Fans of professional sports teams usually find a myriad of ways to hate their rivals.

Whether it’s the proximity of the two teams, their lack of success, or even the players on the opposing squad, anything can be used as an excuse to keep fan bases riled up.

Some have taken to the colors opposing teams were for their said hatred.

This brings us to Friday night’s NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles, which will be played at NeoQuimica Arena in São Paulo, Brazil.

Brazilian soccer club Corinthians, the usual tenants of NeoQuimica Arena, hates the color green due to a longstanding rivalry with Palmeiras.

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The NFL, likely knowing this, scheduled the two teams to play there anyway.

Players caught wearing it can be fined. The same edict goes for sponsors, who are also told to avoid the color at all costs.

Philadelphia is the designated home team and will wear black helmets, white jerseys, and black pants — the same palette as the Corinthians. It’s the first time in the team’s history that they will wear that combination of uniforms.

The Packers will sport their white, yellow, and green jerseys, and basically had no choice in choosing their attire.

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Caitlin Simmers won the World Surf League finals Friday, outdueling Olympic gold medalist Caroline Marks in the title match.

At 18, Simmers became the youngest surfer to win a world championship.

She eclipsed the record set by Carissa Moore, who was 18 years, 10 months and 18 days old when she won the Association of Surfing Professionals championship in 2011.

Simmers was 18 years, 10 months and 12 days old Friday when she triumphed at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.

Her victory over Marks, who won an Olympic gold medal less than six weeks ago and was looking for her second straight WSL finals victory, capped a spectacular season.

“I didn’t want Caroline to have it all because that girl wins everything and she’s like the hardest person to compete against,” Simmers said during an interview on the WSL broadcast. ‘And she literally like never falls. So I was like, it is not going to be a walk through.’

The Rookie of the Year in 2023, Simmers dominated 2024 while winning three of the nine events before the finals.

In the men’s side at the finals, American John John Florence won his third world title with a victory over Brazil’s Italo Ferreira.

Florence, 31, and Simmers each collected $200,000 for winning.

The women’s title match was a showdown between two top Americans and a tense best-of-three heats.

Simmers, the No. 1 seed, lost the opening heat to Marks, the No. 2 seed, who scored a 9.60 on a ride in the final seconds. But in the second heat, Simmers responded.

She posted rides of 9.20 and 9.17 for a staggering two-wave total of 18.37 out of 20.  It was the highest combined heat score in finals history, according to the WSL broadcast, and more than enough to win the heat from Marks, who had a two-wave score of 14.17.

Simmers prevailed in the third heat when she posted a two-wave score of 15.16 and Marks, who failed to find a suitable second wave, posted a score of 7.17.  

“It means so much,’’ Simmers sad. “I literally was like going through every single emotion today. And it’s just (expletive) crazy. I was feeling so much love today from everyone.’

Marks, 22, won $100,000 as runner-up. The No. 2 seed, Marks defeated No. 5 seed Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil to reach the final match.

In a rematch of their gold medal match at the Paris Olympics, Marks caught the decisive wave with less than six minutes remaining to beat Weston-Webb, who won a silver medal in Paris.

Weston-Webb won $75,000 for her third-place finish. Rounding out the “final five,’’ Brisa Hennessey of Costa Rica finished fourth and won $60,000 and Molly Picklum of Australia finished fifth and won $40,000.

Follow Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11

Jalen Ramsey is once again the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

Ramsey and the Miami Dolphins have agreed to a three-year, $72.3 million deal that includes $55.3 million in guaranteed money, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to discuss the deal.

The extension makes Ramsey the top-paid corner in the NFL per average annual salary just a few days after Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II reset the market.

The Dolphins are Ramsey’s third NFL team.

Ramsey was originally a 2016 first-round draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He spent his first four years in Jacksonville before he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. He played four seasons with the Rams and helped the franchise win Super Bowl 56 at their home stadium in Los Angeles. The Rams decided to trade Ramsey to Miami in 2023.

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The cornerback sustained a knee injury during his first training camp in Miami which caused him to miss the start of the 2023 regular season. He ultimately played in 10 games in his inaugural season in South Beach, compiling 22 tackles, three interceptions and five pass deflections.

