CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — There is no coming back from this for Rutgers — and maybe its head coach.
The Scarlet Knights still have 10 more games on their schedule this fall, but the 2026 season effectively came to an end after they suffered a devastating 28-21 loss to Boston College on Friday night.
Any flicker of hope remaining following a season-opening 37-21 loss to UMass — the worst loss in modern program history — were dashed at Alumni Stadium, where Rutgers showed more life than its pathetic showing against the Minutemen, but not enough to secure a win it desperately needed — and easily could have gotten.
The Scarlet Knights (0-2) were blitzed from the beginning by the Eagles (1-1), who jumped out to a 17-0 lead through the opening 17 minutes and led the rest of the way.
Rutgers was not ready to play — it was forced to call a timeout on the third play of the game when it sent two players on the field with the same jersey number (#56) — and while it came agonizingly close to stealing a game that was there for the taking, it could not stop shooting itself in the foot.

#rutgers #scarlet

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Instead of easing concerns, Rutgers football has only raised more.
Instead of securing a victory to take a step toward correcting the early part of the season, the Scarlet Knights came out on the wrong end of a mistake-filled performance.
The questions about the direction of the program this season – and beyond – only continue to increase.
Greg Schiano's team lost to Boston College 28-21 Friday night at Alumni Stadium, its second straight loss to open the season after its embarrassing defeat to UMass that opened the season.
The Scarlet Knights closed the gap in the fourth quarter with a 60-yard touchdown catch by KJ Duff, and they had another chance to get into the end zone with two minutes left but AJ Surace, making his first career start, threw an interception that killed the drive.

#season #instead #knights #hill

Boston College will host Rutgers for their annual Red Bandana game on Friday night in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. In a tradition that honors Welles Crowther, a Boston College graduate and volunteer firefighter who died saving lives in the South Tower on 9/11.
When the Eagles played the UCF Knights on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, fans wore red bandana stickers on their helmets. Three years later Boston College created the "red bandana game." Tonight they will wear special red bandana-themed uniforms and helmets for the 13th consecutive year.
MORE: Jamie Erdahl opens 'GMFB' with emotional 9/11 tribute on 25th anniversary
Tomorrow we honor a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice. #ForWelles pic.twitter.com/PsuRe2Ut6m
— Boston College Football (BCFootball) September 10, 2026

#college #bandana #Friday #chestnut

It's hard to believe Rutgers football is already facing a "must-win" game in Week 2, but that's exactly the situation for the Scarlet Knights.
After losing to UMass in a stunning and embarrassing loss to open the season, Greg Schiano's team needs to rebound by pulling out a victory against Boston College in their Week 2 game Friday, Sept. 11 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
A win would allow the Scarlet Knights to take at least one step toward righting the season after becoming the topic of a national conversation for all the wrong reasons.
A loss?
Well, a loss would send the season into more of a spiral, creating even more questions and uncertainty about the future of the program.

#loss #season #greg

Boston College head coach Bill O'Brien's college coaching résumé spans Georgia Tech, Maryland, Duke, Penn State, Alabama, Ohio State (briefly), and now the Eagles of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
In the NFL, he's been with the Patriots and was head coach of the Houston Texans.
Saturday, Sept. 5 marks the first head-to-head matchup between O'Brien and UC head coach Scott Satterfield when the Eagles come to Cincinnati. Both coaches need positive results out of the gate for their respective fan bases.
"Just like us, they have a lot of new players," O'Brien said. "Their secondary is out of the portal. They have a veteran offensive line that's very, very good. They have some transfers at wide receiver. So, we don't really know (about UC). We have an idea, but it's the first game, and there are a lot of unknowns."
The series is tied 4-4, but UC has won the last two, including the Jan. 2, 2020 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field, 38-6. In that game, sophomore quarterback Desmond Ridder ran for three touchdowns and threw for another to take game MVP honors.

