Oregon football coach Dan Lanning has often expressed his disinterest in polls, preseason or otherwise. When asked in 2024 about his team's No. 1 ranking midseason, its first atop the polls in over a decade, the coach said, "Who cares?"
In 2026, with the Ducks carrying their highest preseason ranking ever heading into the year in the AP Poll and holding the same preseason rank in the USA Today coaches poll at No. 2, Lanning offered a similar two word answer when asked Aug. 18 if ever takes the time to appreciate what the ranking says about the program.
"Hell, no."
Lanning was asked later about blocking out outside expectations, with many outlets giving Oregon preseason All-America honors, national ****** le favorite odds and so on, and how easy that task is in today's day and age.
The fifth-year coach wasn't quite as brief, but was just as frank about what preseason accolades mean to him and his program.

#polls

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday to confirm he won't send U.S. troops to polling places during November's midterm elections, as Democrats have raised concerns that the Trump administration could use the military to interfere with the vote.
"I'd ask you to confirm a simple statement: the Department of Defense will not send Federal troops to the polls or to seize election materials of any kind," Slotkin wrote to Hegseth and to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in letters Tuesday.
The Pentagon said in an email that it will respond directly to Slotkin, as it does with all congressional correspondence. The Joint Chiefs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Slotkin told The **** ociated Press that Trump has been laying the groundwork to claim the midterms were stolen. She noted that Trump contemplated using the military to seize voting machines after his loss in 2020 and has deployed the National Guard to cities against the wishes of Democratic leaders. He also deployed active duty Marines to Los Angeles during his immigration crackdown in 2025.
"He's very clearly laying the breadcrumbs to be able to say the day after the election that he didn't really lose the House or he didn't really lose the Senate," Slotkin said.

#slotkin #Trump #defense #joint

While everyone is gearing up for the Ohio State football season, and rightly so with the Buckeyes checking in as the preseason No. 1 team in both the preseason US LBM Coaches and **** ociated Press polls, the OSU basketball team is still putting in some work in the offseason to begin its season this winter.
One of the things some college basketball teams do these days is to take an overseas trip for added scrimmage and practice time, and for Jake Diebller's crew, they decided to get on an airplane and visit Puerto Rico to take in some sunshine, enjoy all the island has to offer, and, of course, get in some time playing as a unit against competition other than themselves.
We didn't really get to see much from the trip, but thanks to the Ohio State basketball creative team, we can get a little peek of the action in a short two-minute and 40-second video recap. From taking in the food and culture, hosting a kids' camp for island residents, to sailing on the ocean, to some scrimmage highlights with plenty of dunks, we think the video is well worth the little bit of your time to watch.
The national media has had a hard time figuring out what this Ohio State basketball team will be in the 2026-27 season, but some are calling the Buckeyes a dark horse. Based on some of the buzz we've heard and these highlights, don't be surprised if Ohio State punches above its projected weight this coming season.
Contact/Follow us BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

#season #time #take

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Some practiced but still might not play. Others didn't suit up but could still find themselves on the field when the 2026 season kicks off for real.
Saturday morning made for some contrasting scenes during the second University of Rhode Island football training camp scrimmage. Offense and defense ******* ed heads as the Rams continued to work toward their Aug. 28 debut under the lights at Merrimack and the start of what they hope will be a third straight journey to the FCS playoffs.
Tyler Budge and Alex McClelland took the bulk of the snaps under center in place of Devin Farrell (lower body), who is still recovering from offseason surgery. Marquis Buchanan (shoulder) was held out as a precaution after a crash landing during a live drill in Friday's session. Defensive lineman Sahnai Swain-Price (ankle), running back Gabe Winowich (hamstring) and linebacker Toddrick Brewton were among those watching from the sideline.
How many of those could be in uniform against the Warriors? URI – currently ranked No. 7 in the preseason national polls and the prohibitive favorite again in the Coastal Athletic ******* ociation – is balancing present and future while chasing more glory in December.
"That was a lot of fun today," defensive lineman Case Mankins said. "Going against each other every day in fall camp, it's fun. But when it's time to really hit, you let loose."