Ramsey’s amassed 474 tackles, 22 interceptions, 97 pass deflections and six forced fumbles in 118 career regular-season games. He’s a three-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler.

Why Miami made Jalen Ramsey highest-paid cornerback in NFL

The 29-year-old cornerback has been one of the league’s best corners since he was drafted in 2016. He was the top cornerback in Jacksonville, Los Angeles and now in Miami.

Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver can line Ramsey up on the outside or at the star position. Ramsey might not be the premier shutdown corner that was in previous years but he is still capable of lining up against the opposing team’s best pass catcher. Plus, he is one of the Dolphins’ team captains.

“You talk about prototype corners, he is that,’ Weaver told reporters over the offseason. ‘Size, length, speed, competitiveness. The thing about him is I think he is your ultimate chess piece. So to have him just sit outside and be a field corner or boundary corner or something like that is a detriment to him. We got to find ways to move him around where he can be most impactful. We’re committed to doing that.’

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will have a chance to sweep the hard court majors in 2024. 

The 23-year-old Italian, who broke through at this year’s Australian Open for his first Grand Slam title, advanced to Sunday’s U.S. Open final with a 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory over No. 25 Jack Draper in Friday’s semifinals. 

On a strange afternoon at Arthur Ashe Stadium where Sinner didn’t play his best and Draper struggled with the New York humidity — constantly having to wipe sweat puddles off the court and vomiting twice during the match — each of the first two sets were up for grabs toward the end. 

And it was Sinner using his big match experience to play solid under pressure while Draper struggled to execute when he had chances to grab the lead. 

Sinner, however, wasn’t without issues. Toward the end of the second set he appeared to hurt his left wrist while trying to protect himself from a fall. Sinner was able to continue and play effectively, but frequently had to shake out his left hand. 

That could potentially be a factor in Sunday’s final, where Sinner will be favored against either American No. 12 Taylor Fritz or No. 20 Frances Tiafoe.

The semifinal stage was entirely new for Draper, a 22-year-old lefty from Great Britain who has been threatening to join the ranks of Grand Slam contenders but has struggled with the physicality of playing best-of-five matches — much like Sinner before this year. 

Though Draper has made strides in his fitness and endurance since joining the ATP Tour, the stress of playing in his first major semifinal brought some of those issues back to the surface. Despite reasonable temperatures in the mid-70s, Draper was sweating profusely almost from the beginning of the match. He struggled to maintain a dry grip on his racket and at one point even needed to change shoes in the middle of a game. In the second set, his stomach was so unsettled that he threw up on the court. 

Still, he managed to test Sinner and keep the score close for awhile even though Sinner pressured him in several service games. When Sinner finally broke to take a 4-2 lead in the third set, Draper was clearly out of gas and hunched over in the corner trying to recover for the final few games of the match. 

Sinner, whose fitness was also a question mark until he won the Australian Open, will play in his second career major final. He is 5-0 overall in finals this year, including Masters 1000 titles in Miami and Cincinnati. 

A few days before the U.S. Open began, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced the shocking revelation that Sinner had tested positive in March for traces of the banned substance clostebol but was allowed to continue playing during his provisional suspension and appeal. 

On Aug. 20, the ITIA ruled that Sinner was not at fault for the positive test. Sinner claimed that the substance entered his system due to spray that his fitness trainer had used to treat a cut on his finger. The trainer then did work on Sinner without gloves, allegedly causing the positive test. In Italy, the spray that contains clostebol is widely available over the counter. 

A number of current and former players have raised concerns that Sinner received favorable treatment because he was allowed to continue playing, but Sinner has said that the difference in his case was that he and his team were quickly able to present evidence about his trainer using the banned spray. 

Follow Dan Wolken on social media @DanWolken

SAINT-DENIS, France — Hunter Woodhall leaned forward, eyes fixed on the finish line at Stade de France. 

It wasn’t just another race. This was the culmination of years of relentless training, a moment of destiny. As he surged ahead Friday in the final strides of the men’s T62 400-meter sprint, crossing the line at 46.36 seconds, Woodhall felt the weight of his journey lift, replaced by the overwhelming thrill of winning a Paralympic gold medal.

