“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
MIAMI 6 BALTIMORE 3
CLEVELAND 5 DETROIT 4
ST. LOUIS 2 PITTSBURGH 1
SAN DIEGO 4 WASHINGTON 0
NY METS 3 NY YANKEES 2
TAMPA BAY 4 TORONTO 2
PHILADELPHIA 3 MINNESOTA 0
TEXAS 3 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2
MILWAUKEE 1 CHICAGO CUBS 0
ARIZONA 6 KANSAS CITY 2
BOSTON 6 COLORADO 0
LA ANGELS 5 SEATTLE 1
OAKLAND 8 HOUSTON 2
LA DODGERS 5 SAN FRANCISCO 2
CINCINNATI AT ATLANTA POSTPONED
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 13 IOWA 6
SOUTH BEND 3 PEORIA 2
DAYTON 12 FT. WAYNE 7
WNBA SCORES
OLYMPIC BREAK
MLS
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NFL WEEK ONE SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5
- BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
- GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL), 8:15 P.M. ET (PEACOCK)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 8
- PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- ARIZONA CARDINALS AT BUFFALO BILLS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- TENNESSEE TITANS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- HOUSTON TEXANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- CAROLINA PANTHERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT NEW YORK GIANTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DENVER BRONCOS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DALLAS COWBOYS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS, 4:25 P.M. ET (CBS)
- WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 4:25 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
MONDAY, SEPT. 9
- NEW YORK JETS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 8:15 P.M. ET (ESPN/ABC)
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES
OLYMPIC NEWS
1,000 PEOPLE SUSPECTED OF SPYING HAVE BEEN BLOCKED FROM OLYMPICS, FRENCH OFFICIAL SAYS
PARIS (AP) — Three days before the start of the 2024 Olympics, France’s interior minister said about 1,000 people suspected of possibly meddling for a foreign power have been blocked from attending the Olympics — one of the security challenges that Paris is cracking down on in its goal to keep Games safe for athletes and fans.
About 1 million background checks have scrutinized Olympic volunteers, workers and others involved in the Games as well as those applying for passes to enter the most tightly controlled security zone in Paris — along the banks of the Seine — ahead of the opening ceremony on the river Friday.
The checks blocked about 5,000 people from attending, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Tuesday. Out of them, “there are 1,000 people whom we suspect of foreign interference — we can say spying,” Darmanin said.
Darmanin, who is staying on in a caretaker role until a new government is formed following legislative elections this month that denied President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition a majority, has repeatedly pointed to suspicions of Russia-backed interference.
“We’re here to make sure … that sport isn’t used for spying, for cyberattacks or to criticize and sometimes even lie about France and the French,” Darmanin said.
He added that “interfering and manipulating information” is not coming from Russia only but from some other countries, too, which he did not name. He also didn’t give more information on the suspected meddling.
“That’s why we’re on the alert, and we want them to know that we’re not naive,” he said.
Others blocked from the Olympics after background checks were flagged for suspected Islamic radicalization, left- or right-wing political extremism, significant criminal records and other security concerns, Darmanin said.
“These people, we didn’t think it was a good idea for them to be stadium stewards, volunteers or that they accompany (sports) teams. Out of 1 million people, 5,000 is not a lot, and it shows the deep work of the Interior ministry,” he said.
Paris is deploying 35,000 police officers each day for the Olympics, which run Friday to Aug. 11, with a peak of 45,000 for the opening ceremony. In addition, 10,000 soldiers are taking part in security operations in the Paris region.
France also is getting help from more than 40 countries that together have sent at least 1,900 police reinforcements.
“Of course, we’re particularly protective of the Ukrainian team, which is obviously under considerable threat,” Darmanin said.
The interior minister had previously said Israeli athletes would be protected 24 hours a day by elite police unit GIGN, which is in charge of counterterrorism and the protection of government officials, among other things.
Darmanin also praised the security work of tens of thousands of police officers, firefighters, bomb disposal experts, intelligence services agents and private security personnel.
In a handwritten note to them, Darmanin said “the largest global event that a country can organize” is “finally” here after four years of preparation but noted the unprecedented security challenges.
“Your task will not be easy,” Darmanin said in the letter posted on the social platform X late Monday. Paris has repeatedly suffered deadly extremist attacks, and international tensions are high because of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Olympic organizers also have cyberattack concerns, while rights campaigners and Games critics are worried about Paris’ use of AI-equipped surveillance technology and the broad scope and scale of Olympic security that they fear may remain in place beyond the Olympics.
Rather than build an Olympic park with venues grouped together outside of the city center, like Rio de Janeiro in 2016 or London in 2012, Paris has chosen to host many of the events in the heart of the bustling capital of 2 million inhabitants, with others dotted around suburbs that house millions more.
Putting temporary sports arenas in public spaces and staging the opening ceremony along the Seine makes those protections more complex.
BILES, OSAKA AND PHELPS SPOKE UP ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. HAS ANYTHING CHANGED FOR THE PARIS OLYMPICS?
Lydia Jacoby was a breakout star in the pool for the United States at the last Summer Games, earning a gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke and a relay silver. Part of what comes to mind from those heady days in Tokyo? “People talking about post-Olympic depression,” she said.
She was 17 at the time, and her initial response when other athletes brought up the topic was: “Well, that doesn’t apply to me.”
“I essentially did not understand the topic of depression,” she said. “It wasn’t until after the Games that I was like, ‘Oh. … OK. Yeah, I’m feeling this a little.’”
Jacoby, who didn’t qualify for the 2024 Olympics, is now fully aware of the phenomenon, went through it, moved past it and discusses it casually, all of which points to the way things have changed in just a few years when it comes to mental health.
As the Paris Games open on Friday, followed by the Paralympics beginning Aug. 28, athletes have more access than ever to resources in that once-taboo realm and sound more willing than ever to use them. That seems particularly significant given that Jessica Bartley, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s senior director of psychological services, says about half of the country’s athletes at the past two Olympiads were flagged for at least one of the following: anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, eating disorders, substance use or abuse.
“We really are just a part of the conversation now,” Bartley said, “and not an afterthought or something when someone’s struggling.”
Among the key questions now: Is everyone going to seek the help they need? And is enough help available?
As for the first, Bartley said: “I’d like to think we’re over the hump, but we’re still not quite there. I feel like there is still some stigma. I think there’s still some connections to ‘weakness.’”
And the second? “I do think there still could be more,” track star Gabby Thomas said, “but, I mean, they’re there.”
Olympians Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Michael Phelps opened doors
Three Olympians — Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, who participated in the last pandemic-delayed Summer Games, and are returning, and retired swimmer Michael Phelps, who has more medals than anyone in any sport — provided some of the loudest voices in the growing global conversation in sports and society at large about the importance of protecting, gauging and improving the state of one’s mind as much as one’s body.
Phelps spoke about having suicidal thoughts at the height of his career and helped produce a documentary about depression among Olympians. He also called on the International Olympic Committee and USOPC to do more.
“I do think there’s something to be said when a lot of really, really good athletes kind of talk about the same issue. I know all athletes don’t feel the same way; you have to be a certain type or in a certain head space. Some people just feel things differently,” said Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player in tennis who lit the cauldron in Japan.
She’s been forthcoming about her bouts with anxiety and depression and was among the first sports figures to take mental-health breaks away from competition, paving the way for others.
Osaka, in turn, said she felt “very heard” when she listened to Biles and Phelps.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of different athletes also felt heard,” Osaka said. “They didn’t feel like it was a weakness or anything like that, so I’m really glad we all talked about it.”
Biles, who redefined excellence in gymnastics and picked up seven Olympic medals along the way, drew attention and, from some, criticism, for pulling out of events in Tokyo because of a mental block — known in the gymnastics world as “the twisties” — that made her afraid to attempt certain dangerous moves.
That her explanations of what went awry came in such a public setting, as THE biggest star in Tokyo, only made it all the more meaningful to other athletes.
“She didn’t have to,” said basketball player Breanna Stewart, a WNBA MVP. “She used her platform to help others.”
What Biles did resonated with athletes like canoeist Nevin Harrison, a gold medalist in Tokyo, who said “anxiety, fear, stress … are all going to be huge parts in competing at such a high level.”
Biles made them see that there can be a way out.
“I was, at one time, in those shoes,” boxer Morelle McCane said, “where I was just like, ‘It’s do or die! It’s do or die!’”
How different is it for today’s Olympians?
Janet Evans won four swimming golds at the 1988 and 1992 Games and recalls the never-easing pressure to perform. In her day, she says, there wasn’t nearly the empathy or outlets for help available as there are for today’s Olympians.
“We didn’t talk about the struggles. No one taught me that it was OK to lose, right? I mean, I was Janet Evans, and when I went to a swim meet, I was supposed to win,” said Evans, the chief athlete officer for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. “We talk about it now and we recognize it with our athletes. And I think that is an important first step.”
Which means that even 38-year-old rugby player Perry Baker has seen changes since his Olympic debut at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
“You had to tough it out. You kind of felt by yourself. You kind of felt like you couldn’t talk to anyone,” said Baker, who briefly was with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.
The balance national Olympic committees must strike between caring about athletes as people but making sure the medals pile up is “threading a needle,” Evans acknowledged.
“We should go to the Olympics and Paralympics and win medals. But I don’t think that should be at the cost of how we’re preparing our athletes for the future,” Evans said. “Both can happen.”
That’s where Bartley and her counterparts in other countries and at the IOC come in.
The Beijing Winter Games two years ago were the first with extra credentials issued for national Olympic committees to bring athlete welfare officers — registered mental health professionals or qualified safeguarding experts — and more than 170 from more than 90 countries will be in Paris.
“We didn’t have it in Tokyo, and now it will be implemented for every Games,” said Kirsty Burrows, head of an IOC unit focused on athletes’ mental health. “Because we really see the impact.”
There will be a 24/7 helpline with mental health counselors who speak more than 70 languages, a program started for the Beijing Games but now available to every Olympian and Paralympian until four years after the event. There’s also AI to monitor athletes’ social media for cyberbullying, and a “mind zone” in the athletes village with a yoga area, low lighting, comfortable seating and other tools “dedicated to disconnection, decompression,” Burrows said.
The USOPC went from six mental-health providers 3 1/2 years ago to 15 now; 14 will be in France. Last year, 1,300 Team USA athletes participated in more than 6,000 therapy sessions set up by the USOPC.
“I expect the numbers to be even higher,” Bartley said, “especially in a Games year.”
NFL NEWS
JETS’ HAASON REDDICK DOESN’T REPORT TO TRAINING CAMP WHILE SEEKING A NEW DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets defensive end Haason Reddick did not report to training camp with the rest of his teammates Tuesday as he looks for a new contract, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
Reddick, acquired from Philadelphia during the offseason, is scheduled to make $14.25 million in base salary in the final year of his deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because contract negotiations are private. The team didn’t announce Reddick’s absence. Jets players reported to the facility Tuesday and the team’s first practice of training camp is scheduled for Wednesday.
ESPN first reported that Reddick would not report to the team Tuesday.
According to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, Reddick would be fined $50,000 for each practice missed during his holdout. He didn’t attend the Jets’ mandatory minicamp last month, and didn’t participate in the team’s voluntary offseason workouts.
The 29-year-old Reddick, looking for a new contract, was given permission during the offseason by the Eagles to seek a trade. None of Reddick’s salary for this season is guaranteed. He forfeited a $250,000 workout bonus for not attending the Jets’ offseason workouts.
Jets coach Robert Saleh, who wasn’t scheduled to speak to reporters until Wednesday, said last month he wasn’t concerned by Reddick’s absence at minicamp.
“I understand everything that’s happening,” Saleh said. “But at the same time, I know that when it comes time to play football, like I’ve said before, he’s going to be ready to play football.”
The Jets acquired Reddick, a two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher with 58 career sacks in seven NFL seasons, from the Eagles in March for a conditional third-round pick in 2026. The pick would become a second-rounder if Reddick plays 67.5% of the defensive snaps and gets 10 sacks this season.
“When you deal with contracts and things like that, it doesn’t really get to the locker room because we don’t control that,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “So when he does get here, then we’ll be able to have our 2 cents’ (worth) to say, but we know he’s a pro. He’s been at the highest level of competition.
“So, I’m sure whenever that gets worked out, he’ll be here ready to roll. When he gets here, it’ll just be another great player to add to our to our defensive line.”
Reddick was a first-round pick by Arizona in 2017 who has double-digit sacks in four straight seasons, including 27 over the past two years with the Eagles.
“He’s a phenomenal football player, man,” defensive lineman Quinnen Williams said. “When he steps on this field, he changes the whole thing, the whole aura just because he’s a guy that can put up 15-plus sacks a year, 10-plus sacks a year, different things like that.
“So I’m just blessed to have him on my side.”
Williams added he understood Reddick’s situation because he also didn’t attend voluntary workouts last year before agreeing to a four-year, $96 million contract extension a week before training camp began.
“I know how the organization works,” Williams said. I know how (GM) Joe Douglas and Coach Saleh and all those guys work. And knowing him personally as a great competitor and a great person who wants to be here, who wants to win championships, man, I know they’re going to get everything ironed out.”
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS CAMP OPENS WITH PLENTY OF NEW FACES ON AND OFF THE FIELD
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Nearly everything about the Washington Commanders is new.
The old turf field with the old logo is being torn up and replaced, and their practice facility is abuzz with construction projects all over.
Josh Harris’ ownership group has been in charge for just over a year now, and the organization’s transformation is now fully on display. When training camp opens Wednesday, new coach Dan Quinn will oversee a team almost totally remade by new general manager Adam Peters.
Only a third of the camp roster was around last summer, and the fresh faces from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner give the franchise a much-needed clean slate.
“I love each of the years because not every year is exactly the same,” Quinn said at a camp-opening news conference Tuesday. “But you only get one first shot with a whole new group, and we’re not going to miss that shot.”
Not missing starts with Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 pick in the draft who has become the centerpiece of this latest rebuilding effort. Unlike Chicago with top selection Caleb Williams, the Commanders are not yet anointing Daniels their Week 1 starter, with Quinn said, “When he’s ready, we’ll know.”
They are ready to let that process play out in the coming weeks, with Daniels sharing snaps on the practice field and in preseason games with Marcus Mariota.
“It’s not one-size-fits-all,” Peters said. “You don’t want to fast-track it. You don’t want to slow it down. You just want to let it happen naturally.”
What Peters also hopes comes naturally is teamwide competition, the result of signing more than a dozen free agents with no prior connection to the organization and making nine draft picks to fill holes well beyond quarterback. He was looking for a certain type of player throughout the offseason of change, and more roster turnover could happen before Washington opens the season Sept. 8 at Tampa Bay.
“We’re thrilled about the 90 guys we have here,” said Peters who is in his first role as an NFL GM after a decorated front office career with stops in Denver, New England and most recently working under John Lynch with San Francisco. “(Quinn) preaches competition every day, so we’re always going to look at ways to improve the roster. But as it sits now, we feel great about the guys we have.”
Some of the holdovers are foundational pieces, such as top wide receiver Terry McLaurin, running back Brian Robinson Jr. and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. But after going 43-71-1 over the past seven seasons with one playoff berth — also a loss — to show for it, there was reason to start almost from scratch in Washington.
The offensive line could have three new starters. Austin Ekeler is now part of the backfield mix. And Wagner and Frankie Luvu are at the forefront of a defense that behind Allen and Payne is virtually unrecognizable from the unit that last season was ranked last in the league.
That kind of change should be good after the Commanders bottomed out at 4-13 in Ron Rivera’s fourth and final season as coach and head of football operations. Their win total over/under is 6.5 on BetMGM Sportsbook, which is setting a low external expectation.
As for what team brass thinks a successful season might be, neither Quinn nor Peters was willing to show his hand, deferring instead to the idea that it begins with forming an identity and good habits that they hope will eventually show in victories when it matters.
“How fast or slow that goes, there’s so many different things that are variables in all that,” Peters said. “But I can tell you that you’re going to see a great effort team, a competitive team playing fast and physical.”
PATRICK MAHOMES IS A UNANIMOUS CHOICE FOR THE TOP SPOT IN THE AP’S QUARTERBACK RANKINGS
Patrick Mahomes has separated himself from all the other quarterbacks.
The three-time Super Bowl MVP was a unanimous choice by The Associated Press for the NFL’s No. 1 quarterback in a preseason survey.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at QB, basing selections on current status entering the 2024 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Despite a subpar regular season — by his lofty standards — Mahomes had another exceptional postseason, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a repeat Super Bowl victory and their third title in five seasons.
Josh Allen, reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud, and Brock Purdy each received second-place votes.
Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa, Matthew Stafford, and Justin Herbert also received votes.
1. PATRICK MAHOMES, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes posted the lowest passer rating (92.6) of his career last season, throwing for 4,183 yards, 27 touchdowns and a career-high 14 interceptions. But he stepped up in the playoffs, leading the Chiefs to a rout over Miami, road wins in Buffalo and Baltimore and an overtime victory in the Super Bowl against San Francisco.
Mahomes only turns 29 in September and already has a chance to become only the fourth quarterback to win four Super Bowls.
