchdowns.

LSU hasn’t been perfect, but it has performed well against noteworthy opponents, picking up wins against both Alabama and Ole Miss this season. Even though the Tigers were steamrolled by the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship, LSU head coach Brian Kelly can take solace in the fact that his team at least put up 549 total yards on one of the nation’s top defenses.

It’s going to be a hard-fought contest between two hungry teams, but LSU’s ability to step up in tough situations leads to me siding with the Tigers in the end.

PURDUE VS. LSU CITRUS BOWL PREDICTION: LSU 33, Purdue 27

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

ROSE BOWL: Penn State vs. Utah

As Devon Platana writes at TheDuel:

It’s hard to bet against Utah, especially after such an impressive performance to take home the Pac-12 Championship. The Utes absolutely brutalized the Trojans to the tune of 533 total yards, picking up six offensive touchdowns along the way.

Penn State might have some momentum, but three of the four wins over its successful run have come against sub-.500 opponents. That’s not exactly inspiring considering how the Nittany Lions are 0-2 against ranked competition this season, losing by double digits both times.

Although Penn State’s defense is solid, it won’t be a match for a Utah team that’s averaged 42.3 points over the last three games. The Utes are also hungry after last year’s Rose Bowl loss, only giving them more incentive to get the job done next month.

UTAH VS. PENN STATE CITRUS BOWL PREDICTION: Utah 38, Penn State 28

Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.

Read More:

• ChatGPT, Voice Engine, Sam Altman & More Updates from OpenAI
• From March Madness to Man United: Brands Make Fan Dreams Come True
• Everything is On the Table for Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera & The Shop
• Boardroom Talks: Amar’e Stoudemire Always Understood the Game
• CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit Returning in 2024

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The post College Football Bowl Game Predictions & Picks 2022 appeared first on Boardroom.

Women’s college basketball hasn’t had this clear of a national championship favorite in the preseason since Breanna Stewart‘s senior year at UConn.

And unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that this year, that favorite is the South Carolina Gamecocks. Dawn Staley’s group beat UConn in the title game last year and returns national player of the year frontrunner Aliyah Boston along with three of the other four starters from that team.

But champions aren’t crowned in November. South Carolina still has to navigate a loaded SEC and a non-conference schedule that includes games against Maryland, Stanford, UCLA, and UConn…not to mention actually winning six NCAA Tournament games next March and April.

So if the Gamecocks can’t get it done, who’s next in line? Boardroom takes a look at the 2022-23 women’s college basketball futures odds.

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Odds from our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Nov. 7.

Women’s Basketball Futures Odds: National Champion

South Carolina Gamecocks: +135
Stanford Cardinal: +450
Texas Longhorns: +1000
UConn Huskies: +1000
Tennessee Volunteers: +1000
Iowa Hawkeyes: +1000
Louisville Cardinals: +2000
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: +2500
Iowa State Cyclones: +3000
NC State Wolfpack: +3500
Indiana Hoosiers: +4000
Virginia Tech Hokies: +4000
North Carolina Tar Heels: +4000
Ohio State Buckeyes: +5000
Maryland Terrapins: +5000
LSU Tigers: +5000
Baylor Bears: +5000

Having any team at just +135 to win the national championship in November is bonkers and it feels like you might not even be able to get them at plus odds at the start of the tournament in March — if the season unfolds as expected. It’s no surprise to see Stanford coming in right behind the Gamecocks. It returns four of its top five scorers from last year and enrolls the No. 1 recruit in the country in Lauren Betts.

After that, there are a lot of question marks. Could Iowa be a decent pick at +1000? Sure, Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano are as good a 1-2 punch as there is in the country, but the team needs to learn how to defend. Is Tennessee ready to take that next step? Maybe. The Vols dominated the transfer portal, but all that talent needs to mesh in a league that’s going to be a gauntlet. Can UConn get back to the title game without Paige Bueckers? Well, Azzi Fudd will be an All-American and Caroline Ducharme has All-Big East potential, but asking the team that wasn’t quite good enough last year to run it back without their best player is a tall order.

