NCAA

Here's the best video you'll see all day ... Drew Brees surprised a walk-on Purdue softball player with a special NIL deal -- and her reaction was priceless!!!

Emilee Cox was on the line with Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux CEO Brandon Landry ... when Brees -- who co-owns the Walk-On's parent company -- jumped in to break some great news to the softball player.

The NFL legend and former Boilermakers star helped explain to Emilee she'd be the recipient of this week's "Walk-On of the Week" honor -- and she lost her mind!!!

"Oh, my gosh!" said Cox, a Purdue infielder. "I'm shaking. I'm literally shaking! Oh, my gosh. Can you see how red I just got?!?"

Brees congratulated her on the award -- which is a big deal for a walk-on, 'cause it'll come with cash and other perks that'll help Cox pay her tuition and other school bills.

"Emilee, I've heard so much about you," Drew said on the call. "Congratulations!"

Cox continued to freak out, and it was all amazing to watch.

Landry then explained to Brees that Cox was such a huge Purdue fan, she turned down other schools' offers to take a walk-on spot with the Boilermakers -- something Brees loved.

"Great work, Emilee," Drew told the rising junior. "So happy for you and keep representing everything that's great about Purdue."

Emilee finished the call by thanking Brees again ... adding, "I did not expect this tonight!"

LeBron James is giving high praise to his old teammate and friend, J.R. Smith ... shouting out the ex-NBA hooper as he begins his NCAA golf career ... saying, "So happy and proud of you my brother."

The 2-time NBA champ -- who skipped college for the NBA in 2004 -- was officially cleared to suit up for the North Carolina A&T State University men’s golf team on Tuesday ... paving his way to finally becoming an NCAA athlete.

James is showing serious love for the 35-year-old freshman on Twitter ... saying, "Love you kid! Best of luck you student/athlete ... GO AGGIES ⛳ TEAM."

But, it isn't just a gimmick for Smith -- the guy's even been spotted walking around campus and hitting up classes ... and has said he's serious about bettering himself.

"It was probably one of the most exciting feelings I've had in a while," J.R. told the Undefeated after being cleared to join the golf team.

"I really didn't know how it was going to go ... but to be able to actually call myself a student-athlete is a great feeling."

Carlos "Scooby" Johnson Jr. -- former Butler University basketball player -- was charged with felony rape and sexual battery ... after a woman claimed the hooper sexually assaulted her in a campus dorm room back in February.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Indy Star, the alleged incident went down on February 4, 2021. A police officer was dispatched to a dormitory on Butler's campus around 2 AM. When the cop arrived, a woman told the officer she'd been raped by a man named "Scooby."

When police tracked down 19-year-old Johnson Jr., docs reportedly show he said ... "I should have told that b**** to leave."

Scooby's accuser was taken to the hospital and given a rape kit. The results showed blood on Johnson Jr.'s boxers matched the woman's. Another sample showed a mixture of Johnson Jr. and the accuser's DNA.

An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson Jr. in Marion County, Indiana on Thursday ... but he has not yet been taken into custody.

Butler University addressed the alleged crime in a statement, saying ... "The university takes these allegations very seriously and has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct, violence, and harassment, per our Sexual Misconduct Policy."

The statement continued ... "Our top priority is the safety of our students and campus community, and the university provides support and resources to all students. Out of respect to the students' federal privacy rights and the ongoing criminal process, the university is not at liberty to divulge additional information at this time."

Johnson Jr. was dealing with an ACL injury last season and did not play in any games for Butler. He is no longer listed on the team's roster.

Back in high school, Scooby was a 3-star recruit who received offers from West Virginia and Michigan State. He was also named "Mr. Basketball" in Michigan a few years back.

NBA guard J.R. Smith is gunning to take his talents to the links -- the hooper has enrolled at an HBCU in hopes of making it on the golf team!!

35-year-old Smith -- who skipped college ball for the NBA Draft in 2004 -- is taking full advantage of his newly acquired free time by becoming a student at North Carolina A&T.