2. JOSH ALLEN, Buffalo Bills
Despite being plagued by playoff frustrations, Allen earned the No. 2 spot in the AP rankings with four second-place votes and appearing on seven of eight ballots. Allen threw for 4,306 yards with 29 TDs and a career-high 18 picks last season while also rushing for 15 scores.
The Bills have won four straight AFC East titles but have lost in the divisional round of the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.
3. LAMAR JACKSON, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson was a near-unanimous choice for his second NFL MVP award following an outstanding regular season in which he threw for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 821 yards and five scores while leading Baltimore to 10 wins over teams that finished with a winning record.
But Jackson and the Ravens lost to Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC championship game, a bitter ending to a fantastic season. The Ravens fell to 2-4 in the playoffs under Jackson, who was left off two ballots.
4. JOE BURROW, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow was slowed by a calf injury at the start of the season before wrist surgery ended his year in November. Still, he earned the No. 4 spot with two third-place votes and three fourth-place selections.
Burrow had 2,309 yards passing, 15 TDs, and nine interceptions in 10 games. He had regained his Pro Bowl form before his injury, posting a 106.5 passer rating in his final six starts.
When healthy, Burrow led the Bengals to consecutive AFC title games and a Super Bowl loss.
5. C.J. STROUD, Houston Texans
The No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft turned into the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Stroud threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions and had a passer rating of 100.8, third best by a rookie. He helped the Texans go from worst to first place in the AFC South and led them to a playoff win in the wild-card round.
CHIEFS’ ANDY REID LANDS THE LEAD SPOT IN AP’S NFL TOP 5 HEAD COACH RANKINGS
Andy Reid has three Super Bowl rings, leads two different franchises in victories and he’s still going strong after a quarter-century as a head coach.
Those impressive credentials made Reid a unanimous choice by The Associated Press for the NFL’s No. 1 coach in a preseason survey.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five coaches, basing selections on current status entering the 2024 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Reid has led the Kansas City Chiefs to consecutive Super Bowl victories and three titles in five seasons.
John Harbaugh, Sean McVay, Mike Tomlin and Kyle Shanahan each received two second-place votes.
Doug Pederson, Dan Campbell, Matt LaFleur, Sean McDermott and DeMeco Ryans also received votes.
1. ANDY REID, Kansas City Chiefs
Reid and Mahomes are halfway to the six Super Bowls Bill Belichick and Tom Brady won together. Reid was the most successful coach in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles before going to Kansas City and turning the Chiefs into a dynasty. Under Reid, the Chiefs have had 11 straight winning seasons, made 10 playoff appearances, won eight consecutive AFC West titles and reached four Super Bowls in the past five years.
2. JOHN HARBAUGH, Baltimore Ravens
Harbaugh led the Ravens to the NFL’s best record, 13-4, and has 14 winning seasons in 16 years. Harbaugh beat his brother to earn his only Super Bowl ring following the 2012 season. But Baltimore is 3-6 in the playoffs since that victory and twice couldn’t advance to the Super Bowl despite earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
3. KYLE SHANAHAN, San Francisco 49ers
Shanahan has led the 49ers to NFC championship victories with Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy and a pair of losses in the conference title game with both QBs. He’s 0-2 in the Super Bowl — the only coach in the top five without a ring — but has taken Purdy from “Mr. Irrelevant” to franchise QB and the 49ers again are favorites to win the NFC.
4. MIKE TOMLIN, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers haven’t had a losing season in Tomlin’s 17 seasons. They finished 10-7 last season and made the playoffs despite using three starting quarterbacks. Tomlin won a Super Bowl in his second year and lost one in his fourth but his team is 0-4 in the playoffs since 2016.
5. SEAN MCVAY, Los Angeles Rams
Coming off perhaps his best all-around coaching season, McVay claimed the No. 5 spot. He guided a rebuilding team to 10 wins and a playoff appearance last season, getting the most out of his younger players. McVay has five double-digit win seasons in seven years and has won and lost a Super Bowl.
FRED WARNER PICKED AS THE TOP LINEBACKER IN THE AP’S NFL TOP 5 RANKINGS
Fred Warner excels at just about every aspect of playing linebacker in the NFL, from stopping the run, covering receivers and tight ends downfield and even the occasional blitz.
The fiery leader of the San Francisco 49ers defense was voted the overwhelming choice as the top linebacker in the league by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at linebacker, basing selections on current status entering the 2024 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Warner got seven of the eight first-place votes and one second-place vote. Roquan Smith was the only other player named on all eight ballots and received one first-place vote and six seconds.
Demario Davis got the remaining second-place vote and came in third, followed by C.J. Mosley and Matt Milano.
Patrick Queen, Quincy Williams, Lavonte David, Bobby Wagner and Azeez Al-Shaair also got votes.
1. FRED WARNER, San Francisco 49ers
The Niners are on their fourth defensive coordinator in five seasons but the major factor that makes the San Francisco defense consistently one of the league’s best is the versatility of Warner, who has been a first-team All-Pro in three of the past four seasons.
He keys the run defense for San Francisco but truly shines when it comes to the pass game. In an era where opposing offenses often try to target slower linebackers in coverage, Warner is able to stick close in coverage downfield against both tight ends and speedier wide receivers. He set career highs last season with four interceptions, four forced fumbles and 11 passes defensed.
2. ROQUAN SMITH, Baltimore Ravens
Smith helped elevate the Baltimore defense after being acquired from Chicago before the 2022 trade deadline and is close to Warner in his versatility and ability to thrive in any role.
He has the speed to cover sideline to sideline and is a sure tackler with only 11 missed tackles last season.
3. DEMARIO DAVIS, New Orleans Saints
The 35-year-old Davis has shown few signs of slowing down and is still one of the top linebackers in the game. He is coming off his 11th straight season with at least 90 tackles and has had a career-high 6 1/2 sacks in each of the past two seasons.
The only other player since 2000 with back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and six sacks is Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher.
4. C.J. MOSLEY, New York Jets
After playing only two games in 2019-20 because of injuries and the pandemic, the 32-year-old Mosley has had a late-career revival with the Jets.
He ranks fourth in the NFL with 478 tackles the past three seasons and is one of six players since 2000 to post at least 150 tackles in three straight seasons.
5. MATT MILANO, Buffalo Bills
Milano’s season-ending leg injury in Week 5 last season dealt a major blow to Buffalo’s defense. When healthy, few linebackers are as versatile as Milano.
He had two interceptions in his limited time last season after picking off three passes in 2022 when he was a first-team All-Pro.
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY PICKED AS THE TOP RUNNING BACK IN THE AP’S NFL TOP 5 RANKINGS
On a San Francisco offense filled with playmakers, Christian McCaffrey was the most productive by far last season when he became the 12th player ever to top 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 20 TDs in the same season.
That performance has helped the 49ers star score the honor of being voted the top running back in the league by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at running back, basing selections on current status entering the 2024 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
McCaffrey got seven first-place votes and one second to be the only player named on all eight ballots.
Derrick Henry got one first-place vote, five second-place votes and one third-place vote and came in second. Saquon Barkley came in third with one second-place vote. Jonathan Taylor and Bijan Robinson tied for fourth place.
Breece Hall of the New York Jets got the remaining second-place vote but finished out of the top five. Nick Chubb, Josh Jacobs, Raheem Mostert, Jahmyr Gibbs, Aaron Jones and Kyren Williams also got votes.
1. CHRISTIAN McCAFFREY, San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey led the NFL last season with 1,459 yards rushing, 2,023 yards from scrimmage and 21 total touchdowns on the way to winning the AP Offensive Player of the Year.
McCaffrey has transformed the 49ers offense from good to great since being acquired midway through the 2022 season. He has gained 3,233 yards and scored 31 TDs in 27 games with San Francisco as the top dual-threat back in the league.
McCaffrey’s 115.4 yards from scrimmage per game rank third best all-time among players with at least 70 games played, trailing only Hall of Famers Jim Brown (125.5) and Barry Sanders (118.9).
2. DERRICK HENRY, Tennessee Titans
As pure runners go, few have done it better than Henry over the years. He has 9,502 yards rushing and 90 TDs on the ground, joining Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only players to reach both those marks through eight seasons. Henry ran for 1,167 yards and 12 TDs last year on Tennessee’s struggling offense and should get a big boost this season at age 30 after signing with Baltimore, where he will team with dual-threat QB Lamar Jackson.
3. SAQUON BARKLEY, Philadelphia Eagles
After spending his first six seasons with the New York Giants, Barkley moved down the turnpike this offseason to sign with rival Philadelphia to provide a spark for an offense that got stale for the Eagles. Barkley is a dynamic threat in the run and pass game, averaging 98.8 yards per game from scrimmage in his career. He should thrive behind the Eagles’ stellar offensive line after ranking 36th last season in yards before contact per carry on the Giants.
4. JONATHAN TAYLOR, Indianapolis Colts
Injuries have slowed Taylor the past two seasons as he has missed 13 games over that span and failed to reach even 900 yards rushing in either season. But voters were still impressed by what he can do when healthy as he showed when he rushed for 2,980 yards and 29 TDs over his first two seasons in 2020-21. The Colts are hoping a healthy Taylor can return to that form in an offense that also features a running threat at QB in Anthony Richardson.
5. BIJAN ROBINSON, Atlanta Falcons
The eighth pick in the 2023 draft had a strong rookie season for Atlanta and showed flashes of becoming one of the top backs in the league while playing for an offense that lacked consistent quarterback play. Robinson had many highlight-reel plays on the way to rushing for 976 yards and catching 58 passes for 487 yards. Robinson scored eight total touchdowns and ranked 10th in the league in yards from scrimmage.
REPORTS: COWBOYS WR CEEDEE LAMB EXPECTED TO HOLD OUT
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb isn’t expected to join his teammates at the start of training camp, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday night.
The Cowboys begin camp on Wednesday and have their first practice set for Thursday, but Lamb did not fly out of Dallas to Oxnard, Calif., with the team on Tuesday, per the reports. The star wideout is in line to make $17.99 million this season but will then become an unrestricted free agent.
Lamb has been seeking a contract extension from the Cowboys but hasn’t received one, leading the current holdout.
Back in June, Lamb was absent from Dallas’ mandatory minicamp, costing him about $100,000 in fines. Those penalties could be nullified by the Cowboys, though, unlike the daily fine of $50,000 that Lamb would be hit with should he chose to skip training camp.
Lamb, 25, is coming off the best season of his four-year career, hauling in 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns — all career bests. He led the NFL in catches in 2023, with Miami Dolphins speedster Tyreek Hill and Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown trailing close behind with 119 receptions apiece.
In his four seasons with Dallas, Lamb has amassed 395 catches for 5,145 yards and 32 TDs.
“I mean, he’s a huge part of everything we do, for sure,” Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith said of Lamb, according to ESPN. “His presence obviously will be missed, but while he’s handling things he has to handle, we have to handle business as well.”
REPORT: EAGLES CB COOPER DEJEAN (HAMSTRING) OUT 3 WEEKS
Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean will be sidelined for approximately the first three weeks of training camp due to a hamstring injury, ESPN reported Tuesday.
DeJean reportedly sustained the injury during offseason training workouts.
DeJean, 21, was a second-round draft pick (40th overall) in April’s NFL draft after being projected to be selected in the first round. The Eagles made a trade with the Washington Commanders to move up to select DeJean.
Last season, DeJean was a first-team All-American at Iowa despite being limited to 10 games after sustaining a broken fibula in practice in mid-November. DeJean had 41 tackles and two interceptions and also returned a punt for a touchdown while averaging 11.5 yards per return.
Overall, DeJean had seven interceptions in 30 college games over three seasons at Iowa and returned three of the picks for touchdowns.
DeJean is expected to be an immediate contributor for the Eagles, who needed to upgrade the secondary after ranking next to last in pass defense (252.7 yards per game) and passing touchdowns allowed (35) last season.
Philadelphia also used a first-round pick on a cornerback, choosing Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo with the 22th overall choice.
WR MICHAEL GALLUP RETIRES ON EVE OF RAIDERS’ FIRST PRACTICE
Wide receiver Michael Gallup has decided to retire rather than play this season for the Las Vegas Raiders, the club indicated Tuesday with the announcement he was placed on the reserve/retired list.
Gallup signed a one-year contract with the club in April.
The 28-year-old Gallup, who spent all six of his NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, was placed on the list one day before the team’s first training camp practice.
Gallup amassed 3,744 yards receiving and 21 touchdowns on 266 catches. His best season was in 2019, when he had 66 receptions for 1,107 yards and six scores.
The third-round selection in the 2018 draft out of Colorado State sustained a torn ACL on Jan. 2, 2022, while making a touchdown catch against the Arizona Cardinals. In his final two seasons with the Cowboys, he had his lowest yardage totals of his career: 424 in 2022 and 418 last season.
Dallas released Gallup in March. His one-year deal was worth up to $3 million with the Raiders, who saw him as the possible third receiver behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.
The Raiders also placed five players on the physically unable to perform list: linebacker Darien Butler, receiver Jalen Guyton, offensive tackle Kolton Miller and guards Jake Johanning and Jackson Powers-Johnson. Miller is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
VIKINGS, OT CHRISTIAN DARRISAW AGREE TO 4-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION THROUGH 2029
The Minnesota Vikings announced Tuesday they have agreed to terms with left tackle Christian Darrisaw on a four-year contract extension that ties him to the team through the 2029 season.
The extension is worth a maximum of $113 million with $77 million guaranteed, including $43.7 million guaranteed at signing, according to media reports.
Darrisaw, 25, had two seasons remaining on his rookie contract, with the Vikings picking up his fifth-year option for 2025, guaranteed at $16.037 million.
Based on those reported numbers, Darrisaw’s average annual salary of $28.25 million edges Detroit Lions right tackle Penei Sewell (four years, $112 million for a $28 million average) for highest-paid offensive lineman in the league.
The Vikings selected Darrisaw in the first round (23rd overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech. He has started 39 of 41 games, including all 15 of his games in 2023 when he played a career-high 982 snaps.
Pro Football Focus gave him the third-highest pass-blocking grade (85.3) for offensive linemen participating in at least 50 percent of their team’s snaps in 2023, and his overall offensive grade (85.1) was fourth best for all offensive linemen with at least 100 snaps.
He missed five games in 2021, three in 2022 and two last season because of minor injuries.
BUCS LB RANDY GREGORY PLACED ON RESERVE/DID NOT REPORT LIST
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed edge rusher Randy Gregory on the reserve/did not report list on Tuesday when veteran players were required to arrive at training camp.
Gregory, 31, also was absent for voluntary offseason workouts and the three-day mandatory minicamp — the latter an unexcused absence, head coach Todd Bowles said, leaving the outside linebacker subject to $101,356 in fines.
The Bucs had signed Gregory as a free agent on April 3 to a one-year, $3 million contract with an additional $2 million possible with incentives.
Gregory filed a lawsuit in June against the NFL and the Denver Broncos, claiming discrimination in violation of Colorado law for his right to disability accommodations. According to the lawsuit filed in Colorado, Gregory has been fined more than $530,000 since March 2023 for use of synthetic cannabis, banned by the league. Gregory said in the complaint that taking prescriptions involving THC is necessary in his treatment for social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
He started three of four games last season for the Broncos and had nine tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits before his Oct. 6 trade to San Francisco.
Gregory appeared in 12 regular-season games and three playoff games as the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl LVIII, which they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. He had 2.5 sacks and eight QB hits.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Gregory in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Nebraska. For Dallas (2015-21), Denver (2022-23) and San Francisco, totaled 117 tackles, 22 sacks, 69 QB hits, 10 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception in a career marred by injuries and league suspensions, including all of the 2017 and 2019 seasons.
RAMS, QB MATTHEW STAFFORD ‘FIND SOLUTION’ TO CONTRACT
Quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams reached an amicable solution to their concerns over his contract and he reported to training camp, head coach Sean McVay said Tuesday.
McVay was delayed meeting with the media to focus on Stafford’s contract situation, which includes an increase in guaranteed money for the final two years of his existing deal that expires at the end of the 2025 season.
Before Tuesday’s contract modification, Stafford, 36, had $15 million in guarantees remaining on the four-year, $160 million contract he signed in 2022.
“Here’s what I would say right now: There was a lot of great dialogue that existed … and ultimately it was all geared toward finding a solution that really suits our team but also accommodates some of the things that represent Matthew’s worth for us,” McVay said. “That was always the goal in mind.
“Ultimately, all we can do is the next right thing. I’m grateful that we’re in this position. That’s what the delay was for. I’m grateful we came to the solution I think we all wanted and we can focus on this team, and him being able to lead the way and a lot of exciting things could potentially be in store.”
The deal is reportedly not an extension of Stafford’s contract.
Stafford led the Rams to the Super Bowl LVI title at the end of the 2021 campaign.
He missed 10 total games the past two seasons with injuries but threw for 3,965 yards and 24 touchdown passes in 15 games last year.
REPORT: BROWNS GUARANTEE AMARI COOPER $20M FOR 2024
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper received a $5 million raise and will make $20 million in the final year of his five-year, $100 million deal, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
Cooper, who turned 30 last month, will receive half of the $20 million guarantee in a signing bonus to conclude the deal he signed in 2020 while with the Dallas Cowboys. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season.
Per the report, Cooper was at the team’s practice facility on Tuesday, when Browns veterans were scheduled to report to training camp.
Cooper skipped a mandatory minicamp in June, three months after the Browns traded for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who signed a three-year, $58 million extension.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said at the time that Cooper’s absence was unexcused and would not confirm if it was about the veteran’s contract.
Cooper came over to Cleveland in March 2022 in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick. The Browns and Cowboys also swapped sixth-round picks in the deal.
Last season, Cooper totaled a career-high 1,250 receiving yards while catching 72 passes for five touchdowns in his fifth Pro Bowl campaign.
RAVENS QB LAMAR JACKSON MISSES THIRD STRAIGHT PRACTICE DUE TO ILLNESS
Reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson was not on the field with the Ravens on Tuesday, missing his third consecutive practice due to illness.
Jackson was heartily defended by head coach John Harbaugh against critics on Sunday, but hasn’t been on the field since.
“The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the NFL,” Harbaugh said.
Jackson is currently backed up by Josh Johnson. The 38-year-old journeyman is in his third stint with the Ravens, who signed him in free agency in 2016 and brought him back in 2021.
Rookie Devin Leary, a sixth-round pick in April, and undrafted free agent Emory Jones are also on the 90-man training camp roster.
The Ravens were the third team to report to training camp behind the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears, who play Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton.
Baltimore opens preseason play Aug. 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jackson hasn’t played in a preseason game since 2021, when he completed 3 of 4 pass attempts.
REPORT: AIYUK PLANS TO ATTEND 49ERS CAMP DESPITE TRADE REQUEST
Disgruntled star wideout Brandon Aiyuk is reporting to San Francisco 49ers training camp, sources told NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport.
Aiyuk reportedly requested a trade amid stalled discussions regarding a contract extension. Teams have contacted the 49ers, but the front office remains steadfast in its desire to keep him.
“We fully intend on Brandon being a Niner,” general manager John Lynch said, according to Garafolo.
The 26-year-old will earn $14.1 million in the final year of his rookie deal, according to Over the Cap. Aiyuk has been adamant about his desire for a lucrative extension on social media and in interviews over the offseason.
It’s unclear if Aiyuk will participate in any on-field workouts when the Niners practice this week. Lynch said he expects all his players to participate in on-field work, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.
The Arizona State product skipped voluntary OTA sessions and mandatory minicamp last month. Aiyuk would’ve been subject to fines of $50,000 per day for training camp absences under the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Aiyuk posted a career-high 1,342 yards on 75 catches and recorded seven touchdowns in 2023 on his way to a second-team All-Pro nod.
The 2020 first-round pick has recorded 269 receptions, 3,931 yards, and 25 scores ahead of his fifth season.
NFL, UNION BEGIN DISCUSSIONS ON 18-GAME SCHEDULE
The NFL Players Association has engaged in “high-level” discussions with the NFL about the potential implementation of an 18-game schedule, said union executive director Lloyd Howell, per the Washington Post’s Mark Maske.
Discussions have not progressed toward formal negotiations, but Howell will speak with players about the topic in the near future.
“We have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with a recognition … about, ‘Yeah, this is something that we should be talking about. And we should really kick the tires and understand what else goes into that decision-making process,'” Howell said. “Where does the 18th game come from? I think the foregone conclusion is well, you just grab it, like, in what would otherwise be (preseason games) in August.”
Howell added the NFLPA would be open to possibly adding an 18th game before the league’s current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2030. Any change to the length of the season would have to be collectively bargained.
The NFLPA narrowly approved expanding the regular season from 16 to 17 games in 2021, with the voting passing with 51.5% of players in favor.
The addition of another game is expected to be contentious among players, and Howell insisted their interests will need to be satisfied before changes are made.
“Our membership is interested in a myriad of things before we even get to the number of games: health and safety, field surface, OTA makeup, compensation, what percent of their annual compensation is guaranteed,” Howell said. “So there are many things before we get to (the) 18th game.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in April he was in favor of moving to an 18-game regular-season schedule, hypothesizing that Super Bowl Sunday could fall on President’s Day weekend and the number of preseason games could be reduced from three to two.
JAGUARS’ CAMPBELL INKS EXTENSION REPORTEDLY WORTH $76.5M
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced they’ve signed cornerback Tyson Campbell to an extension Tuesday.
The four-year deal is worth $76.5 million and includes $53.4 million guaranteed, sources told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Campbell, 24, becomes the highest-paid non-Pro Bowl cornerback in league history, per Rapoport.
The Georgia product was a second-round selection of the Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s made 42 starts across 43 games.
Campbell’s best season came during his 2022 campaign where he recorded 70 tackles, 15 passes defended, three interceptions, and two tackles for loss. He recorded six tackles during Jacksonville’s run to the AFC divisional round.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound defensive back had a down year in 2023 due to a hamstring and quadriceps injury.
Considered one of the top corners in the Jaguars’ secondary, Campbell is expected to be a crucial piece for new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
Campbell has compiled 203 tackles, six picks, six TFLs, and two forced fumbles in three seasons.
Jacksonville has been proactive in re-signing its key contributors. The Jags extended quarterback Trevor Lawrence for five years and $275 million in June and inked pass-rusher Josh Hines-Allen to a five-year, $141.25-million deal in April.
PACKERS ADD QB JACOB EASON WITH JORDAN LOVE NOT PARTICIPATING
Jacob Eason signed to the 90-man training camp roster of the Green Bay Packers as an extra arm until starter Jordan Love wraps contract negotiations.
Eason was on the field for Tuesday’s practice and replaced long snapper Peter Bowden, who was released, on the roster.
Eason is the third quarterback available for practices without Love and is familiar with the club after a tryout during rookie minicamp in May.
Love and Packers general manager Rob Gutekunst are on the same page with Love’s current status as a “hold in,” meaning he’s present for meetings and practices but not participating in on-field workouts while contract talks geared toward a long-term deal move forward.
“We both want the same thing. We want Jordan here for a very long time,” Gutekunst said of Love’s agents informing the team Saturday of his position to remain idle until a contract becomes official.
Sean Clifford, a fifth-round pick in 2023, and Michael Pratt, a seventh-round rookie, are the other quarterbacks on the current roster.
A fourth-round pick in 2020 out of Washington — by way of Georgia — Eason has played in two career games with five completions in 10 attempts.
He last appeared in a game in 2022 with the Panthers in a 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Eason was 3-of-5 passing for 59 yards with an interception.
Eason also spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants.
COMMANDERS ‘WILL KNOW’ WHEN QB JAYDEN DANIELS’ TIME ARRIVES
Not everything is new in Washington, but the Commanders kick off training camp with a roster comprised of a majority of players in their first season with the team.
“When you’re starting anything, there’s a freshness and a newness that goes with that,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday. “Knowing that there’s new people here, new relationships. What you’re also missing is those relationships get stronger, deeper in Year 2, Year 3. But you only get one shot with the first year — and we’re not going to miss that shot.”
One of those players in the spotlight is quarterback Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 pick in the draft. The expected starter to open the season, the Commanders are not naming Daniels the No. 1 quarterback to begin camp. One of six quarterbacks drafted in the first round in April, Daniels had a breakout season at LSU and was chosen between Caleb Williams (Bears) and Drake Maye (Patriots).
Williams was anointed the starter in Chicago before minicamp. Maye was informed Jacoby Brissett enters training camp as the starter in New England.
“My experience with young quarterbacks, like (Quinn) said, it’s not one size fits all,” general manager Adam Peters said. “I think everybody can see when that’s happening. When they’re ready, the team knows. The coaches know. You don’t want to fast-track it.”
Quinn denied the rationale for not naming Daniels the first-team quarterback over Marcus Mariota and Jeff Driskel was to keep the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner motivated. Quinn said he’s not naming any player a starter in July.
“At every position this is the case: As we’re going through this process, we’re not going to miss one step in their development,” Quinn said. “We want to make sure we’re using all that time.”
Peters said he’s constantly trying to see the big picture but balancing the reality of the situation.
“It’s a Not for Long league, right? We’re all focused on winning right now but also building for sustained success,” Peters said.
DOLPHINS RE-SIGN DE EMMANUEL OGBAH
Pass rusher Emmanuel Ogbah is returning to the Dolphins, agreeing on Tuesday to a one-year deal to stay in Miami for a fifth consecutive season.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel welcomed Ogbah back in a social media post, one day after an open workout that included free agent Yannick Ngakoue.
Ogbah’s contract can be worth up to $5 million, according to ESPN, and comes exactly four months after he was released by the Dolphins in a cap-clearing move.
The Dolphins had a need at the position given Shaquil Barrett’s decision to retire. Barrett signed in March but said Saturday he was stepping away from the game.
Ogbah returned from a triceps injury in 2022 to play 15 games in 2023, posting 5.0 sacks and 20 total tackles.
Miami was devastated by injuries at the edge positions last season. Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and Cameron Goode are all starting training camp on the physically unable-to-perform list.
Ogbah has 42.5 career sacks since entering the league as a second-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2016.
The Dolphins drafted Penn State pass rusher Chop Robinson with the 21st overall pick in April.
PATRIOTS’ MAYO: BRISSETT QB1 FRONT-RUNNER, DOOR STILL OPEN FOR MAYE
New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo labeled quarterback Jacoby Brissett as the front-runner for the starting signal-caller job but left the door open for rookie Drake Maye to pass him in camp.
“Coming out of the spring, I don’t think there is any doubt Jacoby is the starting quarterback at this point in time,” Mayo told reporters Tuesday. “I think it’s clear Jacoby is the most pro-ready guy.”
When asked if there’s a world where Maye wins the starting gig, Mayo added: “If (Maye) comes out here and lights it up … it could absolutely happen.”
New England signed Brissett to a one-year, $8-million deal in March. The 31-year-old spent last season in Washington, completing 18 of 23 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns in three contests. Brissett started 11 games with the Browns in 2022, totaling a 4-7 record with 2,608 passing yards and ranking 10th in EPA/play among quarterbacks who played 300 snaps.
Maye was selected third overall by the Patriots in April’s draft. The North Carolina product started 26 games from 2022-23, racking up 7,929 passing yards with 62 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
“The goal for Drake is to get better each and every day,” Mayo said. “And it’s not a straight line up to the top; there will be ups and downs. … If he comes out here, takes full advantage, and lights it up, he could be the Day 1 quarterback.”
New England is transitioning as Mayo replaces longtime head coach Bill Belichick. The club has the most cap space in the league and is projected to have the second highest in 2025, per Over The Cap.
“It would be great to get up here and say ‘We’re gonna win a Super Bowl,’ but once again, it’s about the process,” Mayo said.
TYREEK HILL EYES EXTENSION, WANTS TO STAY WITH DOLPHINS
Reporting on the first day of Dolphins training camp, star wide receiver Tyreek Hill wants to be paid like his contemporaries but also expressed his desire to remain in Miami.
“Obviously, I let (agent) Drew (Rosenhaus) and the team handle that situation,” said the 30-year-old Hill, who still has three years remaining on his contract. “The only thing I told Drew was, ‘Do not get me traded, bro.’ Last time you did this, you got me traded. That’s been my only thing to him. I want to stay here in Miami.
“Obviously, this is where my family is now. Everybody loves it here. Family loves it, wife loves it, kids love it. Obviously, I love playing for coach (Mike McDaniel), and my teammates are awesome. I wouldn’t want to leave.”
When he signed a four-year, $120 million deal with the Dolphins before the 2023 season, Hill — who will make $19.665 million in 2024 — was the highest-paid wideout in the NFL. This offseason, three wide receivers have eclipsed him in terms of average annual earnings.
The Vikings’ Justin Jefferson reset the market with a four-year, $140 million contract ($35 million per season) that eclipsed the $32 million per year Eagles wideout A.J. Brown receives. Amon-Ra St. Brown signed a four-year deal worth $30.002 million per year with the Lions.
Hill’s teammate, Jaylen Waddle, signed a three-year, $84.75 million extension in May that keeps him under contract through 2028 at a total value of $104.6 million. Waddle will make slightly more ($19.928M) than Hill in 2024.
An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Hill posted a career-high, NFL-leading and franchise-record 1,799 receiving yards in 2023 to become the first player in NFL history to record 1,700-plus receiving yards in multiple seasons.
DOLPHINS QB TUA TAGOVAILOA AT CAMP WITH CONTRACT IN FLUX
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa reported to training camp with the Miami Dolphins and teammates expect him to practice, putting the business side of the game on the backburner for the moment.
“He’s very excited to be back in the building with the rest of the guys,” Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said Tuesday. “Still going through his business here even without a contract.”
Tagovailoa played through the four base years in his rookie contract and is currently on an expiring deal — the fifth-year team option worth $23.1 million. But the going rate for plus starters in the NFL is more than double that rate annually.
The player drafted behind Tagovailoa in 2020, Justin Herbert, signed a five-year, $265 million contract last summer and the No. 1 pick in 2020, Joe Burrow, signed a similar pact.
At the outset of camp, Packers 2020 first-rounder Jordan Love was present in Green Bay for workouts but not participating while his contract is completed by his camp and the front office.
Running back Raheem Mostert said teammates wouldn’t question Tagovailoa if his representatives decided to follow Love’s path to a “hold in,” as opposed to skipping camp in a holdout.
“I think it could be the right move and guys in the locker room definitely understand that. And Tua is Tua, he’s always putting the team first. That’s how I see it and that’s how everybody in the locker room sees it,” Mostert said Tuesday.
Mostert said Tagovailoa has everything the franchise wants in a quarterback.
“I think Tua is very well deserving of the opportunity to get a contract extension,” Mostert said. “He’s worked his tail off, especially since I’ve started playing with him. I’ve seen nothing but growth. And the leadership he portrays, not only for the team, but for the organization, is definitely top notch. One of the best — if not the best — leaders in the locker room and for the organization. So, with that being said, I truly believe that he deserves everything that he has coming his way — plus more. I’m just excited for him. It’s going to be a great opportunity.”
The Dolphins drafted Tagovailoa fifth overall in 2020 and he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards in 2023. He also tallied 29 touchdown passes and largely stayed healthy. For the first time in his pro career, he played all 17 games in the regular season after concussions impacted his 2022 season.
BENGALS’ JOE BURROW, JA’MARR CHASE FEATURE NEW LOOKS
New season, new style.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow arrived at training camp in Cincinnati on Tuesday sporting a new bleached-blond buzz cut.
The Bengals posted a photo of their “new-look” quarterback to social media and added the caption of “guess who’s back” — a lyric from Eminem’s 2002 hit “Without Me.” Burrow now looks a bit like the famous rapper after shedding the thicker brown hair he’s had since entering the league as the top overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
And the Bengals are happy to have back Burrow, whose 2023 season ended prematurely after 10 games because of a torn ligament in his right wrist.
Burrow, 27, wasn’t the only Bengals superstar with a different look, however.
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, 24, also featured a short haircut after sporting longer hair since entering the league as the fifth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Chase and the Bengals have yet to come to terms on a long-term contract extension, but he could still afford that haircut. He will play the 2024 season on a $21.8 million fifth-year option.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMP MICHIGAN, OHIO STATE DOMINATE BIG TEN’S TOP PRESEASON POSITION HONORS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Players from defending national champion Michigan and Ohio State claimed seven of the Big Ten’s 12 positional honors on Tuesday.
They were selected by a media panel on the first of three conference media days in Indianapolis.
The Buckeyes had four selections — safety Caleb Downs, receiver Emeka Egbuka, running back TreVeyon Henderson and defensive end JT Tuimoloau. The Wolverines selections consisted of defensive tackle Mason Graham, defensive back Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland.
Dillon Gabriel, who left Oklahoma for Oregon, was named the league’s top quarterback. Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins, Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter and Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai rounded out the selections.
Home Field
In this era of conference realignment and constant change in college football, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti announced the Big Ten championship will remain at Lucas Oil Stadium through at least 2028.
Indianapolis’ downtown venue has hosted every conference title game since the inaugural one played in 2011.
Expansion from 14 to 18 teams led to the elimination of the league’s two-division format this season. Instead, the teams with the two best conference records will square off Dec. 7 in Indianapolis.
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2024 football preseason honors on Tuesday ahead of the start of Big Ten Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium. A media panel selected the 12-member preseason list.
2024 Big Ten Preseason Honors
LB Jay Higgins, IOWA
DT Mason Graham, MICH
DB Will Johnson, MICH
TE Colston Loveland, MICH
QB Dillon Gabriel, ORE
WR Tez Johnson, ORE
SAF Caleb Downs, OSU
WR Emeka Egbuka, OSU
RB TreVeyon Henderson, OSU
DE JT Tuimoloau, OSU
DE Abdul Carter, PSU
RB Kyle Monangai, RU
BIG 10 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE: https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltca750cef518bc6e4/bltae17393b9e5c97f4/669ecc6f1e4e7e6a28b6be6f/2024_FB_Media_Guide_7-22.pdf
BIG TEN COMMISSIONER COMFORTABLE WITH 18 TEAMS FOR NOW
Reserving the option to change his mind, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti is not seeking to add to his 18-team conference.
Petitti said at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis on Tuesday that he remains “focused on the 18 for now,” echoing the sentiment shared by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey about his conference earlier this month.
