The Texas Longhorns handed the UCLA Bruins their first loss of the season. 

No. 4 Texas defeated No. 3 UCLA, 76-65, at the Players Era Women’s Championship semifinal in Las Vegas’ Michelob ULTRA Arena on Wednesday after the Bruins’ double-digit comeback fell short.

Texas was dominant in the first half and led by as many as 23 points, but UCLA seized some momentum toward the end of the the third quarter and went on a 22-3 run to come within four points of the Longhorns with 4:26 remaining in the game. Texas didn’t panic and Rori Harmon took over.

“In those moments, we understand that the game is about runs, whether we’re going on our run or they’re going on their run,’ Booker said. ‘We have to keep our composure. We have all faith and trust in what we do and trust in each other. We just came together and understood what was at stake here. We just wanted to win that bad.”

Texas forward Madison Booker pickpocketed UCLA’s Gianna Kneepkens with 48 seconds left in the game, marking the Bruins’ 19th turnover. UCLA then fouled Harmon, who knocked down both free throws to go up 72-64. Harmon intercepted Charlisse Leger-Walker’s inbound pass on the next possession, marking the Bruins’ 20th turnover of the game, a season-high for coach Cori Close’s squad. Harmon made both free throws.

Harmon scored every field goal for Texas in the fourth quarter. The senior guard finished with a season-high 26 points, five assists, three rebounds, one steal and one turnover. Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said Harmon’s ‘gutsy’ performance proved she’s ‘the best point guard in the country.’

‘In the fourth quarter, she was about the only one that looked like she wanted it, so I was emptying the playbook for her,’ Schaefer said postgame. ‘She made some big shots for us.’

Booker added 16 points (6-of-17 FG, 1-of-4 3PT), seven rebounds and five assists.

Kiki Rice had a big fourth quarter to get the Bruins back in it. She was struggling early, shooting 1-of-7 from the field, before exploding for 11 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter. Kneepkens also added 17 points in the losing effort, while Betts was held to eight points and seven rebounds.

Both teams are coming off a Final Four appearance last season. UCLA was ousted from the 2025 NCAA Tournament by the UConn Huskies in a lopsided 85-51 loss, while Texas lost to South Carolina, 74-57.

Catch up with USA TODAY Sports’ live updates and highlights from the top-5 showdown between UCLA and Texas:

End of Q3: Texas 62, UCLA 47

UCLA appeared to settle down in the third quarter and outscored Texas 22-17 in the frame, cutting the Bruins’ deficit to 15 points heading into the fourth quarter. Can UCLA continue this momentum and make a comeback?

Texas has maintained control of the contest through three quarters. Rori Harmon has a team-high 16 points and she’s one of four players to reach double digits for Texas. Madison Booker added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Jordan Lee added 13 points, four assists, two steals and two blocks.

Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker have combined for 27 of UCLA’s 47 points. The Bruins must take better care of the ball if they want to get back into this game. UCLA is up to 15 turnovers.

Lauren Betts returns after going down with injury

Betts appeared to injure her left arm after wrestling for a loose ball with Madison Booker. The incident happened with 9:32 remaining in the third quarter when Booker stripped Betts of the ball and Betts’ arm appeared to bend at an awkward angle as they both fell to the floor. Betts stayed down on the court in pain as play continued on the other side of the court. She was able to get up under her own power and ran straight back to the locker room. Betts returned from the locker room and entered the game with 7:03 remaining.

Halftime: Texas 45, UCLA 25

The first half has been all Texas so far. The Longhorns have dominated the Bruins on both sides of the ball and have a 20-point lead. 

Three Texas players are in double-digits, led by Madison Bookers’ 13 points, five rebounds and two assists. Rori Harmon and Jordan Lee, who got the Longhorns going early, each have 10 points in the first half. Justice Carlton added eight points and four rebounds off the bench. 

Texas’ defense has been suffocating, holding UCLA to only 10 points in the first quarter and 15 points in the second. The Longhorns have forced the Bruins into 10 turnovers and are winning the rebound battle (18-14). 

Charlisse Leger-Walker leads UCLA with nine points, but she’s been limited to 13 minutes after picking up two early fouls. Lauren Betts added six points and four rebounds. The team is collectively shooting 12-of-27 from the field and 1-of-4 from the 3-point line. 