There’s a lot to consider and there’s also a lot to be excited about. This is opening week, where everyone is 0-0 and no one is eliminated from contention. So let’s roll the balls out and get to it.

Read More:

• ChatGPT, Voice Engine, Sam Altman & More Updates from OpenAI
• From March Madness to Man United: Brands Make Fan Dreams Come True
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The post Women’s College Basketball Futures Betting Odds for the 2022-23 Season appeared first on Boardroom.

There is only one FBS football coach who has been at his job for longer than Tom Brady has been in the NFL. That man is Kirk Ferentz, and since 1999, the Iowa head coach has led the Hawkeyes to 181 wins, 19 bowl appearances, two Big Ten championships, and three BCS or New Year’s Six bowl games.

This season, however, Ferentz’s squad is off to a shaky start. Iowa is 3-3 with an offense that’s failed to score double-digit points in half of its games so far. It doesn’t get easier from here, either, as Iowa gets set to face No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday in FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff.

While the Hawkeyes are coming off a 10-win season in 2021 and Ferentz has had plenty of success, it’s not unreasonable to think Iowa fans might want a little more. The program has been consistently good-not-great, and with the money Ferentz is making, some fans might think they can do better.

But before you kick the nation’s longest-tenured coach out the door, here’s a look at Kirk Ferentz’s contract, including his salary, buyout, and extensive bonus structure.

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Kirk Ferentz Contract Overview at Iowa

Signed: Sept. 5, 2016 (extended in 2021)
Term: Through 2029 season
Base Salary: $500,000

Kirk Ferentz’s Additional Compensation:

Per the contract extension he signed in 2021, Ferentz will receive a monthly supplemental payment of $458,333.33 through the end of his contract. That comes out to $5,499,999.96 per year.

Note that the above number is not reflected in the contract he signed in 2016. From 2016-21, Ferentz earned just $1,480,000 per year in supplemental pay. This does not, however, mean that Ferentz nearly quadrupled his salary with that one extension. While his supplemental pay increased dramatically, his base salary dropped to $500,000, compared to a base that started at $2,370,000 in his original contract with yearly increases. At the same time, his annual longevity bonus increased from $650,000 to $1,000,000.

To get a better idea of what this extension did for Ferentz, here’s a look at his base + supplemental + longevity pay, from 2016 to present:

So how does Ferentz’s salary compare to his peers? Here’s where his 2022 pay stacks up alongside other coaches whose contracts we’ve highlighted this season:

• Nick Saban: $9,900,000
• Jimbo Fisher: $9,000,000
• Jim Harbaugh: $7,050,000
• Kirk Ferentz: $7,000,000
• Bryan Harsin: $5,100,000
• Karl Dorrell*: $3,600,000
• Mike Norvell: $3,250,000

*coach has since been fired

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Kirk Ferentz Buyout Details

Ferentz has been head coach at Iowa since 1999. That’s five US Presidential Administrations and three popes. Conference foe Nebraska has had seven different head coaches in that span. Such longevity comes with security for Ferentz. If Iowa decides it’s had enough of its head man, it can fire him without cause. But if that’s what the university decides, it will owe Ferentz 100% of his remaining base and supplemental salary, and he’s under contract through 2029. So, if Iowa wants to move on after this season, it would need to pay him $42,000,000, paid out in monthly installments.

Potential Bonuses

OK, buckle up because there’s a lot going on here. We’ve already covered Ferentz’s million-dollar retention bonus, which applies every year for the duration. In addition, he is eligible for the following bonuses.

Final Rankings

Based on where Iowa finishes the season in the Coaches’ Poll, AP Poll, or College Football Playoff rankings, Ferentz will receive the following:

Bowl Games:

In addition to final rankings, Ferentz will earn bonuses for taking the Hawkeyes to bowl games.

• Non-New Year’s Six Bowl Game: $100,000
• New Year’s Six Bowl Game: $250,000
• College Football Playoff Semifinal: $375,000

Ferentz will also receive another $50,000 if Iowa wins the Rose Bowl.

Big Ten Championships:

Ferentz will be subject to, at most, one of the below bonuses, corresponding with the highest title the Hawkeyes attain in a given year.