#head #coach #o 'brien #first

Laura Dern found the ideal sneaker to wear with a summery dress. The Oscar winner was spotted at the Hotel Excelsior on the Venice Lido pier during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Thursday, wearing a Gabriela Hearst outfit with casual and affordable Vivaia sneakers. Laura Dern is seen at the Hotel Excelsior on the Venice Lido pier during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Thursday in Venice, Italy. Getty Images She opted for the Vivaia Lexi round-toe casual sneakers in the seashell and castle wall colorway, which retail for $159. The style is a lightweight everyday sneaker that blends soft nylon on the upper with a beige and white toe area, with a sculptural bubble design on the rubber outsole. Those details help the shoe be part of both the current low-profile sneakers and two-tone shoe trends for fall. The Lexi is also made with a flexible, non-restrictive upper, with upgraded cushioning and a supportive insole that create a soft, steady underfoot feel. The sneaker is also available in chestnut brown, dark green, and black. The Vivaia Lexi Sneakers. The "Marriage Story" star paired the cream shoes with a Gabriela Hearst Maude Pleated Mia's Flowers Midi Shirtdress in ivory. The dress
Follow Footwear News on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

#venice

New Boston College head coach Luke Murray has outlined plans to bring over many aspects of the UConn men's basketball program, from the Huskies' deliberate offensive approach to instilling a collective, team-first approach.
Murray placed the finishing touches on his debut coaching staff in Chestnut Hill over the past week, bringing yet more UConn flavor to his new home. The 41-year-old, first-time head coach hired three staff members with Connecticut ties last week, and on Monday afternoon, Murray hired Jared Terrell as a graduate ****** istant, one of Dan Hurley's best players during his time at Rhode Island.
Terrell, a consensus top-100 recruit out of Brewster Academy, marked a major early win for Hurley during his time in Rhode Island. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard shattered his lofty expectations with nearly 1,800 career points and a standout senior season, averaging 16.8 points on over 41% shooting from 3-point range for a Rhode Island squad that reeled off 16 straight wins and reached the NCAA Tournament Second Round. Terrell played one season on a two-way contract with Minnesota after he was not picked in the 2018 NBA Draft and made international stops in Turkey, Ukraine and Israel before his 2023 retirement.
As for Murray's other additions, Chris Mastrangelo arrives in Chestnut Hill as the Director of Basketball Administration after seven seasons with UConn, rising from student manager to the ****** istant Director of Basketball Operations. Andre Berry, who also played under Hurley in Rhode Island, joins Murray's staff as a player development ****** istant after graduating from UConn with a master's degree in sports management two years ago.
Hartford native Jared Jordan, who won national ****** ist ****** les at Marist in consecutive seasons and was selected in the 2007 NBA Draft, also joins the Boston College staff as Director of Player Development. Jordan, a Kingswood-Oxford graduate, enjoyed a 13-year playing career, largely in Europe, where he remains the all-time ****** ist leader in the German Bundesliga.

#rhode #director

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have worn their "Bratoberfest" alternate jerseys since 2021, but rehabbing Milwaukee Brewers reliever Abner Uribe may have sent the look into the mainstream.
The best part? You can actually get your hands on the game-worn apparel.
Timber Rattlers announcer Chris Mehring posted a photo on social media of Uribe, who took the hill for the Timber Rattlers and worked a 1-2-3 third inning Aug. 28 in Appleton against the South Bend Cubs. It's already well over 100,000 views, and that's only on Mehring's original post, with accounts like Talkin' Baseball also noticing.
Uribe and JoJo Romero both took the hill for Class High A Wisconsin as part of their rehab work, retiring all six men they faced and striking out five of them, though the Rattlers lost a seven-run lead to the Cubs in a 10-7 setback.
The uniforms, made to look like traditional German lederhosen with suspenders and a plaid shirt, serve as part of the team's "Bratoberfest" celebration, honoring Wisconsin's German heritage. That included competitive eating celebrity Joey Chestnut at the ballpark Aug. 28 eating eight pounds of bratwurst, cheese curds and other Wisconsin fare.

