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Turning Point USA has seen a massive surge in inquiries for new college chapters as the organization works to advance Charlie Kirk’s vision following his assassination last week.

Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of ‘The Charlie Kirk Show,’ said Sunday that, in the past 48 hours, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) has received more than 32,000 inquiries from people wanting to start new campus chapters.

‘To put that in perspective, TPUSA currently has 900 official college chapters and around 1,200 high school chapters, with a presence of 3,500 total,’ Kolvet, who is also a TPUSA spokesman, wrote on X.

‘Charlie’s vision to have a Club America chapter (our high school brand) in every high school in America (around 23,000) will come true much, much faster than he could have ever possibly imagined,’ Kolvet added, calling the response to expand Kirk’s mission ‘truly incredible.’

In a separate post, Kolvet wrote, ‘This is the Turning Point.’

Kirk was assassinated during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon. The event was the first in what was supposed to be a series called ‘American Comeback Tour.’

Kirk, the charismatic 31-year-old founder of the conservative youth activist group, gained recognition for his signature political debates on college campuses. 

On Thursday evening, the second family escorted Kirk’s casket and family from Utah to their home state of Arizona on Air Force Two. A video of the moment showed his wife, Erika Kirk, visibly emotional on the tarmac as the casket passed before her. The couple have two young children.

Kirk’s celebration of life ceremony is scheduled for next Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. 

President Donald Trump said he will attend Kirk’s funeral. 

On Friday evening, Kirk’s widow galvanized the TPUSA movement and vowed to carry on her husband’s mission.

‘To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die,’ Kirk said. ‘I refuse to let that happen. No one will ever forget my husband’s name. And I will make sure of it. It will become stronger. Bolder. Louder and greater than ever,’ Kirk said.

She also said that TPUSA’s annual ‘AmericaFest’ conference in Phoenix this December will continue as scheduled.

Judah Waxelbaum, a former campus activist at Arizona State University for Republican causes, said that the assassination likely awoke a ‘sleeping giant’ and will likely see an increase in members.

Turning Point’s not going anywhere. Turning Point, I think, will probably actually get significantly larger in the wake of what happened to Charlie,’ he told Fox News Digital in an interview on Saturday. ‘You couldn’t do youth politics in Arizona, really anywhere in the United States without coming across Charlie Kirk.

‘I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve woken up a sleeping giant.’

Fox News Digital’s Cameron Arcand contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The 2025 NFL season is underway, and, boy, is it underway.

The Philadelphia Eagles began their title defense campaign with a thriller of a win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. The Kansas City Chiefs, the other participant of Super Bowl 59, didn’t quite have the same success, as they were handed a loss by the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil.

The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens treated everyone to a delight on Sunday night, when Josh Allen led Buffalo to a stunning comeback victory over their AFC foes. That must have rubbed off on J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings, who downed the Chicago Bears in a comeback win of their own on the first ‘Monday Night Football’ matchup of the 2025 season.

All that means that Week 2 should provide an entertaining encore. Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s matchups, news, injury updates, highlights and more.

NFL scores, results for Week 2 Sunday games

All times Eastern.

Cleveland Browns 10, Baltimore Ravens 27
Jacksonville Jaguars 27, Cincinnati Bengals 24
New York Giants 23, Dallas Cowboys 20
Detroit Lions 38, Chicago Bears 14
New England Patriots 23, Miami Dolphins 27
San Francisco 49ers 26, New Orleans Saints 14
Buffalo Bills 30, New York Jets 3
Seattle Seahawks 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Los Angeles Rams 27, Tennessee Titans 16
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m.
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts, 4:05 p.m.
Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m.
Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m.

Bills QB Josh Allen exits briefly vs. Jets with nose injury

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen had to briefly leave his team’s Week 2 game against the New York Jets after suffering a nose injury.

The injury occurred on a designed quarterback running during which Allen tried to carry the ball up the middle. He appeared to inadvertently get hit in the face by a Jets tackler while he went to the ground.

NFL schedule today: Week 2 Sunday games

All times Eastern.

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m.
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets, 1 p.m.
Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.
Los Angeles Rams at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m.
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts, 4:05 p.m.
Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m.
Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m.

NFL Week 2 inactives

Here are some of the more notable inactive names for Sunday games:

Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers
George Kittle, TE, 49ers
Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs
Jaire Alexander, CB, Ravens
Andrew Thomas, LT, Giants
Curtis Samuel, WR, Bills
Taron Johnson, CB, Bills
Devon Witherspoon, CB, Seahawks
Jack Conklin, OT, Browns

This section will be updated as inactives are announced 90 minutes prior to game time.

Plane with disparaging message for Dolphins brass flies over Hard Rock Stadium

A plane flew over Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday morning flying a banner that read, ‘Fire (Dolphins general manager Chris) Grier. Fire (Dolphins head coach Mike) McDaniel.’

NFL betting odds: Week 2

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Looking back, Dabo Swinney’s bold prediction tells us the veteran Clemson coach had absolutely no feel for his team.
Clemson looks like an also-ran, not a national championship contender.
Brian Kelly pushes Billy Napier closer to the edge of a firing, then blows a fuse.

Dabo Swinney’s preseason quote needed a laugh track. It reads like satire in hindsight.

Swinney, in a summer interview with ESPN, predicted a 16-0 season in his program’s future.

Looking back, Swinney’s bold prediction tells us the veteran Clemson coach had absolutely no feel for his team. His Tigers turned in another clunky performance for their second loss in three games, this one a 24-21 defeat at upstart Georgia Tech, thriving under coach Brent Key and quarterback Haynes King.

Forget 16-0, and forget Clemson being a national championship contender. Swinney’s Tigers are on the fast track to also-ran status.

Swinney broke a cardinal rule of the preseason: Never, ever build up expectations to a level your team is not prepared to meet. Swinney would have been better off sticking to his little ol’ Clemson routine.

Because, many of us took his lofty assessment seriously and attached high expectations to this Clemson season. That wasn’t only because of Swinney’s big brag in the preseason. Clemson possessed a proven quarterback, a veteran roster and a premier defensive line – all the hallmarks of a national championship contender.

That makes it all the more galling that Clemson looks so average. Cade Klubnik continues to play like a quarterback mired in regression. His two turnovers factored into this latest loss.

‘Two heartbreaking losses, where we had a lead in the fourth quarter,’ Swinney said.

That’s one way of looking at it. Here’s another vantage point: Clemson has lost four of its last five games against Power Four opponents. It’s now been several years since Clemson ranked among the nation’s elite programs.

The Tigers got a lot of run out of their win against SMU in the ACC Championship, but, let’s face it, the Mustangs were not a playoff-caliber team, and the committee erred by admitting SMU into the bracket.

Clemson’s schedule will ease up for a few weeks, and there’s an avenue to the playoff through a conference championship, but that’s looking more and more far-fetched in a conference where Miami, Georgia Tech and Florida State have established themselves as frontrunners.

Swinney, perhaps realizing the error of his preseason assessment, begged the media after his team’s season-opening loss to LSU to revise their bullish assessment of Clemson.

‘Say we suck,’ Swinney pleaded.

Swinney’s comments amounted to a cry for help. He wanted to be able to play the little ol’ Clemson card again and use media criticism as a tool to rally his team.

Well, he won’t have to plead for criticism now, at least. It’s coming hot and heavy, not just from the media, but from a disgruntled fan base that got spoiled by the success Swinney delivered at the peak of his tenure and bought stock in Swinney’s sunshine pump before this season, only to have it go bust by mid-September.

‘I know there will be a ton of negativity,’ Swinney said after this loss, ‘but we can’t do anything about that.’

This season was supposed to provide vindication for Swinney. In this transfer era, he continues to build Clemson through a strategy of sign, retain and develop. Clemson’s lack of transfers contributed to it losing four games last season, tied for their most losses since 2011.

Clemson retained so much of its roster from last season that the Tigers seemed poised for a bounce-back, led by a bunch of seasoned players Swinney signed out of high school.

Clearly, Swinney believed in the possibilities.

The only vindication, though, is for the skeptics who never bought into Swinney’s preseason buoyancy.

Apparently, Swinney had no idea just how beatable his team is.

Here’s what else is on my mind after Week 3:

LSU defense goes off, then Brian Kelly goes off

No wonder Brian Kelly took up for embattled Florida coach Billy Napier before their rivalry game. Napier is the most beatable Gators coach since the 1940s. He’s exactly the type of coach you want your rival to employ.

LSU’s defense delivered a third straight gem in a 20-10 victory over Florida.

When the Gators opted to retain Napier last year, the silver lining was supposed to be that keeping the coach meant retaining the quarterback.

How’s that working out? LSU intercepted DJ Lagway five times, and Napier lost for the 21st time in 41 games. Napier, at this point, is just a seat warmer for Florida’s next coach.

Instead of enjoying a victory lap, Kelly launched into a postgame rant. When a reporter asked about LSU’s relative lack of offense, Kelly went bananas.

‘We won the game,’ Kelly said while his fuse blew. ‘I don’t know what you want. What do you want? You want us to win 70-0 against Florida to keep you happy?’

Maybe, try starting with with 24 points. LSU hasn’t reached that mark yet this season, but at least its defense looks dynamite, for the first time in several years.

Asked specifically about LSU’s quiet night in the run game, Kelly barked about the ‘ridiculous questions.’

‘You’re spoiled. You’re spoiled,’ Kelly screamed. ‘This is ridiculous, from a group of season reporters.’

Not really. Pretty basic questions, actually. Kelly could have answered the queries about the offense in any number of ways that didn’t involve an absurd rant.

On the other hand, Florida fans would go for a little more fire from their coach, and they’d definitely go for LSU’s 3-0 record and its dominant defense.

Brent Pry beats Billy Napier to a firing

Napier outlasted Brent Pry, at least.

