Football News

Minneapolis — With the NFL Draft still five weeks out, the Minnesota Vikings are carrying more urgency into late April than most 8-9 clubs. An offseason that began with the dismissal of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has left the franchise’s long-term roster plan in the hands of an interim front office, a respected but green decision-making structure, and a coaching staff that knows the window to contend is narrowing faster than the salary-cap spreadsheet says it should. Team president Mark Wilf did not mince words when he announced Adofo-Mensah’s exit on Jan. 30: the Vikings must “re-establish the draft as the lifeblood of the roster.” The numbers explain why. From 2022-25, no club harvested fewer approximate-value points above historical expectation than Minnesota, according to Pro Football Reference’s AV-over-expectation model. Two first-round defenders — safety Lewis Cine and cornerback Andrew Booth — have combined for virtually no return. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy, selected 10th overall last April, has logged only four AV; Bo Nix, taken two slots later, already sits at 26. Fourth-round cornerback Khyree Jackson’s tragic death last summer only added to the ledger of misfortune. The result is a roster that has papered over draft shortcomings with selective free-agency strikes. Signing Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard and Blake Cashman in 2026 jump-started a defense that helped Minnesota stay in playoff contention until Week 17. Sam Darnold’s $10 million deal stabilized the quarterback room while McCarthy red-shirted. Yet the front office cognoscenti inside TCO Performance Center understand the ceiling of that approach. Free agents arrive older, costlier and without the developmental upside that fills out the back half of every 53-man roster. “Draft-and-develop” is not sloganeering in the NFC North; it is survival. Survival, however, now rests with an unfamiliar cast. Salary-cap architect Rob Brzezinski will run the draft room for the first time in his two-decade tenure. Co-assistant GMs Ryan Grigson and Demetrius Washington will anchor scouting, but head coach Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores are expected to wield unusual influence — Flores especially after the franchise doubled down on his vision with a January extension. The coach already reshaped the defensive depth chart this month, parting with high-priced interior linemen Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, two 2026 additions whose scheme fit and locker-room chemistry never matched their paychecks. Flores’ preferences figure to steer a four-pick top-100 haul that currently sits at No. 18 overall, 50th, 81st and 98th. Minnesota does not own a fourth-round choice but holds a fifth, sixth and three sevenths. League sources believe the Vikings will lean defense early, targeting an interior lineman or hybrid safety who can execute the multiplicity Flores demands. Cornerback is also in play after the team met with San Diego State’s Chris Johnson (6-0, 193, 4.43 speed) at his pro day and again on a Top-30 visit. Offensive line help could arrive on Day 2; Clemson’s Tristan Leigh has already been in for a private workout, and Oregon’s Alex Harkey followed his pro-day performance with a one-on-one session in Floweryer. Skill-position meetings have raised eyebrows. Georgia State’s big-bodied WR Ted Hurst and Penn State RB Kaytron Allen were both formally interviewed at the combine, fueling speculation that Tai Felton’s readiness as WR3 is not yet trusted. Running back looks like a late-round flier at best after formal interviews with Nebraska’s Emmett Johson and North Carolina Central’s Chris Mosley. Inside the building, decision-makers insist the board remains fluid. Brzezinski has spent March gathering intel from agents and rival executives; Grigson leans on five years of experience as Indianapolis’ GM; Washington overlays an analytics model borrowed from their shared San Francisco roots. Yet the tiebreaker may ultimately belong to Flores, who began his NFL climb as a Patriots scout and still calls personnel work his “favorite part of the job.” Expect Minnesota’s first three selections to carry his fingerprints — high-motor front-seven pieces and three-down linebackers who can blitz, traits reflected in visits with Gracen Halton and Anthony Hill Jr. The stakes are obvious. Harrison Smith, if he returns, will be 37. Aaron Jones turns 32. Eight other projected 2027 starters are already 30 or older. The Vikings can’t buy their next nucleus; they must draft it. Whether an interim GM, a reshuffled scouting department and an ascendant defensive coordinator can reverse four years of draft-day decline will determine whether 2026’s near-miss was a speed bump or the start of a free fall. SEO keywords:

By Matt Slater | The Athletic UK Birmingham — Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but the Premier League and the English Football Association are at war again. The latest skirmish over club-versus-country rights arrives at a delicate moment: England sit inside FIFA’s top five, Thomas Tuchel’s side are second-favourites in most World Cup markets, and 16-year-old Max Dowman has just become the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer. All of which suggests the production line is humming. Yet the numbers tell a different story. Of the 296 starters and substitutes who featured on the most recent Premier League weekend, only 82 (28 per cent) are eligible for England. The share of minutes banked by England-qualified players (EQPs) is even lower: just under 26 per cent. Tuchel’s first squad since taking charge contained 35 names but still omitted Trent Alexander-Arnold and six others who would have strolled into previous eras. The manager has also been forced to call three goalkeepers who, between them, have started only 12 league matches this season. So how many players does a country actually need to win a World Cup? Argentina used 23 in Qatar. Tuchel can currently pick five EQPs who play Champions League minutes every week and a scattering of dual-nationals who might have worn the Three Lions had the FA courted them earlier. The Premier League, when pressed, cites those facts and argues that 30 years of foreign imports have raised technical standards to the point where any regular starter — English or not — is operating at or near international level. The stand-off matters because the FA controls the post-Brexit work-permit system. In 2023 it granted clubs an “elite significant contribution” (ESC) loophole: four foreign teenagers per season for top-tier sides, two for League One and Two, even if the players fall short of the points-based threshold. Hidden in the small print is a trigger: if EQP minutes drop below 25 per cent in any division, the FA can scrap the ESC route overnight. With the Premier League hovering just above that line, the governing body has begun brandishing the clause. That threat framed last month’s EFL conference at The Belfry, where officials from the FA, Premier League and EFL tried to sell a compromise. The proposal would allow Premier League academies to send youngsters on short “development loans” outside the traditional window-to-window rules, and add two extra group games to the EFL Trophy featuring Under-21 sides. In return, the Professional Game Youth Fund would receive an extra £16 million over three years — roughly £175-200 k per academy depending on category. Many EFL chairmen balked. They do not want more fixtures against youth teams that fans refuse to watch, and they fear another wave of Premier League loanees will crowd out their own academy graduates. Some asked why their access to foreign talent should be jeopardised because top-flight clubs stockpile overseas players, then demand lower-division sides solve the minutes problem for them. The loan plan is now on hold, but the broader financial fight shows no sign of ending. The EFL wants the Premier League to pool broadcast revenues and split them 75-25, scrapping parachute payments that currently give relegated clubs a trampoline back to the top flight. The Premier League, while insisting its “door is always open”, will restart talks only if the EFL drops the parachute issue and accepts a 4:1 merit rake in the Championship. The EFL has countered with a 2:1 rake across both leagues to soften the promotion-relegation cliff edge. Negotiations remain stalled. Enter the independent football regulator, legally able to impose a settlement yet publicly reluctant to do so. Chair David Kogan reiterated at the recent Financial Times Business of Football summit that he would rather the game govern itself. Whether the parties can find common ground before legislation forces one upon them is the multibillion-pound question. In the meantime, Tuchel must prepare for a summer World Cup with a talent pool that looks deep at first glance but shallow once minutes, form and fitness are examined. The answer to how many players you need to win a tournament is, in theory, 23. In practice, England may discover that the real number is however many can get on the pitch in the Premier League between now and kick-off in the United States.

In the high-velocity arena of online gambling, every second counts, and Playio Casino has built its entire platform around that reality. Designed for players who measure entertainment in minutes rather than hours, the site strips away friction and delivers adrenaline in concentrated bursts, turning coffee breaks, commutes, and grocery-line waits into potential winning moments. The moment a user lands on the login screen, speed is the priority. A minimalist interface loads almost instantly, while multilingual support—covering English, Portuguese, German, Finnish, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Italian, Czech, Spanish, and French—removes language barriers that could slow a quick deposit or spin. The goal is simple: get in, get the thrill, get out. Playio’s catalogue of more than 4,500 games is curated for rapid turnover. Slots such as Mystic Fortune and Dragon Spin are calibrated for high volatility and single-spin resolution, delivering jackpot potential inside 30 seconds. Live-dealer tables operate on compressed timers—Speed Roulette and Dealer’s Choice blackjack finish hands in seconds, not minutes—while crypto slots settle wagers on the blockchain instantly, letting players pocket gains before the next traffic light turns green. Mobile optimization underpins the experience. Whether on a 5-inch phone or a tablet, touch controls remain crisp, audio stays unobtrusive, and each spin cycle—from bet to payout—clocks in under half a minute. A push notification can lure a commuter into a brisk session: tap, bet, spin, result, and the phone is back in a pocket before the train doors open. Micro-betting strategies dominate these short sessions. Users routinely deposit as little as $5, spread micro-stakes across several slots or a rapid-fire roulette wheel, and exit once a preset win—often only 1.5x the buy-in—is achieved. Crypto depositors enjoy an added edge: Bitcoin or Ethereum winnings can flow back to private wallets within five minutes, eliminating the traditional pending period that can erode momentum. Sports bettors also benefit from the hurry-up ethos. Live, in-game odds refresh by the second, and accumulator bets settle the moment a final whistle blows. A goal notification during stoppage time can prompt a swift wager, with returns flashed to the player’s balance before the next kickoff. Banking versatility keeps the tempo high. Low minimum deposits mean funds hit the account almost immediately, while e-wallet and crypto withdrawals satisfy the need for near-instant gratification. Although some fiat methods carry modest limits or brief processing lags, the typical short-session grinder rarely notices; the objective is to convert small windows of free time into bursts of actionable excitement, not to fund marathon bankrolls. For players who value immediacy, Playio Casino has engineered a friction-free ecosystem where every swipe, spin, or sports bet is designed to conclude before real life reclaims attention. In the currency of minutes, the house promises—and largely delivers—maximum thrill per second.

Los Angeles — The roar inside the Fanatics Flag Football Classic on Saturday was supposed to celebrate the sport’s Olympic arrival in 2028. Instead, it became a ninety-minute warning siren to any NFL star eyeing a roster spot: the road to Los Angeles runs through the current kings of the flag game, and they are not surrendering their crowns. Team USA, the reigning IFAF Flag Football World champion, treated two star-studded NFL sides like walk-ons, piling up 125 points on the afternoon while allowing only 44. The rout began with a 39-14 demolition of the Wildcats—quarterbacked by Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels—and peaked with a 43-16 humbling of Tom Brady’s Founders. A mercy rule was openly discussed on the FOX broadcast as Team USA reeled off 24 unanswered points in the first half against Brady’s squad. The NFL’s learning curve was steep. Hall-of-Fame-bound linebacker Luke Kuechly, lured out of retirement, was flagged twice in the opening half. Across both games, the Wildcats and Founders combined for seven penalties while struggling to corral flags from USA’s elusive ball carriers. “These guys might not be 6-4,” analyst Greg Olsen noted, “but they’re faster, shiftier, and they understand angles in a way the NFL guys simply don’t yet.” Speed, agility and spatial awareness—cornerstones of elite flag football—were on full display from Darrell Doucette III, who punctuated his pre-tournament claim of superiority over Patrick Mahomes by accounting for six touchdowns and claiming Classic MVP honors. Team USA scored on 14 of its 15 drives, a conversion rate that underscored the gulf in specialization. Not every NFL entrant left without highlights. Saquon Barkley’s two scores showcased burst and vision; DeVonta Smith and Odell Beckham Jr. combined for five touchdown receptions. Yet even the Wildcats’ moral victory—a 24-14 defeat in the championship rematch—only narrowed the gap, it did not close it. The NFL has already secured Olympic participation: each franchise may send one player, plus an international athlete if designated. Saturday’s showcase suggests those invitations should come with an asterisk—roster spots must be earned, not gifted. As Brady, summing up the Founders’ 43-16 loss, admitted on air, “My heart is hurting right now.” For Doucette and his teammates, the heartache belongs to the challengers. They have spent years refining the nuances of flag pulls, route angles and two-way stamina. Their message after the Fanatics Classic was unmistakable: if the Olympics are about putting the best possible product on the field, the best product already wears red, white and blue. Keywords:

LOS ANGELES — In a commanding performance, Flag Football-Team USA overpowered a squad of NFL standouts to capture the Flag Football Classic title on Sunday night at Exposition Park. From the opening snap, the national side dictated tempo with crisp route-running and opportunistic defense, building an early lead that the NFL crew never threatened. The victory caps a showcase event designed to spotlight flag football’s surging popularity ahead of its Olympic debut in 2028, and it sends a clear message about the depth of elite talent already embedded within the American program. Team USA, composed of specialists who compete year-round in international circuits, converted two first-half takeaways into quick scores, then protected the advantage with clock-chewing drives that kept the NFL offense on the sideline. The professional players—many of whom are Pro Bowl-caliber athletes experiencing flag rules for the first time—struggled to adjust to the faster pace and two-hand touch tackling, allowing gaps to widen as the second half progressed. Fans packed the temporary grandstands lining the field, creating a festival atmosphere complete with youth clinics and music interludes between quarters. The event, jointly staged by the city’s tourism board and USA Football, drew a capacity crowd and trended nationally on social media throughout the evening. With the win, Flag Football-Team USA reclaims bragging rights in the annual exhibition and reinforces its status as the team to beat on the global stage.

