Latest news with #NIL-related
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Legal battle erupts as Wisconsin and Big Ten sue Miami for tampering and poaching college football player under contract
Xavier Lucas (Image Source: On3) The University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Big Ten Conference have initiated a lawsuit against the University of Miami, alleging that the Hurricanes have tampered with former Wisconsin defensive back Xavier Lucas. He promoted the breaking of a revenue-sharing agreement. Lawsuit Associated With NIL Contracts The lawsuit is one of the first major challenges to the enforceability of NIL-related contracts and alongside their associated logic of the ability of universities to hold on to athletes in the evolving landscape of college sports. Why Wisconsin says Miami overstepped Lucas signed a two-year NIL revenue-sharing agreement with the university on Dec. 2, 2024, according to the Wisconsin state court complaint. Wisconsin then refused to allow him to enter the NCAA transfer portal a few weeks later, arguing the agreement was binding. The university alleges Miami personnel and boosters subsequently contacted Lucas and his family to promise a more lucrative NIL deal if he went from Wisconsin to Miami, but without following proper transfer procedures. According to Wisconsin, Lucas was never processed into the NCAA portal but rather dropped out of classes, exited campus, and registered to attend Miami in January 2025. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo They allege that this would break NCAA rules that require schools to get within two business days of receiving portal requests. They are also seeking damages and a court order forcing Miami to reveal its communications with Lucas, saying the alleged tampering threatens the integrity and balance of the college football ecosystem. What is the future of college football after this controversy? It could serve as a legal precedent in the sense that this is one of the first such instances with a Power Five school suing another for NIL-related tampering. And it also illustrates how revenue-share deals work. This is a whole new territory after the House v. NCAA settlement, which might be superior in law. The Big Ten has since backed up Wisconsin, saying that the alleged interference "jeopardizes the integrity of intercollegiate athletics." Also Read: CFP mandates player availability reports beginning next season in push for transparency In response, an attorney for Lucas has argued that Wisconsin's NIL deal was "merely a memorandum of understanding" and not completely enforceable. The commissioner also contended that the school practically kept Lucas 'hostage' by refusing to set Lucas' name in the portal. In turn, the NCAA has cemented that student-athletes will be free to transfer and compete wherever they choose as long as they are not still enrolled at their original school (as is the case with no portal entry). If this lawsuit becomes one for the history books it will likely do so as NIL deals continue to become more formalized and legally binding. It will challenge the enforceability of contracts between athletes and universities and reshape how schools recruit, pay, and retain student athletes in the ever more professionalized world of college sports. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A New Era in College Sports Dispute Resolution: AAA® Introduces NIL-Specific Arbitration Procedures
New arbitration procedures and guidelines support athletes, schools, and sponsors navigating NIL agreements. NEW YORK, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Arbitration Association® (AAA), the global leader in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), launched new supplementary procedures and due process guidelines specifically designed to meet the growing demand for fast, fair, and reliable dispute resolution in college athletics and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements. As student-athletes gain the ability to benefit from their personal brand, the collegiate sports landscape has shifted dramatically, bringing with it a rise in disputes over contracts, compensation, eligibility, and governance. The AAA's updated framework supports athletes, universities, advisors, and collectives in navigating NIL-related and sports participation challenges and offers a streamlined path to resolve these matters efficiently and equitably. 'At a time when college sports are undergoing historic change, athletes and institutions need a fair, fast, and neutral process for resolving disputes,' said Bridget McCormack, president and CEO of the AAA. 