“This is my first gold, it’s my first time winning any major championship, and they couldn’t pick a better one,” Woodhall said after the race.

Not only did he contend with the best Paralympic sprinters in the world, he dominated. Woodhall finished the race strong, expanding the distance between him and the other runners in the final leg of the sprint.

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“We went over this race, time and time again,” the 25-year-old double amputee explained. “I wrote down in my journal exactly how I wanted to run this race. It’s exactly how it went out.

‘The strategy was to push out of the blocks and run as easy as possible, because I knew it was going to come down to the last 100 meters.”

The Making of a Champion

Woodhall’s journey to the top came with plenty of challenges.

He was born with fibular hemimelia, a congenital condition where the fibula bone is either short or missing. When Woodhall was 11 months old, both of his legs were amputated to improve his quality of life long term.

He went on to become a successful high school and college athlete, breaking records and making history along the way.

His breakout moment on the international stage came at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, where he won bronze in the 400 meters and silver in the 200 meters. 

By the time the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics came around, he added another bronze in the 400 to his growing collection, but still something was missing — a gold medal.

Paris provided the stage to complete the set, with Woodhall pushing his limits and finally clinching the top spot on the podium. He also won a bronze medal as part of Team USA’s 4×100 universal relay.

‘I brought my journal in these past few days,’ Woodhall said. ‘I’ve been writing in there, ‘I will be the Paralympic champion.’”

“And now it’s true.”

The Power of Two

Journaling was an idea Woodhall borrowed from his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall — Olympic gold medalist.

A fellow track star, Tara recently captured gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a 7.10-meter leap in the long jump. Together, they form one of the most exciting power couples in sports.

“Tara has taught me a lot, and one of them has been like the power of self-affirmation and journaling,’ Woodhall said. ‘Before the Olympics, she was writing in her journal like, ‘I will be the Olympic champ, and I am strong and fast.’ And I brought that with me.’

The two met at a track meet and formed an immediate connection, one that grew as their athletic careers progressed. Though they attended different universities — Woodhall at Arkansas and Davis-Woodhall at Texas — they remained steadfast in their support for each other, navigating the pressures of elite competition. The couple married in 2022 and today they train side by side, each pushing the other to new heights.

Training with an Olympic gold medalist brings its own set of pressures, but it’s a pressure Woodhall thrives on, saying he likes when the jumper runs next to him on the blocks in training.

“Tara is incredible,” Woodhall said. “She’s my accountability partner, my training partner and my best friend. We do all this together, and these past four years there’s been a lot of trials and tribulations but we just worked through them as a team.”

Their relationship, while personal, is a crucial part of their professional success. The mutual understanding of the demands of competing at the highest level has allowed them to create a support system few athletes enjoy.

Davis-Woodhall said she rarely looked at or acknowledged her own gold medal until her husband had a chance to secure his own. Now, the two can wear them together for the rest of their lives as they will forever be champions.

“I mean, I’m pretty sure we both wrote down our goals of the year of Paralympic gold and Olympic gold, and we have not stopped working since then,” Davis-Woodhall said. “It’s been honestly the craziest journey of our entire life. And now we get to look at it every single day.”

Beyond the Track

Outside the oval track, Woodhall and Davis-Woodhall have become voices of inspiration. Their transparency about their journey, both the victories and the setbacks, has resonated with a large audience. On social media, they share glimpses of their training, competition, and personal lives, making the world of athleticism and gold medals feel more relatable.

Their message of perseverance and hard work has inspired thousands of young athletes. But it’s not just about motivation — the couple is also deeply committed to advocating for greater inclusivity and representation in sports. As prominent figures in their respective fields, they’ve used their platforms to challenge outdated perceptions of disability and promote diversity in athletics.

“I think there’s always a pressure to perform,” Woodhall said of running for his fans. “That’s just what athletics is about. It’s heart-wrenching. It’s tough. You never know what’s going to happen. But for me, I wanted to just give everyone supporting me a show. I knew how many people tuned into the Paralympics… I really just wanted to show them what the Paralympics is all about, what we’re capable of. And the reception was incredible.”

