General Sports 24 Hours

Last updated: August 12, 2026, 6:55 AM ET

NFL & College Football

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy impressed during a joint practice against the Tennessee Titans, sharpening his timing and accuracy ahead of the preseason. Fantasy analyst Eric Karabell warns drafters not to reach for a trio of New York Giants players, citing inflated ADP values. In college football, Northwestern received a $35 million donation from Liz and Dick Uihlein, a three-year gift aimed at strengthening the football program and facilities. A comprehensive market analysis of Power 4 starters reveals that a top quarterback can earn over $1 million annually in NIL deals, with prices quantified per position in the 2026 starter earnings breakdown. The ACC is stacked with storylines: Miami seeks a repeat, Clemson looks to rebound, Duke wants revenge, and UNC seeks redemption, as outlined in the conference preview. Finally, coaches from around the nation shared honest assessments of 43 quarterbacks, naming Heisman contenders, draft sleepers, and players with question marks in the QB breakdown.

NBA & WNBA

The New York Knicks will tip off the NBA season on Oct. 20 by hosting LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a star-studded tripleheader, with Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchups also announced. In the WNBA, the playoff race is tightening: the latest Power Rankings indicate that teams like Atlanta and Seattle need dramatic late-season runs to secure postseason berths. Fever coach Stephanie White defended her players after being booed in Indiana prior to Tuesday’s win over the Liberty, drawing vocal support from Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham.

Soccer & Rugby

Croke Park will make history on Wednesday when it hosts its first association football match between two English clubs – Manchester United face Leeds United in a pre-season encounter that evokes a storied rivalry. Former Liverpool boss Arne Slot confirmed he held talks with the Netherlands about their managerial vacancy but decided to stay in club football, leaving the national team job open. Wales forward Brennan Johnson is tipped to thrive under David Moyes at Everton following his move from Crystal Palace, with former teammates praising his pace and finishing. In rugby, former All Blacks great Ma'a Nonu, now, responded to the haka by performing his own solo version before his club side’s match against the New Zealanders in Durban. Ulster captain Iain Henderson will miss the first several months of the new season after undergoing hip surgery during the summer.

European Athletics Championships & Boxing

Great Britain’s Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu delivered a “total domination” one-two in the men’s 100m final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, delighting the home crowd. However, nearly 10,000 seats were empty at Alexander Stadium on Monday, drawing criticism of ticket pricing and attendance levels. Keely Hodgkinson cruised through her 800m heat alongside rivals Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol, staying on course for a tantalizing final. The women’s 800m world record—43 years old, set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983—remains the longest-standing mark in athletics. In the pool, Adam Ramsay-Peaty finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke final, his first defeat at a European Aquatics Championships. In boxing, Aaron McKenna dominated by decision to win the IBF middleweight title, cracking the divisional rankings top. Meanwhile, Dina Thorslund outpointed Cherneka Johnson to become the undisputed bantamweight champion, taking the top spot in the women's rankings. The full day three schedule offers extensive BBC coverage of the championships.

Baseball, Horse Racing & Golf

Horse racing at Ffos Las in South Wales will start about two hours early on Wednesday because of the solar eclipse, with the first race moved from 3:15 PM to 1:15 PM BST. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is investigating five races at Saratoga and Monmouth Park after unusual betting patterns were flagged by bookmakers in the U.S. and U.K. In MLB, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson extended his major-league-record errorless streak to 113 games after a disputed error was overturned to a hit in a 12-4 loss to the Rays. An amateur golfer resigned from his St. Louis-area club after admitting to a fake hole-in-one that went viral on social media, sparking a cheating scandal. In Little League, a Texas judge upheld the removal of a Tulsa team from the Southwest Region, keeping it from a chance to play for a berth in the Little League World Series. Stay updated on all LLBWS action with the complete road to the World Series coverage.

Tennis, Cricket & Snooker

Teenage Spaniard Rafael Jodar is on the verge of smashing the record for the fastest rise to the ATP top, with his projected ascent outpacing modern greats like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. In snooker, Zhang Anda stunned world number three Zhao Xintong 6-5 at the China Open, winning on a dramatic respotted black ball in the deciding frame. Cricket saw Rocky Flintoff, the 18-year-old son of legendary England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, score his first professional century for Lancashire, a milestone that drew comparisons to his father. Test your knowledge with today’s Guess The Hundred cricket star quiz and try to identify player number.

Oddities & Human Interest

Scottish judoka Summer Shaw won a Commonwealth Games bronze medal – Scotland’s first judo medal at the 2026 Games – and then returned to her job at McDonald’s a week later, sharing her story of balancing elite sport with a part-time job. In a bizarre incident, a high school football player in Arkansas unknowingly wore a helmet with a venomous snake inside for nearly an hour before discovering the reptile during a break in practice.