NCAA grants Ukrainian Kate Koval transfer waiver following departure from LSU due to Russian teammate​

Koval decided to leave LSU after the Tigers signed a Russian teenager this summer​

The NCAA has granted Kate Koval a waiver that will allow her to enter the transfer portal following her recent departure from LSU, per multiple reports. Although the transfer portal window for women's basketball closed in April, Koval will be able to play for a different team during the 2025-26 season. The 6-foot-5 center has at least two seasons of eligibility still remaining.

While Koval originally planned on staying with LSU, she decided to officially leave the team last month. At first it was announced that it was for "personal reasons, but on Sept. 2 she confirmed the reason was because LSU had signed a 17-year-old Russian post player Anna Minaeva. This created a difficult situation for Koval, who was born and raised in Ukraine -- a country currently at war with Russia. Koval and her family are extremely close to the situation since her father works as a drone operator for the Ukrainian military.

"My father serves in the Ukrainian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country against Russian aggression," Koval explained on a social media post. "For me, this war is not distant or abstract. People close to me have been killed and wounded in Russian attacks, and places where I grew up and first began playing basketball have been destroyed by missile strikes."

Koval has been playing basketball in the United States since 2021, when she left Ukraine to play at Long Island Lutheran High School in New York.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey had a conversation with Koval when her staff was going to start recruiting Minaeva. She even suggested that they could be "ambassadors" for the two countries, but Koval was not comfortable with the situation and ultimately decided to leave.

Koval spent her freshman season at Notre Dame and made the ACC All-Freshman Team before transferring to LSU for the 2025-26 season. As a sophomore with the Tigers, she appeared in 35 games, 17 as a starter, and averaged 8.3 points on 56% shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest. She was expected to be the starting center for Mulkey this season. Earlier this summer, Koval represented Ukraine in the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Women's World Cup and helped the native country advance to the quarterfinals.

The NCAA allows a maximum of 15 players on a Division I women's basketball roster, and Koval would be a welcome addition for any team still looking to add frontcourt depth. As college basketball programs already have practices underway, Koval's options will be limited since most rosters are completed. However, if her waiver had not been approved, she would have had to sacrifice a year of eligibility.
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Just sayin': I only count 11 players on Ohio State's roster.

Whatever

brodybuck21 said:

Campbell at LT should spend more time at his job than being a troll with his "THEE Louisiana State" intro

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Campbell had a pretty good game against Seattle.

NFBuck said:

Whoopin' the Rams ass is always a little erotic.

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Shanny done me proud last night.

Just when you think they’ve reached new levels of weird shit…

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TDunk said:

You really want to take over @BB73 job? Is there a name for folks before Boomers? Diggers?

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Cro-Magnons....

Kentucky's Will Stein encourages Wildcats fans to 'sneak a flask' into game vs. No. 12 Alabama​

The first-year Kentucky coach is calling for fans to 'scream obscenities' to make Alabama feel as uncomfortable as possible for Saturday's SEC opener​

College football fans have never needed permission to hurl a stream of obscenities at their opponent or sneak contraband into the stadium, but the Kentucky faithful have the green light from coach Will Stein this week.

With No. 12 Alabama coming to Lexington for Saturday's SEC opener, Stein wants to make Kroger Field an inhospitable environment for the Crimson Tide. Speaking with Kentucky Sports Radio, Stein wants the fan base to become the "loudest 65,000 group of people in the history of the world."

If Stein gets his way, parents may want to pack a set of headphones for the children because there might be some four-letter words thrown Alabama's way this weekend. Throw southern hospitality out the window.

"I want them in there 45 to 30 minutes before, in their seat, standing up, screaming obscenities at our opponent, making them feel very unwanted in Kroger Field and creating an environment of excellence for Kentucky football," Stein said. "I mean, that's what it's about. You want to see a great product on the field. I want to see insane fans in the stands as well."

With college football stadiums now serving alcohol, an interesting dynamic was created. Sometimes, there are empty seats scattered throughout the venue as fans seek refills. Stein's solution is simple: Go old-school and sneak booze into Kroger Field.

