The Banana Ball Championship League will bring its 2027 World Tour to five New York locations, including Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where the Savannah Bananas will play two games.
The organization announced the schedule for its 2027 tour on Thursday, Oct. 15, during the Banana Ball City Selection Show. The tour will span 23 Major League Baseball stadiums, 10 football stadiums and 33 minor league baseball stadiums.
Although the Savannah Bananas will make just one stop in New York, other teams in the league will play in Cooperstown, Buffalo, Rochester and Brooklyn.
"Rochester has been clamoring for the opportunity to see the outstanding Banana Ball performers, and we have worked for some time to bring them to ESL Ballpark," Rochester Red Wings President, CEO and COO Naomi Silver said. "We are excited to make this happen and know it will be a huge hit for all."
Here's what to know about the 2027 tour's New York stops, which teams will play at each venue and how to enter the ticket lottery.

#rochester #tour #savannah #bananas

Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford met at summer camp and reconnected nearly 15 years later
Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins met in first grade and started a romance after years of friendship
Linda Cardellini met her fiancé Steven Rodriguez when she was 10 and he was 11
Long before red carpets and sold-out stadiums, some celebrity couples were just kids growing up together.
Celebs including Thomas Rhett and Carey Mulligan met their significant others in grade school before reconnecting as adults. Others, including Scotty McCreery, turned a childhood crush into a lasting relationship.

#thomas #rhett #grade

Savannah Bananas TV schedule 2026: Dates, times, channels, live streams to watch Banana Ball games originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Banana Ball is back for 2026, and bigger than ever.
The baseball-adjacent traveling roadshow has added two additional teams for this season in the Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns, a resurrected Negro Leagues brand.
That makes six teams, led by the flagship Savannah Bananas, set to crisscross the country from February through October in appearances at MLB venues including Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field, plus NFL, college football and minor league baseball stadiums.
While tickets see the Bananas in person have become increasingly difficult to acquire, Banana Ball has expanded its broadcast schedule for 2026, allowing fans everywhere to watch the show from the comfort of their homes.

#banana #watch

Nebraska volleyball (4-0) will play in one of baseball's legendary venues on Sunday night. The Cornhuskers will face the Missouri Tigers in the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.
Since Volleyball Day in Nebraska in 2023, the Huskers have played in five different professional stadiums across the last four seasons. This match at Wrigley Field against Missouri is the sixth professional venue for the Huskers to play in since 2023.
This will be the 79th meeting all-time between these two schools, with Nebraska holding a 74-3-1 lead in the series. The last time the Huskers and the Tigers played was a Nebraska sweep in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023.
Nebraska setter Bergen Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week last week. The senior averages 10.70 ******* ists and 2.10 digs per set.
Missouri middle blocker Lauren Larkin leads the SEC with a hitting percentage of .564. This is Larkin's first season with the Tigers, after spending the last two seasons with Utah State.

#Huskers #field

On September 1, Rezolve AI (NASDAQ:RZLV) reported first-half revenue of $130.8 million, up from just $6.3 million a year earlier, a jump of roughly 1,970%. The AI commerce and payments company also said its enterprise customer base grew to 1,640 accounts. Numbers like that demand attention, but the same report showed losses widening even faster than sales. Here's what's really going on underneath the headline growth rate.
Rezolve's enterprise base grew from 950 customers at the end of the prior fiscal year to 1,640 by June 30, and management is leaning on partnerships with Microsoft, Google, Tata Consultancy Services, and Tech Mahindra to keep that pipeline filling without building out its own global sales force. That distribution strategy got a notable vote of confidence after the quarter closed: Google selected Rezolve's proprietary distributed database technology following a technical evaluation of 24 competing companies, and the system is now indexing roughly 100 terabytes of data across 10 blockchain networks inside Google Cloud's infrastructure.
The platform also proved it can handle real traffic. During the FIFA 2026 World Cup measurement window from June 1 through July 31, Rezolve's technology logged about 103 million app opens from 9.86 million unique devices across 16 stadiums, along with 5.84 million geofence events. On the loyalty and payments side, the recently completed acquisition of Reward Loyalty expanded Rezolve's footprint to more than 15 markets, and a partnership with Zilch now touches almost 6 million customers, driving over $3.3 billion a year to partner merchants. Management reaffirmed guidance for approximately $360 million in full-year 2026 revenue, implying second-half sales near $229 million, and reiterated a target of at least $500 million in annual recurring revenue by year-end.
Growth this fast has come at a steep price. Rezolve's operating loss widened to $128.1 million in the first half of 2026, compared with $32.4 million a year earlier, and net loss grew to $139.5 million from $57.9 million. Some of that reflects noncash items, including $41.5 million in share-based compensation and $20.4 million in depreciation and amortization, but cash is also going out the door faster. Net cash used in operating activities jumped to $96.1 million from $19.8 million in the prior-year period, and investing activities consumed another $148.3 million, largely tied to acquisitions and platform development.