Texas’ Justice Carlton down a shoe

No shoe, no problem. Texas sophomore forward Justice Carlton was battling for an offensive rebound with 5:38 seconds remaining in the second quarter when UCLA’s Kiki Rice inadvertently stepped on Carlton’s shoe. Carlton didn’t stop playing and ran back on defense with only one shoe. Texas head coach Vic Schaefer sent in a substitute for Carlton so she could lace up her sneakers. Carlton has six points and four rebounds (three offensive rebounds) in eight minutes off the bench.

End of Q1: Texas 20, UCLA 10

The Texas women’s basketball team closed the first quarter on a 10-2 run to push their lead over UCLA to 10 points heading into the second quarter. 

Texas senior guard Rori Harmon was doing a bit of everything. Harmon has a team-high six points, shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. She also drew two offensive fouls on the Bruins in the first quarter. 

Five different players have scored for Texas. The team is shooting 47% from the field, but 0-of-4 from beyond the arc. The offense isn’t the only thing churning. Texas’ defense has been stout and the Longhorns forced the Bruins into seven turnovers.

Lauren Betts has two points for UCLA.

Texas takes early lead over UCLA

We’re underway in Las Vegas. The Longhorns have looked like the more aggressive team to start and jumped to a 8-4 lead over the Bruins with 6:14 remaining in the first quarter. 

Texas forced UCLA into two early turnovers and have held the Bruins to 2-of-6 shooting from the field.

Jordan Lee and Rori Hamon lead the Longhorns with four points each. Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gabriela Jaquez each have two points for the Bruins. 

What time is UCLA vs. Texas women’s basketball?

No. 3 UCLA (6-0) faces No. 4 Texas (5-0) in the Players Era Women’s Championship at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

UCLA vs. Texas: TV, streaming

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 26
Time: 2 p.m. ET (11 p.m. PT)
Location: Michelob ULTRA Arena (Las Vegas)
TV: truTV
Stream: Fubo

UCLA women’s basketball starting lineups

Lauren Betts, C
Kiki Rice, G
Gabriela Jaquez, G
Gianna Kneepkens, G
Charlisse Leger-Walker, G

Texas women’s basketball starting lineup

Rori Harmon, G
Jordan Lee, G
Breya Cunningham, F
Teya Sidberry, F
Madison Booker, F

Texas women’s basketball warms up

Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer and his team ready for their matchup against the Bruins.

Who’s ready for No. 3 vs. No. 4?

Nothing like a little Wednesday morning hoops.

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Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett had another huge performance in his team’s Week 12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and perhaps this time he was simply showing out for the Olympian in his life.

After months of rumors about Garrett’s relationship status, the all-Pro defensive lineman and Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim appeared to confirm they are a couple when Kim showed up on the sidelines for Cleveland’s most recent game. Kim could be seen wishing Garrett good luck, then apologizing for getting make-up on his jersey, as Garrett took pictures with Kim and her family, and then leaned in for a kiss in a video released on social media by the Browns.

“Thank you, love,” Garrett said to Kim before running back onto the field. 

Garrett, 29, leads the NFL with 18 sacks this season, including 14 over the past five games. The 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is on pace to set the single-season sacks record set by Michael Strahan (22.5). Kim, 25, is the two-time defending Olympic gold medalist in the women’s halfpipe and will attempt to become the first three-peat winner in the event at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.

Here’s the timeline behind this relationship of two elite athletes that, until recently, had been mostly kept private:

Myles Garrett-Chloe Kim relationship timeline

May 25, 2025: Garrett and Kim are first romantically linked after making a public appearance together on the red carpet at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Japan.
July 25, 2025: Kim attends Day 3 of Browns training camp as a guest of Garrett.
Aug. 14, 2025: Kim attends the Browns’ joint practice against the Philadelphia Eagles and chronicles the experience by posting photos of her visit on social media.
Nov. 17, 2025: Kim didn’t mention Garrett by name in an interview with People about her love for Nintendo and video games, but noted ‘even my boyfriend, he’s so good at video games, so it’s just fun.’
Nov. 23, 2025: Garrett and Kim share a sideline kiss in front of the cameras before the Browns’ 24-10 win over the Raiders. Garrett had three sacks in the game.

USA TODAY Sports writers ranked the top 10 greatest and most heated rivalries in college football.
The rankings were determined by a panel of college writers who scored their top 10 rivalries.

For millions of Americans, Thanksgiving Week offers the opportunity to reflect on the things for which they are most thankful in life — friends and family often among them.

For college football fans, it also marks Rivalry Week, offering a chance to get back at hated rivals and gloat over fallen foes (which often include the aforementioned friends and family).

