General Sports 24 Hours

Last updated: August 13, 2026, 9:50 AM ET

College Football Preview

Bill Connelly’s final preseason SP+ rankings break down what the projections and production numbers mean heading into the 2026 season. Meanwhile, ESPN’s preseason All-America team highlights the nation’s best players at every position. The debate over quarterbacks’ physiques continues: Oklahoma’s John Mateer has turned heads with his massive arms, and ESPN investigates whether he has gotten too big. SEC projections for 2026-27 outline three possible champions and three teams that won’t go dancing, including best and worst outcomes for every SEC team. In transfer news, Seth Trimble has committed to Louisville after the court ruling gave Class of 2022 high schoolers a fifth season of eligibility.

NFL Training Camp & QB Rankings

Training camp updates are rolling in: Baker Mayfield shines as the Bucs handled the Jets. Dan Orlovsky’s annual QB trait rankings evaluate passers in seven different skills, asking whether Josh Allen has the league’s strongest arm, if Lamar Jackson is still the most unstoppable rusher, and where Caleb Williams stands among the best improvisers. Inside the Ravens’ new offense under OC Declan Doyle, Lamar Jackson is adjusting to a new vision, described as an “MVP adapter.” For fantasy football drafters, Matt Bowen breaks down his 20 favorite targets, from first-round superstars to late-round dart throws. Efe Obada, who grew up in foster care and spent 10 years as an NFL player, has retired to pursue what he calls his “true calling” and launched a foundation.

MLB & Fantasy Baseball

The MLB regular season is winding down, and ESPN’s experts have updated their in-season MLB Rank, taking stock of the top 50 players and the best performances as the stretch run approaches. For fantasy baseball managers looking for late-season heroes, Tristan Cockcroft highlights six trade targets, advising to check out the Bronx for some help as the deadline nears.

NBA & WNBA

The NBA has revealed the group stage schedule for the 2026 NBA Cup, including everything you need to know about the fourth annual in-season tournament's format, groups and updates. In the WNBA, the playoff picture is tightening, with the Power Rankings showing time running out as teams jockey for seeding. Fever coach Stephanie White spoke out against critics and received vocal support from Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham after she was booed in Indiana; she rips critics as the team backed her before a win over the Liberty. For fantasy women’s basketball, the playoffs are here — Kelsey Wilson leads, and Arike Miles moves into the top five in the updated top-100 rankings.

Tennis

At the Canadian Open, Iga Swiatek reached her first final of what she calls her “toughest season,” defeating her semifinal opponent in three sets. She will meet Elena Rybakina, who came back from a set and a break down to beat Naomi Osaka in three sets in the quarterfinal and then battled through a three-set semi to set up the final.

Golf

The FedEx Cup playoffs start this week in Memphis at the St. Jude Championship, where spots in the Tour Championship are on the line. Tee times for the first two rounds are available, including when Scheffler and McIlroy tee off. Rory McIlroy also said he’s confident he’ll reach a compromise with the PGA Tour to maintain his dual membership despite only 14 starts; he’s sure he’ll keep his status with 14 events. Off the course, an amateur golfer admitted to “stupidity” after faking a hole-in-one at a tournament in the United States, saying he has “completely made a fool” of himself.

UFC & Combat Sports

Islam Makhachev says he does not have much time left in the UFC as he prepares to defend his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on Saturday.

European Athletics Championships

Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith made history by winning 400m gold on the home track in Birmingham, becoming the joint-most decorated man in European Championships history in a highlight of day four. Keely Hodgkinson reached the 800m final after a dramatic fall by rival Audrey Werro put her place in doubt; Hodgkinson advances following an appeal. In the pool, Great Britain’s Angharad Evans won European gold in the 100m breaststroke in Paris, her first European Championship gold. The full day four schedule and BBC coverage times are available for the European Athletics Championships, running from 10-16 August. Meanwhile, British gymnast Ruby Evans spoke about how she copes with fame ahead of the 2026 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, noting she’d never watched the Olympics.

Cricket: The Hundred & Internationals

In The Hundred, Ellyse Perry hit a superb 62 not out to lead Birmingham Phoenix to a five-wicket victory over MI London, a Perry fifty that kept Phoenix’s hopes alive. But MI London and Welsh Fire are now eliminated after defeats in their final group matches; MI London and Welsh Fire fail to reach the knockouts. for Welsh Fire? Players and fans reflect after both men’s and women’s sides again missed the Eliminators, despite a drastically improved season in The Hundred. In Test cricket, Australia collapsed as Bangladesh posted 96 for a dream start in the first Test in Darwin, and the scorecard shows the early drama. Afghanistan comfortably claimed the ODI series over Ireland with a game to spare, thanks to their record tally at Stormont; Afghanistan seal series victory. England have scrapped their midnight curfew seven months after introducing it; now only wins can stop the curfew hokey-cokey for England’s “grown adults,” according to Stephan Shemilt.

Soccer & Rugby

In a historic moment at Croke Park, less than a month after Mayo’s All-Ireland final win, Manchester United beat Leeds in a summer friendly. Rugby: Eddie Jones revealed he uses videos of geese flying in formation to coach Japan before their second Test against Australia. In the Irish League, Northern Ireland dropped outside the top 50 of Uefa’s coefficient ranking, so European hopes rest with Larne; how Irish League’s hopes rest with the club.

PLL & Other Sports

The PLL Power Rankings ahead of Week 13 show Boston and Philly finishing strong, with the question of who is No. 1 — Cannons or Waterdogs — as all eight teams are broken down. A judge’s ruling kept a Tulsa team from a Little League World Series bid, as a Texas judge backed the removal from the Southwest Region. And the full schedule and coverage for the LLBWS is available. In dressage, Great Britain’s team secured qualification for the LA28 Olympics by winning silver at the FEI World Championships. Swansea City suffered a heavy blow as scans revealed Cameron Burgess has a ruptured Achilles.

Quizzes & Miscellany

Test your knowledge: a weekly sports quiz covers tattoos, transfers and photo finishes from the past seven days. Also, can you guess The Hundred cricket star in the “Who am I?” challenge? Try Guess The Hundred cricketer No 24.