By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

With temperature lows set in the single digits this weekend and wind chill
values with negative signs in front of them, Live Like Jesus Ministries will
again open a warming shelter in Great Bend. 

Buzz Birney, with Live Like Jesus
Ministries said the warm safe haven will be located in the Anchor Room, on the
east side of the Dream Center, 2100 Broadway Avenue.


"We don't want anyone to freeze to death or be without water, heat or food," said Birney. "We'll be able to provide all of them."

The warming shelter will open at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19. Birney said the
shelter will be open 24 hours a day and expected it to remain open through
Wednesday, depending on the weather.


If citizens are planning to spend the night, they are welcome to bring a change
of clothes. Live Like Jesus Ministries will provide the beds, blankets and
food.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Warming shelter opening Sunday in Great Bend with freezing forecast 

Check back to see your progress AND enter in additional rounds!

Enter the Bowl Pick'em Contest

Medical Park Pharmacy, Mayo Money Management, Hazmat Response, Protective Equipment Testing Lab, R&amp;R Roofing, Freedom Claims Management, Inc., Rosencrantz-Bemis Water Well Company, Stone Sand Company/Stone Waste Management, Miller Plastics/Miller Warehouse, Nex-Tech Wireless, USD #431 Hoisington, Great Bend Redi Mix, Heavy Duty Diesel &amp; Auto, USD #428 Great Bend

Make a Difference Contest 

Hear this month's Great Bend Rec show with Eagle Media's Cole Reif and Great Bend Recreation Commission's Garet Fitzpatrick and Shane Sandberg that aired Jan. 16, 2025.

The Great Bend Rec Show airs the third Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m. on 1590 KVGB &amp; 95.5 FM.&nbsp;

🎙Post Podcast: Great Bend Rec show

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

In December, USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton introduced the idea of using solar panels to offset some of the energy costs used in the Great Bend district. Monday evening, he updated the board of education on the potential benefits of using solar panels atop Great Bend High School and Lincoln and Jefferson Elementaries.

"You hear about solar energy," he said. "Well, what's that look like for the district? This is what it might look like for the district. These are the three they picked. They felt like these would be the three that probably showed the best benefit."

Hutton, with several locations in Kansas, provided the study with the goal of finding the "sweet spot" of offsetting some energy costs but not producing too much energy. With tax credits, a $100,000 installation on the roof of Great Bend High School would only cost the district $70,000. Over 25 years, Hutton said the district could see $275,000 in energy savings from that building alone.

"They figure at a 25-year financial benefit, but they also said those systems, once you hit 25 years, they don't just stop working," Thexton said. "They degrade over time and they don't generate as much power. The industry standard is a half-percent per year."

The payback period for each of the three studies would be 8-9 years. Jefferson Elementary could save an estimated $341,000 on a $128,000 system, and Lincoln Elementary could save an estimated $313,000 on a $120,000 array.

Because the panels would be used for individual buildings, the new large-scale solar operation rules recently approved by the Great Bend City Council would not apply. The board took no action on the matter Monday evening.

Studies indicate USD 428 could benefit from use of rooftop solar panels 

Parent-teacher conferences for Great Bend schools begin on Feb. 17. The district plans to have a new tool in place to help communications between teachers and non-English speaking parents. USD 428 Director of Teaching and Learning JoAnn Blevins introduced Propio Language Services to the board of education Monday night.

"We are starting to outgrow our in-house capabilities for interpretation, especially around parent-teacher conferences when we have lots of families who are in need of interpretation," Blevins said.

Propio can provide translation services by phone or video for up to 350 languages. The service is available 24/7/365 and costs $0.70 a minute to use. There are no subscription or minimum fees, so if the district does not use the service there will be no charge.

Board President Jacquie Disque, a healthcare worker by trade, called Propio one of her favorite services to use in her profession because of its ease. Board Member Chad Burroughs was less enthusiastic.

"We've had the translation be incorrect a handful of times we've used it," he said. "In my line of work that can be life and death so I have mixed emotions about this. Is it convenient? Yes. But some of the translation isn't correct, so I'm leery."

Blevins said Propio does strive to provide the best service possible and takes negative feedback seriously.

"There is a rating process for the interpreter after the interaction is over," she said. "They investigate any rating under a three to figure out why that is and make corrections."