Of course, the 2-time NBA champ has not played in the league since winning a ring with LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers in 2020 ... going all last season without a team.

Now, J.R. is looking to join another team -- A&T's golf team.

"Golf is one of those games that can have you feeling really high or it can bring you down to your knees and humble you," Smith told WFMY.

"To have that feeling and knowing that all of the game is pretty much on my own hands and I don’t have to worry about teammates to pass the ball to, receiving passes and playing defense -- I can just play my game and have fun."

Smith says he learned the game from Hall of Famer Moses Malone ... and is waiting on the NCAA to sort out his eligibility, according to ESPN.

After a 5-year investigation, the NCAA says Baylor's actions were "unacceptable" when dealing with football players accused of sexual assault, but the program did NOT violate any rules ... and therefore will avoid any major punishment.

Remember, head coach Art Briles was fired by the university in 2016 after allegedly failing to report numerous allegations of domestic violence or sexual assault from students made against his football players.

Since the scandal blew up, the NCAA Infraction committee launched an in-depth investigation to determine if Baylor violated any NCAA rules with its conduct. On Wednesday, Baylor finally learned its fate.

"Make no mistake, the conduct that occurred on Baylor's campus between 2010 and 2015 was unacceptable. Young people were hurt. They were hurt because the campus leaders they trusted to provide a safe campus community failed," according to the report.

"At times, these failures heavily intersected with Baylor's football program and Baylor football student-athletes. At other times, they did not. And that is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this case—that a campus-wide culture of sexual violence went unaddressed due to ignorance and leadership failings across campus."

Bottom line ... the football program acted immorally and unethically -- but didn't necessarily violate major NCAA rules.

Baylor isn't escaping totally unscathed ... the Infractions Committee did find the university provided impermissible benefits for a football player and used a "predominantly female student-host program that did not align with NCAA recruiting rules."

For that violation, Baylor was hit with a $5,000 fine and recruiting restrictions ... such as a reduction in campus visits for recruits, as well as other recruiting-based limitations.

Jalen Green is PISSED he didn't go #1 overall in the NBA Draft ... saying he has a "super big" chip on his shoulder for getting passed on -- and he took it all out on the Pistons by dropping 25 points!!

The Houston Rockets' #2 pick faced off against Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons for the first time in their careers at Summer League in Vegas on Tuesday ... and it didn't disappoint.

Green outdueled the top pick with 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in the 111-91 win ... with Cunningham earning 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.

Look, we get it -- it's Summer League, not the real thing, but it's exciting to see these guys go at it for the first of, hopefully, many times.

19-year-old Green was asked about his motivation to ball out ... admitting he really does have a grudge for not having his name called first at the draft last month.

"My chip's been super big," the Cali native said. "It started at draft night when I got drafted #2, I felt like I was #1."

"It's just the work I gotta put in. I keep a chip on my shoulder from where I'm from, my family installed it into me. So, Imma just keep getting better every day."

Deion Sanders brought out some Prime guests during his first season as head coach at Jackson State ... with Rex Ryan and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman rolling through to check out his team, a new documentary series revealed Monday.

Coach Prime -- who took the helm at the HBCU in 2020 -- had the cameras rolling during his first season with the Tigers for a 'Hard Knocks'-esque series with Barstool Sports and SMAC Productions ... fittingly titled, "Coach Prime."

The trailer for the series just dropped minutes ago ... showing a passionate Sanders giving motivational speeches to his players ... as well as the big-time names who showed up to get a glimpse of the Tigers during the season.

The clip shows Ryan hyping up the team ... talking about the amount of courage it takes to play the sport. It's pretty intense stuff.

Sanders spoke about the decision to allow the all-access series to happen ... saying, "I am incredibly proud to share the incredible story of Jackson State University, our football program, and our student athletes."

"This docuseries serves as a platform that will help us continue the important work we are doing to level the playing field, create opportunity and raise awareness for JSU and all HBCUs. I BELIEVE!"

The 6-part series is set to debut August 29 and will be available on all platforms.