College football is a sport whose foundation is built on its most heated rivalries. And because the sport lends itself to rankings more than any other — we have three major polls running concurrently, after all — USA TODAY Sports’ panel of college writers has endeavored to rank the top 10 greatest, most heated, most vitriolic and impactful rivalries in the sport.

Each panelist ranked their top rivalries one through 10, with top-ranked rivalries earning 10 points, No. 2 rivalries earning nine points, and so on. Each writer’s top 10 were tallied, creating a consensus ranking that surely will be met with universal acclaim and generate no heated discussions whatsoever.

But hey — even if it does, that’s what rivalries are for, right? With that, here is USA TODAY Sports’ top 10 college football rivalries:

Our top 10 college football rivalries

10. Miami vs Florida State

Though the rivalry may have fallen off in recent years, these teams were once the pinnacle of college football across the 1980s and ’90s. And they hated each other every minute of it.

The Hurricanes and Seminoles combined for six national titles across those two decades, and met 15 times as ranked opponents from 1983 through 1999 (including four times as top-five teams).

9. Florida vs Georgia

Though it no longer holds that moniker, ‘The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,’ traditionally held in Jacksonville, Florida, has been the site of many heated meetings between the Gators and Bulldogs. Who can forget when Georgia emptied its benches to celebrate a Knowshon Moreno touchdown in 2007? Or Urban Meyer’s 2008 rebuttal, when he called his timeouts in the final minute of a 49-10 beatdown?

8. Mississippi vs Mississippi State (Egg Bowl)

What the Egg Bowl typically lacks in high stakes it more than makes up for with vitriol.

Look no further than 2019, which saw Ole Miss receiver Elijah Moore catch a touchdown with four seconds remaining to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 21-20, with only an extra-point attempt separating the teams. Moore celebrated by imitating a urinating dog on Mississippi State’s field, moving the ball back and causing a missed PAT.

Nowhere else but in the Egg Bowl.

7. Pittsburgh vs West Virginia (Backyard Brawl)

One of the gems of the old Big East, the Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia is perhaps best remembered for that legendary 2007 meeting between the 4-7 Panthers and a Mountaineers team ranked No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) rankings.

All that stood in the way of a West Virginia title game berth was a Panthers team that, instead of rolling over, shocked the college football world with a 13-9 upset over the heavily favored Mountaineers. It remains one of the biggest upsets in the rivalry — and, indeed, college football.

6. BYU vs Utah (Holy War)

BYU and Utah, the two biggest universities in the state of Utah, engage in a rivalry dubbed the Holy War: a nod to both universities’ ties to the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). The Utes and Cougars are also among a select few programs in college football who play in a color-on-color rivalry, with BYU’s blue clashing against Utah’s red almost as viciously as the players wearing them.

5. USC vs Notre Dame

What do you get when you mix two of college football’s most iconic programs — one from Southern California, and the other from the Midwest?

You get USC vs. Notre Dame, one of the best rivalries in college football. It includes a combined 22 claimed national championships and 15 Heisman Trophy winners. Don’t forget the Jeweled Shillelagh, one of college football’s most visually striking trophies, either.

4. Army-Navy Game

No college football game has more gravitas or pageantry than the Army-Navy Game, held each year as the ceremonial final game of the regular season and taking place after both conference championship weekend and the College Football Playoff selection show. The service members from each school don their respective uniforms, contributing to one of the best spectacles in college football.

3. Texas vs Oklahoma (Red River Rivalry)

New conference, same-old hate.

Texas and Oklahoma may not play during Rivalry Week, but that’s simply because the Longhorns and Sooners have one of the best rivalry backdrops in college football: The Cotton Bowl — colored crimson on one half of the stadium and burnt orange on the other — hosts the game every year during the State Fair of Texas in early October.

Who says teams need to wait till Thanksgiving to hate each other, anyway?

2. Alabama vs Auburn (Iron Bowl)

The Iron Bowl has some of the best-named games in all of college football, from ‘Punt Bama Punt’ in 1972 to ‘Wrong Way Bo’ in 1984. In recent years, the list of games has grown to include ‘The Drive’ in 2009, the ‘Camback’ in 2010 and ‘Kick Six’ in 2013.

In recent history, the Crimson Tide and Tigers’ rivalry arguably reached its zenith from 2009 through 2013, a run that saw them win four combined national titles and nearly win the 2013 BCS championship (courtesy of that legendary Kick Six, which kept Alabama from three-peating).

In true rivalry form, the Crimson Tide got back at the Tigers on the 10-year-anniversary of that play with its own miraculous ‘Fourth-and-31’ in 2023.

1. Ohio State vs Michigan (The Game)

Ohio State and Michigan’s rivalry is marked not only by great players and impactful moments, but also entire eras of college football.

There’s the 10-Year War between Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes, and Michigan’s dominance over the beleaguered John Cooper in the 1980s and ’90s. (He went 2-10-1 against that most hated of rivals, a fact Wolverines fans understandably revel in).

Jim Tressel went 9-1 vs. ‘That Team Up North’ through the early 2000s, while Urban Meyer lived up to his predecessor with a seven-year unbeaten streak from 2012-18. The pendulum has since swung back in the Wolverines’ favor in recent years, with Michigan downing the Buckeyes four straight seasons — a span of time in which both teams have won national titles.

What else do you expect from a rivalry as ubiquitous as ‘The Game’?

Other notable college football rivalries

Below are the rivalries that received at least one vote from USA TODAY Sports’ panelists:

Alabama-Tennessee (Third Saturday in October)
Florida vs. Florida State
Harvard vs. Yale (The Game)
Montana vs. Montana State (Brawl of the Wild)
Georgia vs. Georgia Tech (Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate)
Texas-Texas A&M (Lone Star Showdown)
Oklahoma vs. Nebraska
Cal vs. Stanford (The Big Game)
Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
Iowa-Minnesota
North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State

The Milwaukee Bucks are reeling, but help could be on the way soon.

Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t played in more than a week after suffering a strained adductor in the Bucks’ Nov. 17 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Milwaukee, in turn, hasn’t won a game since then and enters its NBA Cup matchup against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, Nov. 26, riding a five-game losing streak. Antetokounmpo is part of a growing list of marquee players out due to injury during the opening weeks of the 2025-26 NBA season.

The good news is Antetokounmpo’s injury status was changed recently by the team after he missed three games in a row. Is the Bucks star due back to the court earlier than expected? Here’s the latest on Antetokounmpo’s injury situation:

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing today?

Maybe. Antetokounmpo is listed as questionable for the Bucks’ NBA Cup game against the Heat on the NBA’s most recent injury report filed at 12:30 p.m. ET. That’s a step in the right direction after being ruled out early on before the previous three games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update

The 30-year-old forward has missed Milwaukee’s past three games after suffering an adductor strain in a Nov. 17 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coach Doc Rivers said at the time Antetokounmpo was scheduled to undergo an MRI the next day. He was initially expected to miss one to two weeks of action, according to ESPN.

Giannis stats

Antetokounmpo is averaging 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 13 games for the Bucks this season.

The premier multi-team event of Thanksgiving week is set to crown a champion on Wednesday, Nov. 26 in the Players Era Festival.

A 18-team tournament has played two full days of hoops in Las Vegas, providing early season tests to March Madness hopefuls. While it appears like a tournament, it’s far from a traditional setup with an obvious bracket that determining a champion and other placings.

Instead the format uses formula to determine if teams have a chance at the crown, meaning teams that win all three of their games may still not win the championship.

It’s caused quite a bit of confusing in the college basketball world − and brought questions as to if it’s good for the sport. With the Player’s Era Festival reaching its final days, here’s what to understand about it.

How Player’s Era tournament championship is determined

The Player’s Era uses standings created after every team played its first two set games on Monday, Nov. 23 and Tuesday, Nov. 24. The order is determined by:

Win/loss record
Head-to-head record
Point differential (capped at 20 points per game)
Total points scored
Total points allowed
Associated Press ranking as of Monday, Nov. 24

The tournament encourages not just winning, but winning by a lot. It is similar to how the NBA Cup determines its teams.

Player’s Era tournament results, standings and bracket

Player’s Era tournament championship, third place game

Given the criteria, the games for Wednesday match the top four teams.

Michigan vs. Gonzaga in the Player’s Era championship game
Tennessee vs. Kansas in the Player’s Era third-place game

The rest of the consolation matchups use different criteria. Most notably, the matchups are made to avoid games against teams from the same conference and avoid contests between teams that have already played or are scheduled to play each other later this season.

A majority of the consolation games will take place on Nov. 26, with the bottom four teams playing their games on Thursday, Nov. 27.

There is so confusion and frustration since not every team played the same teams or caliber of opponent. For example, Tennessee had arguably the best win of the tournament against No. 2 Houston, but the Volunteers won’t get to play for first place.

Also, Kansas gets into the third-place game despite not playing any ranked opponents, while unbeaten Iowa State was denied despite a ranked win over St. John’s.

Player’s Era tournament payout: How much are players paid?

Tournament CEO Seth Berger said every team in the tournament will receive ‘over $1 million on average’ in name, image and likeness compensation, although exact value remains unclear. However, those in the championship and third-place game will get a bigger prize.

Berger added the tournament winner will receive an additional $1 million in NIL compensation, while the second-place finisher gets $500,000. Third place will receive a$300,000 and the fourth-place finisher gets $200,000.

Player’s Era tournament schedule

Wednesday, Nov. 26

Syracuse vs. No. 13 Iowa State | 1 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)
Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Houston | 3:30 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)
Third-place game: Kansas vs. No. 16 Tennessee | 7 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)
No. 16 St. John’s vs. No. 25 Auburn | 8 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)
Championship game: No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 10 Gonzaga | 9:30 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)
Baylor vs. San Diego State | 10:30 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)
Maryland vs. No. 9 Alabama | 11:59 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)

Thursday, Nov. 27

Oregon vs. Creighton | 2 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)

UNLV vs. Rutgers | 4:30 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)

The College Football Playoff selection committee faces pressure in the final week of the regular season.
The top 11 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll either won or had the week off, leading to a relatively quiet week in the rankings.
Major games in the final week and conference championships will determine the final playoff field set for Dec. 7.

It’s the final week of the regular season, and the pressure is rising on the College Football Playoff selection committee.

It was a relatively quiet past week as the top 11 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll either won or had the week off. However, there is sure to be changes with huge games coming before the field is set on Dec. 7. Is the selection committee getting the latest rankings right? Or are some teams undeservingly getting boosts or put down with not much time left?

The weekend is the final chance for every team to make its case before only a few advance to conference championship games. Here are the grades for every spot in the College Football Playoff ranking heading into Week 14.

1. Ohio State: A+

Pretty sure the Buckeyes are solely focused on beating Michigan before thinking about anything else.

2. Indiana: A+

Beat Big Ten cellar-dweller Purdue and a first-round bye is nearly wrapped up for Indiana.

3. Texas A&M: A+

The SEC title game is far from clinched with the Aggies having to play at Texas. The could get there with a loss if other results fall right.

4. Georgia: A+

Even though Georgia Tech lost last week, Georgia would earn a quality win by beating the Yellow Jackets that could help it secure a first-round bye.

5. Texas Tech: B+

The Red Raiders are positioned to be in the playoff as long as they beat West Virginia, but it was a tad bit surprising to see them not get jumped by Oregon.

6. Oregon: A-

With that much-needed signature win against Southern California, Oregon gets a more secure spot. It could have moved up into the top five.

7. Mississippi: A

The Rebels should have given up a spot to Oregon, and now a spot in the playoff doesn’t seem as secured without a win at Mississippi State.

8. Oklahoma: B+

Beat LSU and the Sooners can feel good about their chances to make the field.

9. Notre Dame: A-

While Notre Dame putting up 70 points is cool, scoring that much against Syracuse isn’t much to brag about.

10. Alabama: B-

The playoff is still in the Crimson Tide’s hands, but Alabama fans are probably nervous heading into the Iron Bowl.

11. Brigham Young: C

It looks like it’ll be Big 12 title or bust for BYU to get in. A defeat of Central Florida puts the Cougars one win away.

12. Miami: A

Boasting one of the best resumes, moving Miami even one spot is a notable jump. Now what could a win against Pittsburgh do?

13. Utah: A+

Utah’s spot always felt confusing, but there seems to be clarity the Utes have reached their ceiling and need a lot of help.

14. Vanderbilt: B

Would a win over Tennessee do anything for Vanderbilt to get into the field? It doesn’t feel likely.

15. Michigan: F

Certainly interesting to move Michigan up so much considering it doesn’t have a ranked win. It feels like beating Ohio State gets the Wolverines in.

16. Texas: D-

Even moving up a spot, Texas got jumped past Michigan, which should enrage the Longhorns. They’ve got a chance against Texas A&M to make their case but that’s a lot of ground to make up.

17. Southern California: C-

The committee was gracious in not dropping USC down too many spots when it was justified to do so.

18. Virginia: B

The win over Duke in Week 12 was notable, but the ACC title is the only viable way for the Cavaliers to get in.

19. Tennessee: C-

Still without a signature win, the Volunteers continue to make other teams look good by being ranked in the top 20.

20. Arizona State: B-

The only team to beat Texas Tech has played well recently, and Arizona State can add another key win in the battle for the Territorial Cup.

21. Southern Methodist: A-

Being ranked helped with seeding should SMU find its way back into the field. However, the earlier losses turned out to be worse than when they happened.

22. Pittsburgh: A+

It was a complete performance in the win over Georgia Tech, and it kept the Panthers alive in the ACC race.

23. Georgia Tech: D+

It’s a big drop for the Yellow Jackets, and even without any notable wins, it’s hard to justify.

24. Tulane: C+

25. Arizona: B-

This one feels pretty random over some worthy Group of Five teams, but the Wildcats have played well in this four-game win streak.

As the college football world waits on Lane Kiffin’s decision, another coaching domino is reportedly falling on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

According to UConn athletic director David Benedict, Jim Mora is leaving the Huskies to take the open head coaching position at Colorado State. The Rams have yet to announce Mora’s hiring.

‘We are grateful for Coach Mora’s contributions to UConn over the past four seasons. He took on the challenge of rebuilding our football program and delivered results that exceeded expectations,’ Benedict said in a statement shared on X. ‘Under his leadership, the Huskies won 27 games and achieved bowl eligibility in three of his four seasons, including back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in program history.

‘Coach Mora brought energy and a winning culture back to UConn football and put our program back on the national stage.’

UConn offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis will serve as UConn’s interim coach, Benedict said.

Before Mora took the UConn job in 2022, the Huskies had not won nine games since 2007. Following a 9-16 mark in his first two seasons, Mora has led UConn to back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2024 and 2025.

In 2025, the Huskies went 9-3, which included wins over ACC foes in Boston College and Duke. All three of UConn’s defeats this season came in overtime.

Colorado State ― which fired Jay Norvell on Oct. 19 ― is joining the Pac-12 next season and looking for stability after cycling through three different head coaches since 2019 in Mike Bobo, Steve Addazio and Norvell.

Mora, 64, has a career 73-53 record as a head coach across 10 seasons. He served as the UCLA head coach from 2012 to 2017, posting a 46-30 record across six seasons, including eight wins or more in four of those years.

His career has also included stints as an NFL head coach with the Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and the Seattle Seahawks (2009), as well as various assistant coaching positions in college and the NFL.

Mora is the third hire of the cycle. Oklahoma State announced the hiring of North Texas football coach Eric Morris on Tuesday, Nov. 25, the second coaching hiring of the 2025 coaching carousel. James Franklin was introduced as the Virginia Tech head coach on Nov. 19.

Jim Mora Jr. coaching record

2012: UCLA, 9-5 (Holiday Bowl)
2013: UCLA, 10-3 (Sun Bowl)
2014: UCLA, 10-3 (Alamo Bowl)
2015: UCLA, 8-5 (Foster Farms Bowl)
2016: UCLA, 4-8
2017: UCLA, 5-6
2022: UConn, 6-7 (Myrtle Beach Bowl)
2023: UConn, 3-9
2024: UConn, 9-4 (Fenway Bowl)
2025: UConn, 9-3
Overall record: 73-53 (.579)

Jim Mora Jr. age

Jim Mora Jr. turned 64 on Nov. 19.

Jim Mora Jr. contract

UConn was paying Jim Mora Jr. $2,169,000 this past season.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic has been on an absolute tear in the early part of the season as the Pacific Division leaders make their way through the NBA Cup tournament, but the five-time All-NBA performer had a pointed gripe about the home court.

The Lakers routed the Los Angeles Clippers 135-118 on Tuesday, and Doncic had a game-high 43 points with 13 assists and nine rebounds, but getting those buckets caused a problem.

‘Adjust the courts, please. It’s just slippery. It’s dangerous,’ Doncic said after the game. ‘I slipped. I slipped a lot of times and you could see a lot of players slipped. And that’s dangerous, man.’

Doncic said the problem with the floor was noticed during pregame warmups, and workers attempted to remove excess moisture from the court, to no avail.

The Lakers share Crypto.com Arena with the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL, who played a home game on Monday before the arena was converted back to an NBA court for the game against the Clippers.

‘Sometimes courts just don’t dry well when there’s condensation on it,’ Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

Los Angeles, which clinched a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals and earned each player at least $53,000, will be back at home on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks.