NCAA investigating Florida over failed NIL deal with Rashada
Florida is under NCAA investigation a year after a failed name, image and likeness deal worth more than $13 million with former signee Jaden Rashada of Pittsburg.
The Gators released the NCAA's notice of inquiry Friday to the Associated Press and the Tampa Bay Times.
The NCAA's letter, dated June 9, 2023, is addressed to school president Ben Sasse and states the NCAA enforcement staff has begun an investigation into the football program.
Names of investigators were redacted, and Rashada was not mentioned.
The NCAA asked the school not to conduct its own investigation and said it would notify the institution “soon regarding the projected timeline of the investigation.”
Rashada, who threw for 5,275 yards and 59 touchdowns in high school in Pittsburg, was granted his release on Jan. 20 and later signed with father's alma mater, Arizona State.
Rashada bailed on Florida after the Gator Collective — an independent fundraising group that's loosely tied to the university and pays student-athletes for use of their name, image and likeness — failed to honor a multiyear deal that was signed by both sides.
ELSEWHERE Sports Illustrated planning layoffs
The jobs of people who produce Sports Illustrated were in limbo Friday after the company that paid to maintain the iconic brand's print and digital products told staff that its license was revoked.
In an email to employees Friday morning, the Arena Group, which operates Sports Illustrated and related properties, said that because of the revocation, "we will be laying off staff that work on the SI brand.”
Authentic later said in a statement it intends to keep Sports Illustrated going.
The company is negotiating with Arena and other publishing entities to determine who will do that, according to a person with knowledge of the talks who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about them.
Sports Illustrated's employee union said in a statement that the layoffs initially announced by Arena would be a significant number and possibly all, of the NewsGuild workers.
Golf: Jack Burke Jr., who was the oldest living Masters champion and staged the greatest comeback ever at Augusta National for one of his two majors, died Friday in Houston. He was 100.
Burke, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, also won the PGA Championship.
In 1956, when he was the PGA player of the year, Burke started the final round of the Masters eight shots behind Ken Venturi. Burke posted a 1-under 71 for a one-shot victory over Venturi.
MLB: Hard-throwing reliever Josh Hader and the Houston Astros agreed to a $95 million, fiveyear contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press.
College football: Ohio State has hired former Houston Texans and Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien as its new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.