• Big Ten West winner but not invited to Big Ten championship game: $100,000
• Big Ten West winner, Big Ten championship loser: $200,000
• Big Ten champion or undefeated Big Ten regular season: $250,000

Graduation Rate:

If the team earns a graduation rate of 80% or higher, Ferentz will earn an additional $100,000 for that season.

Got all that? This is the first season with Ferentz’s current bonus structure, but let’s use last season as an example to see how much he can earn in a year. In 2021, the Hawkeyes went 10-4, winning the Big Ten West, advancing to the Big Ten title game ($200,000), then lost in the Citrus Bowl. Their highest end-of-season ranking came in the College Football Playoff rankings, where they were 15th ($300,000). Unfortunately for Ferentz, finishing in the rankings means he can’t also get his non-New Year’s Six bowl bonus. Still, that would have been $500,000 in bonuses for a year that ended in a pair of losses — and we don’t even know exactly what the team’s graduation rate was.

As for the maximum bonus Ferentz can earn in a season under this structure, you’d have to assume Iowa does the following: wins the national championship ($1,625,000), wins the Rose Bowl to get there ($375,000 + another $50,000), wins the Big Ten championship ($250,000), and performs well in the classroom ($100,000).

The scholars here at Boardroom crunched the numbers and found that would give Ferentz a theoretical maximum bonus of $2,400,000 in a season.

Special Allowances & Perks

It’s fair to say if you’ve lived in the Hawkeye State long enough to see six Iowa Caucuses, then you pretty much run the university. Unless Caitlin Clark runs things there now, we can’t be sure. Regardless, Ferentz gets plenty of perks:

• He can take up to six guests on the team plane or bus to road games
• He and his wife are allotted two university-provided cars
• The university will pay for a country club membership for him, his assistants, and their families
• He can use a private jet for up to 35 hours per year for personal use and 50 hours per year for business use
• He is entitled to 20 complimentary tickets per home game and one viewing box

Read More:

• ChatGPT, Voice Engine, Sam Altman & More Updates from OpenAI
• From March Madness to Man United: Brands Make Fan Dreams Come True
• Everything is On the Table for Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera & The Shop
• Boardroom Talks: Amar’e Stoudemire Always Understood the Game
• CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit Returning in 2024

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The post Kirk Ferentz Contract, Salary, & Buyout Breakdown at Iowa appeared first on Boardroom.

Rocking a gray suit, black shirt, and black tie from Indochino with a Rolex Daytona on his right wrist, Iowa wing Keegan Murray more than looked the part on the red carpet Thursday night at the NBA Draft. He was even wearing cufflinks for the occasion, representing charitable initiatives he’s active in.

Just hours before being picked fourth overall by the Sacramento Kings, the Iowa product chatted with Boardroom about when he first thought he could make the NBA, how he’ll spend his first pro check, and some high-key Hawkeye trash talk.

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What he would be doing if not for basketball:

“I’d be golfing. I’m a big golfer, so I’d probably be on the course.”

A song that would describe his feeling on the red carpet on Draft Day:

“‘Not Afraid’ by Eminem”

What he’s doing with his first $1 million 

“Shoot, buy an apartment, somewhere to live. That’ll probably be my first purchase, but nothing crazy.”

Advice he’s received from Iowa legends

“When I went on my visit to the school I met with B.J. Armstrong who played with the Bulls for a while, so that was pretty cool. Obviously Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp are in the league and are two of my really good friends. So I’ve just picked their brains a little bit and what they’ve experienced.”

When he first thought he could make the NBA:

“Out of high school, I wasn’t ranked, so for me it was out of high school I wanted to get a scholarship to go play college basketball somewhere. I didn’t think it would be a possibility until I got to college, so I feel like that’s when I started thinking I could actually be here.”

If he could dunk on one NBA player, whom would it be?

“Luka Garza”

If he could only choose one streaming service:

“YouTube”

The post Keegan Murray: The Red Carpet Interview appeared first on Boardroom.

Click here to listen to the full episode.

NBA All-Star Weekend draws near as the Association preps to descend on Cleveland. But this week, all eyes are on Super Bowl LVI in LA, and Kevin Durant and Eddie Gonzalez are not short on opinions and picks for Sunday’s Rams-Bengals showdown on the newest edition of Boardroom’s “The ETCs” podcast.