#lineman #kingstown

A year after being on the hot seat, Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler enters the 2026-27 season with lofty goals and has the Buckeyes slotted in many pre-season top 25 polls.
Ohio State brings in eight new players -- both transfers and freshmen -- nearly all of whom are expected to make some sort of impact this season, and that is combined with returnees and potential All-Big Ten players John Mobley Jr and Amare Bynum.
According to one ESPN insider, Ohio State could be the 'Big Ten Sleeper' this season.
"The Buckeyes could be a Big Ten sleeper, provided they pull the pieces together," Myron Medcalf wrote. "Doing so will demand another outstanding season from John Mobley Jr. (15.7 PPG, 41% from 3), who will play next to incoming five-star and projected top-10 draft pick Anthony Thompson. Jake Diebler also added a strong portal class, including Justin Pippen -- the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen -- who led Cal in scoring last season. The Buckeyes went dancing this past March thanks to a late push. It's easy to predict Selection Sunday should feel more comfortable next year."
Thompson, who pledged to his in state Buckeyes over Indiana, is one of the more purely gifted athletes and freshmen that has played in the Ohio State program in quite some time. His skill alone, ******* uming his potential is reached this year, is enough to keep the Buckeyes in a good spot most of the year. Add in transfers like Pippen, Jimmie Williams, Curtis Givens, Andrija Jelavic and Josh Ojianwuna, and the core is set alongside Mobley and Bynum.

#season

After the Texas Longhorns went from preseason No. 1 in both major polls to missing the College Football Playoff for the first time in three years, head coach Steve Sarkisian shuffled his coaching staff after the regular season ended, firing first-year running backs coach Chad Scott, first-year defensive pass game coordinator Duane Akina in his return to the Forty Acres, and longtime defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.
Notably escaping accountability for the disastrous left guard position was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Kyle Flood, whose unit played a big role in the disastrous road loss to the Gators to open SEC play that ultimately kept the Horns out of the CFP.
So the pressure has increased on Sarkisian's longtime colleague, who is now entering his 10th season on the same staff.
It's not hard to say that the Texas offensive line is in a better position than it was when Flood and Sarkisian first took over.
Since being completely blanked from the 2022 NFL Draft, the Longhorns have had six offensive linemen drafted into the NFL, including a top-10 pick in Kelvin Banks — a member of Flood's first recruiting class on the Forty Acres. On the same token, you can say that the 2026 version of the line was a step back from the previous group.

#offensive #coordinator

Later this month, we will be watching college football. The season kicks off when North Carolina and TCU square off in Ireland, while the first Big Ten in action will be USC when they host San Jose State. With the season only weeks away, we are seeing preseason polls released, award watchlists revealed, and predictions for this year's CFP participants being shared. Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana are common favorites to make this year's playoff and are earning spots in the 12-team field in each of the last two seasons.
Back in the first year of the 12-team field, Indiana shocked the college football world when Curt Cignetti led the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff in his first year as head coach at the coach. Is there another surprise in store for the CFP this season? If Indiana can do it, then why can't another Big Ten school that has been a perennial loser or a program that has been stuck in the middle of the conference make the playoff? What if Bob Chesney is Cignetti 2.0? Chesney is now the head coach at UCLA after leading James Madison to the playoff last season.
Today we want you to call your shot and let us know which Big Ten team could be a sleeper to make this year's College Football Playoff. Obviously you didn't understand the ***** ignment if you are picking Ohio State, Oregon, or Indiana. Everybody else is on the table since all the other teams in the conference have at least +250 odds to make the CFP. What will be interesting is to see if anyone wants to go on the record and pick Purdue to make the playoff, as they have the lowest odds of any team in the conference at +25000.
We'd love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
It's obvious why P.J. Fleck and Minnesota are in favor of an expanded College Football Playoff. At 24 teams, the Golden Gophers would have likely made the CFP a few times since 2021, as Fleck and the Golden Gophers have won at least eight games four times in those five seasons, while also winning all five bowl games they have played in. This isn't even taking into account the 2019 season when Minnesota won 11 games and finished the season ranked 10th in the country.

