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When the league’s coaches put pen to paper and hand you eight out of a possible eight first-place votes, you aren’t just the favorite. You’re the target.

That is the reality facing the Eastern Kentucky volleyball program as it heads into the 2026 campaign. The United Athletic Conference made it official on Tuesday from its Arlington headquarters: the road to a league title runs squarely through Richmond.

EKU topped the preseason poll with 80 total points, outpacing second-place Central Arkansas (70) and third-place Tarleton State (66). But the prognostications didn't stop with team accolades, the Colonels dominated the individual honors across the board.

A Decorated Core

Emilee Hill (Senior Setter): Named Preseason Player of the Year and a unanimous choice for Preseason Setter of the Year. An AVCA Honorable Mention All-American in 2025, Hill was a walking triple-double machine (10 total) while averaging 5.89 assists, 3.16 digs, and 2.62 kills per set.

Cassidy Trahan (Sophomore Libero): Selected as the unanimous Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The Pittsburgh native anchored the back row a year ago, leading the league with 4.19 digs per set.

Addison Burke (Sophomore Outside Hitter): Joined Hill and Trahan on the seven-member Preseason All-UAC Team, coming off a freshman campaign where she posted 3.19 kills per set and proved to be one of the league's premier server threats.

Coming off a 2025 season that saw them reach the conference tournament title match, the Colonels won’t have to wait long to see how that preseason billing translates to the floor against top competition.

They open the year this weekend right here in Lexington at Kentucky's Bluegrass Battle, facing South Florida on Friday before turning around against Utah State on Saturday. High expectations are one thing in August; proving them over the next three months is where the real story begins.

Check the temperature, Kyla Dawn is out here running the whole yard. The Dallas freshman just copped SEC Freshman of the Week honors, and the tape doesn't lie.

The Work: 3 goals, 2 dimes, and 8 total points in blowout wins over Kent State (5-2) and Dayton (5-0). She bagged two of them snipes in a lightning-fast 12 minutes.

The Numbers: She’s pacing the entire Kentucky squad in points (10), goals (4), assists (2), and a filthy 87.5% shot accuracy. Pure speed, pure pressure.

The Competition: Shoutout Florida’s Kyra Taylor (Offensive) and Jayden Emmanuel (Defensive) getting their flowers, but Dawn’s the main event.

Next Up:
Kentucky travels to Ohio State this Thursday, Aug. 27 at 7 PM ET, then runs it back home against Wright State on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 7 PM ET. Pull up, every 2026 home match is 100% free ninety-nine. Certified street credit!

LSU's 12 Nike NIL Deals and Recruiting Edge
LSU is Nike's test case for a whole new NIL model, and that's why they are lapping the field.

What Blue Ribbon Elite actually is:

In December 2025, Nike and LSU announced a long-term extension that runs through 2036. Built into that extension was a first-of-its-kind program: Blue Ribbon Elite.

Nike described it as a "new collective within Nike that will feature 10 LSU athletes". It's not just a check and free shoes, the language is "monetary and product-based contractual deals" plus "collaborations with product innovation, brand campaigns and creative designs for each athlete".

Nike EVP Global Sports Marketing Ann Miller said launching it with one school is "a chance to see how a move like this could work elsewhere", meaning LSU is the launchpad. Though Nike has numerous individual NIL deals, this was their first move to "leverage the brand of a particular program".

The initial 10 announced in December:
Football: DJ Pickett and Trey'Dez Green
Gymnastics: Kailin Chio
Baseball: Derek Curiel and Casan Evans
Softball: Tori Edwards and Jayden Heavener
Volleyball: Jurnee Robinson
Mens Basketball: Dedan Thomas
Womens Basketball: ZaKiyah Johnson

LSU's pitch is it also includes a gymnast, two baseball players, two softball players, a volleyball player, and one men's and one women's basketball player, so Nike evaluates NIL "across a broad athletic ecosystem rather than focusing exclusively on revenue sports."

How they got to 12 football deals:

That initial 10 was just the launch. By SEC Media Days in July 2026, Lane Kiffin was openly using it as a recruiting pitch:

"We have 12 football players that have NIL deals with Nike. No school in America has more than eight,"

Same quote was reported as: "We have 12 football players that have NIL deals with Nike. No school in America has more than eight. So think about the difference of that as branding about coming to LSU".

The expanded 2026 list leaked on shows covering it includes returning stars like Harlem Berry, Caden Durham, Whit Weeks plus newcomers and portal additions like Jordan Seaton, Husan Longstreet, Lamar Brown, Princewill Umanmielen and Ty Benefield.

The biggest signal: Jordan Seaton, LSU's massive offensive tackle transfer from Colorado, is described as "the first offensive lineman ever to sign a Nike deal — a multi-million dollar deal". That's huge because Nike had almost exclusively been skill-position guys before.

Why no other program has more than 8:

LSU is the only Blue Ribbon Elite school. Nike has a total roster of nearly 50 collegiate athletes, but only LSU has the structured, school-based collective. Everyone else is still getting one-off individual Nike NIL deals.

It's built to build the roster. The USA Today framing: "Nike signed on to help build the LSU... to literally help build the roster. There are 12 LSU players with Nike NIL deals. No other college football team has more than eight."

