“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
CUBS 12, NATIONALS 6
PADRES 4, BREWERS 3 (11 INNINGS)
DODGERS 4, ROYALS 2
TWINS 7, ORIOLES 5
CARDINALS 7, PHILLIES 1
RAYS 8, ATHLETICS 4SPORTS NEWS
MARLINS 8, PIRATES 2
YANKEES 10, MARINERS 5
WHITE SOX 5, REDS 0
BRAVES 6, METS 3
BLUE JAYS 6, RED SOX 4
GUARDIANS 6, TIGERS 4
ROCKIES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4
ASTROS 2, GIANTS 1
ANGELS 5, RANGERS 2
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MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
INDIANAPOLIS 4 NASHVILLE 3
GREAT LAKES 11 SOUTH BEND 3
FT. WAYNE AT QUAD CITIES PPD
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WNBA SCOREBOARD
WINGS 94 TEMPO 88
VALKYRIES 92 SKY 71
LYNX 85 FIRE 81
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MLS SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
https://scoreboard.homestead.com/football/teams.htm#load
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/girls
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/cross-country
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/girls/cross-country
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TENNIS
https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/tennis
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 1
ALL TIMES EASTERN
ADAMS CENTRAL AT FORT WAYNE LUERS 7:00 PM
ALEXANDRIA AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL 7:00 PM
ANDREAN AT MERRILLVILLE 8:00 PM
ANGOLA AT GOSHEN 7:00 PM
ATTICA AT FAITH CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM
AVON AT DECATUR CENTRAL 7:00 PM
BATESVILLE AT TRITON CENTRAL 7:00 PM
BELLMONT AT MADISON-GRANT 7:00 PM
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH AT BLOOMINGTON NORTH 7:00 PM
BOONVILLE AT EVANSVILLE BOSSE 7:30 PM
BROWN COUNTY AT OWEN VALLEY 7:00 PM
BROWNSBURG AT LAWRENCE NORTH 7:00 PM
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL AT CORYDON CENTRAL 7:00 PM
CARROLL (FLORA) AT SEEGER 7:00 PM
CASCADE AT MONROVIA 7:00 PM
CASTLE AT EVANSVILLE NORTH 7:30 PM
CASTON AT WHITKO 7:00 PM
CENTRAL NOBLE AT CULVER 7:30 PM
CHRISTEL HOUSE AT BOWMAN ACADEMY 7:30 PM
CHURUBUSCO AT BREMEN 7:00 PM
CLINTON CENTRAL AT FRANKFORT 7:00 PM
CLINTON PRAIRIE AT FRONTIER 7:00 PM
COLUMBUS EAST AT MOORESVILLE 7:00 PM
COLUMBUS NORTH AT WHITELAND 7:00 PM
COVENANT CHRISTIAN AT PARK TUDOR 7:00 PM
COVINGTON AT TRI-COUNTY 7:00 PM
CRAWFORDSVILLE AT PARKE HERITAGE 7:00 PM
DELPHI AT BENTON CENTRAL 7:00 PM
DELTA AT MUNCIE CENTRAL 7:30 PM
EASTERN (GREENTOWN) AT OAK HILL 7:00 PM
EASTERN (PEKIN) AT WEST WASHINGTON 7:00 PM
ELKHART AT CONCORD 7:00 PM
ELWOOD AT SOUTHERN WELLS 7:00 PM
EVANSVILLE HARRISON AT EVANSVILLE REITZ 7:30 PM
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 7:30 PM
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL AT JASPER 7:30 PM
FAIRFIELD AT CALUMET 7:30 PM
FISHERS AT CARMEL 7:00 PM
FLOYD CENTRAL AT GIBSON SOUTHERN 7:30 PM
FORT WAYNE NORTH AT EAST NOBLE 7:00 PM
FORT WAYNE SNIDER AT WARSAW 7:00 PM
FORT WAYNE WAYNE AT LEO 7:00 PM
FRANKLIN AT SOUTHPORT 7:00 PM
FRANKLIN CENTRAL AT PLAINFIELD 7:00 PM
FRANKTON AT TIPTON 7:00 PM
FREMONT AT FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK 7:00 PM
GARRETT AT DEKALB 7:00 PM
GARY WEST AT FORT WAYNE NORTHROP 7:00 PM
GREENCASTLE AT CLOVERDALE 7:00 PM
GREENSBURG AT SHELBYVILLE 7:00 PM
HAGERSTOWN AT KNIGHTSTOWN 7:00 PM
HAMILTON HEIGHTS AT LAPEL 7:00 PM
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) 7:30 PM
HAMMOND CENTRAL AT SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON 7:30 PM
HAMMOND MORTON AT PORTAGE 8:00 PM
HAMMOND NOLL AT SOUTH BEND RILEY 7:30 PM
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) AT WEST LAFAYETTE 7:30 PM
HENRYVILLE AT CLARKSVILLE 7:00 PM
HERITAGE HILLS AT SOUTH SPENCER 8:00 PM
HIGHLAND AT GRIFFITH 8:00 PM
HOBART AT CHESTERTON 8:00 PM
HUNTINGTON NORTH AT EASTBROOK 7:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH AT NOBLESVILLE 7:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL AT BEN DAVIS 7:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD AT LAFAYETTE JEFF 7:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS HOMESCHOOL AT CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 7:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS 7:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS RITTER AT DANVILLE 7:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI AT FORT WAYNE DWENGER 7:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA AT FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA 7:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY AT EDINBURGH 7:00 PM
JAY COUNTY AT BLACKFORD 7:00 PM
JEFFERSONVILLE AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL 7:00 PM
JENNINGS COUNTY AT PAOLI 7:00 PM
JOHN GLENN AT BOONE GROVE 7:30 PM
KNOX AT NORTH JUDSON 8:00 PM
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC AT MITCHELL 7:30 PM
LAPORTE AT NEW PRAIRIE 8:00 PM
LAVILLE AT TRITON 7:00 PM
LAWRENCEBURG AT EAST CENTRAL 7:30 PM
LOGANSPORT AT PERU 7:00 PM
LOWELL AT CROWN POINT 8:00 PM
MARION AT FORT WAYNE SOUTH 7:00 PM
MARTINSVILLE AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 7:00 PM
MCCUTCHEON AT GUERIN CATHOLIC 7:00 PM
MICHIGAN CITY AT HANOVER CENTRAL 8:00 PM
MILAN AT RUSHVILLE 7:00 PM
MISHAWAKA AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN 7:00 PM
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) AT KOKOMO 7:00 PM
MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) AT FOREST PARK 7:30 PM
MUNSTER AT LAKE CENTRAL 8:00 PM
NEW CASTLE AT FRANKLIN COUNTY 7:00 PM
NEW HAVEN AT HERITAGE 7:00 PM
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) AT NORTH VERMILLION 7:00 PM
NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) AT BREBEUF JESUIT 7:00 PM
NORTH DAVIESS AT WASHINGTON 7:00 PM
NORTH DECATUR AT SOUTH DECATUR 7:00 PM
NORTH HARRISON AT SALEM 7:00 PM
NORTH NEWTON AT WHITING 8:00 PM
NORTH POSEY AT SOUTHRIDGE 7:30 PM
NORTH PUTNAM AT SOUTH PUTNAM 7:00 PM
NORTH WHITE AT TAYLOR 7:00 PM
NORTHEASTERN AT EASTERN HANCOCK 7:00 PM
NORTHFIELD AT NORTH MIAMI 7:00 PM
NORTHRIDGE AT WEST NOBLE 7:00 PM
NORTHVIEW AT TERRE HAUTE NORTH 7:00 PM
NORTHWESTERN AT MANCHESTER 7:00 PM
NORTHWOOD AT COLUMBIA CITY 7:00 PM
NORWELL AT MISSISSINEWA 7:00 PM
OSCEOLA GRACE AT PURDUE ENGLEWOOD 8:00 PM
PENDLETON HEIGHTS AT LEBANON 7:00 PM
PERRY MERIDIAN AT BEECH GROVE 7:00 PM
PHALEN ACADEMY AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON 7:00 PM
PIKE CENTRAL AT EASTERN GREENE 7:00 PM
PIONEER AT LEWIS CASS 7:00 PM
PLYMOUTH AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY 7:00 PM
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS AT WOODLAN 7:00 PM
PRINCETON AT TECUMSEH 8:00 PM
PROVIDENCE AT NEW ALBANY 7:00 PM
RENSSELAER CENTRAL AT KANKAKEE VALLEY 8:00 PM
RICHMOND AT CONNERSVILLE 7:00 PM
RIVER FOREST AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL 8:00 PM
RIVERTON PARKE VS. LINTON 7:30 PM
SCOTTSBURG AT MADISON 7:00 PM
SEYMOUR AT GREENWOOD 7:00 PM
SHENANDOAH AT BLUFFTON 7:30 PM
SILVER CREEK AT CHARLESTOWN 7:00 PM
SOUTH ADAMS AT EASTSIDE 7:00 PM
SOUTH BEND ADAMS AT CULVER ACADEMY 7:00 PM
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH AT LAKELAND 7:00 PM
SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) AT WHEELER 8:00 PM
SOUTH NEWTON AT LAKE STATION 8:00 PM
SOUTHMONT AT FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 7:00 PM
SOUTHWOOD AT ROCHESTER 7:00 PM
SPEEDWAY AT HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM
SPRINGS VALLEY AT EDGEWOOD 7:00 PM
SULLIVAN AT NORTH KNOX 7:00 PM
SWITZERLAND COUNTY AT CRAWFORD COUNTY 7:00 PM
TELL CITY AT PERRY CENTRAL 8:00 PM
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH AT VINCENNES LINCOLN 7:00 PM
TRI-CENTRAL AT WES-DEL 7:00 PM
TRINITY LUTHERAN AT INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 7:00 PM
TWIN LAKES AT NORTH MONTGOMERY 7:00 PM
UNION CITY AT TRI 7:00 PM
UNION COUNTY AT MONROE CENTRAL 7:30 PM
VALPARAISO AT PENN 7:30 PM
WABASH AT MACONAQUAH 7:00 PM
WALNUT HILLS (OHIO) AT SOUTH DEARBORN 7:00 PM
WARREN CENTRAL AT CENTER GROVE 7:00 PM
WAWASEE AT JIMTOWN 7:00 PM
WEST CENTRAL AT WINAMAC 7:00 PM
WEST VIGO AT SOUTH VERMILLION 7:00 PM
WESTERN AT INDIAN CREEK 7:00 PM
WESTERN BOONE AT TRI-WEST 7:00 PM
WESTFIELD AT HOMESTEAD 7:00 PM
WHEATON ST. FRANCIS (ILL.) AT NEW PALESTINE 7:00 PM
WINCHESTER AT CENTERVILLE 7:00 PM
YORKTOWN AT ANDERSON 7:00 PM
ZIONSVILLE AT PIKE 7:00 PM
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 SCHEDULE/TV
FRIDAY, AUG. 28
IDAHO AT CAL POLY | 10 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, AUG. 29
TCU VS. NORTH CAROLINA (AVIVA STADIUM IN DUBLIN, IRELAND) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
SAN JOSE STATE AT USC | 3 P.M. | NBC
ALABAMA STATE VS. SOUTHERN (LEGION FIELD IN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.) | 3 P.M. | ESPNU
NC STATE AT VIRGINIA | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
JACKSONVILLE STATE AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | 5:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SACRAMENTO STATE AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
HAWAI’I AT STANFORD | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
NEW MEXICO STATE AT FLORIDA STATE | 7 P.M. | THE CW NETWORK
EAST TEXAS A&M AT MERCER | 7 P.M. | ESPN
HOWARD VS. ALABAMA A&M (CENTER PARC STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT TARLETON STATE | 9 P.M. | ESPN2
MEMPHIS AT UNLV | 10 P.M. | FOX
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, SEPT. 3
UMASS AT RUTGERS | 6 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT UCF | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
AKRON AT WAKE FOREST | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
MERRIMACK AT DELAWARE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
WEST GEORGIA AT KENNESAW STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UALBANY AT BUFFALO | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF AT MISSOURI | 8 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
COLORADO AT GEORGIA TECH | 8 P.M. | ESPN
EASTERN ILLINOIS AT MINNESOTA | 8 P.M. | PEACOCK
IDAHO AT UTAH | 9 P.M. | ESPNU
UAB AT ILLINOIS | 9 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
FRIDAY, SEPT. 3
SAN JOSE STATE AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
INDIANA STATE AT PURDUE | 7 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT GEORGIA STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UTEP AT OKLAHOMA | 8 P.M. | SECN+
LIU AT KANSAS | 8 P.M. | ESPNU
TOLEDO AT MICHIGAN STATE | 8 P.M. | FS1
MIAMI (FLA.) AT STANFORD | 9 P.M. | ESPN
FRESNO STATE AT USC | 9 P.M. | FOX
SATURDAY, SEPT. 4
EAST CAROLINA AT ALABAMA | 12 P.M. | ABC
OREGON STATE AT HOUSTON | 12 P.M. | ESPN
COASTAL CAROLINA AT WEST VIRGINIA | 12 P.M. | TNT/HBO MAX
NEW HAMPSHIRE AT SYRACUSE | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
NORTH TEXAS AT INDIANA | 12 P.M. | FOX
OHIO AT NEBRASKA | 12 P.M. | FS1
BRYANT AT ARMY | 12 P.M. | CBSSN
TARLETON STATE AT BOWLING GREEN | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
LIBERTY AT JAMES MADISON | 12 P.M. | ESPNU
MIAMI (OHIO) AT PITT | 12:30 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
BALL STATE AT OHIO STATE | 12:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
KENT STATE AT SOUTH CAROLINA | 12:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT KENTUCKY | 1 P.M. | SECN+
SE MISSOURI STATE AT IOWA STATE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
DUQUESNE AT AIR FORCE | 1 P.M. | MW+
RHODE ISLAND AT TEMPLE | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TENNESSEE STATE AT GEORGIA | 3 P.M. | SECN+
AUBURN VS. BAYLOR (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
FURMAN AT TENNESSEE | 3:30 P.M. | SECN+
TEXAS STATE AT TEXAS | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
BOSTON COLLEGE AT CINCINNATI | 3:30 P.M. | FOX
TULANE AT DUKE | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
BOISE STATE AT OREGON | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
MARSHALL AT PENN STATE | 3:30 P.M. | FS1
THE CITADEL AT CHARLOTTE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
TOWSON AT NAVY | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY AT UTSA | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
FORDHAM AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
MAINE AT APP STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
OKLAHOMA STATE AT TULSA | 3:45 P.M. | ESPNU
NORTH ALABAMA AT ARKANSAS | 4:15 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT IOWA | 4:15 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
ALCORN STATE AT SOUTHERN MISS | 5 P.M. | ESPN+
WYOMING AT COLORADO STATE | 6 P.M. | USA NETWORK
NORFOLK STATE AT OLD DOMINION | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
MISSOURI STATE AT TEXAS A&M | 7 P.M. | ESPN
AUSTIN PEAY AT VANDERBILT | 7 P.M. | SECN+
ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT TEXAS TECH | 7 P.M. | FS1
NICHOLLS AT KANSAS STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
IDAHO STATE AT UTAH STATE | 7 P.M. | CBSSN
ARKANSAS STATE AT MEMPHIS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT RICE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT SOUTH FLORIDA | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MURRAY STATE AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
EASTERN KENTUCKY AT JACKSONVILLE STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SE LOUISIANA AT SOUTH ALABAMA | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SAM HOUSTON AT TROY | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
CLEMSON AT LSU | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
UL MONROE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPNU
VMI AT VIRGINIA TECH | 7:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
NORTHWESTERN STATE AT LOUISIANA TECH | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT FLORIDA | 7:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
UTAH TECH AT BYU | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
HAMPTON AT MARYLAND | 8 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT NORTHWESTERN | 8 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
LAMAR AT LOUISIANA | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
MORGAN STATE AT ARIZONA STATE | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
MERCYHURST AT NEW MEXICO STATE | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTHERN ARIZONA AT ARIZONA | 9:30 P.M. | ESPN+
PORTLAND STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | 9:30 P.M. | USA NETWORK
UNLV AT HAWAI’I | 10 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT NEW MEXICO | 10 P.M. | FS1
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE AT SACRAMENTO STATE | 10 P.M. | ESPN+
UCLA AT CAL | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
WESTERN KENTUCKY AT NEVADA | 10:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SUNDAY, SEPT. 6
TEXAS SOUTHERN AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M | 12 P.M. | ESPN2
FLORIDA A&M VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (HARD ROCK STADIUM IN MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.) | 3 P.M. | ESPN
WASHINGTON STATE AT WASHINGTON | 4 P.M. | NBC
OLE MISS VS. LOUISVILLE (NISSAN STADIUM IN NASHVILLE, TENN.) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
NOTRE DAME VS. WISCONSIN (LAMBEAU FIELD IN GREEN BAY, WIS.) | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
MONDAY, SEPT. 7
SMU AT FLORIDA STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
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NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13
DETROIT AT CINCINNATI, 7:00
GREEN BAY AT PITTSBURGH, 7:00
INDIANAPOLIS AT NEW ENGLAND, 7:30
L.A. CHARGERS AT HOUSTON, 8:00
ARIZONA AT LAS VEGAS, 8:00
TENNESSEE AT SAN FRANCISCO, 9:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14
DENVER AT ATLANTA, 7:00
TAMPA BAY AT N.Y. JETS, 7:00
MIAMI AT WASHINGTON, 7:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15
CAROLINA AT BUFFALO, 1:00
CLEVELAND AT CHICAGO, 1:00
MINNESOTA AT N.Y. GIANTS, 1:00
L.A. RAMS AT KANSAS CITY, 4:00
JACKSONVILLE AT NEW ORLEANS, 4:00
PHILADELPHIA AT BALTIMORE, 7:00
DALLAS AT SEATTLE, 8:00
WEEK 2
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20
LAS VEGAS AT HOUSTON (ESPN), 8:00
SAN FRANCISCO AT L.A. CHARGERS, 10:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
N.Y. JETS AT PITTSBURGH, 7:00
CAROLINA AT JACKSONVILLE, 7:30
GREEN BAY AT DENVER, 9:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22
WASHINGTON AT DETROIT, NOON
BUFFALO AT CLEVELAND, 1:00
ATLANTA AT INDIANAPOLIS, 1:00
BALTIMORE AT MINNESOTA, 1:00
NEW ORLEANS AT L.A. RAMS, 4:00
N.Y. GIANTS AT MIAMI, 4:00
CHICAGO AT CINCINNATI, 7:00
PHILADELPHIA AT NEW ENGLAND, 7:00
KANSAS CITY AT TAMPA BAY, 7:30
DALLAS AT ARIZONA, 10:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23
SEATTLE AT TENNESSEE (FOX), 8:00
WEEK 3
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
PITTSBURGH AT BUFFALO, 7:00
NEW ENGLAND AT CLEVELAND (PRIME VIDEO), 8:00
SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS, 8:00
L.A. RAMS AT L.A. CHARGERS, 10:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
WASHINGTON AT BALTIMORE, 6:00
HOUSTON AT CAROLINA, 7:00
ATLANTA AT MIAMI, 7:00
TAMPA BAY AT JACKSONVILLE, 7:30
N.Y. GIANTS AT N.Y. JETS, 7:30
NEW ORLEANS AT DALLAS, 8:00
ARIZONA AT GREEN BAY, 8:00
SEATTLE AT KANSAS CITY, 8:00
CINCINNATI AT PHILADELPHIA (CBS), 8:00
MINNESOTA AT DENVER, 9:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
DETROIT AT INDIANAPOLIS, 1:00
CHICAGO AT TENNESSEE, 6:00
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2026 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS SCHEDULE
WEEK DATE OPPONENT TV / TIME (ET)
WEEK 1 THU, AUG 13 @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS LOCAL (7:30 PM)
WEEK 2 SAT, AUG 22 VS. ATLANTA FALCONS LOCAL (1:00 PM)
WEEK 3 SAT, AUG 29 VS. DETROIT LIONS LOCAL (1:00 PM)
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2026 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) TV / STREAMING
1 SUN, SEPT 13 VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS 1:00 PM CBS
2 SUN, SEPT 20 @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 8:20 PM NBC
3 SUN, SEPT 27 VS. HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM CBS
4 SUN, OCT 4 @ WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 9:30 AM NFL NET
5 SUN, OCT 11 @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00 PM CBS
6 SUN, OCT 18 VS. TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM FOX
7 SUN, OCT 25 @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS 1:00 PM CBS
8 SUN, NOV 1 @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00 PM CBS
9 SUN, NOV 8 VS. DALLAS COWBOYS 1:00 PM FOX
10 SUN, NOV 15 VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS 1:00 PM CBS
11 THU, NOV 19 @ HOUSTON TEXANS 8:15 PM PRIME VIDEO
12 SUN, NOV 29 VS. NEW YORK GIANTS 1:00 PM FOX
13 BYE WEEK
14 SUN, DEC 13 @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 1:00 PM FOX
15 SUN, DEC 20 @ TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM CBS
16 TBD – FLEX VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS TBD TBD
17 SUN, JAN 3 @ CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00 PM FOX
18 TBD – FLEX GAME VS. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS TBD TBD
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TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
BUCCANEERS WIDE RECEIVER EMEKA EGBUKA LIMPS OFF VS JETS IN JOINT PRACTICE, DOESN’T RETURN
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka limped off the field during a joint practice with the New York Jets on Wednesday and didn’t return.
Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles had no immediate information on the nature or severity of the apparent injury.
“I don’t know his status as of right now because I was on the other field,” Bowles said. “But I’ll check on that as soon as I go in.”
Bowles was asked if the injury was to the second-year receiver’s ankle, but the coach said he hadn’t gotten any word. Egbuka, along with several of the starters, was not expected to play in the preseason opener Friday night.
Egbuka, who caught 63 passes for 938 yards and six touchdowns last season, appeared to have been rolled up on after making a catch during practice. He limped off the field under his own power and was examined by trainers on a table for several minutes. Egbuka later returned to the Buccaneers’ sideline with both cleats off but didn’t practice again.
With Mike Evans now in San Francisco, Egbuka is expected to see an increased role in the offense as one of Baker Mayfield’s primary passing targets along with Chris Godwin, fellow second-year receiver Jalen McMillan and rookie third-rounder Ted Hurst.
Egbuka was a first-round draft pick last year, taken 19th overall out of Ohio State.
Browning still set to start for Buccaneers
Backup quarterback Jake Browning didn’t practice Wednesday after injuring his back during the joint session with the Jets on Tuesday.
Bowles said Browning hasn’t been ruled out of the preseason opener and will start if he’s available. Baker Mayfield will sit out, so Bowles said Connor Bazelak would start the game against the Jets if Browning is sidelined. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels also would see playing time.
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COACH DAVE CANALES HAS POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON XAVIER LEGETTE UPON RETURN TO PRACTICE FOLLOWING INJURY
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette may not be playing in Saturday’s preseason game at the Buffalo Bills after suffering a stinger early in training camp.
A former first-round draft pick, Legette closed the team’s practice session Wednesday with what head coach Dave Canales called a “walk off touchdown” catch from quarterback Bryce Young.
Canales had a positive outlook about Legette following his return to practice Wednesday.
“It was good to see him back out there, playing like himself and playing fast,” Canales said. “I don’t think he’ll play (Saturday). We haven’t gotten him to that level of conditioning. He’s doing a phenomenal job and he’s a guy that we’re counting on.”
Legette said he spent the offseason working to improve his skills and that he recognized why some are questioning his future, especially after losing his starting job late last season to undrafted free agent Jalen Coker.
“I’m just focusing on the details,” said Legette, who was injured in an Aug. 4 practice session after landing awkwardly on his head and neck. “Everything that was on tape last year that was bad, I looked at that and tried to do things better. I’m always trying to work on getting better.”
The last pick of the first round of the 2024 draft, Legette has caught 84 passes for 860 yards and seven touchdowns in 31 games.
Legette was asked if his confidence had been shaken following last year’s 35-catch season, down from the 49 receptions he had during his rookie year.
“I ain’t never lost my confidence,” Legette said. “I’m just trying to continue to make plays. I’m happy to be here.”
In addition to workouts at the Panthers facility, Legette said he, along with other Carolina receivers, worked out with Young in Los Angeles and Arizona this offseason in hopes of improving on his receiving skills and chemistry with his quarterback.
“I’m just working on the details and trying to get those things right,” Legette said.
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KIRK COUSINS AND FERNANDO MENDOZA WILL BOTH GET PLAYING TIME FOR RAIDERS IN PRESEASON OPENER
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza will both play Thursday night when Las Vegas hosts the Arizona Cardinals in a preseason game, but coach Klint Kubiak wouldn’t provide details on how much playing time they and their teammates would get.
“Our starters are going to play,” Kubiak said, adding that standout pass rusher Maxx Crosby’s availability would be “TBD.”
Cousins, who’s entering his 15th NFL season, has been running the first-team offense in training camp and is expected to be the starter when the Raiders open their season Sept. 13 against Miami.
Mendoza was the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. The Heisman Trophy winner, who led Indiana to its first national championship, has worked with the second-team offense nearly all camp.
Mendoza ran the first-team offense Saturday, when Cousins and Crosby were held out of team drills because of a tussle between the two the day before.
“He’s continuing to grow,” Kubiak said Tuesday before the Raiders’ scheduled practice that night at Allegiant Stadium. “It’s been a really impressive training camp as far as how he’s prepared, and then he goes out there to practice. Things don’t happen on the paper, the playbook, exactly how they do on the field. I think he’s done a good job of adjusting.