#team #first

The Michigan State women's soccer program reached new heights last season, making the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in school history.
But after finishing second in the Big Ten and as runner-up in the Big Ten tournament a year ago, the Spartans are looking to return to the top of the conference, which they had previously won in 2022 and 2023. MSU is the preseason pick to win the league this season.
The Spartans, who open their season at home against Xavier at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, also sit at No. 7 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches and Top Drawer Soccer preseason polls — the highest mark in program history.
"In terms of their work rate, their commitment to doing the hard things right now, there has been no signs of complacency, " MSU coach Jeff Hosler said. "I think it's a group, particularly with the oldest players, that came back with a certain level of expectation, and they're super driven to see if we can have our best year yet."
After reaching the Sweet 16 in four consecutive seasons, this group is looking to be the breakthrough squad to reach the College Cup and continue to establish MSU as a national soccer power.

#spartans #history

HILLSDALE COUNTY — Hillsdale County 11-player football teams officially begin preparations for the 2026 season this week as practices get underway across Michigan.
More: Hillsdale football looks to climb G-MAC with record seven home games
The season brings major storylines for Hillsdale, Jonesville and Reading. Hillsdale enters its final football season in the Lenawee County Athletic ******* ociation before moving to the Cascades Conference in 2027. Jonesville will debut its new stadium, while Reading begins a new era under first-year coach Gavin Wisel.
We begin our preview season with schedules for each team, key notes about the games ahead and our favorite matchup for each team.
Vote in the online polls for which game is the must watch for each team in 2026.

#season #games

The midterm primary rush continues on Tuesday as voters in six states choose their parties' candidates in pivotal races that could decide control of Congress.
Most eyes will be on South Carolina, where Republicans are holding a special Senate primary to choose a new nominee following the sudden death of longtime incumbent Lindsey Graham in July. His sister, Darline Graham, was chosen by South Carolina's governor to fill her brother's seat until January. She announced a week later that she would run for a full six-year term.
Republicans aren't clearing the way for her nomination, though. Nine other candidates have jumped into the race, including GOP Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, and former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. Polls have shown Graham and Norman ahead of the field, but both are well short of the 50% support they'd need to avoid a runoff. If no one receives at least half the vote, the top two finishers will go to a runoff on Aug. 25.
In Wisconsin, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has chosen not to seek another term, setting off a messy battle between the progressive and moderate wings of the party over who should be their nominee to replace him. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist state lawmaker, has held a consistent lead throughout the primary. But Evers has said he believes Hong may be too far to the left to defeat the likely Republican nominee, Rep. Tom Tiffany, in the general election. Instead, the governor has thrown his support behind Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who had briefly dropped out of the race before resuming his campaign with less than a month left in the primary. Polls suggest Crowley has an enormous amount of ground to make up if he wants to pull off a surprising victory.
From left: Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidates David Crowley and Francesca Hong during a primary debate in Milwaukee on July 28, 2026.

#graham #nominee #left

There's no need to let the AP top 25 and Coaches Poll have all of the fun — let's talk about another poll. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will start the season ranked No. 3 in the first FWAA-NFF Super 16.
NOTES:
Ohio State, last season's Big Ten runner-up, opens the season at No. 1 after receiving 28 of 56 first-place votes. It marks the Buckeyes' 25th all-time appearance atop the preseason poll and their first since 2015. Only Alabama (62) and Georgia (37) have more No. 1 appearances.

Oregon begins the season at No. 2 following an appearance in last season's College Football Playoff Semifinals, marking the highest preseason ranking in program history. The Ducks' previous best was No. 4 in 2024.

