The New York Mets’ curious offseason took another turn when the club agreed to terms on a two-year, $40 million contract with infielder Jorge Polanco Dec. 13, The Athletic first reported.

Polanco, 32, is coming off two seasons with the Seattle Mariners, the latter a nice bounceback from a 2024 season in which he batted just .213 with a .651 OPS. In 2025, he upped the latter number to .821 while hitting 26 home runs and getting several big hits in the Mariners’ run to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

Yet Polanco’s signing would create an immediate question in New York: Just where will he play?

The club traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo the Texas Rangers in exchange for defensively elite second baseman Marcus Semien. Brett Baty hit 18 home runs in 130 games and was worth 3.1 WAR at third base last season.

That leaves first base, where franchise icon Pete Alonso was not retained; he signed a $151 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Polanco, a switch-hitter, can certainly find everyday at-bats between the infield positions – Mark Vientos presents a right-handed option at both corner positions – and designated hitter, even if he doesn’t fulfill an immediate need.

Polanco hit 26 home runs last season, which would be reputable production for a first baseman. Whether he can continue that pattern as he ages into his mid-30s is an open question.

Yet Mets club president David Stearns’ winter manuevers have indicated a club in transition, very much a work in progress. The losses of Alonso, Nimmo and closer Edwin Diaz indicate a reset of sorts, and that Stearns’ vision very likely won’t come into view until the winter is nearly complete.

Polanco’s signing is the next step toward putting that puzzle together – even if his acquisition inspires almost as many questions as it answers.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark agree the WNBA and WNBPA need to come to an agreement that gets the players paid and back on the court for the 2026 season.

‘Everybody’s very intentional about what we want. … We’re riding together on everything,’ said Reese who, along with Clark, is participating in the Team USA camp at Duke University. ‘So, I’m preparing for a season like everybody else, but … it’s really important for us to come to a common ground that we can all agree on. It’s all fair and everybody benefits from it.’

The WNBA and WNBPA agreed to extend the current collective barging agreement through Jan. 9. Clark said the players will ‘fight for everything we deserve’ and look for ‘compromise’ because the league ‘needs to play basketball.’

‘That’s what our fans crave — the product on the floor,’ Clark said. ‘That’s what the fans want to show up for. So, it’s business, and it’s a negotiation, and there has to be compromise on both sides. And we’re starting to get down to the wire of it.’

Within days of the WNBA and WNBPA agreeing to extend the current CBA, the league reportedly offered a new proposal, which included a max player salary of $1 million, with projected revenue sharing raising max players’ total earnings to $1.2 million. However, the WNBPA reportedly plans to reject the WNBA’s latest offer over concerns with the league’s ‘math.’

Revenue sharing continues to be a point of contention for the players’ association. In the WNBA’s latest salary proposal, The Athletic reported, players would receive less than 15% of league revenue. The WNBA’s revenue projection, according to the report, has that percentage decreasing over the life of the CBA. Under the current CBA, WNBA players receive 9.3% of league revenue.

‘As someone that’s part of the league, definitely would be silly not to follow closely,’ Brink said. ‘So definitely something I’m paying attention to. And I would say I’m preparing in the same way that the season’s going to come around at some point. So, just waiting like everyone else.’

Meghan L. Hall contributed to this report.

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The annual Army-Navy football game heads to Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium this year. Rich in pageantry and tradition, the stand-alone game that now marks the conclusion of the regular season is a true celebration of the sport. It’s well worth watching in any year, but it’s even better when both programs are enjoying successful campaigns. Such is the case this time as the academy rivals get set to square off for the 126th time, as both enter with winning records and will have a bowl game awaiting them after this all-important rivalry showdown. Here are the particulars for this year’s meeting.

No. 25 Navy vs. Army

Time/TV: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, CBS.

Why watch: Not that you need another reason, but it’s also worth noting that once again the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy will be on the line, as both squads defeated Air Force earlier. The roles are somewhat reversed from a year ago, when it was Army coming into the contest with a US LBM Coaches Poll ranking and fresh off a victory in the American championship game. But it was the Midshipmen that wound up sailing to a 31-13 triumph, a result that seemingly laid the groundwork for their strong 2025 season. Following the Army win with a 21-20 victory against Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl to conclude 2024, Navy began this season 7-0 which, for a time, had the Mids enjoying the longest active winning streak in the Bowl Subdivision. The Black Knights were considerably slower out of the gate this fall, dropping three of their first four including an opening-week setback against Championship Subdivision member Tarleton State. But Army also claimed an early win against Kansas State, and a season-ending triumph at Texas-San Antonio assured both academies are bowl bound once again. Navy returned most of last year’s key offensive contributors, a major reason for their 9-2 mark thus far. The driving force is QB Blake Horvath, who has 1,390 yards passing and another 1,040 on the ground, while accounting for 23 total TDs. RB Alex Tecza and SB Eli Heidenreich are his primary weapons who can get the ball in a variety of ways. They will all become well acquainted with Army LBs Andon Thomas and Kalib Fortner as well as DB Collin Matteson. Black Knights QB Cale Hellums doesn’t throw as often but still finds ways to get SB Noah Short plenty of touches. When a big play is needed, WR Brady Anderson is usually the target. Frequent playmakers on the Midshipmen defense include LB MarcAnthony Parker and DT Landon Robinson.

Why it could disappoint: Last year’s somewhat one-sided result was actually surprising, as the game is close well into the fourth quarter more often than not. But even if one team somehow pulls away, it should still be an entertaining spectacle.

The Georgia Bulldogs could be down two players, including one starter, ahead of their quarterfinal game in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.

Two Bulldogs players – starting offensive guard Dontrell Glover and freshman running back Bo Walker – were arrested Friday, Dec. 12, on misdemeanor theft by shoplifting charges. The two players were booked into Clarke County Jail in Georgia on $1,500 bond: Walker at 5:30 p.m. ET, and Glover at 5:55 p.m. ET.

“We were informed of the charges and are currently in the process of gathering additional information,” Georgia deputy athletic director Steven Drummond told the Athens Banner-Herald, part of the USA TODAY Network. “This is a pending legal matter and we will not have further comment at this time.”

On Nov. 23, Georgia redshirt freshman offensive lineman Nyier Daniels was arrested on 13 charges, including felony counts of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and two counts of second-degree child cruelty. Kirby Smart dismissed him from the program on Nov. 24.

Georgia, the No. 3 seed in the CFP, plays its next game Thursday, Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs will play the winner of the first-round game between No. 6 Mississippi and No. 11 Tulane. The Bulldogs and Rebels played in the regular season on Oct. 18, with Smart’s team winning 43-35 in Athens, Georgia.

Jeff Tamarri was at home officiating. Football, baseball, basketball … it did not really matter the sport. Or the ages of the participants.

“He was so good about reading people,” said close friend and fellow official Terry Taylor. “He would get to know the kids on the field, or on the court, and talk to them about the games. The kids loved him. They always knew they could approach him.”

Tragically, Tamarri died on Friday night doing what he loved. The 63-year-old veteran official was working the varsity girls’ basketball game between Speedway and Monrovia when he collapsed near the baseline with 6 minutes, 39 seconds left in the second quarter. Despite the best efforts of the team trainers, followed by the emergency services workers, Tamarri died.

It was a heartbreaking scene for a man kids knew as “Jeff the Ref” in the youth football leagues, where he was quick with a high five or a fist bump and a smile.

“Jeff would apologize to the girls playing in the game tonight,” Taylor said, pausing as he fought back tears, “and would not want them to have that burden of a memory so tragic in a game we all love to be a part of.”

Monrovia athletic director Jon Regashus had worked with Tamarri at times during his own 15-year tenure as a basketball official.

“He was on the baseline,” Regashus said. “There was an offensive rebound, and he stepped back into position and lost his legs (balance). I’m not a medical expert but it appeared to be a cardiac arrest. It was awful. Just tragic. You feel for everybody who was involved in the game, from the players to the cheerleaders and everyone here … it’s just heartbreaking.”

Regashus said the gym was cleared as paramedics attempted to revive Tamarri. The teams were sent to their locker rooms, and the game was later postponed. Monrovia also postponed its game scheduled for Saturday morning against Tri-West.

“I feel awful for his family, the officiating community and all of his friends,” Regashus said. “I would commend everybody here from Monrovia and Speedway for the way they handled everything and followed protocols and directions. The trainers and emergency workers were amazing. They did everything they could.”

Officials who knew Tamarri best were still processing the news as they found out Friday night. Many were working their own games at the time when their phones started buzzing. That included Taylor, a fellow “divorced dad,” who was roommates with Tamarri for all but about five years since 2008.

Tamarri and Taylor worked together often and talked about officiating when they were not working games. The fun-loving Tamarri was quick with a high five and smile with young athletes but also took his job seriously.

“He had a great common sense approach,” Taylor said. “I would be the one to call techs. He would try to get out of there without picking a fight with anyone. It was always, ‘The kids are No. 1.’ He was well known at Zionsville youth football and we worked a lot of games at Grand Park and about a million AAU games over the years. We butted heads at times talking about refereeing and how to handle things. But he really enjoyed the craft of officiating.”

Michael Pawlik got into basketball and football officiating about 12 years ago because of Tamarri.

“He was a top-notch official in every sport,” Pawlik said. “He took care of business. But the biggest thing was all the kids just loved him. He would be in the middle of the field talking to the kids and high fiving them.”

Kevin Brown first came to know Tamarri, a 1980 Perry Meridian graduate, back in the mid-1990s through the Indianapolis Umpire Association run by Lenny Brickens. Brown said Tamarri was one of the umpires he learned the most from.

“He was a guy who work a bunch of games,” Brown said. “He would work a lot of games, too, in basketball and football. But he was an exceptional baseball umpire. Way better than me. He worked a lot of college games and should have worked the state finals. It was really a travesty that he didn’t.”

Brown, like Taylor, said one of Tamarri’s best attributes as an umpire or official was his ability to keep the calm. That came into play one day more than 20 years ago when Brown and Tamarri worked a North Central-Decatur Central baseball game. A couple of bang-bang calls, innings apart, went against Decatur Central and longtime coach Phil Webster.

“Well, he comes out going all Lou Pinella yelling at me about the play two innings before,” Brown said. “Eventually Jeff kind of bear hugged him and got him off the field. He always had your back.”

He was not always on time, Brown joked. He called him Jeff “if not today” Tamarri.

“I had a special bond with Jeff,” Brown said. “He was a fun-loving guy, and you always knew if you were working a game with him, you were going to have a good time.”

Lance Scheib called Tamarri “a close friend.” Scheib, a longtime staple in the football community as a coach and broadcaster, knew Tamarri as a football official when he was a coach at Franklin Central and Noblesville. When he started his Gridiron Games for youth football players from third to sixth grade, he knew Tamarri would be a great fit.

“He did it for all the right reasons,” Scheib said. “The passion he had for high school and elementary players was great for the game. He always made it about the kids. Jeff would put the same emphasis on doing a third grade game as you would see on a Friday night. It was always fun to see how kids would gravitate to him. You always felt like he would make it a teachable moment every time he could for those kids.”

Scheib said his league will do something to honor Tamarri’s contributions next season. The same can be said for the high school officiating community in Indiana.

Roger Fiesel, a longtime friend, was supposed to work eight games in the Danville youth basketball league on Saturday with Tamarri and six more on Sunday at Plainfield. Fiesel and Tamarri would work the Zionsville youth football league games, where kids knew him only as “Jeff the Ref.”

“It will be hard (Saturday),” Fiesel said. “But I know he would want the kids to play basketball. He was like a brother to me. He will be missed.”

A day after her first World Cup victory in nearly eight years, Lindsey Vonn almost made it two in a row.

Vonn was second in the downhill at the World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Saturday, finishing 0.24 seconds behind Emma Aicher of Germany. It was the 140th podium of Vonn’s career.

But Vonn had gotten off-balance off a jump about halfway down the course, and her fight to save her run cost her precious time. Aicher, the next skier after Vonn, took advantage.

The young German skied solidly in the section where Vonn had had trouble, grabbing the lead after the third timing interval. Aicher then poured on the gas, extending her lead in the bottom section of the course.

As Aicher crossed the finish line, Vonn shook her head briefly, knowing her error had cost her another victory.

‘I thought I skied pretty well on top, I just made a mistake in the middle,’ Vonn said. ‘I went in a little bit too direct and wasn’t quite in balance and then I fell on my hip when I landed.’

Still, Vonn maintains the lead in the downhill standings and moved up to 11th in the overall standings.

‘I’m really happy to be on the podium again and I still have the leader bid, so that’s important to me,’ Vonn said.

Fellow American Breezy Johnson just missed the podium, finishing 0.11 seconds behind Goggia in fourth. Bella Wright was 13th, and Jackie Wiles (20th), Keely Cashman (21st) and Allison Mollin (22nd) gave the U.S. women six in the top 25.

Next up is the season’s first super-G on Sunday.

College football’s highest individual honor will be handed out on Saturday, Dec. 13.

A day before the award is handed out in New York City, other marquee college football postseason awards were handed out to some of the top players, teams and coaches in the sport during The Home Depot College Football Awards show on Friday, Dec. 12.

Stream the Home Depot College Football Awards show live with Fubo (free trial)

Several Heisman Trophy finalists were up for the awards to be given out by the National College Football Awards Association on Dec. 12, including Indiana and Ohio State quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin, respectively, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

Mendoza, the presumed favorite for the Heisman Trophy, was named the recipient of the Maxwell Award, given annually to the top player in the country. He also won the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback award, which goes to the best quarterback in the country.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs added to his trophy case with the Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back). Downs finished the regular season with 60 total tackles, two interceptions, a broken-up pass and a sack.

Other awards handed out by the National College Football Awards Association on the night included the Chuck Bednarik Award; Biletnikoff Award; Lou Groza Award; Ray Guy Award; Outland Trophy; Jim Thorpe Award and Doak Walker Award.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates of The Home Depot College Football Awards show. Follow along:

Stream the Home Depot College Football Awards show live with Fubo (free trial)

College football awards show live updates

This section has been updated with new information.

Fernando Mendoza wins Maxwell Award

The Maxwell Award, also known as the Player of the Year in college football, goes to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. He is the only quarterback at the Division I FBS level this season to throw at least four touchdowns with no interceptions in five games this season, and has thrown for a nation-leading 33 touchdowns this season.

It’s the second award won by Mendoza on the night. Could No. 3 on the weekend come tomorrow in New York City with the Heisman Trophy? That will be answered at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Brett Thorson wins Ray Guy Award

Georgia punter Brett Thorson wins the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the top punter in the country. Thorson is the second Georgia punter to win the award, with the other being Drew Butler in 2009.

BYU’s Kalani Sitake wins Buddy Teevens Award

BYU coach Kalani Sitake takes home the Buddy Teevens Award. Sitake led the Cougars to the Big 12 Championship game and an 11-2 record. BYU is set to finish the season in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Georgia Tech on Saturday, Dec. 27.

North Texas’ Drew Mestemaker wins Burlsworth Trophy

North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker is named the winner of the Burlsworth Trophy. Mestemaker has been one of the top quarterbacks this season, especially among the Group of Five conferences, as he has thrown for over 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Tate Sandell wins Lou Groza Award

Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell wins the Lou Groza Award, making him the top placekicker in the country. A no-doubter, as Sandell hit multiple field goals of 50 yards or longer this season for the Sooners.

Jeremiyah Love wins Doak Walker Award

Jeremiyah Love wins the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the top running back in the country. The Heisman Trophy finalist finished his junior campaign with 1,372 rushing yards, which ranks fourth among all Division I FBS players. He is the first Notre Dame player to win the award.

Archie Griffin wins NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award

Ohio State great Archie Griffin is named the 2025 recipient of the NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award.

Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez wins Butkus Award

Make it two-for-two for the Stache, Jacob Rodriguez! Moments after learning he won the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Texas Tech linebacker was named the winner of the Butkus Award, making him the top linebacker in the country. Rodriguez is the first linebacker since 2012 to have at least 95 tackles, five forced fumbles and two interceptions in a season.

Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez wins Bednarik Award

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez takes home the 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given to the top defensive player of the year. Rodriguez, the first Texas Tech player to win the award, is the catalyst of a top-ranked defense for the Red Raiders, who earned a top-four seed and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State’s Caleb Downs wins Jim Thorpe Award

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs wins the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given out to the top defensive back in the country. Downs, one of the top defensive players in the country, finished with 60 total tackles, two interceptions, a broken-up pass and a sack in the regular season.

Disney Spirit Award given to Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is named the recipient of the Disney Spirit Award.

Eli Stowers wins Mackey Award, William V Campbell Trophy

Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers takes home two trophies on the night: the John Mackey Award and the William V Campbell Trophy. The Mackey Award is given out to the top tight end in the country, and that was what Stowers was for the Commodores this season: He finished with 769 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Curt Cignetti named Home Depot Coach of the Year

Google him, he only wins! Indiana’s Curt Cignetti is named the Home Depot Coach of the Year, making him a back-to-back winner of the award. Cignetti continued to defy odds this season in Bloomington, as the Hoosiers are a perfect 13-0 and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Iowa’s Logan Jones wins Rimington Trophy

Iowa center Logan Jones is named the recipient of the 2025 Rimington Trophy, which goes out to the top center in college football. Not a surprise that a Hawkeye wins the award, given their history of linemen.

Outland Trophy goes to Utah’s Spencer Fano

The Outland Trophy, which goes out to the most outstanding interior lineman, goes to Utah’s Spencer Fano. He is the first Ute to receive the award.

Makai Lemon wins Biletnikoff Award

USC wide receiver Makai Lemon wins the 2025 Biletnikoff Award, which goes out to the top receiver in college football. Lemon, who finished with 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, beat out UConn’s Skyler Bell and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith for the award.

Fernando Mendoza wins Davey O’Brien National Quarterback award

Taking home the 2025 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback award, which goes out to the best quarterback in the country, is Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Could this be a sign of what is to come for Mendoza this weekend, as he is a Heisman Trophy finalist?

‘Home Depot College Football Awards’ show started

It’s time for some hardware to be handed out!

‘The Herbie Awards’ starting on ESPN

Kicking off Friday’s slate of college football award shows on ESPN is ‘The Herbie Awards,’ awards, which are awards handed out by ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

College football award finalists

Here’s a look at the awards that will be handed out during the Home Depot College Football Awards show on Dec. 12, as well as their finalists:

Chuck Bednarik Award

Defensive Player of the Year

S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech (winner)

Biletnikoff Award

Outstanding Receiver

Skyler Bell, UConn
Makai Lemon, USC (winner)
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award

Outstanding Placekicker

Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech
Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii
Tate Sandell, Oklahoma (winner)

Ray Guy Award

Punter of the Year

Brett Thorson, Georgia (winner)
Evan Crenshaw, Troy
Palmer Williams, Baylor

Maxwell Award

Player of the Year

RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (winner)
QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award

Best Quarterback

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (winner)
Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Outland Trophy

Most Outstanding Interior Lineman

OL Spencer Fano, Utah (winner)
OL Logan Jones, Iowa
DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

Jim Thorpe Award

Best Defensive Back

CB Mansor Delane, LSU
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State (winner)
CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame

Doak Walker Award

Premier Running Back

Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss
Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame (winner)

What TV channel is Home Depot College Football Awards show on today?

TV channel: ESPN
Livestream: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)

The Home Depot College Football Awards show will air on ESPN with Kevin Negandhi, Molly McGrath and Booger McFarland hosting the show and Jen Lada reporting from New York City for interviews with players.

Streaming options for the college football awards show include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream the Home Depot College Football Awards show live with Fubo (free trial)

What time is Home Depot College Football Awards show today?

Date: Friday, Dec. 12
Time: 7 p.m. ET

The Home Depot College Football Awards show will start at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 12.

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If it seems like the regular season in college football just ended, well, it did. But that doesn’t mean we can’t jump right into the bowl season, right?

The first bowl teams take the field at SoFi Stadium Saturday evening. The game matches two schools that share a bit of history with a former coach in common. In the spirit of the holidays, it might also be seen as a visit from the ghosts of Pac-12 past and future, with a former conference member squaring off against a team bound for the newly reconstructed league next season.

Here’s a look at the participants and what you need to know to take it in.

LA Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington

Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC, Boise, Idaho.

Why watch: One might call this the Chris Petersen Bowl, name checking the coach who helped make Boise a perennial winner before heading to Seattle to coach the Huskies and lead them to the College Football Playoff. They’ve met on the field six times, with Washington holding a 4-2 series advantage. As far as this meeting is concerned, it will be a quick turnaround for the Broncos, fresh off repeating as Mountain West champions with a win against UNLV eight days earlier. The Huskies’ Big Ten campaign was a mixed bag with occasional offensive outages among some explosive performances. Boise State was happy to get QB Maddux Madsen back for the MWC finale. Washington’s defense, backed by DB Alex McLaughlin, could prove tougher to solve. Huskies QB Demond Williams has thrown for 21 TDs and run for six more. He must know the whereabouts of DB Ty Benefield, the Broncos’ defensive leader, at all times.

Why it could disappoint: As mentioned, Boise is on much shorter rest, and the Broncos haven’t fared especially well this season against strong out-of-conference competition. Washington struggled against high-end defenses, so we’ll soon learn if Boise qualifies in that category.