Colorado athletic director Rick George, who hired Deion Sanders, is stepping down in June 2026.
Sanders indicated on social media that he will continue to work with George in his new advisory role.
The Buffaloes’ recent struggles and financial questions could test the relationship with a new athletic director.

The man who hired Deion Sanders at Colorado announced Thursday he is stepping down from the job next year, leading to another round of speculation about Sanders’ future in Boulder. But Sanders indicated on social media Friday his working relationship with Rick George will continue as Colorado looks for a new athletic director to replace George next year.

George, 65, is stepping down as Colorado’s athletic director in June 2026 to become emeritus athletic director and special adviser to the university chancellor.

“Love ya man and I appreciate the tremendous OPPORTUNITY you’ve given us,” Sanders said about George on Instagram Friday. “We OWE you we’re gonna do this together! Thank u for always being there, being real, being tough and being RICK GEORGE! I love you man and i appreciate u staying connected to the program. We need You.”

George mentioned Sanders in his announcement Thursday and said he would continue working with him in his new role.

“I also wanted to time my announcement so that I could support Coach Prime and our football team this season, which I’m looking forward to continuing in my new role,” George said in the announcement.

How does this affect Deion Sanders?

George made a big bet on Deion Sanders by hiring him in December 2022. That bet paid off at first, with a sold-out season in 2023 and $3.2 billion worth of media exposure for the school since then, as measured by Cision, CU’s media monitoring company.

George doubled down on the bet after the Buffaloes went 9-4 in 2024. In March, he gave Sanders a new five-year contract worth more than $10 million annually.

But the Buffs took a step backward this year. They’re 3-7 heading into a bye weekend. And the school recently claimed it wasn’t sure where the money was going to come from to pay for Sanders’ new contract and $20.5 million in new player benefits this year.

The new boss won’t be as personally invested in Sanders as George was, simply because the new boss didn’t make those hiring and contract decisions.

And Sanders might not have the same special rapport he does with the new boss as he did with George. Sanders has said George was one of the biggest reasons he chose Colorado, where he had no previous ties.

More losing seasons will test the relationship with the new boss. But winning has a way of making everybody happy.

Rick George is leaving a year earlier than contract term

The University of Colorado’s Board of Regents approved a new contract for George just a few days after Sanders’ sizzling debut as Colorado’s coach in September 2023. The contract ran through June 2027 at $1.1 million annually, so George is stepping down a year earlier than that.

Since his hiring at Colorado in 2013, George hired two other football coaches before Sanders. One was Mel Tucker, who went 5-7 in 2019 before leaving to take more money at Michigan State. The other was Karl Dorrell, who bombed out and got fired after a 0-5 start in 2022.

After hiring Sanders to replace Dorrell, George said it would be his last hire of a football coach at Colorado. In his announcement Thursday, George said he had been considering stepping down since at least ‘last spring.’

Sanders three-year record at Colorado is 16-19. The Buffs next play at home against Arizona State on Nov. 22.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

Louisville’s College Football Playoff hopes took a significant hit Nov. 8 with a 29-26 home loss to Cal in overtime.

The Cardinals’ opportunity for a bounce-back win didn’t go much better.

Watch Clemson vs. Louisville football live with Fubo (free trial)

After dropping from No. 15 to No. 21 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, coach Jeff Brohm’s team tripped over itself repeatedly against Dabo Swinney and Clemson on Friday, Nov. 14 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, with a series of Louisville miscues giving the Tigers a 20-19 victory.

The Cardinals missed an extra point and two field goals, the last of which would have given them the go-ahead score with 1:30 remaining. The kick wasn’t even the most disastrous part of the drive. Louisville was gifted the ball at the Clemson 23-yard line with 2:31 remaining after a bad snap on a Tigers punt attempt, but were moved back five yards due to a false start and then another 15 yards two plays later for unsportsmanlike conduct. A 14-yard completion on third-and-29 got them back within field goal range, but Brohm inserted a new kicker, Nick Keller, for a 46-yard attempt, which went wide left.

The loss dropped the Cardinals to 7-3 while Clemson improved to 5-5, getting it within a game of bowl eligibility.

Adam Randall carried (literally) Clemson to the victory, with 15 rushing attempts for 105 yards and two touchdowns. His Louisville counterpart, Keyjuan Brown, was similarly effective, with 135 yards on 15 attempts.

The Cardinals outgained the Tigers 385-305, but were penalized 10 times for 98 yards, with several of those flags coming at critical junctures in the game.

Friday’s win extended Clemson’s dominance in its series against Louisville. Since the Cardinals joined the ACC in 2014, the Tigers have won nine of the 10 matchups between the programs, with their only loss coming last season.

USA TODAY brought you live updates, scores and highlights from the game. Here are the highlights.

Clemson vs Louisville score

This section will be updated throughout the game.

