General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 30, 2026, 4:40 AM ET
College Football
Week 9 espn.com puts the ACC in the spotlight after chaotic weeks in the SEC, while several Big Ten teams turn to backup quarterbacks. Ohio State's Luke Fahey espn.com stepped in for the injured Julian Sayin against Indiana and could get another chance against USC. Missouri's Ahmad Hardy espn.com, shot during the offseason, is set to make his season debut against Arkansas. Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis espn.com was hospitalized after a medical emergency at the team facility. Texas Tech entered the Bottom 10 espn.com of the spooky rankings after a poor Week. Northwestern's offense espn.com is playing its best football in a decade under Chip Kelly. The Big 12 fined UCF $100,000 espn.com for fan chants aimed at BYU and introduced in-game penalties under a new policy.
College Basketball and Recruiting
ESPN released its preseason top 100 players espn.com for 2026-27, blending freshmen, transfers and returning standouts. LSU landed five-star point guard Reese Alston espn.com, the son of a former NBA player and streetball legend. Duke added Asa Montgomery espn.com, ranked No. 7 in the SCNext, over several top rivals. Elsewhere, 2027 recruits on the rise espn.com were profiled ahead of their college decisions. Broadcaster Bill Raftery may tone down espn.com his famous catchphrases for a game honoring the pope.
WNBA
The Atlanta Dream held off espn.com the Golden State Valkyries 80-69, with Allisha Gray scoring 23 points to force the first WNBA Finals Game. The Dream's devastating first quarter espn.com built the early lead, with hot 3-point shooting driving the win. A WNBA mock draft espn.com opens with JuJu Watkins projected as the No. 1 pick.
NFL
The Seahawks acquired Quenton Nelson espn.com two weeks before the trade deadline, adding an All-Pro guard. Week 8 buzz centered on possible Jets changes espn.com and continued Colts trades ahead of the deadline.
Boxing and Combat Sports
Canelo Alvarez meets Christian Mbilli espn.com in a title fight Saturday, and Alvarez said Mbilli must do a lot espn.com to beat him after his loss to Terence Crawford. Jake Paul returns to the ring bbc.co.uk in Dubai on 24 December, his first bout since losing to Anthony Joshua.
Tennis, Cycling and Golf
Alexander Zverev replaces Jannik Sinner bbc.co.uk as men's world number one after a win. Elena Rybakina clinched the year-end bbc.co.uk women's number one ranking. Jody Cundy's 20-year reign bbc.co.uk as para cycling's C4 kilo time trial world champion came to an end. Sergio Garcia is leaving LIV Golf espn.com for the DP World Tour and targets a Ryder Cup return bbc.co.uk.
Cricket and Rugby
Australia are closing in bbc.co.uk on a series win in South Africa after careless dismissals cost the Proteas in Cape Town. Ben Duckett's 167 bbc.co.uk and Liam Dawson's four wickets gave England a consolation win over Sri Lanka. Ireland's Tadhg Furlong was cleared bbc.co.uk by a disciplinary committee over a groin grab. Ollie Chessum signed a new deal bbc.co.uk to stay with Leicester Tigers. James Hume and Rob Herring return bbc.co.uk for Ulster against the Stormers. Wales scrum-half Kieran Hardy faces a race bbc.co.uk to be fit for next year's World Cup after knee surgery. England boss Brian McDermott urged patience bbc.co.uk as they chase points in Papua New Guinea. Wales named 16-year-old Fionn McCabe in its squad bbc.co.uk for the wheelchair rugby league World Cup.
Motorsport and Other
Kimi Antonelli will miss bbc.co.uk Thursday's Mexico City Grand Prix media day with an illness. The Scottish women's curling side suffered its first defeat bbc.co.uk at the European Curling Championships before the men took on Germany. Wales wing Josh Adams is set for game time bbc.co.uk with Cardiff at the Ospreys.
Coming Up
Canelo Alvarez faces Christian Mbilli espn.com in a title fight on Saturday. Jake Paul returns bbc.co.uk in Dubai on 24 December. Ohio State plays USC espn.com on Halloween. The Breeders' Cup closes the 2026 racing season espn.com with three major races.