"Sneak a flask in," Stein said. "Sneak a flask in. Again, do whatever you got to do, right? Get your drinks ready. Sit in your chair, all right, and start cheering. And then once you're done with the drink, go back in as fast as you can, and come right back out."

There's no word yet on whether security measures at Kroger Field will be loosened to accommodate Stein's request.

Stein has certainly brought a renewed energy to the Kentucky program, and that might help him on Saturday. Alabama is the more talented team by a clear margin, but the crowd in Lexington should be amped up for Stein's first game in SEC play.
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Just sayin': ....Yeah, Kentucky needs to instigate fights in the stands too like those in European soccer stadiums......

NFBuck said:

View attachment 94389

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"Bawth!"

Highly contested where it means more ..

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Thump said:

Title change needed.

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"Worse than Puka at tackling?"

1926Buckeyes said:

The more dire OL film breakdowns I see, the more negative I am. Same issues they had all last year. Hoping it’s something that improves the more live reps they have in Smith’s O. Can’t understand why communication is still an issue.

Good points about McCuin and Bey. Same with Inniss hitting on some slants and screens to slow down the rush. The short game was sorely lacking last season.

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Yeah personally I'm leaning towards OL issues costing us this one but it lights a fire to get them fixed. Otherwise I'd probably pick OSU easily since I think coaching wise the Buckeyes have a big edge. It's tough to replicate the clinic the defense put on last year but I'd trust Matty P to dial something up. Muschamp D's are pretty aggressive from what I can recall and Day generally eats those kinds of defenses for breakfast. One thing is for sure, we'll definitely get to see what Arthur Smith is made of pretty early.

Iowa St.

I don’t think it’s physical as much as it is mental with him……he got beat by straight up outside technique pass rushes where it seemed liked he was OK with end getting that far upfield?

Not saying it’s justifiable at all…..it was pretty shocking against a terrible team. I just wonder if he thought he was playing into a gameplan….otherwise he should be benched bc it was ridiculous.

SEREbuckeye said:

These clowns don’t play anyone the entire year

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Sounds like somewhat didn’t read that Florida A&M put a 13 point beat down on Albany State earlier this season.

BB73 said:

Were you the replay guy in Birmingham?

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I might have been. I was celebrating that 63 -28 beatdown on OU in Atlanta pretty hard and might’ve ended up in Bham

ScriptOhio said:

n late 2025, the university commissioned an independent investigation into the culture of its athletic department, which found that issues were not "widespread." Michigan announced shortly after the investigation concluded that athletic director Warde Manuel will step down at the end of the year.

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dragurd said:

Yeah that move reminded me a bit of what Brax did against Penn State

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Obligatory.
One of my favorite plays of Brax's.

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“Stable”

I laughed.

Bestbuck36 said:

Lmao, they said that scums longest run of the game vs Western was called back due to holding.... by Bruce fucking Underwood! What other QB is so inept and selfish that he can even ruin his RBs best play of the day.? Shitbag.

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You didn't see that play?

They had him lead blocking.

He obviously has no experience at it so he fucked it up. He's lucky he didn't get killed, he went right at the guy.

To be fair, there was no selfishness that I could see, just plain, old fashioned ineptitude.

gmen6981 said:

Yep. I'm sure he just cries like a baby when he checks his bank account.
I could almost see this ending up like Tommy Tuberville at Cincinnati

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Yeah the DFBIA might not have come to grips with it yet but he was brought in to be a stabilizer of the program, mostly off field, and nothing more.

I guarantee they had to not only over pay him, they had to contractually guarantee him he wouldn't get fired for on field performance.

He's going to steer them to their historic norm of 3-4 losses a yeat, AT BEST, and the fans bitching will have no impact whatsoever. The administration brought him in for a purpose and that isn't to be another win at all cost-NC or bust-where's my Connor Stallions- blaze of glory guy.

He's there to keep them on the rails, keep the money flowing and win what he can (which won't be a lot with that offense and that QB).