The board voted 5-1 in favor of using the service with Burroughs the lone vote against.

USD 428 to have new translator service in place by mid-February

Barton County Sheriff’s
Office incident log (1/16)

At 1:45 p.m. a report of cattle out was made at Railroad Avenue
&amp; SW 5 Avenue.

At 2:56 p.m. an animal complaint was reported at 51 S.
Washington Avenue.

At 3:52 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at MM 130 on
NE K-156 Highway.

At 6:39 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at 10th
&amp; 281 Bypass.

At 7:39 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at 355 SW 60
Avenue.

Great Bend Police
Department incident log (1/16)

At 9:27 a.m. a report of a theft was made at 1110 Morphy.
Incident occurred in McPherson.

At 10:13 a.m. an accident was reported at Broadway &amp;
McKinley.

At 11:36 a.m. a structure fire was reported at 725
Washington.

At 2 p.m. an accident was reported at 1649 K-96 Highway.

At 2:35 p.m. a hit-and-run accident was reported at 3503 10th
Street.

At 6:39 p.m. a white truck speeding and blowing black smoke in
the area was reported at 10th &amp; 281 Bypass.

At 6:52 p.m. a report of a moped without any lights was made
at 5605 10th Street.

At 7:42 p.m. a noise complaint was reported at 810 Coolidge.

At 8:14 p.m. a noise complaint was reported at 1010 8th
Street.

At 8:52 p.m. a hit-and-run case was reported at 3209 10th
Street.

At 10:12 p.m. criminal damage to property was reported at
1221 10th Street.

Cop Shop (1/16)

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/category/obituaries" target="_blank">HERE&nbsp;</a>to view the most recent obituaries and service times from Eagle Media's funeral home partners.

﻿Funeral homes and families can send notices to <a href="mailto:obitsgb@eagleradio.net">obitsgb@eagleradio.net</a>.

Obituary listings are a paid service. Contact Eagle Media for more details.

Recent obituaries 

1/16 BOOKED: Michael E. Krom on Hoisington Municipal Court warrant for Failure to Appear, bond set at $1,000 C/S; and on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for Failure to Appear, bond set at $1,000 C/S; and on Cowley County District Court warrant for Failure to Appear, bond set at $4,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Dezmon Sherwood on Barton County District Court warrant for Probation Violation, bond set at $3,430.09 cash only.

Barton County Sheriff's booking activity (1/16)

A pair of Barton County leaders are joining forces to recognize and celebrate the leadership of volunteers and those who serve their communities. USD 428 will host the first FUEL Barton County Leadership Luncheon of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at the District Education Center, 1809 24th Street in Great Bend. USD 428 Public Information Director Andrea Bauer said this luncheon will celebrate School Board Appreciation Month.

"As one of the largest employers in the area, we think FUEL is really important in helping people make connections and just get to know their community more and hopefully grow and stay here," Bauer said.

Barton County FUEL, formerly Barton County Young Professionals, was created with the goal of serving as a resource for young professionals seeking to expand their horizons and make meaningful contributions to their community. Aaron Emerson, vice president of the USD 428 Board of Education, will speak during the luncheon about what it means to volunteer.

"Then we're planning to have some other Q&amp;As, frequently asked questions on school curriculum choices, funding, our multi-tiered system of support - just those things people have questions about," Bauer said. "It will be a fun day, and we have crunchy-munchy chili coming from the Central Kitchen to provide lunch for everyone."

The free lunch is planned for up to 40 attendees so Bauer encourages interested parties to register early. The luncheon is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m.

<a href="https://greatbend.chambermaster.com/eventregistration/register/15018">CLICK HERE</a> to register for the event, or <a href="https://www.greatbend.org/fuel">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more about FUEL Barton County.

USD 428, FUEL Barton County teaming up for luncheon on Jan. 28

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Expectations for a new daycare center in Hoisington were running high after Advancing Barton County Childcare (ABCC) received a $2.23 million grant from the Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund Child Care Capacity Accelerator in June 2023. Groundbreaking for the Hoisington center was expected to follow a year later. USD 431 Superintendent Patrick Crowdis continued the conversation about the proposed center during Monday's board of education meeting.

"On our project, we've ran into hurdle after hurdle in terms of surveying the site, getting an address, rezoning the site that is outside the exemptions that normal schools have," he said. "The idea was to break ground in June. We're obviously past June. There is still a plan to break ground. The ABCC group as a whole has agreed we still do want to pursue the Hoisington daycare."

But, there are some issues. Crowdis said the plan is still to construct a facility that will house 38-45 kids, but now additional funding will likely be needed.

"In terms of grant money, from the breaking ground of the Great Bend facility to when the Great Bend facility opened, through different legislative things that took place, about $500,000 of grant money was actually pulled back, not because of anything the daycare did but because there was some legislation that changed," Crowdis said. "So there is a need to support the financial cost of the facility."

One concern with the Bright Beginnings facility in Great Bend is that is it not filled to capacity. The opening of USD 428's new Little Panthers Preschool and the number of infants at Bright Beginnings have likely played a role. USD 431 Board Member Julia Debes said the Great Bend and Hoisington projects should not be directly compared.

"I will admit, I'm very frustrated we're doing an apples-to-apples comparison with Great Bend when the situations are very different," she said. "One, this is the school district system. Two, their daycare facility is not attached to a school. Ours is attached to a school that does have a preschool program for 3-4 year olds."

Debes confirmed with Crowdis that the land-use agreement the USD 431 Board approved last month has yet to be signed by ABCC. She said several details need to be ironed out before the district asks the community for financial support.

"I think before we have meetings asking for money from the community, we need to have a signed agreement with that organization," she said. "Also, with that, I would want to see detailed at that meeting or coming to present to the board the breakdown of the grant funding that was designated for non-Great Bend daycares."

In 2022, the Barton County Commission pledged $435,000 to assist with the development of childcare centers in the county. Debes encouraged Crowdis to invite commissioners to a future meeting.

"I don't think it's fair to ask anyone for financial donations when we don't even have a signed agreement and we were supposed to break ground last June," she said.

The board took no action on the matter Monday night. 

Hoisington school board looks into ways to keep daycare project alive

At this week’s Great Bend Recreation Commission meeting, Rec Enrichment
Director Garet Fitzpatrick was able to give his recap on last month’s Santa’s
Workshop. With the holiday-themed booths, games, prizes and treats, the
workshop welcomed all children to kick off the Christmas month. 

The 28th
annual event again was highlighted by the opportunity to talk to Santa Claus.


"One thing we did this year is move the Santa line," said Fitzpatrick. "In the past, it has wandered and got in the way of everyone. This year we took it out into the hallway to free up more room in the main area. It worked out well so we'll continue that."

There were 700 cookies prepared for the event, and Rec staff spent two hours
blowing up 700 balloons. There were also 162 letters to Santa submitted by
children.
High school students, civic organizations and several community volunteers help
transform the City Auditorium into a Christmas paradise.


As far as other holiday-related activities, the Rec hosted a Christmas tree
contest that received 54 entries and a snow sculpture contest.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Large numbers for last month’s Santa’s Workshop in Great Bend

Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Blustery, with a north wind 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.

Saturday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 24. Blustery, with a north wind 13 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 5. Wind chill values as low as -4. North wind 6 to 10 mph.

Sunday Sunny, with a high near 19. North wind 5 to 9 mph.

Sunday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 5.

M.L.King Day A 20 percent chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 18.

Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around -1.

Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 24.

Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 13.

Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 38.

Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.

Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 36.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Weekend weather

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Dan Quinn met with new Washington Commanders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-peters-539bfccaf80ce5b1933600b768abce3c">general manager Adam Peters</a>&nbsp;and team brass at a hotel in Georgetown in late January 2024 to talk about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-coaching-search-130e2acc5a7e5c94f0a179a2532a1e4b">their head coaching vacancy</a>.

“I hope they call,” Quinn recalled thinking.

The same day, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was scheduled to interview and, instead,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/detroit-lions-ben-johnson-dd725e7109f67edf6a5abc6d68dbb819">told the Commanders and other interested teams</a>&nbsp;he was staying in his current job. Later that week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-dan-quinn-1d88b3682c1484e76df48a74fe430ae8">Washington hired Quinn</a>&nbsp;and by Feb. 4 had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-kliff-kingsbury-56fb1b0ce42a7c939c4e3cf893d4a6cb">an agreement with Kliff Kingsbury</a>&nbsp;to run the offense.

