Red Raider Soccer sweeps Lincoln County

Cornerback Mark Zackery IV committed to Notre Dame's 2025 class on Saturday, keeping a four-star in-state prospect at home. Zackery is ranked by the 247Sports composite as the No. 15 cornerback in the class. He plays at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. Zackery told the Indianapolis Star that he was sure of his decision, despite a number of Power Five suitors. "I was going to wait it out to take official visits just to have that experience," he said, "but I felt like there was no need for me to go to the other places when I know where my heart is and where I want to be. I know things change and there's a lot going on with the transfer portal and things like that, but Notre Dame feels like the place for me." The 6-foot Zackery played both offense and defense for Ben Davis last season when the school won the Class 6A state championship but projects as a college cornerback. He also plays basketball at Ben Davis and will enroll at Notre Dame in June so that he can have another hoops season. Will he be a two-sport participant for Notre Dame? "I've been talking to (Notre Dame basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry) about possibly playing basketball, too," Zackery told the newspaper. "That's something to take into consideration. But very slowly with that because I know it's a big load in college. But it's something to take into consideration because basketball means a lot to me." Notre Dame currently has the No. 1 class in the 2025 recruiting cycle, as ranked by 247Sports. The ranking is based on bulk. The Irish have 22 commits while the No. 2 program, Ohio State, has 12, including three five-star prospects. --Field Level Media

The Pac-12 Network signed off from a live broadcast for the final time late Friday as the conference will cease to exist in advance of the 2024-25 school year. Roxy Bernstein, one of the network's original broadcasters going back to 2012, delivered a heartfelt message for both the network and his personal journey. Bernstein was a Cal grad who started as the Golden Bears' basketball play-by-play announcer before moving to the conference's television network. "Tonight, I have the honor and the responsibility to say goodbye because this is the final broadcast on Pac-12 Network" Bernstein said. According to the San Jose Mercury News, the network will run previously aired content until June 30 and then cease operation. The production studio, moved from San Francisco to nearby San Ramon, will remain in operation in case it is needed "to assist Washington State and Oregon State." The two Pacific Northwest schools were the only two that did not leave the Pac-12 for a different conference on their own. Both were forced to depart, though, and will be affiliate members of the West Coast Conference for the next two academic years. Washington State and Oregon State also have a scheduling agreement for the 2024 football season with the Mountain West Conference. The remaining 10 schools in the conference all departed for the Big Ten, the Big 12 or Atlantic Coast Conference. The final live segment on the Pac-12 Network showed a montage of significant moments, starting with the broadcaster's launch on Aug. 15, 2012. "We hope we did justice to your stories that truly make this the conference of champions," Bernstein said. "... It has been a fantastic run and we have had an absolute blast bringing you these games. As my good friend Bill Walton says, ‘Thank you for my life.'" --Field Level Media

Pac-12 Network signs off from final live broadcast

Former first-round draft pick Billy Price announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday morning due to the potential of complications from a blood clot. Price, a center, last played in the league with the Arizona Cardinals during the 2022 season. "In the blink of an eye, everything can be taken away," Price wrote on Instagram. "On April 24th I had emergency pulmonary embolism surgery to remove a saddle clot that was entering both of my lungs. As a healthy 29 year old, an unprovoked pulmonary embolism with no further medical explanation is terrifying. I am truly thankful to be alive today. "Unfortunately, I will be retiring from the NFL as the risk of an internal bleed while on blood thinners creates tremendous risk." Price played in 69 career games (45 starts) with the Bengals, New York Giants and Cardinals since being selected by Cincinnati with the 21st overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. With the Buckeyes, he won the Rimington Trophy, which honors the nation's top center, in 2017. --Field Level Media

Ex-UCLA guard Will McClendon is transferring to San Jose State for the 2024-25 season. "Will McClendon brings the type of character and talent we need at San Jose State," Spartans coach Tim Miles said. "He is a two-way guard that can make plays with the ball in his hand or off the ball. He has competed at a high level in high school and college. Defensively, Will has the ability to guard multiple positions and adds much needed flexibility in our backcourt. We are very excited to have Will on board." 247Sports ranked the 6-foot-3 McClendon as a four-star prospect in the Class of 2021 out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He missed the 2021-22 season due to an injury. He appeared in 60 games for the Bruins, including all 33 in the 2023-24 season when he averaged 4.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists. San Jose State was 9-23 (2-16 Mountain West Conference) last season. --Field Level Media