Notre Dame also enters the season at its highest preseason ranking ever at No. 3, surpassing its previous best of No. 6 in 2025 and 2022.

Texas is No. 4, joining Ohio State and Georgia as the only teams to open each of the last three seasons ranked in the top five.

Defending national champion Indiana is No. 6 and makes its first appearance in the preseason poll in program history.

Miami (FL) is the ACC's lone ranked team at No. 7, while Texas Tech, at No. 11, is the Big 12's highest-ranked team.

The SEC leads all conferences with seven ranked teams, followed by the Big Ten with five, the Big 12 with two, the ACC with one and the FBS Independents with one.

Since 2015, the eventual national champion has been ranked among the top six of the preseason poll a total of nine times. Alabama in 2017 is the only national champion during that span to open the season at No. 1.
ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL:
The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers ****** ociation of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Sunday of the 2026 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 8 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 6. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by Sports Systems, a TicketManager company, to compile the rankings and Kellner Ratings to publish the individual votes.
Kind of an interesting note here… Notre Dame received the second most 1st place votes with 9. When you look at the individual ballots, however, you can see a few things that stick out about Notre Dame's ranking — but the one that sticks out the most comes from former Notre Dame defensive lineman, Chris Zorich, who ranked the Irish at No. 10 to start the season.

#season #dame

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country.
The Orioles entered trade deadline day earlier this week with a 2.5 game deficit to the third wild card spot in the American League. We have seen the myriad flaws of the team through the year and on a rational level understand the case not to push aggressively to make something happen this season.
I don't think I was the only one hoping the Orioles would decide to just let it ride with the roster, maybe add a piece or two who will be able to help next year too while thinning out the mid-range prospect depth that has to be added to the 40-man roster so it's not lost in the Rule 5 draft. Mike Elias had other ideas, trading away three players who figured to be a part of next year's team, headlined by Adley Rutschman. This is still a tough one to stomach.
In our poll this week, I asked Orioles fans, clearly feeling raw in the aftermath of the Rutschman trade, when they think that our favorite baseball team will make it back into the postseason. These were the results:
Optimism often reigns in these polls, but it seems the post-Rutschman trade was not inspiring a lot of optimism for the near future. The 34% plurality for 2029 or later isn't too strong, but we're talking 59% who think the Orioles won't make the postseason this year or next year either.

#year #fans

Florida football enters the 2026 season unranked in the US LBM preseason Top 25 coaches poll.
That's news to first-year Florida Gators coach Jon Sumrall, who claims he doesn't pay attention to preseason polls.
Florida was the second-highest in the others receiving votes category, making the Gators 27th entering their season opener on Sept. 5 against Florida Atlantic.
Sumrall votes in the US LBM coaches poll and says he gets help from other staff members in selecting teams.
"I have somebody help me make sure that we know how to fill out the form the right way," Sumrall said. "But no, I look at it and talk through it with who helps me."

#preseason #poll

By David Morgan
WASHINGTON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Tennessee Republicans head to the polls on Thursday to choose their nominee for governor in a tightening ‌race between two of President Donald Trump's closest allies in Congress: ‌U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Representative John Rose.
Blackburn, 74, and Rose, 61, are running for the party nod to replace two-term Republican Governor Bill Lee, who is leaving office because of term limits. Five candidates, including Memphis city councilor Jerri Green, are vying for the Democratic nomination.
The governor's office in Tennessee, a state Trump won by nearly ‌30 percentage points in 2024, ⁠is widely expected to remain in Republican hands in the November general election.
Blackburn, who spent 16 years in the U.S. ⁠House of Representatives before entering the Senate in 2019, has led Rose by comfortable double-digit margins for much of the race, according to opinion polls. But in recent weeks, there have been signs that the contest has tightened.