Virginia Tech got trounced, 45-26, by Old Dominion to drop to 0-3. The Hokies fired Pry following that result. He went 16-24 in four seasons.

‘This team right now is the closest to the vision I have for Virginia Tech football,’ Pry said before the season.

His vision must have been a nightmare.

Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock sounded the alarm on the football program’s finances before the season. Not exactly the best sales pitch to prospective job candidates.

Virginia Tech joins UCLA with Power Four openings. The Bruins fired DeShaun Foster after their own 0-3 start.

Ty Simpson heating up at Alabama

Ty Simpson has helped Kalen DeBoer turn down the heat in Tuscaloosa. Alabama’s quarterback has looked awesome these past two weeks, and the Crimson Tide regained their mojo after an ugly showing against Florida State in their opener.

Simpson played to a level of near perfection in a 38-14 smashing of Wisconsin.

Alabama will have an open week before traveling to Georgia, and though Kirby Smart’s team is undefeated, his defense looked quite vulnerable while needing to fend off Tennessee, 44-41, in overtime.

Alabama, though, is just 2-5 in games played away from Bryant-Denny Stadium in DeBoer’s tenure.

Podcast host wins a date thanks to Vanderbilt

Apparently, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia promised to set up popular podcast host Theo Von on a date with his mom if the Commodores beat South Carolina.

Well, Vanderbilt smashed South Carolina, 31-7, to improve to 3-0.

There’s truly never been a better time in our history to be a podcast host.

Can Notre Dame go from 0-2 to 10-2?

Notre Dame snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory in a 41-40 home loss to Texas A&M.

Finally, the Irish have a quarterback, CJ Carr, who looks talented enough to pursue glory, but, in a cruel twist, their defense and fundamentals betrayed them.

Notre Dame botched an extra point after its final touchdown, turning what should have been a seven-point lead into a six-point lead and allowing Texas A&M to rally and win on an extra point.

The Irish also failed to secure what should have been a game-winning interception, two plays before Marcel Reed’s game-winning touchdown pass.

Notre Dame, even at 0-2, cannot be ruled out as a playoff contender. The Irish lost to Miami and Texas A&M by a combined total of four points, and their schedule now lightens up considerably. But, Notre Dame’s defense looks unrecognizable to the unit that powered the Irish to a national championship game appearance.

A road game against Arkansas and home game against Southern California are the trickiest games remaining. Would 10 straight victories be enough on the at-large résumé?

Or, Notre Dame could make the playoff by winning its conference championship. (Just kidding, folks!)

Three and out

1. A scene from the road: Hours after Tennessee’s overtime loss to Georgia, Vols fans gathered in a hotel lobby in Knoxville and read aloud the Los Angeles Times’ coverage of UCLA’s 35-10 loss to New Mexico.

The Vols squandered their chance to beat Kirby Smart, but they won the quarterback swap with UCLA. Nico Iamaleava ducked out on Tennessee in favor of a bad UCLA team, and he’s struggling, while the Vols’ Joey Aguilar threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns in the loss to Georgia. Tennessee stomached a painful overtime loss but dined on Iamaleava schadenfreude for dessert.

2. File this one under things I didn’t have on my Bingo card in the preseason: Texas fans booing Arch Manning amid his sloppy performance in a 27-10 win against UTEP.

3. After Texas A&M’s victory at Notre Dame, NBC play-by-play broadcaster Noah Eagle said of the Aggies: ‘They’ve announced to the nation, they’ve arrived!’

Easy now. This was a good win for Mike Elko in his second season, but Eagle’s comment reminded me of Joe Tessitore roaring that ‘Texas is back!’ after the Longhorns beat Notre Dame in 2016. As it turned out, Texas was not back. The Irish stunk that season.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

(This story was updated to change a video.)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders almost ended up with one of their AFC North rivals in the 2025 NFL Draft.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the Baltimore Ravens – Cleveland’s Week 2 opponent – wanted to draft Sanders in the fifth round. When Sanders heard about the Ravens’ plan to draft him, he requested that they didn’t, Schefter reports.

Sanders reportedly cited Baltimore’s starting quarterback, two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, as a reason he wished to go elsewhere. Given Jackson’s success, Sanders knew he would not have a real chance to compete for the starting job within in the first few years of his career.

The Ravens selected offensive tackle Carson Vinson with the No. 141 overall pick instead, and Sanders landed with the Browns three picks later, after Cleveland traded up to No. 144.

As of Week 2 of his rookie season, Sanders is listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the Browns’ roster. Veteran Joe Flacco remains the starter, and fellow rookie – and third-round pick – Dillon Gabriel is QB2.

Who is the Ravens’ backup quarterback now if it isn’t Sanders?

Ravens QB depth chart

Lamar Jackson
Cooper Rush
Tyler Huntley (practice squad)

Jackson is the Ravens’ two-time MVP starting quarterback and widely considered one of the best at his position in the NFL. He signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension with Baltimore in 2023 to keep him with the Ravens through 2027.

Rush spent the last four years in a second stint with the Dallas Cowboys as Dak Prescott’s backup quarterback. He signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal with the Ravens this offseason that could be worth over $12 million with incentives.

Rush is the only other quarterback on Baltimore’s active roster, though the team also has Huntley back on its practice squad for a third stint after he spent part of training camp with the Browns. Huntley previously backed up Jackson in Baltimore between 2020 and 2023. He was named to his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2022.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Minnesota Lynx took care of business at home.

Despite trailing by as many as 10 points early, the Lynx handily defeated the Valkyries 101-72 at Target Center in Minneapolis during Game 1 of the best-of-three, first-round series of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, led by a 20-point performance from Napheesa Collier. However, all eyes will be on Collier’s right ankle moving forward.

Collier, who was out for seven games in the regular season with a right ankle sprain, appeared to tweak her right ankle after Golden State’s Kate Martin fell on Collier as she fouled Martin on a 3-point attempt. Collier gingerly walked back to the bench and checked out of the game with 1:29 remaining in the third quarter. Collier didn’t return, but the Lynx were leading by double-digits at the time she exited.

Collier finished the night with 20 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 1-of-3 from the 3-point line. Natisha Hiedeman added 18 points and Kayla McBride had 17 points.

REDEMPTION? Can the Minnesota Lynx channel 2017 magic and claim another championship?

Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini each had 14 points in the losing effort. Janelle Salaun added 13

Here’s everything you missed from the Valkyries-Lynx game on Sunday:

Player of the game

Natisha Hiedeman showed exactly why she’s in the running for sixth woman of the year. Hiedeman recorded 18 points, four assists and three rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench in Sunday’s win, which marks a playoff career high for Hiedeman. Hiedeman is paramount to the Lynx’s depth.

Why did Golden State Valkyries lose?

Golden State relies on the 3-point line more than any other team in the league. Nearly 38% of the Valkyries points come from beyond the arc this season and Golden State averages a league-leading 9.7 made 3s per game, but the 3-pointers weren’t falling on Sunday. The Valkyries finished 8-of-30 (26.7%) from beyond the arch and shot 32.1% from the field. That’s not going to get it done against the league-leading Lynx.

When is Game 2?

The Golden State Valkyries host the Minnesota Lynx at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at SAP Center in San Jose, California. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

End of 3Q: Lynx 79, Valkyries 58

The Lynx are breaking the game open. Minnesota outscored the Valkyries 32-18 in the third quarter and have a commanding 21-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, marking the largest of the game.

Napheesa Collier has a game-high 20 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Collier was called for her fourth personal foul on a closeout on Valkyries’ Kate Martin at the 3-point line with 1:29 remaining in the third quarter. Martin didn’t have space to land and fell on Collier’s right ankle. Collier, who missed seven games this season due to a right ankle sprain, gingerly walked back to the bench while referees reviewed the play and was visibly upset on the bench after the play.

DiJonai Carrington returned to the lineup for the Lynx after missing the final four games of the regular season with a left shoulder injury. Carrington added instant impact from the bench and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.

The Lynx are outscoring the Valkyries 34-16 in the paint.

Halftime: Lynx 47, Valkyries 40

The Lynx outscored the Valkyries 26-11 in the second quarter to take a seven-point lead into halftime.

Kayla McBride leads the Lynx with a game-high 14 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-3 from the 3-point line. Napheesa Collier, who picked up two quick fouls in the final minute of the second quarter, has 11 points and five rebounds, while Natisha Hiedeman has nine points in 14 minutes off the bench. Courtney Williams is still looking for points after going 0-of-4 in the first half.

Three of the Valkyries starters have reached double digits, led by 12 points from Temi Fagbenle. Veronica Burton played all 20 minutes in the first half and has 10 points, shooting 3-of-11 from the field and 3-of-7 from 3. Cecilia Zandalasini added 10 points.

End of Q1: Valkyries 28, Lynx 21

The Lynx appeared to have some nerves early, with the Valkyries building a 10-point lead with 4:15 remaining in the first quarter. But the Lynx settled in and went on a 12-4 run to cut Golden State’s lead to four. Then it was the Valkyries turn. They closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run to extend their lead to seven points.

The 3 ball is falling early for the Valkyries. Golden State is shooting 5-of-8 from the 3-point line and 50% from the field. Temi Fagbenle and Janelle Salaun each have eight points for the Valkyries, while Veronica Burton added six.

The Lynx were missing some easy shots at the rim early and finished the quarter shooting 40% from the field and 2-of-6 from 3. Natisha Hiedeman provided an instant spark for the Lynx off the bench and is up to five points.

Veronica Burton gives Valkyries early lead vs. Lynx

The Valkyries didn’t appear to have nerves to begin the franchise’s first playoff game. Golden State jumped to a 11-4 lead in the first quarter, with Veronica Burton knocking down two 3-pointers for six points.

What time is Golden State Valkyries at Minnesota Lynx?

The Minnesota Lynx host the Golden State Valkyries at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Target Center in Minneapolis. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Minnesota Lynx starting lineup

Head coach: Cheryl Reeve

6 Bridget Carleton | F 6′ 2′ – Iowa State
8 Alanna Smith | F 6′ 4′ – Stanford
10 Courtney Williams | G 5′ 8′ – South Florida
21 Kayla McBride | G 5′ 11′ – Notre Dame
24 Napheesa Collier | F 6′ 1′ – UConn

Golden State Valkyries starting lineup

6 Kaila Charles | G 6′ 1′ – Maryland
12 Iliana Rupert | C 6′ 4′ – France
13 Janelle Salaun | F 6′ 2′ – France
14 Temi Fagbenle | C 6′ 4′ – USC
22 Veronica Burton | G 5′ 9′ – Northwestern

2025 WNBA playoff arrivals: Napheesa Collier serves

The Lynx saved some of their best looks of the year for the opening game. MVP candidate Napheesa Collier led the way for the Lynx with her cropped puffer vest, Jordan brand top and camo pants.

Lynx ready to ‘go to war’

The Minnesota Lynx are ready to ‘go to war for each other,’ forward Napheesa Collier declared.

The No. 1 seed Lynx will tipoff the 2025 WNBA playoffs on Sunday with a first-round matchup against the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, who were swept by Minnesota in the regular-season (0-4), most recently in Thursday’s 72-53 blow out loss to end the regular season.

MVP candidate Collier had 19 points in the win, shooting 8-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from behind the arc. She finished the regular season averaging career-highs in points (22.9), field-goal percentage (53.1%) and blocks (1.5) and joins the exclusive 50-40-90 club. Collier is the second WNBA player to record 50% shooting from the field, 40% from the 3-point line and 90% from the free throw line, joining Elena Delle Donne (2019).

The Lynx are coming off a controversial 2024 WNBA Finals loss to the New York Liberty in a winner-take-all Game 5 that went to overtime.

‘We’re a better team just because we have that year of experience,’ she said following Thursday’s win over the Valkyries. ‘ We got to the very last possible game of the season last year. We know what it takes, so I think experience it makes us better. It made us hungrier. And obviously that’s something that we are thinking about going into the playoffs this year.’

The Valkyries became the first expansion team in WNBA history to make the playoffs in its inaugural season, but it will be a uphill battle against the Lynx, who have the top-ranked offense and defense in the league. Veronica Burton has emerged as Golden State’s leading scorer following Kayla Thornton’s season-ending injury in July. Burton is averaging 11.9 points, 6.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

How to watch Golden State Valkyries at Minnesota Lynx: TV, stream

Time: 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT)
Location: Target Center (Minneapolis)
TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)

WNBA playoffs schedule: Lynx vs. Valkyries first-round series

Game 1: Valkyries at Lynx 1 p.m. ET Sunday (ESPN)
Game 2: Lynx at Valkyries, 10 p.m. ET Wednesday (ESPN)
Game 3: Valkyries at Lynx TBD Friday (ESPN2)

Can the Minnesota Lynx channel 2017 magic and claim another championship?

The Minnesota Lynx have a chip on their shoulder. After losing the 2024 WNBA Finals to the New York Liberty in a winner-take-all Game 5 that went to overtime, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve emphatically called out “disappointing officiating,” saying the championship was “stolen from us.”

The heartbreaking loss lingers 10 months later, as the league-leading Lynx are in position to make another deep playoff run. “You feel that loss for a long time,” Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman told USA TODAY Sports. It has been the driving force behind the Lynx’s record-breaking season with the same goal: Winning a championship.

Minnesota Lynx roster

00 Jaylyn Sherrod G 1 5′ 7′ – Colorado
2 Natisha Hiedeman G 6 5′ 8′ 132 Marquette
3 DiJonai Carrington G 4 5′ 11′ 175 Baylor
6 Bridget Carleton F 6 6′ 2′ 177 Iowa State
7 Anastasiia Olairi Kosu F Rookie 6′ 1′ 190
8 Alanna Smith F 7 6′ 4′ 177 Stanford
10 Courtney Williams G 9 5′ 8′ 148 South Florida
15 Jessica Shepard F 6 6′ 4′ 175 Notre Dame
20 Camryn Taylor F Rookie 6′ 2′ – Virginia
21 Kayla McBride G 11 5′ 11′ 179 Notre Dame
24 Napheesa Collier F 7 6′ 1′ 180 Connecticut
77 Maria Kliundikova C 7 6′ 4′ 185

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The Brent Pry era at Virginia Tech came to a close on Sunday with the Hokies firing their head coach after four seasons.

The firing of Pry came less than 24 hours after the Hokies sustained one of their worst losses in four years with a 45-26 loss to Old Dominion at home at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia.