Travis Kelce weighs in on Harrison Butker commencement speech

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said he doesn't agree with the "majority" of Harrison Butker's recent controversial comments but noted that he will not judge his teammate for it. Butker caused a stir during his 20-minute commencement address on May 11 at Benedictine College, which is a Catholic school in Atchison, Kan. He addressed the female graduates in attendance and spoke against the "diabolical lies" society places on women who emphasize their careers over motherhood. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said on Wednesday that he did not "necessarily agree with" Butker's comments but noted he was going to "judge him by the character he shows every single day." Kelce had a similar take on the matter while speaking Friday on his "New Heights" podcast. "He's treated friends and family that I've introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness," Kelce said of Butker. "And that's how he treats everyone. When it comes down to his views and what he said (in his) commencement speech, those are his. "I can't say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids. And I don't think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that's just not who I am." Kelce did not address the part of Butker's speech in which the kicker quoted a Taylor Swift lyric. Butker said, "As my teammate's girlfriend says, 'familiarity breeds contempt'" -- which references Swift's song "Bejeweled." --Field Level Media

Toledo men's basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk agreed to terms on a contract that extends through the 2027-28 season, the university announced Friday. Financial terms were not disclosed. Kowalczyk, 57, has coached the Rockets for the last 14 seasons. He has guided the school to four consecutive Mid-American Conference championships and seven in the last 11 campaigns. "Tod and his coaching staff have developed and maintained a culture at Toledo that has resulted in strong academic performances and four consecutive regular-season MAC titles," Toledo vice president and director of athletics Bryan B. Blair said. "Even more impressive, they have done it with young men who represent all that is great about the University of Toledo. We are fortunate to have Tod leading our program for many years to come, and he and I are both committed to elevating our men's basketball program to even greater heights moving forward." Kowalczyk led the Rockets to a 20-12 record last season. He has posted a 278-181 mark with Toledo after notching a 136-112 record in eight seasons with Wisconsin-Green Bay (2002-10). "I am extremely grateful to outgoing president (Gregory) Postel, interim president Matt Schroeder and Bryan Blair for their confidence in our program," Kowalczyk said. "We have earned this contract extension due to the hard work of our outstanding assistant coaches and talented student-athletes, both on the court and in the classroom. ... We will strive to continue to be one of the top mid-major programs in the country and continue to bring more championships to Toledo." --Field Level Media

The SEC and Pac-12 joined the three other power conferences - the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 - and the NCAA in agreeing on a multi-billion-dollar settlement that would allow schools to directly pay student-athletes for the first time in NCAA history, ESPN reported on Thursday. "The five autonomy conferences and the NCAA agreeing to settlement terms is an important step in the continuing reform of college sports that will provide benefits to student-athletes and provide clarity in college athletics across all divisions for years to come," NCAA president Charlie Baker and the five power conference commissioners said in a joint statement Thursday evening. With the NCAA's board agreeing to the terms of the settlement -- which would also resolve three federal antitrust cases -- former college athletes are one step closer to getting over $2.7 billion in back damages over the next decade because of previous restrictions on name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. Future athletes also would benefit, as the Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten -- three of the defendants in the case -- are hoping to put a system in place that would give schools the power to pay them about $20 million per year in permissive revenue sharing. Such payments wouldn't start until fall of 2025. The ACC and Big 12 accepted the terms of the settlement on Tuesday. The Big Ten joined in on Wednesday. Per the terms of the agreement, athletes won't be able to sue the NCAA in future antitrust lawsuits and must drop their complaints in three current lawsuits: Carter v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and House v. NCAA. Former Colorado football player Alex Fontenot's lawsuit against the NCAA is not included in this pending settlement. Fontenot's suit is regarding how the NCAA shares TV revenues with players. The settlement is not yet official as it requires the approval of U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, who is presiding over the three antitrust cases. Also, if players choose to join Fontenot's lawsuit, the settlement agreed on by the NCAA and Power 5 could be rendered null and void. --Field Level Media