2 Page 9 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Esports World Cup: Team Liquid stands as lone unbeaten
Team Liquid is the only undefeated squad two-thirds of the way through group stage play at the Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Team Liquid swept PARIVISION 2-0 on Wednesday to seize sole possession of first place in Group D. Team Liquid needed just 25 minutes to take Game 1 pl...

Report: Thunder, Chet Holmgren agree to $250M extension
Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to a five-year contract extension worth up to $250 million, ESPN reported Wednesday.,The contract is fully guaranteed and comes on the heels of Oklahoma City's landmark contract with NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA agreed to a four-year, $285.4...

Esports World Cup: Four Dota 2 squads grab early advantage
Tundra Esports, Aurora Gaming, PARIVISION and Team Liquid each pulled out 2-0 victories on the first day of group stage play at the Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Those Tuesday results ended up providing some clarity in Groups C and D, where those four teams are off to strong...

Big 12 Media Days: BYU to let QB Jake Retzlaff 'speak for himself'
BYU coach Kalani Sitake plans to let quarterback Jake Retzlaff speak for himself on the topic of his court matter and seven-game suspension for having premarital sex, a violation of the university honor code. ,"First of all, I love Jake Retzlaff," Sitake said Tuesday at the Big 12 Conference gatheri...

Padres star Manny Machado collects 2,000th career hit
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado led off the fourth inning of Monday night's game against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks with a single for his 2,000th career hit.,Machado slashed an 0-1 knuckle-curve from Zac Gallen into the hole between third and short. Geraldo Perdomo dove to his ri...

Mathieu Van der Poel takes Stage 2 at Tour de France
The Netherlands' Mathieu Van der Poel earned his second ever Tour de France stage victory by pulling away from the pack for a Stage 2 win Sunday at Boulogne, France.,Van der Poel, born in Belgium, assured a second straight day of someone from Belgian descent holding the yellow jersey at the 112th To...

After SEC visits, 4-star WR Xavier McDonald picks Sacramento State
Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion reached into Southeastern Conference territory and plucked a surprise commitment from four-star wide receiver Xavier McDonald.,McDonald, from Morton, Miss., is the highest commit in the history of the Hornets program. He committed to the school on Friday.,M...

Expanded NWSL reveals 2026 schedule framework
The National Women's Soccer League announced the framework for the 2026 season on Wednesday.,The season begins on Feb. 20 with the NWSL Challenge Cup between the reigning NWSL champion and the previous season's Shield winner.,The regular season starts on March 13 with the 16 teams -- including expan...

NHL players officially to take part in 2026 Olympics
National Hockey League players will take part in the Winter Olympics in 2026 for the first time in 12 years.,In a meeting Wednesday at the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Switzerland, representatives from the NHL, the players association and the International Ice Hockey Federation ex...

Gen.G dump G2 to open LoL MSI's bracket stage
Gen.G Esports dropped the first map before storming to a 3-1 win over G2 Esports as the bracket stage of the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational got underway on Tuesday in Vancouver.,The $2 million event began with two teams from each League of Legends region: China, Korea, Pacific, the Americ...

With Texas State on board, Pac-12 ready for 2026 rebirth
Texas State is officially a member of the Pac-12, which will relaunch in 2026.,The conference now has nine member teams after it was left with just two -- Washington State and Oregon State -- when the other schools abandoned the league in 2024 in a massive realignment.,"We are extremely excited to w...

Geekay topples Liquid to win OWCS NA Stage 2 grand final
Geekay Esports emerged from the lower bracket and took down Team Liquid 4-3 in the grand final of the Overwatch Champions Series 2025 -- North America Stage 2 on Sunday.,Geekay swept NTMR 3-0 in the lower-bracket final earlier in the day to advance to face Team Liquid. It was a rematch of the upper-...

5-star LB Xavier Griffin commits to Alabama
Xavier Griffin, ranked by the 247Sports composite as the No. 2 linebacker in the Class of 2026, announced his commitment to Alabama on Sunday afternoon.,The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Griffin chose the Crimson Tide over finalists Florida State, Ohio State and Texas. He plays at Gainesville (Ga.) High Schoo...
Texas State Joins the Pac-12, Decades After First Flirtation
The Pac-12 adds Texas State, finally expanding into Texas after decades of failed attempts and flirtations. A new media deal and momentum could revive the historic conference....

5-star LB Xavier Griffin set to announce college choice on Sunday
Xavier Griffin, ranked by the 247Sports composite as the No. 2 linebacker in the Class of 2026, is scheduled to announce his college commitment on Sunday afternoon.,A 6-foot-3, 200-pound player, Griffin has four finalists: Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Texas. He plays at Gainesville (Ga.) H...

Team Liquid awaits foe in OWCS NA Stage 2 grand final
Team Liquid advanced to the grand final of the regional playoffs with a 3-1 win over Geekay Esports on Saturday in the Overwatch Champions Series 2025 -- North America Stage 2.,Geekay Esports dropped to the lower bracket final on Sunday against NTMR, with the winner facing Team Liquid later on Sunda...

Gaimin Gladiators reach PGL Wallachia grand final
Gaimin Gladiators swept Team Liquid on Saturday to reach the grand final at the $1 million PGL Wallachia Season 5 event in Bucharest, Romania.,Liquid dropped into Sunday's lower-bracket final against BetBoom Team, with the winner advancing to face Gaimin Gladiators in Sunday's best-of-five title cla...

G2, Bilibili open LoL MSI play-in with wins
G2 Esports and Bilibili Gaming recorded victories on Friday as the play-in stage of the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational got underway in Vancouver.,The $2 million event features two teams from each League of Legends region -- China, Korea, Pacific, the Americas and Europe-Middle East-Africa...

Liquid, Gaimin Gladiators close in on PGL Wallachia final
Team Liquid pulled out a 2-1 win over BetBoom Team on Friday and advanced to the winners-bracket final of PGL Wallachia Season 5 in Bucharest, Romania.,Liquid's next foe will be Gaimin Gladiators, who earned a 2-0 victory over Xtreme Gaming on Friday.,In the day's two lower-bracket matches, Natus Vi...

Upsets dominate opening day of PGL Wallachia Season 5 playoffs
After one day of playoffs, the PGL Wallachia Season 5 has been flipped upside down.,Three of the four upper-bracket opening-round matches played in Bucharest, Romania, on Friday, saw the lower seed upset the higher seed, quickly putting some of the best teams in group play one loss away from elimina...