General Sports 8 Hours

Last updated: September 5, 2026, 10:43 PM ET

College Football Opening Weekend

The college football season kicked off with a mix of statement wins and unexpected scares. No. 2 Oregon survived a scare against Boise State, overcoming a slow start in their season opener, a performance coach Dan Lanning called a "wake-up call." Top-ranked Ohio State had no such trouble, rolling to a 56-3 win over Ball State, with coach Ryan Day already focused on next week's "monster game" at Texas. No. 13 Alabama saw quarterback Keelon Russell account for 335 yards and a touchdown in a 48-10 victory over East Carolina. The Ducks' live tracking showed the game going down to the wire.

College Football Culture & Traditions

Beyond the scores, the weekend was rich with pageantry. Florida revived its "gator bait" cheer during the first quarter of its season opener against Florida Atlantic, six years after it was banned over racial concerns. Tennessee held multiple tributes for Dolly Parton at its home opener, honoring the late entertainer's fandom. Fans also got a look at college football's top new foods for 2026, from UCF's "Pretzel Sword" to Wisconsin's "Badger Bakers." In other news, Lane Kiffin is anything but boring as he enters a new era at LSU, a choice he made as the path of least resistance to win a title. Jim Tressel was enshrined in Ohio State's ring of honor on Saturday, and West Virginia retired Pat White's No. 5 jersey, a full-circle moment for the record-setting quarterback.

US Open Tennis

The US Open served up a mix of triumphs and stunners. Coco Gauff advanced to the fourth round, but it was a mixed day for home hopes as last year's finalist Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys exited. Zheng Qinwen engineered a remarkable comeback, fighting back from 5-0 down in the deciding set and staring down match point to stun the 22nd-seeded Keys. The upsets continued as Zheng and Anastasia Potapova both sprang surprises on Saturday, with Potapova ousting Anisimova. The men's side saw chaos as No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz blew a two-set lead and lost to No. 24 Francisco Cerundolo. Fritz and Flavio Cobolli were among six top-10 seeds knocked out in the first week of the men's singles.

Boxing

The boxing world bid farewell to a legend. Katie Taylor ended her career with a win over Flora Pili at Croke Park, prompting tributes from the biggest names in women's boxing who called her "one of the best." The Irish great crowned her career in style, finishing as a three-time undisputed world champion in a grand farewell. BBC Sport also picked the best pictures of her iconic career, capturing the tears, blood, and triumph. ESPN had live updates from Croke Park as she made her final ring-walk.

Other Sports

In snooker, Jak Jones stunned Judd Trump at the British Open to set up a final against Mark Selby. At the UFC event in Paris, Michael 'Venom' Page's farewell fight ended underwhelmingly with a win against Nursulton Ruziboev amid boos from the crowd. In darts, Luke Humphries and Luke Littler both progressed at the Czech Open on the European Tour. Rugby league saw Wigan Warriors crush Leeds 40-8 to move closer to winning the League Leaders' Shield. York Knights ran in five tries for a dream win over Catalans Dragons in Perpignan. In F1, Pierre Gasly stunned with pole position at Monza, ahead of George Russell, in the biggest surprise qualifying in years.