Clemson vs Louisville updates

Clemson vs Louisville highlights

FINAL: Clemson 20, Louisville 19

Louisville forces a Clemson punt, but after a holding penalty on the return, the Cardinals take over at their own 9-yard line with just 28 seconds remaining. They’re unable to get past their own 29, with a failed fourth-and-1 conversion sealing the loss.

Louisville misses another FG

After taking over at the Clemson 23-yard line, Louisville’s drive goes as disastrously as it could have. The Cardinals are whistled for a false start on their first play and are called for an unsportsmanlike conduct offense two plays later, pushing them back to the Clemson 42. A 14-yard catch from Antonio Meeks put Louisville back into field goal range, but Jeff Brohm switches kickers, going with Nick Keller, whose 46-yard attempt goes far left.

Tigers take over at their own 28 with 1:30 left. Louisville has two timeouts.

Botched Clemson snap on punt puts Louisville in FG range

After Cooper Ranvier’s missed field goal, Louisville improbably ends up about right where it left its last drive off. Clemson goes three-and-out and Tigers punter Jack Smith is unable to corral a low snap that skips off off the turf and the Cardinals drop him at the Clemson 23.

Louisville will take over there with 2:31 remaining. Clemson still has all three timeouts and the two-minute timeout.

Louisville misses go-ahead FG

After opening its drive with a 48-yard reception from Caullin Lacy, Louisville’s offense stalls. Facing a third-and-9 at the Clemson 26, Cardinals quarterback Miller Moss takes a costly sack, forcing Louisville to attempt a 50-yard field goal. After a high snap, Cooper Ranvier is unable to convert, with the ball sailing wide left.

Adam Randall TD puts Clemson ahead

For the second time in as many drives, Clemson goes for it on fourth down near the Louisville goal line. It went much better this time around. On a fourth-and-goal from the Cardinals’ 1-yard line, Adam Randall takes the handoff and backs is way into the end zone.

With the ensuing extra point, the Tigers go up 20-19 with 7:16 remaining.

Clemson takes over near midfield

After keeping Clemson out of the end zone, Louisville isn’t able to get very far, not advancing past its own 7-yard line and punting it away to the Tigers, who will take over at their own 44-yard line with 9:24 remaining in the game.

Things initially looked promising for the Cardinals after Keyjuan Brown ripped off an 18-yard run on the first play of the drive, but it was negated by a questionable holding penalty on Louisville tight end Nate Kurisky.

Clemson fumbles twice near goal line

Clemson got one yard shy of the end zone, but fails to get the go-ahead score. On a third-and-goal from the Louisville 1-yard line, the Tigers hand it off to stud defensive tackle Peter Woods, who has the ball popped out of his grasp. Clemson was able to fall on it, but on the following fourth-down play, Cade Klubnik botches the snap and handoff, with the Cardinals getting the ball at their own 2-yard line.

End of third quarter: Louisville 19, Clemson 13

We’re on to the fourth quarter, with Clemson trailing by six, but driving, with a third-and-1 from the Louisville 33-yard line.

Louisville FG pushes lead back to 6

We’ve got a field goal-for-field goal trade in the Derby City. Louisville answers Clemson’s scoring drive with one of its own, going 54 yards in 10 plays to set up Cooper Ranvier for a 39-yard field goal that splits the uprights.

Of the Cardinals’ 54 yards, 41 came on the ground.

Clemson FG cuts Louisville lead to 3

Clemson comes away from its first drive of the half with points, as well. The Tigers go 45 yards in eight plays, with a 21-yard pass from Cade Klubnik to Antonio Williams serving as the biggest gain. Nolan Hauser knocks a 48-yard field goal right down the middle and it’s 16-13 Louisville with 7:07 remaining in the third quarter.

Louisville scores on Philly Special

The Cardinals’ opening drive of the second half goes about as well as it realistically could have. Louisville marches 75 yards in seven plays, capped off in spectacular fashion, with Caullin Lacy, back in the game after a second-quarter injury, taking a handoff from Miller Moss and finding teammate Nate Kurisky wide open in the end zone for a touchdown. The Cardinals opt for the extra point over a 2-point conversion, giving them a 16-10 lead.

The drive was fueled largely by running back Keyjuan Brown, who had three carries for 57 yards. After the final of those runs, a 25-yard scamper, Brown limped off the field and was spotted walking gingerly on the Louisville sideline.

Halftime: Clemson 10, Louisville 9

Louisville declines to use any of its three remaining timeouts and Clemson’s offense runs out the clock inside its own 20-yard line to get us to halftime. Curious choice from Jeff Brohm.

The Cardinals will receive the second-half kickoff.

Caullin Lacy injured for Louisville

Caullin Lacy, Louisville’s No. 2 receiver, is injured on a 3-yard catch after being taken down awkwardly by a Clemson defender. He initially tried walked off, but went back to the turf and was looked at by team medical personnel. After being examined for a few minutes, he’s able to walk slowly off the field.