Brand + Kiffin effect. Kiffin himself told reporters LSU is "one of the most polarizing brands in America... with the purple and gold being felt around the world". WSJ noted from the moment Kiffin landed, "the nation's top transfers—from Ohio State, Oregon and, yes, Ole Miss, leapt into the portal and made a beeline for LSU". Nike wants to attach to that visibility.

Adidas has tried something similar with NIL components at Tennessee and Penn State, but Nike's version with LSU is the first at this scale and length, and LSU locked it in through 2036 before anyone else could copy it.

In short: 10 to start as proof-of-concept in Dec 2025, expanded to 12 football-only by summer 2026 after Kiffin brought a #1 portal class, and because it's a formal Nike collective rather than scattered deals, no one else can stack more than 8 individual deals right now.

If Malachi Moreno takes that classic sophomore jump this season, the rest of the SEC is in serious trouble.

Year 1 was just him getting his feet wet. Year 2 is where he takes over the paint. You can just tell this kid wants to do something special for his home state.

What’s your bold prediction for him in Year 2? ✋💙

Lucian Anderson III is a different breed! 😤🔥

From holding it down under center for the Falcons to making major moves, LA3 always brings that undeniable energy and heart to the gridiron. Every time he steps on the field, you know a highlight reel play is coming. 🏈⚡

Big things ahead for #3. The grind never stops! 📈🎒

🐅 LEO / TIGER NATION, IT’S TIME. 🐅
The noise on the outside is at an all-time high, but inside Death Valley? Dabo Swinney is cooking up something dangerous for the 2026 season.

After a choppy 2025 campaign that had the national media writing obituaries for the dynasty, Dabo is leaning all the way into the underdog role. That’s pure, classic Dabo. Fuel for the fire. 🔥

Here is why Clemson is primed to make serious noise and crash the College Football Playoff party this fall:
🔑 KEY STORYLINES TO WATCH IN 2026
The Christopher Vizzina Era Begins: QB1 gets his keys to the offense. Big arm, mobile, and backed by a deep running game led by breakout back

Gideon Davidson.
Loaded Out Wide: T.J. Moore and Preseason All-ACC selection Bryant Wesco Jr. give the Tigers one of the most explosive wide receiver duos in the entire country.

Defensive Hammer: Linebacker Sammy Brown (106 tackles in '25) and pass-rusher Will Heldt are leading a defense that’s playmaking, physical, and playing with a massive chip on their shoulder.

📅 THE ULTIMATE LITMUS TEST
It all kicks off with a heavyweight showdown in Baton Rouge when Clemson travels to LSU on Sept. 5. Win that opener in Death Valley West, and the entire college football world will have to take notice real fast.

Ain't nobody picking the Tigers this year, and that’s EXACTLY where Coach Swinney wants 'em.

What’s your season prediction for the Tigers? Drop your record below! 👇

Kentucky senior safety Ty Bryant has been named a nominee for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, honoring college football’s top student athlete with the best combination of academics, leadership, and on-field performance. It is often considered to be the "Academic Heisman."

Bryant, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, boasts a 3.825 grade-point average with a major in communication. The senior is a two-time Southeastern Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll member after being named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll as a freshman. He has also been named to the UK’s Dean’s List five times. In 2024, he was named to the Division I Academic All-District Team by CSC.

In 2025, Bryant was the first Wildcat to be named a First-Team Academic All-American since Will Levis in 2022. Bryant is the 23rd player in school history to earn the official Academic All-America honor bestowed by CSC (formerly College Sports Information Directors of America). Those 23 players have been named first or second team a total of 27 times. Bryant is the 14th Wildcat to be voted a first teamer.

Bryant delivered an outstanding season on the field in 2025, pacing the team with 76 tackles and leading the league with four interceptions, highlighted by a two-pick performance against Ole Miss. He started all 12 games and added 2.0 tackles for loss and a pass breakup, further showcasing his all-around impact on the defense. He was named to the All-SEC Second Team for his efforts.

He’s also a leader off the field, serving on UK’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council and the SEC’s Football Leadership Council.

The football season will kick off in less than a month, as Kentucky will host Youngstown State Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. ET in Kroger Field on SEC Network+.

🔥 EKU COLONEL FAN DAY IS GOING TO BE ABSOLUTE FIRE! 🔥

Colonel Nation, the wait is OVER! EKU Football is back, and we’re turning up for the 2026 season with Colonel Fan Day presented by Meijer on Saturday, Aug. 22! 🏈💥

Bring the whole crew down to CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium, meet the squad, and catch an exclusive sneak peek of the boys in action!

🚨 THE GAME PLAN:
• 🚪 5:00 PM ET - Doors open at the Olympic Sports Training Center.
• ✍️ Autographs & Meet-and-Greets - 45 minutes to chop it up with EKU players, grab signatures, and snap photos.
• 🍦 Free Ice Cream - First 100 fans through the door score a FREE ice cream voucher!
• 🚚 Food Trucks & Inflatables - Food trucks stacked in the RV lot, plus face painting, yard games, and inflatables inside the stadium.
• 🥤 Free Samples - Free Coca-Cola product sampling plus on-site setups from Meijer, CG Bank, and Qdoba!
• ⚡ 7:00 PM ET - Under the lights open scrimmage at Roy Kidd Stadium for a first look at this year's squad hitting the turf!

🎟️ ADMISSION: 100% FREE!