The San Francisco 49ers running back was voted the NFL Comeback Player of the Year for the 2025 season, with the award being granted to him Thursday at the NFL Honors ceremony.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott were the other finalists.

McCaffrey missed all but four games in 2024, with bilateral Achilles tendinitis sidelining him for the start of the season and a posterior cruciate ligament injury keeping him out at the end.

But in a year in which the 49ers were dealt repeated blows of bad injury luck, McCaffrey managed to stay healthy and keep the offense humming. The all-purpose threat ranked second in yards from scrimmage (2,126) while leading the league in touches (413).

Behind McCaffrey’s contributions, the 49ers powered all the way to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs despite their widespread personnel losses.

His performance also earned him consideration for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, for both of which he was selected as a finalist.

‘I think this was one of the most impressive seasons by an individual player ever,’ 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said n January. ‘Just in terms of what a warrior and man he is week in, week out. … Christian finds a way every week. He commits himself 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to get his body possible to go out there and compete. I’ve never been around anything like that.’

American snowboarder Red Gerard expressed frustration with being required to compete in big air at the Olympics.
Gerard and other U.S. snowboarders prefer slopestyle, which they feel has more ‘flow’ and creativity.
Gerard suggested that big air and slopestyle should have separate qualification paths and teams.

LIVIGNO, Italy – At least Red Gerard was honest.

Asked if he liked competing in big air, the American snowboarder came clean.

“No,” Gerard said Thursday after the big air qualifying, the first competition at Livigno Snow Park during the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. “I’m not a fan of big air at all.”

Easy to say after Gerard and two of his teammates were not among the 12 to advance to Saturday’s men’s big air – in which judges rate one trick off a 16.4-foot jump – finals. Ollie Martin, 17, will be the United States’ lone representative.

Gerard, the 2018 gold medal winner in men’s slopestyle, has a legitimate gripe. Olympic snowboarders automatically qualify for both big air and slopestyle competitions once they make their respective delegation’s roster in either event. The issue for the U.S. men’s snowboard big air/slopestyle team is that, well, the majority significantly prefer slopestyle.

“Honestly, I don’t understand why we’re forced to do this,” said Gerard, who finished 20th out of 30 riders. “I don’t like to do this. It’s not what I enjoy doing. There’s no flow to it. It’s a little frustrating.’

Simply, Gerard wants to be more focused on slopestyle, an event he believes has more “flavor” to it.

The three-time Olympian said a part of him feels more pressure and wants to do better in slopestyle, in which competitors go down a course with multiple jumps and chances to ride the rails. Big air is not why Gerard is passionate about snowboarding.

“I love putting together slopestyle runs, making it as unique as I can,” he said. “That gives me the ‘heeby jeeby’ feeling in my stomach when you land a slopestyle run. Big air doesn’t quite do that for me. I just think it’s more of a show than a lot of other things.”

The halfpipe teams in both snowboarding and free skiing are selected separately from slopestyle and big air. The reason is that big air is a blown-up version of one element of slopestyle, the jumps. For example, the big air jump at the X Games is usually the last jump of the slopestyle course. Meanwhile, halfpipe is considered a different skill set.  

Gerard realized it’s easy for him to deride an event that is not his best or his preference. That doesn’t diminish his respect for his fellow competitors.

“They’re amazing,” he said of big air specialists. “Very talented. Just not for me.”

Sean FitzSimons, who finished 25th in big air qualifying, said slopestyle was always his focus.

“Big air, it’s fun to do it. It’s not really my event, I would say,” he told USA TODAY Sports. “It was fun to ride (Thursday). But yeah, it’s kind of always been about slope for me.”

FitzSimons said he “could be down” with the separation of big air and slopestyle teams. He understands the big tricks from the jumps in slopestyle naturally translates to big air.

“But for me, I’m a slopestyle rider,” FitzSimons said. “Big airs I do because it’s there. In the future, I wonder if they will go to different teams for that. For now, I just like riding slope, really.”

Gerard said he has never received an explanation for why the big air and slopestyle events are lumped into one team.

