SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The storm clouds are hovering, with the dire forecast of a work stoppage coming a year from now, but Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, refuses to sweat.

He spent four days meeting with players at their executive board meeting this week, with the hottest topic the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. He told them to be fully prepared for a potential work stoppage, but to also ignore the noise that the game will be shut down when the CBA expires Dec. 1, 2026.

“Our interest is getting in the room and hammering out a fair and equitable deal,’’ Clark told USA TODAY Sports and the Associated Press on Thursday. “Our commitment is in the room, at the table and getting to an agreement that is fair and equitable. Other stuff is just noise.’’

Is it possible the game will be shut down and disrupt the 2027 season?

Certainly.

This is why the players voted to have their licensing checks withheld since 2024, which is expected to happen again this year and next.

But will the game definitely be shut down?

No.

“We never go into a negotiation trying to miss games,’’ Clark said. “I can’t speak for the other side, but we don’t go into a negotiation trying to miss games. But in our history, we’ve missed games. We go into a negotiation looking to move the industry forward, protect and advance player rights, as a part of that. We’re going to negotiate in that fashion here.

“But we’re going to be prepared for what the other side is telling us they’re interested in doing. We don’t go into the conversation looking to damage the game, particularly in a world where the game is moving in a very good direction.

“We should be celebrating our guys and the game and what we’re seeing. Our guys are doing that, and they’re performing night in and night out, but the noise is suggesting that the sky is falling. We’ll see once we start formal bargaining what that looks like, but our players are ready for whatever that is going to look like.’’

There’s no need for a union fan council, no need to tell the world that teams are making more money than they let on, and no need to join the chorus and predict a lockout.

Really, Clark and the executive board reiterated, they hear the same complaints of the fans and share the same interests.

The players would love to see greater competitive balance, too, among teams, but don’t believe for a second that a salary cap is the way to accomplish the goal.

While no team shares their financial statements except Atlanta, which is a publicly traded company, the union receives private financial information from Major League Baseball that reveals exactly how much money each team generates in revenues each year.

So, the union is just as frustrated as the fans in some of the small markets who have low payrolls, believing that if they really wanted to compete for a World Series, or simply a division title, they would spend more money on their team instead of pocketing profits.

It will be the primary issue when Major League Baseball and the players union begin their formal negotiations, which is expected to commence in spring training, and was emphasized this week. The last time a small-market team won the World Series was in 2015 with the Kansas City Royals, but the Milwaukee Brewers, who reside in the smallest market in baseball, reached the NLCS this year despite a payroll $300 million less than the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“There are teams who have the wherewithal to compete that are choosing not to … that we don’t believe are putting their best foot forward,’’ Clark said. “Competition is central to what happens in our industry and the excitement that is built around it, much like you’ve seen over the course of the last four or five years. The excitement around it has caused a growth in eyeballs and people with butts in the seats. … But in a world, regardless of whether you’re on the left coast or the East Coast, or whether you’re anywhere in between, and independent of the size of your market, you have the wherewithal to compete.’’

There were strides made in the last CBA that assured that teams aren’t rewarded by consistently losing with the draft lottery and other mechanisms. The Chicago White Sox, who set a modern-day record in 2024 with 121 losses, weren’t eligible to have a draft pick higher than 10th in the following amateur draft.

“Teams were benefiting from losing in a way that incentivized losing,’’ Clark said. “That’s not what we wanted to have. It didn’t quite get as far as we would have liked to in some areas, but we were able to do some things that that changed that value proposition a little, or at least put some uncertainty in the equation whereby just losing the highest number of games doesn’t ensure the No. 1 draft picks.’’

The union made great strides in the last CBA with increased salaries for players not yet eligible for salary arbitration with increased minimum salaries, an incentive program that provided bonuses for player performance, and helping severely curtail service time manipulation with teams being rewarded with a draft pick if their rookies on opening-day rosters won individual awards.

There surely will be modifications and proposed minimum salary increases in this CBA, and at the same time, the players want to see changes in the MLB rule competition committee.

