Day 3 of SEC football media days rolled on in Atlanta, with four coaches speaking in the penultimate day of the college football event in Atlanta.

Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Oklahoma’s Brent Venables, Florida’s Billy Napier and Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby — as well as their respective players — all spoke on the expectations they will face this season, and how they intend to rise up and meet them.

DeBoer and Alabama, particularly, will face scrutiny in 2025 following a 9-4 season in 2024 — the first season after the legendary Nick Saban retired, and the program’s first sub-10-win season since Saban went 7-6 in 2007. Moreover, DeBoer will have a new-look offense with a trio of quarterbacks battling to replace Jalen Milroe in Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and heralded freshman Keelon Russell.

Watch SEC Media Days live with Fubo (free trial)

Elsewhere, Venables will look to improve on a 6-7 season in 2024, which marked his second sub.-500 season in three seasons in Norman. The Sooners boast Washington State transfer John Mateer, one of the top transfer quarterbacks, to lead the offense and improve the team’s outlook in 2025.

With that, here are the highlights from Day 3 of SEC media days:

DJ Lagway talks about potential for Florida football

Despite winning four straight to end the season, Florida had an up-and-down season in 2024 as the Gators finished 8-5 overall and 4-4 in SEC play. In a side breakout session with the media at SEC media days, Florida football quarterback DJ Lagway talked about the potential the Gators can have in 2025.

‘At the end of the day it’s what we do,’ Lagway said. ‘If we go out and play the Florida brand of football (where) we tough, resilient and have a heck of an effort, we’re going to take care of it itself.’

Brent Venables on expectations after disappointing season

Oklahoma finished a disappointing 6-7 in 2024, two seasons after Venables also finished 6-7 in his first year as head coach. He feels the Sooners have what it takes to rebound in 2025, however.

‘I believe they have what it takes to claw our way back to where I believe Oklahoma belongs,’ Venables said. ‘The expectations here and in the locker room are to win at the very highest level and to compete for a championship. That’s always been the way it is here at the University of Oklahoma, and we embrace those standards and expectations of excellence.’

Brent Venables says Danny Okoye might be best athlete on roster

Venables gave some strong praise for redshirt freshman defensive end Danny Okoye, who appeared in two games last season and didn’t register a tackle.

The former four-star recruit is listed at 6-foot-3, 251 pounds, and Venables said he might be the best pound-for-pound athlete on the team. Venables also said he expects Okoye to be a key contributor in 2025.

Brent Venables says Jackson Arnold was put in tough situation in 2024

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables says former quarterback Jackson Arnold, who transferred to Auburn in the offseason, was put in a tough spot last season in his first year as the Sooners’ starter.

‘Jackson Arnold and Mike Hawkins, both of those guys, put in a really tough spot as first-year players,’ Venables said at the podium. ‘The supporting cast, they can’t play quarterback by themselves. And put them in a really tough position based on what happened. Both of them are going to be incredibly successful in the future.’

Venables later added on Arnold: ‘He had no chance in some ways, given the circumstances.’

Billy Napier says Florida has confidence back

After ending the season on a high note in 2024, Florida coach Billy Napier says he can see the confidence regaining in his program.

‘There’s a confidence that they can play with anybody,’ Napier said on ‘SEC Now.’ ‘I think that’s the biggest difference is are process is working for them. They’re observing players get better. They’re observing people achieve at a high level.’

The Gators won their last four games of the season and went 6-1 in games started by returning quarterback DJ Lagway.

DJ Lagway says he had no offseason procedure on shoulder

Lagway, who was limited throughout the spring while battling a shoulder injury that lingered after the 2024 season, said he didn’t have an offseason cleanup procedure and will be ready for the season.

It’s good news for the Gators, as the former five-star quarterback only played five snaps in Florida’s annual spring game.

Billy Napier says Florida is on the right track

Florida and coach Billy Napier won its last four games last season, which included wins over LSU, Ole Miss and Tulane. With dynamic quarterback DJ Lagway returning, Napier thinks the Gators are on the right path heading into 2025.

‘At the end of last year, you could argue we were playing as good as anyone in the country,’ he said. ‘Our development process is working. The organization as a whole is working as well as long as I’ve been a head coach.’

John Mateer talks transfer decision to Oklahoma

John Mateer, a first-year Oklahoma transfer from Washington State, talks his decision to transfer to the Sooners after finishing the 2024 season tied-for first nationally in touchdowns (44).

‘There was a lot that went into it,’ Mateer said on ‘SEC Now.’ ‘I know (offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle) and it’s closer to home, wanted my family to be closer and get to the games, because they couldn’t get to a lot of games in Pullman. It’s also the SEC.

‘I’m here at SEC media days. Who doesn’t want to play in the SEC? Being with Buck and staying in the same offense and the same coaching that I know. They know me, I know them, and they know what I need to play at the highest level. It’s the SEC. It’s Oklahoma. Who doesn’t want to play for Oklahoma.’

Jeff Lebby expresses confidence in Brent Venables

Lebby, who was formerly the offensive coordinator under Brent Venables at Oklahoma, expresses confidence in Venables turning things back around with the Sooners. OU has finished 6-7 in two of his three seasons so far.

‘He is the same man every single day, not letting the result dictate who’s gonna show up in the building every day,’ Lebby said at the podium. ‘Those are the things that are going to create stability and help them down the road.’