#million #revenue #grew #june

Cruzeiro and Atlético-MG to battle for a spot in the 2026 Copa Betano do Brasil semifinalsCredits: Gustavo Aleixo/Cruzeiro
Atlético-MG and Cruzeiro will decide a place in the 2026 Copa Betano do Brasil semifinals this Tuesday (1st). After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, the Minas Gerais rivals meet again tonight at 9 p.m. (Brasília time) at Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte, with live coverage on SporTV and Premiere.
If the teams draw again, the matchup will be decided on penalties, a real possibility given how evenly balanced the first meeting was.
On Wednesday (2nd), Vasco and Palmeiras will take the field looking to protect the advantage they built at home. This time, the challenge will be away from their own stadiums. After a 1-0 win, Vasco visits Vitória at Barradão in Salvador. At Vila Belmiro in Santos, Palmeiras, leading 3-0, faces Santos. Both matches will kick off at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) and will be available on TV Globo, SporTV, Premiere, and Amazon.
On Thursday (3rd), Arena do Grêmio in Porto Alegre hosts Grêmio vs. Internacional at 8 p.m. (Brasília time). Amazon will broadcast the Rio Grande do Sul derby. Gre-Nal finished scoreless in the first leg at Beira-Rio.

#arena #premiere

NEW YORK — Alex Eala has been filling tennis stadiums all over the world this past year, buoyed by more than 11 million overseas Filipinos. Packed crowds in Australia, Dubai, Toronto, and this week, New York, have felt "Eala Mania," decorating relatively docile tennis crowds with Philippine flags and "Laban Alex!" signs.
Eala is a complete anomaly for her country. No other Filipina had even made the top 250 before her, and she's already cracked the top 20 before the year's final major following her maiden WTA ***** le at the DC Open earlier this month. The 21-year-old even has current stars already labeling her the future of the sport.
Her unprecedented ascent has led Filipino fans to fly across the country to see her play. One group even planned their college reunion around her first appearance at the Cincinnati Open a few weeks ago.
But because of the nomadic nature of tennis, Eala is barely able to witness how she's impacting the other 117 million Filipinos in her home country.
"I think because I'm always traveling and I'm on tour, I'm quite out of touch sometimes with what my impact is back home, for the good and the bad. I think that's why I said a couple of times that when I went back home, it really opened my eyes," Eala said in response to a question from FOS at the Cincinnati Open.

#tennis #country #cincinnati

NFL stadiums are more than places where football games are played. The best ones become part of the identity of their teams and cities. Some have huge crowds, great views and modern facilities. Others stand out because of history, tradition, tailgating or the feeling inside the building.
The 2026 season brings another major change to that landscape. The Buffalo Bills have moved across the street into a brand-new Highmark Stadium. The new building has a fixed capacity of 60,108, making it the NFL's smallest stadium. Standing-room areas can add about 6,000 more fans. Its roof covers most of the crowd, while the grass field, open concourses and player facilities mark a major upgrade from the old stadium.
MORE: 7 best things about NFL preseason games only real fans appreciate
Highmark Stadium is exempt because it is still settling into its new home. It will likely be one of the best once fans have had more time to experience it during a full season.
So, that leaves 29 regularly used NFL stadiums, considering the New York Giants and Jets share MetLife Stadium and the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers co-habit SoFi Stadium. Let's get a deep dive on every NFL stadium.

