Pac-12 targeting Boise St., Fresno St., San Diego St., Colorado St. for rebuild, AP sources say
The Pac-12 is ready to begin its rebuild. The conference is targeting Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State of the Mountain West. According to two people with knowledge of the situation, those schools could be accepted as members, starting in 2026, as soon as this week. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the conference's discussions with possible new members were not being made public. The Pac-12 is currently a two-school conference. Oregon State and Washington State are the only remaining members after the league was picked apart by other conferences.
Tyreek Hill says he could have handled his traffic stop better but he still wants the officer fired
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) -- Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is acknowledging that he could have handled himself better in the initial moments of a traffic stop Sunday that left him handcuffed and pulled out of his car by police officers near the team's stadium. Hill also said he wants one of the officers involved in the incident dismissed from the police force. Hill said Wednesday that he wishes he did some things "a bit differently," including leaving the window of his car down when officers instructed him to do so. He rolled up the window instead. The incident escalated quickly from there.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes says he will not endorse anybody for president
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes says he won't endorse either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, even as the former president continued to call Mahomes' wife a supporter of his campaign. Brittany Mahomes had liked, then unliked, a social media post in August outlining the "2024 GOP platform." Patrick Mahomes made his declaration the day after Taylor Swift, who is friends with the Mahomes family, endorsed Harris for the presidency. The three-time Super Bowl-winner said: "I don't want my place and my platform to be used to endorse a candidate or do whatever, either way. I think my place is inform people to get registered to vote. It's to inform people to do their own research and then make the best decisions for them and their family."
'Stop that urgently.' Possible path to innocence for Russian skater was held back at WADA's urging
When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear embattled Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency, the leader of that organization's reaction was unequivocal: "We have to stop that urgently," he wrote. No mention of the test became public and Valieva's defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport went on without it. The skater was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication. The AP obtained previously undisclosed details about what could have been a helpful turn of events for Valieva during the probe. They painted a picture of WADA leadership wanting no connection to information that could've helped Valieva but ended up unpublished and unused in her defense.
Deshaun Watson denies sexual assault allegations, says lawsuit was a surprise. Plans to play Sunday
BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said he was surprised by the latest civil lawsuit filed against him by a woman who alleges he sexually assaulted her four years ago. The woman filed the lawsuit in Texas claiming Watson forced himself on her during a dinner date at her apartment in 2020. Watson says he was unaware of the allegations before Monday. Watson says he can't be concerned about possible new punishment from the NFL over the matter. The league is examining the new lawsuit to see if he violated the personal conduct policy. He's made just 13 starts in three seasons with Cleveland.
NFL averaged 21 million viewers per game for opening week, its highest on record
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The NFL averaged 21.0 million viewers per game during the league's opening week, making it the most-watched Week 1 on record. The league and Nielsen said Wednesday that the per-game average on TV and digital platforms was a 12% increase over last year. Nielsen began electronic measurement of viewing in 1988. All told, 123 million people saw at least part of one game, its highest total for an opening week since 2019. NBC had the most-watched game, with defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City's 27-20 victory over Baltimore in last Thursday's opener averaging 29.2 million on TV and digital. Tom Brady's first game as Fox's top analyst -- Dallas' 33-17 win over Cleveland -- averaged 23.93 million.
Century-old rivalry games in Week 3? Welcome to the new reality of college football
The rubble that remains from the collapse of the Pac-12 Conference a year ago created the situation that will play out Saturday with the oddest of rivalry weekends. Oregon State will host No. 9 Oregon in Corvallis, while a few hours' drive up the road, Washington State and Washington will play at a neutral site in Seattle. They are both non-league contests for the first time since the early 1960s. The two remaining schools grasping onto the Pac-12 flag take on their two in-state opponents that bolted for an opportunity in the Big Ten amid the chaos of realignment.
College football picks: Welcome to rivalry weekend in September for divorced Pacific Northwest foes
Welcome to rivalry weekend in September. As college football fans continue to adapt to the new world order brought on by conference realignment and playoff expansion, among the changes are a couple rivalries that used to cap off regular seasons are now taking place before summer ends. Despite the Pac-12 falling apart last year, Washington and Washington State and Oregon and Oregon State are playing Saturday. The Huskies and Ducks are now in the Big Ten. The Beavers and Cougars are now the Pac-12. That's it. Just them. Both rivalry games will played in September for the first time.
McIlroy says PGA-LIV exhibition match offers a glimpse of possibilities
Rory McIlroy says the made-for-TV match in December between stars of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is not about sending a message. McIlroy says it's more about an illustration of what can happen between rival tours and what golf has been missing. McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are set to play Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. The only times they've played together this year were in the majors. Jon Rahm is playing LIV Golf's event in Chicago. He says he wants to play his minimum four European tour events this year. But he's not interested in paying fines to do that.