Together, the Woodhalls are pushing the boundaries of what it means to be an top athlete. As they look ahead to future Paralympic and Olympic Games, their journey continues to inspire a new generation of athletes — both disabled and able-bodied.

The question is no longer whether the Woodhalls can win together, but how long they can stay on top of the podium.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sometimes, it’s better to be a bit lucky.

For all of the fireworks the Kansas City Chiefs popped off in officially launching their three-peat mission on Thursday night, they almost blew it. Almost left Arrowhead Stadium wearing egg on their faces.

But here’s to Isaiah Likely’s right big toe.

The Chiefs didn’t merely win the AFC title game rematch against the Baltimore Ravens to kick off the new NFL season, they survived it in a photo finish as Likely’s apparent 10-yard touchdown catch with no time on the clock was overturned by a replay review that could also be seen in HD on the Jumbotrons.

Whew.

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Likely, the emerging tight end, snagged Lamar Jackson’s high heave to the back of the end zone but came with his toe touching – just barely touching – the chalk. Out of bounds. Game over. That’s all, folks.

‘Definitely nerve-wracking,’ Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said after the 27-20 thriller. ‘It looked good from my angle on the sideline, but then on that first view you saw, you could see the cleat. It’s a great football team. I’m sure we’ll see ’em again at some point in the playoffs.’

The best teams, like the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, often find ways to win the down-to-the-wire results that define the NFL’s entertainment value.

The not-good-enough teams, a label in which these Ravens are still looking to shed, leave with lessons. Details, details.

‘He should wear white cleats next time,’ Mahomes said of Likely. ‘That’s my advice for him.’

Ouch.

Around the corner and down the hall from where Mahomes spoke, Jackson, the NFL’s reigning MVP, was still in disbelief – or a bit delusional – about the game’s final play. He wasn’t buying what the replay showed all of America.

‘I thought it was a touchdown,’ Jackson said. ‘Still think it was a touchdown.’

C’mon, MVP. You’ve got to come better than that.

Give the Ravens credit for the battle. When it seemed like the Chiefs were poised to blow them out of the building on a night when Kansas City celebrated by unfurling another Super Bowl championship banner – the franchise’s third in five years – they hung so tough. Likely’s stunning, 49-yard touchdown haul early in the fourth quarter – he adjusted, came back on his route to snag a desperate pass as Jackson heaved on the run, lost Nick Bolton and bolted up the sideline with a toe-tap that led to the end zone – made it a three-point game.

After Kansas City struck with its own chunk play for a touchdown – Mahomes to rookie Xavier Worthy, 35 yards – the Ravens responded with a field goal and a defensive stop to set up the last-minute drama.

Jackson (26-of-41 for 273 yards, 1 TD) nailed a 38-yard throw to Rashod Bateman to move the Ravens to the 10-yard line with 18 seconds left. Then he missed on passes to Likely and Zay Flowers, setting up the all-or-nothing scenario.

Add the other self-inflicted miscues – Baltimore was flagged five times for illegal formation, primarily due to linemen aligned off the line of scrimmage – and the Ravens couldn’t help but think they let their prime-time opportunity to upstage the Chiefs slip away.

No, beating the Chiefs in Week 1 wouldn’t avenge their messy, mistake-filled loss in the AFC title game, but it surely would have been good for the psyche. Now it’s fair to wonder whether they can measure up if, as Mahomes predicted, the Ravens meet the Chiefs again in January.

‘This is probably the worst game we’ll play all year,’ said Likely, who posted a game-high nine receptions for 111 yards. ‘If this is the best that they’ve got, good luck.’

Wow. Clip and save that for the Chiefs bulletin board.

In the past, Jackson referred to the Chiefs as his ‘Kryptonite.’ He would not own that on Thursday night.

‘They’re not my Kryptonite,’ he said.

Whatever, the Chiefs are the team that ended their season after the Ravens earned the No. 1 seed with the AFC’s best record in 2023. And now they are the team that delivered a big L and some teaching moments to start the new year.