“With all of our players, we ask that as they gain experience and they make mistakes that they don’t make the same mistake twice. I think that he’s done a good job of that, and now it comes to live bullets with a live pass rush, and that’ll be a whole other animal.”
Benson has chance to shine in preseason
The preseason opener also provides an opportunity for rookie wide receiver Malik Benson to show that his promising play in camp can translate into a game.
Drafted in the sixth round out of Oregon, Benson quickly played his way onto the second team. He began to develop a rapport with Mendoza before they arrived in Las Vegas, and their connection has been obvious in practices. He also has worked with the starters and began to build an on-field relationship with Cousins as well.
“Just for my confidence, I feel like it has been really good for me,” Benson said of being with the top group. “Just to show myself that I can do it. I’m really glad that the coaches and my teammates are giving me (the) opportunity. They’re trusting me, and I’m able to show that I can be trusted.”
McCoy to get game action
Kubiak said rookie cornerback Jermod McCoy will receive plenty of playing time, which could showcase the progress he’s made since tearing an ACL after the 2024 season at Tennessee.
He had been considered a first-round talent, but the Raiders got him in the fourth round after trading up a spot.
“Jermod has been practicing almost every day we’ve been out there, so we expect him to play,” Kubiak said. “We expect him to compete and look forward to watching him play.”
Injured players on the mend
Defensive ends Kwity Paye and Keyron Crawford, guard Caleb Rogers and wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. have missed practice in recent days with undisclosed injuries.
“Most of those guys we expect to play in this game,” Kubiak said. “Not all of them will, and we hope the ones that don’t play get to go get ready for that Houston game (next week).”
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BEARS’ JOHNSON: ‘I WANT TO HAVE THE HIGHEST-SCORING OFFENSE EVER’
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson isn’t just hoping to hoist the Lombardi Trophy this season – he wants to shatter records in the process.
“You’ve got 31 other teams coming to training camp saying, ‘Our goal is to win the Super Bowl,'” Johnson told The Athletic’s Dan Pompei. “I want more than that. I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored, and I want to surpass them. I want shutouts. I want blowouts.”
He added: “The moon is the Super Bowl, but we’re shooting beyond that, for the stars. And I want these players to feel that each and every single day they come in.”
The 2013 Broncos averaged 37.9 points per game, though they failed to win the Super Bowl.
The Bears, in their first season under Johnson, averaged 25.9 points in 2025, good for ninth in the NFL. Johnson produced his best year as a play-caller in his final season as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator in 2024, when the unit posted 33.2 points per contest.
Johnson and the Bears enter the 2026 campaign looking to build on last year’s success after winning the team’s first division title since 2018 and earning its first playoff victory since the 2010 season.
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ODELL BECKHAM JR. TO PLAY IN THE GIANTS’ PRESEASON OPENER VS. THE VIKINGS, JOHN HARBAUGH SAYS
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Odell Beckham Jr. is set to play a game in a New York Giants uniform for the first time in nearly six years.
While it is an exhibition game, it marks another milestone for the venerated wide receiver on his homecoming tour. Coach John Harbaugh expects Beckham to play in the team’s preseason opener against Minnesota at home on Saturday.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him play,” Harbaugh said Wednesday. “He’s looked good. He’s in shape. He’s taking every rep he’s supposed to take in practice. He’s getting stronger. I feel like he’s getting stronger every day. He’s in a good place.”
Beckham at 33 is in a very different place than he was in December 2018, nearing the end of his rookie contract after surpassing 1,000 yards receiving in four of his first five NFL seasons.
Now, after serving a six-game suspension for failing a performance-enhancing drug test and not playing at all in 2025, he is attempting to show he still belongs in the league. His last game was Dec. 8, 2024, with Miami.
“I kind of had two years off,” Beckham told reporters in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, earlier this month. “Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically — whatever it was — I got time to heal, so, I feel good.”
Beckham has shown flashes of his younger self at training camp, including a catch in the back of the end zone from Jameis Winston during the opening week. Behind Malik Nabers ( when healthy ), Darius Slayton and others on the depth chart and with plenty of competition from fellow free agent additions Calvin Austin and Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields, there is no guarantee Beckham makes the initial 53-man roster.
Games and practices provide an opportunity for him to earn a spot. It is not clear yet who might be throwing him the ball, as Harbaugh dodged a question about whether franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart and the rest of the expected starters will play against the Vikings.
No matter who he’s catching passes from, Beckham has the chance to steal the summer spotlight as a returning crowd favorite.
“I can’t wait to hear the fans yell when he run out there and catch a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in MetLife Stadium,” Winston said. “I think that is going to be one of the loudest roars. … I just cannot even imagine just the anticipation that our fans have.”
Harbaugh explains the Giants bringing in Terrion Arnold for a visit
After Terrion Arnold worked out with the Giants, Harbaugh did not rule out them signing the free agent cornerback, who is facing eight felony charges, before the legal process runs its course.
“The legal process could take years, so then his career is gone,” Harbaugh said. “I think you have to decide: ‘Where does the legal process stand? What are we really talking about here? What does it look like?’ And you have to make a judgment along those lines.”
Arnold, 23, was charged in June with counts of kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy after allegations he orchestrated the abduction and beating of three men in February. He became when Detroit Lions released him a few days after the charges were levied.
New York is the third team to bring in Arnold for a visit this week alone, after New Orleans and defending champion Seattle. Harbaugh explained the reasoning as wanting to be aggressive, while acknowledging there’s a risk-reward proposition to the possibility.
“There’s things to be gained and things to be lost, and you just kind of got to balance it out and try to make a decision that’s two-fold,” Harbaugh said. “One aspect is what’s best for your football team. The other aspect is what’s best for your organization and your people and doing the right thing.”
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STEELERS’ AARON RODGERS WISHES THURSDAY’S PRESEASON GAME WITH PACKERS COULD TAKE PLACE IN GREEN BAY
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has one regret about starting his final NFL season with an exhibition game against the team that drafted him.
He would have preferred Thursday’s matchup with the Packers take place in Green Bay rather than Pittsburgh. Rodgers wanted to have one final moment in the place where he spent his first 18 seasons and won four MVP awards and a Super Bowl.
“I was really hoping this one was going to be in Green Bay, not just to get back at Lambeau one more time, but to head out to Chives for a dinner and maybe head out to Green Bay Country Club for a quick nine or something,” Rodgers said Wednesday in a Zoom session with Packers reporters. “I was really hoping it was going to be in Green Bay, for a lot of reasons.”
This will be the second time Rodgers has faced his former team since leaving the Packers in 2023, though there’s no indication yet on whether he will play Thursday. Both games were in Pittsburgh, so Rodgers will head into retirement after this season having never played against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
“It would have been strange, being in that locker room and stuff,” Rodgers said. “But I would have found my way over, like many former players have over the years, found my way over to Flea’s (Packers head athletic trainer Bryan Engel’s) office and hang out back there and see some of the guys and see some of the trainers and equipment staff and all the people I really care about that still work there.
“Yeah, I was definitely bummed out that we weren’t in Lambeau for this one.”
Rodgers’ Steelers lost 35-25 to the Packers last October. Jordan Love, the quarterback Green Bay selected in the first round of the 2020 draft to become Rodgers’ eventual successor, threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns that night.
When he was asked what he missed the most about Wisconsin aside from football and the fans, Rodgers talked about the house he owned during his Packers years, the meals he enjoyed at Chives and the rounds of golf he played. Then he turned the subject back toward football.
“The falls there are just awesome, when the weather gets that cool little nip,” Rodgers said. “I loved the night games at Lambeau, especially the Sunday nights, Monday nights and occasional Thursday nights. Just so much fun. There’s nothing like that crowd. I’ve been other places, I knew that when I was in Green Bay, but there’s nothing like that fan base and the way they travel and the crowds at home.
“Players around the league, they talk about how special it is to play at Lambeau, and sometimes you might miss that or forget about that when you’re playing because it becomes so normal to have such an amazing crowd and they’re tailgating and they’re loud and they rarely sell their tickets to other teams’ fans. There’s a lot of great things about Wisconsin. I grew up there, really, and became a little more mature as an adult over the years there and had a great time and still have a lot of close friends there, a lot of fond memories.”
Rodgers did play his other former team as a visiting player last season when he made his Steelers debut and led Pittsburgh to a 34-32 victory over the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Rodgers was with the Jets from 2023-24 after they acquired him from Green Bay, though he missed virtually all of 2023 after tearing his Achilles tendon in the season opener.
The Steelers host the Jets on Aug. 21 in their second preseason game.
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COMMANDERS’ JAYDEN DANIELS SHINES IN JOINT PRACTICE VS. DOLPHINS IN FRONT OF A STAR-STUDDED AUDIENCE
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Jayden Daniels’ injury-ridden second NFL season ended in December when the Washington Commanders opted to sit their franchise quarterback for the final three games to preserve his health.
Daniels understood the decision but was disappointed and wanted to play.
Eight months later, Daniels got his first chance to face another team when the Miami Dolphins arrived at the Commanders’ headquarters on Wednesday for a joint practice. The quarterback put on a show in front of a crowd that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and rapper Wale.
“It’s a new year,” Daniels said. “I don’t want to compare what I did my first two years. Now I’m on to a new season, a new year. I’m just trying to be the best version of myself every day.”
The first competition consisted of 1-on-1 drills between wide receivers and defensive backs. Daniels was surgical throughout, completing 11 of 13 passes, including touchdowns to Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams and Treylon Burks.
During red zone 11-on-11 drills, Daniels found Diggs for a touchdown on a perfect throw to the back corner of the end zone.
Diggs, who signed with the Commanders just last week, was a frequent target of Daniels throughout the day. The duo has already built chemistry — largely thanks to Diggs’ ability to find open space.
“He goes out and makes plays,” Daniels said. “He brings energy. He’s a leader. I’m super happy to have Stefon in that room, not just for the offense but just for the whole team in general.”
Daniels has spent much of his offseason learning a new offense. Coordinator David Blough’s system features more traditional formations with the QB under center, a stark difference from Kliff Kingsbury’s shotgun-heavy scheme that Daniels ran the past two years.
Nearly all of Daniels’ snaps during 11-on-11 work came from under center on Wednesday, and he looked comfortable.
“As reps and time go on, you get more of a grasp and a feel for who can run what route, how Blough is supposed to call it,” Daniels said. “This is what practice is for. Day by day, I try to come in and have control of the offense and get 1% better.”
The Commanders’ offensive line largely held up in pass protection, even following the loss of star left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a left arm injury that will require surgery. Washington’s run game struggled, but the Daniels-led aerial attack made up for it.
Daniels’ best throw of the day came when he faked a handoff, rolled to his right and uncorked a deep ball to Burks for a 70-yard touchdown, beating Miami defenders Zayne Anderson and Michael Taaffe.
The joint practice gave Daniels’ defensive teammates a new appreciation for their quarterback.
“Shoutout ‘5,’ man,” defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw said. “Best in the world.”
Although the Commanders’ offense got the better of the Dolphins’ defense for most of the afternoon, the latter got the last laugh. Practice concluded with a two-minute drill, and Taaffe broke up a potential touchdown pass in the back of the end zone as time expired.
For Daniels and the Commanders, that final drill was a reminder there’s still plenty of room for growth.
“I wouldn’t say we’re in midseason form,” Daniels said. You wouldn’t want to be in midseason form right now. … I still got some ways to go. We have explosive plays, but a lot is not perfect. I’m still working. The whole team’s still working. We’re still building that chemistry and continuity.”
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TUA TAGOVAILOA WILL START FALCONS’ PRESEASON OPENER BUT NO QB1 NAMED
The Atlanta Falcons have named a starting quarterback, but only for their preseason opener.
Atlanta coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Wednesday that Tua Tagovailoa will start the Falcons’ first preseason game against the visiting Denver Broncos on Friday. He added, though, that the quarterback battle between Tagovailoa and incumbent starter Michael Penix Jr., who still hasn’t been fully cleared after sustaining a torn ACL last November, still hasn’t been decided.
“Looking forward to Tua getting his first action in the game in this system,” Stefanski said. “There’s a lot of newness for him as well, in terms of that kind of thing, first time in the building for him as a Falcon. Just understanding all the things that go with it.”
Tagovailoa signed a vet-minimum one-year, $1.215 million contract with the Falcons in March after he was released by the Miami Dolphins, who took on nearly a $100 million salary-cap hit in dead money over the next two seasons by releasing him.
The former first-round pick (fifth overall) in 2020 completed 68% of his passes for 18,166 yards, 120 touchdowns and 59 interceptions over six seasons with the Dolphins.
Penix, a first-round pick (eighth overall) in 2024 by Atlanta, has completed 59.6% of his passes for 2,757 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions over 14 games (12 starts) over two seasons with the Falcons.
He’s been practicing in a limited capacity during training camp, but Stefanski said he still won’t be cleared for 11-on-11 drills in next week’s joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts.
Stefanski said the starters will play approximately 10 plays in the opening preseason game, with Tagovailoa set to be followed by veteran Cooper Rush and undrafted free agent Jack Strand at quarterback.
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BROWNS WILL START QB DESHAUN WATSON IN PRESEASON OPENER VS. BEARS
Deshaun Watson will start the preseason opener at quarterback when the Cleveland Browns visit the Chicago Bears on Saturday.
First-year Browns coach Todd Monken told reporters Wednesday that Watson will play the first half against the Bears. Shedeur Sanders will start the second half.
In the second preseason game on Aug. 22, Sanders will start against the visiting Buffalo Bills and play the first half. Watson will start the second half of that game.
“I’m super excited,” the injury plagued Watson said. “All the hard work that I put in with the training staff, with my team, my personal team, to get to this stage has been tremendous for me. So, I’m super excited for those opportunities and can’t wait for it.”
Monken said he wants both quarterbacks to get an opportunity to handle a two-minute situation.
“I have my reasons for how it’s going to go, and it’s still a competition,” Monken said. “We’re excited to watch guys practice (Wednesday), let alone (play) on Saturday, and then next week against Buffalo, and we’ll get a chance to see them both. Every week we’ll assess it.
“It’ll be a little bit more difficult with the player that doesn’t play as much this week or the other quarterbacks, right? We’ll be able to assess the quarterback that started and how he played and when the other quarterbacks came in and then the opposite will be next week against Buffalo.”
Watson, who turns 31 next month, was traded from the Houston Texans to the Browns prior to the 2022 season. Cleveland subsequently awarded him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal.
He ruptured his right Achilles tendon in Week 7 of the 2024 season and later re-tore it three months later and had a second surgery which knocked him out of the 2025 season. He also had his career derailed by an 11-game suspension in 2022 tied for sexual misconduct allegations involving more than two dozen massage therapists.
In 19 games with Cleveland, he has a 9-10 record and has thrown 19 touchdowns and been intercepted 12 times.
Earlier in his career, Watson was a Pro Bowl selection three straight seasons (2018-20) for the Texans. He passed for career highs of 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2020.
Now he’s trying to revive his once-promising career.
“I’ve seen a lot of really good things over the course of the four or five months I’ve been here,” Monken said of Watson. “I think he’s done a lot of really good things athletically, making plays that we’re going to get a chance to see, because we’re not live. We’ll see if that comes to play when we get out there and go.”
Sanders, 24, was a fifth-round draft pick last season and went 3-4 as a starter while playing eight games. He passed for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions and was named to the Pro Bowl after other quarterbacks withdrew.
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REPORT: PANTHERS AGREE TO DEAL WITH VETERAN TE DARREN WALLER
Tight end Darren Waller, who made a comeback with the Miami Dolphins last year after a year of retirement, agreed to a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old veteran was a popular red-zone target in Miami, snagging six touchdown receptions over nine games. He had 24 receptions overall for 283 yards.
The Waller signing creates a reunion with Panthers assistant coach Darrell Bevell, Miami’s passing game coordinator a season ago.
Waller battled injuries in 2025, continuing a trend from his previous three NFL seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders (2021-22) and the New York Giants (2023). He did not play in 2024.
Before that, Waller had emerged as one of the league’s biggest threats at the position for the Raiders, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, including a 107-catch season in 2020 that resulted in a Pro Bowl nod.
Waller was drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2015 draft out of Georgia Tech, and he spent two seasons in Baltimore.
In 95 career NFL games (66 starts), Waller has 374 catches for 4,407 yards and 26 touchdowns.
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NFL POWER RANKINGS
1. Los Angeles Rams
L.A. had the best team on paper coming out of the NFL draft, then it pulled off the move of the summer by trading for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. This squad is littered with stars on both sides of the ball. As long as they’re healthy, the Rams are the team to beat.
2. Seattle Seahawks
It’s tough to disrespect the defending champions like this, but while the Rams were busy adding all offseason, the Seahawks let contributors like Coby Bryant, Kenneth Walker, and Boye Mafe walk out the door. Between the draft and internal development, Seattle believes it has adequate replacements.
3. New England Patriots
A.J. Brown’s arrival pushes Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, and the rest of the Patriots’ receivers into more natural roles. And New England’s dynamic new wideout has been lighting up training camp after a slow start. Super Bowl hangovers have doomed runner-ups in the past, but the Pats might’ve added enough firepower to avoid that.
4. Denver Broncos
You could argue that the Broncos have the AFC’s most talented roster from top to bottom. However, football often boils down to quarterback play, which means Bo Nix will be under the microscope all year long. Although Denver reached the conference title game last season, Nix’s numbers were slightly worse than the year prior.
5. Buffalo Bills
The Bills will be contenders as long as Josh Allen is their quarterback, but they enter the preseason still facing important questions at cornerback, safety, and defensive tackle. Buffalo relied too much on Allen last season and is at risk of repeating that mistake.
6. Philadelphia Eagles
DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon missing time due to hamstring injuries is a concern for a team trying to reinvent its offense. The Eagles need both receivers and Jonathan Greenard – who’s missed all of camp with a pectoral injury but was brought in to reignite the pass rush – to get healthy if they want to hit the ground running.
7. Baltimore Ravens
The pieces are in place for the Ravens to rebound after they missed the playoffs for just the second time in eight years last season. The disaster led to a coaching change, with Jesse Minter replacing John Harbaugh. Don’t be surprised if Minter has Lamar Jackson and Co. back near the top of the ladder soon.
8. Chicago Bears
Luther Burden and Coby Bryant going down with injuries has squashed some of the excitement around the NFC North champions. Burden could be back from a groin problem by Week 1, but Bryant may miss the entire season with a knee injury. Regardless, the Bears have a young, exciting team capable of taking another step in 2026.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
A healthy Patrick Mahomes and a promising draft class could quickly catapult the Chiefs back into the title mix. Still, they’ll need to bring in another receiver unless training camp standout Cyrus Allen turns out to be the real deal. In any event, Kansas City is coming off a 6-11 campaign but we’re buying stock while it’s low.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars opened a lot of eyes with a 13-win season in Liam Coen’s coaching debut, and they’re hoping to ride that momentum into the new campaign. Greater contributions from Travis Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. could raise the team’s ceiling, though Jacksonville won’t catch anyone by surprise this time around.
11. Houston Texans
Just when you thought this defense couldn’t get any better, the Texans reunited with Jadeveon Clowney, who’ll rotate in with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter on the edge. All the questions surrounding Houston boil down to its offense and whether C.J. Stroud can return to the form he displayed in 2023, when he ran away with Offensive Rookie of the Year.
12. San Francisco 49ers
The injury epidemic in San Francisco continues. Ricky Pearsall is out for the season, Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and De’Zhaun Stribling have all dealt with injuries in camp – and we’ve only touched on the receivers. Star running back Christian McCaffrey (tightness) and defensive end Nick Bosa (knee) headline the rest of the list.
13. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers went 11-6 in 2024 and 2025, suffering wild-card beatdowns in both seasons. When you look at their roster, that feels about right. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is tinkering with Justin Herbert’s footwork, but unless that unlocks something magical, the Bolts are destined for a similar fate.
14. Dallas Cowboys
A revamped defense should be better suited to complement a prolific Cowboys offense more than it did a year ago. If it does, Dallas will cause trouble for the rest of the NFC. This squad could go all the way if the stars align, but you’re old enough to know that they never do.
15. Green Bay Packers
Micah Parsons could be out until mid-October while rehabbing his knee, leaving the Packers to start the season without their best player. Green Bay did little to make up for his looming absence or fill the void left by Romeo Doubs’ and Rashan Gary’s departures. Instead of finding help, the club’s banking on internal growth to offset the losses.
16. Detroit Lions
Detroit’s offense should be fine, especially with Jahmyr Gibbs’ contract situation resolved, but the defense is still a huge concern. The cornerback room remains a work in progress, both starting safeties are hurt, and Aidan Hutchinson might have to be a one-man band rushing the passer. Until the defense improves, the Lions will have to win a lot of shootouts.
17. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings named Kyler Murray their starter, with the veteran quarterback supplanting J.J. McCarthy. While Murray has his faults, Minnesota can surround him with the kind of coaching and talent he never had in Arizona. This team could be a dark horse in the NFC.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati dedicated nearly all its offseason resources to fixing a defense that couldn’t get a stop to save its life last year. The Bengals have missed three consecutive postseasons, and it’s now been half a decade since they reached the Super Bowl and looked like a budding powerhouse.
19. New York Giants
Season-opening contests against the Cowboys and Rams will be even more daunting if top receiver Malik Nabers isn’t ready to go in his comeback from a torn ACL and meniscus. An offseason of hype could quickly wash away if the Giants open with back-to-back losses.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers is back, but expectations must be tempered considering he’s 42 and provides limited upside at this stage of his career. The Steelers tinkered with the margins of their roster over the offseason, but it’s going to take a much greater renovation project before Pittsburgh can dream about Super Bowls again.
21. New Orleans Saints
The Saints have quietly gotten their ducks in a row, while the rest of the NFC South seemingly spins its wheels. Chris Olave extension? Check. Jordyn Tyson healthy? Check. Alvin Kamara and Cameron Jordan back in the fold? Check. This team appears to be on the right trajectory, even after losing Bryan Bresee to an ACL injury in camp.
22. Washington Commanders
The Commanders finally found their No. 2 receiver by signing Stefon Diggs partway through training camp, only for the excitement to wash away with Laremy Tunsil’s injury. The star left tackle tore his triceps over the weekend and is expected to miss most, if not all, of the regular season. One step forward, one step back.
23. Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback Daniel Jones has been a full go at practice, a positive development after he tore his Achilles in December. In less exciting news, top receiver Alec Pierce hasn’t practiced since offseason ankle surgery and doesn’t have a clear timetable for his return. It’s a big year for the regime in Indy, and the Colts need all hands on deck.
24. Tennessee Titans
The Titans have tried to load up around Cam Ward as they look to accelerate his development and become relevant again. With only six wins over the last two years, we’ll need to see results before we start to buy the hype, even if we liked their offseason.
25. Carolina Panthers
Carolina’s depth is already being tested, with rookie receiver Chris Brazzell II and sophomore pass-rusher Nic Scourton out for the season and key offensive tackle Taylor Moton dealing with a blood clot in his lung. The Panthers topped the NFC South last year, but that had more to do with the division than themselves.
26. Las Vegas Raiders
A busy offseason yielded a promising new coach in Klint Kubiak and a vastly improved quarterback situation featuring veteran Kirk Cousins and No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. The Raiders might not be ready to win big, but they should at least be competitive this year.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are in the precarious position of having their most important offensive player (QB Baker Mayfield) and most important defensive player (DT Vita Vea) angry over their contracts. Tampa Bay fell off a cliff down the stretch last season, and this ship is at risk of sinking further.
28. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons could be forced to start Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback in Week 1 while Michael Penix Jr. continues to rehab his knee. On the opposite side of the ball, Atlanta once dreamed of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. wreaking havoc off the edge, but Walker tore his ACL, and the NFL could discipline Pearce for his February arrest.
29. New York Jets
Though the Jets don’t necessarily need to win oodles of games this year, Aaron Glenn will be two-and-out as their coach if they don’t look a lot more competitive. He’s remade the defense and has three first-round rookies to work with, so it’s time to see some progress.
30. Cleveland Browns
The strength of the Browns is in flux after they traded away Myles Garrett, the longtime face of the franchise. Even more concerning is the state of the offense, as Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are at the center of an uninspiring quarterback competition.
31. Arizona Cardinals
A veteran signal-caller like Jacoby Brissett will give the Cardinals some stability early, but it won’t take long for fans to demand change as losses pile up. And they will pile up. On the bright side, Carson Beck looked good in the Hall of Fame Game.
32. Miami Dolphins
First-year coach Jeff Hafley can deny it all he wants, but it doesn’t change the reality: this is a rebuilding year for the Dolphins. If Malik Willis makes good on his $23.5-million salary and first-round picks Kadyn Proctor and Chris Johnson develop, Miami will consider this season a resounding success.
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2026 NFL SEASON PREDICTIONS
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills: 12-5
New England Patriots: 9-8
Miami Dolphins: 5-12
New York Jets: 2-15
AFC NORTH
Pittsburgh Steelers: 12-5
Baltimore Ravens: 11-6
Cincinnati Bengals: 11-6
Cleveland Browns: 3-14
AFC SOUTH
Indianapolis Colts: 9-8
Houston Texans: 9-8
Tennessee Titans: 7-10
Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-11
AFC WEST
Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6
Denver Broncos: 11-6
Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
Las Vegas Raiders: 5-12
NFC EAST
Philadelphia Eagles: 13-4
Dallas Cowboys: 13-4
New York Giants: 9-8
Washington Commanders: 7-10
NFC NORTH
Green Bay Packers: 10-7
Minnesota Vikings: 10-7
Detroit Lions: 8-9
Chicago Bears: 7-10
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons: 10-7
Carolina Panthers: 8-9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9
New Orleans Saints: 4-13
NFC WEST
Los Angeles Rams: 12-5
Seattle Seahawks: 11-6
San Francisco 49ers: 7-10
Arizona Cardinals: 2-15
PROJECTED NFC PLAYOFF FIELD
Philadelphia Eagles
Los Angeles Rams
Atlanta Falcons
Green Bay Packers
Dallas Cowboys
Seattle Seahawks
Minnesota Vikings
PROJECTED AFC PLAYOFF FIELD
Buffalo Bills
Pittsburgh Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs
Indianapolis Colts
Denver Broncos
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
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2026 NFL PREVIEW: ARIZONA CARDINALS
Changes ::
Offense: Arizona revamped their coaching staff after bottoming out in 2025 and hired new head coach Mike LaFleur, who was previously the offensive coordinator for the Rams. He is expected to implement many of the key concepts we see from the Sean McVay coaching tree in terms of personnel usage and play calling.
