Category: Sports

A slew of lawsuits clearing the way for waived NFL players to re-enter college football has sent shockwaves across the sport. Reaction first poured in from top college coaches like LSU’s Lane Kiffin, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and Oregon’s Dan Lanning. Now, NFL executives are joining the fray, led by Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard, who didn’t mince words when asked for his thoughts by reporters on Tuesday. “No, that’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard,” Ballard said. “Your entire life, you fight to get up to the NFL. OK, but now we’re gonna go back? That makes a lot of freakin’ sense.” The Colts’ 53-man roster is locked in with no players attempting a return to college. Meanwhile, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Jack Pyburn tried heading back to LSU before the Kansas City Chiefs stepped in to claim him off waivers. While he was one of the biggest names publicly expressing interest in playing for Kiffin, he won’t be heading back to LSU after all. Instead, he stayed in the NFL after putting together a dominant preseason for the Buccaneers, where he recorded four sacks in three games. After being waived during the NFL preseason, defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and tight end Dae’Quan Wright attempted to return to college football to play for Kiffin at LSU. As of now, their eligibility is caught in a legal battle over a new SEC policy. The SEC’s new policy bans certain former pros from returning to college sports, threatening severe penalties for programs like LSU that break the rule. It’s a move that highlights just how chaotic this entire situation has become. Public scrutiny surrounding Kiffin and LSU’s portal moves has yet to shake the locker room. Starting tight end Trey’Dez Green is embracing the added talent and told reporters that he’s staying focused on whatever helps the team win, even if it means sharing reps with Wright. Ballard is the first NFL general manager to speak out so bluntly, but when Rams coach Sean McVay was asked about NFL players returning to college last week he said: “I feel like I took a freakin’ gummy.”

College football will bring a wide range of emotions to fans across the nation this fall, but those attending games in person will certainly not go home hungry. Programs across the country are expanding concession menus and souvenir offerings for 2026, blending regional food culture with traditional college football experiences. New food offerings are already gaining attention online, like Wisconsin’s offerings at home games this fall. Badger Bakers lead this season’s lineup in Madison, offering classic, sweet corn, and poutine loaded potatoes alongside Takis-crusted sweet corn. Cal is also featuring distinct corn dishes with street corn ribs, while adding edamame dumplings and a chicken Philly cheesesteak to its stadium menu. Fans heading to games this season are also walking away with much more than a cup with a university’s logo on it. Stadiums across the country are providing upgraded collectible items or food that could be shaped like anything ranging from team mascots, to university symbols and landmarks. Take a look at some of the built-in souvenirs fans will be able to bring home. USC is selling beer in a Trojan sword-shaped vessel at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, along with a carne asada fries drum bucket, beverage jugs, and popcorn buckets. Michigan is introducing a nacho container shaped like Michigan Stadium. Meanwhile, Boise State is celebrating 40 years of the blue turf as fans who order a food item that comes in a basket will receive it in a souvenir stadium bowl that features orange bleachers surrounding the blue turf. Among the featured food additions this fall, the University of Houston is serving “tachos”, tater tot nachos, inside a Cougar paw bowl. UCF has added a sword-shaped pretzel to its menu, a snack fit for a knight. Specialty foods tailored to regional cuisine are also being introduced, particularly in Texas. The University of Texas is offering a footlong hot dog topped with smoked brisket and nachos at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Staying in the lone star state, Baylor will offer a “Baylor line dog,” consisting of a Nathan’s hot dog topped with Texas chow chow, cheese and chicharrones, deep-fried pork skin. The Bears will also offer a “bear claw”, a Texas-sized pastry topped with cinnamon and a green-and-gold glaze. Settling for a bag of peanuts is quickly becoming a thing of the past as stadiums and campuses offer dishes tailored to local tastes, collectible containers and more. For fans heading to games this season, the food on the concourse is now ingrained in the college football experience.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. College football is almost here, and the Polymarket promo code FOX can help new users get more from the start of the season. Trade $10 to claim a $50 bonus and get in on prediction markets for the biggest Week 1 matchups, along with the U.S. Open and more. The U.S. Open is already delivering major storylines, while college football kicks off Thursday with a loaded Week 1 slate. Whether you’re tracking the latest tennis results or making predictions on which teams will make a run this fall, Polymarket gives you another way to follow the action. Ready to make your picks? Enter Polymarket promo code FOX, trade $10 and claim the new $50 bonus while following your favorite college football and U.S. Open markets. For more information and full terms and conditions, visit our Polymarket promo code page. How to Claim the Polymarket Promo with Code FOX MLB: Braves vs. Nationals Today *Probability is subject to change* U.S. Open Final Men’s Qualifiers CFB Week 1: No. 11 LSU vs. Clemson More markets available on Polymarket.

