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  • Bulked-up Big Ten and SEC set to dominate college football on and off the field

    Bulked-up Big Ten and SEC set to dominate college football on and off the field

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    Faced with the prospect of dealing a potentially fatal blow to a conference it helped start more than 100 years ago, Oregon decided to leave the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten even though that meant taking half the annual revenue payout established members receive for several years.

    The Ducks really had no choice.

    In the new era of college football, there are three categories: Those who are in the Big Ten or the Southeastern Conference; those pondering how to get into the Big Ten or SEC; and those wondering if they are in danger of being left behind by the Big Ten and SEC.

    What You Need To Know

    • The days of the Power Five are over; now, it’s a Super Two

    • Three years of tumultuous and destructive conference realignment spawned the superconference era and there are none more powerful than the Big Ten and SEC — on the field and off

    • The 18-team Big Ten now stretches from coast to coast, with the additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, and features four of the top 10 teams in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, including defending national champion and No. 9 Michigan
    • The SEC welcomes former Big 12 powers Texas and Oklahoma, adding two schools with a combined 11 football national championships to a conference that has won 13 titles since 2006

    The days of the Power Five are over. Now, it’s a Super Two.

    Whether this is good for the overall health of major college athletics is uncertain. But for now, at a time when college sports has never been more volatile, the Big Ten and SEC are wealthy bastions of stability.

    “An incredibly strong conference, amazing TV deals, incredible partner, certainly exciting times to be part of the Big Ten,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said recently on the Navigating Sports Business podcast. “So lots of excitement from our student-athletes, our coaches. Our fans are thrilled.”

    Superconferences

    Three years of tumultuous and destructive conference realignment spawned the superconference era, and there are none more powerful than the Big Ten and SEC — on the field and off.

    The 18-team Big Ten now stretches from coast to coast, with the additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, and features four of the top 10 teams in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, including defending national champion and No. 9 Michigan.

    The SEC welcomes former Big 12 powers Texas and Oklahoma, adding two schools with a combined 11 football national championships to a conference that has won 13 titles since 2006. Four of the top six teams in the country right now are in the SEC, including No. 1 Georgia, one of nine SEC teams overall in the Top 25.

    The consolidation of more of college football’s biggest brands and traditional powers took the Pac-12 out of the picture and trimmed the Power Five to four.

    “I’m not sure that that’s what’s best for the health of college football nationally,” said former Fox Sports executive Bob Thompson. “Now, as a TV guy, if I’m going to pay increasing dollars, I’m going to want better match ups.”

    TV dollars

    As new mega media-rights deals kick in this season for the Big Ten and SEC, the revenue gap between the ACC and Big 12 will continue to grow. Those conferences have all but conceded that the competition — at least when it comes to comparing bank accounts — is for No. 3.

    On the field, the SEC is unmatched. At the bank, the Big Ten actually has a slight edge. According to tax filings released in May, the Big Ten reported revenue of $879.9 million compared with $852.6 million for the SEC.

    The ACC was a distant third even though it jumped from $617 million in 2021-22 to $707 million in 2022-23.

    The Pac-12, which saw 10 of its 12 members disperse to other conferences this summer, generated $603.9 million. The Big 12 was fifth at $510.7 million.

    The Super Two also threw their weight around in the latest negotiations for the newly expanded College Football Playoff. In the previous deal, the Power Five conferences took home about the same share of revenue from the CFP deal with ESPN.

    The new CFP contract with ESPN is worth $7.8 billion through the 2031 season and the Big Ten and SEC will split close to 60% of the revenue yearly — about $21 million per school while Big 12 and ACC schools take home $12 million to $13 million per year.

    SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti also created an advisory committee earlier this year where two conferences can work together — and without the ACC and Big 12 — on issues facing college sports. Only the Big Ten is truly in position to push back on the SEC — and vice versa — when it comes to shaping the future of college sports.

    “There’s going to be checks and balances between those two because they need each other,” former Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe said.

    Unrest

    As the separation grows, it creates instability in the other conferences.

    Florida State and Clemson have sued the ACC with an eye toward an affordable exit. FSU officials have cited the prospect of trying to keep up with Big Ten and SEC competitors with conference revenues that put the school at a $40 million per year disadvantage.

    There appears to be peace and alignment in the Big 12, which adds Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah this year, but for how long?

    “If Utah had a chance to go to the Big Ten tomorrow they would take it,” Beebe said. “And probably every other school in conferences that are making half as much money because it’s become about money — and they’re going to have payments to make to players.”

    As part of a $2.8 billion settlement of antitrusts lawsuits facing the NCAA and power conferences, the leagues have agreed to a revenue-sharing plan that would allow schools to direct about $21 million per year to athletes. The plan could be implemented as soon as next year if the settlement is approved quickly enough by a judge.

    What’s next?

    Tensions that caused unrest in the Big 12 for years, that led to the Pac-12’s break up and are currently creating angst in the ACC seem likely to find their way to the the Big Ten and SEC.

    “Those that have all the gold make all the rules, right? So if I was a member of the Big Ten or SEC, I’d start looking over my shoulder and wondering: When is the day going to come when the top of the SEC is not going to want the bottom of the SEC?” Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard told reporters in May.

    Thompson said he could see that day coming when the this round of TV contracts comes to an end in the early 2030s.

    Instead of more expansion, think Super League, where the upper crust of the SEC and Big Ten — Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, etc. — are lured away from those conferences into a new entity that delivers nothing but the most desirable made-for-TV matchups.

    “Unless you could somehow find a way to invent more days of the week, you don’t need any more Big Ten or SEC games. You need better Big Ten and SEC games,” Thompson said.

    For now, though, welcome to Year 1 of the Super Two.

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    Associated Press

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  • ER doctor singing national anthem at Bengals preseason game

    ER doctor singing national anthem at Bengals preseason game

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    CINCINNATI — As the Bengals play in their final preseason game Thursday, one local woman’s dream of singing the national anthem on the big stage is coming true. She shares how she is able to pursue both her dreams as a singer and as an emergency department doctor..

    What You Need To Know

    • Saie Joshi is an Emergency Medicine Resident Physician at UC Health

    • She’s also been a singer for most of her life

    • She will soon sing the national anthem on the biggest stage yet, at a Bengals preseason game

    • She hopes to inspire others to pursue multiple passions

    A time of day Saie Joshi looks forward to is spending time in music to decompress.

    Lately, that’s meant preparing for the biggest performance of her life.

    Joshi sings and plays some piano (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

    “Ever since I sort of got this opportunity with the Bengals, I have been only singing the national anthem over the last two months,” Joshi said.

    Joshi was chosen out of a pool of applicants to sing the national anthem at the Bengals final preseason game against the Colts.

    “I was so excited at that time,” she said. “I was like, oh, I got to prepare for this. Like, I got to make it perfect. So, yeah, I actually submitted the video just immediately after coming home from a night shift, and didn’t really think I would come of anything.”

    But Joshi is balancing singing with her full-time job.

    “I am a third-year emergency medicine resident physician,” she said.

    Joshi is an ER resident at UC Health (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

    “Patients that are experiencing the most difficult moments of their lives and I wanted to be their source of comfort,” she said.

    She says while her two passions may seem totally opposite, they actually help balance her.

    “At my job I make a lot of decisions that are game time decisions where it really matters what I do in the moment for that person, it’s very high stakes,” she said. “And then I feel like singing lets me express the fun, kind of lighter side of things.”

    Now she’s using every free moment outside of the hospital to perfect her rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner with help from her voice coach.

    Joshi works with her voice coach for final preparations ahead of her performance (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

    “It’s a big song to sing,” Joshi said. “It requires a lot of preparation. I have sung it before, but nothing to the caliber of, like, Paul Brown Stadium.”

    Whether she’s seen as a singer or as a doctor, she hopes she can inspire others that they can chase multiple dreams at a time.

    “Women can really be whatever they want to be,” she said. “They can be both things at once.”

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    Katie Kapusta

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  • Embattled Florida coach Billy Napier working to regain fans’ trust

    Embattled Florida coach Billy Napier working to regain fans’ trust

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Billy Napier jokes about it now. The Florida coach routinely makes light of his team’s inability to consistently get 11 men on the field.