Defense: Arizona retained defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, who is only 32 years old. Rallis should have a more direct involvement with the defense this year after working under defense oriented Jonathan Gannon the last three seasons.
Personnel Changes ::
The Kyler Murray era is over in Arizona as they cut him with no compensation in return. The Cardinals current starter appears to be Jacoby Brissett, who is now holding out for actual “starter” money, while they also brought in veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew for depth and to give themselves more options.
Arizona’s backfield is extremely crowded all of a sudden after selecting electric RB Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in the draft and signing Tyler Allgeier in free agency. The team still has James Conner and Trey Benson on the roster as well, at least one of which will likely be traded in the coming weeks.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is coming off an injury riddled 2025 season, while Michael Wilson was one of the breakout stories of the year in the NFL. Arizona added Kendrick Bourne and Devin Duvernay in the offseason to round out their top four receivers, but Wilson and MHJ will be the everydown options.
Trey McBride is coming off a season in which he set the NFL record for receptions by a tight end. The massive Tip Reiman and the versatile Elijah Higgins are next on the depth chart. LaFleur used heavy tight end personnel packages often with the Rams last season, so one or both of Reiman and Higgins could see a significant bump in playing time this season.
Schedule ::
Divisional Games (6) ::
LAR x2, SF x2, SEA x2
NFC East (4)::
@ DAL, @ Giants, vs. PHI, vs. WAS
AFC West (4)::
@ KC, @ Chargers, vs. DEN, vs. LV
vs. DET, vs. Jets, @ NO
The Cardinals offense just didn’t fit in past seasons and Kyler Murray never acclimated to former offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s offense. On the same token, Petzing was never able to fully adjust and show the ability to build an effective offense around Murray’s skill set. The Cardinals were a source of explosive fantasy scoring once Murray was off the field, however, and their skill players are absolutely loaded with talent this season. We never really saw the Cardinals at full strength with McBride, Harrison, and Wilson all healthy and effective after Wilson had broken out and Brissett was under center. This year we should see that trio on the field together often, while also adding a game-changer in the backfield in Jeremiyah Love after having a pedestrian group back there in 2025.
Mike LaFleur is a young coach who is coming from a place where he learned from Sean McVay how to effectively scheme your best players the ball and get them in situations that fit their skill sets. Looking at the 2025 Rams and comparing them to the 2026 Cardinals, we should expect Trey McBride’s skillset to fill all the high volume underneath work that the Rams used Puka Nacua for and McBride will be used as a matchup nightmare all over the field. He will likely play in-line, in the slot, out wide, in the backfield, and being put in motion often. Harrison and Wilson provide defenses with a choice on the perimeter as both are above average talents who can make defenses pay when coverage is shaded away from them. Harrison should bounce back from last year and benefit from an improved scheme and less defensive attention. Wilson is a nightmare on in-breaking routes and will likely be asked to do a lot of the things Davante Adams did for the Rams last season. Finally, Love and Tyler Allgeier should complement each other extremely well. Allgeier can be a mix of himself in Bijan Robinson’s rookie year and Blake Corum last year with Los Angeles—a “1B” back who handles some of the pounding and gets seven to 15 touches per game depending on game script. The Cardinals should be far more balanced in 2026, which makes them more dynamic and explosive with a higher ceiling prior to defenses going “prevent” with big leads.
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2026 NFL PREVIEW: LA RAMS
Changes ::
Offense: Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur left the team after three seasons to become the Arizona Cardinals head coach. Sean McVay is still here, however, which means that the Rams offense will look largely the same as what we have seen in recent years. Nate Scheelhaase was promoted internally to replace LaFleur.
Defense: Chris Shula enters his third season as the Rams defensive coordinator.
Personnel Changes ::
Reigning MVP Matthew Stafford returns for another season. The Rams selected QB Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the NFL Draft as the heir apparent whenever Stafford decides to retire – but that won’t be for at least one more season.
Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined to form an elite backfield committee in 2025 and are set to do the same in 2026. These two operate in a “1A/1B” type of situation, usually rotating drives with Williams getting some extra work in special situations.
Puka Nacua and Davante Adams return as arguably the top receiving duo in the league. Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumpfield appear set to fill the WR3 and WR4 roles for the team in what appears to be a very thin receivers room.
The Rams have started a trend in the NFL with their shift to heavier personnel and multiple tight end formations. They are led by veterans Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee and have used second round picks at the position in consecutive seasons on Terrence Ferguson (2025) and Max Klare (2026). Davis Allen also played a role in 2025 and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them keep him around as well. Quite a unique and crowded situation.
Schedule ::
Divisional Games (6) ::
LAR x2, SF x2, SEA x2
NFC East (4) ::
vs. DAL, vs. Giants, @ PHI, @ WAS
AFC West (4) ::
vs. KC, vs. Chargers, @ DEN, @ LV
vs. GB, vs. BUF, @ NO
The Rams were the only team in the NFL to average 30 points per game in 2025 and then scored over 30 points in two of their three playoff games. They return all of their key offensive players and are set to run it back with no meaningful reason that they should be unable to. Stafford playing at an MVP level with an elite running game, dynamic receiving options, and one of the best schemes in the league is repeatable and everything else flows from there.
I can actually envision a scenario where this Rams offense becomes even more potent and fantasy friendly in 2026, as crazy as that may sound. Puka is Puka and Davante is much cheaper to acquire this year. The backfield production in McVay’s offense when it is humming is off the charts, which means either Kyren or Corum could be an elite option at the position if the other ever misses time. Also, the way this team is building around and using the tight end position seems to be ahead of the curve as the rest of the NFL scrambles to catch up to the recent trend. This game of cat and mouse works with defenses as well, and the stress it will likely cause and adjustments teams will be forced to make will open them up to other things that the Rams can exploit. I think Parkinson and Ferguson are extremely talented chess pieces that are poised to take their games to another level in 2026 and when you fully add that dynamic to the talent, IQ, and scheme that made this offense so good in 2025 – a repeat of being the top offense in the league wouldn’t be shocking in the least.
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2026 NFL PREVIEW: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Changes ::
Offense: Head coach Kyle Shanahan returns for his 10th season with the 49ers. He will run the offense along with offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
Defense: The 49ers lost defensive coordinator Robert Saleh after he became head coach of the Titans. In his place, former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris takes over San Francisco’s defense.
Personnel Changes ::
Brock Purdy returns as the 49ers starting QB and Mac Jones is still in town despite rumors he may be moved after an impressive stint as Purdy’s backup in 2025.
Christian McCaffrey enters his age-30 season following touching the ball over 400 times in 2025. Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, and third round rookie Kaelon Black will compete for the backup role and touches behind CMC.
The 49ers will be very different at wide receiver as Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, and Brandon Aiyuk are out. Mike Evans and Christian Kirk joined them in free agency and they drafted De’Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Evans, Kirk, and Ricky Pearsall will likely be the three primary receivers, with Stribling and Demarcus Robinson rounding out the room.
George Kittle tore his achilles in the 49ers Divisional round win over the Eagles and his status for the start of the season is uncertain. Veterans Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell will operate as the top tight ends until he returns.
Schedule ::
Divisional Games (6) ::
SEA x2, LAR x2, ARI x2
NFC East (4) ::
@ DAL, @ Giants, vs. PHI, vs. WAS
AFC West (4) ::
@ KC, @ Chargers, vs. DEN, vs. LV
vs. MIA, vs. MIN, @ ATL
Bull Case ::
San Francisco has an elite system/scheme led by one of the best offensive minds in the game as well as not one, but two, quarterbacks who have proven to be highly effective within that scheme. Brock Purdy has shown himself to be an elite quarterback option when on the field with Christian McCaffrey, who is the quintessential offensive weapon. The 49ers have an elite marriage of coaching, QB play, and cornerstone weapon that gives them the ability to be dynamic and adjust the rest of what they do based on the opponent and their own personnel dynamics. No other sport is as dependent on coaching and the performance of one specific position than football, which gives the 49ers a very high floor to begin with.
The optimistic outlook on this 49ers team is that their retooled weapons could unlock a different look that their elite coaching staff can adjust to. They have the elite ball skills and size of Mike Evans to go along with the versatility and dynamic talents of Ricky Pearsall as their primary options, then the dependability of Kirk and Robinson as well as the blazing speed of De’Zhaun Stribling to utilize situationally as needed. The upside case for the 49ers also has to be built around George Kittle proving to be the freak that we think he may be and returning early in the season at or close to full strength. If Kittle were healthy, he would likely be viewed as the primary receiving option of the bunch. Last year’s 49ers offense had a lot of productive players who have performed well at times, but their lack of downfield threats was evident many times and altered how they were able to stretch defenses. Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne are more short and intermediate type options, whereas Evans and Stribling present very different dynamics for defenses to account for. Kittle returning would also allow the 49ers to utilize more multiple tight end formations as he and Tonges could complement each other, a trend that we are seeing across the NFL.
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2026 NFL PREVIEW: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Changes ::
Offense: Seattle lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak after their Super Bowl victory, as he took the head coaching position for the Raiders. He is replaced by Brian Fleury, who was formerly the tight ends coach and run game coordinator for the division rival 49ers. His background and style should be relatively similar to what Kubiak was doing.
Defense: Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is one of the brighter defensive minds in the game and returns for his third season in Seattle.
Personnel Changes ::
The Seattle QB room is unchanged, as Sam Darnold returns as the starter with Drew Lock and the uber-athletic Jalen Milroe operating as his backups.
Seattle’s running back room looks very different from a year ago as Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III left for the Chiefs in free agency and Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the playoffs. Seattle drafted explosive RB Jadarian Price with the last pick of the first round in April’s draft, while free agent acquisition Emanuel Wilson and second year back George Holani are also in the mix.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp all return as the top wide receivers for Seattle. 2025 draft pick Tory Horton flashed at times before his season was derailed by injury and Jake Bobo is a very good blocker and sees situational snaps as well. All of the main receivers on the roster are returning from last season.
Tight end AJ Barner had a terrific 2025 season and will look to build on it and become more consistent. Elijah Arroyo was a second round pick last season and flashed at times. His upside is through the roof if he can stay on the field and figure some things out.
Schedule ::
Divisional Games (6) ::
ARI x2, LAR x2, SF x2
NFC East (4) ::
vs. DAL, vs. Giants, @ PHI, @ WAS
AFC West (4) ::
vs. KC, vs. Chargers, @ DEN, @ LV
vs. CHI, vs. NE, @ CAR
Bull Case ::
Seattle’s offense was the epitome of efficiency in 2025, operating with the 30th ranked pass rate relative to expectation, but having one of the league’s most lethal passing offenses when they did decide to throw the ball. They were able to accomplish this despite entering the season with what most considered to be a below average offensive line, a new offensive scheme, and inconsistency in their receiving options. Rashid Shaheed was acquired in a midseason trade, Cooper Kupp battled nagging injuries, Tory Horton had a slow start and then a devastating injury, and Elijah Arroyo struggled to get going as he came back from an injury sustained in college.
While the loss of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is a big deal, the team wisely chose a replacement with a similar background and this team won’t be having to make massive changes that sometimes accompany a coordinator change. The cornerstones of this offense are Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, whose roles and performance are rock solid. Tight end AJ Barner also returns after a breakout season and the Seahawks running game is built primarily on scheme, while their offensive line is in a much better place than it was entering the 2025 season. The selection of Jadarian Price in the first round of the draft was exactly what this team needed as he and Zach Charbonnet should combine for a dynamic running back duo once Charbonnet is back on the field. The scheme is the real star in Seattle’s offense and they have the pieces, continuity, and confidence to churn out another highly efficient season in 2026, while potentially being even more dynamic if their receiving corps stays healthy.
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2026 NFL PRESEASON WEEK 1: 10 THINGS TO WATCH
(NFL RELEASE)
For the first time since January, we’re about to take in a full slate of NFL action, with Preseason Week 1 kicking off on Thursday. Let’s celebrate by exploring some key storylines!
As usual, a lot of teams will be sitting starters, but there’s still plenty of intrigue at this time of year, following the sweeping changes an offseason brings. Now, for every player who first breaks out in the preseason before going on to star in the league — like Victor Cruz in 2010 — there are a slew of guys who flash before never being heard from again. So, keep a grain of salt with you as the games begin, but keep an eye on these narratives, as well.
Preseason Week 1 schedule and how to watch
Thursday, Aug. 13 (all times ET)
Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals | 7 p.m. | NFL+
Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots | 7:30 p.m. | NFL+
Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans | 8 p.m. | NFL+
Arizona Cardinals at Las Vegas Raiders | 8 p.m. | NFL+
Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers | 9 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
Friday, Aug. 14
Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons | 7 p.m. | NFL+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets | 7 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
Miami Dolphins at Washington Commanders | 7 p.m. | NFL+
Saturday, Aug. 15
Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills | 1 p.m. | NFL+
Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears | 1 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants | 1 p.m. | NFL+
Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City Chiefs | 4 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints | 4 p.m. | NFL+
Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens | 7 p.m. | NFL+
Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks | 8 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
1) Who wants the Browns’ QB job? The Vikings’ QB tussle has already ended and the competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. can’t really begin until Penix is cleared for 11-on-11 work, but Week 1 of the preseason could play a role in Cleveland’s quarterback derby.
How will Deshaun Watson fare in his first game action in nearly two years when the Browns visit the Bears on Saturday? Can Shedeur Sanders close whatever gap exists between him and Watson? As NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport recently reported, it feels like Watson is likely to win the job, but head coach Todd Monken says he isn’t shutting the door on anyone yet.
2) How does J.J. McCarthy respond? As I mentioned, the Vikings’ QB battle didn’t even make it to the preseason, so while we know what the future holds for Kyler Murray, the path forward for McCarthy feels far less certain. The 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft has made just 10 career starts, but his value is at an all-time low, given how poorly his time as the starter went. Minnesota could give him extended playing time against the Giants on Saturday with the hope that he performs well and starts to push his price up on the trade market. Carson Wentz is waiting in the wings to become Murray’s primary backup if the Vikings do part ways with McCarthy.
3) Fernando Mendoza, fellow rookie QBs take the big stage. We’ve been projecting how these newbies will perform in the pros for months. Finally, we have our first chance to see them in NFL game action, even if it’s only the preseason.
All signs point toward Kirk Cousins starting for the Raiders come Week 1 of the regular season, but Mendoza could at least make things more interesting if the first overall pick shakes off some training camp struggles and lights up the Cardinals’ defense on Thursday. And hey, the Arizona-Las Vegas tilt will serve as a rematch of sorts between the two QBs who went head to head in last season’s national championship game. Can Carson Beck stay hot after a sensational showing in last week’s Hall of Fame Game? Like Mendoza, he’s not in line to start from the jump, but he has the opportunity to put pressure on incumbent Jacoby Brissett earlier than expected.
Given the shockwaves the Rams sent around the league by drafting Ty Simpson in the first round this year, there will be plenty of eyes on the Alabama product when he takes the field against the Chiefs on Saturday. It would take an injury to Matthew Stafford for the 13th overall pick to see any meaningful regular-season snaps in 2026, but Simpson has been running with the third-team offense in camp, behind backup Stetson Bennett IV. It would at least be reassuring to Rams fans if Simpson were to put on a good show versus Kansas City.
4) Will Mike McCarthy play Aaron Rodgers versus the Packers? It appears we have our first public disagreement of the McCarthy-Rodgers reunion tour. Rodgers told The Athletic McCarthy wants him to play in the preseason, but the 42-year-old quarterback has said that he sees no advantage to taking any exhibition snaps. To top it all off, the Steelers are hosting Green Bay — the team McCarthy and Rodgers won a Super Bowl with before their messy divorce several years later — on Thursday night.
Is this a power struggle and a sign of things to come in Pittsburgh? Or should we all just R-E-L-A-X? Deep sigh.
5) How do Commanders regroup? The new Washington offensive line — sans five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil — could be tested right off the bat. The Dolphins are visiting the Commanders this week, with a joint practice on Wednesday before Friday’s preseason opener, and new Miami head coach Jeff Hafley has said all of his players should be prepared to play in the game. That doesn’t mean all starters will see time, of course, but unlike a lot of teams, he’s not ruling it out.
Losing Tunsil for the foreseeable future due to a triceps injury during Saturday’s practice is a massive blow, one that puts immense pressure on third-year pro Brandon Coleman to protect Jayden Daniels’ blind side. The good news is Coleman has started 18 games at left tackle, including the playoffs, with some success. The bad news: Coleman was benched at guard last season and has durability concerns of his own.
Head coach Dan Quinn has said the team does not intend to look outside the franchise for a left tackle. However, as we all know, plans can change quickly in the NFL, and keeping Daniels upright has to be the ultimate priority for the Commanders.
6) Can the Bears avoid further damage in the secondary? No unit has been bitten by the injury bug in training camp quite like Chicago’s defensive backfield. Nickelback Kyler Gordon, who missed all but three games last season due to injury, is on the PUP list with a calf ailment and there’s no clear timeline for his return. Starting safety Coby Bryant — one of the team’s top pickups of the offseason — is expected to miss 4-6 months after undergoing surgery for a knee injury he suffered in camp. Backup safety Elijah Hicks — who played in every game last season, though mostly on special teams — is also on the PUP list, while backup CB Dallis Flowers is out for the season with a right leg injury he suffered in camp.
Cue Lloyd Christmas.
Suddenly, rookie Dillon Thieneman is one of the most tenured healthy safeties on the team! Given the scope of the injury woes, the Bears have had to turn to players like CB Beanie Bishop Jr., who spent all of last season on practice squads and is suspended for the first three games of the season, to try patch things together. It will be considered a victory if they escape from Saturday’s game against the Browns without more losses to the back end of the defense.
7) Rookie WR showcase. Thursday’s nightcap between the Titans and 49ers will feature the debuts of two top rookie wide receivers. There’s understandably a lot of excitement about Tennessee’s Carnell Tate, the first pass catcher drafted this year, but the buzz about San Francisco’s De’Zhaun Stribling, the first pick in Round 2 (33rd overall), seems to only grow, even with a few missed practices due to hamstring tightness. It sounds like both will see their share of playing time in the preseason opener. While Tate’s lofty draft billing as the fourth overall pick came with the expectation that he’d be playing right away, injuries at receiver have opened a clear lane for Stribling to claim a starting spot from the slot. It will be interesting if the friskiness between the two squads in joint practice this week — with teammates coming to Tate’s defense after one hit that apparently didn’t sit well with Titans players — carries over to the game.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
6 MUST-WATCH MATCHUPS THAT COULD PLAY KEY ROLE IN SETTING THE 2026 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIELD
From early-season heavyweight clashes to conference rivalry games, the road to the College Football Playoff could come down to a handful of marquee matchups. Here are six must-watch games that could shape the playoff race in 2026:
Ohio State at Texas, Sept. 12
Steve Sarkisian and Ryan Day match wits again as both teams get an early-season measuring stick game after failing to meet expectations in 2025. A Week 1 loss to the Buckeyes left the Longhorns fighting an uphill battle with little room for error throughout the rest of the season. Texas ultimately fell short of the 12-team CFP while the Buckeyes lost their last two games, the latter in the CFP quarterfinals.
Julian Sayin vs. Arch Manning will get the headlines but last year’s 14-7 win by Ohio State is a reminder that the best-prepared defense may rule the day. The Buckeyes are reloading on defense — including three spots on the line — while Texas has four of its starting o-linemen back.
Both teams have stacked schedules — Texas faces the likes of Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU and Texas A&M and Ohio State has Indiana, Oregon, USC and Michigan — so a win here helps set the tone.
LSU at Ole Miss, Sept. 19
One of the most intriguing games of the year, an emotionally charged revenge game on paper for Ole Miss, as Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford for the first time since his awkward departure for LSU last December. Trinidad Chambliss is a Heisman contender again for the Rebels. Will Leavitt says he couldn’t be happier after transferring in for the Tigers.
Besides the obvious tension, the matchup could help shape the playoff race early. As contenders but not necessarily favorites in the SEC, Ole Miss and LSU could find themselves fighting for an at-large bid. A win here could make all the difference come playoff selection time, especially with both teams facing schedules that leave little room for error.
Georgia at Alabama, Oct. 10
The SEC’s two most dominant programs over the past decade meet in Tuscaloosa, with plenty of recent history hanging over the matchup. Georgia had its 33-game home winning streak snapped by Alabama with a 24-21 defeat in 2025, but the Bulldogs later got revenge with an SEC championship game rout.
Both teams now enter the season with plenty at stake. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer faces pressure to keep the Crimson Tide in national title contention following Ty Simpson’s departure for the NFL. Kirby Smart looks to finally secure a regular-season win against Alabama. This one could have major implications beyond just SEC standings.
Ohio State at Indiana, Oct. 17
Indiana was untouchable in 2025, as coach Curt Cignetti and a haul of transfers — including quarterback Fernando Mendoza — put together a perfect 16-0 season and claim the Hossiers’ first national title. The final four wins were a murderer’s row: Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Miami.
It will be difficult to go through the Big Ten unscathed. A road win here would reassert the Buckeyes as a top dog in a rugged conference.
Miami at Notre Dame, Nov. 7
It’s safe to assume grudges are still being held in South Bend after Miami beat the Fighting Irish in the opener and then finished ahead of Notre Dame in the rankings to claim a playoff spot this past season.
Both teams enter the season with extra motivation to win it all and rosters capable of pulling it off. While Miami can return to the playoff by winning an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title, this is one of the few statement-making opportunities for the Irish, who have a relatively low strength of schedule.
BYU at Utah, Nov. 7
Morgan Scalley’s debut season as Utah coach will include an edition of the Holy War that could play a big role (again) in the Big 12 race and the playoff berths available the first week of December. There’s new staff in place and new faces, too, including two replacements for NFL draft picks on the offensive line.
BYU held on to coach Kalani Sitake, has quarterback Bear Bachmeier and RB LJ Martin back, and is coming off a 12-2 season loaded with big wins and only a pair of losses to Texas Tech. The Cougars will be itching to erase that runner-up finish and crack the CFP.
Honorable mention
Oklahoma at Michigan (Sept. 12), Houston at Texas Tech (Sept. 19), SMU at Louisville (Sept. 19), MIami at Clemson (Oct. 3), USC at Penn State (Oct. 10), Texas at Texas A&M (Nov. 27).
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2026 SEC PREVIEW: THE TOP CONTENDERS
#4 OLE MISS REBELS
Lane Kiffin called himself the Portal King and backed up the title by signing top- rated transfer classes every offseason. He used the transfer portal as an equalizer to catch up to the five-star recruiters atop the SEC, and after a close call in 2024, his sixth Ole Miss team broke through to the Playoff. For all the four-star transfers and national stars he signed, it was actually a Division II quarterback who was the difference-maker. The staff found Trinidad Chambliss, an under-sized, under-recruited winner whose only other offer was from Temple. When starter Austin Simmons suffered an injury two weeks in, Chambliss stepped up and held the job for good. Ole Miss survived one-score battles against Arkansas and Washington State, and then Chambliss threw for 315 yards on an elite Oklahoma defense. They sealed their best regular season in school history with a 38-19 Egg Bowl win to get to 11- 1 and clinch the school’s first-ever Playoff spot. Off the field, a whole different circus was underway, as Kiffin considered taking other head coaching jobs amid the biggest coaching carousel of all-time. No matter your opinion of Kiffin’s actions and decision, this ridiculous schedule forces head coaches to decide between coaching a Playoff team or accepting a heavily-desired job elsewhere. No other sport has overlapping deadlines like that. Kiffin ultimately took the LSU job, wanted to coach Ole Miss through the postseason, but the Ole Miss admin rejected that proposal. Instead of a drawn out head coaching search of their own, athletic director Keith Carter knew “we had a guy in our building” already in defensive coordinator Pete Golding.
Golding and the Ole Miss team rallied together and blew out Tulane 41-10, got revenge on Georgia 39- 34, and earned a spot in the national semifinals. The Rebels held a lead in the final seconds but Miami’s Carson Beck scrambled in for the decisive touchdown.
13 wins marked a school record, and Ole Miss finished ranked #3 in the AP for their best finish in over 60 years. The fact they did so despite a tremendous amount of outside noise and distractions speaks volumes. The next fear was that Kiffin would raid the Ole Miss roster by stealing all the star players, and though he did convince a handful of starters, it was not the wrecking ball some expected. In fact, Ole Miss punched back harder and signed the #2 transfer haul in America.
OFFENSE
Chambliss took advantage of his opportunity and thrived into a national star. He quickly drew Kyler Murray comparisons, threw for nearly 4,000 yards, rushed for 527, totaled 30 touchdowns, and finished eighth in the Heisman. Then in the Georgia playoff game his wild scrambles helped convert and extend drives and lead the win. He won a court case to return for a bonus year of eligibility and enters 2026 as a legit Heisman favorite.