“It’s always just been out of our control,” he said. “Maybe they will look at it differently.”

He thinks there is a simple and logical fix.

“If big air, if this is what they like to do,” Gerard said, “they should just be able to go do that.”

Gerard added having another chance to medal means something and it would be “sweet” to bring home two from one Olympics.

“But then again, if I wasn’t forced to do this,” he said, “I wouldn’t do it.”

A gaggle of MVPs, Cy Young Award winners and a few others almost certain to be so honored in the future will come together for the USA’s World Baseball Classic squad after rosters were announced Feb. 5. 

Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge and two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper, along with both current Cy Young Award winners, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, highlight a star-studded squad that will aim to take home the first WBC title for the USA since 2017. 

Cal Raleigh, the 60-home run hitting catcher, and Kyle Schwarber, who slammed an NL-best 56 for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025, further deepen the lineup. 

A look at the full Team USA roster: 

Team USA World Baseball Classic roster

Pitchers

David Bednar
Matthew Boyd
Garrett Cleavinger
Clay Holmes
Griffin Jax
Brad Keller
Clayton Kershaw
Nolan McLean
Mason Miller
Joe Ryan
Paul Skenes
Tarik Skubal
Gabe Speier
Michael Wacha
Logan Webb
Garrett Whitlock

Catchers

Cal Raleigh
Will Smith

Infielders

Alex Bregman
Ernie Clement
Paul Goldschmidt
Bryce Harper
Gunnar Henderson
Brice Turang
Bobby Witt Jr.

Outfielders

Byron Buxton
Corbin Carroll
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Aaron Judge

Designated Hitter

Kyle Schwarber

Managers and coaches

Mark DeRosa (manager)
Michael Young (bench coach)
Freddy Gonzalez (assistant)
Brian McCann (assistant)
Sean Casey (hitting coach)
Matt Holliday (hitting coach)
Andy Pettitte (pitching coach)
George Lombard (first base coach)
Dino Ebel (third base coach)
David Ross (bullpen coach)
Jason Brown (bullpen catcher)
Jordan Comadena (bullpen catcher)
Ali Modami (batting practice pitcher)

Team USA World Baseball Classic schedule

Pool play – Daikin Park, Houston

March 6 vs. Brazil
March 7 vs. Great Britain
March 9 vs. Mexico
March 10 vs. Italy

Knockout stage

March 13/14: Quarterfinals in Houston
March 15/16: Semifinals in Miami
March 17: Final in Miami

Now former Virginia football wide receiver Jahmal Edrine was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 5 and charged with one count of rape and one count of abduction, according to court documents.

The Albemarle County (Virginia) Police Department said it began an investigation into Edrine on Aug. 25 after a victim alleged she had been sexually assaulted the previous day. The probe wrapped up on Feb. 2, when an Albemarle County grand jury indicted Edrine.

He was taken into custody on Thursday and is being held without bond at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.

Both charges are felonies.

In a statement to USA TODAY Sports, Virginia said it is aware of the matter and that Edrine is no longer enrolled at the university. The school added that it will “cooperate fully” with the Albemarle County Police Department’s ongoing investigation.

Edrine, 22, was the second-leading receiver for a Cavaliers team that won a program-record 11 games and was an overtime loss to Duke in the ACC championship game away from earning a spot in the College Football Playoff. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native caught 46 passes for 564 yards and a touchdown during the 2025 season.

Edrine previously played for Purdue from 2023-24 and Florida Atlantic from 2021-22. He missed the 2023 season at Purdue after sustaining a season-ending injury in fall training camp.

Tiffany Haddish had a bit of an ‘Adele Dazeem’ moment at the 2026 NFL Honors. Or at least a Liam Coen ‘Duval’ moment.

It came when Haddish was announcing the NFL’s Coach of the Year Award for the 2025 NFL season. New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel ended up beating his counterparts to take home the award.

Haddish, however, pronounced Vrabel’s last name like the word ‘verbal’ several times as she announced his victory.

