U.S./World Sports category, Page 6
CFP committee adding weight to games against strong opponents, limit reward for beating weak foes
The College Football Playoff selection committee announced Wednesday it will place more emphasis on strength of schedule this year when determining which teams make the 12-team field. The committee said in a statement that the schedule strength metric has been adjusted to apply greater weight to games against strong opponents....
10 House Democrats ask NCAA about plans to protect women as ways to pay college athletes increase
Ten Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have asked the NCAA if and how college sports’ major governing body plans to protect the interests of female athletes as the largest portion of NIL and revenue-sharing payments continue to be directed to male athletes. The lawmakers, in a letter...
Years after abuse reports, ex-coach at renowned U.S. gymnastics academy arrested by FBI
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The U.S. gymnastics world was only just recovering from a devastating sexual abuse scandal when a promising young coach moved from Mississippi to Iowa to take a job in 2018 at an elite academy known for training Olympic champions. Liang “Chow” Qiao, the owner of Chow’s...
Austin Dillon equals a Dale Earnhardt feat with his convincing NASCAR win at Richmond
In his playoff-clinching victory at Richmond Raceway, Austin Dillon shared some NASCAR history on the venerable short track with the most famous driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet. Dale Earnhardt, the late seven-time Cup Series champion who amassed 76 victories in a Hall of Fame career, was the last Richard...
Top accessory this year at the Little League World Series? Hype Fire bat that looks like sour gummy worms
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — It’s not an ice-cream cone. It’s not an Italian rainbow cookie. It’s the baseball bat being used at the Little League World Series. Easton’s 2026 Hype Fire USA Bat with the neon green grip and the pink-and-neon yellow barrel is hard to miss at the plate. And...
With Cup playoffs at stake, controversial limits of rough driving could be tested again at Richmond
NASCAR playoff desperation reached a controversial peak at Richmond Raceway last year. At the mercy of securing a victory to make the 16-driver field that competes for the Cup championship, Austin Dillon wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the final two corners of the last lap to claim his...
Ryan Preece earns 2nd career pole position in hunt for NASCAR playoff spot at Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. — Ryan Preece will start from the pole position Saturday night at Richmond Raceway while trying to lock in a spot for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Preece earned his second career pole in 212 Cup starts with a lap at 121.381 mph around the 0.75-mile oval in...
Over-the-counter soap recalled for ‘life-threatening sepsis’ risk
Over a dozen soap and sanitizer products are being recalled because they could cause health complications. DermaKleen lotion soaps, Perigiene antiseptic and KleenFoam soap are among those recalled, according to the Friday announcement by DermaRite Industries LLC, People reported. The products were sold nationwide and in Puerto Rico, the manufacturer...
Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon strikes tentative deal to buy the Portland Trail Blazers
PORTLAND, Ore. — A group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Don Dundon has reached a tentative agreement with Paul Allen’s estate to buy the Trail Blazers and keep the team in Portland. Dundon confirmed the agreement in a text exchange with The Associated Press on Wednesday. His group includes Portland-based...
Judge tosses convictions in 2002 killing of NBA star Chris Paul’s grandfather
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A North Carolina trial judge has thrown out the convictions of four men in the 2002 death of basketball star Chris Paul’s grandfather. Now, state attorneys are considering their next moves, including an appeal. Superior Court Judge Robert Broadie vacated and dismissed their convictions late last week...
A UFC fight at the White House? Dana White says it’s happening as part of deal with Paramount
Hours after Paramount and UFC announced a billion-dollar rights deal, Dana White said he had yet to hear from his friend, President Donald Trump, on his thoughts about the fight company’s new streaming home. That was fine with White. The UFC CEO was set to travel to Washington on Aug....
Happy move for Cristiano Ronaldo as Georgina Rodríguez announces their engagement
Soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo and his long-term partner Georgina Rodriguez are engaged. The 31-year-old Rodríguez announced the happy news on Instagram on Monday with a photograph showing a huge ring on her finger. “Yes, I do,” read the caption in Spanish. “In this and in all my lives.” Rodríguez and...
Robbie Brewer dies after medical emergency during race at Bowman Gray Stadium
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A veteran stock-car driver at a North Carolina short track died over the weekend after suffering a medical emergency while competing in a race, officials said. Robbie Brewer’s car struck head-on a wall on the quarter-mile track at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem and came to a...
Paramount will become the new home to all UFC events in the U.S. under 7-year deal with TKO Group
NEW YORK — Paramount will become the new home to Ultimate Fighting Championship events across the U.S. next year, through a seven-year agreement announced with TKO Group on Monday. The news comes just days after Skydance and Paramount officially closed their $8 billion merger — kicking off the reign of...
A power loss changed everything: How Palou secured his fourth IndyCar title
Alex Palou wrapped up his fourth IndyCar championship in the last five seasons Sunday at Portland International Raceway when title contender Pato O’Ward lost power early in the race. O’Ward started from the pole and was the only driver mathematically eligible to beat Palou for the championship. Palou went into...
Rookie Shane van Gisbergen remains NASCAR’s king of the road courses with 4th victory of the season
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Shane van Gisbergen’s latest victory in NASCAR’s premier series was as historical as it was emotional. With his father, Robert, on hand for the first time this year, the Auckland, New Zealand, native set a Cup Series rookie record with his fourth victory, blowing out the...
Forrest wins at Trump International and gets congratulatory call from the U.S. president
ABERDEEN, Scotland — Grant Forrest won his second European Tour title Sunday in the Nexo Championship at Trump International Golf Links and got more than just a trophy. Forrest received a video call from the course owner, President Donald Trump. Trump called from his course northwest of Washington, where he...
Connor Zilisch sports a smile and elbow sling at Watkins Glen a day after his nasty fall
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Sporting a smile with his left elbow in a black sling draped around his neck, Connor Zilisch was back Sunday at Watkins Glen International and recounting his scary fall in victory lane. After winning Saturday’s Xfinity race at the road course, Zilisch took a nasty tumble...
Shane van Gisbergen aims for elite company at Watkins Glen International
On the NASCAR tracks with the most circuitous sequence of turns, Shane van Gisbergen has shown a remarkably sublime sense of direction. But the Trackhouse Racing driver still needs help navigating his new life in the United States — such as the recent announcement of a 2026 street race in...
Alex Palou’s unstoppable season: Will he clinch his fourth IndyCar title at Portland?
It’s not a question of if Alex Palou will win his fourth IndyCar championship this season, only a matter of when. His first opportunity at clinching a third consecutive title and fourth in five years comes Sunday at Portland International Raceway, Round 15 of the 17-race schedule. A run of...
Boston Celtics sign coach Joe Mazzulla to a multi-year contract extension
BOSTON — Boston Celtics president Brad Stevens has said throughout the offseason that the team wanted Joe Mazzulla to be its coach for a long time. It made that more than a proclamation Friday, announcing it had signed Mazzulla to a multi-year contract extension. Length and details of the new...
USA Gymnastics entering new era on, off floor as U.S. championships beginVideo
NEW ORLEANS — There was a time, not that long ago really, when Joscelyn Roberson would combat the nerves that inevitably popped up before a major gymnastics meet by reminding herself of one very simple fact. “I could be like, ‘Oh no one’s watching me,’” the 19-year-old said with a...
Here’s what you need to know about ESPN’s new steaming service and its deals with the NFL and WWE
ESPN’s much-discussed streaming service finally has its launch date. The network announced Wednesday that its direct-to-consumer service and enhanced app will debut Aug. 21. The announcement coincided with Disney’s quarterly earning report. This week’s expanded deals with the NFL and a new partnership with WWE provides ESPN with more inventory...
Hendrickson to headline wrestling event as Hulk Hogan’s venture continues after his death
OKLAHOMA CITY — Wyatt Hendrickson will face Egypt’s Mostafa Aly Elsayed Gabr Elders in Real American Freestyle wrestling’s main event on Aug. 30, the company announced Tuesday. RAF01, the company’s inaugural event, will go on as planned at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland about a month after commissioner Hulk Hogan...
Novak Djokovic withdraws from the Cincinnati Open and will head to the US Open without preparation
CINCINNATI — Novak Djokovic pulled out of the Cincinnati Open on Monday for what officially was listed as a “non-medical” reason, meaning he will head to the U.S. Open without having played a match in about 1 1/2 months. The 24-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t competed since losing in the...