Fast forward 11 1/2 months and all of them will be on the sidelines when the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lions-commanders-preview-1ebd86a98b8ab8b7430764c22a720efe">Lions host the Commanders in the divisional round</a>&nbsp;of the playoffs. Johnson has again been a big part of Detroit having one of the top offenses in the NFL, Kingsbury has gotten Washington into the same stratosphere with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-jayden-daniels-185612a07fc60cc16356c01a46474a6e">rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels</a>&nbsp;and all four coordinators involved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-coaching-searches-4690e1d7367faf758a043b28f2e4d36d">are garnering attention around the league</a>&nbsp;for head coaching jobs.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who also interviewed with Washington before Quinn got the gig, is as hot a candidate as there is right now. Glenn has spoken with Chicago, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, New Orleans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-steelers-arthur-smith-slowik-7a4aa7d10c7cb015a0f2fac881e08da8">and the New York Jets</a>.

“He is beyond qualified right now,” Johnson, who has also interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars and Raiders, said of Glenn. “He is more prepared to be a head coach than maybe anybody I’ve ever met. He wants that, and I think he’d do a phenomenal job in charge.”

Commanders veteran tight end Zach Ertz echoed that sentiment, saying, “Aaron Glenn is probably one of the best coaches in the league just maximizing his players.”

Johnson has maximized the Lions’ offense, too, and now seems primed to leave coach Dan Campbell’s staff to start his own, knowing better the questions he’s getting in the process and thinking differently about the future.

“I instead of worrying solely about the offense and what we’re doing right here, I’ve been able to have offseasons and summers to think about big-picture view, what a program would look like where I’m running it,” Johnson said.

Kingsbury knows what that is like from running a Power Five college program at Texas Tech for six years, then coaching the Arizona Cardinals for four seasons from 2019-22. Asked recently if he would like to be an NFL head coach again, Kingsbury said “at some point” he would.

“We’ll see how everything plays out, but I’m very happy here,” Kingsbury said. “This has been an awesome, awesome place and has really helped me kind of rekindle my love for the sport.”

There’s no telling if the Commanders would be here if not for the combined leadership by Quinn and play-calling by Kingsbury, a QB guru who has worked with Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray and then Caleb Williams at USC and helped Daniels become a favorite for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

“He has meant a lot, obviously, just for my development and my growth from the day I stepped foot here to this point now,” Daniels said last week. “He wants to go out there and dominate, put us in the best position and he wants to win.”

The Commanders have also been asked by the Jets for permission to talk to defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. as a candidate to be the full-time successor to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-jets-robert-saleh-fired-78884ffcd0fa98abf9eca4e597abc362">fired coach Robert Saleh</a>. Whitt said Wednesday his only focus was on the Lions because he did not want to cheat his players by letting any of his attention go to interviewing with New York.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bobby-wagner-washington-commanders-421ecd4a15033673e338db2a3f93ee40">Six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner</a>&nbsp;on Thursday praised Whitt’s ability to put he and his teammates in the right positions to make plays.

“He’s found a way to maximize everybody’s talent,” Wagner said. “He’s a great leader, and I think that’s what helped us kind of grow throughout the season.”

Whitt might be a long shot to get a role leading a team after just one season running a defense, and Kingsbury may very well choose another year with Daniels before considering a leap. Glenn also said he has a great job in Detroit, but the former defensive back has also gotten to think about what it would be like to be an NFL head coach sooner than later.

“If you like it, if it’s an opportunity I think that’s best for me and my family, then we’ll take a look at it,” Glenn said. “During the season, you really don’t even mess with it at all because you’re so locked into what you’re doing, and then once the interviews start, you start to come back to some of those things, some of those people that you talked to. You start to think about, ‘Is this a guy that I feel like I can win a Super Bowl with?’ And I always look at it that way.”

Lions, Commanders meet after coaching decisions impacted trajectories

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid remembers quite well the previous time the Texans visited Kansas City for a divisional playoff game.

He was still considered among the best coaches to have never won the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes was still a young, record-setting quarterback full of potential.

The Texans had Deshaun Watson, rather than C.J. Stroud, under center and he threw a pair of touchdown passes to help Houston race to a 24-0 lead inside a stunned Arrowhead Stadium.

“We didn't start off very well,” Reid recalled, “that's for sure.”

