Given what is now a fitful night of tossin' and turnin', a half eaten breakfast — if that — and a double dose of Pepcid away, the abject tension of Louisville's victory over Arkansas is just about a faint memory of the distant past.
The pivot from last night to next has been palpably immediate.
Tomorrow afternoon, on the composite court of Stokely Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee, the University of Louisville will battle the University of Kentucky in a basketball game.
It is of consequence. The victor shall advance to the Final Four.
Of considerably more importance, the victor shall be King of Hoops on the dark and ****** ground of the Commonwealth.

#stokely

Zakai Zeigler turns 24 on Aug. 2. He'll spend the day flying to Germany. On his last day in Knoxville, he spent it giving back to a place he calls home.
Zeigler was back in town to host his second annual I AM G.I.A.N.T. Basketball Camp on Aug. 1 at Webb School of Knoxville.
"It makes me feel really good, seeing all the campers, everybody here," he said of the E3 Camps event. "It's my last day before I go back overseas, so it's a great way to spend it."
He played four seasons for Tennessee basketball, and left as the program's all-time leader in **** ists (747) and steals (251), averaging 11.3 points, 5.4 **** ists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals across 138 games from 2021 to 2025. He earned two SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards and three All-SEC selections, and became the first player in conference history with four SEC All-Defensive Team honors.
G.I.A.N.T. stands for "Gettin' To It And Not Talking," a fitting motto for a player with a résumé like his, despite being listed at 5-foot-9.

#player #back #last #assists

Zakai Zeigler turns 24 on Aug. 2. He'll spend the day flying to Germany. On his last day in Knoxville, he spent it giving back to a place he calls home.
Zeigler was back in town to host his second annual I AM G.I.A.N.T. Basketball Camp on Aug. 1 at Webb School of Knoxville.
"It makes me feel really good, seeing all the campers, everybody here," he said of the E3 Camps event. "It's my last day before I go back overseas, so it's a great way to spend it."
He played four seasons for Tennessee basketball, and left as the program's all-time leader in **** ists (747) and steals (251), averaging 11.3 points, 5.4 **** ists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals across 138 games from 2021 to 2025. He earned two SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards and three All-SEC selections, and became the first player in conference history with four SEC All-Defensive Team honors.
G.I.A.N.T. stands for "Gettin' To It And Not Talking," a fitting motto for a player with a résumé like his, despite being listed at 5-foot-9.

#zeigler #knoxville #defensive

The Knoxville Smokies needed just one good swing, but a bases-loaded groundout in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the visiting Penscola Blue Wahoos their third win of the series July 31 at Covenant Health Park.
After losing 5-4, Knoxville must win Saturday and Sunday to split the six-game series.
Right fielder Andy Garriola was called out for batter's interference as center fielder Alex Ramirez was caught stealing, giving the Smokies their first and second outs of the ninth inning. Knoxville loaded the bases, but first baseman Edgar Alvarez grounded out to end the game.
The Smokie went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, leaving 12 runners on base.
"We were probably one hit away probably three or four at-bats tonight," Smokies manager Lance Rymel told Knox News. "And the timely hitting just didn't get it done."

#smokies #ninth #first

Wednesday, Auburn women's tennis released its upcoming schedule for the 2026 fall.
The schedule provided by head coach Jordan Szabo, the Tigers will be competing through three Intercollegiate Tennis ****** ociation events for a bid in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. The individual championships will be held in November.
The Tigers open up the fall with the ITA All-American Championships in Cary, North Carolina on Sept. 19-27. Early October will see them in the ITA Southern Regional Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on the 8th through 12th.
Then a trip to Rome, Georgia to compete in the RTC Collegiate Invite on Oct. 23-25 and then to Knoxville, Tennessee for the ITA South Sectional Championships on No. 5-8. If they advance, the NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships will be held in Athens, Georgia on Nov. 17-22.
Players Ava Esposito and Ashton Bowers both earned bids last season to the NCAA Singles Championship. Esposito would make it to the round of 16 and finished with an ITA Singles All-American honor.