“I think we’re really comfortable with where we are. We’ve got to get this conference right, and that’s where our focus is,” Petitti said.
Four teams are making their Big Ten debut this season following a mass exodus from the Pac-12 that began with USC and UCLA and multiplied to include Oregon and Washington.
Because the integration of West Coast teams complicated scheduling across sports, Petitti said he’s not focused on any other prospective members, including any programs that might have interest in jumping from the Atlantic Coast Conference and taking the Big Ten to the Big Twenty.
A key point from an educational and health perspective for the Big Ten was finding ways to restrict travel, particularly back-to-back road games. The conference focused on blocking cross-country travel in consecutive weeks in its first year of scheduling matchups such as Maryland and at Oregon (Nov. 9), which is about 2,820 miles by car or a long flight.
“I really believe scheduling is something that has to be constantly evaluated by sport,” Petitti said. “And I anticipate that we’ll get a lot more right in these next couple of years, the way we’ve formatted and scheduled. But it’s our job to listen to student-athletes, to listen to coaches, to make sure that we’re adjusting and making the change we need.”
Not every team can avoid the long travel legs, and the disparity between the most miles to travel this college football season and least is vast in the Big Ten.
UCLA’s schedule results in more miles of travel — 22,000 — than any other Big Ten football team. The four West Coast teams each will travel more than 12,500 miles.
Indiana will host UCLA and travel a league-low 4,900 miles this season. Purdue is 17th in planned travel miles at about 5,100 and Michigan is at 5,200.
MEMPHIS TABBED AS AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FAVORITE AHEAD OF UTSA AND TULANE
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Memphis has been tabbed as the preseason favorite in the American Athletic Conference after a vote of media who cover the league.
The preseason poll was released Tuesday during the league’s kickoff event involving coaches and players from all 14 teams.
The Tigers got 23 of 30 first-place votes, picked ahead of UTSA with four first-place votes and 2023 runner-up Tulane that was first on two ballots. South Florida was fourth and AAC newcomer Army fifth while getting the final first-place vote.
Memphis returns fourth-year starting quarterback Seth Henigan, who threw for 3,883 yards and 32 touchdowns last season when the Tigers averaged 39.4 points and 458.5 total yards per game.
UTSA has to replace four-year starting quarterback Frank Harris. Tulane, with new coach Jon Sumrall after Willie Fritz left for Houston, returns sophomore running back Makhi Hughes after he led the league with 1,378 yards rushing last season. But the Green Wave no longer have quarterback Michael Pratt, the league’s top offensive player last year.
SMU won the AAC title last year by going 8-0 in conference play during the regular season and beating Tulane in the title game. The Mustangs are now in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: CARDS CONQUER PIRATES, PAUL SKENES
Alec Burleson hit a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Tuesday to give rookie sensation Paul Skenes his first career major league loss.
Nolan Arenado hit a solo home run for the Cardinals, who evened a three-game series at a victory apiece.
Skenes (6-1) allowed two runs on four hits in a career-high 8 1/3 innings. He struck out eight and didn’t issue a walk.
Cardinals starter Lance Lynn blanked the Pirates for five innings, giving up four hits and walking three. He fanned two and now has 2,000 strikeouts in his career. Ryan Fernandez (1-2) earned his first big-league victory and Ryan Helsley earned his 33rd save of the season for St. Louis.
Athletics 8, Astros 2
Lawrence Butler hit one of Oakland’s five home runs and finished a single shy of the cycle as the Athletics routed visiting Houston.
Brent Rooker, Seth Brown, Zack Gelof and Shea Langeliers also homered for Oakland, which has taken the first two games of a three-game set. Osvaldo Bido (2-1) limited the Astros to one run and four hits in five innings.
Jeremy Pena capped a three-hit night for the Astros with a homer in the ninth inning. Jake Bloss (0-1) served up five runs and six hits in four innings.
Phillies 3, Twins 0
Brandon Marsh hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly and Nick Castellanos followed with a two-run double in the top of the ninth inning, lifting Philadelphia to a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Zack Wheeler fired seven scoreless innings for the Phillies, who evened a three-game series at one victory apiece. Gregory Soto (2-3) recorded one out and received the victory, and Matt Strahm pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.
Simeon Woods Richardson tossed six shutout frames for the Twins. Jhoan Duran (5-5) gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Guardians 5, Tigers 4
Jose Ramirez’s first homer in nearly a month put Cleveland ahead for good in the fifth, and his RBI single an inning later provided some much-needed insurance as the Guardians beat visiting Detroit.
Ramirez’s 24th home run of the season, a solo shot, was his first long ball since June 29, and it broke a 2-2 tie. He then capped a two-run sixth with a line-drive run-scoring single to right that put Cleveland ahead 5-2.
Steven Kwan and Jhonkensy Noel also homered and had two hits apiece while Emmanuel Clase recorded his 30th save of the season for the Guardians. Wenceel Perez hit a two-run homer for the Tigers.
Marlins 6, Orioles 3
Jesus Sanchez homered and Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Nick Gordon each drove in two runs as host Miami used early offense to beat Baltimore in the first game of a three-game series.
Five Miami pitchers combined on a nine-hitter, including two hitless innings from A.J. Puk (4-8). Neither team scored after the third inning.
Orioles starter Albert Suarez (5-4) lasted only two-plus innings. He was charged with six runs on eight hits. He left the game after taking a comebacker off his right foot. That happened one play after second baseman Jorge Mateo left with an injury after colliding with shortstop Gunnar Henderson on an infield single by Sanchez.
Padres 4, Nationals 0
Randy Vasquez and three relievers combined on a five-hit shutout and visiting San Diego beat Washington.
Luis Arraez and Jurickson Profar hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth for the Padres, who have won three straight. Vasquez (3-5) gave up four hits and did not walk a batter while striking out one in six-plus innings.
Washington starter DJ Herz (1-4) lasted five innings and gave up two runs on five hits. The Nationals went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and saw their three-game winning streak end.
Mets 3, Yankees 2
Jeff McNeil continued his fast start to the second half by hitting a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the sixth inning and the visiting Mets hung on for a victory over the Yankees.
The Mets improved to 3-0 in the season series with the Yankees. McNeil hit his fourth homer since the All-Star break when he connected against reliever Michael Tonkin (3-4).
Gleyber Torres homered in the second for the Yankees, who lost for the 21st time in 31 games since June 15. Aaron Judge drew four walks and the Yankees left 11 runners on base.
Rays 4, Blue Jays 2
Brandon Lowe hit a two-run home run and Tampa Bay defeated host Toronto in the opener of a three-game series.
The Rays took advantage of three stolen bases to improve to 3-2 on their seven-game road trip. Shawn Armstrong served as an opener for Tampa Bay and struck out four in two shutout innings. Tyler Alexander (3-3) took over in the third and pitched three scoreless innings.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Justin Turner hit solo homers for the Blue Jays, who are 1-3 to open a nine-game homestand. Toronto starter Jose Berrios (8-8) allowed three runs, three hits and six walks to go along with five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Rangers 3, White Sox 2
Jon Gray allowed one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings to lift Texas over reeling Chicago in Arlington, Texas.
Texas’ Josh Smith had an RBI double to bring in a big insurance run in the eighth inning. He also scored on a double steal with Adolis Garcia in the first. Garcia also had an RBI single for the Rangers, who have won three games in a row and 10 of their past 14.
Andrew Vaughn had a run-scoring single in the third inning for the White Sox, who mustered just five hits and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position en route to their ninth straight loss. Andrew Benintendi homered.
Brewers 1, Cubs 0
Milwaukee starter Colin Rea and four relievers combined to blank host Chicago in the second game of a three-game set.
Following an 84-minute rain delay, Rea allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked two over five innings. Bryan Hudson and Elvis Peguero (6-3) followed with perfect innings before Jared Koenig worked into and out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth.
Trevor Megill gave up a single, but he stranded the tying run at second in the ninth to earn his 20th save in 22 opportunities. Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson each had two hits for Chicago, which won the series opener 3-1 on Monday night.
Diamondbacks 6, Royals 2
Ketel Marte homered and left-hander Jordan Montgomery returned from the injured list to log five strong innings as visiting Arizona beat Kansas City, evening a three-game series.
Activated from the 15-day IL for his first start since June 27 due to right knee inflammation, Montgomery (7-5) retired 14 of the last 16 batters he faced. He allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out two.
Bobby Witt Jr.’s double in the first inning drove in the Royals’ first run, and Salvador Perez added an RBI single in the ninth. Kansas City starter Alec Marsh (7-7) allowed five runs on five hits in five innings.
Red Sox 6, Rockies 0
Tyler O’Neill hit two home runs and had three RBIs, Rob Refsnyder added two hits and two RBIs and Boston beat Colorado in Denver.
Cooper Criswell pitched a career-high seven innings for the Red Sox, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Boston’s Rafael Devers, Romy Gonzalez and Masataka Yoshida also had two hits apiece, while O’Neill had the ninth multi-homer game of his career.
Charlie Blackmon had two hits for Colorado, which welcomed Kris Bryant back from the IL. Bryant had been on the IL with a left oblique strain since early June. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
Angels 5, Mariners 1
Jose Soriano pitched 7 2/3 strong innings as Los Angeles defeated host Seattle.
Luis Rengifo, making his return from the IL, hit a two-run single to cap a five-run fifth inning for the Angels, who won their third consecutive game. Soriano (6-7) allowed one run on three hits.
The injury-plagued Mariners — Julio Rodriguez and J.P. Crawford were placed on the 10-day IL on Tuesday — lost for the seventh time in eight games. Logan Gilbert (6-6) gave up five runs (one earned) in 6 2/3 innings.
Dodgers 5, Giants 2
Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani each hit a two-run double and Los Angeles continued its success against visiting San Francisco while remaining unbeaten since the All-Star break.
Ohtani finished with three RBIs, while rookie right-hander Landon Knack (2-2) gave up one run over five innings as the Dodgers won their fifth consecutive game.
Rookie Tyler Fitzgerald homered in a fifth consecutive game for the Giants. It is the longest home run streak by a San Francisco player since Barry Bonds had a seven-game run in 2004. Fitzgerald finished with two RBIs.
TROUT EXITS 1ST REHAB GAME WITH KNEE SORENESS
Los Angeles Angels star outfielder Mike Trout left his first rehab game with knee soreness, the team announced Tuesday.
Trout, who had been sidelined since early May after tearing his meniscus, played two innings for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees before experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired knee.
Trout initially reported to Triple-A with intentions of returning to the Angels’ lineup this week, according to ESPN’s Alden González.
Trout, 32, has been plagued by injuries in recent years. The three-time AL MVP has only appeared in 100 or more games once since 2019, a benchmark he will once again miss in 2024.
The 11-time All-Star posted a 138 OPS+ with 10 home runs across 29 games with the Angels before suffering the injury.
Trout still has six seasons left on his 12-year, $426.5-million contract.
MARINERS PLACE OF JULIO RODRIGUEZ, SS J.P. CRAWFORD ON IL
The Seattle Mariners placed star outfielder Julio Rodriguez on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday due to a right high ankle sprain.
Shortstop J.P. Crawford (fractured right hand) also went on the IL as Seattle made a slew of moves prior to Tuesday night’s game against the visiting Los Angeles Angels.
Rodriguez was injured on Sunday when he crashed into the wall while attempting to make a catch during a victory over the Houston Astros. Rodriguez fell down on the warning track and immediately grabbed his ankle.
“Julio came in today from the doctor. (He’s) not really responding as quickly as he hoped,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Don’t know how long it’s going to be. It could be a quick turnaround in 10, 11 days; it could be longer. We’ll see, we’ll know more here in the next few days there. (It’s) certainly very disappointing news. You lose two guys that are so critical and key to our team.”
Rodriguez, 23, is batting .263 with 11 homers, 37 RBIs and 18 steals through 100 games this season. The two-time All-Star and 2022 American League Rookie of the Year has 71 homers and 215 RBIs in 387 career games.
Crawford, 29, was hit by a pitch from Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson during the first inning of Monday’s game. He finished the frame and scored a run before leaving the contest.
“J.P. does have a hairline fracture in that right pinky. Any time it’s a fracture, it’s going to take some time to heal,” Servais said. “So he’s going to be out for some time, don’t have a timeline on that.”
Crawford is batting just .204 with nine homers and 32 RBIs through 77 games this season. It is a decline from last season, when he established career highs of 19 homers and 65 RBIs while batting .266.
Seattle also recalled first baseman Tyler Locklear, shortstop Leo Rivas and outfielders Cade Marlowe and Jonatan Clase from Triple-A Tacoma. Clase was sent to Tacoma following Monday night’s game before being recalled by Seattle on Tuesday due to the IL decisions on Rodriguez and Crawford.
The Mariners also designated first baseman Ty France for assignment. The 2022 All-Star was batting just .223 with eight homers and 31 RBIs in 88 games this season. France, 30, was acquired from the San Diego Padres at the 2020 trade deadline.
“Ty was a big part of our offense here for a number of years. … He was very productive, hitting the ball all over the field, one of the tougher guys in the league to strike out,” Servais said. “And over time, that hasn’t been the case. …
“I wish Ty the best. Good guy (who) worked hard when he was here. But it is a business, and we’ve got to find ways to improve our club.”
Locklear, 23, batted .200 with two homers and three RBIs in 11 games with the Mariners earlier this season. Rivas, 26, went 2-for-6 in six games with Seattle earlier this year.
Marlowe, 27, batted .239 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 34 games with the Mariners last season. He has 43 steals for Tacoma this season.
Clase, 22, is batting .195 with three RBIs across 19 games with Seattle this season.
2024 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SIGNING BONUSES
Signing bonuses for the selections through competitive balance round A in the 2024 Major League Baseball amateur draft:
1, Cleveland Guardians, Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State, $8.95 million
2, Cincinnati Reds, Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest, $9.25 million
3, Colorado Rockies, Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia, $9.25 million
4, Oakland Athletics, Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest.
5, Chicago White Sox, Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas.
6, Kansas City Royals, Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida.
7, St. Louis Cardinals, JJ Wetherholt, SS, West Virginia.
8, Los Angeles Angels, Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee, $4,997,500
9, Pittsburgh Pirates, Konnor Griffin, SS, Jackson Prep School, Miss.
10, Washington Nationals, Seaver King, SS, Wake Forest.
11, Detroit Tigers, Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard-Westlake H.S., Calif., $5,797,500
12, Boston Red Sox, Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M.
13, San Francisco Giants, James Tibbs III, OF, Florida State.
14, Chicago Cubs, Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State.
15, Seattle Mariners, Jurrangelo Cijntje, P, Mississippi State.
16, Miami Marlins, PJ Morlando, OF, Summerville H.S., Calif., $3.4 million
17, Milwaukee Brewers, Braylon Payne, OF, Elkins H.S., Texas.
NBA NEWS
REPORT: JACKSON SIGNING WITH 76ERS AFTER HORNETS BUYOUT
Veteran point guard Reggie Jackson was waived by the Charlotte Hornets, the team announced.
Jackson plans to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers upon clearing waivers, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The floor general played last season with the Denver Nuggets, who traded him to the Hornets on Day 2 of the NBA draft. Jackson, 34, had one year worth $5.3 million left on his deal.
He averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 assists for the Nuggets last season after winning a ring with Denver in 2023.
Jackson holds career averages of 12.6 points and 4.2 assists over 13 seasons in the Association.
The Sixers made the splash of the offseason by signing nine-time All-Star Paul George. George and Jackson played together for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2020-23.
Philadelphia has also added veterans Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, and Andre Drummond in free agency. The franchise re-signed Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre, Kyle Lowry, and KJ Martin.
GOLF NEWS
GOLF GLANCE: FEDEX CUP PLAYOFF CHASE HEATS UP IN TWIN CITIES
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: The Open Championship (Xander Schauffele); Barracuda Championship (Nick Dunlap)
THIS WEEK: 3M Open, Blaine, Minn., July 25-28
Course: TPC Twin Cities (Par 71, 7,431 Yards)
Purse: $8.1M (Winner: $1.458M)
Defending Champion: Lee Hodges
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 7:45 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 8-6 p.m.
X: @3MOpen
NOTES: There are two events remaining before the start of the three-event FedEx Cup Playoffs, with the top 70 players in the standings qualifying for the first leg. … Hodges, who is 73rd in the standings, is attempting to become the first player to successfully defend a 3M Open title. He set the tournament scoring record of 260 in winning wire-to-wire by seven shots last year. … Florida State junior Luke Clanton, who has made the cut in all four events this year, is in the field on a sponsor exemption. He joins Neal Shipley, who beat Clanton for low amateur honors at the U.S. Open and finished sixth at the ISCO Championship two weeks ago.