#stadium #stadiums #games #major

SÃO PAULO x BOCA JUNIORS-ARGCONMEBOL SUDAMERICANA09/15/2026, at 9:30 PMMORUMBISSÃO PAULO
TICKETSFREE ADMISSION:
As provided in Article 1 of State Law 18,159 of June 27, 2025, "Free access to sporting events held in stadiums, gyms, and similar venues throughout the State is guaranteed for lap children up to 2 (two) years old, not yet having reached their second birthday, when accompanied by a guardian."
To comply with the Law, São Paulo FC will register and wristband lap children under 2 years old at fan service points set up next to ticket offices 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 and at other strategic points in the Stadium on matchday.
BIOMETRICSThe General Sports Law provides that, as of June 14, 2025, all stadiums with a capacity of more than 20,000 people must adopt a facial recognition system. This rule applies to matches in all competitions, and São Paulo has adopted it in all sections of MorumBIS.THEREFORE, FACIAL REGISTRATION WILL BE MANDATORY TO PURCHASE TICKETS AND ENTER THE STADIUM.Register at: sao-paulo.bepass.com.br

#stadium #points

College students spend four years planning for what to do once they leave campus, and spend the next 40 years trying to figure how to get back. It's a truism that college administrators and broadcasters would do well to remember as they continue to separate college football from college campuses.
On Saturday, North Carolina will kick off its season against TCU in Dublin, the fifth straight year that Ireland has hosted a Week 0 game. A few weeks later, Arizona State will face Kansas in London's Wembley Stadium.
If you're wondering what the Tarheels and Horned Frogs have to do with the Emerald Isle, or why the Sun Devils will travel halfway around the planet to play football, well, you're asking the right questions. As with everything else in college football right now, there are multiple vectors at play here, and absolutely none of them point in the direction of the average fan.
Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!
American universities have played football in international stadiums for as long as the game has existed, sometimes for bowl games, sometimes as part of barnstorming or goodwill tours. (Bo Jackson's final snaps as a college player technically came in a **** anese all-star game in 1986.)

#years

Simone Biles showcased her Colts-inspired game day style after Jonathan Owens signed with the Indianapolis Colts
Her outfit featured a black Colts tank top, custom jewelry and an Audemars Piguet watch
Biles often personalizes her looks to support Owens but skipped custom pieces as he finalized his jersey number
Simone Biles' game day 'fit checks are back!
The Olympic gymnast, 29, is bringing her signature style back to the stadiums now that NFL preseason is upon us. However, this year is looking slightly different since her husband, Jonathan Owens, 31, signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts in March.

#style #custom

German national team coach Jürgen Klopp has already spoken with several Bundesliga coaches, including Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany:
During his first few weeks in charge, Jürgen Klopp held long conversations with Bundesliga coaches, including Vincent Kompany, Niko Kovač and Sebastian Hoeneß. Klopp wants to work with them closely and stay in regular contact. He has also spoken to the coaches of Germany's youth teams and made it clear to them that they're part of the process and are very important to him. Klopp attaches a lot of importance to attending games regularly in stadiums. After last week's Super Cup, he will also attend Friday's Bundesliga opener at Allianz Arena.
Klopp is trying as best he can to get a read on his talent pool and taking in feedback from some of the most important managers in Germany's top tier. Sure, you can say that is what he is supposed to do, but it is reassuring that he — so far — is able to juggle managing the here and now, while also working to establish new initiatives for the future.
Juventus is still trying to sort out its desire to bring in a new attacker:
Juventus are unimpressed with Randal Kolo Muani's performances since his return to the club and are now looking at Atlético Madrid striker Alexander Sørloth, Gazzetta dello Sport reports. The Norway international is being favoured over Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee because it is felt that his characteristics would be a better fit. Nicolas González could be used as part of a deal to bring the costs down, especially as the 28-year-old wants to continue with Atleti following the expiration of his loan.

#wants

ORCHARD PARK, NY — For the first time in six years, an NFL team will move into a new football palace, the 2026 Buffalo Bills set to cross the street and officially open their new Highmark Stadium to kick off Week 2 of the regular season.
With a fixed seating capacity of 60,108, Highmark becomes the league's smallest venue. But that's completely by design. The standing-room only crowd can increase the headcount by roughly 6,000 for a place built to be intimate. And, despite some seemingly overblown criticism about some of the obstructed-view seats that were spotlit for the Bills' first practice in the building earlier this month, players and most fans seem to love their new surroundings.
They include gorgeous views of the field from the concourses (like a baseball stadium interior); a roof that will shield most of the crowed from lake-effect weather during winter; many design homages to Bills Mafia and creature comforts the players simply didn't have at the old Ralph Wilson Stadium (also known as Highmark Stadium before it closed following the 2025 campaign) – chief among them a grass playing surface.
"It's so nice," Bills general manager Brandon Beane recently told USA TODAY Sports. "There's some really nice stadiums, I don't think I've walked into one nicer. It's very intentional about things.
"The players are very excited about it."

#first #design

This story was originally published on QSR. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily QSR AM Jolt.
Delaware North, one of the largest and most diversified hospitality and food service companies in the world, has partnered with TipHaus to streamline and automate tip management across its portfolio of venues.
For an operator of Delaware North's scale and diversity, spanning stadiums, arenas, resorts, destination restaurants, and entertainment venues, tip management has traditionally meant a patchwork of manual, location-by-location processes, each with its own rules and reconciliation headaches. Since bringing TipHaus on board in March 2025, Delaware North has replaced that fragmented approach with a single automated system that handles hundreds of distinct tip-pooling and distribution use cases across its operations. Today, TipHaus supports more than 40 locations for Delaware North.
"Partnering with TipHaus has helped Delaware North streamline and modernize our tip management process, reducing administrative effort while improving accuracy and transparency for our leaders," said Michele Seaver, Director of Payroll and Workforce Management at Delaware North. "What used to take a full day of coordination now takes just a couple of hours to pull a single enterprise-wide export. Given the diversity and complexity of our portfolio, the flexibility of the TipHaus platform, and the collaborative partnership we have built with the TipHaus team have been extremely valuable. Their willingness to adapt solutions and get creative to meet our unique operational needs has helped us drive greater consistency across our business while supporting a better experience for all involved," Seaver said.
TipHaus integrates directly with the systems Delaware North already runs, including Oracle Simphony, Toast, and UKG Dimensions, pulling sales, shift, and labor data automatically so that tip calculations run without manual data entry from each location. Rather than forcing a rigid, one-size-fits-all model, TipHaus configures to the specific rules of each property, allowing Delaware North to standardize oversight at the enterprise level while honoring the operational realities of each individual venue.

#Delaware #location

This article originally appeared on SteelersNOW.com.
The 2026 NFL season is right around the corner, and in an effort to stay competitive with their peers and opponents, teams are constantly looking to renovate or make improvements to their stadiums.
In a recent study based on Google and TripAdvisor fan reviews of NFL stadiums, Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, came in ranked at No. 6.
The Baltimore Ravens' M&T Bank Stadium was ranked right behind Acrisure Stadium at No. 7, while the two Ohio teams did not fare well. Huntington Bank Field, home of the Cleveland Browns, was ranked 28th, and Cincinnati's Paycor Stadium came in at No. 31, ahead of only Washington's Northwest Stadium.
Click here to read more from SteelersNOW.com.

#steelersnow #came

On August 12, Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) held its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, and the numbers told a story bigger than a music app. Total revenue reached RMB 8.9 billion, up 6% year over year, with the freshly consolidated audio platform Ximalaya adding roughly RMB 0.4 billion of that total. Music-related services revenue climbed 11%, and membership revenue rose 8% to RMB 4.8 billion. But the more interesting shift is happening beyond the subscription numbers, in concert stadiums, merchandise tables and a new audio business the company is only beginning to fold in.
Tencent Music is no longer content collecting streaming fees. Management pointed to live entertainment and artist merchandise as the fastest-growing part of the business, with both delivering strong double-digit year-over-year growth in the quarter. One collaborating rapper's stadium tour opener in Xi'an drew more than 30,000 fans, while another artist wrapped two consecutive sold-out arena shows in Hangzhou and a third sold-out debut arena show in Shenzhen quickly after tickets went on sale. The company's own concert franchise, TIMA, moved to a larger Hong Kong venue this year and more than tripled its audience capacity from last year's event. Fan meetings in Macau for an SM Entertainment trainee group drew tens of thousands of attendees and strong merchandise sales, and the company also invested in The Black Label to expand artist promotion and merchandise collaboration. None of this shows up cleanly in a subscriber count, but it is where TME is choosing to put its energy and capital.
The financial base underneath these bets held up too. Adjusted EBITDA rose 5% to RMB 3.3 billion, non-IFRS net profit attributable to equity holders rose to RMB 2.5 billion from RMB 2.4 billion a year earlier, and IFRS net profit climbed 4% to RMB 2.7 billion. Combined cash, deposits and short-term investments grew to RMB 44.2 billion from RMB 41 billion just three months earlier. The company also kept buying back stock, repurchasing 43.5 million shares for $400 million during the quarter under a program it expects to complete on schedule.
The acquisition that management is most excited about is also the one that muddies the picture. Ximalaya's consolidation contributed positively to both membership and advertising revenue this quarter, and after accounting for amortization of intangible ******* ets under purchase accounting, it had a favorable effect on gross margin as well. That is a lot of moving parts feeding into headline numbers that otherwise look straightforward. Strip out the roughly RMB 0.4 billion Ximalaya added, and the underlying growth rate looks noticeably softer than the 6% topline figure suggests.

#billion #music #revenue #rose

Last-Minute Tickets for Pirates vs. Red Sox: Best Prices, Seats for Aug. 15 PNC Park Replica Statue Game originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
PNC Park is one of the best stadiums in MLB today. The Pirates will honor it on August 15 when the team takes on the Red Sox.
The first 20,000 fans will take home a PNC Park replica statue, recognizing the park that opened in 2001.
BUY NOW:Pirates vs. Red Sox tickets on StubHub
Jared Jones looks for his first win since July 18 when he takes the mound for the Pirates. Jones has struck out a combined seven batters in his last two outings. Meanwhile, Sonny Gray takes the mound for the Red Sox.

#pirates #last #best

PSLs or Personal Seat Licenses are a hot-button topic in Broncos Country right now. First, what exactly are PSLs? They are a one-time fee to secure the exclusive right to purchase season tickets for specific seats. It has become a new trendy thing in the sports landscape recently. The Buffalo Bills are doing PSLs for their newly opened Highmark Stadium and reportedly made nearly $260 million dollars
Greg Penner said the Broncos haven’t even got to deciding on PSLs yet pic.twitter.com/A5gtL5VMLC
The outrage amongst Broncos fans started when Team President Damani Leech was asked at the start of training camp if a decision had been made when it comes to implementing PSLs. Leech noted that most, if not all, new stadiums built in the past 10+ years had them issued and that they are a "pretty likely thing to happen", but did say no formal decision had been made at that time.
"As you know, I think every stadium in the last 10-plus years that's been built, there have been PSLs issued. So it seems like it's a pretty likely thing to happen, but we haven't made any formal decisions on that."
Well, on Tuesday, Denver Broncos Owner and CEO Greg Penner met with the media and was also asked about PSLs. Unlike Leech, who made it sound like a formality, Penner told reporters that PSLs are "the furthest thing from our minds right now" and that they have so many steps before they reach that point.

#leech #greg #stadium

Following the confirmation of the tragic news of the passing of Jorge Messi, father of the Argentine star, pitches, stadiums, and platforms around the world have rallied in support of the Argentina national team's "10."
In the match between Miami and Rayados, Rodrigo de Paul paid tribute by holding up a jersey with the "10" after scoring the go-ahead goal.
Moments of silence on the pitches, cheers and chants in the stands—the fans want to be with Messi from afar.
Support has also come through social media, where teams and sports legends such as Rafael Nadal have sent their condolences during this very difficult time.
Stay strong, Leo!

#messi #support #argentine #Argentina

There is something different about this Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026). Not because of the packed stadiums, not because of the goals. Not even because of the quality of football — although that has continued to improve with every edition.
This tournament feels different because, perhaps for the first time, reputation alone is no longer enough.
For years, conversations around African women's football started and ended with a familiar list of nations. Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Cameroon, Ghana. They were predicted to dominate, while everyone else was merely expected to participate. WAFCON 2026 has quietly challenged that ***** umption.
This tournament has reminded us that African women's football has entered a new era. One where investment, opportunity and belief are beginning to level the playing field.
Many expected the traditional heavyweights to progress comfortably. Instead, this tournament has produced twists that have forced the continent to pay attention. Established teams have had to fight for every point, while emerging nations have shown they are no longer satisfied with simply making up the numbers. That is not a sign that the giants are falling, it is a sign that everyone else is rising.

#tournament #african #different

Barcelona have officially added another fixture to their 2026/27 pre-season schedule.
Hansi Flick's side will face FC Basel on Sunday, 16 August, with kick-off scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CEST at St. Jakob-Park, one of Switzerland's most iconic football stadiums.
Following the friendly against Birmingham City and the triangular tournament in Udine featuring Nottingham Forest and Udinese, the trip to Basel will provide another important test as the Catalans continue their preparations for the new campaign.
The club's final pre-season outing will then be the Joan Gamper Trophy, against Al-Ahly, which will also serve as the team's official home presentation ahead of the new season.
Barcelona and Basel have met twice in official competition, both during the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage.

#sunday #park

Wolfsburg put at least five million euros on the table for Muhammed Damar. That makes him the second-most expensive signing of the relegated club and, naturally, he is expected to be a key player. At first glance, that doesn't sound like much, but for both sides it could be the biggest risk they have taken this summer — or even in their careers.
The reason: throughout his career so far, the 22-year-old talent has often made some pretty poor decisions when it came to transfers or new contracts. Too often, otherwise more people would probably already have his name on their radar.
Damar, who was regarded early on as an attacking player with enormous potential, began his career at three Berlin clubs. He was developed there and then ended up at TSG Hoffenheim at the age of 18.
Shortly after that, the run of rather poor club choices began. After one year with the Sinsheim side, he moved on loan to Hannover 96 in the 2. Bundesliga in 2023 in order to gain playing time.
That backfired completely. Shortly after his arrival, coach Stefan Leitl ruthlessly cast him aside. Instead of being on the pitch — or at least on the bench in second-division stadiums — he was sent to the second team.

#player

Tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m., Radio Romanista will broadcast an interview with Mile Svilar to Il Romanista.
The meeting with the Giallorossi goalkeeper took place during Roma's training camp in Cardiff, at the WRU National Centre of Excellence, where the team is continuing its preparations for upcoming matches.
During the interview, Svilar addressed various topics related to his experience with the Giallorossi, his development over the past few seasons, and his goals for the future.
Roma's number 99 also discussed the stadiums he'd like to play in and the high-level matches that can represent important opportunities for personal and professional growth.
He also spoke about his most significant saves since he's been wearing the Roma jersey. Among these, Svilar highlighted a save he considers particularly important for his career and the beginning of his emergence in goal for the Giallorossi.

#romanista #matches #cardiff

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The Stormers believe they are playing for the future of traditional rugby tours when they give New Zealand the opening challenge of its South Africa trek on Friday.
The All Blacks are undertaking their first tour of tests and provincial games in South Africa in 30 years. The Springboks will repay the visit in New Zealand in 2030 and New Zealand will return in 2034.
But Stormers coach John Dobson said the provincial games will become insignificant if his team plus the Sharks, the Bulls or Lions do not knock off the All Blacks, or are at least competitive.
"When the British and Irish Lions were here in 2021 the situation was far from ideal and the results didn't do justice to the traditional tour concept," Dobson told SuperSport.
"Due to it being played during the time of the COVID pandemic, that Lions tour was an unsatisfactory product. The teams were in a bubble, we had players in quarantine, the games were played in front of empty stadiums. And all the local franchise teams took heavy hidings. The Lions won their games by 60 points or more.

#lions #south

In the fast-paced world of Hollywood, some once-shining stars drift from the spotlight, but their talent never truly disappears. This week's feature shines a light on 13 celebrated names who captivated audiences with their charisma, unforgettable roles, and genuine individuality. From the faces of childhood nostalgia and beloved TV icons to film legends and pop culture standouts, here's why each of these stars deserves a second act in the limelight.
Lumeimages / MEGA
Famed for his roles on Knight Rider and Baywatch, David Hasselhoff's iconic presence defined an era. Whether he's saving swimmers or singing to stadiums of adoring fans, the Hoff's unique energy is missed. At its peak, Baywatch's massive global audience briefly made it the most-watched television series on the planet, as reported by Forbes. Could a streaming-era revival or reality competition bring him back into the center stage?
MEGA
As a member of the Brat Pack and coach in The Mighty Ducks, Emilio Estevez charmed audiences with both heart and grit. Though he's spent more time behind the camera in recent years, fans would welcome his thoughtful on-screen presence once again. He did step back into the hockey rink briefly, reprising his Gordon Bombay role for Disney's 2021 streaming revival of the franchise.

#mega #audiences #presence #Streaming

Before the first whistle blew, University of Tennessee at Knoxville researchers scrambled in the 11th hour to prepare soccer pitches across 16 North American stadiums hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a range of time zones, climates and elevations.
John Sorochan, a distinguished professor of turfgrass science and management at UT, had FIFA's high expectations to worry about: "It would be a failure if we had to replace any grass between any games in any of the stadiums," he said.
But as players ran, cut, kicked and tackled on the turf, his concerns began to melt into relief. Not only did FIFA not have to replace turf, Sorochan told Knox News, but pitch managers at several stadiums found "the pitch got better as the tournament went on."
As UT researchers wrap up their final reports, the tournament's success is already shaping UT's next chapter with FIFA.
FIFA officials have signaled their desire to continue working with UT. Before this year's tournament, Sorochan completed a research visit to Morocco − one of six countries set to host the 2030 World Cup − to help identify potential challenges, obstacles and opportunities in the host country.

#sorochan #researchers #replace

Exactly 27 years to the day that Don Garber was introduced as Major League Soccer's second commissioner in 1999, LAFC co-managing owner Larry Berg pledged to improve on his predecessor's success upon taking over MLS' leading role on Jan. 1, 2027.
"My responsibility is to work with our clubs, our owners and everyone across this league to build on that foundation to help Major League Soccer reach its full potential," Berg, 60, told media members and hundreds of league employees Tuesday afternoon at the league's Manhattan headquarters.
Garber helped build MLS from a fledgling operation fighting to stay afloat and relevant to a 30-team behemoth with soccer-specific stadiums, youth academies and developmental leagues where the average franchise is valued at $767 million, a 39% increase since 2021. Of the 30 most valuable global soccer clubs, seven of them are MLS teams, led by Inter Miami, which stars Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player in the sport's history. Sponsorship revenue in 2025 was an estimated $716 million, up 8% year over year.
But there are plenty of growth areas Berg, a former senior partner at Apollo Global Management and 26 North, wants to utilize as commissioner. The co-chair of MLS' sporting and competition committee, Berg has the full backing of league owners — who unanimously approved his appointment over the other finalist, former Fox executive David Nathanson — to enact meaningful changes to supercharge the league's growth. Garber already spearheaded a change in the league's calendar, which will switch to a fall-to-spring season starting in 2027 to align with the European leagues. That, Berg said, will greatly help the quality on the field, but so will changing the league's roster investment model so teams are able to acquire better players and build deeper rosters.
MLS currently has a $6.4 million salary cap, but various roster exceptions enable the majority of 2026 payrolls to be in the $12-21 million range. Owners have agreed that the current system is too restrictive. Berg said his No. 1 job is enhancing the roster investment model so teams can have more freedom to construct teams that work best for their markets.

#berg #teams #roster

Martine Medesse of Benin Republic's Amazons clears the ball as Nigeria's Super Falcons qualify for the Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 after playing a 1-1 draw (3-1 aggregate) with Benin Republic's Amazons in the second leg of the WAFCON 2026 qualifying match at MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on October 28, 2025. (Photo by Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup wrapped last month, and with it went 39 days of the kind of moments that make a tournament unforgettable: a teenage phenom stealing highlight reels with his flair, a scrappy underdog nation refusing to go home, a 40-year-old goalkeeper turning in the performance of his career, a nine-figure transfer rumor before the confetti had even settled. For four weeks, the entire sports world organized itself around this single competition. But the appetite for those storylines didn't end when the final whistle blew, and it doesn't need a men's tournament to be satisfied. Right now, in stadiums and arenas across the world, women's sports are producing the exact same arcs: breakout stars, Cinderella runs, veteran redemption stories, record-breaking numbers, and transfer fees rewriting what the sport is worth. They're just not getting the same attention. Here are five World Cup moments and the women's sports stories playing out in real time that deserve to be next on your watchlist.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 03: Morocco players celebrate advancing to the knock out stage after the 1-0 victory in the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group H match between Morocco and Colombia at Perth Rectangular Stadium on August 03, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Liked Lamine Yamal's flair? Watch Morocco's Atlas Lionesses at WAFCON.
Yamal spent this World Cup as one of the most-watched players on the planet, a teenager with more than 50 million Instagram followers turning every touch into a moment. Morocco is hosting the Women's Africa Cup of Nations for a third straight edition, running through August 16 across Rabat and Casablanca, and the Atlas Lionesses have opened their campaign in commanding form. They beat Kenya 4-0 to open the tournament, then beat Algeria 1-0 to move to two wins from two matches, sitting atop Group A with five goals scored and none conceded. The breakout to watch is Barcelona Femení prospect Kautar Azraf, flagged by CAF as one of the country's brightest young talents ahead of her first senior call-up, the same "unproven teenager announces herself on the biggest stage" arc that made Yamal a global name this summer.
Liked Cape Verde's underdog run? Watch WAFCON's debutant nations.
Cape Verde's men's team was one of the World Cup's most beloved stories, a nation of fewer than 600,000 people holding its own against the sport's giants. Their women's game has its own version unfolding right now. Cape Verde and Malawi are both playing in their first-ever Women's AFCON this year

Opinion rankings are just that: opinion, but there are trends with these things, and when it comes to stadium rankings of college football programs, Ohio Stadium (affectionately known as the Horseshoe), where Ohio State plays, is generally ranked pretty highly. The architecture, the updates, the history, and how loud it gets on the banks of the Olentangy all play into the atmosphere and the perception of a stadium.
The latest of these stadium rankings comes from our mothership, USA TODAY, and a panel of four writers that ranked the top 25 college football stadiums. Some leaned into the visual appeal, some into how hard it is to play, and some into tradition, but in the end, ten staff members came up with a comprehensive 25-stadium list, and Ohio Stadium is very high on the list as you'll see below.
We go through the stadiums with the top ten first, from ten down to No. 1, then the rest of the top 25. This list will differ based on who makes it and from what part of the country it is penciled in from, but this is a more national one starting with No. 10.
What USA TODAY says:
"Florida fans singing Tom Petty's 'I Won't Back Down' before the fourth quarter might be a new tradition. It's also peak college football. The Swamp can roar with the best of them, even if the Gators haven't matched their glory years in recent seasons. Consider last season: Florida went 4-2 at home, including an upset of Texas, and 0-6 away."

#rankings #college #opinion

In less than a month, college football will be back. If you're a Virginia Tech Hokies fan, you'll have to wait just a bit longer, as VT hosts VMI on Saturday, Sept. 5, in Lane Stadium to kick off the James Franklin era.
While the Hokies have yet to play a game, it's fair to ask: is Virginia Tech back?
We aren't going to fall for that. The Hokies were 3-9 last season. But make no mistake, there's a different vibe around the entire program. It began with the school's financial commitment to success, which directly led to the hiring of Franklin. Of course, luck was on VT's side, too. So was timing.
There aren't many 3-9 teams that receive a lot of national love. Virginia Tech is changing that notion. ESPN recently released its trailer for the 2026 college football season, featuring stars from different schools across the country, coaches, fans, stadiums and more.
The Hokies were featured three times in the video, which lasted 1 minute and 41 seconds. Let's see if you can spot them.

#virginia #back