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 How college recruiting has changed Why players shouldn't rush their college decision How Paige chose Alabama and Jaiden chose USC The BIG LIFE follows college soccer from the players' perspective — the games, pressure, friendships, recruiting, NIL and everything that happens beyond the pitch. Follow Girls Soccer Network and join Paige and Jaiden every week as they take us inside The BIG LIFE. #TheBIGLIFE #CollegeSoccer #NCAASoccer #NIL #CollegeRecruiting #GirlsSoccer