Danielle Lerner

Inside the NIL hack funneling Nike, Adidas money to NCAA blue bloods' athletes The NCAA's prestige programs have found creative ways to funnel more NIL money to their athletes. Apparel companies are among their biggest partners.

Finding ways to exceed the revenue-share limit for athlete payments by getting “above-the-cap dollars,” is all the rage these days in college athletics.

The newest hack: Apparel giants like Adidas and Nike are using school supplier contracts to funnel NIL money to athletes.

'Extremely discouraging.' Ex-Iowa State gymnast reacts to AD's comments on canceled season Haylee Young, one Iowa State's most decorated gymnasts, pushed back against athletic director’s comments regarding what led to season's cancellation.

NEW: Haylee Young, a former Iowa State gymnast and assistant coach, fires back at AD Jamie Pollard's comments about problems within the program that led to the season's cancellation.

"The sport is not the catalyst of the culture, as his statement appears to imply," Young wrote.

More here:

Today’s office: UConn vs. Providence

BREAKING: Team USA defeats Canada 2-1 in overtime at the 2026 Winter Olympics to capture gold, marking the Americans’ first Olympic gold medal since 2018.

Hockey making me emotional 🥹

I love sports so much

A BACKWARDS THROUGH-THE-LEGS GOAL ARE YOU KIDDING ME HILARY KNIGHT

Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard explains decision to end gymnastics season Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard said the school canceled its gymnastics season due to "unreconcilable differences" between athletes, coaches and parents.

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

NEW: Hours after our story published earlier today, Iowa State's AD sent a letter to Cyclone gymnasts and their families saying "unreconcilable differences" led to the season's cancellation.

He alleges "recurring conflict" over an "extended period."

Read the full letter here (link in next post):

Iowa State gymnasts uneasy about future, have unanswered questions The cancellation of the remainder of Iowa State's gymnastics season leaves athletes anxious about their future and with unanswered questions.

Since Iowa State administrators are being vague about the future of the gymnastics program, we dove into the finances:
- Per Iowa State’s 2025 financial report to NCAA, gymnastics lost $1.4M
- Football, MBB only ISU sports that didn't lose $
- ISU athletics facing $147M budget deficit through 2031

Iowa State gymnasts uneasy about future, have unanswered questions The cancellation of the remainder of Iowa State's gymnastics season leaves athletes anxious about their future and with unanswered questions.

New from me, @travishines21.bsky.social & @tommybirch.bsky.social: One week after Iowa State canceled its gymnastics season, gymnasts and alumni are still in the dark seeking answers.

“My daughter has no idea what her future holds,” one gymnast’s parent said. www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Agree or disagree? This contestant on the new “Love Is Blind” season, Connor, is Luka Doncic’s doppelgänger

Olympic athletes get paid less than you think. Here’s how they make ends meet The majority of Team USA athletes don't get paid to complete. Some earn as little as...

Olympic wrestling gold medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock has started a fundraiser for her mom’s Houston area food truck, a gift from Tamyra after her win at the Tokyo Games.

Tamyra spoke to me for this story about how competing to Team USA comes at a price: www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports...

Worth noting that Iowa State head coach Ashley Miles Greig’s contract is up June 30, 2026, the athletic department confirmed to USA TODAY.

What to know about Iowa State gymnastics canceling remainder of season Here's what we know about the Iowa State gymnastics situation.

After canceling the rest of the season, will Iowa State have gymnastics in 2027?

"Right now, the focus is on supporting the young women in our program. We have not yet shifted our attention beyond caring for these young women during this period.”

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

2026 Winter Olympics live updates: Lindsey Vonn crashes early in the Olympic women’s downhill Lindsey Vonn is preparing to race the Olympic downhill on Sunday at the Milan Cortina Winter Games after completing two successful training runs in a row on Saturday. What to know and how to watch the race.

BREAKING: Breezy Johnson wins gold in women's downhill at Milan Cortina Olympics, the first medal for the U.S., after Lindsey Vonn crashes.

Include yourself in that list, Tom, even if it was only a short stint. So sorry this is happening.

A staggering statement from former Washington Post editor Marty Baron: "This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations."

Not great news as Lindsey Vonn crashes and injures left knee in last downhill before the Olympics.
This will be updated

It is ridiculous that this has dragged on this long. But Jordan Chiles is one step closer to having the saga of her bronze medal from Paris resolved.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is still contemplating an Olympic double at the L.A. Games in 2028, even though the Games' schedule makes it difficult.

"I wouldn't say it's in the back of my mind. I think it's always towards the front, to be honest," she said. www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Oh, it’s getting real now! Our “Chasing Gold” profiles are rolling out beginning today, and we of course start with Mikaela Shiffrin.

Shiffrin’s Olympic career has had highest highs (two gold medals) and lowest lows (Beijing), complicating her view of the Games.

In the last 18 months, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke a world record, pivoted to a new event and won a world title.

Now, she's hitting pause.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist discussed her pregnancy, plans for LA 2028 and her dad's health struggles:
www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Just wanted to take a minute, for no particular reason whatsoever, and celebrate some of the brilliant work that my
@postsports.bsky.social colleagues have done in recent weeks.

These stories take time and resources. They're also what make The Post so great. All gift links/free to read...

It has never been more important to understand what is happening in our world, and @washingtonpost.com's foreign reporters regularly sacrifice their own wellbeing and safety to bring us those vital stories. I'm so proud to share a newsroom with them. We need them more than ever. #SavethePost

“Why did God let this happen to me?”

A family is suing after an Aramark worker allegedly assaulted their 8-year-old son at NRG Stadium.

“There’s a lot of people here that need to look within and are ultimately responsible for this,” the boy’s father told USA TODAY. www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Why changing transfer portal window won't stop agents from tampering The transfer portal window for college basketball is moving and shrinking. But coaches like Jeff Walz and Carly Thibault-DuDonis still have concerns.

The transfer portal window for college basketball is moving and shrinking. But coaches like Jeff Walz and Carly Thibault-DuDonis still have concerns.

Can you measure Victor Wembanyama’s height in Oreos? How does birth order affect NBA performance? Which zodiac sign is the best at basketball?

The NBA Research & Development Department has answers.

Inside the offbeat experiments taking over social media: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

How Indiana saved college football by becoming a bully and winning national title The story of a lifetime: Indiana's unthinkable path to college football greatness provided a blueprint to saving the sport.

The story of a lifetime: Indiana's unthinkable path to college football greatness provided a blueprint to saving the sport.

Can you measure Victor Wembanyama’s height in Oreos? How does birth order affect NBA performance? Which zodiac sign is the best at basketball?

The NBA Research & Development Department has answers.

Inside the offbeat experiments taking over social media: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Varun brought curiosity and professionalism to the Wizards beat and I know he’ll continue to do the same on the Rockets beat for the Chronicle. Give him a follow.