#doubles #georgia

Tennessee said Wednesday that linebacker Arion Carter has been suspended for the first two games of the 2026 season by the NCAA after he repaid an agent for a flight he took during the NFL's pre-draft process.
Carter explored entering the 2026 NFL Draft before deciding to return for his senior season. As he was looking at entering the draft, an agent paid for a $427 plane ticket. After Carter suffered an injury while working out before the draft, he returned to school and paid for the flight.
However, the NCAA deemed the initial payment of that ticket by the agent to be a Level III violation because players and their families are not allowed to take material benefits from agents, including transportation. And a spokesperson for the school told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Carter had actually been suspended for three games before it was reduced down to two.
"We disagree with the NCAA's ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said in a statement. Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being. He will proudly graduate from Tennessee in public health with Dean's List honors in August. Our team stands behind AC and his family, and we can't wait to be on the field with him during training camp this week."
Carter was Tennessee's third-leading tackler in 2025 despite missing three games because of a foot injury that flared up as he was looking to turn pro. He had 76 stops and six tackles for loss across 10 games. He'll miss the team's Week 1 game against Furman and its Week 2 matchup vs. Georgia Tech.

#carter #draft

Covenant Health Park will return to form as a baseball diamond, with the Knoxville Smokies back in town for their July 28-Aug. 2 series against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos after two weeks away.
The playoff-bound Smokies − still first place in the Southern League North − went 3-6 on their road trip following the MLB All-Star break.
The Smokies have been missing catcher Owen Ayers, who was promoted after Knoxville's last homestand to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs alongside the Southern League Pitcher of the Month for June, Jace Beck. Ayers is now the Cubs' No. 3 prospect, according to the MLB Pipeline's updated top prospects list.
Right-handed pitcher Luis Gomez-Martinez highlighted the Smokies' 3-3 split with the Rocket City Trash Pandas. Activated from the 60-day injured list July 17, Martinez-Gomez struck out a career-best 12 batters in the Smokies' win July 24. He didn't walk a batter in six innings and gave up just one earned run.
Get tickets to see the Knoxville Smokies play

#league #pitcher

Last year, the United Soccer League began looking at Pensacola to set up a new team for its USL League One, but one of the biggest questions beyond who would invest in a team is where a team would play. Blue Wahoos Stadium may be the only viable answer.
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves told the News Journal that the city will conduct a feasibility study into converting Blue Wahoos Stadium to host a soccer team along with the Minor League Baseball team.
“This is a feasibility study in every form of the word,” Reeves said. “Is this idea even possible? And if it turns out it is, then we can take another step.”
Several USL soccer teams share their stadiums with baseball teams, including Blue Wahoos' rival, the Knoxville Smokies, which shares the new Covenant Health Park with One Knoxville SC, a USL League One team.
USL, which has multiple levels, has been expanding in recent years as part of a plan to create a Division I league in 2028 that would compete for the same level of players as Major League Soccer. As part of that, it has been looking to start more teams at the Division III level, which is USL League One.

#team

I'm sure we'll have an official post on this when the Cubs issue a press release, but 2B/OF James Triantos has been promoted to the Cubs for his major-league debut. Outfielder Kevin Alcántara has been sent down to Iowa.
Right-hander Jacob Wallace moves from the rookie ball ACL Cubs to Double-A Knoxville. The Cubs signed Wallace as a free agent on July 2.
Left-hander Drew Pomeranz has cleared waivers and has been **** igned to Triple-A Iowa. We'll see if Pomeranz reports or elects free agency soon enough.
The Iowa Cubs let the Gwinnett Stripers (Braves) off the hook, 4-2 in a game that ended after five innings because of rain.
Jaxon Wiggins started this game and took the loss. Wiggins allowed three runs on five hits over 2.2 innings. Wiggins struggled to find the plate as he walked three and struck out two.

#iowa #five

The Los Angeles Angels announced Wednesday that they are expanding access to minor league baseball broadcasts, with Angels Broadcast Television (ABTV) set to air 10 games featuring the organization's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates during the remainder of the 2026 season.
According to an Angels press release, fans with a cable or satellite subscription that includes ABTV will be able to watch the broadcasts, while affiliate games will also continue to be available through Angels TV.
Among the scheduled broadcasts, one matchup stands above the rest. On Aug. 9, the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees will host the Oklahoma City Comets, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game could feature several of the top prospects from both organizations, giving fans a chance to watch some of the next generation of talent in Southern California's longtime baseball rivalry.
The Angels' televised slate includes four Salt Lake Bees games and six Rocket City Trash Pandas contests. Fans can expect to follow some of the organization's top prospects throughout the second half of the season, including No. 2 prospect Nelson Rada, No. 4 prospect George Klassen, No. 11 prospect Chris Cortez and No. 14 prospect Raudi Rodriguez.
ABTV's affiliate coverage begins July 23 when the Rocket City Trash Pandas host the Knoxville Smokies, the Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate. The broadcast schedule concludes Sept. 13, when the Salt Lake Bees host the Round Rock Express, the Texas Rangers' Triple-A affiliate.