Jackson, who did on Thursday night what he didn’t do in the AFC title game – running out of danger when coverage and pressure dictated, to the tune of a game-high 122 yards – doesn’t need to subscribe to the Superman narrative. But until the Ravens prove they can beat Mahomes and the Chiefs, those Super Bowl visions will be a mirage.

‘We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do to win these games,’ Jackson said.

Easier said than done.

And even though the Chiefs sweated the finish, they demonstrated why they could wind up as more dangerous this time around.

Worthy, the rookie receiver who was drafted by the Chiefs in the first round weeks after he posted the fastest 40-yard dash time ever at the combine (4.21 seconds), scored the first time he touched the football in his NFL debut. He took off on an end-around, getting the ball on a flip from Mahomes and then turning the corner for a 21-yard touchdown.

During the preseason, Worthy fumbled on a similar play. But practice apparently makes perfect. He predicted as much to offensive coordinator Matt Nagy during a Thursday morning walk-through session.

‘I told Coach Nagy, ‘I think this play is going to score,’ ‘ Worthy said. ‘And it happened. So, it’s amazing for my first touchdown in the NFL.’

Worthy didn’t post monster numbers (2 catches, 47 yards and a TD), but his mere presence – as in that lightning speed – helped open up windows elsewhere. Rashee Rice – yeah, the reckless driver facing eight felony counts for his role in a high-speed collision on a Dallas freeway in late March – tallied the bulk of his seven catches for 103 yards on slants and crossing routes underneath than enabled him to rack up significant yards after the catch. Mahomes, by the way, finished 20-of-28 passing for 291 yards, with the TD and a pick.

Then again, it wasn’t just the explosive plays that left a mark. The Chiefs showed plenty of grit, led by the incomparable Mahomes.

A prime illustration of this came early in the third quarter as Mahomes lowered a shoulder and crashed into the pile that pushed Isiah Pacheco into the end zone for a 1-yard TD that capped an 81-yard drive.

Mahomes did what?

He said the offense was struggling in the red zone and needed a touchdown. So, he said, ‘I put my body on the line.’

Talk about nerve-wracking. It was a case similar to a play against the Indianapolis Colts in 2018 that included a lineman crashing into Mahomes, which drew a rebuke from coach Andy Reid for unneeded risk.

‘Coach Reid told me to never do it again,’ Mahomes said. ‘Luckily we scored (this time) and I didn’t get hit by anybody else. So, he’ll probably tell me to never do it again, again.’

It worked out on a night when the Chiefs caught a whale of a break…and took the Ravens back to school.

What might the Chiefs have learned about themselves?

‘Nothing that I didn’t already know,’ star defensive tackle Chris Jones maintained. ‘That we’re greedy. We’re always fighting.’

Necessary ingredients to chase a three-peat.

The 2024 NFL season officially launched Thursday night, the two-time-defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs defeating the Baltimore Ravens 27-20 in a rematch of the 2023 AFC championship game and the first of this campaign’s 272 regular-season games.

It was a nail-biter to the end, largely dictated by some of the league’s top superstars but also a stage for some apparent up-and-comers. It could also carry major playoff ramifications, K.C. already holding what could be a valuable head-to-head tiebreaker that would set any potential playoff rematch back to Arrowhead Stadium.

In sum? It’s just one game. But, as always, the winners and losers extend beyond the scoreboard:

WINNERS

Chiefs

Their bid to become the first team to achieve a Super Bowl three-peat is off to a good start a year after they lost the seasonal kickoff game at home to the Detroit Lions. Three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes didn’t have his best night, but it’s pretty obvious this offense is primed to be far more dangerous than it’s been in recent years. Next up? Ten days to recover and prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals, who come to Arrowhead for Week 2.

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Matt Araiza

After a two-year delay due to a dropped accusation of committing rape while at San Diego State, he made his NFL debut with K.C. A ballyhooed sixth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2022, the “Punt God” averaged 48 yards on three boots, the final one pinning Baltimore deep in its own territory inside the final two minutes.