The committee, constructed in 2022, consists of six team owners, four players and one umpire. It was responsible for the introduction of the pitch clock, shift restrictions and the automated ball-strike challenge system that will go into effect in 2026. Yet, no matter how the players voted, MLB had the final say with the six owners all voting in favor of the commissioner’s office recommendation.

“The players have a concern about the well-being of the game,’’ Clark said. “They love it. They’ve dedicated their lives to it, and they recognize the window for them to play it is remarkably small. So they want the game to be the best version of itself.

“When you represent that as a part of the committee, even if you have less votes, and it’s either considered … it tells players that their value, their voice, isn’t being valued. So I remain hopeful, with less votes, will at some point in time yield more substantive responses to the input that players are offering. …. It hasn’t manifested itself the way players had expected.’’

While there isn’t a current player who has been part of a major work stoppage, with many not even born the last time the players went on strike in 1994-1995, Clark reiterated that the players’ solidarity is as strong as ever. When the executive subcommittee voted 8-0 against a proposed CBA deal from the owners in 2022, and the full union membership voted overwhelmingly to instead end the 99-day lockout, Clark called it a sign of strength, not a weakness.

There’s also no need to remind the players to be cautious in publicly addressing a potential work stoppage, believing they are much more media savvy than in 1994-95 when popular players like Tom Glavine and David Cone drew the wrath from fans for their stances.

“It’s different now,’’ Clark said. “These young players are equipped and have functioned in a world that’s much different than the one that we came up. In having said that, you standing on principle, there are always people that are going to challenge your principles. … It’s hard to make everybody happy all the time, but I firmly believe that our players and our fans connect better with our players than they ever have before. They can relate to our guys in ways that they couldn’t, and didn’t relate back then.’’

Now, the hope is that the common goal of competitive balance, when the Milwaukees of the world have the same chance as the Dodgers to play deep into October, can bring everyone together without bringing the game to a halt.

“I will tell you that with some of the issues, particularly as those as they relate to competition,’’ Clark said, “there’s a number of moving pieces in there that can be beneficial to everyone involved, and thus move our game forward.

“We’re looking forward to having those conversations.’’

Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale

When Terence Crawford blasted WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán Nov. 3, the timing was as notable as the trigger.

Crawford fumed after the WBC stripped him of a championship belt the boxing star won by beating Canelo Alvarez Sept. 13. His transgression: the boxing star failed to pay the WBC $300,000 in sanctioning fees for the fight against Alvarez.

The timing: The friction between Crawford and the WBC, one of boxing’s four sanctioning bodies, comes at a time of potential change as the sport struggles to stay relevant.

“One tries to be optimistic,’’ said Mike Silver, a boxing historian and author of “The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science.”  “But when considering boxing’s tawdry history it’s hard to be optimistic, especially when considering who is in charge.’’

Actually, between the four sanctioning bodies, various promoters and the absence of a commissioner, it’s hard to know who’s in charge.

But it’s easy to see who’s looking to assume power.

Dana White has built the UFC into a multibillion-dollar company while helping mixed martial arts overtake boxing as the king of combat sports. Now, White has entered the boxing world as a promoter, and with billions at his disposal. He has partnered with Turki Alalshikh, the frontman for Saudi Arabia’s massive investment in boxing.

“For now, all we can do is take a wait-and-see attitude,’’ Silver told USA TODAY Sports. “The danger is that with a new major promotional entity entering the fray, boxing may become even more fragmented and confusing than it is.’’

HBO and Showtime, once the leading platforms for broadcasting boxing, have pulled the plug on the sport.

Can Dana White rescue boxing?

DAZN, the global streaming service, has taken over as the key player. But even with Netflix showing interest in high-profile events like Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul and Crawford vs. Alvarez, there is a dearth of options to broadcast the fights.

There are no such issues for the UFC.

Earlier this year, under White’s leadership, UFC landed a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, the streaming service that will annually show more than 40 UFC events. But that’s not all.

Paramount also has agreed to stream 12 boxing cards a year for Zuffa Boxing, founded by White, who serves as CEO.

As co-founder of the UFC, White succeeded in part by matching up the best fighters. In boxing, by contrast, competing promoters and the effort to protect a boxer’s record often delay or derail mega fights. That made it an even bigger deal when Crawford and Alvarez squared off in a bout held at Allegiant Stadium and streamed by Netflix.

Who was the promoter? That would be White, who made his foray into boxing with that fight.

But the benefits of the UFC’s system are questionable. For every star cashing in, there are plenty of others struggling financially.

Lesser-known fighters filed an antitrust lawsuit in 2014, accusing Zuffa LLC, then UFC’s parent company, of suppressing fighter pay through anticompetitive practices.

In 2024, the UFC settled the case for $375 million. Two other class-action suits are pending. Another class-action lawsuit was filed this year.

Who benefits most from the business model?

The UFC was sold in 2016 for $4 billion. Most of the money went to co-founders Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. But White made roughly $360 million, according to ESPN, and stayed on as president and CEO.

Thanks in part to White, Crawford enjoyed the most lucrative night of his career when he fought Alvarez. (For the record, the WBC helped make that happen by sanctioning the fight even though Crawford was moving up two weight classes.)  

A new belt enters the ring

White’s success will hinge in part on the success of The Ring, a media outlet and magazine bought last year by Alalshikh, the Saudi deal broker. For the fight between Crawford and Alvarez, The Ring created a new gold version of the super middleweight championship belt, reportedly worth $188,000.

During his rant, Crawford pointed out that he got the belt for free. The Ring charges no sanctioning fees.

The Ring has not shared its playbook. Perhaps it intends to operate like the UFC and marginalize the competition. (We’re looking at you, sanctioning bodies.) Or perhaps it wants to operate like LIV Golf, the Saudi-owned men’s golf league that has spent billions of dollars in an attempt to overtake the PGA Tour.

Would The Ring ruling boxing be good for the fighters?

The best of the best, like Crawford, would remain well-paid stars. It’s the same for UFC stars. But the rest?

The sanctioning bodies have created more opportunities for boxers to fight for championships across 18 weight divisions. However, what’s served boxers hasn’t necessarily been good for the sport.

As promoter Lou DiBella texted, “THE TITLES MEAN NOTHING. Everybody is a champ.’’

Added DiBella, “The whole system of four (sanctioning bodies) needs to end.’’

Crawford forsook the WBC even though the WBC helped make the fight lucrative by sanctioning it. But Silver, the historian, did not take the position that Crawford tainted his reputation with his profane rant.

“I’ve been waiting for years for a major recognized champion to say this,’’ Silver said by email. “Kudos to Crawford! He is ‘the People’s Champion’ and that is all that matters. No belt is necessary.’’

Only it’s far too early to know if boxing is about to be saved or sunk.

Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season features several games with significant playoff and divisional implications.
Three games will feature teams facing off with first place in a division at stake.
The Sunday night game will feature the Texans and Chiefs, two teams currently outside the AFC playoff picture.
This week marks the final round of bye weeks, the Panthers, Patriots, Giants, and 49ers all off.

Full-fledged December football is here, Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season landing with what should be a spectacular Thursday night game between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions − a pair of teams with playoff aspirations, though neither will move into the projected NFC field even with a victory in what’s effectively shaping up as a must-win game at Ford Field.

Sunday afternoon serves up a meeting between the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars, the winner taking outright control of the AFC South. Similar scenario for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, one of the two scuffling clubs set to sit alone atop the AFC North following the latest installment of their rivalry.

But no rivalry has more history − or probably more juice at the moment − than the century-long-plus one between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. They’ll meet for the 211th time this weekend, first place in the NFC North − and possibly the conference − also on the line at Lambeau Field.

Sunday night will showcase the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, a pair of clubs used to winning their respective divisions but currently sitting outside the AFC postseason field. Week 14 concludes with a pair of teams dealing with myriad issues but likely to reach the Super Bowl 60 tournament as the Los Angeles Chargers host the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Week 14 will also mark the league’s final round of bye weeks, the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers all hitting their midseason breaks.

After a rough showing on Thanksgiving, here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ panel of NFL experts views this weekend’s offering of contests:

(Odds provided by BetMGM)

NFL Week 14 picks, predictions, odds

Cowboys at Lions
Commanders at Vikings
Colts at Jaguars
Saints at Buccaneers
Dolphins at Jets
Titans at Browns
Seahawks at Falcons
Steelers at Ravens
Bengals at Bills
Broncos at Raiders
Bears at Packers
Rams at Cardinals
Texans at Chiefs
Eagles at Chargers

The WNBA and WNBPA continue to spar over revenue sharing as the two sides negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, SBJ reported on Thursday, Dec. 4.

WNBA players got 9.3% of the revenue under the old CBA and opted out of that agreement last October. A bump of a little over 5% in revenue share is not what the union had hoped for or will accept, SBJ reported.

The WNBA’s latest proposal, reported earlier this week, would also raise the salary cap to $5 million a season per team, with increasing the cap over the length of the CBA tied to revenue growth. The minimum player salary would rise to $225,000, the average salary to $500,000 and max $1 million. Under the current CBA, the salary cap is $1.5 million a season per team. The minimum player salary is around $66,000, with the maximum salary worth just north of $249,000.

The two sides agreed to keep the current CBA intact while they hammer out the new deal. They extended the deadline to Jan. 9.

The Los Angeles Lakers are planning to be without star player Luka Dončić for the short-term, possibly for the entirety of their three-game road trip that begins tonight.

“Obviously, he’s away from the team for personal reasons,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters Thursday, Dec. 4 prior to the team’s game against the Toronto Raptors. “Hope to have him back soon, but don’t have a pin-pointed day yet.”

The Lakers confirmed that designation on Thursday’s injury report ahead of the game in Toronto.

Though the team did not have a clear timeline, Dončić appears likely to also miss the team’s next game, given that the Lakers are on the first leg of a back-to-back. Los Angeles plays the Celtics in Boston Friday, Dec. 5.

The Lakers are beginning a three-game road trip Thursday that concludes Sunday, Dec. 7 in Philadelphia. After that, they return to Los Angeles for one game against the San Antonio Spurs – in an NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup – before heading back on the road for another three-game road trip.

Given that the team is on the road, the Lakers may opt to wait for their return to Los Angeles for Dončić to rejoin them.

Dončić, 26, has had a tremendous start to the season, leading the NBA in scoring at 35.3 points per game. He has also added 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game as the Lakers are sitting at 15-5, which is second in the Western Conference.

Dončić played in Los Angeles’ most recent game, Monday, Dec. 1 against the Phoenix Suns, and recorded 38 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists in the 125-108 loss.  

The seeds are set, now its time to get the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament started.

Sixty-four teams are vying for the title with the No. 1 overall seed going to undefeated Nebraska, which is 30-0. The Cornhuskers, who are in their first season under coach Dani Busboom Kelly, won the last of their five national titles in 2017.

Kentucky, Texas, and Pitt are the other No. 1 seeds. The Wildcats have lost two matches, the Longhorns three and the Panthers four this season.

Defending champion Penn State finished 18-12 and is a No. 8 seed in the Austin region. The Nittany Lions face South Florida (17-12) in the first round on Friday.

The 2025 NCAA volleyball Final Four will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s the third time since 2010 that the venue, formerly known as the Sprint Center, has hosted the volleyball national championship.

Follow along as USA TODAY Sports for live updates, scores and schedule for the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament:

How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament

Streaming: ESPN+ ∣ Fubo (free trial)

The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. All first- and second-round games can be found streaming on ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament live with Fubo (free trial)

NCAA volleyball games today

Tennessee volleyball vs. Utah State: Live score updates

It’s all tied up at 2-2. Utah State won the first women’s sets against No. 7 Tennessee, 25-19, 25-15, but dropped the third and fourth 19-25 and 25-18.

Final: North Carolina 3, UTEP 1

North Carolina downed No. 6 UTEP 24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21

Final: Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2

No. 6 Northern Iowa defeated Utah 15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10

Final: UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2

No. 8 UCLA defeated Georgia Tech 24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10

Final: Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2

No. 6 Baylor defeated Arkansas State 23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10

Final: Miami 3, Tulsa 1

No. 5 Miami defeated Tulsa 25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20

Final: Indiana 3, Toledo 0

No. 4 Indiana swept Toledo 25-18, 25-15, 25-17

Final: Colorado 3, American University 0

Colorado eliminated American 25-16, 25-19, 25-16

The No. 5 Buffaloes opened the third set on a 6-0 run. American’s Prinzez Zeck got the Eagles on the board with a kill, but Colorado won 19 of the next 31 points to take the third set and sweep American, 3-0. The Buffaloes posted a .337 hitting percentage in the opening round vs. American and had five players finish with six or more kills, including Sydney Jordan, who led Colorado with a game-high 15 kills, four digs, two service aces and three blocks. Ana Buriloviä added 10 kills for the Buffaloes.

Colorado 2, American 0

Colorado took the second set over American, 25-19. Sydney Jordan is up to 10 kills for the Buffaloes.

Colorado 1, American 0

No. 5 seed Colorado took the first set over American University, 26-15.

What time is NCAA volleyball tournament?

Date: Thursday, Dec. 4 and Friday, Dec. 5
Start time: 32 matches, beginning at 3 p.m. ET Thursday. The last match starts at 10 p.m. ET Friday. Match-by-match times below.

NCAA volleyball first-round matchups, game times

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky (25-2) vs. Wofford (17-13), 7 p.m. ET, Thursday
No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2 (24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10)
No. 5 BYU (22-8) vs. Cal Poly (25-7), 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
No. 4 USC (24-6) vs. Princeton (18-6), 10:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
No. 3 Creighton (25-5) vs. Northern Colorado (17-15), 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
No. 6 Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2 (15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10)
No. 7 Tennessee (20-7) vs. Utah State (23-7), 6:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
No. 2 Arizona State (26-3) vs. Coppin State (23-11), 9 p.m. ET, Thursday

Austin bracket

No. 1 Texas (23-3) vs. Florida A&M (14-16), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 8 Penn State (18-12) vs. South Florida (17-12), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16)
No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17)
No. 3 Wisconsin (24-4) vs. Eastern Illinois (24-7), 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21)
No. 7 South Dakota State (23-4) vs. Arizona (16-12), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 2 Stanford (27-4) vs. Utah Valley (16-10), 10 p.m. ET, Friday

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 1 Pitt (26-4) vs. UMBC (13-11), 6:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 8 Xavier (26-4) vs. Michigan (21-10), 4 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 5 Iowa State (22-7) vs. St. Thomas (21-9), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 4 Minnesota (22-9) vs. Fairfield (25-5), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 3 Purdue (24-6) vs. Wright State (21-10), 7 p.m. ET, Thursday
No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2 (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10)
No. 7 Rice (21-9) vs. Florida (15-11), 5 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 2 SMU (25-5) vs. Central Arkansas (18-11), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday

Lincoln bracket

No. 1 Nebraska (30-0) vs. LIU (20-8), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 8 San Diego (25-4) vs. Kansas State (17-3), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 5 Miami 3, Tulsa 1 (25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20)
No. 4 Kansas (22-10) vs. High Point (18-9), 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
No. 3 Texas A&M (23-4) vs. Campbell (23-6), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 6 TCU (20-10) vs. Stephen F. Austin (23-7), 5 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 7 Western Kentucky (27-5) vs. Marquette (17-10), 4 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 2 Louisville (24-6) vs. Loyola Chicago (17-15), 6:30 p.m. ET, Friday

NCAA volleyball tournament rounds

Second round: Dec. 5-6
Regionals: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18
National championship: 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 21

All games on ESPN Unlimited, ESPN, ABC

NCAA volleyball tournament automatic qualifiers

Here’s a look at the 31 teams that earned automatic berths to the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament by virtue of winning their conferences:

ACC: Stanford
American: Tulsa
American East: UMBC
Atlantic Sun: Central Arkansas
Atlantic 10: Loyola Chicago
Big East: Creighton
Big Sky: Northern Colorado
Big South: High Point
Big Ten: Nebraska
Big 12: Arizona State
Big West: Cal Poly
CAA: Campbell
Conference USA: Western Kentucky
Horizon: Wright State
Ivy: Princeton
MAAC: Fairfield
MAC: Toledo
MEAC: Coppin State
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa
Mountain West: Utah State
NEC: LIU
Ohio Valley: Eastern Illinois
Patriot: American
SEC: Kentucky
SoCon: Wofford
Southland: Stephen F. Austin
SWAC: Florida A&M
Summit: St. Thomas
Sun Belt: Arkansas State
WAC: Utah Valley
WCC: San Diego

When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?

Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21

The two semifinal matches in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be followed three days later by the national championship game on Sunday, Dec. 21.

NCAA volleyball tournament champions

Penn State is the reigning NCAA volleyball champion, having defeated Louisville in four sets last year in the national title game. It was the Nittany Lions’ eighth volleyball championship since 1999.

Here’s a look at the past 10 NCAA volleyball champions:

2024: Penn State
2023: Texas
2022: Texas
2021: Wisconsin
2020: Kentucky
2019: Stanford
2018: Stanford
2017: Nebraska
2016: Stanford
2015: Nebraska

For the full list of champions, click here.

The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) has filed a grievance against the league after a multi-million dollar contract extension offered to Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman was vetoed by NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman. The NWSLPA is arguing that the veto was a ‘flagrant violation’ of several sections of the current collective bargaining agreement.

Berman, meanwhile, is arguing that the extension would violate the league’s salary cap rules. She also believes it promotes parity, having previously stated that owners not being able to outspend one another is pivotal to parity for the league.

A league spokeperson said in a statement, ‘Our goal is to ensure that the very best players in the world, including Trinity, continue to call this league home. We will do everything we can, utilizing every lever available within our rules to keep Trinity Rodman here.’

What was Rodman’s expected contract?

Rodman was offered a deal reportedly worth $1 million per season, according to USA Today’s Scooby Axson via The Athletic.

Rodman’s offer was also expected to be backloaded, which would’ve benefitted the Spirit, considering that under the current CBA, the league’s salary cap will rise every year through 2030. There is no maximum salary defined by the CBA.

Rodman is one of the most talented players in the NWSL. Her presence in the league helps keep the NWSL competitive with European leagues. Rodman’s departure would undoubtedly cause great harm to an otherwise rising sports league.

Will Rodman remain in the NWSL?

It is unknown whether or not Rodman will remain with the NWSL. That said, Washington Spirit owner Michelle Kang has said that the team will do ‘anything within our power’ to keep Rodman with the club.

According to ESPN, Washington’s new president of soccer operations Haley Carter also called Rodman ‘a top priority.’

The league has recently also lost star players like Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea in September. The added loss of Rodman to a team abroad could do serious damage.

It hasn’t taken long for Billy Napier to find a new head coaching gig.

The former Florida football coach is finalizing a deal to become James Madison’s new football coach on a five-year deal, starting with the 2026 season, according to multiple reports. James Madison coach Bob Chesney is set to take over at UCLA in 2026, but will coach the Dukes through the Sun Belt championship and, potentially, a berth in the College Football Playoff.

The Dukes have an 11-1 record heading into the Sun Belt championship against Troy on Friday, Dec. 5, but will likely need help from the ACC and American championship games to make the playoff.

Napier was fired as the Florida head coach on Oct. 19 following a 23-21 win over Mississippi State. Napier ended his tenure with the Gators with an overall record of 22-23 in his four seasons at the school. Florida had losing records in three of its four seasons as Napier became the first coach since Raymond Wolf to finish his tenure at Florida with a losing record.

Before Florida, Napier was head coach at another Sun Belt program, leading Louisiana to a 40-12 record between 2018-21. He led the Ragin’ Cajuns to two conference championships in his tenure. Napier has also spent time during his career working under Nick Saban at Alabama and Dabo Swinney at Clemson.

Florida owes Napier nearly $21.7 million, according to contract information obtained by USA TODAY Sports, for firing him without cause. The Gators have to pay Napier 85% of his annual compensation, which expires Jan. 31, 2029. There was no offset language if Napier got a new job.

The Gators publicly courted Lane Kiffin before he picked LSU over Florida. The Gators hired Tulane’s Jon Sumrall on Sunday, Nov. 30, as their new head coach.

Billy Napier age

Napier was born on July 21, 1979, in Cookeville, Tennessee. He will be 47 years old in 2026, his first season with James Madison.

Billy Napier record

Here’s a look at Napier’s record as a head coach:

2018 (Louisiana): 7-7, 5-3 Sun Belt
2019 (Louisiana): 11-3, 7-1 Sun Belt
2020 (Louisiana): 10-1, 7-1 Sun Belt
2021 Louisiana): 12-1, 8-0 Sun Belt
2022 (Florida): 6-7, 3-5 SEC
2023 (Florida): 5-7, 3-5 SEC
2024 (Florida): 8-5, 4-4 SEC
2025 (Florida): 3-4, 2-2 SEC
Career: 62-35

College football’s regular season concludes with nine FBS conference championship games.
The stakes for these games range from College Football Playoff berths to conference bragging rights.
The Big Ten features a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2 between Ohio State and Indiana to decide the last undefeated team.

Our staff panel of pigskin prognosticators is back to weigh in one final time as college football wraps up its regular season with nine conference championship games. The stakes range from College Football Playoff survival to mere seeding among the top-tier leagues and mainly bragging rights in a couple of cases, but for us the payoff is enormous as we learn who will be crowned the year’s top predictor. Well, OK, there aren’t any actual prizes involved for us either, but we’re told negotiations with high-end sponsors are ongoing.

The headliner is the showdown of No. 1-vs. No. 2 showdown in the Big Ten matching long-time power Ohio State and recent upstart Indiana, which will determine the last undefeated squad entering the playoff. Another top-10 showdown is on tap in the SEC as No. 3 Georgia renews acquaintances with No.10 Alabama. The Big 12 and ACC finales are also rematches as No. 6 Texas Tech takes on No. 11 Brigham Young and No. 17 Virginia meets unlikely finalist Duke.

A few ranked teams get a Friday night jumpstart on the weekend as No. 19 James Madison hosts Troy for the Sun Belt title, and No. 20 North Texas heads to the Big Easy to face No. 21 Tulane for the American championship.

Here are the pairings for all nine games, along with how we think they’ll unfold.

Amir Khan, commonly known Amir ‘Aura’ Khan, is back with McNeese State as the men’s basketball team manager, a team spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY Sports, signaling the end of his brief time at NC State.

Khan returned to McNeese during the last weekend of November, the spokesperson added, and was part of the team’s game on Monday, Dec. 1 at Incarnate Word.

Khan was the student manager for McNeese last season and became a star as the Cowboys made a run into March Madness. He went viral in February thanks to a video of him rapping while wearing a boombox around his neck as he led the team out of the locker room.

He first went viral on Feb. 22, when he was seen rapping ‘In & Out’ by Lud Foe word-for-word while leading the Cowboys out for the game from their locker room while wearing an enormous boombox around his neck. It became a tradition and he would be spotted with jewelry and other notable accessories.

His rise to fame came as the Cowboys won the Southland conference championship to punch their ticket to the big dance. Khan’s popularity only grew bigger on the national stage, especially when the No. 12 seed Cowboys upset Clemson in the first round of the tournament.

Despite doing most of the unseen dirty work for the team, Khan was the most popular figure on the team, frequently being stopped for photos, autographs and scoring several name, image and likeness deals.

When Will Wade left McNeese after the season to take the coaching job at NC State, Khan followed him to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he took on a similar role for the Wolfpack. It is unknown when or why Khan left NC State.

USA TODAY Sports has reached out to NC State for more information.