General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: November 1, 2026, 4:40 AM ET
Women's Rugby League World Cup
Australia ran in 21 tries bbc.co.uk to beat Wales 124-6 in Sydney, a record defeat for the Wales women. Wales centre Joe Hawkins says bbc.co.uk missing the previous World Cup has made him more determined to make this squad. New Zealand thrashed Fiji 78-0 bbc.co.uk to book their place in the semi-finals.
College Football
USC upset No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 espn.com, their biggest win of Lincoln Riley's tenure and a boost to their College Football Playoff hopes. Top-ranked Miami rallied in the fourth quarter espn.com to stay unbeaten at North Carolina, with Malachi Toney leading the comeback. Clemson beat Florida State 36-24 espn.com on Saturday night, and Dabo Swinney criticised a plane banner urging the Seminoles to fire Mike Norvell. No. 4 Indiana survived Minnesota in overtime espn.com after backup quarterback Grant Wilson threw a 25-yard touchdown pass. No. 7 UCLA rolled Nevada 27-0 espn.com, reaching 8-0 for the first time since 2005. Georgia eased past Florida espn.com in Athens, with Kirby Smart saying his team "did what we had to do". In a week of unusual finishes, kickers delivered a 60-yard duel espn.com that defined the Week 9 slate. Arizona wide receiver R.J. Mosley was carted off espn.com with a knee injury against Texas Tech, and Oregon freshman Messiah Hampton was arrested espn.com in connection with a high-speed chase.
Recruiting
LSU landed five-star centre Xavier Young espn.com, while Alabama secured five-star forward Zion Green espn.com after a priority push.
WNBA
Golden State won the WNBA title espn.com in just two years, with Gabby Williams scoring 30 points espn.com in the championship clincher. The Valkyries' rise was built around a rapid rebuild that owners had promised, and the team now sits at the top of early 2027 power rankings espn.com. Attention now turns to the offseason moves espn.com for the champions and runners-up Atlanta.
Men's College Basketball
Coaches are navigating eligibility chaos espn.com with rosters still uncertain, and ESPN's conference-by-conference preview espn.com highlights the storylines to watch this season.
Motorsport
Lewis Hamilton secured pole for Ferrari bbc.co.uk as Kimi Antonelli bids to become F1's youngest world champion. Tadej Pogačar said he was just happy to be alive bbc.co.uk after a scary crash at the Vuelta.
Boxing
Canelo Álvarez beat Christian Mbilli espn.com by unanimous decision to reclaim the WBC super-middleweight title. Oleksandr Usyk is targeting a cruiserweight return bbc.co.uk against Benavidez for what he calls his final chapter.
Racing
Ryan Moore won the Breeders' Cup Turf bbc.co.uk for a record sixth time, with Aidan O'Brien also making history.
Tennis
Alexander Zverev lost to Alex de Minaur bbc.co.uk in Vienna, his first defeat since securing the world number one ranking. Harriet Dart reached her first WTA Tour singles final bbc.co.uk, leaving her in tears.
Rugby Union
Cardiff beat pointless Ospreys bbc.co.uk in the URC derby, with Bowen scoring two tries. Edinburgh lost their unbeaten URC start bbc.co.uk to Benetton 31-12. Stormers ran in five tries bbc.co.uk to beat Ulster 33-7 in Cape Town. Bath beat Sale 36-28 bbc.co.uk, with Joe Cokanasiga scoring twice. Northampton came from behind bbc.co.uk to beat Gloucester 28-14, though Mitchell limped off injured. Ireland's women completed a series win in South Africa bbc.co.uk that captain Erin King called history.
Women's International Rugby
Wales beat Japan 29-5 bbc.co.uk in Kumagaya to complete a WXV double, and coach Sean Lynn praised the grit shown by a side that played 13 players bbc.co.uk in the first win.
Cricket
Australia crumbled in a final-day chase bbc.co.uk as South Africa won, and David Warner criticised his former side bbc.co.uk for an un-Australian display.
NFL
Bengals receiver Tee Higgins is on pace for his best season espn.com, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba could set a receiving record espn.com.
Coming Up
The Youth Olympics opening ceremony bbc.co.uk takes place in Dakar, Senegal. Week 9's upset alerts espn.com preview the next round of college football matchups.