Category: Sports

PHOENIX — The end of the NFL’s owners meeting has arrived. But before we departed the Biltmore Hotel on Tuesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave another State of the Union that dropped some crumbs on what to possibly expect around the league next season and in the years to come. Finding a new stadium for the Chicago Bears, NFL players competing in flag football in the Olympics and proposed rules for the expansion of instant replay to help replacement officials were part of a packed agenda this week. Will there be replacement refs in 2026? Where will the Bears play next? Here are my four takeaways from Goodell’s latest press conference. 1. Get ready for NFL replacement officials NFL owners approved, for one year only, a new rule allowing replay assist to correct clear and obvious missed calls in the event of a referee work stoppage, which would mean the implementation of replacement officials. It was one of four rule changes approved by the league. The rule change is possibly the clearest sign yet that we’re heading toward a work stoppage for NFL refs in the 2026 season, and Goodell’s comment on the situation indicated that replacement refs are on the way. “The negotiations have not progressed the way we had hoped from a timing standpoint,” Goodell said. “We obviously have obligations to our fans and everybody in the National Football League to play. So, we are taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we’re also keeping focused on the negotiations. “So, we’d like to get a negotiated deal, and we certainly are focused on that.” The last time the NFL used replacement officials was in 2012, due to a lockout. However, that ended three weeks into the regular season with an eight-year agreement after a Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, when a replacement official incorrectly ruled a touchdown catch for Golden Tate that ended the game with a victory for the Seahawks. The league and the referees reached an impasse on compensation, accountability for poor performance and shortening the amount of dead time for officials during the down period from the end of the Super Bowl in February to May 15. The current agreement is set to expire at the end of May. “There is frustration discussed among the ownership about the state of our negotiations with our officials,” NFL Executive Vice President overseeing Player Health and Safety Jeff Miller told reporters on Thursday. “The effort has been pretty straightforward. And I think we’ve been crystal clear on it, which is this is an opportunity to improve the state of our officiating. “There needs to be accountability measures. There needs to be performance measures. And that’s what our negotiation posture has been. … What [the NFL owners] are insistent upon – insistent upon — is that the performance of the officials and the accountability for that performance has to improve.” Owners also approved a new rule that allows replay assist to put a flag down and eject players for flagrant football acts or non-football acts not penalized by officials on the field. Rich McKay, Atlanta Falcons CEO and co-chairman of the competition committee, said there was some concern about transparency for fans considering the expanded use of instant replay, but that did not override impeding the speed of the game. McKay said the NFL also would have more staff on hand to deal with the expanded use of replay assist. 2. NFL players expected to compete in Flag Football in 2028 Olympics The NFL is all in on flag football, according to Goodell. Even after current NFL players were soundly beaten by USA Football in the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles earlier in March, Goodell said the league is committed to improving the game and believes NFL players will compete in the sport for USA Football in the 2028 Summer Olympics. “I think we’ll see NFL players in the Olympics,” Goodell said. “They want to play. We just had a player here who wants to compete in the Olympics. That’s his intent. I think it will be great for football. I think it will be great for the fans. And I’m even more excited for the opportunity for young women to play flag football in general, but also participate in the Olympics.” The league’s actions earlier in the week certainly showed the NFL’s commitment to growing flag football. A day prior to Goodell’s press conference, the NFL announced that it’s partnering with TMRW Sports to develop and operate a professional flag football league for women and men. 3. Chicago Bears need clarity on new stadium project The stadium situation for the Bears remains in flux. The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971. It’s the smallest NFL stadium, with a capacity of 61,500. However, the team is working on a couple of different tracks that they hope will lead to a new facility. The Bears have received approval from the state of Indiana to fund a new stadium in the town of Hammond, about 28 miles from Chicago. Meanwhile, the Bears also purchased a 326-acre, $197.2 million property in Arlington Heights, Illinois, to build a new facility for home games. However, there’s no clear timeline for completion of the project and the franchise is seeking $855 million in public funding to cover the stadium’s infrastructure costs. Goodell said the Bears need to gain clarity on which project to move forward with sooner rather than later. “They need to find a solution for a stadium,” Goodell said. “And they have looked not only in Indiana, but Illinois and other sites. And they’ve also invested in a site. So, I think they’ve been responsible, and I think it’s really important that they come to a resolution on this relatively soon.” 4. NFL expands access for players to address mental health The league also approved an initiative to expand behavioral and mental health services for NFL players and their families. Franchises must now hire a full-time mental health professional who works from the team facility each day. NFL owners have approved a proposal to expand behavioral and mental health services offerings to players. Teams must now employ a full-time mental health clinician who operates out of each facility. The league also voted to better support vulnerable players on injured reserve separated from their families, and to expand health coverage for players and their families. Previously, the NFL mandated in the last collective bargaining agreement seven years ago that every team must have some mental health resource available to players and coaches. Further, the NFL requires every team to have a mental health emergency action plan. There’s been an increased emphasis nationally on mental health in the NFL, with the recent tragedies of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore dying by suicide.

