Red Raider comeback falls short at Tullahoma

The antitrust class action lawsuit levied against the NCAA may not go to trial as college sports leaders are in talks to settle, per an ESPN report on Monday. The plaintiffs in the case, House vs. NCAA, have accused the NCAA and its power conferences of breaking federal law by limiting how athletes can benefit from selling their name, image or likeness. If the case were to go to trial - set for January 2025 -- and the plaintiffs win, the NCAA and its schools could have to shell out more than $4 billion in damages. NCAA president Charlie Baker, NCAA lawyers, the plaintiffs' attorneys have been meeting with the power conference commissioners and their general counsels in the Dallas area, with talks ramping up of late, per the report. Per the report, more information regarding a possible settlement is expected to be released soon, though no deal is close to completion. The settlement - which could cost the NCAA billions in back pay for former athletes -- could be the foundation for the NCAA sharing revenue with athletes in the future. Although it has not been settled, the top-end revenue share amount per school would be around $20 million every year. Another issue the NCAA faces is college athletes aiming to be viewed as employees and allowing them to unionize, with the National Labor Relations Board reviewing a pair of cases. While NCAA leaders are against athletes becoming employees, Baker has looked into methods to provide more revenue to athletes at some schools. In December, he proposed a subdivision of the richest programs to pay $30,000 per year to half their athletes or more. The NCAA wants Congress to enact a clause specifying that college athletes aren't employees, but there hasn't been much progress on that front. A multi-billion settlement toward revenue sharing with athletes may lead Congress to help govern college sports. --Field Level Media

After drawing around 12 million viewers on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network for the first round on Thursday, the NFL draft saw its worst ratings for the second and third round on Friday since 2012. Thursday's viewership was up 6 percent from last year and was the highest it's been since 12.5 million watched in 2021. ESPN led the way this year with 5.6 million, followed by ABC (4.5 million) and NFL Network (1.6 million). When the 2020 draft was remote during the pandemic, a record 15.3 million viewers tuned in for the first round. Only 5.1 million tuned in on Friday, down 8 percent from last year's 5.5 million viewers. Unlike NFL Network and ABC, which carried Day 2 of the draft in full, ESPN opted to carry Game 3 of the Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers first-round series on Friday, with ESPN2 broadcasting the draft. --Field Level Media

Former Oregon State star Raegan Beers announced on social media Monday that she is transferring to Oklahoma. The 6-foot-4 rising junior averaged 17.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for the Beavers last season while finishing first in the nation with a 66.4 shooting percentage. She earned her second All-Pac-12 selection and was named a third-team AP All-American. Beers, a Colorado native who reportedly also considered transferring to UConn, posted a message on X with a video message accompanied by the words "I'm Home." "I learned from an early age that I have to work for everything," she said during the video. "I learned the importance of loving the process, and the process has led me here, a place that emphasizes the importance of loving the game, loving to compete and loving Oklahoma. "I may just be a kid from the cul de sac in Colorado, but deep down, I'm a Sooner." Beers will have two seasons of eligibility remaining with the Sooners, who are coming off their second consecutive Big 12 regular-season title. However, Oklahoma is moving to the SEC, where the Sooners will do battle against powerhouses South Carolina and LSU, who have combined to win the past three national titles. Oklahoma has made three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances under coach Jennie Baranczyk, but have not advanced past the Round of 32 during that span. The Sooners return Big 12 Player of the Year and All-American Skylar Vann, All-American guard Payton Verhulst and standout freshman Sahara Williams. Joining them will be Beers, who averaged 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a freshman while earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year accolades. She improved on those numbers this past season, when she helped Oregon State reach the Elite 8, where the Beavers lost to South Carolina. --Field Level Media