#Angels

The last time South Carolina football welcomed Tennessee to Williams-Brice Stadium, the Gamecocks scored so many touchdowns they ran out of fireworks.
The 63-38 victory over the Vols is a major highlight from the last five seasons under coach Shane Beamer but that was four years ago.
The Vols got revenge a season later with a 41-20 victory in Knoxville but the two teams haven't met since. They will this year when South Carolina hosts Tennessee on Oct. 24.
Beamer fielded various questions at 2026 SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida, on July 21, mostly about improving from the 4-8 record last year. But Beamer got one question about whether South Carolina upped its fireworks budget in anticipation of the Vols' arrival.
"You said that not me," Beamer said to the reporter. "That was a great night back in 2022, there's no doubt about it. We know it'll be a huge challenge when they come to town this year."

#beamer #carolina #last #fireworks

On July 12, 2026, Mara Wilson attended a panel at the Fanboy Expo in Knoxville, Tenn.
During the event, the 38-year-old actress opened up about how her Matilda costar Danny DeVito supported her and her family during a difficult time in their lives
Wilson shared that the film remains special because of the friendships, care and memories she gained from the experience
Matilda actress Mara Wilson is looking back on the challenges that came with carrying such a major role at a young age, while also remembering the people who supported her and her family behind the scenes.
The 38-year-old actress reflected on one of the most meaningful chapters of her acting career during a panel at the Fanboy Expo Knoxville, sharing memories from her time working on the beloved 1996 film, specifically alongside Danny DeVito, whom Wilson described as a major source of kindness and support during a difficult period in her life.

On July 11, 2026, Jane Seymour attended the Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Reunion Panel at Fanboy Expo in Knoxville, Tenn.
During the discussion, she reflected on taking the unexpected role of Kathleen Cleary in Wedding Crashers and why she never second-guessed the decision
Seymour also revealed how the film's memorable bedroom scene was created, explaining that she was never actually naked
Jane Seymour surprised plenty of fans when she traded her wholesome Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman image for a memorable role in the R-rated comedy Wedding Crashers.
It was a career move that stood in sharp contrast to the character many viewers had come to know her for in the '90s, but one she never hesitated to make. Reflecting on that unexpected shift during the Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Reunion Panel at Fanboy Expo Knoxville on July 11 in Tennessee, Seymour revealed that, at the time, some people questioned whether the comedy was the right choice after her hit television series.

Terrence Hill Jr. delivered the biggest sequence of his college career in the Men's NCAA Tournament for VCU, then spent less than a month deciding his encore belonged with Tennessee basketball.
Hill, a 6-foot-3 guard, committed to Tennessee on April 19, choosing the Vols over Kansas. He's now positioned to compete for one of the starting guard jobs on a Tennessee roster that lost All-SEC guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie to the NBA draft.
Hill said he'd already pictured himself in Tennessee's offense before making his visit to Knoxville, watching Gillespie's ascent under coach Rick Barnes from afar.
"It was funny because last year I was watching the tournament when Tennessee played," Hill said July 13. "I think it was the Sweet 16 game. I was like, 'Ja'Kobi's going crazy, that could be me out there.' I was talking to my agent about it."
Barnes saw that same potential when he made the commitment official.

