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College sports are completely different now than they were when Shaquille O’Neal spent his days dunking for the LSU Tigers before entering the NBA.
O’Neal played three seasons at LSU before deciding to turn pro. He was later selected number one overall by the Orlando Magic in the 1992 draft.
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Florida Gators forward Me’arah O’Neal walks on the court against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida, on January 4, 2026. (Matt Pendleton/Image Images)
With the rise of name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements and the increased use of the transfer portal, there is hardly an athlete today who doesn’t at least think about changing schools. O’Neal’s daughter on Monday became the latest college athlete to change schools.
Me’Arah O’Neal announced that she will transfer to the Kentucky Wildcats.
“I thank you that I was wonderfully set apart. Your works are wonderful, I know it very well (Psalm 139:14),” she wrote on Instagram announcing her engagement.
Tennessee guard Talaysia Cooper attempts a shot while guarded by Florida forward Me’Arah O’Neal in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Jan. 1, 2026. (Saul Young/News Sentinel/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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O’Neal played two seasons with the Gators, increasing his playing time in 2025-26. He averaged 13.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. Florida finished 18-15 that year, but failed to reach the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
The Wildcats are coming off a season in which they reached the Elite Eight. Kentucky finished 25-11 and defeated the James Madison Dukes and West Virginia Mountaineers before falling to the Texas Longhorns.
Shaquille O’Neal previously praised his daughter for being the standout basketball player in his family.
Shaquille O’Neal honors the flag during the women’s basketball game at the Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactech Arena in Gainesville, Florida, on January 29, 2026. His daughter, Florida forward Me’arah O’Neal, is on the team. (Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun)
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“My baby is the best athlete in the family because she can do everything,” he said via ESPN. “She’s not an old-school player. She’s the new pick-your-guy player, so I’m going to give her the title. She can shoot, she can dribble. She doesn’t let herself be fazed when it comes to certain things.”