Original starter Austin Simmons transferred out to Missouri but the staff landed former five-star, MS legend Deuce Knight (Auburn) as their quarterback of the future. Kiffin and his coordinator Charlie Weis are gone, but Golding wanted to continue with their successful, productive, up-tempo scheme. He hired John David Baker, who was here at Ole Miss as Weis’ co- coordinator until 2023, then improved East Carolina from #127 scoring to #34 and #24 the past two seasons. Baker says his 2026 scheme is “80% the same” as what has worked here. Kewan Lacy earned first-team All-SEC, FWAA All-America, and returns after an Ole Miss record-tying 1,567 yard season (Quinshon Judkins 2022). He punched in a Power 4-best 24 touchdowns last year and is now complemented by Michigan State starter Makhi Frazier and former Top200 JT Lindsey (LSU). Ole Miss was overflowing with talent on the outsides, and five pass-catchers placed in the SEC’s Top 25 of receiving stats. Four of those are gone – Harrison Wallace, De’Zhaun Stribling, Cayden Lee (Missouri) and tight end Dae’Quan Wright – but as always Ole Miss restocked the room. Deuce Alexander is a returning starter and their new #1 weapon, 2025 five-star Caleb Cunningham is ready for a breakout season, and then the staff added another round of five Power 4 receivers. Johntay Cook and Darrell Gill combined for over 1,000 yards as Syracuse starters, Horatio Fields (Auburn) earned a four-star transfer grade, and Traylon Ray (West Virginia) and Isaiah Spencer (Virginia Tech) bring Power 4 experience. Wright went pro, but a pair of former five-stars form an elite tight end pair for 2026. Luke Hasz is finally back healthy, and Caleb Odom is a receiving matchup nightmare who could also play some receiver. The offensive line returns its interior with guards Patrick Kutas and Delano Townsend and center Brycen
Sanders all back. They did lose two great ones at the tackle spots with All-SEC Diego Pounds and NFL draft pick Jayden Williams both gone. And then their rising star at tackle Devin Harper followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge. Ole Miss stole one back from LSU with their starting tackle Carius Curne who was a Top100 recruit and ranked the #4 transfer lineman this cycle. Terez Davis is projected at the other tackle spot, but three other Power 4 transfers will compete.
DEFENSE
Kiffin’s first three defenses averaged #43 of 68 Power 4 in my opponent-adjusted metric. Golding took over in 2023 and his second unit finished ranked #9. Heading into 2025, Kiffin put most resources into the offensive side of the transfer portal, but Golding made sure to load up on defense this cycle. Ole Miss signed an incredible eight four-star transfer defenders. Yes, they lost a pair of All-SEC stars to Kiffin — linebacker TJ Dottery and edge Princewill Umanmielen – but Golding has stacked the roster heading into 2026.
First-team All-SEC defensive tackle Will Echoles is back after leading Power 4 tackles with 39 quarterback pressures. Kam Franklin is another returning starter at end, and then Ole Miss signed the top haul of defensive linemen with four four-stars incoming. Blake Purchase (Oregon) and Jordan Renaud (Alabama) look to replace Umanmielen’s production off the edge, while Jehiem Oatis (Colorado) and Michai Boireau (Florida) pack the interior. Boireau even had an athletic, game-winning interception to beat Mississippi State last year. Jonathan Maldonado (Nevada) earned All-Mountain West last year.
Do-it-all Suntarine Perkins returns as a hybrid linebacker, edge rusher and is poised for an All-American run in his final season. Though they lose Golding’s so-called “quarterback of the defense” Dottery, they landed a trio of Power 4 starters. Keaton Thomas (Baylor) was All-Big 12 and hits like a truck, Luke Ferrelli was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading all freshmen with 91 tackles, and Tah’j Butler started some games for Georgia Tech. This is a top national unit. The cornerback starters Antonio Kite and Jaylon Braxton are both back, plus they added Auburn starter and four-star transfer Jalyn Crawford. Their safeties are gone but they added three more starters in Edwin Joseph (Florida State), Sharif Denson (Florida), and Joenel Aguero (Georgia).
OUTLOOK
Ole Miss is right back in SEC title contention with Chambliss back and operating in a similar scheme. The receivers may not be as proven as last season, but there is enough firepower – plus an All-American running back – to keep the offense in the top ten.
Golding focused on the defense this transfer cycle and added an amazing eight four-star defenders. Ole Miss is a Playoffat-large pick, and Chambliss already showed he can work magic in January.
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#3 TEXAS LONGHORNS
Fresh off consecutive Playoff runs, Texas entered 2025 as the preseason AP #1 team
for the first time in school history. They also had the preseason Heisman favorite at
quarterback with five-star super-recruit Arch Manning. The hype was short-lived as they ran into a brick wall in the opener. #3 Ohio State stuffed Texas twice inside the 10 yard-line and took away Manning’s deep ball. The 14-7 loss didn’t change any team goals, but their SEC opener loss to unranked Florida did. Manning was sacked six times, missed two wide-open touchdown throws, and the running backs were held to 15 yards rushing. Ryan Niblett saved the season with game-changing punt returns in three straight games, the 23-6 win over Oklahoma, and then overtime-survival wins against
Kentucky and Mississippi State. Texas was able to beat three Top 10 teams –Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M – to get back into the Playoff hunt, but a total meltdown in the fourth quarter against Georgia dealt them an eliminating third loss. With the bowl win, Steve Sarkisian got Texas to 10+ wins in three consecutive seasons for the first time here since 2009. But with such high preseason expectations, and nation-leading roster funding, a Playoff miss makes it a missed opportunity. After finishing #4 and #3 in Game Grader the previous two seasons, Texas slid down to #22 in 2025 for their lowest rank since Sarkisian’s debut in 2021. To turn the momentum back around, Sarkisian made a coordinator switch on defense, and then Texas reloaded with the #3 transfer haul this cycle. This class brings an instant boost of talent to offensive skill positions and in total adds an incredible 10 Power 4 starters into the program. At Texas, the standard is always Playoff or Bust, but that is even more true after a hiatus.
OFFENSE
Sometimes the national media locks in on a topic and it drives extreme viewpoints. The preseason hype for Manning was clearly too high, but conversely the negative overreactions in September went too far the other way. Manning’s 2025 season was common: a first-time starting quarterback had some growing pains and then showed clear improvements as the season progressed. He was booed after 10 straight incompletions against UTEP but then in the season-finale he out- dueled a Heisman contender and ruined A&M’s perfect season. My opponent-adjusted passing stats show the in-season development. Texas ranked #42 of 68 Power 4 over the first half of the season, but rose to #15 over the final six games. Manning threw for 3,163 yards,
26 touchdowns and just seven picks, and also added 399 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground – and he even caught one against Arkansas. Texas bolstered the skill positions around him and they enter 2026 with a top running back duo and arguably the best receiver room. The top three running backs all transferred out, but Texas signed the #3 and #6 ranked transfers and both were all-conference in 2025. Hollywood Smothers (NC State) led the ACC with 85 yards/game and Raleek Brown (Arizona State) has been described by coaches as a “Tasmanian Devil, a bowling ball, and a pitbull.” Both backs are explosive, with high 6.0 yard/carry averages last year. The receiver room struggled with dropped passes and lead target Ryan Wingo was often double-teamed. The other two starters DeAndre Moore (Colorado) and Parker Livingstone (Oklahoma) transferred out but Texas signed the nation’s #1 receiver Cam Coleman (Auburn). Wingo and Coleman are both former five-stars, and Coleman is a future first-round draft pick who wins 50/50 balls and adds a red zone boost. Defenses can’t double-team them both. Emmett Mosley returns in the slot and is joined by Wake Forest starter Sterling Berkhalter and former Top100 Daylan McCutcheon. As if that wasn’t enough, another
pair of five-star freshmen pack the rotation: Kaliq Lockett and Jermaine Bishop.
Jack Endries went pro, but the staff signed Michigan State starting tight end Michael Masunas, who earned four-star transfer grades, to battle Top100 Nick Townsend.
The limiting factor on offense, and maybe the overall 2026 team, is their offensive line development. Last year they failed to get consistent rushing production, ranking #82 in my OL Run Push for the second straight year. They broke down in pass protection in their losses. Their best lineman, All-SEC DJ Campbell was drafted but three starters return. Left tackle Trevor Goosby is drawing high draft projections himself and should get All-America hype. Connor Robertson is back at center, and Brandon Baker is shifting from tackle to guard. Two incoming transfers fill out the other two spots with FBS veteran Laurence Seymore (Western Kentucky) at left guard and Wake Forest starter Melvin Siani – who allowed zero sacks on 900 snaps last year – at right tackle.
DEFENSE
Texas posted a Top 10 overall defense in my opponent-adjusted metric, but they struggled against the pass and Sarkisian decided to make a change. He fired coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and hired Will Muschamp, a top defensive mind who has had more success as a coordinator than a head coach. Muschamp aka “Coach Boom” has been with the Georgia program the past five years as an analyst and co-coordinator.
Muschamp led the defense here for three years from 2008-2010 and during that span Texas led the nation in sacks and placed in the top ten of all major stat categories. The 2009 team made it all the way to the national title. Three starters return along the defensive line with All-SEC Colin Simmons as the headliner. Simmons led the conference with 12 sacks and is a sure-fire All-America pick for 2026. Muschamp mentioned
moving Simmons around in various spots and roles to confuse offenses. At the other end Lance Jackson returns after an SEC All-Freshman debut. Muschamp likes huge space-eating nose tackles to control two gaps, and he’s got two giants here with 330-pounder Maraad Watson and Arkansas starter Ian Geffrard who checks in at 6’5 380. Hero Kanu and Alex January are both back at the other tackle spot. All-American linebacker Anthony Hill went pro, starter Liona Lefau transferred out, but Ty’Anthony
Smith is the next rising star. Brad Spence is another returning starter though incoming Top100 Kosi Okpala could earn reps right away. The staff signed two four-star transfers who were Power 4 starters last year: Justin Cryer (Florida State) and Rasheem Biles (Pittsburgh) who is a two-time All-ACC selection with three Pick Sixes the past two years.
The secondary needs the most improvement after falling from elite (#2) in 2024
down to average last year (#42) in opponent QB Rating. Both All-SEC picks are gone with corner Malik Muhammad and captain Michael Taaffe both getting drafted. Texas has a pair of five-stars as projected starters at corner with returning starter Kobe Black and redshirt freshman Kade Phillips – plus they added Bo Mascoe (Rutgers) who has
shown strong coverage skills in the Big Ten. Top100 Graceson Littleton impressed as a true freshman and will start at nickel, Jelani McDonald should get All-SEC hype, and a pair of five-stars – Derek Williams and Xavier Filsaime – battle at the other safety spot.
OUTLOOK
Texas went all-in this offseason with a top five transfer haul that packed in 10 Power 4 starters to a roster already overflowing with five-star talent. They are also in the top five in high school recruiting average, and are #4 in projected NFL Draft picks. Like most quarterbacks, Manning will get a second-year boost – he already showed improvement as the 2025 season progressed. Texas is a Playoff pick, though the SEC crown stays with Georgia until someone takes it.
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#2 OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Losing seasons are rare at Oklahoma. Before Brent Venables was hired, they only suffered five losing seasons in the 75 years since WWII. Then Venables posted two losing seasons in three years. In 2025 they were dealt arguably the toughest schedule in the nation, and with the pressure rising, Venables delivered. He built an elite, Top 5 defense that absolutely suffocated opponents. Oklahoma forced a negative play – sack or tackle-for-loss – on 15% of snaps which was by far the #1 mark nationally. They sacked Auburn nine times, posted six straight 10+ TFL games, and the defense led the way in five ranked wins. Two plays shifted the season from average to Playoff-caliber. Against Tennessee, All-American R Mason Thomas took a fumble back 71 yards for
the school-record longest scoop-and-score. The next week, All-SEC Eli Bowen scored an 87-yard Pick Six to flip the Alabama win. The offense did just enough to complement Venables’ elite defense, like in the final few minutes of the season when John Mateer hit Isaiah Sategna on a 58-yard score to beat LSU 17-13 and secure Oklahoma’s first Playoff
bid since 2019. Though the first-round rematch with Alabama went the wrong way, the 10-win season with half against ranked teams, was a statement season. Oklahoma returns 14 starters, seven on each side, and gets a second-year coordinator bonus on
offense. Venables landed the breakthrough season, and 2026 presents a shot to prove staying power in the SEC.
OFFENSE
Last offseason Venables hired rising-star coordinator Ben Arbuckle to install his Air Raid offense that shattered records at Western Kentucky and Washington State. It was a package deal too, with Arbuckle bringing his quarterback Mateer who led FBS with 44 total touchdowns in 2024. It simply didn’t click in 2025. Maybe it was the transition year and new scheme installation, or the freshman-filled offensive line, or Mateer’s hand injury. But while the defense ranked #3 in my opponent-adjusted metric, the offense was just #50 of 68 Power 4. Before Mateer hurt his hand in the Auburn game, Oklahoma’s opponent-adjusted passing was #42, but post-injury it fell slightly to #52 of 68. Mateer placed 13th in the SEC in QB Rating with 14 touchdown passes and 11 picks.
This offseason Mateer focused on fixing his mechanics and footwork – less sidearm, off-balance throws – and appeared improved throughout spring ball. Stats aside, he always has that uncanny playmaking ability and should get an efficiency boost in his second SEC season. The run game was “pathetic” in Venables’ words. The 3.5 yards/carry was Oklahoma’s worst since 2010 and the 118 yards/game was their worst since 1999. He hired ace running backs coach Deland McCullough who had just coached Heisman finalists in back-to-back years with Ashton Jeanty and Jeremiyah Love.
Tory Blaylock led with 480 yards as a true freshman, Xavier Robinson added 421 and both return for 2026. The offensive line was part of the issue, as the extremely young unit ranked in the national bottom ten of my OL Run Push metric (#124). Three freshmen moved up the depth chart to combine for 24 starts last year. Michael Fasusi started all year as a true freshman five-star, while Top100 Ryan Fodje and Eddy Pierre-Louis started six each. Those young reps and starts should pay dividends with a second-year bonus
here in 2026. Starting center Jake Maikkula also returns, and while they do lose an All-SEC draft pick in Febechi Nwaiwu, the staff signed two-year Arkansas starter E’Marion Harris who earned a four-star transfer billing. Six upperclassmen transferred out to other Power 4 rosters, but all were three-star transfers who fell behind the youngsters on the depth chart. Sategna earned first-team All-SEC after placing in the league’s top three in receiving yards and touchdowns. He returns in the slot, and while their next three departed, the staff landed two highly-
touted Power 4 starters through the portal. 6’3 Parker Livingstone (Texas) was in the starting rotation as a freshman and posted an explosive 17.8 per-catch average good for fourth in the SEC. Trell Harris (Virginia) earned All-ACC with a productive 59 catches for 847 yards last year. It’s already a proven starting trio, but Mackenzie Alleyne (Washington State) emerged as a spring hero and has past experience in Arbuckle’s offense. The tight end room is a total rebuild after All-SEC Jaren Kanak went pro. The converted linebacker Kanak was solid but now the staff added in a pair of four-star transfers, plus Hall-of-Famer Jason Witten to coach the position. Hayden Hansen (Florida) was a three-year starter and ranked second in the SEC with 44 catches last year. Hansen was ranked the #2 transfer tight end this cycle, and Jack Van Dorselaer was a four-star in the 2025 class. They showed off more 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) in spring.
DEFENSE
When he took over, Oklahoma had posted six straight below-average defenses. Venables’ third defense ranked #10 in my opponent-adjusted number. His fourth defense was a masterpiece. Oklahoma led the nation in sacks/game and TFL/game, ranked 4th in yards/play, and 7th in scoring defense. Aside from the stat sheet, the defense made the game-winning plays against Tennessee and Alabama to help punch their Playoff ticket.
The elite depth in the trenches stood out — they rotated eight-deep and never missed a beat. Half of that defensive line group returns, and in total seven starting defenders are back. That includes four All-SEC stars and two All-Freshmen. Thomas and Gracen Halton were drafted, but All-SEC Taylor Wein returns after leading with seven sacks, 15 TFL, and 35 QB pressures off the edge. Wein is poised for an All-America campaign and at the other end spot former five-star Adepoju Adebawore and Top200 Danny Okoye are the next duo up. Oklahoma also signed a Top100 prospect in Jake Kreul. At the tackle spots, five-star David Stone has been dominant, and Jayden Jackson earned Freshman All-America in 2024. Another Top200 pair rounds out the two- deep: Nigel Smith and Trent Wilson. Owen Heinecke got a bonus year of eligibility, so Oklahoma returns its top two
tacklers at linebacker. Heinecke and Kip Lewis combined for 22.5 tackles-for-loss, and while their backups transferred out, Oklahoma signed four-star Cole Sullivan (Michigan) who started the final three games last year and was looking like a Michigan rising star.
The elite corner duo returns with All-SEC Eli Bowen paired with SEC All-Freshman Courtland Guillory, plus the third corner is another blue-chipper in Top100 Jacobe Johnson. Peyton Bowen is yet another all-leaguer at safety, Michael Boganowski is a hard hitter in run support, and Reggie Powers is their hybrid “cheetah” role. It’s also worth noting that Oklahoma returns the league’s top punter Grayson Miller and Lou Groza winner Tate Sandell who hit eight 50+ yarders that helped flip close games.
OUTLOOK
Oklahoma has a championship-caliber defense again. The passing attack will be improved thanks to two key transfer additions at receiver, a second-year coordinator bonus, and a healthy Mateer. Oklahoma will return to the Playoff in 2026, and they are my pick to play Georgia in the SEC title game.
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#1 GEORGIA BULLDOGS
In their SEC opener, Georgia trailed Tennessee by eight in the final minutes when
Gunner Stockton hit London Humphreys on a 28-yard fade – on a do-or-die fourth down – for a touchdown. Georgia converted the two-pointer and eventually survived in overtime.
Their second-half comeback and last-minute resiliency wound up being the theme of the 2025 season. Georgia trailed in seven of their eight SEC games, but still went 7-1 in league play. The goal-line fumble forced by CJ Allen saved the Auburn game, the defense
suffocated Ole Miss in the fourth quarter, and against Florida it was a Chauncey Bowens 36-yard burst that clinched another one. In total, four were fourth-quarter comeback wins.
“I don’t write the scripts,” joked head coach Kirby Smart. Their lone loss was to Alabama, when the Crimson Tide came into Athens and snapped their nation-best 33-game home win streak. Georgia got another shot at them in the SEC title and dominated the rematch, 28-7, to clinch the program’s fourth SEC title in five years.
Georgia earned a first-round bye, but just like 2024, they were bounced in the quarterfinals. Trinidad Chambliss made countless highlight reel plays for Ole Miss, who seemed to rally internally after the Lane Kiffin drama. On the Dynasty Tier, it is national title or bust. After consecutive crowns in 2021 and 2022, Georgia now has a three-year title drought – and Playoff win drought – heading into 2026. They return 14 starters, and the newcomers to the starting lineup and two-deep are most likely five- stars or Top100 blue-chippers. Georgia’s last four recruiting classes: #2, #1, #2, #6. On top of that, they signed seven more four-star transfers to post the #2 transfer class on a per-player average.
OFFENSE
Stockton thrived in his first full-year as the starter. He earned third-team All-SEC after passing for 2,894 yards, 24 touchdowns (just 5 picks) with another 462 yards and 10 scores on the ground. He ranked fourth in QB Rating within the SEC and is now a proven, championship-caliber quarterback. Georgia’s running back pair returns and both Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens took on the lead role at various points in the season. Frazier overcame his fumble issue with zero over the final 11 games. He led with 947 yards (5.5 per carry) and Bowens added 526 (5.1). Short-yardage bowling ball Josh McCray graduated but the staff found an SEC replacement in Dante Dowdell (Kentucky).
Their best offensive weapon Zachariah Branch went to the pros, and three more graduated: Colbie Young, Dillon Bell, and Noah Thomas. That means only one of their top five receivers returns with London Humphreys back on the outside. The staff signed a rising star in 6’3 Isiah Canion (Georgia Tech) who earned a four-star transfer grade after posting 480 yards and a high 14.6 per-catch average last season. Most schools would have added another round of transfers, but Georgia is confident in their elite recruiting
here. Six more four-stars pack the rotation with five-star Talyn Taylor and Top100 CJ Wiley as the most likely breakout candidates. Kaiden Prothro is a 6’6 Top50 true freshman who was a spring hero. Georgia also loses starting tight end Oscar Delp but the room remains packed with talent. Co-starter Lawson Luckie is back as a proven receiving threat, especially in the red zone, and he had a three- touchdown game in the first Ole Miss matchup. Jaden Reddell brings the speed, 6’7 Elyiss Williams is the blocker, and Ethan Barbour is an H-back, fullback type. Similar to the wide receiver room, the staff avoided the transfer portal and doubled down on their stockpile of blue-chip offensive linemen. Monroe Freeling was a first-round draft pick, guard Micah
Morris was also drafted, but the other three starters return. Drew Bobo earned second-team All-SEC at center, Earnest Greene excelled at tackle, and guard Dontrell Glover was named a Freshman All- American. The open tackle spot will likely be former Top100 Juan Gaston, who earned some starts as a true freshman and will get a second-year bonus this fall. He’ll be challenged in fall camp by incoming five-star Ekene Ogboko and Smart has shown he’s willing to play true freshmen linemen recently. The open guard spot was a battle between two Top100’s Daniel Calhoun and Michael Uini until true freshman Zykie Helton emerged as a spring hero. For Georgia to make a deeper Playoff run, the offensive line needs to get a more consistent, Top 25 run push. The past two lines have ranked #65 and #66 in my OL Run Push stat.
DEFENSE
After Smart’s transition season in 2016, his next nine defenses were all Top 25 units in my opponent- adjusted rankings. Only Alabama and Notre Dame can match that streak.
The 2025 defense finished #12 and was especially stout against the run holding opponents to just 82 rushing yards/game (#4) and 2.9 per carry (#8). Eight starters are back, along with the vast majority of the two-deep which holds more weight here
because no other defense rotates their players more. In the trenches, Christen Miller went pro but the other eight linemen in the three-deep are all back. Elijah Griffin and Jordan Hall are at defensive tackle, Xzavier McLeod and Nnamdi Ogboko rotate at nose tackle, while Gabe Harris and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye are at end. Georgia signed the #1 edge recruit of 2025 Isaiah Gibson, meaning this room packs four five-stars and four more former Top 100’s. Brian Hartline had his conveyor belt of five-star receivers at Ohio State, but defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann has the linebacker equivalent here. First-team All-SEC CJ Allen went pro, but the three 2026 starters are all former five-stars. Raylen Wilson is back after a dominant 2025, Chris Cole returns at inside backer, and Justin Williams is the third backer. Quintavius Johnson is a returning starter at the “Jack” position, an outside backer/end hybrid, and the staff signed the #4 ranked transfer edge Amaris Williams (Auburn) but he suffered a spring ACL injury. Four starters are back in the secondary with cornerback Daylen Everette as the lone departure. Ellis Robinson was ranked the #1 cornerback of the 2024 class and he played like it, earning FWAA Freshman of the Year. Top100 DeMello Jones will battle Gentry Williams
(Oklahoma) at the other corner spot. KJ Bolden returns at safety after earning second-team All-SEC and last year Rasean Dinkins surged up the depth chart
as a true freshman. Zion Branch also returns, plus the staff signed two four-star transfers in All-AAC ballhawk Ja’Marley Riddle (East Carolina) and three-year starter Khalil Barnes (Clemson). That’s a ton of firepower to fill out the secondary.
OUTLOOK
Georgia won the SEC last year with the league’s #1 rank in Game Grader, they return 14 starters, and the two-deep is overflowing with former five-stars. They will be back in Atlanta to defend their crown and benefit from the SEC’s easiest schedule as the only team to face only three of the top eight. Georgia is my pick to win the SEC title, but the Dynasty-Tier is graded on their performance in January. Kirby Smart has a championship-caliber defense yet again, but to make a deep Playoff run he’ll need some of those five-star receiver recruits to rise up as game-changers.
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: ALEX BREGMAN BLASTS 3 HOMERS AS CUBS CRUSH NATIONALS
Alex Bregman slammed three homers and drove in seven runs, both career highs, leading the visiting Chicago Cubs to a 12-6 win against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
Dansby Swanson homered, doubled and scored three times in the No. 9 spot for the Cubs, who have won eight of their past nine games. Seiya Suzuki had two hits, two RBIs and two runs, and Pedro Ramirez added two hits and two runs.
Chicago left-hander David Peterson (7-7) allowed four runs (three earned) and nine hits over five innings. Javier Assad tossed four innings of two-run ball for his second save.
Jackson Kent made his major league debut for the Nationals and went four-plus innings, allowing three runs and three hits while striking out six and walking five. Reliever Tom Cosgrove (0-2) took the loss after giving up Swanson’s RBI double in the sixth.
Padres 4, Brewers 3 (11 innings)
Luis Campusano delivered the game-winning RBI in the 11th inning and San Diego rallied to sweep visiting Milwaukee with a come-from-behind, walk-off win.
After the Brewers scored once in the top of the 11th, automatic runner Jake Cronenworth scored the tying run on Jackson Merrill’s sacrifice fly against Antonio Senzatela (9-4). Sung-Mun Song then came around for the winning run on Campusano’s single to right field.
Robbie Ray gave up two runs on four hits in four innings for the Padres, who have won five straight. Brewers starter Dustin May allowed one run on four hits in seven-plus innings.
Dodgers 4, Royals 2
Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer, Eric Lauer pitched into the seventh inning and Los Angeles finished off a three-game sweep of visiting Kansas City — the Dodgers’ first sweep since June 22-24 in Minnesota.