The Atlanta Falcons picked up tight end Kyle Pitts' fifth-year option on Monday. The fourth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft will stay with Atlanta through at least 2025. The option carries a guaranteed $10.878 million salary for 2025. Pitts was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2021, when he caught 68 passes for 1,026 yards and one touchdown, but his production had tailed off in the two seasons since, in part due to a torn MCL midway through his sophomore campaign. Pitts, 23, has totaled 149 receptions for 2,049 yards and six touchdowns over 44 career games (40 starts) while catching passes from Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke in the past two years. The Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency before adding QB Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick in the draft last week. Atlanta is also expected to have a new game plan under Raheem Morris, who was hired to replace Arthur Smith as head coach. Speaking at the owners' meetings last month, Morris indicated he was high on Pitts. "He's the mayor of Atlanta," Morris said. "I think he wants to come back and have a highly productive year. I think he's excited about his partnership with some of the guys that we brought in." --Field Level Media

The Philadelphia Eagles signed free agent offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, a former first-round pick of the New York Jets, to a one-year contract, the team announced Monday. Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but it is valued at up to $5.5 million, according to multiple media reports. The Jets made Becton the 11th overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, and the Louisville product started 13 of his 14 games as a rookie. However, a knee injury in Week 1 ended the left tackle's second season, and Becton moved to right tackle, only to miss all of the 2022 season because of another knee injury. The 6-foot-7, 363-pound lineman started all 16 games he played in 2023, playing 95 percent of the offensive snaps. The Jets did not pick up the fifth-year option on Becton, who turned 25 on April 18. The Eagles, who did not select an offensive tackle in last weekend's draft, add depth to the roster at the position behind starting left tackle Jordan Mailata and right tackle Lane Johnson. Backup Jack Driscoll signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins. --Field Level Media

Chiefs, TE Travis Kelce agree to new deal with pay raise

Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs agreed to a reworked contract Monday that makes the nine-time Pro Bowl selection the NFL's highest-paid tight end. Kelce's new deal is not a two-year extension, but a raise for the final two seasons of his current deal. He will make $34.25 million across 2024 and 2025, a combined $4 million more than his previous salary, with $17 million guaranteed, several reports said. The Chiefs announced the deal Monday afternoon but did not disclose financial details. "A special day and moment in this organization ... this is something we just wanted to knock right out of the park early on," general manager Brett Veach said in a video call Monday. Kelce's deal was quickly celebrated by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. "I told yall I'll never let him leave!! Congrats my guy! @tkelce," Mahomes said via X. The deal potentially locks the foundational pieces of the team's three Super Bowl victories in Kansas City for at least two more seasons. "Back at it again, baby," Kelce said in a video shared by the Chiefs on Monday. "Feels good to be in KC. I remember coming here 12 years ago. It's an honor and a pleasure. I can't wait to get after it. Just got out on the field with the boys -- we're back at it again." Chiefs signed head coach Andy Reid and Veach to contract extensions prior to the draft; defensive tackle Chris Jones signed a five-year, $95 million deal in March and Mahomes signed a 10-year deal in 2020. Kelce, 34, was set to become a free agent after the 2025 season as part of a four-year, $57.25 million deal he signed in August 2020. He was due to be fourth among NFL tight ends in annual salary in 2024, behind Darren Waller (Giants), T.J. Hockenson (Vikings) and George Kittle (49ers). Kelce led the Chiefs with 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. Kelce sat out Week 17 against the Chargers, forgoing a chance to stretch his streak of consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to eight in order to enter the playoffs healthy. Kelce has 907 receptions for 11,328 yards and 74 touchdowns in 159 regular-season games with the Chiefs since he was drafted in the third round in 2013. --Field Level Media

Alabama forward Grant Nelson will not enter the 2024 NBA Draft, instead using his final year of NCAA eligibility in Tuscaloosa. "Lets run it back @alabamambb !!" Nelson wrote in an Instagram post Monday. Nelson transferred to Alabama last offseason after three productive years at North Dakota State. The 6-foot-10 North Dakota native averaged 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game over 37 games (all starts) in his first year with Alabama. Nelson shot 48.8 percent overall, including 61.6 percent on 2-pointers. He helped the Crimson Tide reach their first Final Four in program history, putting up double-doubles against North Carolina in the Sweet 16 (24 points, 12 rebounds) and in a loss to eventual champion UConn in the Final Four (19, 15). In 123 games (93 starts) across four years at North Dakota State and Alabama, he's averaged 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting 50.2 percent overall. --Field Level Media