Their finish was nearly perfect. The Chiefs scored 28 second-quarter points and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1129919fad337ff1d482dc02cb5a4059">rolled from there to a 51-31 win</a>, which not only sent them to the AFC title game, but provided the momentum that ultimately earned Reid his first Super Bowl title.

“Getting down like that,” Mahomes said, “things could have gone south real fast. I was proud of the resilience of the guys.”

Now, the Chiefs hope another win over the Texans on Saturday can catapult them toward an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title, and their fourth in a six-year span — a run that began with that divisional win over Houston on Jan. 12, 2020.

“I mean, it's been a fun run up to this point. But we want to get to that ultimate goal,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houston-texans-kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-afc-playoffs-01c66117021305ffb8d574883c874e6e">Mahomes said this week.</a>&nbsp;“We know it's going to be challenging. So we have to just really focus on the day and how we can get better, and try to win the game.”

The Chiefs (15-2), who earned the No. 1 seed and lone first-round bye, haven't played many of their starters since clinching on Christmas Day. They chose to rest Mahomes and such stars as Travis Kelce and Chris Jones during a meaningless Week 18 loss in Denver, and risked the potential for rust to set in over 24 days between games against the need to get healthy.

The Texans (11-7), meanwhile, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-stroud-playoffs-6c1a28616aebd462f99501665098f847">started to build some momentum</a>&nbsp;after beating the Titans in their regular-season finale and blowing out the Chargers during the wild-card round. They lost in Kansas City&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-score-37fa92c3c83761eb6574e2e5529acfd1">the weekend prior to Christmas</a>, but neither team is putting much stock in that matchup — one of three they played during a brutal 11-day stretch.

“That was that week. It's different circumstances that happened in that particular week,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Now it's a new game for me. Fresh start. New game. We will attack it just like it's our first time playing these guys again.”

This is the sixth time the Texans have played for a spot in the AFC championship game. They have lost every one of the previous five.

“That would be huge. I didn’t know that, but I think that will be a huge accomplishment," Stroud said. "This team is really motivated to go up there and play some good ball against a great Kansas City team that has been in these moments forever. It is going to take all of us and take a lot of execution to get that done, so we have to be on our A-game.”

The Chiefs struggled most of the season to protect Mahomes' blind side, eventually moving All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney outside with Mike Caliendo in his place. The question now is whether they will stick with that lineup or move Thuney back to his natural spot and start D.J. Humphries,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-002d7290cc74fd07e56b103e50181362">a one-time Pro Bowl left tackle</a>&nbsp;who has played just two games because of injuries this season.

Jaylen Watson could play for Kansas City for the first time since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-jaylen-watson-playoffs-b2c03f0ff6a7278aec1081726154f8e9">breaking his ankle Oct. 20</a>&nbsp;against San Francisco. The third-year cornerback had become a reliable starter in the defensive backfield before getting hurt.

“Not telling you he could play a whole game,” Reid said, “but I think he has a chance to play for sure.”

The Texans got two big plays from special teams in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chargers-herbert-interceptions-texans-aff4eeb98f701f3680acc07f0067ab8c">last week’s playoff win</a>. D’Angelo Ross blocked a punt in the first quarter before returning a blocked extra point for two points in the fourth. The blocked punt was the first in a playoff game since the 2021 season and the PAT return was the first in NFL playoff history.

“The special teams unit came up big for us making some impact plays,” Ryans said. “Any time special teams can affect the game where it is taking the ball away, blocking the kick, it changes the game drastically.”

Nico Collins has continued to star for the Texans despite the loss of fellow wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell to season-ending injuries. Collins led the team with 1,006 yards receiving in the regular season despite missing five games with an injury, and he had a franchise playoff-record 122 yards receiving and a touchdown against the Chargers last weekend.

“Very proud of Nico for what he’s been able to accomplish just all year, everything that he’s done,” Ryans said. “Even when everyone knows the ball is going to him, he still makes the play. So, excited for him and just his trajectory as a pro."

It was an exciting bye weekend for Mahomes, whose wife, Brittany,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-brittany-mahomes-baby-chiefs-nfl-playoffs-48967dce27451d5c67c822f165cc6177">gave birth to their third child</a>&nbsp;on Sunday. They named their new daughter Golden Raye, and she joins a family that includes another daughter, Sterling, and a son nicknamed Bronze.

