As spring practices wrap up and anticipation for the 2026 college football season continues to build, FOX has unveiled its Friday night slate of games for the upcoming year. The 2026 FOX College Football Friday slate features plenty of compelling matchups, and I identified some of those top storylines I'll be watching ahead of what will most certainly be another raucous and exciting season with at least one or two twists that we wont believe until theyre revealed. Below are the Friday night games airing on FOX this fall and a look at the biggest things Ill be watching for. How to watch: 9 p.m. ET on FOX How good can USC quarterback Jayden Maiava be? Last season, he quietly put together an impressive campaign, throwing for 3,711 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. A strong performance against the Bulldogs could quickly push his name into the early Heisman Trophy conversation for 2026. How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on FOX Mizzous Ahmad Hardy is the best running back in the SEC and one of the top Heisman candidates in the country entering 2026. After a breakout freshman season at Louisiana-Monroe with more than 1,300 rushing yards, Hardy proved he could dominate at the highest level by exploding for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns in SEC play last season. How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on FOX Who will start at quarterback for Texas Tech? Thats one of the biggest questions facing the Red Raiders entering the 2026 season. With presumptive starter Brendan Sorsby currently in rehab for a gambling addiction and backup Will Hammond likely to miss the start of the regular season, head coach Joey McGuire might be forced to turn to his third-string quarterback in a pivotal Big 12 matchup. How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on FOX The defending national champions return 2025 Broyles Award-winning defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, who will once again match wits with Wildcats offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Kelly won the first meeting between the two, leading Ohio States offense past the Hoosiers in 2024. How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on FOX Well know so much more about Penn State head coach Matt Campbells first year in Happy Valley, but winning against Northwestern in 2026 is mandatory after the Nittany Lions lost to Northwestern in 2025. How to watch: 9 p.m. ET on FOX or FS1 Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has many of the same traits that made former Oklahoma star Kyler Murray so dangerous, and hell need all of them against Phil Parkers Iowa defense. Last season, I called Williams one of the best-kept secrets in the sport. Now, entering 2026, the rest of the country is catching on, and he has the talent to shake up the Heisman race. How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on FOX Can Purdue climb out of the Big Ten cellar? The Boilermakers havent beaten a conference opponent since a 35-31 rivalry win over Indiana in November 2023. Head coach Barry Odom faces mounting pressure to show progress in the toughest conference in college football. How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on FOX Has Matt Rhule reached his ceiling at Nebraska? Despite back-to-back AP Top 25 finishes and at least seven wins in both 2024 and 2025, the Huskers have yet to break through against elite competition. Nebraska has lost 29 straight games against AP Top 25 opponents, and Illinois could very well be ranked when the two meet this season. How to watch: 9 p.m. ET on FOX Can UCLA head coach Bob Chesney replicate his James Madison success with the Bruins? Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti already showed it can be done, arriving from JMU and quickly turning a struggling Big Ten program into a College Football Playoff contender. Chesney, fresh off leading JMU to a CFP appearance, now faces a similar leap. This matchup could be the first step in determining whether UCLA can enter the 12-team playoff conversation in earnest. How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on FOX Are the Ducks finally good enough to win a national title? Though I do not expect Michigan State to provide a challenge or a rsum robust enough for me to answer that question, I do expect Dan Lannings Oregon team to take care of business against Pat Fitzgeralds Spartans and continue building momentum toward a playoff run. How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on FOX By the end of this game, well all have a better understanding of what life without Kyle Whittingham looks like for Utah. Well know if Utes coach Morgan Scalley is fit to keep the job, and well know more about how deep the Big 12 is in 2026. How to watch: 9 p.m. ET on FOX Is North Dakota State going to play in it? Not at the moment. Current rules prohibit the Bison from participating in postseason competition as they transition from FCS to FBS. However, if the NCAAs FBS Oversight Committee passes legislation changing that policy before the season begins, North Dakota State could immediately be in the mix for a title and perhaps even a College Football Playoff appearance.

The Indianapolis Colts have signed six players from their 2026 NFL Draft team; however, fourth-round picks Jalen Farmer and Bryce Boettcher remain unsigned owing to pending rookie contract talks.

SportsLine's Adam Thompson reveals his best MLB bets for Friday's games

Karate Combat became the center of controversy ahead of its recent event in Miami, when a full-scale brawl broke out at the fighter hotel after weigh-ins on Friday, May 1.The Pitbull brothers Patricio and Patricky Freire found themselves at the heart of the scuffle. Patricky, a former Bellator champion, was gearing up for his Karate Combat debut against lightweight champion Shahzaib Rind. But things took a chaotic turn when Rind and his crew ambushed the brothers family in the hotel lobby, spraying them with water guns and sparking a massive brawl that spilled out to the hotels front entrance.Patricky suffered a cut over his eye in the exchange, ultimately leading to the fights cancelation just one day out from the event. With the Brazilian forced to withdraw, Rind went on to defeat a late-replacement, UFC veteran Andre Ewell, via second-round stoppage.Before the incident occurred, the Pitbull brothers were already suspicious of what theyd gotten into, they told Uncrowned. It started the night prior, when Patricky and Rind had a faceoff in front of the famous Sunray Motel. Patricky and Rind got into a much smaller-scale scuffle that night. Speaking through an interpreter, Patricky told Uncrowned that things had been playful until Rind went chest-to-chest and started pushing him backward. Losing his balance, Patricky applied a body lock, to which Rind responded with elbows. Rind then tried to punch him, Patricky said. Once separated, Rind went for kicks to the head, prompting Patricio to come in for a deescalation attempt.View this post on InstagramPatricio, speaking alongside his brother, told Uncrowned his belief that the whole thing was orchestrated from the beginning, not just by Rind, but by Karate Combat President Asim Zaidi, who coaches and trains Rind at his gym, The Goat Shed in Miami."All this was manipulated by them, Patricio said. They were trying to create something. They wanted Patricky to go alone. And after the issue was resolved, we started seeing posts on Karate Combat social media talking about four-on-one. They did a collab with a Pakistani influencer, and they took down that collab after we started complaining and showed our version of the facts."There are several things you can see on Karate Combat's Instagram with him. You can see the president, who's his coach and manager, doing collabs with him on those kinds of posts. So they created the animosity that led to what happened the other day, because they were instigating people against us. They were saying we were cowards. They even used AI to create an image. If you look at the video, Shahzaib hits me with a slap with an open palm and his glasses in his hand. But if you look at Karate Combat's Instagram right now, we will see the image of him it looks like a perfect hook. You can see my head tilted to the side, and he looks like a movie star. They created that image, they posted it as real in more than one post, and they kept instigating people against us."View this post on InstagramView this post on InstagramThe Pitbull brothers had already begun speaking out against Karate Combat's alleged setup following the hotel brawl. They alleged the water gun attackers to be teammates of Rinds, pointing to pictures posted on their Instagram accounts with the water guns before the incident."Even if that was a prank, a joke, whatever that was, I didn't know who those guys were, Patricio said. I had never seen them before that day. And even if it was a friend of mine, if he did that to my wife, I would have beaten him up too. You can't come to a man's table, spray water at his wife's face, and expect to go out with no repercussions. They attacked us, and they knew there would be a reply. If they mess with our family, things could get uglier. And that's exactly what they were looking for, so much so that they had cameras on."In this case, Patricio noted that they had no idea what was being sprayed from the guns.Speaking Wednesday on Uncrowneds The Ariel Helwani Show, Zaidi refuted any claims that the promotion played a part in the fight week antics. However, because of the incident, he claimed the Florida Athletic Commission suspended both Pitbull brothers. Regardless, he said he still hopes to make the Patricky vs. Rind fight happen in the future.Matheus Aquino the brothers manager clarified their status with the Florida Athletic Commission. As Zaidi mentioned, the commissioner was present for the brawl but didnt witness it in its entirety. Patricky and teammate Diego Brandao are currently on temporary suspension at the time of this publication while the commission reviews all available footage.Patricio believes Zaidi simply tried to control the narrative around the brawls, citing his social media posts. He claimed Zaidi asked their management team to take down their online complaints, while still posting his own attacks on them. The brothers felt Zaidis attempts to be friendly felt disingenuous compared to his online comments.Patricio Pitbull shares texts between him and Asim Zaidi. (Photo Credit: Drake Riggs)Uncrowned (Drake Riggs)"I knew that I would have everything going against me, but I didn't care because I knew how the fight would go, Patricky said. But we had four fighters in Karate Combat, a couple of champions there. One of those, it's been two years since her last fight. She won the title, but they never got her back to fight again. She's stuck in a contract. So I knew there were some things not really proper in the organization. I knew about [Zaidi and Rind] having ties. But coming during this week and after the first altercation, we understood that we were brought there just for engagement, just for clicks. They never had any intention to make the fight happen. They tried to create something at the faceoffs. Things didn't escalate, but they could have escalated there, and the fight would have been canceled. So they did what they did, as they weren't able to get what they wanted, because they wanted me to go alone at the faceoffs. And my brother ended up going with our wives and our coach. Then we had the issue on the day of the [weigh-ins], and they were just doing all those promos."They didn't even put me to fight against Shahzaib for the title. It was a five-round fight, but the title wasn't on the line. Five rounds but no belt. Make it make sense. They had a guy who was a featherweight who was going to fight someone else fight Shahzaib. They had it all figured out. They were just trying to find a way to make me not make it to the fight. They were able to, and they got what they wanted they got the promotion."Since Rinds victory over Ewell, Rind has made posts about fighting in the UFC, calling out Patricio. Rind has never fought in MMA, but Patricky is still willing to take him on if he wants to make the leap.Zaidi may still be open to the concept of the matchup in Karate Combat, but according to Patricio, some wrongs need to be righted first and foremost."First, out of everything, he has to pay my brother. He did make weight. He was ready. He has to apologize for all the things he did, Patricio said.It was all staged, man. You can't find any other excuse for that. They shot us and expect nothing to happen? Of course we're going to beat them. He already knew how we were before. He knew something could escalate that way. It was staged to make us look bad. So they have to turn around and show respect and pay Patricky, make some proper, correct statements about everything."For the sake of their aforementioned teammates, the brothers were skeptical about whether they should even speak out on the incidents and their treatment. The champion they mentioned, Sthefanie Oliveira, was one-and-done in the promotion. She won her lone fight in 2023 and was shelved until this past March, when she returned to MMA.Patricio didnt sugarcoat things, punctuating his and his brothers current stance.Asim, you are a f***ing liar, motherf***er, Patricio said. You didn't pay f***ing nothing for my family or my team. You just paid the flight for my brother and his coach. You told Ariel Helwani that you paid everything. You didn't pay nothing. I can show you the bank statements. We were the ones that paid for everything. You didn't pay for nothing. You are a liar, motherf***er."

