The college football season is set to open with Week 0, a month away, and the first regular‑season game will be played on Irish soil as Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels face TCU in Dublin.
Adding to the spectacle, sponsors are now emblazoned on jerseys, with Notre Dame’s patch expected to command a $20 million price tag, a sign of the growing commercial push in the sport.
While the 12‑team playoff format remains unchanged for now, the conversation about expansion is louder than ever, and North Dakota State, the FCS dynasty, is preparing for its first year in the FBS ranks with playoff ambitions.
The Playoff Puzzle
Coaching moves are reshaping storylines: Lane Kiffin’s sudden departure from Ole Miss to take the LSU job has already rippled through rankings, with the Tigers sitting at No. 10 in Stewart Mandel’s latest top‑25.
Texas Tech will begin the season without big‑money transfer Brendan Sorsby, who is sidelined by a gambling issue, and will hand the reins to Will Hammond, a quarterback ranked No. 35 in the league’s QB tiers.
In the Big Ten, Indiana is projected to finish behind Ohio State and Oregon, while the SEC’s traditional powers Georgia and Texas are favored, and Notre Dame’s hype has reached historic levels.
Beyond the college gridiron, FIFA is poised to sell a stake in a new company that will run its premier events, a plan that has already drawn sharp criticism, and Kyle Shanahan has publicly accepted responsibility for a recent 49ers car crash.
In the NFL, Jalen Carter’s four‑year, $152 million extension with the Eagles underscores his ascent, and Ole Miss has filed a lawsuit against two former players who transferred to LSU for breach of contract.
Internationally, Zinedine Zidane has been announced as the new coach of the French men’s national team, and Elise Woodward will make history as the first woman to serve as an FBS play‑by‑play announcer.
The piece also highlights a surprise upset in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where Malawi’s women’s team stunned 10‑time champion Nigeria, and a squirrel incident at Comerica Park that involved grounds crew and outfielder Leody Taveras, with Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti providing the call.
On the baseball diamond, the Yankees have taken the first two games of a four‑game series against the White Sox, while the WNBA sees Dallas and Paige Bueckers sitting fourth, with Atlanta and Angel Reese in sixth, and the MLS All‑Star Game will be broadcast on Apple TV.
An anonymous poll of MLB players suggests most feel the league has done enough to protect against pitch‑rigging scandals, and British swimming is caught in drama involving star Adam Ramsay‑Peaty and a celebrity family feud.