Seattle—In a quiet but telling scene moments after Washington’s season-ending victory at Purdue, outgoing left tackle Carver Willis and head coach Jedd Fisch met near the 40-yard line, shook hands, and held the clasp long enough for photographers to capture the image. Place-kicker Grady Gross, helmet in hand, stood a few steps away, taking in the exchange that signaled both closure and continuity for a program in transition. Willis, who started ten games at left tackle in 2025 and missed only three after an MCL sprain against Ohio State, had just finished his Husky career the same way he played it—up front and unfiltered. “You’ve got four starters returning with your No. 6 offensive guy on the O-line,” he told reporters earlier in the week, referencing redshirt freshman guard Champ Taulealea. “What more can you ask for?” The 6-foot-6, 305-pound senior used Pro Day inside Dempsey Indoor to size up the unit he leaves behind. Junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr., every-game starter and “ridiculous” in Willis’s estimation, will operate behind an experienced front that includes 30-game starter Drew Azzopardi at right tackle, 15-game center Landen Hatchett—still in a protective sleeve after wrist surgery—and Hatchett’s brother Geirean, the only UW lineman to open all 13 contests in 2025. Sophomore left guard John Mills, already drawing All-American buzz, rounds out the group. “Put a blindfold on and point and pick your favorite player and they’re going to have a great year,” Willis said, laughing that his own ACL remained intact while his MCL did not. “Now if I had torn like my ACL against Ohio State, you would have five-for-five returning.” The handshake with Fisch, caught beneath the gray West Lafayette sky, served as Willis’s final on-field act in purple and gold. Gross, whose kicking helped secure the road win, lingered nearby, a reminder that while the lineman departs, the Huskies’ core remains stocked for 2026. Washington, 9-4 on the year, will indeed return “just about everyone” along the offensive front. Willis, meanwhile, will be sending postcards from the NFL, keeping that ACL untouched and the memory of one last handshake firmly in frame. SEO keywords:

Auburn, Ala. — The Tigers may be inching closer to securing their quarterback of the future, as four-star signal-caller Isreal Izzy Abrams offered a brief glimpse into his recent visit to the Plains. While Abrams stopped short of announcing a commitment or revealing a timeline, his comments after the trip suggest Auburn remains firmly in the mix for his signature. Could Auburn football be closing in on its quarterback of the future? Here's what Izzy Abrams had to say about his time on the Plains. With recruiting analysts tracking every move, the next chapter in Abrams’ decision-making process will be watched closely by both Auburn fans and rival programs vying for the elite quarterback’s pledge.

Stillwater, Okla.—Oklahoma State’s football program, mired in a 19-game Big 12 losing streak and coming off back-to-back winless conference campaigns in 2024 and 2025, has acquired the country’s most productive quarterback. Drew Mestemaker, who led the nation in passing last fall at North Texas, will suit up for the Cowboys in 2026 after following new head coach Eric Morris from Denton to Stillwater. ESPN’s Billy Tucker tagged Mestemaker as OSU’s premier newcomer for the upcoming season, projecting “prolific offensive numbers” if the Cowboys solidify pass protection and add complementary weapons. Tucker cautioned that the step up to Big 12 defenses will bring “tougher pass rushes and tighter windows,” forecasting early growing pains but predicting a “high-scoring, efficient attack that improves as the supporting cast comes together.” Morris, hired in the wake of two disappointing seasons, brings a system historically kind to quarterbacks when tempo and clean pockets align. The hope in Stillwater is that Mestemaker’s arrival signals an immediate end to the stagnant offense that replaced the once-explosive days of the Mike Gundy era. While wins aren’t guaranteed, expectations are that the Cowboys will “outscore teams in 2026,” with Mestemaker serving as the catalyst behind the rebound. Since Mason Rudolph departed for the NFL, OSU has cycled through middling quarterback play; Mestemaker’s arm offers the most promise yet to reignite the passing game inside Boone Pickens Stadium.

Columbia, Mo. — Patrick Murphy’s ejection in the top of the seventh inning provided a jolt of drama, but it could not propel sixth-ranked Alabama to a comeback as the Crimson Tide dropped a 5-2 decision to Missouri on Saturday afternoon at Mizzou Softball Stadium. Murphy was tossed after vehemently arguing a called third strike on Alabama’s home-run leader Brooke Wells that appeared well below the knees. The ejection seemed to awaken the offense: the Tide loaded the bases and brought the winning run to the plate, only to come up empty. Alexis Pupillo grounded to the right side for an infield single that kept the rally alive, but freshman Ana Roman’s line drive to shortstop ended the threat and the game. For the second straight contest, solo home runs accounted for all of Alabama’s scoring. Audrey Vandagriff opened the game with a lead-off blast, and Pupillo followed two batters later with her 11th long ball of the season to stake the Tide to a 2-0 advantage after one inning. The offense then went silent, finishing 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position in the series. Freshman starter Vic Moten cruised through the first two frames before running into trouble in the third. A one-out single, hit-by-pitch, and Moten’s own error on a comebacker allowed Missouri to plate its first run. Sophie Smith’s ground-rule double moments later cleared the bases and gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. Stefiana Abruscato added insurance with a two-out solo shot in the fourth. Moten exited after four innings. Classmate Kaitlyn Pallozzi surrendered a run in the sixth to push the margin to 5-2, where it remained. The loss is just Alabama’s second of the year (28-2, 6-2 SEC) and comes against a Missouri squad that entered the weekend winless in league play (15-17, 1-4 SEC). The teams close the series Sunday at noon.

Midwest top seed Michigan dominated from tip-off, routing Saint Louis 95-72 in a commanding performance highlighted by Lendeborg’s game-high 25 points. The Wolverines never trailed, using a balanced offensive surge to stretch the lead past 20 in the second half and keep the Billikens at arm’s length throughout. With the victory, Michigan advances deeper into the regional bracket while Saint Louis exits the tournament.

Racing Post Sport’s resident football tipster James Milton has earmarked an 8-5 (2.60) wager from Sunday’s La Liga programme as his standout play of the day, focusing on the Camp Nou clash between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano. Barca arrive in blistering goal-scoring form, having dismantled Sevilla 5-2 and Newcastle 7-2 in their two most recent home fixtures, yet Milton believes Rayo have the credentials to keep this meeting far tighter than those blow-outs. The Madrid minnows held the Catalans to a 1-1 draw in the reverse encounter back in August and last season required a late Robert Lewandowski penalty for Barcelona to edge a 1-0 triumph on the same ground. Rayo’s survival fight has been revived by a six-match unbeaten streak, a run that includes a headline-grabbing 3-0 home rout of Atlético Madrid in February. Four of their last five league contests have finished 1-1, underlining a growing capacity to stifle higher-ranked opposition. With that context, Milton’s recommended punt is a home victory for Barcelona coupled with under 3.5 total goals, a combination that has landed in each of the past ten head-to-head meetings between the clubs. The logic is straightforward: while Sevilla and Newcastle were swept away, Rayo’s recent form, dogged defensive displays and prior results against Barca suggest the hosts are unlikely to run riot again. Evidence can also be drawn from Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Rayo last month, sealed only by a 100th-minute penalty, which further illustrates the visitors’ ability to remain competitive against Spain’s heavyweights. At 8-5, the price implies a 38 per cent strike-rate requirement; given the historical goal trends and Rayo’s new-found resilience, Milton rates that as a value wager for Sunday’s action.

Kalamazoo, Mich. — Western Michigan University moved swiftly to secure what athletic director Dan Bartholomae calls “a rising star,” officially naming Kahil Fennell the 17th head coach of Broncos men’s basketball on Saturday morning. The 43-year-old Californian arrives from the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, where over two seasons he engineered a 35-29 turnaround that included a 19-14 campaign this winter and the Vaqueros’ first Southland Conference tournament No. 3 seed since 2018-19. Fennell’s 2024-25 squad led the league in scoring and finished fourth in defensive efficiency, bowing out in triple-overtime to eventual NCAA representative McNeese. “As we set out to find our next head coach, we sought a leader who not only had experience working with some of basketball’s finest programs and coaches, but one who had also led his own program to new heights at the Division I level,” Bartholomae said. “His vision and leadership acumen was unmatched.” The search, completed in under two weeks, comes at a pivotal moment for WMU athletics. A $500-million, 8,000-seat arena—destined to host both basketball programs and the 2025 national-champion hockey team—opens next fall, and Bartholomae emphasized the need for a coach capable of galvanizing campus and community alike. Fennell will be introduced Monday at the construction site, touring the facility for the first time hours after signing a five-year deal that starts near $400,000 and escalates to roughly $500,000 by Year 5. The agreement carries a $300,000 buyout. Fennell’s path to Division I head coach is unconventional. Barely a decade ago he was earning a lucrative living in medical-device sales before pivoting to the bench. Stops as an assistant at Portland State, UT Permian Basin, Louisville—where he helped the Cardinals to NCAA tournament berths under Chris Mack—and BYU under Mark Pope preceded his head-coaching debut at UTRGV. There, he inherited a six-win outfit and promptly delivered 16 victories in Year 1, followed by this season’s 19-win breakout. “I am incredibly grateful for their support and excited to work alongside them towards our collective goal of building a championship program,” Fennell said, thanking president Russ Kavalhuna, Bartholomae and deputy AD Elaine Russell. “My family and I are also thrilled to be joining the Kalamazoo community.” He takes over a program that has not posted a winning record since 2017-18 and finished 10-21 this season under since-dismissed D.J. Stephens. The Broncos’ drought without an NCAA tournament berth stretches to 2014. By contrast, WMU athletics has soared elsewhere: the hockey program captured the 2025 national title, and the football team claimed the Mid-American Conference crown the same year. Fennell, a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award given to the nation’s top minority Division I head coach, will inherit a roster eligible to compete in the new arena’s debut campaign. His wife, Sarah, a former Dayton basketball player, and their children will relocate to Michigan this spring. Western Michigan was hardly alone in rebooting its basketball leadership. Eastern Michigan introduced Clemson assistant Billy Donlon this week, continuing a MAC-wide coaching overhaul that now includes Fennell among its most intriguing hires. Construction cranes hover over Kalamazoo’s campus, but the newest Bronco believes the program’s foundation will be built on relationships. “It’s a tremendous time to be a part of this university,” Fennell said, “and my staff and I cannot wait to get started.”

