Latest news with #NCAATrackandFieldChampionships
New York Post
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Trump signs order to clarify college athletes' employment status amid NIL chaos
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for in an attempt to create clearer national standards in the NCAA's name, image and likeness era. Trump directed the secretary of labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify the status of collegiate athletes through guidance or rules 'that will maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education institutions through athletics.' The order does not provide or suggest specifics on the controversial topic of college athlete employment. 6 President Donald Trump holds an executive order related to AI after signing it during the 'Winning the AI Race' Summit on July 23, 2025. REUTERS The move comes after months of speculation about whether Trump will establish a college sports commission to tackle some of the thorny issues facing what is now a multibillion-dollar industry. He instead issued an order intended to add some controls to 'an out-of-control, rudderless system in which competing university donors engage in bidding wars for the best players, who can change teams each season.' 'Absent guardrails to stop the madness and ensure a reasonable, balanced use of resources across collegiate athletic programs that preserves their educational and developmental benefits, many college sports will soon cease to exist,' Trump's order says. 'It is common sense that college sports are not, and should not be, professional sports, and my administration will take action accordingly.' There has been a dramatic increase in money flowing into and around college athletics and a sense of chaos. Key court victories won by athletes angry that they were barred for decades from earning income based on their celebrity and from sharing in the billions of revenue they helped generate have gutted the amateurism model long at the heart of college sports. Facing a growing number of state laws undercutting its authority, the NCAA in July 2021 cleared the way for athletes to cash in with NIL deals with brands and sponsors — deals now worth millions. 6 A NCAA logo flag at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images That came mere days after a 9-0 decision from the Supreme Court that found the NCAA cannot impose caps on education-related benefits schools provide to their athletes because such limits violate antitrust law. The NCAA's embrace of NIL deals set the stage for another massive change that took effect July 1: The ability of schools to begin paying millions of dollars to their own athletes, up to $20.5 million per school over the next year. The $2.8 billion House settlement shifts even more power to athletes, who have also won the ability to transfer from school to school without waiting to play. 6 The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy on display before the Ohio State National Championship celebration at Ohio Stadium on Jan. 26, 2025. AP At Big Ten Conference football media days in Las Vegas, Purdue coach Barry Odom was asked about the Trump order. 'We've gotten to the point where government is involved. Obviously, there's belief it needs to be involved,' he said. 'We'll get it all worked out. The game's been around for a hundred years and it's going to be around 100 more.' The NCAA has been lobbying for several years for limited antitrust protection to keep some kind of control over this new landscape — and avoid more crippling lawsuits — but a handful of bills have gone nowhere in Congress. 6 NCAA President Charlie Baker speaks during the organizations Division I Business Session at their annual convention on Jan. 15, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. AP Trump's order makes no mention of that, nor does it refer to any of the current bills in Congress aimed at addressing issues in college sports. NCAA President Charlie Baker and the nation's largest conferences both issued statements saying there is a clear need for federal legislation. 'The association appreciates the Trump administration's focus on the life-changing opportunities college sports provides millions of young people and we look forward to working with student-athletes, a bipartisan coalition in Congress and the Trump administration,' said Baker, while the conferences said it was important to pass a law with national standards for athletes' NIL rights as soon as possible. 6 President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., listens during a visit to the Federal Reserve, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Washington. AP The 1,100 universities that comprise the NCAA have insisted for decades that athletes are students who cannot be considered anything like a school employee. Still, some coaches have recently suggested collective bargaining as a potential solution to the chaos they see. It is a complicated topic: Universities would become responsible for paying wages, benefits, and workers' compensation and schools and conferences have insisted they will fight any such move in court. 6 AP While private institutions fall under the National Labor Relations Board, public universities must follow labor laws that vary from state to state and it's worth noting that virtually every state in the South has 'right to work' laws that present challenges for unions. Trump's order also: — Calls for adding or at least preserving athletic scholarships and roster spots for non-revenue sports, which are those outside football and basketball. The House settlement allows for unlimited scholarships but does impose roster limits, leading to a complicated set of decisions for each program at each school that include potential concerns about Title IX equity rules. Trump said 'opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women's and non-revenue sports must be preserved and, where possible, expanded.'
