General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: November 4, 2026, 4:40 AM ET
Football & Rugby League
Tonga will face New Zealand in the Tonga-Samoa bbc.co.uk World Cup final, a showpiece that supporters argue could be a boost for the sport's future. Warrington head coach Sam Burgess bbc.co.uk has signed a new two-year deal, while the new head of English rugby league backed a £30m funding plea bbc.co.uk to Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Rugby Union
Leinster appointed Noel McNamara bbc.co.uk as head coach to replace Leo Cullen from next year. Ollie Chessum committed bbc.co.uk to Leicester on a long-term extension, saying he could not imagine wearing another badge. Ahead of the autumn internationals, World Rugby bbc.co.uk has set out new referee standards on scrums, foul play and the TMO. The All Blacks aim bbc.co.uk to preserve their unbeaten record against Scotland, and Wales defence coach Peter Murchie demanded bbc.co.uk a vast improvement against Japan.
College Football
Miami topped espn.com the first College Football Playoff rankings at 8-0, setting up a rematch with No. 11 Notre Dame. The committee's first release drew outrage, as the Anger Index espn.com ranked the five most aggrieved teams. Tournament bubble teams were broken down in a three-things espn.com review, and playoff tiers espn.com sorted 29 contenders. The Heisman race is wide open espn.com after Week 9 upsets, while South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers was singled out in the Heisman of Week 9 espn.com. Sooners coach apologised after East Texas A&M espn.com authored a historic upset of Oklahoma. Odds makers made Fighting Irish and Utes espn.com favourites in marquee matchups, and the power rankings espn.com were reshuffled after another wild week.
Basketball
Draymond Green was ejected espn.com after a scuffle with Brooks and the Suns, with Stephen Curry saying it "lit a fire" in the Warriors. Opening day of the college hoops season saw Florida's win and Arizona's loss, while No. 1 South Carolina espn.com made its debut. Top-25 senior Malachi Jordan committed espn.com to St. John's, his highest-ranked recruit under Pitino. Ranking every WNBA champion espn.com placed the Valkyries among the top teams. The New York Liberty are searching espn.com for a coach after DeMarco's exit, and the WNBA coaching tracker espn.com shows two big openings in Los Angeles and New York.
Combat Sports & Wrestling
Amanda Serrano says bbc.co.uk she wants to be remembered as a "game-changer" as she prepares for retirement. Jake Paul vowed espn.com to hang up the gloves if he loses to Cedric Doumbe. WWE's best champion-versus-champion espn.com matches are previewed before Saturday's Crown Jewel event. Novak Djokovic keeps alive bbc.co.uk his bid to squeeze into the ATP Finals, and Lee Westwood says bbc.co.uk he has not signed for LIV 2.0.
Motorsport & Other
Spire Motorsports suspended espn.com Carson Hocevar for Sunday's NASCAR Cup finale at Homestead. The NYC Marathon was overshadowed after runner Rachel Apa espn.com collapsed two miles from the finish. Funeral services were held for former European champion Ciara Mageean bbc.co.uk. Josh Kerr's mile record is up for a World Athletics award bbc.co.uk. England beat the USA 134-0 to reach the wheelchair rugby league bbc.co.uk World Cup semi-finals. Sussex named Beth Barrett-Wild bbc.co.uk as their first female CEO.
Coming Up
The MLB labor battle is heading toward a possible lockout as the CBA expires in December espn.com. Jake Paul fights Cedric Doumbe espn.com on December 24.