Mookie Betts and Hunter Feduccia added home runs to back Lauer (7-6), who gave up two runs — one earned — on four hits over 6 1/3 innings and a season-high 112 pitches. It was the most pitches in an outing for a Dodgers pitcher this season.
Josh Rojas and Salvador Perez each drove in a run for the Royals, who saw their losing streak reach four games while falling to 1-6 since Aug. 6.
Twins 7, Orioles 5
Alan Roden ripped a go-ahead double to highlight a four-run third inning, fueling Minnesota to a victory over Baltimore in Minneapolis. Josh Bell, who joined Roden with three hits, had an RBI single in the first inning to extend his on-base streak to 16 games.
Royce Lewis slapped an RBI double for Minnesota, and Kody Clemens and Victor Caratini each had an RBI single. The Twins erupted with 14 hits en route to winning the decisive contest of the three-game series.
Dylan Beavers belted a three-run homer in the third inning for the Orioles, who have lost five of their past seven games.
Cardinals 7, Phillies 1
Cesar Prieto delivered a key hit to break a season-long drought and spark a tiebreaking rally as St. Louis cruised past Philadelphia.
Alec Burleson drove in three runs, including a two-run double in a four-run fifth inning for the Cardinals. Prieto broke an 0-for-26 start to his 2026 season with a single to lead off the inning. Kyle Leahy (9-4) pitched five effective innings, allowing a run and six hits.
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler (10-4) allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits in five innings. Alec Bohm had two of Philadelphia’s six hits.
Rays 8, Athletics 4Sports news
Drew Rasmussen won his fifth straight start, Liam Hicks had three hits and slugged a three-run homer, and Tampa Bay beat the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif., to cap a series sweep.
The victory, fueled by a 15-hit attack, completed a 9-0 road run by the Rays, who moved to 10-1 in August. Rasmussen (12-5) tossed five innings and allowed two runs on four hits. Hicks went 3-for-5 with a double and a homer.
In being saddled with his ninth consecutive losing decision, A’s starter Jack Perkins (2-9) surrendered seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits over five innings.
Marlins 8, Pirates 2
Griffin Conine homered for the 10th time in his past 28 games, leading host Miami past Pittsburgh for its fourth straight win.
Heriberto Hernandez also homered for the Marlins. Janson Junk (6-7) matched his career high in wins, holding the Pirates to two runs (one earned) on four hits over six innings. Conine went 2-for-2 with three walks, three runs, an RBI and a double to go with the long ball.
Carmen Mlodzinski (6-5) allowed five hits and four runs in 2 1/3 innings as the Pirates took their seventh loss in eight games.
Yankees 10, Mariners 5
Trent Grisham hit a tiebreaking RBI double with one out in the seventh inning and homered twice as host New York overcame a three-run deficit to beat Seattle.
Spencer Jones helped the Yankees rally by collecting two doubles and three RBIs. Ben Rice and George Lombard Jr. added two hits apiece. Reliever Paul Blackburn (4-2) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez and Dominic Canzone homered for the Mariners, who have lost six games in a row. George Speier (2-3) yielded three runs while recording just two outs in relief.
White Sox 5, Reds 0
Luis Castillo delivered seven shutout innings to spark a combined two-hitter and Drew Romo and Chase Meidroth homered as host Chicago defeated Cincinnati for its third win in four games.
Castillo, acquired from the Mariners in an Aug. 1 trade, shined in his home debut, permitting one hit and two walks while registering a season-high 10 strikeouts. Sam Antonacci paced the White Sox’s 11-hit attack, going 3-for-5 with a double, while Romo and Meidroth both had two hits.
Reds starter Rhett Lowder (4-8) gave up two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Braves 6, Mets 3
Tyler Mahle pitched six strong innings and was supported by three solo homers as Atlanta defeated visiting New York to take the decisive game of a three-game series.
Mahle (4-9), who was acquired from San Francisco at the trade deadline, allowed one run — ending his 11-inning scoreless streak since joining Atlanta — on four hits. The Braves’ home runs came from Lane Thomas, in the second inning, and Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley, who socked back-to-back shots in the seventh.
Luis Torrens, Luis Robert Jr. and Bo Bichette homered for the Mets. Zac Thornton (3-3) worked six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits.
Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 4
Kazuma Okamoto singled in the go-ahead run in a five-run eighth inning and Toronto held on to hand visiting Boston its fifth loss in a row.
Myles Straw added a two-run double in the eighth to help the Blue Jays win the first three games of a four-game series. Jose Soriano surrendered one run and four hits over six innings. Tyler Rogers (2-2) tossed one shutout inning, and Louis Varland got the last two outs for his 26th save.
Willson Contreras hit a solo homer for the Red Sox. Reliever Tyron Guerrero (1-2) allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits in the eighth without recording an out.
Guardians 6, Tigers 4
Jo Adell hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning, and Cleveland held off host Detroit.
Angel Martinez had three hits, including two doubles, and an RBI for the Guardians. Foster Griffin (13-4) recorded his first win since being acquired from Washington, giving up three runs, one earned, in five innings. Cade Smith got four outs for his 31st save.
Spencer Torkelson drove in two runs and Gleyber Torres homered for the Tigers, who had won eight of their previous 10 games. Framber Valdez (7-8) gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Rockies 6, Diamondbacks 4
Brett Sullivan and Zac Veen homered, Ryan Feltner recorded his first road victory this season, and Colorado beat Arizona in Phoenix to take the deciding game of a three-game series.
Veen was making his major league season debut, playing his first game since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday. Ryan Feltner (5-6) limited the Diamondbacks to two runs in five innings.
Corbin Carroll homered, tripled and scored twice for Arizona. The homer was his 100th in his 606th game, making Carroll the fastest in major league history to reach 50-plus triples, 100-plus homers and 100-plus stolen bases.
Astros 2, Giants 1
Taylor Trammell tripled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, seven Houston pitchers combined for a five-hitter and the Astros completed a break-even road trip with a victory over San Francisco.
The Astros won two of three against the Giants after going 1-2 in San Diego. Steven Okert (6-1), Houston’s fifth pitcher, threw 1 1/3 shutout innings. Josh Hader tossed a perfect ninth inning for his 17th save.
Despite out-hitting the visitors 5-4, the Giants completed a 2-4 homestand. Keaton Winn (2-3) allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Angels 5, Rangers 2
Mike Trout went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and George Klassen picked up his first major league victory as Los Angeles defeated Texas in Anaheim, Calif.
Klassen (1-1), making his fourth career big-league start, gave up two runs on five hits over six innings. Ben Joyce tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his first save.
Corey Seager homered, doubled and singled for the Rangers. Robby Ahlstrom (3-1) took his first major league loss in relief, allowing three runs in one-third of an inning.
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NBA NEWS
A BLOCKBUSTER $12.5B DEAL AS JOSH KUSHNER AND BOB IGER AGREE TO BUY THE LAKERS, AP SOURCE SAYS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold for the second time in a year, going to businessmen Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record-breaking price.
This sale agreement is $12.5 billion, according to a person familiar with the terms who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because neither side revealed specific details of the latest stunning development with one of North America’s marquee sports teams.
ESPN first reported that Kushner and Iger are buying the NBA’s most valuable franchise. The Lakers were valued last year at $10 billion — a record for a pro sports team — when Mark Walter purchased a controlling stake from the Buss family, which had owned the team since 1979.
“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world,” Iger and Kushner said in a statement. “We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss. Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”
Kushner, a venture capitalist, and former Walt Disney Company CEO Iger had been working together on landing a possible NBA expansion team for Las Vegas. By buying the Lakers, they don’t have to wait until the possibility of expansion in the 2028-29 season at the earliest.
Lakers icon Magic Johnson, a partner in Walter’s ownership of baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, praised the deal on social media.
“Laker fans, you couldn’t have two better owners,” Johnson wrote. “I’ve known Bob personally for over 40 years — he has always loved the Lakers and basketball and he will bring championships back to LA.”
The sale still will need approval from the NBA’s board of governors, and that process can take several weeks. The next board meeting is set for September in New York.
The $12.5 billion price tag is not only a record for U.S. pro sports but a new summit in skyrocketing NBA franchise values. Only three years ago, Michael Jordan sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets for a $3 billion valuation, while the Boston Celtics were sold last year to private equity mogul Bill Chisholm at a valuation of just over $6 billion.
Walter’s agreement to purchase a controlling stake in the Lakers at the $10 billion valuation last summer obliterated that mark, and now Iger and Kushner have pushed the bar even higher.
The 66-year-old Walter’s shocking decision to sell after just 10 months of official ownership is reverberating throughout the team’s massive fan base, which appeared to be uniformly excited about the purchase last year. Walter has stewarded the Dodgers into the most successful stretch in franchise history, with three World Series championships in the past six seasons as the most aggressive spenders in baseball.
Multiple media outlets last month reported that Walter’s business empire is under scrutiny from both federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission in tax fraud investigations.
The Lakers are 17-time NBA champions who won their most recent title in 2020. They’ve made the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, and their current roster is built around NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is signed through the 2028-29 season. The Slovenian superstar has become passionate about Los Angeles and the Lakers less than two years after his arrival.
“Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA,” Doncic wrote on social media after hearing of the sale. “I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together.”
The 41-year-old Kushner has been a minority owner of two NBA teams, but he jumped into the international sports spotlight this summer when his capital holding company, Thrive Eternal, was set to be the “anchor investor” in FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits. Infantino abandoned the idea on July 31.
Kushner’s older brother is Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Josh Kushner currently owns a minority stake in the Miami Heat, and he previously owned a stake in the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 75-year-old Iger became one of Hollywood’s most well-known executives while he ran Disney for two lengthy stints between 2005 and last March, when he stepped aside. Iger and his wife, former sports journalist Willow Bay, became the controlling owners of NWSL team Angel City FC in 2024 with a deal that valued the club at $250 million.
Walter’s purchase of the Lakers was approved by NBA owners last October. He originally bought a 27% minority stake in the team in 2021 before purchasing control of the team last year.
The Lakers’ 17 championships going back to the franchise’s origin in Minneapolis are the second-most in NBA history behind Boston’s 18. It is a global brand, always at or near the top of the league’s merchandise-sales rankings.
This record sale price comes just weeks after LeBron James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, left the Lakers after eight seasons to become a free agent. James ultimately decided to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Walter and his team had already begun to make extensive changes to the Lakers, who were often perceived as an antiquated franchise in many aspects during their decades of Buss family ownership.
The Lakers had beefed up their basketball operations department with new hires in the front office around longtime general manager Rob Pelinka. They also boosted the business side with extensive searches for new revenue, including sales of new jersey patches and additional prominent sponsorship deals.
When Walter bought his controlling interest in the Lakers, the deal specified that Jeanie Buss would stay on as the team’s governor. With new ownership, it’s unclear whether Buss will have a continuing role in the team she inherited along with her siblings from her father, Jerry Buss, who died in 2013.
Along with the Dodgers, Walter and his various partners also have ownership interests in the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, English Premier League club Chelsea, the Professional Women’s Hockey League and the new Cadillac Formula 1 racing team.
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RUSSELL WESTBROOK RETIRES FROM THE NBA WITH A FAREWELL VIDEO NARRATED BY MICHAEL B. JORDAN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Russell Westbrook, the NBA’s career leader in triple-doubles and the 2017 MVP, announced Wednesday he’s retiring after 18 seasons during which he was selected to the league’s 75th anniversary team.
The two-time scoring champion shared his decision on social media in a post featuring a video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan where the guard never says a word.
“Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end,” Westbrook wrote. “You had to be there. And now it’s over.”
Westbrook was the No. 4 pick in 2008 out of UCLA by the Seattle SuperSonics, just before they moved to Oklahoma City. He played his first 11 seasons with the Thunder and spent this past season with the Sacramento Kings.
Westbrook led the NBA in assists three times and was a two-time MVP of the All-Star Game. He won an Olympic gold medal in the 2012 London Games.
Westbrook leaves with 209 triple-doubles, the last on March 15. Nikola Jokic ranks second in that category with 198 going into this season. Westbrook also holds the NBA mark for most triple-doubles in a season with 42 in 2016-17, when he earned his only MVP award.
He averaged double figures for points and assists in five of six seasons starting in the 2015-16 season.
Westbrook also played for Houston, Washington, the Lakers and Clippers — splitting the 2022-23 season between the Los Angeles teams and Denver.
Last season, Westbrook started 58 of the 64 games he played for Sacramento. He averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 assists.
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GOLF NEWS
2026 FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP: PREVIEW, PROP PICKS, BEST BETS
The first leg of the 2026 FedExCup Playoffs gets underway with the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis on Thursday.
There are no cuts in playoff events, so the four-day race will be on to qualify for the next leg at the BMW Championship. Our golf experts preview the event and provide their favorite prop picks along with their best bets to win at TPC Southwind this week.
FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Memphis, Aug. 13-16
Course: TPC Southwind (Par 70, 7,288 Yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $3.6M)
Defending Champion: Justin Rose
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie SchefflerFootball news
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC); 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming: Thursday-Sunday: 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. ET
X: @FedExChamp
PROP PICKS
–Si Woo Kim to Beat Viktor Hovland (-130 at DraftKings): At No. 7 in the FedExCup standings, Kim is the highest-ranked player without a win in 2026. His quietly strong season has included 10 top-10s in 21 starts, including a pair of runner-ups. Kim is coming off a T42 at the Rocket Classic following a T6 at The Open. However, Hovland hasn’t teed it up since missing the cut at the final major of the year.
–Hideki Matsuyama Top 20 Finish (-125 at BetMGM): Matsuyama only needs to finish better than 49 players in the field for this prop to pay. He enters the week with three consecutive top-10 finishes following a pair of T14s at The Open and the Travelers, making it five consecutive top-20 finishes. Matsuyama is also BetMGM’s third-biggest liability to win this week, having been backed by 4.7% of both the total bets and money wagered at +2500.
–Wyndham Clark to Beat Min Woo Lee (-122 at DraftKings): Clark’s outstanding run that included a second U.S. Open triumph has stalled out with consecutive missed cuts. Lee did finish runner-up at the Scottish Open, but hasn’t fared better than T59 — including a pair of missed cuts — in his other four most recent starts. Clark typically is the more consistent of the two, which is the impetus for this play against one of the year’s deepest fields.
BEST BETS
–Scheffler (+460 at DraftKings) has not won since the American Express. His T3 last year was Scheffler’s best career finish in six starts at TPC Southwind. Scheffler is being offered at +450 at BetMGM, where he is the book’s biggest liability while being backed by a field-high 12.2% of all outright winner bets and 36.8% of the money.
–Rory McIlroy (+1025) also has a career-best finish of T3 in this event, coming back in 2023. The only three-time FedExCup champion, McIlroy skipped this event last year.
–Cameron Young (+1900) finished solo fifth here last year and is looking to rebound from a T61 at the Wyndham.
–Xander Schauffele (+1900) hasn’t won in 2026 but is coming off a runner-up at the Rocket Classic in his most recent start.
–Tommy Fleetwood (+2050) tees it up for the first time since his T4 in his hometown at The Open.
–Sam Burns (+2200) also returns for the first time since his solo third at The Open. That followed a runner-up at the U.S. Open and a T12 at the Travelers. He is the second biggest liability at BetMGM, where Burns has been backed by 6.4% of the total bets and 8.3% of the money.
NOTES
–The top 70 players in the final regular-season standings qualified for the opening leg of the three-event playoffs. Daniel Berger qualified but is not playing this week due to injury. The top 50 players in the standings after this week will qualify for the BMW Championship, and then the top 30 after the BMW will advance to the Tour Championship.
–Michael Brennan’s victory last week made him the only player to vault into the top 70 after the Tour Championship. Steven Fisk was bumped out. Rookie Jackson Koivun claimed the 70th and final spot.
–Fleetwood is seeking to become the first player to successfully defend a FedExCup title.
–Xander Schauffele holds the longest active streak in having qualified for the playoffs in eight consecutive
–Hideki Matsuyama holds the tournament scoring record at TPC Southwind of 263 set in 2024.
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GOLF GLANCE: FEDEXCUP PLAYOFFS BEGIN; LPGA AND CHAMPIONS IN PNW
The FedExCup Playoffs begin in Memphis, the LPGA Tour and Champions Tour are in the Pacific Northwest, while the DP World Tour returns following a three-week break.
PGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: FedEx St. Jude Championship, Memphis, Aug. 13-16
Course: TPC Southwind (Par 70, 7,288 Yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $3.6M)
Defending Champion: Justin Rose
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC); 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming: Thursday-Sunday: 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. ET
X: @FedExChamp
NOTES: The top 70 players in the final regular-season standings qualified for the opening leg of the three-event playoffs. Daniel Berger qualified but is not playing this week due to injury. The top 50 players in the standings after this week will qualify for the BMW Championship, and then the top 30 after the BMW will advance to the Tour Championship. … There are no cuts in playoff events. … Michael Brennan’s victory last week made him the only player to vault into the top 70 after the Tour Championship. Steven Fisk was bumped out. Rookie Jackson Koivun claimed the 70th and final spot. … Tommy Fleetwood is seeking to become the first player to successfully defend a FedExCup title. … Xander Schauffele holds the longest active streak in having qualified for the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons. … No. 7 Si Woo Kim is the highest-ranked player in the FedExCup standings without a win in 2026. … Hideki Matsuyama holds the tournament scoring record at TPC Southwind of 263 set in 2024.
BEST BETS: Scheffler (+460 at DraftKings) has not won since the American Express. His T3 last year was Scheffler’s best career finish in six starts at TPC Southwind. … Rory McIlroy (+1025) also has a career-best finish of T3 in this event, coming back in 2023. The only three-time FedExCup champion, McIlroy skipped this event last year. … Cameron Young (+1900) finished solo fifth here last year and is looking to rebound from a T61 at the Wyndham. … Schauffele (+1900) hasn’t won in 2026 but is coming off a runner-up at the Rocket Classic in his most recent start. … Fleetwood (+2050) tees it up for the first time since his T4 in his hometown at The Open. … Sam Burns (+2200) also returns for the first time since his solo third at The Open. That followed a runner-up at the U.S. Open and a T12 at the Travelers.
Last Tournament: Wyndham Championship (Michael Brennan)
Next Tournament: BMW Championship, St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 20-23
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LPGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: The Standard Portland Classic, Portland, Ore., Aug. 13-16
Course: Columbia Edgewater CC (Par 72; 6,541 Yards)
Purse: $2M (Winner: $300,000)
Defending Champion: Aki Iwai
Race to CME Globe Leader: Nelly Korda
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 6-9 p.m. ET; Saturday: 3-6 p.m.; Sunday: 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Streaming:
X: @PortlandClassic
NOTES: This is the 54th edition of the event, which is the longest-running one on the LPGA Tour outside of the major championships. … The 144-player field will be cut to the top 65 and ties following 36 holes. … Iwai claimed her maiden LPGA Tour victory by shooting a final-round 66 to defeat Gurleen Kaur by four strokes last year. … Chanettee Wannasaen set the tournament scoring record of 26-under 262 in 2023.
Last Tournament: AIG Women’s Open (Shiho Kuwaki)
Next Tournament: CPKC Women’s Open, Edmonton, Alberta, Aug. 20-23
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DP WORLD TOUR
THIS WEEK: Danish Golf Championship, Funen, Denmark, Aug. 13-16
Course: Great Northern, Funen, Denmark (Par 72, 7,314 Yards)
Purse: $3M (Winner: $500,000)
Defending Champion: Marco Penge
Race to Dubai Leader: Patrick Reed
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 7 a.m.-Noon ET; Saturday: 6:30-11 a.m.; Sunday: 6-11 a.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @DPWorldTour
NOTES: The event is located in Kerteminde, about two hours from Copenhagen, and is playing host to its first DP World Tour event. … The player atop the standings in the “Closing Swing” after next week’s Nexo Championship will earn a spot in each of the Phase Two events of the season and a $200,000 bonus. … This will be the 179th and final DP World Tour start for Alexander Bjork, who announced last September his plan to retire.
Last Tournament: Corales Puntacana Championship (Stefano Mazzoli)
Next Tournament: Nexo Championship, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Aug. 20-23
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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
THIS WEEK: Boeing Classic, Snoqualmie, Wash., Aug. 14-16
Course: The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge (Par 72, 7,217 Yards)
Purse: $2.3M (Winner: $345,000)
Defending Champion: Steve Allan
Charles Schwab Cup Leader: Stewart Cink
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday: 10 p.m.-Midnight ET (Golf Channel – Tape Delay); Saturday: 6-8 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday: 5-7 p.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: Eight events remain before the start of the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs. … Cink and rookie Zach Johnson have combined to win eight of the first 17 events of the 2026 season, including three of the five majors. … Cink is trying to become the first player to lead the standings every week in a season in the 25-year history of the Charles Schwab Cup.
Last Tournament: Portugal Invitational (Zach Johnson)
Next Tournament: Rogers Charity Classic, Calgary, Alberta (Aug. 21-23)
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LIV GOLF
THIS WEEK: OFF.
2026 Season Leaders: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: 4Aces GC
Last Event: LIV Golf New York (Individual: Joaquin Niemann; Team: Crushers GC)
Next Event: Indianapolis, Aug. 20-23
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NASCAR NEWS
NASCAR’S ALL-STAR RACE RETURNS TO NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY IN 2027
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR’s All-Star race is returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2027.
The midseason exhibition is moving back to the 0.625-mile asphalt oval in the picturesque North Carolina foothills after a one-year stop at Dover Motor Speedway. North Wilkesboro hosted the All-Star event for three years, from 2023-25.
The Sunday, May 23 race will be televised on Fox Sports in prime time. It also will be part of a tripleheader weekend that includes the Craftsman Truck Series on Friday and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday.
Kyle Larson (2023), Joey Logano (2024) and Christopher Bell (2025) won the previous All-Star races at North Wilkesboro, with each taking home a $1 million prize. Logano also won this season’s race at North Wilkesboro, the first points-paying race at the track since 1996.
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TOP INDIANA SPORTS HEADLINES
COLTS NEWS
(COLTS RELEASE)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Between this week and next week, the Colts will go through three joint practices and two preseason games, representing a major opportunity for several players looking to carve out prominent roles and/or roster spots.
And on Thursday, a “slew” of starters will not play against the New England Patriots, head coach Shane Steichen said. So that’ll open up plenty of snaps for a handful of guys, including these five to keep an eye on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium:
Quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr.: Richardson will start and play the entire first half; Riley Leonard will start and play the first half of the Colts’ second preseason game. Richardson hasn’t had an extended opportunity to play in a game since the 2025 preseason. How he performs on Thursday will be an instructive data point in the Colts’ backup quarterback competition.
Running back Seth McGowan: The seventh-round pick from Kentucky has had some strong moments in practice over the last week or so, but two things will stand out Thursday. First: McGowan is a powerful runner, but in practice, he’s not getting tackled – so how adept he is at breaking tackles and keeping his feet moving in a pile will be interesting to watch against the Patriots. Second: McGowan’s work in pass protection – even if the Patriots only deploy vanilla, basic blitzes – will be a notable learning moment. The most difficult transition for a rookie running back often is in pass protection, and the more reps he gets at it, the more prepared he’ll be.
Offensive lineman Dalton Tucker: There’s a reason why the first position general manager Chris Ballard highlighted at the start of training camp was backup center. The Colts have had good depth at center for the last few years thanks to the presence of veteran Danny Pinter, but with Pinter signing with the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason, there’s a need for someone to step up here. Tucker has worked in at center a bit after playing guard his first two years in the NFL, and if he gets some run there against the Patriots, his play will be important to watch with an eye on solidifying a backstop to starter Tanor Bortolini.
Linebacker Bryce Boettcher: As the Colts have heavily rotated a group of six linebackers with the first-team defense, Boettcher has flashed a handful of times as a blitzer, with the Oregon product showing burst and a good feel for space to get into the backfield. For Boettcher – and every other linebacker who plays – live tackling will be an important data point as defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo works to figure out his primary linebacker pairing, and then who he could use situationally there.
Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon: If the Colts need to dip into their cornerback depth in Week 1, Blackmon may be the guy with veteran Cam Taylor-Britt, who’s had a strong camp, suspended for the season opener. And with Steichen opting to not play several starters, look for Blackmon and Johnathan Edwards to get plenty of snaps at cornerback on Thursday night. Blackmon had to play quite a bit in 2025 – he appeared in all 17 games and started 11 contests – after being acquired from the Minnesota Vikings on cut-down day; he also didn’t play in 2024 due to injury. Having a full, healthy offseason and training camp with the Colts could benefit him – and help deepen Lou Anarumo’s secondary, too.
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INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Indianapolis Indians infielder Nick Yorke homered in his first two plate appearances in a 4-3 win for Indy at the Nashville Sounds on Wednesday night. In the first two games of the series, Yorke is 5-for-9 with three home runs and four RBI. With Tuesday’s win, the Indianapolis Indians moved into sole possession of first place in the International League second half standings.
After Yorke went deep in the first inning, Indians (26-15, 57-59) outfielder Billy Cook also left the yard with his fifth home run of the season to give Indy a 2-0 lead. In the top of the third inning, Yorke went yard again with a solo home run to increase the Indians lead, 3-0.
Nashville (20-21, 63-53) cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning with a single to right field by catcher Bo Naylor to score two runs. With the lead reduced to 3-2, Indians outfielder Mitch Jebb singled up the middle to score Tyler Callihan in the top of the seventh.
In the eighth inning, Sounds infielder Eduardo Garcia’s sacrifice fly to right field scored Luis Matos to cut into the Indy lead, 4-3, but was not enough for the Sounds to complete the comeback effort.
