After a slow start in the first set, Coco Gauff staked her claim as one of this season’s queens of clay, storming back to upset top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in a sloppy, mistake-filled French Open final on Saturday.

It’s the second Grand Slam title for the 21-year-old Gauff, who adds the 2023 U.S. Open crown to her triumphs. Gauff, who had split the previous 10 matches with Sabalenka, became the first American woman to win the French Open singles title since Serena Williams in 2015, despite eight double faults and having trouble with her serve at times in the match that took two hours and 37 minutes.

Down 3-1 in the third set, the Belarus native broke Gauff to even the match at three, but was broken again in the seventh game, as the rain started to come down at Court Philippe-Chatrier with the roof remaining open, but couldn’t maintain the momentum.

Sabalenka, who had 70 unforced errors and six double faults, was clearly frustrated with her play at times, yelling at her coaches in the stands after a shot out of play or into the net and nearly hitting a kid running after a ball following one of those mistakes. Despite the loss, Sabalenka will keep the No. 1 spot in the next WTA rankings.

After winning the first game of the match, Gauff was broken in the third and fifth games. Sabalenka neutralized Gauff’s serve, sprinting out to a 4-1 lead and a 40-love lead in the next game. But Gauff showed resilience, breaking back after losing seven straight points on serve before saving a triple break point.

Sabalenka was broken again in the eighth game, and Gauff squared up the match, thanks to the top-seed unraveling, at one point losing 12 straight points.

In a recurring theme, Sabalenka, who had four double faults and 32 unforced errors, thanks to a nearly 30 mph gusting wind, and Gauff took turns breaking each other’s serve, including Gauff getting the upper hand in a 13-minute 10th game. The hour and 17-minute set went to a tiebreak, with Gauff taking the first three points, before Sabalenka stormed back to take the set 7-6.

Here’s a recap of the French Open women’s final:

Gauff bounces back with dominant play to force deciding third set

In the second set, it was Gauff who got out to a 4-1 lead, and Sabalenka continued to pile up the unenforced errors. After racking up 32 unforced errors in the first set, Sabalenka added 15 more, as Gauff settled down and blitzed the three-time major winner, taking the second set 6-2.

On to the third and deciding set, in what has been a thrilling, yet mistake-filled final.

Sabalenka takes thrilling first set over Gauff at French Open final

After winning the first game of the match, Coco Gauff was broken in the third and fifth games as Aryna Sabalenka neutralized Gauff’s serve, sprinting out to a 4-1 lead and a 40-love lead in the next game. But Gauff showed resilience, breaking back after losing seven straight points on serve before saving a triple break point.

Sabalenka was broken again in the eighth game and Gauff squared up the match, thanks to the top-seed unraveling, at one point losing 12 straight points. In a recurring theme, Sabalenka, who had four double faults and 32 unforced errors, thanks to a nearly 30 mph gusting wind, and Gauff took turns breaking each other’s serve, including Gauff getting the upper hand in a 13-minute 10th game. The hour-and-18-minute set went to a tiebreak, with Gauff taking the first three points before Sabalenka stormed back to take the set 7-6.

Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka head to head

The head-to-head matchup between Gauff and Sabalenka is tied 5-5 overall, 1-1 in majors and 1-1 on clay. Most recently, Sabalenka edged out Gauff 6-3, 7-6 to win in the Madrid finals on clay in Spain last month. 

Their last meeting in a major came in the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open, where Sabalenka defeated Gauff 7-6, 6-4 on a hard court. Before that, Gauff defeated Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3 in the 2023 U.S. Open final – also on hard court – to claim the first Grand Slam singles title of her career.

What time does French Open women’s final start?

The French Open women’s final between American Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is set for Saturday at 9 a.m. ET (3 p.m. in Paris).

What TV channel is showing French Open women’s final?

The French Open women’s final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka will be broadcast live on TNT.

Watch the French Open women’s final on Sling

How many Grand Slam singles titles has Coco Gauff won?