#rattlers #part

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have worn their "Bratoberfest" alternate jerseys since 2021, but rehabbing Milwaukee Brewers reliever Abner Uribe may have sent the look into the mainstream.
The best part? You can actually get your hands on the game-worn apparel.
Timber Rattlers announcer Chris Mehring posted a photo on social media of Uribe, who took the hill for the Timber Rattlers and worked a 1-2-3 third inning Aug. 28 in Appleton against the South Bend Cubs. It's already well over 100,000 views, and that's only on Mehring's original post, with accounts like Talkin' Baseball also noticing.
Uribe and JoJo Romero both took the hill for Class High A Wisconsin as part of their rehab work, retiring all six men they faced and striking out five of them, though the Rattlers lost a seven-run lead to the Cubs in a 10-7 setback.
The uniforms, made to look like traditional German lederhosen with suspenders and a plaid shirt, serve as part of the team's "Bratoberfest" celebration, honoring Wisconsin's German heritage. That included competitive eating celebrity Joey Chestnut at the ballpark Aug. 28 eating eight pounds of bratwurst, cheese curds and other Wisconsin fare.

#bratoberfest #german #worn #look

With training camp in the rearview, the Tennessee ***** ans are about ready to fully turn their attention to the season opener against the New York Jets. Just two hurdles remain: the preseason finale against the Chicago Bears on Saturday and the cut-down to 53 on Sunday.
This past week, head coach Robert Saleh and ***** istant general manager Dave Zeigler discussed the week and noted that a few roster spots remain up for grabs. But what are those? And who are those in contention?
While some players like Julius Chestnut appear to have locked up a roster spot as the fourth running back or Kylen Granson as the fourth tight end, others are still fighting for the final spots, and the final roster breakdown will be dictated by the final positional breakdown.
Here is a breakdown of what ***** ans Wire believes could be those final spots.
The ***** ans are five deep, but will have some decisions to make at receiver. Bryce Oliver is a special teams ***** et, which could give him an advantage, but Xavier Restrepo is making a strong push. With Wan'Dale Robinson going down with a potential concussion, Restrepo could be in-line to gain some extra snaps in the preseason finale and could have a golden opportunity to cement his case.

#finale

Aaron Marsh, an Eastern Kentucky football standout who became one of the school's first Black student-athletes and later played for the Boston Patriots, died Aug. 7 in Shelbyville, Tennessee. He was 81.
Marsh spent two seasons (1968-69) in the American Football League — the Patriots' last years in the AFL prior to the NFL merger. He played 16 games at wide receiver under head coaches Mike Holovak and Clive Rush. The Patriots played their home games out of Boston's Fenway Park in Marsh's rookie year before moving to Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass. in 1969.
In 16 games, Marsh caught 27 passes for 439 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed four times for eight yards. As a kickoff returner, Marsh racked up 210 yards on 10 returns over his two seasons with Boston (the franchise rebranded as the New England Patriots prior to the 1971 season).
MORE: Longtime NFL, college coach dies suddenly at 64
Marsh was born July 27, 1945, in Dayton, Ohio, and attended Springfield High School. He enrolled at Eastern Kentucky State College in 1964 and played for coach Roy Kidd. Marsh spent his first two seasons at tailback before moving to wide receiver for his final two seasons in college.

#marsh #Patriots #seasons #boston

Tennessee ***** ans finished off the third week of training camp, and the competition is heating up across the roster, making it easier to identify the players fighting for the final spots and those solidly on the bubble.
The physicality picked up, and the ***** ans finally got some live reps against the San Francisco 49ers in both practice and the first preseason game; some players who likely sit on that roster bubble did show up and flash. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for everyone, and some players struggled.
Here is a look at the bubble watch after three weeks of practice.
The wide receiver battle will definitely go down to the end of camp. The ***** ans have built a solid group, and the competition has been fierce for the final few spots behind the five who are locked in. Xavier Restrepo continues to flash, making it harder to keep him off the roster.
Running back appears to be becoming clearer by the day, although Julius Chestnut is taking advantage of Kalel Mullings missing time. Tennessee did add a running back to the roster on Saturday, so it will be fun to watch heading into the joint practice with Seattle.