Jeff Lebby not backing down from strength of schedule

Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby, speaking at the podium, was asked about the Bulldogs’ strength of schedule for 2025. The second-year coach said it’s ‘all about opportunity.’

‘For me, we understand what the gauntlet looks like. And that’s exciting.’

Mississippi State has the sixth-toughest schedule for 2025, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Bulldogs will play Arizona State in Power Four nonconference game before taking on Tennessee, Texas, Georgia and Ole Miss at home. They travel to take on Texas A&M, Florida, Arkansas and Missouri.

Kalen DeBoer talks expectations for Ty Simpson

Speaking on ‘SEC Now,’ DeBoer reiterated that Simpson would be Alabama’s starting quarterback if the season started today. He added Simpson has done a good job ‘growing himself’ under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan.

He specified that all the quarterbacks should know they don’t have to be ‘world-beaters,’ but added that they’re expected to do more than distribute the ball, adding that comes with trust in his supporting cast.

Kalen DeBoer on limiting big plays on defense

DeBoer, speaking on ‘SEC Now,’ said Alabama has greater depth that should help limit big plays on the defensive side of the ball.

‘We’re much deeper and a more experienced group than we were a year ago,’ DeBoer said. ‘There were some times … where we went through a week of practice and we hardly had anyone to be able to put out there in the middle of the season.’

Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor owns 170 bottles of cologne

Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, speaking at SEC media days, says he owns 170 bottles of cologne. Speaking on why he owns so many, he said, ‘If you’re a big guy, you can’t stink. … The narrative is that a big guy stinks.’

Alabama’s Deontae Lawson addresses Thomas Castellanos

Speaking on ‘SEC this Morning,’ Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson addressed Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos saying Saban wasn’t around to ‘save’ the Crimson Tide this season (via Mike Rodak of 247):

‘It definitely ignites us a little bit. We can’t really think too much on that. It’s gonna come down to what we do and how we prepare that week. I think all disrespect will be addressed accordingly.’

Kalen DeBoer says Ty Simpson would be starter today

Asked about his quarterback situation, DeBoer said Simpson would be Alabama’s starting quarterback if the season started today. ‘Ty throws a catchable ball, he’s smart.’

DeBoer also has 6-foot-6 Mack and Russell, the No. 2 overall player in the 247Sports Composite rankings, to battle it out in the QB room.

SEC media days Day 3 speakers

Here’s a look at the schedule for Day 3 speakers at SEC media days:

All times Eastern

9:05 a.m.: Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer | Tim Keenan III (DL) | Deontae Lawson (LB) | Kadyn Proctor (OL)
10:50 a.m.: Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby | Blake Shapen (QB) | Isaac Smith (S) | Brenen Thompson (WR)
1 p.m.: Coach Billy Napier | Caleb Banks (DL) | Jake Slaughter (OL) | DJ Lagway (QB)
2:45 p.m.: Oklahoma coach Brent Venables | John Mateer (QB) | Robert Spears-Jennings (DB| R Mason Thomas (DL)

Where are SEC media days in 2025?

Location: College Football Hall of Fame and Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park (Atlanta)

What channel are SEC media days on?

TV channel: SEC Network | ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

All four days of SEC media days will air live on the SEC Network. ESPN2 will air one hour of the proceedings, from 8 p.m. ET until 9 p.m. ET.

Streaming options include the ESPN app (requires a TV provider login) and ESPN+, which requires a subscription. Another option is Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to potential subscribers

One would think that after meeting head-to-head four times, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney would know LSU football coach Brian Kelly rather well.

That, however, is now in question after a vacation that Swinney took this offseason. And for that, when the two veteran coaches meet up pregame at the 50-yard line in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season, they will have an all-time laugh.

In a media availability on July 15, the 18th-year Tigers head coach shared a story of a hilarious mix-up with the head coach of his Week 1 opponent with a country music artist that has the same name while on vacation with his wife, Kathleen, his brother and sister-in-law in Grayton Beach, Florida.

‘My sister-in-law, she’s saying, ‘Hey, Brian Kelly has a place. His wife has a gift shop right on the corner there in Grayton Beach.’ I’m like, ‘Oh really? That’s pretty cool.’ I had no idea,’ Swinney said July 15 during a media availability. ‘… Me and Kath walk into the store and Kath buys something because she’s trying to support Mrs. Kelly or whatever we’re doing.’

The Swinneys would then continue walking around the store and headed outside to a backyard concert stage, where the two-time national championship coach took photos around/on the stage that had a sign of ‘Brian Kelley performing today’ and sent them to the LSU coach.

That was until his brother’s friend broke the news to Swinney’s wife on the side that it wasn’t the Brian Kelly that Dabo Swinney went 3-1 against while Kelly was at Notre Dame.

‘… So now Kath goes, ‘Babe! Brian Kelley’s a singer for Florida Georgia Line. And I went, ‘What?! I’ve been firing all these pictures off to Brian Kelly.’ He’s over there probably going, ‘What the hell?! This is an idiot. What’s this dude doing?”

So, how did the actual Brian Kelly respond to Swinney’s texts? Perhaps exactly like you’d expect he would.

‘He sends me a text and is like, ‘Yeah, you just can’t get away from Brian Kelly,’ or something like that,’ Swinney said. ‘And I’m sure he was like, ‘I have no idea what the context of this is,’ but anyway, then I realize that it wasn’t him and I’m like, ‘Oh my god. We’ll have a laugh over that.”