Rashee Rice

The Chiefs’ No. 1 wide receiver is dealing with his own legal issues after a notorious offseason following his sensational rookie season. Rice is likely to face NFL discipline at some point after being involved in a six-car crash in Dallas, where he was driving a Lamborghini nearly 120 mph this April, according to police. Rice is facing one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. However the league doesn’t typically mete out suspensions until the legal process has concluded … which enabled Rice to reel in team highs with seven receptions for 103 yards.

Taylor Swift

The pop mega star ran her personal win streak to six in Chiefs games she’s attended while supporting boyfriend Travis Kelce.

Isaiah Likely’s fantasy owners

After a strong 2023 season, when the second-year tight end became a major component of Baltimore’s offense in the absence of injured Mark Andrews, he appears to be emerging as QB Lamar Jackson’s favorite target. Likely had a 49-yard TD catch-and-run, which greatly contributed to his game-best (and career-high) nine receptions and 111 receiving yards.

Chiefs’ shiny new acquisition

WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City’s first-round pick after setting a scouting combine record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, had quite the regular-season debut – scoring TDs on a 21-yard run in the first quarter and what turned out to be a game-clinching 35-yard scoring reception from Mahomes in the final period. No question Worthy is going to be a problem, probably more so when veteran blazer Hollywood Brown is healthy enough to return to the lineup.

Lamar Jackson

He accounted for 395 yards of offense, including a game-high 122 rushing yards. Not a winning performance, but one that might eventually help him build toward a third league MVP award.

LOSERS

Lamar Jackson

His fumble led to a second-quarter field goal for K.C. Worse, Jackson missed a wide-open Zay Flowers in the end zone on the game’s penultimate play – saying afterward he should have held the ball longer in order to connect with Flowers but didn’t actually target him on the throw in question. Jackson’s record against Mahomes dropped to 1-5.

Ravens’ smudged new acquisition

Baltimore’s big free-agent signing, RB Derrick Henry, finished with 46 yards on 13 carries and concluded the opening drive with a 5-yard TD run. But he seemed to disappear for stretches afterward, and questions will remain as to how well his power style will mesh with Jackson’s elusive one, though Henry’s presence will likely open rush lanes for his quarterback – as it did Thursday.

Isaiah Likely’s fantasy owners

You greedy mothers know you were angry when Likely’s toe caught the back line of the end zone on the final play, negating a 10-yard TD that could have meant a Ravens (and fantasy?) win – coach John Harbaugh seemed ready to go for two and the victory – or, at least, send the contest into overtime.

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Mark Andrews’ fantasy owners

Two catches, 14 yards, Likely specter. Sorry, y’all.

Travis Kelce’s fantasy owners

(This has nothing to do with Swift.) For others who might love Kelce … three catches for 34 yards.

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Justin Tucker

He’ll probably be the rare kicker who winds up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But after going 1-for-5 on field-goal attempts beyond 50 yards in 2023, Tucker was wide left on a 53-yarder Thursday.

Harrison Butker

The Chiefs kicker remains wide of the mark elsewhere, but that’s a different story.

Baltimore’s O-line

For a unit breaking in three new starters and dealing with the sudden death of positional coach Joe D’Alessandris, it definitely could have gone worse. But there didn’t appear to be much daylight for Henry. Jackson got bum-rushed by All-Pro DT Chris Jones on his fumble after rookie RT Roger Rosengarten entered the game. And there were the four illegal formation penalties, three on LT Ronnie Stanley. Not. Great.

Chiefs defense

A unit that ranked second in the league last season was scorched for 452 yards – 70 more than it allowed in any of its 21 contests during the 2023 season. In fact, the Chiefs hadn’t surrendered this many yards since the end of the 2021 regular season. K.C. also struggled to get off the field on third down, Baltimore converting on half of its 14 attempts. The Ravens are clearly a quality opponent and perhaps not the best barometer of defensive success. But there is likely to be an adjustment period now that former CB1 L’Jarius Sneed and LB Willie Gay have moved to other teams.

