When the NCAA allowed college athletes to transfer once without the penalty of having to sit out a year, players were offered an opportunity to seek fresh starts elsewhere while benefitting from the kind of unrestrained mobility coaches had enjoyed for decades.

One of the effects of that change, though, has been a widening gulf between college football’s haves and have nots, with programs from the sport’s biggest, most powerful conferences routinely plucking standouts from lower-level schools that don’t have the platform or financial resources to hold on to them.

It’s a reality that has caused frustration for many, particularly those outside of the Power Four conferences.

This week, one coach gave a loud, passionate voice to those feelings.

During a news conference on August 13, Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock said the ability to move from program to program has led to misplaced priorities from players and their parents, who he believes increasingly don’t value some of the non-monetary benefits that college can provide.

“I enjoyed my college experience,” Hammock said. “I didn’t get one dime. But the lessons I learned were more valuable than any money you could ever pay me. I appreciate that because that’s long term. People are losing the fact this is short term…Don’t lose focus of the long term. Get your degree and learn valuable lessons that are going to help you in the long term of your life. That’s the whole purpose. This is a transition from being a kid to a grown up. I hope people don’t lose focus of that. 

“Everyone’s talking about everything else besides the most important thing of going to college. Because if you’re going to college to get a couple of dollars, you might as well go get a job. This is too hard to go get a couple of dollars. Learn the lessons that you need to learn to be successful in life for the next 40 or 50 years of your life. I would do it again for free because of the things I learned. That’s why I’m standing here today, because of what I learned in college. Not because of how much someone gave me.”

Hammock is entering his seventh season as the head coach at Northern Illinois, where he was a two-time academic All-American as a running back in the early 2000s. His Huskies teams have made bowl games in three of the past four seasons, including last season, when they went 8-5 and earned a stunning road win against eventual national runner-up Notre Dame.

That team was raided in the offseason, losing its starting quarterback, top three pass-catchers and many of its top defensive players to the portal, where many of them ended up at Power Four schools.

While Hammock said he loves the challenge of rebuilding a roster — his longer answer had come in response to a question about making the portal “more fair” — he wonders if the greener pastures players seek end up being any better than the places they just left.

“In life, you’re going to make decisions,” Hammock said. “Sometimes, it’s going to work in your favor. Sometimes, it’s not. I told our team the other day, we lost all these guys. Let’s see who plays. It’s all good when people put on Twitter ‘All glory to God, I’m going in the transfer portal.’ Let’s see if they play. How many of them guys are going to play or travel or get snaps?”

Hammock also believes some of the onus for portal decisions falls on the parents of players.

“Parents, they need to learn that lesson, too,” he said. “Stop trying to live through your kids. Teach your kids the things they need to learn to be successful. That’s what I’m telling my kids. I don’t care about no NIL or revenue sharing. I could care less. You need to learn things in college to get you prepared for life, to be a father, a husband, to work, everything else. Those are the most important things. That’s what people are missing.”

The year 2025 has seen a significant increase in crossovers between the NFL and the Olympics.

Months after NFL team owners voted to allow NFL participation in the 2028 Olympics and a day after Michael Phelps helped teach Baltimore Ravens players how to swim, Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Chloe Kim became the latest addition to the recent trend.

Kim, who is dating star Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, attended the Browns’ joint training camp practice with the Eagles on Thursday. She recorded the experience on her Instagram story, first with a picture of Eagles ‘animal ambassador’ Noah the Eagle, then with a video of Garrett warming up with his Browns teammates.

Kim is a two-time Olympic gold medalist after winning the halfpipe snowboarding event at each of the last two Olympic Winter Games. Rumors of her and Garrett’s relationship began earlier this year, when the two attended the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo in May.

Garrett is entering his ninth NFL season in 2025. The former No. 1 overall pick has played all eight years of his career with the Browns and signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the team in March.

Late last week, Garrett made headlines when he was cited for speeding – driving 100 mph in a 60 mph speed limit zone at around 2 a.m. on Saturday. It was the eighth speeding ticket Garrett has picked up since he was drafted in 2017.

The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles held joint practices this week with the Cleveland Browns ahead of their home preseason matchup Saturday afternoon.

One player who won’t be suiting up for that game is Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson. The three-time Pro Bowler suffered a leg injury earlier in training camp. He had minor surgery but may be back in time for the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4.

