Why on earth is Oklahoma playing at Temple?

Hi everyone,

It’s the Saturday of Week 3 of the college football season, and before you start tailgating or settling in for 12 hours on your couch, we’ve got a whole bunch of recommended reading for you, about everything from an interesting NIL donation to the SCORE Act to the most confusing matchup you might see scrolling across your ticker today: Temple-Oklahoma.

Without further ado …

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THE BIG 3

Ohio State’s president talks conference revenue sharing

Beginning this academic year, the ACC adopted an unequal revenue-sharing model, rewarding schools with higher men’s basketball and football viewership — and earlier this week, Ohio State president Ted Carter spoke at length to USA Today about his school’s place in the college sports landscape, touching on how that model might be relevant to its conference in the future. 

“I don't want to get into the type of conversations that are happening inside the Big Ten,” Carter said. “… When new members join the conference, they don't always come in at the same share. … That's the way our media rights deals are set up. That's how we're set up for now.”

“I will say that there's only a couple of schools that really represent the biggest brands in the Big Ten, and you can see that by the TV viewership,” he added, pointing out that the Ohio State-Texas game in Week 1 brought in an average viewership of 16.6 million making it the most-watched opening game in history. “So, that's what happens when you put the Ohio State brand out there.”

Obviously, Carter doesn’t make the conference rules, and there are several more years before television rights deals expire. But it’s interesting to hear his thoughts on the subject, and understandable that he’d want to point out Ohio State’s power with one of college sports’ premier conferences.

Why on earth is Oklahoma playing at Temple?

At noon ET today, the Sooners will kick off a road game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia against Temple, a team that won just 13 combined games over the past five seasons — though the Owls have started this season with two straight Ws. Ahead of the unconventional matchup, the Athletic broke down how the game came to be and outlined why such a quirk of the college football schedule won’t become commonplace.

Nearly a decade ago, when Matt Rhule was still Temple’s coach and the school was getting used to double-digit wins each season, it hatched a plan: Attract big-name opponents for home games, and maybe the school would build its team a stadium. Oklahoma bit, accepting a two-for-one series.

Since then, Temple’s fortunes have changed, and there is no new stadium — and no plans for one. But the game is still a big opportunity for the program to sell tickets and take a moment on the national stage.

NIL money as a donation … to a player’s former school

Plenty of college athletes have donated NIL money to causes and organizations they care about — and plenty have transferred in search of a bigger payday. Those two forces meet in the story of Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson, who played three years of college hoops at Sam Houston State before transferring. 

Now, Wilkerson has donated six figures of his NIL earnings to his former school, according to Field of 68.

“I did it out of love,” Wilkerson said. “I was there for three years, so it was home for me. I built a family with a lot of people and a lot of donors. I gave back because I want to see that program strive, keep seeing them get better. I was willing to help.”

NIL BLITZ

♦️ New York Magazine wrote about the enrollment cliff, and though the story’s about higher education, not just sports, it’s a fascinating read.

♦️ Chipotle launched the Caleb Downs Bowl.

♦️ Here’s the latest with the SCORE Act, plus some good analysis about why it has college sports on edge.

♦️ There are many ways to optimize a college basketball roster in 2025.

♦️ A Miami University (Ohio) volleyball player is raising awareness about diabetes through an NIL deal.

♦️ Paige Bueckers talked about how NIL deals have changed the landscape for professional women’s hoopers.

♦️ Money has changed college sports — but in the end, it couldn’t kill this historic rivalry.

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Have you ever learned about a brand because a golfer was wearing it on his or her shirt (or hat, or sweat towel, or bag)?

• Yes - 37%

• No - 47%

• Yes, and I’ve gone on to buy stuff from that brand - 16%