General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: November 5, 2026, 5:40 PM ET
Boxing
Scotland's Willy Hutchinson is chasing a dream he first wrote about as a 13-year-old, as he prepares for his WBC light-heavyweight title clash bbc.co.uk against Joshua Buatsi. Former cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith is also seeking revenge, renewing a 10-year amateur rivalry bbc.co.uk with Cheavon Clarke. UFC veteran Davey Grant, the promotion's longest-serving Briton, reflected on his time in the octagon, describing his career as a "ride" bbc.co.uk as he approaches.
Tennis
The WTA took "full responsibility" bbc.co.uk after leaked practice audio captured Jessica Pegula calling Mirra Andreeva a "diva."
NFL and Betting
Odds and analysis for Thursday's Jacksonville-Baltimore game are available in an ESPN preview espn.com, with picks covering the matchup on "Thursday Night Football." Elsewhere, Charlie Smyth returns as the Saints' starting kicker bbc.co.uk for Sunday's game against the Browns after head coach Kellen Moore confirmed the decision.
College Football
Florida has turned to Tramell Jones Jr. espn.com as its starting quarterback, with Jones set to make his second career start against Oklahoma. Florida State's turmoil deepened after Mike Norvell's firing, with the program sliding onto ESPN's Bottom 10 espn.com rankings. Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney will undergo surgery espn.com for a high ankle sprain, sidelining him for an extended stretch. Notre Dame's supporting cast has become central to CJ Carr's title bid espn.com, while the first College Football Playoff rankings have prompted a closer look espn.com at each contender's weaknesses. Analysts also examined whether 2026 can match the chaos espn.com of the 2007 season, and ESPN's Week 10 preview asked whether the top team can hold its ground espn.com.
Rugby
Scotland host New Zealand in their Nations Championship opener, with Gregor Townsend fielding Russell and Tuipulotu as the home side prepares bbc.co.uk for a "more ambitious" All Blacks side. Finn Russell, meanwhile, is pursuing a historic win bbc.co.uk over New Zealand while fending off questions about his retirement. Owen Trout served a one-month ban bbc.co.uk for a positive cannabis test and is now looking at a move to the NRL. Wales have selected a power centre pairing bbc.co.uk of Max Llewellyn and Eddie James for their opener against Japan, and Steve Tandy has backed players picked on form bbc.co.uk rather than club location. Max Jorgensen, born in Sheffield, insists he was always committed to playing for Australia. Former England player Tara Jones will referee a Women's World Cup semi-final bbc.co.uk. Ireland coach Andy Farrell says his side must improve bbc.co.uk to stay on track for the 2027 World Cup.
Basketball
Victor Wembanyama hit the winning free throw bbc.co.uk to finish with a career-high 52 points in the Spurs' win over the Mavericks. In the WNBA, the Dream rose from the league's second-worst team espn.com to a Finals contender in five years, while the Valkyries' championship parade drew an estimated 400,000 fans espn.com in the Bay Area. Among NBA rookies, Eric Moody highlighted the standouts espn.com so far this season. ESPN's Jay Bilas also released his Bilas Index espn.com, ranking the 64 best men's teams for 2026-27, and the NCAA women's volleyball bracket projections have been published espn.com ahead of Selection Day.
Wrestling
Roman Reigns can extend his unbeaten year espn.com with a win over Sami Zayn at Saturday's Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.
Cricket and Football
Gloucestershire will compete as Bristol bbc.co.uk in the T20 Blast from next season. Wrexham secured a win over Middlesbrough bbc.co.uk, with Phil Parkinson praising the display, and a BBC quiz asked readers who scored twice for Manchester United bbc.co.uk against Roma.
Golf
LIV Golf is set to wind down bbc.co.uk after its financial backers withdrew support, with an announcement expected Thursday. BC Partners has pulled out espn.com of the financing deal, leaving LIV Golf 2.0 in jeopardy after not enough top golfers committed to return in 2027.
Coming Up
LIV Golf is expected to announce bbc.co.uk its wind-down on Thursday. Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn meet at Crown Jewel espn.com on Saturday. Jacksonville and Baltimore play on Thursday Night Football espn.com.