Joey Porter Jr.’s balky back felt good enough to return to practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday. At the moment, his health appears to be the least of his concerns. The fourth-year cornerback didn’t commit to playing in Pittsburgh’s season opener against Atlanta on Sept. 13 if he and the team can’t come to terms on a new contract. “I don’t know,” Porter said. “I’ve got to talk to (the front office) and my agents about that one.” The 26-year-old is entering the final season of the rookie contract he signed after being selected with the first pick of the second round in 2023. He said during minicamp in June that he believes he’s one of the best defensive backs in the league and is confident that he’ll be compensated that way. Three months later, Porter has yet to put pen to paper. While general manager Omar Khan said Monday he wants Porter — the son of former Steelers linebacker and coach Joey Porter Sr. — to be in Pittsburgh for the entirety of his career, it doesn’t feel as if the two sides are particularly close. Porter, who hasn’t allowed a touchdown pass while being the primary defender since his rookie season, essentially grew up in the Steelers locker room. His ties to the organization are deep, which has made the process of separating the business side of things difficult. “It’s been tough, I’m not going to lie, and it’s my first go-around with this,” Porter said. “But I mean, it’s been also great because I have all my guys with me, all the coaches and players really are on my side.” Veteran defensive back Jalen Ramsey recently said it was time for the Steelers to pay Porter, though first-year coach Mike McCarthy described the two sides as at an impasse. Asked if he hopes something gets done with the opener less than two weeks away, Porter shrugged. “I could hope and think all day, but it’s really, it’s up to (the front office) and what they want to do with this team,” he said. “So all I can do is just show up every day to work and be prepared.” Pittsburgh has already handed out new deals to several other members of the 2023 draft class, including linebacker Nick Herbig and tight end Darnell Washington. Porter said he’s happy for his teammates and has no issue with the team taking care of them. “Those are my guys,” Porter said. “So I was ecstatic that they got paid.” The Steelers have a long-held policy of not negotiating once the regular season begins, meaning there is a firm deadline in place. It’s not unusual for Pittsburgh to put things together at the last minute. Star outside linebacker T.J. Watt agreed to terms less than 72 hours before the opening kickoff in Week 1 of the 2021 season. “Things carry out a long time,” Porter said. “I know T.J. went through this. Cam Heyward went through this as well. So I never really had a clock on it. If it gets done, it gets done. If it don’t, it don’t.” Heyward said his advice to Porter was “don’t take it personal, but you will.” Though the seven-time Pro Bowler added he is not worried about the contract being an issue whenever Porter takes the field. “I think every player in there says Joey’s got to do what’s best for him and Joey’s got to be ready for Week 1, and hopefully we can celebrate a new contract for him,” Heyward said. Though he’s been limited by a back issue that cropped up during a mobility test when the team reported to training camp in late July, Porter has been in the classroom studying up on first-year defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s approach. Porter stressed the injury was the sole reason for his absence during camp, and Heyward believes whenever Porter gets out there he’ll be ready to continue on the trajectory that’s made him one of the better man-to-man defenders in the league. “We’re expecting him to be the Joey of usual,” Heyward said. “I don’t think there’s going to be a drop-off. I think we’ve all got to be ready to welcome him back.” Reporting by The Associated Press.