Lionel Messi has some high expectations for Inter Miami for 2026. He’ll aim to lead the Herons to consecutive MLS Cup titles during a season in which they’ll be playing at their new Miami Freedom Park stadium. The bigger story for La Pulga may be if Messi can also captain Argentina to back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles this summer, when the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across North America. All season, we’ll be tracking Messi’s game-by-game performances as the GOAT looks to have another epic season. March 1: Messi Scores Twice in Comeback Win Over Florida Rivals Orlando City Nothing like scoring twice against your in-state rivals. Especially after being initially down by two. Messi had two second-half goals in Inter Miami’s 4-2 win over Orlando City. It was his first two goals of the 2026 MLS season and the Herons’ first win. Feb. 26: Messi Knocked Over By Pitch Invader In Chaotic Friendly In Puerto Rico A curiously timed match between Inter Miami and Ecuadorian club Independiente Del Valle at Puerto Rico’s Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel saw Messi convert a penalty and later tackled by an overzealous pitch invader. The game in Bayamón was supposed to be played in Inter Miami’s preseason on Feb. 13 but was moved back due to Messi’s hamstring injury. Inter Miami honored the rescheduled match after having already played its MLS season opener. Messi entered at halftime and was cheered loudly anytime he touched the ball. His penalty came in the 70th minute, which sealed the 2-1 victory in the unofficial match. But as the game came to a wrap, a pitch invader got tangled up with Messi and a security guard – taking the superstar to the ground. He seemed to be fine as he got up and walked away. Feb. 21: Messi Held Scoreless As LAFC Wins Historic MLS Opener Inter Miami began its season with a 3-0 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against Son Heung-min and LAFC. In front of an announced crowd of 75,672 – the second-highest game attendance in MLS history and highest for a season-opening game ever. After the game, a video posted on social media showed Messi following the referees through the tunnel and into a locker room. A visibly angry Messi appeared to be held back by teammate Luis Suarez with the two then exiting the area. The league said that Messi did not violate any policy and that he would not face any suspension.

The top conference races are coming to a clear end: Duke flexed its muscle on Virginia, Michigan dominated Illinois in Champaign, Florida beat Arkansas by a million points, and Arizona blew out Kansas to pretty much seal regular-season titles. The Big East and West Coast Conference are still up for grabs, though! And there is a Miami school in the top 25 for the first time this year! Here’s the latest edition of my men’s college basketball rankings as of March 1. IMPORTANT NOTE on Miami (Ohio): The Redhawks continue to win and are now 29-0 (26-0 vs. Division I opponents), but they are still not close to being ranked in my top 25. Miami has played the 320th ranked schedule in the country. It ranks 51st in the NET and 87 at KenPom. I do not believe they are a top-25 team, but they are a wonderful story and I want to see them in the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals have lost three of four games, but they still rank in the top 30 on offense and defense. This team is way too talented to have seven losses in ACC play. This is Louisville’s last chance in my top 25 to show me that it deserves to be here. The Hurricanes have won six of their last seven games, including wins over North Carolina and NC State. The combo of point guard Tre Donaldson and big man Malik Reneau works well. I know the Wildcats have 10 losses (and those matter!), but none of them are bad losses. And when this team is right, it can beat most teams in the land. Guards Otega Oweh and Collin Chandler both had 23 points in a big win over Vanderbilt. At 27-4, I’ve had my eye on the Gaels for a while, but I needed to see them beat Gonzaga to finally welcome them into the fold. This team is young — it only starts one senior — and could be a top-15 team next season. The Commodores got smacked at Kentucky on Saturday and shot just 7-of-28 from beyond the arc. But they still rank 14th in KenPom and still are a joy to watch. The Vols went 0-2 this week at Mizzou and home against Alabama. The more concerning issue was the knee injury to forward Nate Ament. He’s been their best player this month as a freshman, and we’ll keep our eye on that. The blowout loss at Florida on Saturday didn’t look good, but it shouldn’t erase the solid progress this team has made. Forward Billy Richmond has been playing great basketball lately. Still playing without forward Caleb Wilson, the Tar Heels picked up a big win earlier in the week over Louisville. They followed that with a win against a solid Virginia Tech squad. Clemson and Duke this week will be a real challenge. After getting embarrassed against UConn, the Johnnies took out their frustrations on a solid Villanova squad. Big man Zuby Ejiofor got a triple-double (with assists). The Jayhawks beat Houston early in the week and then got blown out by Arizona. I think every team in the country would take that 1-1 split. Guard Darryn Peterson wasn’t very efficient, but he finished both games and played more than 30 minutes in each. Let’s celebrate that. The Zags lost to Saint Mary’s on Saturday night and are now tied in the WCC standings. It was the last ever WCC regular-season game between the teams, as Gonzaga will be joining the new/old Pac-12. Maybe a rematch in the conference tourney in Vegas? I hope. [MEN’S NCAA SEED PROJECTIONS: Illinois, Florida Move Up; Gonzaga Stumbles] An 0-2 week for the Boilermakers has them falling down the rankings, but this offense still ranks No. 2 in the country, according to KenPom. This was a terrible week for the Illini with a loss at UCLA, followed by a home loss to Michigan. But I refuse to give up on this team because I’ve seen what it’s capable of with wins over Texas Tech, at Purdue, at Tennessee and at Nebraska. I’m so impressed with the Red Raiders, who are now 3-0 since the JT Toppin injury and with a win at Iowa State. Six players reached double figures in scoring, and center Luke Bamgboye had 13 points down low. Duke humbled the Cavaliers on Saturday, but Virginia didn’t drop that far because I believe most teams ranked lower in my rankings would have been dominated as well. Carry on. One of the fastest risers in my top 25, the Crimson Tide have won eight straight, including a close one at Tennessee on Saturday since losing to Florida on February 1. Guard Lebaron Philon Jr. came off the bench (illness) but still scored 23 points and hit the game-winner. The Cyclones looked pedestrian in their first home loss of the season to Texas Tech on Saturday. The Big 3 of guard Tamin Lipsey and forwards Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic was good… but got little from anyone else. The Cornhuskers have quietly won three straight and are tied with Michigan State for second in the Big Ten. And they have an interesting matchup at UCLA on Tuesday. The Bruins NEED it to feel safe, and Nebraska wants a 2-seed. Tom Izzo’s squad beat Purdue and Indiana this week to stake its claim as second best in the Big Ten. Forward Jaxon Kohler led the Spartans with a career-high 21 points at Indiana. I was surprised he hadn’t scored more than that, given how good he’s been this season. I no longer view the Cougars as one of the favorites to win the title after losing three of their last four games, but I also don’t believe they should drop any lower than this. While there are better teams than Florida, no team is playing better right now. Nine wins in a row, including a 34-point victory over a talented Arkansas team. The Huskies’ demolition of St John’s earlier this week was one of the better defensive performances of the year, forcing the Johnnies to miss their last 24 shots of the game! An ugly win against Villanova was also nice to keep their 1-seed hopes alive. The Wildcats pretty much locked down the No. 1 seed in the West by crushing Kansas at home. Freshman forward Koa Peat came back after missing three games and was excellent, while freshman guard Braden Burries led the way in scoring. The Wolverines’ destruction of Illinois in Champaign was impressive and confirmed what they are capable of. Losing guard L.J. Cason to an ACL injury was a bummer, as he was playing his best basketball this month. It took me the entire season to finally submit to the Blue Devils’ defense. It’s the real deal, holding Michigan to 63 last week and Virginia to 51 on Saturday.

