The GametimeCT Football Pick 'Ems are back for the 2026 high school football season. And this year we're adding something new.
The staff has been asked to predict the six teams they believe will raise a CIAC championship plaque in December.
There's a long way to go from the Week 1 kickoff to the state finals. So much of this is guesswork. But that's what makes it fun.
We also have the benefit of writing team previews for all 134 CIAC football teams in the state.
For the 8-Ball - everyone's favorite selector - we used ChatGPT to choose the six winners. ChatGPT will be used only for the championship predictions, while the 8-Ball will return in full form for Week 1.

#ciac #ball #teams

Here is what you need to know for the 2026 CIAC field hockey
2025 champions:
Darien (L), Branford (M), Immaculate (S)
Tuesday, Sept. 8
Returning GametimeCT All-Staters
First Team: Shannon Bock, Darien. Sr., M; Lily McClay, Ludlowe, Jr., M; Lilly Panuccio, Branford, Sr., G; Jessica Radziunas, Branford, Sr., M Second Team: Leah Larit, Staples, Sr., M; Ellie Meyran, Branford, Jr., F; Cienna McNamara, New Milford, Sr., F; Camryn Santa, Granby Memorial, Sr., F; Zoe Tsounkanelis, Guilford, Sr. F Honorable Mention: Anna Hering, New Canaan, Sr., D/M; Clara Fielden, Wilton, Sr., D/M

#team

New Canaan girls soccer forward and All-American Clare Greisen is out for the season, New Canaan coach Rich Hickson confirmed Tuesday.
The news was first reported by the New England Soccer Journal, which stated that Greisen "was shut down for the fall season in late August because of an injury." Hickson didn't disclose the nature of the injury, but did say it was not ACL-related.
Greisen is not the only future Division I player and 2025 GametimeCT First Team All-State selection out for this season.
Amity striker Maggie Kershnar suffered an ACL injury and won't play this year, Amity coach Owen Quigley said. Kershnar is committed to play at UConn beginning in 2027.
Greisen, a two-time GametimeCT All-State First Team selection, was named an All-American last season. She has committed to play soccer at Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference.

#canaan

The NFL broadcasts games on ABC, Amazon Prime Video, CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, Netflix, and Peacock. Then, there's NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone. Why not further test the limits of the human attention span this season?
According to Brian Steinberg of Variety, X (formerly Twitter) is launching a "NFL Gametime" feed designed to integrate creators, data, and news.
"X users can choose to put the new topic-focused stream alongside mainstay feeds like 'For You' and 'Following,'" Steinberg wrote. "The stream will be available from season kickoff through the end of the 2027 Super Bowl. The move is seen not only as a way to court sports fans, but also big advertisers that may have felt more ambivalent about working with the Elon Musk-backed social giant in months past."
"Advertisers can now reach highly passionate fans across the entire funnel, from awareness and cultural conversation to real-time engagement during live games, all on X," Monique Pintarelli, head of global advertising for X parent ******* eXAI, said in a statement to Variety. "Together with the NFL, we're giving brands a powerful, authentic way to show up throughout the season."
Brent Lawton, the NFL's vice president of media, underscored NFL Gametime as a hub for "official scores and stats, team content, and the conversation together in one place."

#variety #gametime #together #conversation

With six high school football playoff divisions in the CIAC, the margin between reaching the postseason and being left out can be razor thin.
Sometimes, that margin starts with the schedule.
Over the years, we've seen very good teams draw difficult slates, finish around .500 and wind up on the outside of the CIAC playoffs. We've also seen teams benefit from more manageable schedules that provide a greater margin for error.
That doesn't mean a playoff berth is handed to anyone. It just means some roads are considerably tougher than others.
Not all schedules are created equally, so GametimeCT's Will Aldam and Pete Paguaga took a look at five teams that could be hurt by difficult schedules and five that should benefit from more favorable ones.