Coco Gauff has won one Grand Slam singles title: the 2023 US Open women’s singles championship. She has reached the French Open final twice: 2022 and this year. Her best result in the Australian Open is the semifinals in 2024. She has reached the fourth round of Wimbledon three times (2019, 2021, 2024).

How many Grand Slam singles titles has Aryna Sabalenka won?

Aryna Sabalenka has won three Grand Slam women’s singles titles: the 2023 and 2024 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open. She reached the final of the French time for the first time in her career this year and the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021 and 2023.

Coco Gauff’s path to French Open women’s final

Tournament’s No. 2 seed

1st round: Defeated Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-2
2nd round: Defeated Tereza Valentova 6-2, 6-4
3rd round: Defeated Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)
4th round: Defeated (20) Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0, 7-5
Quarterfinals: Defeated (7) Madison Keys 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-1
Semifinals: Defeated Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2

Aryna Sabalenka’s path to French Open women’s final

Tournament’s No. 1 seed

1st round: Defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 6-0
2nd round: Defeated Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-1
3rd round: Defeated Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3
4th round: Defeated (16) Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-3
Quarterfinals: Defeated (8) Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
Semifinals: Defeated (5) Iga Swiatek 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-0

French Open women’s final odds: Gauff vs. Sabalenka money line

Odds to win the 2025 French Open women’s singles final, via BetMGM (as of Thursday, June 5)

Sabalenka -190
Gauff +160

Is there a live stream of the French Open women’s final?

The French Open women’s final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka can be streamed live on Max and Sling TV.

The NCAA softball tournament began with an historic upset and ended with Texas delivering the first national championship in program history.

Facing off against Texas Tech and star pitcher NiJaree Canady, the Longhorns sneaked out a 2-1 win in Wednesday’s opener of the best-of-three championship series before losing 4-3 in the second game, setting up Friday’s winner-take-all finale.

The Longhorns would light up Canady for five runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by Leighann Goode’s three-run blast, and cruised to a 10-4 win in the decider. After going the distance on Thursday night, Canady lasted just one inning Friday.

To reach this point, Texas had to exorcise years of disappointment at the hands of rival Oklahoma. After capturing a record four national championships in a row heading into this year’s Women’s College World Series, the Sooners lost once to the Longhorns in a winner’s bracket game and were eventually bounced out of the tournament by Texas Tech.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M became the first No. 1 overall seed to not advance out of the opening weekend, losing twice in as many days against Liberty to make dubious college softball history.

Looking back at the tournament that was, here are the biggest winners and losers:

Winners

Texas

The Longhorns reached the finals of the Women’s College World Series in 2022 and again last season, only to be swept both times by the Sooners. Beating Oklahoma last weekend was an emotional palate cleanser for a program that had carved out a place among the best in the country under coach Mike White. Beating the Red Raiders in White’s seventh season is the breakthrough Texas had been waiting for. While the Sooners may enter next year as the national favorites, this championship cements Texas as a powerhouse and could vault the Longhorns into a back-to-back streak of their own.

NiJaree Canady

It’s hard to overstate Canady’s incredible impact on a program that entered this season having never won a conference championship or even advanced out of the regional round in six previous tournament appearances. In her first year on campus, Canady and her right arm propelled Tech to the pinnacle of the sport and nearly delivered what might have been the most unexpected national championship in college softball history. Despite the disappointment of getting knocked out early in the deciding game against Texas, Canady’s legacy as a transformative figure for the Red Raiders is already secure even as she prepares for one final year with the program.

Jordy Bahl

The former Oklahoma transfer carried Nebraska into the super regionals for the first time since 2014 and the third time in program history. She hit four home runs in the Baton Rouge regional to give her 23 on the year, setting a new program record. Bahl added tournament wins against Southeastern Louisiana and Tennessee to give her 26 victories and make her the fourth player in NCAA history with at least 20 home runs and 20 wins on the year. While Nebraska was unable to close out the Volunteers after taking the first game of the super regional series, Bahl and the Cornhuskers set the foundation for a run at the national championship next season.