New York Post
17-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
49ers' Drew Moss, Mya Lesnar hard-launch relationship: ‘Forever wedding date'
This is quite the power couple. 49ers offensive lineman Drew Moss and Mya Lesnar, the daughter of WWE star Brock Lesnar, hard-launched a relationship after Moss shared an Instagram post of the two of them last week. 'Forever wedding date,' Moss captioned the post of the two attending a wedding together. 'My handsome man,' Lesnar, who attended Colorado State like Moss, commented. The 22-year-old Moss joined the 49ers this offseason as an undrafted free agent. The 6-foot-3, 303-pound lineman spent two seasons at Colorado State after transferring to the Rams from Lamar University. At Lamar, Moss started all 22 of his career games in 2021-22. Upon joining Colorado State in 2023, Moss started all 12 games at offensive guard as a junior. He was an important piece of an offensive line that helped the Rams average nearly 400 yards per game and allowed just 14 sacks on the season. In his senior year, he started all 13 contests and helped the offensive line bring down the already impressive low sack count to just 10 on the season. Colorado State offensive lineman Drew Moss looks to make a block during the Rams' loss to Miami Ohio in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con The offensive line also paved the way for the program's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2017. Moss earned All-Mountain West Second Team honors in his final year and was an honorable mention his junior season. As for Lesnar, her time at Colorado State was highlighted by becoming the 2024 NCAA indoor shot put national champion. Mya Lesnar of Colorado State wins the women's shot put at 62-4 1/2 (19.01m) during the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images She was also named the 2024 Mountain West Female Athlete of the Year. Lesnar has since joined the Diamond League for track and field. She competed at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in July, where she finished 10th in shot put. Her father is well known as a former WWE champion, UFC heavyweight champion, and NCAA Division I heavyweight wrestling champion
USA Today
15-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas Longhorns win 4th Directors Cup in 5 years for top overall athletic department USA
Texas Longhorns win 4th Directors Cup in 5 years for top overall athletic department USA Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte turned the University of Texas athletic department into the envy of every school in the country. For the fourth time in five years, the Texas Longhorns athletic department has won the 2024-25 NACDA Learfield Directors' Cup for being the best athletic department in the nation. UT edged out USC and Stanford to claim the trophy. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics awards the prize each season based on results from all of a school's sports teams, men's and women's. The final results came down to a race in the NCAA Track and Field Championships. UT clinched the Cup after the Texas A&M Aggies tied USC with a total score of 41 at the men's outdoor track and field championships Saturday night. Had the Trojans won, they would have had enough to pass Texas instead of barely finishing in second. Texas finishes with 1255.25 total points, USC ends up with 1253.75 and Stanford finishes with 1251. Texas won a national title in both Men's Swimming and Diving and Softball this season. Texas football finished third, as did women's basketball, rowing, women's swimming and diving and men's tennis. Since Del Conte took over the Longhorns athletic department in 2017, Texas has won 15 national titles. Now, with his fourth Directors' Cup, the Longhorns have arguably the best AD in all of college sports.
New York Post
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Brock Lesnar's daughter dominates shot put at NCAA championships
Mya Lesnar, the daughter of UFC and WWE star Brock Lesnar, is a national champion. A senior at Colorado State, Mya captured the NCAA shot put championship on her first throw, which traveled 19.01 meters, or 62 feet and 4 ½ inches, at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., on Thursday. It was a fitting end to a dominant collegiate career in which Mya also won the 2024 indoor shot put national championship and was named 2024 Mountain West Female Athlete of the Year, among several other accolades. Advertisement She entered the national championships ranked as the top outdoor shot put thrower in the nation and bested Illinois' Abria Smith, whose best throw landed at 18.85 meters, 61 feet, 10 ¼ inches. Mya's title also marked Colorado State's first outdoor national championship since 2005, when Loree Smith won the hammer throw. Advertisement Mya was the only woman to hit the 19-meter mark all season, and her title-winning throw on Thursday was far from her personal best. Mya Lesnar after winning the shot put at the NCAA Track and Field Championships on Thursday. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images She hit the 19.60-meter mark at the final dual meet of her collegiate career, which would have secured a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. And it turns out she may have gotten some pre-competition inspiration from 'Modern Family' star Eric Stonestreet, who said he 'coached her up a little over FaceTime in prep for the big day' in a congratulatory post on Instagram. Advertisement Brock Lesnar prepares to fight Mark Hunt during the UFC 200 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images By capturing her second national title, Mya has now officially outdone the NCAA career of her dad, who won the NCAA heavyweight wrestling title with Minnesota in 2000 before going on to UFC and WWE glory. Advertisement Brock was in attendance as Mya earned the title, proudly taking in the moment from the stands. What's next for Mya's career remains to be seen, although she certainly seems to have the requisite talent to compete for the U.S. at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles if she desires.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Krishna Jayasankar goes beyond basketball lineage, set to become first Indian woman to compete in NCAA finals