#schedules #five

The 2026 football season is here.
Come Friday night, Aug. 28, teams across central Pennsylvania will kick off the 2026 football season with their first games of the year. After months of waiting, football is finally back.
Week 1 Preview: Breaking down the SCAC's Week 1 football games
Gridiron gamers: Meet the GameTimePA Football 50, top players to watch in 2026
But before area teams hit the field for their first games, we wanted to pan out and take a look at the bigger picture. What teams are looking like the heavy hitters early on and who's in line to keep their spots atop the hill in District 3?

#Football #come #Friday

If a recent transfer update from The Daily Record is believed to be true, Rangers are eyeing a move for Kosta Nedeljković. They would prefer a permanent deal for the Aston Villa right-back but are also open to a season-long loan with an option to buy contract.
The 20-year-old Serbia international progressed through Red Star Belgrade's academy ranks before being loaned out to Grafičar in the second division for first-team football. He made 20 senior appearances for Red Star during the 2023-24 season and was eventually roped in by the Villans for £8m.
After a sporadic start in the first six months, Nedeljković joined RB Leipzig on loan for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. He rejoined the Bundesliga giants last summer, but was hardly involved, primarily due to injury concerns. He has now returned to Villa Park, only to find himself behind Matty Cash, with the latter being the preferred choice on the right.
LEIPZIG, GERMANY – MAY 03: Leroy Sane of Bayern Munich runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Kosta Nedeljkovic of RB Leipzig during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern München at Red Bull Arena on May 03, 2025 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Unai Emery has often deployed Ezri Konsa and Lamare Bogarde as makeshift fullbacks and, therefore, does not fancy the Serbian in his immediate plans. The youngster, too, should seek a fresh challenge for regular gametime, and a transfer north of the border could earn him ******* ured minutes, given their conundrum in the defensive third.

#star #bayern #right

The NBA is starting off with a bang on opening night on Oct. 20 when LeBron James makes his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
It will be a celebration in New York City as the Knicks will be raising their NBA championship banner before the nationally televised game.
As you could imagine, the amount of attention and interest on that game will be massive as the new-look 76ers, who also added Jaylen Brown this summer, visit their Atlantic Division rivals. It will be the Knicks' first home game since Game 4 of the NBA Finals, which ended with OG Anunoby's winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds to complete a 29-point comeback.
According to Gametime, the current get-in price for a ticket to see the Sixers-Knicks game is $2,127. That's a vast difference compared to the two other games on the opening day of the 2026-27 NBA season. The Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons lists a $195 get-in price, while the Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs matchup is currently $450.
The other notable announcement on Tuesday was the Christmas Day rematch of the NBA Finals with the Spurs visiting the Knicks. That tilt is currently drawing the highest get-in price of the day with a price of $767.

#SPURS

From scheme to personnel to culture, everything's different on defense for the Dallas Cowboys this year. A good thing, too, since last season marked a historically poor effort. In 2025, the Cowboys finished last in points allowed, 30th in yards allowed, and last in EPA/play allowed. They missed tackles, blew ******* ignments, and freelanced their way to complete and total ineptitude. Hence, the widespread changes.
Christian Parker, Dallas' new defensive coordinator, has been making headlines for all the right reasons since taking the helm. He's updated the scheme, added disguise, and emphasized intelligence and communication. As the Athletic's Jon Machota reported, he's becoming a disruptive force.
Machota reports Parker has his unit yelling at gametime volumes in practice and throughout meetings. Parker is taking the expression "practice how you play" to the next level in training camp and it's not only being noticed by the defense, but it's disrupting the offense as well. "It's loud in a good way," Brian Schottenheimer said of the method.
The 2025 Dallas defense had struggles across the board but one of those struggles was turning it on at game time. They struggled with communication and they never seemed to be on the same page. To make matters worse, effort and tenacity varied game to game and play to play, so it was anyone's guess what was going to happen at any given moment. Parker's methods are looking to fix those problems.
"We want the meeting room to sound the same as it does on the field," Parker said of his garish coaching methods. "Your brain doesn't know when you're not taking a physical rep. It just knows that your brain is strained."