Outfielder Andrew Duncan, who transferred to Tennessee baseball from Wright State this offseason, was selected in the 19th round of the 2026 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the No. 558 overall pick.
Duncan committed to Tennessee on June 26 and could be the team's starting center fielder if he makes it to campus. In 2026 at Wright State, Duncan hit .367 with six home runs, six triples, 36 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
He started his career at Florida State, choosing to play in college after being selected in the 19th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros. After barely playing as a freshman, Duncan transferred to Tallahassee State College, a junior college, where he hit .379 with three homers and 20 RBIs in 32 games.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegelknoxnews.com; X: EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee transfer Andrew Duncan to Pirates in 19th round of 2026 MLB Draft

Knoxville Catholic football has self-imposed a one-year TSSAA playoff ban for the 2026 football season due to recruiting violations.
The TSSAA opened an investigation into the program and found illegal communication between an ****** istant coach and a player, according to a school release. The coach attempted to convince the player to transfer to Catholic.
This story will be updated.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jacksonknoxnews.com
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The USC Trojans need to make the College Football Playoff this season. That is the goal and expectation. Lincoln Riley has whiffed in four previous attempts to make the playoff. USC is 0 for 12 in making the playoff since the event began in 2014. The pressure is on, and it will only grow after Knoxville News-Sentinel writer John Adams picked USC to make the playoff. He and USA TODAY Sports college football writer Blake Toppmeyer offered their playoff picks before the 2026 season begins. Adams is bullish on USC, but Toppmeyer is not.
"Adams selects: Southern Cal
Toppmeyer's reaction: Noooooooo. You blew it! There goes our perfect bracket. This pick shocks me. Actually, no it doesn't. You got sucked in by USC, once again. Sure, a lot of talent returns, and maybe Gary Patterson will improve the defense, but look at the schedule. It includes: Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Ohio State, Indiana. Too much schedule."
Of course, USC fans do not call the school "Southern Cal," but that point aside, Trojans of all ages hope John Adams' prediction comes true. USC football has done almost nothing since Pete Carroll left, the only exceptions being the 2016 and 2017 seasons under Sam Darnold, with a Rose Bowl win and a Pac-12 championship (the school's only conference ***** le since Carroll left). Now it's time for Lincoln Riley to finally live up to the hype and expectations. The more Riley fails, the harder it is to believe he is the man to lead USC back to the mountaintop in college football.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Tennessee-based writer picks USC to make College Football Playoff

UNCASVILLE, CT — Cheryl Reeve stands alone at the top of the list for most regular-season wins as a WNBA head coach.
On Wednesday, July 8, Reeve set the league record with her 380th victory when her Minnesota Lynx defeated the Connecticut Sun, 86-80, at Mohegan Sun Arena. Reeve surpassed longtime Sun coach Mike Thibault's record of 379. It has stood since 2022.
Reeve's latest milestone comes after she tallied her 414th victory (regular-season and postseason) on Sept. 14, 2025, becoming the all-time winningest WNBA coach for combined wins, surpassing Thibault (413).
It also comes after she was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on June 27 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Reeve is the second WNBA coach to be inducted, joining former Houston Comets coach Van Chancellor, inducted in 2001.
"(I appreciate) the magnitude of this recognition of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the great work that has gone into this institution," Reeve said during her induction ceremony. "To walk around and see the history of how much has been done years before I could ever have this opportunity to coach."

The Tennessee Vols haven't been on many folks' radars this offseason. With plenty of roster turnover and an unsettled quarterback battle, the Vols have the looks of a big question mark for the 2026 season amid what should be a wide open and entertaining SEC.
However, the Vols had quite the makeover on the defensive side of the ball going back to December of last year. Tim Banks was fired, and Jim Knowles was brought down from Penn State. Knowles brought a number of his former Nittany Lions players with him to Knoxville with him, and that included three noteworthy defenders in EDGE Chaz Coleman, LB Amare Campbell, and S Dejuan Lane.
Well, Coleman is gone, as all Tennessee fans know, but Campbell should have a strong impact in the middle this season. And it's in the middle where CBS Sports' Chris Hummer thinks the Vols have the best group in the entire country.
Hummer listed the best group nationally at each position, and the Vols' linebackers got the nod.
The Volunteers have the deepest linebacker unit in the country. For example, Edwin Spillman (81) and Jeremiah Telander (80) led Tennessee in tackles last year and are back in 2026. Yet there's a real chance neither starts due to the presence of Arion Carter — an expected draft pick who returned to school because of injury — and Penn State transfer Amare Campbell, a four-star addition out of the portal who's totaled 179 tackles, 20 TFLs and 9.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

