Thursday, October 22, 2026

Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith Proves Why She’s a $1M Star

  • She is the first Cardinals women’s player with four consecutive 20-point NCAA tournament games.
  • The Cardinals are seeking the program’s first title after reaching the 2009 and 2013 title games.
Scott Utterback-USA TODAY NETWORK/Design: John Regula

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Louisville rode the hot hand of its own superstar sophomore on Monday to punch its ticket to the women’s Final Four — the fourth in school history.

Hailey Van Lith — the first Cardinal women’s player with four consecutive 20-point tournament games — finished with 22, three rebounds, and two steals as the 1-seed topped Michigan 62-50.

Van Lith continues to establish herself as one of the nation’s top players — and one of the most marketable, who could be worth an estimated $1 million in NIL rights.

  • Van Lith, the first Louisville athlete with a jersey for sale, averages 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
  • In August 2021, she became the first women’s college basketball player to sign an NIL representation deal with Octagon Sports & Entertainment Agency.
  • She has agreements with Adidas, Twitch, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Ready Nutrition, among others.
  • Among all remaining March Madness players, she has the second-highest earning potential per social media post ($44.2K) behind UConn’s Paige Bueckers. 

The Cardinals are seeking the program’s first title after reaching the 2009 and 2013 title games.

Of the remaining four teams, Louisville has the worst odds (+850) to win the title, though at Van Lith’s best — when she scores 20-plus — the Cardinals are a perfect 11-0.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Enes Kanter Freedom Leaves WNBA Finals Over Seating Dispute

Kanter and the team were feuding over his Game 3 seat.

LSU Won’t Roster Ex-NBA Player As SEC Legal Battle Continues

Louisiana AG Liz Murrill called again for the SEC’s lawsuit to be dismissed.

NBC, USA Claim Record Audience for Start of WNBA Finals

The Finals are tied 1–1 with the series shifting to Atlanta.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/22/26 – Rays-Brewers Can’t Stop Lockout, $771 to Watch NBA, Jaguars Fans’ Afterlife

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?
Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby looks on during the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Cincinnati’s $1M Sorsby Lawsuit Hangs Over Texas Tech Showdown

One of the biggest offseason storylines returns to the spotlight on Saturday.
Kentucky's Jason Patterson (26) gets by Oklahoma's Owen Heinecke (38) in the second half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Kentucky Wildcats at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Oct., 17, 2026.
First at FOS
October 22, 2026

Inside the First College Sports Super PAC

The PAC launched last month and hasn’t yet reported any donations.
Oct 10, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks on before the game between the Sooners and the Longhorns at Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
October 22, 2026

Arch Manning’s Slump Clouds His Draft Stock, Texas’s Investment

Draft analysts now question whether Manning should declare—or transfer.
Sponsored

Blake Griffin’s Plan for Media Domination

The former NBA star is building a second act across media & entertainment.
Oct 11, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley walks the sidelines during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
October 21, 2026

Maryland Breaks Ice With $10M Mike Locksley Firing

$4.9 million is due to Locksley within 60 days.
October 20, 2026

Army-Navy Could Shift Dates to Accommodate 24-Team CFP

The game could take place the Saturday left open without conference championships.
October 18, 2026

Big-Money Upsets Shake Up College Football

Half of the AP Poll top 10 lost in a single day.
October 17, 2026

Michigan Benches Its Multimillion-Dollar Quarterback

Underwood’s benching comes after two first-half interceptions.