In his time in Blacksburg, Virginia, Pry led the Hokies to a 16-24 overall record and a 10-13 record in ACC play. The Hokies are 0-3 on the season which includes a Week 1 loss to South Carolina in the Aflac Kickoff Game and a Week 2 loss to Vanderbilt on top of Saturday’s loss to Old Dominion.

Who might the Hokies turn to next as they embark on their next rebuild in hopes of returning to the ACC championship game and playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff? Here’s a look at some potential coaching options for Virginia Tech:

Virginia Tech football head coaching candidates

Alex Golesh, South Florida

Golesh has quickly established himself as one of the top up-and-coming Group of Five coaches in college football at South Florida.

In three season at South Florida, Golesh has been widely successful by turning around the Bulls program into one of the top Group of Five programs in country with back-to-back bowl appearances and a 16-13 overall record. At 2-1 on the season this year, the Bulls were ranked in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll last week and have a win against Florida on their resume.

Named by ESPN as one of ’30 coaches who will define the next decade of college football’ in 2024, Golesh has experience at the Power Four level, as he served as a an offensive coordinator at Tennessee from 2021-22 and was a recruiting coordinator at both Iowa State and Illinois.

The biggest obstacle for the Hokies with Golesh is the popularity that he is expected to have in this coaching cycle.

Bob Chesney, James Madison

If getting someone of Golesh’s status will be a tough task, Virginia Tech’s search should start with a Group of Five coach who isn’t too far away from the Hokies campus in Blacksburg, Virginia in James Madison’s Bob Chesney.

Chesney has experienced it all in his 16-year head coaching career, as he has held positions at Division I FBS, Division I FCS, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III levels. In his second season at James Madison, the Dukes look to be a contender for the Sun Belt conference for the second straight season. James Madison went 9-4 under Chesney last season which included a win over North Carolina and the program’s first bowl win.

Chesney’s predecessor, of course, was now-Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who led the Hoosiers to a playoff appearance in his first season.

Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State

Kotelnicki is one of the top offensive coordinators in the country, and has Penn State’s offense humming once again through the first three weeks of the season.

One of the top offensive minds in the country, Kotelnicki transformed Penn State’s offense last season with the likes of Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, not to mention No. 14 overall pick Tyler Warren. Helping lead Penn State to its first College Football Playoff berth last year, the Nittany Lions Penn State led the Big Ten in 15+ yard pass percentage plays (22.8; 5th nationally) and was second in big play percentage (16.5; 7th), as noted by his Penn State profile.

Unlike a candidate like Chesney, Kotelnicki doesn’t have head coaching experience, which shouldn’t stop Virginia Tech from potentially looking at him. He was in the mix for the vacant head coaching spot last coaching carousel at West Virginia but elected to remove himself from consideration from that search and return to Happy Valley for another season.

Pete Golding, Ole Miss

Golding is one of the top defensive coordinators in the country, and has built the Ole Miss defensive into one of college football’s top defenses in the last few seasons.

He just received a three-year contract extension this past offseason from Ole Miss that pushed him up the ladder among the highest-paid assistants in the SEC with a salary of $2.55 million for this season. So would he want to make a move for a program that is entering a rebuild after getting a financial backing like that?

Jeff Monken, Army

Monken has been a steady winner in his 12 seasons up at West Point. He’s gone 83-58 overall in his time at Army and has only led the Black Knights to three losing seasons in that time span. He most recently Army through a successful transition to the now American Conference last season, which included winning the conference and being a top 25 ranked team for much of the season.

Sure, Monken is up there in age and does not have much experience dealing with NIL and the transfer portal, but he is one of more experienced candidates out there, and that is something that Virginia Tech could benefit on as it embarks on a new era.

Michael Vick, Norfolk State

One of the program’s most well-known NFL alums, Vick is a long shot. The reason being the former Virginia Tech quarterback is just getting his college football coaching career started at Norfolk State, so it’d be quite a jump for him to move to the Division I FCS level and the ACC.

Despite that, a reunion between Virginia Tech and Vick would be an instant seat filler and add some juice back to the fanbase.

Shane Beamer, South Carolina

Similar to Vick, Beamer is viewed as a long shot candidate for Virginia Tech. Also like Vick, Beamer does have familiarity with the program — which can help in a rebuild that Virginia Tech is about to embark on — as he played for the Hokies from 1996-1999 and served as an assistant in Blacksburg from 2011-2015 for his dad, legendary Hokies coach Frank Beamer.

There’s no harm in Virginia Tech making a call to Beamer to get a fielder out there. But with Beamer having good thing happening in the SEC at South Carolina, it will likely take Virginia Tech a lot to get him to leave and return to his alma mater though a path to coaching in the College Football Playoff will be easier to get in the ACC compared to the SEC.

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Following a 0-3 start to the 2025 college football season, UCLA football announced the firing of head coach DeShaun Foster on Sunday, Sept. 14.

The Bruins endured a 35-10 drubbing at the hands of New Mexico at home two days prior, leading to the firing. Two of UCLA’s three losses so far this season came at the hands of Group of Five opponents, which made it obvious a coaching change was needed with the Bruins heading for a bye in Week 4.

UCLA will owe Foster approximately $6 million in a buyout after he went 5-10 in two seasons as coach. Special assistant Tim Skipper will step in as the interim coach. But the search for the third coach since the 2023 season is already underway.

Who might the Bruins and athletic director Martin Jarmond turn to?

“It’s got to be someone that exonerates or exemplars are true brewing values, respect integrity and just understands those four letters,’ Jarmond said at a press conference on Sept. 14. ‘But we’ll be looking for a coach, quite frankly, that sees a vision to take UCLA to the playoffs. We want to win at the highest level, someone that has confidence in that vision and the attitude and the skills to see it through.

“We’re going to take our time with the search. There’s obviously not a rush,’ Jarmond added. ‘Now. We’re going to do it right. We’re going to be very organized. And it’s an attractive job. It’s not an easy job. There’s a distinction between those two. But we are in the Big Ten. We are at one of the top academic and at. Any programs in the country. We’re in the Big Ten. So I envision that this is an attractive job”

Here’s a look at some potential coaching options for UCLA:

UCLA football coaching candidates

Tony White, Florida State defensive coordinator

Tony White is likely going to garner a lot of interest in the coaching market this offseason. In his first season with the Seminoles, White has already led the program to an upset victory over Alabama, where he held Kalen DeBoer’s offense to 17 points.

White, who was a three-year starter at UCLA and team captain in 2000, is a two-time Broyles Award nominee for the nation’s best assistant coach. While he has not been a head coach at the collegiate level, White, 46, is a rising name in the coaching industry and could help his alma mater regain its relevance in the Big Ten.

White was considered for the UCLA job in 2024, but ultimately it went to Foster.

Will Stein, Oregon offensive coordinator

Another coach with no head coaching experience, Will Stein, has taken the reins of offensive coordinator for Kenny Dillingham and has not missed a step with the Ducks under Dan Lanning. At just 35 years old, Stein would be a good candidate to fill the role for the long haul for the Bruins and bring an advanced offense to Los Angeles.

The hope for UCLA, if they considered Stein, would be that he’s picked up on Lanning’s strategic coaching and attention to detail.

Stein is from Louisville, so the question is whether he would want to stick around the West Coast or head back closer to home for his first coaching gig.

David Shaw, passing game coordinator Detroit Lions

The former Stanford head coach could be an interesting target for UCLA. While he left the Cardinal following the 2022 season after two consecutive 3-9 seasons, he has a career record of 96-54 at Stanford, so he can clearly coach.

If UCLA wants an experienced head coach for its next man leading the program, it could not do much better than Shaw, who has a 5-3 record in bowl games. It will be interesting to see if Shaw wants to return to college football after accepting his first NFL coaching job with the Lions since 2005.

Jason Eck, New Mexico head coach

How about the coach who ended Foster’s UCLA coaching career as a candidate for the role? Eck is 2-1, leading the Lobos in his first year on the job after coming over from Idaho. He posted a 26-13 record with the Vandals across three seasons, including two trips to the FCS quarterfinals.

Eck was an offensive lineman for Wisconsin from 1995-98, and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Badgers. While he’s from Wisconsin, Eck has had stops with Colorado, Winona State, Ball State, Hampton, Illinois State, Minnesota State, Montana State, South Dakota State and Idaho as a coach during his career.

Eric Bieniemy, running back coach Chicago Bears

Like White, Eric Bieniemy has never been a head coach in college football. However, he has extensive experience in both professional and collegiate settings. Bieneimy spent the 2024 season as an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator with the Bruins. He also served as the running backs coach & recruiting coordinator for UCLA from 2003-05.

Bieniemy is currently the running backs coach with the Chicago Bears in the NFL. However, UCLA finished its season 5–7, ranking 117th in yards per game and 126th in points scored per game in 2024 under Bieniemy.

Dan Mullen, UNLV head coach

Sure, Dan Mullen’s previous stop as the head coach for Florida ended on a sour note. However, he is still very well-regarded as a good coach in college football. Mullen has led UNLV to a 3-0 start to the 2025 season, with an offense that ranks 53rd in the nation with 35.3 points per game.

Mullen has a 106-61 career record with Mississippi State, Florida and UNLV across 14 seasons and can coach up a good offense. He has coached future NFL QBs in Alex Smith (Utah), Heisman Trophy-winner Tim Tebow (Florida), Dak Prescott (Mississippi State), and Kyle Trask (Florida), in his career.

P.J. Fleck, Minnesota head coach

P.J. Fleck has already established himself as a strong coach in the Big Ten Conference; however, he may have already hit the program’s ceiling with Minnesota. A move to UCLA could potentially open up more resources for the coach with a career 90-62 record.

Fleck has been with Minnesota since 2017 and has a 60-40 record with the Golden Gophers across nine seasons. He has led the program to four straight bowl victories and is 6-0 in bowl games with Minnesota.

