Academia news from every side

USA TODAY Ranks Top 10 College Athletes by State

USA TODAY Sports is ranking the top 10 college athletes from each state for the 250th anniversary, highlighting Kentucky, Maryland, Louisiana, Kansas, and Maine as examples of diverse, storied programs across basketball, football, hockey, and more. The selections showcase Kentucky’s basketball culture, Maryland’s lacrosse- and football-rich history including Roger Staubach and Len Bias, Louisiana’s LSU legends like Joe Burrow and Pete Maravich, Kansas’ basketball heft led by Wilt Chamberlain and Gale Sayers, and Maine’s celebrated hockey and endurance athletes such as Paul Kariya and Joan Benoit.

Jul 25, 2026

Academia

USC, Oregon Clash for 2028 California Recruits

"USC has tightened its hold on the 2028 recruiting cycle, pursuing targets like Jaion Smith and having secured four-star corner Danny Lang, while Oregon remains a persistent challenger for California stars such as Ca'ron Williams. The Ducks also face a setback as Brayden Parks appears trending to Notre Dame, amplifying the high-stakes West Coast recruiting battle between USC and Oregon."

Jul 27, 2026

Academia

Nationwide Track & Field Earns USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors

Several NCAA track and field programs—Georgetown, UNLV, Marshall, Florida State, and Virginia—were honored by the USTFCCCA for All-Academic teams and athletes, underscoring strong GPAs and significant on-track achievements. The honors require a 3.25 cumulative GPA (with at least two semesters) and either top-96 indoor or top-48 outdoor finishes, or participation in NCAA championships, with teams typically posting GPA benchmarks above 3.0.

Jul 20, 2026

Academia

Nigerian-American Engineer Debuts World's First Braid-Assist Robot HaloBraid

Nigerian-American engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has developed HaloBraid, the world’s first braid-assist robot designed to ease stylists’ physical strain and cut braiding time, with a seed funding round of about $7 million and more than 7,000 salons waitlisted ahead of commercial rollout. The project frames HaloBraid as a cobot that augments professional braiders rather than replacing them, backed by significant investment and recognition of American innovation with global impact.

United States Nigeria

Jul 24, 2026

Baseball

Colleges Nationwide Earn ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award

Several college baseball programs, including Tulane, UAB, Illinois Wesleyan, Purdue, and Gannon, were named recipients of the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award for the 2025-26 academic year, each meeting a 3.0+ team GPA with ABCA-member head coaches. The awards highlight sustained academic achievement across the season, with programs reporting GPA totals and notable scholarly honors.

All-Big Ten ABCA

Jul 23, 2026

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Academia

USA TODAY Ranks Top 10 College Athletes by State

USC, Oregon Clash for 2028 California Recruits

Nationwide Track & Field Earns USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors

Nigerian-American Engineer Debuts World's First Braid-Assist Robot HaloBraid

Colleges Nationwide Earn ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award

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