In recent years, at least, September just hasn’t been Notre Dame’s month. A quick history lesson:

The Fighting Irish dropped their first two games of 2022, the second to Marshall as a heavy favorite, casting a critical eye on coach Marcus Freeman just weeks into his first full season.

The 2023 team lost 17-14 to Ohio State, allowing the game-winning touchdown with one second left and only 10 defenders on the field.

A year ago, Notre Dame was stunned by Northern Illinois before rallying and regrouping to reach the College Football Playoff national championship game.

The No. 8 Irish enter Saturday’s home game against No. 17 Texas A&M wit a 27-24 loss to No. 6 Miami already on their résumé, cranking up the intensity of this already highly anticipated matchup.

“You can only hang your hat for so long,” defensive end Boubacar Traore said. “We’ve got another game to play. Yeah, we lost, but we’ve got another opportunity.” 

At least Notre Dame can lean on recent history, which strongly suggests that one loss is survivable under the expanded playoff format regardless of the opponent. But two might be difficult to overcome given the nature of this year’s schedule, which has no future opponents currently ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

That’s the overarching theme heading into the weekend: Notre Dame may not have to win on Saturday, but it’s easy to see how a loss could eventually serve as an eliminator when the playoff selection committee constructs the postseason bracket.

Keys to victory on offense against Texas A&M

While new quarterback CJ Carr was the center of attention after the loss to the Hurricanes, a bigger key was the performance of a running game that finished with 93 yards on 28 carries. The Irish had just one rushing touchdown after scoring at least twice on the ground in every regular-season game of 2024.

A major strength last year, the offensive line struggled against Miami despite returning four starters. While not overly critical of that group’s production against a talented defensive front, “the standard is to play higher,” Freeman said.

The Irish have to establish the running game to take pressure off Carr, who had 221 passing yards and three touchdowns with an interception in the opener.

“He showed he’s ready, he’s capable,” Freeman said of the redshirt freshman. “We have to be able to run the football. But we feel like CJ can execute the entire game plan, the entire playbook. He’s a special player.”

Notre Dame defense looks to bounce back

On the defensive side, the biggest key will be developing a pass rush after an ineffective showing against Miami.

Any tentativeness seen in that loss may be the result of the schematic tweaks installed by new coordinator Chris Ash. But Notre Dame can’t afford to be passive against the Aggies and quarterback Marcell Reed, a dual-threat sophomore who heads into South Bend as the only quarterback in the Bowl Subdivision with more than five passing touchdowns without an interception and at least 100 rushing yards.

This is a different offense than the one that struggled to gain traction in last year’s 23-13 loss to the Irish. The Aggies overhauled their receiver corps to juice Reed’s development, bringing in proven Power Four commodities such as former Mississippi State transfer Mario Craver and former North Carolina State transfer KC Concepcion.

Craver leads A&M with 13 receptions for 236 yards. Concepcion is second with 145 yards and had an 80-yard punt return for a score in the season-opening win against Texas-San Antonio.

Given what the Aggies bring to the table, a win on Saturday will require dramatic improvement from Notre Dame on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

“When we reach our full potential as a team, we’re the best team in the country,” said wide receiver Jaden Greathouse. “There’s nobody that can stop us.” 

Is this really a must-win game for the Fighting Irish?

Almost, not but quite.

Ten wins is probably the magic number for most Power Four contenders, especially those with Notre Dame’s pedigree and national reputation. And pulling off double-digit wins after two losses right out of the gate would be an asset for the Fighting Irish, who would enter the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the country.

But a pair of factors could eventually make a loss on Saturday what eventually prevents the Irish from a return trip to the playoff.

The first is the schedule. It’s possible that opponents such as Southern California, North Carolina State, Navy and Pittsburgh climb into the national rankings, giving Notre Dame the credentials to make the 12-team field with two defeats. It’s also possible that the Irish would enter the postseason with zero ranked wins.

And those two losses could be crucial because of the inevitable comparison with at-large contenders from the ACC and SEC. That could be even more damaging to Notre Dame’s chances should the Hurricanes and Aggies fail to win their respective leagues.

In the case where all three teams have an identical number of wins, Notre Dame would head into December already behind Miami and A&M in the postseason debate and need help from other Power Four leagues to clear a path back to the playoff.