'Our new NIL and sports participation arbitration procedures are designed to protect the rights of student-athletes and institutions alike, ensuring that disagreements don't derail careers or academic missions. The AAA brings trusted, sport-savvy arbitrators and a streamlined process that puts resolution—and the people behind the contracts—at the center.' The AAA's newly developed guidelines and supplementary procedures provide a streamlined, flexible framework for managing sports-related disputes, offering built-in emergency relief options and clearly defined filing fees, arbitrator rates, and administrative costs to provide predictability and manageability for all parties. Developed in collaboration with legal scholars, athlete advocates, and industry leaders, the AAA's comprehensive Supplementary Procedures for the Arbitration of Sports Participation and Name, Image, and Likeness Disputes and Due Process Guidelines for the Arbitration of Sports Participation and Name, Image, and Likeness Disputes promote fairness, transparency, and efficiency. Cases are handled by experienced professionals drawn from the AAA's exclusive Sports and Commercial Panels of Arbitrators, each with deep expertise in sports law, NIL agreements, and collegiate eligibility issues. The process also prioritizes privacy, protecting sensitive financial and contractual information that might otherwise be exposed through litigation. "I'm proud to contribute to the evolving college athletics landscape by supporting procedures that reflect both fairness and flexibility,' said Maidie Oliveau, member of the American Arbitration Association's Sports Advisory Committee. 'This approach is designed to deliver clarity and resolution quickly, minimizing disruption to athletes and institutions alike." To help prevent disputes before they arise, the AAA encourages athletes, schools, sponsors, and collectives to establish clear, compliant agreements that include a designated dispute resolution clause. Sample arbitration language for sports participation and NIL agreements is available at View the Due Process Guidelines, Costs of Arbitration, and Supplementary Procedures for more information. About the American Arbitration Association The not-for-profit AAA is the leading ADR service provider. It has administered more than eight million ADR cases since its founding in 1926. With offices throughout the United States and Singapore, the AAA provides organizations of all sizes in virtually every industry with ADR services and products. For more information, visit CONTACT: Lauren Nick American Arbitration Association 212 401 4808 nickl@ in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q&A: How are college sports changing in the wake of House settlement?
USC players prepare to take the field before a win over UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 23. A federal judge approved a landmark revenue-sharing settlement last week that will change college sports moving forward. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) College sports leaders and athletes were in limbo for months while waiting for a House settlement to be approved. An agreement would create clarity, better supporting college conferences and their respective universities that had been blindly preparing for the next academic year — unsure which name, image and likeness (NIL) rules they'd be playing by. Late Friday, structure and stability arrived as the House settlement became approved and official. Advertisement 'The decision on Friday is a significant step forward toward building long-term stability for college sports while protecting the system from bad actors seeking to exploit confusion and uncertainty,' Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey said during a news conference Monday morning that included commissioners of the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and the Pac 12 conferences. Read more: Landmark NCAA settlement decision clears way for schools to directly pay athletes The House settlement has set the stage for revenue-sharing between universities and their athletes. Claudia Wilken, the presiding judge of California's Northern District, accepted the final proposal Friday between the NCAA and the plaintiffs, current and former athletes seeking financial compensation for NIL-related backpay. The NCAA will pay close to $2.8 billion to former athletes — as many as 389,700 athletes who played between June 15, 2016, to Sept. 15, 2024 — across a 10-year period and will also implement a 10-year revenue sharing model that will allow universities to pay current athletes up to $20.5 million per year. Advertisement According to the settlement, the total is '22% of the Power Five schools' average athletic revenues each year' and the revenue-sharing cap will incrementally increase every year. What is the College Sports Commission and who is leading it? The newly-founded College Sports Commission, led by former MLB executive Bryan Seeley, was created to make sure all NIL deals comply with NCAA rules shaped by the settlement terms. The commission 'will investigate potential rules violations, make factual determinations, issue penalties where appropriate, and participate in the neutral arbitration process set forth in the settlement as necessary,' according to a news release naming Sealey as the inaugural chief executive. Advertisement Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said it was a unanimous decision among the commissioners that Seeley was the right person for the role. Tony Petitti, Big Ten commissioner, said that although he didn't work directly with Seeley during his previous stint at MLB, he saw Commissioner Rob Manfred rely on Seeley's expertise. What is 'NIL Go' and what role does it play? UCLA coach DeShaun Foster leads his players onto the field at the Rose Bowl before a loss to USC in November. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) The College Sports Commission will work alongside a clearinghouse called "NIL Go," created by accounting firm Deloitte, to approve or deny any third-party NIL agreements that exceed $600. "NIL Go" is the technology platform athletes and schools will use to report NIL agreements. Advertisement All new third-party NIL deals must now be reported to the clearinghouse starting June 7 — the day after the settlement was approved — although the platform won't launch online until June 11. How will the rules be enforced? The commission is still in the process of determining what punishment schools and athletes might face for violating NIL rules. 'We're in the process of developing some of those rules and structure,' ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said. 'Now that we have Brian [Seeley] on board, I think we'll be able to move a little bit quicker, but we want to get this right. … Nothing to date right now that we're ready to come forward with.' How will the money paid to current athletes be allocated? The ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC were the original parties targeted in lawsuits finally settled Friday's ruling. Advertisement The expectation is that about 90% of financial resources at their schools will go to revenue sports — football and men's basketball — with the other 10% being scattered between traditional Olympic sports. 'The decision was made fairly early on that we'd be in a local decision-making [process] about how rev share would work, and then all the decisions that come off of that,' Petitti said of conversations with leaders of Big Ten's schools. 'So that's where we are, giving our institutions the discretion [on how to allocate revenue-sharing funds] and they want that discretion.' What happens to NIL collectives now? Most NIL collectives — such as USC's House of Victory or UCLA's Men of Westwood — are expected to focus on marketing and connecting athletes to NIL opportunities rather than brokering agreements and directly paying them. The new revenue-sharing model makes it much easier for schools to directly pay athletes, replacing a role collectives took on in the past when schools were banned from paying athletes. How will current NIL deals be influenced by new salary cap? Contracts may need to be restructured because many — but not all — NIL deals were completed through collectives, a process that would now need to receive approval from the Deloitte clearinghouse. Advertisement When determining the proper range for NIL deals, "NIL Go" references 'market reach' and the 'local market' — two factors among many that could work in favor of UCLA and USC because Los Angeles is the second largest media market in the country and would naturally index high on market reach. What are the new roster and scholarship rules? USC men's basketball players stand during the playing of the national anthem before a game against Oregon at Galen Center on Dec. 4. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Roster limits will influence all sports. Football teams can now feature up to 105 players, up from 85. Men's basketball rosters can feature 15 players instead of 13. Some Olympic sports, such as baseball, will see a roster-sizes decrease. In all sports, schools can offer as many scholarships as their roster limit instead of the previous NCAA scholarship limits. Whereas teams could only offer 11.7 scholarships in baseball, now universities can offer a full scholarship to all 34 players. Softball teams can now offer 25 scholarships rather than 12 in previous seasons. Women's gymnastics can offer a full 20. Advertisement This is not to say all teams will offer full rides to fill every roster spot. In all likelihood, for most Power 4 programs, there will still be walk-on players filling spots on the team. At UCLA, athletic director Martin Jarmond said he plans on keeping UCLA's scholarship limits at where it was before the settlement — 85 for football and 13 for men's basketball. The rationale, Jarmond said, is to allow UCLA to provide larger revenue-sharing totals to their athletes instead of splitting funds across full scholarship totals. USC has yet to publicly share its plans for athletic scholarships. Read more: 'A huge moment': Martin Jarmond discusses UCLA's plans after House settlement 'We have to be bold and innovative in this new world,' Jarmond told The Times on Saturday . 'UCLA has always been on the forefront and been a leader and that's not going to change. We will embrace this new era and we will continue to support our student-athletes at a championship level.' SEC schools also plan to stick with 85 football roster spots during the 2025 season, a conference spokesman told CBS Sports during the conference's recent spring meetings. How would schools outside the Power 4 be influenced by the settlement? Whereas the Power 4 conferences — and the Pac-12 — automatically opted into the House settlement to end litigation, universities outside the Power 4 will have to opt-in to the revenue-sharing agreement by a June 15 deadline. The list of schools that opt in will become public after the deadline, according to the commission's website . The commission claims that even if universities decide not to opt in to the revenue-sharing agreements, they'll still have to report NIL agreements that go beyond the $600 threshold. It's unclear how much money these schools will share with their athletes. Advertisement Schools such as Long Beach