The guys also discuss the art and science of the Instagram unfollow and the breathtaking performance put forth by Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark on Feb. 6 — one that put her in an exclusive club with KD himself.

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The post The ETCs: Talking Super Bowl, NBA All-Star, & Caitlin Clark appeared first on Boardroom.

Click here to listen to the full episode.

The things Iowa’s Caitlin Clark does on the basketball court aren’t easy. In fact, they’re practically impossible. 

But she sure does make them look easy. 

She currently leads the nation in scoring (27.4 PPG) and assists (8.2 APG), and the Hawkeye’s latest barrage of long-range bombs, impeccable footwork, and dizzying ball-handling set the sports world ablaze when she dropped 46 points in a valiant losing effort on the road against Michigan, the No. 6 team in the country. 

After her performance, ESPN’s Jay Bilas called her “the most exciting player to watch in college hoop, male or female.”

As Trae Young tweeted: “Can’t say nothin when it goes in.. She’s tough.” 

And of course our very own Kevin Durant, a longtime Caitlin fan, shared her highlights on social media. On the latest episode of “The ETCs,” he spoke in depth about his admiration for Caitlin and her game.

“She’s displaying some skill right now and she moving fast, it look like everybody on that court is way slower than she when she get into her stuff,” Kevin said. 

Last year, Kevin said Caitlin had the skill to play in the WNBA already as a freshman, but he saw her prowess on the court even before that while she was in high school. 

“I remember watching her summer going to her senior year,” Kevin revealed “I was in Chicago for the girls’ AAU nationals. I happened to see the 17-and-under girls and she was in the championship. Her team from Iowa, they played together so smooth, but she was always leading that shit. She always had the ball in her hand. Everybody was playing off of her. She just commanded the whole game. ‘I’m like, who the hell is this? She is nice.’”

It’s a moment Caitlin remembers well.

“This is probably my favorite memory not only of AAU basketball, but of my basketball career in general,” she told Boardroom. “To see him walk into the championship game, sit courtside and be so focused and into the game, was something you can really only dream of as a young basketball player. It was hard for my teenage self to stay focused and play basketball when one of the best players to ever touch a basketball is watching you play!”

Kevin eventually found out Caitlin was ranked as one of the best players in the country, and followed her journey from there. 

“When you walk in and you don’t even know who anybody is and they just like, ‘Yo, that’s the best player in the country right there,’” Kevin remembered, “that shit hits you out of nowhere. Like, let me really focus in on her. Then I started following her career.”

Now, after her latest performance, Caitlin and Kevin are linked intrinsically by more than just their admiration for one another. According to Stats by Stats, with her 46-point, 10-assist performance against Michigan, Caitlin joins KD as the only players – either men or women; NBA, WNBA, or Division I – in the last 15 years to score 45+ points and dish out 10+ assists and play every minute of a game.

Matching KD’s epic Game 5 performance vs. the Bucks at just 20 years old? 

Sounds like she’s headed in the right direction.

But Caitlin’s otherworldly talent and performances don’t just benefit her and her pursuit of basketball greatness — they help promote the growth of the women’s game as a whole. And that’s something she is keenly aware of.

“It is pretty cool to see the hoops world all talking about a certain play you made or about a great game you had, but I think more than anything it is really good for women’s basketball,” Clark said. “We want to continue to grow the game and get people excited about watching, so that hype or buzz just increases that.” 

Kevin is a witness to the growth of the women’s game as well.

“The talent level is growing, which is definitely gonna grow the game itself,” Kevin added on “The ETCs.” “These girls are coming in with brands already which helps with visibility into the league. So it’s only gonna grow naturally.” 

For Caitlin, she’s not just noticing and partaking in the growth of women’s hoops, it’s something she takes pride in.

“It’s growing now more than ever and the stats back that up,” she said. “Through my short time in college so far more and more people have taken notice and tuned in and watched not only myself, but women’s basketball in general, because there’s so many great teams and star power. It is one of my goals to get more people watching our game and inspire the next generation of young basketball players. That’s something I have learned to embrace over the last year.”