‘Dynamic kickoff’ rule

Uh. A high-profile, XFL-style alteration designed to bring the kickoff back to relevance … just hasn’t done so yet. There were 11 kickoffs Thursday but just two non-descript returns, an early suggestion that teams are content to settle for touchbacks that start drives on an opponent’s 30-yard line rather than risk game-changing runbacks.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

A federal judge in California said Thursday she will not grant preliminary approval to the current version of a proposed multi-billion-dollar settlement of three athlete compensation antitrust cases against the NCAA and the Power Five conferences.

Following a 2½-hour remote hearing, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken and lawyers for the sides agreed that the parties would get back to her in three weeks with what she termed a ‘prognosis’ for the proposed deal.

While Wilken said ‘it seems likely enough there will be a settlement,’ she also raised the prospect that the lawyers may come back to her and ‘say … give us a trial date.’

The NCAA’s lead attorney during Thursday’s hearing, Rakesh Kilaru, said during the session that given Wilken’s concerns, he and the plaintiffs’ lawyers ‘have to talk about whether we have a deal to talk about.’

In addition to providing a nearly $2.8 billion damages pool for current and former athletes over a span of 10 years, the proposed deal would allow Division I schools to start paying athletes directly for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), subject to a per-school cap that would increase over time.

But the deal also would attempt to bring NIL payments under some enforceable rules, and Wilken said during the hearing she has issues with the proposed regulations, calling them ‘quite strict’ and questioning whether they would end up in athletes losing access to payments they have been receiving from collectives.

‘Taking things away from people doesn’t work well,’ she remarked.   

Wilken also questioned the legality of a deal that, because of its length, stands to impact the rights of future athletes who are far from college age – ‘the 6-year-old playing kickball on the asphalt,” as she put it. She wondered who would represent future classes of incoming classes of athletes who would be largely bound by the proposed settlement, and whether it was appropriate for the current plaintiffs’ attorneys to do that without them facing significant a conflict of interest due to their connection to this proposed deal.

The NCAA said in a statement Thursday night: “The settlement agreement the NCAA and autonomy conferences submitted to the court was the product of hard-fought negotiations that would bring stability and sustainability to college sports … That continues to be our goal and the NCAA and autonomy conferences will carefully consider the court’s questions, which are not uncommon in the context of class action settlements.”

However, Thursday’s developments unsettled some in the major-college sports community – especially Wilken’s concern with the proposed regulatory process, which the NCAA considers to be critical to a settlement. Kilaru, the NCAA’s attorney, stressed that association’s position is that pay for play is prohibited under NCAA rules – and that prohibition has been upheld by various courts.

Under the settlement, athletes would have to report NIL payments of more than $600 to a clearinghouse that would be established. And their deals would be subject to review, with the goal being the prevention of pay for play and deals that pay amounts above market value.

Athletes who have questions about the permissibility of their agreements would be able to seek advisory opinion from an enforcement group. If the enforcement group sought to sanction an athlete because of a deal, the athlete would have the ability to bring the matter to an arbitrator.

Wilken’s concerns about this ‘is a potential killer,’ said a source familiar with the process who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. ‘I haven’t seen all of it yet, but it doesn’t sound good, that’s for sure.’

Wilken raised questions with how a booster providing pay for play would be defined under the proposed setup.

‘Today’s third-party donor’ to a collective ‘is tomorrow’s booster. Now they can’t do it anymore …

‘What if Mr. Fan gives them a million dollars or gives them all a truck. Is that a booster? I don’t know. Is that a collective? I don’t know. Is having a winning team a valid business purpose?’

On several occasions she jousted directly with Kilaru, the NCAA attorney.

Discussing the prospect of schools directly paying athletes amounts, at their discretion within the cap, for their NIL, Wilken asked Kilaru: ‘That wouldn’t be pay for play?’

Kilaru: ‘No, Your Honor.’

Wilken ultimately said to all of the attorneys: ‘I turn this back on you all to’ find something ‘workable, consistent … enforceable and fair.’

Steve Berman, a lead attorney for the plaintiffs told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday night that Wilken having concerns is ‘not totally unexpected. … We’ll try to negotiate something. I don’t think it’s all that hard. … And it’s not in (the NCAA’s) interest to stick their heads in the sand and face the consequences of continued litigation.’