General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 4, 2026, 2:05 PM ET
College Football
Week 5 saw Alabama espn.com restore order with a dominant performance, while Ohio State’s espn.com Jeremiah Smith delivered a record-setting day, prompting LeBron James espn.com to react on social media. Smith, who declared himself the best player in the country, is now the Heisman front-runner espn.com. Miami espn.com handed Clemson its second-worst home loss under Dabo Swinney, winning 41-13. Colorado’s Deion Sanders espn.com will reevaluate his quarterbacks after a blowout loss to Texas Tech, while Alabama trolled Mississippi State with a "Not enough cowbells" espn.com social media post. For the best moments and reactions from the week, check out the live coverage espn.com. Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. espn.com and his wife announced they are expecting their first child.
NFL
The Los Angeles Chargers are spiraling at 0-3 after a troubling start to the 2026 season, raising questions about whether Justin Herbert espn.com and Jim Harbaugh can salvage the campaign.
UFC
UFC 332 espn.com smashed records with nine first-round knockouts and 11 total finishes. Natalia Silva espn.com validated her top billing by winning the women’s flyweight title, being crowned the new queen bbc.co.uk after a unanimous decision over Wang Cong. Payton Talbott also impressed, finishing former champion Deiveson Figueiredo.
Boxing
British light-heavyweight Ben Whittaker bbc.co.uk survived a dramatic late onslaught to secure a points win.
Moto GP
Defending champion Marc Marquez bbc.co.uk won a sprint-race double at the Japanese Grand Prix, cutting Jorge Martin’s championship lead to just two points.
Tennis
At the China Open, Novak Djokovic bbc.co.uk beat Alexander Zverev to reach the semifinals, while world number two Aryna Sabalenka bbc.co.uk was stunned by Bartunkova.
Snooker
Wu Yize bbc.co.uk won his first ranking title since becoming world champion, a result that marks a new high for Chinese snooker.
Darts
World number two Luke Humphries bbc.co.uk clinched his spot in the World Grand Prix final, where he will face Gerwyn Price.
Rugby Union
In the Premiership, Gloucester bbc.co.uk thrashed Harlequins 48-0 to go top of the table. Leicester bbc.co.uk held off Newcastle for their first win of the season, while Sale bbc.co.uk overcame a red card to beat Saracens 21-17. In the URC, Glasgow bbc.co.uk and Ulster played out a thrilling 33-33 draw. For URC talking points and Welsh hopefuls, see the analysis bbc.co.uk. Colorado State fired espn.com defensive coordinator Tyson Summers after a 56-26 loss to Oregon State.
Rugby League
Sam Burgess bbc.co.uk says he plans to stay at Warrington for 2027 despite their Grand Final loss.
Curling
Vicky Drummond bbc.co.uk marked her return to competitive curling by winning the Scottish mixed doubles title.
Ultramarathon
Sir Kevin Sinfield bbc.co.uk completed his final ultramarathon challenge, crossing the finish line at Old Trafford after seven ultramarathons for MND charity.
Formula 1
After the Bahrain Grand Prix, driver ratings bbc.co.uk highlighted a dominant Max Verstappen and a superb recovery drive from Lewis Hamilton.
WNBA
The WNBA semifinals begin Sunday, with keys to matchups between the Aces and Valkyries espn.com and the Liberty and Dream.
MLB
The MLB divisional round schedule and odds espn.com for every game in each series are now available.