Major League Baseball’s 2026 schedule features the earliest traditional Opening Day in history.

The league announced next year’s 162-game schedule and while the season officially begins on March 25 with the San Francisco Giants hosting the New York Yankees in primetime, baseball’s other 28 clubs start their campaigns on March 26. That’s a day earlier than the league’s previous earliest Opening Day (excluding special season-openers and international openers) of March 27.

The 2026 All-Star festivities will be held in Philadelphia in July, with the 96th edition of the Midsummer Classic scheduled for July 14 at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia is hosting the All-Star Game for the first time since 1996, back when the Phillies played at Veterans Stadium.

MLB also had to work around match days for the 2026 World Cup, scheduling a June doubleheader between the Mariners and Boston Red Sox to avoid a soccer game on Friday in Seattle. The schedule also includes built-in off days to accommodate matches in Arlington, Texas, Philadelphia and Kansas City.

The 2026 regular season comes to an end on Sunday, Sept. 27.

Here’s a look at some of the key dates on MLB’s 2026 schedule:

March 25: Yankees at Giants on Opening Night

Aaron Judge and the Yankees visit Oracle Park to officially start the 2026 regular season in a showdown between two of MLB’s marquee franchises. The rivalry dates back more than a century to the GIants’ days in New York, with the teams’ first matchup coming in the 1921 World Series. It’s the second time in four years that the teams are meeting in their season openers, further normalizing the interleague matchup that had never occurred in the regular season prior before 2002.

March 26: Opening Day proper

MLB’s other 28 teams begin their season on Thursday, March 26, the earliest traditional Opening Day in the history of baseball. Here’s a look at all the matchups

Red Sox at Reds
Pirates at Mets
Athletics at Blue Jays
Twins at Orioles
Rangers at Phillies
Royals at Braves
Rockies at Marlins
Angels at Astros
Nationals at Cubs
Rays at Cardinals
White Sox at Brewers
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Tigers at Padres
Guardians at Mariners

April 15: Jackie Robinson Day

All 30 teams are in action on Jackie Robinson Day in 2026, with the epicenter of baseball’s annual celebration being a perfectly-timed Dodgers-Mets game in Los Angeles. MLB retired Robinson’s No. 42 in 1997, 50 years after he broke the color barrier and became the league’s first Black player. But on April 15, players around the league all wear the number.

June 8-10, June 10-12: Athletics in Las Vegas

Based in Sacramento until moving to Sin City in 2028, the Athletics will host two series at the minor league Las Vegas Ballpark in June, giving a preview to their future fans in Nevada.

July 13: Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park

The Phillies’ stadium is one of the most homer-happy parks in baseball, so expect some gaudy totals in the 2026 Derby. Will Bryce Harper participate? The two-time MVP last took part in 2018 at Nationals Park, winning the slugfest in front of his then-hometown fans in Washington.

July 14: MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia

The 96th edition of the Midsummer Classic is the first in Philadelphia since 1996 at Veterans Stadium. The American League has won 10 of the last 12 All-Star Games, but the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber won the MVP award in the National League’s 2025 victory.

Sept. 27: Regular season ends

We won’t know for 13 months what’s at stake on the final day of the 2026 regular season, but playoff races have gone down to Game 162 in each of the past two seasons. MLB implemented its current expanded postseason in 2022, featuring three wild-card teams from each league.

It’s official: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are getting married.

The pop star shared the news Tuesday on Instagram, with a photo showing the Kansas City Chiefs tight end proposing to her.

‘Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,’ the caption of the post read.

Long live the Eras Tour with our enchanting book

Kelce and Swift have been romantically linked since 2023, when Kelce made overtures to the 14-time Grammy winner on his ‘New Heights’ podcast. They began dating shortly thereafter and Swift became a staple at Chiefs games.

Now, after two years, the two have decided they want their love story to continue forever and always.

Naturally, Kelce and Swift’s big news took the sports world by storm. Attention quickly shifted away from the NFL roster cuts and to the union between the four-time All-Pro first teamer and the world’s biggest pop star.

Below is a look at the most notable sports world reactions to the Kelce and Swift engagement.

‘Two of the most genuine people meet & fall in love. Just so happy for these two,’ Brittany Mahomes said on Instagram.

This story will be updated.

The Browns officially placed Watson on the PUP list on Tuesday, Aug. 26, because of an Achilles injury.
Watson initially tore his Achilles on Oct. 20. He ruptured it again during the offseason.
Watson is expected to miss a majority, if not all, of the 2025 season.

The Browns officially placed Watson on the PUP list on Tuesday, Aug. 26, because of an Achilles injury.

Watson initially tore his Achilles on Oct. 20. He ruptured it again during the offseason. He is expected to miss a majority, if not all, of the 2025 season.

Watson’s time in Cleveland has been a disappointment ever since the Browns traded for the quarterback and gave him a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022.

In Watson’s three seasons as a Browns starter, his numbers are down in every major quarterback statistical category compared to his four-year stint with the Houston Texans. He’s registered a 9-10 record behind center in Cleveland.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam called the Watson trade a ‘big swing-and-miss” at this year’s league annual meeting.

The Browns selected quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. Both made Cleveland’s initial 53-man roster.

The Browns have announced veteran quarterback Joe Flacco as their Week 1 starter.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has named Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter as the team’s starting quarterback for the season opener Friday Aug. 29 against Georgia Tech.

After Sanders’ quarterback son Shedeur moved on to the NFL, the question was not just who would replace him at Colorado but how.

The obvious choice was Salter, who is a dual threat signal caller and led Liberty to a 13-1 season in 2023. He has one season of college eligibility left.

“He’s the guy at this point,” Sanders said at a news conference Tuesday.

The other top choice was Julian “JuJu” Lewis, a heralded freshman from Carrollton, Georgia. He’s only 17 year old and has four years of college playing time ahead of him, but there’s also the risk he could transfer out of Colorado if he doesn’t see playing time.

Might both of them share time at the position in the same game?

“We’re hoping that you see some JuJu periodically through the game as well,” Sanders said. “We would like get him some reps as well. But the game predicates that.”

Sanders said Salter’s “experience is vital.”

There was some mystery to the decision before Tuesday. Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said Monday that Colorado coaches have discussed the quarterback situation “at great length behind the scenes.”

“We’ll just let it reveal itself, and if there are any announcements, that’s certainly something Coach Prime will handle.’

Shurmur also praised Salter.

“He’s obviously a tremendous athlete that if the situation presents itself, can do some good things with his legs,” he said. “So I’m looking forward to putting him out there to see what he can do.”

Sanders said Tuesday he’s known Salter’s family for more than 10 years and coached his younger brother Kylan in youth football near Dallas. Kylan Salter is a sophomore linebacker at Colorado. Both are from Cedar Hill, Texas. Kaidon Salter joined Liberty after being dismissed from the team at Tennessee.

‘I’ve been checking this kid out since high school,’ Sanders said of Kaidon Salter.

Sanders added that he didn’t need to have a big talk with JuJu Lewis to explain the situation.

‘He knows where we stand,’ Sanders said.

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

The U.S. men’s national team has Christian Pulisic back in the fold, with the forward on Mauricio Pochettino’s roster for September friendlies against South Korea and Japan.

Pochettino and U.S. Soccer announced a 22-player roster Tuesday, Aug. 26, with Pulisic being recalled. The AC Milan star had asked to take this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup off, citing the window as his last chance to rest before the 2026 World Cup. Pochettino granted the request, but chafed at an additional ask from Pulisic, who per the manager offered to play in two friendlies before the Gold Cup.

With new faces pushing their way into contention for a World Cup roster spot, the USMNT went to the final of the Gold Cup, falling 2-1 to Mexico. However, Pulisic’s request for time off set off numerous retired USMNT players-turned-pundits, who criticized the AC Milan star’s commitment to the program.

The ensuing war of words — eventually involving Pulisic’s father criticizing former U.S. great Landon Donovan and current USMNT winger Tim Weah calling the line of attack ‘evil’ — ended up being the biggest story of the summer.

Concerning the return of the team’s leading active scorer, Mauricio Pochettino said he ‘didn’t talk to Christian’ before formulating this roster.

‘I think it’s behind us, all that happened in the summer,’ Pochettino told reporters shortly after the roster was announced. ‘I think now, we need to look forward… The plan for Christian now is to see him in this camp, and of course hope that he arrives in a good condition.’

Pulisic is one of several high-profile returning players in the squad. Weah was obliged to play for his club side at the time, Juventus, during this summer’s Club World Cup, while starting defender Sergiño Dest has recently returned from a torn ACL suffered in April 2024. Weah has since moved to Olympique Marseille in the French top flight.

However, for some of the USMNT’s other established regulars, there were more surprises. Reiterating a longstanding theme in his tenure, Pochettino declared that ‘no one has a place for sure’ on his set-up, leaving out several big names who are seemingly healthy. Another Juventus player, Weston McKennie, is among them, as is midfielder Yunus Musah (who revealed on Tuesday that his request to skip the Gold Cup also came down to fatigue).

Midfielder Gio Reyna, defender Joe Scally, goalkeeper Matt Turner, and forward Haji Wright are other prominent absentees.

Pochettino has shown more of a preference for MLS players than some of his predecessors, with 10 of the 22 players named on Tuesday coming from the U.S. league.

‘I think it’s not necessary to move from MLS to Europe,’ explained the Argentina native. ‘Sometimes MLS, under my assessment, maybe is more competitive than some leagues in Europe.’

The USMNT is without at least five big names due to injury, including strikers Patrick Agyemang, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi. One of its key players, Antonee Robinson, is also on that list, with the Fulham defender only just making his return from a knee issue in a 28-minute appearance Sunday against Manchester United. Playmaker Malik Tillman, who stood out at the Gold Cup, is also out with what Bayer Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag last week called a ‘minor strain.’

Per U.S. Soccer, the final squad for these matches will include 23 players, with one final selection to be named at a later date. The players will arrive in New Jersey on Sunday, Aug. 31 to begin training ahead of friendly games against two of Asia’s premier national teams.

Here’s what to know about the USMNT roster to face South Korea and Japan:

USMNT roster for Korea, Japan games: Pulisic returns

Here is the 22-player USMNT roster assembled by head coach Mauricio Pochettino for the team’s upcoming matches against South Korea and Japan:

(All players listed with their club team, number of caps, and number of goals)

Goalkeepers (3): Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati, 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC, 7/0), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena, 0/0)
Defenders (8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew, 10/1), Noahkai Banks (FC Augsburg, 0/0), Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps, 0/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV, 33/2), Alex Freeman (Orlando City, 7/0), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union, 1/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, 74/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, 31/3)
Midfielders (6): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth, 50/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps, 6/0), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC, 31/1), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake, 12/3), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo, 11/2), Sean Zawadski (Columbus Crew, 1/0)
Forwards (5): Damion Downs (Southampton, 5/0), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, 78/32), Josh Sargent (Norwich City, 28/5), Tim Weah (Marseille, 44/7), Alex Zendejas (Club América, 11/1)

Per U.S. Soccer, one more player will be added to the group at a later date.

How to watch USMNT September friendlies vs. South Korea and Japan

The USMNT will play two games during the upcoming FIFA international break. First up, the U.S. will host South Korea in Harrison, N.J. on Saturday, September 6, followed by a match against Japan three days later in Columbus, Ohio.

USMNT vs. South Korea: Time, TV, streaming

Date: Saturday, Sept. 6
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Sports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, N.J.)
TV channel: TNT (English), Telemundo, Universo (both Spanish)
Streaming: Max, Sling TV, Peacock

Watch USMNT vs. South Korea on Sling TV

USMNT vs. Japan: Time, TV, streaming

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 9
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Lower.com Field (Columbus, Ohio)
TV channel: TNT (English), Telemundo, Universo (both Spanish)
Streaming: Max, Sling TV, Peacock

Watch USMNT vs. Japan on Sling TV

Count President Donald Trump among those who have weighed in on the engagement of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

Trump was made aware of the engagement between the pop star and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. His response to the news?

‘Well, I wish them a lot of luck,’ Trump said. ‘I think he’s a great player, a great guy. I think she’s a terrific person. So, I wish them a lot of luck.’

Trump’s praise of Swift is a marked contrast to his mentions of her over the last year. After Swift endorsed Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, Trump posted ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!’ on his Truth Social platform.

In May, Trump doubled down on those comments posting, ‘Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?”

Neither Kelce nor Swift have yet responded to Trump’s most recent comments wishing them well.

Kelce and Swift have been romantically linked since 2023. They began dating shortly after Kelce made romantic overtures to Swift in an episode of his ‘New Heights’ podcast, and Swift has been a staple at Chiefs games ever since.

The two announced their engagement Tuesday in a collaborative Instagram post.

‘Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,’ Swift’s caption for the post read.

The announcement that power couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged was certainly a ‘where were you when …’ moment in popular culture.

The US Open tennis championships has its own love story involving Swift and Kelce, who were in attendance at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center last year for the men’s singles final. (Really, who could forget Travis’ smashing bucket hat?)

For tennis fans, the news broke early in the first-round match between Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic and top-seeded Jannik Sinner of Italy.

However, ESPN announcers Brad Gilbert and Jason Goodall had to show incredible restraint relaying the details in between points.

Goodall was initially confused when all Gilbert could get out initially was, ‘Taylor Swift is engaged …’

Goodall wondered if it was something to do with ‘a new record’ before Gilbert clarified things — as Sinner won a point — and offered a ‘mazel tov’ of his own for the happy couple.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce already has three Super Bowl rings, but on Tuesday, he gifted his most important ring yet: Taylor Swift’s engagement ring.

How does Kelce’s most recent Super Bowl ring compare to Swift’s ring?

Swift announced the power couple’s engagement via Instagram on Tuesday afternoon with a series of five photos of her and her new fiancé in a garden. The third picture in the slideshow shows off a close-up look at Swift’s engagement ring.

Long live the Eras Tour with our enchanting book

According to USA TODAY Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West, the ring is ‘by Kindred Lubeck with Artifex Fine Jewelry.’ It features a gold band with a large bezel for the Old Mine Brilliant Cut diamond, according to reports.

Kelce’s most recent Super Bowl ring – for winning Super Bowl 58 last year – features a silver band and a total of 529 diamonds and 38 custom-cut genuine rubies, according to the Chiefs’ official website. The ring’s many gems weigh a total of 14.8 carats.

Jostens manufactured the Chiefs’ most recent Super Bowl ring.

The Chiefs will open the 2025 regular season in São Paulo, Brazil against the Los Angeles Chargers. The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Friday, Sept. 5 and will be available to watch exclusively on YouTube.

This year will be Kelce’s 13th season in the NFL and his third since he and Swift began their relationship in 2023.

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

NFL fans and ‘Swifties’ alike are heading into 2025 fantasy football drafts with a burning question on their mind. Should I really spend a pick on Travis Kelce?

Kelce has long been one of the NFL’s best tight ends, but he has posted back-to-back seasons with less than 1,000 receiving yards. He has still averaged 95 catches over the last couple of seasons, but his suppressed yardage and touchdown totals have kept him out of the top-tier tight end group in non-PPR leagues.

Is there reason to believe Kelce can bounce back and be a bit more explosive in 2025? He will turn 36 in October and averaged a career-low 8.5 yards per reception last year, so history suggests it might be difficult.

That said, Kelce made a change to his offseason training program which could invigorate him. Those seeking good vibes will also note that he became engaged to Taylor Swift on eve of the 2025 NFL season. Perhaps that will energize him as he prepares for his 13th – and, potentially, final – campaign.

Here’s the fantasy outlook for Kelce and a breakdown of whether and when to draft him.

Should you draft Travis Kelce in fantasy football?

Kelce seems primed for a potential bounce-back season in 2025. The reason for this? He spent the offseason training to be more explosive.

Kelce returned to working with trainer Tony Villani after taking a two-year hiatus to focus on his acting career. Villani has trained Kelce since his preparations for the 2013 NFL Combine and has worked with numerous NFL athletes.

‘He was neglecting that ability to go from 17 to 20 miles an hour,’ Villani said, before adding. ‘He may have gotten comfortable because he kept getting open. He had 93 and 97 catches, but he didn’t have that threat after the catch. He has the moves, but not the juice.’

Villani and Kelce focused on improving the tight end’s speed and explosiveness during offseason training. Kelce arrived at Villani’s gym able to reach a maximum speed of 18.3 mph without pads; after weeks of training, he increased that figure to 20.6 mph.

Based on those results, Villani expects Kelce will have ‘a little bit more juicing yards after the catch’ during the 2025 season.

That could be all Kelce needs to emerge as a high-end fantasy asset. He averaged just 3.5 yards after the catch (YAC) per reception last season, down from an average of 5.0 the previous season and 5.9 from his All-Pro first team season in 2022.

Kelce ranked as the No. 3 fantasy tight end in 2023 when he averaged 5.0 YAC per reception. If he can get back to those numbers this season, he will have a chance to vastly outperform his average draft position (ADP) as the TE6 – especially since he has remained Patrick Mahomes’ most targeted player the last two seasons.

If you’re looking for a more ‘vibes’ reason to back Kelce, consider this: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and actress Hailee Steinfeld became engaged Nov. 22, 2024. In five regular-season games after the engagement, Allen averaged 31.36 fantasy points per game while throwing for 1,188 yards, rushing for 215 and totaling 17 touchdowns.

Could Kelce’s engagement to Swift have a similar impact? Maybe not, but if Kelce is happy and focused on what could be his last NFL season, he could go out with a bang.

Verdict: If Kelce’s training pays off, he should be more explosive in 2025 than he was last season. That will give him a chance to re-emerge as a top-three fantasy tight end, a role he occupied every season from 2016 to 2023.

Even if he doesn’t reach those same heights, Kelce should be a consistent target machine and one of the more reliable options in PPR leagues. Don’t be afraid to target him in Round 4-5 of fantasy drafts if you’re looking to land a tight end early.