#Titans #bubble #practice

Following a bye week, next up for the Eagles is a home game against Pitt. Pitt enters 2026 as one of the ACC's real dark horses. They have the pieces in place to contend for 8+ wins, but facing some turnover, and a defensive-staff reset. The Panthers were projected ninth in the ACC media poll, but have about the fifth best odds to win the conference outright. After winning 8 games last season largely with a promising true freshman quarterback, they are primed to continue their ascent with an exceedingly manageable schedule.
Who: Boston College vs. Pitt
Head Coaches: Bill O'Brien, Boston College; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
When: Saturday, Oct. 17 TBD
Where: Chestnut Hill, MA

#pitt #Eagles #panthers #head

CHICAGO – Alessio Milivojevic confidently strode across the stage and sat down on the dais, snappily dressed in a dark-colored pinstripe suit that blended into the black table cloth and microphone in front of him.
Any nervousness that he showed last fall as a redshirt freshman who was thrust into the Michigan State football quarterback job also faded with every answer to every question at Big Ten media day. He knows now he is the starter and face of the program going into Pat Fitzgerald's first season, and Milivojevic's comfort at the podium came from advice he got recently from his new coach.
"I think it's just being yourself at the end of the day," Milivojevic said last week. "I'm just coming up here talking as if I was talking to one of my best friends right now."
As the Spartans prepare to open preseason camp on Thursday, Aug. 6, Milivojevic and his 104 teammates will spend the next month building their bonds inside the walls of Case Hall. That's where they will be living when they are not across Chestnut Road at the football complex working toward Fitzgerald's debut game against Toledo on Friday night, Sept. 4, across Shaw Lane at Spartan Stadium.
Fitzgerald, a former All-American and College Football Hall of Fame linebacker who spent 17 seasons as head coach at his alma mater Northwestern, flashed back to his days in high school and college. He brought back the tradition of putting the Spartans in the dorms for camp because of the friendships and connections he cultivated as a player and watched as a coach before being dubiously dispatched by Northwestern before the 2023 season.

#northwestern

The New England Patriots circled back to the wire after the ninth practice of training camp.
The organization officially claimed wide receiver Tejhaun Palmer off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday afternoon. In a corresponding 91-man roster move, tight end Jeremiah Franklin was placed on waivers.
Palmer, 26, entered the NFL in the sixth round of the 2024 draft at No. 191 overall. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound wide receiver by way of Snow College and UAB spent the majority of his initial two regular seasons on the Cardinals' practice squad. Ahead of Arizona's finale last January, Palmer was promoted to the 53-man roster. He saw four snaps on offense to go with two snaps on special teams in his debut and was waived on Monday.
Franklin, 22, had signed in Foxborough as an undrafted free agent leading up to training camp in July. The 6-foot-3, 244-pound tight end out of Boston College did so after participating in the Patriots' local pro day as well as rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. During his tenure in Chestnut Hill, Franklin appeared in 44 games, including 30 starts, on the way to catching 93 passes for 1,010 yards and six touchdowns.
The Patriots move further into August with 12 wide receivers on the active depth chart. And after losing veteran Julian Hill to injured reserve in June, the tight end room stands at six, including C.J. Dippre on the physically unable to perform list.