As an Argentine international, this may be the end for Lionel Messi — and I say “may be” because he has retired in the past, but this seems to be much more of a true retirement from Argentina. There are so many different directions and so many different questions that come up when it comes to what Messi did specifically for Argentina. At the beginning of his career, yes, he was there, but it was always in the context of Diego Maradona — comparing and contrasting, and all of that. Now, in the eyes of many and certainly in younger generations, he has gone to be the GOAT — not just the GOAT of Argentina, but the GOAT in general, and I think it’s completely fair to argue that. Which brings up question after question of: Will we ever see someone like this again? And the answer to that, very simply, is: Yes, we will. Messi, in 207 games, scored 125 goals, including 21 goals in the World Cup, which is second all-time to Kylian Mbappé. So, in that sense, we already have seen someone prolific, in terms of scoring goals. But the impact and legendary status because of what he did, especially looking like a guy you would see just walking down the street and yet being this larger than life type of figure, I don’t know when we’ll see someone exactly like him, in the way that he plays and what he has done, If time is the same as any test, yes, someone will come and do things that we didn’t dream were possible in the way that Messi did, or in a different way.

The Houston Texans won’t extend current contract negotiations with quarterback C.J. Stroud into the season. General manager Nick Caserio said Tuesday that if the club can’t reach an agreement with Stroud before the Sept. 13 opener against Buffalo that it will pause all talks until next offseason. Houston has already picked up Stroud’s fifth-year option, meaning it has him under team control through 2027. Caserio said at the start of training camp in late July that there was a chance the sides could come to terms on an extension but no deal appears to be imminent. Stroud is 28-18 and led the Texans to the playoffs in each of the three seasons since Houston took him No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft. The AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 completed a career-best 64% of his passes in 2025 as Houston went 12-5 and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. Stroud struggled in a postseason loss in New England, throwing four interceptions in a 28-16 defeat. Reporting by the Associated Press.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs still has the support of his coach and general manager, who remain optimistic the three-time Pro Bowl selection will come off the commissioner’s exempt list, where he was placed after being charged with two misdemeanors, and play sometime this season. “There were many conversations obviously and certainly don’t know all the details, but what he tells me, I believe him and I trust him,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday. “I’m going to do that until proven otherwise.” General manager Brian Gutekunst said he is hopeful the running back will return before the end of the season. “But we’re going to let this process play out, and we’ll be prepared either way,” Gutekunst said. Gutekunst said he hasn’t seen the video that the Brown County (Wisconsin) District Attorney’s office says it has as evidence corroborating statements made by Jacobs’ girlfriend regarding their May 23 altercation. Jacobs, who was arrested May 26, faces misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property in that incident. District Attorney David Lasee announced last Thursday that the charges were being filed. Three days later, the NFL put Jacobs on the commissioner’s list, which prevents him from playing or practicing but allows him to keep receiving a paycheck. Upon request and with the club’s permission, Jacobs may be allowed at the club’s facility for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation and other permitted non-football activities. Jacobs is on the list while the NFL investigates his situation and he could face a suspension by the league. Any games he misses while on the exempt list would count toward his suspension, but he would also have to repay the money he earned while on the exempt list LaFleur said the Packers were prepared for the possibility Jacobs might get placed on the list. “I’ve seen this guy,” LaFleur said. “I’ve got a love and care and respect for how he is as a person, who he is as a teammate. Obviously a very unfortunate situation, but one that we have to deal with.” Jacobs’ lawyers — David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld, and Clarence F. Duchac III — have noted that the move to the commissioner’s exempt list is an administrative decision made while a matter is under review and “is not a final determination.” They added that Jacobs “looks forward to his return to the team and the NFL.” Hobart-Lawrence police officers who responded to the May 23 call said Jacobs’ girlfriend told them she had a lump on her head as a result of Jacobs’ actions. Police said the woman said she had been looking through Jacobs’ phone and saw he was talking to other women, and that she threw the phone in anger without breaking it. She told police that Jacobs had her phone and she told him he could look through it. According to police, the woman indicated she tried to retrieve her phone from Jacobs, but he didn’t return it and instead grabbed her arm and began a struggle that lasted several minutes. They then left the home in separate vehicles before eventually returning. Police said the woman was trying to exit a garage door to get outside when Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground, causing her to hit her head. Police said Jacobs also took the phone from her while she was on the ground. According to the criminal complaint filed last week, surveillance footage from the camera system in the garage backed up the woman’s statement. “We have not seen the video,” Gutekunst said. “Those are legal things going on right now, so we’ll let those play out. … But in the appropriate times, if those things become available, we’ll figure that stuff out when that time comes.” Reporting by the Associated Press.