Lacy has 482 receiving yards and two touchdowns this season and is one of the best punt returners in the country, averaging 23.4 yards per return and scoring two return touchdowns.

Louisville’s drive ends with a punt, with Clemson taking over at its own 9-yard line with 1:01 remaining in the half. Tigers have two timeouts remaining.

Adam Randall TD puts Clemson on top of Louisville

What a sequence for Clemson. The Tigers take over possession after Avieon Terrell rips the ball away from Louisville running back Duke Watson at the Cardinals’ 25-yard line.

On its first play of the ensuing drive, Adam Randall takes the handoff to the house, bursting through the middle of the Louisville defense for a 25-yard touchdown run.

Clemson with a 10-9 lead with 3:13 left in the half.

Miller Moss rushing TD puts Louisville ahead

Louisville takes advantage of the excellent starting field position, with Miller Moss connecting with Chris Bell for a 37-yard completion to Chris Bell on the first play of the drive. Two plays later, Moss sneaks it across the goal line from a yard out to give the Cardinals a 9-3 lead after a missed extra point from Cooper Ranvier.

The Bell completion had been reviewed as a possible touchdown, as he had reached the ball over the pylon, but been ruled out at the 1-yard line. After a review, the call was upheld, though ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin disagreed with the decision, believing it was a fumble out of the end zone, which would have resulted in a touchback and Clemson taking over the ball.

Louisville, Clemson trade punts

Both the Cardinals and Tigers fail to generate much on their most recent drives, with both teams punting. Louisville’s on the more enviable end of that field position battle, though, taking over possession at Clemson’s 38-yard line after a 31-yard Tigers punt out of the end zone.

For a moment, it looked as though the Cardinals would get the ball at the Clemson 2-yard line after what appeared to be a fumble, but the officials (correctly) rule that Cade Klubnik’s pitch to Adam Randall was a forward pass, not a backwards toss.

T.J. Moore returns for Clemson

Good news for Clemson, which gets T.J. Moore back into the game after he briefly exited with a right shoulder injury. The not-so-good news? The Tigers are forced to punt, with Louisville taking over at its own 15-yard line.

D’Angelo Hutchinson injured for Louisville

After a long completion from Clemson is called back due to a holding penalty, Louisville defensive back D’Angelo Hutchinson remains on the field, where he’s sitting up, but being looked at by team trainers. He walks off the field on his own power.

End of first quarter: Clemson 3, Louisville 3

The first quarter comes to a close, with the score tied at three. Clemson has a second-and-9 at its own 36-yard line.

Louisville ties Clemson with FG

After forcing the Clemson punt, Louisville erases its deficit, going 55 yards in eight plays to set Cooper Ranvier up for a 51-yard field goal. The freshman knocks it through, tying the game at 3-3 with 39 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

T.J. Moore injured for Clemson

After a deep pass from Cade Klubnik to T.J. Moore fell incomplete, Moore remains on the turf and is tended to by Clemson medical personnel. He’s able to walk off the field on his own power, but he exits the game and the Tigers are forced to punt.

Moore is the team’s second-leading receiver this season, with 536 receiving yards. The Tigers’ No. 1 receiver, Bryant Wesco Jr., is out for the rest of the season with a back injury.

Louisville punts

The Cardinals are unable to answer the Tigers, failing to pick up a first down after having to play behind the sticks following a chop block penalty on a pair of Louisville offensive linemen. Coach Jeff Brohm’s team punts it away, with Clemson taking over at its own 25-yard line after a 48-yard boot.

The Cardinals had gotten a touchdown on their opening drive in each of their previous four games.

Clemson gets on board with FG

Clemson’s first drive of the night ends with points, with the Tigers going 65 yards in 12 plays and 6:22. The possession is capped off by a 27-yard field goal from Nolan Hauser.

Clemson had been facing a fourth-and-1 at its own 47-yard line, but Dabo Swinney opts to go for it, with Cade Klubnik plunging forward for two yards on a quarterback sneak.

Pregame

Clemson wins toss, will receive

Clemson wins the opening coin toss and elects to receive the ball to start the game. We’re almost underway in the Derby City.

Clemson football uniform vs Louisville

In a stark contrast to Louisville’s blackout theme, Clemson will be wearing white jerseys and white pants, along with their customary orange helmets with the white tiger paw.

Louisville football uniform vs Clemson

As part of the blackout theme on Friday night at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, the Cardinals will be wearing black jerseys and black pants, as well as a black helmet featuring the program’s retro stiff-arming cardinal logo.

Isaac Brown injury update

Isaac Brown, Louisville’s leading rusher this season, will miss his second consecutive game for the Cardinals, as the sophomore standout is listed as out on the ACC’s availability report.

