Northern Ireland's Kate O'Connor is three events away from a first Commonwealth Games gold medal as she leads the heptathlon after the opening four events in Glasgow.
In the absence of Katarina Johnson-Thompson, England's Jade O'Dowda is in second place, 55 points down on O'Connor, as rain hammered Scotstoun Stadium for the evening session.
Australia's Mia Scerri is a distant third but England's Niamh Emerson is in medal contention in fourth place.
The heptathlon concludes on Wednesday with the long jump, javelin and 800m.
O'Connor finished second in Birmingham in 2022 behind Johnson-Thompson, who pulled out of the Commonwealths on the eve of the Games, but is now in a strong position heading into the second day of competition.

#o 'connor #games #johnson #thompson

Team Northern Ireland's Kate O'Connor leads the women's heptathlon after two events at Scotstoun Stadium.
O'Connor registered 2047 points, while fellow Team NI athlete Anna McCauley sits sixth on 1912.
McCauley set a new personal best of 13.70 seconds in the 100m hurdles and finished first in her heat before O'Connor finished third with a time of 13.54.
The World Outdoor silver medallist then produced a season's best jump of 1.82m in the high jump, while McCauley cleared 1.73m.
England's Jade O'Dowda is currently four points behind O'Connor in second with New Zealand's Maddie Wilson occupying third.

#finished

As Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers look to reload their passing attack, all eyes are on marquee addition Mike Evans. While Shanahan's offense has long been hailed as one of the NFL's premier schemes, the turnover in last season's receiving corps left a distinct void on the perimeter.
Last year, San Francisco pieced together a receiver room centered around Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, Demarcus Robinson, and Ricky Pearsall. While that group offered versatility and grit through a grinding campaign, the offense frequently lacked a true boundary "X" receiver capable of consistently winning pure, unassisted one-on-one battles outside the numbers.
That is precisely where Evans changes the equation.
According to data from Sumner Sports cited by Athlon Sports' Doug Farrar, Evans has been the league's gold standard for isolation efficiency when healthy. Over the past two seasons, Evans generated an Expected Points Added (EPA) per play of +0.379 on isolation targets—the highest mark of any receiver in the NFL with at least 50 such targets. Across 180 isolation routes, he pulled in 328 yards and six touchdowns on 50 targets, boasting a remarkable 62.0% catch rate in true one-on-one scenarios.
For quarterback Brock Purdy, adding a legendary perimeter threat like Evans provides an entirely new dimension. Shanahan's system relies heavily on motion, scheme-created ****** e, and intermediate rhythm throws. But when opposing defenses load the box to stifle the run or drop safety help inside to blanket crossers, Evans becomes the ultimate counterpunch.

#targets #last #offense

Jacksonville's Garrett Scantling captured the decathlon at the USA Track & Field Toyota Outdoor Championships, returning to the top of the grueling 10-event test of all-around athletic prowess for the first time in four years.
Scantling, a graduate of Episcopal High School (now Episcopal School of Jacksonville), recorded 8,526 total points over two days of competition at Icahn Stadium in New York.
He finished 95 clear of runner-up Kyle Garland, the world bronze medalist in 2025. Hakim McMorris came in third, 214 behind Scantling.
Consistency made the difference for Scantling, who placed sixth or higher in the first nine events, including first-place finishes in the long jump, shot put, 110-meter hurdles and javelin throw. Despite losing some ground in the final laps of the deciding 1,500-meter run, traditionally his weakest event, Scantling still found enough in the tank to run a ninth-place 4:43.78 and preserve his overall position atop the standings.
The July 24 triumph for Scantling, now 33, marks a milestone in his comeback to the sport.

