The BIG LIFE S5E2 | NIL, Recruiting & The Start of College Soccer with Paige Thompson & Jaiden Rodriguez

The college soccer season is officially here — and Paige Thompson (Alabama) and Jaiden Rodriguez (USC) are taking us inside all of it.

In Episode 2 of The BIG LIFE, Paige and Jaiden recap their preseason matches, including Paige's battle wound against LSU, and look ahead to some huge early-season matchups.

Then they dive into the changing world of college soccer: preseason rankings, new NCAA eligibility rules, NIL, agents, and what it's actually like to build a personal brand while competing as a Division I athlete.

They also get candid about their own college recruiting journeys — why Paige ultimately chose Alabama, why Jaiden chose USC, what mattered most when making their decisions, and their advice for young players navigating an increasingly fast-moving recruiting process.

In this episode:

Paige's bloody preseason battle against LSU

Jaiden's takeaways from USC's first preseason match

Early-season goals and big matchups ahead

Their reaction to the preseason Top 25

How the changing NCAA landscape is affecting college athletes

What NIL actually looks like for women's soccer players

Jaiden's experience signing with Nike and working with an agent