Alex Palou continues to win, and he remains No. 1 in these power rankings.

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver now has five wins this season, with the fifth coming Monday at Nashville Superspeedway.

The driver who made a big jump this week? It’s the driver who physically and quite literally can’t even jump right now because of a badly bruised knee. That’s David Malukas. He went from the 12th row to third at Nashville.

Here are my rankings going into a two-week break in the INDYCAR schedule:

Dropped out: Will Power (Last Week: 8)

On the verge: Will Power, Nolan Siegel, Kyffin Simpson.

10.

VeeKay looked like he was on the verge of earning his fourth top 10 in the last six races before the cautions and pit sequence cost him track position. He ended up 12th at Nashville, which was still a solid day.

9.

Ericsson finished sixth for this third top 10 in the last five races. To see him at one point challenge for the lead had to be a thrill for his fans.

8.

Rosenqvist had a surprisingly average qualifying result, as he started 17th on the grid. To go from there to finishing fifth was enough to make him feel good about his day.

7.

McLaughlin finished fourth at Nashville for his fourth top five of the season and his third in the last six races. He’d like to challenge for the lead more, but at least he can see the leaders.

6.

O’Ward was extremely frustrated after qualifying as he started 12th at Nashville. He was able to scrap for a seventh-place finish. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the momentum he was hoping for coming off the Mid-Ohio win.

5.

Kirkwood won the pole at Nashville and appeared to be a favorite for the race before losing his track position on the yellows and pit sequence. A 10th was a disappointing result considering his high hopes coming in.

4.

Lundgaard had an awful weekend with a grid penalty for being on his fifth engine, and he started 24th. He finished 16th and maybe no one is looking more forward to Portland in a few weeks than Lundgaard.

3.

Newgarden finished a frustrating second as he felt it was track position race at the end. He started second and finished second. To echo his words, “it is what it is.”

2.

Malukas was perilously close to not even racing this weekend after a hard crash Saturday in practice. He went from the back of the field all the way to third. It was a great race on a tough weekend.

1.

Palou is now a five-time winner this season. And he very well could be a five-time series champion in less than two months.

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NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM — I’ve often joked that ranking World Cups is like choosing between your children: They’re all different and unique. You don’t love one above another. It just doesn’t work that way.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the sixth, men’s or women’s, that I’ve had the privilege of covering.

The first five took me to Brazil, Canada, France, Qatar, Australia and New Zealand. Each was incredibly special. Years earlier, as a young professional, I hoped to cover one, one day, if I worked my ass off and maybe got a bit lucky. Until this summer, I couldn’t have picked a favorite if my life depended on it.

But a home World Cup like this summer’s? That was a new experience for me, just like it was for most of my colleagues.

The feeling is hard to describe. We all went into it knowing full well that it’s probably a once-in-a-career thing.

Now the biggest, most spectacular World Cup of all time is over. And as I sit here typing in a mostly empty 80,000-seat arena after Spain beat Argentina in Sunday’s final, watching La Roja’s players on the field below me celebrate their well-deserved triumph with their families, I’m filled with gratitude — and maybe a little sadness, too.

Part of that is exhaustion, having been on the road and away from my family for almost two full months. That will subside. The memories won’t:

The way the United States men’s national team ran out to an early lead against Paraguay in the first World Cup match on U.S. soil in 32 years, then ran away with the match en route to a historic 4-1 victory that captured the imagination of the American public. How the upper deck at Seattle Stadium began vibrating when VAR awarded Alex Freeman’s goal in the USA’s 2-0 win over Australia, the first time the U.S. had ever won two straight World Cup games.

I was in Los Angeles to witness Canada, led by American coach Jesse Marsch, win a World Cup knockout game for the first time in that country’s history.

A couple of days later, in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mauricio Pochettino’s 10-man U.S. squad not only survived a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina but actually padded its lead on the way to a 2-0 win — just the second knockout victory in this country’s history, even if it came in the new round of 32.

Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for the World Cup co-hosts.

By the time you read this, it will have been more than two weeks since Pochettino’s team squandered an incredibly rare opportunity with 50 million in the U.S. watching live, getting embarrassed, 4-1, by Belgium, even after striker Folarin Balogun was controversially allowed to play by FIFA despite the red card he received against the Bosnians.

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It’s still difficult to understand how the home team, playing in front of another incredible crowd up in Seattle, was so unprepared for that game and so unable to find a way back when things started to go so horribly wrong, despite having the most decorated and handsomely paid coach it’s ever had. It was the largest margin of defeat the U.S. has suffered in a World Cup knockout match since 1934 and will probably remain so for decades.

Yet despite the ugly loss, the Americans surely won millions of new fans this summer.

For other countries, the World Cup continued.

I was fortunate enough to see England and Norway’s hard-fought quarterfinal in Miami, and while the battle between the sport’s two most lethal pure center forwards — Harry Kane and Erling Haaland — didn’t materialize, it was a treat to watch Jude Bellingham steal the show with both of the Three Lions’ goals in a 2-1, extra-time win.

That night, writing in a hotel lobby between bites of a Cuban sandwich, I was struck by England’s fans cheering for Switzerland as passionately as they had for their own team hours earlier.

They wanted no part of Lionel Messi and Argentina, one confirmed. That fear soon proved justified.

For me, the highlight of this World Cup came in England’s next match. Say what you will about Thomas Tuchel’s tactics after his Three Lions took a 1-0 lead over the defending champions, but watching La Albiceleste claw back two goals in the last five minutes, plus stoppage time, with the incomparable Messi setting up both, is not something I’ll ever forget. 

And not just because an Argentine journalist sitting to my right in the press box — where merely applauding politely is usually forbidden — removed his shirt and began swinging it around his head in celebration. On the streets of Atlanta afterward, one comically inebriated English fan challenged every Argentine he saw to a fistfight. Fortunately for him, all were too drunk on victory to oblige.

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Which takes us to Sunday’s grand finale.

If every World Cup tournament is special, the final is on another level still. While Sunday’s didn’t match the drama of the 2022 decider I saw in Lusail, Qatar on Dec. 18, 2022 (no, I didn’t have to look up the date), there’s always this cosmic energy surrounding the title bout. You know more than a billion people across the globe are tuned in, that history is being written in real time before your very eyes.

I can vividly recall where I watched every final since I caught the soccer bug as a kid. Getting to work the last two men’s versions in person is an immense privilege, an aspirational milestone everyone in this business works toward for years or sometimes decades before finally getting there — if they ever do. 

For someone raised in New York City, Sunday was the ultimate full-circle moment. 

In my early 20s, I covered MLS games across the parking lot at the old Giants Stadium. A decade before that, on a similarly sunny, sticky summer afternoon in 1994, I saw my first World Cup game in the same building, with my father. 

Soccer in mainstream America was a curiosity then. As these 39 days have proven, this is a soccer country now. Although I hope to cover more World Cups in the future, this one will be impossible to top.

That’s the magic of the World Cup. It’s the memories that make them great.

United States’ Best Moments 2026 FIFA World Cup™ 🇺🇸

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Source

It used to be the biggest rivalry game of the week, the month — maybe the entire season.

In 2026, Florida and Tennessee will be complete strangers.

Their once-a-year matchup that, back in the day, featured Steve Spurrier, Peyton Manning, Phil Fulmer and snark that sometimes even outweighed the stakes — “You can’t spell Citrus without ‘U-T'” — is absent from the schedule for the first time in 37 seasons.

Alabama-LSU — that’s gone too, for the first time since 1963.

The Gators and LSU — they’ll miss each other for the first time since 1970.

Such is the price of progress in the Southeastern Conference, which has grown from 10 teams in the old days to 16 now.

The league is introducing a nine-game league slate this season in an attempt to boost strength of schedule for what is now a playoff system that has a committee awarding seven at-large spots in the 12-team field.

“When you look at our schedule, no one has created the kind of weekly competition that exists in the Southeastern Conference,” commissioner Greg Sankey said.

The divisions that once made Florida-Tennessee such a big deal — winner had an inside track for the East, a spot in the conference title game and maybe the national championship — are gone, another product of expansion.

Under the new system, in place through 2029, each school will play three “annual” foes. Some of the SEC’s most ancient rivalries, like Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia and Auburn-Georgia, were preserved.

Others are now less-permanent affairs. Another oldie but goodie that’s missing this year, Georgia vs. Tennessee, first played in 1899 and became an annual event in 1992. The Volunteers got the best of the Bulldogs early, but Georgia has won nine in a row and 14 of the last 16 — a run that prompted a question to Georgia coach Kirby Smart on Tuesday about feeling like he has “one less win” on the schedule.

“You said that; not me,” Smart responded. “I got a lot of respect for Josh (Heupel) and their staff. I mean, they’re a tough prep. I’m glad other teams get an opportunity to do that, and then we get some new teams to play.”

Some new teams, yes. Some old rivalries will return, too.

For instance, Arkansas-Texas, a must-see game on the old Southwestern Conference schedule that produced the Game of the Century, attended by President Nixon in 1969, is an annual affair again. Two years ago, Missouri renewed acquaintance with Oklahoma, reupping a rivalry that meant a lot in the Big Eight for a time in the 1970s. And Texas-Texas A&M, the “Lone Star Shootout” and a game held every year between 1915 and 2011, will now be played annually.

Asked about rivalries being renewed and others that, in another effect of realignment, are changing dates — Missouri’s season-ending tradition against Arkansas has been moved to Week 8 — Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said: “I don’t worry about that. I know each and every game in the SEC is extremely difficult.”

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The SEC also mandated its teams play a 10th game against a Power Four opponent, which led Kansas and Missouri to renew their so-called “Border War” and created other early season matchups like Oklahoma-Michigan, Clemson-LSU, Ohio State-Texas, Auburn-Baylor, Arkansas-Utah and Arizona State-Texas.

SEC coaches believed moving to a nine-game league schedule would coincide with College Football Playoff expansion, which didn’t happen.

Now, they have tougher schedules, no increased access to the 12-team playoff and a few less rivalries.

“That’s what our conference looks like,” Oklahoma coach Brett Venables said. “Each and every week, you’re not going to sneak up on anybody.”

A brief look at the Tennessee-Florida series

The Tennessee-Florida rivalry decided the SEC East a dozen times between 1993 and 2009. Spurrier got under Fulmer’s skin with his “Citrus Bowl” comments. Manning, despite all his accolades, went 0-4 against the Gators. The importance of the rivalry diminished beginning in 2011, with both schools falling behind Georgia in the East.

A brief look at the Florida-LSU series

The Florida-LSU matchup has been filled with chaos, controversy and close games. Among the most memorable one: LSU upset No. 1 Florida in 1997, stormed the field and tore down goal posts; the top-ranked Tigers won another close one a decade later by converting five fourth-down plays; in 2020, unranked LSU stunned the sixth-ranked Gators in Gainesville on Cade York’s 57-yard field goal through heavy fog after cornerback Marco Wilson inexplicably threw an opponent’s shoe and kept alive the game-winning drive.

Related CFB Stories

A brief look at the LSU-Alabama series

Alabama and LSU played 12 times between 2008 and 2021 with one of them ranked first or second. It often had Western Division and national title implications. Few matchups outweigh the 2011 showdown in which top-ranked LSU knocked off No. 2 Alabama 9-6 in overtime. The Crimson Tide won the rematch in New Orleans two months later for the national championship.

Could current rivalries be affected beyond 2029?

The SEC has been adamant that each team’s annual opponents will be revisited and potentially realigned to maintain competitive balance before the 2030 season. Of course, by then, there’s no telling what the SEC or college football will look like.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Source

NEW YORK — Allow me to imagine a scenario for a moment. Indulge me with this fantasy. Months from now. Perhaps years. When the World Cup is long gone. I will be having coffee at my favorite spot in downtown Manhattan, a Puerto Rican establishment right by the historic Stone Street, paved in the late 1700s and one of the oldest streets of the city. 

I’ll sit down with Erling Haaland, Vozhinha, Jude Bellingham and Rodri and drink Mazapán lattes (look it up). Bad Bunny’s “Nuevayol” plays in the background, and so we listen. Sit. And then reminisce about the summer of 2026 and the World Cup that was. 

“Fellas,” I’ll say. “Let me ask all of you something.” 

And they will look up, put down the morning’s brew and listen to the following.

Do you remember Gio Reyna’s trivela against Paraguay? How it beautifully swerved from the outside of his foot, thus electrifying the entirety of America? 

Did Folarin Balogun’s story make you feel proud, not just as a fan of the game, but of what the game represents? Is John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” the anthem or should it be Alive, from my hero Eddie Vedder and my all-time favorite band, Pearl Jam?

Was Raúl Jiménez’s first World Cup goal months after the death of his father a piece of poetry that made you sink to the ground with emotion? Did Julián Quiñones’s story — a Colombian-born player turned into one of Mexico’s brightest stars – become a blueprint for the fact that identity is more than just a birth certificate? 

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Or Canada’s Stephen Eustáquio, also dealing with the heartache of losing both parents (something I sadly know too well), did his winner against South Africa in the Round of 32 shake you to your very core? 

Or how about Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, at 18 years old, how is it possible that he created that level of midfield magic against the Brazilians? Or anyone? Did you feel slightly Congolese when Yoanne Wissa scored the nation’s first ever World Cup goal in that draw against Portugal? 

Did you hear the Azteca from wherever you were in the continent? Did you feel the intensity of its people as the anthem and “Cielito Lindo” played through millions of Mexican voices? How good is 17-year-old Gilberto Mora? No, really. Aren’t you inspired by his journey and what may come? Could he maybe join you in Madrid one day, Jude?

Also, Jude? How did it feel to sing Wonderwall in the altitudes of Mexico City or listen to your country serenade you with a song so iconic such as “Hey Jude,” that it now has two meanings because of your name, do you realize how much you’re loved? Did England’s incredible victory against El Tri become the ultimate display of sacrifice, will and guts?

Speaking of love, is there a better word than can describe the Tartan Army’s relationship with their Scottish team? Or Boston? Or Miami? Or anywhere in America?

(Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) –>

Why can’t I go to sleep without thinking about Amad Diallo’s historic goal for his Ivory Coast or Julián Álvarez’s majestic winner against Switzerland? Why do I not care if Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup meant it or not? Or if I can’t stop analyzing the illustrious creativity of the genius Michael Olise? 

Is there a better highlight to show young players than Cucho Hernandez’s relentless fight to win the ball from Uzbekistan’s Jakhongir Urozov near the corner flag, recovering it and then placing a pinpoint assist for Jaminton Campaz? 

Is there a better show of strength and will than the Netherlands’ Brian Brobbey? Can we keep playing on loop the persistence and dynamic ability of the Swiss Johan Manzambi? 

Do I need to reflect more on Lionel Messi’s emotions after the final, or can I just remember everything else before? Can I save his magic, including Argentina’s first goal of the World Cup, which was against Algeria? And by the end, it became a historic hat-trick?

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Is Golden Boot winner and all-time leader Kylian Mbappé real or is this a simulation? Which goal can I select that will make me think he perhaps isn’t mortal? His stoppage-time winner against Senegal, which made him France’s all-time scorer? Or the history breaker against England in the third-place playoff? 

Speaking of that match, Jude – my goodness? Have you recovered? Was your goal so good it took a piece of you? 

Back to you Erling. Do you realize that your goals, especially the one against Brazil, ignited a nation towards a global Viking row? Is your social media presence tired of generating more and more fans? 

Do you realize the commotion and excitement that you created for millions of people and turned them into Haaland disciples? Does your partner, Isabel, approve of your “Whiskey Raccoon” holding an empty liquor bottle that you brought back home and will she let you keep it in the house or will she make you put it in the basement? 

Also, did you know Erling — that in my Peru, nearly 500 Peruvian babies who were born this summer now have your name? Now that’s DEDICATION. That’s impact.

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When you stop sipping on your latte, Erling, as a striker, can you explain to me how Haiti’s Wilson Isidor was able to produce that kind of power with his goal against Morocco? Or the piece of art that was Cape Verde’s Sidny Lopes Cabral against Argentina? Does anyone realize that the latter essentially broke the internet? It made us all believe in something bigger than ourselves, right?

How about those incredible comebacks? From Belgium’s over Senegal or Gabriel Martinelli’s winner against Japan? Did you feel alive with Ecuador’s historic win over Germany? Or Paraguay’s? 

How about Curaçao’s Eloy Room? Did his 15 saves against the aforementioned Ecuador suddenly create a window for him and his beautiful island to be globally recognized? Wasn’t it just a thing of beauty to see so much resilience?

(Photo by Marcel Bonte/Soccrates/Getty Images) –>

Speaking of resilience. Hey Vozinha? Do you want another coffee? By the way, how is your life now? No, really? Do you understand that your heroics, your insane performances and those of your teammates at this World Cup impacted so many of us? Are you wishing you went back to normalcy? Perhaps, part of you does? 

Or are you taking it all in? Is it okay for me to tell you that what you did, for me and millions of us, absolutely became a reminder of why we love this game of ours in the first place? Are you okay with the fact that your life will never be the same again? Is it fine for me to tell you that we are so grateful for what you and the Blue Sharks did? Is there a perfect way to express the fact that your national team became the muse, the proverbial star of this World Cup? 

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Do you also remind Rodri, the World Cup champion sitting next you, that he may have won this whole thing but La Roja never went past you? Do you cheekily remind him of that?

Speaking of Spain, Rodri, what makes this team so special? Why should the rest of the footballing world admire not just the way you play football but the way you treat others and the game—do you think about your impact? How does it feel to know that you are the ultimate general of an army that wonders us all with possession and intoxicates you with the relentless pursuit of getting it back? Do you contemplate another way, or is this the only way to live? Is this the way we should all see the game? 

(Photo by Maja Hitij – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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What was Pau Cubarsí born with that makes him such a giant, despite only being 19? Speaking of that generation, is Lamine Yamal okay with the fact that his three-year-old brother Keyne is the actual hero? Can we remember the words you said of Ferran Torres, how he was so unappreciated by so many Spanish fans but in the end, his winner ended up deeply embedded in history? Can we put that in our photo album? 

Lastly, fellas. Is there a perfect, singular way to describe what we witnessed this summer? Or is it really just a mosaic of reflections? An island of treasures? Or should we just use a Pearl Jam lyric here and simply say, “Hail, Hail the lucky ones, I refer to those in love yeah…”

Because quite simply, World Cup moments. I want you to know: we all fell in love with you.

Don’t worry, boys. I’ll get the check.

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Source

Baseball players proposed expanding eligibility for the amateur draft rather than decreasing it, maintaining 20 rounds of selections and moving it back to June in another proposal indicating the sport is heading to a labor confrontation this offseason.

During a two-hour bargaining session Tuesday at Major League Baseball’s headquarters, the union proposed allowing college sophomores to be eligible for the draft along with those finishing their junior years, who are eligible for the draft under the current rules along with high school seniors.

MLB said last month it wanted to eliminate eligibility for high school seniors and junior college players, arguing college programs offer better preparation for professional careers. MLB also proposed cutting the draft to 12 rounds in 2027.

The union also wants to increase signing bonuses, maintain the ability to negotiate deals rather than have fixed slots, reduce penalties for exceeding signing bonus pools, allow more draft selections to be traded and keep competitive balance round selections. It would increase signing bonus pools for lower-revenue teams and those that reach the postseason.

Baseball’s five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1 and a management lockout is expected that would halt offseason trades and signings, and threaten the start of spring training workouts on Feb. 9 and opening day on March 24.

MLB in May proposed a salary cap for the first time since players fought off a proposal during a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that led to the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years. Players vow never to accept a cap.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Source

When we look back at the 2026 World Cup decades from now, what will we remember most?

There will be plenty.

Spain’s triumph over defending champion Argentina. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland’s race for the Golden Boot. Scotland’s Tartan Army drinking Boston dry. Norway’s supporters introducing the world to the Viking Row.

We’ll remember that this was the biggest World Cup ever — the first with 48 teams — and how, for 39 glorious days, the tournament captivated billions around the globe. We’ll remember that, even though the U.S. men’s national team fell short of the deeper run many envisioned, it reignited interest in soccer in America. The full impact of this group won’t be known for years, but in time we’ll see how it inspired the next generation of players and fans.

There are countless storylines that will define this summer, and we could talk about them forever. But one that resonated most was the way smaller nations seized the moment and put on some of the most special performances.

Cape Verde keeper Vozinha became a World Cup folk hero. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) –>

There was skepticism when FIFA expanded the field from 32 to 48 teams. Critics wondered if those teams would dilute the quality of play and whether fans would tune in for those games. Turns out, this gave the World Cup some fresh energy. New countries introduced us to their cultures, their stars and memorable moments.

Sure, the biggest blowout of the tournament was when Germany crushed debutant Curaçao 7-1 in their group stage opener. But this experience was monumental for Curaçao, the tiniest nation at this World Cup. The island’s population is around 158,000 and has a total land mass of 171 square miles, which is seven times smaller than Rhode Island. They’re a soccer-loving country and thousands of fans were at this match against the four-time World Cup champs.

Germany took a 1-0 lead six minutes in, but in the 21st, Curaçao midfielder Livano Comenencia made history by scoring his nation’s first-ever World Cup goal. And for the next 17 minutes, the game was tied.

“We fought so hard to be here,” Comenencia said after the match. “It’s just beautiful my dream actually came true.”

Curaçao’s first and only World Cup goal will be remembered for generations. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) –>

Then there was the game goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 spectacular saves to lead Curaçao to a 1-1 draw against Ecuador and secure their first-ever point in the tournament. Room’s performance was legendary and goes down as the second-most saves in a single World Cup game behind Tim Howard’s 16 against Belgium in 2014.

Telling the story of Curacao’s journey to the World Cup was one of my all-time favorite pieces as part of our coverage. It was fascinating to learn that the entire team except for one player was born in the Netherlands, and how each of them made a conscious decision to build something in their homeland. The work paid off, and they’ve inspired future generations to keep it going.

Curaçao’s Eloy Room Makes 15 Saves vs Ecuador, Second Most Ever For Single Game In FIFA World Cup™

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There was also Cape Verde’s remarkable and improbable run in its first World Cup. While on the way to a USA training in Seattle, my Uber driver told me he was from Cameroon and had never even heard of Cape Verde. By now, of course, everyone has.

Cape Verde tied all three of their group stage matches, including holding eventual champion Spain to a scoreless draw. Goalkeeper Vozinha became an instant folk hero, making seven heroic saves in that game. The Blue Sharks were the only team that La Roja did not beat.

Later on during the round of 32 match against Argentina — because yes, Cape Verde made it to the knockout stage in their first-ever World Cup — Vozinha was magnificent again. He repeatedly denied some of the world’s greatest players, including Messi. And when Sidney Lopes Cabral scored a stunning equalizer in extra time, the cameras cut to a section of their supporters who were all losing their minds.

Lionel Messi vs Vozinha ⭐️ EPIC FIFA WORLD CUP™ Classic Showdown

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Check out Lionel Messi and Vozinha going toe-to-toe in a FIFA WORLD CUP™ Classic in the Round of 32.

For a few minutes, it felt like things were heading towards a penalty shootout until an own goal gave Argentina the 3-2 victory.

The entire team was a joy to watch and Vozinha in particular — who, by the way, is 40 years old and saw a surge of some 20 million followers on social media — reportedly swapped jerseys with Messi afterward.

Curaçao and Cape Verde made the most headlines, but other nations left their mark, too. DR Congo tied Portugal in its opener and made England nervous in the round of 32. Egypt advanced to the round of 16 by upsetting Australia on penalties before pushing Argentina to the brink in a 3-2 loss. Paraguay beat Germany in a penalty shootout in what was considered one of the biggest upsets in the knockout stage, before narrowly losing 1-0 to France in the round of 16. 

And so while we’ll think of Spain winning its second-ever World Cup title and maybe seeing Messi on this stage for the last time, we’ll also remember the countries who made significant strides and delivered unforgettable performances. 

Spain vs Argentina 2026 FIFA World Cup™ Final Mini-Movie 🇪🇸🇦🇷

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Source

The 2026 College Football Playoff will once again feature 12 teams. 

Just like in 2025, the four highest-ranked conference champions will receive the top four seeds and earn first-round byes. The remaining playoff teams will then be seeded based on the CFP rankings, regardless of whether they won their conference.

The final automatic bid (usually the 12th seed) will go to the highest-ranked team from one of the Group of 6 conferences (American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, or Sun Belt), regardless of whether it won its conference championship.

As we all anxiously wait for the start of the season, let’s take a look at the odds to make the College Football Playoff as of July 21 on DraftKings Sportsbook. 

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.

Coming off a national title, Indiana has the third-best odds to make the CFP (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images). 

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To Make 2026 College Football Playoff 

Notre Dame: -800 (bet $10 to win $11.25 total)
Ohio State: -360 (bet $10 to win $12.78 total)
Indiana: -350 (bet $10 to win $12.86 total)
Oregon: -320 (bet $10 to win $13.13 total)
Miami: -250 (bet $10 to win $14 total)
Georgia: -240 (bet $10 to win $14.17 total)
Texas Tech: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
Texas: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
Texas A&M: +154 (bet $10 to win $25.40 total)
Alabama: +154 (bet $10 to win $25.40 total)
LSU: +160 (bet $10 to win $26 total)
Oklahoma: +210 (bet $10 to win $31 total)
Ole Miss: +220 (bet $10 to win $32 total)
USC: +240 (bet $10 to win $34 total)
Michigan: +250 (bet $10 to win $35 total)

Ohio State is -360 to make the 2026 College Football Playoff (CFP/Getty Images).

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What to know: After controversially being the last team left out of the 2025 Playoff, Notre Dame is heavily favored heading into the 2026 season. Last year, the Fighting Irish opened their season with two heartbreaking losses against CFP teams in Miami (27-24) and Texas A&M (41-40). After that 0-2 start, Notre Dame rattled off 10 straight wins, outscoring opponents 440-143 in that span. Outside ND’s Nov. 7 clash with Miami, the Fighting Irish are presumed to have a relatively easy schedule in 2026, and their -800 odds to make the CFP reflect that. 

Next on the oddsboard is a trio of Big Ten powerhouses in Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. The Buckeyes have made the CFP in three of the last four years, while the defending champion Hoosiers have made the expanded Playoff in both years under Curt Cignetti. Like Indiana, Oregon has made the Playoff in the last two seasons, losing to the eventual national champion in both years. In 2024, the Ducks were the 1-seed before falling to the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, in 2025, Oregon fell to Indiana in the semifinals. 

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The countdown is over. NFL training camp has arrived. Every team is 0-0 so there’s hope in each city that this season ends with a championship parade.

Bryce Young and the defending NFC South champion Carolina Panthers report Wednesday. So do the Arizona Cardinals, led by rookie head coach Mike LaFleur. The teams will meet in the Hall of Fame Game that kicks off the preseason on Aug. 6.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots open camp on Friday. They’ll face off in a Super Bowl rematch that opens the regular season on Sept. 9.

Many teams have plenty of questions to answer before Week 1. It’s a long road to Los Angeles, which hosts Super Bowl 61 on Feb. 14. Valentine’s Day will be the latest date the game will have been played.

That just means more football. Ten teams have new coaches. Some have new quarterbacks. A few superstars have changed teams.

Training Camp Starts

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers report to camp on Saturday, making it six teams in before the end of this week. The NFC West rivals will play the first regular-season game in Australia on Sept. 10. The remaining 26 teams are due in next Tuesday.

The Head Coaches In New Places

John Harbaugh joined the New York Giants after he was fired by Baltimore following 18 seasons. He has Jaxson Dart and some talented players to build around.

Two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski took over in Atlanta after six seasons in Cleveland. He inherits a team that has plenty of playmakers on offense, including All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. They have to figure whether Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. will be the quarterback.

Robert Saleh is the new man in charge in Tennessee. The Titans are coming off consecutive 3-14 seasons but Saleh already has a franchise QB in Cam Ward and he brought in Brian Daboll to develop him and run the offense.

Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers are reunited in Pittsburgh. They won a Super Bowl together in Green Bay and aim to get the Steelers at least their first playoff win since January 2017.

The other six new head coaches are first-timers. LaFleur has a tough task in Arizona. Klint Kubiak helped Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl in Seattle and hopes to rebuild the Las Vegas Raiders. Jeff Hafley went from running Green Bay’s defense to leading the Miami Dolphins. Joe Brady replaced Sean McDermott in Buffalo after the Bills kept falling short in the playoffs.

Todd Monken replaced Stefanski in Cleveland and Jesse Minter is Baltimore’s new coach.

The Quarterback Carousel Turns Again

Tagovailoa has a chance to revive his career with Stefanski in Atlanta after a disappointing end in Miami. Kyler Murray left Arizona for Minnesota, where the Vikings hope he can stay healthy and regain his Pro Bowl form.

Kirk Cousins is the stopgap for the Raiders, who drafted Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick. Malik Willis parlayed three solid starts in two seasons with the Packers into a $67.5 million contract with the Dolphins that includes $45 million fully guaranteed.

Geno Smith returned to the Jets. Justin Fields is the new backup for Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. Kenny Pickett is Carolina’s new No. 2, veteran Andy Dalton joined Philadelphia to play behind Jalen Hurts and Gardner Minshew went to the Cardinals.

Quarterback Competitions In Several Cities

Tagovailoa and Penix will compete in Atlanta. Cousins is expected to start in Las Vegas but Mendoza could end up starting sooner than later. Murray has to beat out J.J. McCarthy, who was the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2024.

The most interesting battle will be for the Browns’ starting job. Deshaun Watson is back after missing 2025 to compete with Shedeur Sanders.

The Other Top Storylines

Will Baker Mayfield get a contract extension from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Mayfield is in the final season of a three-year, $100 million deal. He’s expected to get around $55 million per season and another three-year deal makes sense.

Will Aaron Donald come out of retirement to join two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in Los Angeles? The Rams acquired the five-time All-Pro from the Browns and bolstered their secondary by adding cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Donald, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, is 35 and hasn’t played since retiring after the 2023 season.

Joint Practices

More teams choose to use practices against other opponents to prepare their quarterbacks and key starters for the regular season instead of preseason games.

Only the Lions, Chiefs, Broncos and Steelers are not participating in any joint sessions.

When Are The Roster Cuts?

Teams can carry a maximum of 90 players throughout training camp and for all of their preseason games. Rosters must be trimmed to 53 by 6 p.m. EDT on Aug. 30.

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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Luka Modric is preparing to sign a new one-year contract extension with AC Milan and will officially retire from international duty with Croatia this October. The midfielder wants to dedicate his final season entirely to the Italian giants, aiming for a successful swansong after missing out on Champions League football and suffering World Cup heartbreak.

Modric commits to AC Milan

According to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport, everything is in place for Modric to sign a new deal at AC Milan. The midfielder is currently on holiday but has given clear signals to the club hierarchy that he intends to stay for the upcoming campaign.

This extension will keep Modric tied to the club for another year. Modric, now 40, will soon travel to Australia to join his team-mates for their pre-season tour as they prepare for the new season under manager Ruben Amorim. AC Milan have been eagerly waiting to finalise the paperwork, with an official announcement expected in the coming days.

Stepping away from Croatia duty

While securing his club future, Modric has also made a definitive choice regarding his international career. He has informed Croatia manager Slaven Bilic that he will step down from national team duties in early October.

His final appearance for his country will take place on October 6 when Croatia face Spain in a Nations League fixture in Split. After suffering a disappointing exit at the World Cup against Portugal in the round of 32, Modric wishes to close this chapter. By walking away from the international stage, Modric hopes to preserve his energy and fully focus on bringing a trophy to AC Milan.

A historic career in numbers

Modric boasts an incredible trophy cabinet that includes six Champions League titles, four Spanish league titles, and five UEFA Super Cups during his time with Real Madrid. Modric also won the Ballon d’Or and the Best FIFA Men’s Player awards in 2018. Before joining AC Milan on a free transfer in 2025, his career saw significant transfer moves.

Tottenham Hotspur signed him from Dinamo Zagreb for €22.5 million in 2008, and he later moved to Real Madrid for a massive €35m fee in 2012. Modric also claimed three Croatian championships earlier in his career, cementing his legacy as a generational talent.

What comes next for AC Milan?

Modric will now focus entirely on his physical preparation as he prepares to link up with the rest of the squad in Australia. AC Milan have a packed pre-season schedule ahead, giving Amorim vital time to assess his tactical setup. Once the tour concludes, Modric and his teammates will prioritise securing a strong start in domestic competitions.

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Emi Martinez has hinted he could bring his Argentina career to an end after the Albiceleste lost the World Cup final to Spain. The Aston Villa goalkeeper admitted his heartbreak in an emotional message, leaving his international future uncertain.

Heartbreak after World Cup defeat

Martinez has suggested he could retire from international football after Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final in New Jersey. The Aston Villa goalkeeper was visibly emotional after the final whistle as Argentina missed out on retaining the trophy they won in Qatar four years ago. Martinez later addressed the defeat publicly for the first time, raising fresh doubts over his future with the national team.

Emotional message sparks uncertainty

Martinez admitted the defeat had left him devastated as he reflected on Argentina’s failed title defence and his future with the national team. He wrote on Instagram: “I dreamed that we won it back, I dreamed of bringing it to Argentina and making history once again. The truth is pain is difficult to explain, it remains to reflect on many things and see how it moves forward and if it’s time to take a step aside. I’m so sorry, really tried my best to help my country and my fellow countrymen.”

Heroics not enough for Argentina

Despite the defeat, Martinez earned praise for his performance in the final after producing a series of important saves to keep Argentina in the contest. However, he could do nothing to prevent Ferran Torres from scoring the extra-time winner that ended Albiceleste’s hopes of winning consecutive World Cups.

Retirement decision now awaits

Following Argentina’s defeat to Spain, Martinez now faces a difficult decision as he considers whether to end his international career and focus on his club career. Meanwhile, at club level, the 33-year-old goalkeeper is still under contract at Aston Villa until 2029, but several reports claim that he could leave Villa Park this summer.

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