General Sports 3 Days

Last updated: August 13, 2026, 9:26 PM ET

College Football

John Mateer of Oklahoma has turned heads with his massive arms, sparking debate about quarterback physique. ESPN's preseason All-America team highlights the nation's best players. The final SP+ rankings from Bill Connelly project the top teams. SEC projections offer best- and worst-case scenarios for every team in the conference. Seth Trimble has committed to Louisville after leaving UNC, benefiting from a fifth season of eligibility. The cost of a Power 4 starter is investigated by talking to GMs and agents. Northwestern announced a $35 million donation to its football program from Liz and Dick Uihlein. CFB coaches anonymously broke down 43 quarterbacks. Freshman phenoms to watch this season are identified. Finally, a high school player in Arkansas unknowingly wore a helmet with a viper inside for nearly an hour.

NFL

Dan Orlovsky stacked the top 10 quarterbacks by specific traits, including the league's strongest arm and best improviser. Lamar Jackson is adapting to a new offense under coordinator Declan Doyle. Matt Bowen identified 20 fantasy football draft targets across all rounds. Meanwhile, British defensive end Efe Obada retired from the NFL to pursue his "true calling" with a foundation.

NBA & WNBA

The league revealed the group stage schedule for the NBA Cup 2026, the fourth annual in-season tournament. The New York Knicks will face LeBron James and the 76ers in a tripleheader on opening night. In the WNBA, Fever coach Stephanie White defended her players and received support from Caitlin Clark after being booed. The latest WNBA Power Rankings show time running out for teams jockeying for playoff seeds. For fantasy players, a playoff guide offers strategy and expert picks.

MLB & Little League

ESPN MLB experts updated their top 50 players as the regular season winds down. For fantasy baseball, late-season trade targets are highlighted by Tristan H. Cockcroft. In Little League, a judge initially backed the removal of a Tulsa team from the Southwest Region. However, a temporary restraining order ruled the team could compete for a World Series bid.

Soccer

Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy aims to prove doubters wrong after pundits labeled them relegation candidates. Cameron Burgess of Swansea City will miss the entire season after a ruptured Achilles. History was made at Croke Park as Manchester United beat Leeds in a pre-season friendly, the first English football match at the venue. A separate report detailed the same historic encounter between two English teams. Arne Slot confirmed he has pulled out of talks for the Netherlands job to focus on club football. Brennan Johnson is tipped to thrive under David Moyes at Everton. The Irish League's long-term European hopes rest with Larne after Northern Ireland dropped in coefficient rankings.

Cricket

Captain Richie Berrington and debutant Lyle Robertson starred as Scotland crushed Canada by 170 runs in World Cup League. Moises Henriques said helping Portugal qualify for a first T20 World Cup would be "cricket nirvana". Bangladesh dominated Australia on day one of the first Test, despite Steve Smith benefiting from an odd technology reprieve. England scrapped their midnight curfew; only wins can repair reputational damage, says Stephan Shemilt. Welsh Fire missed out on the Eliminators again in The Hundred, despite a drastically improved season. Both MI London and Welsh Fire failed to reach the knockouts. Afghanistan sealed an ODI series victory over Ireland with a game to spare. Ellyse Perry hit 62 not out to lead Birmingham Phoenix to victory over MI London. Rocky Flintoff, son of Andrew, hit his first professional century for Lancashire. Glamorgan coach David Harrison highlighted positives in developing young players despite winning only two of eight One Day Cup matches.

Rugby

Eddie Jones revealed he uses videos of geese flying in formation to inspire Japan before their second Test against Australia. Five players received their first England central contracts in a Steve Borthwick shake-up. Ospreys rejected the WRU plan to cut a professional team, believing four Welsh sides are the way forward. England's Red Roses are using smaller balls in pre-season training ahead of the WXV Global Series. Former All Black Ma'a Nonu, performed a solo haka in response to the All Blacks before a Sharks match. Iain Henderson will miss the start of the Ulster season after hip surgery.

Golf

LIV Golf players have been warned that the season-ending Team Championship is set to be cancelled. Rory McIlroy is confident he will compromise with the PGA Tour to maintain his status after only 14 starts. The St. Jude Championship kicks off the FedEx Cup Playoffs in Memphis. Tee times for Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy are out for the first two rounds. An amateur golfer resigned his membership after a viral cheating scandal involving a faked hole-in-one.

Tennis

Iga Swiatek reached her first final of her "toughest season" at the Canadian Open, where she will face Elena Rybakina. Rybakina came back from a set and a break down to beat Naomi Osaka in the quarter-finals.

Track & Field

Jakob Ingebrigtsen said he is "very" disappointed by Josh Kerr's decision to miss the European Championships. Keely Hodgkinson reached the 800m final after rival Audrey Werro fell dramatically but was reinstated on appeal. Matthew Hudson-Smith made history with 400m gold in Birmingham, becoming the joint-most decorated man at European Championships. The women's 800m world record has stood for 43 years, posing a tough challenge. Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu secured a sensational 100m one-two for hosts Great Britain. Nearly 10,000 empty seats at Alexander Stadium drew criticism of ticket prices at the Europeans. Hodgkinson and rivals Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol all progressed in their 800m heats.

Swimming

British teenager Filip Nowacki won dramatic gold in the men's 200m breaststroke at the European Aquatics Championships. Angharad Evans claimed her first European gold in the women's 100m breaststroke. Adam Ramsay-Peaty finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke final, beaten for the first time at the Europeans.

Combat Sports

The UFC 330 preview highlights Ian Machado Garry as a real threat to Islam Makhachev in Philadelphia. Makhachev says he doesn't have much time left in the UFC as he prepares to defend his welterweight title. Summer Shaw won Commonwealth bronze in judo for Scotland, then returned to work at McDonald's a week later.

Hockey

Four Canadian hockey stars remain suspended after a sexual assault acquittal; a fifth was reinstated, but an appeals board found the group broke Hockey Canada's code of conduct.

Motorsports

Ty Gibbs will honor Kyle Busch by driving an M&M's paint scheme at Bristol Motor Speedway. In F1, our Q&A addresses whether Liam Lawson can keep his seat for the 2027 season.

Other Sports

The PLL Power Rankings ahead of Week 13 show Boston and Philly finishing strong in the East. Test your knowledge with this week's sports quiz. British gymnast Ruby Evans spoke about coping with fame ahead of the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The GB dressage team secured qualification for the LA28 Olympics by winning silver at the FEI World Championships. The horse racing meeting at Ffos Las will start two hours early due to a solar eclipse. Five horse races at Saratoga and Monmouth Park are being investigated after unusual betting patterns. In snooker, Zhang Anda shocked world No. 3 Zhao Xintong by potting a respotted black ball to win the China Open first round.