It's rare for a 23-year-old to have stayed off social media for as long as she has, but a few weeks ago, Krishna Jayasankar Menon finally opened an Instagram account in her name. And, she's already receiving plenty of messages — for good reason. On June 14, with her opening throw in the women's discus at the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Championships, the 23-year-old will etch her name into Indian sporting history. Representing the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), she will become the first Indian woman to compete in the final of the NCAA Track and Field Championships — the premier collegiate athletics competition in the United States and widely regarded as the highest level of college sport worldwide. Another Indian, Sharvari Parulekar, will also match Krishna's milestone by becoming the second Indian woman to compete in the NCAA finals. She will take part in the women's triple jump in Oregon, just about half an hour after Krishna's event. While the number of Indian athletes competing in the NCAA has been growing in recent years, there are still only a handful who have competed at the highest level. Krishna is just the fifth Indian track and field athlete ever to make the NCAA finals, following the likes of Mohinder Gill, Vikas Gowda, Tejaswin Shankar and Lokesh Sathyanathan. As the clock ticks down to her event, Krishn is raring to go. 'I've heard so much about Hayward Field. This is where the World Championships were held (in 2022). I want to show up and show how much work I've put in. I'm really looking forward to representing our country, India, my family and the entire UNLV University,' says Krishna, who qualified for the NCAA finals by finishing in the top 12 at the West First Rounds in Cushing, Texas on May 31 with her career-best throw of 55.61m. But while she's coming off her personal best, competition at Hayward Field will be tough. Krishna is currently the overall 12th-ranked thrower in the USA collegiate circuit. The field at the NCAA finals includes Paris Olympics qualifier Jayden Ullrich (SB 64.81m) and Caisa Marie Lindfors (59.03m), while Cierra Jackson is one of the event's favourites with a season's best of 64.38m. For now, Krishna is counting the blessings she already has. 'It's going to be a win just because I'm competing in Eugene itself. This is a win not just for me but also for the 12-year-old girl who dreamt of going to the United States, who dreamt of living this life, and is actually living this life. I want to make that 12-year-old in me proud — that she made all the sacrifices she had to, overcame all the adversities and obstacles she faced, and broke all the barriers she did to become the woman she is today,' says Krishna. Krishna Jayasankar with her family. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Growing up in Chennai, it was probably inevitable that Krishna, the daughter of Jayasankar Menon and his wife Prasanna — both of whom captained the Indian basketball team — would have potential as a sportsperson. While her father is 6'5', her mother is 5'9'. Krishna has got the best of both sides of that gene pool. Standing a statuesque 5'10', she is a powerfully-built athlete, with a 225kg quarter squat and a 100kg clean and jerk among her numbers in the weight room. Body image issues However, the physique that has made her one of India's top throwers had her dealing with bullying and body image issues during her childhood. 'I think there are a very few people who actually have the same body type as me. And because I didn't fit the perception of how an Indian woman looks, I was made fun of. I was fat-shamed by my classmates. I actually loved dancing — I was even part of the school dance team — but there were so many opportunities I was deprived of because I didn't fit the perfect realm of how an Indian woman looked,' she says. During her schooling in Chennai, Krishna was nudged into the throws event for the same reason. 'I actually started throwing the shot put when I was in fifth grade because my PT teacher thought I was the right size and shape for it. She was just trying to look out for some people who were very tall and stocky. And I fell into that category because I was taller than my entire fifth grade group. That's the perception people have — if you are tall and a little plump, you'll probably be good as a thrower,' she says. Although she hadn't organically chosen the event, Krishna would learn to love it. 'I actually started with the shot put and I became fascinated by the way it left my hand and how I was able to make it fly with so much power. I liked how strong it made me feel. That's how I fell in love with track and field,' she says. It wasn't a wrong choice. Krishna would go on to compete and win medals in the shot put at the CBSE state level and break the CBSE national record. Eventually, with the intention of developing as an athlete, Krishna enrolled in the Tenvic Academy — the sports academy founded by former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble — in Guntur. It was there that Krishna would first meet Jamaican throws coach Michael Vassell. 'Until then I'd only ever thrown the shot. But he was the first one who suggested that I had a wide enough wingspan and could throw the discus too. That's when I really started competing in the discus,' she says. Kirishna Jayashankar: I definitely want to compete at the 2028 Olympics. I'm going to start my Masters in Sports Management at UNLV, but I will be taking the time to come to India to compete next year so I can make the Indian team for the 2026 Commonwealth and Asian Games. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement That wasn't the only thing Vassell suggested to Krishna. 'He was the first coach who suggested that I could consider applying for a sports scholarship to compete in the NCAA. That was the first time I learned that it was even a possibility — that I could study in the USA. That was when the dream first came to me,' says Krishna. That dream persisted even after Tenvic shut down during the pandemic, and Krishna returned to Chennai. 