BEST BETS: Tony Finau (+1100 at DraftKings) won the event in 2022 and finished T7 last year. … Sam Burns (+1800) was in contention at The Open before an 80 on Sunday. He also finished T9 at the U.S. Open. … Akshay Bhatia (+2200) missed the cut at Royal Troon, but that did follow consecutive top-5 finishes on tour. … Keegan Bradley (+3000) returns to the 3M Open for the first time since 2021. The recently-named 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain sits 42nd in the FedEx Cup standings. … Michael Thorbjornsen (+6500), who finished first in the PGA Tour University to earn his tour card, finished T2 at the John Deere Classic.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Olympic Men’s Golf Competition, Paris
LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Dana Open (Chanettee Wannasaen)
THIS WEEK: CPKC Women’s Open, Calgary, July 25-28
Course: Earl Grey Golf Club (Par 72, 6,856 yards)
Purse: $2.6M (Winner: $390,000)
Defending Champion: Megan Khang (Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, Vancouver)
Race to the CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 6:30-9:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, Peacock); Saturday-Sunday, 6-9 p.m. (GC, Peacock)
X: @CPKCWomensOpen
NOTES: The Earl Grey course, originally founded in 1919 as a five-hole course, is playing host to its first professional golf tournament. It is the 15th venue for the CPKC Women’s Open across Canada since 2001. … The field includes six of 14 winners this season along with 23 of the 26 rookies on tour.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Portland Classic, Aug. 1-4
PGA Tour Champions
LAST TOURNAMENT: Kaulig Companies Championship (Ernie Els)
THIS WEEK: The Senior Open Championship, Carnoustie, Scotland, July 25-28
Course: Carnoustie Golf Club
Purse: $2.85M
Defending Champion: Alex Cejka
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: TBA
X: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: Carnoustie has played host to The Open Championship on eight occasions, the Women’s British Open twice and the Senior Open Championship twice. Bernhard Langer won in 2010 and Paul Broadhurst in 2016. … Els will not play this week due to a back injury. … Padraig Harrington finished T22 at last week’s Open Championship.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Boeing Classic, Snoqualmie, Wash., Aug. 9-11
LIV Golf League
LAST TOURNAMENT: Andalucia, Spain (Individual: Sergio Garcia; Team: Fireballs GC)
THIS WEEK: LIV Golf UK, United Kingdom, July 26-28
Course: JCB Golf and Country Club (Par 71, 7,255 Yards)
Purse: $20M (Individual), $5M (Team); $4M (Individual), $3M (Team)
Defending Champion: Inaugural event
2024 Leaders: Players, Joaquin Niemann; Team, Crushers GC
HOW TO WATCH
TV: Friday, 9:15 a.m. ET (CW App, LIV Golf Plus); Saturday, 9:15 a.m. (CW Network, CW App, LIV Golf Plus); Sunday, 9:05 a.m. (CW Network, CW App, LIV Golf Plus)
X: @livgolf_league
NOTES: This is the 11th of 13 events in the race for the individual championship. The season will conclude with the Team Championship in Dallas Sept. 20-22. … The shotgun start will begin at 9:15 a.m. ET on Friday and Saturday and 9:05 a.m. Sunday. … The 54-player field will compete in a three-day event with shotgun starts. There are 12 four-player teams and two independent wild card players.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Greenbrier, W.Va., Aug. 16-18
CHARLIE WOODS MISSES CUT AT U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR
Charlie Woods, the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods, missed the cut at the U.S. Junior Amateur by 18 strokes on Tuesday in Bloomfield Township, Mich.
The younger Woods carded a 10-over-par 80 in the second round at Oakland Hills’ South Course after posting a 12-over 82 on Monday at Oakland Hills’ North Course.
His father was in attendance to watch the event that he won at age 15, 16 and 17, making him the tournament’s only three-time champion.
Charlie Woods made three pars and a birdie through his first four holes on Tuesday (on the back nine) before hitting a disastrous stretch.
He closed the back nine by going double bogey, bogey, par, double bogey, triple bogey, leaving him at 8 over par for the day.
Woods then settled down on the front nine, getting a birdie and five pars, but closed bogey-par-bogey. Only 17 players finished below Woods, including one who withdrew after the first round.
The son and his father will team up at the PNC Championship at Orlando in December.
Blades Brown was the stroke-play medalist at the U.S. Junior Amateur at 6-under 134 after shooting a 68 at the South Course on Tuesday. The top 64 in the 264-player field advance to match play, which begins Wednesday.
GENERAL SPORTS NEWS
BULLS, BLACKHAWKS OWNERS UNVEIL $7 BILLION PLAN TO TRANSFORM AREA AROUND UNITED CENTER
CHICAGO (AP) — The owners of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and NHL’s Blackhawks unveiled a $7 billion plan Tuesday to replace the parking lots surrounding the United Center with green space, mixed-income housing, a music hall and more.
The 1901 Project, touted as the largest private investment in Chicago’s West Side, is being spearheaded by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, who own the arena. It would be built in phases on more than 55 acres of privately owned land over about a decade-long period starting as soon as next spring if approved by the city.
“The 1901 Project represents a continuation of our families’ commitment to the future of Chicago’s West Side,” Bulls CEO Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement. “This investment will create a thriving, interconnected neighborhood, delivering significant benefits and resources to the community we have long called home.”
The first phase calls for a 6,000-seat theater, a multilevel parking facility with more than 10 acres of public green space on its rooftop, more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and bike lanes, and hotel and retail space. Plans for future phases include housing “that spans various unit sizes and includes affordable, market rate and luxury housing” as well as transportation enhancements.
“While this is just the beginning, we have already started to engage with our neighbors and community partners to identify areas of opportunity for community wealth generation from this private investment,” Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in a statement. “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand on a legacy that makes all of Chicago proud.”
Alderman Walter Burnett said the project requires city and community feedback. He also expressed support for the plans.
“I am excited for the investment on the West Side, which is often overlooked for this level of private investment. It’s our time,” he said in a statement.
The 1901 Project bears some similarities to what the Ricketts family did with the area surrounding Wrigley Field about a decade ago. Along with the renovations to the famed ballpark, the owners of baseball’s Chicago Cubs replaced a parking lot with a plaza and constructed a hotel as well as a team office building.
The Chicago White Sox, also owned by the Reinsdorfs, are looking to move out of Guaranteed Rate Field on the South Side and construct a new stadium as part of a ballpark village in the city’s South Loop with green spaces, residences and businesses. The NFL’s Chicago Bears are trying to build an enclosed lakefront stadium next to Soldier Field as part of a reimagined museum campus, and they also own a 326-acre tract of land in suburban Arlington Heights that could also be the site of a future home. The two teams are seeking public funding for those projects.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS FOOTBALL
(COLTS PRESS RELEASE)
JUST ANNOUNCED! COLTS 2024 GAMEDAY THEMES, ENTERTAINMENT, & PROMOTIONS
Indianapolis – The Indianapolis Colts today announced their 2024 lineup of Gameday Giveaways, halftime entertainment and promotions for the team’s preseason and regular season home schedule at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Special themes include celebrations of new Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney and Colts Ring of Honor Inductee Dallas Clark, Kicking the Stigma Day, Family Day, Crucial Catch, Salute to Service and others.
For more info about 2024 themes and ticket offers, visit Colts.com/Promos.
For more info about gameday giveaways, visit Colts.com/Giveaways.
Gameday elements are subject to change.
PRESEASON: SUN., AUG. 11 – COLTS VS. BRONCOS
- Themes: Family Day & Play Football
Kick off the preseason festivities and gather the whole family for a gameday experience, including special kids activities and entertainment. The NFL also will celebrate “Play Football Month” by highlighting youth athletes, coaches, families and communities through clinics, camps and other unique football activities.
- Giveaway: Mascot “Blue” color-changing cup
- Halftime: Colts Junior Cheer & Moms Performance
- Ticket Promotion: Family Four Pack
PRESEASON: SAT., AUG. 17 – COLTS VS. CARDINALS
- Themes: Kicking The Stigma & Colts 5K Run/Walk
The Colts will highlight mental health through Kicking The Stigma, which to date has committed more than $30 million to expand treatment and research and raise awareness in Indiana and beyond. Plus, fans can participate in the 12th annual Indianapolis Colts 5K Run/Walk in the morning before the game.
- Giveaway: Colts clear drawstring bag
- Halftime: IndyHumane Dog Fashion Show
- Ticket Promotion: Colts Beer Blitz
SUN., SEPT. 8 – COLTS VS. TEXANS
- Themes: Home Opener & Dwight Freeney Hall of Fame Celebration
The Colts officially will kick off the 2024 season and also celebrate the induction of former Colts DE Dwight Freeney into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Giveaway: Home opener T-Shirt
- Halftime: Dwight Freeney Hall of Fame Recognition
SUN., SEPT. 22 – COLTS VS. BEARS
- Themes: Colts vs. Bears
- Giveaway: “For the Shoe” wall flag
- Halftime: NFL Mascots vs. PeeWees game
SUN., SEPT. 29 – COLTS VS. STEELERS
- Theme: Crucial Catch
Crucial Catch was created to fight cancer through early detection, risk reduction and awareness. The league, the NFL Player Association and the American Cancer Society are committed to providing individuals with the tools they need to help them better understand early detection and ways to reduce their cancer risk.
- Giveaway: Crucial Catch cancer awareness ribbon
- Halftime: Cancer Bell-Ringing ceremony
SUN., OCT. 20 – COLTS VS. DOLPHINS
- Themes: Kicking The Stigma Game & Ring of Honor Induction of Dallas Clark
The team will share info with fans about mental health through Kicking The Stigma. Plus, fans will celebrate the induction Colts legend and Super Bowl champion Dallas Clark into the Colts Ring of Honor.
- Giveaway: Mental health Friendship bracelets and #44 Dallas Clark rally towels
- Halftime: Dallas Clark Ring of Honor celebration
SUN., NOV. 10 – COLTS VS. BILLS
- Theme: Salute to Service
Salute to Service is a year-round effort to honor, empower and connect our nation’s service members, veterans and their families. It is grounded in deep partnership with nonprofits and organizations that support our military community across the globe.
- Giveaway: White Camo Beanie
- Halftime: Military Enlistment Ceremony
SUN., NOV. 24 – COLTS VS. LIONS
- Theme: Indiana Nights
For the second season, the Indiana Nights uniform, featuring the signature black helmet, will make its on-field appearance against the Detroit Lions.
- Giveaway: TBA
- Halftime: Celebrity Catch-Like-A-Pro
SUN., DEC. 22 – COLTS VS. TITANS
- Theme: Winter White Out
The Colts’ iconic white-on-white uniform will transform Lucas Oil Stadium into a winter wonderland during the inaugural White Out game during the holiday season.
- Giveaway: White “For the Shoe” T-shirt
- Halftime: Holiday-inspired Colts Cheerleaders & Drumline Show, featuring the Horseshoe Pipers and Ally the Piper
WEEK 18 – COLTS VS. JAGUARS
- Theme: Fan Appreciation
As the 2024 season comes to a close, the Colts will celebrate their loyal fanbase at the final home game, filled with special surprises, giveaways and appreciation for team support.
- Giveaway: Colts knitted scarf
- Halftime: TBA
COLTS BY THE NUMBERS
Colts players will arrive at Grand Park on Wednesday morning, then begin practicing for the upcoming 2024 season on Thursday. You can join them by getting tickets to attend training camp at Colts.com/camp.
2 – How many snaps Anthony Richardson & Jonathan Taylor played together in 2023. You’ll see more than that at Grand Park over the next few weeks. The tantalizing prospect of Richardson and Taylor teaming up in the Colts’ backfield is a major driver of excitement around the 2024 Colts, and we’ll get our first peek at what that pairing could look like in Westfield.
3 or 4 – How many hours Colts City is open each practice day. For a full Colts City schedule, click here.
4 – Players in Colts history with 100+ receptions and 1,000+ yards in a season. Those players: Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Michael Pittman Jr., who signed a contract extension this spring after a 109-catch, 1,152-yard 2023 season.
5 – Primetime practices. For the Colts’ practices on July 27 (weekend), July 28 (weekend), Aug. 4 (weekend), Aug. 14 (night joint practice w/Cardinals) and Aug. 15 (night joint practice with Cardinals), tickets for adults 18 and older are $5, with proceeds benefitting the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis’ new flag football program. Tickets for kids 17 and under will be free, but still must be downloaded to attend.
7 – Free practices. All other Colts training camp practices are free for all to enter, though fans still must download a ticket to attend. Parking can be purchased in advance for $5, or on-site for $10. Click here for more information.
10 – Adonai Mitchell’s number. Mitchell, the wide receiver selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, will look to carve out a place in the Colts’ offense during training camp. His blend of size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), speed (he ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine), hands (one drop in final two years in college) and clutch playmaking (he caught five touchdowns in College Football Playoff games) brings plenty of upside to the Colts – and, in addition to those traits, he’ll be drawing motivation every time he puts on his jersey. Mitchell chose to wear No. 10 as a reminder that 10 wide receivers were drafted ahead of him in 2024.
12 – How many total practices are open to the public. Practices include 10 theme days and two joint practices with the Arizona Cardinals. Click here for the full training camp schedule, and get your tickets to attend camp here.
45 – Days between the Colts’ first practice and season opener. The Colts hold their first training camp practice on Thursday, July 25, and open the 2024 season at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Houston Texans on Sept. 8.
51 – How many sacks the Colts had in 2023. Those 51 sacks were the fourth-most in the NFL and set a new Indianapolis-era franchise record. Players who accounted for 49 of the Colts’ 51 sacks return in 2024, with the addition of free agent defensive tackle Raekwon Davis and first-round defensive end Laiatu Latu bolstering an already-strong front. And speaking of continuity…
56 – The number of players who played for the Colts in 2023 who are back in 2024. The Colts’ see their year-to-year continuity as a strength, and plenty of familiar faces will be back on the field at Grand Park this summer. Also returning is nearly the entire coaching staff, lead by second-year head coach Shane Steichen.
68 – How many receptions Josh Downs had in 2023. Downs broke Bill Brooks’ long-standing franchise rookie receptions record, and will look to build on his impressive debut season during training camp at Grand Park.
75.2 – The Colts’ O-line’s Pro Football Focus’ grade in 2023. That mark was good for sixth-best in the NFL. The Colts return all five starting offensive linemen from 2023, including two Pro Bowlers (Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly), as well as several key depth pieces and position coach Tony Sparano Jr.
97 – Laiatu Latu’s number. Mitchell isn’t the only Colts rookie who will draw motivation from their jersey choice. Latu, the No. 15 overall pick, had the option to wear No. 57 or No. 97 – and he chose 97 as a nod to the Colts’ long history of elite defensive linemen wearing numbers in the 90’s, from Dwight Freeney (No. 93) to Robert Mathis (No. 98) to DeForest Buckner (No. 99).
179 – How many tackles Zaire Franklin had in 2023. Franklin set a Colts record with 166 tackles in 2022, then broke his own record with 179 in 2023. The 2018 seventh-round pick has built a remarkable career in Indianapolis: He’s a four-time team captain who’s signed two contract extensions, set two records, was the 2023 Colts Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee and this week was voted by his peers as a top-100 player in the NFL.
85,000 – The square footage of Colts City. With a turf field, inflatables, Colts In Motion and special appearances by Blue and Colts Cheerleaders, there’s plenty for fans to do before, during and after practices.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
BEER HAMMERS THREE HOMERS IN STATEMENT SERIES-OPENING SLUGFEST
DES MOINES, Iowa – Seth Beer became just the ninth Indians batter in franchise history to hit three home runs in a single game as Indianapolis slugged its way to a 13-6 series-opening victory over the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday night at Principal Park.
Beer, who went 4-for-5 with four runs, three homers and five RBI in the statement victory, is the first Indian to log a three-homer game since Micah Franklin on Sept. 1, 2001, vs. Toledo, and the first to do so on the road since Willie Greene on Aug. 22, 1995, at Omaha. The feat ties his career high in homers, following his first three-homer game on Sept. 1, 2023, with Double-A Amarillo vs. Midland. He also tied his career highs in runs and RBI.
After the Indians (8-12, 41-52) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Seth Beer launched his first long ball of the night in the second to erase a leadoff shot by Owen Caissie. The game quickly was knotted at three runs apiece, with the I-Cubs scoring in each of their first three frames.
Beer’s second blast – a one-out solo shot in the fourth inning – broke the tie for good. Jake Lamb followed in the fifth, cashing in back-to-back leadoff singles by Alika Williams and Ji Hwan Bae with a three-run shot over the wall in left-center field to extend the lead to 7-3.
Iowa (10-12, 43-54) inched back with one run in the bottom of the fifth, but a two-run single by Henry Davis highlighted the Indians second of three consecutive three-run frames in the top of the sixth.
Following back-to-back free bases to kick off the seventh, Beer clinched his three-homer performance with a long ball to center field, capping the scoring for the Indians.
Domingo Germán (W, 5-4) earned his fifth-straight win, backed by his team’s offensive outpouring after tossing 5.0 four-run innings with six strikeouts. Major league rehabbers Hunter Stratton and Ryan Borucki each appeared in the game, combining for four strikeouts over 2.2 innings.
Kyle McGowin (L, 0-2) and Caleb Kilian took the brunt of Indy’s hot bats, with McGowin tagged for seven runs over 5.0 frames.
The Indians have now hit 18 home runs over seven games at Principal Park this season after launching 14 from May 21-26.
Indianapolis and Iowa face off again on Wednesday afternoon at 1:08 PM ET. RHP Dan Straily (1-6, 4.88) will take the mound for the I-Cubs while the Indians have yet to name a starter.
