General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 21, 2026, 6:50 PM ET
College Football Playoff & Postseason
Ohio State will be without injured quarterback Julian Sayin through the postseason, with coach Ryan Day declining to put a timeline on his recovery. In the Big, commissioner Brett Yormark said the league would find a new event espn.com to replace conference championship games if the College Football Playoff eliminates them. The CFP picture shifted sharply after a chaotic Week, with Notre Dame rising espn.com to the top of the odds boards. BYU's win over the Irish has pushed the Cougars to No. 2 espn.com and made them a clear playoff contender. Our bowl and CFP projections espn.com reflect how the postseason picture has been reshaped, while the midseason bubble analysis espn.com shows a playoff field that remains wide open. Jeremiah Smith leads the midseason awards espn.com conversation, and Auburn dismissed linebacker Xavier Atkins espn.com, who plans to enter the transfer portal. UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava will miss the rest of the season espn.com after knee surgery.
WNBA Finals
The Atlanta Dream evened the series espn.com with a win at Ballhalla, handing the Golden State Valkyries their first home loss of the postseason. Angel Reese led the way espn.com with 30 points and 16 rebounds, while Allisha Gray added 18 points. Several players are finally getting their moment espn.com in the spotlight on the sport's biggest stage. Golden State's Gabby Williams brought her 49ers fandom espn.com to the arena ahead of the game.
Cricket & Rugby
Temba Bavuma's 179 drags South Africa back bbc.co.uk into their Test series against Australia. Great Britain men finished fourth and must wait for their LA28 Olympic spot. Scotland name Aicha Sutcliffe bbc.co.uk for her first start against Australia. Wales made four changes bbc.co.uk ahead of their World Cup clash with Samoa after conceding 13 tries to England. Wales also included uncapped Dragons bbc.co.uk backs Aneurin Owen and Che Hope in their Nations Championship squad. England's Brad O'Neill dismissed suggestions bbc.co.uk that his side were underprepared for the World Cup. At Saracens, owner Dominic Silvester backed CEO Ed Coetzee bbc.co.uk amid chaos claims. Taulupe Faletau still has the drive bbc.co.uk for a fourth World Cup, according to Wales boss Steve Tandy.
Tennis, Snooker & Motorsport
Iga Swiatek ends her 2026 season early bbc.co.uk after failing to qualify for the WTA Finals. Mark Allen lost to Jordan Brown bbc.co.uk on his return to action and is considering retirement bbc.co.uk. Ronnie O'Sullivan's place in the world's top 16 bbc.co.uk is under threat. Kimi Antonelli, on the brink of F1 history espn.com, reveals how he stays grounded. Shakur Stevenson was released from his Zuffa contract bbc.co.uk without fighting. Glenn Irwin believes he can bounce back bbc.co.uk after a hard year with a BMW move for 2027.
College Basketball & Other News
South Carolina opened at No. 1 espn.com in the AP women's preseason poll, while Florida tops the men's AP preseason Top 25 espn.com. The Florida Bar suspended an employee espn.com while it investigates social media comments directed at a Miami football player. Nearly $1 million in trading cards were stolen espn.com from a FedEx truck in California.
Coming Up
The Ohio State quarterback situation remains unresolved with no timeline announced. Antonelli's bid for F1 history is still ahead espn.com, and the WNBA Finals continue espn.com with the series level.