Texans visit Chiefs again in divisional round, 5 years after KC win propelled it to title

- Barton basketball coach Jeremy Coombs will visit the Mayo Money Management studio to discuss Wednesday's home loss to Independence and the plan to bounce back against Coffeyville Saturday at the Kirkman Center.

- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nicholl joins the show to preview all the Friday High School Basketball action including the Great Bend Panthers and Hutchinson Salt Hawks in Hutch.

- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" for Panther Sports by talking Great Bend Girls wrestling with head coach Lars Lueders.

Friday on Sports Day(Watch)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Plans for colleges to pay athletes directly for their name, image and likeness deals would run afoul of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-title-ix-e02d90d300218ebcbb9dd0344053e05c">Title IX</a>, the Department of Education said in guidance issued Thursday that adds more confusion to the shifting landscape in college sports.

The nine-page memo&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/ocr-factsheet-benefits-student-athletes" target="_blank">from the department’s Office for Civil Rights</a>&nbsp;said NIL money that goes to athletes should be treated the same as athletic financial aid — i.e., scholarships. It’s a position that, if it remains in place after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, could upend plans that many schools are making for next school year.

Under terms of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuit-settlement-c5e0cea45fd210cc935cff992ab16f25">House settlement</a>, a game-changing legal agreement that’s expected to be approved this spring, universities will be able to pay athletes directly under a revenue-sharing plan that would see the biggest schools distribute around $20.5 million each to athletes.

Many schools have publicly stated that the majority of that money would go to football and men’s basketball players, which, according to the guidance, would be in violation of Title IX.

“When a school provides athletic financial assistance in forms other than scholarships or grants, including compensation for the use of a student-athlete’s NIL, such assistance also must be made proportionately available to male and female athletes,” the memo said.

Passed in 1972, Title IX requires that schools pay out financial assistance in proportion to the number of students of each gender who play sports on campus. It also calls for schools to provide opportunities to play varsity sports in proportion to the gender distribution on campus.

NCAA board chair Linda Livingstone said the association doesn’t give guidance to schools about Title IX compliance.

“We’re going to have to get back to our schools and see what the implications are,” said Livingstone, who is the president at Baylor.

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman, who serves as the chair of the NCAA Division I Council, said “the world has changed over and over again just in the last six months.”

“We’ve been building plans on top of plans for some time now, and this is the most recent example of where we’re going to take the guidance under advisement and figure out what, if any, changes we have to make to the strategies we’ve developed,” he said.

The guidance was less clear on how money from third-party collectives that are closely affiliated with the schools will be treated. The memo said those payments, which are the norm but were expected to be reduced under the new rules, were not considered financial assistance.

But, the guidance said, “it is possible that NIL agreements between student-athletes and third parties will create similar disparities and therefore trigger a school’s Title IX obligations.”

David Ridpath, a former president of the Drake Group, an NCAA watchdog, called the memo “not surprising, and very consistent with the law.”

“There was always a question of how Title IX applies to NIL. Now there is just more guidance,” he said. “It’s essentially just following the law virtually the way it’s always been written.”

Though the government has the authority to crack down on schools that violate Title IX standards, typically those actions come from athletes suing schools, alleging they violated the law.

There’s one such lawsuit involving more than two dozen female athletes who are suing the University of Oregon.

The plaintiffs’ attorney, Arthur Bryant, said the fact sheet backed their claims.

“It makes clear our approach in the Title IX lawsuit is correct and strengthens our case,” Bryant told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportico.com/leagues/college-sports/2025/department-of-education-title-ix-nil-guidance-1234824287/#recipient_hashed=14ce8a26368e9b4372f2ac43473b4bd5ca7e53306e8399ee6785c4af0b7a0359&amp;recipient_salt=0c7b41999aaaa4df06c500f8edc61792ffae1280e386ce6457d4af8108a58feb&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=exacttarget&amp;utm_campaign=Sportico_BreakingNews&amp;utm_content=579885_01-16-2025&amp;utm_term=8165885" target="_blank">Sportico.</a>&nbsp;“It also signals that the proposed settlement in House v. NCAA should not be approved.”

Title IX memo throws wrench in plans for schools to pay NIL money to athletes

Kansas scored the first 11 points and never looked back on its way to a 75-52 victory over Arizona State on Thursday night at Allen Fieldhouse. 