Swinney and Kelly are set to meet up in Week 1 on Saturday, Aug. 30 when Clemson welcomes in LSU to Memorial Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff in ‘Death Valley.’

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.

Manny Pacquiao, preparing to return to the boxing ring at 46 on Saturday in Las Vegas, escaped the suffocating heat Wednesday, July 16.

But not as long as expected.

The Filipino star did shadow boxing and ab work inside the Las Vegas’ Raiders training facility. But with an unexpected breeze outside, Pacquiao did a light jog around the outdoor fields, said Marcus Padilla, the Raiders’ Senior Director of Broadcast, who arranged the visit.

“It was awesome,’’ Padilla said.

Will Carless, head of the Raiders’ communications and public relations department, also confirmed Pacquiao’s visit.

The work was some of Pacquiao’s final training before his fight with Mario Barrios, which will be his first since 2021, when he lost to Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision.

The visit began on Wednesday before 8 a.m. when Pacquiao arrived with an entourage of about 15 people that included his trainer, Freddie Roach.

Typically, when in Las Vegas for a fight, Pacquiao runs at UNLV.

“I think they’re going to have to talk sense in Manny because he would run through Hades and train, and I don’t know if he’s as concerned about conserving his energy,’’ Padilla said before the visit.

No luck.

Although the temperature reached 88 degrees by 8 a.m., Pacquiao still headed for a walk and light jog around the three outdoor fields at the Raiders’ Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson – about 12 miles from MGM Grand Garden Arena where Pacquiao will fight Saturday night.

Manny Pacquiao’s grasp of football

Pacquiao’s manager, Sean Gibbons, said he wasn’t sure if the legendary boxer even knows how many yards it takes to get a first down.

“Manny’s passion is basketball and chess,’’ Gibbons told USA TODAY Sports before Pacquiao’s visit to the Raiders’ facility.

But Gibbons said Pacquiao has developed a friendship with Camryn Bynum, a safety for the Indianapolis Colts whose mother is Filipino.

This is not the Raiders’ foray into the world of boxing. Tyson used property owned by Raiders owner Mark Davis to build a gym he used while training for his fight against Jake Paul on Nov. 15.

While Tyson lost to the former YouTuber, Pacquiao, who has won world titles in eight weight divisions, is taking on a more daunting, much stiffer challenge. He is seeking to become the first Hall of Fame boxer to win a world title. The WBC welterweight title will be on the line when he fights 30-year-old Mario Barrios, the reigning WBC champion.

Pacquiao, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June, has not held a world title since losing the WBO welterweight championship in 2017 to Jeff Horn by unanimous decision.

How did Pacquiao’s visit materialize

Padilla, who is Filipino and president of the Raiders’ Asian Pacific Islander group, said his attempt to get Pacquiao to the Raiders fell through in 2009 when the Raiders were still in Oakland.

After learning about Pacquiao’s comeback, Padilla said, he visited the boxer’s training camp in Los Angeles and set in motion the boxer’s visit to the Raiders’ training facility.

Upon Pacquaio’s arrival at the facility, Padilla said, the boxer marveled at the facility and said, “Big. Amazing.’’

The Raiders also have made their facility available to soccer superstar Neymar and WWE superstar Roman Reigns, according to Padilla and Kiss.

MLS and Adidas have announced the return of the MLS Archive Collection, featuring throwback kits for 10 teams.

The MLS Archive Collection launched last year with five new kits, and that number has doubled for the 2025 edition.

In addition to the 10 kits, each team will also have Gazelle shoes and jackets available.

The throwback kits celebrate the style and aesthetic of the late 90s and early 2000s. Two teams, FC Dallas (Dallas Burn) and the San Jose Earthquakes (San Jose Clash), feature their old names and logos on their jerseys.

The Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew both feature their old logos.

Shop new MLS Archive Collection

“The first year of this collection was an instant success, giving fans the chance to represent a reimagined and remixed version of the most iconic designs from their franchise’s history, while also bridging sportwear, style and fashion to expand fandoms around the country,” said Edward Martinez, Adidas senior manager of sports marketing, soccer.

“This year, we worked closely with the clubs to imagine kits that capture the nostalgia and spirit of their franchise and city from the late 90s and early 2000s, resulting in a time capsule collection sprinkled with reminders of golden eras.”

Below are all of the kits from the MLS Archive Collection.

Charlotte FC – shop now

Shop Charlotte FC throwback kit

Colorado Rapids – shop now

Shop Colorado Rapids throwback kit

Columbus Crew – shop now

Shop Columbus Crew throwback kit

D.C. United – shop now

Shop D.C. United throwback kit

FC Dallas – shop now

Shop FC Dallas throwback kit

Minnesota United – shop now

Shop Minnesota United throwback kit

Nashville SC – shop now

Shop Nashville SC throwback kit

New England Revolution – shop now

Shop NE Revolution throwback kit

San Jose Earthquakes – shop now

Shop San Jose Earthquake throwback kit

Seattle Sounders – shop now

Shop Seattle Sounders throwback kit

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

The NHL will play its final 82-game schedule in 2025-26 before the new collective-bargaining agreement increases the number of games to 84 the following season.

Next season will start on Tuesday, Oct. 7, with an ESPN tripleheader, including the Florida Panthers raising a Stanley Cup banner for the second year in a row. The season will end on April 16.

There is a break in February so the NHL can send its players to the Olympics for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games. There will be two outdoor games – in Florida for the first time.

Here are the highlights and key dates for the 2025-26 NHL season:

When does the NHL season begin?

