European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald announced his six captain’s picks to complete the 12-man team.
Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg, and Matt Fitzpatrick join the six players who automatically qualified.
The 2025 Ryder Cup will take place at Bethpage State Park in New York from Sept. 26-28.

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has filled out his 12-man squad that will take on the U.S. in the biennial golf competition taking place at Bethpage State Park later this month.

Two-time major champion Jon Rahm of Spain – who went 2-0-2 at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, with three of those four matches against World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler – highlights the six captain’s picks Donald announced on Monday, Sept. 1. This will be Rahm’s fourth appearance in the Ryder Cup.

He’ll be joined by Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick to fill out the European team when the event begins on Friday, Sept. 26 in Farmingdale, New York.

European Ryder Cup team members

Six players automatically qualified for Team Europe’s 2025 roster based on the season-long Ryder Cup points standings. 

Rory McIlroy
Robert MacIntyre
Tommy Fleetwood
Justin Rose
Rasmus Højgaard
Tyrrell Hatton
Shane Lowry (captain’s pick)
Jon Rahm (captain’s pick)
Sepp Straka (captain’s pick)
Victor Hovland (captain’s pick)
Ludvig Aberg (captain’s pick)
Matt Fitzpatrick (captain’s pick)

How to watch Ryder Cup 2025: Time, TV channel, streaming

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be carried on the NBC family of networks, but a full TV schedule has not yet been confirmed. Here’s what we know about where the tournament will be broadcast:

Date: Friday, Sept. 26 to Sunday, Sept. 28
Location: Black Course, Bethpage State Park (Farmingdale, New York)
TV: NBC, Golf Channel and USA Network
Steam: Peacock, Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)

A warning to all parents of iPad children: maybe make sure your kids aren’t declining important phone calls while they’re watching ‘Bluey.’

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Hunter Renfrow almost had to learn that the hard way.

After the Panthers cut Renfrow to get to the 53-man roster threshold ahead of last week’s deadline, the team traded away veteran Adam Thielen and placed second-year wideout Jalen Coker on injured reserve. That opened up the door for the former Las Vegas Raider to re-sign with Carolina after a year away from football.

But Renfrow almost missed his chance to re-sign.

He told reporters Monday that his daughter declined 10 phone calls from Panthers general manager Dan Morgan, head coach Dave Canales and his (Renfrow’s) agent trying to get in touch with him Thursday about re-signing with the team.

‘They were all just ignored,’ Renfrow said. ‘My daughter was watching ‘Bluey’ or something; she ignored all of them.’

The veteran receiver said he eventually called back his agent and the Panthers to have the conversation about re-signing before agreeing to terms on Saturday morning.

Renfrow previously played five seasons for the Raiders between 2019 and 2023. He caught 269 passes for 2,884 yards and 17 touchdowns in that span before stepping away from football in 2024 to battle ulcerative colitis.

After joining the Panthers’ active roster, Renfrow will make his return to football in the 2025 season – now that he’s finally been able to answer the Panthers’ calls.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has sounded more thankful than regretful about his team’s decision to trade star edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in a blockbuster deal on Thursday.

‘I think as much as anything it’s good that a solution happened,’ Prescott told ESPN recently.

The alternative to the Cowboys and owner/general manager Jerry Jones’ ‘solution’ could have been letting Parsons’ holdout continue into the start of the regular season, which begins Thursday night.

‘That would have been a lot more of a headache and distraction than getting a solution to it,’ Prescott said.

Prescott shared that the general sense in the locker room is an understanding that the NFL is a business, and that no one is ‘hung up on’ the decision to let Parsons go. Their attention this week has mostly been focused on preparing for the Thursday night clash with the Philadelphia Eagles to open the regular season.

The quarterback also praised Dallas’ newest defensive tackle, Kenny Clark, who came to the Cowboys from Green Bay as part of the return in the Parsons trade.

Said Prescott: ‘I know what adding a guy like Kenny Clark, adding a true leader, a real man that’s going to only elevate this team, who’s been a Pro Bowl player and is excited about being here [means].’

Whether Prescott seemed to take a subtle dig at his former teammate by insinuating Parsons is neither ‘a true leader’ nor ‘a real man’ is up for interpretation, but the Cowboys passer may have provided more bulletin board material for the four-time Pro Bowler with his comments.

Parsons will return to Dallas later this month when the Packers take on the Cowboys on Sept. 28.

A record 16 Black quarterbacks will start in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
This represents half of the league’s starting quarterbacks and breaks the previous record of 15 set in 2024.
This milestone comes after Super Bowl 57, which featured two Black starting quarterbacks for the first time in history.