INDIANA CROSS COUNTRY
INDIANA CROSS COUNTRY ANNOUNCES 2024 FALL SLATE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana cross country head coach Eric Heins announces the Hoosiers’ 2024 cross country schedule including one home meet at the Sam Bell Cross Country Course and three races on the road.
“I am excited about the competitive level of this schedule,” Heins said. “I believe it sets both teams up to see a variety of courses as well as competition from all over the country, all while staying relatively close to home. Year in and year out, our team goals are to be competing for a B1G team title and qualifying for the national championships. This schedule prepares us for both of those goals.”
The Hoosiers will begin their season on Aug. 30th with the Sam Bell Invitational. This is the first home race under Heins and the first since the 2022 season.
Indiana will travel to their first away meet with the Fighting Illini Big Ten Preview at the University of Illinois’ Blue Golf Course on Sept. 13th.
The Hoosiers will take a few weeks off for training before heading to the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational in Chicago, Ill. on Oct. 4th.
Up next, the cream and crimson will gear up for the postseason as they close out the regular season with the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals meet at the Thomas Zimmerman Championship Cross Country Course in Madison, Wis.
The University of Illinois will host the Big Ten Championships on Nov. 1st at the Orange and Blue Golf Course in Savoy, Ill.
Following the conference championships, the NCAA Great Lakes Regional will be held in Norton, Ohio, at the Silver Creek Cross Country Course on Nov. 15th.
The 2024 NCAA Championships are set in Madison, Wis., again at the Thomas Zimmerman Championship Course on Nov. 23rd.
PURDUE FOOTBALL-BIG 10 MEDIA DAY
COACH RYAN WALTERS
THE MODERATOR: Coach Walters, we’ll begin with your opening statement.
RYAN WALTERS: Man, it’s good to be back here at the Big Ten Media Days. It’s good to see familiar faces. What a difference a year makes.
A lot has changed throughout the course of this past year. Our building looks different. We’ve made upgrades aesthetically to the weight room. We’ve got a dining hall that will be a lot more convenient for our student-athletes. That’s right outside the building right there attached to the stadium.
We’ve got new uniforms that represents a new era in Purdue football that hopefully pays homage to some things in the past and gives a modern look on the future.
We also have 37 new players added to the roster. 27 of those were enrolled in January, which I thought was very important and strategic from the staff’s standpoint to get them integrated with the culture, with the camaraderie of the locker room and getting to know each other, and hopefully that will pay dividends this fall.
We’ve also learned a lot as a program in a year. We’ve learned our strengths and weaknesses as a staff, learned our strengths and weaknesses as a roster and tried to address those. We also know now what the standards and expectations are on how we operate on a day-to-day basis.
We also learned as a program how we respond to adversity. When we hit adverse moments a year ago, nobody blinked. They dove into the process and worked hard.
I’ve also learned a great deal individually going through my first year as a head coach. I understand now how to better serve the team in the use of my time. Obviously, my expertise is on the defensive side of the ball. As a head coach, you wear a lot of hats, but going through last season knowing how much I can dive into the X’s and O’s and how much I need to be head coach, that balance is something that I’ve learned.
I’ve learned how much I love this university and the West Lafayette community. This is a fan base and a support system that is unmatched. We have great leadership in our president and our athletic director.
This community of West Lafayette, show up and show out unconditionally. What that looks like is having the highest season ticket sales since 2007 up to this point already.
I’ve also learned that everyone in the building has a chip on their shoulder that grows by the day. Because of that, I can’t wait for this fall.
With that, I’ll open the floor up for questions.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach.
Q. I just wanted to ask about expansion. First, just your thoughts on the four new teams and then also, with it being announced that Indianapolis is going to be the site of the Big Ten Championship through 2028, about the Big Ten’s commitment to stay in Indiana for the foreseeable future as well.
RYAN WALTERS: I think the — to answer your first question, anytime you add four teams, like an Oregon, a USC, a UCLA, and a Washington, to the Big Ten Conference, it’s just going to add to the prestige, add to the strength of the Big Ten Conference.
Those are great storied programs with great coaching staffs and great players, and I’m looking forward to competing against them year in and year out.
As far as playing the Big Ten Championship game staying here in Indy, I think it adds to the tradition of the Big Ten Conference. I’m a little biased, but this is a great venue and a great location for a championship game.
Q. So as you know, the Big Ten preseason media polls were released the other day and had the Boilermakers dead last. How are you going to use that as fuel for motivation for the team? Post it up in the locker room? What do you plan on using that as this fall?
RYAN WALTERS: Obviously as much as you try not to read things and the opinions of your program or yourself or your players, you still hear it, right? If you’re not reading it, your folks are or your friends are or it gets back to you.
I would be naive not to address it with the team and not talk about the elephant in the room. I did mention a large chip on the shoulder of everybody in that building. 18 out of 18 is a large reason why.
Q. A two-part question for you, Ryan. You talked a lot about the things you learned in your first season. What was the biggest lesson that you learned in that first year? Then I’ve given you a year since I asked this question last year. Have you gotten to Triple XXX and tried the peanut butter burger yet?
RYAN WALTERS: As far as lessons I learned in that first season, I would be up here all day talking about them. There are things that you anticipate and that you plan for, but nothing can prepare you for real-time problems that occur and how fast and how urgently you need to come up with solutions.
As far as the Triple XXX, I have been there. I have not done the peanut butter burger yet. It’s just I can’t — it just doesn’t add up in my mind on how that works together. But I have been there for breakfast on a couple of occasions, and they do a great job.
Q. Hudson Card last year just under 59% completion for your offense. Is that a number that you are comfortable with as the head coach, and if you want it to go higher, how do you accomplish that this season?
RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, obviously we want that number to be higher and fully anticipate that it will be. You know, if you look at Hudson’s career and where he’s headed, last season was his first time being a full-time starter at the collegiate level at quarterback.
You couple that with being in a brand-new system for the first time with a brand-new environment and all the things that go into it, you know, year two you generally see a big jump from an experience standpoint.
We’ve seen that in terms of his command of the offense and what we’re trying to get accomplished there schematically. We’ve seen him embrace his role as a leader on the team, and we’ve added some pieces around him to protect him and guys to throw the ball to.
I fully anticipate him having a big jump from year one to year two in the program.
Q. Purdue in the last couple of years has had somewhat of an explosive offense. They’ve sent guys to the league. When you think about that standard from what past players have done, how are you kind of incorporating that into what you want to see from your offense? But also you said you’re a defensive-minded head coach. How do you shift that perspective within the program?
RYAN WALTERS: I am like the head coach though, right, so I understand that the quarterback position is the most important position in sports, period.
On offense we try to protect that guy and allow him to have success. Then defensively we try to destruct him, right? As far as having explosive offenses, I think we have the makings of that at Purdue.
We did send a running back to the NFL in the draft this past season. We had two guys that had over 500 yards rushing, which hadn’t been done at Purdue in a long time. In Big Ten Conference games we’re an air raid offense that led Big Ten Conference games in rushing.
I think that speaks to our staff’s creativity and the compromise that you sort of have with identifying and adhering to your philosophy, but also meeting the roster in the middle and trying to do things that sets them up for success.
Again, I’m excited about where we’re at, where we’re headed, and I can’t wait for this fall.
Q. Talk about the big run that Purdue had, Coach Painter and the fans, and how that carries over to you with all the enthusiasm that Coach Painter and his team brought, and now here we are football season ready for you.
RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, it was awesome to see in real time. I think it gives a tangible example of what is attainable and what is possible at Purdue from an athletic standpoint.
We got to see firsthand the run that they made and the type of production and success they have year in and year out. So I think for our players and for our staff and for our community it shows you what is possible from an athletic standpoint in West Lafayette at Purdue University.
PURDUE BASEBALL
LOVELADY JOINS BASEBALL AS ASSISTANT COACH
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A three-time conference coach of the year with 349 career victories and head coaching experience at UCF and Wright State, Greg Lovelady is joining Purdue Baseball as an assistant coach.
Head coach Greg Goff has announced Lovelady as the newest addition to the coaching staff, saying Lovelady will take a lead role with the program’s hitters and catchers. Lovelady is the second new hire of the summer after alum Barrett Serrato (hitting/infield defense) returned to campus this month. They’ll team up Goff, Josh Newman (pitching coach), John Madia (player development/alumni relations) and Hunter Roberts (operations) to form Purdue’s staff for the 2024-25 school year.
In 10 seasons as a head coach – seven at UCF (2017-23) and three at Wright State (2014-16) – Lovelady’s teams never finished with a sub-.500 overall record, winning at least 30 games in all but the abbreviated 2020 campaign (15-3 and ranked No. 12 when the season was shut down). He led WSU to four Horizon League titles (two regular season, two tournament) and two NCAA Regional appearances.
In his first season at UCF, the Knights won 40 games and the American Athletic Conference title, earning an at-large bid for a Regional. UCF was among the first four teams omitted from the 64-team field the following two years.
Lovelady has coached 55 MLB Draft picks during his 22-year coaching career. UCF had 10 players drafted in the first 10 rounds, including seven in the first five rounds, from 2017 to 2023. He spent 12 seasons total at Wright State, including seven as an associate head coach and recruiting coordinator while coaching hitters, catchers and pitchers as needed. He also has coaching experience in the USA Baseball system.
As a player at the University of Miami, Lovelady helped the Hurricanes win the College World Series in 1999 and 2001. The four-year letterwinner was a fan favorite and served as a team captain as a senior in 2001. He started all four games in Omaha as a sophomore in 1999 and the final three games two years later while closing out his college career as an NCAA champion. Lovelady started his coaching career in Coral Gables and helped Miami go to Omaha two more times as an assistant from 2002-04. The Hurricanes were an NCAA Super Regional qualifier in all seven seasons he was in the dugout.
“We’re blessed to add Greg to our program – he’s truly a big-time addition to our coaching staff,” Goff said. “He’s been a proven winner throughout his coaching career and dating back to his playing days during Miami’s dynasty. Being able to bring in a coach with 300 wins and experience in Omaha as a player and coach makes this an elite hire that will make everyone better at Alexander Field. I’m excited about the experienced staff we have assembled.”
During his 22 seasons as a coach, Lovelady’s team have won 30 games 20 times and qualified for the NCAA Tournament nine times. As a head coach, he has compiled a 349-204 overall record (.631) and 152-86 mark (.639) in conference play.
Lovelady was the ABCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year in 2016 after leading Wright State to a school record 46 wins and the No. 3 seed at the NCAA Regional in Louisville. He was also the AAC Coach of the Year in 2017 and Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016.
“The opportunity to join the staff at Purdue is the right fit for my family and me,” Lovelady said. “Greg Goff’s program was appealing because of the way he runs it with a combined focus on work ethic and an aggressive style of play coupled with the family atmosphere. My wife, Lindsay, and I are excited to return to the Midwest. She’s an Ohio native and our sons were born in Dayton – we really enjoyed our extended time there before making the move to Orlando. I’m very thankful to Coach Goff for bringing me aboard. Teaming up with experienced coaches like Goff, Newman, Serrato and Madia has great potential for the future.”
Lovelady worked under Rob Cooper at Wright State, ascending to head coach when Cooper left to take over the Penn State program in the summer of 2013. Newman was the pitching coach on Cooper’s staff at Penn State for six seasons before coming to Purdue last summer.
Wright State was a combined 89-34 in Lovelady’s final two seasons. After the 40-win season at UCF in 2017, his teams went 129-56 (.697) during the wildly successful three-year stretch.
At Miami, Lovelady received the Arnold Novins Award as a senior, an honor bestowed upon the program’s most popular player as voted by the fans. He batted .318 with 14 extra-base hits and 36 RBI in 42 games during the 1999 national championship season.
With Lovelady behind the plate, the Hurricanes went 7-0 in Omaha during their championship runs. He worked with a pitching staff that surrendered only 12 runs while racking up 37 strikeouts vs. 27 hits allowed in 36 College World Series Innings in 1999. Two years later, the Hurricanes’ staff gave up only eight runs over three games with Lovelady behind the plate in Omaha. His two-run double was the difference in a 4-3 win vs. USC in a second-round win in 2001. The dean’s list student-athlete graduated with a degree in finance in 2001.
Lovelady signed with the Florida Marlins in the summer of 2001 and played for the Utica Blue Sox of the New York-Penn League before opting to begin his coaching career at Miami during the 2001-02 school year.
Greg and Lindsay Lovelady are the parents of two sons – Noah and Gavin.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WBIT FINALS RETURNS TO INDIANAPOLIS AND HINKLE FIELDHOUSE IN 2025
INDIANAPOLIS —The NCAA announced the 2025 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament semifinals and finals will return to Indianapolis and historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University. The semifinal games will take place on March 31 and the championship game on April 2, 2025. This will be the second consecutive year that Indianapolis will host the final games.
“Indianapolis did an outstanding job hosting our inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). We are thrilled to be returning to Hinkle Fieldhouse in 2025. The enthusiasm and support from the local community for women’s basketball in Indianapolis continues to grow. We are excited to build on the momentum for all of women’s basketball and from this past year’s WBIT as we look forward to crowning a 2025 WBIT champion,” said Lynn Holzman, vice president of women’s basketball.
“Our hosts from the Indiana Sports Corporation and Butler University set the bar incredibly high with their hosting of the 2024 event and we can’t wait to see how they elevate the student-athlete experience in 2025,” said Barbara Burke, Former Deputy Director of Athletics, University of Iowa, and chair of the WBIT selection committee.
The 32-team WBIT postseason tournament, owned and funded by the NCAA, provides 100 postseason NCAA-funded opportunities for Division I women’s basketball teams through its two events (the 68-team championship and 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament). Selections, pairings, and bracket for the 2025 WBIT will be announced March 16, 2025.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
ARCHULETA ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF CARDENAS TO SYCAMORE BASEBALL COACHING STAFF
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State head coach Tracy Archuleta announced the addition of Gordon Cardenas to the Sycamore baseball coaching staff in the summer of 2024.
Cardenas joins the Sycamores by way of Southern Indiana where he served on Archuleta’s staff over the last two years with the Screaming Eagles. He will serve as the Sycamores primary pitching coach as he looks to build on a staff that has gained a reputation as one of the tops in the Midwest over the last few seasons.
“Gordo (Cardenas) is a true baseball guy,” Archuleta said. “He brings positive energy to this staff and a great deal of experience when it comes to developing pitchers. He has a tireless work ethic and I’m excited to have him join our staff to lead and develop our student-athletes.”
Cardenas worked with the USI pitching staff during his time at Southern Indiana helping lead to a reduction in earned run average, walks, and an increase in strikeouts over the course of the 2024 season. Multiple pitchers received conference awards including Gavin Parson earning Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, while additional pitchers earned OVC All-Conference and All-Tournament team honors.
Cardenas arrived at USI in August 2023 after working the past two seasons as the pitching coach\recruiting coordinator for Lake Land College. He was instrumental in improving the program by recruiting top players and developing pitchers, enabling the Lakers to reach the 2023 Region XXIV Championship Finals. Cardenas expanded the Lakers’ recruiting base outside of Illinois reaching as far as Hawaii and into the international circuit, while six pitchers committed to NCAA Division I programs.
Prior to his tenure at Lake Land, Cardenas was an assistant coach at Purdue University Fort Wayne University from 2019 to 2021. He was involved with all aspects of running a baseball program, from day-to-day preparations to game lineups and substitutions. The team had immediate improvements on ERA improvements and strikeouts during his tenure.
Cardenas has coached in some of the top summer collegiate leagues. He directed the Madison Mallards (Northwoods League) and the Danville Dans (Prospect League) pitching staffs to top three rankings’ in strikeouts in the respective leagues and the Turf Monsters (College Summer League at Grand Park) to a league championship. The Dans also were second in the Prospect in fewest walks allowed.
Collegiately, Cardenas started his career at the University of Hawaii before transferring to Fullerton College, Auburn University, and Marshall University. He led Auburn in ERA (2.70) as a junior, not allowing an earned run in 11 of the 17 games. Cardenas completed his collegiate career as a graduate transfer at Marshall University where he led the team with 23 appearances and had an opponent batting average of .266.
A native of Manhattan Beach, California, Cardenas received a bachelor’s degree from Auburn in public administration and a master’s degree from Marshall in leadership studies.
INDIANA STATE SWIMMING
INDIANA STATE SWIMMER CHLOE FARRO NAMED FLAG BEARER FOR ARUBA AT 2024 PARIS OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONY
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State rising senior swimmer Chloe Farro was named a flag bearer for her home country of Aruba at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on July 26, 2024, as announced by the organization.
Farro becomes the first Sycamore athlete, past or present, to be selected as their nation’s flag bearer since wrestler Bruce Baumgartner carried the United States of America flag in the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
“It’s an honor to be at the Olympics representing Aruba, but being the flag bearer elevates the honor to a whole other level,” Farro said. “I am so grateful that I was chosen to bear our flag in front of thousands of people. I’m happy that I get to put our little island’s flag out there on the world’s biggest athletic stage.”
Farro qualified for the 50-meter freestyle swimming event as the Savaneta, Aruba native is scheduled to make her Olympic debut on August 3rd with the prelims scheduled to be held inside the Paris La Defense Arena, starting at 5 a.m. ET.