The season opens on Oct. 7 with three games, all of which will be broadcast by ESPN.

Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Panthers, 5

Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers, 8

Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30

NHL teams’ home openers

Anaheim Ducks: Oct. 14 vs. Penguins
Boston Bruins: Oct. 9 vs. Blackhawks
Buffalo Sabres: Oct. 9 vs. Rangers
Calgary Flames: Oct. 11 vs. Blues
Carolina Hurricanes: Oct. 9 vs. Devils
Chicago Blackhawks: Oct. 11 vs. Canadiens
Colorado Avalanche: Oct. 9 vs. Mammoth
Columbus Blue Jackets: Oct. 13 vs. Devils
Dallas Stars: Oct. 14 vs. Wild
Detroit Red Wings: Oct. 9 vs. Canadiens
Edmonton Oilers: Oct. 8 vs. Flames
Florida Panthers: Oct. 7 vs. Blackhawks
Los Angeles Kings: Oct. 7 vs. Avalanche
Minnesota Wild: Oct. 11 vs. Blue Jackets
Montreal Canadiens: Oct. 14 vs. Kraken
Nashville Predators: Oct. 9 vs. Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils: Oct. 16 vs. Panthers
New York Islanders: Oct. 11 vs. Capitals
New York Rangers: Oct. 7 vs. Penguins
Ottawa Senators: Oct. 13 vs. Predators
Philadelphia Flyers: Oct. 13 vs. Panthers
Pittsburgh Penguins: Oct. 9 vs. Islanders
St. Louis Blues: Oct. 9 vs. Wild
San Jose Sharks: Oct. 9 vs. Golden Knights
Seattle Kraken: Oct. 9 vs. Ducks
Tampa Bay Lightning: Oct. 9 vs. Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs: Oct. 8 vs. Canadiens
Utah Mammoth: Oct. 15 vs. Flames
Vancouver Canucks: Oct. 9 vs. Flames
Vegas Golden Knights: Oct. 8 vs. Kings
Washington Capitals: Oct. 8 vs. Bruins
Winnipeg Jets: Oct. 9 vs. Stars

What is Alex Ovechkin’s opening game?

Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, who broke Wayne Gretzky’s goal record last season, has a chance to break another this season. He needs 43 goals to break the Hall of Famer’s record of 1,016 combined regular season and playoff goals. Ovechkin, who had a combined 49 goals last season, opens the season on Oct. 8 at home against the Bruins. He is entering the final year of his contract.

What days do all 32 NHL teams play?

All 32 teams will play on the same day twice this season: Oct. 11 and Oct. 28.

When does Brad Marchand return to Boston?

The longtime Bruins star was traded to the Panthers in March and won a Stanley Cup there. He re-signed with Florida for six years and will return to Boston on Oct. 21.

When is the Hall of Fame game?

The Bruins will visit the Maple Leafs on Nov. 8. Two former Bruins, Zdeno Chara and Joe Thornton, are among the Hockey Hall of Fame inductees.

When is the NHL Global Series?

The Penguins and Predators will play at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on Nov. 14 and 16.

When is the Stanley Cup Final rematch?

The Panthers, who downed Edmonton in the Stanley Cup Final the last two years, will host the Oilers on Nov. 22. They teams will also play in Edmonton on March 19.

When is the Winter Classic?

The Winter Classic will be held on Jan. 2 at the Miami Marlins’ LoanDepot Park. The Panthers will host the Rangers.

When does Jonathan Toews play in Chicago?

When does Mitch Marner return to Toronto?

When is the Stadium Series game?

The Lightning will host the Bruins outdoors on Feb. 1 at the Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium.

When is the Olympic break?

The NHL will take a break from Feb. 6 to 24 for the Olympics.

When does the NHL season end?

The season is scheduled to end on April 16 with six games.

Manny Pacquiao, preparing to return to the boxing ring at 46 on Saturday in Las Vegas, escaped the suffocating heat Wednesday, July 16.

But not as long as expected.

The Filipino star did shadow boxing and ab work inside the Las Vegas’ Raiders training facility. But with an unexpected breeze outside, Pacquiao did a light jog around the outdoor fields, said Marcus Padilla, the Raiders’ Senior Director of Broadcast, who arranged the visit.

“It was awesome,’’ Padilla said.

Will Carless, head of the Raiders’ communications and public relations department, also confirmed Pacquiao’s visit.

The work was some of Pacquiao’s final training before his fight with Mario Barrios, which will be his first since 2021, when he lost to Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision.

The visit began on Wednesday before 8 a.m. when Pacquiao arrived with an entourage of about 15 people that included his trainer, Freddie Roach.

Typically, when in Las Vegas for a fight, Pacquiao runs at UNLV.

“I think they’re going to have to talk sense in Manny because he would run through Hades and train, and I don’t know if he’s as concerned about conserving his energy,’’ Padilla said before the visit.

No luck.

Although the temperature reached 88 degrees by 8 a.m., Pacquiao still headed for a walk and light jog around the three outdoor fields at the Raiders’ Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson – about 12 miles from MGM Grand Garden Arena where Pacquiao will fight Saturday night.

Manny Pacquiao’s grasp of football

Pacquiao’s manager, Sean Gibbons, said he wasn’t sure if the legendary boxer even knows how many yards it takes to get a first down.

“Manny’s passion is basketball and chess,’’ Gibbons told USA TODAY Sports before Pacquiao’s visit to the Raiders’ facility.

But Gibbons said Pacquiao has developed a friendship with Camryn Bynum, a safety for the Indianapolis Colts whose mother is Filipino.

This is not the Raiders’ foray into the world of boxing. Tyson used property owned by Raiders owner Mark Davis to build a gym he used while training for his fight against Jake Paul on Nov. 15.

While Tyson lost to the former YouTuber, Pacquiao, who has won world titles in eight weight divisions, is taking on a more daunting, much stiffer challenge. He is seeking to become the first Hall of Fame boxer to win a world title. The WBC welterweight title will be on the line when he fights 30-year-old Mario Barrios, the reigning WBC champion.

Pacquiao, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June, has not held a world title since losing the WBO welterweight championship in 2017 to Jeff Horn by unanimous decision.

How did Pacquiao’s visit materialize

Padilla, who is Filipino and president of the Raiders’ Asian Pacific Islander group, said his attempt to get Pacquiao to the Raiders fell through in 2009 when the Raiders were still in Oakland.

After learning about Pacquiao’s comeback, Padilla said, he visited the boxer’s training camp in Los Angeles and set in motion the boxer’s visit to the Raiders’ training facility.

Upon Pacquaio’s arrival at the facility, Padilla said, the boxer marveled at the facility and said, “Big. Amazing.’’

The Raiders also have made their facility available to soccer superstar Neymar and WWE superstar Roman Reigns, according to Padilla and Kiss.

Lest you’re under the impression that we’re in the throes of summer … well, you’re not wrong. It’s hot, hopefully relaxing and most veteran players haven’t even reported to NFL training camps yet.

And yet pro football is going to be here – in a meaningful way – before you know it. Only 50 days henceforth, the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will host the Dallas Cowboys on September 4 to kick off the 2025 regular season.

But before we get there, we thought a bit of a football primer might be helpful just in case you’ve been focused on baseball, basketball, soccer, the beach and/or piña coladas.

Here are 50 things to know 50 days ahead of the league’s upcoming season:

1. The Los Angeles Chargers’ veterans report to training camp today, making the Bolts the first team to have their full squad in the building. The Detroit Lions will be completely in the fold by Saturday. The rest of the league’s teams will fully post next week. The Chargers and Lions have early report dates because they will meet in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on July 31.

2. Could Detroit and the Bolts be providing the earliest of Super Bowl 60 previews? Even though both clubs reached the playoffs last season, let’s just say it’s highly doubtful. The franchises have combined for zero Lombardi Trophies and one Super Bowl berth in their lengthy histories – the Lions just one of four teams never to play on Super Sunday, and the only one in the league that’s gone zero-for-59 on that front since the beginning of the Super Bowl era in 1966.

3. Still … the San Francisco 49ers advanced to Super Bowl 47 at the end of the 2012 campaign, which was their second under head coach Jim Harbaugh, who now enters Year 2 with the Chargers. Meanwhile, the Lions, who had never won the NFC North prior to 2023, are in the midst of their best stretch in the Super Bowl era – winning the division the past two seasons and racking up a club record 15 regular-season victories in 2024. However they must overcome the loss of coordinators Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears) and Aaron Glenn (New York Jets), who both took head coaching jobs in the offseason, plus the departure of several other assistants from HC Dan Campbell’s staff.

NEW LOOK NEW YORK JETS: As groundwork is laid, they owe former GM a (partial) debt of gratitude

4. The number of Hall of Fame inductees this year, Canton’s smallest class since 2005. CB Eric Allen, DE Jared Allen, WR Sterling Sharpe and TE Antonio Gates, who played his entire 16-year career with the Chargers, will soon receive their gold jackets. Gates’ 116 career touchdown catches are the most by a tight end in NFL history.

5. The number of clubs hitting the road for training camp, which used to be the norm in the days when team bonding and conditioning were – often of necessity – more highly prioritized by coaches. The Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers are the only squads that will actually do some version of football camping in 2025.

6. Can you name the only team to never reach a conference championship game? Probably no surprise, but the answer is the Houston Texans, the league’s youngest franchise (2002 was their first year). Yet maybe you didn’t appreciate that the Texans have reached the divisional round in three of the previous six seasons and each of the last two. If QB C.J. Stroud and Co. can manage an incremental improvement – and from the cozy confines of the AFC South, which they’ve won the past two years – maybe they’ll finally find themselves on the Super Bowl’s doorstep.

7. The number of international games the NFL will stage in 2025 – a record for one season – including Spain and Ireland for the first time.

8. And the league will again waste no time stamping passports, the Chiefs and Chargers set to meet in São Paulo, Brazil, on September 5, 24 hours after the Eagles and Cowboys play.

9. The number of total losses (against one win) the Cincinnati Bengals have in their first two games since drafting QB Joe Burrow in 2020. Just another reason they might want to figure out a new contract for disgruntled DE Trey Hendrickson, the NFL’s sack leader in 2024.

10. Did we forget about the Eagles? Oops. So they’ll try to become the 10th team in the Super Bowl era to win consecutive Lombardi Trophies on the heels of decisively snapping the Chiefs’ three-peat bid in Super Bowl 59.

11. Oddly enough, Philadelphia might have more trouble keeping its NFC East crown than the league throne. Since the Eagles ruled the division from 2001 to ’04, no team has won it in successive years – the longest such stretch for any division (MLB, NBA and NHL included), according to ESPN.