Tyler Reddick went from no wins in 2025 to making history in 2026. The 23XI Racing driver won Sunday at Circuit of the Americas to become the first driver in Cup Series history to open the season with three consecutive victories. In dominating on a road course, Reddick’s victory at COTA — even though he won there in 2023 — might have been the most impressive of the three, which started with drafting-track races at Daytona and Atlanta. “it’s unbelievable,” 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin said in his post-race news conference. “I’m not going to see it again in my lifetime, someone to go out there and win three races in a row to start the season.” Here are my takeaways: 1. Reddick Makes History How much more can you say about Reddick, who won the 2024 regular-season title but then went winless in 2025? He had eight career victories coming into the season and while considered a great talent, even this would have been difficult to predict. He was the class of the field Sunday, along with road-course ace Shane van Gisbergen. SVG, the winner of five of the six road-course races last year, was unable to catch Reddick throughout the final stage. Reddick led 58 of the 95 laps, including the final 20. “We did not like getting beat like that at road courses,” Reddick said in his television interview after the race. “It’s one race, but it was so important, so fitting that we were able to get three in a row and make history.” 2. Long Trackhouse Day Trackhouse Racing drivers had high hopes, with Ross Chastain on the front row and van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch known for their road-racing prowess. It just wasn’t in the cards for van Gisbergen, who faded over the last 15 laps. “Just following Tyler, his driving was immaculate and his car was very good, too,” van Gisbergen said in his television interview after the race. “I tried but didn’t quite have enough.” Zilisch showed promise but was involved in a few incidents, including one late in the race when he was top five and was turned around along with Zane Smith. It was even worse for Chastain, who raced in the top 10 all day until a wheel came off his car, resulting in a two-lap penalty and an almost-certain two-race suspension to two of his crew members. 3: Bowman Sub From … TV Alex Bowman was not feeling well and with him near the rear of the field, his Hendrick Motorsports team told him he could get out of the car because they likely would finish near the rear of the field. Bowman took the offer, and then Myatt Snider got in the car. Snider, a part-time driver who has competed in the NASCAR development series, was actually working for FOX Sports as a pit spotter, whose role is helping gather information for pit reporters. 4: Deep Holes Early Bowman is in the deepest hole after three races, as he sits last among the 36 drivers. So while 45 points might not be hard to make up on 16th over the next 23 races, he’ll have to hope that some of the other drivers back in the standings with him don’t rattle off wins. There are five drivers at least 30 points out: Connor Zilisch, Cody Ware, Austin Dillon, Erik Jones and Bowman. They can all make the playoffs, but they are almost out of mulligans. 4 ½: What’s Next The Cup Series heads to Phoenix for its first race on a track shorter than 1.5 miles. They will share the weekend bill with INDYCAR, which will race Saturday; Cup will race Sunday. Reddick has two top fives in 12 Cup starts at Phoenix. With 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan having been there for the first three wins, will he be at Phoenix? “I’ll be at Phoenix,” he said on the telecast.

Lindsey Heaps had a goal and an assist, and Jaedyn Shaw also scored to propel the United States to a sixth straight shutout victory, 2-0 over Argentina in the SheBelieves Cup on Sunday. The U.S. has outscored opponents 27-1 over its past seven games. Coach Emma Hayes’ squad hasn’t lost since falling 2-1 to Portugal in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 23. Heaps scored from the top of the box in the 19th minute. Emma Sears worked the ball out of the left corner and into the box, then passed to a wide-open Heaps, who converted with her left foot. It was her 39th international goal, the most on the current U.S. roster. Shaw found the back of the net from the top left corner of the box. Her right-footed shot curved toward the left post and into the net for her 10th international goal. After Shaw scored, Lilly Reale was treated for a right leg injury and replaced by Emily Fox. During stoppage time, Argentina’s Milagros Martin was assessed a yellow card for shoving Trinity Rodman in the back. The U.S. dominated possession, holding the ball 67.7% of the time. The Americans had three shots on target, while Argentina had just one on target against U.S. goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. The SheBelieves Cup — a four-team round-robin that also includes Canada and Colombia — moves to Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday, when the Americans will take on Canada. The Canadians beat Colombia 4-1 earlier Sunday.

Michael Jordan achieved two three-peats during his NBA career. On Sunday, he achieved another, in a different sport when 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick earned the checkered flag at the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin. Reddick became the first NASCAR driver in history to start a season by winning the first three races, including the season-opening Daytona 500. Jordan might have a knack for winning, but he passed all the praise to Reddick and his business partner, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, jokingly saying: “Look, I just put up the money.” “Tyler did a good job,” Jordan told telling FOX Sports’ Jamie Little after the race. “He beat some good competition,” “I’m proud of the team we put together,” he added. “Denny, I’m pretty sure is the same way. He feels the same way as I do. And I think a lot of credit goes to him because he’s the mastermind behind finding Tyler. … I think Denny’s done an unbelievable job in terms of helping build this team. And I think this team has done a good job of taking on leadership and just winning. That’s what it’s about. Winning.” While Jordan was humble, his prowess as a winner is something that can help Reddick and the rest of 23XI Racing understand what it takes. They’re applying his teachings recently. “It’s time for change,” Jordan said. “And the guys feel the same thing. Tyler came in with the most pressure, I guess. Everybody expected him, or he had a chance to win three in a row. That’s the hardest one to win, you know. And you know, he kept to his strategy, and the guys put together a great car.” On Sunday, Reddick lead 58 of 95 laps in a race that featured 14 lead changes. He set up that victory with great preparation, earning pole position in qualification. His win meant that 23XI Racing became the first team to win the opening three races of the season since Petty Enterprises did it in 1963, per NASCAR. Moreso, Reddick (186 points) holds a 70 point lead on fellow 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace in second place in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. He has a chance to make it four in a row at the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway next Sunday.

Media availability at the NFL combine this week has given insights and perspectives that will fuel the news cycle over the next few months. Here’s our analysis of the most interesting remarks.

Tyler Reddick and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing have done it again. The No. 45 car has won its third race in a row to start the 2026 NASCAR season, racing to victory at the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne on Sunday. Reddick, who opened the year with a victory at the Daytona 500, became the first driver to ever win the first three races of a NASCAR season. Reddick led from 60 of the 95 laps in Sunday’s race, getting his most dominant victory yet this season. As a result, 23XI Racing has also led for 206 laps this season. Here’s the full top 20 from Sunday’s race:

We’re tracking notable injuries, news and happenings across men’s and women’s college basketball during the 2025-2026 season.

Jaxon Kohler scored a season-high 21 points and Jeremy Fears Jr. added 21 points and nine assists to lead No. 13 Michigan State past Indiana 77-64 on Sunday. Kur Tang finished with a career-high 18 points, making 6 of 8 from 3-point range — nearly half of the Spartans’ 13 3s. Kohler also grabbed 13 rebounds, his 12th double-double of the season as the Michigan State (24-5, 14-4 Big Ten) won its fourth straight. The Spartans never trailed in winning at Assembly Hall for just the second time in six trips to complete a road sweep this week. They also won at No. 8 Purdue 76-74 on Thursday. It was coach Tom Izzo’s first trip to Bloomington since he broke the league record for conference wins in February 2025, breaking the mark held by former Hoosiers coach Bob Knight. Lamar Wilkerson scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Indiana (17-12, 8-10) from a fourth consecutive loss. Tucker DeVries finished with 20 points and six rebounds, while Sam Alexis added eight points in a game Indiana’s bench players were shut out. Michigan State used a hot start to take a 14-5 lead, then relied on its long-range flurry to thwart the Hoosiers from mounting serious challenge. The Spartans extended the margin to 39-26 on Teng’s fourth 3 of the game late in the first half. Indiana managed to cut the halftime deficit to 45-37, then quickly fell into a 52-41 hole early in the second half. The Hoosiers got as close as 54-48 with 13:41 to play, but Teng answered with another 3 and the Spartans went on a 10-3 spurt to rebuild a 67-55 lead. The Hoosiers never fully recovered. Reporting by The Associated Press.