Elle Evans led the Jayhawks with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, marking the second straight 20-point game for Evans and her fourth of the season. Regan Williams finished two rebounds shy of a double-double, totaling 13 points and eight rebounds. Brittany Harshaw scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds and Laia Conesa had 11 points and four rebounds in 35 minutes of action.

The Jayhawks pulled down 37 rebounds, its most in a conference game this season, while forcing 20 turnovers and outscoring Arizona State 30-14 in the paint. Kansas shot 47.5 percent from the field, hitting 28-of-59 field goal attempts while limiting ASU to 33.3 percent (18-54) shooting.

With the win, Kansas improves to 12-5 on the year and 2-4 in Big 12 play. Arizona State drops to 8-10 and 2-4 in conference play.

"Going into the game we just really settled in on trying to protect the paint," Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said. "Prior to tonight, we were giving up layups and threes, and sometimes you have to pick your poison, and we chose to just do a much better job protecting the paint. But I also thought Regan Williams post defense was exceptional, just really active and made it much harder for them to catch."

The Jayhawks started the first quarter with an 11-0 run to take control from the outset. Arizona State called an early timeout in an attempt to disrupt the Jayhawks' strong momentum, but Kansas held ASU scoreless for half of the quarter. Although the Sun Devils managed to find a basket late in the first and cut into KU's lead, the Jayhawks closed out the quarter with a pair of free throws by Sania Copeland to lead 20-9.

Williams scored KU's first five points of the second frame and KU's lead stood at 10, 25-15, after a pair of ASU three-pointers. Kansas continued to dominate on offense, using a 16-3 run over five minutes to build the lead to 38-20. 

Kansas took control during this stretch as Harshaw and Evans hit key three-pointers to push the lead to 14. Evans followed with two additional three-pointers and a jumper, extending the advantage to 21. Kansas' defense held strong, keeping ASU scoreless for 5:25 while quick transitions helped the Jayhawks take a commanding 41-23 lead into halftime. 

The second half opened with Kansas maintaining control through strong defense, forcing multiple ASU turnovers.  While the Jayhawks missed a few early shots, Conesa and Nadira Eltayeb added baskets of their own to extend the lead to 20 at 45-25.

Although Arizona State went on a brief scoring run, Kansas remained in control heading into the media timeout. In the final minute of the third quarter, Williams scored the last two baskets pushing the Jayhawks ahead 52-39 heading into the final frame. 

Kansas outscored ASU 23-12 in the last ten minutes as the Jayhawks went on a decisive 14-1 scoring run that spanned almost six minutes with Evans contributing six points and Conesa adding four en route to the 75-52 victory.

Kansas completes its weekend home stand on Sunday, Jan. 19, when the Jayhawks welcome Arizona to Allen Fieldhouse. That game is set for a 2 p.m. CT tipoff on ESPN+. 

- Kansas' 11 point, 20-9, advantage over Arizona State is the largest first quarter lead it has had over an opponent this season. 

- Kansas tied its season high with six blocked shots, including two apiece from Sania Copeland and Elle Evans each supplying two.  

- Four Jayhawks finished in double figures as Evans led with 22 followed by Regan Williams (13), Brittany Harshaw (12) and Laia Conesa (11). The last time Kansas had four players score in double figures was against Kansas City on Dec. 11, 2024.

- Kansas grabbed 37 rebounds, the most in a conference game this season, while outscoring Arizona State 30-14 in the paint. The Jayhawk defense also forced 20 turnovers which led to 20 points off turnovers.

Kansas women shut down Arizona State offense in 75-52 win

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College wrestling team opened the conference dual season with a pair of losses Wednesday evening in its home opener at the Barton Gym.

Nearly pulling off an upset over No. 12 Cowley College to begin the triangular, Neosho County Community College rallied in the middle dual of the night winning five of the final six bouts to secure a 30-22 win over the Cougars. The Tigers used a 285-division pin in the opening match of the night to withstand the Panthers late surge in picking up a tightly 29-22 victory.

In the nightcap Barton fell on the wrong side of six Cowley pins and an open weight to eventually fall 42-15.