Below is a clip of the comedian’s gaffe:

Unfortunately, Vrabel was not in attendance for the event, as he and the Patriots are preparing to play in Super Bowl 60. As such, it will remain a mystery whether Vrabel would have tried to crack a joke about Haddish’s minor mispronunciation during his acceptance speech.

Vrabel has now won the NFL’s Coach of the Year Award twice. His first victory came following the 2021 season, when he guided the Ryan Tannehill-led Tennessee Titans to the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

Now, Vrabel – not verbal – will look to cap off his second Coach of the Year campaign with a Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Three days ahead of Super Bowl 60, the NFL is wrapping up the 2025 season by recognizing its top individual performers.

Thursday’s NFL Honors in San Francisco will again be the forum for the league to reveal the winners of its most prestigious awards, from Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year to MVP. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will also unveil its 2026 class, which has already been marked by the controversial omission of Bill Belichick, along with Robert Kraft and Eli Manning.

USA TODAY Sports will have live updates with full results for all the notable awards, including voting tallies, so check back throughout the night for all the latest.

NFL Honors awards winner: Full results

NFL MVP: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns
Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns
Assistant Coach of the Year: Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator, New England Patriots
Walter Payton Man of the Year: Bobby Wagner, LB, Washington Commanders
Protector of the Year: Joe Thuney, G, Chicago Bears

NFL MVP: Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford’s 17th NFL season faced plenty of uncertainty as he sorted through contract issues and a nagging balk problem in the offseason. It culminated, however, with football’s top honor.

Stafford was voted the NFL’s MVP for the 2025 season, beating out New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye by one first-place vote.

Stafford, who will turn 38 on Saturday, led the NFL with 46 touchdown passes while piloting an offense that paced the league in scoring and total yards. 

With the award, the former No. 1 overall pick and longtime Detroit Lions signal-caller added a new chapter to his career renaissance in Los Angeles, where he won a Super Bowl title in 2021.

In his acceptance speech, Stafford confirmed he would be returning for the 2026 season.

NFL MVP voting results

1. Matthew Stafford: 24

2. Drake Maye: 23

3. Josh Allen: 2

4. Christian McCaffrey: 0

5. Trevor Lawrence: 0

(Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert received the remaining first-place vote but did not finish among the top five.)

NFL Offensive Player of the Year: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has made a habit of securing all passes that come into his orbit. On Thursday, that skill helped him haul in something else.

The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver was voted the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.

In his third season, Smith-Njigba often served as the engine powering a Seahawks offense that underwent a drastic offseason reimagining. With DK Metcalf traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and franchise mainstay Tyler Lockett cut, Smith-Njigba reached a new level after being named a Pro Bowl selection in 2024. He repeatedly freed himself from coverage to give Sam Darnold a go-to target capable of delivering the explosive plays necessary to power new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s attack.

He finished the season with a league-high 1,793 yards on 119 catches. Seattle secured the NFC’s top seed before pushing its way to a spot in Super Bowl 60.

Smith-Njigba bested division rivals in San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, as well as Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting results

Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 14

Christian McCaffrey: 12

Puka Nacua: 8

Bijan Robinson: 6

Drake Maye: 5

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: Carson Schwesinger

Carson Schwesinger surely couldn’t command the same level of attention as fellow Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders or teammate Myles Garrett did in 2025. Still, his pro debut is hardly going unrecognized.

The second-round linebacker was voted the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Schwesinger recorded a team-high 156 tackles as well as 11 tackles for a loss. While taking over as the starter in the middle of Jim Schwartz’s defense, he quickly earned acclaim for his playmaking range and savvy approach.

He came out ahead of four other finalists: Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori, New York Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter, Atlanta Falcons defensive end James Pearce Jr. and Falcons safety Xavier Watts.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting

Carson Schwesinger: 40

Nick Emmanwori: 7

James Pearce Jr.: 2

Xavier Watts: 1

Abdul Carter: 0

Pro Football Hall of Fame 2026 class

Larry Fitzgerald
Luke Kuechly
Adam Vinatieri
Drew Brees
Roger Craig

For more on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 class, read Jarrett Bell’s story on the five-man group.