San Diego, CA – One day after Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. and center Paul Mbiya helped spark a first-round escape against California Baptist, the Jayhawks find themselves staring at a far steeper challenge: a Sunday meeting with St. John’s for a berth in the Sweet 16. The contest, pitting Hall of Fame-bound Bill Self against Rick Pitino, shapes up as the most hotly debated matchup of the tournament’s opening weekend. Tip-off is barely 24 hours away, yet the line has already raised eyebrows. Despite carrying the superior seed, Kansas opened as the betting underdog. The Red Storm have won 20 of their last 21 games, swept reigning national champion UConn twice, and enter Viejas Arena with a top-10 defense that has smothered opponents throughout the stretch. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor quantifies the skepticism surrounding the Jayhawks, assigning St. John’s a 57.1 percent probability of advancing compared to Kansas’ 42.9 percent. FanDuel’s moneyline mirrors the analytics: St. John’s sits at –154, Kansas at +128. The narrow margin underscores how evenly the teams are viewed by both algorithms and oddsmakers. Motivation will not be in short supply. St. John’s leading scorer, Zuby Ejiofor, spent his freshman season in Lawrence and will face his former program on college basketball’s brightest stage. Ejiofor’s inside-out versatility has anchored the Red Storm’s late-season offensive surge, complementing a defense that has held seven consecutive opponents below 40 percent from the field. Kansas, meanwhile, is still searching for the consistency that has eluded it since a 2022 second-weekend exit. Saturday’s 26-point cushion over Cal Baptist evaporated to six in the final minutes, exposing the same second-half lulls that have dogged the Jayhawks all winter. Self conceded afterward that his rotation “hit a wall,” a phrase that has become maddeningly familiar to a fan base hungry for a return to the second weekend. The antidote may rest with freshman guard Darryn Peterson. The 19-year-old went for 28 points in his NCAA debut, burying a flurry of contested jumpers that kept the Lancers at bay. If Kansas is to topple St. John’s stingy perimeter defense, Peterson’s shot-making will need to be matched by efficient nights from Council Jr., Mbiya, and a supporting cast that shot a combined 4-of-17 from deep on Friday. History says the Jayhawks have the talent; recent history questions whether they can sustain it. Pitino’s group, winners of 13 straight away from Madison Square Garden, will pressure every passing lane and crash every glass, betting that Kansas’ intermittent focus resurfaces at the worst possible time. Tip-off is slated for shortly after 2 p.m. local time. A berth in the Sweet 16—and validation that the program’s March demons have finally been exorcised—awaits the victor.

Everton and Chelsea meet in the Premier League’s Saturday tea-time kick-off at 5:30pm GMT, with Sean Dyche’s side aiming to reignite their push for European qualification while deepening the misery surrounding Blues interim boss Liam Rosenior. Following back-to-back league victories, Everton’s momentum stalled in a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal last weekend. The Toffees remain eighth, two points behind seventh-placed Brentford with eight matches left, and will view the visit of Chelsea as an opportunity to return to winning ways at their new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium. Team news is mixed for the hosts. Jack Grealish (foot) and Carlos Alcaraz (unspecified) are ruled out, while on-loan Tyrique George is ineligible against his parent club. Defensive duo James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite are doubtful after sitting out the loss to the Gunners. Chelsea arrive on Merseyside bruised from continental elimination. A 3-0 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday completed an 8-2 aggregate Champions League exit and extended the club’s winless run. Reece James faces another lay-off with a hamstring problem and has been omitted from England’s forthcoming squad, while centre-back Trevoh Chalobah could miss six weeks because of an ankle injury. Rosenior, overseeing selection duties, has already made a league-high 96 starting changes this season—one more than Chelsea managed in the whole of the previous campaign. Global viewing options United States: USA Network carries the contest. New subscribers can stream free via YouTube TV’s 10-day trial. Sling TV and Fubo also carry the channel. United Kingdom: Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event are broadcasting live. Access is available through Sky TV packages (from £35 per month) or NowTV day (£14.99) and monthly (£27.99) passes. Australia: Stan Sport holds exclusive rights, showing every Premier League and Champions League fixture for AU$32 per month. Travelling abroad? A reputable VPN can help supporters retain access to home streaming services; FourFourTwo’s tech partners recommend NordVPN for speed and reliability. FourFourTwo verdict: a late Iliman Ndiaye strike could secure a crucial Everton victory, tightening the race for European places and adding to Rosenior’s mounting concerns.

Los Angeles — Less than seven months after pledging to Oregon, four-star offensive tackle Drew Fielder finds himself at the center of a high-stakes tug-of-war that could end with the Servite (Calif.) standout remaining on the West Coast and playing for USC. Fielder, rated by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 10 offensive tackle and No. 81 overall prospect in the 2027 class, committed to the Ducks on Feb. 1. The Trojans did not extend an offer until three and a half weeks later, yet the late entry has rapidly become a serious threat to pry the 6-foot-6 lineman away from Eugene. Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney reported Friday that momentum “is heavily on USC’s side,” adding that while Fielder insists his recruitment is “dead in the middle,” the prediction from Gorney’s camp is a flip to the Trojans before the cycle ends. Family connections to the university—left unelaborated—are believed to be aiding Lincoln Riley’s staff. USC has hosted Fielder twice since entering the race, first on March 6 for an unofficial visit and again seven days later. The outreach is part of a broader strategy under general manager Chad Bowden to fortify in-state recruiting. More than half of the Trojans’ 2026 signees hailed from California, and four of the program’s five current 2027 commits are in-state products. Securing Fielder would serve as the latest proof of concept. The Trojans’ 2027 group already features five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson (No. 2 in California), four-star wideouts Quentin Hale (No. 1 in-state WR) and Eli Woodward (No. 2 in-state WR), plus four-star cornerback Aaryn Washington, who began his prep career at Mater Dei before transferring to IMG Academy in Florida. Adding the state’s top-rated offensive tackle would both elevate the class ceiling and reinforce USC’s grip on its recruiting backyard, a priority Riley has emphasized since taking over in 2021. Fielder, meanwhile, remains Oregon’s highest-ranked pledge in the 2027 cycle. A decision is not expected imminently, but the longer the evaluation stretches, the more comfortable Trojan coaches become that their late push could yield a signature coup.

With the NFL Draft now fewer than 35 days away, the New York Jets find themselves holding one of the most valuable collections of picks in the league—nine selections, four of which sit inside the top 45 and two inside the top 20. After an aggressive free-agency period that fortified several weak spots, general manager Darren Mougey must recalibrate his draft board to maximize the impact of that capital. Here are three positions where the Jets’ early-round priorities have shifted following their offseason moves. 1. Wide Receiver becomes a first-round imperative The Jets’ most glaring roster hole post-free agency is at wide receiver. Outside of Garrett Wilson, the depth chart is populated by unproven talent, and no veteran of note has been added. While Mougey could still dip into the remaining free-agent pool, the expectation inside the building is that the team will use the 16th overall pick to secure an immediate play-maker. Ohio State’s Carnell Tate is unlikely to be available, but Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, USC’s Makai Lemon, Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. and versatile Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq are all squarely in the Jets’ crosshairs. Landing one of them has become the clearest objective for night one of the draft. 2. Guard tumbles down the board Entering March, guard was viewed as a potential Round 1 target after the anticipated departures of John Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker. When both players signed elsewhere, Mougey responded by inking 26-year-old Dylan Parham to a two-year, $16 million deal. Parham, who finished 14th among qualified left guards in 2025 per Pro Football Focus, is two years younger than Simpson and comes at nearly half the price. His ability to play all three interior spots solidifies the line and removes the urgency to spend the 16th pick on the position. A Day 2 or Day 3 developmental interior lineman is now the more likely path. 3. Safety is no longer an early-round conversation Safety was arguably the Jets’ worst position group last season, but a pair of swift moves has transformed the outlook. The club acquired All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick for a seventh-round pick and signed former Giant Dane Belton to a one-year, $6 million prove-it deal. Those additions push the position out of the premium-pick conversation; any thought of using the No. 2 overall selection—or any of the top-45 picks—on a safety should be tabled. A late-round flyer for depth remains possible, but the starting duo is set. Armed with nine selections and fewer desperate needs than in recent years, the Jets can let the board come to them, pivoting to best-player-available rather than reaching for positional fixes. How Mougey navigates that flexibility will determine whether New York’s 2025 draft class becomes the catalyst for a postseason return.

T.Y. Hilton, the former Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, formally ended his 11-year NFL career Wednesday with a social-media post thanking the franchises and fans who fueled his journey. “After an incredible journey, it’s time for me to retire from the game of football and begin a new chapter,” Hilton wrote on X. “Thank you to Mr. Irsay, his family and the entire Colts organization for believing in a kid from Miami and giving me the opportunity to live out my dream wearing the horseshoe. I also want to thank the Cowboys organization for giving me the opportunity to continue playing the game I love.” The third-round pick out of Florida International in the 2012 draft spent 10 seasons in Indianapolis, emerging as one of the league’s most consistent deep threats. Hilton earned four Pro Bowl invitations and recorded five 1,000-yard campaigns, pacing the NFL with 1,448 receiving yards in 2016. He exits the Colts’ record book ranked third in both receptions and receiving yards and fourth in touchdown catches. Hilton’s final on-field action came in December 2022, when he signed with Dallas and appeared in three late-season contests, securing seven receptions for 121 yards. He had not played since, and Wednesday’s announcement removes any lingering doubt about a return. With his retirement now official, Hilton’s legacy in Indianapolis is secure as one of the most productive receivers in franchise history.

Stevenage arrive at the Select Car Leasing Stadium this weekend with a playoff pulse that belies their mid-table finish last term. After ending 2023-24 in 14th place on the back of 15 wins, 12 draws and 19 defeats, Alex Revell’s side have bolted into eighth—one point behind Reading and holding a game in hand—to keep their League One promotion dream alive. The turnaround has been orchestrated by Revell, 42, who was handed the reins on a permanent basis in May 2024 after a second stint as caretaker. A former striker with 20 years’ experience at Brighton, Rotherham, Cardiff and Northampton, Revell hung up his boots at Broadhall Way and immediately moved into the academy. His first crack at senior management came in 2020, but the pandemic curtailed that campaign; the following year he steered the club to 14th in League Two before a November 2021 sacking. Two months later he was back in the building, working his way up to Steve Evans’ first-team staff and ultimately taking the hot-seat again last spring. Revell favours an enterprising, front-foot style and has wasted no time reinforcing the squad. January brought four fresh faces through the door. Defender Jack Taylor was prised from Sutton United for a five-figure fee, Brighton midfielder Joe Knight arrived for an undisclosed sum, and experienced winger Matt Phillips joined on a free, while Bristol City forward Harry Cornick bolstered the attack on loan until May. Results have oscillated of late—three wins and three losses in the last six league outings—but the bigger picture is upward mobility. A 1-0 midweek reverse at Plymouth Argyle checked momentum, yet Stevenage’s destiny remains in their own hands. Reading edged them 1-0 in November thanks to Charlie Savage’s early strike; revenge on home soil would nudge Revell’s men even closer to the top six. Between the posts, summer signing Filip Marschall has underlined why Aston Villa invested years in his development. The 22-year-old, calm in possession and commanding in his area, has registered 13 clean sheets in 37 appearances after keeping 16 in League Two for Crewe last season. Club captain Carl Piergianni sets the tone in defence. The 33-year-old centre-back, strong in aerial duels at both ends of the pitch, has racked up 189 games and 19 goals since arriving on a free from Oldham in May 2022. A former non-league journeyman who tasted promotion with Salford, Piergianni was named both Stevenage Player of the Season and League Two Team of the Season in his first campaign and now wears the armband with typical commitment. With a blend of seasoned warriors and hungry newcomers, Revell’s evolving squad travel to Berkshire intent on proving the playoff race is far from a two-horse dash. A victory over Reading would not only avenge November’s narrow loss but also propel Stevenage into the coveted top six with time running short.

Doha, Qatar – The Qatar Football Association (QFA) on Friday released the 32-man senior national team roster that will convene for a pivotal March training camp as the Maroon step up preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Spanish head coach Julen Lopetegui has retained four goalkeepers for the gathering: Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abunada, Shehab Al Laithi and Salah Zakaria. The outfield contingent is headlined by veteran playmaker Akram Afif, record-scorer Almoez Ali, and long-serving captain Hassan Al Haydos, while also featuring a blend of domestic standouts and internationally based talents such as Edmilson Junior, Neil Mason and Lucas Mendes. The full squad list: Goalkeepers: Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abunada, Shehab Al Laithi, Salah Zakaria. Outfield players: Ahmed Al Ganehi, Ahmed Al Rawi, Anas Abdessalam, Ahmed Fatehi, Akram Afif, Edmilson Junior, Ayoub Al Alawi, Ahmed Al Hassan, Al Hashmi Al Hussein, Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Bassam Al Rawi, Hassan Al Haydos, Almoez Ali, Neil Mason, Assim Madibo, Khaled Ali, Issa Laye, Karim Boudiaf, Mohammed Khaled, Mohammed Al Mannai, Lucas Mendes, Mubarak Shanan, Marwan Sherif, Mostafa Tarek, Homam Al Amin, Yusuf Abdurisag, Mohammed Waad. Qatar, drawn in Group B for the expanded 48-team tournament, will face Canada, Switzerland and the winner of the first European playoff path when the competition kicks off in June 2026. The March camp represents Lopetegui’s first extended domestic assembly since taking the reins and is expected to feature a series of closed-door friendlies and tactical sessions designed to refine the squad’s shape and cohesion before the final pre-tournament programme begins later this year. QFA officials confirmed the camp will run in Doha, allowing players to acclimatise to familiar conditions while the technical staff assess form, fitness and emerging talent ahead of the looming global showcase.