Losers

Texas A&M

The postseason was never easy for a team that surged to the finish line of the regular season by crushing Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida. After dropping the regional opener to Liberty, the Aggies needed a controversial obstruction call, six Liberty errors and extra innings to beat the Flames 14-11 in the first elimination game. In the second, freshman KK Dement homered to help put A&M ahead 3-0 heading into the fifth inning, but Liberty right fielder Rachel Roupe hit a solo shot in the top of the fifth to make it 3-1 going into the sixth. Roupe would go deep again in the sixth to put Liberty up 6-3 and on track for the historic upset.

LSU

It’s one thing to get bounced in the opening weekend as regional hosts and another to get bounced in the opening weekend as regional hosts to Southeastern Louisiana, which went into the weekend in Baton Rouge with an 0-15 record in games against LSU. But the Lions topped the Tigers 4-3 in the opener and then won 8-7 in the rematch, scoring two of the biggest wins in program history before dropping the regional final to the Cornhuskers. And the second game against LSU was a wild one: Down 4-1 after the first inning and trailing 6-4 after five, the Tigers traded runs until allowing the walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh, when the Lions loaded the bases with none out before beating the throw home on a fielder’s choice. This is the third time in four years LSU has failed to advance out of the regionals, though the program remains a national power under coach Beth Torina.

Clemson

The Tigers came up short in the super regional against Texas after taking the first game of the series. Postseason disappointment is not a new feeling for this young program: Clemson has now lost in the super regionals three times since playing its first game in 2020. The Tigers will be kicking themselves until next spring after leaving a combined 17 runners on the bases and allowing four unearned runs in the two losses to the Longhorns. While that marquee Women’s College World Series moment has yet to arrive, the Tigers seem even more destined to eventually break through on this stage after pushing the eventual national champions to the brink.

Arkansas

The Razorbacks finished six spots above Mississippi in the SEC standings but could never solve the Rebels, who took the regular-season series in early March and then won two of three in the Fayetteville super regional. This marked Arkansas’ fourth loss in the super regionals in as many tries, with all four appearances since coach Courtney Deifel was hired in 2016. Arkansas is one of only two SEC programs, along with Mississippi State, to never reach the Women’s College World Series stage.

The defending champion Florida Panthers blew another third-period lead, but this time they won the overtime.

As a result, the Panthers head home with a 1-1 tie in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final. Game 3 is scheduled for Monday night in Sunrise, Florida (8 p.m. ET, TNT).

Brad Marchand scored the winning goal Friday night at 8:05 of the second overtime to down the Edmonton Oilers 5-4. It was his second breakaway goal of the game, with the puck sliding between the pads of Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner.

‘To be honest, I blacked out. I don’t even know where it went,’ he told TNT after the game. ‘Obviously a fortuitous bounce and we’ll take it.’

Edmonton’s Corey Perry scored with less than 18 seconds left in the third period to tie the game. That forced overtime for the second game in a row.

The Oilers led 3-2 after a wild first period in which the Panthers were undisciplined and unable to stop Edmonton’s stars.

Connor McDavid made a spectacular play around Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov and No. 1 defenseman Aaron Ekblad to feed Leon Draisaitl for his 10th goal of the playoffs.

The Panthers regrouped after the first intermission, though. They were disciplined, they controlled the boards, they spent a lot of time in the Oilers’ zone, and they took the lead.

Dmitry Kulikov tied the game and trade deadline acquisition Marchand put the Panthers ahead 4-3 with a short-handed breakaway goal.

‘We have so many different leaders on the team that can manage different situations,’ Marchand said. ‘We definitely have that confidence in our group that we can be resilient in situations.’

Highlights from Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers:

Panthers vs. Oilers highlights

Game recap

Final score: Panthers 5, Oilers 4 (2OT)

Brad Marchand scores a second breakaway goal in the game. Panthers tie the series.