12. The recently assigned jersey number of Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders – the University of Colorado just retired his No. 2 – perhaps the most highly scrutinized fifth-round draft pick and/or fourth-string (or fifth, if you count injured Deshaun Watson) quarterback in NFL annals.

13. The Miami Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since the 2000 season, the league’s longest active streak of postseason futility and one seemingly hurtling toward a full quarter-century.

14. The number of consecutive seasons that the Jets have failed to qualify for the playoffs, the longest current drought among NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL teams.

15. The number of teams that will feature some kind of new uniform during the 2025 season, whether it’s a recently revealed throwback or alternate ones (AFC East, NFC West teams) participating in Nike’s upcoming “Rivalries” reveal.

NFL UNIFORMS RANKED WORST TO BEST: Including latest updates from Chargers, Saints, Commanders

16. In case you missed it, Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase became the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history (in terms of average annual contractual value) when he signed a four-year, $161 extension in March.

17. Chase overtook Browns DE Myles Garrett, who became the first non-QB to average $40 million per season when Cleveland pulled some Obi-Wan Kenobi stuff on him. “You don’t want to be traded. You’d rather take our money than pursue a championship.” Really good stormtrooper that Myles.

18. But expect both Chase and Garrett to be surpassed again before the season starts. Steelers OLB T.J. Watt and Cowboys DE Micah Parsons seem to be in something of a stare-down with their teams – and maybe each other – as they await their next paydays, which will almost certainly come in slightly ahead of Chase’s $40.25 million per.

19. Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson might also enter into that discussion. Although unlike Parsons and Watt, Hutchinson has two years left on his pact … and a slight burden of proof required as he continues what seems to be a remarkable comeback after breaking his tibia and fibula last October.

20. Speaking of $40 million, there’s a player carrying that cap number in 2025 even though his team hopes he won’t have to play a down. That would be Atlanta Falcons backup QB Kirk Cousins, who almost certainly won’t be traded unless another club runs headlong into an abject disaster behind center … and is willing to pay handsomely for Cousins, in terms of draft compensation, given Atlanta has already guaranteed him $100 million (including his $27.5 million base salary for the 2025 season) and would need a justifiable reason to divest itself from a guy who is almost undoubtedly the league’s best Plan B QB.

21. Speaking of cap hits, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes – they’ve combined for four of the league’s last seven MVP awards and you could argue that both should actually have three apiece – are each scheduled to have one north of $74 million in 2026. While other players have more urgent contract situations, you can bet Baltimore and Kansas City will address their respective stars’ deals, quite likely sooner rather than later. And good chance both eventually average more than $60 million annually, which is the fiscal plateau set by Dallas QB Dak Prescott last year.

22. Five rookie head coaches will be patrolling the sidelines in 2025: Glenn, Johnson, the Jaguars’ Liam Coen, Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer and Saints’ Kellen Moore.

23. The number of NBA legend Michael Jordan, whose sneaker line has Prescott as perhaps its most high-profile NFL endorser. After missing more than half of last season with a serious hamstring injury, Prescott is ready to go for camp. The Cowboys have made the playoffs in five of the seven seasons in which he’s started at least 12 times.

24. The number of different joint practice sessions that will occur this summer, valuable periods for players – particularly veterans who prefer to avoid exhibition contests but want to work against opponents in controlled environments – at a time when the preseason schedule has dwindled to three games for most teams.

25. Of the league’s 32 teams, 29 will participate in at least one joint practice – the Bengals, Chiefs and New Orleans Saints the only holdouts.

26. The Dolphins will conduct joint practices with three other clubs (Bears, Jags, Lions), most in the league this summer.

27. Let’s talk rookies. None is generating a greater sense of anticipation than WR/CB Travis Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner whom the Jaguars traded up to get at the No. 2 spot. He averaged nearly 112 snaps per game while playing offense and defense during his two seasons at Colorado and once had 149 against Stanford in a single game. No NFL player has played as many as 120 snaps in a game since at least 2012, but Jacksonville is currently open to allowing Hunter to go both ways … if not recording triple-digit snaps with any kind of regularity, if at all.

28. Las Vegas Raiders rookie RB Ashton Jeanty also enters the league with outsized expectations after rushing for 2,601 yards last season with Boise State – 28 shy of breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA record. And it’s not unprecedented for a first-year NFL player to top the rushing charts, Ezekiel Elliott (2016) and Kareem Hunt (2017) the most recent to turn that trick.

29. The Washington Commanders are something of a chic Super Bowl pick after reaching the NFC title game in 2024 behind Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. But no quarterback has followed up an OROY showing with a Super Bowl berth the following season since Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger in 2005.

30. Two rookie teammates to monitor this summer are Atlanta’s Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. Both were taken in the first round of the draft and each will be asked to rush enemy quarterbacks. Maybe one can produce the Falcons’ first double-digit sack season since 2016.

31.New Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers needs six TD passes to pass former teammate Brett Favre (508) for the fourth most in NFL history. If Rodgers can somehow fire off 37, he’d wrest third place from Peyton Manning (539).

32. And if Rodgers can defeat his original team, the Green Bay Packers, on the “Sunday Night Football” stage October 26 at Acrisure Stadium, he’ll join Favre, Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees as the only quarterbacks in history to beat all 32 NFL teams.

33. Got the first pick of your upcoming fantasy draft and wondering whom you should take? Past performance does not guarantee future returns, but here’s a vote for Chase. He won the receiving triple crown last year (127 catches, 1,708 yards, 17 TDs) and had a comfortable cushion in each category. And don’t forget Cincinnati stinks in September and can’t play defense, especially if Hendrickson holds out – so the Bengals should be chucking the rock early and often.

34. And if you’re considering Philly’s Saquon Barkley, who’s coming off arguably the best season ever by a running back … maybe think twice. (Statistical) history rarely repeats itself, and no player has led the league in yards from scrimmage in consecutive years since Tiki Barker in 2004 and ’05. No one has paced the NFL in touches in back-to-back seasons since Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson in 2001 and ’02. And given Barkley’s injury history? Just sayin’, buyer beware.

35. But if you’re hellbent on taking a running back, Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson might be the guy. He’s coming off a promising sophomore campaign, when he totaled 1,887 total yards and 15 touchdowns.

36. You might have guessed RB James Cook led the Bills with 1,267 yards from scrimmage in 2024. You might not know that WR Khalil Shakir was second on the team with 825. The perennial AFC East champs might be wise to figure out a new deal for Cook lest he decide to withhold his services.

37. Dying to see Cook play in front of Bills Mafia at Highmark Stadium? Then you better make it happen soon given the team is scheduled to move into its new building for the 2026 season.

38. Only two teams finished the 2024 regular season without any players tallying 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Not surprisingly, one was the New England Patriots. Perhaps surprisingly, the other was the Chiefs. Second-year Pats QB Drake Maye isn’t the only one who could use a little more support.

39. The last time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers failed to win the NFC South was 2020, when Brady led them to victory in Super Bowl 55 as a wild-card entry.

40. But since the start of the 2022 season, the Bucs’ average margin over the division’s second-place finisher is one game. That’s why the recent knee operation on All-Pro LT Tristan Wirfs, arguably Tampa Bay’s best player, is such a big deal and major concern. QB Baker Mayfield will face four players in the first seven weeks who collected double-digit sacks in 2024 – and that list doesn’t include Hutchinson, 49ers DE Nick Bosa or anyone from the Eagles.

41. And what an additional bummer for Wirfs, who would have been a favorite to win the league’s inaugural Protector of the Year award in 2025, which will honor the NFL’s best offensive lineman.

42. After allowing the second-most passing yards in the league in 2024 – most among playoff clubs – the Ravens signed Pro Bowl CB Jaire Alexander and selected highly regarded S Malaki Starks in the first round of the draft. Teaming them with Pro Bowl DBs Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey should make this a far more formidable secondary – and maybe the one that gets last season’s AFC North champs back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 13 years.

43. Only one team has two players who rushed for at least 1,000 yards in 2024 on its roster. That would be the Carolina Panthers, who signed Rico Dowdle from Dallas in free agency and will pair him with incumbent RB1 Chuba Hubbard.

44. It’s worth wondering if new New York Giants QB1 Russell Wilson starts more games in 2025 for the G-Men … or another team. With a $2 million base salary for the season, Wilson would be easy to trade – especially if a partner emerges when and if the Giants decide it’s time to hand the keys to rookie Jaxson Dart, which feels fairly inevitable.

45. Which division will be the most competitive? Maybe none feels more wide open than the NFC West, and Vegas seems to agree. Per BetMGM, the Seattle Seahawks are a +500 bet to win it, currently the site’s shortest odds of any projected last-place club.

46. Looking for a breakout defensive star in 2025? Keep an eye on Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper, who only started four times as a rookie in 2024 but was one of the better players at his position by season’s end.

47. Looking for a breakout offensive star in 2025? We have yet to see Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy take a regular-season snap after a preseason knee injury derailed his rookie campaign in 2024. But given the meteoric rise since-departed Sam Darnold just enjoyed in Minnesota under HC Kevin O’Connell and the supporting cast the Vikes have put around McCarthy, he’s got everything he needs to thrive two years after leading the University of Michigan to a national title.

48. Most compelling quarterback competition? If you’d rather look away from what’s happening in Indianapolis between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, then turn your eyes to New Orleans, where Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough are likely to vie for the Saints job under the watchful eyes of Moore, a former QB himself. With Derek Carr gone, expectations in the Big Easy are as low as anywhere – exactly the kind of environment that can sprout a surprise.

49. If an AFC team wins the upcoming Super Bowl, each conference will have 28 Lombardi Trophies to its credit since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Fairly remarkable comeback considering the AFC lost 13 consecutive Super Bowls between the 1984 and 1996 seasons.

50. So – again – just 50 days until the first ball that counts is kicked off at Lincoln Financial Field … and 207 until Super Bowl 60 commences in Santa Clara, California. Let’s enjoy the ride!

ATLANTA — It’s all just noise and nonsense, mental stimulation to avoid the reality of what’s really playing out. 

While we get distracted by the chum rumors of Nick Saban returning to college football, let’s not forget that the Vanderbilt quarterback called out the Alabama football team earlier this summer. 

So let’s begin with that cold slap in the face, and the undeniable question that follows: has Alabama lost its mojo? 

“We fell short at making the playoffs,” said Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. “It’s as simple as that.”

But is it? 

Is it as cut and dry as Alabama, if it had one more regular season win in DeBoer’s first season in Tuscaloosa, would’ve made the College Football Playoff and all would’ve been well in the land of The Standard is The Standard? 

Alabama had a loaded team in 2024, a roster full of four- and five-star recruits and a fourth-year quarterback (Jalen Milroe) who was one of the nation’s most exciting players in 2023. A team that won the SEC championship, and advanced (again) to the CFP before losing in overtime on the last play of the game to the team that won it all.