Celin Bizet Donnum is living proof that the two ambitions she once scribbled in a childhood diary can coexist. The Manchester United winger, capped 25 times by Norway, is weeks away from her first child and insists she has never considered swapping boots for baby blankets on a permanent basis. “If you have two dreams, you can live both of them at the same time,” she told BBC Women’s Football Weekly, speaking publicly for the first time since announcing her pregnancy in December. The baby is due in 2026, meaning Bizet Donnum will sit out the remainder of this WSL season, yet the 24-year-old frames the pause as a calculated investment rather than a sacrifice. “It was a hard thing to actually get pregnant and not be in the team. Missing out the whole season—it’s very scary,” she admitted. “But for me, it was even more scary to not have the baby in my career.” Her candour is striking in a league where, until recently, motherhood has been viewed as a post-retirement project. Ellen White, the former England striker who conducted the interview, waited until hanging up her boots before starting a family. “A lot of players older than me waited until they retired,” White reflected. “You feel like you’re having to sacrifice something.” That climate is shifting, albeit slowly. Aston Villa’s Missy Bo Kearns, also 24, revealed her own pregnancy earlier this month, while Everton loanee Hannah Blundell returned to top-flight action in November, seven months after giving birth. Birmingham City striker Simone Magill is expecting in May. Still, Bizet Donnum notes, “It’s still very rare to have a baby when you are a footballer.” FIFA’s 2024 maternity reforms have underpinned the changing landscape: a mandatory 14 weeks of full pay, flexible registration windows for returning players, and the right for clubs to sign short-term replacements. The WSL, fully professional since 2018, has enshrined these standards, yet Manchester United believe culture is just as important as compliance. United say they have built “a culture change” in which tailored nutrition, psychological support, physiotherapy and sleep programmes “break down barriers” for expectant mothers. Bizet Donnum, whose husband Aron—herself a professional footballer with Toulouse—has been granted additional travel leeway to balance medical appointments in France, praises the club’s holistic approach. Even the introduction of pelvic-floor physiotherapy, initially an alien concept, has become “game-changing”. Arsenal, West Ham, Tottenham and Brighton each told BBC Sport they have expanded on FIFA’s baseline, offering bespoke care packages. Sweden defender Amanda Ilestedt and Australia midfielder Katrina Gorry were cited as examples of players who have benefited. For Bizet Donnum, the countdown to kick-off has already begun. “I am so excited to come back,” she said, admitting that watching United matches from the stands has become a weekly exercise in restraint. “It’s hard when I’m watching the games and wishing I played. But then it’s one season I am missing. After my career, will I look back and think: ‘Damn, I didn’t play that season’ or will I just be happy that I’ve had a kid?” The answer, she believes, is already written. “Of course I will come back to football—that’s my motivation.” The full conversation between Ellen White and Celin Bizet Donnum is available on the Women’s Football Weekly podcast, with an extended video version on BBC iPlayer from 26 March.

MADISON, Wis. — The opening day of spring practice for Wisconsin’s track and field programs was overshadowed Monday by an unusual security incident near Camp Randall Stadium, raising questions about safety protocols on what is traditionally an upbeat occasion for athletes and coaches. According to a spokesperson for Ridglan Farms, which operates property adjacent to the university’s outdoor facilities, “There were probably 30 different police vehicles out here at one point, arresting individuals.” The spokesperson did not specify the nature of the arrests or whether any members of the athletic department were involved, and university officials have yet to release an official statement. The disruption occurred as both the men’s and women’s teams convened for their first organized workouts of the season. Chippewa County, long viewed as a pipeline for elite high-school talent, is again expected to factor heavily into the Badgers’ fortunes this spring. Among the athletes already on campus, former McDonell Central Catholic standout Izzy Balsiger—now competing for UW-Eau Claire—has drawn attention for his second-chance resurgence with the Blugolds, underscoring the region’s depth of talent. While Monday’s practice sessions proceeded inside the stadium complex, the visible law-enforcement presence served as a jarring backdrop for coaches attempting to set an optimistic tone. Head coach Luke Fickell, who led the football team out of the same tunnel last August before a season-opening win over Miami (OH), has stressed the importance of a secure environment for all Wisconsin athletes. How the department addresses Monday’s incident could influence fan and recruit perceptions moving forward. With the outdoor season officially underway, the Badgers hope to pivot quickly from distraction to competition, beginning with this weekend’s intrasquad meet at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course.

Central Catholic has turned to a well-known figure within its community to guide its football program, announcing the hiring of Dubzinski as head football coach. The move underscores the school’s preference for continuity and familiarity as it looks to build on past traditions. Central Catholic has chosen a very familiar name to lead its football program.

Atlanta—Cal freshman Claire Weinstein stormed from the sixth seed to the top of the podium in the 500-yard freestyle at the women’s NCAA Championships on Friday, snapping a seven-year drought for Golden Bear individual champions and setting a school record in the process. Weinstein, 19, touched the wall in 4:30.09 at the McAuley Aquatic Center, slicing more than six seconds off her morning preliminary time of 4:36.66. The swim was the fastest in the NCAA this season and left Texas’s Jillian Cox 1.47 seconds behind in second place (4:31.56). Television commentators quickly labeled the outcome “a shocker.” The victory is Cal’s first individual national title since Abbey Weitzeil won the 50-yard freestyle in 2019 and the program’s first in the 500-free since 2017. “The last 75 yards of that race I was just replaying all of the special moments from this season,” Weinstein said in a statement released by the school. “I never wanted something so bad, so I dug deep, and thought about all the people that came before me, all the women that made Cal swimming what it is. Now this team is moving in that direction.” Cal’s 400-yard individual medley relay quartet of Mary-Ambre Moluh, Annie Jia, Elle Scott, and Teagan O’Dell added another school record, placing sixth in 3:25.09. The championship meet concludes Saturday with the 200 IM, 100 free, 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke, and 400 free relay. Cal sits sixth in the team standings and is positioned for its highest finish since the Bears were national runners-up in 2019. Virginia, chasing its sixth consecutive women’s team title, holds a commanding lead heading into the final day.

The chase for bracket perfection grew dramatically tighter on the tournament’s second day, with the number of flawless March Madness entries shrinking to only a handful. After 48 hours of games, the once-massive pool of unblemished brackets has been pared down to a precious few, underscoring both the unpredictability of the event and the slim margin between a celebrated pick and a busted sheet. As upsets and close finishes accumulate, the surviving perfect brackets now stand as rare relics of prognostication luck and skill, setting up a high-stakes weekend for those still clinging to the dream of a clean card through the tournament.

Albuquerque, N.M. — Coming off the program’s most successful and best-attended campaign in recent memory, New Mexico’s football staff will operate with a modestly larger salary pool in 2024 while rewarding a handful of assistants for their role in the resurgence. Head coach Jason Eck, whose new five-year contract included a $400,000 raise in December, watched three of his on-field assistants receive pay increases when the athletic department posted updated contracts this week. The moves nudged UNM’s total staff salary pool to $2.07 million, up from $2.04 million last season. Every assistant remains on a one-year deal with identical performance-based incentives. Defensive line coach Hebron Fangupo secured the largest bump, jumping from $150,000 to $165,000 after a debut season that produced the Mountain West’s top run defense (112.8 yards per game) and a conference-best 36 sacks. Offensive coordinator Luke Schleusner, whose unit averaged 27.1 points per game, saw his salary rise $10,000 to $385,000, making him the highest-paid assistant on staff. Safeties coach Clay Bignell also netted a $10,000 increase, bringing his pay to $130,000 after guiding a position group that weathered multiple injuries. Defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky ($375,000), offensive line coach Cody Booth ($165,000), cornerbacks coach Stanley Franks Jr. ($150,000) and linebackers coach Nate Palmer ($85,000) all return at their 2023 compensation levels. Two newcomers will earn more than the coaches they replaced. Associate head coach and tight ends coach Zach Lujan and wide receivers coach Carson Walch will each make $160,000, a combined $95,000 increase over predecessors Jared Elliott ($115,000) and Colin Lockett ($110,000). Conversely, new special teams coordinator Erik Link will earn $175,000, down from Daniel Da Prato’s $250,000, and running backs coach Darrius G. Smith will make $120,000, a drop from John Johnson’s $145,000. All four previous assistants departed for Power Four programs. Eck said the salary structure is intentional. “We have a pretty high spread between our highest-paid guys on the staff and our lowest-paid guys on the staff,” he told the Journal earlier this month. “And I want that systematically, because if you can keep your coordinators in place, you know, it keeps the overall system.” UNM will hold its annual pro day on Monday, with 17 Lobos and two New Mexico Highlands standouts — safety Trevor Romaldo and offensive lineman Joe Taase — scheduled to work out for NFL scouts.

Washington, D.C. — The Oklahoma City Thunder will not be celebrating their 2024-25 NBA title at the White House, the team confirmed Thursday, citing timing constraints that prevented the visit during their lone regular-season trip to the nation’s capital. The Thunder, who enter Saturday’s game against the Washington Wizards with a league-best 55-15 record, informed the White House that the traditional championship ceremony “just didn’t work out,” according to a statement shared with The Athletic. The franchise becomes the latest NBA champion to bypass the storied photo-op, following the precedent set by the 2017 Golden State Warriors, who also declined an invitation from President Donald Trump during his first term. White House visits have been a rite of passage for American sports champions since the 1963 Boston Celtics toured 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue after capturing the NBA crown. The Celtics most recently reprised the ritual in November 2024, when they were feted by then-President Joe Biden after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. Trump, now in his second term, has continued the custom, welcoming Inter Miami and Lionel Messi last month to honor their MLS Cup triumph, while also hosting Super Bowl victors, College Football Playoff champions, World Series winners, and, in a first last week, the 2025 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world champions. The Thunder’s decision arrives against the backdrop of heightened U.S. diplomatic activity surrounding the Iran-Israel conflict, though the team offered no further elaboration on the “timing issue” that scuttled the visit. Oklahoma City is in Washington for only one game this season, eliminating any immediate opportunity to reschedule. Meanwhile, the NFL’s reigning champion Seattle Seahawks, who defeated the New England Patriots in last month’s Super Bowl in San Francisco, have yet to announce whether they will accept a White House invitation. The previous year’s winners, the Philadelphia Eagles, attended 12 months ago without quarterback Jalen Hurts; the Eagles had earlier declined the 2018 invitation after their Super Bowl LII victory. As the Thunder pursue a repeat championship and continue to lead the Western Conference, the franchise emphasized its appreciation for the dialogue with the White House, even as the historic visit will not take place.

MOSINEE — Mosinee High School has promoted longtime assistant Kevin Sanchez-Stevenoski to head football coach, the district announced via social media on Friday, March 20. Sanchez-Stevenoski, an alternative-education teacher at the school, has spent previous seasons on the Indians’ football staff and has served as head boys track and field coach for the past four years. He now inherits a program coming off one of the most successful campaigns in school history, set in motion by former coach Kyle Stoffel, who guided the 2025 squad to historic heights before stepping away to devote more time to family. In a statement released by the district, administrators highlighted Sanchez-Stevenoski’s vision for sustaining on-field success while prioritizing character development. “He is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment with a coaching philosophy that emphasizes accountability, resilience and a team-oriented approach,” officials said. “Kevin is dedicated to the comprehensive development of student-athletes—academic, athletic and personal—while cultivating programs built on trust, discipline and school pride.” The new coach views football as more than wins and losses, believing the sport is “a powerful tool for building confidence, discipline and lifelong character—both on and off the field.” Mosinee will look to build on last season’s momentum when preseason practices begin later this year.

AUSTIN, Texas — Oregon’s eighth-seeded women’s basketball team booked its ticket to the round of 32 with a commanding 70-60 victory over ninth-seeded Virginia Tech on Friday night, never trailing in a performance that showcased the Ducks’ postseason poise. The win lifts Oregon to 23-12 on the season and sets up a daunting Sunday showdown against the tournament’s top overall seed. Awaiting the Ducks at the Moody Center on March 22 will be host Texas, fresh off an 87-45 dismantling of No. 16 Missouri State. The Longhorns’ balanced attack and home-court advantage present a steep challenge for an Oregon squad that has already defied expectations by advancing past the opening round. Tip-off time for the Ducks versus the Longhorns has yet to be announced, though the game will be played in the same Austin venue that has already seen its share of March drama this weekend. Fans can follow every possession live on Fubo, with full coverage carried across ESPN’s family of networks. Oregon, which controlled tempo and glass against Virginia Tech, will need a similar complete effort to upset the nation’s No. 1 seed and continue its tournament run.

Boston, MA – The stat sheet will not scream MVP, but inside TD Garden the growing consensus is that no Celtic is more indispensable right now than Derrick White. With Brooklyn in town on Feb. 27, 2026, White spent the first half hounding Nets rookie Nolan Traore, sliding his feet, reaching for strips, and contesting every inch of hardwood. The sequence was a snapshot of a season-long theme: White is on pace to finish with 100 steals and 100 blocks, a benchmark that has become a rallying point for a roster that has overachieved in the face of roster turnover and injury chaos. “Derrick is just calculating,” said Celtics beat insider John Karalis, who has chronicled the guard’s evolution from role player to defensive lynchpin. “He rarely takes a chance that puts the team at risk. His mind and body are quick, and he uses that to his advantage.” That cerebral approach separates White from his predecessor Marcus Smart. Where Smart baited opponents into charges and emotional mistakes, White wins with timing and spatial awareness. Smart played mind games; White plays angles. Smart leapt for highlight rejections; White pounces in a blur, swatting drives before they reach the rim. The contrast has spawned a “thunder and lightning” comparison inside the locker room: Smart supplied the roar, White supplies the silent strike. The numbers back up the eye test. Entering the Brooklyn matchup, White sat just outside the league’s top-10 in both steals and blocks among guards, a rarity in an era when most back-court players specialize in one defensive category. Coaches credit his study habits: he charts opponent tendencies, notes preferred dribble moves, then anticipates the moment a crossover will expose the ball. Teammates credit his humility: White will switch onto 7-footers, fight over screens, then sprint in transition for corner threes without demanding a single play call. That selflessness has become the personality of the 2025-26 Celtics. Jaylen Brown has emerged as the undisputed vocal leader, but White sets the tone with consistency. When Kristaps Porzingis missed almost the entire season and Al Horford battled nagging injuries, White’s versatility allowed Boston to stay afloat. When rookie Hugo Gonzalez needed guidance navigating life in a new country, White invited him to post-practice shooting sessions, accelerating the teenager’s adjustment. The Nets game offered another example. Midway through the second quarter, Traore tried to isolate White on a high pick-and-roll. White slid under the screen, stayed attached to the hip, then reached in at the precise instant Traore brought the ball low. The steal led to a Payton Pritchard pull-up three in transition, a sequence that brought the Garden crowd to its feet and forced Brooklyn into a timeout. No chest-thumping, no trash talk—just business. Off the court, White’s chase for 100-100 has become a subplot that captiviates both fans and analytics departments. Only a handful of guards in league history have reached the century mark in both categories during a single season; accomplishing the feat would etch White’s name among elite company and validate Boston’s decision to build around a defense-first identity. Yet White shrugs at the milestone chatter. “I just want to win,” he said after the Nets win, towel draped over his head. “If I get there, cool. If not, as long as we keep playing in May and June, I’m happy.” For a Celtics team that has navigated cap constraints, roster turnover, and the lingering question of what might have been had last year’s core stayed intact, White’s steady hand provides clarity. Boston may not control health, schedules, or rival super-teams finally clicking, but they control effort, execution, and the quiet storm that is Derrick White. As the regular season hits the stretch run, opponents are learning what Traore discovered: the ball is never safe when White is near, and neither is the game plan. The 100-100 milestone is within reach, but the larger objective—another deep playoff push—remains the only number that truly matters in a season defined by resilience.

West Palm Beach, FL — In a spring training that has already produced its share of eyebrow-raising roster moves, the Washington Nationals dropped the biggest bombshell yet on Friday by optioning prized outfielder Dylan Crews to Triple-A Rochester, ensuring the 24-year-old will not break camp with the big-league club. The decision, announced ahead of the club’s final exhibition games, ends months of speculation about whether the 2023 No. 2 overall pick would be fast-tracked onto the Opening Day roster. While right-hander Jackson Rutledge was also reassigned, it is Crews — long viewed as a cornerstone of the Nationals’ rebuild — who dominates the conversation. Crews’ path through the minors last season was meteoric but turbulent. After posting a 126 wRC+ at Double-A, he slipped to 106 wRC+ at Triple-A and managed only an 80 wRC+ during his 2024 major-league cameo. Those numbers, coupled with a spring training that failed to show dramatic improvement, convinced president of baseball operations Paul Toboni that additional seasoning is required. “There was a clear feeling inside the organization that Dylan, like several other prospects, was accelerated too quickly,” a club source said. “This is about letting him slow the game down, rediscover his timing, and return with confidence.” The reassignment follows the earlier demotion of catching prospect Harry Ford, acquired this winter from Seattle, and signals a philosophical shift under Toboni’s leadership: development over immediacy, even for the most ballyhooed talents. Fans and analysts alike had projected Crews as a potential Opening Day starter ever since he rocketed through the collegiate ranks at LSU and signed for a franchise-record bonus. Yet the gulf between expectation and production has widened, prompting the front office to prioritize long-term gains over short-term headlines. By starting Crews in Rochester, Washington hopes the former Golden Spikes finalist will face consistent high-level pitching without the glare of the majors, refine his approach, and rekindle the power-speed profile that once made him a consensus top-five draft pick. If the reset works, the Nationals believe they will ultimately be rewarded with the perennial All-Star they envisioned on draft night in 2023. For now, the club will march into the regular season without its most heralded prospect, banking that patience now translates to production later.

Chicago — The image of Dana Altman stalking the United Center sideline on March 10, 2026, was that of a coach already thinking about next season. His Oregon Ducks had just closed a 12-20 campaign, 5-15 in the Big Ten, and the offseason could not come quickly enough. With center Nate Bittle gone and guard Jackson Shelstad’s status uncertain after a December hand injury, Altman’s first order of business is clear: keep junior wing Kwame Evans Jr. in Eugene. Evans, who posted career highs of 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists this winter, became Oregon’s primary offensive valve once Shelstad went down in the Dec. 28 win over Omaha. Over the final 18 games Evans reached double figures 13 times, topping out with 24 in a Jan. 28 loss to UCLA. Those numbers, compiled on a roster short on consistent shooting and reliable playmaking, underscore why Altman views the 6-foot-9 Maryland native as the one transfer-portal departure the program cannot absorb. “Kwame carried us when we had no margin for error,” Altman told reporters after the regular-season finale. “His versatility on both ends is the foundation we’re building on.” The foundation is otherwise unsettled. Bittle’s exit leaves a vacancy in the post, and Shelstad, who flashed lottery-level potential before the right-hand fracture, has yet to announce whether he will return for a third season. If Shelstad comes back, Evans could slide into a complementary scoring role; if not, Oregon will ask Evans to shoulder even more usage. Altman’s staff is already canvassing the portal for reinforcements. Last spring the Ducks landed Takai Simpkins, Devon Pryor and Sean Stewart, a trio that vaulted Oregon to the No. 12 transfer class in the Big Ten, per 247Sports. Expect a similar aggressive approach after a season in which Oregon ranked 13th in the league in offensive efficiency and 12th in rebounding margin. One internal candidate to ease Evans’ load is guard Wei Lin, whose 6.6 points and 1.7 assists in 18 minutes a night offered glimpses of shot-making craft. Lin’s 39 percent from three after the All-Break juncture suggests he can space the floor alongside Evans, provided both remain in Eugene. The stakes are obvious. Another sub-.500 finish would mark three straight losing seasons for Oregon, a stretch the program hasn’t endured since the mid-1990s. Retaining Evans, developing Lin and mining the portal for front-court help represent Altman’s clearest path back to relevance in a deepening Big Ten. As the Ducks boarded their charter back across the country, Evans’ phone buzzed with messages from programs coveting his blend of length, skill and experience. Altman’s next sales pitch may determine how quickly Oregon escapes the wilderness. Keywords:

Leicester, 10 April 2026 — A club that stunned the world by lifting the Premier League trophy at 5,000-to-1 odds now faces the unthinkable: a second relegation in as many seasons that would plunge the Foxes into the third tier of English football for only the second time in 143 years. Sitting third-from-bottom of the Championship with eight matches remaining, Leicester City have collected just six points from six fixtures under new manager Gary Rowett and have not won on the road since October. A 3-1 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers last weekend, in which Leicester surrendered an early lead, left Rowett lamenting “three really poor goals” and heightened the prospect of League One football next August. The nosedive comes only 12 months after relegation from the Premier League and a little over a decade after the most unlikely title triumph in modern sport. “Everything that was there 10 years ago — heart, determination, the underdog story — that’s gone,” Phil Holloway, editor of Leicester Fan TV, told reporters. “Now we’ve got overpaid players who don’t seem very bothered.” Off-field turmoil has compounded on-field struggles. The club was docked six points in February for breaching spending rules in the 2023-24 campaign, and the January departure of record goalscorer Jamie Vardy to Italy removed the last on-field link to the 2015-16 miracle. Manager Marti Cifuentes was sacked on 27 January; interim boss Andy King lost his first three league matches, ratcheting up pressure before Rowett’s appointment. Rowett, speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to playoff-chasing Watford, insisted improvement is within reach. “I do believe we are close to being a very good team,” he said. “It’s just those little moments costing us.” Leicester’s survival bid rests on a threadbare squad led by 21-year-old Wales midfielder Jordan James, on loan from Rennes, whose 10 league goals make him the club’s top scorer. The Foxes have taken only 11 points from a possible 42 since the points deduction and must overhaul at least two sides to avoid the drop. Relegation would carry a brutal financial sting. Deloitte’s most recent review placed League One clubs’ average revenue at £9.1 million, roughly one-quarter of Championship levels and barely 3 per cent of the Premier League’s £316 million average. For a club still servicing top-flight wages and transfer instalments, the shortfall could be catastrophic. Leicester have spent only one campaign in the third tier in their history, winning League One in 2008-09 before climbing back to the Championship. Holloway, a lifelong supporter, clings to the memory of past resurrection. “Being a Leicester fan, I do believe in miracles,” he said, “because we’ve all seen one.” The Foxes have nine days to regroup during the international break before a run-in that includes fixtures against three of the current top six. Whether belief alone can avert a fall that once seemed impossible will determine the next chapter in one of football’s most remarkable modern sagas.