Sergei Bobrovsky save

He stops Kasperi Kapanen in tight.

Aaron Ekblad returns

He was hurt earlier in the second overtime.

Aaron Ekblad hurting

He’s bent over on the bench after being hit by a shot.

Oilers lines

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are on the same line.

Second overtime underway

Corey Perry has a double-overtime goal in his career during the Stanley Cup Final.

End first overtime: Oilers 4, Panthers 4

Oilers control play early, but Panthers have the better chances late. Brad Marchand hits the post and Stuart Skinner stops Sam Reinhart on a breakaway. Ice looks chippy. Remember, they only scrape the ice at the midpoint of playoff overtime periods.

Heading to second overtime

Sergei Bobrovsky stops Darnell Nurse to keep the game tied.

One minute left in overtime

Faceoff at center ice.

Oilers called for icing

The puck might have hit Florida’s Nate Schmidt, so it might not be icing. Big delay as proper Oilers players get on the ice. Edmonton gets the puck out of the zone so it doesn’t matter.

Stuart Skinner save

He stops Sam Reinhart on a breakaway.

Stuart Skinner save

He stops Sam Reinhart, plus a rebound.

Florida Panthers chance

Stuart Skinner saves the Oilers after a turnover.

Eight minutes into overtime

Edmonton leads in shots 8-4. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are playing together.

Overtime underway

Score tied 4-4.

Overtime leaders

Carter Verhaeghe and Corey Perry have five playoff overtime goals. Brad Marchand has four and Leon Draisaitl has three, including in Game 1.

End third: Oilers 4, Panthers 4

The Panthers seemed to do everything right that period. But the Oilers are the Oilers and won’t be denied. Corey Perry ties the game with 18 seconds left. There will be a second consecutive overtime game in the Stanley Cup Final.

Score update: Oilers 4, Panthers 4

Corey Perry ties the game. We’re headed to overtime.

Sergei Bobrovsky save

He stops a one-timer by Leon Drasaitl to keep score tied.

Oilers call timeout

There’s 1:31 left. Faceoff outside the Florida zone and Stuart Skinner goes off again.

Oilers pull Stuart Skinner

Edmonton has an extra skater out there with 2:21 left.

Sergei Bobrovsky save

He stops Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on a shot from in front.

Less than 5 minutes left

Still 4-3 Panthers.

Oilers use nuclear option

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are on the same line in this period. Draisaitl gets a near breakaway but can’t control a bouncing puck.

Third period underway

Edmonton starts with a power play, which is killed. Remember that the Oilers won Game 1 after a third-period comeback.

End second: Panthers 4, Oilers 3

Panthers coach Paul Maurice isn’t a believer in momentum and the second period showed why. The Panthers weren’t looking that great in the first period and they turned it around in the second period. They stayed disciplined, they controlled play, had a 14-8 edge in shots and they scored twice to take a 4-3 lead. Brad Marchand got the go-ahead goal on a short-handed breakaway. Florida will be short-handed to start the third period.

Panthers power play

Evan Bouchard is called for a retaliatory cross-check. But Carter Verhaeghe is called for hooking and it’s 4-on-4. Edmonton will have more than a minute of power-play time to start the third period.

McDavid, Draisaitl out together

Kris Knoblauch has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same line. They quickly get a good chance.

Score update: Panthers 4, Oilers 3

Brad Marchand scores on a short-handed breakaway after a feed from Anton Lundell. Florida kills off the rest of the penalty.

Oilers power play

Niko Mikkola is called for holding. The Panthers need to stay out of the penalty box. Let’s see if it costs them. Note: It doesn’t.

Score update: Panthers 3, Oilers 3

Florida has been getting a lot of zone time in this period and it connects to tie the game on a wrist shot from point by Dmitry Kulikov at 8:23. Matthew Tkachuk was setting the screen in front. Panthers have two goals tonight from defensemen.

Sergei Bobrovsky save

Evander Kane, Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard are dangerous on the rush, but Bobrovsky stops Bouchard’s shot.

