Less than a week has passed since NCAA Division I schools were able to directly pay players—and the chaos has already started.

ESPN reported Friday that five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo committed to Texas Tech over football powerhouses Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, and Florida. Ojo reportedly received a fully guaranteed deal worth $5.1 million over three years. Derrick Shelby, Ojo’s agent, informed ESPN of the figures.

The deal is one of the biggest under the revenue-sharing system, and is close to the contract OT Jackson Cantwell signed with the University of Miami earlier this year. That was worth $2 million annually with incentives, according to 247Sports, though it was signed before the House v. NCAA settlement was approved in early June. 

However, The Athletic reported Saturday that Texas Tech officials said the revenue-sharing contract was worth $775,000 annually over the same period for a total of $2.3 million. The deal could reportedly climb to $5 million if there is an increase in the revenue cap ($20.5 million for this year) or if cap regulations are not strictly enforced. 

The difference in reported figures showcases the overarching uncertainty surrounding the new rules, much like what happened when the NCAA first changed the NIL (name, image, and likeness) rules in 2021. 

Texas Tech Spends Big

Regardless of the exact number Ojo will receive, his decision to commit to Texas Tech highlights the school’s continued commitment to football as the NCAA enters a salary-capped era.

The Red Raiders reportedly spent more than $10 million on 17 players during the winter transfer portal. Earlier this year, the school officially opened the Womble Football Center, a 340,000-square-foot practice facility that cost $242 million.

In June, Cody Campbell, co-founder of Texas Tech NIL collective Matador Club, told The Athletic that the school was prepared to spend an estimated $55 million in revenue-sharing dollars and NIL money across all sports next year.

This likely includes the softball program, which fell a game short of winning the Women’s College World Series last month. It’s unclear how much of a slice of the revenue-sharing pot softball will receive, as many expect the majority of the Division I programs to prioritize football, men’s basketball, and, to a lesser extent, women’s basketball.

The July 4 weekend brought some proverbial fireworks towards WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.

Collier, the 2025 MVP frontrunner, replied to a viral tweet which suggested that Unrivaled—the league she founded alongside her husband, Alex Bazzell, and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart—would benefit from a WNBA lockout. Collier and Stewart are board members of the WNBPA.

“[Collier and Stewart] are the ones leading CBA negotiations? How do you negotiate in good faith?” wrote X user Evelyn DR, whose handle is @prettygirle2004, around 1 a.m. ET on Saturday. 

The tweet had about 1.5 million views and more than 1,200 likes as of Sunday afternoon. (The poster initially labeled Stewart as the WNBPA president, a role held by Nneka Ogumike of the Seattle Storm, before making a correction in the tweet’s thread.)

Collier responded on Saturday afternoon, insinuating that a WNBA lockout would mean players would lose money.

“While everyone else was enjoying fireworks, you were thinking about how me and & Stewie of all people are conspiring to force a lockout that would result in less money year-round for WNBA players?” Collier’s tweet read.

Front Office Sports reporter Annie Costabile asked Stewart about the potential conflict of interest Saturday, and the two-time WNBA MVP said that WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson has not brought up any issues with the roles of the two Unrivaled cofounders.

“If [Jackson] was to think that it would be a conflict of interest, then she would let us know. But I don’t see how or why when we’re just trying to both uplift and amplify both leagues to play together,” Stewart said. 

Unrivaled is the 3-on-3 women’s professional basketball league that played its inaugural season in January. The league has 30 roster spots and each player was paid a six-figure salary, while the average salary per player was more than $200,000. The minimum WNBA salary in 2025 is $66,079 while fewer than 25 players make an average annual value of at least $200,000, according to Spotrac.

The WNBPA is fighting for larger salaries for its next CBA, which would start next season if the two sides can come to an agreement. FOS reported Wednesday that the union rejected the WNBA’s first CBA proposal, sent over the prior week. 