Bobby Bowden -- one of the greatest college football coaches ever -- died early Sunday morning at the age of 91 years old.

Bowden -- Florida State University's head coach from 1976 to 2009 -- was one of the most acclaimed football coaches of all-time. He won 2 National Championships ('93 & '99) and 377 games -- 2nd most all-time -- during his 40 years as a college football coach.

Bobby spent 34 seasons as FSU's head coach ... and was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Terry Bowden, Bobby's son, confirmed the news to the AP ... issuing the following statement about the passing of his dad.

"My father passed away peacefully early this morning with all six of his children and my mother here by his side."

"I couldn't have asked for a better personal mentor than my father. He was a wonderful husband and father, who relied on his strong Christian faith to provide the foundation for his life."

Terry continued ... "I also was fortunate to be raised by a football coach who had a reputation for coaching the right way his entire career. He was admired by everyone who played for him or coached against him."

FSU issued a statement on social media, writing ... "Today we lost a legend but you never lose a legacy. Rest In Peace Coach Bowden"

Bowden is known for his HOF coaching career ... but he also played ball back in the day. BB was a part of Alabama's football team as a freshman in 1948 ... before transferring to Howard College (now Samford University) in Birmingham.

Bobby -- who was born in Birmingham -- was a successful college quarterback.

It was just last month that Terry announced Bobby was battling a terminal illness. He later said that sickness was pancreatic cancer.

Deion Sanders, a 2x All-American under Bowden, reacted to his former coach passing, writing ... "God bless the Bowden Family, Friends & Loved ones. My Prayers are with u. I've lost 1 of the best coaches I've ever had."

Some of the top football coaches in the country also weighed in on Bobby's death ... including Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and Dabo Swinney.

On Twitter, Meyer wrote ... "Today, we lost a legend. Bobby was a great friend and mentor to me, and his impact transcended the coaching profession in so many ways. Sending love to Ann and the entire Bowden family. Rest In Peace Coach Bowden."

A public funeral service will be held for coach Saturday on FSU's campus.

Syracuse women's basketball coach Quentin Hillsman has resigned amid an investigation into claims from former players about alleged inappropriate behavior ... from bullying and threats to forehead kisses.

Nine former players spoke with The Athletic about the alleged toxic culture on Monday ... telling the outlet Hillsman -- who's been the HC since 2006 -- would intimidate them using vulgar language.

"The way he threatened us, like we all knew he would never physically harm us, but he’d always be talking about beating our asses," one player said during the interview.

"Like, ‘I’ll f*** you guys up. I’ll f*** you up. It’s gonna be your ass if you f*** this up."

The claims continued ... players say Hillsman told each of them "I don’t give a f*** about you" in the locker room at halftime during the 2019-20 season ... before flipping over a table.

Some players recall alleged inappropriate behavior ... three claiming Hillsman gave them forehead kisses after discussing playing time ... and detailed another incident when he came up behind a player, wrapped his arms around her and placed his hand near her pelvic area.

In 2019, Hillsman also hired Ronnie Enoch, who was fired from his previous coaching job over sexual harassment accusations. He's also Hillsman's longtime friend.

Because of the alleged abuse, several players claim to have suffered from suicidal thoughts -- others sought therapy and were even prescribed antidepressants.

20 players have left the program since 2018 ... the highest transfer rate amongst Power 5 teams under one head coach.

On Monday, Hillman turned over his resignation papers.

"Coach Hillsman and I agreed that parting ways is in the best interest of the University, the program and our student-athletes," Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack said in a statement.

"We wish him and his family all the best. Interim leadership for the Women’s Basketball Program will be announced in the coming days."

"As previously announced, the University retained an external law firm to conduct a review of the program. That review is ongoing, and the Department of Athletics will address issues that are identified at the conclusion of the review."

Hillsman began his head coaching job at Syracuse in 2006 and is Cuse's winningest coach with a 319-169 record.

He led the women's team to four of the last five NCAA tournaments -- making it to the National Championship game in 2016.