    When asked about potential position battles in training camp last week, Napier quipped: “The reality is you only get to put 11 out there at once. We’re going to get 11 every play this year.”

    What You Need To Know

    • Gators coach Billy Napier could be coaching for this job this season

    • Florida has had back-to-back losing records for the first time since 1946-47

    • To try to correct the team’s mistakes, Napier overhauled his coaching staff and added some players from the transfer portal

    • The Gators will face eight teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 in the upcoming season

    The line drew cackles from the room. It was no laughing matter in 2023.

    The Gators looked so disorganized at times last year — mostly on special teams and reaching a low point during a home loss to Arkansas — that Napier and his job status became popular punchlines.

    Napier initially pushed back on questions regarding simple math. But he’s embraced it as a priority in 2024, and everyone realizes that Florida’s basic operations need to improve for Napier to regain the fan base’s trust and guarantee himself a fourth season in Gainesville.

    Napier is 11-14 through two years, becoming the first Gators coach since Raymond Wolf in 1946-47 with back-to-back losing seasons.

    “Every year you’ve got a set of problems, whether you lack momentum or you have momentum, whether you’ve had a great offseason and you’re coming off of a fantastic year, or maybe you struggled and didn’t quite perform the way you’d like,” Napier said. “You’ve got to view each team as its own entity, and you’ve got to try and be objective about how you make decisions.”

    Napier responded to last year’s 5-7 campaign, which included five consecutive losses and countless organizational issues, by layering nearly every aspect of his program. He hired a new defensive coordinator (Ron Roberts), a new special teams coordinator (Joe Houston), a new strength and conditioning coach (Tyler Miles) and even replaced the team nutritionist. He promoted Russ Callaway to co-offensive coordinator, although Napier is maintaining his play-calling role.

    The Gators are counting on immediate results, even though BetMGM oddsmakers placed their over/under win total at 4 ½ and Southeastern Conference media members picked them to finish 12th in the 16-team league.

    “That’s personal, man,” defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp said. “I feel like everybody that had something to say, everybody that (predicted) our failure and had a doubt in their mind about us … they are going to have live with that real soon.

    “May God have mercy on a lot of teams’ souls because I won’t. I promise you I won’t.”

    Mertz returns

    Napier calls quarterback Graham Mertz’s decision to stay in college “a huge deal” for the program. The former Wisconsin transfer completed nearly 73% of his passes last season for 2,903 yards, with 20 touchdowns and three interceptions. He missed the season finale against Florida State with a broken collarbone, but now he’s back for a second season with Napier.

    The Gators say they expect Mertz to have better protection in front of him and more playmakers, including transfer receivers Chimere Dike and Elijhah Badger.

    Defensive overhaul

    Defense was the biggest issue in 2023, with the Gators allowing more than 38 points a game over the second half of the season. Napier fired two assistants and essentially demoted 30-year-old coordinator Austin Armstrong.

    He also turned to the transfer portal for help, signing five potential starters on that side of the ball: defensive tackle Joey Slackman (Penn), linebacker Grayson Howard (South Carolina), defensive back DJ Douglas (Tulane), safety Asa Turner (Washington) and pass rusher George Gumbs Jr. (Northern Illinois).

    Game-changer?

    To help curb special teams miscues, Houston will use a “launch pad” on the sideline. The mat has circles for each special teams player to stand in, improving the chances of getting exactly 11 on the field.

    “It’s good to get organized in that scenario,” kicker Trey Smack said.

    The gauntlet

    The most daunting schedule in school history awaits, hardly ideal considering Napier is likely coaching for his job. The gauntlet begins against No. 19 Miami in the Swamp on Aug. 31 and includes a half-dozen more teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 college football poll. Three of those games are on the road (Tennessee, Texas, Florida State) in addition to the annual neutral side showdown with No. 1 Georgia in Jacksonville.

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    Associated Press

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  • Lofty goals remain as Florida State kicks off college football season Saturday

    Lofty goals remain as Florida State kicks off college football season Saturday

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    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It’s time.

    College football has arrived.

    There are a handful of games Saturday, notably highlighted by No. 10 Florida State taking on Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland.

    What You Need To Know

    • FSU faces Georgia Tech, Sat. in Ireland; Kickoff at noon EST

    • Seminoles coming off undefeated regular season, ACC crown and Orange Bowl loss to Georgia

    • Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei takes over at quarterback for FSU

    Led by defensive end Patrick Payton and offensive tackle Darius Washington, the Seminoles are a popular pick to repeat as Atlantic Coast Conference champions. The Seminoles missed out on a playoff bid a season ago despite an undefeated regualr season and ACC championship.

    The biggest change for the 2024 Seminoles will be on offense where record-setter Jordan Travis will no longer be under center. Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei takes over at quarterback for FSU. He’ll have fellow tranfers Malik Benson and Jalen Brown at the receiver postions, as well as a deep backfield and a still solid offensive line.  

    Florida State and Georgia Tech kick off at 12 p.m. EDT.

    Also on the slate: Norfolk State faces Florida A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta, and SMU visits Nevada.

    With the College Football Playoff expanding from four to 12 teams this season, FSU looks to be among the heavyweights vying for postseason spots. 

    The top four seeds and a first-round bye are only available to conference champions, no matter where they are ranked.

    Seeds five through eight will host seeds nine through 12 in first-round games on campus. Those games will be played on Dec. 20 (one game) and Dec. 21 (three).

    The quarterfinals will be played in traditional marquee bowls on Dec. 31 (Fiesta Bowl) and Jan. 1 (Peach, Rose, Sugar). The semifinals also will be played in bowl games. This year, that’s Jan. 9 at the Orange Bowl and Jan. 10 at the Cotton Bowl.

    This season’s championship game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 20, by far the latest a college football season has ended.

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    Associated Press

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  • Downs leads 4 Ohio State players selected to AP preseason All-America first team

    Downs leads 4 Ohio State players selected to AP preseason All-America first team

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    Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, one of the second-ranked Buckeyes’ high-profile transfers, and three of his new teammates were selected for the preseason Associated Press All-America team announced Monday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Downs, who was a second-team All-American as a freshman for Alabama last season, was joined by guard Donovan Jackson, receiver Emeka Egbuka and cornerback Denzel Burke

    • No. 1 Georgia and No. 9 Michigan each had three players picked for the first team
    • The defending national champion Wolverines are represented by tight end Colston Loveland, defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson

    Downs, who was a second-team All-American as a freshman for Alabama last season, was joined by guard Donovan Jackson, receiver Emeka Egbuka and cornerback Denzel Burke to give Ohio State the most first-team selections. Running back TreVeyon Henderson and defensive lineman Tyleik Williams made the second team to give the Buckeyes six total selections, also the most of any team.

    No. 1 Georgia and No. 9 Michigan each had three players picked for the first team. Quarterback Carson Beck was joined by fellow Bulldogs guard Tate Ratledge and defensive back Malaki Starks, a first-team All-American last year.

    The defending national champion Wolverines are represented by tight end Colston Loveland, defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson.

    No. 5 Alabama put two transfers on the first team in center Parker Brailsford (Washington) and kicker Graham Nicholson (Miami, Ohio).

    No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 13 LSU also had two first-team selections.

    The Fighting Irish had defensive tackle Howard Cross III and safety Xavier Watts selected. Watts was an All-American last season and Cross made the second team. The Tigers were represented by tackle Will Campbell and linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. on the first team.

    No. 3 Oregon placed three players on the second team, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a sixth-year player who transferred from Oklahoma after starting his career at UCF.

    First-team by conference

    SEC – 10.

    Big Ten – 8.

    ACC – 4

    Big 12 – 3

    Independent – 2.

    First team (offense)

    Quarterback — Carson Beck, fifth year, Georgia.

    Running backs — Ollie Gordon II, third year, Oklahoma State; Omarion Hampton, third year, North Carolina.

    Tackles — Will Campbell, third year, LSU; Kelvin Banks Jr., third year, Texas.

    Guards — Donovan Jackson, fourth year, Ohio State; Tate Ratledge, fifth year, Georgia.

    Center — Parker Brailsford, third year, Alabama.

    Tight end — Colston Loveland, third year, Michigan.

    Wide receivers — Luther Burden III, third year, Missouri; Tetairoa McMillan, third year, Arizona; Emeka Egbuka, fourth year, Ohio State.