#first #garrett #track #field

Jeff Monken heads into Army football preseason camp feeling pretty good.
"I like our team,'' he said during a Friday press conference at the American Conference football media days in St. Petersburg, Florida. "We've got some positions where certainly we have more experience than others. We've got a relatively inexperienced defense, but that's college football, and at Army we can't sign them to a new contract … we do have graduation. We lost some good players to graduation but really excited about the guys we have coming back.''
Though the American did not produce a preseason poll, nor a preseason all-star team, the Black Knights have been well-represented on the preseason lists produced by national college football magazines, garnering nine selections from Athlon Magazine and 10 from Phil Steele Magazine. As for polls, Steele has Army finishing fifth, Athlon and Lindy's Magazine has Army in fourth and The Sporting News has Army seventh.
Army opens preseason practice on Aug. 5, four weeks ahead of the Sept. 5 opener with visiting Bryant. Monken heads into his 13th season at West Point, coming off a 7-6 campaign, a 4-4 mark in the American and a Fenway Bowl win over Connecticut.
More: College football TV, radio, web schedules for 2026

#preseason #american #we 've #athlon

IRONMAN Jacksonville will return May 16, 2027, organizers announced, with general registration set to open Aug. 6.
The announcement, branded "Jump Into The Next Chapter," promotes an "evolving bike course."
The race marks the second edition of the triathlon, which made its debut in the River City in May 2026 and drew nearly 2,000 athletes from more than 39 countries for a course consisting of a 2.4-mile swim in the St. Johns River, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon.
The inaugural race drew international attention and enthusiasm from participants. One competitor had completed more than 200 Ironman races across the globe, while another, a Kansas City retiree, said she came out of retirement specifically for the Jacksonville race.
The crowd's energy along the course was frequently cited by athletes as a highlight of the day.

#mile #ironman #jacksonville #city

"I'm just a Jack of all trades," jokes Lucy Woodward as she trains at Jersey's athletics track for the final time before the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The 23-year-old is set to make history in Glasgow as the first woman from Jersey to compete in a multi-event discipline in the heptathlon later this week.
She is part of a five-strong athletics team from Jersey which sees decathlete Evan Campbell joined by sprinters Zach Saunders, Steve MacKay and Jamie Oldham.
"I don't have any standout events, I always thought if I was good enough at something it might be an easier life to specialise," she tells BBC Jersey at the FB Fields athletics track where she first started multi-eventing aged 10.
"I just think the training is so diverse, every day is different. I like that you can have one bad event and then you can make up for it and it's the most interesting event if you ask me."

#athletics #multi

Preseason PAC-12 honors are rolling in for Fresno State Football as the Bulldogs are now just weeks away from the opening of Fall Camp.
Athlon Sports released its 2026 All-PAC12 teams, highlighted by 16 selections from Fresno State.
Senior star cornerback Simeon Harris leading the way for first-team selections.
The All-Mountain West honorable mention led the conference in interceptions, helping to revamp the Bulldog defense along with fellow first-teamer defensive lineman Deijon Laffitee.
Sophomore Left Tackle and Buchanan grad Brayden Walton also snagging first team honors, helping to anchor Coach Entz's rushing attack, which gained its most yards on the ground since 2018.

The Eagles announced the news via a post on their official club website earlier today.
The 24-year-old American forward joined Crystal Palace from SSE Airtricity League Women’s Premier Division club Athlone Town in the January transfer window. She initially signed an 18-month deal at Selhurst Park. Brady helped Crystal Palace to win automatic promotion back to the Barclays Women’s Super League, however, she is now moving on to a new challenge.
Brady made two appearances for Crystal Palace in the second half of last season. She came off the bench to make her debut in a 4-0 victory over Durham in January before playing the final minutes of The Eagles’ season-defining fixture against Portsmouth on the final day. Crystal Palace won that match 6-1 as they made a last-minute dash into the second automatic promotion position.
Brady’s next career move is not yet known. The player regularly found the back of the net during her college career in the United States while she was in prolific goalscoring form as she started her senior career in the Republic of Ireland with Athlone Town. The forward is a talent and she has an exciting career ahead of her.