Antwone Kelly got the ball to start for Indianapolis and went 3.0 innings with six strikeouts and only allowed one hit. Despite allowing two earned runs in 2.0 innings, Khristian Curtis (W, 3-1) came in to earn the win. Brandon Eisert and CD Pelham each logged relief appearances with Beau Burrows earning his 10th save of the season in 1.2 innings pitched with one strikeout and one hit allowed.
Colton Gordon (L, 0-3) took the loss for Nashville despite going 6.1 innings with seven strikeouts, but gave up all four Indianapolis runs on four hits.
The six-game series between Indianapolis and Nashville continues Thursday night at 7:35 PM ET. RHP Thomas Harrington (1-6, 6.42) is scheduled to start for the Indians and RHP Coleman Crow (6-1, 3.74) will take the mound for Nashville.
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PURDUE WOMEN’S SOCCER
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The third year of the Richard Moodie era, and the 29th season of Purdue Soccer, begins with the home opener at Folk Field against Evansville at 10:00 a.m. est Thursday night.
Purdue’s roster features two fifth-year graduate students, six seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores, and ten freshmen. The Boilers hail from seven different countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the United States and Venezuela.
The roster of 29 student-athletes also has 10 returners, while 19 new Boilermakers are looking to make their debut for the Old Gold and Black in match one.
The Boilers are 18-8-2 all-time in season openers, and 11-3-1 since 2015. In 28 seasons of Purdue soccer, the Boilers have opened at home in all but four years, 2002, 2008, 2011, and 2020-21. To open the 2025 season, Purdue shut out Indiana State 4-0 and went on to defeat Ball State 5-2, marking the first time in six seasons Purdue began its campaign 2-0.
The Boilers return key experience in seniors Irene Campo and Megan Santa Cruz, as well as the talents of transfer, Jaiden Anderson. The trio was named All-Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch for the upcoming 2026 season.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
In 2025, the Purple Aces put together a strong season, going 7-7-2 on the year. Evansville earned wins over Austin Peay, Belmont, Northern Iowa, SEMO, SIUE and UIC. The token victory of the season for Evansville was the 2-1 win over the Boilers, marking the first-ever victory and goal scored against Purdue.
Purdue Fort Wayne struggled in 2025, winning just two matches while earning a 2-15-1 record on the year. The Mastodons took a 6-0 victory over NAIA program, Indiana Tech, and a 2-1 victory over Detroit Mercy. Freshman, Bella Masse, led the Mastodons with three goals on the season, while junior, Morgan Gallagher, added three assists.
SERIES HISTORY
The Boilers have a 4-1 record against Evansville, with the Purple Aces earning their lone victory in the 2025 season. On Sept.14, 2003, the Boilers set four program records against Evansville in the 8-0 win, including most-goals in a half (6), most-goals in a game (8), most assists in a game, and most points in a game (26).
Purdue and Purdue Fort Wayne have only played one another in their histories despite the namesake. Purdue defeated the Mastodons 2-0 in West Lafayette on Sept. 13, 2003.
BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYERS TO WATCH
The trio of Campo, Santa Cruz and Anderson were named to the Big Ten preseason Players to Watch list ahead of the upcoming game on Thursday.
During the 2025 season, Campo landed a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team and led the Boilers, scoring eight goals with two assists in 1,482 minutes on the pitch.
Santa Cruz, who transferred from Washington State last season, scored four goals on the season with two assists. The senior was an All-WCC honorable mention at Washington State.
Anderson was second on the USC roster for scoring with six goals in 2025, including four assists. The junior has eight career-goals and seven assists.
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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Junior cornerback Leonard Moore was tabbed to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, an award given annually to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.
Moore was a finalist for the award in 2025, joining cornerback Bobby Taylor in 1993 and cornerback Todd Lyght in 1989 as the three Thorpe Award finalists in Notre Dame history.
An unanimous All-American last season, Moore started 10 games for the Irish and led the team with five interceptions, the seventh-most in the country. He added 31.0 total tackles, forced one fumble and broke up seven passes.
Already named to the Walter Camp and Sporting News Preseason First Team All-America team this summer, Moore earned a 91.8 PFF grade and a 92.5 coverage grade last season, both leading the nation. When targeted by opposing quarterbacks, he allowed just a 45.9 passer rating.
The Round Rock, Texas native made his presence known in multiple games throughout the season. Against Boise State last October, he forced three turnovers (two interceptions, one forced fumble), for his first career multi-interception game. Moore, who also had six solo tackles against the Broncos, was named the Walter Camp FBS Defensive Player of the Week and the Jim Thorpe Award Defensive Back of the Week following his performance.
Moore has also been named to the Nagurski Trophy Watch List, Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Watch List and the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List this preseason.
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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-0-1, 0-0) draw in the season opener at Alumni Stadium against the Samford Bulldogs (0-0-1, 0-0) on Wednesday evening.
It was a strong defensive effort for both the Bulldogs and Irish with several chances for the Irish to put away the first goal of the 2026 season as they outshot Samford 21-5. Junior Annabelle Chukwu led all players with six shots on the night. Notre Dame finished with 13 corner kicks, tying their game-high for corner kicks in single-game in the 2025 season.
Junior goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica recorded her 14th career shutout in Wednesday’s season opener.
With six shots and four shots on goal in the first half, the Irish had some chances but struggled to find the back of the net. Notre Dame had an opportunity in the 42nd minute with Ellie Hodsden crossing from left to right in search of Marley Adams cutting on the back side of the box, but the pass just missed the feet of Adams.
In the second half, Chukwu’s shifty footwork led to back-to-back looks in 51st and 52nd minutes, but Samford’s clean sheet continued with another pair of saves to go towards their eight saves on the night.
The Irish had another opportunity to put a goal on the board in the 78th minute as Chukwu dished it to Bristol Kersh on the left side of the box and while Kersh was able to get a clean shot off, it was just wide left.
The Irish maintained possession for some late looks in the closing minutes, but would close out the opening match in a draw.
UP NEXT
The Irish will take on Penn State (RV) on Sunday, August 16 at Alumni Stadium at 12:00 PM. The match will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
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BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER
Butler women’s soccer co-head coaches Tari St. John and Rob Alman are excited for the 2026 season as 12 Bulldog veterans are joined by three transfer student-athletes and 10 freshmen to complete a new-look roster. Junior Chloe Brecht, who received All-BIG EAST accolades in 2025 and was named to the 2026 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, will help lead a young and talented squad.
St. John is beginning her 21st season at the helm of the program, while Alman is entering his 15th. Together with assistant coaches Alex Collier and Joe Sochacki, they are preparing the team for a challenging slate of fixtures this fall.
The 2026 season opened with a pair of home exhibitions against Eastern Michigan and UIC. The regular season begins with a road match at Wright State followed by the opening home match versus Ball State (Aug. 20). The non-conference portion of the schedule includes addition matches hosting Northwestern (Aug. 30), Central Michigan (Sept. 13), and Western Illinois (Sept. 19) along with road matches at Miami (Ohio), St. Thomas, and IU Indy.
The Bulldogs shift to BIG EAST competition on Sept. 26 as Marquette visits the Butler campus. The Dawgs will also host St. John’s (Oct. 7), Georgetown (Oct. 17), Villanova (Oct. 24), and Xavier (Nov. 7), and Butler will travel to Seton Hall, DePaul, Creighton, UConn, and Providence.
Forwards
Sophomore Alyssa Carlson was one of three Bulldogs to score three or more goals last season. She, along with junior Macy Malecki, redshirt-sophomore Riley Gumm, and sophomore Lily Kiliski are joined by freshmen Elise May and Sarah Monnin atop the offensive formation.
Midfielders
A trio of returning veterans — junior Chloe Brecht and sophomores Cecelia Simion and Kate Malin — are joined by senior transfer Isabella Ayau. Redshirt-freshman Kylie Secoda also returns after missing last season due to injury. Incoming freshmen who are expected to contribute in the center of the pitch are Lola Pepper, Emma Hamelmann and Maren Swan.
Defenders
Veteran defenders who are returning for the Bulldogs include junior Gemma Gillespie, who started all 17 matches last season and tallied a goal and an assist, along with sophomores Maren Degenhart and Sarah Beth Sizemore. A trio of freshmen — Chrissy Graves, Kensey Teffner and Elsa Maurer — will also assist in the defensive line.
Goalkeepers
Sophomore Addison Ash, who started all 17 matches last season, returns between the pipes to anchor a trio of goalkeepers. Ash is joined by redshirt-freshman Julia Lorenzi and freshman Alexi Mumford.
Junior Ceilidh Whynott and freshman Claire Pingel sustained season-ending injuries this summer and will redshirt the 2026 season.
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IU INDY WOMEN’S SOCCER
MUNCIE, Ind. – The IU Indianapolis will officially kick off the 2026 campaign on Wednesday (Aug. 12) when the Jaguars head north to face Ball State at 4:00 p.m. at Briner Sports Complex. The Jaguars enter year two under head coach Angela Berry White and return seven starters from a season ago.
Fourteen of the team’s 19 goals from last season return, keyed by junior Keilah Muldrow’s team-high eight points, despite missing time due to injury. Muldrow was limited to just 13 games and four starts, but contributed a team-high three goals on just 12 shot attempts. Both Lindsey Castillo and Anika Guenther each scored a pair of goals last season while senior forward Caroline Kelley tied for the team-high with four assists a season ago.
Twelve different returners started at least one match for the Jaguars last season and 12 different returners had at least one point in 2025.
QUOTABLE
“We’re going to concentrate on being a very attacking minded team,” White said. “We’re going to try and put up goals. You can’t win unless you can score. We’re going to be attacking minded, we’re going to get after it and it’s going to be a battle every single day.”
PRESEASON POLLS
The Jaguars were picked to finish eighth in the Horizon League polls, released by the league office on Monday, Aug. 10.
RETURNING STARTERS
Lindsey Castillo – lone returner to have started all 18 matches last season; totaled two goals and an assist; ranked fourth on the team in minutes played (1,379)
Caroline Kelley – started 17 matches last season; led the team with 53 shot attempts and 24 shots on goal; tied for the team high with four assists
Lilly Ma – started 17 times in the defensive third; had a goal and two assists from her defensive spot
Shannon Phillips – started 16 times as a true freshman, splitting time in the midfield and defensive third; had one goal in her rookie season
Bethany Hartigan – made 14 starts a season ago; one of nine players on the team to amass at least 1,000 minutes
Katie Hoog – made 11 starts and 16 appearances last season; one of nine players on the team to amass at least 1,000 minutes
Hannah Roberson – versatile veteran made 10 starts in 18 appearances last season; totaled a goal and an assist
KEY NEWCOMERS
The Jaguars welcome nine newcomers (five transfers and four freshmen) to the roster this season with all expected to contribute this season. The goalkeeping duo of Isabel Oferosky (North Dakota-transfer) and Sofia Rodriguez (Morehead State-transfer) will both challenge for the starting job while Annaliese Black (Mercyhurst-transfer) and Megan Swift (Chicago State-transfer) will contribute to the Jaguar attack. Rookie midfielder Addison Stover headlines the freshman class while local standout Taylor Townley is likely to find a role in the defensive third.
KNOW YOUR FOE
Ball State went 10-7-3 a season ago, but just 2-4-2 on their home turf. Gone are top scorers Addie Chester (11 goals, 5 assists) and Emily Roper (3 goals, 3 assists) from a season ago, but fifth-year Delaney Ahearn and sophomore Jordyn Klaasen are tops among the returners in minutes played. The Cardinals also return starting goalkeeper Kate Pallante, who registered a 6-5-1 record with 0.96 goals against average last year.
SERIES HISTORY
IU Indy is just 3-7-2 all-time against Ball State and 1-3-1 in five matches in Muncie. Ball State won the meeting last year in Indianapolis, 1-0, on Aug. 31. The Jaguars last win in the series came in 2017 when IU Indy held serve in a 1-0 home win.
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will continue a stretch of three straight road matches to open the season when they take on Louisville on Sunday (Aug. 16) at 7:00 p.m.
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IU INDY SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis softball program has announced the addition of Kennedy Krull as an assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 season. Krull joins the Jaguars with eight years of coaching experience across the collegiate and high school levels.
Krull most recently spent two seasons at Georgia Southern University, serving as an assistant coach and director of operations for the Eagles. She worked primarily with the outfielders while also assisting with the infield and hitting. In her operations role, Krull oversaw camps, fundraising initiatives, alumni engagement and team travel.
Prior to and during her time at Georgia Southern, Krull spent five summers from 2020-24 playing and coaching in the Florida Gulf Coast League, a summer league for collegiate softball players. During her time in the league, she gained experience helping college athletes navigate the transfer portal while providing opportunities for players to build confidence and develop through in-game experience.
Following her collegiate playing career, she served as the varsity head coach for both the softball and girls basketball programs at Triton Jr.-Sr. High School in Bourbon, Indiana, from 2021-24 while teaching high school history.
Krull took over both Triton programs at just 22 years old and was responsible for overseeing their development from the youth through varsity levels. Her duties included developing coaching staffs, hosting camps, managing schedules, overseeing equipment and uniforms and supporting student-athletes academically.
A native of Indiana, Krull played collegiately at Huntington University, where she was a four-year team captain. She earned her bachelor’s degree in History Education from Huntington in 2021 before earning a master’s degree in Sport Management from Georgia Southern in 2026.
Krull graduated from Whitko High School in 2017 after competing as a three-sport athlete. During her prep career, she made school history by becoming the first female athlete from Whitko to be named an Indiana All-Star in any sport.
Krull is set to join the Jaguars prior to the 2026-27 season.
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BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Ball State men’s basketball team and head coach Chris Capko have announced the 2026-27 regular season schedule.
The Cardinals will tune up for Capko’s first campaign in Muncie with exhibitions on Oct. 18 at Purdue and at home with Purdue Fort Wayne on Oct. 28 in advance of the regular season opener on Nov. 2 at Georgia Southern. The game in Statesboro, Ga., is part of the MAC-SBC Challenge which pits Mid-American Conference teams against Sun Belt Conference foes and is now in its fourth season.
Ball State is set to host Indiana State (Nov. 6) and Evansville (Dec. 9) for in-state battles at Worthen Arena and will play at Southern Indiana for the first time in series history on Nov. 28 in Evansville.
The Cardinals get a pair of chances against Atlantic Coast Conference foes when they take on SMU in Dallas on Nov. 13 and Florida State in Tallahassee on Nov. 17. Home games with Brescia University (Nov. 9) and East-West University (Dec. 29) are also on the calendar, while one more non-conference game will be announced at a later time in addition to the second round of the MAC-SBC Challenge on Feb. 6 against a yet-to-be-determined Sun Belt school.
“We’re really excited about our non-conference schedule and the different challenges it presents,” Capko said. “We’ll have opportunities to compete against programs from the power conferences while also playing some important in-state matchups that mean a lot to our program and our fans.
“Our goals are to challenge ourselves, learn about our team and continue to grow throughout the non-conference portion of the season so we’re prepared for MAC play.”
New to MAC play this season is a 22-game slate, which features two games each against the other 11 league teams. Conference play tips off at Akron on Dec. 2 in what will be Ball State’s earliest MAC game on the calendar since Nov. 22, 1998 when that year’s team hosted Kent State.
The conference home opener is set for Dec. 5 against Eastern Michigan. The contest will be the first of six Saturday games to see the Cardinals in action at home including Jan. 9 vs Central Michigan, Jan. 30 vs Buffalo, Feb. 13 vs Miami and Feb. 27 vs Akron. The Feb. 6 MAC-SBC Challenge contest is also on a Saturday.
Ball State concludes the regular season on March 5 at Central Michigan. The MAC Tournament will take place at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio the following week.
“We’re excited about the challenge our MAC schedule presents,” Capko said. “With 22 conference games this season, we’ll have the opportunity to play a true home-and-road series against every team in the league, which makes for a great test from start to finish.
“Year in and year out, the MAC is one of the most competitive conferences in the country, and I don’t expect this season to be any different. We know every night will be a battle, and we’ll be ready to embrace that challenge.”
Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here or reaching the ticket office at (888) BSU-TICKET or bsutickets@bsu.edu.
Game dates and times are subject to change with television windows still to be determined. Any adjustments to the schedule will be announced on Ball State men’s basketball social media and the schedule page.
2026-27 Ball State Men’s Basketball Season Schedule
Oct. 18 at Purdue!
Oct. 28 vs Purdue Fort Wayne!
Nov. 2 at Georgia Southern^
Nov. 6 vs Indiana State
Nov. 9 vs Brescia University
Nov. 13 at SMU
Nov. 17 at Florida State
Nov. 28 at Southern Indiana
Dec. 2 at Akron*
Dec. 5 vs Eastern Michigan*
Dec. 9 vs Evansville
Dec. 16 vs Ohio*
Dec. 19 at Miami*
Dec. 29 vs East-West University
Jan. 2 at UMass*
Jan. 5 vs Kent State*
Jan. 9 vs Central Michigan*
Jan. 12 at Bowling Green*
Jan. 16 at Western Michigan*
Jan. 19 vs Toledo*
Jan. 23 at Eastern Michigan*
Jan. 26 at Kent State*
Jan. 30 vs Buffalo*
Feb. 2 vs Bowling Green*
Feb. 6 vs Sun Belt Opponent^
Feb. 9 at Toledo*
Feb. 13 vs Miami*
Feb. 16 vs UMass*
Feb. 20 at Ohio*
Feb. 23 vs Western Michigan*
Feb. 27 vs Akron*
March 2 at Buffalo*
March 5 at Central Michigan*
* – Mid-American Conference Game
^ – MAC-SBC Challenge
! – Exhibition
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INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
ST LOUIS, MO. – Indiana State women’s soccer has been voted sixth in the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll, as announced Tuesday by the league office. The Sycamores earned 58 points in the coaches’ vote, landing just one point behind Southern Illinois and within striking distance of the league’s upper tier heading into the fall.
Drake, the defending regular-season champion, topped the MVC poll with 96 points and seven first-place votes. Illinois State (83 points, two first-place votes), UIC (77), Murray State (69, one first-place vote), and Southern Illinois (59) rounded out the top five ahead of the Sycamores.
Indiana State was also represented on the 2026 MVC Preseason Team, with sophomore defender Riley Mathews earning a spot among the league’s top returning players. Mathews anchors the Sycamore back line after a standout 2025 campaign and is one of 13 student-athletes selected to the preseason squad.
The MVC’s preseason team features three forwards, four midfielders, five defenders, and one goalkeeper. Drake led all programs with four selections, while Illinois State placed two on the list, including goalkeeper Madi Valenti, who was also named to the United Soccer Coaches Division I Players to Watch list. Murray State forward Breece Bass joined Valenti on the national watch lists as the MVC’s representatives.
Indiana State opens the 2026 season this week, as the Sycamores continue building momentum under head coach Paul Lawrence. ISU returns a strong defensive core, key midfield experience, and an incoming class ready to compete in one of the nation’s most balanced conferences.
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MACOMB, Ill. – Indiana State opened its 2026 season with a commanding 3–0 victory on the road at Western Illinois on Wednesday afternoon. The Sycamores were sharp from the opening whistle, scoring twice in the first half and adding a third after the break to secure a complete, confident performance away from home.
The Sycamores controlled possession throughout the match, generating steady pressure and creating high-quality chances through movement and tempo. The Sycamores’ attack produced 18 shots and 12 on frame, while the defensive unit delivered a composed, organized effort that held Western Illinois scoreless for all 90 minutes. Goalkeeper Sofie Hansen finished with three saves, including a key stop in the 44th minute to preserve the clean sheet.
Indiana State’s depth also showed early in the season opener, with multiple contributors impacting the match across the midfield and front line. Meagyn Riffle led the way with three assists, while Alex Lehnert, Quinn Urquhart, and Riley Mathews each found the back of the net to give ISU a balanced scoring spread.
The win sets a strong tone for the fall as the Sycamores begin building momentum in nonconference play.
How They Scored
15′ — Indiana State: Alex Lehnert opened the scoring with a composed finish, slotting a low shot to the center of the net off a setup from Meagyn Riffle. (1-0)
22′ — Indiana State: Quinn Urquhart doubled the lead with a high-left strike, finishing a well-built sequence assisted by both Meagyn Riffle and Bella Berta. (2-0)
65′ — Indiana State: Riley Mathews added insurance in the second half, driving a low-left shot into the net off another assist from Riffle’s Free Kick. (3-0)
News & Notes
Indiana State outshot Western Illinois 18–4 and placed twelve shots on goal.
Meagyn Riffle recorded three assists, contributing to all three Sycamore goals.
Sofie Hansen posted a clean sheet with three saves, including stops in the 44th and 61st minutes.
Lehnert, Urquhart, and Mathews each scored once, giving ISU three different goal scorers in the opener.
Indiana State’s defense held WIU to just three shots on goal across 90 minutes.
Up Next
Indiana State will continue their Regular Season this Sunday, August 16th, facing Western Kentucky at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 PM ET.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer team kicks off the regular season at Purdue University on Sunday (Aug. 16) at 1 p.m.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Boilermakers
When: Sunday, August 16 | 1 PM
Where: West Lafayette, Ind.
Watch: B1G+
Know Your Foe
Purdue finished last season with a 6-10-3 record and a 3-7-1 record in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers concluded their season with a 2-0 shutout over Minnesota in their last regular season game. Purdue returns Irene Campo (All-Big Ten Second Team) and Megan Santa Cruz (All-Big Ten Sportsmanship), while adding seven transfers and 10 freshmen to its roster for the 2026 season.
Series History
The Boilermakers hold a 1-0 record over the Mastodons. The last meeting between the two teams was in 2013, resulting in a 2-0 Purdue victory in West Lafayette.
Mo Assists, No Problems
Purdue Fort Wayne senior forward Morgan Gallagher enters the 2026 season four assists away from the Mastodon program’s career record. Kallianne Mogler (2014-17) holds the current all-time career assist record with 14.
Coming Up
The Mastodons will host Southern Indiana in their home opener on Sunday (Aug. 23) at 1 p.m.
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EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S SOCCER
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s soccer team opens the 2026 campaign on Thursday, traveling to West Lafayette to battle Purdue. Kickoff is set for 5 a.m. CT.
Evansville at Purdue | Thursday, August 13 | 5 AM CT
Site | Location Folk Field | West Lafayette, Ind.
Building on Success
– Evansville looks to build off a 2025 campaign that saw the Aces finish with seven wins, their highest win total since 2021
– The Aces scored 20 goals in 2025, the most they have scored in a season since scoring 22 in 2021
– One of the highlights of the 2025 campaign came on August 28, when the Aces took down Purdue 2-1 to capture their first win over a Power-4 opponent since 2008
All-Conference Aces
– Evansville returns three players who earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2025
– Taylor Johnson was a Third Team All-Valley pick in 2024 and a Second Team All-Valley selection in 2025
– On Tuesday, Johnson was selected to the Preseason All-MVC Team
– Johnson took her game to the next level in 2025, posting single season career-highs in games played (16), starts (16), assists (3), points (9), shots (18), shots on goal (13), and minutes played (1,034)
– Johnson scored three goals on the year, ranking second on the team
– Brielle LaBerge enjoyed a breakout campaign as a sophomore in 2025 to land on the All-MVC Third Team, starting all 16 matches while playing 1,422 of a possible 1,440 minutes
– While serving as an anchor of the Evansville defense, LaBerge was also one of the top offensive threats in the conference, finishing the regular season second in the MVC with five assists and first in assists per game at 0.31
– LaBerge also added a goal to finish the year with eight points, while placing eight shots on target
– Lily Kytasaari landed on the MVC All-Freshman Team following a stellar debut season with the Purple Aces
– Playing in all 16 matches with one start, Kytasaari logged 498 minutes and scored two goals, becoming one of four Aces to score multiple goals on the season
– With the nod, Kytasaari became Evansville’s first All-Freshman team selection since Hailey Autenrieb in 2021
Series History
– Thursday marks the sixth all-time meeting between Evansville and Purdue
– Purdue leads the all-time series 4-1, but the Purple Aces won the most recent meeting with a 2-1 victory in Evansville last season
– Evansville is seeking their first-ever win in West Lafayette
Scouting Purdue
– Purdue finished last season with a 6-10-3 record and a 3-7-1 mark in Big Ten play
– In the Big Ten preseason poll, the Boilermakers were picked 13th
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VALPO WOMEN’S SOCCER
Valparaiso (0-0-0, 0-0-0 MVC)
Thursday, Aug. 13 – at Eastern Illinois (0-0-0) – 3 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 16 – at SIUE (0-0-0) – 1 p.m.
Next Up in Valpo Soccer: The 34th season for the Valpo soccer program gets underway this week with a pair of road matches in the Prairie State. The Beacons lift the lid on the 2026 campaign Thursday afternoon at Eastern Illinois before heading down for a Sunday afternoon match at SIUE.
Previously: Valpo faced outside competition once during the preseason, hosting the Blue Demons of DePaul on Aug. 6.
Looking Ahead: The Beacons open their 2026 home schedule on Brown Field next week with a pair of home matches, hosting Western Illinois Aug. 20 and Detroit Mercy Aug. 23 to kick off the nine-match home slate.
Following the Beacons: Both matches this week will be carried on ESPN+. All home matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ as part of The Valley on ESPN, while select road fixtures will also have live video available.
Head Coach John Marovich: In his 19th season at the helm of the Valpo program, John Marovich holds a 141-139-53 (.503) record both overall and at Valpo as a head coach. The 2014 Horizon League Coach of the Year and the head of the 2022 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, Marovich is Valpo’s all-time leader in victories.
Series Notes: Eastern Illinois – Valpo owns a 7-9-3 record against the Panthers, most recently falling to them last August on Brown Field by a 2-1 final. Thursday’s matchup marks the fifth straight year the two sides have met in August, with EIU holding a 2-1-1 advantage in the previous four seasons. Valpo and EIU briefly shared conference affiliation in the Missouri Valley Conference from 1996-1998.
SIUE – The Beacons will face off with the Cougars for just the second time in program history and the first time since John Marovich’s first season as Valpo head coach, as the only previous matchup came in October 2008 – a 2-0 home win for Valpo.
Scouting the Opposition: Eastern Illinois – The Panthers are coming off an 8-8-3 record in 2025, including a 5-3-1 mark in OVC play, and were picked to finish second in the OVC this year in the conference’s preseason poll. EIU returns a trio of First Team All-OVC selections from last year, including OVC Goalkeeper of the Year Ella Kratochvil.
SIUE – The Cougars went 3-12-5 last season, including a 2-4-3 mark in OVC play, and were picked to finish fifth in the OVC this year in the conference’s preseason poll. Goalkeeper Sarah Bozeman and forward Tori Bockstadter were named the Cougars’ Players to Watch this season.
Preseason Honoree: Coming off a rookie campaign in which she was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, sophomore Kiara Desiderio was named to the Preseason All-MVC Team. Desiderio, who became Valpo’s first Freshman of the Year since joining the Valley and was also a Second Team All-MVC choice, kicked off her Beacon career with a team-high seven goals in 2025 — tied for third-most by a freshman in program history. She ranked third in the MVC in goals and fifth in points (15), while also being tied for seventh nationally in goals by a freshman.
Who’s Back: The Beacons return 16 players who saw action on the pitch last season, including eight regular starters. That group accounted for 73.4% of the team’s minutes played by field players in 2025, including six players who played over 1,000 minutes – led by junior Ashley Trippeer, who played 1,397 minutes.
Who’s Gone: Valpo graduated four seniors from last year’s squad and had five other offseason departures. Notably, Second Team All-MVC honoree Molly O’Rear and starting goalkeeper Kate Sheridan were among the group of seniors.
Who’s New: The Beacons welcome nine new players to the program this season: seven true freshmen, one Division I transfer and one Division III transfer.
New Faces in Goal: For the second time in three years, Valpo enters the season with a goalkeeping corps which has not played a minute at the Division I level. Two-time conference Goalkeeper of the Year Salange Bell joins the Beacons from Montclair State, while freshman Adria Schultz looks to make her collegiate debut as well.
Valpo in the Openers: Last year’s squad dropped its season opener at Detroit Mercy by a 2-1 final, snapping a streak of three straight positive results for the Beacons in season openers (2-0-1 2022-24). This year marks the third time in five seasons Valpo will open up veruss Eastern Illinois, as the two squads battled to a scoreless draw at EIU in the 2022 opener and Valpo claimed a 2-1 home win in the 2023 opener.
Starting on the Road: This season marks the third straight campaign that the Beacons have opened the season with back-to-back road fixtures. Last year saw Valpo open with a swing through Michigan, taking on Detroit Mercy and Oakland, while in 2024, it was two games in Illinois to start, with matches at Chicago State and Eastern Illinois.
Good as Goddard: Sophomore forward Martha Goddard returns for her second season in the Brown and Gold after a strong rookie campaign. An MVC All-Freshman Team selection, Goddard tallied three goals and recorded five assists, the latter mark matching the program record for assists by a freshman. She was tied for second in the MVC in assists and tied for fourth on Valpo’s overall single-season chart. Goddard became the first Valpo player to register an assist in three consecutive contests since 2017.
Looking Back at Last Year: Valpo posted a 5-8-4 overall record in 2025 and went 2-4-3 in MVC play, earning eight more points in the Valley than the previous season despite playing one fewer conference game and raising its winning percentage 162 points year-over-year. The Beacons scored 21 goals while surrendering 28 goals, improving their goal differential by 21 goals over 2024. This all came with the vast majority of field player minutes coming from underclassmen, as the 2025 Beacons had 41.2% of their field player minutes played by freshman and 42.3% by sophomores. Kiara Desiderio was named the MVC Freshman of the Year and was joined by Molly O’Rear on the Second Team All-MVC, while Martha Goddard joined Desiderio on the MVC All-Freshman Team.
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INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
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TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1900 – A mechanical pitching machine is used in a game between the Memphis Chicks and the Nashvilles. The invention of Princeton professor Charles Hinton, the early pitching gun strikes out two and allows three hits in two innings.
1901 – Kid Nichols and Christy Mathewson face each other again and both throw shutout ball for nine innings. Boston finally scores three in the 10th to win, 3 – 0. Nichols and Mathewson will go at each other tomorrow, in the second game of two, with the match ending in an 11-inning, 5 – 5 tie.
1902:
In the second game of a doubleheader in Boston, Pirate Honus Wagner steals second base, third base and home in the 7th inning. Wagner also did it in 1899.
In the 6th inning of a game with the Tigers, Harry Davis of the A’s attempts a double steal with Dave Fultz, who is on third base. But Davis does not draw a throw as he goes into second, and Fultz cannot score. So, on the next pitch, he “steals” first base. The next time he steals second, he does draw a throw and Fultz scores from third. This double steal maneuver will be attempted in later years by Fred Tenney (July 31, 1908), and Germany Schaefer (September 4, 1908), before being made illegal.
1903 – New York wins its third doubleheader in a week, clipping St. Louis, 6 – 2 and 9 – 7. Christy Mathewson strikes out ten in the opener as he outpitches Three-Finger Brown.
1906 – The Cubs’ Jack “Brakeman” Taylor is knocked out by Brooklyn in the 3rd inning, breaking a string of 187 complete games and 15 relief appearances in which he finished each game. The record run began June 20, 1901. In ten years, he will fail to finish only eight of 286 starts. With relief help from Orval Overall, Chicago wins, 11 – 3.
1908 – Cy Young Day is celebrated by 20,000 in Boston. He pitches briefly against an All-Star team that includes Jack Chesbro, Hal Chase, Willie Keeler, Harry Davis and George Mullin. The game is interrupted several times for presentations to the great hurler, including a great loving cup from the American League for all his accomplishments.
1910 – In the most evenly matched game ever, the Pirates and Superbas each have eight runs, 13 hits, 38 at bats, five strikeouts, three walks, one hit batter, one passed ball, 13 assists, 27 putouts, two errors, and use two pitchers. Darkness ends the game before the symmetry does.
1911:
Ty Cobb, apparently believing the Tigers can no longer win the pennant race, begins a vacation.
The Pirates’ Elmer Steele throws just 72 pitches in subduing the Dodgers, 9 – 0. Steele gives up no walks and has no strikeouts, and allows just one hit – a one-out 9th-inning single to light-hitting Tex Erwin. Brooklyn so admires the feat they obtain him on September 16th, but he never wins another game in the majors.
1913:
Doc Crandall is rescued from the basement: John McGraw buys him back from the Cards 12 days after trading him. According to historian Merritt Clifton, Doc has a sore arm and is sent back as damaged goods. He will pitch for Brattleboro to get his arm in shape before rejoining the Giants for the stretch drive.
In a great pickup, the Cubs send P Lew Richie to the Kansas City Blues for Hippo Vaughn. Vaughn, who had pitched five years with little success in the American League with New York and Washington, will be a workhorse for Chicago. Tomorrow the Cubs will ship 33-year-old Ed Reulbach (1-3) to Brooklyn for P Eddie Stack and cash.
Petersburg P Harry Hedgpeth (Virginia League) blanks Richmond twice, by scores of 1 – 0 and 10 – 0, both in nine innings. He gives up only one hit in the opener, while hurling a no-hitter in the second game.
1914 – In the start of a crucial series in New York, the Braves pound Rube Marquard for 11 hits to win, 5 – 3. Rabbit Maranville contributes a triple and Les Mann adds a homer and two-run single. Lefty Tyler notches another victory.
1916 – On a muddy Robison Field in St. Louis, the Cards drill 23 hits in the opener to defeat the Pirates in 11 innings, 9 – 8. The hit total is a major league high for the season. The second game begins at six p.m. and when the Bucs score eight runs in the first two innings, Pittsburgh hurries to get the game in, while on the other side of the field, the Cards begin to dally. The Cards’ Dots Miller singles and then steals second and third base on one pitch as pitcher Al Mamaux and C Bill Fischer ignore him. The Cards “steal” 11 bases, while the Bucs add three in just five innings before the umps and darkness mercifully end it. Pittsburgh wins, 9 – 5. The steal rule will eventually be amended to not credit a runner when the defense ignores him.
1921:
In Philadelphia, 33,000 fans – the largest crowd to watch a game in Philadelphia since 1914 – sees Carl Mays win his 15th straight over the Mackmen as the Yankees prevail, 7 – 2, in the first game of a doubleheader. Bob Shawkey coasts home to a 13 – 7 win in the nitecap. Bob Meusel homers in each game.
George Sisler continues his hot hitting, collecting two doubles and hitting for the cycle in a 10-inning, 7 – 5 win at Detroit. Sisler is 5 for 5.
Boston Braves P John “Mule” Watson hurls two complete-game victories over the Phillies, winning by scores of 4 – 3 and 8 – 0. It is the third doubleheader he has pitched, the first two being with the A’s in 1918.
1922:
Led by SS Charlie Hollocher’s three triples, the Cubs cook the Cardinals, 16 – 5. Hollocher is in the middle of his best season, and will hit .340 while leading the loop in fielding for the second straight year.
The New York Yankees’ Everett Scott nears 1,000 consecutive games played, but it takes an extra effort to keep the streak alive. He spends $40 to hire a car to get to Chicago in time for the game after a train he is on is wrecked.
1923 – Pirates OF Max Carey steals second base, third base and home versus Brooklyn. He will again lead the National League with 51 stolen bases. Equally fleet in the field, he will garner 450 putouts and 28 assists. He is the first OF to top 400 putouts six times. Richie Ashburn will later do it nine times.
1924:
Red Sox righthander Howard Ehmke has the White Sox popping up all day in his 6 – 0 win. Only one assist is made by Boston.
The Yankees regain the American League lead with 1 – 0 and 2 – 1 wins over the Browns.
1926 – Pittsburgh players ask that Fred Clarke, assistant to owner Barney Dreyfuss, not be permitted to sit on the bench. Dreyfuss squelches the revolt by releasing Carson Bigbee and Babe Adams, and suspending Max Carey, who has slumped to .222. Carey is waived to the Robins. The Adams-Bigbee-Carey punishment becomes known as the A-B-C Affair.
1931 – Tony Cuccinello wakes up the last-place Reds by going 6 for 6, with three singles, two doubles and a triple, as Cincy wins the first game of a doubleheader against Boston, 17 – 3. Cuccinello doesn’t stop there, belting a three-run homer in the 8th inning of the nitecap to give the Reds a 4 – 2 win. “Cooch” has eight RBIs for the day.
1932:
Commissioner Kenesaw Landis clears Rogers Hornsby of charges of fraudulently “borrowing” money from Cubs players. The Chicago papers said Hornsby had obtained money from players, either loaned to him to bet on horse races, or to share in joint ventures. When Hornsby is fined, the players want refunds. Hornsby wants a lump payoff by the Cubs, who refuse. Landis holds several hearings, and as he doesn’t punish anyone, it is taken as exoneration.
Bill Terry, Mel Ott and Fred Lindstrom hit homers on consecutive pitches in the 4th inning, but the Giants lose, 18 – 9, to Brooklyn. In the second game, the Dodgers’ Joe Stripp, Lefty O’Doul and Tony Cuccinello hit 1st-inning home runs off Waite Hoyt. Brooklyn wins, 5 – 4.
It looks like the Yankees’ consecutive game scoring streak might be broken, but P Red Ruffing hits a home run in the 10th to beat Al Thomas of the Senators, 1 – 0. Tom Hughes, in 1906, was the last major-league pitcher to hit an extra-inning, game-winning home run.
1934 – In a preview of the World Series, the Cardinals play the Tigers in an exhibition game in Detroit. The Deans refuse to make the trip, having both pitched the day before. Dizzy is fined $100 and Paul $50.
1937 – The Hellenic Societies of Chicago hold a day for Alex Kampouris of the visiting Reds. He gets a car, and the Cubs get a 22 – 6 win, as Kampouris makes three errors and fans twice.
1939:
The Yankees beat the A’s, 21 – 0, to equal the major-league record for lopsided shutouts. Joe DiMaggio and Babe Dahlgren each hit two home runs, one each inside-the-park. Red Ruffing collects four hits along with the victory.
The Giants hit three successive homers in the 4th inning, with Joe Moore, Alex Kampouris and P Bill Lohrman connecting. The Giants add four more home runs in the game to beat the Phils, 11 – 2.
1940 – The Indians move two games in front by besting the Tigers again, 6 – 5. Cleveland will win their next two games to go up by three.
1944 – The West takes the 1944 East-West Game, 7 – 4, behind the Radcliffe brothers. Ted Radcliffe socks a two-run homer while Alec Radcliffe drives in two as well and flashes a good glove; the brothers combine for five hits.
1945 – Branch Rickey becomes the principal stockholder of the Dodgers. He and associates Walter O’Malley and John Smith acquire the 50 percent interest of the Ebbets estate for a reported price of $750,000.
1947 – At Sportsman’s Park, pinch-hitter Willard Brown of the Browns becomes the first black player to hit a home run in the American League. The historic homer, a pinch-hit inside-the-parker off future Hall of Fame hurler Hal Newhouser, helps the Browns beat the Tigers, 6 – 5.
1948:
The Phils score ten runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, including a major league record nine runs before the first out is recorded, then hold on to beat the Giants, 10 – 7. Rookie Curt Simmons lasts six innings for the win.
The promise of Satchel Paige on the mound brings 51,013 to Comiskey Park to see “Ole Satch” pitch his first big league shutout as Cleveland wins, 5 – 0. He gives up five hits to run his record to 5-1. In his 12 appearances, Paige has attracted 201,829 fans.
1950:
The Giants earn a split with the Phils as Jim Hearn shuts out the Whiz Kids, 2 – 0. But the Phils will take 11 of their next 14 games to hold a seven-game edge over second-place Brooklyn.
At Rochester (International League), the Red Wings edge Jersey City, 3 – 2, in 22 innings. Pitchers Tom Poholsky of Rochester and Andy Tomasic of Jersey City go all the way.
1951:
Every one who shows up with a musical instrument is admitted free to Ebbets Field. 2,426 fans take advantage of the offer, including one with a piano. The Dodgers have a motive in countering the local musicians’ union which wants to silence the non-union Sym-Phoney. The Dodgers outplay the Braves, 7 – 6, as Gil Hodges belts a three-run homer in the 8th, following an intentional walk to Roy Campanella, who had homered earlier.
The Giants keep pace with a 5 – 2 win over the Phils. Larry Jansen, pitching for the first time in eight days, wins his 15th. Whitey Lockman hits a three-run homer.
1955 – Larry Doby makes his first error in the outfield in 167 games, a new American League record.
1957:
Mickey Mantle goes 3 for 3 and drives in three runs as the Yankees edge the Red Sox, 3 – 2. Mantle improves his average to .384 while Ted Williams, with 1 for 2, is at .388. A week later, Mantle will injure himself when he angrily swings a golf club at a branch and gouges his shinbone. This will effectively take him out of the running for a second straight Triple Crown.
P Lew Burdette of the Braves hits his first two home runs and beats the Redlegs, 12 – 4. Clemente’s 1st and 2nd-inning HRs,
1958 – At Shibe Park, the first multi-HR game of Roberto Clemente’s career helps the surprising Pirates outlast Philadelphia, 10 – 9. His 1st and 2nd-inning two-run blasts touch down in “the lower deck in left-center” and the “upper deck,” respectively, and together with Bill Mazeroski’s 1st-inning, two-run rooftop shot, provide a seemingly secure 6 – 0 lead. However, Pittsburgh’s four subsequent ‘add-on’ runs will prove essential — and Mazeroski’s seemingly superfluous 6th-inning RBI single, decisive — when Philly’s third three-run rally of the day brings the potential winning run to the plate, and a faltering ElRoy Face out of the game, before order is restored, and the final out recorded, by Pirate starter Vernon Law.
1959 – The Giants and Cubs set a record for the longest nine-inning game in history, playing 3 hours and 50 minutes. Chicago wins the marathon at Wrigley Field by a score of 20 – 9, pounding out 19 hits and five home runs. Eddie Fisher takes the loss while Ed Donnelly is the winner.
1961 – In the first of two with the Senators, Roger Maris belts his 44th homer to tie Mickey Mantle. An inning later, Mantle hits a Bennie Daniels offering for his 45th, but that’s all Daniels allows, winning, 12 – 2. Maris adds his 45th homer in the 1st inning in the second game as the Yanks win, 9 – 4.
1962 – Bert Campaneris of Daytona Beach (Florida State League) pitches ambidextrously in a relief appearance. Facing Ft. Lauderdale, Campy throws lefty to lefthanders, and switches when righthanders come up.
1963 – At Crosley Field, the Reds and Giants deal aces as Jim Maloney outpitches Juan Marichal to win, 4 – 0. Maloney allows just two hits.
1964:
A day after the team and fans celebrate his birthday, ailing Fred Hutchinson again takes a leave of absence as manager of Reds. Dick Sisler again takes charge. Hutch will enter a hospital for further treatments.
In a battle of teenagers, 19-year-old Met first baseman Ed Kranepool homers twice off 18-year-old Phillie hurler Rick Wise.
CBS buys 80 percent of the New York Yankees, effective November 2nd.
1965 – Roberto Clemente clubs one to the deepest part of the park and it’s pulled down by Willie. So what else is new? No, no, not that Willie; this is that other Willie, Dodger center fielder Willie Davis. Claude Osteen is working on a one-hitter until two are out in the 7th. The second out is Davis’ big contribution, a 400-foot drive off the bat of Roberto Clemente which sends Davis back to the wall. Davis then robs Clemente again in the 9th with a sparkling catch, this time off his shoetops.
1966:
Dave Giusti one-hits the Giants for a 1 – 0 Houston win. Cap Peterson’s 2nd-inning single is the only hit.
Restaurateur Vernon Stouffer buys a controlling interest in the Cleveland Indians.
1967 – Completing a three-game sweep of the White Sox, Jim Merritt pitches the Twins into first place with a 3 – 2 win.
1968 – Pitching 7 2/3 innings, Tom Hall gains his first major league win as the Twins beat the Senators, 8 – 4. Washington’s Jim Hannan (7-3) takes the loss and doesn’t help himself at bat, striking out for the 13th straight time since July 24th.
1969:
With a unanimous vote, the major league owners elect Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to a seven-year term.
Roberto Clemente’s second career three-home run game leads to a 10 – 5 Pirates win over San Francisco.
Bill Hands pitches a complete game, 4 – 2, win over San Diego. Chicago now has a seemingly comfortable 8 1/2 game lead; they’ll manage to blow it as the Miracle Mets will overtake them.
Baltimore’s Jim Palmer leaves no doubt about his comeback with a 8 – 0 no-hitter against Oakland. Reggie Jackson, leading the American League with 42 home runs, walks three times, as the A’s drop two games behind the Twins in the West. Palmer, now 11-2, pushes the O’s lead to a comfortable 14 1/2 games.
One day after going AWOL, Joe Pepitone returns to the Yankees but does not play in their 5 – 2 loss to the Twins. Rich Reese is 4 for 4 with two homers and two singles to drive in four runs for the Twins as Jim Kaat is the winner over Mel Stottlemyre (16-9). Reese will have hits his first three at bats tomorrow before flying out.
Montreal reliever Elroy Face gives up the last of his record 21 extra-inning gopher balls, an 11th-inning grand slam to the Reds’ Johnny Bench. Cincinnati wins, 8 – 3, in Montreal.
1970 – The Reds’ Jim Merritt strikes out 13 Mets en route to a 5 – 1 win in Cincinnati.
1971 – Reds pitchers Don Gullett and Wayne Granger combine on a one-hitter, beating the visiting Cubs, 8 – 2. The lone Cub safety is a two-out double by Cleo James in the 8th inning. Granger pitches a hitless 9th.
1972 – Bengals manager Billy Martin literally picks his starting lineup out of a hat in an attempt to halt the Tigers’ four-game losing streak. The ploy works as Detroit defeats Cleveland, 3 – 2. Using a regular lineup in the nightcap, the Tigers lose, 9 – 2.
1973 – Roy White homers from both sides of the plate as the Yankees top the Angels, 6 – 0.
1975 – The A’s release P Jim Perry and purchase OF Tommy Harper from the Angels.
1977 – Against visiting Seattle, the Red Sox have two outs in the 6th inning, and then unload back-to-back-to-back homers by George Scott, Butch Hobson and Dwight Evans. The Red Sox win, 13 – 6.
1978 – The Yankees erupt for five runs in the 7th inning to take a 5 – 3 lead over the Orioles before heavy rains force a delay of the game. Thanks to the stalling tactics of Earl Weaver and some slow-moving Baltimore groundskeepers, the game is called, and the score reverts to the last complete inning. This rule will be changed in 1980, and the game today would have been suspended. The Orioles win, 3 – 0, with Scott McGregor the winner.
1979 – St. Louis outfielder Lou Brock, 40, reaches the 3,000 hit milestone as his line drive caroms off Dennis Lamp’s pitching hand in the 3 – 2 Cardinal victory over the Cubs.
1980 – The Yankees trade righty Ken Clay and a player to be named later to the Rangers for 41-year-old pitcher Gaylord Perry.
1982 – Dodger second baseman Steve Sax steals his 41st base to set a team record for rookies.
1983 – Cincinnati native Jeff Russell makes his major league debut for the Reds and pitches a three-hitter, beating the Padres, 3 – 1. He helps with an RBI double.
1984 – At Cooperstown, the Tigers beat the Atlanta Braves, 7 – 5, in the annual Hall of Fame Game.
1985 – In the Mariners’ 11 – 4 win, Seattle’s infield again ties the major-league record for assists with 21 against California. Mark Langston goes all the way for the win.
1987:
The Cardinals’ outfield sets a major-league record by failing to record a single putout in a 4 – 2, 13-inning loss to the Phillies. The previous mark was held by the 1905 St. Louis Browns, who played an 11-inning game with no outfield putouts.
Paul Molitor keeps his hitting streak alive at 28 games when he homers with two out in the 9th inning against the O’s. Baltimore still wins, 5 – 4.
The Cubs retire Hall of Famer Billy Williams’ uniform number (26).
1988 – Behind Dwight Evans’ seven RBIs, the Red Sox defeat the Tigers, 16 – 4. The Sox collect 19 hits in winning their 24th straight at home, an American League record.
1993 – Rickey Henderson, recently traded to Toronto by Oakland, gives teammate Turner Ward $25,000 for uniform number 24. Henderson had complained that he was having trouble hitting with No. 14 on his back.
1995:
Flags fly at half-mast at Yankee Stadium as Yankee legend Mickey Mantle dies of liver cancer at the age of 63 in Dallas, Texas.
The Dodgers take sole possession of first place in the National League West with a 4 – 1 win over the Pirates. Eric Karros hits a two-run homer and Todd Worrell ices the win by striking out the side on nine pitches in the 9th.
1996:
Robin Ventura belts his team-record ninth grand slam to pace the White Sox to an 8 – 4 win over the Yankees. David Weathers serves up the gopher ball.
The Braves obtain 3B Terry Pendleton from the Marlins in exchange for minor league OF Roosevelt Brown.
After failing to score in the first three innings, the Giants proceed to plate runs in each of their next six at bats, going on to defeat the Pirates, 12 – 10. Rick Wilkins’ pinch-hit grand slam in the 8th leads the Jints on to victory.
Oklahoma City’s Rick Helling pitches a perfect game, winning, 4 – 0, over Nashville.
1997:
The Red Sox trade C Mike Stanley and IF Randy Brown to the Yankees in exchange for P Tony Armas and a player to be named.
The Angels trade pitchers Ryan Hancock and Steven Agosto and a player to be named to the Padres for OF Rickey Henderson. To make room for the future Hall of Famer, the Angels release another future HOFer, Eddie Murray. Murray will sign with the Dodgers.
The Reds defeat the Padres, 2 – 0, on a combined one-hitter by Mike Morgan (7 innings), Stan Belinda (1 inning) and Jeff Shaw (1 inning). OF Mark Sweeney’s single is San Diego’s only hit.
1998:
Orlando Hernandez sets a Yankee rookie record by striking out 13 in beating Texas, 2 – 0.
Tom Glavine (16-4) shuts out the Padres, 5 – 0, on two hits and beats Mark Langston. Langston strikes out eight batters to push his career Ks to 2,419, and move into 24th place on the career strikeout list.
Baltimore’s Harold Baines becomes the all-time leader in RBIs by a designated hitter when he drives in his 824th run in a 7 – 4 win over the Indians. Hal McRae was the previous record holder.
1999 – In the first game of a doubleheader, the Expos defeat the Rockies, 14 – 13, after the score is tied at one apiece after four innings. Each team scores five runs in the 5th, then Montreal scores six and Colorado five in the 6th. The Expos finally win the game by scoring a run in the 10th inning. Montreal also takes the second game, by an 8 – 6 count.
2000:
The Astros defeat the Phillies, 14 – 7, hitting six home runs to tie a club mark in the process. 1B Jeff Bagwell ties another club record by driving home seven runs.
Mike Sweeney becomes the fastest Royal player ever to reach 100 RBIs when he goes deep helping Kansas City defeat the Orioles, 10 – 5.
2001 – Craig Biggio hits his 26th leadoff home run on the first pitch from Jason Bere and the Astros never look back, beating the Cubs, 9 – 5. Shane Reynolds is the winner, now 7-0 against Chicago. The Cubs fall out of first place as the Astros take over.