Farro is one of three Sycamores to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games. Joining the Sycamore swimmer include alums Erin Reese (women’s hammer throw) and Mary Theisen-Lappen (women’s weightlifting). ISU track & field alumnus Noah Malone will also be competing for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in multiple events.
The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony will be carried live at NBCOlympics.com starting at 1:30 p.m. ET, while the primetime showing will start at 7:30 p.m. ET both online and on NBC.
The full schedule for the Sycamores competing in Paris is listed below. All times listed are Eastern Time.
SWIMMING – CHLOE FARRO
Saturday, August 3
Women’s 50m Freestyle – Heats (5 a.m.)
Women’s 50m Freestyle – Semifinals (2:37 p.m.)
Sunday, August 4
Women’s 50m Freestyle – Final (12:30 p.m.)
TRACK AND FIELD – ERIN REESE
Sunday, August 4
Women’s Hammer Throw – Qualification (4:20 a.m./5:45 a.m.)
Tuesday, August 6
Women’s Hammer Throw – Final (1:55 p.m.)
WEIGHTLIFTING – MARY THEISEN-LAPPEN
Sunday, August 11
Women’s +81kg (5:30 a.m.)
PARALYMPICS TRACK AND FIELD – NOAH MALONE
Friday, August 30
Men’s 100m T12 – Round 1 (4:44 a.m.)
Saturday, August 31
Men’s 100m T12 – Semifinals (7 a.m.)
Men’s 100m T12 – Final (2:58 p.m.)
Tuesday, September 3
Men’s 400m T12 – Round 1 (3:13 p.m.)
Wednesday, September 4
Men’s 400m T12 – Semifinals (7:14 a.m.)
Thursday, September 5
Men’s 400m T12 – Finals (4:08 a.m.)
Friday, September 6
4x100m Universal Relay – Round 1 (6:54 a.m.)
4x100m Universal Relay – Final (3 p.m.)
EVANSVILLE BASKETBALL
SAMMY DOWD NAMED DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Entering his third year at the University of Evansville, Sammy Dowd has assumed the role of Director of Basketball Operations for both the Purple Aces men’s and women’s basketball teams.
“Sammy is as resilient a person as you will find while also being one of the most grateful people you have ever come across. He is consistently positive and energetic which makes people gravitate towards his energy,” UE head men’s basketball coach David Ragland stated. “In our profession, there are often times when we have “other tasks assigned”. These tasks are not always glamorous, but they are critical to the success of any program. Winning programs set themselves apart from mediocre programs because there are individuals that take pride in completing these tasks.”
“He fully embodies this characteristic as these is no task beneath him. He has a problem-solving mentality and takes pride in assisting in any way that he can,” Ragland added.
“Sammy exceeded expectations while serving in the role as a graduate assistant. We are very much looking forward to keeping Sammy around in the role of our Director of Basketball Operations.”
After being on the men’s staff for his first two seasons at UE, Dowd will also work with the women’s squad moving forward. Aces head women’s basketball coach Robyn Scherr-Wells is excited for the opportunity to have Down work with her program.
“Sammy is a rising star in college basketball and I look forward to a unique partnership with Men’s Basketball with Sammy assisting both programs,” Scherr-Wells exclaimed. “It’s a testament not only to Sammy and the trust both Coach Ragland and I have in him, but also a testament to how men’s and women’s basketball work together towards a common goal of making UE a top basketball destination in the MVC.”
Since arriving at UE in 2022, Dowd has been performed a multitude of duties. He has overseen team logistics while managing practice schedules and facilitating communications between coaches and student-athletes. Along with many administrative tasks, Dowd played a pivotal role in creating a seamless operational environment to allow the coaching staff to focus on player development and game strategy. His work helped to ensure compliance with NCAA regulations.
“I am delighted to be returning to the University of Evansville Men’s Basketball team as they enter their third season under the excellent leadership of David Ragland and his staff,” Dowd said. “This opportunity is a dream come true, allowing me to continue with a program that is firmly rooted in culture and family, and it’s a special place to be right now. I’m excited to help our exceptional athletes improve and achieve success.”
“I’d also like to thank Head Coach Robyn Scherr-Wells for providing me the opportunity to aid her program. Looking forward to reducing her staff’s workload and promoting efficiency,” Dowd added. “I’m incredibly excited to work and learn from both programs. Evansville is beginning to feel like home, and I’m glad to be back.”
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASKETBALL
OVC RELEASES 2024-25 CONFERENCE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Basketball has announced its Ohio Valley Conference schedule ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The OVC, which features an 11-team field, switched to a true round-robin slate of 20 games after its 18-game slate last season, allowing each conference team to play each other twice in a home-and-home series. The OVC has also had a 20-game league schedule from 2005-06 through 2007-08 and in 2020-21.
With the increased number of games, the schedule will begin before Christmas on December 17 and December 21. Southern Indiana will tip off on December 21 at home against Tennessee State University. The OVC regular season concludes on March 1.
The move to the 20-game slate allows for each conference team to play each other twice in a home-and-home series. The 2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference features the same cast consisting of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Tennessee at Martin, Morehead State University, Western Illinois University, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech University, Eastern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Southeast Missouri State University, Lindenwood University, and USI.
The Screaming Eagles’ OVC slate begins with three consecutive home games against Tennessee State (December 19), UT Martin (December 21), and Morehead State (December 31). The rest of the OVC action at Screaming Eagles Arena features Lindenwood (January 16), Western Illinois (January 18), Tennessee Tech (February 1), Little Rock (February 6), SEMO (February 8), Eastern Illinois (February 20), and SIUE (February 22).
The 10-game OVC road slate is heavy in January with stops at Tennessee Tech (January 2), SEMO (January 9), Little Rock (January 11), SIUE (January 23), Eastern Illinois (January 25), and Morehead State (January 28). USI will then hit the road in February at Western Illinois (February 13), Lindenwood (February 15), UT Martin (February 27), and Tennessee State (March 1).
The 2025 OVC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament is slated for March 5-8 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. It marks the eighth year in a row that the event will be held at the venue.
The USI Men’s Basketball squad finished the 2023-24 season at 8-24 overall along with a 5-13 conference mark. The Eagles snuck into the OVC tournament as an eight-seed before losing in the first round to Tennessee State.
The USI Women’s Basketball squad enjoyed a remarkable 2023-24 season capturing the first-ever D-I team conference championships for USI Athletics by winning both the regular season title after going 17-1 and the tournament title in dominating fashion. USI continued to break barriers with USI’s first D-I national tournament win, beating the University of Illinois Chicago in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
Each OVC school is eligible to compete and win the OVC Tournament Championship, including USI and Lindenwood, who are in their third year of the NCAA reclassification. Should a transitioning school win an OVC Tournament Championship, the automatic qualifier (AQ) shall be awarded to the tournament runner-up. Should the tournament runner-up also be a transitioning school, the AQ representative shall be the highest seed going into the tournament.
All OVC games and home non-conference contests can be seen on ESPN networks, with the majority of games broadcast on ESPN+. Additional linear exposures on ESPNU and ESPN2 will be announced at a later date.
The USI Men’s and Women’s basketball non-conference games will be announced once the schedules are complete.
2024-25 OVC Basketball Schedule for USI (Schedule is subject to change)
Thursday, December 19
Tennessee State at Southern Indiana
Saturday, December 21
UT Martin at Southern Indiana
Tuesday, December 31
Morehead State at Southern Indiana
Thursday, January 2
Southern Indiana at Tennessee Tech
Thursday, January 9
Southern Indiana at Southeast Missouri State
Saturday, January 11
Southern Indiana at Little Rock
Thursday, January 16
Lindenwood at Southern Indiana
Saturday, January 18
Western Illinois at Southern Indiana
Thursday, January 23
Southern Indiana at SIUE
Saturday, January 25
Southern Indiana at Eastern Illinois
Tuesday, January 28
Southern Indiana at Morehead State
Saturday, February 1
Tennessee Tech at Southern Indiana
Thursday, February 6
Little Rock at Southern Indiana
Saturday, February 8
Southeast Missouri State at Southern Indiana
Thursday, February 13
Southern Indiana at Western Illinois
Saturday, February 15
Southern Indiana at Lindenwood
Thursday, February 20
Eastern Illinois at Southern Indiana
Saturday, February 22
SIUE at Southern Indiana
Thursday, February 27
Southern Indiana at UT Martin
Saturday, March 1
Southern Indiana at Tennessee State
VALPO SOFTBALL
VALPO SOFTBALL WELCOMES ADDY JARVIS AS ASSISTANT COACH
Valpo softball head coach Mike Armitage announced today that Addy Jarvis has joined the Beacons program as an assistant coach. Coming off of a decorated collegiate career, Jarvis will serve as the program’s pitching coach.
“What I like about Addy is her passion for the game and her proven track record of winning softball,” Armitage said. “I believe her transition from player to coach will go very smoothly. Addy is a coach who will invest in our student-athletes, both as softball players and as people. Addy will help our program be one our University and community can be proud of.”
Jarvis spent her final season of collegiate softball at Miami (Ohio) in 2024, earning First Team All-MAC honors in the circle. She posted a 19-2 record over 30 appearances, breaking the program’s individual single-season winning percentage record. Jarvis helped the RedHawks claim MAC regular season and tournament titles, throwing a one-hit shutout against Ball State in the championship game of the tournament. She also tossed a shutout against Dayton in the NCAA Tournament.
“I am so grateful to Coach Armitage for the opportunity to be a Beacon,” Jarvis said. “I look forward to helping this program grow and compete in the Missouri Valley Conference this upcoming season alongside such an accomplished head coach.”
Prior to Miami, Jarvis spent four years at Illinois, playing three seasons for the Fighting Illini. She appeared in 58 games over those three seasons, starting on 29 occasions, and racked up 18 victories, including a win in the Big Ten Tournament over Wisconsin in 2023. Jarvis began her collegiate career in 2019 at Youngstown State, where she was the Horizon League Freshman of the Year and a Second Team All-League honoree as she went 12-11 with a 2.58 ERA and a program single-season record 218 strikeouts.
Jarvis has coached the last three summers as an assistant coach for Thunder Elite Premier – Steiner and will bring international playing experience to the Beacons’ coaching staff as well. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology and went on to complete her Master of Science in Management.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
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/index.aspx
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/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
21 – 9 – 31 – 14
July 24, 1909 – Brooklyn Superbas pitcher Nap Rucker struck out sixteen Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1-0 victory at Washington Park, Brooklyn
July 24, 1949 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Lemon, Number 21 hit 2 homers to help Cleveland overcome the Washington Senators by the tune of 7-5
July 24, 1961 – Roger Maris, Number 9 hit 4 home runs, in a doubleheader. The Yanks overcame the Chicago White Sox in both games with the help of Maris’ hitting, by the scores of 12-0 and 5-1.
July 24, 1968 – Number 31, Hoyt Wilhelm pitched in a record 907th major league game breaking Cy Young’s record for pitching appearances
July 24, 1977 – Pete Rose passed Frankie Frisch as switch-hit leader with 2,881 hits wearing that famous Number 14 jersey for the Cincinnati Reds.
July 24, 1978 – Pete Rose, Number 14 of the Reds tied the NL hitting streak of 37 games
July 24, 1979 – Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski, wearing Number 8 clobbered a home run and with it reached the 400th HR career mark.
July 24, 1983 – The infamous Pine Tar Game took place. With his team trailing 4–3 in the top half of the ninth inning with two out already recorded, the KC’s future Hall of Fame third baseman Number 5, George Brett crushed a two-run home run to give his team the lead. However, New York manager Billy Martin, famous for always looking for an edge, had noticed a large amount of pine tar on Brett’s bat, and subsequently requested that the umpires inspect his bat. The umps ruled that the amount on the bat exceeded that allowed by rule, so they discredited Brett’s home run, and called him out and took the runs off of the scoreboard. Brett was the third out in the ninth inning with the home team in the lead, the game ended with a Yankees win. The Royals protested the game, upheld by American League president Lee MacPhail, who ordered that the game be continued from the point of Brett’s home run. The game was resumed 25 days later on August 18, and officially ended with the Royals winning 5–4
FOOTBALL HISTORY
According to a story from July 24, 2019, from ChicagoTribune.com a certain 20-year-old man named George Halas was supposed to be on board but was running late and when he arrived shortly after 7:30 AM, the vessel already capsized. Halas had a summer job with the Western Electric Company and was excited as were many of his co-workers to participate in the company picnic games that day. Though Halas saw the disastrous aftermath he was not at the site when the boat flipped on its side. Errantly Halas’ name appeared in the newspaper three days later, find the clipping below, and two of his fraternity brothers from the University of Illinois showed up at his parent’s home to express their condolences per Halas’ grandson, Patrick McCaskey.
Halas did miss tragedy and go on to have some awesome accomplishments in life. In 1919 he was a New York Yankees Baseball outfielder, a year later he moved to Decatur, Illinois to work for starch manufacturer A.E. Staley Corporation and became a player/coach of the company’s football squad and player on the baseball team. On September 17, 1920, he represented the Decatur Staleys Football team in helping to found the American Professional Football Association which two years later became the NFL. George eventually was given control of the Staleys, moved them to Chicago soon after called the Bears won some great NFL Championships with the franchise as a player, coach, and owner. His family, under the McCaskey name still owns the Bears franchise to this day.
Career “Launch”
July 24, 1969 – After a successful mission of having the first men to walk on the moon, NASA’s Apollo 11 capsule returns to earth carrying astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins. Buzz Aldrin was the starting center on the Montclair High School 1946 undefeated New Jersey state champion football team.
A Rough Ride indeed
July 24, 1991 – The CFL’s Ottawa Rough Riders’ Board of Directors all resign due to a compilation of events that placed the franchise in deep financial trouble. The team ended up folding in 1996.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for July 24
July 24, 1876 – Clarence ‘Bert” Herschberger was a University of Chicago fullback from 1895 to 1898 under Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg that entered into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970. Per the NFF’s bio, Bert became the first “Western” player to become an All-American in 1898. Coach Stagg credits Clarence Herschberger as being the first to use the notorious Statue of Liberty play, but it was Bert’s kicking expertise which made him one of the first players outside of the Ivy League to make Walter Camp’s All-America team. Clarence put on a kicking show that impressed even the Father of Football in Chicago’s 18-11 loss to powerful Penn in an 1898 matchup of the schools. Walter Camp witnessed the game and placed Herschberger on his All-America unit. Eastern fans wanted to know why Camp broke tradition and went out of the East to select a Midwesterner, to which the venerable pollster replied: “Against Penn this year, Herschberger exhibited the best all-around kicking of the season; punting, place-kicking and drop-kicking with accuracy and facility.” Clarence later became the head coach of the Lake Forest College football program.
July 24, 1894 – Dewitt, Arkansas – Clarence “Doc” Spears was a guard that attended Knox College and Dartmouth College and his prowess at his craft earned him the recognition to be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame. The National Football Foundation declares that Doc delayed his medical career for decades becoming an All-America guard at Dartmouth and, later, as one of the game’s most respected coaches. and what a ride it must have been. Spears helped Dartmouth to a 16-2-1 record in two seasons there, losing only to Princeton each year. He was huge at 230 pounds, a player of unusual strength when he won All-America honors in 1914 and 1915. After playing he went into coaching football and he served as the head coach at Dartmouth, West Virginia, Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin-Madison, Toledo, Maryland, and College Park.
July 24, 1934 – Willie Davis Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined defensive end of the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers. Mr. Davis played collegiately at Grambling State. As a pro Willie Davis was a League Champion 5 times including Super Bowls I & II and was also an ALL-Pro six times.
July 24, 1962 – Kevin Butler was a kicker out of Georgia playing for the “Dogs from 1981 to 1984, and was selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. According to FootballFoundation.org, Kevin booted through 77 field goals and 122 extra points, a total of 353 points! His specialty seemed to be the long-range scoring opportunities as his accuracy on attempts 50 yards or longer was 52.4 percent, an NCAA record! His longest-made field goal was 60 yards against Clemson in 1984 as it dramatically gave Georgia a 26-23 victory. He had other successful kicks of 59, 53, and 52 yards. Butler finished college by being good on 122 for 125 on extra points and 77 for 98 on field goals. Mr. Butler kicked in the NFL for the Chicago Bears for 11 seasons and then finished his career with the Arizona Cardinals. In just his Rookie season he was an NFL Champion as the 1985 Bears won Super Bowl XX. What a way to start off a career!
July 24 Important Pigskin Birthdays
July 24, 1953 – Former New England Patriots QB Steve Grogan.
July 24, 1989 – C Maurkice Pouncey
July 24, 1989 – C Mike Pouncey
July 24, 1994 – HOU RB Phillip Lindsay
July 24, 1996 – CIN RB Joe Mixon
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
July 24
1909 — Nap Rucker of the Brooklyn Dodgers struck out 16 batters in a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1931 — In an 8-7 loss to Pittsburgh, Babe Herman of Brooklyn hit for the cycle for the second time in the season.
1947 — Jackie Robinson stole home for the first time in his major league career in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ 4-2 win over Pittsburgh.
1948 — Chicago White Sox outfielder Pat Seerey become the first major leaguer to strike out seven times in a doubleheader.
1949 — Cleveland pitcher Bob Lemon hit two home runs to lead the Indians to a 7-5 victory over the Washington Senators in the opener of a doubleheader.