#palmer #tight #college

Competing in the United World Wrestling U17 Freestyle World Championships might be the least of Kooper Deputy's worries.
The 16-year-old from Bedford County was dealing with other issues in the buildup to his first international competition. The travel to Baku, Azerbaijan, where Deputy will wrestle in the 48-kilogram weight class Friday, was a challenge. He was also getting accustomed to different types of food and the time change, which is eight hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time.
"It's a little out of his comfort zone," said Josh Deputy, Kooper's father and head coach of Chestnut Ridge High School and the Orchard Wrestling Club. "It's an obstacle for him.
"He's a regimented kid who likes to do things a certain way."
The weight cut has also been difficult for Kooper. He won a PIAA ****** le at 107 pounds in March, but the sport's 2-pound growth allowance made the limit 109 by that point in the season. The world championships' 48-kilogram weight class equates to 105.8 pounds, making it even more difficult on a rising sophomore who has grown over the past few months.

#weight #Wrestling

LeBron James is not just a basketball star; he's a big business, and where he goes, that business follows.
That fact was immediately clear here in Philadelphia on Friday. Fans are quickly buying up jerseys and tickets.
"When are the jerseys coming, so when can we buy them as soon as possible?" said Christopher Robinson of Olney.
Robinson says he immediately left work in search of a LeBron James Sixers jersey.
Action News met Robinson at Rally House on Chestnut Street in Center City.

#immediately

A Chestnut Hill product has touched down in Foxborough ahead of training camp.
The New England Patriots signed former Boston College tight end Jeremiah Franklin following a workout on Thursday, according to a report from CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.
Unselected in the 2026 NFL draft, Franklin previously attended rookie minicamp at Gillette Stadium on a tryout basis in May. His circling back comes a day after the reigning AFC champions worked out six free agents, signing tight end Mitch Van Vooren and linebacker Riley Wilson while waiving fullback Brock Lampe.
A corresponding move will follow to make room on a summer roster that currently stands north of 91 active players.
Franklin started all 12 games as a senior in the ACC on the way to catching 49 passes for 506 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 244-pound UDFA appeared in 44 games during his Eagles career, including 30 starts, finishing with 93 receptions for 1,010 yards and six touchdowns altogether.

#yards #chestnut #foxborough #england

Next up in the opponent preview series is Rutgers' second game of the season against Boston College. This will be a very intriguing game for the Scarlet Knights for several reasons. The game will be the Eagles' annual Red Bandanna game in honor of BC alum and hero Welles Crowther and will also take place on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Rutgers also lost 37 alumni in the tragic attacks at the World Trade Center and has honored them in a previous game that took place on the anniversary of 9/11 when they defeated Syracuse 17-7 in 2021.
In addition to that, this will be Rutgers' first road game of the season, and it will be the most intriguing nonconference matchup. The Knights have been very solid against ACC competition over the past few seasons, including a 22-21 come-from-behind victory the last time they visited Chestnut Hill, opening the 2022 season.
Rutgers will suit up a former Boston College quarterback this year, as Dylan Lonergan, a former Alabama and BC signal-caller, transferred to the Knights this offseason. Whether he will take the field against his former team is to be decided, as AJ Surace and Lonergan are in a quarterback battle that is expected to last through training camp.
With that being said, let us shift our attention to the Boston College Eagles!
There is nowhere to go but up for Boston College, as the Eagles very well have been the worst Power Four team in all of college football last year with a 2-10 record. After routing FCS Fordham 66-10, things turned ugly quickly for BC, as they fell to Big Ten bottom-dweller Michigan State in what was a thrilling 42-40 victory for the Spartans in East Lansing.

Crowds gathered in the sweltering heat Saturday to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday by watching famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut defend his world hot dog eating championship in Coney Island, where he downed 66 hot dogs in just 10 minutes. Miki Sudo defended her ******* le as well in the women’s division.
Saturday marked the 18th time Chestnut, 42, won the so-called Mustard Belt in just 21 appearances at the internationally televised Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. He beat out 13 competitors who came from around the country and world, trekking from the Czech Republic, Australia and South Korea.
“It’s a dream, it’s electric, there’s no place better on Earth,” Chestnut said breathlessly in an interview immediately after the showdown, donning a bulky, bejeweled necklace bearing the name of the sports betting company “Polymarket” around his neck. In a video posted on Instagram before the competition, Chestnut called competitive hot dog eating “the most patriotic sport we’ve got.”
Chestnut handily defeated the second-place winner, Patrick Bertoletti, 41, who ate 50 hot dogs, but fell short of his own 2021 record of 76 wieners and buns — or approximately 7.6 hot dogs per minute.
Defending champion in the women’s division, the 40-year-old Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won the bright pink Mustard Belt for the 12th time, downing 38.75 dogs. In 2024, she ate a record 51 links.