Dropping to 0-2 in conference play and 2-12 overall, the Cougars will step out of dual play Sunday traveling to Warrensburg, Missouri for the Denker Open before concluding the home slate next Thursday hosting No. 9 Pratt Community College.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wrest/2024-25/files/Neosho011625.pdf">Barton vs Neosho Results</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wrest/2024-25/files/Cowley011625.pdf">Barton vs Cowley Results</a>

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wrest/2024-25/bios/mcmullen_skyler_jz53">Skyler McMullen</a>&nbsp;(141) and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wrest/2024-25/bios/agudzi-addo_nathan_04nx">Nathan Agudzi-Addo</a>&nbsp;(285) delivered four of Barton's seven victories on the night each distributing back flattening victories in their pair of matches.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wrest/2024-25/bios/garrett_jamal_dw5v">Jamal Garrett</a>'s opening round forfeit victory at 125 sparked a 6-0 start for the Cougars against the Panthers with McMullen's first of two first-period falls on the night and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wrest/2024-25/bios/mader_jarret_ixfh">Jarret Mader</a>'s 13-5 major decision at 149 gifting Barton it's biggest advantage on the night at 16-5.

Dropping the next four tilts while being open at 197, the Panthers secured the match victory before Agudzi-Addo put the final points on the board serving up the first of his two pins in just 1:04 over Christopher Colwell.

McMullen's second fall of the evening coming just 2:44 into the 141-match against Beau Murphy halted a 12-0 Tiger start in the nightcap.

With the match already secured after five straight Tiger pins, sophomore&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wrest/2024-25/bios/duarte_quiroz_edgar_hm9y">Edgar Duarte Quiroz</a>&nbsp;delivered the most exciting match of the evening bouncing back from a rough second period fall to Neosho's Dylan Waggerman to split his evening's matches squeezing out a tightly contested 17-12 decision over Cowley's Brayden Merredith.

Agudzi-Addo sent the Barton crowd home happy capping his perfect night just before the second period buzzer serving up a 4:58 fall over the Tigers' Jacob Acedo.

Barton Wrestling falls in conference openers; McMullen and Agudzi-Addo go perfect

K-State held off an upset bid by Arizona on Thursday night at Bramlage Coliseum, 62-47, as Serena Sundell joined an exclusive scoring club in program history. The win improves K-State's win streak to 13. The 13-game win streak is tied for the fifth-longest win streak in program history.

K-State improved its overall record to 18-1 for the second time under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie. This is the second straight season K-State has opened with a 18-1 record. In its history, K-State has opened a season 18-1 or better four times.

Sundell, an All-America candidate and the national leader in assists and assists per game, led K-State with 16 points, eight assists, four rebounds, a block and a steal. With her point total on Thursday, Sundell surpassed the 1,500-point mark (1,507) in her K-State career, becoming the 14th player in program history to reach the milestone.

Joining Sundell in double figures was senior forward and Cheryl Miller Award candidate Temira Poindexter with 14 points including 4-of-8 from long range and two rebounds. In her last three games, Poindexter is 12-of-25 (.480) from behind the three-point line.

Senior center Ayoka Lee chipped in on the defensive end by tying her career-high and equaling the school record for blocks in a conference game by sending back eight shots. The eight blocks were tied for the most in any game by a Big 12 team this season and were the most in a league game this season. She also carded six rebounds, two steals and six points.

- K-State (18-1, 6-0 Big 12) held a four-point lead, 14-10, entering the second quarter. The Wildcats were sparked to start the second frame by Gisela Sanchez, as she made three straight field goals including two 3-pointers to push the Wildcats into a 22-13 lead. Sanchez finished the night with nine points and three rebounds to lead a K-State bench that outscored the Arizona bench, 19-10.

- The Wildcats would build a 13-point advantage twice in the second quarter, the last coming on a 3-pointer from Taryn Sides with 1:13 remaining in the frame to give K-State a 36-23 lead.

- K-State shot 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the field in the second quarter, including four connections from long range.

- Arizona (11-8, 2-4) opened the third quarter with an 11-4 run, which included a span of four straight made field goals, to pull to within four, 40-36, with 5:28 to play in the third stanza.

- Arizona would win the third quarter, 16-11 and hold K-State to 27.3 percent (3-of-11) shooting in the third stanza. The 11 points were a season-low for a third quarter this season for K-State. 

- K-State would open the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run, as Poindexter buried a pair of 3-pointers to force an Arizona timeout with 6:59 to play and K-State leading, 55-41.

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