Blake Burke was preparing to board a plane when he saw Andrew Fischer had been drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Burke was the organization’s first-round pick the year prior and was heading home for the 2025 All-Star break when he saw the news. He knew exactly what the Brewers were getting in Fischer, who was coming off an All-America season at Tennessee. Burke, after all, was synonymous with the program’s rise to the top of college baseball as a centerpiece of the Vols’ 2024 national championship team.
While the two didn’t overlap at Tennessee – Fischer only played one season with the Vols – they knew each other from when Burke came back to train in the offseason. Burke reached out to offer his congratulations.
“He big-leagued me the first time I called him,” Burke said. “Didn’t get a text or a call back for a few days, but that’s all right. Getting him in the organization was pretty exciting because I didn’t get to play with him.”
The two are now not only playing together, but this week are doing so back in Knoxville with the Biloxi Shuckers, the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, for a six-game series against the Smokies at Covenant Health Park.

Blake Burke was preparing to board a plane when he saw Andrew Fischer had been drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Burke was the organization’s first-round pick the year prior and was heading home for the 2025 All-Star break when he saw the news. He knew exactly what the Brewers were getting in Fischer, who was coming off an All-America season at Tennessee. Burke, after all, was synonymous with the program’s rise to the top of college baseball as a centerpiece of the Vols’ 2024 national championship team.
While the two didn’t overlap at Tennessee – Fischer only played one season with the Vols – they knew each other from when Burke came back to train in the offseason. Burke reached out to offer his congratulations.
“He big-leagued me the first time I called him,” Burke said. “Didn’t get a text or a call back for a few days, but that’s all right. Getting him in the organization was pretty exciting because I didn’t get to play with him.”
The two are now not only playing together, but this week are doing so back in Knoxville with the Biloxi Shuckers, the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, for a six-game series against the Smokies at Covenant Health Park.

Purdue men's basketball has another upper-tier nonconference series in the works,
Villanova coach Kevin Willard said on the "Inside College Basketball Now" podcast the Wildcats are working on scheduling a home-and-home series with the Boilermakers to begin in 2027. IndyStar confirmed the programs have discussed scheduling each other.
Willard did not specify whether Villanova's home game would be played on campus at Finneran Pavilion, or in downtown Philadelphia at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Purdue has looked for semi-neutral return agreements as part of the Indy Classic, including a recent series against Auburn.
Purdue is already scheduled to play Tennessee in Knoxville on Dec. 11, 2027. It traditionally plays two or three power conference or high-major opponents in addition to two or three games in a multi-team event around Thanksgiving. This coming season, for instance, it plays Gonzaga on a neutral court, at Iowa State to conclude a home-and-home agreement, and at home against the Volunteers to begin one.
Purdue and Villanova have played three times since 2016 in one-off games. The Wildcats won 79-76 in 2016 as part of the Gavitt Games series between the Big Ten and Big East. Carsen Edwards scored 42 points in an 87-61 victory in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Purdue also won 80-74 in the championship game of the 2021 Hall of Fame Tip-Off at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Lady Vols basketball guard Avery Mills will be "sidelined for an extended period of time" with a right knee injury, Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell announced July 7.
The 5-foot-9 junior suffered the injury during a team skill workout on June 30, according to the school release. Mills was the first of 13 players to commit to the Lady Vols out of the transfer portal this spring, transferring to Tennessee from Liberty.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hallknoxnews.com; X: corahalll; Bluesky: corahall.bsky.social‬. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols guard Avery Mills out for 'extended period of time' with right knee injury

Bam Margera is ruling out a Jackass reunion
The franchise alum told Rolling Stone that it will not happen for him "in 10 million years"
"It's just the decisions that Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine decided to make," he said of series co-creators
Don't expect a Jackass reunion involving Bam Margera anytime soon.
The skateboarder and Viva La Bam alum, 46, sounded off on the possibility of his involvement in a future Jackass project during a new interview with Rolling Stone, published on Friday, July 3.