Jul. 14—Plenty of Illinois athletes didn't generate many headlines or social media interaction during the past 12 months, but they still racked up accomplishments in their respective fields (and oftentimes in the classroom, too). Beat writer Scott Richey spotlights 10 Illini who deserved more pub from the 2025-26 school year:
Miyoshi got it done on the court and in the classroom. The Illini senior secured his 100th career singles win in the second round of the NCAA tournament and ended the year ranked as the No. 17 singles player in the country. Off the court, the Tokyo native was Illinois' Big Ten Medal of Honor winner, earned Second Team Academic All-American status and claimed the Midwest Region's Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award.
Schaefbauer made it a clean sweep for Illinois tennis as the university's other Big Ten Medal of Honor winner. Schaefbauer progressed from the Illini's No. 6 singles player after transferring from South Carolina to playing No. 1 singles exclusively her junior and senior year. The political science major was just as proficient in the classroom and earned her third straight CSC Academic All-District and third straight ITA Scholar-Athlete honor this year.
Luuk Pelkmans' standout freshman season did outshine his fellow Dutch multi-event star to some degree. But de Greef did put up a third-place finish in the heptathlon at the NCAA indoor championships and followed that up by qualifying for the decathlon in the NCAA outdoor championships. De Greef held the Illinois decathlon record briefly before Pelkmans took it after de Greef scored 8,039 points at the Illini Deca-Jam on April 10-11 at Demirjian Park.
Cho's 4.0 GPA in interdisciplinary health sciences helped her share Illinois' Outstanding Scholar-Athlete award for the sophomore class with Kylie Eaton (women's golf) and Ava Moore (softball). Something she accomplished while also leading the Illini women's gymnastics team. Cho was ranked as high as No. 2 on the uneven bars and No. 3 in the all-around on the national level during the 2026 season.

The first wave of preseason bowl projections is beginning to paint a picture of how national outlets view Clemson football entering the 2026 season, and the outlook isn't especially optimistic.
After a 7-6 finish a year ago, the Tigers are facing more questions than they've had in quite some time. Dabo Swinney spent the offseason trying to spark a turnaround by reshaping parts of his coaching staff, including bringing back former offensive coordinator Chad Morris, while also replacing a large group of players who moved on to the NFL.
Athlon Sports believes Clemson will improve enough to earn a postseason trip, but not enough to seriously challenge for the ACC championship or a College Football Playoff berth.
The publication has the Tigers matched up with Washington in the Holiday Bowl, a game Clemson has never played in. If that prediction becomes reality, it would also mark the first meeting between the two schools.
Athlon's conference forecast is just as telling. The Tigers are picked to finish fourth in the ACC, behind the league's top contenders and outside the championship game.

It’s Monday, and we have made it to Mountain West Media Days week! Take a look at all our content coming out this week. As always, check out our original coverage and what we can find on the World Wide Web below.
Obviously, it’s too early for bowl projections, but Athlon released them to gear up for the season. The new FBS team NDSU is slated to compete in the Potato Bowl, while UNLV will be in the Armed Forces Bowl. Utah State competes in the Frisco Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl will see the Lobos and Washington State Cougars face off against one another. Hawaii is in the Hawaii Bowl and Fresno State is in the First Responder Bowl. Then, the Air Force is going to Arizona, and San Diego State will play in the new Poinsettia Bowl. If that all wasn’t enough, they place Boise State in the CFP,
College Football Network looks at the Aztecs in this preview post, as they aspire to win the Pac-12 this season. On offense, they are leaning on a heavy dose of the run game, and to great effect. Plus, they return their starting quarterback and top wide receivers, but the passing attack will need to find a way to be more effective, and the OL will need to take steps forward to help that. Over on defense, the strength is the interior defensive line and the veteran safeties in the back. They will need to replace most of the tacklers from last year and get better at stopping the run. CFN thinks that San Diego State will end up in the neighborhood of 7 wins, which is a bit disappointing after last year’s campaign.
The Aggies are seeing big jumps in their ticket sales, with their MBB already surpassing last year’s season ticket totals. They have also seen an increase in donations and corporate sponsorships, meaning the money is coming in at an all-time high for Utah State athletics. In the past fiscal year, they’ve actually increased their reported revenue from $55.8 to $75.4 million, and that 35.3% growth is the third-highest increase in the Pac-12. However, that doesn’t mean they are a major financial player in the conference, according to their AD. But they are keeping up, which is important.
Today: A new Recruiting Roundup featuring July Mountain West Recruiting Rankings.