#blackburn #rose #governor #race

The 2026 fall high school sports season is quickly approaching and as we continue to roll through the first week of August, cross country runners from around the Beaver Valley begin preparing for the start of the season.
As runners aim for WPIAL and PIAA gold, it is time to select the Beaver County Times' boys and girls high school cross country preseason runners of the year.
Many of these runners qualified for the WPIAL championships, while others claimed WPIAL gold and had strong showings at the PIAA championships.
Fans can cast their vote as many times as they'd like until the poll closes on Thursday, August 13 at noon. The winners of the poll will be announced once all fall preseason polls have closed.
VOTE: Who is the Times' preseason boys high school golfer of the year?

#WPIAL #school #many

Ahead of preseason camp starting on Wednesday, the ramp up to the 2026 college football season continued on Tuesday with the release of the Coaches Poll, which slots the Texas Longhorns at No. 4 nationally.
With Texas receiving only two first-place votes from the coaches, five other teams received more, including No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 6 Indiana, the reigning national champions, as some skepticism surrounds the Longhorns after going from preseason No. 1 in both polls to losing two of the team's first five games and missing the College Football Playoff as a result.
That skepticism is notably at odds with the high expectations on the Forty Acres — it's national championship game or bust in head coach Steve Sarkisian sixth season, widely considered to the fourth and final year in college for redshirt junior quarterback Arch Manning, who returns for his second season as the starter surrounding by multiple projected first-round picks that make up one of the most expensive rosters in the sport.
Beginning with No. 1 Ohio State coming to Austin on Sept. 12, Texas is set to face seven preseason top-25 opponents, including No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 13 LSU, No. 18 Tennessee, and No. 25 Missouri, in what projects as one of the nation's most difficult schedules.

#preseason

The Dispatch revealed its picks for the best athletes, coaches and teams of 2025-26 at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 22 at Upper Arlington High School.
Readers have made their selections throughout the summer, and the polls conclude this week with a vote for girls Team of the Year.
High School Sports Awards honorees: Meet the 2025-26 Central Ohio High School Sports Awards honorees
Voting is open until 4 p.m. Aug. 7. Please do not email your votes; they will not count.
Danville softball: The top seed in the Division VI district tournament, the Blue Devils (25-5) won at least 23 games for the third year in a row but took the next step this year and captured the state **** le with a thrilling 2-0, nine-inning win over West Jefferson. Senior pitcher Addy Bocock struck out 323 and earned first-team all-state, and five of the team's eight freshmen earned their way into the starting lineup.

#sports #year #central

The first week of August signals the beginning of college football preseason polls.
The 2026 US LBM College Football Coaches preseason Top 25 poll will be released on Aug. 4.
Though not as directly involved with deciding the national champion as during the BCS era, the preseason polls set the public narratives early.
Ole Miss football, in Year 1 of the Pete Golding era, is coming off a College Football Playoff semifinal run and can put the noisy Lane Kiffin era behind it — possibly after the LSU game in September.
USA TODAY Sports will unveil the preseason US LBM Coaches Top 25 live on YouTube, with instant ***** ysis from the national team of college football experts Blake Toppmeyer, Matt Hayes, John Brice and Paul Myerberg and will include a special guest during the poll reveal.

#coaches #poll #national

The world's shrinking spare capacity to produce gasoline and diesel is running up against the White House's desire to temper the rise in pump prices ahead of the midterms.
The chief executives of Exxon Mobil and Chevron warned Friday that refineries that produce gasoline and diesel are already running at full tilt and can't be turned up much more to make up for global shortages due to the war in Iran and other geopolitical hotspots. That could mean higher prices for consumers at the pump in the coming months, they said.
Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods said the company would "push as hard as we can" to increase fuel production given that higher energy prices have a "significant impact on consumers and people's pocketbooks."
"With all that supply out, we're well below available capacity, frankly, that I've ever seen," he said on the company's earnings call. "It's going to take a while for the industry to kind of climb its way out of that hole."
Their remarks come as the Trump administration is racing to blunt the impact of elevated gasoline prices with three months until Americans go to the polls. The American Automobile ***** ociation reported nationwide pump prices were averaging $4.10 per gallon — nearly a dollar more than the same period last year. Refineries in the United States, meanwhile, operated at roughly 97 percent of their operable capacity this month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said this week, while Shell reported Friday that it was running its refineries at record rates actually above their official capacities during the second quarter.