During the lead up to Super Bowl 57, Patrick Mahomes reflected on the historic moment that was about to occur.

Two Black quarterbacks were set to start a Super Bowl for the first time ever. 

“It is history. It’s come a long way,” Mahomes said in 2023 in advance of the game. “To be the first for something is pretty cool.”

 “It’s history,” Hurts said.

Flip the calendar to the present. As the NFL gets ready to kick off a new year, a record 16 Black quarterbacks are slated to start Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season, breaking a record of 15 Black quarterbacks who started Week 1 of the previous season.

Bryce Young, Caleb Williams, Cam Ward, C.J. Stroud, Dak Prescott, Geno Smith, Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Jordan Love, Justin Fields, Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, Michael Penix Jr., Mahomes, Russell Wilson and Spencer Rattler. Half the NFL’s starting quarterbacks in Week 1 are Black for the first time in league history.

“I said about a year and a half ago half the league gonna be Black quarterbacks before long. I said probably within the next five years, and it happened before five years,” Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, said to USA TODAY Sports. “If you write the top quarterback in the league, I think majority of them would be black.”

Marlin Briscoe was the first Black quarterback to start in modern pro football history in 1968. Williams became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 1988. Warren Moon was enshrined as the first Black quarterback to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Mahomes and Hurts became the first pair of Black quarterbacks to start in the same Super Bowl in 2023. And in 2025, a record 16 Black quarterbacks are prepared to start Week 1.

Micah Parsons trade signals dreaded rebuild for Dallas Cowboys

“Just like last year and even the years prior, it just makes you proud to see the number just continue to keep rising. Because I know what that position used to be thought of for African Americans to be able to play, and I was part of that. It’s great that the league and ownership and society and everybody is bought in and sees that these guys can play at a very, very high level, and they continue to keep giving them more opportunities,” Moon told USA TODAY Sports. “The more opportunities they give them, they’re turning them into a starting quarterback position. I love it.”

Army football player Larry Pickett Jr. rescued a man from a burning car in Fort Montgomery, New York.
Pickett Jr., with his father’s help, pulled the man from the vehicle moments before it was engulfed in flames.
The car crash involved a vehicle entangled with downed power lines after hitting a utility pole.

In a dramatic incident in Fort Montgomery, New York, an Army football player risked his life to save a man from a burning vehicle on Sunday morning.

Larry Pickett Jr., a redshirt freshman from Raleigh, North Carolina, and a second-year cadet at a service academy, was with his family when they encountered a car crash that had left a vehicle entangled in power lines. In a video posted on social media by his family, Pickett Jr. is seen demonstrating quick thinking and courage. With the help of his father, he lifted a man from the vehicle and carried him to safety just moments before the car burst into flames.

The Fort Montgomery Fire Department confirmed that a vehicle crashed into a utility pole, resulting in fallen power lines.

The U.S. Military Academy issued a statement on social media praising Pickett Jr. and his father for their heroic actions, which embody the values of the U.S. Army. The Army’s athletic director also commented on Pickett Jr.’s actions, stating, ‘This is exactly what we strive to develop at West Point: leadership, courage, and selfless service.’

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.

It’s not exactly an audacious experiment in college football.

Pete Carroll overcame what had been a middling career as an NFL head coach to build a powerhouse at Southern California. Nick Saban experienced minimal success over two seasons with the Miami Dolphins before returning to Alabama and forming an unforgettable dynasty. Jim Harbaugh won at Stanford, reached a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers and then won a national championship at Michigan.

But not a single one of these high-profile coaches — and no one to ever coach in the NFL, really — can touch Bill Belichick’s Canton-worthy résumé. The six-time Super Bowl champion may not have left the New England Patriots as the winningest coach in NFL history, but his spot is secure on the sport’s coaching Mount Rushmore.

As he embarks on a new challenge against the backdrop of his wildly successful past, how Belichick fares in his first year as the head coach at North Carolina is the biggest storyline of the 2025 season, dwarfing Ohio State’s quest for a repeat and the never-ending back and forth between the SEC and Big Ten.

And as the Tar Heels head into Monday night’s opener against TCU, the biggest question surrounding Belichick asks what degree of achievement would paint his tenure a success. Within that stands an even more piercing query: Is there anything Belichick can do in Chapel Hill that would bolster, not diminish, his status as a coaching legend?

The answers to these questions and more will shape the Belichick era, which promises to be one of the most closely watched and scrutinized coaching tenures in college football history:

Can Bill Belichick and North Carolina win in 2025?