Michigan basketball is reportedly retaining a big transfer.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella plans on staying with Michigan next season despite the departure of former U-M coach Dusty May. Per Thamel, Estrella "quickly bonded" with U-M interim coach Mike Boynton, whom the University officially appointed as the interim on June 23.
Estrella's re-commitment follows that of 7-foot-2 Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam, who according to On3's Joe Tipton said he would stay in Michigan on June 30.
Estrella averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds per game over 33 games as a junior with Tennessee in 2025-26, spending his first three seasons in Knoxville before transferring to Michigan. He and Thiam were part of a three-person transfer class brought in by May following the Wolverines' national championship in April.
But with May leaving for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, it opened an opportunity for Michigan players to transfer elsewhere. So far, however, Michigan has gotten further commitments from many of its most important players, including senior point guard Elliot Cadeau and sophomore shooting guard Trey McKenney.

Looking back on his family's trip to Knoxville, Tyler Summitt wishes he had done it sooner.
The son of former Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt hasn't brought his kids to his hometown often, or for very long. He and his wife, Brooke, took them to Summitt's statue last year, but it wasn't an extended trip.
It was something he put off for one reason or another — the kids were young, it's a trek from Ohio with three of them, and there are all of the emotions of going home.
This June, though, the Summitts took a six-day trip to Knoxville, which overlapped with former Lady Vols star Candace Parker's induction to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on June 27. Their last day in town was June 28, which was the 10th anniversary of Pat Summitt's death.
"It just really felt like the stars aligned, it was meant to be," Summitt told Knox News. "It was like God had a plan for us to be there, and I'm so glad we did it."

Seven individuals with ties to the University of Tennessee were inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.
Honorees included ******* istant football coach John Chavis, wide receiver Jermaine Copeland, softball coaches Ralph Weekly and Karen Weekly, All-American distance runner Brenda Webb, basketball player Clarence Swearengen and tennis player Michelle DePalmer-Williams.
Since 1982, the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony has celebrated Knoxville sports. Each year, local individuals are inducted into the hall of fame for their accomplishments in athletics, coaching, sports administration, media and officiating.
Chavis played for the Vols from 1976-78 and served 20 years on the Tennessee's coaching staff. He was defensive coordinator from 1995-2008 and helped Tennessee win the 1998 BCS national championship and four SEC ******* les.
Copeland also won a national championship 1998. He played in NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League.

Here are the candidates for the Guardian Foundation Repair top preseason offensive lineman for the 2026 TSSAA football season. Voters have until noon on July 2 to submit their responses.
Alex Blackburn, William Blount: Blackburn brings two years of starting experience back in the middle of William Blount's offensive line at center.
Will DeLong, Grace Christian: DeLong was a third team PrepXtra selection in 2025 for clearing open lanes for one of the top rushing attacks in the Knoxville area.
Brayden Gonzalez, Catholic: Gonzalez transferred to Catholic after starting as a freshman at Webb and only allowing one sack. He recently received an offer from Maryland on June 19.
TSSAA FOOTBALL: Who are the Knoxville area's top TSSAA football offensive lineman returning for 2026?

There was never much doubt that Candace Parker would one day find herself in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. The only question was when.
On Saturday night in Knoxville, Tennessee, that moment finally arrived as Parker was officially inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026, joining fellow basketball greats Elena Delle Donne, Cheryl Reeve, and several others in a class that celebrates some of the sport's most influential figures.
For Parker, the ceremony marked another milestone in a career that redefined what was possible for women's basketball.
Her journey began at the University of Tennessee, where she became one of the most decorated players in program history under legendary head coach Pat Summitt. Parker led the Lady Vols to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2007 and 2008 while earning Most Outstanding Player honors in both tournaments. Her dominance at Tennessee transformed her into one of the biggest stars the women's game had ever seen and helped elevate the sport to a broader national audience.
That success carried seamlessly into the WNBA.

Candace Parker has a photo on her desk at her home in Los Angeles from when she won her first WNBA championship with the Sparks in 2016.
Parker is crying, but her daughter Lailaa Williams, who was then 7 years old, is yelling in Parker's ear, "We did it!"
There's no truer statement to describe the relationship between the Lady Vols legend and her daughter, who was born in May 2009 after Parker's historic rookie season in Los Angeles.
"She knows that we win together, we lose together," Parker told Knox News on June 25 at the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.
Williams was along for the ride of Parker's incredible professional career – Parker was pregnant with her during the 2008 season she won an Olympic gold medal, WNBA Rookie of the Year and MVP – so it only makes sense that she'll escort Parker during her induction to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on June 27 at the Tennessee Theatre.