State — should it opt-in to revenue-sharing — could provide further resources to its athletes in sports where Power 4 schools may not. Men's volleyball, for example, is a perennial national championship contender for Long Beach, winning a championship in 2025. Compared to Power 4 schools that may invest most of its funds into football and men's basketball, Olympic sports could become crown jewels for smaller athletic departments. Why do some athletes oppose the settlement? UCLA's Cooper Robinson (11) and Ethan Champlin (20) celebrate during a win over Long Beach State in the 2023 NCAA men's volleyball tournament. (Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press) With likely 90% of revenue-sharing funds headed toward football and men's basketball, some athletes see the House settlement as the beginning of athletic department restructuring — with Olympic sports being placed on the sidelines in favor of spending more money on high-revenue sports. Advertisement Cooper Robinson, who won a men's volleyball national championship with UCLA in 2024, commented on UCLA Athletics' Instagram post about the settlement, asking, 'So like is this only for Football and Basketball?' This past year, Grand Canyon University announced the dismantling of its men's volleyball program. The fear for athletes, especially for a university such as UCLA that had generated $219.5 million in debt over the last six fiscal years (an amount that has been covered by the university) is that smaller-revenue programs such as men's and women's volleyball could be cut to move finances elsewhere. Jarmond has committed to preserving Olympic sports at UCLA. Does the House settlement violate Title IX federal statutes requiring equal opportunities for male and female athletes? In the years ahead, with most financial resources likely headed to football and men's basketball rather than its women's sports programs, universities may have to defend their rationale in Title IX lawsuits. The settlement does not include any language providing directive to universities for how to deal with Title IX — explicitly stating 'the Court cannot conclude that violations of Title IX will necessarily occur if and when schools choose to provide compensation and benefits to student-athletes pursuant to the Injunctive Relief Settlement.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Q&A: How are college sports changing in the wake of House settlement?
College sports leaders and athletes were in limbo for months while waiting for a House settlement to be approved. An agreement would create clarity, better supporting college conferences and their respective universities that had been blindly preparing for the next academic year — unsure which name, image and likeness (NIL) rules they'd be playing by. Late Friday, structure and stability arrived as the House settlement became approved and official. 'The decision on Friday is a significant step forward toward building long-term stability for college sports while protecting the system from bad actors seeking to exploit confusion and uncertainty,' Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey said during a news conference Monday morning that included commissioners of the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and the Pac 12 conferences. The House settlement has set the stage for revenue-sharing between universities and their athletes. Claudia Wilken, the presiding judge of California's Northern District, accepted the final proposal Friday between the NCAA and the plaintiffs, current and former athletes seeking financial compensation for NIL-related backpay. The NCAA will pay close to $2.8 billion to former athletes — as many as 389,700 athletes who played between June 15, 2016, to Sept. 15, 2024 — across a 10-year period and will also implement a 10-year revenue sharing model that will allow universities to pay current athletes up to $20.5 million per year. According to the settlement, the total is '22% of the Power Five schools' average athletic revenues each year' and the revenue-sharing cap will incrementally increase every year. The newly-founded College Sports Commission, led by former MLB executive Bryan Seeley, was created to make sure all NIL deals comply with NCAA rules shaped by the settlement terms. The commission 'will investigate potential rules violations, make factual determinations, issue penalties where appropriate, and participate in the neutral arbitration process set forth in the settlement as necessary,' according to a news release naming Sealey as the inaugural chief executive. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said it was a unanimous decision among the commissioners that Seeley was the right person for the role. Tony Petitti, Big Ten commissioner, said that although he didn't work directly with Seeley during his previous stint at MLB, he saw Commissioner Rob Manfred rely on Seeley's expertise. The College Sports Commission will work alongside a clearinghouse called 'NIL Go,' created by accounting firm Deloitte, to approve or deny any third-party NIL agreements that exceed $600. 'NIL Go' is the technology platform athletes and schools will use to report NIL agreements. All new third-party NIL deals must now be reported to the clearinghouse starting June 7 — the day after the settlement was approved — although the platform won't launch online until June 11. The commission is still in the process of determining what punishment schools and athletes might face for violating NIL rules. 'We're in the process of developing some of those rules and structure,' ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said. 'Now that we have Brian [Seeley] on board, I think we'll be able to move a little bit quicker, but we want to get this right. … Nothing to date right now that we're ready to come forward with.' The ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC were the original parties targeted in lawsuits finally settled Friday's ruling. The expectation is that about 90% of financial resources at their schools will go to revenue sports — football and men's basketball — with the other 10% being scattered between traditional Olympic sports. 'The decision was made fairly early on that we'd be in a local decision-making [process] about how rev share would work, and then all the decisions that come off of that,' Petitti said of conversations with leaders of Big Ten's schools. 'So that's where we are, giving our institutions the discretion [on how to allocate revenue-sharing funds] and they want that discretion.' Most NIL collectives — such as USC's House of Victory or UCLA's Men of Westwood — are expected to focus on marketing and connecting athletes to NIL opportunities rather than brokering agreements and directly paying them. The new revenue-sharing model makes it much easier for schools to directly pay athletes, replacing a role collectives took on in the past when schools were banned from paying athletes. Contracts may need to be restructured because many — but not all — NIL deals were completed through collectives, a process that would now need to receive approval from the Deloitte clearinghouse. When determining the proper range for NIL deals, 'NIL Go' references 'market reach' and the 'local market' — two factors among many that could work in favor of UCLA and USC because Los Angeles is the second largest media market in the country and would naturally index high on market reach. Roster limits will influence all sports. Football teams can now feature up to 105 players, up from 85. Men's basketball rosters can feature 15 players instead of 13. Some Olympic sports, such as baseball, will see a roster-sizes decrease. In all sports, schools can offer as many scholarships as their roster limit instead of the previous NCAA scholarship limits. Whereas teams could only offer 11.7 scholarships in baseball, now universities can offer a full scholarship to all 34 players. Softball teams can now offer 25 scholarships rather than 12 in previous seasons. Women's gymnastics can offer a full 20. This is not to say all teams will offer full rides to fill every roster spot. In all likelihood, for most Power 4 programs, there will still be walk-on players filling spots on the team. At UCLA, athletic director Martin Jarmond said he plans on keeping UCLA's scholarship limits at where it was before the settlement — 85 for football and 13 for men's basketball. The rationale, Jarmond said, is to allow UCLA to provide larger revenue-sharing totals to their athletes instead of splitting funds across full scholarship totals. USC has yet to publicly share its plans for athletic scholarships. 'We have to be bold and innovative in this new world,' Jarmond told The Times on Saturday. 'UCLA has always been on the forefront and been a leader and that's not going to change. We will embrace this new era and we will continue to support our student-athletes at a championship level.' SEC schools also plan to stick with 85 football roster spots during the 2025 season, a conference spokesman told CBS Sports during the conference's recent spring meetings. Whereas the Power 4 conferences — and the Pac-12 — automatically opted into the House settlement to end litigation, universities outside the Power 4 will have to opt-in to the revenue-sharing agreement by a June 15 deadline. The list of schools that opt in will become public after the deadline, according to the commission's website. The commission claims that even if universities decide not to opt in to the revenue-sharing agreements, they'll still have to report NIL agreements that go beyond the $600 threshold. It's unclear how much money these schools will share with their athletes. Schools such as Long Beach State — should it opt-in to revenue-sharing — could provide further resources to its athletes in sports where Power 4 schools may not. Men's volleyball, for example, is a perennial national championship contender for Long Beach, winning a championship in 2025. Compared to Power 4 schools that may invest most of its funds into football and men's basketball, Olympic sports could become crown jewels for smaller athletic departments. With likely 90% of revenue-sharing funds headed toward football and men's basketball, some athletes see the House settlement as the beginning of athletic department restructuring — with Olympic sports being placed on the sidelines in favor of spending more money on high-revenue sports. Cooper Robinson, who won a men's volleyball national championship with UCLA in 2024, commented on UCLA Athletics' Instagram post about the settlement, asking, 'So like is this only for Football and Basketball?' This past year, Grand Canyon University announced the dismantling of its men's volleyball program. The fear for athletes, especially for a university such as UCLA that had generated $219.5 million in debt over the last six fiscal years (an amount that has been covered by the university) is that smaller-revenue programs such as men's and women's volleyball could be cut to move finances elsewhere. Jarmond has committed to preserving Olympic sports at UCLA. In the years ahead, with most financial resources likely headed to football and men's basketball rather than its women's sports programs, universities may have to defend their rationale in Title IX lawsuits. The settlement does not include any language providing directive to universities for how to deal with Title IX — explicitly stating 'the Court cannot conclude that violations of Title IX will necessarily occur if and when schools choose to provide compensation and benefits to student-athletes pursuant to the Injunctive Relief Settlement.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Urban Meyer Predicts Massive Regression For Major College Football Program
Fans in Knoxville, Tennessee, are eagerly anticipating the start of the 2025 college football season, but the excitement comes with plenty of uncertainty about their Volunteers. Tennessee will once again be led by head coach Josh Heupel, entering his fifth season at the helm. The Vols finished 10-3 last year, including a 6-2 mark in SEC play. They earned a spot in the College Football Playoff but were soundly defeated by Ohio State on the road, 42-17. Advertisement One of the biggest storylines of the offseason was the departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. After leading the team last season, Iamaleava entered the transfer portal late in the process and eventually committed to UCLA. That development, along with other offseason drama, has former national championship-winning coach Urban Meyer expressing doubt about Tennessee's chances this year. In an appearance with Rob Stone, Meyer broke down his expectations for the Vols, as reported by Sam Gillenwater of On3 Sports: "Urban Meyer predicts Tennessee to go under 8.5 win total in 2025" Ohio State Buckeyes former head coach Urban Meyer. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Following expected wins in the Vols' first two games, Meyer sees the schedule getting tough beginning September 13. When asked about their home matchup against Georgia, he didn't hesitate: 'They lose.' Another marquee showdown arrives on October 18, when Tennessee visits Alabama. Meyer was blunt again: 'No,' when asked if the Vols could win that one. Advertisement As for a midseason stretch that includes Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Florida, Meyer gave this breakdown: "I'm going to say they'll split Arkansas-Kentucky. They'll split Oklahoma-Florida. So, let's give them one more win,' Meyer said. 'That's six.' Looking ahead to the regular-season finale against Vanderbilt, Meyer expects Tennessee to be sitting at seven wins. While he predicted a win in that game, he offered praise for the Commodores. 'I'll tell you what. That's another one,' Meyer said. 'They've got a heck of a coaching staff down there. That's a rivalry game.' The most significant offseason blow was losing Iamaleava. After two seasons with Tennessee where he threw 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions, Heupel will now turn to a new starting quarterback. Advertisement In April, reports surfaced of NIL-related contract issues for Iamaleava. He missed practice the following day, and Heupel announced they'd be moving in another direction. Ten days later, Iamaleava confirmed his transfer to UCLA. Now, the Volunteers are left with a quarterback competition heading into fall. Joey Aguilar, formerly at Appalachian State, had been expected to transfer to UCLA but instead committed to Tennessee. Jake Merklinger is still developing, though questions remain about whether he's ready to start. The Vols also have four-star freshman George MacIntyre on the roster. The offense will also have a new look beyond quarterback. Leading rusher Dylan Sampson is gone. Peyton Lewis and DeSean Bishop are expected to compete for the starting running back role. At receiver and tight end, Chris Brazzell and Miles Kitselman return. Kitselman has been flagged by many analysts as a potential breakout candidate for the 2026 NFL Draft. Advertisement On the offensive line, Lance Heard will be relied on heavily to anchor a group filled with new faces. Tennessee opens the 2025 season on Saturday, August 30, against Syracuse at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The home opener is set for September 6 against East Tennessee State at Neyland Stadium. Coach Heupel brings a strong resume into the new season. In four years with Tennessee, he has compiled a 37-15 record, including a 20-12 mark in SEC play and a 2–2 bowl record. Prior to arriving in Knoxville, Heupel went 28-8 in three seasons at UCF. Despite recent success, the road ahead looks uncertain. With key departures, a new quarterback, and a tough schedule, the Vols face plenty of challenges in 2025, and Urban Meyer isn't alone in expecting a step back. Related: Quinn Ewers Receives $131k Contract Update on Friday Related: Georgia QB Commit Jared Curtis Sends Clear Message to No. 1 Overall Recruit