The advent of the transfer portal and the redshirt-free transfer has changed the way new coaches approach their debut seasons, speeding up the process of roster management by allowing these new hires to perform dramatic roster overhauls in a single offseason.

Belichick has embraced that opportunity by bringing in roughly 70 new players, 40 through the transfer portal and another 30 as traditional first-year recruits. One high-profile addition is former South Alabama transfer quarterback Gio Lopez, named last week as the Tar Heels’ starter.

“I think we have an explosive offense and the opportunity to be really good,” said Lopez.

Picked eighth in the preseason ACC media poll, the Tar Heels will face just two non-Power Four teams, Charlotte and Richmond, during the regular season. The Tar Heels round out non-conference play with TCU and Central Florida from the Big 12. Belichick’s ACC debut will come in early October against overwhelming conference favorite Clemson.

It’s worth noting that Belichick is not walking into a losing situation: North Carolina made a bowl game in all six of former coach Mack Brown’s years, though the program was never able to capitalize on a fast start to his tenure.

The expectations for Belichick’s debut season should be at a minimum to maintain that bowl streak, putting together at least six wins by taking advantage of the lesser opponents on the ACC schedule and winning three games out of conference play.

What should not be expected is an appearance in the College Football Playoff. If winning the ACC outright is a pipe dream, earning an at-large playoff bid is just slightly less ridiculous given the Tar Heels’ recent and not-so-recent history, the drastic offseason changes and what appears to be the lack of talent and depth needed to make a legitimate run at the 12-team field.

How important is the TCU game for UNC?

It’s vital in two respects. For one, a win against what is expected to be one of the top teams in the Big 12 would frame the Tar Heels as a potential ACC contender and strongly suggest the 2025 team is capable of doing more than earning an invitation to a second-tier bowl game.

That won’t be easy. TCU is roughly a field-goal favorite heading into Monday night after winning nine games last season, a four-win rebound from an underwhelming 2023 season. The Horned Frogs went all the way to the national championship game in 2022, coach Sonny Dykes’ first season, before being engulfed by Georgia.

“I’ve been through a lot of opening days, and every one is the same in that there are some things you kind of feel good about and there are some other questions that you have,” Belichick said. “As things unfold, what you find out is how good you feel about the things you feel good about and how good you feel about the things you were worried about. And it’s not always the same.”

The Horned Frogs may still a bit of an unknown commodity — just like almost every team in this era of rampant player movement — but they’ve got nothing on UNC, which must just be the most hard-to-predict team in the Power Four.

More importantly, though, is the potential fallout from a lopsided loss. That would open Belichick to a torrent of schadenfreude-driven criticism that could threaten to quickly define his first season.

“However many people are here or not here, or however many hours they talk about us on a network show or don’t talk about it, is really not anything in our control,” he said. “It’s irrelevant to us. We’re trying to focus on what we can control and what helps us win.”

What would represent overall success for Bill Belichick?

His extensive background in roster management has clearly helped Belichick adapt to a landscape that in many respects mirrors the NFL model. While the roster size is nearly double the NFL cap, the ability to continue tweaking his personnel over the next one or two years could bring the Tar Heels more closely in line with the best programs in the ACC.

That’s if you believe in Belichick’s prowess as an evaluator and developer, though. That there is increased skepticism regarding this eye for talent stems from the New England Patriots’ shocking decline over his final few seasons. Another factor that can’t be ignored: Belichick went 249-75 as a head coach with Tom Brady as his quarterback and 83-104 without.

In the end, Belichick’s time at North Carolina should not be compared to his NFL experience but to the Tar Heels’ mediocre history. UNC has just eight seasons with double-digit wins in the modern era and has not won the ACC since 1980. On the other hand, though, he is making $10 million annually over the course of his five-year contract; there should be something to show for this investment.

Should he fulfill the duration of this deal — which is not a sure thing — whether the Belichick era is viewed positively will come down to these factors: Did he turn UNC into a legitimate ACC contender? Did he leave the program in a better place? Did his win totals steadily improve? Did he build the Tar Heels into something they haven’t been — a team that trades in the sleeping-giant label for concrete results?

These are manageable expectations for someone with Belichick’s history. But at this point, whether he meets or exceeds these goals is impossible to predict.

Why is Bill Belichick coaching at North Carolina?

And this might be the biggest question of all: Why, at 73 years old, did Belichick choose to embark on this strange, late-career twist?

That the NFL was disinterested is the biggest factor. Belichick might have also been inspired to bring his life in football full circle; he grew up around the college game, tagging along with his father, Steve, a longtime college assistant who was the backfield coach in Chapel Hill when Belichick was an infant.

There’s also a question of how invested Belichick is in making UNC his final coaching stop. The initial contract included a drop in buyout money from $10 million to $1 million last June 1, which would have conceivably allowed him to leave Chapel Hill to chase another NFL job after this season.

Belichick is 14 wins shy of Don Shula’s career record, and reports during his exit from New England and pursuit of another position indicated his motivation in standing alone atop the NFL wins list.

But with an NFL position unavailable, Belichick’s only real option to continue coaching in football was to explore college openings. That’s led to this: a remarkable marriage of NFL coaching royalty with what has long been one of the Power Four’s most underwhelming programs.

“We learn more every day. We’ll learn more every game,” he said. “We’re definitely gaining on the process and we’re growing, but it’s far, far from perfect. We’ll get better as we spend more time together.”

MIAMI GARDENS, FL — He’ll never say it because no matter the explanation, there are no winners in a blame game.

Only a loser who complains. 

So I’ll do it for Carson Beck: the problem at Georgia last season wasn’t Beck. He’s going to spend the next four months at Miami proving it. 

‘It’s not about me, it’s about this team,’ Beck said after a thrilling 27-24 victory over Notre Dame, Miami’s first Top 10 win since 2017.

And that’s about as much complaining as you’ll get from Beck.

But paint it any way you want, reality bleeds through. Georgia dropped 36 passes last season with Beck as quarterback. Thirty-six. 

I’ll give you three guesses who looked like an All-America quarterback Sunday night in suburban Miami. And the first two don’t count.

Beck’s redemption season kicked off here with a big game, and a bigger performance. With a late, game-winning drive, and a statement made.

Even if ever-conservative Miami coach Mario Cristobal nearly swallowed the game whole.

But understand this: if Beck plays like this the remainder of the season – and if Cristobal let’s go of the reins – Beck and the Hurricanes will give the storied program a breakthrough season for the first time in two decades.

The same thing he felt when he first walked into the Greentree football facility in Coral Gables in January, and sat down with offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and transfer wideout CJ Daniels.

He was a few weeks removed from season-ending elbow surgery that forced him to miss the second half of the SEC championship game, and Georgia’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame.

The same two games that ignited the social media-fueled lunacy among Georgia fans, who fell in love with try-hard backup Gunner Stockton and blamed Beck for the program’s postseason slippage.

As he sat there with Dawson and Daniels and talked ball, he knew something was different. It all played out months later against Notre Dame and one of the nation’s best defenses.

‘I tried to tell everyone that it was different here,’ Beck said. ‘But actions speak louder than words.’

After the last-minute win over Notre Dame – where both the offense and defense closed out a critical win – those actions underscored another reality bleeding through. This team will go as far as Beck takes it.

No matter what Georgia fans think. 

While those same fans were dogpiling Beck and extolling the virtues of Stockton, Georgia coach Kirby Smart was the first to call Beck – and wanted him back in Athens – when he realized Beck was returning to college football in 2025. The best coach in the game wanted Beck back in Athens, unreasonable fans wanted him gone.

You do the math. 

All it took was one game at Miami to show what Smart knew all along, and what Beck has been eager to prove since his Georgia career ended on the turf in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, on the last play of the first half of the SEC championship game.

Throws are easier when receivers aren’t constantly dropping passes. The offense flows, it’s structurally operational, and it’s balanced. 

If you’re dropping passes, you’re not setting up throws with the run game. If you’re dropping passes, you’re guessing when calling plays, unsure of what pays to call — much less setting up one play with another. 

There’s is no plan or propose when you can’t consistently catch the ball. But when you can, when the quarterback can confidently step Ito throws, you get what played out against Notre Dame. 

Smart throws, key throws, game-changing throws. Like Beck extending a play and throwing a touchdown pass to Malachi Toney in the first quarter. Or the final drive of the game, after Miami’s four previous possessions were all three-and-outs (with one ending in a field goal). 

Before Cristobal got conservative and settled for a field goal, Beck hit Daniels with a 9-yard curl, and threw a perfect deep ball to Keelan Marlon — one where Irish cornerback Christian Gray had no alternative but to interfere with what looked like a certain touchdown pass. 

Miami eventually got the game-winning points, but the statement had been made over and over during Beck’s first game with his new team. He wasn’t the problem last year at Georgia.

‘He’s our general,’ said Miami running back Marty Brown. ‘He’s our leader in practice, and our leader in games. We follow him.’

That’s not to say Georgia didn’t, but there were more levels to the regression in 2024. To be fair to the Georgia receivers, the pass game is a three-pronged attacked. It’s protection, it’s receivers getting open and catching the ball, and the quarterback throwing on time and with anticipation. 

If any of those three doesn’t happen, opportunity for success is significantly decreased. When two of the three have problems, it’s near impossible to have a functional pass game.

The Georgia offensive line had problems all season. It couldn’t stay healthy, guys were playing out of position and and some were underachieving. Now add those 36 drops to the equation. 

Beck struggled last season, his interceptions doubled (to 12), his completion percentage dropped eight points (to 64 percent) and his yards per attempt fell to a mundane 7.8 (from 9.5), because the pass game process was a mess.

By midseason, when it was clear Beck didn’t or couldn’t trust his receivers, he started pressing. Started trying to make perfect throws to circumvent the two stragglers in the three-pronged pass game attack.

Not because Beck regressed, or because ehe got a big head with a reported $3 million NIL deal. Or because he drove around a Lamborghini. 

All nonsense, but all fan angst fuel for Georgia missing the CFP in 2023, and losing in the quarterfinals in 2024.       

Fast forward to Sunday night: so many easy throws, so many usable pass concepts.

He threw for 205 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions ― against a defense that, by the end of the season, may be the best in college football. Seven different receivers caught passes, and the pass game was an operational symphony.

Hours before the game, on the hourlong bus ride to Hard Rock Stadium, Beck said it felt like the big games he played in at Georgia. Months of thinking it was just another game in a different uniform quickly changed.

Until he got to the stadium, put on the jersey and started pre-game preparation.

‘I got out there and felt surprisingly comfortable,’ Beck said. ‘I’m not in this alone. I have teammates around me that makes plays. I just have to get them the ball.’

Now that’s nothing to complain about. 

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

The WNBA’s regular season is coming to a close and the playoff race is heating up.

With four teams already clinching a playoff berth, four spots remain before the regular season concludes on Sept. 11, and each game will carry some importance.

The Minnesota Lynx clinched the top seed over the weekend. The Las Vegas Aces are 5.5 games back of the Lynx and sit as the No. 2 seed, followed by the Atlanta Dream and the Phoenix Mercury.

The New York Liberty, Golden State Valkyries, Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever would also qualify for the postseason. Those four teams have not clinched a spot. The Los Angeles Sparks are on the outside looking in, ninth place and 2.5 games behind the Fever.

What is the WNBA playoff schedule?

(All times Eastern)

First round

Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 14 (four games)

Game 2: Tuesday, Sept. 16 (two games),  Wednesday, Sept. 17 (two games)

Game 3*: Thursday, Sept. 18 (two games), Friday, Sept. 19 (two games)

Semifinals

Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 21 (two games)

Game 2: Tuesday, Sept. 23 (two games)

Game 3: Friday, Sept. 26 (two games)

Game 4*: Sunday, Sept. 28 (two games)

Game 5*: Tuesday, Sept. 30 (two games)

WNBA Finals

Game 1: Friday, Oct. 3, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5, 3 p.m. (ABC)

Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Game 4: Friday, Oct. 10, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Game 5*: Sunday, Oct. 12, 3 p.m. (ABC)

Game 6*: Wednesday, Oct. 15, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Game 7*: Friday, Oct. 17, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

* = if necessary

Chase Briscoe dominated the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, leading 309 of 367 laps to take the checkered flag in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, Aug. 31.

The 30-year-old Indiana native became the first driver to win back-to-back Southern 500 race since Greg Biffle in 2005 and 2006, when the race was called the Dodge Charger 500. This win marked the fourth of Briscoe’s Cup career.

Despite leading nearly every lap – aside from when the lead changed hands during green-flag pit stops – Briscoe had to fight to the end to secure the victory as Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones made furious charges on the leader in the closing laps. Reddick closed to within a 10th of second before Briscoe held on to edge Reddick by 0.408 seconds and Jones by a second.

“That was way harder than it needed it to be,” Briscoe said after climbing out of his No. 19 Toyota. “So cool to win two Southern 500s in a row. This is my favorite race of the year. The atmosphere here is unlike anywhere else. This was great way to start our playoffs, and man, that was a lot of fun.”

Briscoe won this same race last year when it was the regular-season finale to clinch a berth in the 2024 playoffs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver made this year’s playoffs after winning at Pocono Raceway on June 22, 2025.

‘This is definitely what we are capable of doing,’ Briscoe said. ‘We haven’t been able to go out and dominate a race like that (before today), but the potential has been there from Day 1.’

Sixteen drivers are competing to win the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship, but the playoff field will be trimmed to 12 in two weeks after the first elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Briscoe, now, is guaranteed a berth in the Round of 12 with his victory at Darlington.

Sunday night’s race was a strong one for Toyota drivers, who swept the top four positions and claimed six of the Top 10. And it was an especially good showing for Legacy Motor Club, with John Hunter Nemechek joining Erik Jones in the top four.

But it was a mixed bag for the 16 championship contenders. Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin, also driving Toyotas, were the only playoff drivers to join Briscoe and Wallace in the Top 10.

Meanwhile, Hendrick Motorsports, which put four drivers in the playoffs, had a rough night; Chase Elliott’s was the team’s highest finisher in 17th. Team Penske didn’t fare much better, with Austin Cindric finishing 12th to lead the organization’s three drivers.

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continue on Sunday, Sept. 7 with the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

NASCAR Darlington race results

Top 10 finishers in NASCAR Southern 500 at Darlington, with starting positions in parentheses, car number, make and seconds behind winner.

(2) Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota
(4) Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota, 0.408 seconds back
(19) Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota, -0.537 seconds
(30) John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota, -1.250 seconds
(22) AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet, -6.158 seconds
(8) Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota, -6.712 seconds
(1) Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, -12.013 seconds
(23) Kyle Busch, No. 18 Chevrolet, -12.140 seconds
(26) Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet, -15.230 seconds
(15) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford, -15.381 seconds

FULL RESULTS: Final leaderboard of the Cook Out Southern 500

NASCAR playoff standings after Darlington race

Here are the updated playoff points following Chase Briscoe’s win in the Cook Out Southern 500 (x-clinched berth in Round of 12):

x-Chase Briscoe (2) ….. 2,070
Denny Hamlin (4) ….. 2,067
Kyle Larson (3)….. 2,062
Tyler Reddick (0) ….. 2,059
Bubba Wallace (1) ….. 2,049
William Byron (2) ….. 2,049
Ryan Blaney (2) ….. 2,046
Ross Chastain (1) ….. 2,045
Austin Cindric (1) ….. 2,036
Christopher Bell (3) ….. 2,035
Chase Elliott (1) ….. 2,033
Shane van Gisbergen (4) ….. 2,027
Joey Logano (1) ….. 2,024
Austin Dillon (1) ….. 2,019
Alex Bowman (0) ….. 2,008
Josh Berry (1) ….. 2,008

Chase Briscoe wins Southern 500 at Darlington

Chase Briscoe held off a furious charge from Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones to with the Cook Out Southern 500 for the second consecutive year. Reddick closed to within a 10th of second before Briscoe held on, taking the checkered flag by 0.408 over Reddick and 0.537 over Jones.

With the victory, Briscoe becomes the first driver to clinch a berth in the Round of 12 of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

NASCAR at Darlington: Lap 347 update

With 20 laps to go in the Cook Out Southern 500, Tyler Reddick is trying to chase down leader Chase Briscoe in the closing laps of the race, with Erick Jones closing in as well. Briscoe has dominated the race, but Reddick and Jones have been faster as the laps wind down.

NASCAR at Darlington: Lap 313 update

Derek Kraus’s car caught fire and came to a stop in Turn 2, bringing out the caution flag with 54 laps remaining in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington. Playoff driver Ryan Blaney was on pit road at the time of the caution but will remain on the lead lap. Playoff driver Chase Elliott, who was racing one lap down, received the free pass.

Chase Briscoe retained the lead after pit stops and has now led 258 laps. Tyler Reddick outdueled John Hunter Nemechek on the race off pit road and will restart second.

NASCAR at Darlington: Lap 300 update

With 67 laps remaining in the Cook Out Southern 500, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe leads, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick by 1.468 seconds. Legacy Motor Club drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones run third and fourth, respectively, and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace sits in fifth as Toyota drivers claim the top five positions.

NASCAR at Darlington: Lap 275 update

A number of playoff drivers, including race leader Chase Briscoe, made green-flag pit stops for gas and ties. Drivers will have to make at least once more stop before the race’s scheduled end of 367 laps.

Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Shane van Gisbergen are among the playoff drivers that have delayed pit stops.

NASCAR at Darlington: Lap 265 update

Chase Briscoe has now led 214 of 265 laps of the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington. Tyler Reddick runs second and Ross Chastain third. Legacy Motor Club is having a stellar night, with drivers John Hunter Nemechek running fourth and Erik Jones running fifth.

Chase Briscoe sweeps first two stages at Darlington

Chase Briscoe won both the first and second stages in a dominating performance over the first 230 laps in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Briscoe has led 182 laps over the two stages.

Tyler Reddick finished second, Erik Jones third, Kyle Larson fourth and AJ Allmendinger fifth. Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, John Hunter Nemechek, Ryan Preece and William Byron rounded out the top 10.

Six of the top 10 are playoff drivers: Briscoe, Reddick, Larson, Chastain, Wallace and Byron.

Ryan Blaney spins on restart on Lap 209 at Darlington

Kyle Busch got loose on the restart, forcing Ryan Blaney to check up before Austin Dillon got into the back of Blaney’s No. 12 Ford. Blaney ended up spinning out toward the inside wall and cut his right front tire to bring out the caution on Lap 209. A playoff driver, Blaney saved his car from crashing into the wall and managed to keep his Ford from suffering major damage.

On the restart, leader playoff drivers Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick battled, but Briscoe kept the lead when the caution flag flew. Briscoe and Reddick will restart on the front row with less than 20 laps remaining in Stage 2.

Cody Ware brings out caution in Stage 2

Ryan Preece got into the back of Cody Ware, who spun in Turn 3 from 28th position, to bring out the caution flag on Lap 203. With 27 laps remaining in Stage 2, all the leaders came down pit road for more fuel in tires. Playoff driver Christopher Bell made multiple stops so his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team could repair damage to his Toyota.

Chase Briscoe again maintained the top position, coming out ahead of Tyler Reddick, Erik Jones and Kyle Larson. But Briscoe is still reporting voltage issues, with a possible malfunction of his alternator.

Kyle Larson begins green-flag pit stops in Stage 2

Kyle Larson started a flurry of green-flag pit stops in Stage 2 in the Cook Out Southern 500 on Lap 187 of a scheduled 367. Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric and Christopher Bell delayed their pit stops, coming down for fuel and tires nearly five laps later.

Chase Briscoe, who has dominated the race, returned to the lead after pit stops were completed. But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has reported electricty and voltage issues in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

NASCAR at Darlington: Lap 171 update

Erik Jones, who has had some of his best career races at Darlington Raceway, passed Ross Chastain to move up to second behind race leader Chase Briscoe. Jones has won the Southern 500 at Darlington twice for two his three career NASCAR Cup Series victories.

Carson Hocevar brings out caution flag at Darlingon

Carson Hocevar spun off Turn 4 from 19th position, bringing out the caution flag on Lap 152 of 367. Hocevar had been loose for multiple laps and made at least one save, but could not save his car from ultimately spinning across the track.

All the leaders came down pit road for fuel and tires during the caution flag. Denny Hamlin, who had been running inside the Top 3 for most of the race, had a disastrous pit stop and will restart at the back of the pack among lead-lap drivers. William Byron and Ryan Blaney also had slow pit stops.

Chase Briscoe kept his lead on the pit stop exchange, with Ross Chastain coming out second, Tyler Reddick third and Kyle Larson fourth.

Chase Briscoe regains lead at Darlington

After losing the lead on the restart to begin Stage 2, Chase Briscoe accelerated past Denny Hamlin seven laps later to surge back to the front in the Cook Out Southern 500. Briscoe led 85 laps to win the opening stage.

Denny Hamlin takes lead on restart at Darlington

Denny Hamlin beat Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe on a restart to open Stage 2 of the Cook Out Southern 500 on Lap 126 of 267. Hamlin has five career victories at Darlington Raceway, the most among active drivers.

Chase Briscoe wins Stage 1 at Darlington

Chase Briscoe, who started second, took the lead on the opening lap and led 85 of 115 laps in the first stage to score 10 stage points. Tyler Reddick finished second, and pole sitter Denny Hamlin third, as Toyota drivers swept the top three spots.

Ross Chastain, in a Cheverolet, finished fourth and Bubba Wallace in a Toyota finished fifth. Kyle Larson (Chevrolet), Christopher Bell (Toyota), Austin Cindric (Ford), John Hunter Nemechek (Toyota) and Ryan Blaney (Ford) rounded out the top 10.

All of the drivers in the top 10 minus Nemechek are in the playoffs.

NASCAR at Darlington Lap 75 update

Chase Briscoe, who has led nearly every lap of this opening stage, came down pit road for fuel and tires on Lap 75 during a wave of green-flag pit stops. These pit stops mark the second of two under green during the first stage, which is scheduled for 115 laps.

NASCAR at Darlington: Lap 37 update

Chase Briscoe, who has led every lap of the Cook Out Southern 500 so far, led a wave of drivers down pit road for green-flag pit stops. The opening stage is 115 laps, and the race is scheduled for 367 laps.

Playoff driver crashes in opening laps at Darlington

Josh Berry got loose and careened into Tyler Reddick before slamming the back of his No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford into the outside wall on the first lap of the race. Reddick was just able to save his No. 45 Toyota from hitting the wall, but Berry’s vehicle suffered major damage, and he was forced to drive it back to the garage for repairs.

Chase Briscoe, who started second, was able to grab the lead from pole sitter Denny Hamlin on that first lap and maintained it on the restart.

How to watch NASCAR race today: Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington

Date: Sunday, Aug. 31
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: USA Network
Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Location: Darlington Raceway

Stream the NASCAR race at Darlingon on Fubo

Which drivers made the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?

Here are the reset NASCAR standings entering the first playoff race at Darlington Raceway, with points and number of wins in parentheses:

Kyle Larson (3)….. 2,032
William Byron (2) ….. 2,032
Denny Hamlin (4) ….. 2,029
Ryan Blaney (2) ….. 2,026
Christopher Bell (3) ….. 2,023
Shane van Gisbergen (4) ….. 2,022
Chase Elliott (1) ….. 2,013
Chase Briscoe (1) ….. 2,010
Bubba Wallace (1) ….. 2,008
Austin Cindric (1) ….. 2,008
Ross Chastain (1) ….. 2,007
Joey Logano (1) ….. 2,007
Josh Berry (1) ….. 2,006
Tyler Reddick (0) ….. 2,006
Austin Dillon (1) ….. 2,005
Alex Bowman (0) ….. 2,002

Who is starting on pole for NASCAR playoff race at Darlington?

Denny Hamlin, who has won four times this season and has five career victories at Darlington Raceway to lead all active drivers, will start on pole in the Cook Out Southern 500 in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. His JGR teammate Chase Briscoe, also a playoff driver, will start alongside Hamlin on the front frow.

What is the weather forecast for the NASCAR playoff race at Darlington?

Drivers, crew members and fans alike couldn’t have asked for better conditions for the Cook Out Southern 500. The Weather Channel is calling for sunny skies and temperatures right around 80 degrees when the green flag drops. After the sun goes down, skies will remain clear, and temperatures will fall into the 70s and perhaps high 60s for the checkered flag. Precipitation will not be a factor at all tonight.

What is the lineup for NASCAR playoff race at Darlington?

Here is the lineup for tonight’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (car number in parentheses; P=playoff driver):

(11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
(19) Chase Briscoe (P), Toyota
(21) Josh Berry (P), Ford
(45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
(5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
(1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
(20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
(23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
(3) Austin Dillon (P), Chevrolet
(2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford
(24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
(12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
(7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
(22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
(17) Chris Buescher, Ford
(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(41) Cole Custer, Ford
(43) Erik Jones, Toyota
(88) Shane Van Gisbergen (P), Chevrolet
(9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
(8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(38) Zane Smith, Ford
(71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(60) Ryan Preece, Ford
(34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet
(42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
(10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
(4) Noah Gragson, Ford
(47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
(51) Cody Ware, Ford
(44) Derek Kraus, Chevrolet
(66) Timmy Hill, Ford

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Darlingon?

The Cook Out Southern 500 is 367 laps around the 1.366-mile track for a total of 501.32 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 115 laps; Stage 2: 115 laps; Stage 3: 137 laps.

Who won the most NASCAR Cup race at Darlington?

William Byron led 246 of 297 laps in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington on April 6, 2025, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver did not walk away with the tropy. Denny Hamlin powered through following a late-race caution to score the overtime victory, his second of four wins this season.

NASCAR Darlington playoff race betting odds

Here are the favorites to win the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, according to BetMGM odds (as of afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 31):

Denny Hamlin +475
Kyle Larson +500
William Byron +650
Tyler Reddick +700
Ryan Blaney +750
Christopher Bell +900
Chase Briscoe +900
Ross Chastain +1600
Josh Berry +1800
Bubba Wallace +2200
Joey Logano +2200
Chase Elliott +2500

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Darlington start?

The Cook Out Southern 500 is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington on?

The Cook Out Southern 500 will be broadcast on USA Network, the channel for most of the Cup Series playoffs. Pre-race coverage will start at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington?

Yes, the Cook Out Southern 500 will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

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.