"Freestyle Biomechanics: The Science Behind The Strokes," a book by former University of Hawaii swimming coach Jan Prins, is now available via Amazon.
The book focuses on freestyle, but also touches on "the three other competitive strokes," said Prins, who earned a doctorate in kinesiology at Indiana in 1978 and still teaches at UH. "(It) covers … every freestyle movement from stroke pattern, body position, flutter kick, hand entry to recovery and much more."
It is the culmination of nearly 50 years of coaching, presentations, research and video workshops Prins has conducted for competitive swimmers and coaches.
"It will become a continuous shelf reference for all swimmers, especially triathletes and adults," said Garry Rodrigues, swim consultant to USA Triathlon for the 2028 Olympics.

LAKE PLACID — On July 19, the Experience Oman Ironman Pro Series returns to the Adirondacks as nearly 80 of the world's top professional triathletes converge to compete in the 27th edition of the Athletic Brewing Ironman Lake Placid triathlon.
The event will offer a maximum of 5,000 points toward the Experience Oman Ironman Pro Series standings, a $125,000 professional prize and critical momentum as athletes continue their pursuit of series points and qualification to the 2026 Ironman World Championship race in Kona, Hawaii, with four slots per gender on offer.
The race will be broadcast live, free for all international audiences, across Ironman YouTube, Ironman.com/proseries and DAZN, with additional regional live broadcast and highlight shows also available on L'Équipe Live in France; ESPN; within Disney+; SuperSport; hr-Fernsehen; RTVE; iQIYI; and Outside TV.
Broadcast and streaming information can be found at Ironman.com/proseries/how-to-watch.
WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL FIELD

Tadej Pogacar took a big step towards winning the Tour de France for a record-equalling fifth time with a dominant victory on stage six, regaining the leader's yellow jersey.
The defending champion established a lead with ease on the iconic Col du Tourmalet during the first 186.2km mountain stage of the three-week race.
Pogacar, 27, is aiming to become the joint-most successful rider in the Tour's history, alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Between launching his attack five kilometres from the top of the Tourmalet to the summit of the climb, UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Pogacar gained 30 seconds over his main rival Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark - and a devastating one minute 45 seconds over Belgium's Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and young French hope Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM.
Pogacar eventually crossed the line of the stage from Pau to Gavarnie-Gedre two minutes 38 seconds ahead of Visma-Lease a Bike's Vingegaard, with Pogacar's team-mate and chosen lead domestique Isaac del Toro of Mexico a further 19 seconds down, along with Evenepoel and Seixas.

Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee will compete at a Diamond League event for the first time in seven years when he races over 5,000m in Monaco on Friday, live on the BBC.
Since delivering one of the standout moments of the Paris 2024 Games, Yee has experimented with marathon running - making his debut in London last year before running what was then the second-fastest time by a Briton in history in Valencia.
The 28-year-old has begun his transition back to triathlon this year, but remains keen to take himself out of his comfort zone when the opportunity arises.
"I think we've always seen this kind of template of how we should look to prepare for an Olympic Games. I'm trying to look in slightly different avenues to be able to unlock new performances," Yee told BBC Sport.
"For me, an important thing throughout this all is just learning, being able to take in these opportunities, and come out the other side as a better athlete overall."

Dutch rider Olav Kooij won the fifth stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish on Wednesday, while Norwegian rider Torstein Traeen kept the yellow jersey on a day when the peloton largely took it easy.
Tour contender Jonas Vingegaard, however, finished on teammate Victor Campenaerts' bike after a late crash in the peloton, which included defending champion Tadej Pogacar.
Kooij, meanwhile, was put in a strong position to attack by his Decathlon CMA CGM teammates and held off German Max Kanter and Belgian Tim Merlier in a dash to the line. They all finished in just under three and a half hours.
“After a couple of hard days here, I had to wait for this day to get (a) first chance to sprint in the Tour and to immediately win is unbelievable,” the 24-year-old Kooij said.
“It was quite an easy day until the final (moments), when you know it will be hectic. Everyone is still really eager and I just managed to find my way.”