#pump

Enterprise AI agents were meant to be the breakout software offering for 2026, yet instead they've become one of the major sources of buyer distrust. According to Anaconda and Forrester research, over 88% of AI agent pilots never reach production, as confirmed by independent polls from a16z and MIT Sloan's CIO panel, while Gartner predicts that more than 40% of agentic AI initiatives will be discontinued entirely by 2027 due to questionable ROI.
Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) walked into the gap between agent hype and agent reality when it placed its growth narrative on Agentforce, and by 2026, that bet has made Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) one of the worst-performing components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, down around 31.48% year to date.
The immediate cause appears to be a credibility problem, not a demand issue. Bernstein downgraded Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) to Sector Weight from Outperform on July 9, removing its price target completely and citing poor customer feedback on Agentforce in particular. According to **** yst Jackson Ader, the released data doesn't yet indicate growing momentum, and a recent CIO survey found Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) to be "a standout for the wrong reasons."
That said, this interpretation is not uniform, and the debate on the market is serious. On July 14, Goldman Sachs reiterated its Buy rating and $242 price target, expecting organic growth to pick up in the third quarter as more details on AI monetization become available at Salesforce's Agentforce event in September. Goldman's more constructive reading is based on management's own acknowledgment of headwinds in Tableau, Commerce, and Marketing, which the firm sees as realistic rather than concerning, arguing that Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is being open about a 12-to-24-month drag on its organic growth algorithm rather than covering it up.
Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM)'s historical valuation decline looks to be the most mispriced aspect of the market story. Shares are currently trading at a compressed forward earnings multiple of only 10.83x, a substantial drop from the stock's five-year historical average of over 127x. The disparity is even more obvious when compared to prominent peers such as ServiceNow, which trades at a forward P/E of around 20.43x and requires consistent revenue growth above 18% through 2028 to maintain its valuation premium. Salesforce's current valuation of less than 11x forecast earnings is in near-total deadlock, despite the company's strong free cash flow generation and substantial enterprise data integration.

#valuation #july

The 49ers will have their first training camp practice today. There aren't any pads, so don't expect much news. But we are officially back.
If you haven't seen this feed post from Fooch, he asked how many games Mike Evans would appear in this season. What say you?
Be sure to create an account if you haven't, so you can participate in things like commenting, voting on polls, etc. Just go to the top right corner of this link.
Onto today's links…
Agent's Take: Brandon Aiyuk has only himself to blame for 49ers limbo chaos

#take #aiyuk #training

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

Lebanon County’s high school football season is nearly here and Week 1 stands about a month away.
The latest season saw three local teams make the District 3 playoffs and just one came out with a win by the end of their postseasons. Both teams and individual players shined on the gridiron in 2025 and the next season's games start on August 28, 2026.
Ahead of the upcoming campaign, fans can decide the best and worst teams in the area among other Lebanon County team polls. Voting has opened between all five polls and will run until noon on Sunday, Aug. 2.
Want to nominate an athlete for the weekly polls this season? Email Zavier Gussett at zgussettldnews.com by noon each Sunday. Include the athlete's name, sport and a little bit about their accomplishment.
2026 schedule: Lebanon County's top football games around each local 2026 schedule

#season #county #sunday

Slow news days are about to be a thing of the past, as training camp is underway. It may take a few days for the news to roll in, but we will be back in business in no time.
The Feed post of the day that made me laugh:
Be sure to sign up for an account if you haven’t. That way you can post your own feeds and participate in the polls listed in The Feed.
Onto today’s links…
George Kittle Gets Honest About Davante Adams Ahead of 49ers-Rams