College football kicked off last weekend with Bill Belichick and North Carolina surprising TCU as 9-point underdogs, winning in Ireland in the first game of the 2026 season. With the focus of this column once a week being on dangerous underdogs who have a chance to defy the odds and get a win, perhaps another ACC team can follow suit and surprise their favored opponent this weekend. On Sunday night, No. 24 Louisville is a 7-point underdog for its opener, as the Cardinals take on No. 9 Ole Miss in Nashville, Tennessee. Let’s get into my pick. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Ole Miss returns star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy from last year’s College Football Playoff semifinals, as the Rebs eye a return to the CFP. However, playing into January once again will not be an easy task for Ole Miss. A rigorous 2026 schedule awaits the team, starting with this clash against a Louisville team that has a chance to possibly flirt with a trip of its own to the Playoff. Louisville will turn to Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz at quarterback, a dual-threat player who finally gets an opportunity to start after throwing just 36 passes in his career so far. The former four-star recruit getting his chance provides some reason for optimism for Louisville, but it’s Kienholz’s coach that points me to the underdog here. Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm is 37-15 against the spread (ATS) in his career when his team is an underdog, as it will be Sunday night. He will also have the experience edge over his counterpart on the opposing sidelines, as Ole Miss’ coach Pete Golding took over for Lane Kiffin just last December after Kiffin left to coach LSU. Louisville has a solid running back in Isaac Brown, who topped 1,000 yards as a freshman in 2024 and likely would have eclipsed that mark in 2025 if not for injuries. The Cardinals also scooped up some offensive line help in the transfer portal. It’s a new group that brings with it 142 combined career starts. Overall, it’s a new-look Louisville roster, but with the players the Cardinals added and a coach who thrives as an underdog, I like Louisville to make an early statement Sunday night against a very talented Ole Miss squad.

The Los Angeles Rams have had just about the perfect offseason. After coming up just short in a heartbreaking NFC Championship Game loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks, the Rams have gone all in once again. Los Angeles acquired reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade that sent Jared Verse and three draft picks to Cleveland. The Rams then acquired Super Bowl-winning cornerback Trent McDuffie for their 2026 first-round pick, before capping off the offseason by bringing franchise sack leader Aaron Donald back from retirement. Sheesh. And it’s not like the Rams were far away before those additions. Los Angeles was arguably the second-best team in the NFL last season, losing twice in Seattle by a combined five points. The Rams also had one of the league’s most dominant offenses, leading the NFL in scoring (30.5 PPG), total offense (394.6 YPG), net passing offense (268.1 YPG), passing touchdowns (46), total first downs (396) and fewest sacks allowed (23). They also ranked seventh in rushing offense (126.6 YPG, 4.63 YPC) and fourth in fewest giveaways (15). Now, that team adds arguably the best defensive player in football in Garrett, one of the league’s top cornerbacks in McDuffie, and one of the greatest defensive players of the past decade in Donald, who helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl title four years ago. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. With a loaded roster comes massive expectations, and the betting market has taken notice. Heading into Week 1, the Rams are clear favorites at +500 to lift the Lombardi Trophy in their home stadium in February. The Seahawks and Bills have the next-best odds at +1100, a remarkably wide gap considering the regular season hasn’t even begun. That should be a great sign for a Los Angeles team that has gone all in, right? Well, history tells a much different story. According to senior sports betting analyst Ben Fawkes, over the past 30 years, the preseason Super Bowl favorite has entered the season at +500 or shorter odds 20 times. Those teams went 0-for-20. According to Sports Odds History, here’s the full list: 2024: KC +5002021: KC +4502020: KC +4502019: NE +4002017: NE +2752015: SEA +4502014: SEA +4502011: NE +5002009: NE +4502008: NE +3502007: NE +2502005: IND/NE/PHI +5002004: PHI +5002002: STL +3502001: STL +4002000: STL +3001999: MIN +4501998: GB +2501997: GB +2501996: SF +250 The Rams certainly look like a Super Bowl favorite on paper, but if they are going to finish the job in 2026, they’ll have to buck a betting trend that has held up for three decades. So, can Los Angeles finally break the curse? Let’s check out the Rams’ full 2026 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Sept. 1.