He’s on the sidelines for practice wearing a knee brace in the meantime. Once today’s practice finished up, it was Miller Time for him and his fellow linemen.

Dickerson seen talking with Cleveland offensive linemen Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio while enjoying some Miller Lites after practice finished up.

The Eagles and Browns have two of the most-acclaimed offensive lines in the league. Their projected starters this season have made a combined 20 Pro Bowls and 15 All-Pro teams (six first-team, nine second-team).

With Dickerson out, backup Brett Toth has been working in with the Eagles’ starters. If Dickerson misses time, he’ll be the second new starter in 2025 for the Eagles’ front along with right guard Tyler Steen. The former third-round pick is taking the spot left by free agent departure Mekhi Becton, now in Los Angeles.

The Browns wrap up their preseason slate against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23. Philadelphia finishes off their preseason schedule a day earlier on the road against the New York Jets.

The long, winding and often weird saga surrounding Michigan football and its sign-stealing scandal appears to finally be drawing to a close.

The NCAA has notified relevant parties in the Wolverines’ infractions case that an announcement on the investigation’s findings and punishments will be released on Aug. 15, a source confirmed to the Detroit Free Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network, on Aug. 14.

The scandal has followed the Wolverines since news of it first broke in October 2023 and trailed them during an eventful stretch in the program’s long, storied history. Since that October day, Michigan won its first national championship since 1997, watched head coach Jim Harbaugh leave for the NFL and saw a once-anonymous staffer − Connor Stalions − become a nationally recognized figure virtually overnight.

The NCAA’s Committee on Infractions will make a recommendation for a punishment, which Michigan will have the chance to appeal.

In January, the Wolverines accused the NCAA of “grossly overreaching” and “wildly overcharging” the program in response to an August 2024 notice of allegations that cited 11 NCAA infractions, including six Level I violations, the most serious offenses in the NCAA rulebook.

The university has tried to be proactive in dealing with the potential fallout of the case, suspending head coach Sherrone Moore for two games during the upcoming 2025 season (Weeks 3 and 4 vs Central Michigan and Nebraska, respectively). Moore was Michigan’s offensive coordinator during the sign-stealing saga and was alleged to have deleted 52 text messages from Stalions.

The Wolverines, the No. 14 team in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, open their season on August 30 against New Mexico.

Michigan football sign-stealing allegations

In October 2023, in the middle of what would be a national championship-winning season, Michigan football became the subject of an investigation into alleged impermissible advanced, in-person scouting.

The probe centered around an operation engineered by former Wolverines analyst Connor Stalions, which involved Michigan staffers or those working on behalf of them attending games of upcoming Wolverines opponents and filming the sideline during the game to record the hand signals used by coaches.

Though sign-stealing is widely practiced and isn’t technically against NCAA rules, using technology to scout an opponent in person is outlawed, according to NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1.

The advantages Michigan would have received from such an operation were immense.

“That’s huge. There’s no other way to say it,” a power conference head coach told The Athletic. “That’s as big as it gets. It’s the biggest advantage in college football, I would say. How does it get any bigger?”

Stalions reportedly purchased tickets to 52 games across the country to scout upcoming opponents on the Wolverines’ schedule or schools Michigan may be in line to face in the College Football Playoff. In perhaps the most bizarre subplot to an already bizarre story, someone who appeared to be Stallions was spotted on the Central Michigan sideline wearing a Chippewas hat during an August 2023 game at Michigan State. The Wolverines play the Spartans in an annual rivalry game, which Michigan won 49-0 that season.

The NCAA was reportedly roped into the case when an outside firm approached it with computer drives containing evidence of illicit scouting that were accessed and maintained by multiple Michigan coaches.

Stalions resigned from his position in November 2023 after refusing to cooperate with internal and external investigations. That same month, linebackers coach Chris Partridge was fired after reportedly destroying evidence related to the investigation, a claim Partridge, now an outside linebackers coach with the Seattle Seahawks, has disputed.

Then-Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for the final three games of the 2023 regular season for what the league said was a violation of the league’s sportsmanship policy. Even without Harbaugh on the sidelines, and with then-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore serving as the interim head coach, the Wolverines won each of the three games, including victories against top-10 Penn State and Ohio State teams.

Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and several of its teams can proceed in open court
Flores’ attorneys hailed Thursday’s ruling as ‘a victory not only for NFL employees, but for workers across the country’
The decision affirmed a 2023 ruling issued by a lower court

Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and several of its teams can proceed in open court after a federal appeals court ruled Aug. 14 that the league’s arbitration provision is unenforceable.

The decision, published in a written brief by a three-judge panel at the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, affirmed a 2023 ruling issued by a lower court and paves the way for Flores to move ahead with his lawsuit. Flores initially sued the league and several of its teams in 2022, alleging racial discrimination in hiring practices.

Flores’ attorneys hailed Thursday’s ruling as ‘a victory not only for NFL employees, but for workers across the country − and for anyone who believes in transparency, accountability and justice.’

‘The significance of the Second Circuit’s decision cannot be overstated,’ attorneys Douglas Wigdor, David Gottlieb and John Elefterakis said in a statement. ‘For too long, the NFL has relied on a fundamentally biased and unfair arbitration process − even in cases involving serious claims of discrimination. This ruling sends a clear message: that practice must end.’

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy wrote in an e-mail that the league intends to appeal the decision.

‘We respectfully disagree with the panel’s ruling (in the Flores case) and will be seeking further review,’ McCarthy wrote.

Thursday’s decision marked a second significant legal defeat for the NFL in four days. The Nevada Supreme Court also ruled against the league − and criticized the arbitration provision in its constitution − on Aug. 11, in a separate lawsuit filed by former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. The league is also asking for a rehearing in that case, McCarthy said.

If the NFL’s rehearing requests are unsuccessful, the league could then appeal each to the U.S. Supreme Court, which could choose whether or not to hear either case.

While the facts and allegations of the two lawsuits are substantially different, the NFL has taken the same early legal step in each − trying to force the disputes behind closed doors, into private arbitration.

Flores’ lawsuit, which was originally filed in February 2022, alleged ‘systemic racial discrimination in the hiring, retention and termination of NFL coaches and executives.’ More specifically, he said the Denver Broncos and New York Giants brought him in for ‘sham’ head-coaching interviews, and alleged the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans retaliated against him.

The NFL dismissed the claims as ‘without merit’ and has since argued the issues fall under the arbitration clause in the league’s constitution, which allows commissioner Roger Goodell to rule on various disputes or appoint an independent arbitrator to oversee them. Coaches agree to abide by the NFL constitution when signing their employment contracts with teams.

U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni ruled in 2023 the league’s arbitration clause does apply to Flores’ claims against the Dolphins, because he was employed by the team at the time. But she found it does not apply to his claims against the other teams and the NFL. And the appeals court agreed, arguing that the arbitration process is not fair because it allows Goodell to exercise control over who hears disputes against the league, or against himself personally.

In Thursday’s ruling, the appeals court wrote that the league’s arbitration provision is ‘unworthy even of the name of arbitration.’

The decision means, barring a successful appeal from the NFL, Flores can litigate his claims in court − a public forum which theoretically force some of the league’s private information into the open. It also leaves open the possibility that the case could go to trial.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.

All of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars are back together for the second event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The 2025 BMW Championship tees off on Thursday, Aug. 14 from Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland, featuring the top 50 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings. That includes Rory McIlroy, who sits in second place despite skipping last week’s playoff opener at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee.

Scottie Scheffler remains the heavy favorite entering tournament play and he’ll be in the same marquee pairing alongside McIlroy for the opening 36 holes of the event. The first tee time is set for 9:21 a.m., with the rest of the limited field to follow in Round 1. Only the top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings at the conclusion of Sunday’s final round will advance to The Tour Championship next weekened. This is also the last PGA Tour event in which golfers can earn Ryder Cup team points. 

BMW Championship leaderboard

T1. Viktor Hovland: -3 (F)
T1. Rickie Fowler: -3 (12)
T3. Michael Kim: -2 (F)
T3. Ben Griffin: -2 (14)
T3. Jason Day: -2 (11)
T3. Si Woo Kim: -2 (11)
T3. Sam Burns: -2 (8)
T8. Scottie Scheffler: -1 (14)
T8. Harry Hall: -1 (11)
T8. Hideki Matsuyama: -1 (6)
T8. Robert MacIntyre: -1 (6)
T8. Tommy Fleetwood: -1 (5)
T8. Tom Hoge: -1 (3)

BMW CHAMPIONSHIP: Updated tee times, full leaderboard

Weather delay at BMW Championship, first round suspended

The PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs will endure a weather delay for the second week in a row. The horn just blew during the first round of the 2025 BMW Championship with a ‘dangerous weather situation’ in the area at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland. Play has been suspended with most of the 50-golfer field is still on the course. Viktor Hovland the current leader (-3) in the clubhouse.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis also experienced a weather delay at the end of the second round that resulted in the round being completed the following day.

Viktor Hovland, Rickie Fowler surge up leaderboard

Viktor Hovland is the leader in the clubhouse at the moment after birdies at No. 16 and No. 17 helped him close out the first round with a 3-under 67. It was an up-and-down round with three bogeys on the front nine, but Hovland really got going after this remarkable chip shot for birdie at No. 12:

Rickie Fowler, meanwhile, now has five birdies (including four in the past five holes) to move into a tie for first place after barely qualifying for the top-50 field this week. It’s a crowded leaderboard with scoring much tougher than when the BMW Championship previously came to Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland in 2021 before the course’s recent redesign.

Scottie Scheffler stumbles, Rory McIlroy recovers

Just as soon as Scottie Scheffler grabbed the solo lead at the 2025 BMW Championship, he promptly coughed it up with back-to-back bogeys. Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, has rebounded nicely a rough first eight holes with back-to-back birdies. He’s now even par in the first round, just one shot back of Scheffler, and two shots back of the lead.

Scottie Scheffler alone atop BMW Championship leaderboard … briefly

Scheffler had sole possession of first place for a few moments during the opening round of the second FedEx Cup playoff event after a bogey by Ben Griffin to close out his front nine Thursday.

Scheffler was at 3-under after birdies on three of his first four holes and then proceeded to card his first bogey of the round on No. 9 just like Griffin. There’s now a six-way tie atop the leaderboard.

Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele among big names struggling

It’s been a rough start to the BMW Championship for a couple recent major winners. Xander Schauffele has five bogeys through 14 holes and sits at +3. He’s in danger of missing The Tour Championship next week since he entered this week outside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings.

McIlroy, meanwhile, is having issues finding the fairway and it’s costing him on the scorecard. He sits at +2, which is all the more glaring with Scheffler leading the tournament and playing with him. McIlroy just saved par with a nice up-and-down around the green on No. 7.

Both golfers will have all four rounds to turn things around. There is no cut at the BMW Championship with a limited field.

Scottie Scheffler is now BMW Championship co-leader

Another birdie by Scottie Scheffler at the par-5 fourth hole has pushed the FedEx Cup points leader and world No. 1 into a first place tie with Michael Kim and Ben Griffin at 3-under on the 2025 BMW Championship leaderboard. Scheffler has three birdies in his opening four holes playing with Rory McIlroy, who is having issues finding the fairway on the front nine thus far. Griffin has risen up the leaderboard with three-straight birdies.

Scottie Scheffler is rolling early

The world’s best golfer has started off the 2025 BMW Championship with consecutive birdies. Scottie Scheffler is 2-under through two holes after finding the fairway and green with his opening shots of the tournament. Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, has misfired a couple times, including a wayward tee shot at No. 2 that led to a bogey.

Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy featured group tee time

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are on the course after teeing off at the 2025 BMW Championship. The two best golfers in the world are paired together in a marquee featured group for the opening rounds of the second FedEx Cup playoff event. It’s a potential Ryder Cup preview in McIlroy’s return to the PGA Tour after skipping last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis.

Shane Lowry starts with three birdies in a row

Shane Lowry has grabbed the first-round lead after a third birdie in a row and none has involved a putt longer than 12 feet. The burly Irishman is clicking on all cylinders. Looks like there could be some low scores today at Caves Valley. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will be on the course soon.

J.T. Poston, playing solo, moves into tie for first

J.T. Poston has moved into a tie for first place with Michael Kim on the first round leaderboard at the 2025 BMW Championship after Kim’s first bogey of the day and consecutive birdies by Poston. Taylor Pendrith is also at 2-under through four holes and Shane Lowry has birdies on his first two holes to create a four-way tie. Poston is playing alone in the first two rounds of this FedEx Cup playoff event because he was the last man in the 50-golfer field and Sepp Straka withdrew from the tournament due to personal reasons.

Michael Kim off to fast start

Michael Kim is the early leader after birdies on three of his first four holes playing alongside Xander Schauffele, who conversely began with a bogey on two of his first three holes. Kim sits at 3-under heading to No. 5 at Caves Valley Golf Club. Kims sits at No. 42 in the FedEx Cup standings and could play his way into the Tour Championship with a strong showing this week.

BMW Championship underway

Play has started at the BMW Championship as J.T. Poston has teed off at Caves Valley Golf Club. And golf’s second playoff tournament is underway.

Next up: Xander Schauffele and Michael Kim will tee off at 9:32 a.m. ET.

What time is BMW Championship?

The 2025 BMW Championship enters the first round on Thursday, Aug. 14. The first tee time on Thursday is 9:21 a.m. ET, with coverage starting at 9:15 a.m. ET.

How to watch BMW Championship: TV channel, streaming

The 2025 BMW Championship, the second event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, will be televised nationally on the Golf Channel and NBC. It can be live streamed via ESPN+, Peacock and Fubo depending on the time. Here’s the full broadcast schedule for all four rounds:

All times Eastern

Thursday, Aug. 14 and Friday, Aug. 15

9:15 a.m.-6 p.m. on ESPN+
2-6 p.m. on Golf Channel, Fubo

Saturday, Aug. 16

9 a.m.-6 p.m. on ESPN+
1-3 p.m. on Golf Channel, Fubo
3-6 p.m. on NBC, Peacock

Sunday, Aug. 17

9 a.m.-6 p.m. on ESPN+
Noon-2 p.m. on Golf Channel, Fubo
2-6 p.m. on NBC, Peacock

Watch BMW Championship with Fubo

BMW Championship tee times, pairings

First Round – Thursday

All times ET.

9:21 a.m. — J.T. Poston
9:32 a.m. — Xander Schauffele, Michael Kim
9:43 a.m. — Kurt Kitayama, Thomas Detry
9:54 a.m. — Ryan Fox, Taylor Pendrith
10:05 a.m. — Lucas Glover, Sam Stevens
10:16 a.m. — Viktor Hovland, Akshay Bhatia
10:27 a.m. — Nick Taylor, Shane Lowry
10:43 a.m. — Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay
10:54 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, Maverick McNealy
11:05 a.m. — Ben Griffin, Russell Henley
11:16 a.m. — Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy
11:27 a.m. — Andrew Novak, Harris English
11:38 a.m. — Jhonattan Vegas, Rickie Fowler
11:54 a.m. — Harry Hall, Jason Day
12:05 p.m. — Matt Fitzpatrick, Si Woo Kim
12:16 p.m. — Brian Campbell, Denny McCarthy
12:27 p.m. — Ryan Gerard, Daniel Berger
12:38 p.m. — Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman
12:49 p.m. — Sam Burns, Sungjae Im
1:05 p.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Robert MacIntyre
1:16 p.m. — Collin Morikawa, Corey Conners
1:27 p.m. — Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
1:38 p.m. — Justin Rose, J.J. Spaun
1:49 p.m. — Cameron Young, Ludvig Åberg
2 p.m. — Tom Hoge, Bud Cauley

FedEx Cup standings

Listed below are the top-10 finishers in the FedEx Cup standings. These are the golfers that have qualified for the BMW Championship this weekend. For a full list of standings, click here.

Scottie Scheffler: 5,456 points
Rory McIlroy: 3,444 points
J.J. Spaun: 3,344 points
Justin Rose: 3,220 points
Sepp Straka: 2,783 points
Russell Henley: 2,579 points
Ben Griffin: 2,555 points
Tommy Fleetwood: 2,433 points
Justin Thomas: 2,395 points
Harris English: 2,269 points

Taylor Swift made her anticipated debut as the featured guest on the ‘New Heights’ podcast, hosted by her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.

Swift shared information about the upcoming release of her 12th album – ‘Life of a Showgirl’ – as part of the program. Swifties and NFL fans alike also got a chance to see her interact with Travis Kelce in an up-close and personal manner, thrilling many who wanted to know more about their relationship.

Swift shared plenty of stories throughout the two-hour podcast. She discussed reclaiming her masters, performing the Eras Tour, her love of sourdough bread and delved plenty into her relationship with Kelce. That included stories about getting to know him, their early dates and her evolution into a football fan.

Here are the winners and losers of the podcast episode.

WINNERS

The ‘New Heights’ podcast

When the Kelce brothers founded the ‘New Heights’ podcast in 2022, even they couldn’t have imagined it reaching these heights.

Sure, when Travis’ dalliance with Swift began, the program’s popularity began to rise. It became a vehicle for Swifties and NFL fans alike to connect with the NFL stars, especially as Swift appeared at her first Chiefs games and Kansas City ended up winning the Super Bowl.

But even so, ‘New Heights” episode with Taylor Swift will likely be one of the most viewed podcasts in the medium’s relatively brief history. Sure, the opportunity was handed to the Kelces on a silver platter given Travis’ romantic link with Swift; still, that’s pretty amazing for a show that is only on the verge of celebrating its third birthday.

Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce

When the Kelce brothers started the ‘New Heights’ podcast, there was no guarantee it would be a success. Nearly three years later, it has turned itself into one of the most culturally relevant sports podcasts and has helped catapult the duo to a new level of stardom.

Interviewing one of the world’s most famous celebrities on the program will only continue to allow their star to rise and, potentially, create an even larger sustainable fan base for the podcast.

The timing couldn’t be better for the Kelce brothers. Jason was in the twilight of his career when the podcast started while Travis was entering the latter stages of his. The show’s success will ensure the duo each has a cushy post-retirement gig that could lead to other on-air media roles, much like Jason’s with ESPN.

Taylor Swift

No matter where Swift revealed her ‘Life of a Showgirl’ album, she was going to get an audience. I mean, c’mon. She’s Taylor Swift!

Still, Swift was a big winner of her appearance on the podcast. Her personality shone through and she managed to land a few jokes that elicited laughs from the Kelce brothers. Most notably, she took a dig at the fatigue certain sports fans have experienced with her now years-long omnipresence in the NFL zeitgeist.

Swift also told a handful of good stories, including an amusing anecdote about her lack of understanding of football from her first date with Travis.

Swift also noted she was learning more and more about football terminology, hinting at an understanding about Cover 2, Cover 4, Cover 0 and man coverage. That may endear her a bit to NFL fans, as she appears to be a true student of the game.

Andy Reid: Wingman

Reid has, at times, taken credit for helping set up Kelce and Swift. The two effectively backed his claims on Wednesday’s podcast, with Swift revealing Reid vouched for Kelce through her father, as the two are friends.

‘Whatever Andy Reid says, we’re gonna stand by,’ Swift said on the ‘New Heights’ podcast Wednesday. ‘He said it, that’s what happened.’

”Cupid,’ ‘Big Red.’ It’s all the same,’ Kelce added.

Considering how well things appear to be going with Kelce and Swift, Reid may want to consider a side-gig as a matchmaker. If not now, then the 67-year-old can pocket that as a hobby for whenever he does eventually decide to retire.

LOSERS

The ‘New Heights’ podcast (Technical Difficulties’ version)

Look, no matter how you slice it, Wednesday will be a win for the ‘New Heights’ podcast. It got two hours of material from Taylor Swift figures to have millions tune into a show that has, in the past, typically draw under 1 million views per episode.

But just as the podcast was nearing its end, ‘New Heights’ encountered technical difficulties. The YouTube stream cut out, leaving viewers watching that live stream unable to catch the end of the podcast.

Still, it’s undeniable ‘New Heights’ had a critical mistake in what was the biggest moment of its brief history. It won’t be on par with the infamous ‘Heidi Game’ by any means, but it was a sour end to what was supposed to be a banner night for the show.

NFL fans wanting to focus on the games

The NFL season is right around the corner. On Wednesday, Swift’s appearance on ‘New Heights’ was the league’s biggest story, with members of the Chiefs, including Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, even being asked about it at practice.

Additionally, NFL fans got to hear smaller stories throughout the day about James Cook’s new contract with the Buffalo Bills, Jerry Jones beating Stage 4 melanoma in 2010 and Shedeur Sanders suffering an oblique injury at Cleveland Browns practice.

While some of those stories, notably Cook’s contract and Sanders’ injury, have direct ties to on-the-field performance, it’s still clear that the NFL news cycle is a few weeks away from being able to focus largely on the games. Those weeks could crawl by for those wanting the NFL’s lengthy offseason to finally come to a close.

Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift relationship conspiracy theorists

Plenty of conspiracy theories have been bandied about that Swift and Kelce only linked up for the sake of publicity. Wednesday’s podcast continued to show those rumors are completely unfounded, as the two appear to be legitimately smitten with one another.

Kelce repeated throughout the show he is ‘the luckiest man in the world’ because of his relationship with Swift. The two appear to share plenty of hobbies and interests, and Swift spoke glowingly of Kelce’s ‘crazy’ romantic gesture to ask her out on the podcast and their subsequent adventures.

Does this mean Kelce and Swift’s relationship will last forever? Maybe not, but it certainly seems like they are legitimately coupled.

It’s just not going to work. The college football season hasn’t even begun, and the Hugh Freeze experiment at Auburn is all but over. 

Just in case you weren’t convinced after two years of bad losses and one bizarre offseason, Auburn offensive coordinator Derrick Nix explained this week how his boss, Freeze, has laid out the play calling plan for the 2025 season.

Frankly, Freeze should be fired for this specific debacle, and this alone — much less the product on the field. 

Ready for some strong, decisive Freeze leadership? Here we go. 

Nix will handle first-down strategy and play calling. Quarterbacks coach Kent Austin gets third-down strategy and play calling. 

Who get’s second down, you ask? That would be Freeze, the guy who was hired three years ago because of – I know this is going to shock you – his track record of developing quarterbacks and calling plays.

Of course, Nix was quick to point out Freeze can overrule any call. Maybe even his own, for all we know. 

“It depends on how the game is going,” Nix said. 

Well, I can tell you how it’s going at Auburn — and it’s not good.

Let’s get beyond the 11-14 record in two seasons, and the 5-11 record in SEC games. Or the four-game losing streaks in each of his two seasons.  

Let’s overlook, for a moment, that those two rip-roaring seasons included losses to New Mexico State, Maryland, California, Vanderbilt and Arkansas. Or that Freeze is winless in five games against rivals Alabama, Georgia and LSU.

Because this can’t be said enough: Freeze has failed spectacularly with the very thing that got him the job in the first place. 

In two seasons, Freeze’s offenses have been 12th and 11th in the SEC in points per game, and his quarterbacks have combined to throw 26 interceptions.

Knowing all of this heading into a crossroads third season, and knowing he needed a tough and talented quarterback who could protect the ball, Freeze signed benched Oklahoma starter Jackson Arnold from the transfer portal. 

Then told his defense – the one good thing in Freeze’s two seasons on The Plains – to ease up on his new quarterback so he leaves practice feeling confident.

I’m not kidding. 

If that’s not bad enough, Auburn begins this critical season for Freeze on the road against Baylor, which won six of seven games to finish 2024.

“Yes,” Freeze said earlier this spring, almost beaming when he explained about the defense easing up on Arnold, who didn’t exactly set the game ablaze at Oklahoma last season before getting benched in mid-September. “I used to be very adamant that the No.1 priority of practice is for our quarterback to leave that field confident. I’m going back to that this year.”

Lovely. 

Just to recap this bumbling, fumbling philosophical train wreck of an offseason: Freeze badly needed an efficient and proficient quarterback, and took a flier on a former five-star recruit. Then told his defense hands off. 

This thing is going to fail on multiple levels.

Make no mistake, Arnold last year looked a whole lot like Auburn’s quarterbacks in 2023-24. In fact, when these two SEC giants of 2024 (Auburn and OU were a combined 4-12 in SEC games) played last year, Oklahoma scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to win a horrifically ugly game that set back tackle football for decades. 

And just in case you’re wondering: Arnold was a healthy scratch for that game. 

So Freeze spends NIL dollars on Arnold, tells his defense to lay off, and then rolls into the annual A-Day spring game without Arnold — who was nursing a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, after landing the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class in 2025, Freeze’s 2026 class is 14th out of 16 in the SEC, according to the 247Sports recruiting composite. 

If all that doesn’t give you those Toomer’s Corner feels, what will? 

Look, I’m willing to give Arnold the benefit of the doubt, a pass of sorts from his first season as a starter that was severely stunted by injuries at wide receiver and offensive line. He never really had a chance.