Brown suffered a lower leg injury late in Louisville’s 28-16 win at Virginia Tech on Nov. 1, after which Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm said Brown would be ‘out for a while.’ Despite dealing with nagging injuries and some poor run-blocking from his offensive line, Brown has rushed for 782 yards and five touchdowns this season while averaging 8.6 yards per carry.

Louisville football injury updates

Here’s a look at who’s in and who’s out for the Cardinals tonight against Clemson, according to the ACC’s availability report:

Out

RB #1 Isaac Brown
QB #17 Travis Egan
RB #33 Jamarice Wilder
LB #43 Trent Carter
RB #43 Shammai Gates
OL #76 Tyler Folmar

Questionable

DL #17 AJ Green
DB #25 Tayon Holloway

Probable

LB #6 Stanquan Clark

Clemson football injury updates

Here’s a look at who’s in and who’s out for the Tigers tonight against Louisville, according to the ACC’s availability report:

Out

WR #12 Bryant Wesco Jr.
RB #21 Jarvis Green
RB #26 Jay Haynes
DE #34 Armon Mason
LB #37 Logan Anderson
LB #43 Billy Wilkes
OL #52 Elyjah Thurmon
DT #55 Makhi Williams Lee
OL #63 Easton Ware
DT #90 Stephiylan Green

Probable

S #6 Ricardo Jones
DT #19 DeMonte Capehart

What TV channel is Clemson vs Louisville on today?

TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (free trial)

Clemson-Louisville will air live on ESPN, with streaming options available on Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

How to watch college football on ESPN, ABC for YouTube TV users

Disney-owned channels such as ABC and the ESPN family of networks are no longer available on YouTube TV after it and Disney were unable to agree to new contract terms.

One way college football fans who subscribe to YouTube TV can stream games on Disney-owned channels is via Fubo, which carries ABC and the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Clemson vs Louisville start time today

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Date: Friday, Nov. 14
Location: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium (Louisville, Kentucky)

Clemson vs Louisville predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Spread: Louisville (-3)
Over/under: 50.5
Moneyline: Louisville -145 | Clemson +120

Prediction: Louisville 30, Clemson 24

For much of his Louisville tenure, Jeff Brohm has followed up a deflating loss with an empathic win, just like he did earlier this season when the Cardinals bounced back from an overtime defeat against Virginia to upset then-No. 2 Miami on the road. Expect more of the same against an underachieving Tigers team that’s still loaded with talent.

American speed skater Jordan Stolz won the 1,000 meters at the first World Cup of the season in Kearns, Utah.
Stolz’s victory puts him closer to securing a spot on the U.S. team for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Other American skaters, including Brittany Bowe, Erin Jackson, and Casey Dawson, also achieved strong results and personal bests.

KEARNS, Utah — World records are tough to come by in the first World Cup speed skating event of the season, with competitors not yet in their best shape.

American Jordan Stolz came close, however.

‘I was happy with it. Skated a pretty quick time and, physically, I think I can keep getting stronger. So it’s a good one for the first World Cup of the year,’ Stolz said.

The win means Stolz needs just one more top-5 finish in the 1,000 meters at any of the next three World Cups to lock up a spot on the U.S. team for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, rather than waiting to qualify at the Olympic trials in January. The next World Cup is next weekend in Calgary, Alberta.

That’s not foremost in his mind right now, however.

‘I just try and focus on how I’m feeling physically and, each race, trying to make it feel a little bit better. Get a bit more comfortable,’ Stolz said.

Stolz still has the 500 meters and 1,500 meters Saturday, and another 500 meters Sunday.

It was a good night for the other top Americans, too. Brittany Bowe skated her fastest time in the 1,000 meters since 2021, while Erin Jackson (1,000) and Casey Dawson (5,000) had personal bests. Dawson’s was also a U.S. record, breaking the one he set in February at a World Cup in Milwaukee.

But all eyes were on Stolz, who at 21 is poised to be the breakout star of Milano Cortina. He swept the 500 meters, 1,000 meters and 1,500 meters at both the 2023 and 2024 world championships and won the overall World Cup titles in those three distances last season. And, despite his training hampered by pneumonia and strep throat, Stolz won silvers in the 500 and 1,500 meters and a bronze in the 1,000 meters at the 2025 worlds in March.

Should Stolz win in each of his three distances in Milano Cortina, he’d join Eric Heiden as the only U.S. athlete to win three or more gold medals at a single Winter Olympics. Heiden, a Wisconsin native like Stolz, famously won five golds at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, winning every speed skating race.

‘I just try not to think about all the things that people will say. I just try and focus on how I’m feeling and what I think is possible,’ Stolz said.

And that is?

‘I think many things are possible,’ Stolz said. ‘But I have to actually do it, so it’s not something that’s going to happen without even trying.’

Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s World Cup speed skating event at the Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah and a recap of the first night of events:

American Jordan Stolz wins men’s 1,000

Stolz was paired with Joep Wennemars of the Netherlands, who beat the American at the world championships in the spring.

‘It was a nice little head to head. It was fun,’ Stolz said with a smile.

It was no contest this time. With Wennemars or anyone else.

Stolz was second-fastest at the first split, behind Żurek, but was third-fastest after 600 meters. He closed in furious speed, however, skating the last 400 meters 0.7 seconds faster than any of the other top contenders as the crowd at the Olympic Oval shouted ‘Go Jordan!’

When he crossed the finish line, Stolz glanced at the scoreboard and pumped his fist to acknowledge the crowd.

‘I don’t try and sacrifice anything in the beginning to have a faster last lap. It just usually comes or doesn’t,’ he said. ‘And today it was good.’

Making for a great start to a big season.

US women are cooking, but Dutch are dominant

Brittany Bowe and Erin Jackson started their Olympic seasons off strong. Bowe finished fifth in the 1,000 meters, skating a 1:13.26 that was her best time since 2021. She was second to Canada’s Beatrice Lemarche after their pairing, but both were passed by the Netherlands’ Jutta Leerdam and Femke Kok. Marrit Fledderus, another Dutch woman who was skating in the last pairing, also edged Bowe.

Jackson, meanwhile, skated a personal-best of 1:13.72 and finished eighth. It was the first personal-best in a few years for Jackson, who only skated the 1,000 once last year because of back issues.

‘I’m not quite 100%, but really, really close to it. So I’m super happy,” Jackson said. “It’s a lot better than it’s been the past couple of years, so I’m very, very happy.”

Fast start by American Casey Dawson

The records keep coming for Casey Dawson.

Dawson skated a U.S.-record 6:04.40 in finishing fourth in the men’s 5,000 meters Friday night. That was more than three seconds faster than the previous U.S. mark, which Dawson set in February at a World Cup in Milwaukee.

Dawson was 4.17 seconds behind Timothy Loubineaud of France, who set a world record with a time of 6:00.23.

‘I set the national record the last season, and I’m just coming in with a little bit more momentum from last season,’ Dawson said. ‘It just sets up the next couple World Cups and going into Olympic trials and then, ultimately, Milan a little bit better, a little bit easier.’

Who’s competing

Because the World Cup circuit is also the easiest way to get to Milano Cortina, this is a Who’s Who of speed skating at the Olympic Oval.

Stolz and Jackson’s biggest rivals, Jenning De Boo and Femke Kok, respectively, lead the mighty team from the Netherlands. The Dutch won 18 medals at the single-distance worlds last year, eight of them gold. Two of those golds were won by Joy Beune, the women’s all-around champion in 2024.

Also keep an eye on Japan’s Miho Takagi, who topped the World Cup standings in both the women’s 1,000 and 1,500 meters last year; and Italy’s Davide Ghiotto, the world-record holder in the men’s 10,000 meters.

What’s at stake?

Titles and points, just like at any World Cup. But with this being an Olympic year, athletes also can earn spots at the Milano Cortina Games, for themselves and their countries.

U.S. athletes can secure their own spot on the team two ways. First, if they won a medal at the single-distance world championships in March, they need to finish in the top five at the same distance in two of the four World Cups (Salt Lake; Calgary, Alberta; Heerenveen, Netherlands; and Hamar Norway) before the end of the year.

Stolz (silvers in the 500 and 1,500 meters and a bronze in the 1,000) and Cooper McLeod (bronze in the 500 meters) are the only Americans eligible for this pathway.

The second way for an athlete to secure a spot for themselves is to medal in the same distance at two World Cups.

The rest of the team for Milano Cortina – countries can send a maximum of nine men and nine women, based on their top athletes’ placement and times at the four World Cups – will be decided at the U.S. Olympic trials, which are Jan. 2-5, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Stream World Cup speed skating on Peacock

How to watch, streaming options

Live coverage of the three-day meet World Cup will be available on Peacock, with a highlights show airing Sunday afternoon on NBC.

Here’s the schedule for the rest of the weekend (all times Eastern):

Saturday, Nov. 15: Live coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. on Peacock

Sunday, Nov. 15: Highlights show at 2 p.m. on NBC; live coverage at 3 p.m. on Peacock.

Streaming options: NBCOlympics.com, NBC Sports app

Weekend schedule

(All times Eastern)

Saturday, Nov. 15

1:05 p.m. — 1st 500m Women Division B

1:49 p.m. — 1st 500m Men Division B

3:30 p.m. — 1st 500m Women Division A

3:58 p.m. — 1st 500m Men Division A

4:37 p.m. — 1500m Women Division A

5:17 p.m. — 1500m Men Division A

7 p.m. — 1500m Women Division B

8:05 p.m. — 1500m Men Division B

Sunday, Nov. 16

12 p.m. — Team Pursuit Women Division B

12:23 p.m. — eam Pursuit Men Division B

12:51 — 2nd 500m Women Division B

1:28 p.m. — 2nd 500m Men Division B

2:28 p.m. — Mass Start Women Division B

2:49 p.m. — Mass Start Men Division B

4 p.m. — Team Pursuit Women Division A

4:28 p.m. — Team Pursuit Men Division A

5:06 p.m. — 2nd 500m Women Division A

5:34 p.m. — 2nd 500m Men Division A

6:17 p.m. — Mass Start Women Division A

6:38 p.m. — Mass Start Men Division A

A potential boxing match between Jake Paul and former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is reportedly being finalized.
Promoter Eddie Hearn called Paul a ‘madman’ for taking the fight, highlighting the vast difference in experience between the two.
Despite Joshua’s experience, some boxing experts, like Buddy McGirt, believe Paul has a chance to win.
Other trainers suggest Paul strategically chooses opponents who are past their prime, potentially making Joshua vulnerable.

A ‘madman’ is what Eddie Hearn has called Jake Paul with a deal for Paul to face former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua reportedly being finalized.

Hearn is Joshua’s promoter and probably speaks for a lot of people assessing a potential matchup between the 6-foot-6 Joshua, who has fought in 13 title fights, and the 6-1 Paul, who has fought in 13 pro fights, total.

Joshua is 28-4 with 25 knockouts. Paul is 12-1 with seven knockouts.

“For all the criticism I’ve given to Jake Paul, he’s become a professional fighter,’’ Hearn told the BBC. “He’s nowhere near the level of Anthony Joshua. But if he takes this challenge, like I said, he’s a madman.”

Buddy McGirt, the former world champion boxer who has gone on to train champions, expressed doubts about whether a boxing commission would sanction the fight. The issue: Joshua, 36, has infinitely more experience against better competition than does Paul, 28.

But, if a boxing commission does sanction the fight as a pro bout, McGirt is among those saying he thinks Paul has a chance to win the fight.

Former champ: Jake Paul has ‘a 50-50 shot’ vs. Anthony Joshua

McGirt won the IBF junior welterweight title in 1988 and held the WBC welterweight title from 1991 to 1993. As a trainer, he has worked with multiple world champions, including Arturo Gatti, Antonio Traver and Hasim Rahman.

McGirt expressed some doubt over whether Paul and Joshua would go all out during a fight, but he did entertain that possibility of it happening.

‘Jake can punch,’ McGirt said. “He can punch, but at the same time, he hasn’t been in there with anybody like Joshua. So I’m just going to say … give it a 50-50 shot (of Paul winning the fight). I learned this a long time ago, when you got two guys over 200 pounds, anything could happen.’’

McGirt also noted what Joshua did against another inexperienced boxer, Francis Ngannou. Joshua dropped the former UFC champion in the first round and in the second round knocked him out cold.

“When he hit him the first time, I grabbed my bag and just started walking to the car,’’ McGirt said. “Yeah, I knew it was over. … (Joshua) can punch.’’

Thornton-Peek: Paul will ‘put himself in a good position’

Gloria Thornton-Peek, a well-regarded trainer, worked with Claressa Shields before Shields went on to win a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics. She also was worked with male boxers such as Andre Ward, an Olympic gold medalist who finished his pro career 32-0.

Thornton-Peek said Joshua’s career is in decline.

‘(Paul) gets opponents that either have been out of the game for a while or are no longer close to their top state, the way they may have fought back in the day when they were more on the top of their game,’ she said. ‘And so to me, that’s not really fighting. I mean, he’s waiting to fight these people when they are definitely more vulnerable because they haven’t been in the game for a while and they’ve lost their edge …

‘He’s put himself in a good position, and that’s going to make it easier for him to come out as the winner. It’s not like he’s got to go out there and put it all on the line.’

Joshua’s experience present ‘a tough task to bear’

Adonis Frazier, a retired pro fighter, has accomplished more as a trainer. He has worked with the likes of David Morrell, who held the WBA super-middleweight title from 2021 to 2024 and the WBA light heavyweight title from 2024 to 2025.

‘The one thing about boxing is there’s always that puncher’s chance,’ Frazier said of Paul’s chances against Joshua. “That’s like basketball, (when) they’re blowing them out by 30, everybody gets up and leaves. With boxing, anything can happen at any time. That last-second punch. Now, how likely is it? That’s a different question, but I think Anthony Joshua, he’s a seasoned veteran. That’s going to be a tough task to bear.

‘But you also got to look at it from the business side. Joshua has a huge following in the UK. Jake has a huge following just with social media and all that kind of stuff. So you put both of those together, the business makes sense. And if he’s going to take the loss, he’s always, ‘Hey, man, well, I lost to the former heavyweight champion of the world.’ It really doesn’t hurt him because he’s a cruiserweight.’

