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

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

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

Each of those eight games have assigned dates in September:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What has happened during the offseason?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sept. 11: Alexandar Georgiev signs with Sabres

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

Sept. 9: Dustin Wolf re-signs with Flames

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

Aug. 21: Frank Nazar signs extension with Blackhawks

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

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

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

Aug. 20: Victor Olofsson signs with Avalanche

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

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

Aug. 19: Milan Lucic signs tryout agreement with Blues

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

Aug. 18: Hudson Fasching signs with Blue Jackets

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

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

Aug. 15: Travis Hamonic signs with Red Wings

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

Aug. 10: Jack Johnson signs tryout agreement with Wild

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

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

Aug. 9: Nathan Bastian signs with Stars

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

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

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

Aug. 8: Avalanche re-sign Joel Kiviranta

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

Aug. 2: Nick Robertson settles before arbitration hearing

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

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

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

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

July 28: Nicklas Backstrom signs deal in Sweden

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

July 17: Maple Leafs acquire Dakota Joshua from Canucks

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

July 17: Blue Jackets’ Yegor Chinakhov requests trade

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All times Eastern. Home teams listed first.

Friday, Sept. 12

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

Watch San Diego Wave vs. Gotham FC on Prime Video

Saturday, Sept. 13

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

Sunday, Sept. 14

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

Watch Sunday’s NWSL action on Paramount+

NWSL playoffs format explained

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

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

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

What is the NWSL playoff schedule?

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

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

NWSL playoff picture: If the season ended today …

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

Home teams listed first.

Quarterfinals

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

Semifinals

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

Final

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

Who has clinched an NWSL playoff spot?

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

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

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

2025 NWSL Playoffs: Who has been eliminated from contention?

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

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

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

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

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

WINNERS

Jordan Love and Packers offense

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

Josh Jacobs

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

Micah Parsons

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

Sterling Sharpe

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

The uprights

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

LOSERS

Jayden Daniels and Commanders offense

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

Jerry Jones

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

Terry McLaurin

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

Matthew Golden

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

Josh Conerly Jr.

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

Uniform variants

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

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

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

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

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

Where to watch Red Sox vs Yankees

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

Watch Yankees vs. Red Sox on Apple TV+

What time is Yankees vs. Red Sox game?

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

HOUSTON — Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is set to start a new quarterback in Friday’s game at Houston – a redshirt sophomore who was listed as the team’s third-string QB less than a week ago.

But it’s not because Colorado’s other two top quarterbacks played poorly or got injured.

Sanders instead is going off of his gut – and what he saw in last week’s 31-7 win against Delaware, when he gave a tryout of sorts to Ryan Staub, then the third-string QB. Staub entered the game with 45 seconds left in the first half and the Buffaloes leading 10-7. By the time he left the game in the second half, the Buffs were up 31-7 after Staub threw touchdown passes of 21 and 71 yards.

Staub played like a gunslinger with a killer instinct, outplaying Colorado’s previous starter, Kaidon Salter, and the previous No. 2 quarterback, freshman Julian Lewis.

Though Sanders declined to confirm this week that Staub would start tonight against Houston (2-0) tonight for Colorado (1-1), several signs and statements indicate he will. It could be his big chance.

Follow along here for updates, news and highlights from the Colorado vs. Houston matchup:

When is Colorado vs Houston game?

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 12 from TDECU Stadium in Houston.

How to watch Colorado vs Houston

The game will be televised on ESPN and also is available on Fubo.

Watch Colorado vs. Houston on Fubo with a free trial

Colorado vs Houston odds

College football odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook; Odds updated Sept. 11. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Spread: Houston (-4.5)
Moneyline: Houston (-200), Colorado (+165)
Total: 45.5 points

Announcers for Colorado vs Houston

ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Anish Shroff will call the game along with former Houston quarterback Andre Ware, the 1989 Heisman Trophy winner. They will be joined by sideline reporter Paul Carcaterra.

Colorado injury update

Wide receiver Omarion Miller is expected to be out a second consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Running back Dallan Hayden could make his season debut if he comes back from a hand injury.

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

Ryan Staub, who started the season as Colorado’s third-string quarterback, is now poised to become the team’s new starter.
Former interim head coach Mike Sanford, who originally recruited Staub, believes he is the best quarterback on the roster.
Despite being overlooked in favor of a transfer and a top recruit, Staub chose to remain at Colorado and work for his chance.

A former University of Colorado interim football coach has been predicting this would happen for quite some time.

It’s kind of a crazy story: Ryan Staub, who started the season as the third-string quarterback at Colorado, is now on track to become the new No. 1 QB for Colorado under coach Deion Sanders. Staub might even run away with the job if he performs well in Colorado’s next game Friday at Houston.

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He’s that good, said Mike Sanford, who served as Colorado’s interim coach before Sanders was hired in December 2022. Sanford said he’s been “predicting this for kind of a while” based on his knowledge of Staub and how he stacks up against the other two top quarterbacks at Colorado.

“My take is he’s the best quarterback of the three, period, no matter how they got there,” Sanford said in an interview this week with USA TODAY Sports. “The world of football still comes down to a meritocracy, and whoever’s the best ultimately is going to have the opportunity to get out there and play.”

Sanford recruited Ryan Staub to Colorado before Deion Sanders

Sanford, now the coach at Valor Christian High in Colorado, has an admitted bias: He’s the coach who recruited Staub out of Southern California and helped persuade him to commit to Colorado about 10 months before Sanders arrived in Boulder. Sanford also counseled Staub after Sanders brought his son Shedeur with him to quarterback the Buffaloes in 2023 and 2024.

Sanford was let go by Colorado after the team finished 1-11 in 2022. But Staub stuck with his commitment and served as Shedeur’s backup in Sanders’ first two seasons at Colorado.

For those outside the program, this made Staub easy to overlook. He rarely played except for a 23-17 loss at Utah in the final game of 2023, when Shedeur sat out with a fractured back.

Then when Shedeur left for the NFL, Colorado installed two newcomers in front of Staub for 2025: Transfer Kaidon Salter, who led Liberty to a 13-1 season in 2023, and Julian “JuJu” Lewis, a four-star freshman recruit.

Sanford still believed. He just wasn’t sure Staub would get an opportunity.

“I didn’t know he’d get that chance, that legitimate chance, because his arrival to CU didn’t follow the narrative to CU that probably a lot of people want with the current CU program, which is a five-star (recruit) or major transfer who had been a really significant player,” Sanford said.

Deion Sanders gave him that chance last week in a 31-7 win at home against Delaware.

Ryan Staub’s unlikely shot under Deion Sanders

Colorado listed Staub as the No. 3 quarterback behind Salter and Lewis before both of the team’s games this season. Salter was the only quarterback who played in the season opener against Georgia Tech, a 27-20 loss. After that, Sanders said Lewis would get his first college playing time against Delaware, which he did when he came off the bench for two drives in the second quarter, both of which ended in punts.

But then came the unexpected twist. As part of a tryout of sorts, Sanders put in Staub with 45 seconds in the first half, with the Buffs leading 10-7. Staub missed on his first two passes. But then he took over, completing a 31-yard pass and then a 21-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left before halftime. Then on his team’s first drive after halftime, he hurled a third-down pass for a 71-yard touchdown. By the time he left the game, the Buffs were up 31-7 after he led them on three touchdown drives in four possessions.

“This is a real-life story that’s happening right before your eyes,” Deion Sanders said at a news conference Tuesday.

Sanders said his goal in the Delaware game was to give each quarterback two series initially and then “somebody was going to come out of the pack.”

Sanders wouldn’t confirm if Staub would start at Houston Friday but acknowledged Staub has been getting a majority of the practice reps this week. He also said after the game last week that he had made up his mind about his next move at quarterback. “I’m not lost for direction,” he said.

Ryan Staub’s origin story at Colorado

Staub played high school football at West Ranch High in Stevenson Ranch, California, north of Los Angeles. It’s close to Interstate 5 near Six Flags Magic Mountain and is situated in a “dang wind tunnel,” as Sanford remembers it when he visited him there as Colorado’s offensive coordinator under then-head coach Karl Dorrell.

“I went out there to watch him throw,” Sanford said. “He was sweet, man, really, really good throwing session, did not miss throws. … I was super impressed that here’s a guy who’s not super tall (6-foot-1) and doesn’t have massive hands, and he just consistently was just piercing into headwinds, piercing it and throwing super accurate passes to two or three of his high school receivers. He just didn’t miss.”

Staub wasn’t highly recruited but got some scholarship offers, including from Arizona before committing to Colorado. He led his high school team to a 19-4 record as a starter and had 5,422 yards passing along with 687 yards rushing on 66 carries. Besides his throwing ability, Sanford admired his humble but confident character and marveled at his running ability.

‘I was shocked at how he was willing to put his face in the fan and get physical,’ Sanford said.

Staub then waited his turn at Colorado even though it didn’t look like it would ever come.

He could have transferred for a better chance elsewhere but didn’t. Why not?

“To be honest, I don’t know,” Staub said after the Delaware game. “I kind of fell in love with the process. I really enjoyed being here. I enjoyed being in this building under our coach. … I didn’t really know where I was at. I stuck my head down and just decided to keep working. And I got rewarded for that.”

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