    All-purpose player — Travis Hunter, third year, Colorado.

    Kicker — Graham Nicholson, fourth year, Alabama.

    First team (defense)

    Edge — James Pearce Jr., third year, Tennessee; Ashton Gillotte, fourth year, Louisville.

    Tackles — Mason Graham, third year, Michigan; Howard Cross III, sixth year, Notre Dame.

    Linebackers — Harold Perkins Jr., third year, LSU; Jay Higgins, fifth year, Iowa; Barrett Carter, fourth year, Clemson.

    Cornerbacks — Will Johnson, third year, Michigan; Denzel Burke, fourth year, Ohio State.

    Safeties — Malaki Starks, third year, Georgia; Caleb Downs, second year, Ohio State.

    Defensive back — Xavier Watts, fifth year, Notre Dame.

    Punter — Alex Mastromanno, fifth year, Florida State.

    Second team (offense)

    Quarterback — Dillon Gabriel, sixth year, Oregon.

    Running backs — TreVeyon Henderson, fourth year, Ohio State; Ashton Jeanty, third year, Boise State

    Tackles — Ajani Cornelius, fifth year, Oregon; Aireontae Ersery, fifth year, Minnesota.

    Guards — Tyler Booker, third year, Alabama; Dylan Fairchild, fourth year, Georgia.

    Center — Cooper Mays, fifth year, Tennessee.

    Tight end — Mitchell Evans, fourth year, Notre Dame.

    Wide receivers — Tez Johnson, fifth year, Oregon; Tre Harris, fifth year, Mississippi; Ricky White III, fifth year, UNLV.

    All-purpose player — Zachariah Branch, second year, Southern California.

    Kicker — Andres Borregales, fourth year, Miami.

    Second team (defense)

    Edge — Nic Scourton, third year, Texas A&M; Abdul Carter, third year, Penn State.

    Tackles — Tyleik Williams, fourth year, Ohio State; Deone Walker, third year, Kentucky.

    Linebackers — Danny Stutsman, fourth year, Oklahoma; Jason Henderson, fourth year, Old Dominion; Nick Martin, fourth year, Oklahoma State.

    Cornerbacks — Benjamin Morrison, third year, Notre Dame; Sebastian Castro, sixth year, Iowa.

    Safeties — Dillon Thieneman, second year, Purdue; Billy Bowman, fourth year, Oklahoma.

    Defensive back — Ricardo Hallman, fourth year, Wisconsin.

    Punter — James Ferguson-Reynolds, third year, Boise State.Related Stories

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    Associated Press

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  • Rays outlast Diamondbacks 8-7 in 12 innings

    Rays outlast Diamondbacks 8-7 in 12 innings

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Dylan Carlson hit an RBI single in the 12th inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 to complete a three-game sweep Sunday after blowing a six-run lead.

    Jonny DeLuca led off with a sacrifice bunt against Justin Martinez (5-4) that moved automatic runner Alex Jackson from second to third. Taylor Walls walked before Carlson won it with his base hit to left field.

    Martinez worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 11th.

    Arizona was without a hit for six innings before staging its late comeback.

    “It was an exciting game, you could say,” Carlson said. “There were a lot of good things done in the game. A lot of contributions from a lot of guys.”

    Edwin Uceta (1-0) struck out two in a scoreless inning to get his first major league win.

    Walls and Arizona’s Joc Pederson each had a run-scoring single in the 10th.

    Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen and Tyler Alexander lost a combined no-hit bid in the seventh when Corbin Carroll flared a single off Alexander to shallow left that Walls, the shortstop, nearly caught barehanded.

    Rasmussen tossed two perfect innings as the opener before Alexander allowed three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

    Carroll cut Arizona’s deficit to 6-3 on a two-run homer against Alexander in the eighth. Adrian Del Castillo tied it with a three-run homer off closer Pete Fairbanks in the ninth.

    “There’s some really good moments, and some really identifiable moments where we’ve got to improve,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We really fought hard. There’s no quit in this team. They’re hungry, and that’s what I’m going to focus on.”

    Fairbanks, who also blew a save on Friday, left with a lat strain with two outs in the ninth. He will be going on the injured list.

    Arizona star Ketel Marte aggravated his injured left ankle on a check-swing as a pinch hitter in the ninth and needed assistance to walk off the field. He was the designated hitter Saturday following a three-game absence because of a sprained left ankle.

    Lovullo had no update on Marte other than he was being examined.

    “It didn’t look great,” Lovullo said. “We need to probably re-evaulate and find out how quickly we can get him back.”

    Two other Arizona mainstays, first baseman Christian Walker (strained left oblique) and catcher Gabriel Moreno (strained left adductor), are on the injured list.

    The Diamondbacks have lost three in a row for the first time since June 26-28. They are still 30-13 since then and hold an NL wild-card spot.

    Brandon Lowe put the Rays up 2-0 in the third with a two-run homer off Merrill Kelly. José Caballero drove in two with a double during a three-run fifth that made it 5-0.

    “A lot of ups and downs,” Lowe said. “A lot of backs and forth just when you thought the game was done.”

    Kelly gave up six runs and eight hits over five-plus innings in his second start since returning from a strained right shoulder.

    Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz exited with a bruised left forearm after being hit by a pitch from Kelly leading off the first.

    Díaz, through a translator, said he is sore and considers himself day-to-day. X-rays were negative.

    Tampa Bay center fielder Jose Siri didn’t start for the third straight game after not running hard on a grounder Wednesday, but entered as a pinch hitter in the ninth. Rays manager Kevin Cash said before the game that Siri will start Monday night at Oakland.

    Siri declined to speak with reporters before Sunday’s game.

    UP NEXT

    Diamondbacks: The starters for Monday night’s game at Miami had not been announced.

    Rays: RHP Taj Bradley (6-7, 3.49 ERA) starts Monday night against Oakland RHP Joe Boyle (2-5, 7.39).

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    Associated Press

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  • Women’s pro soccer team Tampa Bay Sun ready to rise

    Women’s pro soccer team Tampa Bay Sun ready to rise

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    TAMPA, Fla. — This is history in the making.

    The Tampa Bay Sun prepares for their season opener and gets ready to put down their professional roots in a city that celebrates its pro teams.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Tampa Bay Sun open their season Sunday against Dallas

    • The Sun will play their home matches at Blake High School’s renovated stadium along the Hillsborough River

    • Playing in the USL Super League, the Sun are the first women’s professional team in Tampa Bay
    • All of their games will be streamed on Peacock


    “It’s just really special because we’re the only women’s team here in Tampa Bay,” Sun forward Ashley Clark said. “So that’s really cool.”

    Buccaneers, Lightning, Rays, Rowdies, and now Sun. These ladies have been working hard to establish themselves. The team features a lot of speed and experience. The product on the field is set up for success. It’s also set up to influence the next generation.

    “We’re going to have girls in the stands — the ball girls — that are watching and say, ‘You know what, I want to be like her one day,’” Clark said.

    Once relegated to playing the sport they love overseas, now Bradenton native Erika Tymrak gets to play in her own backyard. The former U.S. National Team member recalled the early beginnings of women’s professional soccer and the obstacles they had to overcome.

    “We didn’t have locker rooms. We didn’t have facilities. The medical treatment was subpar,” Tymrak said. “We were constantly changing pitches going from turf to grass to football fields. There was no consistency.”

    This generation of professional players has everything they need to be successful. The Sun have a new, state-of-the-art facility along the Hillsborough River, where they hope to pack the stands with fans. Sunday’s home opener is just the beginning of what they plan to sustain for a very long time.

    “It’s almost like there’s foundation that was built for a really long time that’s just breaking through and rising up,” Head coach Denise Schilte-Brown said. “And it just seems like it’s in every women’s sport. It’s our time to rise.”

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    Katherine Smith

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  • Tennis in the Land brings global community to Cleveland

    Tennis in the Land brings global community to Cleveland

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    CLEVELAND — Some of the world’s best women’s tennis pros will be in Cleveland this week for the fourth annual Tennis in the Land tournament. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Tennis in the Land is back in downtown Cleveland for the fourth year

    • It is one of only four professional women’s tennis tournaments in the country

    • Tennis in the Land lasts until Aug. 24


    The event kicks off Saturday in the West Bank of the Flats in downtown Cleveland.

    Alexa Brooks with Tennis in the Land said this is one of only four professional women’s tennis tournaments in the country, and it’s actually the reason she moved to Ohio.

    “I moved here especially since it’s a women’s tennis tournament,” Brooks said. “We are one of only four women’s tennis tournaments here in the United States, so it is such an honor to be able to work on a women’s-only tennis tournament.” 

    With the recent women’s sports boom, Ben Moore with Tennis in the Land said this tournament gives people a chance to join in on the excitement and watch some of the world’s top female tennis athletes up close.  

    He added that along with bringing in players from across the globe, people from all over the world are a part of the set up process and behind the scenes for the tournament. 

    “People who are helping us with our credentials operations from France, people from Vanuatu in the Pacific Islands, Spain. Out in the U.S. all the way from Hawaii,” Moore said. “Really trying to cover every aspect of the globe. We have an individual on the operations team from China we brought in.”

    Tennis in the land runs until the Aug. 24 with an ample amount of opportunities to watch tennis each day.  

    Brooks said there are plenty of other events taking place throughout the week, like Women in Sports Day on Saturday, which is free and open to the public. You can sign up on their website.

    “So we are going to have a group of about probably 100 women who work in sports as a networking and panel event,” she said. “So that is something that is super close to my heart, and it’s an honor to work at one of the only women’s tennis tournaments in the U.S.” 

    You can get your tickets here.

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    Kristen Anzuini

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  • OSU hockey to participate in Big Ten hockey series at Wrigley Field

    OSU hockey to participate in Big Ten hockey series at Wrigley Field

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University’s hockey programs will be playing in The Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series at Wrigley Field in Chicago in early January of next year.

    There will be three Big Ten men’s hockey games and a Western Collegiate Hockey Association women’s game, according to an OSU release.

    While the order of games has yet to be decided, the matchups have been set.

    Friday, Jan. 3, 2025:

    • Penn State vs. Notre Dame
    • Ohio State vs. Michigan

    Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025

    • Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (the Western Collegiate Hockey Association game)
    • Wisconsin vs. Michigan State

    OSU’s women’s team will also play against Wisconsin on Thursday, Jan. 2, in Madison. This replaces a scheduled series in February.

    This is also the fifth outdoor match for the men’s team “in the modern era,” according to the release. The women’s team played an outdoor game against Minnesota in 2020.

    Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 30. You can buy tickets here.

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    Cody Thompson

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  • Seminole pastor served Team USA in Paris Olympics

    Seminole pastor served Team USA in Paris Olympics

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    SEMINOLE, Fla. — Asif Shaikh is part of Team USA. But you won’t see him in any highlights.  

    What You Need To Know

    • Asif Shaikh helped American athletes perform their best in Paris by serving as Team USA’s Olympic chaplain

    • The Paris games were the fifth Olympics he has served in this role, sharing the Christian faith with some of the world’s greatest athletes

    • Shaikh helps athletes overcome anxiety before their event, and sometimes heartache after — especially with family members not allowed inside the Olympic village


    His work is behind the scenes.

    “Coming alongside them, encourage them. Anxiety is really high, especially when you’re dealing with high-level athletes that have the weight of their country on their shoulders, but they also have their brand, their sponsor. All of that just takes a toll,” Shaikh explained.

    He’s an Olympic chaplain for Team USA.

    The Paris games were the fifth Olympics he has served in this role, sharing the Christian faith with some of the world’s greatest athletes.

    “What I try to help the athletes do is understand that God has a really amazing plan for their life, and that plan is different than maybe what they had or maybe what the world has for them,” he reflected.

    We first connected with Shaikh four years ago, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Some of the athletes he was ministering then, like Grant Holloway, returned for the Paris games.

    Holloway won a gold in the 110-meter hurdles.

    “I wouldn’t say that it’s like a good luck charm or a rabbit’s foot type of thing, but it’s someone I’ve built a relationship with and I think that’s the key,” he said.

    Shaikh helps athletes overcome anxiety before their event, and sometimes heartache after — especially with family members not allowed inside the Olympic village. 

    “Here’s the thing. We have some athletes who have no family here, so someone like myself being able to be here in their corner is massive. This is huge,” Shaikh said.  

    His duties depend on the situation and the athlete who seeks guidance. But developing relationships is at the core of his work. 

    “I feel very honored to be in this role. I feel very honored to have these opportunities. To meet these parents, to work with my athletes, people who actually give me an open door to be with them,” Shaikh said.

    You won’t see him on the podium, but this Seminole pastor continues to be an important part of Team USA.

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    Olivia Stacey

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  • Having bid farewell to Saban, SEC welcomes Oklahoma and Texas to the mix

    Having bid farewell to Saban, SEC welcomes Oklahoma and Texas to the mix

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    Goodbye, Nick Saban. Hello, Oklahoma and Texas.

    For the first time in 17 years, Alabama’s iconic coach won’t be prowling the sidelines in the Southeastern Conference. With one longtime juggernaut headed to an ESPN gig and semi-retirement, two others enter the fray.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Sooners and Longhorns join the powerhouse league three years after announcing their departure from the Big 12

    • A league that had captured four straight national titles — including two straight from Georgia — before Michigan won it all last season, is now beefed up to 16 teams

    • For all that, some things haven’t changed: Kirby Smart and top-ranked Georgia are loaded with talent and regarded as the team to beat. Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns bring another current force into the mix with quarterback Quinn Ewers back after leading them to the College Football Playoff

    The Sooners and Longhorns join the powerhouse league three years after announcing their departure from the Big 12, and they will not have to face Saban, who won six of his major college record seven national championships with the Crimson Tide.

    “I think it’s a partnership of elite with elite,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “And, again, two programs that in the history of college football take a back seat to nobody. The SEC doesn’t take a back seat to anybody.”

    A league that had captured four straight national titles — including two straight from Georgia — before Michigan won it all last season, is now beefed up to 16 teams.

    For all that, some things haven’t changed: Kirby Smart and top-ranked Georgia are loaded with talent and regarded as the team to beat. Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns bring another current force into the mix with quarterback Quinn Ewers back after leading them to the College Football Playoff.

    Kalen DeBoer takes over in Tuscaloosa after leading Washington to the national championship game. Saban is gone, but the talent at ‘Bama isn’t.

    Mississippi and Missouri are also coming off 11-win seasons where both finished in the top 10. They return veteran quarterbacks — Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart and Missouri’s Brady Cook — and enviable playmakers at wide receiver.

    Top players to watch

    Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: Widely regarded as the Heisman Trophy front-runner going into the season, Beck led the SEC and ranked third nationally with 3,941 passing yards while completing 72.4% of his passes. Some of his top targets are gone, but the Bulldogs are loaded.

    Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri: One of college football’s top receivers. Burden was a second-team Associated Press All-American after ranking in the top 10 nationally with 1,212 receiving yards, along with nine touchdowns and 86 catches.

    Will Campbell, OL, LSU: The Tigers’ tackle has started 26 games in his first two seasons and allowed only three sacks in 1,687 snaps — all in his freshman year. The 6-foot-6, 320-pounder anchors a line that was among three finalists for the Joe Moore Award.

    Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: Ewers gives the league another experienced, talented passer and a potential Heisman candidate. He has 22 starts under his belt with 5,656 passing yards and 37 passing touchdowns.

    Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: A big-play threat running and passing, Milroe overcame a rocky start to emerge as one of the SEC’s top QBs. He even wound up sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

    James Pearce Jr., LB, Tennessee: Emerged as a pass rushing force last season despite starting only three games. The 6-foot-5, 243-pounder tied for the SEC lead with 10 sacks and his 14-1/2 tackles for loss ranked second.

    Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU: The 2022 first-team All-SEC pick has 26 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in 27 career games.

    Malaki Starks, DB, Georgia: A star on the Bulldogs’ loaded defense, Starks was a first-team AP All-American last season. He was also a finalist for two national awards.

    Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma: The two-year starter returns for his senior season with 267 career tackles, 28 of them going for a loss.

    New faces

    There isn’t a more compelling new face in college football than DeBoer, who has a gaudy 104-12 record in nine seasons as a head coach at various levels.

    Mike Elko takes over at Texas A&M after a stint at Duke. Former Oklahoma and Mississippi offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby is the new head man at Mississippi State.

    New coordinators abound across the league, but none more intriguing than Bobby Petrino. He takes over Sam Pittman’s offense at Arkansas, where he once reigned as head coach before getting fired in 2012 amid an off-field scandal.

    On the hot seat

    Pittman’s precarious job situation makes Petrino’s presence potentially both more vital. The Razorbacks managed only one league win and went 4-8 last season.

    Florida coach Billy Napier also may need to make significant strides after going 11-14 in his first two seasons. He faces a closing stretch against Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State but did sign five-star quarterback DJ Lagway.

    Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea is taking over as his own defensive coordinator after going 0-8 in SEC games last season.

    Games to watch

    Aug. 31, Georgia vs. Clemson (Atlanta); Sep. 7, Texas at Michigan; Sep. 21, Tennessee at Oklahoma; Sep. 28, Georgia at Alabama; Oct. 12, Texas vs. Oklahoma (Dallas); Oct. 19, Georgia at Texas; Oct. 28, Missouri at Alabama; Nov. 9, Georgia at Ole Miss; Nov. 23, Alabama at Oklahoma; Nov. 30, Texas at Texas A&M; Auburn at Alabama, Florida at Florida State.

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    Associated Press

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  • The Olympics may be over, but one Lakeland family is still celebrating

    The Olympics may be over, but one Lakeland family is still celebrating

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — When Lakeland native Monae’ Nichols competed in the long jump finals, her friends and family gathered around the TV at her grandparents house.

    She may have been more than 4,500 miles away in Paris, but her hometown support system made it feel like they were right there with her.

    What You Need To Know

    • Lakeland native Monae’ Nichols competed in her first Olympics in the long jump

    • Nichols began her track and field career at Auburndale High School, where she still holds records in the long and triple jump

    • Her family held an Olympics watch party at her grandparents home in Lakeland


    Her Auburndale High School coach was there. She’s got lots of memories stored on her phone, from the very beginning of Monae’s track career.

    “Monae’, she still has the long jump record, the long and the triple jump record at Auburndale High School,” Sheryl Covington-Thomas said. “So you know, just from the very beginning, I just knew she was destined for greatness.”

    That greatness landed her in Paris in her first Olympics. Her Nana, Audrey Nichols, watched the qualifying competition on her phone and when Monae’ clinched a spot on the U.S. Olympic team on her final jump, Nana couldn’t contain her excitement.

    “I was like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, she made it, she made it,’” Audrey Nichols said.

    That’s what the Olympics does. It brings out all the feels, especially when it’s a loved one going for the gold. These family members have been watching Monae’s journey from the very beginning.

    “We have watched Monae grow, and she has come a long way,” her grandfather, Byron Nichols, said. “From running in school to No. 6 or 7 in the Olympics, that is a great achievement.”

    Monae finished sixth, missing out on a medal at her first Olympics. But that didn’t damper the party. The Nichols celebration had it all. Food, faith and family. Most of all, family.

    This is a tight-knit group that sweated out each approach and cheered every jump. And a family that still sees Monae’ as their golden girl.

    “It’s just a wonderful, wonderful experience,” Byron said. “It’s a little nerve-wracking because of course all the Olympians family want their family to come in first. But we are so grateful and it’s so wonderful to see the winners and those who will try again. That gives us hope.”

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    Katherine Smith

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  • Georgia, Ohio State top preseason AP Top 25

    Georgia, Ohio State top preseason AP Top 25

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    Georgia is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason college football poll for the second straight year as the superconference era begins with the SEC and Big Ten dominating the top 10 of the rankings.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Big Ten and SEC each have four teams in the top 10

    • The Bulldogs received 46 first-place votes and 1,532 points in the Top 25 released Monday and the SEC powerhouse finished comfortably ahead of No. 2 Ohio State (15 first-place votes and 1,490 points) of the Big Ten

    • Alabama, in its first season without coach Nick Saban since 2006, starts No. 5. No. 6 Mississippi gives the SEC half the top preseason top six

    The Bulldogs received 46 first-place votes and 1,532 points in the Top 25 released Monday and the SEC powerhouse finished comfortably ahead of No. 2 Ohio State (15 first-place votes and 1,490 points) of the Big Ten.

    New Big Ten member Oregon is No. 3, receiving one first-place vote from the panel of 62 media members who cover college football. Texas, which joins Georgia in the Southeastern Conference this season, is fourth.

    The Big Ten and SEC each have four teams in the top 10.

    Conference realignment has reduced the Power Five to the Power Four, with the Pac-12 whittled to just two schools. The Big Ten now has 18 schools. The Atlantic Coast Conference has 17 football teams, and the SEC and Big 12 each have 16.

    All the movement created an unprecedented preseason poll with just four conferences represented: The SEC leads with nine ranked teams. The Big Ten has six, the Big 12 has five and the ACC has four.

    Alabama, in its first season without coach Nick Saban since 2006, starts No. 5. No. 6 Mississippi gives the SEC half the top preseason top six.

    Independent Notre Dame is the highest ranked team from outside the SEC and Big Ten at No. 7.

    No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Michigan give the Big Ten four top-10 teams. Florida State from the ACC is No. 10.

    Title game finalists

    The defending national champion Wolverines said goodbye to coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and 12 other players who were selected in April’s NFL draft. All that attrition led to Michigan receiving the lowest preseason ranking for a defending national champion since 2011, when Auburn was No. 23 after the departure of Cam Newton.

    Before that, the last time a defending national champion was ranked worse than No. 7 in the following preseason poll was Colorado at No. 13 in 1991.

    Washington, which lost to Michigan in the College Football Playoff championship game, took an even bigger fall after losing its head coach (Kalen DeBoer replaced Saban at Alabama), star quarterback and a mountain of talent to the draft and transfer portal. The Huskies are the first team to reach the CFP and be unranked the following season.

    Top-ranked ‘Dawgs’

    Georgia started last season at No. 1 in pursuit of a record third straight national championship. Coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs stayed there the whole regular season, and then missed the four-team playoff by losing the SEC title game to Alabama.

    “We’re dealing with new challenges this year,” Smart said at SEC media days. “We don’t have a chip on our shoulder in terms of people trying to use that as motivation. I’ve never used a failure from the previous year as motivation and never used the success of a previous year as motivation; we won’t do that this year. That’s not who we are. We want to recreate ourselves to stay in the best light we can.”

    There will be more room for error this season with the playoff expanding from four to 12 teams.

    The Bulldogs are 42-2 over the last three seasons and loaded again. Quarterback Carson Beck leads the offense and edge rusher Mykel Williams is in line to be the next defensive star at Georgia.

    Beck is a rarity in college football these days, a star quarterback in his fifth season with the same school who waited three years to become starter. Beck completed 72% of his passes last year, with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.

    “He is a great elder for us and great example of resiliency in college football,” Smart said.

    Repeating as preseason No. 1 is a recent trend. Going back eight seasons, Alabama had separate streaks of three (2016-18) and two (2021-22) years as preseason No. 1. Clemson was top-ranked in the 2019 and ’20 preseason rankings.

    Georgia will try to become the 12th team since the AP preseason poll started in 1950 to start No. 1 and finish No. 1. The last was Alabama in 2017.

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    Associated Press

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  • Georgia, Ohio State top preseason AP Top 25

    Georgia, Ohio State top preseason AP Top 25

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    Georgia is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason college football poll for the second straight year as the superconference era begins with the SEC and Big Ten dominating the top 10 of the rankings.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Big Ten and SEC each have four teams in the top 10

    • The Bulldogs received 46 first-place votes and 1,532 points in the Top 25 released Monday and the SEC powerhouse finished comfortably ahead of No. 2 Ohio State (15 first-place votes and 1,490 points) of the Big Ten

    • Alabama, in its first season without coach Nick Saban since 2006, starts No. 5. No. 6 Mississippi gives the SEC half the top preseason top six

    The Bulldogs received 46 first-place votes and 1,532 points in the Top 25 released Monday and the SEC powerhouse finished comfortably ahead of No. 2 Ohio State (15 first-place votes and 1,490 points) of the Big Ten.

    New Big Ten member Oregon is No. 3, receiving one first-place vote from the panel of 62 media members who cover college football. Texas, which joins Georgia in the Southeastern Conference this season, is fourth.

    The Big Ten and SEC each have four teams in the top 10.

    Conference realignment has reduced the Power Five to the Power Four, with the Pac-12 whittled to just two schools. The Big Ten now has 18 schools. The Atlantic Coast Conference has 17 football teams, and the SEC and Big 12 each have 16.

    All the movement created an unprecedented preseason poll with just four conferences represented: The SEC leads with nine ranked teams. The Big Ten has six, the Big 12 has five and the ACC has four.

    Alabama, in its first season without coach Nick Saban since 2006, starts No. 5. No. 6 Mississippi gives the SEC half the top preseason top six.

    Independent Notre Dame is the highest ranked team from outside the SEC and Big Ten at No. 7.

    No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Michigan give the Big Ten four top-10 teams. Florida State from the ACC is No. 10.

    Title game finalists

    The defending national champion Wolverines said goodbye to coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and 12 other players who were selected in April’s NFL draft. All that attrition led to Michigan receiving the lowest preseason ranking for a defending national champion since 2011, when Auburn was No. 23 after the departure of Cam Newton.

    Before that, the last time a defending national champion was ranked worse than No. 7 in the following preseason poll was Colorado at No. 13 in 1991.

    Washington, which lost to Michigan in the College Football Playoff championship game, took an even bigger fall after losing its head coach (Kalen DeBoer replaced Saban at Alabama), star quarterback and a mountain of talent to the draft and transfer portal. The Huskies are the first team to reach the CFP and be unranked the following season.

    Top-ranked ‘Dawgs’

    Georgia started last season at No. 1 in pursuit of a record third straight national championship. Coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs stayed there the whole regular season, and then missed the four-team playoff by losing the SEC title game to Alabama.

    “We’re dealing with new challenges this year,” Smart said at SEC media days. “We don’t have a chip on our shoulder in terms of people trying to use that as motivation. I’ve never used a failure from the previous year as motivation and never used the success of a previous year as motivation; we won’t do that this year. That’s not who we are. We want to recreate ourselves to stay in the best light we can.”

    There will be more room for error this season with the playoff expanding from four to 12 teams.

    The Bulldogs are 42-2 over the last three seasons and loaded again. Quarterback Carson Beck leads the offense and edge rusher Mykel Williams is in line to be the next defensive star at Georgia.

    Beck is a rarity in college football these days, a star quarterback in his fifth season with the same school who waited three years to become starter. Beck completed 72% of his passes last year, with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.

    “He is a great elder for us and great example of resiliency in college football,” Smart said.

    Repeating as preseason No. 1 is a recent trend. Going back eight seasons, Alabama had separate streaks of three (2016-18) and two (2021-22) years as preseason No. 1. Clemson was top-ranked in the 2019 and ’20 preseason rankings.

    Georgia will try to become the 12th team since the AP preseason poll started in 1950 to start No. 1 and finish No. 1. The last was Alabama in 2017.

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    Associated Press

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  • U.S. women hold off France to win eighth straight Olympic basketball gold medal

    U.S. women hold off France to win eighth straight Olympic basketball gold medal

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    The U.S. women’s basketball team had to overcome its greatest challenge in 32 years before extending its unprecedented run to eight straight Olympic gold medals. Led by A’ja Wilson, the Americans Sunday came away with another victory at the Paris Games, maybe sweeter than any other during the streak.

    What You Need To Know

    • A’ja Wilson scored 21 points and the U.S. survived the biggest challenge of its unprecedented run to eight straight gold medals with a 67-66 win over France on Sunday
    • No team had been able to push the Americans during this impressive streak of 61 consecutive wins. Only two of those victories had been by single digits before the game against France
    • The eight straight golds broke a tie with the American men’s program that won seven in a row from 1936-68
    • The women’s victory came less than 24 hours after the U.S. men’s team also beat France
    • This was the first time in Olympic history that both gold medal games featured the same two teams



    Wilson scored 21 points and the U.S. survived a last-second shot by Gabby Williams that was just inside the 3-point line to hold off France for a 67-66 win.

    No team had been able to push the Americans during this impressive streak of 61 consecutive wins. Only two of those victories had been by single digits before the game against France.

    “It’s amazing. It truly is a dynasty that we have built here at USAB has been incredible,” Wilson said. “And I am so proud of the resilience that my team showed. We could have fumbled it many times, but we pulled through. To say I am a two-time gold medalist, I am so blessed.”

    The eight straight golds broke a tie with the American men’s program that won seven in a row from 1936-68. The women’s victory came less than 24 hours after the U.S. men’s team also beat France in the title game. This was the first time in Olympic history that both gold medal games featured the same two teams.

    Unlike the men’s game this one came down to the final minute and one last shot by France that was just inside the 3-point line.

    The Americans were up 67-64 with 3.9 seconds left after Kahleah Copper hit two free throws. Marine Johannes brought the ball up the court to Williams and the former UConn standout caught the ball just inside the 3-point line and banked in over the outstretched arms of Breanna Stewart for the final margin.

    There was a brief delay before the officials signaled that it was a two-point shot, which led to the beginning of a celebration and a lot of happy hugs for the Americans and left the French players standing in disbelief after falling just short.

    “Gabby hit some great shots down the end, tough shots,” Wilson said. “We understood what we had in our locker room and leaning on each other and talking to one another and believing that we believed in each other and that’s the greatest thing about it.”

    The American players went celebrate with the celebrities sitting courtside that included men’s basketball players LeBron James, Bam Adebayo, Derrick White, along with U.S. women’s greats Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird and Dawn Staley.

    Williams, who finished with 19 points, had hit a deep 3 a few seconds earlier to get France within one before Copper’s free throws. She got a consoling hug from Staley.

    The victory gave Diana Taurasi a sixth consecutive gold medal, making her the most decorated basketball player in Olympic history, breaking a tie with longtime teammate Sue Bird, who won five.

    Taurasi, who didn’t play in the gold medal game, has been humble about the potential record, saying she cares more about the team winning than her individual success.

    It’s been a trying Olympics for her as she didn’t start any of the knockout phase games, the first time she wasn’t in the opening lineup since the 2004 Olympics.

    Australia edged Belgium 85-81 in the bronze medal game earlier Sunday.

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    Associated Press

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  • U.S. women on cusp of record 8th consecutive gold medal in basketball

    U.S. women on cusp of record 8th consecutive gold medal in basketball

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    PARIS (AP) — The U.S. women’s basketball team isn’t focused on its record Olympic winning streak or the history the team would make with one more victory.

    What You Need To Know

    • With a victory on Sunday, the U.S. women’s legacy would stretch to 61 consecutive wins in Olympic contests and a record eight straight gold medals

    • A victory would give Diana Taurasi a sixth consecutive gold medal, making her the most decorated basketball player in Olympic history, breaking a tie with longtime teammate Sue Bird, who won five

    • Standing in the way is a French team that will be spurred on by a loud, energetic crowd. The game will be a rematch from the 2012 London Olympics, which the U.S. won by 36 points

    • Sunday’s game will cap off a weekend in which France and the U.S. play for both the men’s and women’s gold medal. It’s the first time that’s happened in Olympic history

    The Americans are simply concentrating on beating France and winning the gold medal at the Paris Games on Sunday.

    “The winning streak doesn’t mean a lot. But to win it all, it means the world to me,” star A’ja Wilson said. “I can’t really pay attention to a lot of streaks. I feel like that’s just added-on pressure. But to come here and keep the main thing the main thing and winning it, it’s something that going to mean the world to me. To continue to be a part of the legacy, the journey that this team, to wear this jersey and others that have here before me, is awesome. So, it’s going to mean a lot for us.”

    With a victory on Sunday, the U.S. women’s legacy would stretch to 61 consecutive wins in Olympic contests and a record eight straight gold medals. That would break a tie with the U.S. men’s program that won seven in a row from 1936-68.

    A victory would give Diana Taurasi a sixth consecutive gold medal, making her the most decorated basketball player in Olympic history, breaking a tie with longtime teammate Sue Bird, who won five.

    Taurasi has been humble about the potential record, saying she cares more about the team winning than her individual success. It’s been a trying Olympics for her as she hasn’t started the last two games, the first time she wasn’t in the opening lineup since the 2004 Olympics.

    Standing in the way is a French team that will be spurred on by a loud, energetic crowd. The game will be a rematch from the 2012 London Olympics, which the U.S. won by 36 points.

    “I think it will be an incredible atmosphere. I think that when you play the host country in their country, you expect it to be off the chain,” U.S. wing Breanna Stewart said. “Obviously in Tokyo we played Japan, but there was no spectators. And you want that, you want that loud excitement.”

    The Americans have put together strong halves and quarters but still haven’t played a great 40 minutes. That’s been good enough to run through the Olympics so far, with no team able to come within single digits of them.

    The French players know they have a tall task in front of them to capture the country’s first gold medal and pull off the monumental upset.

    “You have to believe if you want to do something special,” French wing Gabby Williams said. “What I love is, is our connection between us and our belief in each other. And if anything’s going to bring us gold, it’s going to be that.”

    French guard Marine Johannes knows who’s on the other team.

    “All the best players in the world. But like I said earlier, we have nothing to lose,” she said. “We are going to play hard.”

    Sunday’s game will cap off a weekend in which France and the U.S. play for both the men’s and women’s gold medal. It’s the first time that’s happened in Olympic history.

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  • Contract holdouts and hold-ins cast a shadow over NFL contenders

    Contract holdouts and hold-ins cast a shadow over NFL contenders

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    SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Whether it’s star players holding out of training camp or holding in by reporting and not practicing, contract disputes are playing a prominent role across the NFL this summer.

    What You Need To Know

    • Contract disputes are playing a prominent role across the NFL this summer

    • Some of the top contenders to compete for the Super Bowl are headed into the first full weekend of exhibition games with some of their most important players unwilling to take the practice field before they get new contracts

    • San Francisco is locked in contract disputes with star receiver Brandon Aiyuk and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams

    • Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb, Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and the New York Jets’ Hasson Redick are among the other stars not practicing

    Some of the top contenders to compete for the Super Bowl are headed into the first full weekend of exhibition games with some of their most important players unwilling to take the practice field before they get new contracts.

    The issue is most prevalent in San Francisco, where the defending NFC champion 49ers are preparing for the season with second-team All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk refusing to practice unless he gets a new contract or is traded and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams back at home in Texas waiting for a new deal.

    The frustration level is growing for the 49ers, who have given Aiyuk’s representatives permission to seek out a possible trade with no resolution so far more than two weeks into camp.

    Aiyuk is attending meetings and even has been out watching practice — and exchanging hugs and handshakes with coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch — as he avoids daily fines of $40,000 for players on rookie contracts by being in camp.

    Williams is being fined $50,000 a day for holding out but Shanahan sees little practical difference in the two approaches since neither player is actually practicing.

    “It’s nice not fining guys, but there’s not much of a difference,” he said.

    Two other star receivers are in similar situations to Aiyuk with Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb holding out of Cowboys camp and Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase “holding in” with the Bengals.

    Shanahan isn’t the only one bewildered by the process. Lamb responded with an “lol” on social media Thursday to a post quoting Dallas owner Jerry Jones saying he had no “urgency to get it done.”

    The other prominent contract holdout this summer is edge rusher Haason Reddick, who has refused to report to the New York Jets after being acquired in the offseason in a trade from Philadelphia.

    Here’s a look at the key holdouts and “hold ins” this summer:

    Brandon Aiyuk

    San Francisco’s top wideout has been looking to get paid that way this offseason instead of playing out the fifth year worth about $14.1 million. Ten receivers have signed contracts this offseason worth at least $70 million, with Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million extension with Minnesota setting the top of the market.

    Aiyuk’s numbers aren’t as prolific as some of the top receivers, in part because he plays on an offense that runs at the second-highest rate in the NFL and is filled with other playmakers. But he still managed 75 catches for a career-high 1,375 yards last season with his 12.8 average yards receiving per target the highest mark for any player with at least 75 targets in more than a decade.

    Trent Williams

    As important as Aiyuk is to San Francisco’s offense, Williams is even more irreplaceable with the Niners sputtering in his brief absence last season. Williams has been a first-team All-Pro for three straight seasons and is widely considered the top offensive lineman in the league.

    Williams likely wants to get paid that way. He signed a six-year, $138.1 million contract before the 2021 season, making his average annual salary now sixth best among tackles after Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw all signed big-money deals this offseason.

    CeeDee Lamb

    Lamb is also going into the last year of his rookie contract after being drafted 17th overall in 2020. He led the NFL in receptions last season (135) and was second in yards receiving (1,749) and third in touchdown receptions (12).

    Lamb already skipped minicamp in June, a decision that came one day after Jefferson agreed to the most valuable contract for a non-quarterback in league history.

    Lamb and Jefferson are effectively neck-and-neck in career statistics after being selected six picks apart in the first round in 2020. Lamb has increased his production each season and was a first-team All-Pro in 2023.

    Haason Reddick

    The Jets traded for Reddick this offseason without coming to an agreement with him about his contract. Reddick was scheduled to make $14.25 million in base salary in the final year of his deal and has already sacrificed about $1 million in fines and forfeited workout bonuses in search of a bigger contract.

    Reddick, a first-round pick by Arizona in 2017, has double-digit sacks in four straight seasons, including 27 during the past two years with the Eagles. He’s expected to boost the Jets’ pass rush while replacing Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers on the defensive line.

    Ja’Marr Chase

    The Bengals came into the offseason with contract issues with both of their star receivers. They didn’t reach a long-term deal with Tee Higgins, who signed his franchise tag and is playing out his final year before free agency.

    Cincinnati still has control of Chase for longer with a fifth-year option for 2025 and a possible franchise tag after that. But he wants to get paid sooner and is refusing to practice without a deal.

    Joe Burrow’s former college teammate at LSU has built a great rapport with him in the NFL since being picked fifth overall in 2021.

    In three seasons, Chase has 268 catches for 3,717 yards and 29 TDs

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  • Contract holdouts and hold-ins cast a shadow over NFL contenders

    Contract holdouts and hold-ins cast a shadow over NFL contenders

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    SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Whether it’s star players holding out of training camp or holding in by reporting and not practicing, contract disputes are playing a prominent role across the NFL this summer.

    What You Need To Know

    • Contract disputes are playing a prominent role across the NFL this summer

    • Some of the top contenders to compete for the Super Bowl are headed into the first full weekend of exhibition games with some of their most important players unwilling to take the practice field before they get new contracts

    • San Francisco is locked in contract disputes with star receiver Brandon Aiyuk and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams

    • Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb, Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and the New York Jets’ Hasson Redick are among the other stars not practicing

    Some of the top contenders to compete for the Super Bowl are headed into the first full weekend of exhibition games with some of their most important players unwilling to take the practice field before they get new contracts.

    The issue is most prevalent in San Francisco, where the defending NFC champion 49ers are preparing for the season with second-team All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk refusing to practice unless he gets a new contract or is traded and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams back at home in Texas waiting for a new deal.

    The frustration level is growing for the 49ers, who have given Aiyuk’s representatives permission to seek out a possible trade with no resolution so far more than two weeks into camp.

    Aiyuk is attending meetings and even has been out watching practice — and exchanging hugs and handshakes with coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch — as he avoids daily fines of $40,000 for players on rookie contracts by being in camp.

    Williams is being fined $50,000 a day for holding out but Shanahan sees little practical difference in the two approaches since neither player is actually practicing.

    “It’s nice not fining guys, but there’s not much of a difference,” he said.

    Two other star receivers are in similar situations to Aiyuk with Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb holding out of Cowboys camp and Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase “holding in” with the Bengals.

    Shanahan isn’t the only one bewildered by the process. Lamb responded with an “lol” on social media Thursday to a post quoting Dallas owner Jerry Jones saying he had no “urgency to get it done.”

    The other prominent contract holdout this summer is edge rusher Haason Reddick, who has refused to report to the New York Jets after being acquired in the offseason in a trade from Philadelphia.

    Here’s a look at the key holdouts and “hold ins” this summer:

    Brandon Aiyuk

    San Francisco’s top wideout has been looking to get paid that way this offseason instead of playing out the fifth year worth about $14.1 million. Ten receivers have signed contracts this offseason worth at least $70 million, with Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million extension with Minnesota setting the top of the market.