Many children quit sports by age 11 because they are no longer fun, often due to early professionalization.
Parents can re-engage their children by playing with them, inventing new games, and allowing them to explore different sports.
Asking children how they want to be supported during games and simply telling them ‘I love to watch you play’ can improve their experience.

If you’re a parent of a young athlete, you’ve probably heard the numbers.

According to a survey by Project Play, a national initiative to get more children involved in athletics, the average child spends less than three years playing a sport and quits by age 11, most often because it just isn’t fun anymore. It’s a consistent theme across the landscape.

We “professionalize” youth sports too soon, expecting tangible progress, skills development and wins from their earliest ages. We forget that it’s primarily their experience, not ours.

Fall is a time we like to reset our priorities. Why not include kids sports? There are easy ways to get your son or daughter active in sports, or even get them back in the game if they’ve stopped playing.

Here are five:

Get out and play with your kids

When you engage with your child, it validates what they’re doing. This works with about any activity, from coloring to reading to kicking a soccer ball or playing catch.

We can instruct them about how to throw with proper form, of course, but we build their confidence when they show us what they’ve learned through their own experiences.

Try playing a game with them you don’t fully understand, such as foursquare. Let them explain the rules.

“I can be dressed in a suit, and if I jump in a game, it changes my relationship to those kids from being an adult who is potentially scary to I’m just another player,” says Elizabeth Cushing, CEO of Playworks, a nonprofit organization that provides instruction and training to elementary schools to keep kids active and engaged at recess.

“It’s the only time in the school day when an adult is an amateur. And that really changes the relationship.”

Make up or modify your own sports and games

When I was about 8 and attended summer camp in the 1980s, I remember having a group tennis lesson in which the instructor was rigid about using proper form and keeping the ball in bounds. He said if we hit the ball off the court and into the woods, we had to run and get it.

It was an invitation. A kid in line took a big swing and swatted one high over the chain link fence as most of us doubled over with laughter. The boy turned, smiled to us, and started to run out of the gate after the ball.

There were at least a few boys in the group who regularly played tennis and enjoyed trying to keep the ball within the lines. Others of us liked baseball better and wanted to clear the wall.

I’m not advocating for doing the opposite of what a coach is teaching in practice but for letting kids explore different sports. Keep an open mind about what they love to do. Tailoring their ability, or their interest to a specific sport can come later. Or maybe not.

According to USA Pickleball, the wildly popular sport was invented when two families, including one of a U.S. congressman, were looking for an activity as they vacationed.

They created something out of what they could find: ping pong paddles, a perforated plastic ball and a net. The idea behind the game, which has held true to today, is that the whole family could play it.

Cushing, the Playworks CEO, has three 20-something children who played varsity sports in high school. When they get together as a family, they play a made up game in which someone wails away at a ball and tries to get around as many bases as possible.

What do they call it? Tennis baseball.

Try out a new sport, especially at the start of high school

There is a trend among youth travel coaches to require young athletes to play only one sport, or for only their team.

It’s the road, the kids are told, to playing at an elite level. It also can lead to orthopedists’ offices for treatment of overuse injuries.

If players are fortunate enough to reach UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close’s program, the pain is on their faces, and the burden of their parents’ investment is on their shoulders.

“I see both sides of it,” Close told USA TODAY Sports in 2024. “I see the good wind-in-your-sails side, the equipping side. And then I see the burdensome, pressurized, performance oriented side that it’s saddening to see.

“Everything has been leading towards, ‘Get a scholarship, get to college,’ and then they get to us, and when they should have the most joy and the most freedom and the most good habits, they’re completely burned out.”

While about 6-7% of high school athletes (or a little more than 500,000) go on to compete at the NCAA level, more than 8.2 million played high school sports in 2024-25, according to the latest National Federation of State High School Associations participation survey.

At the most granular level, we can use sports as a way to meet people, especially if you’re filtering into a high school from one of many middle schools. You’ll find a wide array of them – rowing, track and even football – where little or no experience is required.

“I didn’t start playing football until ninth grade. I played soccer, even though my dad was a high school football coach,” says Jason Nickleby, assistant director of Minnesota’s league of high schools. “All of my best friends I played football with, ending up playing slow-pitch softball with, they were in my wedding.