PAU, France (AP) — Dutch rider Olav Kooij won the fifth stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish on Wednesday, while Norwegian rider Torstein Traeen kept the yellow jersey on a day when the peloton largely took it easy.
Kooij was put in a strong position to attack by his Decathlon CMA CGM teammates and held off German Max Kanter and Belgian Tim Merlier in a dash to the line. They all finished in just under 3 1/2 hours.
Traeen rolled over the line 14 seconds later in a big main group containing defending champion Tadej Pogacar and fellow Tour contender Jonas Vingegaard. They both trail Traeen by about eight minutes in the standings. But Traeen, who took the yellow jersey on Stage 4, is not considered a contender for overall victory.
After a testing team time trial, an early mountain stage, raging wildfires and sweltering temperatures hitting 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit), riders appreciated Wednesday's flatter fifth stage.
The 158.3-kilometer route from Lannemezan to Pau in southwestern France was made for sprinters.

The longest-running 70.3 triathlon in North America returns to Muncie this week.
The 47th annual Ironman 70.3 Muncie will be held this Saturday, July 11. The Ironman triathlon consists of swim, bike and run portions over a total distance of 70.3 miles — hence the name. First held in 1980 under the name "Muncie Endurathon," this will be the 16th Muncie triathlon under the Ironman 70.3 banner.
Last year's race saw over 700 participants and hundreds more spectators from 44 US states and 12 different countries. As Muncie prepares for thousands to descend upon it for the annual Ironman, here's five things you need to know:
The Ironman 70.3 triathlon consists of swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles and running 13.1 miles (a half-marathon) for a total of 70.3 miles. The Ironman 70.3 is also called a Half Ironman, as a full Ironman triathlon doubles each distance for 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and a full 26.2-mile marathon of running.
There are about 40 full-distance and over 100 half-distance Ironman events held globally throughout the year. Muncie's event is the longest-running 70.3 triathlon in North America.

Arizona isn’t scheduled to appear at Big 12 Football Media Days until Wednesday, but the Wildcats still got singled out for their overall athletic and academic excellence.
The UA has been awarded the 2025-26 Allstate Commissioner’s Cup, given to top overall athletic program in the Big 12. Per a news release, points are accrued throughout the year through Big 12 championship results, regular-season performance and off-field achievements, including academics, graduation outcomes, career development and community service.
Arizona earned 1,377.625 points and won Big 12 ***** les in men’s basketball (regular season and conference tournament) and men’s tennis. Men’s basketball and men’s golf both made the Final Four in their sports, with men’s tennis reaching the Elite Eight for the first time, while football won nine games, triathlon won a second straight national ***** le and overall 18 sports earned postseason berths.
Acdemically, Arizona had a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 92 percent, up 2 percent from 2024-25, and its semester GPAs of 3.412 in the fall and 3.413 in the spring both established a school best. The UA’s CATS (Commitment to an Athlete’s Total Success) Program also performed more than 3,300 hours of community service, with football leading the way in this area.

Defending Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar took victory on stage three of the Tour de France with a late acceleration to the line following a 195.9km route from Granollers to Les Angles.
The Slovenian also acquired the overall lead and yellow jersey after the stage winner's bonus points took him level on time with Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, who had been in yellow since Saturday's opening stage.
Pogacar took control with around half a kilometre to go, taking Vingegaard and French darling Paul Seixas of Decathlon-CMA CGM by surprise with a blistering attack.
Pogacar was led up the final category three climb by Sunday's stage winner and UAE Team Emirates-XRG team-mate Isaac del Toro of Mexico, who Pogacar had shepherded over the line the previous day while very clearly holding back his own pace.
On a sweltering hot day in the Pyrenees on the border between northern Spain and southern France, fans had been told to stay away from the area around Les Angles at the finish because of wildfires.

Florida State football feels like they are teetering off the edge of a cliff, with back-to-back losing seasons and a tough 2026 schedule to come. This is all known to the coaches and the players, yet whether the drive translates into success on the field remains to be determined.
An anonymous ACC ***** istant coach spoke to Athlon Sports and gave their take on FSU's booster buy-in around head coach Mike Norvell.
"They don't have the booster support that people might think that they do. The volatility with [head coach] Mike Norvell is something that I've never seen. Norvell is a really good coach, but one of the hardest things in football is fighting complacency. I think once things started going well, they gave in an inch here and there, then you look back in a year and you see that you gave up a mile.
They can reinvent themselves and be who they set out to be. But can they do it consistently and not just a flash in the pan? With a new group of people and some new coaches, I think it can be reversed. The players have to take charge of that."
Indeed, this season could be the figurative straw that breaks the camel's back.

