General Sports 24 Hours

Last updated: September 16, 2026, 2:03 PM ET

College Football: LSU-Ole Miss Drama Builds

The LSU-Ole Miss rivalry took another dramatic turn Tuesday when Tigers star defensive lineman Umanmielen was served court papers from an Ole Miss lawsuit just days ahead of the teams' showdown. The legal maneuver adds fresh tension to a matchup already loaded with SEC and playoff implications. Meanwhile, bettors are zeroing in on how Ole Miss quarterback Chambliss will fare against LSU's defense, with Pamela Maldonado diving into the numbers and trends to find the best angles. Elsewhere in the SEC, Texas quarterback Arch Manning apologized for what he called an "insensitive comment" about an AI-generated violent video, a rare off-field misstep for the young signal-caller.

Ohio State's Reckoning

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said Tuesday that Ohio State's late collapse at Texas will force the program "to make some hard decisions," acknowledging the loss exposed real problems. The defeat has reshaped early-season expectations in Columbus and raised questions about the Buckeyes' mental toughness in tight games.

CFP Picture and Bubble Watch

Week 2 College Football Playoff predictions are in, with experts revealing which teams they believe will make this season's 12-team field. The CFP Bubble Watch puts the spotlight on whether the SEC could land six teams, plus lingering questions around Miami and BYU as the early picture sharpens. On the lighter side, the Bottom 10 returns, where Charlotte, NIU and Bowling Green headline the nation's longest losing streaks and the "lame Ducks" find their usual home.

Heisman Watch and Rising Prospects

Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker took Week 2 Heisman of the Week honors, and apparently he can run now, too. The 2027 NFL draft quarterback picture is shifting fast, with Mestemaker rising while tepid starts from Dante Moore and John Mateer complicate the class. Vanderbilt will turn to touted freshman Jared Curtis, who will start Saturday against NC State in a significant vote of confidence for the young passer.

A Story of Survival

Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard was shot in the head and spent a month in a coma, with it unclear whether he would ever recover. What happened next, described as "a miracle," has put him on a path back toward the field, one of the season's most remarkable personal stories.

College Sports Governance

Legislation to broadly regulate college sports cleared a first hurdle in the Senate by a 74-24 margin, a major step toward federal oversight of NIL, the transfer portal and athlete compensation. In commentary, ESPN's Dan Wetzel argues that sports should unify rather than divide, noting that an image Bo French found troubling in UT's victory party was actually the American flag.

Formula 1: Verstappen's Karting Test

Max Verstappen told ESPN how his karting roots shaped him into a four-time world champion and prepared him for a new challenge. That challenge is Max vs. 100, in which 100 amateur go-karters, including ESPN's Nate Saunders, will try to beat the Red Bull star on track. It is a rare chance to see whether raw amateur enthusiasm can overcome elite racecraft.

WNBA: Mystics' Fast Rebuild

The Washington Mystics have fast-tracked their rebuild all the way to the postseason, riding a wave of talented young players and exuberance. "Now we're off and running," the team says, as a franchise once expected to languish instead finds itself in the WNBA playoff mix.

NBA: Clippers Punishment

LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said he will accept the NBA's punishments for salary-cap violations, telling reporters, "I have sincere regrets." The penalties stem from improper benefits tied to the Kawhi Leonard arrangement and mark one of the league's stiffer recent sanctions.

Boxing: Pound-for-Pound Shakeup

Katie Taylor's retirement opened the door for another fighter to join the top 10 in ESPN's women's boxing pound-for-pound rankings, with Chantelle Cameron rising in the reshuffled list. Taylor's exit leaves a vacuum at the sport's summit that several contenders now hope to fill.

Golf: Irish Open Shifts

The Irish Open will move to early July next year as the DP World Tour announced its 2027 schedule, a notable calendar change for one of the tour's marquee events. The shift reshapes the summer run-up to the Open Championship for European players.

Tiger Woods Returns to the Range

Tiger Woods returned to the range for the first time since his car crash, saying he "can hit pretty much anything." It is a cautiously encouraging sign for the 15-time major champion as he tests his body ahead of any potential competitive return.

Rugby: Wales and Northampton

Wales have selected Keira Bevan to switch half-back roles and play at fly-half in their WXV opener against South Africa, a positional gamble for the tournament. In club rugby, England winger Tommy Freeman has agreed a contract extension with Northampton Saints, keeping one of the Premiership's most dangerous wide threats at Franklin's Gardens.

Saints' Contract Standoff and Soccer Management

St Helens fans are split on the drawn-out contract stand-off with Pollock, with one supporter summing up the mood: "He's an idiot, but he's our idiot." The public negotiation has strained the relationship between club and player. In soccer, Glentoran have identified Jim Magilton of Cliftonville as their preferred candidate after Declan Devine's departure, signaling a bold cross-town managerial raid.

UFC: Mokaev's Baffling Release

Muhammad Mokaev vowed to return to the UFC despite being released following seven straight wins, telling BBC Sport he is still searching for answers about why he was cut. The flyweight's dismissal remains one of the more puzzling roster decisions in recent memory.