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College sports are completely different now than it was when Shaquille O’Neal spent his days dunking basketballs for the LSU Tigers before he entered the NBA.
O’Neal played three seasons at LSU before he chose to go pro. He was later selected No. 1 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 during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla., on Jan. 4, 2026. (Matt Pendleton/Imagn Images)
With the rise of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and the increased usage of the transfer portal, there is hardly an athlete nowadays who doesn’t at least think about changing up schools. O’Neal’s daughter became the latest college athlete to switch schools on Monday.
Me’Arah O’Neal announced she will transfer to the Kentucky Wildcats.
“I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well. (Psalms 139:14)” she wrote on Instagram announcing her commitment.
Tennessee guard Talaysia Cooper attempts a shot while guarded by Florida forward Me’Arah O’Neal during an NCAA college basketball game in Knoxville, Tenn., 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 her playing time in 2025-26. She averaged 13.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. Florida finished 18-15 on the year but failed to make the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
The Wildcats are coming off a season in which they made 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 as being the standout basketball player in his family.
Shaquille O’Neal honors the flag during the first half of an NCAA women’s basketball game at the Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactech Arena in Gainesville, Fla., on Jan. 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 it all,” he previously said, via ESPN. “She’s not an old-school player. She’s the new pick-your-type player, so I’m going to give her the title. She can shoot, she can dribble. She can’t be fazed when it comes to certain things.”