It's been quite the offseason for Iowa junior offensive lineman Kade Pieper.
It started with reports that he would be sliding over to center, which seems to be the case now. The Hawkeyes lost Rimington Award winner Logan Jones to the NFL. Pieper will try to fill those shoes in 2026. The Norfolk, Neb., native's offseason has continued with tons of preseason hype and accolades.
A few weeks ago, Pieper was named a preseason first-team All-American by Phil Steele. Last week, Athlon Sports gave him preseason first-team All-American honors. And, on Tuesday, another outlet awarded Pieper a preseason accolade.
The 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive lineman was named a preseason Walter Camp first-team All-American. Walter Camp is the nation’s oldest college football All-America team and a prestigious honor for Pieper.
Pieper could be in first-round pick discussions after this season if he puts together another strong year. The Hawkeyes have had a lot of success putting centers into the NFL recently. James Daniels, Tyler Linderbaum, and Jones were all drafted in the last decade. Pieper looks set to continue that lineage.

As the 2026 Iowa football season creeps closer, Athlon Sports named three Hawkeyes to its annual preseason All-America teams.
Junior offensive lineman Kade Pieper was named to Athlon Sports' preseason first-team All-America offense, junior offensive lineman Trevor Lauck to its second-team All-America offense and junior defensive back Zach Lutmer to its fourth-team All-America defense.
Pieper was terrific last season for the Hawkeyes at right guard, starting all 13 games there as the unit captured the Joe Moore Award. A native of Norfolk, Neb., Pieper was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the media last season.
The 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman is making the transition to center for Iowa to replace Logan Jones, who was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Lauck leapt into a starting role for the first time in his Hawkeye career as well, starting all 13 games at left tackle as he replaced longtime starter Mason Richman. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound tackle was a third-team All-Big Ten choice by the coaches.

As the countdown to the 2026 college football season continues, preseason bowl projections are beginning to paint a picture of the ACC hierarchy. Athlon Sports released its latest postseason forecast, projecting one ACC team to make the College Football Playoff and several others into notable bowl matchups.
The projections also identify which programs face the steepest climb to bowl eligibility this fall. For Florida State, the outlook is sobering, as the Seminoles were not projected to reach the postseason.
According to Athlon, Miami is projected to represent the ACC in the CFP, with the Hurricanes slated to face the LSU Tigers in a first-round matchup. The Clemson Tigers are projected to make one of the conference's top traditional bowl destinations, while programs such as SMU, Louisville and Virginia Tech are also expected to land in notable postseason games.
For Florida State, Athlon Sports' projections underscore the amount of work the Seminoles have ahead of them entering the 2026 season. Despite an active offseason that included additions through the transfer portal and another solid recruiting class, Mike Norvell's program was not projected to reach bowl eligibility. The omission places Florida State among a group of ACC programs expected to fall short of the six-win threshold needed for postseason consideration.
In addition to Florida State, Athlon did not project bowl appearances for Syracuse, Duke, North Carolina, Boston College or Stanford.

When Janae (Dunchack) McGuirk joined the women’s track and field program at Dartmouth College, she had a basic question for her coaches.
What’s the pentathlon? The heptathlon?
A four-time PIAA Class 2A champion in the high jump at Northern Cambria High School and a multi-sport standout on the state level with the Colts, McGuirk hadn’t encountered either event throughout her scholastic career.
“I thought I was going to Dartmouth for high jump, long jump or maybe some sprinting,” McGuirk said. “When I got there, they’re like, ‘Hey, we’re going to try to make you into a ‘multi’ (event competitor) and have you do the pentathlon or heptathlon.’
“I said, ‘What is that?’ ”