Awful news for Reggie Bush -- the ex-USC superstar will NOT be getting his 2005 Heisman trophy back ... despite the NCAA's new rules allowing athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.

Remember, the NCAA made a monumental policy change last month ... finally giving players the opportunity to rake in dough via endorsement deals and sponsorships.

Bush -- who gave up his 2005 Heisman in 2010 after receiving improper benefits -- called out the NCAA and Heisman Trust after the new rules were announced ... saying both organizations were ignoring his pleas to have his Heisman returned.

The NCAA finally addressed the situation on Wednesday ... saying Bush's case is not covered by their new order -- therefore, he will not get his trophy back.

"Although college athletes can now receive benefits from their names, images and likenesses through activities like endorsements and appearances, NCAA rules still do not permit pay-for-play type arrangements," an NCAA spokesperson said.

"The NCAA infractions process exists to promote fairness in college sports. The rules that govern fair play are voted on, agreed to and expected to be upheld by all NCAA member schools."

Bush is considered one of the best college football players ever -- from 2003 to 2005, he logged 3,169 rushing yards, 1,301 receiving yards, and 38 overall touchdowns.

He also won the 2004 BCS Championship ... a victory that was vacated as a result of Bush's punishment.

It's apparently "Coach" Sanders or it's no Sanders for Deion Sanders ... 'cause the Jackson State headman allegedly shut down interviews Tuesday after reporters referred to him as simply "Deion."

The bizarre scene reportedly took place during SWAC Media Day in Birmingham, Ala. ... when The Clarion-Ledger claims Sanders went off on one of its writers, Nick Suss, for calling the coach by his 1st name.

"You don't call Nick Saban, 'Nick,'" the outlet claims Sanders told Suss, referring to Alabama's legendary head football coach. "Don't call me Deion."

"If you call Nick [Saban], Nick, you'll get cussed out on the spot, so don't do that to me," Sanders reportedly added. "Treat me like Nick."

The Clarion-Ledger says when the football coach was referred to as Deion a second time during the interviews ... it claims that's when Sanders stormed out of the event.

Sanders -- who's very active on social media -- has yet to comment publicly on the allegations.

What's interesting about it all is Sanders is well-known for his nicknames ... responding to both "Neon Deion" and "Prime Time" during and after his NFL career.

As we previously reported, 53-year-old Sanders took over the Jackson State football program in 2020 ... and posted a 4-3 record in his first season as headman.

JSU is slated to kick off its second season with Sanders at the helm in September.

"Cars, clothing, shoes" -- that's the type of sponsorships UCLA hoops star Johnny Juzang wants after the new NCAA rule change ... telling TMZ Sports, he's excited to make some deals!

The NCAA announced earlier this summer that athletes can now make money off their name, image and likeness ... and when we got Juzang out at Ocean Prime in Beverly Hills this week, he told us he's ready to start negotiating.

Juzang told us he wants to rep things that he aligns with ... which, of course, includes vehicles and swag!!

"I love cars, clothing, shoes -- all that type of stuff," the 20-year-old said. "Should be some cool opportunities."

The 6-foot-6 guard tells us he's also interested in food brands -- specifically healthy ones.

"I eat healthy," Juzang said. "So, different brands that’ll align with that -- it’ll be interesting, man."

He added, "It’ll be a cool way to share a little bit about myself. It’s going to be exciting, man."

Juzang -- who averaged 16 points per game last season -- became a star after leading the Bruins to the 2021 Final Four -- their first appearance there in 13 years.

JJ declared for the 2021 NBA Draft shortly after, but he withdrew before the deadline and is now back in Westwood for his junior season.

And, he says he's hoping the Bruins can make another strong run for the title in 2022!

Master P's son, Hercy Miller, isn't wasting any time ... 'cause the incoming college freshman hoops star tells us he JUST signed a multi-million dollar deal.

TMZ Sports caught up with P and 19-year-old Hercy in Beverly Hills ... a day after the NCAA announced they'll allow athletes to make dough off their image and likeness.

