General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 28, 2026, 4:40 AM ET
College Football
Lincoln Riley said USC is "right place for me" espn.com and that he is "the right person to be here," pushing back on questions about his future with the program. Oregon's season has unraveled quickly; the Ducks are already in freefall espn.com after entering the year with championship expectations. Dante Moore's absence has been a major factor, with Dan Lanning confirming espn.com the quarterback will not return this season after three missed games with a concussion.
Malachi Toney is gaining ground espn.com in the Heisman race as the Miami receiver picks up steam, while LSU's Sam Leavitt is also closing in. On the playoff front, the bubble picture espn.com is tightening, with the Big 12 questioning whether its two-bid hopes survived Week. Elsewhere, the Group of 6 contenders are chasing a spot espn.com in the College Football Playoff.
NFL
Jalen Hurts played through bbc.co.uk a blood clot, a condition now under scrutiny for what it means for the league. The Seahawks made a late move, trading for Quenton Nelson espn.com two weeks before the deadline, an All-Pro guard acquisition that raises questions about Indianapolis's direction.
WNBA
Kiah Stokes led the Valkyries espn.com to a 3-2 Finals lead with a 64-55 Game 5 win, anchored by Golden State's defense. The Dream, however, are unhappy espn.com with the Finals arrangements, saying concerns about finding an available venue went unheeded and criticizing the move of Game 6 to a 12:30 p.m. start. Atlanta coach Karl Smesko also blasted officials espn.com for missing what he called "ridiculous" contact on Angel Reese. Looking to the future, JuJu Watkins opens espn.com at the top of the projected 2027 draft board.
Men's College Basketball
Predictions for the new season are now out espn.com, with Michigan positioned to repeat as champion. In the women's game, the conference picks espn.com cover all 32 leagues, while the NCAA women's bracket expands to a 76-team field espn.com, with South Carolina and UConn holding top seeds.
Baseball
The Brewers beat the Rays espn.com in Game 3 of the World Series, and the Bucks used the result to take a shot at the Rays and the Heat's 0-4 start in a postgame jab. For historical context, there have been 21 sweeps espn.com in World Series history.
Cricket
Australia fought back bbc.co.uk on the first day against South Africa, edging the opening session to keep Pat Cummins out of trouble. Ireland fell 2-1 behind bbc.co.uk in their five-match ODI series against Namibia. England's hopes of reaching the final of the tri-series ended after Sri Lanka beat Pakistan bbc.co.uk by eight wickets. Stuart Broad criticized Lancashire bbc.co.uk as "pretty disrespectful" in their treatment of James Anderson. Steve Borthwick said England's preparation time bbc.co.uk ahead of the Wallabies has been a challenge, while Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is expected back bbc.co.uk for the Nations Championship next month.
Rugby
Wales prop Sisilia Tuipulotu made an impact bbc.co.uk on her return to Japan, while Wales have called up Macs Page bbc.co.uk after Rio Dyer was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Freya Bell is out bbc.co.uk of Wales' second WXV Japan Test, and Garry Ringrose is set to miss bbc.co.uk Ireland's November fixtures. Kane James and Louie Hennessey are aiming to make bbc.co.uk an impression with Wales. England's women face a "do or die" bbc.co.uk Rugby League World Cup clash with Samoa.
Other Sport
Venus Williams lost again bbc.co.uk, falling to a player 28 years her junior for her 16th straight defeat. In gymnastics, the U.S. women were edged out espn.com for gold at the world championships, though Skye Blakely and Claire Pease stood out. Glentoran won the Women's Challenge Cup bbc.co.uk on penalties, with Kelly Bailie scoring the winning kick. In motorsport, Formula 1 proposed simpler, cheaper V8 hybrids bbc.co.uk for its next rules, and Alex Dunne completed an IndyCar test bbc.co.uk while still in the F2 title fight. Mitchell Lawrie, is eyeing bbc.co.uk a £501,000 live TV win over Luke Littler.
Coming Up
The Valkyries and Dream meet in Game 6 espn.com, with the Finals now shifted to a 12:30 p.m. start. Ireland continue their ODI series bbc.co.uk against Namibia, trailing 2-1 with the remaining matches still to be played.