Who has the best chance to win the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series title? Welcome to the FOX Sports Contender Rankings. Now that the regular season is over, the focus is on the 16 drivers in The Chase. I have ranked the top-10 contenders based on what I believe their chances are to win the title and will update each week with a short outlook to the upcoming track. On The Verge (Alphabetical Order): Chris Buescher (RFK Racing No. 17 Ford, -70 points behind leader): He’s too inconsistent. He nearly won at Darlington in 2024 but has just one top five there in Next Gen era. William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet, -85): He just hasn’t had the pace this year. Maybe Darlington, where he won in May 2023, will be the place he finds it. Austin Cindric (Team Penske 2 Ford, -95): His fifth place at Darlington earlier this year was his first top 10, so if he can get off to a good start, maybe he can be a factor. Ryan Preece (RFK Racing No. 60 Ford, -100): He vaulted himself into The Chase but does that make him a contender? He has never had a top 10 in Darlington. Daniel Suárez (Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevy, -75): He only has seven top 10s this year and will need more than that over the next 10 races to win the title (and has just two career top 10s at Darlington). Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing No. 23 Toyota, -90): He has been so up and down, so who knows? He has potential at Darlington with five top 10s. Contender Rankings Hocevar could just as easily finish in the top five in the standings as he could 16th. He has speed and an aggressive attitude, which pays dividends but can also be costly. He has a ninth and a fourth in his last two Darlington starts. Logano is a three-time Cup champion and knows how to handle the pressure. The question is whether he has enough speed. He won the first Next Gen race at Darlington in 2022 but has only one top 10 in his last eight starts there and was awful there in April. Elliott has led laps in just three of the last nine races, and that likely won’t be enough to be a threat. He doesn’t have a top five in Darlington in his last eight starts, so getting off to a good start in the Chase could be a challenge. Larson’s winless streak has reached 50 races. What’s wild is he has led 659 laps this year without a victory. He will likely need some fortune and others to have some misfortune to have a shot at the title, but his resume includes wins at eight of the 10 Chase tracks. He won at Darlington in 2023, but it’s also a place where he’s visited the medical center a little more than he would like. Gibbs just probably needs a little more experience and a little more polish to challenge for The Chase title. He was second at Darlington in May 2024 and was sixth in April, so if he can start off strong, he could be more of a factor. Briscoe tends to hang around to give himself a chance, and this JGR No. 19 team is well tested in the postseason. He has won the last two Southern 500s, although he was 12th at this track in the spring. Reddick is a two-time O’Reilly Series champion, so he is used to performing under pressure. The question is can he regain the momentum he had when he won the first three races of 2026 and then added two more to give him five wins in the first nine events. One of those was Darlington, so he has to feel good with The Chase starting there. The 2023 Cup champion has consistently been the best Ford this year with three victories. He was third at Darlington in the spring for his best finish ever at the track. His pit crew has not always performed to a championship level, and that could be the key. He also needs to keep earning stage points, as he has earned the most of any driver in the regular season. Bell doesn’t have a win this year but he already has a career-best 11 top-five finishes — including seven second-place finishes this year. He has been more consistent in racking up the stage points as of late, and he will need to continue to do that in The Chase. He has mixed results at Darlington, where he finished third in the 2024 Southern 500. Hamlin saw his 89-point regular-season lead on Ryan Blaney cut to 25 as part of The Chase reset and that was after having at least a 250-point gap on all but Blaney, Reddick and Gibbs. So he is the favorite going into The Chase. Hamlin has a win and three top fives in the Next Gen era at Darlington. He has won at all of The Chase tracks in his career.