NFL Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel

One of the NFL’s more hotly debated awards chases has been settled.

Ahead of Super Bowl 60, the New England Patriots’ Mike Vrabel has been voted as the NFL Coach of the Year for the 2025 season.

Vrabel emerged from a highly competitive pool of finalists. Mike Macdonald of the Seattle Seahawks was among the group after leading his own team to a spot in the Super Bowl, while the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Liam Coen and Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson also led drastic turnarounds. Meanwhile, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan navigated a calamitous run of injuries to lead his team to the divisional round of the playoffs.

Vrabel, however, takes home the award for the second time in his career after sparking a record-tying 10-win improvement in his first season at the helm in New England.

NFL Coach of the Year voting results

Mike Vrabel: 19
Liam Coen: 16
Mike Macdonald: 8
Ben Johnson: 1
Kyle Shanahan: 6 (Shanahan had more first-place votes but finished behind Johnson)

NFL Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey

In a season replete with injury hits to many of their most vital figures, the San Francisco 49ers were able to count on one star, even as he worked his way back from multiple significant setbacks the previous season.

For that effort, running back Christian McCaffrey was voted the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.

McCaffrey missed all but four games in 2024, with his season being waylaid by bilateral Achilles tendinitis and a posterior cruciate ligament injury. This fall, however, he bounced back by reeling off 2,126 yards from scrimmage (second most in the NFL) on a league-high 413 touches. 

Despite San Francisco seeing several key starters sidelined for extended stretches, McCaffrey helped push the team all the way to the divisional round of the playoffs.

McCaffrey came out ahead of four other finalists: Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

NFL Comeback Player of the Year voting results

1. Christian McCaffrey 31
2. Aidan Hutchinson 9
3. Dak Prescott 6
4. Trevor Lawrence 2
5. Stefon Diggs 0

(Colts quarterback Philip Rivers and Saints wide receiver Chris Olave each received one first-place vote but did not finish in the top five.)

NFL Protector of the Year Award: Joe Thuney

Call Joe Thuney a trailblazer.

For the first time, the NFL honored an offensive lineman with a Protector of the Year award, and the Chicago Bears guard went home with the trophy.

Thuney knows. Attention for an offensive lineman goes totally against the grain. 

Yet the 10-year vet also realizes that the recognition is well deserved for a group that often toils in anonymity — until there’s some egregious mistake.

That’s why Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins pushed for an O-line honor. And the NFL listened.

‘You know, I think it’s definitely long overdue,’ said Thuney, who won four Super Bowl rings from his previous stops with the Chiefs and Patriots. ‘Credit to the NFL and Dion Dawkins for really being the driving force around it.”

As you’d expect from an O-linemen, Thuney deflected attention from himself in talking about the significance of his fresh honor.

“There’s so many offensive linemen, they’ve given so much to this game, and the qualities of selflessness and toughness and team that overrides everything else, and so I just think those qualities need to be commended and celebrated, and there’s so many names in the NFL that should be up here with me.”

— Jarrett Bell

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tetairoa McMillan

Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty generated the most attention of all the offensive stars ahead of the 2025 NFL draft. But it was a slightly less-heralded classmate who was granted the top recognition for first-year players.

Down the stretch of the season, the race seemed to lack the consensus front-runner easily established for other awards. McMillan, however, easily beat out quarterbacks Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints) and Jaxson Dart (New York Giants) as well as running back TreVeyon Henderson (New England Patriots) and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 

McMillan, the No. 8 overall pick out of Arizona, finished his debut campaign with 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on seven catches, bringing a much-needed downfield element to a wobbly Panthers passing attack.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting results

1. Tetairoa McMillan 41 first-place votes
2. Tyler Shough 5
3. TreVeyon Henderson 1
4. Jaxson Dart 1
5. Emeka Egbuka 0

(Seahawks offensive guard Grey Zabel received 2 first-place votes but did not finish in the top five)

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett

The only mystery surrounding Myles Garrett’s candidacy for NFL Defensive Player of the Year was whether anyone would dare vote for another player after the Cleveland Browns defensive end set the league’s single-season sack record.

Turns out, no one did.

Garrett became just the second player in league history to unanimously win the award, following J.J. Watt in 2014. 

Garrett claimed the honor for the second time in his career after his bid to surpass the previous sack mark set by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt stretched all the way to the final quarter of Week 18. But with his takedown of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Garrett claimed his 23rd sack and a place in NFL history. 

Fellow edge rushers Will Anderson Jr., Micah Parsons, Nik Bonitto and Aidan Hutchinson were the other finalists.

Shortly after receiving his much-anticipated award, Garrett was already poised to look ahead.

As he held his trophy, the Browns defensive end lamented the sacks that got away and how he still could have reached another level with a few more sacks.

How does it feel to be a unanimous winner?

“The feeling never being satisfied,” he said.

NFL Assistant Coach of the Year: Josh McDaniels

Josh McDaniels’ third stint with the New England Patriots is off to an incredibly fruitful start.

The offensive coordinator was voted the NFL’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2025 season.

In returning to New England as part of coach Mike Vrabel’s staff, McDaniels helped the Patriots offense jump from 30th to second in scoring and from 31st to third in total yards. Meanwhile, second-year quarterback Drake Maye emerged as a top MVP candidate while powering the team’s run to Super Bowl 60.

McDaniels beat out Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

NFL Assistant Coach of the Year voting results

Josh McDaniels: 17
Vance Joseph: 10
Brian Flores: 8
Vic Fangio: 4
Klint Kubiak: 3
Matt Burke: 3
Robert Saleh: 2
Anthony Campanile: 2
Aaron Kromer: 1

NFL MVP finalists

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills quarterback
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback
Drake Maye, New England Patriots quarterback
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers running back
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams quarterback

NFL Offensive Player of the Year finalists

Drake Maye, New England Patriots quarterback
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers running back
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons running back
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver

NFL Defensive Player of the Year finalists

Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans defensive end
Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos outside linebacker
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns defensive end
Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions defensive end
Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers defensive end

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year finalists

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants quarterback
Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver
TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots running back
Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers wide receiver
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints quarterback

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists

Abdul Carter, New York Giants outside linebacker
Nick Emmanwori, Seattle Seahawks safety
James Pearce Jr., Atlanta Falcons defensive end
Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns linebacker
Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons safety

NFL Comeback Player of the Year finalists

Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots wide receiver
Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions defensive end
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers running back
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys quarterback

NFL Coach of the Year finalists

Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears
Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots

NFL Assistant Coach of the Year finalists

Vic Fangio, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator
Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator
Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator
Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots offensive coordinator

NFL Protector of the Year finalists

Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos offensive tackle
Aaron Brewer, Miami Dolphins center
Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs center
Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos offensive guard
Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions offensive tackle
Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears offensive guard

When is NFL Honors scheduled to take place?

NFL Honors will be held at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 5.

How can I watch NFL Honors? TV info, channel

NFL Honors will be broadcast live on NBC and NFL Network, and it will also be streamed on Peacock and NFL+.

Who is hosting NFL Honors?

Jon Hamm will be hosting this year’s ceremony.

Which awards will be handed out at NFL Honors?

AP Most Valuable Player
AP Coach of the Year
AP Comeback Player of the Year
AP Offensive Player of the Year
AP Defensive Player of the Year
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
Next Gen Stats Moment of the Year
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026
FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year
Salute to Service Award
Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award
Deacon Jones Sack Leader Award
Jim Brown Award
AP Assistant Coach of the Year
NFL Fan of the Year
Protector of the Year

Mexico returns to compete in the World Baseball Classic again this year.

The country has been represented in every WBC tournament since the tournament’s inception in 2006 and is coming off its best finish in 2023, when the team finished third. The team had not previously finished better than sixth after a second-round exit in 2006.

The 2026 roster features a few MLB standouts in Randy Arozarena, Alejandro Kirk and Jarren Duran.