With each filthy crossover, three from the logo, and mystifying finish at the rim, she’s accomplishing that goal.

And then some.

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The post How Caitlin Clark and Kevin Durant Became Intrinsically Linked appeared first on Boardroom.

Right now, though it might only last a couple more weeks, Caitlin Clark is the most important person in women’s college basketball.

You can debate where she ranks among the best players in the nation or how good you think her Iowa Hawkeyes team is. That’s all fair game. But nobody currently playing is able to shoot her way into the feeds of a national audience like her.

Look no further than Sunday night.

Yes, Iowa lost 98-90 at Michigan. Hypothetical detractors will be quick to point that out. But tell me her stat line isn’t wild:

46 points | 14-29 FG | 6-13 3PT | 12-14 FT | 10 assists

If you have a Twitter account, you probably heard her name last night — if only from friends sharing this:

Feel free to watch that two or three more times before we continue.

Raising the Game

Women’s college basketball is growing fast. Last year’s national championship game received the highest TV ratings for a title game since 2014. This is the same tournament in which a women’s game was shown on ABC for the first time since 1995 and every game was broadcast nationally in its entirety for the first time ever.

When Sedona Prince highlighted the disparities between the women’s and men’s tournaments last year, national outlets covered it extensively, bringing to light what coaches around the country have experienced and penning powerful features on inequities in sport.

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I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that those outlets have not done their part to level the playing field. Before Clark’s performance Sunday, here’s what some of the leading sports outlets had done recently around women’s college basketball:

• Just one of the most recent 22 stories on Sports Illustrated’s NCAA Basketball page was about the women’s game.
• SportsCenter had tweeted once about women’s basketball since Feb. 1 despite sending more than 20 original tweets per day in that time.
• CBS Sports has not written a women’s college basketball story since Jan. 23 while publishing 138 men’s stories since then.

All of that is to say that Clark has an ability to break through whatever artificial barriers media outlets have put up around the sport. And when you’re just that awesome, even the replies — the most cynical place on the Internet — reflect her impact on the game.

And no, the talk around Clark’s outburst was not limited to just a few diehard fans or national brands looking to check the box on posting about women’s sports.

Locally, Clark has brought more attention to her program than it has ever received. The Hawkeyes are coming off a Sweet 16 appearance and opened the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll — their highest starting position in 25 years. Clark’s hyped matchup with Bueckers in last year’s Sweet 16 lit the sport on fire, causing the two fanbases to clash over which freshman phenom was better, with each side cherry-picking the stats that put their player in the best light.

The 1.6 million fans who tuned into that game made it the second-most-viewed Sweet 16 game in the tournament”s history. Ratings that day were up 66% compared to 2019.

As a result, Iowa was given 13 nationally televised games this year, including two on an ESPN network and one on FS1. Compare that to 2019-20 — the last pandemic-free regular season before this one — when the Hawkeyes were on national TV only seven times, all on the Big Ten Network.

Room to Grow

Like so many other top college basketball players, Clark has dabbled in the new name, image, and likeness rules, allowing her to make some money as a collegiate athlete. Here are her two major NIL deals as of this writing:

• The Vinyl Studio: Name and number-branded fan gear with “From the Logo” written on it to highlight her remarkable range
• HyVee: Clark is the first college athlete to sign with the Iowa-based supermarket chain, joining Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Kirk Cousins as partners.

As of today, that appears to be it, but it’s certainly not for a lack of suitors. She said last summer that she would be picky about which opportunities to explore, preferring to keep her focus on basketball.

And for now, basketball’s focus is on her. Her Hawkeyes are now two games behind Michigan for first place in the Big Ten. With outlets like BallisLife and SLAM tweeting about her Sunday and an ESPN2 showdown with Maryland looming next week, there’s an opportunity to keep her in the spotlight.

It shouldn’t take someone with talents so patently absurd as Clark’s to elevate this sport, but for right now, she’s the one who has cracked the code to break through.

And that’s why she’s so damn important.

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The post The Irreplaceable, Unmistakable Caitlin Clark appeared first on Boardroom.