Chuck Norris, the stone-faced martial-arts grandmaster whose roundhouse kicks on screen and super-human exploits online turned him into a global symbol of indomitability, died Thursday at 86, his family announced. The statement described a “sudden passing” but asked for privacy regarding details, adding only that Norris “was surrounded by his family and was at peace.” From humble beginnings in Ryan, Oklahoma, born Carlos Ray Norris on March 10, 1940, he rose from poverty to become a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion and the founder of Chun Kuk Do, his own Korean-based American hard style. The United Fighting Arts Federation, which he created, has awarded more than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide, and Black Belt magazine placed him in its hall of fame with a 10th-degree black belt, the discipline’s highest honor. Norris discovered martial arts while stationed in Korea with the U.S. Air Force, studying judo and Tang Soo Do after his 1958 enlistment. Following an honorable discharge in 1962, he opened a martial-arts studio that quickly expanded into a chain. Celebrity students—Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donny and Marie Osmond, and Steve McQueen—filled his classes, and McQueen prodded him to try Hollywood. An uncredited fight scene opposite Dean Martin in 1968’s The Wrecking Crew led to the memorable Colosseum showdown with Bruce Lee in 1972’s Return of the Dragon. More than 20 action films followed, including Missing in Action, The Delta Force and Sidekicks, cementing his persona as a clear-cut hero in an era of cinematic anti-heroes. In 1993 Norris secured his most enduring role: cord-wearing Texas Ranger Cordell Walker in the CBS series Walker, Texas Ranger. The show’s nine-season run championed “fighting injustice with justice,” he told The Associated Press, and earned him an honorary Texas Ranger designation from Governor Rick Perry and the title of honorary Texan from the state senate. Even as film appearances dwindled—recent credits include 2012’s The Expendables 2 and the 2024 sci-fi release Agent Recon—Norris’s legend ballooned online. “Chuck Norris Facts” (“When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris”) flooded the internet, and the star embraced the phenomenon, compiling The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book to benefit Kickstart Kids, a nonprofit he launched with President George H.W. Bush to bring martial-arts training to schools. A devout Christian and vocal supporter of gun rights, Norris campaigned for political allies, most notably Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in 2008, and endorsed Donald Trump in 2016. Presidents, pundits and partisans alike invoked his name as shorthand for unassailable toughness. Norris is survived by five children: Mike and Eric, both stunt performers, from his marriage to the late Dianne Holechek; twins Dakota and Danilee with wife Gena Norris; and daughter Dina. Just over a week before his death he posted a sparring video to Instagram, a final reminder that the man who once joked about counting to infinity—twice—never stopped moving. Keywords:

BARCELONA, Spain — Spain’s national team has turned diplomatic frustration into viral comedy, releasing a sketch that pokes fun at the collapsed Finalissima showdown with Argentina while announcing its squad for upcoming friendlies. The European champions were scheduled to meet Copa América holders Argentina on 27 March in Doha, but the match was scrapped after the widening Iran conflict rendered Qatar unsuitable. With no replacement venue agreed upon, Spain pivoted to a home date against Serbia in Villarreal on the same day, while Argentina will now be idle. On Friday the Royal Spanish Football Federation posted a 90-second video on its X account in which a fictional Argentine couple argue over the husband’s impulsive voice note to Spain coach Luis de la Fuente begging for tickets to Spain-Serbia. De la Fuente appears, grinning, and assures the stunned fan: “Of course, count on the ticket … although I would have liked to have seen you at a different game.” The light-hearted clip served a dual purpose: defusing tension over the high-profile cancellation and unveiling de la Fuente’s latest squad, which features four uncapped players including Olympic gold-medal winners Joan García and Cristhian Mosquera. UEFA and the Spanish federation insist they explored “every possibility” to rescue the Finalissima, proposing Madrid, a two-leg format, and even a 31 March date in Italy. All were declined by the Argentinian Football Association, according to European officials. CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez retorted that Argentina should be declared “two-time champions” for Spain’s “no-show,” referencing the Albiceleste’s 2022 win over Italy. De la Fuente reiterated his regret. “Both myself and the Spanish federation always wanted to play. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.” Spain will now face Serbia on 27 March in Villarreal and Egypt four days later at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona. The rejigged calendar gives de la Fuente a final competitive look at veterans such as Rodri—returning from a long leg injury—and in-form alternatives like Martín Zubimendi before June’s World Cup qualifiers. Goalkeepers: Joan García (Barcelona), David Raya (Arsenal), Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), Álex Remiro (Real Sociedad). Defenders: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Marcos Llorente (Atlético Madrid), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid), Cristhian Mosquera (Arsenal), Pedro Porro (Tottenham). Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City), Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal), Pedri (Barcelona), Pablo Fornals (Real Betis), Carlos Soler (Real Sociedad), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Fermín López (Barcelona). Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Yéremi Pino (Crystal Palace), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Ander Barrenetxea (Real Sociedad), Víctor Muñoz (Osasuna), Alex Baena (Atlético Madrid), Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo). Spain’s creative squad-release videos began under former coach Luis Enrique and have become a trademark under de la Fuente, blending humour with team news. This latest edition ensures that, even without Lionel Messi versus Lamine Yamal, the show goes on.

San Diego—Centerline Athletics, the performance apparel label purpose-built for today’s pickleball athlete, has enlisted one of the most relentless competitors in sports history as its newest brand ambassador: Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens. The partnership, announced today, positions Owens—who has traded end-zone celebrations for third-shot drops—as the face of Centerline’s push to merge elite-level mindset with pickleball’s fast-growing culture. A dedicated landing page on the company’s site now spotlights the exact pieces Owens wears during his own court sessions, allowing fans to shop the collection that carries him through tournament play and late-night rallies alike. “Pickleball doesn’t discriminate,” Owens said. “It doesn’t matter what age you are, what you look like, what your body type is—it’s a sport that welcomes everybody.” That inclusive ethos meshes with the philosophy Owens credits for his 15-year NFL career: the three D’s of Desire, Dedication, and Discipline. “Competition has always been part of who I am,” he noted. “Whether it’s football or pickleball, the mindset stays the same—show up prepared, compete hard, and bring energy every time you step on the court.” Centerline executives say the alliance runs deeper than a standard endorsement. Later this year Owens will unveil an exclusive performance apparel line co-developed with Centerline’s design team, blending his first-hand athletic insights with the brand’s technical fabrics and court-specific cuts. “Terrell embodies the competitive spirit that defines Centerline,” Managing Director Scott Brown said. “His passion for sport, athleticism, and community aligns perfectly with what we’re building.” As participation numbers surge and pickleball cements its status as America’s fastest-growing sport, Centerline views the Owens partnership as a statement that the game’s culture can honor both its social roots and an elite athletic standard. Owens will remain involved in product development, brand storytelling, and grassroots events throughout 2026, reinforcing the message that high-level competition belongs on every court—from neighborhood driveways to championship stadiums. Fans can explore Owens’ curated collection now at centerlineathletics.

The calendar has always been sacred to football fans. Sundays for the bulk of the slate, Monday for the nightcap, Thursday for a taste of mid-week action—simple, predictable, comforting. That rhythm is about to be shattered. When the 2026 NFL season kicks off on Wednesday, September 9, with the Seattle Seahawks hosting a primetime tilt on NBC at 8:20 p.m. ET, the league will officially test how much calendar chaos its audience will tolerate. The Seahawks’ Wednesday showcase is only the opening salvo. Roughly 16 hours later—Thursday, September 10—the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will collide in the first NFL game ever played on Australian soil, launching from the Melbourne Cricket Ground at a locally inconvenient 10:15 a.m. to preserve U.S. prime-time visibility. Two opening nights, two different weeknights, one sport that no longer asks permission before redrawing its own map. Social media erupted as soon as the dates leaked. Longtime supporters called the Wednesday kickoff “ridiculous,” accusing the league of “completely disregarding the dependable rhythm of the schedule.” The outrage centers on a single idea: football’s cultural power came from scarcity. Sundays were church, Mondays were dessert, Thursdays were a bonus. Now fans joke they’ll need a spreadsheet to track a single week that could stretch across seven days if the league finalizes its rumored Thanksgiving Eve game on November 25. What officials haven’t trumpeted is that Wednesday wasn’t a marketing whim; it was a legal escape hatch. The 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act bars the NFL from televising games on Friday nights from the second Friday in September through mid-December to protect high-school and college gates. In 2024 and 2025, an early Labor Day left the first Friday of September outside that window, letting the league stage its Brazil games. In 2026, Labor Day lands on September 7, pushing Week 1’s first Friday to September 11—legally off-limits. Thursday was already booked for Australia. The only runway left was Wednesday. The Melbourne factor shaped everything. To fill the 100,000-seat MCG, the NFL built the entire Week 1 framework around that contest first, then back-filled the domestic schedule. Seattle’s reward for winning Super Bowl LX was supposed to be the traditional Thursday curtain-raiser; instead, the champs inherit the league’s first Wednesday opener since 2012, when the Giants and Cowboys were shifted to avoid a presidential convention. That move was sold as a one-time political courtesy. This one is structural, driven by international expansion, streaming revenue, and broadcast windows that now span six of the seven weekdays—Tuesday alone remains unused. Networks are following the money. NBC retains its season-opener rights, while the Melbourne telecast is still on the block, with streaming heavyweights circling after Netflix reportedly paid $75 million per game for the 2024 Christmas doubleheader. The league’s economics have turned every new day into a potential inventory slot: Black Friday since 2023, international Fridays since 2024, a Christmas Day doubleheader, and now a Wednesday in Week 1. OutKick distilled fan anxiety into a single line: “Scarcity helped elevate football to America’s new pastime. The NFL is taking that away.” Players face a different squeeze. A Wednesday opener compresses preparation for clubs assigned to Sunday Week 1, and the NFLPA has previously flagged short-rest situations as safety issues. With 17 games already in place and an 18th reportedly under discussion alongside a record nine international fixtures in 2026, the union may soon confront a season that stretches both bodies and calendars to new limits. For all the backlash, history says viewers will still tune in. The league is betting that convenience is no match for habit—and that fans who complain today will still click the remote tomorrow night. In the zero-sum contest between tradition and expansion, the NFL just tore up the old contract in broad daylight and dared anyone to change the channel. Seattle will open defense of its title under the lights on a weeknight that never used to belong to football, against an opponent yet to be named, in a schedule that drops this May. By then, Wednesday, Australia, and streaming will be baked into the narrative, and the seven-day football week will feel less like an experiment than the new normal.

Atlanta—Nearly seven weeks after Tuskegee University head basketball coach Benjy Taylor was handcuffed and led from the gymnasium following a heated rivalry game at Morehouse College, the veteran coach is taking his fight to court. Taylor, flanked by a team of prominent civil-rights attorneys, will announce a federal lawsuit Friday against Morehouse and two campus officers, R. Clark and M. Roberson, alleging unlawful detention and civil-rights violations stemming from the Jan. 31 post-game confrontation that stunned players, fans, and the broader HBCU community. The incident, captured in a viral social-media clip, occurred moments after Morehouse edged Tuskegee 77-69 in front of a raucous home crowd. According to Taylor and Tuskegee officials, the coach approached game security to report what he termed a “security breach”: members of the Morehouse football team had joined the traditional handshake line, a move Tuskegee Athletic Director Reginald Ruffin says contravenes standard Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference protocol. Taylor says he asked officers to intervene when the football players “followed right behind me and the team yelling obscenities,” creating what he feared was a dangerous environment for his players and their families. Instead of de-escalating the situation, campus police handcuffed the 35-year coaching veteran and escorted him outside the arena, an image that ricocheted across sports media within hours. No charges were filed, and Taylor traveled back to campus with his squad that night, but the fallout was immediate. Tuskegee President and CEO Mark A. Brown issued a statement praising Taylor’s conduct as “measured, professional, and entirely consistent with the expectations of a head coach entrusted with the safety of his team.” Now Taylor is seeking accountability. Represented by Harry Daniels, John Burris, Gerald Griggs, and Gregory Reynald Williams—attorneys known for high-profile civil-rights litigation—Taylor’s suit will claim unlawful seizure and emotional distress. “To put him in handcuffs, humiliate him and treat him like a criminal in front of his team, his family and a gym full of fans is absolutely disgusting,” Daniels said. Morehouse has not publicly commented on the impending litigation. Friday’s press conference, scheduled for 11 a.m. EST in downtown Atlanta, is expected to detail damages sought and broader allegations of inadequate game-management protocols that Taylor’s legal team argues placed both teams at risk. The case adds a legal chapter to one of the most visible HBCU basketball rivalries and raises fresh questions about security procedures at collegiate sporting events—particularly when emotions run high and conference traditions collide. Keywords:

Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler addressed the media on Friday ahead of the Seagulls’ lunchtime Premier League meeting with Liverpool, declaring Kaoru Mitoma fit for selection and urging supporters to turn the Amex into a venue “that no-one wants to go”. Mitoma, the Japan international winger, had been a doubt after a recent setback but is now available, giving Hurzeler a welcome boost as he plots a first victory over the Reds since taking charge in the summer. “There are no new injury concerns and winger Kaoru Mitoma is available for contention,” the German confirmed. Brighton arrive at the weekend looking to arrest a wobble that has seen them slip from the European conversation, yet Hurzeler insists the squad’s mentality has not wavered. “I never stop thinking about how I can improve the team and how we can improve as a club, on the pitch and off it,” he said. “My team always stick together. It’s important to keep working hard and keeping standards high. We do that well.” With the Premier League table tighter than ever, the 31-year-old believes every remaining fixture carries cup-final significance if Brighton are to re-enter the top-eight picture. “The Premier League is unpredictable this season,” he noted. “We need to play every game like it’s a final to see if we can get into the top eight.” Saturday’s assignment is daunting: Liverpool swept past Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday and have lost only once in all competitions since September. Hurzeler praised the Merseysiders’ form, saying: “We all know Liverpool are still one of the best teams with incredible individual quality. They came into a flow and when Liverpool get into a flow they are dangerous for every team.” The Albion boss, however, sees no reason to be passive. “It’s our responsibility to disrupt Liverpool’s flow,” he stated. “We can do that by being prepared and intense.” Central to that plan will be the club’s 12th man. Hurzeler revealed his “relationship with the fans has never been closer” after navigating a testing run of results together, and he hopes the bond will translate into decibels at a sold-out Amex. “Be as loud as possible, be behind us, be pushing, be creating an energy,” he implored. “We can create a place that no-one wants to go and that will help our intensity and performance. The fans against Arsenal were on it and they influenced the game.” Selection dilemmas also occupy the coach’s thoughts. Competition for starting berths is fierce, but Hurzeler views the variety of profiles across his squad as an asset rather than a headache. “The competition is on for a starting place,” he acknowledged. “A lot of my players have different attributes and the squad can benefit game-to-game.” Kick-off on Saturday is at 12:30 GMT, with Brighton seeking a statement result to reignite their season and Liverpool aiming to maintain the momentum that has carried them to the summit of domestic and European competitions.