1968 — Hoyt Wilhelm of the Chicago White Sox passed Cy Young’s major league record when he made his 907th appearance. He retired with 1,070 appearances.
1973 — Bobby Bonds homered and doubled to lead the NL to a 7-1 rout of the AL in the All-Star game at Kansas City.
1983 — The “Pine Tar” home run was hit by the Kansas City Royals’ George Brett off New York pitcher Rich Gossage at Yankee Stadium. Brett’s shot came with two outs in the top of the ninth to give the Royals a 5-4 lead. Brett’s homer was ruled an out because the amount of pine tar exceeded what was allowed. After a protest by the Royals, the final out and the Yankees’ half of the ninth was completed on Aug. 18.
1993 — Anthony Young of the New York Mets extended his record losing streak to 27 games when he walked in the winning run in the 10th inning for a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1999 — In their biggest victory in 46 years, the New York Yankees routed the Cleveland Indians 21-1 as Chili Davis went 5-for-6 with six RBIs.
2010 — Tampa Bay won in Cleveland for the first time in nearly five years. The Rays snapped an 18-game losing streak with a 6-3 win against the Indians. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon snapped an 0-21 personal losing streak as the visiting manager that began when he was the Angels interim manager in 1996.
2016 — Ken Griffey, Jr. and Mike Piazza are inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. Griffey obtained the highest percentage of the vote ever – 99.3% – in being elected in his first year of eligibility by the BBWAA, while Piazza made it on his fourth try. A crowd estimated at 50,000, the second-largest ever at Cooperstown, is on hand to witness the event.
2022 — The induction ceremony is held for the Class of 2022 at the Hall of Fame. Three of the seven men inducted – David Ortiz, Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva – are present to receive the honor. The others, all deceased, are represented by relatives – Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso and Buck O’Neil – while Dave Winfield introduces 19th century black baseball pioneer Bud Fowler. Over 35,000 persons are present in Cooperstown, NY to witness the ceremony, and Dominican flags and Boston Red Sox gear, in honor of Ortiz, are well in evidence in the crowd.
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July 25
1918 — Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators pitched a four-hitter in 15 innings to beat the St. Louis Browns 1-0. The only hit off him in the first 11 innings was a triple by George Sisler.
1930 — The Philadelphia Athletics came up with a triple steal in the first inning and again in the fourth in a 14-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.
1939 — Atley Donald of the New York Yankees set a rookie pitching record in the AL when he registered his 12th consecutive victory since May 9, with a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Browns.
1941 — Lefty Grove of the Boston Red Sox won his 300th and last game, beating the Cleveland Indians 10-6.
1949 — Stan Musial of St. Louis hit for the cycle, going 4-5 and driving in four runs to lead the Cardinals to a 14-1 rout of the Broolyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.
1956 — Roberto Clemente hit a game-winning inside-the-park grand slam to give Pittsburgh a 9-8 win over the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field.
1961 — En route to his 61-homer season, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit four homers against the Chicago White Sox in a doubleheader to give him 40 for the year. The Yankees took both games, 5-1 and 12-0, and Maris moved 25 games ahead of Babe Ruth’s 1927 pace.
1962 — Stan Musial of St. Louis became the all-time RBI leader in the NL. His two-run home run, in a 5-2 loss to Los Angeles, gave him 1,862 RBIs, passing Mel Ott.
1978 — Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds singled to left off New York’s Craig Swan in the third inning to set a NL record of hitting safely in 38 consecutive games. The Mets won the game 9-2.
1990 — Kansas City’s George Brett hit for the cycle in the Royals 6-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
2000 — Mike Lansing of Colorado hit for the cycle. The Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 19-2.
2011 — Ian Kinsler homered and drove in four runs as the Texas Rangers pounded out the most runs and hits in the majors this season with a 20-6 rout of the Minnesota Twins.
2014 — Yasiel Puig tied a franchise record with three triples and added a double and two RBIs as Los Angeles moved within a half-game of NL West-leading San Francisco with an 8-1 win over the Giants.
2015 — Cole Hamels became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs in 50 years while leading Philadelphia to a 5-0 win. There was drama down to the final out, when rookie center fielder Odubel Herrera stumbled on the warning track, but managed to lean forward and catch Kris Bryant’s flyball to end the game. Hamels struck out 13 in the first no-hitter versus the Cubs since Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game in 1965.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
July 24
1908 — John Hayes wins the Olympic marathon in a record of 2 hours, 55 minutes, 18.4 seconds. Italian Dorando Pietri is the first athlete to enter the stadium, but collapses several times before being disqualified when officials help him across the line.
1931 — Paavo Nurmi sets the world record at 2 miles in a meet at Helsinki, Finland, with a time of 8:59.6.
1960 — Jay Hebert beats Jim Ferrier by one stroke to win the PGA golf tournament.
1967 — Don January wins a playoff by two strokes over Don Massengale to win the PGA championship.
1970 — The International Lawn Tennis Association institutes the nine-point tiebreaker rule.
1976 — John Naber of the United States becomes the first swimmer to break the 2-minute barrier in the 200-meter backstroke at the Olympics in Montreal.
1976 — Mac Wilkins of the United States sets an Olympic record in the discus with a toss of 224 feet in Montreal.
1977 — Hollis Stacy wins the U.S. Women’s Open golf championship by two strokes over Nancy Lopez.
1979 — Boston Red Sox Carl Yastrzemski hits his 400th HR.
1998 — Tour de France riders, angered by the drug scandal that has dominated the event, protest by delaying the start of racing for two hours. Armin Meier, a member of the Festina team who was kicked off the tour the previous week, admits to a French radio station that he used a banned drug.
2005 — Lance Armstrong wins his seventh consecutive Tour de France. All of the titles are stripped in 2012 for doping.
2008 — Nancy Lieberman makes a one-game appearance for the Detroit Shock after the 50-year-old Hall-of-Famer signed a seven-day contract earlier in the day. Lieberman, finishes with two assists and two turnovers, surpassing her own record as the oldest player in WNBA history. Lieberman held the record playing at age 39 in 1997 while playing for the Phoenix Mercury.
2009 — Ron Hornaday Jr. holds off a late challenge from Mike Skinner to win the AAA Insurance 200, making him the first driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to win four consecutive races.
2010 — Fourteen-year-old Jim Liu of Smithtown, N.Y., beats Justin Thomas of Goshen, Ky., 4 and 2 to become the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion. Liu, who turns 15 next month, is more than six months younger than Tiger Woods when he won the first of his three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur titles in 1991.
2011 — Cadel Evans wins the Tour de France, becoming the first Australian champion in cycling’s greatest race.
2014 — Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice receives a two-game suspension from the NFL following his offseason arrest for domestic violence. The six-year veteran was arrested following a Feb. 15 altercation in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with then-fiancee Janay Palmer.
2016 — Chris Froome celebrates his third Tour de France title in four years. The British rider finishes safely at the back of the main pack during the final stage, arm-in-arm with his teammates during the mostly ceremonial final stage ending on the Champs-Elysees. Froome, who also won the Tour in 2013 and 2015, becomes the first rider to defend the title since Miguel Indurain won the last of his five straight in 1995. Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven consecutive titles for doping.
2019 — 19-year-old Hungarian swimmer Kristof Milak breaks Michael Phelps’ 10-year-old 200m butterfly record in a time of 1:50.73, 0.78s faster than Phelps.
2020 — The Toronto Blue Jays name Sahlen Field in Buffalo, N.Y. as their temporary home field for the season.
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July 25
1902 — Jim Jeffries knocks out Bob Fitzsimmons in the eighth round to retain the world heavyweight title.
1941 — Lefty Grove of the Boston Red Sox wins his 300th and last game, beating the Cleveland Indians 10-6.
1956 — Swaps sets an American record in a 1 5/8-mile race at Hollywood Park. Swaps runs the course in 2:38 1-5.
1956 — Jack Burke Jr. defeats Ted Kroll 3 and 2 in the final round to win the PGA championship.
1976 — In Montreal, Edwin Moses of the United States sets an Olympic record in the 400 hurdles with a time of 47.63.
1982 — Janet Anderson wins the U.S. Women’s Open golf title, her first tournament victory.
1999 — 86th Tour de France: Lance Armstrong wins 1st of 7 consecutive Tour de France titles but is later disqualified for drug cheating.
2004 — Copa América Final, Estadio Nacional, Lima: Brazil beats Argentina, 4-2 on penalties; 2-2 after extra time.
2007 — Michael Rasmussen, the leader of the Tour de France, is removed from the race by his Rabobank team after winning the 16th stage. Rasmussen is sent home for violating (the team’s) internal rules. The Danish cyclist missed random drug tests May 8 and June 28, saying he was in Mexico.
2010 — Alberto Contador wins the Tour de France for the third time in four years. Contador holds off a next-to-last day challenge from Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, his runner-up for a second consecutive year.
2010 — Jamie McMurray’s victory in the Brickyard 400 gives owner Chip Ganassi the first team triple crown in American auto racing: winning the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same year. McMurray won the season-opening Daytona 500 in February, and Ganassi IndyCar series driver Dario Franchitti won the Indy 500 in May.
2011 — The NFL Players Association executive board and 32 team reps vote unanimously to approve the terms of a deal to the end the 4½-month lockout. The final pact is for 10 years, without an opt-out clause.
2011 — Taylor Hoagland hits a two-run home run, Valerie Arioto and Megan Langenfeld have RBI singles and the United States beats rival Japan 6-4 to win its fifth straight World Cup of Softball championship.
2012 — Triple jumper Voula Papachristou is kicked off Greece’s Olympic team by the Hellenic Olympic Committee for her comments on Twitter mocking African immigrants and expressing support for a far-right political party.
2015 — Maya Moore scores a record 30 points to lead the West to a 117-112 victory over the East in the WNBA All-Star Game. The league’s reigning MVP scores eight straight points in the final 2 minutes to turn a one-point deficit into a 113-106 advantage.
2021 — USA’s men’s basketball lose to France 83-76 ending their 25-game Olympic winning streak.
TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY
| OLYMPICS | TIME ET | TV |
| Intro to Paris | 8:00am | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Soccer: Spain vs Uzbekistan | 8:45am | Universo Peacock |
| Men’s Soccer: Argentina vs Morocco | 9:00am | USA Telemundo Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby Qualifying: Ireland vs South Africa | 11:00am | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby Qualifying: New Zealand vs Japan | 11:00am | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Soccer: Egypt vs Dominican Republic | 11:00am | Telemundo Peacock |
| Men’s Soccer: New Zealnd vs Guinea | 11:00am | Universo Peacock |
| Men’s Soccer: Egypt vs Dominican Republic | 12:30pm | USA Telemundo Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby Qualifying: Argentina vs Samoa | 1:00pm | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby Qualifying: Australia vs Kenya | 1:00pm | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby Qualifying: France vs Uruguay | 1:00pm | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Soccer: Iraq vs Ukraine | 1:00pm | Universo Peacock |
| Men’s Soccer: Japan vs Paraguay | 1:00pm | Telemundo Peacock |
| Men’s Soccer: United States vs France | 3:00pm | USA Telemundo Peacock |
| Men’s Soccer: Israel vs Mali | 3:00pm | Universo Peacock |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Reds at Braves | 12:20pm | MLBN Bally Sports Ohio Bally Sports Southeast |
| Cardinals at Pirates | 12:35pm | MLBN Bally Sports Midwest ATTSN-PIT |
| Phillies at Twins | 1:10pm | ESPN+NBCS Sports Philadelphia Bally Sports North |
| Brewers at Cubs | 2:20pm | Bally Sports Wisconsin MARQ |
| Red Sox at Rockies | 3:10pm | NESN Rockies.TV |
| Astros at Athletics | 3:37pm | MLBN NBC Sports California SCHN |
| Angels at Mariners | 3:40pm | MLBN ROOT Bally Sports West |
| Orioles at Marlins | 6:40pm | MASN Bally Sports Florida |
| Tigers at Guardians | 6:40pm | Bally Sports Detroit Bally Sports Great Lakes |
| Padres at Nationals | 6:45pm | Padres.TV MASN2 |
| Mets at Yankees | 7:05pm | ESPN SNY YES |
| Rays at Blue Jays | 7:07pm | Bally Sports Sun Sportsnet1 |
| White Sox at Rangers | 8:05pm | Bally Sports Southwest NBC Sports Chicago |
| Diamondbacks at Royals | 8:10pm | MLBN YurView Bally Sports Kansas City |
| Giants at Dodgers | 10:10pm | MLBN SNLA NBC Sports Bay |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Men’s Olympic Soccer: Uzbekistan U23 vs Spain U23 | 9:00am | USA Peacock Universo Fubo |
| Men’s Olympic Soccer: Argentina U23 vs Morocco U23 | 9:00am | USA Peacock Telemundo Fubo |
| Men’s Olympic Soccer: Guinea U23 vs New Zealand U23 | 11:00am | USA Peacock Universo Fubo |
| Men’s Olympic Soccer: Egypt U23 vs Dominican Republic U23 | 11:00am | USA Peacock Telemundo Fubo |
| Men’s Olympic Soccer: Iraq U23 vs Ukraine U23 | 1:00pm | Peacock Universo Fubo |
| Men’s Olympic Soccer: Japan U23 vs Paraguay U23 | 1:00pm | Peacock Telemundo Fubo |
| Men’s Olympic Soccer: France U23 vs United States U23 | 3:00pm | Peacock USA Telemundo Fubo |
| Men’s Olympic Soccer: Mali U23 vs Israel U23 | 3:00pm | Peacock Universo Fubo |
| Argentina Primera División: Talleres Córdoba vs Defensa y Justicia | 4:00pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Sarmiento vs Racing Club | 4:15pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Godoy Cruz vs River Plate | 6:30pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Huracán vs Estudiantes | 6:30pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF U20 Championship: Haiti U20 vs Panama U20 | 7:00pm | FOX Soccer Plus VIX Fubo |
| Friendly: MLS All-Star vs Liga MX All-Star | 8:00pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Colombia Primer A: Millonarios vs Atlético Nacional | 9:00pm | Fanatiz VIX |
| CONCACAF U20 Championship: Guatemala U20 vs Mexico U20 | 10:00pm | FS2 Fubo |
| Friendly: Chelsea vs Wrexham | 10:30pm | ESPN ESPN+ Fubo |
| Friendly: Arsenal vs AFC Bournemouth | 10:30pm | ESPN+ |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Atlanta-ATP, Kitzbuhel-ATP & Umag-ATP Early Rounds; Iasi-WTA & Prague-WTA Quarterfinals | 4:00am | TENNIS |
| Atlanta-ATP, Kitzbuhel-ATP & Umag-ATP Early Rounds; Iasi-WTA & Prague-WTA Quarterfinals | 12:00pm | TENNIS |
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
| OLYMPICS | TIME ET | TV |
| Women’s Handball: Slovenia vs Denmark | 3:00am | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby | 4:30am | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Netherlands vs Angola | 5:00am | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Spain vs Brazil | 8:00am | Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby | 8:00am | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Germany vs South Korea | 10:00am | Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: Spain vs Japan | 11:00am | USA Telemundo Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: Canada vs New Zealand | 11:00am | Universo Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Hungray vs France | 1:00pm | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: Germany vs Australia | 1:00pm | Universo Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: Nigeria vs Brazil | 1:00pm | Telemundo Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby Quarterfinals | 2:00pm | Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: USA vs Zambia | 2:30pm | USA Universo Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Norway vs Sweden | 3:00pm | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: France vs Columbia | 3:00pm | Telemundo Peacock |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Padres at Nationals | 12:05pm | ESPN+ Padres.TV MASn2 |
| Orioles at Marlins | 12:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports Florida MASN |
| Tigers at Guardians | 1:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports Great Lakes Bally Sports Detroit |
| White Sox at Rangers | 2:35pm | Bally Sports Southwest NBC Sports Chicago |
| Rays at Blue Jays | 3:07pm | MLBN Sportsnet1 Bally Sports Sun |
| Giants at Dodgers | 4:10pm | MLBN NBC Sports Bay SNLA |
| Braves at Mets | 7:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports Southeast SNY |
| Athletics at Angels | 9:38pm | MLBN NBC Sports Califorina Bally Sports West |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| Senior Open Championship | 7:30am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: 3M Open | 3:30pm | GOLF |
| LPGA Tour: Canadien Open | 6:30pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Friendly: Benfica vs Brentford | 5:45pm | Fubo |
| Argentina Primera División: Lanús vs Belgrano | 5:45pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Platense vs Vélez Sarsfield | 5:45pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF U20 Championship: Cuba U20 vs Jamaica U20 | 7:00pm | FS1 Fubo |
| Argentina Primera División: Atlético Tucumán vs Instituto | 8:00pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Tigre vs Central Córdoba SdE | 8:00pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF U20 Championship: United States U20 vs Costa Rica U20 | 10:00pm | VIX |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds; Kitzbuhel-ATP & Umag-ATP Quarterfinals; Iasi-WTA & Prague-WTA Semifinals | 5:00am | TENNIS |
| Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds; Kitzbuhel-ATP & Umag-ATP Quarterfinals; Iasi-WTA & Prague-WTA Semifinals | 1:00pm | TENNIS |