Joey Chestnut has once again been crowned winner of Nathan’s hot dog eating contest after stomaching 66 franks in intense 100-degree feels-like temperatures.
Pat Bertoletti finished second by eating 51 hot dogs and Australian James Webb placed third with 47.5.
In the women’s competition, Miki Sudo captured her 12th championship by scarfing down 38.75 hot dogs, up from 33 last year. Michelle Lesco placed second with 22 and Domenica Dee third with 21.5 dogs eaten.
By the time Chestnut, now an 18-time champion, took the stage, the midday heat in Coney Island neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) with high humidity, affecting bun texture and eaters’ fitness levels.
He earned a $10,000 prize for his win but didn’t surpass his previous record, which fans had hoped for to mark America’s 250th birthday.

Oxford's Geoffrey Esper finished out of the running in the July 4 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.
Esper, 51, downed 40.5 hot dogs in the competition's 10-minute window to finish in sixth place.
As expected, Joey Chestnut took home the $10,000 first prize and champion's Mustard Belt. He devoured 66 hot dogs to earn his 18th Nathan's ****** le, comfortably ahead of second-place finisher Patrick Bertoletti, who consumed 51 dogs.
Esper didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. He wore a weathered Boston Red Sox hat and competed next to Chestnut on the stage in front of a big crowd as the gorge fest was broadcast live on ESPN.
Maybe the heat index of nearly 100 degrees at competition time affected Esper and the other competitors. Chestnut was way off his Nathan's personal best of 76 dogs set in 2021.

Joey Chestnut, who in the immortal words of ESPN sports reporter Jeremy Schaap is “the greatest eater in the annals of eating, in the annals of humankind, and food,” won his 18th ******* le today at the annual July 4th Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, New York.
Chestnut scarfed down 66 dogs, 10 shy of his all-time best set in 2021 but plenty enough to beat out today’s #2 : Pat Bertoletti, who at 51 in the 10-minute contest aired live on ESPN (watch it below).
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Crowds gathered in the sweltering heat Saturday to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday by watching famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut defend his world hot dog eating championship in Coney Island, where he downed 66 hot dogs in just 10 minutes. Miki Sudo defended her ***** le as well in the women’s division.
Saturday marked the 18th time Chestnut, 42, won the so-called Mustard Belt in just 21 appearances at the internationally televised Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. He beat out 13 competitors who came from around the country and world, trekking from the Czech Republic, Australia and South Korea.
“It’s a dream, it’s electric, there’s no place better on Earth,” Chestnut said breathlessly in an interview immediately after the showdown, donning a bulky, bejeweled necklace bearing the name of the sports betting company “Polymarket” around his neck. In a video posted on Instagram before the competition, Chestnut called competitive hot dog eating “the most patriotic sport we’ve got.”
Chestnut handily defeated the second-place winner, Patrick Bertoletti, 41, who ate 50 hot dogs, but fell short of his own 2021 record of 76 wieners and buns — or approximately 7.6 hot dogs per minute.
Defending champion in the women’s division, the 40-year-old Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won the bright pink Mustard Belt for the 12th time, downing 38.75 dogs. In 2024, she ate a record 51 links.

Joey Chestnut prize money: How much does he get for winning Nathan's Hot Dog Contest? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Another year, another Mustard Belt.
As anticipated, Joey Chestnut emerged as the victor of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest yet again in 2026, his 18th career victory in the event. With his 66 hot dogs consumed, "Jaws" finished No. 1 in dominant fashion.
With Chestnut's latest win, however, also comes financial benefits. The winner at Coney Island does take home a cash prize.
Here's what to know about Chestnut's 2026 earnings for winning the hot dog eating contest.