But Auburn could have the best wide receiver combination in the nation (Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr.), and its offensive line is miles ahead of where Oklahoma was last season. The defense should be among the top three, if not the best, in the SEC.

By all accounts, this should be a breakout season for Auburn.— which hasn’t won more than six games in a season since 2019. 

Instead there’s Freeze, declaring in May that reaching bowl eligibility is a “goal” for Auburn. He later clarified that bowl eligibility, which Auburn hasn’t earned in his first two seasons, was the minimum expectation. 

Two moths later at SEC media days, he laid out this whopper: Auburn has the roster and the potential to reach the College Football Playoff.

As long as the three offensive play callers are on the same page, anyway.

“I like our squad, I like the makeup,” Freeze said. “We believe this team’s potential is limitless.”

Yeah, this thing isn’t going to work. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

As other running backs around the NFL get paid, is New York Jets running back Breece Hall next in line to get an extension?

Talking to reporters Wednesday, Hall said he isn’t so sure.

The three-year veteran is entering the final season of his rookie contract in 2025. A reporter asked him about whether the Buffalo Bills paying James Cook or the Los Angeles Rams paying Kyren Williams made Hall think about his future with New York.

He said, ‘Nah, because they’ve both done much more in this league than I have. They’ve been in better situations, and they’re both very good players. Obviously, I feel like I’m just as talented as anyone, but those guys are two really good running backs, and they deserve their pay day.’

Cook and Williams each tallied back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as their respective teams have leaned on their run game. They also both tallied more than a dozen rushing touchdowns last year, and Cook led the league with 16 scores on the ground.

Hall has yet to surpass the 1,000-rushing yard mark in his three-year career after finishing six yards short in 2023 as he returned from a knee injury. In 2024, he finished with 876 rushing yards on 209 carries. He hasn’t scored more than five rushing touchdowns in a season.

However, Hall has added more to his team’s passing offense than either of the other two running backs, which has been reflected in his scrimmage yard totals. Hall had more scrimmage yards than Cook in each of the last two seasons and more than Williams in each of their first two seasons – 2022 and 2023 – before Williams edged him out last year.

Hall will have a chance to prove he’s worth a future investment with a strong year in 2025. The Jets have invested heavily in their offensive line, and their decision to sign dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields could indicate a renewed emphasis on the run game after the more pass-heavy Aaron Rodgers era.

The New York Mets squandered a six-run lead against the Atlanta Braves, losing 11-6.
This defeat marks 12 losses in their last 14 games, dropping them from first place to trailing the Philadelphia Phillies by five games.
Despite the recent slump, the Mets currently hold the final NL Wild Card spot, one game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds.

The free-falling New York Mets suffered what might have been their worst loss of the season (so far?) on Wednesday night, Aug. 13, when they blew a six-run lead and fell to the Atlanta Braves 11-6.

After reeling off a seven-game winning streak from July 20-27, the Mets have now lost 12 of their past 14 games and have gone from leading the National League East division by 1½ games to trailing the first-place Philadelphia Phillies by 5.

‘We’ve had some tough ones, but I wouldn’t say worst loss of the season,’ manager Carlos Mendoza said. ‘They all count the same, but it sucks to lose a game when you’re up six right away.’

After snapping a seven-game skid the night before, the Mets appeared to have found some momentum against a fading Braves team.

Pete Alonso, who became the Mets’ all-time home run leader on Tuesday, drove in two runs in the first inning, and Juan Soto hit a two-run homer in the second as New York pounced on Atlanta starter Carlos Carrasco.

But the Braves erased that six-run deficit by scoring nine times in the fourth inning, capped by a grand slam from Michael Harris II.

‘We have got coaches right now looking at pretty much everything,’ Mendoza said. ‘Trying to figure out how we can continue to help these guys, especially the guys from the rotation because we know the talent is there.’

Despite their struggles, the Mets (64-56) would still make the playoffs if the season ended today. They’re one game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the NL’s final wild card spot.

NL playoff picture

Division leaders

Milwaukee Brewers 76-44
Philadelphia Phillies 69-51
San Diego Padres 69-52

Wild card leaders

Chicago Cubs 68-51, +4.5 games ahead
Los Angeles Dodgers 68-53, +3.5 games ahead
New York Mets 64-56
Cincinnati Reds 64-58, 1 game behind
St. Louis Cardinals 61-61, 4 games behind