Second period underway

Panthers start on power play, and it’s killed. Evan Bouchard gets a chance as he comes out of the penalty box.

Watch: Connor McDavid’s brilliant move

McDavid’s assist on Leon Draisaitl’s goal is worth watching. He makes moves around Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad, sending Ekblad tumbling, before he feeds Draisaitl.

End first: Oilers 3, Panthers 2

That was the highest-scoring first period since the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, per TNT. The Oilers have the lead because of a big game by their stars. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard have combined for seven points. McDavid’s play on the Draisaitl goal is highlight reel-worthy. But the Panthers kill a 5-on-3 late in the period to stop the damage and will start the second with a power play. Shots are 15-10 Edmonton and the Oilers are also leading 15-8 in hits.

Panthers power play

Evan Bouchard is called for cross-checking. Panthers get a couple shots and 41 seconds of the power play will carry into the second period.

Oilers power play

Niko Mikkola goes off for roughing. Then a Seth Jones penalty makes it 5-on-3. First part is killed off and now the second part. Panthers needed that.

Score update: Oilers 3, Panthers 2

The Oilers need just 24 seconds to connect as Leon Draisaitl scores after a great play by Connor McDavid. Two points each for McDavid and Draisaitl and three points for Evan Bouchard.

Sam Bennett is called for goaltender interference

Looks like Mattias Ekholm pushes Sam Bennett into Stuart Skinner, who’s down for a while. Oilers going on power play.

Score update: Panthers 2, Oilers 2

The Panthers like to have their defense to get up in the play and it pays off again. Seth Jones sneaks in from the point and is wide open for an Eetu Luostarinen pass. Defenseman Nate Schmidt gets his second point of the game.

Score update: Oilers 2, Panthers 1

Evan Bouchard’s initial shot is blocked by Aleksander Barkov and then he rips a shot past a screened Sergei Bobrovsky. That’s goals on back-to-back shots for Edmonton. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl get the assists.

Things get feisty

Small scrum breaks out after Sam Bennett goes for a rebound. Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse and Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk head to the penalty box.

Score update: Oilers 1, Panthers 1

Evander Kane ties the game with a shot to Sergei Bobrovsky’s glove side at 7:39. That’s six playoff goals for Kane, who missed the entire regular season after multiple surgeries.

Oilers power play

Aaron Ekblad is called for holding the stick. But the power play doesn’t last long as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is called for tripping. It’s 4-on-4. Everyone out of the penalty box now. Sam Bennett gets a good shot off but Stuart Skinner makes the save.

Score update: Panthers 1, Oilers 0

Red-hot Sam Bennett scores on the power play after a Nate Schmidt pass. That’s 13 goals for Bennett in the playoffs, including a record 12 on the road. The goal ends Edmonton’s nine-game streak of scoring first. Oilers are upset that Bennett kicked Mattias Ekholm’s stick away from him.

Panthers power play

Evander Kane called for high-sticking Carter Verhaeghe 37 seconds into the game.

Game 2 underway

Florida’s Aleksander Barkov line vs. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl line.

Fans start derisive Bobrovsky chant

Edmonton fans are starting early with the ‘Sergei, Sergei’ chants – before the national anthems.

When is Stanley Cup Final Game 2? Panthers vs. Oilers game time

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will face off at 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Friday.

What TV channel is Panthers vs. Oilers Game 2 on?

TNT and truTV are broadcasting Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Kenny Albert will provide play-by-play, while Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Darren Pang and Jackie Redmond will provide analysis and reporting.

Stream the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Sling

How to watch Panthers vs. Oilers Game 2

Date: Friday, June 6
Location: Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta
Time: 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT)
TV: TNT, truTV
Streaming: Max, Sling TV

Starting lines

Panthers coach Paul Maurice is starting the Aleksander Barkov line and Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch is countering with the Leon Draisaitl line. Maurice has moved Carter Verhaeghe to the top line and Evan Rodrigues to the second line. In Game 1, it was the Barkov line vs. the Connor McDavid line to start. Draisaitl scored 66 seconds into the series opener. Maurice moved Carter Verhaeghe to the top line and Evan Rodrigues to the second lline.