Florida State football is looking to turn things around after two years of losing seasons. Following a 2-10 season and a 5-7 season, fans are certainly expecting more from a perennial powerhouse like FSU.
Athlon Sports has ranked all of the ACC teams going into 2026, and the Seminoles have found themselves in the bottom half of their rankings. They ranked them as the No. 11 team in the conference, ahead of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels, Syracuse Orange, Boston College Eagles, and Stanford Cardinal.
At the top of the list is, understandably, the Miami Hurricanes. The Canes are looking to build off their excellent season last year, where they fell just short of the Indiana Hoosiers in the national championship game.
Athlon Sports also predicted the ACC Championship, and their pick this year is Miami over SMU, which would be Miami's first ACC **** le since joining the conference in 2004.
FSU will look to prevent that when they begin their season against the New Mexico State Aggies on Aug. 29 from Doak Campbell Stadium. They will open their ACC season on Sept. 7 when they host SMU for the first time ever.

With the conclusion of the Tennessee high school track and field season, The Daily Herald spotlighted the area's top athletes as part of our All-Area teams.
Independence's Asher Oates was named our 2026 Boys Athlete of the Year, but now we're giving fans the chance to select the athlete they believe made the greatest mark this past season. Vote below for the Columbia area's top TSSAA boys track and field athlete in the 2026 high school season.
Here are the nominees.
Jayden Brooks, Columbia Academy, Jr.: Brooks finished fifth in the 800 meter at the DII-A Middle Region meet with a time of 2:01.93, narrowly missing out on qualification for the TSSAA state championship meet.
Maine Metz, Columbia Academy, Jr.: Metz finished eighth in the decathlon at the DII-A state championship meet, totaling 5,001 points. He also claimed third in the pole vault at the Middle Region meet, clearing a mark of 10-6.

Amanda Moll must be running out of room in her trophy case.
The Washington junior was named the 2026 Big Ten Outdoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year last week after setting a new NCAA outdoor record in the pole vault to best her sister Hana and win the national ******* le, her second and the fifth consecutive between the twins.
Amanda and Hana have laid waste to the record books since arriving on Montlake, trading Big Ten ******* les, national championships, collegiate records, and postseason accolades over the past three seasons. Hana was the conference's Indoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year this season and the Outdoor honoree last season. Amanda won the Indoor award last year as well.
Amanda now owns the 2026 outdoor national ******* le and the 2025 indoor national ******* le. Hana has won the 2024 indoor, 2025 outdoor, and 2026 indoor championships, with only the 2024 outdoor ******* le going to a non-Moll since the twins' arrival in college.
Amanda and coach Toby Stevenson were also named West Region Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year and Women's Outdoor ******* istant Coach of the Year, respectively, by the USTFCCCA last week. Moll shared the award with Stanford's Alyssa Jones, the NCAA long jump champion. Stevenson won the award for his efforts in coaching all 28 points worth of Washington's seventh-place finish at the NCAA Outdoors earlier this month, including the Moll twins and heptathlon national champion Sofia Cosculluela.

National expectations for Clemson football aren’t nearly as low as some might have expected after last season.
Despite finishing 7-6 in 2025 and missing out on the ACC ***** le race, the Tigers begin the offseason just outside the top 25 in Athlon Sports’ preseason rankings. Clemson was slotted at No. 27 in Athlon’s full ranking of all 138 FBS programs, signaling that the publication believes Dabo Swinney’s team has the pieces to bounce back in 2026.
A big reason for that optimism is the offense. Christopher Vizzina is expected to take over at quarterback, while Chad Morris returns to Clemson to oversee the offense. The Tigers also return a talented group of receivers, giving the new quarterback an experienced supporting cast. Defensively, Sammy Brown and Will Heldt are among the key returning contributors, and Clemson addressed several needs through the transfer portal, particularly in the secondary.
The Tigers won’t have an easy path back into the national spotlight. Their season opens with a road trip to LSU, which Athlon ranked No. 10, before Clemson hosts No. 7 Miami in one of the marquee ACC matchups of the season. Rival South Carolina sits just one spot behind the Tigers at No. 28, setting up another intriguing regular-season finale.
Athlon’s top five features Ohio State at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame and defending national champion Indiana. Miami is the ACC’s highest-ranked team, while SMU (No. 22) and Louisville (No. 23) also earned spots inside the top 25.