NCAA

Jalen Hurts just GOT PAID ... the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback just became the highest-paid NFL player ever (yearly) after signing a 5-year extension worth over a quarter of a billion dollars!

The blockbuster deal was announced Monday morning, per Adam Schefter ... which will pay Hurts $255M through the 2028 season, with $179.3 million guaranteed.

That means Hurts gets $51 million average annually, making him the highest-paid player ever!

That's more than Patrick Mahomes, who averages $45M annually.

Of course, none of these figures factor in endorsements, etc.

Hurts also has a no-trade clause in the deal, the first in Eagles' history ... and the organization confirmed the deal by tweeting, "QB1 is here to stay."

Hurts had an interesting journey to the NFL. He had an amazing career at Alabama before he was benched for Tua Tagovailoa in the 2018 CFP National Championship game.

Jalen ultimately transferred to Oklahoma for his senior year and was selected by the Eagles in the 2nd round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

From them, he's earned the fat contract.

He almost instantly became a star upon being named the starter ... logging 6,845 passing yards, and 38 passing touchdowns the last two seasons. But, he's not just a threat to throw the ball ... he also ran for 1,544 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns.

Hurts led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl since 2018 -- and became the youngest QB to ever make it to the big game.

He also made history with the most rushing yards and rushing TDs by a QB in the SB.

Congrats!! 💰💰💰

Brian Hartline -- offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team -- was hospitalized over the weekend after an early morning ATV crash ... but thankfully, coach says he's "doing well."

The accident happened at Hartline's estate in Liberty Township Ohio on Sunday, the day after Buckeyes' spring game, when his ATV crashed.

The 36-year-old, and a second male passenger, were transported to Riverside Hospital after suffering injuries ... but the good news is he's doing okay. Hartline even gave fans an encouraging update via Twitter after the incident.

"I appreciate everyones support," Hartline tweeted. "I crashed my side by side on my property and have been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. I am doing well."

Hartline was promoted from passing game coordinator to OC in January ... head coach Ryan Day said Brian had been "successful in every football capacity for which he has been engaged."

Hartline, who became OSU's wide receiver coach in 2018, has helped several Buckeye alumni become NFL stars including Garrett Wilson, Paris Campbell, and Terry McLaurin.

"He has progressed incredibly well from college to NFL receiver, and then from quality control coach to wide receivers coach to passing game coordinator. He figures things out quickly and he is more than ready to now transition to offensive coordinator."

Hartline also played for the Buckeyes from 2005 to 2008 and the 4th-round pick suited up for the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns during his 7-year NFL career.

NBA star Miles Bridges has been suspended 30 games by the NBA ... for a domestic violence incident involving the mother of his kids last summer.

But, because 25-year-old Bridges missed the entire season (he was unsigned), the NBA has credited him with serving 20 games, meaning he only will have to sit out 10 more games next season.

"The incident occurred on June 27, 2022, in Los Angeles, after which Mr. Bridges was arrested and charged with multiple offenses."

"On November 3, 2022, Mr. Bridges entered a plea of no contest to a felony domestic violence charge and the remaining counts against him were dismissed," the league announced Friday afternoon.

Shortly after the incident, Mychelle Johnson claimed she suffered injuries to her face, arms, legs and back.

The NBA says they conducted their own investigation and conferred with D.V. experts, and that's how they arrived at the penalty.

"The 30-game suspension is based on all facts and circumstances of this matter and considers the conduct and its result, as well as the outcome of the criminal matter, among other factors."

Bridges was arrested on June 29 and ultimately charged with felony domestic violence ... and while he always maintained his innocence (Miles claims his ex has incessantly harassed him), he pleaded no contest to the charge in court.

The NBA star was sentenced to 3 years probation and 100 hours of community service, as well as requiring he take parenting classes.

Miles was the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, after starring under Tom Izzo and Michigan State. Bridges has averaged 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists over the course of his career.

Lolo Jones has some strong (albeit playful) words for Shaquille O'Neal after the NBA legend called Angel Reese LSU's G.O.A.T. ... telling TMZ Sports Diesel had to be "high" when he made the statement.

Jones -- who starred for LSU's track team before competing in BOTH the Summer and Winter Olympics -- got wind of O'Neal referring to Reese as the greatest athlete to ever come out of Baton Rouge on his 'Big Podcast' this week, and she vehemently disagreed with her fellow Tigers alum.

In fact, she seemed to think Shaq wasn't in his right mind since undergoing surgery last month.

"Shaq knew what he was doing," Jones said. "Shaq's just bored. He's coming off hip surgery. He's chilling at home. I think Shaq, honestly, is high on some pain medicines. The list is so big with LSU."

Jones -- a decorated hurdler and bobsledder -- feels Shaq was trying to stir the pot by saying Reese is LSU's top-ranked athlete ... knowing that it makes for good "water cooler talk."

"So, for Shaq to have the audacity to say 'she's the best ever,'" Jones continued, "I'm like, 'Bro, chill on the pain meds,' because that list is arduous. So long."

Jones -- who won three NCAA titles and earned 11 All-American honors as an LSU Tiger -- said she wouldn't put herself at the top of the list of the university's G.O.A.T. athletes.

But, don't get it twisted -- Lolo told us she isn't disrespecting Reese ... saying, "We're not hating on Angel. We love to see it. She's cooking. Let her keep cooking. But I'm telling you, LSU track and field is the powerhouse for that university."

Angel Reese > Shaquille O'Neal
Angel Reese > Joe Burrow
Angel Reese > "Pistol" Pete Maravich
Angel Reese > Justin Jefferson
Angel Reese > Y.A. Tittle
Angel Reese > Odell Beckham Jr.

"[Angel Reese's] probably the greatest athlete ever to come out of LSU Sports," Shaquille O'Neal said on "The Big Podcast with Shaq," doubling down, saying, "Did you hear what I just said? Male and female."

It's not surprising that Shaq is super high on Angel. The Big Fella had her back in a major way when people got on the newly crowned NCAA champ for taunting Caitlin Clark with John Cena's "You Can't See Me" gesture.

LSU is known for its marquis athletes, past and present. Legends. Hall of Famers.

In addition to the guys up top, Patrick Peterson, Andrew Whitworth, Alan Faneca, Kevin Mawae, Ja'Marr Chase, Jamal Adams, Alex Bregman, Todd Walker, Tyrann Mathieu, Lolo Jones, Bob Pettit and so many more went to LSU.

Shaq -- who starred for the Tigers from 1989-1992 -- said he puts Reese ahead of other notable LSU athlete alums, including himself ... because she won a national championship for the university.

"She delivered that package," Shaq said. "It's a lot of names you can throw around, men and women, but she's probably the greatest athlete."

FYI, Reese averaged 23 points, 15.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists this season.

"Some people are going to exclude it to women athletes," O'Neal said. "I'm not doing that. She's the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU because she got it done. Joe Burrow got it done a couple of years ago, but she's way more athletic than he is."

NFL draft prospect Michael Jefferson -- widely considered one of the 30 best receivers in the 2023 class -- was involved in a fatal car crash on Sunday night ... one that reportedly left him with significant injuries.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officials tell TMZ Sports ... the accident occurred on U.S. 43 in Mobile County, Ala. at around 7:55 PM -- when a 55-year-old man who was driving a 2014 Dodge Charger collided head-on with Jefferson's 2019 Chevrolet Impala.

Authorities say following the initial collision, a 2008 Nissan Maxima also struck the Dodge. The driver of the Dodge, officials tell us, was not wearing a seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jefferson's agent, Jon Perzley of Sportstars, told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday his client was injured in the wreck ... and "required multiple surgeries."

It's not clear yet how it will impact the 23-year-old's football career.

ALEA officials, meanwhile, tell us troopers are still investigating the accident.

Jefferson, who began his college career at Alabama State, was a star Louisiana last season -- logging 51 catches for 810 yards and seven TDs. He showed up to the NFL's combine in Indianapolis last month and performed well, running a 4.56 40-yard dash.

Some experts had the 6-foot-3 wideout projected to be a mid-round pick in this month's draft.

The Cavinder twins' days on a college hardwood are over ... Haley and Hanna revealed Monday they're forgoing their fifth years of NCAA eligibility -- and will pursue "a new chapter" in their lives.

The two -- who have amassed millions of followers on their social media accounts since transferring to the Univ. of Miami this past offseason -- made the announcement in an emotional statement on Instagram.

They thanked their Canes teammates and the university -- particularly for the way they were accepted after they came in from Fresno State in 2022 -- but said simply they're looking forward to life after basketball.

The move is surprising -- considering the two had helped The U make it to the Elite 8 of the women's NCAA tournament this year ... and appeared to have a great shot of repeating the feat in 2024 if they came back for their last year of eligibility.

But, of course, the twins have all kinds of options now at their feet with basketball over.

The women are social media darlings -- making fun videos of them dancing and lip-synching that fans have loved. They're also budding fitness gurus.

And, they've been considered potential candidates to join the WWE, too.

Neither girl expounded on what is exactly next for them in their announcement Monday -- choosing only to say goodbye to the sport they've loved for nearly two decades.

Cole Pensick -- a former offensive lineman for the Nebraska Huskers -- died in an early morning car accident in Nebraska on Saturday ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

He was 32.

Nebraska football commented on the tragic news ... "Mourning the loss of one of our own. On behalf of the Nebraska Football program, our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends & teammates of former Husker lineman Cole Pensick."

The Polk County Sherriff's Office tells us they responded to a call at 6:42 AM after receiving a report for a pickup truck that was off the roadway and in between trees.

Once they arrived, cops found Pensick, who had been driving a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado, deceased at the scene. Police say he was involved in a single-vehicle accident after failing to stop at a stop sign, and leaving the road.

Law enforcement tells us Cole was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, but added they're still investigating the accident.

Pensick was a standout at Nebraska ... he played in 13 games his senior year (starting 12) and was selected to the All-Big Ten second team by coaches around the league in 2013.

Bu Thiam's role as EVP at Columbia Records has him scoping for new artists from all walks of life ... and he's looking to add NCAA champ Flau'jae Johnson to his roster!!!

We caught up with Bu at LAX and he had nothing but praise for Flau'jae, who recently helped the LSU Tigers win their first women's basketball national championship ... in controversial fashion at that.

Bu says he looked into Flau'jae's credentials and everything checked out, as it should have. The 19-year-old's been rapping long before it became trendy on the Internet ... going viral through appearances on "The Rap Game," "America's Got Talent," and her 2020 "Sway In The Morning" freestyle.

She inked a deal with Roc Nation management last year ... so, at least Bu knows who he needs to convince for a joint venture.

As a music exec, Bu also has to be mindful of the industry's changing landscape ... and he's surprisingly open to the idea of artificial intelligence artists, unlike some of his counterparts, like Swizz Beatz, who's expressed concern.

AI recordings mimicking the likes of Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Kanye West are littered all over YouTube ... but Bu thinks the industry needs to be more open-minded and embrace the technology.

Tony Yayo -- the rapper who inspired John Cena's famous "You Can't See Me" gesture -- is speaking out against those criticizing LSU hoops star Angel Reese for waving her hand toward Iowa star Caitlin Clark ... saying, "When a Black girl do it, it's a problem, but when a white girl do it, it's not a problem."

TMZ Sports spoke with the G-Unit MC -- who was trending this past week after Reese's celebration during last Sunday's NCAA championship game -- and he told us the criticism she's been receiving is "kind of crazy."

Yayo said trash-talking in sports is part of the game ... adding he understands the emotions athletes experience when competing, especially for a national championship.

Yayo -- who recently wrapped up a tour with 50 Cent and is gearing up to release new music this summer -- said Reese is popularizing women's basketball ... and she's elevating the sport to newer heights.

"You got Lil Wayne calling her phone," Yayo said. "You got Boosie excited over LSU. This championship was big. Everybody knows who Angel Reese is now, as well as Caitlin Clark."

Tony said he's proud of how Reese has handled herself during the controversy ... and doesn't want it to diminish what the LSU Tigers accomplished, winning the program's first NCAA women's basketball national championship.

"I just don't want all this stuff to overshadow the win," Yayo said. "There are other people on the team. There's a great coach [Kim Mulkey] over there. I'm definitely looking up to anybody that's a role model to Black women in this world."

A national championship trophy isn't the only shiny, new thing in Angel Reese's life -- the LSU basketball star just copped some new bling -- with over 20 carats of high-quality diamonds!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Tigers hooper linked up with celeb jeweler Boo Daddy Diamonds fresh off her NCAA title win over the Iowa Hawkeyes this week.

We're told Bayou Barbie is now the proud owner of several dope pieces ... including an amazing diamond tennis bracelet that's filled with VVS diamonds and 14k white gold.

She also copped two diamond chokers -- one having the initial of her first name -- and we're told the collection totaled out to 20 carats of top-quality bling!

The 6'3" forward deserves to treat herself after the year she just had -- she finished the season with 23 points and 15.4 rebounds per game ... and earned a spot on the First Team All-SEC and SEC's All-Defensive Team.

Reese -- who fractured her foot at Maryland before transferring in 2022 -- also made LSU history with the most consecutive double-doubles ... and leading the women's hoop team to their first NCAA title.

We were this close to finding out when Bronny James was going to announce his decision about college ... but a publicist stopped him from answering the question!

The McDonald's All-American nearly revealed a timetable for his decision while speaking to reporters after the Nike Hoop Summit practice in Oregon on Thursday ... his first time speaking with the media.

A reporter started off asking Bronny about Oregon signee Jackson Shelstad and other top players trying to recruit him to their schools while the guys are at the summit.

"It's fun times," Bronny said with a big smile on his face.

"It's good to know that they want me there with them, but at the end of the day, it's my decision, and I gotta make the right one for me."

The reporter quickly followed up, asking WHEN Bronny was going to make the decision. But, right as he was about to answer, a publicist shut down the line of questioning.

"I think we can move on to questions about U.S. Basketball and the Hoop Summit," the PR rep said.

Of course, the 4-star recruit -- who graduates from Sierra Canyon this spring -- has received offers from all over the country, including Ohio State, Kentucky, Memphis, and USC.

He also has the option to go pro ... in fact, last month LaVar Ball said Bronny should skip college and play ball in Australia, like his NBA star son, LaMelo.

LSU hoops star Angel Reese has decided she will attend the White House visit with her team after all ... days after she contemplated skipping the visit because of remarks made by First Lady Jill Biden.

Remember, Reese took issue with FLOTUS saying Iowa should attend the White House, too -- a tradition usually reserved for championship winners -- calling Jill's suggestion "a joke."

"In the beginning, we were hurt -- it was emotional because we know how hard we worked all year for everything," Reese said Friday.

"You don't get that experience [to go to the White House] ever ... and I know my team probably wants to go for sure, and my coaches are supportive of that, so I'm going to do what's best for the team and we've decided we're going to go."

"I'm a team player. I'm going to do what's best for the team. I'm the captain."

LSU said Thursday they would be "excited" to celebrate the program's first NCAA women's basketball national championship, leaving many to speculate whether Reese would join them.

LSU will not let a small squabble between its star player and Jill Biden get in the way of a championship party at the White House ... the school just revealed it'd "certainly" accept an invitation despite the tiff.

In fact, according to a university spokesperson, the Tigers would be "excited" to continue the celebration of their women's NCAA tournament title at 1600 Penn Ave. later this year.

Of course, many were wondering if the team would, indeed, go ... after LSU forward Angel Reese said she was peeved over the way Biden invited both the Tigers and Iowa following their championship game on Sunday night.

Reese said on "I Am Athlete" this week that "if the roles were reversed, they wouldn’t be the same. If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House."

She then insinuated she'd prefer it if she could go party with the Obamas instead." They can have that spotlight," she said of the Hawkeyes. "We'll go to the Obamas'. We'll go see Michelle. We'll see Barack."

Biden had attempted to walk back the double invite, with her press secretary saying Tuesday Biden's comments "were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes. She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House."

But, in response, Reese said, "I don't accept the apology because you said what you said .. You can't go back on certain things that you say."

Jill Biden needs to apologize to the LSU women's hoops team ASAP ... so says Sherri Shepherd, who tells TMZ Sports the first lady should have never invited Iowa to come along with the champion Tigers for a celebration at the White House.

The television personality made her feelings loud and clear to us about the issue while out in New York City this week ... explaining she thinks Biden only handed out the invite in an effort to earn future votes for Joe Biden.

"You never invite the losing team to the White House," Shepherd said after Jill had opened the White House doors to both LSU and Iowa following their championship game on Sunday night.

"I know you want Iowa to vote for your husband, but stop it!" she added. "Stop it, Dr. Biden."

The topic has been extremely polarizing ever since Jill revealed she'd like to host both teams ... with LSU star Angel Reese laughing off the notion -- and even later saying she's now considering not going for a White House celebration over it all.

"I just know if the roles were reversed, it wouldn't be the same," Reese said on 'I Am Athlete.' "If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House."

Shepherd clearly believes Reese has every right to be peeved ... agreeing with the Tigers forward and saying, "If it was the other way around, it would never be this situation."

Of course, Biden's Press Secretary tried to apologize for FLOTUS following the backlash ...  saying Jill was simply trying to applaud "how far women have advanced in sports since the passing of Title IX" and "the historic game and all women athletes."

For their part, Iowa said it never received a formal invitation from the Bidens ... and its star guard, Caitlin Clark, seemed to say she wouldn't want to go even if the invite had come.

Former Nebraska interim head coach Mickey Joseph's assault case was dismissed Wednesday ... after the woman who accused him of strangling her reportedly refused to testify.

The Lancaster County Attorney's Office confirmed the dismissal to TMZ Sports ... explaining the case has now been sealed.

According to the Associated Press, Erica Pruess, a prosecutor in Lancaster County, told a judge that she received an email from the accuser in Joseph's case in February stating she would not testify.

Additionally, Pruess said law enforcement authorities in Arizona, where the woman allegedly lives, tried to serve her a summons requiring her to appear before a judge -- but their attempts were unsuccessful.

55-year-old Joseph was initially arrested for assault by strangulation back in November ... after police responded to his home, where he and his wife, Priscilla Joseph, live, to investigate a domestic dispute.

According to legal documents, Joseph had been embroiled in an argument with a woman who told police Joseph "pushed me on the couch and strangled me."

The woman, who's yet to be identified, told police that Joseph -- who took over the reins for the Cornhuskers after the program fired Scott Frost in Sept. 2022 -- punched her in the face during the alleged assault.

When police interviewed the accuser ... they observed visible injuries and swelling around the woman's left eye.

Nebraska placed Joseph on administrative leave following his arrest ... but the program fired him two weeks later.