"It was a 2 million dollar deal. It's incredible. This is gonna change the way college athletes want to stay in school," P says.

Remember, a few months back Master P told us he lined up this deal ... and was just waiting patiently for the regulations to change.

Well, rule changed, check ... and Hercy didn't wait long before signing his name on the dotted line.

"I signed a deal with an American technology company. Like my dad said, it's a blessing," Hercy -- an incoming freshman at Tennessee State -- tells us.

A teenage with a couple milli in the bank ... so what's Hercy gonna do with all that cash??

"I learned from my dad, I'm gonna start off by giving back to the community and everyone around me. I have a camp July 21," Hercy says.

"I'm giving back to the kids. Giving school supplies."

Hercy says he's also going to treat himself to a Tesla.

College football legend Reggie Bush says he's fighting like hell to get his Heisman trophy back ... but claims both the NCAA and the Heisman Trust are giving him the stiff arm.

Bush forfeited his 2005 trophy back in 2010 when the NCAA ruled the running back had received improper benefits while at USC ... which vacated his stellar junior season with the Trojans.

Now -- on the day NCAA athletes have been given the green light to make money off their name, image and likeness -- Bush addressed his efforts to have his beloved trophy returned ... and says he's been getting the cold shoulder.

"Over the last few months, on multiple occasions, my team and I have reached out to both the NCAA and The Heisman Trust in regard to the reinstatement of my college records and the return of my Heisman," Bush said Thursday.

"We left multiple messages for Michael Comerford, the President of the Heisman Trust but instead received a call from Rob Whalen, the Executive Director, who stated that Mr. Comerford would not be calling us back and that, in any event, they could not help us."

Bush said he also called the NCAA over the matter, but received "no help or got no response at all."

There has been a massive campaign to get Bush his trophy back -- fellow Heisman winner Johnny Manziel voiced his support on Wednesday with a tweet.

"Give Reggie Bush his Heisman back while we’re at it," Johnny said.

Ex-NFL receiver Torrey Smith added ... "Just like America needs to right it’s wrongs with Marijuana convictions, the NCAA needs to make things right with @ReggieBush!"

Reggie stated his case on the matter ... saying, "It is my strong belief that I won the Heisman trophy 'solely' due to my hard work and dedication on the football field and it is also my firm belief that my records should be reinstated."

College athletes will FINALLY be able to rake in money off their name, image and likeness ... with the NCAA making the groundbreaking decision Wednesday to suspend its current rules.

The NCAA's board of directors voted to implement an interim policy starting Thursday ... which will allow all incoming and current student-athletes to start cashing in on endorsement deals immediately.

NCAA president Mark Emmert released a statement on the decision ... saying, "This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities."

"With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level.

"The current environment -- both legal and legislative -- prevents us from providing a more permanent solution and the level of detail student-athletes deserve."

The organization says the temporary policy will remain in place for all three divisions until new federal legislation or NCAA rules are adopted.

Players still will not be able to be paid as a direct result of their athletic performance ... but this now allows them to make money off opportunities like signing autographs, social media deals, advertisements and camps.

The decision comes right as several states were set to make it illegal to follow the NCAA's rules preventing student-athletes from these money-making opportunities.

Most impressive fan catch EVER??

A spectator at the Dallas Baptist vs. Virginia game made an insane head's-up play on Monday ... by not only snagging a home run ball -- but recording it on his phone at the same time!!

It all went down in the Columbia Super Regional matchup just minutes ago ... where a trip to the College World Series is on the line.

The game has been filled with highlight plays, but the biggest of all came when Jackson Glenn hit his 2-run dinger to put the Patriots up early in the 3rd inning ... with the fan snagging the ball in the left-field stands!!

Of course, the folks at ESPN tracked the fan down and got the footage he captured ... and it's pretty wild!!

The fan got a ton of praise from the guys in the booth, too ... saying, "That's just pre-determined knowledge of what's about to happen in the game."

"It's a smart baseball fan there!"

The kid's a natural with the glove ... so we gotta assume he's a baseball superstar for his local club.