Oilers lineup

Panthers lineup

Goaltending matchup

Oilers’ Stuart Skinner (7-4, 2.49 goals-against average, .904 save percentage) vs. Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky (12-6, 2.17, .912). Skinner has a five-game winning streak.

Edmonton Oilers’ leading scorers

The Oilers have four of the top five scorers in the series: McDavid has a league-best 28 points, followed by Leon Draisaitl (27) and Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with 18 each. Draisaitl has a team-high nine goals.

Florida Panthers leading scorers

The Panthers have 10 players with double-digit points, led by Sam Bennett (18) and Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk (17 each). Bennett is the playoffs’ leading goal scorer with 12.

Who is the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup?

Edmonton Oilers’ nuclear option

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch will put Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together later in games if Edmonton needs an offensive boost.

“It’s nice to know when those two get together mid-game that the results are pretty good,’ he said.

But Knoblauch doesn’t do it all game long so he can spread the offense out.

The two used to go out together on the shift after a penalty kill, but McDavid has started killing penalties.

A.J. Greer injury update

The Panthers forward is tracking toward a return but will sit out a second consecutive game on Friday. ‘We think if he tracks out, he’ll be available for Game 3,’ coach Paul Maurice said.

Jesper Boqvist has taken Greer’s place on the fourth line.

Tomas Nosek on Game 1 overtime penalty

Panthers forward Tomas Nosek said it was ‘tough’ after the Oilers scored in overtime on the power play after his delay of game penalty.

‘You don’t want to be the one guy who cost us the game, but obviously everybody can make a mistake,’ he said, adding, ‘It’s in the past and now looking forward to just keep doing my job and focusing on tonight’s game.’

He said his teammates were ‘very helpful’ and supportive of him.

‘Most of the guys came to me and said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ ‘ he said, according to TSN.

Paul Maurice comments on Pete DeBoer firing

Panthers coach Paul Maurice was asked Friday about the Dallas Stars’ firing of coach Peter DeBoer. Maurice and DeBoer are friends.

‘He’ll be all right. He’s a good coach. I think elite teams, you’ve got to push them real hard to get them where they get to, then at some point,’ he said, trailing off. ‘You get a summer off, pick your spot, he’s going to be OK.’

2025 Stanley Cup Finals schedule

All times Eastern; (x-if necessary)

Game 1: Oilers 4, Panthers 3 (OT) | Story
Game 2: Friday, June 6 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m | TNT, truTV
Game 3: Monday, June 9, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
Game 4: Thursday, June 12, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
x-Game 5: Saturday, June 14, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
x-Game 6: Tuesday, June 17, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
x-Game 7: Friday, June 20, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV

Stanley Cup Final Game 2 odds: Panthers vs. Oilers betting lines

All odds via BetMGM (as of Friday, June 6)

Spread: Oilers (-1.5)
Moneyline: Oilers (-110); Panthers (-110)
Over/Under: 6.5

Odds to win 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final

Oilers -235
Panthers +190

Don’t think about the House vs. NCAA settlement as an instant cure for all of the issues disrupting, and in some cases swallowing, schools at the top level of college sports. 

Instead, it’s more like the timeout a basketball coach is forced to take after watching his team give up six consecutive layups so he can draw up a zone defense and try to stop the bleeding. A change of strategy might work, but without a full commitment from the players in the game to execute the plan, it’s over before it begins. 

In theory, the settlement is a big step in the right direction to solving issues.

It forces the wealthy, power-conference programs to directly share revenue with the athletes who help create the popularity of college football and basketball primarily, but other sports too, if the school so chooses. It sets a de facto salary cap that forces schools to prioritize not just which sports to invest in, but which athletes. It allows schools to sign enforceable, multi-year contracts that should ease at least some of the transfer madness. And it has an enforcement component that should — if it works the way it’s intended — bring name, image and likeness deals back into the realm of Caitlin Clark appearing in State Farm commercials rather than school-affiliated booster groups paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a couple of meet-and-greets and calling it NIL. 