The team will compete in Pool B during the group stage in Houston when play begins in March. The group also features rival the USA, Brazil, Great Britain and Italy.

Mexico World Baseball Classic roster

Pitchers

Alexander Armenta
Javier Assad
Brennan Bernardino
Taj Bradley
Alex Carrillo
Jesus Cruz
Daniel Duarte
Robert Garcia
Luis Gastelum
Andres Munoz
Samy Natera Jr.
Gerardo Reyes
Jose Urquidy
Victor Vodnik
Taijuan Walker

Catchers

Alejandro Kirk
Alexis Wilson

Infielders

Jonathan Aranda
Noel Diaz
Nick Gonzales
Joey Meneses
Joey Ortiz
Jared Serna
Rowdy Tellez
Luis Urias

Outfielders

Randy Arozarena
Jarren Duran
Julian Ornelas
Alejandro Osuna
Alek Thomas

Coaches/Staff

Benji Gil (Manager)
Vinny Castilla (Bench coach)
Jacob Cruz (Hitting coach)
Roberto Magallanes (Hitting coach)
Elmer Dessens (Pitching coach)
Horacio Ramirez (Pitching coach)
Gil Velazquez  (First base coach)
Tony Perezchica (Third base coach)
Manny Del Campo (Bullpen coach)
Santiago Chavez (Bullpen catcher)

Mexico World Baseball Classic schedule

Pool B play – Daikin Park in Houston

March 6 vs. Great Britain, 1 p.m. ET
March 8 vs. Brazil, 8 p.m. ET
March 9 vs. United States, 8 p.m. ET
March 11 vs. Italy, 7 p.m. ET

Shohei Ohtani and Japan will look to defend their World Baseball Classic crown in 2026, three years after defeating Team USA in an instant classic of a final, the country’s third win in five editions of the international tournament.

Ohtani struck out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to clinch that victory, and the now-Dodgers star has earned three more MVP awards and two World Series titles since the famous night in Miami. However, Ohtani won’t pitch in the WBC and will just be used as a hitter.

Japan’s squad also features MLB All-Stars including Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers) and Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) and two top players who are joining MLB this season in sluggers Munetaka Murakami (White Sox) and Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays).

Japan begins pool play in Tokyo on March 6.

Here’s a look at Japan’s squad for the 2026 WBC:

Japan World Baseball Classic roster

Pitchers

Daichi Ishii
Hiromi Itoh
Yusei Kikuchi
Koki Kitayama
Taisei Makihara
Yuki Matsui
Yuki Matsumoto
Hiroya Miyagi
Taisei Ota
Ryuhei Sotani
Tomoyuki Sugano
Kaima Taira
Hiroto Takahashi
Atsuki Taneichi
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Catchers

Yuhei Nakamura
Seishiro Sakamoto
Kenya Wakatsuki

Infielders

Sosuke Genda
Kaito Kozono
Shugo Maki
Munetaka Murakami
Kazuma Okamoto
Teruaki Sato

Outfielders

Kensuke Kondoh
Shota Morishita
Ukyo Shuto
Masataka Yoshida
Seiya Suzuki

Designated hitters

Shohei Ohtani

Managers and coaches

Hirokazu Ibata (manager)
Makat Kanero (bench coach)
Atsushi Nohmi (pitching coach)
Kazuki Yoshimi (pitching coach)
Yoshiyuki Kamei (first base coach)
Eishin Soyogi (third base coach)
Yoshinori Murata (bullpen coach)

Is Shohei Ohtani pitching in the WBC?

Shohei Ohtani confirmed that he will not pitch in the 2026 World Baseball Classic and will only be used as a hitter. Ohtani returned to the mound for the Dodgers in 2025 after missing all of 2024 as he recovered from an elbow injury – while hitting full time.

Japan World Baseball Classic schedule

Pool play – Tokyo Dome

March 6 vs. Chinese Taipei
March 7 vs. South Korea
March 8 vs. Australia
March 10 vs. Czechia

Knockout round

Quarterfinals: March 13/14 in Miami
Semifinals: March 15/16 in Miami
Final: March 17 in Miami

The Southeastern Conference reported a record $1.1 billion in revenue for the 2025 fiscal year.
This revenue increase is primarily due to a new $3 billion television deal with ESPN.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey’s compensation rose to $4.8 million for the 2024 calendar year.

The Southeastern Conference reported record revenues of $1.1 billion for fiscal year 2025 with an average of $72.4 million paid out to its 14 oldest members – a huge jump from the $53.8 million paid to those schools the year before, according to documents obtained Thursday, Feb. 5 by USA TODAY Sports.

The documents also show SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey earned $4.8 million in compensation for calendar year 2024, including $4.7 million base pay − up from $4.3 million in total compensation for 2023.

The increases are in keeping with the money flowing into the SEC from a new $3 billion television deal with ESPN, along with postseason bowl games, the College Football Playoff and other sources.

SEC spokesman Herb Vincent confirmed the jump is “primarily due to the new ABC/ESPN Television deal” and to a much lesser extent, the expansion of the CFP to 12 teams from four in 2024.

The league provided its fiscal 2025 tax form at the request of USA TODAY Sports on Feb. 5 and also provided additional information in a news release. Its revenues jumped form $840 million in fiscal 2024.

How SEC wealth compares to Big Ten, other leagues

The SEC’s revenue and distributions still aren’t quite expected to match the wealth of the Big Ten Conference, whose financial records for fiscal 2025 are expected to come out later this year. One clue came from the Iowa state board of regents last year, when budget records showed that Big Ten member Iowa is expecting “athletic conference” revenue of $75.2 million for fiscal 2025 and $82.7 million for fiscal 2026.

By comparison, the Big 12 reported distributions ranging from $38 million to $42 million for each of its oldest members in fiscal 2024 while the Atlantic Coast Conference reported per-school distributions of $43 million to $47 million in the same year. The Big 12 and ACC also are due to report their figures for fiscal 2025 later this year.

SEC benefited from new ESPN deal as new members joined

In the SEC, fiscal 2025 runs from September 2024 through August 2025, which covers the 2024 football season, when the league began a 10-year contract with ESPN worth about $300 million annually. The 2024 season also is when Oklahoma and Texas joined the league as new members. Those new schools received  distributions of $2.6 million and $12.1 million, respectively, related to playoff and bowl participation, along with “designated NCAA funds,” according to the SEC.

“There was a contract upgrade to our television when we added Oklahoma and Texas to keep our revenue moving up and relatively stable,” Waldsmith told USA TODAY Sports.

The SEC still reported a budget deficit

Despite the revenue boom, the SEC reported a $14.5 million deficit for fiscal year 2025. But the league said this was due to a matter of timing and accounting on a “cash basis.”

“During FYE 2025, the Conference distributed some bowl and SEC Network money that was received in prior years and recorded as revenue in those prior years,” Vincent said. “The money was retained and paid out this year which created an expense during the year of payment.”

SEC’s COVID-19 loan affects distributions

The league also reported $233.3 million in liabilities from a loan it received from Truist bank to help schools deal with the financial difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21. That $350 million loan helped pay each school a $23.3 million advance on future distributions. The league told USA TODAY Sports it is paying off the loan principal in three equal installments, with the first coming in fiscal year 2025. Two installments remain after previously paying more than $56 million in interest.

This affects the distributions the league pays to its members besides Texas and Oklahoma because about $7.8 million per school is being withheld from those other schools to pay back the loan. Waldsmith said the league’s reported distributions are gross amounts that would be $7.8 million less if netted for the loan payback.

“We didn’t show it as $23 million (in distribution) back in the day,” he said. “Now it’s getting recorded as distribution.”

This will continue in fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

“The SEC’s annual revenue sharing allows member universities to support elite athletics programs, including sustained and meaningful investment in women’s and Olympic sports that enhances opportunities and strengthens resources, while advancing the academic and athletic aspirations of thousands of student-athletes,” Sankey said in a statement.

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

(This story has been updated to add new information).