23+ min ago (375+ words) Undefeated Nebraska earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA women's volleyball tournament bracket released Sunday. The five-time national champion Huskers (30-0) have dominated this season, dropping just seven sets. They lead Division I in hitting percentage at .352. Dani Busboom Kelly, who won NCAA titles as both a Nebraska player and assistant, took over at her alma mater this season after longtime Huskers coach John Cook retired. Busboom Kelly led Louisville to the NCAA final in 2024, where the Cardinals lost to Penn State. The other No. 1 seeds are Kentucky, Texas and Pitt. The Wildcats have won one NCAA title and the Longhorns have four. The Panthers reached the final four the past four seasons but lost in the semifinals each time. Pitt and Stanford finished tied atop the ACC at 18-2, and the Cardinal won their head-to-head matchup 3-2 at Stanford on Nov....

41+ min ago (618+ words) Pat Fitzgerald has emerged as the target of Michigan State's coaching search, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Sunday night, confirming a report. The sides are working toward a deal, which is expected to be finalized in the near future. The anticipated arrival of Fitzgerald comes after Michigan State fired Jonathan Smith on Sunday, two years after he was hired, and one day after the Spartans defeated Maryland to conclude the regular season. "The 2025 football season has not lived up to our shared standards for Michigan State Football," athletic director J Batt said in a statement. "While that does not fall solely on Jonathan Smith, it's become necessary to make a coaching change in order to chart a new direction for the program." The 50-year-old Fitzgerald reached a settlement with Northwestern in August, two years after he sued the university…...

47+ min ago (78+ words) Michigan State plans to fire coach Jonathan Smith, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel. Michigan State finished 4-8 this season, including a 1-8 mark in the Big Ten. Michigan State plans to fire coach Jonathan Smith, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel. Michigan State finished 4-8 this season, including a 1-8 mark in the Big Ten. Smith's overall record in two seasons as the Spartans' coach was 9-15. He's set to be owed $33 million....

1+ hour, 4+ min ago (356+ words) Thomas M'ller knows exactly what it is like to face Lionel Messi with a trophy at stake. And he knows what it takes to win in those moments, too. The 2025 MLS Cup final -- Messi and Inter Miami vs. M'ller and the Vancouver Whitecaps -- is going to draw few comparisons from a personnel standpoint to the 2014 World Cup final and 2010 World Cup quarterfinal matches between Argentina and Germany. Germany, with M'ller, won both times. Messi played in those matches for Argentina, as did Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano. They'll all meet again on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, with M'ller surely knowing that facing Messi doesn't automatically mean a loss. "It's not about Messi against Thomas M'ller," he told reporters after Vancouver's 3-1 win over San Diego in the Western Conference final on Saturday night. "It's Miami against the Whitecaps." Then he added,…...

1+ hour, 8+ min ago (705+ words) EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell scored his first NFL touchdown Sunday, two months after he turned what should've been his first touchdown into an NFL blooper. Playing for the Indianapolis Colts, Mitchell was about to score a 75-yard touchdown in Week 4, but he let the ball go a split-second before crossing the goal line. It resulted in a touchback, a clumsy gaffe that loomed large in the Colts' seven-point loss to the Los Angeles Rams. This time, he enjoyed a moment of redemption with his 52-yard touchdown reception, one of the key plays in the Jets' 27-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at MetLife Stadium. "Yeah, that definitely crosses the mind," Mitchell said, reflecting on his earlier faux pas. "But it was a growing point and a learning point, so all I could do was grow and…...

1+ hour, 24+ min ago (288+ words) Sauce Gardner is injured on the Colts' first defensive drive and exits the game. (0:24) INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner sustained a left calf injury early in Sunday's game against the Houston Texans and was ruled out for the remainder of his team's 20-16 loss. After the game, Gardner said he believed the injury was not an Achilles tear, as was feared. "I think it's like a strain," he said. He added that it "felt like I got shot in the calf. But it was higher" than the Achilles. But Gardner said an MRI would be required to make an official diagnosis. After the game, Gardner had been supplied with crutches by the medical staff, but he was walking without any assistance and without a walking boot after showering and dressing into his street clothes. Gardner was in coverage away from the…...

1+ hour, 58+ min ago (167+ words) Week 13 of the 2025 fantasy football season featured standout performances by Bijan Robinson, A.J. Brown and Patrick Mahomes, while fantasy stars Lamar Jackson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkley and Puka Nacua all were held in check. Who were the big winners and losers around the league? Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analyses. Jump to a topic: Ranking winners | Ranking losers Biggest injuries and what's next What we know: He suffered a hip injury on a punt return in the second quarter and was unable to return after that point. What's next: Jakobi Meyers was Trevor Lawrence's go-to receiver in Week 13, and he'll probably serve in the same role next week, regardless of Washington's status. As Washington is typically the Jaguars' slot receiver, Austin Trammell, who went catch-less on four targets Sunday, would most benefit from any further Washington absences. -- Cockcroft Eric…...

2+ hour, 2+ min ago (1847+ words) Paul Finebaum says Alabama will prevail in the SEC title game, securing its second win over Georgia this season. (0:36) OK, so it wasn't the most ridiculous Rivalry Week we've ever seen. Thirteen of the top 14 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings won, and the one that didn't (Texas A&M) was already guaranteed a CFP spot. Chalk has reigned over the past couple of weeks, but as with pizza among other things, Rivalry Week is great even when it's not great. We still got a dramatic Iron Bowl, we still got one last silly plot twist in the ACC title race (the silliest yet, perhaps), we still got all the intense environments we could possibly want -- plus some snow! -- and we still got an all-time comeback in the smaller-school ranks. (We also got whatever continued to go down in Oxford,…...

2+ hour, 6+ min ago (484+ words) CLEVELAND -- Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will get a third straight start next Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced after the team's 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Sanders, the 144th overall pick in this year's draft, completed 16 of 25 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown in his first home start Sunday. "I'd have to look at it. Obviously, he's battling, like all of our guys are battling," Stefanski said when asked about Sanders' performance. "I know there's plays he wants back, but we'll look at it and correct them." ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that the Browns were open to giving Sanders an extended look for the rest of this season, just as fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel got in the first half of this season when he made six consecutive starts. Stefanski was noncommittal when asked if Sanders…...

2+ hour, 13+ min ago (184+ words) Live coverage of the Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers NFL game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats. Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers Side Judge:Lo van Pham (Shotgun) S.Anderson reported in as eligible. A.Rodgers sacked at PIT 17 for -9 yards (J.Bosa). FUMBLES (J.Bosa) [J.Bosa], RECOVERED by BUF-C.Benford at PIT 17. C.Benford for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN. According to ESPN Analytics Browns say Shedeur Sanders to get 3rd straight start in Week 14 Resilient 49ers ready for bye after winning three straight Panthers' petty posts at Rams lead NFL Week 13 trolls Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers Side Judge:Lo van Pham (Shotgun) S.Anderson reported in as eligible. A.Rodgers sacked at PIT 17 for -9 yards (J.Bosa). FUMBLES (J.Bosa) [J.Bosa], RECOVERED by BUF-C.Benford at PIT 17. C.Benford for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN. According to ESPN Analytics Browns say Shedeur Sanders to get 3rd straight start in Week 14 Resilient 49ers ready for bye after…...