But there’s no guarantee any of this is going to work. And the main reason is because success will require schools to do something that they’ve never done in the history of college sports: Acknowledge that the rules are in place for the common good and must be applied to everyone, including themselves.

It sounds simple. But the decades-long track record of screaming and threatening whenever the NCAA attempted to enforce penalties on rule-breakers suggests it’s going to be one of the biggest challenges in the history of the association. As one prominent athletics director said recently, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the settlement was still pending, all of the stakeholders in this — including state legislatures and booster groups constantly looking for loopholes and gray areas — must agree to be governed, or they simply won’t be. 

In fact, the need for complete buy-in on policing of NIL deals and the revenue-sharing cap is so profound that the new enforcement entity being established by the Power Four conferences spent months drafting a document schools will be required to sign that prevents them from suing if they don’t like the result of their internal arbitration process. Having that final authority vested in a third party is considered crucial by the Power Four to any semblance of self-governance, a person with direct knowledge of the process told USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the group.

But will it work? I’m skeptical, as everyone should be.

The reason is because pulling this off will require a complete mindset change from the way college sports have always operated, and I’m not sure the necessary foundational work has been done to make that transition. 

In the NFL or NBA, for instance, team owners are highly competitive but fundamentally understand that they are business partners more than competitors, driving long-term decision-making that works to everyone’s benefit. 

College sports has never had that mentality. Schools and conferences attempt to work together when necessary, but they ultimately see each other as adversaries to take advantage of and exert leverage on when it suits their immediate interests. It’s a theme we’ve seen over and over again in everything from conference realignment to how they reacted to COVID in 2020 to the future structure of the College Football Playoff. They are forever probing for the smallest competitive advantage, pushing the limits of the rules and crying foul when the NCAA comes in to investigate.

That’s how athletics administrators and college presidents are conditioned to operate, especially in the social media era where their feedback loop is imbued with tribalism: When your rival gets caught, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. When you get caught? Lawyer up, plant stories in the media and do everything possible to discredit the group holding you accountable.

Look, we can debate the history and effectiveness of NCAA enforcement – investigative tactics used, places where they’ve overreached, rulings that seemed inconsistent – but the process was set up and endorsed by the schools themselves because they did not trust each other to color within the lines. And its fundamental underpinning was the willingness of schools to submit to that system and even punish themselves when it was clear they broke rules. 

What happened over time, though, was an erosion and ultimately outright rejection of that body’s authority to enforce its rulebook. Yes, some of that was the NCAA’s fault, but let’s get real.

It happened mostly because coaches and administrators facing penalties too often got better outcomes when they fought, refused to cooperate or found someone to throw under the bus because they knew the weakness of the system: It wasn’t a court of law, and its processes wouldn’t necessarily stand up to that level of scrutiny.

Fair enough. 

But every time a major school with resources skates on a massive scandal (cough, North Carolina, cough), or when a state-level attorney general does a school’s dirty work to make sure NIL rules can’t be enforced (cough, Tennessee, cough), or when an unfavorable transfer eligibility ruling ends up in court (cough, West Virginia, cough) because schools believe they’re getting a raw deal from the bureaucracy they vested power in, it chips away at the very idea that schools are willing to be governed, until we arrive at a place where there’s not much governance remaining.

Do school presidents and athletic administrators have the collective will and discipline to suddenly do a 180-degree turn and submit to this new set of rules rather than look for creative ways to avoid them? Will they suddenly put faith into a different kind of bureaucracy that will undoubtedly, at some point, shoot down a key NIL deal or penalize a school for trying to get around the cap? 