    Aiyuk’s numbers aren’t as prolific as some of the top receivers, in part because he plays on an offense that runs at the second-highest rate in the NFL and is filled with other playmakers. But he still managed 75 catches for a career-high 1,375 yards last season with his 12.8 average yards receiving per target the highest mark for any player with at least 75 targets in more than a decade.

    Trent Williams

    As important as Aiyuk is to San Francisco’s offense, Williams is even more irreplaceable with the Niners sputtering in his brief absence last season. Williams has been a first-team All-Pro for three straight seasons and is widely considered the top offensive lineman in the league.

    Williams likely wants to get paid that way. He signed a six-year, $138.1 million contract before the 2021 season, making his average annual salary now sixth best among tackles after Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw all signed big-money deals this offseason.

    CeeDee Lamb

    Lamb is also going into the last year of his rookie contract after being drafted 17th overall in 2020. He led the NFL in receptions last season (135) and was second in yards receiving (1,749) and third in touchdown receptions (12).

    Lamb already skipped minicamp in June, a decision that came one day after Jefferson agreed to the most valuable contract for a non-quarterback in league history.

    Lamb and Jefferson are effectively neck-and-neck in career statistics after being selected six picks apart in the first round in 2020. Lamb has increased his production each season and was a first-team All-Pro in 2023.

    Haason Reddick

    The Jets traded for Reddick this offseason without coming to an agreement with him about his contract. Reddick was scheduled to make $14.25 million in base salary in the final year of his deal and has already sacrificed about $1 million in fines and forfeited workout bonuses in search of a bigger contract.

    Reddick, a first-round pick by Arizona in 2017, has double-digit sacks in four straight seasons, including 27 during the past two years with the Eagles. He’s expected to boost the Jets’ pass rush while replacing Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers on the defensive line.

    Ja’Marr Chase

    The Bengals came into the offseason with contract issues with both of their star receivers. They didn’t reach a long-term deal with Tee Higgins, who signed his franchise tag and is playing out his final year before free agency.

    Cincinnati still has control of Chase for longer with a fifth-year option for 2025 and a possible franchise tag after that. But he wants to get paid sooner and is refusing to practice without a deal.

    Joe Burrow’s former college teammate at LSU has built a great rapport with him in the NFL since being picked fifth overall in 2021.

    In three seasons, Chase has 268 catches for 3,717 yards and 29 TDs

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  • Stephen ‘Pommel Horse Guy’ Nedoroscik trains in Bay area

    Stephen ‘Pommel Horse Guy’ Nedoroscik trains in Bay area

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    BRADENTON, Fla. — Stephen Nedoroscik was not a household name going into the summer Olympics in Paris.

    But he became a hero overnight and has captured two bronze medals as the internet has dubbed him the “pommel horse guy” and “Clark Kent” because of the glasses he takes off before competing.


    Nedoroscik trains in the Bay area and shared his journey with Spectrum Sports 360 before he left for the Games.

    He said his love for gymnastics began at an early age.

    “I started gymnastics when I was 4-and-a-half,” he said. “It didn’t take long for that Olympic dream to blossom. A lot of role models, a lot of people I looked up to that I wanted to be in their shoes one day. 

    But he later realized his path to get there may look a little different.

    He won the Junior Olympic national title in 2015 on the pommel horse. By the time he got to college at Penn State, he made that his focus. 

    “When I went to college, I won NCAA’s my freshman year and sophomore year and said, ‘You know what? Specialists don’t really get on the national team, but I’m making a pretty good argument for myself,’” he said. “And pretty soon, I did make that as well.” 

    U.S. men’s gymnastics switched up their strategy for this Olympic Games.

    Rather than assign all five spots to “all-around gymnasts,” the U.S. gave one spot on the team to Nedoroscik.

    The pommel horse is a notoriously difficult apparatus and a weak spot for many teams.

    “It takes 10 years to get to the point where you can just do a perfect circle,” Nedoroscik said. “And, you know, not a lot of people can get to that point because it’s an extremely difficult event.”

    “This is kind of like the women’s balance beam where (if) you’re off by a millimeter, you’re on the ground,” he added. “Luckily for me, it was something that came almost naturally, and I really just liked the grind.”

    During the team competition, Nedoroscik executed flawlessly, helping the U.S. men’s team win a medal for the first time in 16 years.

    Nedoroscik moved to Bradenton to train with EVO Gymnastics in 2023, where he trains alongside national teammates including two-time Olympian Brody Malone.

    “An opportunity came around here at EVO Gymnastics where I could train with a couple of my national team friends, and become actual teammates with them,” he said. “And it was kind of an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.

    “The coaching staff that we have has really helped me grow as a person and an athlete, and it’s gotten me where I am right now.”

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    Olivia Stacey

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  • Sam Watson beats U.S. teammate to break own climbing record

    Sam Watson beats U.S. teammate to break own climbing record

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    There were mixed feelings for American Sam Watson after he broke his own world record for speed sport climbing at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

    What You Need To Know

    • American Sam Watson broke his own world record for speed sport climbing at the Paris Olympics

    • Watson, who accomplished the feat in an elimination heat, said “it sucks” to have done so against American teammate Zach Hammer

    • Watson broke the world record not long after Leonardo Veddriq of Indonesia had equaled his previous mark of 4.79

    • Athletes have found fast walls at the sport climbing venue and have been setting several personal and Olympic records; everyone who qualified for the final improved on the previous Olympic record of 5.45 from the Tokyo Games



    He accomplished the feat in an elimination heat against American teammate Zach Hammer.

    “It sucks, there’s no better way to put that,” Watson said. “I love him, he’s like a brother to me. We’ve trained so much together. It means so much to be on the stage with him, regardless of how that ends up.”

    Watson set the time of 4.75 seconds to improve his mark of 4.79 from the Wujiang World Cup in April.

    He blamed himself for not getting a faster time in the qualification run that determined the seedings, which would have likely allowed him to avoid going against Hammer.

    “I think I honestly had a little bit of fault in the fact that I couldn’t get a faster second run and get the one seed going in,” he said. “But, I mean, he really did leave it all out there, and I hope he’s proud of himself.”

    Hammer was.

    “It sucks that it happened to be at the biggest event,” Hammer said. “Although, I’m very proud of myself, and I’m very happy that I — even though I’m tearing up now — I really enjoyed this whole experience.”

    Hammer said it’s “fun” but “never great” to face his teammate.

    “We race a ton in practice, so we’re comfortable together,” he said. “But you know that only one can move on. So, yeah, it did kind of sting. But Sam and I are really close friends. It ended up fine. You know, we gave each other a big hug afterward. It was a good moment. And I’m super happy for him. And he was just happy for me.”

    Watson said it took a while to sink in that he had just beaten Hammer, who congratulated him on the world record immediately after the race.

    “I hit the buzzer at first, and then I looked over, I gave a salute to the crowd, and then I realized, ‘Man, this is against Zach,’” Watson said. “And we’ve had a lot of conversations together, and I’m really, really, really proud of him. And I gave him a big hug. And I truly believe that he’ll continue going on the world stage and being the best athlete he can alongside me.”

    Watson broke the world record not long after Leonardo Veddriq of Indonesia had equaled his previous mark of 4.79.

    “I was thrilled with the record, but I knew Watson was still going to compete and that he had the potential to take it away from me again,” Veddriq said through a translator.

    Athletes have found fast walls at the sport climbing venue and have been setting several personal and Olympic records. Everyone who qualified for the final improved on the previous Olympic record of 5.45 from the Tokyo Games.

    It also helps that this time the speed event is not linked to the boulder and lead events, as was the case three years ago in Tokyo, when only one gold medal was awarded after athletes competed in all three disciplines and the final scores reflected the combined results. In Paris, two gold medals will be awarded for the men and women — one will be a combined competition of bouldering and lead, and the second will only feature a speed event.

    “I think the idea of having its own medal definitely incentivized that and allowed speed — and bouldering lead — to have their own positive platforms, and I’m really happy that’s the case,” Watson said.

    On Monday, Aleksandra Miroslaw of Poland twice broke her own sport climbing world record in the women’s speed. The new mark for the women’s competition is 6.06 seconds.

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