#defense #last

Borussia Dortmund have made an enquiry about Paris Saint-Germain forward Ibrahim Mbaye (18), according to a report from Fabrizio Romano.
Mbaye has accrued plenty of international experience in recent months. Since committing to Senegal, he has played in the Africa Cup of Nations and also scored in the FIFA World Cup. Prior to heading to AFCON in the winter, Mbaye was featuring regularly, but his gametime decreased upon his return from the tournament.
He has been playing a bit-part role under Luis Enrique, and with the European champions pursuing a deal for Maghnes Akliouche, that may not change next season. As a result, Mbaye wants to leave the club, despite his entourage attempting to dissuade him from making such a decision, Foot Mercato understands.
Much of the interest comes from the Premier League, with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur cited as suitors. However, Borussia Dortmund have now also made an enquiry in recent days.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo has faced numerous challenges over the past two years.
After his fairytale breakout season in 2023/2024, he spent a significant amount of time injured during the following season and fell out of favour when Ruben Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag as head coach in November 2024.
Mainoo was often left on the bench and struggled to get any meaningful gametime under the Portuguese manager.
The midfielder was so unhappy with the situation that he was open to joining Italian side SSC Napoli on loan.
When Michael Carrick replaced Amorim as head coach in January of this year, Mainoo was immediately reinstated into the line-up and United's form improved, allowing them to finish third in the league.

Ibrahim Mbaye (18) wants to leave formative club Paris Saint-Germain amid interest from Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, according to a report from Foot Mercato.
Mbaye has accrued plenty of international experience in recent months. Since committing to Senegal, he has played in an Africa Cup of Nations and also scored in a FIFA World Cup. Prior to heading to AFCON in the winter, Mbaye was featuring regularly, but his gametime decreased upon his return from the tournament.
He has been playing a bit-part role under Luis Enrique, and with the European champions pursuing a deal for Maghnes Akliouche, that may not change next season. As a result, Mbaye wants to leave the club, despite his entourage attempting to dissuade him from making such a decision.
Aston Villa, who were a touted suitor back in January, are very interested in signing the forward, Foot Mercato understands. Tottenham Hotspur are also in the race, but to a lesser degree than their Premier League rivals.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The long wait, at least by German World Cup standards, is over. Die Mannschhaft is playing in the knockout stages for the first time since 2014 after crashing out in the group stages in both 2022 and 2018.
Germany finished atop Group E with six points and is tied for the most goals in the tournament with 10 largely on the back of a 7-1 destruction of newcomers Curacao in the opener. The Germans are hosting Paraguay, the third-place team in Group D in the Round of 32 at 4:30 p.m. at Boston Stadium in Foxborough.
The winner will face either France or Sweden in the Round of 16 at 5 p.m. Saturday in Philadelphia. That winner returns to Boston Stadium for the quarterfinals.
But that's looking too far ahead. How will Germany line up against Paraguay following a 2-1 loss against Ecuador to finish group play?
The lineup will be released a little over an hour until gametime, but here is our lineup projection for Germany:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani wasn't in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup on Friday night because he is "away from the team on paternity."
The team announced in a post on X that the two-way superstar is expected to return this weekend, meaning he wasn't placed on MLB's paternity list.
The team's lineup for the series opener against the Baltimore Orioles came out less than an hour before gametime, with Ryan Ward listed as the designated hitter, and batting seventh.
Asked three hours before the game about the delayed lineup, manager Dave Roberts said he was working out "some things with some position players" and made no mention of Ohtani.
Roberts was asked about Ohtani's sore left knee and said he had not spoken to him Friday. "Just ******* uming that after the off day he's in a good spot," the manager said.

We are hoping the weather and field conditions allows our Lady Tigers to play at AC Flora today in the District Championship Finals, Gametime 6:30. Go Tigers!
AshleyCWardlaw