General Sports 3 Days

Last updated: August 6, 2026, 9:30 PM ET

NFL Training Camps Heat Up

Brock Purdy showing off his focus during San Francisco 49ers training camp, while Baker Mayfield is feeling the heat in Tampa Bay. The Bears will be without new safety Coby Bryant for eight to 10 weeks after he suffered a leg injury. The quarterback battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray in Minnesota is a major storyline, but their teammates are focused on helping both of them succeed.

College Football Landscape Shifts

Ohio State the 2026 season as the No. 1 team in the AFCA Coaches Poll, as the Big Ten tries to extend its run of national champions to four. Texas moves the top five in the Way-Too-Early Top, while North Carolina falls out and UCLA enters the rankings. Miami coach Mario Cristobal, who led the Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff title game last season, has agreed to a long-term contract extension with the school. Notre Dame Marcus Freeman is focusing his players on their season opener rather than last year's College Football Playoff miss. New Purdue athletic director Tommy McClelland took a dig at rival Indiana, seemingly forgetting the Hoosiers' CFP national championship win in January. Indiana defensive Stephen Daley practiced in a limited role on Wednesday as he ramps up from a season-ending knee injury.

WNBA Playoff Race and News

teams look like WNBA playoff locks, leaving the Mystics, Sparks, Mercury, Sky, Fire, and Tempo to battle for the final spot. The Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever rank 1-2 in the latest power rankings, with Las Vegas rounding out the top three. Caitlin Clark Bueckers, Angel Reese, and Aliyah Boston will make their first USA appearances at a major international competition next month. Fever guard Caitlin Clark said Thursday that it is up to individuals to "speak when you feel like you want to speak" as she navigates life as a 24-year-old. Indiana Fever Sophie Cunningham wants the focus to return to basketball after her comments on transgender athletes sparked a heated national debate. The Cleveland Sirens unveiled their new logo and branding for the expansion team that will join the WNBA in 2028.

MLB Trade Deadline Fallout

Our panel of baseball insiders weighs in on the biggest blockbusters and which teams had the best deadline. Cubs, Orioles Red Sox, Mets, and Phillies all had notable hauls at the trade deadline. Fantasy fallout from all the key deals is being tracked, as managers adjust to new team situations. Pete Crow-Armstrong the new odds leader for the NL MVP award. Yankees GM Cashman said Aaron Judge's status hinges on what the next imaging of his rib shows.

The Ocho Turns Ten

ESPN's 75-hour showcases obscure competitions, from T. rex races and pumpkin tossing to death diving and sign spinning. Ocho will celebrate its 10th anniversary in style, airing the world's quirkiest, most unconventional sports. A new variation on chess, called "the strangest sport in the world," will be broadcast on The Ocho on Aug. 8. Hundreds of competitors are poised to take the turf at Emerald Downs for the T-rex races, honoring a tradition that began as a team-bonding experience.

Tour de France Femmes Action

Kimberley Le wins a sprint finish to seal victory in stage six of the Tour de France Femmes. Vollering won stage five following a sprint victory over yellow jersey holder Marlen Reusser. Switzerland's Marlen Reusser took the first yellow jersey of her career by winning the 21km time trial in stage four. Officials at the Tour de France Femmes will check riders' clothing to prevent attempts to make "aerodynamic gains" through bra padding.

UFC and Combat Sports News

A flyweight title rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja will headline UFC 331 in September. UFC flyweight Nascimento has died of an apparent heart attack at the age of. owners lost $30 million staging the Freedom 250 event at the White House in June. Ian Machado Garry explains how switching to a plant-based diet helped him earn a welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev at UFC. Brock Lesnar 10-time WWE world champ and former UFC heavyweight champ, said his match at Summer Slam was his last and that he's retiring from combat sports. Roman Reigns' over Seth Rollins was a top takeaway from Summer Slam Night, along with Chad Gable's title win.

Cricket Updates

London Spirit are the first side to be knocked out of the men's Hundred after a six-wicket defeat by MI London at Lord's. Jos Buttler the highest run-getter in men's T20 cricket, starring as Manchester Super Giants beat Welsh Fire by nine wickets. Hampshire and England fast bowler John Turner retires from cricket aged 25 after more than a year out injured. England white-ball Brendon McCullum backs Harry Brook as a future captain but says Joe Root will do an "amazing job" in his second stint. Sophia Dunkley Trent Rockets beat Birmingham Phoenix in the women's Hundred. Surrey maintain push for a home semi-final in the One-Day Cup with a 95-run win over Kent. Welsh Fire Phil Salt says he would ideally like The Hundred to be a week longer.

Rugby and Other Sports

Warriors kicked off the new Super Four format of the Women's Super League with a thumping 44-6 win at St Helens. Helens will face Hull FC in Dublin as part of a Super League double-header next April. Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels dismissed the possibility of a merger with Ospreys. Former England Joe Marler will become the BBC's first celebrity Gladiator, known as Mauler, when the fourth series airs in 2027. TV presenter Knowles has become a shareholder in Championship Rugby side Cornish Pirates.

Other Notable News

Lucas Jumalon 22-year-old poker pro from Spokane, Washington, won the 2026 World Series of Poker main event and $10 million. The Preakness Stakes is moving to three weeks and a day after the Kentucky Derby and will be run on a Sunday for the first time. LIV Golf has secured funding from an outside investor that will keep the circuit alive beyond this season. British Grand Prix will remain on the Moto GP World Championship calendar until at least 2028 as Silverstone extends its partnership. London has submitted its final bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships at the London Stadium. Lines became the first woman to be selected for the British America's Cup team in 90 years. Winter Olympic gold medallist Eve Muirhead has come out of retirement, inspired by her role as Team GB's chef de mission. Chad le revealed his apartment in South Africa was destroyed by a fatal fire, the night after he became the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history. Longtime college announcer Dick Vitale said he is making positive strides after his fifth cancer diagnosis. San Antonio center Luke Kornet stopped in the rain to help a stranded motorist in San Antonio.