2002:
In Minnesota, the Twins’ Rick Reed needs little help in shutting out the Baltimore Orioles, 6 – 0. Doug Mientkiewicz hits two homers and David Ortiz adds a home run and two-run double. In the pre-game ceremonies celebrating Native American Heritage Day, golfer Notah Begay, a Navajo, chips the opening pitch. The losing pitcher is Scott Erickson, who had beaten his former team nine straight times over six seasons.
Warring Mets co-owners Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday finally complete their deal to transfer full ownership of the team to Wilpon within the next 30 days. But Doubleday will question the valuation of the team by the independent arbitrator, and the transaction will not be resolved until the fall.
2003 – After missing nearly three months with a groin injury, Mike Piazza makes a dramatic return to the New York lineup as he homers and drives in five runs on Italian Night at Shea Stadium. The backstop’s 3-for-5 performance, including a home run in the 3rd inning, RBI single in the 4th and a two-run single in the 7th, contributes to the Mets’ 9 – 2 victory over the Giants.
2004 – At Seattle’s Boeing Field, Edgar Martinez is on hand to greet George W. Bush. The President, who had requested to meet the retiring designated hitter, exchanges autographed baseballs with the man who routinely helped the Mariners beat his Rangers when the chief executive was the managing partner of Texas.
2007 – Placido Polanco plays his 144th consecutive game at second base without an error. This breaks Luis Castillo’s record, set earlier this season. The two streaks overlapped for many months. The Tigers still lose, 7 – 2, dropping them to eight wins in their past 25 games and a tie for first place with the Indians.
2008:
Team Canada beats the host Chinese national team in day one of baseball at the 2008 Olympics, 10 – 0. Chris Begg, T.J. Burton and Rhéal Cormier combine on an eight-inning shutout while Scott Thorman thumps a three-run homer in the mercy rule win. Tao Bu takes the loss while Lei Li goes 2 for 3 to lead China’s offense.
Wei-Yin Chen and Kai-Wen Cheng also team up on an Olympic shutout, this one a 5 – 0 Taiwan win over the Dutch national team, which is held to four hits. Dutch starter David Bergman is ineffective and an error by former big leaguer Eugene Kingsale doesn’t help. Taiwan does suffer a blow when 3B Tai-Shan Chang is barred from competition after testing positive for a banned substance (contained in a cold medication he was taking, he claims).
In a game with five lead changes, South Korea tops Team USA, 8 – 7. Ki-joo Han and Suk-min Yoon blow a 6 – 4 lead in the top of the 9th to fall behind, 7 – 6. Jeff Stevens fails to protect the lead, though, and a sacrifice fly by Jong-wook Lee wins it for the Koreans.
In a game foreseen as a potential Gold Medal Game preview, Cuba beats Japan, 4 – 2. Reigning Cuban Serie Nacional MVP Alexei Bell doubles, triples and scores two in his national team debut, roughing up Japanese ace Yu Darvish. Pedro Luis Lazo, in his fourth Olympics, throws three scoreless innings for the save. He and Rob Cordemans (of the Netherlands) both make their fourth Olympics, the only players to do so.
2009:
The International Olympic Committee announces that Rugby Sevens and Golf will be recommended for inclusion in the program of the 2016 Olympics, but that baseball and softball, whose last presence at the games was in 2008, have failed in their bid for reinstatement.
Jonny Gomes has the second three-homer game of his career as the Reds shut out the Nationals, 7 – 0. He hits two-run shots in the 2nd and 4th and a solo blast in the 6th in support of Bronson Arroyo’s two-hitter.
Cliff Lee wins his third straight start since joining the Phillies, allowing one run in eight innings in a 6 – 1 win over the Cubs.
The Sinon Bulls beat the Uni-President Lions, 12 – 2. Yi-Chuan Lin sets new CPBL rookie records for hits and RBI, reaching 119 and 77 respectively.
2010:
R.A. Dickey baffles the Phillies with his knuckleball, throwing a complete game one-hitter, for the Mets’ second shutout in two nights, and their fourth consecutive shutout of the Phillies at Citi Field, dating back to a three-game sweep in May. The only hit is by opposing pitcher Cole Hamels. The Mets’ run scores with two outs in the 6th, on consecutive doubles by David Wright and Carlos Beltran.
The first-place Rangers beat the Red Sox, 10 – 9, on an 11th-inning walk-off homer by Nelson Cruz off Tim Wakefield. Boston takes an early 8 – 2 lead with a seven-run 4th inning and hits five solo homers in the game – two by J.D. Drew – but Texas chips away methodically at the lead and ties the game at 9-all in the 8th when Josh Hamilton, on second base after his fourth hit of the night, scores on Vladimir Guerrero’s infield single.
The Royals trade OF Jose Guillen to San Francisco for future considerations after designating him for assignment on August 5th, in spite of his leading the team with 16 homers and 62 RBI. Guillen had clashed repeatedly with team management, which decided to cut links with its highest-paid player.
The 2010 Women’s Baseball World Cup is suspended briefly when Hong Kong third baseman Woon-Yee Cheuk is hit by a stray bullet during a game against the Netherlands in Caracas.
2011:
In his return to the mound after serving a six-game suspension, Jered Weaver is roughed up by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays score eight runs in 4 2/3 innings to raise Weaver’s ERA from 1.78 to 2.13. Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Teahen and Adam Lind, who hits a grand slam, all homer off the Angels ace as the Jays roll to an easy 11 – 2 win.
Back in the line-up after being benched for a week, Yankees DH Jorge Posada drives in six runs, including four on a 5th-inning grand slam, and the Yankees win, 9 – 2, over the Rays. Phil Hughes is the winner over Jeremy Hellickson while Curtis Granderson hits his 33rd homer, catching Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays atop the major league leader board.
The Reds pound the Padres, 13 – 1, thanks to seven home runs, five of them off starter Tim Stauffer. Miguel Cairo and Ryan Hanigan both hit two homers, and Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and Todd Frazier also go deep. For Cairo, it is a first multi-homer game in a 16-year career. The seven homers tie a Reds franchise record.
2012:
The Yankees use a couple of scrubs to defeat Texas, 8 – 2. Reliever David Phelps starts in place of the injured CC Sabathia and pitches five innings for the win, while Derek Lowe, making his first appearance for the Bronx Bombers after being released by the Indians last week, adds four scoreless innings to pick up his first save since 2001. Nick Swisher hits a grand slam to propel the Yankees’ offense while Ryan Dempster gives up eight runs for the second time since being acquired by the Rangers at the trading deadline.
Many pitchers have struck out four batters in an inning, but Toronto’s Steve Delabar is the first to do so in extra innings, in the top of the 10th inning, fanning four members of the White Sox (Tyler Flowers reaches on a dropped third strike to make the feat possible). Delabar picks up the win as well when David Cooper drives in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th to give the Blue Jays a 3 – 2 victory at home.
The Nationals easily win a battle of division leaders, crushing San Francisco, 14 – 2, while banging out 21 hits. National League ERA leader Ryan Vogelsong gets pounded for eight runs in less than three innings, while Gio Gonzalez wins his 15th of the season, tying the club record since the team’s move to Washington, DC. Kurt Suzuki drives in four runs, while Danny Espinosa and Roger Bernadina have three RBI each.
2013 – In Seattle’s 5 – 4 win over the Rays, the lead-off hitters for both teams flex their muscles. Brad Miller and Ben Zobrist both homer in their first at-bat, and again in the 5th inning. This has only happened once before in major league history, when Tony Phillips and Chuck Knoblauch, for the Tigers and Twins, both led off the game with a homer and added one later on in the game on June 5, 1994. Zobrist’s first long ball is the 100th of his career, while for Miller, it’s his first game in his home state of Florida.
2014 – Major League owners hold their mid-season meeting in Baltimore, MD. On their agenda is the election of a successor to Commissioner Bud Selig, who is stepping down at the end of the year. While the press has speculated that owners are divided among the three proposed candidates ahead of the vote scheduled for tomorrow, they express confidence that they will come to an agreement and avoid an impasse.
2015:
For the second time this season, the Blue Jays have matched their all-time longest winning streak by getting their 11th straight victory, 4 – 2 over Oakland. They had a similar streak in June and are the first team since the 1954 Cleveland Indians to have two winning streaks of at least 11 games in the same season. Mark Buehrle improves to 13-5 and Ryan Goins hits a three-run homer off Jesse Chavez.
The Cubs also have a nice winning streak, as they notch their seventh straight, 9 – 2 over the Brewers. Kyle Schwarber, Dexter Fowler and Anthony Rizzo all homer in the 5th inning. Schwarber adds another long ball and Chris Denorfia also goes deep as Chicago wins its 13th in its last 14 games. Jon Lester is the beneficiary of the hitting spree.
2016 – Rookies Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge hit back-to-back homers in their respective first major league at-bats in the 2nd inning to lead the Yankees to an 8 – 4 win over the Rays. No teammates had ever homered in their first at-bat in the same game, let alone back-to-back. The Yankees hit three more homers later in the day, by Starlin Castro, Aaron Hicks and Didi Gregorius, to put the game away; in a sign that the team’s youth movement is going well, not one of these players is over 25.
2017 – The Marlins defeat the Rockies, 5 – 3, as Giancarlo Stanton hits his 250th career home run. It is also his 42nd of the season, tying the Marlins franchise record set by Gary Sheffield in 1996. Stanton has hit 21 homers in his last 33 games to surge to the major league lead.
2018 – Rookie Ronald Acuna of the Braves achieves a very rare feat as he homers to lead off both games of a doubleheader against the Marlins. In the opener, he starts the game with a home run off Pablo Lopez as the Braves cruise to a 9 – 1 win, then in the nitecap, he victimizes Merandy Gonzalez, making his first big league start, as Atlanta completes a sweep with a 6 – 1 win. Only three other players had done this before him: Hall of Famers Harry Hooper (in 1913) and Rickey Henderson (in 1993), and most recently Brady Anderson on August 21, 1999.
2019 – Kyle Seager has the first three-homer game of his career in an 11 – 6 win by the Mariners over the Tigers. The third homer is a bit of a gift, as in the 9th inning CF Niko Goodrum and LF Brandon Dixon collide in chasing what appears to be a routine fly ball at the warning track and unwittingly knock the ball over the fence.
2020 – Mookie Betts leads the Dodgers to an 11 – 2 win over the Padres with a three-homer game, the sixth of his career. That ties him for most all time with Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa, although Betts has reached the total in just 813 games, whereas Mize needed 1,884 and Sosa 2,364.
2023 – The Rays place All-Star SS Wander Franco on the restricted list. Although they only mention at the time that this has to do with posts on social media, word will quickly get out that he is under investigation by authorities in the Dominican Republic for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor.
2024 – Juan Soto has the first three-homer game of his career and drives in all four of his team’s runs as he leads the Yankees to a 4 – 1 win over the White Sox.
Births[edit]
1840 – George Popplein, infielder/outfielder (d. 1901)
1858 – Fatty Briody, catcher (d. 1903)
1865 – Hercules Burnett, outfielder (d. 1936)
1868 – Harry Ely, pitcher (d. 1925)
1869 – Jack Sharrott, pitcher (d. 1927)
1871 – Fielder Jones, outfielder, manager (d. 1934)
1874 – Howard Price, minor league outfielder and manager (d. ????)
1876 – Arthur Belden, minor league pitcher-outfielder
1884 – George Perring, infielder (d. 1960)
1884 – Hack Schumann, pitcher (d. 1946)
1886 – Wingo Anderson, pitcher (d. 1950)
1886 – Lefty George, pitcher (d. 1955)
1888 – Limb McKenry, pitcher (d. 1956)
1889 – Cotton Knaupp, infielder (d. 1967)
1893 – Jim Shaw, pitcher (d. 1962)
1897 – Dink Mothell, infielder, manager (d. 1980)
1900 – Charles DeWitt, owner (d. 1967)
1903 – Steve Swetonic, pitcher (d. 1974)
1906 – Cliff Garrison, pitcher (d. 1994)
1906 – Carlos Moore, pitcher (d. 1958)
1906 – Art Shires, infielder (d. 1967)
1906 – Kemp Wicker, pitcher (d. 1973)
1907 – Hipolito Arenas, outfielder/infielder (d. 1995)
1907 – George Susce, catcher (d. 1986)
1910 – Lou Finney, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1966)
1911 – Anuar Canavati, minor league executive; Salon de la Fama (d. 1965)
1911 – Clemon Rooney, pitcher (d. 1980)
1912 – Tadashi Goto, NPB infielder (d. WWII)
1913 – Wes Flowers, pitcher (d. 1988)
1917 – Sid Gordon, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1975)
1918 – Charlie Thomas, outfielder (d. 1998)
1918 – Elmer Weingartner, infielder (d. 2009)
1920 – Tsuneichi Maki, NPB outfielder (d. ????)
1924 – Daniel McCarthy, owner
1928 – Curtis Hardaway, minor league infielder (d. 2000)
1929 – Ben Downs, minor league outfielder (d. 2001)
1929 – Lou Markle, college coach (d. 2011)
1930 – Vinegar Bend Mizell, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1999)
1930 – Jerry Neudecker, umpire (d. 1997)
1930 – Bob Wiesler, pitcher (d. 2014)
1931 – Marcos Cobos, minor league catcher and manager (d. 2015)
1931 – Yukinaga Hosaka, NPB catcher
1931 – Steve Molinari, minor league outfielder (d. 2012)
1933 – Bob Giggie, pitcher (d. 2018)
1933 – Nobuyoshi Kitagawa, NPB infielder
1935 – Mudcat Grant, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2021)
1935 – Masami Sekiguchi, NPB pitcher
1937 – Kinya Maeoka, NPB pitcher and outfielder
1938 – Bill Stafford, pitcher (d. 2001)
1940 – Tony Cloninger, pitcher (d. 2018)
1940 – Tatsuo Edo, NPB outfielder
1941 – Jim French, catcher
1941 – Pompeyo Llamas, Colombian national team outfielder (d. 2020)
1945 – Akiyo Kinjoh, NPB outfielder
1947 – Jerry Crawford, umpire
1947 – Shigeru Matsubayashi, NPB pitcher
1947 – Fred Stanley, infielder
1948 – Erskine Thomason, pitcher
1949 – Andre Thornton, designated hitter; All-Star
1950 – Rusty Gerhardt, pitcher
1951 – David Hrdlicka, scout (d. 2009)
1952 – Larry Randall, umpire
1955 – Odie Davis, infielder
1955 – Hidetoshi Hakamada, NPB catcher (d. 2025)
1959 – Carmelo Aguayo, minor league infielder
1959 – Tony Lonero, Italian Baseball League catcher
1959 – Tom Niedenfuer, pitcher
1961 – Jim Reboulet, minor league infielder
1962 – Turner Gill, minor league infielder
1962 – Garry Harris, minor league infielder (d. 2022)
1962 – Benjamín Heredia, Dominican national team infielder
1962 – Fumihiko Sato, NPB outfielder
1963 – Jeff Ballard, pitcher
1963 – Dennis Powell, pitcher
1964 – Jay Buhner, outfielder; All-Star
1964 – Gary Cooper, infielder
1964 – Dave Masters, minor league pitcher
1964 – Tom Prince, catcher; manager
1964 – Dody Rather, minor league pitcher
1965 – Mark Lemke, infielder
1969 – Alex Fernandez, pitcher
1970 – Eddie Gaillard, pitcher
1970 – Clarence “Dickie” Brown, minor league pitcher
1970 – Dan Collier, minor league outfielder
1970 – Cesar Perez, minor league pitcher
1971 – Masahiro Nojima, Japanese national team infielder
1972 – Yusaku Iriki, NPB pitcher
1973 – Rob Zachmann, minor league catcher
1974 – Scott MacRae, pitcher
1974 – Jarrod Washburn, pitcher
1975 – Fernando Badrina, Philippines national team pitcher
1975 – Pete Zamora, minor league pitcher and manager
1976 – Kazuyuki Matsushita, Japanese national team outfielder
1977 – Sergio Arauz, Panamanian national team catcher
1977 – Will Ohman, pitcher
1978 – Kevin Causey, umpire
1978 – Jimy González, minor league infielder
1978 – Shigeo Inamine, NPB pitcher
1978 – Matt White, minor league pitcher
1979 – Roman Colon, pitcher
1979 – Richard Montiel, Division Honor infielder
1979 – Corey Patterson, outfielder
1979 – Jon Switzer, pitcher
1980 – Jonah Bayliss, pitcher
1980 – Sandy Nin, minor league player
1980 – Alex Requena, minor league outfielder
1981 – Cory Doyne, pitcher
1981 – Peter Kritikos, Greek national team outfielder
1981 – Sang-woo Lee, KBO pitcher
1981 – Randy Messenger, pitcher
1983 – Dallas Braden, pitcher
1983 – Dario Colović, Croatian national team outfielder
1983 – Panya Prayonghom, Thai national team outfielder
1984 – Keith Hernandez, minor league catcher
1984 – Robert Hinton, minor league pitcher
1984 – Boone Logan, pitcher
1984 – John Pangelinan, Guam national team pitcher
1984 – Joseph Pangelinan, Guam national team player
1985 – Scott Elbert, pitcher
1985 – Diomedes Garcia, minor league pitcher
1985 – Seth Garrison, minor league pitcher
1986 – Boris Bokaj, Italian Baseball League pitcher
1987 – Josmar Carreño, minor league pitcher
1987 – Dustin Garneau, catcher and coach
1987 – J.J. Hoover, pitcher
1987 – Domingo Morillo, minor league utility man
1987 – David Walters, minor league pitcher
1988 – Alex Rivers, minor league pitcher
1988 – Brandon Workman, pitcher
1989 – Dustin Garneau, catcher
1989 – Chun-Yeung Wu, Hong Kong national team player
1990 – Joe Ortiz, pitcher
1990 – Hansel Robles, pitcher
1990 – Angel Villalona, minor league infielder
1991 – Randal Grichuk, outfielder
1991 – Edvardas Matusevičius, Bundesliga pitcher
1991 – Jong-hoon Park, KBO pitcher
1992 – Kevin Dirksen, Hoofdklasse outfielder
1992 – Carlos Navas, minor league pitcher
1992 – Michal Sobotka, Extraliga pitcher
1992 – Taijuan Walker, pitcher; All-Star
1993 – Johan Belisario, minor league pitcher
1993 – Kazuma Mike, NPB outfielder
1993 – Sailiilemalo Laolagi, American Samoa national team infielder
1993 – Shane Watson, minor league pitcher
1994 – Ulfrido García, minor league pitcher (d. 2022)
1994 – Troy Montgomery, minor league outfielder
1994 – Federico Schultze, Argentinian national team pitcher
1995 – Jake Scheiner, NPB infielder
1996 – Alexis Wilson, minor league catcher
1997 – Kolby Allard, pitcher
1997 – Rosa Del Castillo, Mexican women’s national team pitcher
1997 – Austin Drury, minor league pitcher
1998 – Chase Lee, pitcher
1998 – Shuta Takano, NPB pitcher
1999 – Yuto Kawamura, NPB outfielder
2000 – Jordan Díaz, infielder
2000 – Po-Chieh Fan, CPBL pitcher
2000 – Edison Mora, minor league utility man
2000 – Kevin Rodríguez, minor league pitcher
2001 – Mason Fluharty, pitcher
2001 – Yuito Mae, NPB pitcher
2001 – Jean Walters, minor league infielder
2003 – Donovan Antonia, minor league outfielder
2003 – Natsuo Takizawa, NPB infielder
2004 – Samuel Basallo, catcher
Deaths[edit]
1936 – Irv Hach, infielder (b. 1873)
1940 – Buck Stanley, pitcher (b. 1889)
1948 – John Perrine, infielder (b. 1885)
1952 – Hal Haid, pitcher (b. 1897)
1967 – Mike Hechinger, catcher (b. 1890)
1967 – Kiyomi Hirakawa, NPB player (b. 1912)
1968 – Lefty Guise, pitcher (b. 1908)
1970 – Duke Cleveland, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1916)
1972 – Herman Besse, pitcher (b. 1911)
1972 – George Weiss, Hall of Famer (b. 1894)
1973 – Ernie Smith (smither02), outfielder (b. 1900)
1974 – Alto Lane, pitcher (b. 1908)
1980 – Tom Miller, pinch hitter (b. 1897)
1983 – Charlie Gilbert, outfielder (b. 1919)
1988 – Mel Almada, outfielder (b. 1913)
1988 – Edward Bennett Williams, owner (b. 1920)
1995 – Mickey Mantle, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1931)
1996 – Ray Shore, pitcher (b. 1921)
1998 – Rafael Robles, infielder (b. 1947)
1999 – Bill Lohrman, pitcher (b. 1913)
2000 – Lefty Turner, infielder (b. 1912)
2001 – Doug Cossey, umpire (b. 1929)
2002 – Jack Creel, pitcher (b. 1916)
2003 – Charlie Devens, pitcher (b. 1910)
2007 – Ox Miller, pitcher (b. 1915)
2007 – Phil Rizzuto, infielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1917)
2009 – Fred Brocklander, umpire (b. 1940)
2009 – Mickey Weintraub, minor league player and manager (b. 1917)
2011 – Jack Concannon, minor league infielder (b. 1929)
2011 – Hubert Wright, college coach (b. 1929)
2012 – Dan Daniels, announcer (b. 1922)
2012 – Masatoshi Haraikawa, NPB pitcher (b. 1939)
2012 – Ray Malgradi, minor league pitcher and manager (b. 1922)
2012 – Johnny Pesky, infielder, manager (b. 1919)
2014 – Phil Shartzer, minor league infielder (b. 1935)
2014 – Ed Walsh, minor league infielder (b. 1966)
2023 – Bill Schlesinger, pinch-hitter (b. 1941)
###########################################
TV SPORTS TODAY
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Thursday, Aug. 13
GOLF
9 a.m.
ESPN — PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Championship, First Round, TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn.
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
1 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
3 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
5 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
7 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
9 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Cleveland at Detroit (1:10 p.m.) OR Pittsburgh at Miami (1:10 p.m.)
7:30 p.m.
NETFLIX — Philadelphia vs. Minnesota, Dyersville, Iowa
11 p.m.
MLBN — TBA
NFL FOOTBALL
7 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: Green Bay at Pittsburgh
9 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: Tennessee at San Francisco
WNBA BASKETBALL
8 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Los Angeles at New York
10 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Washington at Las Vegas
_____
Friday, Aug. 14
AUTO RACING
3 p.m.
FS2 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, Streets of Markham, Markham, Ontario
7:30 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Richmond, Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Va.
GOLF
9 a.m.
ESPN — PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Championship, Second Round, TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn.
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
1 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
3 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
5 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
7 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
9 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
MLB BASEBALL
2:20 p.m.
APPLE TV — St. Louis at Chicago Cubs
6:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Boston at Pittsburgh (6:40 p.m.) OR Chicago White Sox at Detroit (6:40 p.m.)
7:15 p.m.
APPLE TV — N.Y. Yankees at Toronto
9:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Kansas City at L.A. Angels (9:38 p.m.) OR Colorado at San Francisco (10:15 p.m.)
NFL FOOTBALL
7 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: Tampa Bay at N.Y. Jets
WNBA BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m.
ION — Dallas at Indiana
10 p.m.
ION — Portland at Seattle
_____
Saturday, Aug. 15
AUTO RACING
10 a.m.
FS2 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, Streets of Markham, Markham, Ontario
2:25 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Qualifying, Streets of Markham, Markham, Ontario
7 p.m.
USA — NASCAR Cup Series: Cook Out 400, Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Va.
LACROSSE (MEN’S)
2 p.m.
ESPN — PLL: Maryland at Philadelphia
5 p.m.
ESPN — WLL Playoffs: TBD, Championship, Philadelphia
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Chicago White Sox at Detroit (1:10 p.m.)
4 p.m.
FS1 — Washington at N.Y. Mets (4:10 p.m.)
7 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: Arizona at Atlanta (7:15 p.m), Boston at Pittsburgh (7:15 p.m) OR Milwaukee at L.A. Dodgers (7:15 p.m)
NFL FOOTBALL
1 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: Cleveland at Chicago
4 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: L.A. Rams at Kansas City
8 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: Dallas at Seattle
SOCCER (MEN’S)
Noon
ABC — LaLiga: TBA
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — USL Championship: Charleston at Pittsburgh
SOFTBALL
7 p.m.
ESPNU — Athletes Unlimited All-Star Cup: TBD, Rosemont, Ill.
WNBA BASKETBALL
8 p.m.
CBS — Minnesota at Las Vegas
_____
Sunday, Aug. 16
AUTO RACING
8:30 a.m.
FS2 — NTT IndyCar Series: Warmup, Streets of Markham, Markham, Ontario
Noon
FOX — NTT IndyCar Series: Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham, Streets of Markham, Markham, Ontario
LACROSSE (MEN’S)
1 p.m.
ABC — PLL: New York at Philadelphia
MLB BASEBALL
Noon
NBCSN — Baltimore at Tampa Bay (12:15 p.m.)
PEACOCK — Baltimore at Tampa Bay (12:15 p.m.)
1:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Yankees at Toronto (1:37 p.m.) OR Arizona at Atlanta (1:35 p.m.)
3 p.m.
ABC — St. Louis at Chicago Cubs
7 p.m.
NBCSN — Seattle at Houston (7:20 p.m.)
PEACOCK — Seattle at Houston (7:20 p.m.)
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
9 p.m.
ESPN — NWSL: Washington at Angel City
SOFTBALL
8 p.m.
MLBN — Athletes Unlimited All-Star Cup: TBD, Rosemont, Ill.
WNBA BASKETBALL
5 p.m.
ESPN — Indiana at Atlanta
About The Author