Barry Odom, Purdue head coach

Barry Odom is only in Year 1 with the Boilermakers, but he has already doubled Purdue’s win total from 2024 three games into the 2025 season. Odom successfully led UNLV to a 19-8 record in his two seasons with UNLV before heading to the Big Ten.

Odom has a career 46-34 record as a head coach, but has gone 21-9 since 2023 after a 25-25 record at Missouri in his first job from 2016-19.

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The WNBA playoffs tipoff on Sunday, Sept. 14 with four games.

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx play host to the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries at the Target Center in Minneapolis at action gets going.

The Lynx saved some of their best looks of the year for the opening game. MVP candidate Napheesa Collier led the way for the Lynx with her cropped puffer vest, Jordan brand top and camo pants.

Here’s some more looks for the Lynx:

And the best of the bunch:

Golden State kept it all business, in athletic gear for Game 1.

And we can’t forget Kate Martin with her coffee.

Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard brought it in western wear leading into the Atlanta Dream’s game against the Indiana Fever.

Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston brought it as the Fever arrived.

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Law enforcement officials arrested the man accused of shooting and killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah on Friday after a frantic 33-hour manhunt. The suspect’s fate now hinges on whether the state pursues capital charges as political pressure mounts.

Prosecutors have not yet filed charges against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing Kirk after driving nearly four hours to Utah Valley University, where the longtime Trump ally was speaking. It also remains unclear whether they will seek the death penalty, a step publicly urged by both President Donald Trump and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. 

At a news conference Friday, Cox said investigators used surveillance footage from the venue and tips from Robinson’s family and friends to identify him before the arrest. He also said charges would be filed ‘soon.’ 

‘We got him,’ Cox said. 

The governor vowed that Robinson would be ‘held accountable’ for Kirk’s death, which he called a ‘political assassination.’

‘This is certainly about the tragic death, assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk, but it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual,’ Cox said. ‘It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment.’ 

Kirk’s graphic death and the scant public information revealed in its wake have left the nation reeling and revived heated debate about political violence in the U.S. It’s also sparked a litany of questions about how prosecutors will bring the case against Robinson, with Utah law and years of precedent making capital punishment difficult to pursue. 

Robinson is being held at Utah County Jail. A probable cause affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital lists potential charges, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious injury and obstruction of justice.

Utah law allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty only in cases in which an individual is charged with ‘aggravated murder’ or a murder that knowingly ‘created a great risk of death’ to another person besides the victim or defendant. The offense is listed in the affidavit, which could open the door for prosecutors to seek the death penalty. 

The clock is ticking. Utah law requires state prosecutors to file a specific notice of intent within 60 days after an individual is arraigned on aggravated murder charges to notify the court and defense attorneys that they plan to try the case as a capital felony. Doing so sets into motion a complex legal process, including a two-part, or bifurcated, trial to decide both guilt and whether the defendant should receive capital punishment. 

Otherwise, the case is tried under charges of a ‘noncapitalist fist-degree penalty,’ eligible for a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. 

Cox and Trump both suggested in interviews earlier this week that the state should seek the death penalty against Kirk’s killer, even before Robinson was named as a suspect. 

‘I hope he gets the death penalty,’ Trump said Friday morning on ‘Fox & Friends,’ calling Kirk ‘the finest person.’ 

The Beehive State is one of 27 states that still allows the death penalty, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. It’s also one of just five states where execution by firing squad remains legal.

Even so, capital punishment cases are rarely pursued in Utah. The state has carried out only two executions in the past 20 years, and inmates spend an average of 34 years on death row.

Only four men are currently on death row in Utah, each for ‘decades,’ according to KUTV.  

For Robinson, whose criminal trial will draw national attention, particularly from the president and his allies, it’s still far too early to predict the outcome. 

Already, Robinson’s case has fueled intense speculation even as some lawmakers urged calm.

‘History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country,’ Cox said. ‘But every single one of us gets to choose right now if this is a turning point for us.’ 

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen had to briefly leave his team’s Week 2 game against the New York Jets after suffering a nose injury.

The injury occurred on a designed quarterback running during which Allen tried to carry the ball up the middle. He appeared to inadvertently get hit in the face by a Jets tackler while he went to the ground.

Below is a look at the play that left Allen injured.

Allen immediately motioned he had to come off the field after the injury. He removed his helmet and jogged to the sideline, where medical staffers began working on his nose.

Mitch Trubisky came into the game to replace Allen. He completed his lone pass to Josh Palmer for a 32-yard gain.

Allen was able to return to the game at the start of the second quarter, with gauze stuffed into his left nostril. He missed just two plays after being injured, with the Bills PR adding the quarterback was dealing with a bloody nose.

Allen was able to play the remainder of the first half after returning from injury. He completed 5 of 9 passes for 56 yards during the second quarter and helped lead Buffalo to 10 points in the frame.

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