“Football’s a great team sport from the perspective that 30 to 40 kids, 50, can play in a night. Basketball, (it’s) seven. That’s why my dad has always said: It’s the greatest team sport because you get kids out there on kickoff or on punt return or whatever that maybe aren’t the most athletic or most skilled but that’s their role and they just excel at it.”

‘Sportsmanship is not sexy’: Have we lost the purpose of high school sports?

Ask your kid athlete about how you should act at their games

If your child has tried more than one sport, and dropped out, have you looked inside yourself?

Were you one of those parents who was correcting them during the game?

Even if you were cheering, you might have been “distracting.” Skye Eddy, founder of soccerparenting.com, a website that assists in getting the most out of athletic experiences with your kids, labeled the word as a type of sideline behavior. She discovered she was doing it herself.

Her daughter told her simply hearing her voice, even in positive support, distracted her from the game. Eddy learned to sit in attentive silence. Having this conversation is an interactive step we often don’t think about as sports parents.

When we allow them to play without our interference, our kids become more autonomous with their decision making and development as athletes.

“I think part of it is learning what (your) role is,” says Amanda Visek, a sport scientist at The George Washington University and researcher behind groundbreaking studies about what makes sports “fun” for kids. “And I always go back to the greatest sources of information are the athletes. And part of how you establish good social connections and good relationships with them is being open and honest and asking, ‘How can I support you? What do you want me to do?’ ”

Tell them, ‘I love to watch you play’

You’ll be surprised at the connection you might make with six simple words. Say it when you’re driving home from a game, and let them take the discussion from there.

“That’s something they want to hear you say,” says Kyle Reed, the head football coach at Monroe (Michigan) High, whom I met at the Project Play Summit in 2023. “My father was my coach as well. And at home, we never talked about football. We never talked about what we needed to do on the field. He was just a parent for me at that time.”

Coach Steve: Tips for the car ride home. (Hint: Don’t’ be like Andre Agassi’s dad.)

If we are former athletes, perhaps we need to take a deeper look at ourselves. Asia Mape was a Division 1 basketball player and sports television producer who took ownership of her role of sports mom to her daughters in a public fashion.

She created a website (ilovetowatchyouplay.com) under the premise that good sports parents make mistakes. Mape has written about how her oldest daughter with Olympic aspirations quit water polo and the role she played in the experience.

“Your child and your family sacrifice hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars, you are carpool mom extraordinaire, you make special game day muffins, many of your friends are the parents from the team, and you have already made a college recruiting video,” Mape writes. “You are so invested; in fact, you’re on the board of the club team. This is me. And then, poof, one day, they quit. It’s gone in a flash. And you’re left wondering what it was all for, where we did go wrong, and why didn’t I do something about her unhappiness sooner.

“She had been trying to tell us she was unhappy for several years. I just didn’t listen.”

Looking within is how we get better at sports parenting. Maybe it’s as simple as telling our kids how much we enjoy it.

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. 

One of college football’s most intense rivalries will be continuing well into next decade.

The day before they’re set to meet in the latest chapter of the Backyard Brawl, Pitt and West Virginia have agreed to a four-game series that will run from 2033-36, the schools announced Sept. 12.

With the latest contract, the Panthers and Mountaineers will be playing each other every year from 2029-36, as a four-game series from 2029-32 had already been on the books.

Each of those eight games have assigned dates in September:

Sept. 8, 2029 (Pittsburgh)
Sept. 7, 2030 (Morgantown, West Virginia)
Sept. 6, 2031 (Pittsburgh)
Sept. 11, 2032 (Morgantown)
Sept. 10, 2033 (Pittsburgh)
Sept. 9, 2034 (Morgantown)
Sept. 8, 2035 (Pittsburgh)
Sept. 13, 2036 (Morgantown)

Separated by only about 75 miles, Pitt and West Virginia first met in 1895 and played every year from 1943-2011. But they went 11 years without playing each other after both programs left the Big East, with the Panthers going to the ACC and the Mountaineers to the Big 12. They resumed their rivalry in 2022 with the first game of a four-game series. Saturday’s game will be their last meeting until 2029.

‘I think it’s one of the greatest rivalries in sports,’ West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said in a statement. ‘Obviously, the location between the two are close. There’s a lot of intensity with it, and there never seems to be any love lost between the fanbases. It’s always, to me, the biggest game on your schedule when you’re at West Virginia.’

Pitt has won two of the last three matchups and leads the all-time series 63-41-3.

‘The Backyard Brawl is more than a game: it’s history, passion, and pride passed down through generations,’ Pitt athletic director Allen Greene said in a statement. ‘Extending this rivalry ensures that student-athletes and fans alike continue to experience one of college football’s greatest traditions, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.’

WrestleMania 43 in 2027 will take place in Saudi Arabia, chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque announced on Friday, Sept. 12, in the city of Riyadh.

This means it will be the first time WrestleMania has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and only the third time it’s been held outside of the United States. The only other instances are WrestleMania 6 in 1990 and WrestleMania 18 in 2002, both of which took place in Toronto.

The news comes after Saudi Arabia general entertainment authority Turki Alalshikh announced it in a Snapchat video on Sept. 10. Alalshikh was in attendance for the announcement.

WWE has had a partnership with Saudi Arabia for more than eight years, initially holding house shows in the country to now presenting major premium live events, typically in the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah. In 2019, WWE expanded its partnership with the General Entertainment Authority through 2027, which brings two ‘large-scale events’ to the country each year.

The first premium live event to take place in Saudi Arabia was the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018, separate from the annual Royal Rumble event. Since then, WWE has held events like Crown Jewel and Night of Champions in the country.

Despite the frequency of shows in the country, Saudi officials have been seeking to host major WWE events, and the push has intensified in recent months. The 2026 Royal Rumble will be held in Riyadh, the first of WWE’s ‘big five’ events to take place in Saudi Arabia.

Still, Alalshikh had explicitly stated his desire to bring WrestleMania to Saudi Arabia – a move that has been met with pushback, given it is WWE’s flagship event and the allegations of sportswashing that have occurred in the country. There was belief Saudi Arabia would hold an event similar to the Greatest Royal Rumble – in that it wouldn’t exactly be WrestleMania – but, it appears it will in fact be the biggest event in WWE.

The 2025 edition, WrestleMania 41, took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and WrestleMania 42 will take place in the same venue in 2026.

NHL training camps and the preseason are around the corner, and teams are still getting their rosters in shape.

What has happened during the offseason?

There were trades made and unrestricted and restricted free agents re-signed. Salary arbitration hearings were scheduled from July 20 to Aug. 4, although players and teams settled beforehand in all 11 cases.

More moves are likely. Players whose contracts run out after the 2025-26 season are eligible to sign contract extensions at any time.

Here is a look at the latest signings, trades and other news that have happened since the initial surge of movement in late June and early July:

Sept. 12: Penguins sign Marc-Andre Fleury to tryout agreement

The Penguins signed retired goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to a professional tryout agreement. He will practice with the team on Sept. 26 and play part of the team’s home preseason game on Sept. 27. Fleury won three Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins before later playing for the Golden Knights, Blackhawks and Wild. He ranks second all-time in goalie wins.

‘Marc means so much to our team, our fans and the City of Pittsburgh because of the person he is and the example he set,’ Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said in a statement. ‘The Penguins feel he and his family are most-deserving of this opportunity to celebrate this full-circle moment back where it all started in front of the black and gold faithful.”

Sept. 11: Alexandar Georgiev signs with Sabres

The goaltender gets a one-year, $825,000 contract after splitting last season between the Avalanche and Sharks. He was an All-Star with Colorado in 2024 but struggled at the start of 2024-25 and was traded to San Jose. He finished with a 3.71 goals-against average and .871 save percentage. Georgiev is the second goalie signed by the Sabres this offseason after adding Alex Lyon. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the No. 1 goalie last season, but he has tweaked something, according to The Athletic. Devon Levi also is in the system.

Sept. 9: Dustin Wolf re-signs with Flames

Wolf was overlooked for the USA Hockey Olympic orientation session, but he got a lucrative contract extension from Calgary. He’ll average $7.5 million in the seven-year deal. Wolf finished second in rookie of the year voting after going 29-16-8 with a .910 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average. 

Aug. 21: Frank Nazar signs extension with Blackhawks

The Blackhawks saw enough after 56 games to make Nazar, 21, the highest-paid player on the team – for the moment. The nearly $6.6 million cap hit in his seven-year extension, which kicks in during the 2026-27 season, will move him past Tyler Bertuzzi ($5.5 million).

Nazar, a 2022 first-round pick and former University of Michigan center, had 26 points in 53 games in 2024-25 after being recalled from the American Hockey League in December. The extension continued his run of good news. He helped the United States win gold at the world championships for the first time since 1933 and he has been invited to USA Hockey’s Olympic orientation session.

Chicago’s Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick of 2023, is also eligible for an extension and almost certainly will top Nazar’s number.

Aug. 20: Victor Olofsson signs with Avalanche

Olofsson signed a one-year deal with Colorado worth $1.575 million, according to puckpedia.com. He played last season with the Vegas Golden Knights and had three 20-goal seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. The winger will provide secondary scoring after the Avalanche traded Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood this summer.

Also: Utah Mammoth goaltender Connor Ingram was cleared by the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to return to the NHL. He went into the program in March.

Aug. 19: Milan Lucic signs tryout agreement with Blues

Lucic, 37, will try an NHL comeback, coming to St. Louis’ training camp on a professional tryout agreement. He last played in October 2023 and entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. He has been cleared by the program, the Blues said. During his prime, Lucic was a key power forward and won a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. His numbers had dropped off in recent seasons.

Aug. 18: Hudson Fasching signs with Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets added forward depth by signing Hudson Fasching to a one-year deal. It’s a two-way contract, meaning he’d make less if sent to the American Hockey League. Fasching, 30, played for the New York Islanders the past three seasons and has 40 points in 175 career NHL games with three teams.

Also: The Colorado Avalanche signed University of New Hampshire defenseman Alex Gagne to a two-year, entry-level contract. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder was team captain last season, had a career-best 17 points and led the Wildcats with 62 blocked shots.

Aug. 15: Travis Hamonic signs with Red Wings

Hamonic is getting a one-year deal at $1 million. The veteran depth addition likely will play in the bottom defense pairing. He ranked second on the Ottawa Senators last season in blocked shots per 60 minutes and also killed penalties. Detroit will be his fifth NHL team. Hamonic, who turns 35 on Aug. 16, has 53 goals and 242 points in 900 career games.

Aug. 10: Jack Johnson signs tryout agreement with Wild

The 38-year-old defenseman will go to camp as a tryout in a bid for a 20th NHL season. He played 41 games last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Wild might be without defenseman Jonas Brodin at the beginning of the season, according to The Athletic.

Also: The Kraken agreed to terms with defenseman Ryker Evans for two years at a $2.05 million average. He ranked fourth among Seattle blueliners with 25 points and was first with 123 hits.

Aug. 9: Nathan Bastian signs with Stars

He’ll get a one-year, $775,000 contract and add depth to the forward group. Bastian had played all but 12 games of his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils and ranked third among New Jersey regulars last season with 12.83 hits per 60 minutes. He has career totals of 33 goals, 68 points and 190 penalty minutes in 276 regular season games between the Devils and Seattle Kraken.

Aug. 8: Two-time Stanley Cup winner Kyle Clifford retires

Clifford, who won Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings, is retiring after 13 NHL seasons. The NHL Players’ Association said he would move into a player development role with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clifford had two stints with the Leafs and finished his playing career in the organization with the American Hockey League’s Marlies. He also played for the St. Louis Blues and finished with 66 goals, 144 points and 905 penalty minutes in 753 NHL games.

Aug. 8: Avalanche re-sign Joel Kiviranta

Kiviranta is sticking around for a third season in Colorado by signing a one-year deal. Terms weren’t released. The bottom-six forward had 16 goals last season.

Aug. 2: Nick Robertson settles before arbitration hearing

All 11 players who filed for salary arbitration settled their cases before their hearings, with the Maple Leafs and Robertson the last to do so. Here are the new contracts the players agreed to, listed alphabetically.

Morgan Barron (Winnipeg Jets): Two years, $3.7 million.
Lukas Dostal (Anaheim Ducks): Five years, $32.5 million.
Drew Helleson (Anaheim Ducks): Two years, $2.2 million.
Kaapo Kakko (Seattle Kraken). Three years, $13.575 million.
Nick Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs). One year, $1.825 million.
Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets): Three years, $15.75 million.
Arvid Soderblom (Chicago Blackhawks): Two years, $5.5 million.
Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens): Two years, $2.825 million.
Conor Timmins (Buffalo Sabres): Two years, $4.4 million.
Maxim Tsyplakov (New York Islanders): Two years, $4.5 million.
Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets): Six years, $45 million.

July 31: Sabres’ Devon Levi re-signs for two years

He’ll average $812,500 in the deal and is the final restricted free agent who needed to re-sign. He has had back-to-back solid seasons in the American Hockey League. With the Buffalo Sabres signing Alex Lyon this summer, Levi is expected to spend more time in the AHL for now.

July 28: Nicklas Backstrom signs deal in Sweden

The former Capitals star, 37, is returning to hockey by signing a deal to play for Brynas for the first time since 2006-07. He had played 1,105 NHL games in between, recording 1,033 points. But he had missed all of last season and most of 2023-24 while recovering from 2022 hip surgery.

July 17: Maple Leafs acquire Dakota Joshua from Canucks

Vancouver receives a 2028 fourth-round pick. Joshua will likely slot in the Maple Leafs’ bottom six forwards. He had a career-best 18 goals and 32 points in 2023-24 but missed the beginning of last season after having surgery for testicular cancer. He finished with 14 points in 57 games. He originally was drafted by the Maple Leafs but never played for them.

July 17: Blue Jackets’ Yegor Chinakhov requests trade

Yegor Chinakhov, a former first-round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, has asked for a trade.

The agent for Chinakhov posted on X, formerly Twitter, about the trade request.

“I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season,” read the post quoting Chinakhov. “Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here.”

Chinakhov, who was selected with the No. 21 overall selection in 2020, missed nearly half of last season with a back injury, an issue that also sidelined him for the final 17 games in the previous season. – Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch

July 15: Sabres re-sign Bowen Byram for two years

The defenseman will average $6.25 million in the deal. He was considered a candidate for an offer sheet but the Sabres reportedly filed for arbitration to prevent that. He ranked third among Sabres defensemen in average ice time and third with 38 points. The cap hit makes him the third highest paid defenseman on the team behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.

The NWSL season heads down the stretch this weekend, with the standings tightly packed and the playoffs less than two months away.

The Kansas City Current are nearing a point where they would clinch the NWSL Shield, given to the league’s regular-season champions, with Saturday holding arguably the biggest test left on their remaining schedule. The second-place Washington Spirit visit CPKC Stadium coming off arguably their most complete performance of 2025, a 2-0 win over the Seattle Reign that saw Trinity Rodman score twice.

That may be the obvious game of the week, but there’s an argument that the real drama is further down the standings. The Seattle Reign host Racing Louisville in a match between the teams occupying the final two playoff places at the moment, and both sides — having entered the league’s summer break in good form — have gone 1W-3D-2L since the start of August. With the Houston Dash picking up 12 points in that span, the pressure is rapidly increasing on either side of the playoff line.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s NWSL games, as well as a breakdown of the playoff picture:

NWSL Matchday 20: What are this weekend’s games?

All times Eastern. Home teams listed first.

Friday, Sept. 12

San Diego Wave vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 10 p.m. | Prime Video

Watch San Diego Wave vs. Gotham FC on Prime Video

Saturday, Sept. 13

North Carolina Courage vs. Angel City FC, 12:30 p.m. | CBS
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC, 5 p.m. | Ion
Kansas City Current vs. Washington Spirit, 7:30 p.m. | Ion

Sunday, Sept. 14

Chicago Stars vs. Portland Thorns, 3 p.m. | Paramount+, NWSL+
Utah Royals vs. Houston Dash, 6 p.m. | Paramount+, NWSL+
Seattle Reign vs. Racing Louisville, 8 p.m. | Paramount+, NWSL+

Watch Sunday’s NWSL action on Paramount+

NWSL playoffs format explained

The NWSL playoffs will see eight teams qualify, with an easy-to-follow format in place. In the quarterfinal round, the top four teams in the regular season standings will host the other four teams that qualify for the postseason.

The four winning teams move onto the semifinals, with the higher-seeded team on each side of the bracket hosting. The NWSL playoffs do not re-seed after the quarterfinals. Finally, the two surviving teams will play in the 2025 NWSL Championship final.

All games will follow the norms of the sport: If scores are tied after 90 minutes, a given playoff game will go to a 30-minute extra time period (divided into 15-minute halves, with no ‘golden goal’ rule). Should the scores still be even after that, the teams will endure the tension of a penalty-kick tiebreaker.

What is the NWSL playoff schedule?

The NWSL regular season will end on Sunday, Nov. 2, with all 14 teams playing. After that, the postseason will play out on the following schedule:

Nov. 7-9: Quarterfinals
Nov. 14-16: Semifinals
Nov. 22: NWSL Championship

NWSL playoff picture: If the season ended today …

We’re a long way from settling the NWSL playoff bracket, but if the postseason began today, this is what we’d see:

Home teams listed first.

Quarterfinals

Quarterfinal 1: Kansas City Current (1) vs. Racing Louisville (8)
Quarterfinal 2: Washington Spirit (2) vs. Seattle Reign (7)
Quarterfinal 3: San Diego Wave (3) vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC (6)
Quarterfinal 4: Portland Thorns (4) vs. Orlando Pride (5)

Semifinals

Semifinal 1: Quarterfinal 1 winner vs. Quarterfinal 4 winner (higher seed hosts)
Semifinal 2: Quarterfinal 2 winner vs. Quarterfinal 3 winner (higher seed hosts)

Final

Final: Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner (final at PayPal Park in San Jose, California)

Who has clinched an NWSL playoff spot?

Only one team can 100% guarantee that they’ll be in the NWSL playoffs. The Kansas City Current, running away from the pack, clinched their spot on Aug. 30 after a 2-0 win over the North Carolina Courage.

The Current, who have 49 points, are so far out in front that — thanks to the San Diego Wave still having matches to play against the Portland Thorns and Orlando Pride — they are sure of a top-four finish, which guarantees Kansas City a home playoff game.

With a single win down the stretch, or a loss at any point by the San Diego Wave, the Current will clinch the right to host a semifinal match as well (should they advance out of the quarterfinal round).

2025 NWSL Playoffs: Who has been eliminated from contention?

In grand NWSL tradition, every single team is still alive in the playoff race. Chicago, in 13th place, hasn’t lost in six matches, and bottom-of-the-table Utah is on a similar four-game run. With those two teams getting points and the middle of the table pure chaos of late, no one can be eliminated during this weekend’s games.

Green Bay improved to 2-0 with another impressive win over a 2024 playoff team.
QB Jordan Love and DE Micah Parsons, the leaders of the Pack, both served up strong performances Thursday night.
Washington fell to 1-1, and a struggling offense may have lost a key member to a serious injury.

Thursday seemingly served up a prime NFL matchup – literally, the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers kicking off Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” lineup at Lambeau Field while ushering in Week 2 of the league’s 2025 season.

And while a meeting of 2024 wild-card squads wasn’t as crisp as cord-cutters would want, it also wasn’t short on star power, highlights or lowlights. The Pack improved to 2-0 after emerging with a 27-18 triumph, though the game wasn’t as close as the score indicates.

Still, plenty of compelling subplots and vignettes – which provided enough fodder for a breakdown of “TNF” winners and losers:

WINNERS

Jordan Love and Packers offense

It’s not even firing on all cylinders, but the third-year QB1 and Co. look like a machine that could – and maybe should – produce some championship cheese over the next five months. Four days after taking out the reigning NFC North champion Detroit Lions 27-13, Green Bay averaged 6.4 yards per play, Love passing for 292 yards and two TDs and needing just 19 completions to do so. The Pack’s first two touchdown drives covered at least 90 yards. There are penalty problems that need ironing out, but the unit was also without injured OL Zach Tom and Aaron Banks.

Josh Jacobs

He extended his Packers club record to 11 consecutive games, including playoffs, with a touchdown. Jacobs can break the league record, held by Hall of Famer John Riggins – coincidentally, he set it with Washington over the 1982 and ’83 seasons – if he can keep this heater going for another five games. Jacobs rushed for 84 yards against the Commanders.

Micah Parsons

Two games, two wins, 1½ sacks, a seemingly larger role Thursday − when he had eight pressures − and now a mini bye to rest his back ahead of road games at Cleveland and what will be his hyper-hyped return to Dallas.

Sterling Sharpe

The recently enshrined Pro Football Hall of Famer, who spent all seven of his sterling NFL seasons with the Packers, saw his name added to Lambeau’s façade. Had Sharpe not injured his neck, he would’ve been a shoo-in for 1,000 career receptions – maybe even 1,200, rarefied air for the league’ all-time top five.

The uprights

Packers K Brandon McManus was rejected by the left upright on a 48-yard field-goal attempt right before halftime. The Commanders’ Matt Gay hit the right upright – no good – from 52 yards to start the second half. All told, chalk up two for the posts while the kickers combined to miss three FGs.

LOSERS

Jayden Daniels and Commanders offense

No reason to panic with a 1-1 record. But the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year and his charges have looked a bit disjointed through two weeks and managed just 230 yards against Green Bay, the lowest output since Daniels was drafted. Worse, veteran RB Austin Ekeler appeared to suffer a serious Achilles injury in the fourth quarter that seems likely to make the team rue its decision to trade former starter Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers last month. Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt is a promising rookie but hardly seems up to the task of being a three-down workhorse at this stage. Daniels, who was also sacked four times, Ekeler and Croskey-Merritt rushed for 17 yards apiece.

Jerry Jones

As Parsons was serenaded with ‘Thank you, Jerry’ chants following the win, it’s starting to increasingly look as if the Cowboys owner may never live down a blockbuster trade that seemed borne of stubbornness on both sides − but mostly Jones’. Said Parson, still fueled by plenty of motivation despite landing a four-year, $186 million contract from Green Bay, on the ‘TNF’ post-game set: ‘I’m pissed off.’ Packers-Cowboys, Week 4.

Terry McLaurin

After briefly holding out of training camp, then holding in for most of the summer while awaiting a three-year contract extension, Washington’s longtime captain has yet to earn his money. In fairness, McLaurin is coming back from a bum ankle, yet he was back on the practice field as soon as he got paid late last month. After catching two passes for 27 yards in Week 1, he had just five inconsequential receptions for 48 yards Thursday.

Matthew Golden

Another receiver who has yet to make an impact, though Golden should get a grace period. The first Packers wideout drafted in the first round in 23 years, the rookie was only targeted twice Thursday, but Love couldn’t hook up with him. Golden caught two balls for 16 yards in the opener but seems headed for a larger role after Jayden Reed broke his collarbone.

Josh Conerly Jr.

Washington’s 2025 first-rounder is also struggling. In Conerly’s defense, he’s only 21 and making the transition from left tackle at Oregon to the right side in the NFL. After getting consistently beaten in Week 1 by the New York Giants, he was abused by Parsons. No real shame in that, but Conerly’s troubles are another aspect of the Commanders’ sputtering offense.

Uniform variants

After debuting their mostly white “Winter Warning” uniforms last season, the Pack broke them out anew … Sept. 11 … 11 days before … the first day of autumn. I’m all for uniform variety – as generally boring as Pack Bridezilla is – but can we at least be sensible about the usage? This strays into the territory of the Indianapolis Colts’ wearing their “Indiana Nights” at 1 p.m. ET on a Sunday (not kidding).

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox begin a crucial three-game series at Fenway Park with the rivals jockeying for the American League’s top wild-card spot while trying to chase down the Toronto Blue Jays atop the AL East.

Entering Friday’s game, Toronto has a three-game lead over the Yankees, whose 81-65 record is a half-game better than Boston at 81-66. But the Red Sox (8-2 against the Yankees) have already clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker against New York, giving them the edge should the teams be tied after 162 games.

Luis Gil (3-1, 3.31 ERA) starts for the Yankees, while Lucas Giolito (10-3, 3.38 ERA) takes the mound for the hosts in Boston. In his past 15 starts, the 31-year-old Giolito is 8-2 with a 2.48 ERA.

Here’s what to know for Friday’s game at Fenway:

Where to watch Red Sox vs Yankees

Friday night’s game will stream on Apple TV+ with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

Watch Yankees vs. Red Sox on Apple TV+

What time is Yankees vs. Red Sox game?

Friday’s game at Fenway Park begins at 7:10 p.m. ET.