The scoreboard is set for another fascinating duel of forecasts as Essential Football renews its head-to-head with artificial-intelligence rival ChatGPT ahead of a potentially seismic round of Premier League fixtures. With ten points awarded for nailing the exact scoreline and five for calling the correct result, bragging rights are once again up for grabs. Saturday’s early kick-off sees AFC Bournemouth welcome Manchester United to the south coast. Essential Football labels the Cherries the division’s great enigma—no side has drawn more games—while tipping Erik ten Hag’s visitors to exploit their openness in a 2-1 away win. ChatGPT largely concurs, citing United’s top-four motivation and Bournemouth’s habit of letting promising displays drift into draws; the algorithm forecasts the same 2-1 score, only reversing the order of the scorers. Liverpool’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion shapes as the weekend’s headline tussle. Buoyed by a dramatic Champions League fight-back in Istanbul, Jurgen Klopp’s men remain erratic domestically. Essential Football believes the Reds’ continental momentum will be enough to edge a revitalised Seagulls side that has won three of its last four. ChatGPT, noting Brighton’s expansive but defensively vulnerable approach, foresees Liverpool’s pace on the break producing a comfortable away victory. At Craven Cottage, Fulham are viewed as bankers against a Burnley outfit still anchored in relegation trouble. Essential Football argues Marco Silva’s side, chasing a late surge toward the European places, cannot afford another slip, while ChatGPT highlights Fulham’s home control and the Clarets’ chronic scoring woes in predicting a routine home win. Sunday’s early assignment pitches Everton against Chelsea at Goodison Park. Essential Football contends that the Toffees’ organised, limitation-aware approach under David Moyes can ambush a Blues outfit bruised from a mid-week setback. ChatGPT, emphasising Everton’s deep-block resilience and Chelsea’s well-documented inconsistency, anticipates a low-scoring draw. Leeds United versus Brentford offers a contrast of styles in West Yorkshire. Essential Football flags the Bees’ proficiency from set pieces and on the counter, weaknesses Leeds have repeatedly displayed. ChatGPT echoes that assessment, forecasting a narrow Brentford triumph born of superior efficiency. The Tyne-Wear derby promises raw emotion. Essential Football expects a scrappy 1-1 stalemate, citing Newcastle’s wounded pride after a 7-2 Champions League humbling and Sunderland’s poor away form. ChatGPT agrees, arguing derby fever often overrides league logic and produces a high-scoring, mistake-riddled 2-2 draw. In the Midlands, Aston Villa’s wobble has seen European hopes fade after three straight league defeats. Essential Football fancies West Ham to capitalise, backing the Hammers to spring an upset. Data-driven ChatGPT, however, trusts Villa’s home strength and motivation to secure a slender 2-1 win. Monday Night Football closes the gameweek with Tottenham hosting Nottingham Forest in what Essential Football labels a relegation six-pointer. Spurs’ recent uptick in urgency leads the column to forecast a home win, while ChatGPT, citing both sides’ inconsistency, opts for a 1-1 draw. With each forecast carrying either ten or five points, the running tally between flesh-and-blood pundits and silicon-powered algorithms remains too close to call—setting the stage for another dramatic swing when the final whistle blows.

London – A change to British law will make it a criminal offence to enter a soccer match without a valid ticket, with the new rules coming into force in time for Sunday’s English League Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium. The legislation, announced ahead of the showpiece fixture, means that anyone found inside a ground without the appropriate accreditation will face potential prosecution. Authorities say the measure is designed to strengthen crowd-safety protocols and protect legitimate supporters. The timing of the law’s activation underscores its immediate relevance, as tens of thousands of fans are expected to converge on the national stadium for the high-profile contest. Officials have not detailed specific penalties, but the reclassification marks a significant shift from previous civil regulations. With the new statute now on the statute book, stewards and police will have expanded powers to intervene before, during and after matches across the country.

By Saturday evening the Championship will fall silent for the international break, but not before a weekend that could redraw the promotion picture and intensify the relegation fight across the English Football League. Ipswich v Millwall, 12:30 GMT at Portman Road, is the headline act. Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys have taken 14 points from the last 18 and sit third, level on points with Alex Neil’s Millwall, whose four-match winning run was halted by a controversial 2-1 loss to Blackburn. Zak Sturge’s red card in that game has been overturned, leaving the left-back free to face Ipswich as the Lions chase a fifth consecutive away victory. Should Millwall leapfrog Ipswich, Middlesbrough—winless in four at the Riverside—would need at least a point at Blackburn to cling to second place. Coventry, seven points clear at the summit, are the only side guaranteed to spend the break in an automatic spot, yet the identity of their nearest pursuer could change twice before tea-time. At the bottom, only four points separate the teams in 20th and 24th. Oxford, third-bottom, travel to a Southampton side unbeaten in 13 and chasing a top-six place, though the U’s won the reverse fixture 2-1 on Boxing Day. Leicester, a point beneath Oxford, have lost nine away matches in a row and visit Watford, still in the play-off mix. West Brom, lifted out of the drop zone by a thumping defeat of Hull, have not won on the road since 1 October and now head to Bristol City, who have taken one point from their last four home games. Portsmouth, above Albion on goal difference, face QPR hunting a first victory in six. The drama is equally fierce in League One. Gary Caldwell returns to Exeter exactly a month after leaving St James Park for a second spell at Wigan. When he departed, Exeter were 13th and comfortable; on Saturday they sit 19th, level on points with Caldwell’s new side, who are a point above the relegation places. Exeter are winless in 12; Wigan have taken 11 points from Caldwell’s seven matches. A Blackpool win at Cardiff in the lunchtime kick-off could dump Exeter into the bottom four by full-time. The play-off picture is equally volatile. Three points cover fifth-placed Stockport to Plymouth in 10th. Stevenage, eighth with a game in hand, host Reading, who occupy the final play-off berth. Huddersfield, seventh, travel to in-form Argyle after blowing a 2-0 lead to draw with leaders Lincoln. Stockport, meanwhile, visit Luton in a dress-rehearsal for next month’s Vertu Trophy final. In League Two, only two points separate the bottom four. Barrow, on their fifth manager of the season, are winless in seven ahead of a trip to promotion-chasing Grimsby. Harrogate, a point better off, visit an Oldham side unbeaten in nine and eyeing a late surge into the play-offs. Newport, a point above the drop, go to resurgent Walsall after a last-gasp loss to leaders Bromley, while Crawley, winless in nine but drawing five of their last six, make the long journey to Fleetwood. By the time British Summer Time begins, the league tables from Coventry to Barrow could have a very different complexion. March, as the old saying almost goes, has one more chance to plant the seeds for May’s final harvest.

Liverpool’s decision to extend Mohamed Salah’s stay until 2027 is already under the microscope, and fresh revelations have intensified the debate. Sporting director Richard Hughes sanctioned a two-year extension last spring that, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce, eclipses the previously reported £400,000-a-week mark. The upward revision means the club could commit more than £40 million in basic wages alone before the Egyptian turns 35. The timing of the disclosure is awkward. Salah, who finished 2024-25 as the Premier League’s top scorer, top creator and overall player of the year, has struggled to replicate that dominance this season. A winter falling-out with head coach Arne Slot led to the winger being dropped, and although he has since regained double-figure goal involvement, sources inside Anfield concede his influence has waned. Hughes, appointed last summer, celebrated few bigger victories than tying down two Liverpool legends. While Trent Alexander-Arnold ultimately departed for Real Madrid in a £10 million deal, Virgil van Dijk and Salah put pen to paper on extensions through 2027. Yet the wisdom of retaining an ageing star on English football’s heftiest individual salary is now being questioned. Saudi Pro League clubs maintain a watching brief, but their willingness to pay a transfer fee remains uncertain. If no acceptable offer materialises, Liverpool risk carrying the league’s largest single wage packet into a World Cup year for Egypt, limiting room to refresh a squad that may soon need rebuilding. When the contract was signed, rewarding a record-breaking campaign felt instinctive. In hindsight, allowing Salah to leave at his peak might have preserved both legacy and salary structure. Instead, FSG face the prospect of a marquee name on a mammoth deal whose best days, on current evidence, could be behind him.

Since the opening kickoff of football season, a modest Monday-night ritual has turned into a must-attend event at Backwoods Bar and Grill. Between 5 and 7 p.m. each week, patrons pack the rustic venue for the Queen of Hearts raffle, a nonprofit drawing whose swelling prize pot has become the talk of the town. What began as a handful of curious players now fills tables and barstools, the anticipation thick as participants watch the board for the card that could unlock the growing jackpot. Organizers say every ticket purchased fuels both the purse and local charitable efforts, turning an evening of casual fun into a community-driven fundraiser with stakes that rise week after week.

Tehran – Iran’s all-time leading scorer Sardar Azmoun has been expelled from the national team only weeks before the World Cup kicks off across North America, leaving Team Melli to contemplate a first-round campaign shorn of its most prolific forward. The 31-year-old striker, who has netted 57 goals in 91 senior appearances since his 2014 debut, was removed from the squad after Iranian authorities deemed a recent social-media post an act of disloyalty, the Fars News Agency reported on Thursday. The outlet, which maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cited an unnamed national-team source confirming Azmoun’s banishment. The controversy erupted when Azmoun, who plies his trade for UAE club Shabab Al-Ahli, uploaded a photograph to Instagram showing him alongside Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The image surfaced amid heightened regional tensions: Tehran has launched rocket and drone strikes against the Emirates in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli air raids that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Although Azmoun deleted the post, state television devoted prime airtime to denouncing the player on Thursday night. “It’s unfortunate that you don’t have enough sense to understand what kind of behavior is appropriate at a given time,” football pundit Mohammad Misaghi declared on the broadcast. “We should not mince words with such people. They should be told that they are not worthy of wearing the national team jersey. We have no patience for this sulking and childish behavior. National team players should be people who proudly belt out the national anthem and deserve to wear the Iran jersey.” The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran did not respond to requests for comment, but the fallout has already widened: an unsourced report on the Novad News channel claimed that judicial authorities have ordered the seizure of assets belonging to Azmoun, fellow UAE-based forward Mehdi Ghayedi, and former international Soroush Rafiei. Azmoun’s absence would deal a severe blow to a side already operating under a cloud. Iran’s participation in the June 11-July 19 tournament—co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada—remains uncertain given the deteriorating geopolitical climate between Tehran and Washington. Should Team Melli take their place in the group stage, they will now face the prospect of attacking depth depleted by the loss of a veteran marksman who featured prominently in both the 2018 and 2022 editions. Preparations continue for now: the federation has scheduled friendlies against Nigeria on March 27 in Antalya, Turkey, and Costa Rica four days later. Yet with Azmoun exiled and questions swirling over squad unity, Iran’s World Cup blueprint has been thrown into disarray only months before the global showcase kicks off.