Satou Sabally, a union representative for the Phoenix Mercury, called the proposal a “slap in the face” when speaking to the media Tuesday.

Stewart said Saturday that the discussions between the two sides “haven’t even gotten to that point of talking about anything further than salary.”

FOS reporter Annie Costabile contributed to this story.

The WNBA’s All-Star reserves were announced on Sunday, with the Storm’s Skylar Diggins and the Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas headlining the group set to join the league’s 10 starters in Indiana later this month. 

Each player will receive a $2,575 bonus for their participation, regardless of whether they are a starter or a reserve or if their team wins the exhibition game on July 19. The All-Star MVP earns a $5,150 bonus in addition to the amount earned for their selection. The winners of the All-Star 3-point and skills competitions also receive a payout of $2,575 from the league. 

Last year, Aflac announced a partnership with the players union to provide a $55,000 boost to the All-Star bonuses for winners of the individual competitions. Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray won both competitions in 2024 and went home with $115,150 in bonuses from Aflac and the league. Her 2024 salary was $185,000. 

The insurance company extended its partnership with the WNBPA for the 2025 All-Star game, raising its overall purse from $110,000 to $115,000. The winner of the 3-point contest is set to receive $60,000, while the winner of the skills competition will receive $55,000. 

The WNBA’s All-Star bonus is 2.10% of the league’s average salary, which is $117,133 according to a report from The Athletic. By comparison, the NBA’s All-Star bonus—which changed this year with the league’s new format—saw players earn $125,000 if they were on the winning team. This was 1.35% of the league’s average salary for the 2024-25 season, which was $9,191,285. The runners-up earned $50,000 apiece, and the two teams that missed the final earned $25,000 per player. 

“There’s room for reconstruction,” WNBPA President and 10-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike said. “[All-Star bonuses] are another component of the salary and compensation in terms of performance bonuses. What we’re looking to do is not just have a percentage of a higher salary. We’re looking for a revenue share that is reflective across the board for all players. So, as an All-Star, I definitely know, feel, and expect to be able to be rewarded in a much better way.” 

The WNBPA is in the midst of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement after opting out of the last CBA in October. At the top of the players’ pursuits in negotiations are improvements to the revenue-sharing model and increased salaries. 

The union rejected the league’s first proposal, which they received in June. Phoenix Mercury forward and three-time All-Star Satou Sabally described it as “a slap in the face.” Both sides have a scheduled meeting during All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. 

The deadline for both parties to reach a new agreement is October 31.

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, died in a tragic car accident in Spain on Thursday—just two weeks after Jota married his wife, Rute Cardoso. 

The club will pay out the remainder of the 28-year-old’s contract to his family, according to a report by Portuguese newspaper Record. Jota’s wife and three kids should receive close to $20 million, as the forward had two years remaining on a five-year deal worth about $9.94 million per year (£7.28 million), according to Spotrac.

Liverpool also released a statement saying Jota’s No. 20 jersey would be “rightfully immortalized.” It’s unclear if that means The Reds intend to retire his jersey.

Jota spent five years playing for Liverpool, scoring 65 goals in 182 games. He helped the club win four titles: one FA Cup, two EFL Cups, and, most recently, the 2024–25 Premier League.

He played 49 games for the Portuguese national team—excluding the 30 games he played for the country’s various youth squads—and scored 14 goals. He won two UEFA Nations League titles with Portugal, including one this past May.

Silva, who was 25, was a midfielder for FC Penafiel of Liga Portugal 2.

Several of Jota’s teammates were in attendance for the funeral of the two brothers on Saturday in Gondomar, Portugal. The Liverpool contingent included team captain Virgil Van Dijk and coach Arne Slot. Portugal national team coach Roberto Martinez was also in attendance, along with stars Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernándes. 

According to the Associated Press, Spanish police are still investigating the crash, though the belief is that their vehicle lost control due to a blown tire. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.