'At that time I was really desperate to compete in the NCAA, but I wasn't sure how that would happen. And then coach Vassell suggested I come and compete for some time in Jamaica,' she says. Krishna's parents had taken their time to agree to her training in Guntur. Jamaica was all the way across the world. But Krishna was adamant. It was a decision that changed her life. ALSO READ | Indian track stars chase the American dream at the NCAA 'Going to Jamaica gave me the kind of exposure I needed to make the move to the NCAA. Many US coaches, because of the proximity and the reputation of Jamaican track and field, are interested in working with Jamaican athletes. A lot of coaches come there personally to recruit athletes,' she says. Jamaican journey It wasn't that there were no challenges. 'Jamaica took some getting used to. I was an 18-year-old Indian girl. Jamaica is a beautiful country that I consider my second home, but there is the safety aspect I couldn't ignore. I was staying with coach Vassell at his home, and I'd travel an hour by public bus every day to go to school and train. As a kid in India, I was always pampered, and my parents were always there to help me if I had any challenges. But in Jamaica, I was almost on my own. I learned what independent life meant. I was a girl when I went to Jamaica but became a woman when I left, because I matured so much,' she says. Krishna competed in a number of national-level competitions in Jamaica and even managed to throw a then personal best of 48.27m at the Olympic Destiny Series 3 in Kingston. It was one of a number of performances in Jamaica that eventually saw Krishna scouted and earn a scholarship to the University of Texas in El Paso. But just because she had accomplished her dream of studying and competing in the NCAA didn't mean everything that followed would be smooth sailing. After her first year, she transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Just as she made the move, the then throws coach Dorian Scott — who had recruited her in the first place — was relieved of his duties. For the next year, Krishna was without a coach. Matters worsened after she picked up multiple injuries that prevented her from competing at all. '2023 was very tough for me. There was a span of several months where I had no clarity as to who's going to coach me, what's going to work. Then I ended up fracturing my hand while doing a box jump. Before that, I'd also torn my shoulder when I was leaving the University of Texas at El Paso. It was very strange,' she says. That season, says Krishna, was one of the lowest periods of her athletic career. She worked on improving her mental health and, with sport not in the picture, attempted to focus on her studies — even making the dean's list that year. While she eventually recovered from her injury and also started working with a new coach, things were slow to improve. Following a poor season, she lost part of her scholarship in 2024 and has had to take up a part-time job. Currently, Krishna works at a sports stadium to cover some of her expenses while still maintaining her grade average and training routine. There are days when Krishna admits she questions what she's doing at all. 'It's not easy. Some days I'll call my dad or my mother, my sister or my psychologist and I'll be crying. I didn't think I signed up for this. I had a really nice life in Chennai. I was safe, and my mother and father were always there to take care of me. But I always remind myself that I had to take this path. I wanted to be different. I've always felt that life really starts when you step outside your comfort zone,' she says. Turnaround season Things have begun to turn around for Krishna in 2025. She's recorded personal bests in both the shot put and the discus — the latter breaking a 26-year-old school record with a throw of 55.22m. 'What helped my technique in both events was that I actually got very strong in the gym. I'm maximising the speed at which I'm making my lifts. That has really helped me. There are also a few technical corrections that Coach Jordan and I have worked on. I'm trying to be as patient as I can when I enter the ring and rotate. I'm also focusing on how I land in the middle. I am trying to land at a particular angle. There were times I would extend myself to the left sector of the ring and foul most of my throws,' she says. Krishna Jayasankar after securing her spot in the NCAA finals. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement That improvement in strength and technique has brought about an improvement in form that's come at exactly the right time. As an NCAA athlete, she was eligible for five years of competition, meaning the NCAA national finals will be the last outdoor competition of her collegiate career. As such, she's hoping to make this final opportunity count. 'I know that I'm way more capable of breaking the school record. I also know that because this is my last discus send-off, I want to end it in style. I want to make another PB if possible in Eugene,' she says. There are longer-term goals too. 'I definitely want to compete at the 2028 Olympics. I'm going to start my Masters in Sports Management at UNLV, but I will be taking the time to come to India to compete next year so I can make the Indian team for the 2026 Commonwealth and Asian Games. But what I really want to do is compete at the 2028 Olympics,' she says. And while she's hopeful of performing well in Eugene, Krishna says she's grateful for all that she's achieved. While the big throws and medals are great, perhaps what she's most grateful for is the way she now perceives herself. 'When I compare myself to who I was when I was 12 or 13 years old, I can't recognise myself. That young girl would constantly seek validation from people. I'd always think, 'Oh my God, should I buy this? Would this look good on me?' Those were constant mental challenges. But ever since I've started college, I've met people who really envied the way I looked. They saw my achievements and saw my inner beauty as a person. That stood out more than just how my body looked,' she says. There are those from her past who notice her living her best life as well. 'A lot of the same people who made fun of me and spoke badly about me are now commenting on my Instagram saying how I 'made it'. They've reached out and are saying great things about me. It shouldn't matter, but I smile when I see those messages. When your haters have to talk good about you — that's a W right there,' she says. Related Topics NCAA / Krishna Jayasankar /