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has hailed the fearless approach of 18-year-old Lennart Karl after awarding the Bayern Munich teenager a maiden senior call-up that vaults him past several youth levels and straight into the senior squad. Speaking via the @iMiaSanMia social channel, Nagelsmann outlined his expectations for the youngster, who has caught the eye since breaking into the Bavarian club’s first-team picture earlier this campaign. “I expect him to bring his youthful exuberance to the pitch,” the national-team boss said. “He likes to play centrally, but we also plan to use him on the right. However, I won’t put any pressure on him to perform miracles. He should bring exactly what a young player embodies and play football freely and from the heart, as he’s been doing at FC Bayern.” Karl’s rapid ascent means he will join the senior setup barely a month after turning 18, underscoring both his early-season form and the coaching staff’s willingness to fast-track emerging talent. Aside from a brief off-field distraction involving Austria international Alexander Prass, whose ill-advised comment and accompanying thumbs-up gesture drew criticism, the teenager’s trajectory remains steeply upward. For Nagelsmann, the message is clear: Karl’s invitation is a reward for fearless, creative play, and the youngster will be encouraged to express himself without the burden of unrealistic expectations.

London — For months the rest of the game has watched Tottenham Hotspur’s spiral with the same horrified fascination reserved for a multi-car pile-up. With eight Premier League fixtures remaining the club sit one place above the relegation zone, winless in the league since New Year’s Day and, in the blunt verdict of one Champions League club executive, guilty of “incompetence of the highest order”. The Athletic canvassed more than a dozen figures — sporting directors, chairmen, analysts, agents and coaches across England and Germany — to discover how the sport views Spurs’ predicament. Every respondent was granted anonymity to speak candidly; several conversations took place before Wednesday’s 3-2 second-leg victory over Atlético Madrid, a result that merely trimmed an ultimately fatal 7-5 aggregate Champions League exit. Inside Bundesliga boardrooms the scenario feels ominously familiar. “We saw this with big German clubs — wrong decisions stacked up for years,” said one director. “Hamburg assumed promotion would be automatic. They spent seven seasons in the second division.” The search for a single scapegoat ends empty-handed. Igor Tudor, appointed in February after the dismissal of Thomas Frank, has found no public defenders inside the game. “They hired the only coach in Europe willing to risk relegating a Super League side,” an English club executive said. “He’s never worked in England, never stayed anywhere longer than a year, and fans looked at the CV and said, ‘What the hell?’” Yet managerial churn is viewed as symptomatic, not causal. Since 2016 Spurs’ revenues have rocketed 152 per cent to a record £528.4 million, turbo-charged by a state-of-the-art stadium hosting NFL fixtures, concerts and boxing. The training ground, opened in 2012, remains the envy of the country. “They built the perfect platform,” said a Premier League sporting director, “then forgot the team.” Recruitment is painted as directionless. “They don’t know what they are,” a rival chairman concluded. “They can’t replicate Brighton’s model, can’t outspend Arsenal or Chelsea, and end up with a Frankenstein squad stitched together by different coaches with different philosophies.” January’s panic signing of Conor Gallagher on wages that instantly eclipsed those of senior pros has further unsettled the dressing room. “If Gallagher is suddenly the top earner, Van de Ven and Romero are saying, ‘Hold on…’” an agent noted. “Daniel Levy would not have done that deal.” Levy’s removal last September after 24 years as chairman divides opinion among fans but not among industry peers. “He was never the problem,” one executive said. Another agent added: “If Daniel was there, no chance they’d be in this mess. The seismic boardroom change has left them looking inexperienced.” On the pitch the identity has evaporated. Analysts see neither the defensive rigour of Antonio Conte’s tenure nor the front-foot pressing of Ange Postecoglou. “They’re trying to combine both and achieving neither,” said a data specialist. The nadir arrived in Madrid: 4-0 down after 21 minutes, rookie goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky substituted in the 17th minute, eventually eliminated 7-5 on aggregate. Still, the consensus says Spurs will scrape clear. “Whatever happens, they face years of surgery: moving on average players, rebuilding the squad, finding people who understand football, not just revenue streams,” warned one board member. Sunday’s home fixture against Nottingham Forest, one spot below them in 17th, shapes as a season-defining six-pointer. Spurs have not won a league match at their own stadium since 6 December. The football world will be rubbernecking once again.

Sydney’s Stadium Australia will stage a shot at redemption on Saturday night when an unbeaten Australia meet two-time champions Japan in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup final, kick-off at 8pm local time (09:00 GMT). The same stretch of turf that witnessed the Matildas’ 3-1 World Cup semi-final heart-break to England in 2023 now offers the hosts the chance to claim a first major trophy in front of an expected 83,500-strong crowd and finally erase the memory of two previous final losses to the Nadeshiko. Australia’s road to the decider has been dramatic. After finishing second in Group A behind a late 3-3 draw with South Korea, Joe Montemurro’s side edged North Korea 2-1 in the quarter-finals before a bruising 2-1 semi-final win over nine-time champions China. Skipper Sam Kerr, four goals in five games since returning from a two-year ACL lay-off, struck the decisive goal mid-week, while centre-back Alanna Kennedy has contributed five goals in as many matches and Caitlin Foord has created three assists. Japan, by contrast, have been ruthless. World No 6 and the tournament’s highest-ranked side, the Nadeshiko topped Group C with a perfect record, scoring 17 goals without reply, then demolished the Philippines 7-0 and South Korea 4-1 to reach their fourth consecutive final. Riko Ueki’s six goals lead the competition, while winger Kiko Seike has four in four. Across five matches Japan have tallied 28 goals and conceded only once. History favours the visitors. Japan defeated Australia 1-0 in both the 2014 and 2018 finals and routed the Matildas 4-0 in last year’s SheBelieves Cup. Australia’s lone continental triumph came in 2010, when a 16-year-old Kerr opened the scoring in a penalty shoot-out victory over North Korea. The victors will pocket US$1.8 million, unchanged from 2022 and a fraction of the US$14.8 million awarded to the men’s Asian Cup champions last year. Montemurro is expected to reward defender Winonah Heatley with a start ahead of Clare Hunt. Mackenzie Arnold will anchor a back four that includes Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley and Kaitlyn Torpey, while Kyra Cooney-Cross, Kennedy and Katrina Gorry marshal the middle. Kerr will spearhead the attack alongside Mary Fowler and Caitlin Foord. Japan coach Nils Nielsen, who labelled Australia “massive favourites” on home soil, is likely to stick with the XI that overcame South Korea: Ayaka Yamashita in goal; Hana Takahashi, Toko Koga, captain Saki Kumagai and Hikaru Kitagawa across the back; Fuka Nagano, Hinata Miyazawa and Yui Hasegawa in midfield; and the front three of Maika Hamano, Ueki and Aoba Fujino. Al Jazeera Sport’s build-up begins at 06:30 GMT, with live text commentary streaming from the opening whistle. Japan vs Australia, Women’s Asian Cup final, Stadium Australia, Sydney, Saturday 8pm (09:00 GMT)

Portland, Ore. — The Arkansas Razorbacks and High Point Panthers now know exactly when they will collide for a berth in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region Sweet 16. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. Central Time on Saturday, March 21, inside the Moda Center, the downtown arena normally home to the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. No. 4 seed Arkansas (27-8) advanced with a dominant opening-round victory over Hawaii, while No. 12 seed High Point (30-4) turned heads by toppling fifth-seeded Wisconsin in the first major upset of this year’s bracket. The winner will move within one victory of the Elite Eight. Saturday’s contest will be carried nationally on either TBS or truTV as part of the tournament’s second-round television rotation. The appearance marks the 25th NCAA Tournament trip for Arkansas coach John Calipari, who owns a 60-23 record in national-bracket games. It is his second March Madness run at the helm of the Razorbacks. Arkansas vs. High Point represents one of the more intriguing pairings of the round, pitting the Razorbacks’ high-major athleticism against a Panthers squad fresh off a statement win and looking to extend its historic season. Keywords:

Las Vegas – The verbal volley between seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and the WWE locker room shows no signs of dying down. Weeks after Brady’s headline-graining exchange with Logan Paul on the ImPaulsive podcast, the future Hall of Fame quarterback doubled down on his critique of sports-entertainment while attending the Fanatics Flag Football Draft night. “You know all their stuff is so cute and scripted,” Brady told Sports Illustrated. “And they know what’s going on. In a football game, you don’t know. So they wouldn’t even get near me. Plus, if I had a good offensive line, they’d punch those guys right in the throat, and they’d be probably crying. There’s no fake BS we do in American football. So, for those guys, it would be a whole different story.” The remarks ricocheted across social media, prompting a wave of responses from WWE talent. Charlotte Flair, a record-setting multi-time women’s champion, distilled Brady’s comments into a single sentence: “A lot of words to say ‘if I had five guys to protect me, I might be ok’.” Danhausen, the promotion’s newest signee known for his comedic supernatural persona, issued a warning steeped in his trademark humor: “It would only take one [WWE] superstar to CURSE Tim Bordy.” The Bella Twins, Nikki and Brie, kept their retort short and direct: “I bet I can sack you.” Austin Theory, Logan Paul’s on-screen associate, also chimed in, tagging the YouTube star and writing, “[Logan Paul] let me know when you want to drop this goof.” Perhaps the most biting reply came from former WWE performer James Ellsworth, who alluded to past NFL controversies: “Says the guy who was a part of more obvious ‘fixed’ games in sports history.” With WrestleMania 42 slated for Las Vegas, speculation is mounting that the back-and-forth could culminate in a surprise appearance by Brady—or at least a satellite-fed segment—on WWE’s biggest stage. For now, fans will continue to monitor social media for the next salvo in this unlikely cross-sport feud.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When Jay Hill steps to the lectern inside Schembechler Hall, he carries more than a playbook; he carries a lineage that stretches from the Wasatch Range to the Big Ten. Michigan’s new defensive coordinator confirmed Thursday that the scheme he will deploy this fall is “awfully similar” to the one Jesse Minter used to guide the Wolverines to a national title, yet the DNA of the defense traces back three decades to Salt Lake City and a family named Whittingham. Fred “Mad Dog” Whittingham installed the aggressive, multi-front system as Utah’s defensive coordinator from 1992-94. When the elder Whittingham stepped away, his son Kyle—today the longest-tenured head coach in major college football—took the reins of the Utes’ defense and refined the concepts he had learned at his father’s knee. The scheme survived coaching changes, conference realignments and the evolution of spread offenses because, as Hill puts it, “the roots and the bare bones…go all the way back to those guys.” Hill would know. He was a defensive back at Utah in the late 1990s, making him one of the few current Power Five coordinators who actually played in the system he now teaches. After a nine-year head-coaching tenure at Weber State, Hill returned to the scheme in 2022 as BYU’s defensive play-caller, importing the Whittingham blueprint wholesale. When Michigan lured him to Ann Arbor this off-season, he packed the same playbook—tweaked for Big Ten physicality but philosophically unchanged. The appeal, Hill says, is the marriage of complexity and soundness. Pre-snap rotations disguise coverage shells; post-snap blitz paths spring from unexpected angles without exposing the secondary to one-on-one isolation. “Everything we do is sound,” Hill emphasized. “We’re not guessing…It’s evenly spaced, but it’s coming from different directions, and it’s tough to pick up.” That multiplicity is coached by a former offensive mind. Hill spent six seasons on the other side of the ball at Utah, tutoring tight ends and running backs. Those meetings taught him how protections are slid, how blitz hot routes are identified, how quarterbacks tip run-pass checks. “I got to know how we tried to beat certain coverages,” he said. “Now I can take the flip of that and just try to beat the offensive mind on the other side of the ball.” Michigan has completed only two of 15 spring practices, but players already speak of a defense that feels familiar yet refreshed. The terminology mirrors Minter’s 2023 unit; the ethos harkens to the days when Fred Whittingham prowled the Rice-Eccles Stadium sideline and a teenage Jay Hill first learned to read an offense’s intentions. As the Wolverines grind toward the April spring game, Hill’s mission is clear: honor the past, torment the present, and keep a Utah tradition thriving under the bright lights of Michigan Stadium.