#days

The Florida men's basketball team will welcome the Jacksonville Dolphins to the O'Dome on Nov. 5 for their home opener for the 2026-27 season.
The Gators last hosted Jacksonville on Nov. 7, 2024, earning an 81-60 victory over the Dolphins. Florida leads the all-time series 33-5 against Jacksonville.
UF's non-conference schedule is beginning to take shape, with the matchup against Jacksonville becoming the newest addition to the Gators' schedule. Florida is highly favored to enter the season as the No. 1 team in the country in preseason polls after returning key contributors from last season.
Florida will tip off its season in a neutral-site game on Nov. 2 against the Miami Hurricanes at Benchmark International Arena — the same venue where the Gators were upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by No. 9 seed Iowa.
More non-conference matchups are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as the season approaches.

#jacksonville #season #gators #conference

Who is the best Southwest Florida volleyball player of the past 25 seasons?
Let the debate begin.
The News-Press and Naples Daily News selected 25 players for this illustrious list. To be eligible, a player had to be on a Southwest Florida team for at least one season between 2001-02 and 2025-26. Consideration was given not only to how they performed at the high school level but also to their college resumes.
Now's your chance to determine which one of these standouts is the best.
Vote below or click HERE to vote for the best Southwest Florida volleyball player of the past 25 years. Polls will close at 10 a.m. on July 21, 2026.

FALL RIVER — The Herald News recently concluded voting for Players of the Year polls.
The two-week polls wrapped up and the fan's choice votes are in for baseball, softball, lacrosse, boys and girls tennis.
Here are the winners for their respected sports below:
Watch MA high school sports on NFHS
47.43% of the vote (484 votes)

Happy Monday, Spurs fans! Want another poll? 'Course ya do. This time we're going in a slightly different direction.
One of the unexpected effects of this year's expanded tournament has been a series of delightful encounters with various international fan bases, and how they've formed connections with the host nations, and cheekily ingratiated themselves into American, Mexican, and Canadian culture.
Who can forget Scotland's Tartan Army literally drinking Boston out of beer before taking over a Red Sox baseball game, and plopping traffic cones on the heads of all the statues? Or Netherlands fans swamping the roads in a sea of orange as they Hup-Hup-Hupped around? There's the Congo's sheer enthusiasm (along with the Statue Guy imitating a beloved former political icon), Norway's Scandinavian rowing thing (except for, y'know, that one guy who held on principle and historical accuracy), and Mexico's bromance with visiting ***** anese fans? Or any fanbase discovering the joys of American food, especially Waffle House?
God, there were so many. So let's take a quick poll — which World Cup fanbase has been the most fun during this summer's tournament? And of course, since you're naturally going to yell at me for not including England, let me just pre-empt you with this graphic, which I've posted in the comments of the last two polls and is still appropriate here.

Throughout the next week, the Beaver County Times will publish lists and polls on the top returning high school football players by position in the Beaver Valley.
Beginning on Thursday, July 9, the Times will reveal its top five returning quarterbacks, followed by running backs, wide receivers, offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs.
Below, you can find links to the lists and polls as they are published, where you can view the lists and vote on your favorite athlete.
Winners of each poll will be revealed once all polls close.
Who are the top five returning quarterbacks in the Beaver Valley in 2026?

It’s time to vote for the Joe Orthodontics Multisport Athlete of the Year.
This is the final round of voting, and out of 10 nominations, the top five vote-getters have qualified for the final round.
The High Desert once again produced a remarkable group of student-athletes who starred throughout the school year, leading their teams on the field, court, track and beyond.
Whether it was dominating in the postseason, winning league championships, earning CIF-Southern Section honors or rewriting school record books, these athletes proved their talents didn’t stop when one season ended.
So we asked for your help in choosing your favorite athletes from the 2025-26 school year. Our readers have been voting for their favorite multisport varsity stars from 10 different high schools in the High Desert. The first round concluded with a total of 8,210 votes cast between the boys and girls polls.