‘Jake has nothing to lose’

Johnathon Banks held the IBO cruiserweight title from 2008 to 2009. As a trainer, he has worked with champions such as Gennady Golovkin, Wladimir Klitschko and Badou Jack.

‘Everyone has a chance, but (Paul) definitely has a bigger chance than most,’ Banks said by text message. ‘I believe Jake has nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain.

‘No matter where a man is … if he has nothing to lose he’s dangerous.’

This article discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

It’s been a difficult week and a half for the Dallas Cowboys as they deal with Marshawn Kneeland’s death by suicide on Nov. 6. Players are coping and at the same time preparing to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night.

‘Just a great dude,’ quarterback Dak Prescott said of Kneeland, per the Cowboys’ official website. ‘Spirit was always high. Any time you crossed him, very contagious attitude. We spent a lot of time throughout the training room passing each other, having small conversations here and there. Very loving, contagious guy. I know it’s been noted his saying was ‘One Love,’ I think you just felt that. You felt that aura, you felt that demeanor, you felt him carry that and that’s everything that he did.’

Cowboys players have been deeply impacted by suicide

Prescott has dealt with similar grief before. His brother died by suicide in 2020. The Cowboys quarterback admitted playing football helps him cope.

“Having dealt with loss, that is the best medicine for me,” Prescott said. “Getting back out there, handing the ball off and sprinting an extra 10 yards and making sure I’m doing it hard. Marshawn went through my mind a few times in practice today, and I just countered that with running harder after a play or trying to do something to better this team and to show that.’

Cowboys defensive tackle Solomon Thomas’ sister died by suicide in 2018. His family started a nonprofit “The Defensive Line” in her honor to help impact the lives of young people of color struggling with suicide.

‘If we all play like Marshawn, we’ll play as a better team. I’m not saying Marshawn was a perfect player, but the way he would go out there and play is the way football is supposed to be played,” Thomas said of Kneeland this week, via the team’s official website. “He would run to the ball, no matter how tired he was. He would play with intensity and tenacity, and he went out there because he loved the game, and he played with love.’

Cowboys helmet decal, memorial fund for girlfriend, child to honor Marshawn Kneeland

The Cowboys will wear a special helmet decal for the rest of the season to honor Kneeland. The team also started the “Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund” in part to help Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina, who is pregnant.

“We’re going to honor Marshawn and his family a number of different ways,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said.

The Cowboys travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders on “Monday Night Football” in Week 11. It’ll mark the team’s first game since Kneeland’s death.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Nov. 14 that he hopes Monday’s game will be “therapeutic” for the players.

The 18-year-old granddaughter of President Donald Trump was awarded one of three sponsor’s invites to compete at The Annika tournament at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. She rebounded with a solid round on Friday after a shaky first round, but it was not enough to make it into the weekend.

Kai Trump missed the cut by 17 strokes after finishing last among 108 participants at 18-over on the tournament.

Trump may have missed the cut, which was officially set at 1-over on Friday, but the teen amateur gained a lot of experience. ‘It’s been awesome. … I’ve been having a great time. The experience has been amazing,’ she said.

Trump struggled with nerves in her opening round on Thursday as large crowds of onlookers eagerly watched her debut. Trump finished with a 13-over 83 after carding nine bogeys and two double-bogeys in a birdie-free opening round on Thursday.

‘For the first day I was definitely really nervous. I think the nerves just got to me,’ Trump said on Friday. ‘When I went out there today, I felt very calm and peaceful to be honest with you.’

The calmness positively impacted Trump’s play and she followed up her less-than-stellar first round with a 5-over 75, eight strokes better than her opening round on Thursday. She finished Friday’s second round with four birdies, four bogeys, one double-bogey and a near ace on the par-3 No. 12. 

Grace Kim and Linn Grant are tied atop the leaderboard at 9-under through two rounds. Nelly Korda is tied for sixth place at 6-under and is within striking distance.

Trump said she was blown away ‘by how consistent’ the pro players were on the course. ‘I hit it just as far, but their irons, even if they miss it, they’re still on the green. Obviously, that’s something I need to work on, especially short game. They all have amazing short game out here.’

The high school senior committed to play golf at the University of Miami earlier this week. Trump said her future plans include ‘more tournaments and then eventually go to college.’

How to watch The Annika: TV, live streaming

All four rounds of The Annika in 2025 will be broadcast nationally by The Golf Channel, which is available via live stream through Fubo. LPGA Live and NBCSports.com will also provide live streaming coverage of The Annika. The first round begins on Thursday, Nov. 13 and the final round is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 16 at The Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.

All times Eastern

Third round: Saturday, Nov. 15

1:30-2:30 p.m. on LPGA Live
2:30-4:30 p.m. on Golf Channel, Fubo, LPGA Live

Final round: Sunday, Nov. 16

1-2 p.m. on LPGA Live
2-4 p.m. on Golf Channel, Fubo, LPGA Live

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Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov was defending against the Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson behind the net when his stick came up and appeared to catch Jarvis under his visor during the first period of the Nov. 14 game.