Nathan’s Famous annual hot dog eating contest returns to Coney Island Saturday, on the United States’ 250th birthday, following a tumultuous year for the annual event and its star competitor.
The iconic contest, now under new ownership after Nathan's Famous was sold to packaged meat giant Smithfield Foods in January, will see reigning champion Joey Chestnut compete despite a recent legal entanglement.
Chestnut, who holds the men's record, pleaded guilty in April to a misdemeanor battery charge after being accused of slapping a man in an Indiana bar.
However, the frankfurter fest will proceed, with Chestnut and Miki Sudo both poised to defend their **** les in the men's and women's divisions, respectively.
Competitors in the renowned event have 10 minutes to consume as many hot dogs and buns as possible, often dunking the wieners in water to facilitate swallowing.

Joey Chestnut is back yet again to reclaim his crown at the 2026 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Friday for July 4.
It's the crown that he's had for the past nine years -- he was last defeated in 2015, when Matt Stonie beat him 62 to 60. But it'll be interesting to see if someone else competing can break Chestnut's record from 2021 of 76 dogs.
And if you're here, you might be wondering something about the legendary competitive eater: What Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest records has Chestnut set and broken over the years when he's won? Fun fact: ALL of the top-10 records of all time all belongs to him.
Let's run through the list.
We'll have to see if he'll break that mark in 2026.

Ready to return to one of the uniquely American annual events?
The 2026 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is set to kick off another Fourth of July celebration at Coney Island this year. Familiar faces like Joey Chestnut (who was recently name-dropped in “The Vampire Lestat”) are back looking for another win, while others look to unseat the hot dog king.
Here is how to watch the eating competition either on TV or through a streaming service. Kick off the patriotic weekend right.
As always, the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is held on the Fourth of July to celebrate the holiday.
The Fourth of July traditional hot dog eating contest starts at 10:45 a.m. ET for the Women’s competition and 12:30 p.m. ET for the Men’s competition.

Takeru Kobayashi was once a staple of the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest -- from his record-setting debut in 2001 until his final competition in 2009 -- has since faded from the consciousness of fans of the event (or people who watch, because what else is on TV?).
It's easy to **** ume that someone who has held over a dozen competitive eating records and once won the Nathan's contest six consecutive times simply got tired of shoving damp buns and franks down his throat and that's why he hasn't participated for so long. But his absence from the contest since 2010 — prior to his official retirement from competitive eating back in 2024 — is actually a lot deeper.
Although Kobayashi announced his retirement in a documentary released in 2024, he competed against Joey Chestnut in hot dog eating contest for a Netflix special in September that year. Chestnut won. Here's via USA TODAY Sports from 2024 on Kobayashi's retirement:
"I’ve decided to retire from competitive eating. It’s all I've done for the last 20 years," Kobayashi, 46, announced in Netflix's "Hack Your Health - The Secrets of Your Gut," a documentary film that explores how food, the digestive system and gut health relates to overall well-being.
Kobayashi said decades of overeating for sport has left him with no appetite or no sensation of fullness, which his wife Maggie James said has caused Kobayashi to go days without eating anything at all.

How to Watch Hot Dog Eating Contest 2026: Channel, Live Stream & Start Time for Nathan's Competition originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Thousands of spectators are expected to come to Coney Island to watch the ultimate competition featuring the best eaters in the world. It's time for the 2026 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Joey Chestnut will look to retain his mustard belt after consuming 70.5 hot dogs and buns in last year's event. Can he break his own record of 76 hot dogs and buns?
Miki Sudo, meanwhile, will attempt to capture the women's ***** le for the fifth straight year. She ate 33 hot dogs and buns during last year's event.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, including TV and streaming options for the event.