That might be possible if, just as an example, Florida trusted Georgia or Ohio State trusted Michigan to play by the same set of rules, or vice versa. But what almost always happens instead in those kinds of rivalries is that one side believes the other will do something on the edge of the rules to get a player, thus giving themselves permission to go into the gray area as well. 

And when that happens under this new settlement, every administrator will tell you they want the enforcement arm to strictly apply the rules so that college sports doesn’t slide back into the kind of chaos they have experienced the last four years. 

But will they still feel that way when it’s applied to their own program? When it costs them a player? When it costs them wins? When it potentially costs them a job? 

If not, the House settlement will fall apart quickly – and take the entire structure of college sports down with it. 

After decades of making do with leftovers and scraps, women’s sports teams now officially have a seat at the table in Illinois.

“That codification is everything,” Karen Leetzow, president of the NWSL’s Chicago Stars, which led the push for the change, told USA TODAY Sports. “When you look at history, so many examples (of inequities) exist and, absent legislation, nothing changes. To have it codified and to bring attention to past inequities and make sure that those don’t happen in the future, is huge.”

The Stars aren’t asking for money. Not yet, anyway. Neither are the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. That’s not the point.

No women’s team has ever gotten public funding for a facility in Illinois. Or most other states, for that matter. The idea they’d dare even ask is met with incredulousness — and, let’s be honest, a healthy dose of condescending misogyny — while no one is surprised when a men’s team puts its hand out.

By making this change, the Illinois legislature is sending a strong message that, in this state at least, women’s teams are of equal value and worth to men’s teams. That if the state has resources, the Stars and the Sky have as much right to them as the Chicago Bears, Chicago White Sox and any other team.

Now, before the Neanderthals start howling that women’s teams don’t make money or that men’s teams should get preference because they do, let’s remember that men’s professional sports have at least a half-century head start on women’s teams. And for much of that existence, they’ve been bolstered by public support.

That means the public built or helped build the stadiums and arenas in which they play and the infrastructure that made them accessible to fans. The same stadiums and arenas that are a significant source of their wealth.

Take the White Sox. While they technically are tenants at Rate Field, they own the stadium for all intents and purposes. They reportedly pay less than $2 million a year in rent for a ballpark built with public funds and, in return, get to keep the revenue from ticket sales, concessions, parking and merchandise. The team also gets the bulk of the profits from the naming rights deal.

The White Sox signage is permanent. So, too, the spaces used by the players. Oh, the White Sox also get to set the calendar at Rate Field. If there’s a concert or some other non-baseball event at the ballpark, it has to work with the White Sox’s schedule and wishes.

The Stars, meanwhile, are basically house guests at SeatGeek Stadium in suburban Bridgeview — as they were not so subtly reminded last summer.

After the season had begun, the Stars learned that village officials planned to stage Riot Fest, a three-day punk, rock and alternative music festival, on the stadium grounds the same weekend the Stars had a home game. Nothing says professional like the sweet, sweet sounds of St. Vincent and Beck drowning out the P.A.!  

Riot Fest wound up being moved, but that’s immaterial. The Stars have no control over their facility, financially or otherwise, which makes it hard — not impossible, but really, really hard — to build valuation.

Still not convinced? According to Forbes, the Kansas City Current’s $36 million in revenue last season was the most in the NWSL, more than $10 million more than the third-place San Diego Wave and triple that of eight clubs.

Why such a gap? Because the Current last year opened the first purpose-built stadium for a women’s team and is now reaping the benefits. This year, in fact, Forbes estimates the Current will generate $45 million in revenue.

“As women’s sports grow, we ought to have facilities of our own that we can monetize so hopefully we can grow,” Leetzow said. “Without those resources, we are literally being starved. That is not going to help us move forward.”

The Stars have already said they are planning to leave the geographically undesirable SeatGeek Stadium when their lease expires at the end of this season. The team prefers to train and play in the city, and is exploring its options.

This doesn’t mean the Stars will ask the state for money. But for the first time in their existence, it’s an option. And that is another sign of progress, to have access to what men’s teams have always had.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.