as Page 20 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Italy pivots to RHP Aaron Nola in WBC semis vs. Venezuela
Team Italy will turn to right-hander Aaron Nola as the starter for Monday's World Baseball Classic semifinal game against Venezuela at Miami, instead of right-hander Michael Lorenzen.,With an eye toward Tuesday's championship game, Italy presumably will line up Lorenzen for a potential matchup again...

MLS Cup 2026 final scheduled for Dec. 18
The 2026 MLS Cup will take place on Friday, Dec. 18, the league announced Monday.,The game will be hosted by the team with the better regular-season record.,This is the final full season before MLS switches to a summer-spring calendar for 2027-28. The league also will have a short 14-game transition...

AFC official: Iran still set to play in 2026 World Cup
Iran has given no indication it intends to remove its national team from this summer's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, a representative for the Asian Football Confederation said Monday.,The Iranian team, currently 20th in the FIFA rankings, is set to compete in its fourth con...

Reports: Rashan Gary agreed to pay cut in trade to Cowboys
Rashan Gary took less money to be traded to the Dallas Cowboys rather than being released by the Packers earlier this month, according to multiple reports. ,Gary will be paid $16 million for the 2026 and 2027 season and he receives a signing bonus of $13.2 million, NFL Network reported. ,Acquired fr...

Expansion plans in Seattle, Vegas reportedly on NBA docket this month
NBA expansion plans are on the league agenda this month with discussions centering on valuations for franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas, according to multiple reports Monday.,The NBA Board of Governors has had open dialogue about returning to Seattle, where the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise calle...

Dejounte Murray boosting Pelicans, who face Mavericks on uptick
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray is making up for lost time.,After spending 13 months sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon, Murray has ramped up the pace in eight games since returning, a positive sign going into Monday's home contest against the Dallas Mavericks.,Murray's season-high mar...

Short-handed Warriors, proud of effort, take chances vs. Wizards
Riding the momentum of an impressive performance as an undermanned visitor in New York on Sunday, the Golden State Warriors hope the potential return of three key players will help them snap a five-game losing streak at the expense of the host Washington Wizards on Monday.,Getting contributions from...

With OpTic Texas off, contenders make moves at DL Major 2 qualifying
While the most dominant team in Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major qualifying had the day off on Sunday, the rest of the field tried to separate themselves and close in on a playoff spot.,Mission accomplished for some teams.,A day that began with four teams sitting at .500 ended with only team holdin...

USA generates enough power to edge Dominican Republic in WBC semifinals
MIAMI -- Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony each hit solo home runs in the fourth inning and Team USA's pitching kept the mighty Dominican Republic lineup in check enough to secure a 2-1 victory in a World Baseball Classic semifinal on Sunday night.,The United States advanced to its third WBC final ...

Miami (Ohio) has 'home game' in Dayton as First Four slate set
The First Four that opens the NCAA Tournament this week in Dayton, Ohio includes a program famous for knocking off a top seed, one team that has never won in the Big Dance, another which is approaching a 40-year NCAA Tournament win drought and one school that practically has a home game.,That latter...

NCAA Tournament: Names to know before the Dance begins
While filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket, it's valuable to know the names most likely to deliver in big games ahead. ,From Duke's Boozers, to Purdue's Kaufman-Renn all the way to Uzan in Houston, we're helping you identify the difference makers setting the tone in the Big Dance. ,Darius Acuff,...

Denny Hamlin overcomes penalty to secure 1st 2026 win at Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin overcame an early speeding penalty and later beat Chase Elliott in a 50-lap final run Sunday to become the third different winner in the NASCAR Cup Series season, capturing the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nev. ,The Joe Gibbs Racing driv...

Natus Vincere defeat Aurora to clinch ESL Pro League Season 23 title
Natus Vincere toppled Aurora Gaming 3-1 in the best-of-five grand final to claim the ESL Pro League Season 23 title on Sunday in Stockholm.,NaVi took home the $100,000 grand prize, while Aurora had to settle for $55,000 in second.,The third-place match was also contested Sunday, with Astralis edging...

Reports: Eagles bring back TE Dallas Goedert
The Eagles' active leader in receptions will be back in Philadelphia in 2026, as the team reportedly signed tight end Dallas Goedert on Sunday.,Goedert, 31, will be returning on a one-year, $7 million contract, per terms acquired by ESPN.,The team's active receptions leader with 409 over an eight-ye...

Nongshim RedForce run away with Valorant Masters Santiago title
Nongshim RedForce completed a dominant run through the playoffs by blanking Paper Rex 3-0 in the grand final of the $1 million Valorant Masters Santiago 2026 on Sunday in Santiago, Chile.,The squad from South Korea takes home $350,000 for the triumph, while Paper Rex settles for $200,000 as runners-...

On verge of history, Stars host sliding Mammoth in Central showdown
As they conclude a six-game, 11-day homestand, the Dallas Stars are finding ways to grind out victories and pick up points as they look to chase down the Colorado Avalanche for the top seed in the Central Division.,Before taking on the Avalanche on the road later this week, Dallas wraps its home str...

Late runs sparks Arkansas over Vanderbilt in SEC final
NASHVILLE -- Tournament Most Valuable Player Darius Acuff Jr. scored 30 points and dished out 11 assists, leading 17th-ranked Arkansas to an 86-75 win over No. 22 Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference tournament final on Sunday.,The third-seeded Razorbacks hit 62.5% of their 3-pointers (15 of 24...
Best NCAA Tournament Championship Future Betting Picks Before Selection Sunday
Get the top March Madness 2026 picks and NCAA Tournament betting odds, including Duke, Houston, Purdue, and Michigan State....

Guard play will be key for Vanderbilt, Arkansas in SEC final
NASHVILLE -- No. 22 Vanderbilt will try to win its first Southeastern Conference tournament championship since 2012 when it meets 17th-ranked Arkansas on Sunday.,The Commodores (26-7), playing two miles from their campus, routed fourth-ranked Florida (the tournament's top seed) by a 91-74 score on S...

Natus Vincere, Aurora set to fight for title at ESL Pro League Season 23
Neither took the easy route, but Aurora Gaming and Natus Vincere are the last two teams standing at the ESL Pro League Season 23 Main Event at Stockholm.,Natus Vincere opened Saturday's semifinals with a 2-1 win over FUT Esports, with Aurora following with its own 2-1 win, against Astralis.,The eigh...