The Florida men's basketball team will welcome the Jacksonville Dolphins to the O'Dome on Nov. 5 for their home opener for the 2026-27 season.The Gators last hosted Jacksonville on Nov. 7, 2024, earning an 81-60 victory over the Dolphins. Florida leads the all-time series 33-5 against Jacksonville.UF's non-conference schedule is beginning to take shape, with the matchup against Jacksonville becoming the newest addition to the Gators' schedule. Florida is highly favored to enter the season as the No. 1 team in the country in preseason polls after returning key contributors from last season.Florida will tip off its season in a neutral-site game on Nov. 2 against the Miami Hurricanes at Benchmark International Arena the same venue where the Gators were upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by No. 9 seed Iowa.More non-conference matchups are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as the season approaches.Florida's schedule continues to take form as they have already announced key non-conference games against teams such as Notre Dame and Duke.Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Gators to host Jacksonville in 2026-27 home opener

The Jaffna Kings will continue their Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 campaign despite their franchise rights being terminated by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and tournament organiser Innovative Production Group (IPG) over financial and contractual breaches. The decision, announced on Thursday, sees all franchise rights revert to IPG, which, alongside SLC, has assumed complete operational control of the four-time champions to ensure the tournament proceeds without disruption.Why Was the Franchise Terminated?According to SLC and IPG, the franchise owners failed to fulfil their financial obligations under the franchise agreement. The termination comes in the middle of the tournament following a series of controversies surrounding the ownership group, Sports Commune.Co-owner Manjot Kalra was arrested over corruption-related allegations, while another owner, Mayank Goel, has become unreachable. The ownership group also allegedly failed to pay player and staff salaries and mismanaged sponsor funds, leading to the cancellation of the franchise agreement.As a result, IPG and SLC have taken direct control of the team's operations. Despite the ownership shake-up, the Jaffna Kings will continue under the same name with their existing squad, coaching staff and support personnel.IPG assures stabilityIPG CEO Anil Mohan stressed that safeguarding the tournament's integrity remained the organisers' top priority."While this was a difficult decision, our priority has always been to protect the integrity of the Lanka Premier League and ensure complete stability for our players, coaches, partners and fans. Together with Sri Lanka Cricket, we have acted swiftly to ensure the Jaffna Kings continue to participate in the tournament without disruption. We want to assure everyone that all operational matters, including player contracts, staff commitments and team logistics, are being managed seamlessly. The sixth edition of the LPL will proceed as planned, and we remain fully committed to delivering another successful and world-class tournament," Anil Mohan said. On the field, the Bhanuka Rajapaksa-led Jaffna Kings have made a positive start to their campaign, winning two of their first three matches. The sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League began on July 17 and is scheduled to conclude on August 8.

It may be hard to believe but the Atlanta Falcons are one day away from having their rookies report to Flowery Branch for training camp. It's been a long summer, and while there's still over a month before the regular season begins, the start of camp is a major milestone for NFL teams.The Falcons have their hands full with a new head coach, quarterback competition and several undrafted free agents fighting for roster spots. It all starts next Wednesday, July 29. Don't worry, though, because we've rounded up the latest stories to help you through the home stretch. In today's Falcons Wire Recap, Bleacher Report likes Cash Jones' roster chances, ESPN highlights three players to watch in training camp, CBS Sports ranks Atlanta's last seven first-round picks, and Bijan Robinson gets MVP hype from NFL.com.Cash Jones named Falcons UDFA with shot at rosterBleacher Report's Gary Davenport listed Jones as Atlanta's undrafted free agent with the best chance of making the roster in training camp."Cash Jones has a fantastic football name, but he wasn't a huge factor offensively over five seasons at Georgiajust 107 total touches,"wrote Davenport. "To his credit, though, he made the most of the touches he did gethe's a capable receiver out of the backfield and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. Where Jones really stood out was on special teams, and his extensive experience on both kickoff and punt coverage could carve a path for him into the NFL."NFL.com lists Falcons' non-QB MVP candidateNFL..com's Kevin Patra identified each team'snon-QB MVPcandidate for the 2026 season and Robinson was an easy pick for Atlanta. Could Robinson threaten NFL legend Chris Johnson's yards-from-scrimmage record this year?"The game's most electric runner should fit perfectly into Kevin Stefanski's wide-zone-centric offense," wrote Patra. "At the foundation of his offense is the ground game, with play-action and boots as counters. Robinson has a chance to improve on his back-to-back seasons with 1,400-plus ground yards, potentially putting him in position to win his first rushing title. He also could threaten Chris Johnson's single-season scrimmage-yards record (2,509)." ESPN names 3 Falcons to watch at training campIn a newtraining camp preview forESPN, Falcons beat writer Marc Raimondi named tight end Kyle Pitts, edge James Pearce Jr. and rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch as his three players to keep an eye on this summer. "The rookie has been projected to be a smallerTyreek Hill," Raimondi wrote. "Tagovailoa said Branch actually reminds him ofJaylen Waddle. Branch has incredible speed and strength, especially for being 5-10. He's a playmaker and could be a gadget guy who opens up the offense for running backBijan Robinson, wide receiverDrake Londonand Pitts."CBS Sports ranks Falcons' last 7 first-round picksCBS Sports' Mike Renner ranked all 191 first-round draft picks since 2020. The Falcons have had seven first-round selections over that span. Cornerback A.J. Terrell and linebacker Jalon Walker were listed as Atlanta's top two picks, followed by Drake London. Check out where all seven Falcons players were ranked below. 22: CB A.J. Terrell46:LB Jalon Walker49:WR Drake London64:RB Bijan Robinson139:DE James Pearce Jr.154:QB Michael Penix Jr.159:TE Kyle PittsFalcons QB competition ranked top NFC South storylineIf the Falcons could just find a competent and reliable starting quarterback, they'd be a real danger to conference contenders. The competition to decide who will start between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa has been named the biggest rosterdecision that will be made in training campin the entire division, per Moe Moton at Bleacher Report."Michael Penix Jr. is the 26-year-old incumbent with upside," wrote Moton. "After six seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa brings a wealth of experience, starting in 76 career games... Because of Penix's extended absence, Tagovailoa may win this battle by default. He could experience a career revival under Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year."This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons Recap: Cash Jones' roster chances, Bijan for MVP?

It's a little early to start reimagining this year's NFL draft, as the class has yet to even complete its first training camp, let alone play in an NFL game.But that is where we are, days away from camp. Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated recently conducted the exercise of redrafting the 2026 college class knowing what we know now about these players.The first two picks remained unchanged. The Las Vegas Raiders selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, and the New York Jets took Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey second overall. At No. 3, the Arizona Cardinals selected Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese instead of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Next up, at No. 4, the Tennessee Titans stay the course with Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. The New York Giants, at No. 5, and with Reese, their actual pick this year, select his Buckeyes teammate, linebacker Sonny Styles.With Reese drafted by the Cardinals in this scenario, Sonny Styles becomes the straightforward selection for the New York Giants. In fact, with the Giants deciding to keep Reese at linebacker, you could argue choosing Styles, the more natural linebacker of the two, would have made more sense. John Harbaugh's defense still lands a flexible front-seven defender.The Giants never thought Reese would fall to them, so this may have been their pick here. One problem, though. They also coveted Love, and there was talk that if Love was still on the board at No. 5, there would have been a heated discussion over who to pick here.With their second pick in Round One, No. 10 overall, Melo has the Giants taking Ohio State safety Caleb Downs over Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. We don't necessarily have an issue with the Giants' selection of Francis Mauigoa here, but safety Caleb Downs was the better overall prospect. Plus, knowing what we now know, keeping Downs away from their division rival Dallas Cowboys is a sweetener. If this scenario came to fruition, the Giants would feel inclined to sign a veteran starting guard like Kevin Zeitler.All true. The Giants passed on Downs twice, which seems unfathomable when you look at their secondary and how it's performed. Plus, John Harbaugh has always had great talent at the position over the years. Many draft experts and Giant fans thought this was the right pick here.The Giants landed two great prospects but plan to play them at positions that do not appear to exhibit their strengths.Reese will play inside linebacker for the Giants this year, not on the outside where many scouts believe he fits best. Mauigoa is being shifted to guard, a position he did not play in college. This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants see major change in 2026 NFL re-draft

ANAHEIM, Calif. For a team that hasnt had a winning record since 2015, the Angels have done little at recent trade deadlines to put their franchise on a path toward future success. This year could represent an inflection point and serve as a catalyst for real change, should they choose to be more aggressive sellers. John Mozeliak, the longtime Cardinals executive who was hired as the Angels interim general manager in late June after Perry Minasians dismissal, did not promise a full-on fire sale ahead. But two weeks ahead of the trade deadline, he at least acknowledged a reality that, for too long, has gone ignored in Anaheim. "Things have to change," Mozeliak said earlier this week. "What that looks like, who that looks like, thats to be determined. But not going into this with an open-minded approach I think would be a failure on my part." Those words from Mozeliak, who spent 18 years running baseball operations for the Cardinals before stepping down at the end of last season, inspire more hope that the Angels might actually make the difficult but necessary moves to try to replenish a lagging farm system and get the franchise back on track. For years, the Angels have feigned optimism, insinuating better days are around the corner without offering any actual reason to believe. After winning 77 games in 2021, they havent won more than 73 in a season since. Without any proof of concept or signs of change, Minasian paid the price in late June. At 41-62, the Angels currently sport the worst record in the American League. Theyre tracking toward a third straight last-place finish and a 12th straight season missing the playoffs. And yet, they have the pieces to spark meaningful change, should they decide to sell controllable players at the deadline. "Understanding the market and where thats going, thats first and foremost my biggest thing," Mozeliak said. "We can talk about X, Y and Z, but if you dont understand what the ROI should look like, were not quite there yet to do that. We dont also know what people are willing to give up. So, over the next two weeks, that is 100% our focus." The Angels dont have a Shohei Ohtani the way they did at the 2023 deadline, when they decided to be buyers only to then finish in fourth place and watch their two-way superstar depart for the Dodgers or a Tarik Skubal, but they do have a handful of intriguing and productive young players who could command a significant return if they become available. Reid Detmers ranks eighth in MLB in strikeouts. Jos Soriano ranks 13th in the American League in ERA. Either could reasonably end up starting playoff games for a contender, and both are under team control through 2028. Outfielder Jo Adell, a former first-round pick who has 72 home runs since the start of the 2024 season, has another year of control. Shortstop Zach Neto, the Angels 2022 first-round pick, was worth more than 5 WAR each of the past two seasons and is under control through the 2029 season. Any of those players would command far better prospects than the Angels rentals, a group that includes veteran relievers Kirby Yates and Brent Suter, but Mozeliak also pointed out that this is not usually the time of year that controllable players get dealt. Would he be willing to make those kinds of aggressive moves, which could yield even more short-term pain for long-term gain? "Possibly," Mozeliak said, without mentioning any specific names. "But the real answer is, What are we getting in return? We could be presented with lots of deals that we just do not feel is in the best interest of this franchise. But that's myself, my teams responsibility, to really understand what that looks like. Once we get there, I think we have to do whats best for the franchise." Mozeliak is still in the process of figuring out which teams are buyers and sellers. As of Thursday morning, only eight MLB teams were more than five games out of a playoff spot. Most teams are still envisioning a path toward postseason contention. That could be to the Angels benefit, should they choose to be aggressive sellers. "It doesnt hurt, right?" Mozeliak told me. "Supply and demand." It remains to be seen how much autonomy Mozeliak will actually have under owner Arte Moreno to craft his vision, considering how hesitant Moreno has been to deal his best assets or signal any sort of rebuild, but Mozeliak believes he will have the power to do what he feels is best to steer what has been a rudderless club back to relevancy. Whatever direction he chooses to go, he repeated the need to be "open-minded" on multiple occasions. That, at least, inspires more hope that this deadline under Mozeliak, whose Cardinals teams reached the postseason 10 times and won six division titles as well as a 2011 World Series championship, might finally be different for the Angels. "I definitely feel like Mr. Moreno is trusting me to get this right," Mozeliak said. "So, thats what Im certainly going to try to do." Rowan Kavneris an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at@RowanKavner.

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Indianapolis) Alex Bowman will drive the No. 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports in 2027 and then retire from full-time racing competition. Bowman and HMS announced his one-year contract extension Thursday night as well as the plan for him to conclude his full-time career after the season. The 33-year-old Bowman, who has eight Cup wins in 378 starts, has battled injuries in recent seasons.He missed five races in 2022 because of a concussion and three races in 2023 because of a broken back suffered in a sprint-car accident.He missed four races this year because of vertigo. "Ivespentalotoftimethinkingaboutwhatsnext,andthisfeelsliketherightdecisionatthe right time,"Bowmansaid in a news release."Thesportasksalotofyou,andIvelearneditsimportanttolisten to your body and make the right choices for yourself. "To say Im incredibly grateful to Mr. Hendrick, our partners atAlly and Chevrolet, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports would beanunderstatement.Theybelievedinmeandgavemethebiggestopportunityofmylife." Bowman made his Cup debut in the 2014 Daytona 500 and has worked at Hendrick since 2016, where he started as a simulator driver and then served as a substitute driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 10 races later that season. He replaced Earnhardt Jr. after his retirement following the 2017 season. "Alex has meant so much to ourorganization fora long time," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "Hes overcome adversity, won big races and represented our team andpartnerswithprofessionalism, personality andclass. "Alexisatremendoustalent in the race car and an even better person outside of it. Were proud hell have the opportunity to finish his full-time career with us on his terms. Hes family." Missing four races this year, Bowman is 29thin the series standings and is not in Chase contention. He has made the postseason seven times in his career with a best overall finish of sixth in 2020. "My focus now is on making the most of my time on the racetrack and competing for wins," Bowman said. "Westill havealottoaccomplish,andIwantto closemycareeronahighnoteforourteam andourfans. "Tohavethechanceto dothatwiththisorganizationandthesepeopleisreallyspecial."

One notable backer of the "Lane Kiffin Rule" winding its way through Congress turns out to be Lane Kiffin himself. Though naming it after him was not considered a compliment, Kiffin said he can see some value in the provision in a wide-ranging Senate bill that would fix the longstanding problem of college coaches bailing on their teams while the season is still going. The lightning-rod LSU coach took his turn Thursday at SEC Media Days, where he ate up more than 16 of his 25 minutes behind the mic delivering an opening statement that included the revelation that he's given up social media. That left time for four questions, the last of which was whether he felt he got a bad rap for his much-discussed and widely criticized move from Mississippi to LSU at the end of last season. That transaction turned him into a pariah in some places and, in Washington at least, the namesake for the part of the Protect College Sports Act that would forbid in-season coaching moves from school to school. Without getting into what people thought of him, he said he did think the rule could be helpful. "I guess (so), in that I hope that some way for future coaches, theyre not put in that situation," Kiffin said. "In the NFL, youre never put in that situation because of the calendar and because of the rules of movement within seasons. I do hope for future people, thats fixed so that youre not in that same predicament." Kiffin Gives Media Culpa For Diversity Statement In Vanity Fair Story There were other moments of introspection during the 51-year-old coachs time with media in the most-anticipated news conference over four days of collecting preview material for a season that starts Sept. 3. Kiffin, clearly prepared for the question, repeated earlier mea culpas when he conceded the headline-grabbing snippet from a Vanity Fair interview earlier this year in which he said recruiting players to Oxford was more difficult than to Baton Rouge because there was a more diverse and less segregated feeling at LSU was a mistake. "I made a challenging decision and change," Kiffin explained. "I think as I look back to that, I thought I could find a way for everybody to understand. Now as I look back later on, that was never going to happen." While Kiffin's replacement at Ole Miss, Pete Golding, lit up Media Days a day earlier, calling his old boss "the ex" who never really goes away, Kiffin was interesting in a different, potentially more-scripted way. In reflecting on the Vanity Fair interview, he noted how life is short and that he grew up with the notion that his dad and wrestler Hulk Hogan were the only people who would never die. Monte Kiffin, the football lifer coach whose reputation was cemented during his dozen years coaching defense in Tampa for the Buccaneers, died two summers ago. Hogan passed away a year ago Friday. "It just made me reflect on, I cant be so concerned about little things and what people say," Kiffin said. "You've got to make decisions; you've got to go with them. You make really good decisions, and you make poor decisions. That was a poor usage of a term that I believe, just like many coaches that have been there before, was factual. But over the course of a long interview, was bad timing and bad usage of the word." A Social Media Cleanse Leads To A New Perspective Kiffin also spent time discussing about how his son, Knox, urged him to get off social media, which he did in May, only to see a whole new world open up. "Knox pushing me to do that, challenging me, allowed me to help other players, friends, coaches to say, 'Man, you should try this sometime, because once you remove something from your life, you start to realize how many other people are addicted to it or need it,'" Kiffin said. Turns out, now is a great time for the coach to have quit social media. Kiffin's flirtation with LSU and eventual decision to leave Ole Miss to sign a seven-year, $91 million contract with its rival upended the end of last regular season. The disruption included debates about Mississippi's prospects in the College Football Playoffs and whether the Rebels would be viewed, or seeded, differently coming into the postseason without their head coach. The Kiffin move also picked at a decades-old scab that practically defines college sports: Why is it OK for coaches to do whatever they want and make millions while the players have guardrails around their every move? Paying players helped resolve some, but not all, of that. Players also got something of a break with a recent change that gives those participating in the playoff a few extra days to decide to stay or go into the transfer portal. Kiffin insisted that in the wake of his social-media cleanse, he's been so disconnected from the news of the day, or the moment, that he really wasn't aware of the rule named after him in Congress until being asked about it in the news conference. He said it's good to see some changes that benefit players. "Hopefully," he said, "in some way, they fix it for coaches, too." Reporting by the Associated Press.

The prediction markets and schedule makers are going crazy, for two very different reasons

The Cardinals added four players to their physically unable to perform list on their first day of training camp. The NFL's daily transaction report shows that left tackle Paris Johnson, linebacker Josh Sweat, cornerback Garrett Williams, and tight end Tip Reiman landed on the list. None of the players will be able to practice as long as they remain on it, but they count against the 90-man roster and can be activated at any point. Sweat was the subject of trade chatter this offseason and he skipped the voluntary portion of the team's offseason work. He returned for mandatory minicamp, but did not participate in any on-field work. Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur is scheduled to speak with reporters on Thursday afternoon and questions about the outlook for Sweat and the other players will likely be part of the discussion.

Hertha close in on loan signing from BurnleyKicker reported Hertha BSC are finalizing a loan deal from Burnley for attacking midfielder Oluwaseun Adewumi. The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Belgian Pro League club Cercle Brugge.With his Burnley contract running until 2028, the Austria U21 international is yet to play for the current Championship club. He scored six goals in 33 appearances in all competitions for Cercle Brugge during the 2025/26 season.Adewumi also spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Scottish Premiership club Dundee FC. The Nigerian-born player has already racked up 12 games for the Austria U21 national team.