So it should come as no surprise that the first question DeBoer heard on the big stage at SEC Media Days, his followup performance to the unthinkable task of replacing Saban, was living up to the standard set by the greatest coach in college football history.

With the backdrop of that rumor that the Nicktator was returning to college football.

“We’ve got to be better in the big moments,” DeBoer said. “Whether it was the belief or whether it was the confidence.”

This was never going to be easy for DeBoer, or anyone who decided to jump into the meatgrinder that is Alabama football and replacing Saban. There’s a always transition, a buy-in from players recruited by one staff and playing for another. 

But not like this. Not losing to Vanderbilt, the SEC’s annual tomato can. Not losing by 21 to the worst Oklahoma team in nearly four decades — with a spot in the CFP on the line. 

Not falling to five-loss, one-dimensional Michigan in a bowl game that could’ve salvaged the season. Ten wins would’ve looked a whole lot better than nine. 

Then came the final, inglorious kick to the groin: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt’s dynamic quarterback, went on a national podcast last month and called out Alabama.

“I have no doubt we have the guys to do it,” Pavia said of beating Alabama again. 

To be fair, Pavia was responding to Tide star receiver Ryan Williams, who told Jon Gruden, “We don’t call them revenge games. We’re going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer.”

I ask you, who exactly is whistling through the graveyard here?

Pavia and his group of overlooked overachievers, or Williams and an Alabama team that had the talent to win it all last year and didn’t? An Alabama team that maybe, just maybe, took its foot off the pedal when Saban finally retired.

When the coach who demanded perfection and abhorred mediocrity – the foundation of The Standard, the secret sauce of Alabama’s mojo – decided he’d had enough and strolled to a comfortable seat in, of all places, the media. 

Saban talked endlessly about the human condition, and how many opted for doing the easy thing instead of the hard thing. The commitment it took to not only win a national title, but do it again. And again. 

When the guy pushing and prodding and emotionally and mentally motivating finally walked away, it’s only natural to think there would be a letdown. 

Like a Saban team losing by three touchdowns with the CFP on the line. Like a Saban team getting physically dominated by a five-loss Michigan team with the salve of a 10th win there for the taking.

The Alabama season last year, as much as anything, revolves around a 30-minute joy ride against Georgia last September, and 30 more white-knuckle minutes of holding on to beat the Bulldogs in a game that showed what could be. 

The good, and the bad. 

What Alabama can be under DeBoer when everything is clicking, and what the Tide will be when the taskmaster is away — and The Standard isn’t met. 

“The first year is kind of frantic with a new coach, and everybody’s unsure,” said Alabama tackle Kayden Proctor. “I would say (DeBoer) is more comfortable.”

How could he not be? He has the most talented team in the SEC, and has his right hand man (offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb) back in the fold to settle an inexperienced and uneasy quarterback room.

He has huge contract with a $60 million buyout, and more important, he has a track record of winning big. Why wouldn’t it happen at Alabama, even with the shadow of Saban hanging over his every move?

“All disrespect will be addressed,” Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson said. 

That’s not a DeBoer thing. That’s a mojo thing. 

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

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are hoping to keep their hot streak going in MLS in a huge Wednesday night clash with FC Cincinnati.

Miami may have been outmatched by mighty Paris Saint-Germain at the Club World Cup, but in MLS, the team has won five in a row thanks in no small part to its iconic captain. Messi set an MLS record on Saturday, registering his fifth consecutive league match with two or more goals. Over that stretch, Messi has 10 goals and five assists, arguably his best run of form since coming to MLS in 2023.

It won’t be easy to keep that run going at TQL Stadium, where FC Cincinnati clobbered Miami 6-1 just over one year ago. Cincinnati leads Miami by four points in the MLS standings, though Messi and Co. have three games in hand due to their Club World Cup obligations.

Here’s what to know about the MLS game between Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati, including start time and how to watch:

What time is Inter Miami at FC Cincinnati?

The MLS regular-season game between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.

How to watch Inter Miami at FC Cincinnati MLS game: TV, stream

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
Location: TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)
TV: None
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

USA TODAY Sports’ 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today.

ATLANTA — The latest twist in the quest for federal input on name, image and likeness standards in college sports reached another level Wednesday, July 16.

With the same foundational reality. 

Nothing will be easy to get through a divided Congress, and President Donald Trump holds the key to immediate action. CBS reported that Trump intends to sign an executive order on NIL, but offered no details about what might be in the order. 

When reached by USA TODAY Sports, Cody Campbell — who has spoken at length with Trump and the administration about the future of college sports — said, “I haven’t heard anything” but that it “wouldn’t be surprising.”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, who along with many in college sports has been advocating for federal intervention, told USA TODAY Sports, “The President is going to do what he wants to do.”

“I’ve read things on social media, but I also read that there would be a presidential commission,” Sankey added. “So the question with an executive order is if (Trump) does, and then what it is, and then we’ll go from there.”

There has been no announcement of a commission on college sports that previously reported in May to be part of Trump’s plans. Campbell — a Texas Tech booster and member of the school’s Board of Regents — was touted to be Trump’s point man in the process and report directly to him. 

College sports leaders have met with Congress 13 different times in an effort to gain federal intervention in the NIL process, lobbying for uniform standards and guidelines to the untethered process of players earning outside of revenue sharing with their universities.