When making futures bets, it pays to have patience. An outcome could be weeks or months away. But it can also pay to know when to say when. A FanDuel Sportsbook customer believes that point has arrived for the Lakers and got a five-figure payday for bailing out early. More on that wager and other notable futures bets on NBA and NHL playoffs, along with some WNBA action, as that leagues 2026 season tips off. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Take a Free Ride This story begins on April 4, when Illinois met UConn and Michigan faced Arizona in the NCAA Tournaments Final Four. The FanDuel bettor, who goes by @Indiana_Cers on X, put together a three-leg parlay, starting with those NCAA Tourney tilts: UConn moneyline +136 vs. Illinois, Michigan moneyline -111 vs. Arizona. But those two outcomes wouldve gotten only a nominal payout. So, to make it far juicier, the bettor added Lakers +50000 to win the NBA title. Thats 500/1, in easier-to-digest terms. Better still, the customer utilized a $250 bonus bet for the transaction. Granted, those types of promotional bets are earned over time and surely some losing wagers but still, this parlay was basically a free ride. At huge odds of +224654 just shy of 2247/1 the potential payout was a massive $561,635. UConn beat Illinois 71-62, and Michigan pounded Arizona 91-73. Then began the wait to see what the Lakers would do. Los Angeles was shorthanded in the first round, with no Luka Doni and mostly no Austin Reaves. But LeBron James & Co. had enough to beat Houston 4-2 in a best-of-7 series. However, that led to a second-round date with the defending NBA champion Thunder, who went a league-best 64-20 in the regular season and swept the Suns 4-0 in the first round. In Game 1 on Tuesday, the Lakers tumbled 108-90. That was L.A.s fifth game this season vs. Oklahoma City, and the Lakers lost all five by an average margin of 27 points. So it was decision time take a chance on the Lakers somehow making this series interesting or accept FanDuels cashout offer of $12,599.26. Said the bettor on X: "The white flag was waived." So a bonus bet that took nothing out the customers pocket became a nice five-figure boost to the bank account, which looked like an even smarter move after the Lakers dropped Game 2 125-107 on Thursday. Knicks of Time Entering the NBA playoffs, the Celtics had the best NBA championship odds of any Eastern Conference team, in the +500 to +600 range. But Boston bowed out early, blowing a 3-1 lead vs. the 76ers in losing the best-of-7 series 4-3. So that leaves the Knicks (+750) with the best title odds of the four remaining teams from the East. That has a DraftKings Sportsbook customer in a potentially pretty good position. The bettor put a relatively modest $67 on a seven-leg parlay that combined a bundle of sports: three MLB games, a hockey game, a soccer match, and of all things, a snooker match on the pool table. The first six legs are in, including Shaun Murphy over John Higgins in what was apparently a dramatic snooker battle. So now its down to the Knicks, who already have a 2-0 second-round lead over the 76ers. Granted, theres a long way to go and should New York reach the NBA Finals, theres the probable issue of either the Thunder or Spurs waiting on the other side. But if somehow the Knicks run the table, with that tickets odds of +82937 (just beyond 829/1), that 67 bucks turns into $55,634.79. Even right now, the bettor could cash out for a few thousand dollars. That cashout amount will surely grow if the Knicks do as oddsmakers expect and reach the Finals. Well keep you posted. Hockey Hopes The Canadiens were +195 underdogs to beat the Lightning in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But by stealing Game 1 on the road 4-3, Montreal certainly upped its chances to advance. The two teams traded victories over the first six games, setting up Game 7 in Tampa on Sunday. And the Canadiens claimed a second road win, 2-1, to close out the series. Thats got a high-rolling BetMGM customer in a better-than-expected position. Before the first round, the bettor put $25,000 on Canadiens +1100 to win the Eastern Conference. At the moment, Montreal trails Buffalo 1-0 in a best-of-7 second-round series. That bet certainly has life, though. If the Canadiens manage to reach the Stanley Cup Final, then the bettor bags $275,000 profit (total payout $300,000). WNBA Plays The WNBA kicks off its 2026 campaign Friday, drawing some bettors to championship futures and player awards futures. At DraftKings, the New York Liberty are +220 favorites to win the title, followed by the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at +390. The Aces have won three of the last four WNBA crowns. Behind Caitlin Clark, Indiana is the +450 third choice in WNBA futures odds. But one DraftKings customer looked further down the board a few weeks ago, to a potentially up-and-coming squad. On April 4, the bettor put $1,200 on the Dallas Wings +8000 (80/1). Leading the way for Dallas is Paige Bueckers, the 2025 Rookie of the Year. And the Wings took Azzi Fudd, another UConn standout, with the No. 1 overall pick in the recent WNBA Draft. So since that bet was made, the Wings have cut their odds by more than half, now sitting at +3000, the co-seventh choice to win it all. If Dallas indeed lifts the trophy, then the bettor profits $96,000 (total payout $97,200). Related, a DraftKings customer put $1,000 on Bueckers +2000 to win the MVP award. That bet could profit $20,000.

R Ashwin hailed Rajasthan Royals (RR) 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, pointing out his ability to be calculative and not show any hesitation against big bowlers while playing at such a young age.

Here is the official lottery order before the ping pong balls are drawn on Sunday

Why Satou Sabally isn't playing tonight for Liberty with injury news originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The New York Liberty sure didn't look shorthanded in a dominant quarter to start the season.But not only are they missing Sabrina Ionescu due to injury. They're also without new addition Satou Sabally.The multi-dimensional Sabally is coming to town for her seventh WNBA season.She spent her first five years with the Dallas Wings, then 2025 with the Phoenix Mercury.Last season, Sabally averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game.Now, the high-powered Liberty have her, but she's not playing yet.MORE:This season is different for Veronica BurtonWhy isn't Satou Sabally playing tonight?Sabally is out due to a "cyst," according to Madeline Kenney of the New York Post.She's been called day-to-day by the Liberty.It's not yet clear if Sabally will travel on the road trip ahead, according to Kenney.It certainly doesn't sound like a comfortable injury, and it seems like one of those that won't be too much of a sure thing until Sabally actually returns to the practice court.Before then, the Liberty will just keep getting it done with the rest of their high-powered roster.MORE:Watch out for Dominique Malonga in her second WNBA season

The NFL and the NFL Referees Association have agreed on a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that avoids a potential work stoppage and use of replacement officials. The deal runs through the 2032 NFL season. The league began the onboarding process for replacement officials last month because negotiations werent progressing, but they now wont be necessary. The NFLs collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association had been set to expire on May 31, and the two sides began negotiating in the summer of 2024. Terms of the deal werent immediately known, but the NFL increased its offer to a 6.45% annual growth rate in compensation over a six-year labor deal, two people with knowledge of the offer told The Associated Press in March. A stalemate in 2012 resulted in a 110-day lockout and replacement referees were used. That led to several high-profile mistakes, including the Fail Mary when Russell Wilson completed a desperation pass to Golden Tate in the closing seconds lift the Seattle Seahawks over the Green Bay Packers in a Monday night game. Tate pushed off, so he shouldve been penalized for offensive pass interference. He appeared to wrestle the ball away from a Packers defender and was given credit for a catch even though two officials had called it differently. There werent as many glaring errors when the NFL also used replacement officials for one week of exhibition games and the opening week in 2001 before the labor dispute was resolved shortly after 9/11, and the regular officials returned in time when the season resumed following a one-week break. Reporting by The Associated Press.

Coach Frank Reich reveals the reasons behind his decision to take up the monumental task of revamping the offensive unit of the New York Jets alongside his new QB partner, Geno Smith.