The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, October 3, 2019— 5A

Big Ten reacts to NIL law with mix of apprehension, ignorance and support

ROSEMONT, Ill. — On Monday, 
the college athletics world was 
rocked to its core.
California Gov. Gavin Newsome 
signed a bill into law that, starting 
in 2023, allows college athletes to 
benefit off their name, image and 
likeness (NIL). It’s the beginning 
of the payoff of a social movement 
that 
rallied 
professional 
and 
amateur athletes alike to push 
for the right of athletes to benefit 
off the name on the back of their 
jersey, as well as the name on the 
front.
So it’s no doubt that this issue 
cast a large shadow over Big Ten 
Media Day on Wednesday. With 
the ground shifting beneath their 
feet, coaches from programs both 
big and small were quick to get 
ahead of the issue and take a stance 
on the topic.
Some 
chose 
to 
champion 
the issue. Some chose to plead 
ignorance. But none outwardly 
said the move was bad for the 
world of college athletics and 
all that universities do for their 
players. That is, except Big Ten 
Commissioner Jim Delaney.
His argument rests on the back 
of a claim that with only 1 or 2 
percent of college athletes likely to 
profit from this new rule, why spoil 
the fun for the rest of the field? 
Kicking off the day’s festivities 
with his opinion on the issue, 
Delaney argued that the sport of 
basketball takes place in many 
environments, some of which pay 
their players and some of which do 
not. The Big Ten and the NCAA do 
not.
“We’re not perfect,” Delaney 
said, 
“but 
I 
think 
that 
the 
opportunities that we have for the 
great many shouldn’t be sacrificed 
to the one percent who would 
probably have an opportunity to 
benefit here.
“It’s a college game. It’s different 
than the NBA, different than the 
Olympics and different than the 
playground. So I think that we’re 
able to maintain the opportunities 

that we have for men and women 
and avoid pay-for-play so far as we 
can.”
As 
it 
stands 
now, 
the 
California bill would not limit the 
opportunities for the majority of 
college athletes who won’t have a 
shot to profit off their likeness. So 
how this new law might potentially 
take away from these athletes 
in the Big Ten remains unclear, 
but one thing is: the door to NIL 
profits for college athletes has been 
opened.
With this development comes 
many concerns for coaches outside 
the state of California. Now that 
student athletes in the golden state 
may have the opportunity to net 
extra profits, any recruit with NBA 
aspirations and common sense will 
make a mad dash out west. The 
question now turns to leveling the 
playing field.
“I think there’s still ways we 
need to learn because we do have 
to keep this on a level playing 
field,” said Penn State coach Pat 
Chambers, “because if it gets out 
of whack, well we’re gonna lose 
out because of recruiting when it 
comes to being competitive in the 
Big Ten and across the country.”
For many athletes and coaches, 
the question is about fairness.
What do you imagine when you 
think of the traditional college 
athlete? A pimple-faced teenager 
struggling 
to 
handle 
both 
transition defense 
and introductory 
biology? Perhaps. 
What 
about 
a 
married, 
father 
of two with bills 
to pay, mouths to 
feed and a whole 
course 
load 
to 
balance? If that 
doesn’t 
sound 
right, then meet Michigan State 
forward Xavier Tillman.
When discussing the issue of 
pay to play, Tillman was quick to 
admit that a few extra dollars in 
his pocket would go a long way 
in filling the gaps his scholarship 
can’t quite cover towards expenses 

such as child care. The junior also 
posited that the California ruling 
could aid NBA-bound players in 
navigating the business end of 
things surrounding monetizing a 
player’s 
athletic 
ability.
“I 
think 
it’s 
good 
just 
to 
educate 
NBA 
prospects 
or 
college 
players 
who 
have 
the 
potential to play 
in 
the 
NBA,” 
Tillman said. “To 
educate them on 
business decisions 
and stuff like that when they go to 
the NBA Draft, so it’ll be kind of 
nice for them.”
Other players, like the Nittany 
Lions’ Lamar Stevens, thinks it’s 
just flat-out wrong that others, such 
as colleges and administrators, 
are profiting off a college athlete’s 

name and face – especially when 
that athlete may be struggling. 
Michigan junior forward Isaiah 
Livers echoed this sentiment, 
arguing that college players don’t 
have other opportunities to earn 
cash, so this new development will 
be welcomed by those struggling to 
make ends meet.
“At a time when you literally 
have to spend money on your 
rent, those are the things you’re 
thinking about,” Livers said. “You 
can’t spend this money because 
you have to save it for something 
that has to be paid for, and it’s kind 
of dangerous like, ‘Man, I don’t 
have the money to eat.’ You have to 
go to a dorm and have someone let 
you in, go get East Quad or South 
Quad food, and it’s sad man.”
Joining Tillman and Livers, 
there were several Big Ten coaches 
who voiced active encouragement 
of the ruling despite potentially 
disruptive 
unintended 

consequences. Minnesota coach 
Richard Pitino, Iowa coach Fran 
McCaffrey and Nebraska coach 
Fred Hoiberg were among some of 
the big names who thought of the 
bill as progress 
for their student 
athletes.
Others, 
like 
new 
Michigan 
coach 
Juwan 
Howard 
or 
Michigan 
State 
coach 
Tom 
Izzo, were more 
apprehensive. 
Howard, making 
$2 
million 
this year, claimed ignorance on 
the issue, stating that he is too 
preoccupied 
with 
getting 
the 
reigns under control of his program 
to lend any thought on the issue. 
Izzo on the other hand, making 
$4.3 million this year, had done his 
research and still is unsure about 

the consequences despite voicing 
support in helping athletes earn 
whatever they can.
But he made one point crystal 
clear: “I sure as hell don’t think 
it’s politicians’ job 
to get involved in 
this.”
Whose 
job 
it 
actually is will be 
litigated to death 
in 
the 
coming 
years. With many 
institutions seeking 
to weigh in on the 
hot button issue, 
don’t think you’ve 
heard the last of 
college players being compensated 
for their likeness. California’s 
new law is just the beginning 
with similar legislation being 
introduced across the country, and 
among all the confusion, one thing 
is clear – college athletics are about 
to change forever.

Michigan goalies focusing on mental readiness

Hayden 
Lavigne 
crouched 
between the posts, knees bent, 
head up and readied himself for the 
oncoming shots. 
Down the ice, 200 feet away, 
Strauss Mann mirrored a similar 
stance. 
And somewhere in the middle, 
Jack Leavy, the third goaltender, 
stood, awaiting the signal to switch 
with Lavigne or Mann.
Then it happened.
Lavigne raised his hand, and 
Leavy headed towards him mid-
drill. As he reached the left post, 
a puck was shot at Lavigne. With 
Lavigne guarding the right post 
and Leavy on the left, the two 
goalies came up with a save. Then 
Leavy took over for the remainder 
of the drill — a seamless transition.
It was an example of the type of 
synergy and ability they lacked all 
last year.
Looking at the goaltending stats 
from last season, the numbers don’t 
lie. There’s nowhere to hide. Mann 
and Lavigne struggled. Out of the 
60 teams playing NCAA Division 
I hockey, Michigan finished 59th 
in goaltending. It finished the year 
with 13-16-7 record.
New goalie coach Kris Mayotte 
knows this season has to be 
different. 
“I think they’d be the first ones 
to tell you that it has to improve,” 
Mayotte said. “But I think from 
what I’ve spoken with them about, 
and from what I’ve heard, they 
went into this last offseason with 
that mindset and that goal that 
they could come in this year and 
improve on that. I think their work 
ethic has been really good, their 
attention to detail has been good 
and their desire to improve.”
From the end of last season to 
now, the coaching staff has been 
watching, observing and taking 
notes all in an effort to answer the 
question that haunted Michigan 
last season — who will be the 
starting goaltender?
Despite the efforts, there are still 
kinks to be worked out. Mayotte 
spent the last month working to 
break any bad summer habits the 
three might have developed. 
One of the biggest shifts between 

summer and season training is the 
focus required. In the summer, 
goaltenders face multiple shots 
back-to-back, sometimes all from 
the same spot one player after 
another. But in the game, there’s 
only one puck to focus on. 
Mayotte 
matches 
the 
enthusiasm of Mann and Lavigne. 
Prior to arriving in Ann Arbor, he 
reached out to introduce himself 
and begin forming the important 
bond between players and coaches. 
The day of his first practice as 
goalie coach, he wasted no time. 
Two words broke apart the 
huddle 
signaling 
the 
end 
of 
practice: “Go Blue.” 
Slapping their sticks against 
the ice, the players skated for the 
locker room. But the goalies, upon 
changing, headed straight for 
Mayotte’s office to review film. 
“Having him not be shy at all and 
jump right in to giving us advice 
right away has been a good way to 
just start the season,” Lavigne said. 
“To make the most of these limited 
practice hours that we’ve had. He’s 
done a good job of just acclimating 
real quick and getting us adjusted 
to his new coaching style real fast.”
For Lavigne, the biggest obstacle 
between him and the starting spot, 
is his mental game. 
A disappointing performance 
in net and a lack of consistency 
knocked his confidence last year. 
During the 2017-18 season, Lavigne 
was in net for the Wolverines 
throughout their Frozen Four 
run. But last year, the goaltending 

he displayed during that run was 
nowhere to be found. He ended the 
season with a losing record, going 
7-8-3 with an .883 save percentage 
and a 3.16 goals averaged against. 
Lavigne’s mental struggle was 
so taxing that he couldn’t work 
much on the technical side of his 
goaltending like he wanted.
“Last year obviously was a tough 
one for me,” Lavigne said. “But I 
think I learned a lot out of it from 
the mental side of things and how 
to handle certain situations. How 
to hold myself accountable and the 
things that I wanna do that I didn’t 
do very well last year. So it was a 
good learning stone from there.”
Statistically, Mann didn’t fare 
much better. He posted a 6-8-4 
record, though slightly edged out 
Lavigne with a .895 save percentage 
and a 2.91 GAA. 
Strauss’ obstacle is identical to 
Lavigne’s. Throughout the summer, 
he emphasized the importance 
of getting in the right headspace 
following a tough season. 
Mentally, he emphasized just 
playing and staying relaxed rather 
than overthinking every save. 
Once things clicked, he focused 
on staying loose to allow for more 
explosiveness out of his set up and 
fundamentals.
Because being mentally strong 
is such a crucial part of being 
a goaltender — almost more 
important 
than 
the 
physical 
strength in the eyes of Michigan 
coach Mel Pearson. 
Goaltenders have a variety of 

resources available to them. During 
talks between the netminders and 
coaching staff, coaches stress the 
importance of attitude, preparation 
and focus on things that can be 
controlled rather than what can’t. 
A 
confidence 
boost 
came 
Lavigne’s way on Monday when the 
Big Ten Coaches Poll was released 
and his name was on the list of 
honorable mentions.
“That’s a huge honor,” Lavigne 
said. “After not coming off a great 
season last year, it still means that 
the coaches and the people that 
participate in that poll still see what 
I’m capable of.”
Even now with both goaltenders 
mentally strong, the question of 
who will be Michigan’s starting 
goaltender is no closer to being 
answered. The exhibition match 
Sunday offers a chance for some 
clarity. Pearson wants both players 
to have an opportunity to show 
what they’re capable of and how far 
they’ve come. 
“They’re both going to get an 
opportunity in the first game,” 
Pearson said. “They’ll both play 
some minutes, and we’ll just go 
from there. A lot of it’s based even 
on just how they do there. 
“You take it week by week right 
now especially early in the season 
because they both haven’t played 
for so long. You just hope one of 
them’s ready to go, if not both of 
them. I’d like to see both of them 
really have a great competition 
and make it hard on the coaches to 
decide who’s gonna play.”

Hailey Borja leads ‘M’ 
in Windy City Classic

Golf has its ups and downs. It 
can have its beautiful drives down 
the middle of the fairway or its 
wayward shots deep into the abyss 
of the rough. 
It’s a patient game, and the 
Michigan women’s golf team 
stayed the course at the Windy City 
Classic on Monday and Tuesday 
in Golf, Ill. The 
Wolverines 
struggled 
during the first 
round 
of 
play, 
but 
eventually 
finished 
strong 
in the second day 
placing 14th out 
of 15 teams
In a field full 
of schools ranked 
in the Top 25 
according to the 
Women’s Golf Coach’s Association, 
Michigan coach Jan Dowling 
knew it was going to be a test of her 
team’s determination. 
“It was a heck of a test for us 
and a heck of an opportunity,” 
Dowling said. “We had a solid 
round (Tuesday) but I think the 
first round Monday got us into a 
pretty big hole, 
so that part was 
unfortunate but 
I think it clears 
up what we need 
to 
do 
moving 
forward.”
After 
play 
ended 
on 
Monday, 
Michigan 
sat 
in 
15th 
place 
with a score of 
605 
(plus-29). 
Freshman Hailey Borja led the 
team in just her second career start 
as a Wolverine, sitting tied for 23rd 
going into the second day of play. 
Borja tied for 19th place when 
the dust settled, shooting a 217 
(plus-1). Dowling had nothing 
but praise for the freshman 
golfer, whose finish gives her two 
consecutive top-20 finishes early 

in the season. 
“She’s one of the steadiest 
golfers I’ve been around and I 
think that will bode well for her 
moving forward throughout her 
career,” Dowling said. “She should 
be pretty thrilled with her top-20 
finish but I know she thinks she 
could do even better.” 
Following 
Borja 
were 
sophomores 
Ashley 
Lau 
and 
Sophia 
Trombetta, 
who 
shot 
respective scores 
of 226 (plus-10) 
and 227 (plus-
11). 
Trombetta 
had 
a 
stellar 
final 
round, 
finishing 
out 
with a 71(minus-
1), which made 
her 
the 
only 
Wolverine to hit 
under par for the 
tournament. 
The results of 
the Windy City Classic aren’t the 
only results that matter for the 
Wolverines, though. 
Three 
players 
played 
as 
individuals at Eastern Michigan 
University in the Shirley Spork 
Invitational 
on 
Monday 
and 
Tuesday. Those three players were 
freshman Julia Schulz, junior 
Ashley Kim and 
freshman Anika 
Dy, who placed 
first, 
fourth 
and 
second, 
respectively. 
The next two 
tournaments for 
the 
team 
will 
both be in North 
Carolina as they 
travel to Chapel 
Hill to play in 
the 
Tar 
Heel 
Invitational next week and the 
Landfall Tradition in Wilmington 
at the end of the month. 
“We had a nice finish to our 
tournament 
here 
in 
Chicago 
and we hope to use that as 
momentum,” Dowling said. “We’ll 
be back at it again for two more 
great tournaments coming up that 
we’re really excited for.” 

JAMES HILL
Daily Sports Writer

WOMEN’S GOLF

JACOB KOPNICK
Daily Sports Writer

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Under California’s new name, image and likeness law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsome this week, college athletes can make money off endorsements.

We had a nice 
finish ... and we 
hope to use that 
as momentum.

It’s kind of 
dangerous like, 
‘Man, I don’t 
have the money.’

You have to 
... go get East 
Quad or South 
Quad food.

ALEC COHEN/Daily
Senior goaltender Hayden Lavigne is coming off a poor 2018-19 season in which he split time with Strauss Mann.

MOLLY SHEA
Daily Sports Writer

(Borja’s) one of 
the steadiest 
golfers I’ve 
been around.