Jarvis grabbed his face and was cross-checked by Vancouver’s Marcus Pettersson.

Jarvis was writhing on the ice as a trainer came out to look at him. The trainer held a towel to Jarvis’ face as they left the ice.

Svechnikov scored his second goal of the game on the ensuing power play.

Seth Jarvis injury update

The Hurricanes announced that Jarvis was out for the rest of the game with an upper-body injury.

He entered the game with a team-high 10 goals and was second on the team with 15 points. Jarvis had an assist on Svechnikov’s first goal.

Jarvis, 23, made Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster last season.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Despite an 8-2 record and a seven-game winning streak, the Broncos are considered underdogs at home against the 5-4 Chiefs.
Denver’s defense is on pace to break the NFL single-season sack record, a key factor in their strategy against quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Coach Sean Payton acknowledges the team must improve, particularly on offense, to be considered legitimate contenders.

ENGLEWOOD, CO – Pressure?

That might be a keyword around the Denver Broncos headquarters about now, and not just because a dominant defense has unleashed so much heat on quarterbacks that it is on pace to one-up the NFL single-season sack record set by the great ’84 Bears defense.

The Broncos are about to play the franchise’s biggest game in nearly a decade – since another signature defense carried Peyton Manning to a crown in Super Bowl 50 – and there’s great anticipation about whether they will pass this serious litmus test.

No, there’s no parade on tap. The Broncos can’t win the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Yet here come the Kansas City Chiefs.

And not just the typical Chiefs, who have owned the division with nine straight AFC West titles and almost never lose after a bye week. These are the desperate Chiefs (5-4), who have played in the last three Super Bowls but wouldn’t even be in the dance if the AFC playoffs started today. That makes them extra dangerous.

Believe in the Broncos? AFC West leaders enter Sunday as underdogs

The Broncos (8-2) started the week with a share of the NFL’s best record. They are holding down first place, have won seven consecutive games and have the league’s longest home winning streak, taking 10 in a row. Good stuff.

And they are still listed as underdogs on their own turf.

To flip that, it’s a given that the Broncos will need a whole lot of pressure – on Patrick Mahomes – to illustrate just how well they can measure up. That’s always key to the formula against the NFL’s best quarterback. But given the struggles of Denver’s offense maybe there’s an added layer of pressure on a defense that has produced 46 sacks through 10 games.

“I wouldn’t say extra pressure,” Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. “I feel that’s kind of the mindset that we come out with anyway. We love it when we have the opportunity to go and get stops, whenever it is, whether we’re up 40, down 40, a tie game. Just looking for opportunities always to show our style of football.”

Denver’s style. You’ve heard of killer instinct? Well, the Broncos have demonstrated quite the survival instinct this season. When pushed into corners, they’ve stood up to pressure points. They’ve rallied from way down, won the close ones, won ugly, barely won and even lost when they probably should have won.

And won when booed, too.

It all fuels the essential question: Are the Broncos legitimate contenders?

This would be a fine time to prove it. At least until further notice.

Sean Payton: ‘We’ll play in bigger games.’ But not without improvement

“You’ve worked hard to put yourself in a position to play a game like that at home,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said earlier this week. “We’ll play in bigger games. I say that all the time. ‘We’re going to play in bigger games,’ but this is the next one, and this is a (Chiefs) team that’s playing really well right now. We can see that. So, we’re going to have to be on point.”

This will not be the week for another sluggish start for Payton’s offense, even though they have won the close games that they were more likely to lose last season. He knows. For all the resilience, and for second-year quarterback Bo Nix’s ability to raise his game in crunch time, the Broncos need to, well, relieve the pressure with better starts.

“To go where we want to go,” Payton said, “there has to be improvement and certainly we understand that.”

The recent history against the Chiefs is worth noting. Mahomes didn’t play in last season’s regular-season finale (a 38-0 Denver win, with Kansas City resting starters as it had already secured a No. 1 seed), yet in the past three times he faced the Broncos the Chiefs averaged just 14.6 points per game.

Then again, that doesn’t automatically extend into the upcoming matchup. The Chiefs have fortified their receiving corps while Denver is expected to be without the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, for a third consecutive game as he nurses a pectoral injury.

“I take each game by the month at a time,” Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said on Thursday, pondering the chess match against Chiefs coach Andy Reid. “I’m looking at what I’ve done over the last month, and he has to do that also. Pat hadn’t played in two weeks, so what are we doing without Pat? So, that’s Andy’s concern, also. It goes both ways.”

Besides, with Mahomes in the mix – his uncanny knack for extending plays fueled by an extra layer of desperation – the pressure certainly goes both ways, too.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell