COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - DECEMBER 20: Marcel Reed (10) of the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half in a College Football Playoff First Round Game at Kyle Field on December 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe first official preseason poll of the 2026 college football season was revealed today, and the Aggies are a bit higher than you might have anticipated. Texas A&M will begin ranked No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.BREAKING: College Football Preseason Coaches Pollhttps://t.co/gnEe967fmHpic.twitter.com/W2xBYGZWYe On3 (@On3) August 4, 2026This makes the Ags the third-highest SEC team in the rankings, behind only No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Texas. And after A&M had just their second 11-win season this century under Mike Elko in 2025, its not hard to see why. The Aggies are almost among the conferences elite in both blue chip ratio and returning production.However, its worth noting that this is the fourth time A&M has been ranked in the preseason top 10 this century, and the previous times (2013, 2021, 2o22) didnt go particularly well, with the Ags finishing a combined 23-15 in those seasons. As Mike Elko mentioned in his preseason press conference on Monday, this program has struggled with doubling down on success, and that presents the big challenge for this A&M team in 2026. While they lost 10 players to the NFL Draft, there are still only a handful of teams in the SEC better suited to compete for the Playoff than the Aggies. Now they just have to go do it.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 03: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on prior to the game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 03, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe Dodgers try to snap a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night, with a new guy on the mound, and two new old friend catchers on the roster.Tonight's #Dodgers starting lineup for Game 2 against the Cubs: pic.twitter.com/ow9TMHqLgv SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 4, 2026Tuesday game infoTeams: Dodgers at CubsBallpark: Wrigley Field, ChicagoStart time: 5:05 p.m.TV: SportsNet LA, TBSRadio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)Join the conversation!Sign up for a user accountand get:Fewer adsCreatecommunity postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community postsNew, improved notifications system!

FOXBOROUGH, Mass Gabe Jacas is learning what life with Mike Vrabel as a head coach looks like. On Monday, veteran defensive tackle Milton Williams revealed that Jacas has been on the receiving end of some teasing from Vrabel in team meetings, with the head coach often calling the rookie up to the front. But, while some rookies have to sing or give a performance of some kind, Jacas is tasked with announcing his name, school, signing bonus and name, image and likeness earnings."He went up there about five times," Williams told reporters. "They booed him the first four."So, what does Jacas think of this? Just catching me up and bring me up front of the room. Just tell them my name, school, signing bonus, NIL, and just having to come up with a song or joke, Jacas said. Im not the best jokester, but I try my best.As for what his most recent joke was, Jacas said it was some sort of magic trick where he could guess the number someone was thinking of. But all-in-all, he's very much enjoying his time working with Vrabel, who has been seen at times doing one-on-one work with Jacas during his first few training camp sessions.You can tell Vrabels a very hands-on coach," Jacas said. "And Im just appreciative that he could just take me to the side and teach me a couple of techniques and just be a better punt protector so I can be better for the team."Vrabel was also very complimentary of the young outside linebacker. "I'd say hes working hard. I think hes into it. Hes trying to learn, hes focused," the head coach explained. "A lot of these things are new for him, and I think he has done a good job of controlling what he can control... So, I think its going well. I think were off to a good start, and hopefully he can continue to keep adding things and figure out where he can help us defensively and really, special teams."Follow Patriots Wire onTwitterandFacebook.This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots rookie laughs off Mike Vrabel's team meeting teasing

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 20: A general view of the Houston skyline seen from right field in game two of the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park on October 20, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesGame Two of three with the Astros. Another win would be nice. Trey Yesavage is coming off a good start against the Nationals. Hayden Wesneski is making his second start of the season. He went 5.2 in his first start, getting the win, despite giving up three runs. Todays LineupsBLUE JAYSASTROSNathan Lukes RFJeremy Pena SSVladimir Guerrero 1BYordan Alvarez DHKazuma Okamoto 3BIsaac Paredes 3BGeorge Springer DHDaulton Varsho CFAlejandro Kirk CChristian Walker 1BJesus Sanchez LFJose Altuve 2BErnie Clement 2BTaylor Trammell LFAndres Gimenez SSYainer Diaz CMyles Straw CFCam Smith RFTrey Yesavage RHPHayden Wesneski RHP

Current 40-man rosterView Link40-man roster transactions08/03/26 Traded RHP Daniel Eagen, LHP Sandro Santana and a player to be named to St. Louis for OF Lars Nootbaar08/03/26 Transferred RHP Zac Gallen from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right elbow inflammation07/18/26 Selected the contract of RHP Gerardo Carrillo from Reno Aces.07/10/26 Designated 1B Pavin Smith for assignment.06/25/26 Activated LF Max Kepler.06/25/26 Transferred RHP Ryne Nelson from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Strained right elbow.06/24/26 Designated 1B Carlos Santana for assignment.06/21/26 Selected the contract of RHP Jose Cabrera from Reno Aces.06/21/26 Designated RHP Yilber Daz for assignment.06/12/26 Activated LF Jordan Lawlar from the 60-day injured list06/12/26 Designated C Aramis Garcia for assignment.06/05/26 Selected the contract of 3B LuJames Groover from Reno Aces.06/05/26 Designated RHP Taylor Rashi for assignment05/23/26 Selected the contract of SS Tommy Troy from Reno Aces.05/19/26 Selected the contract of C Aramis Garcia from Reno Aces.05/08/26 Selected the contract of CF Ryan Waldschmidt from Reno Aces.05/08/26 Designated CF Alek Thomas for assignment.05/01/26 Designated C Aramis Garcia for assignment.05/01/26 Designated IF Jesus Valdez for assignment.04/26/26 Added IF Jesus Valdez as 27th man for Mexico series.04/18/26 Designated 1B Luken Baker for assignment.04/14/26 Selected the contract of C Aramis Garcia from Reno Aces.04/14/26 Transferred 1B Pavin Smith from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Left elbow inflammation.04/07/26 Selected the contract of 1B Luken Baker from Reno Aces.04/07/26 Transferred SS Jordan Lawlar from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right wrist fracture.04/03/26 Selected the contract of RHP Taylor Rashi from Reno Aces.04/03/26 Designated RHP Joe Ross for assignment.03/25/26 Selected the contract of RHP Jonathan Loisiga from Reno Aces.03/25/26 Selected the contract of 2B Ildemaro Vargas from Reno Aces.03/25/26 Selected the contract of RHP Joe Ross from Reno Aces.03/25/26 Placed RHP Cristian Mena on the 60-day injured list. Right shoulder strain.03/25/26 Placed LHP Blake Walston on the 60-day injured list. Left UCL surgery.03/25/26 Designated RHP Grant Holman for assignment.02/15/26 Claimed RHP Grant Holman off waivers from Athletics.02/15/26 Placed LHP A.J. Puk on the 60-day injured list. Left ulnar collateral ligament surgery recovery.02/15/26 Signed free agent RHP Zac Gallen.02/15/26 Signed free agent RHP Paul Sewald.02/15/26 Placed RHP Corbin Burnes on the 60-day injured list. Right ulnar collateral ligament surgery recovery.02/14/26 Placed RHP Justin Martinez on the 60-day injured list. Recovery from right ulnar collateral ligament surgery.02/10/26 Signed free agent 1B Carlos Santana.02/10/26 Placed LHP Andrew Saalfrank on the 60-day injured list. Left labrum repair surgery.02/05/26 traded SS Blaze Alexander to Baltimore Orioles for RHP Kade Strowd, RHP Wellington Aracena and 2B Jos Meja.01/13/26 Received 3B Nolan Arenado and cash from St. Louis Cardinals for RHP Jack Martinez.01/10/26 Traded CF Jake McCarthy to Colorado Rockies for RHP Josh Grosz.12/19/25 Traded LHP Kyle Backhus to Philadelphia Phillies for CF Avery Owusu-Asiedu.12/19/25 Signed free agent RHP Merrill Kelly.12/12/25 Designated RHP Bryce Jarvis for assignment.12/12/25 Signed free agent RHP Michael Soroka.11/21/25 Signed C James McCann11/21/25 RHP Taylor Rashi elected free agency.11/21/25 LHP Tommy Henry elected free agency.11/18/25 Selected the contract of RHP Dylan Ray from Reno Aces.11/18/25 Selected the contract of LHP Kohl Drake from Reno Aces.11/18/25 Selected the contract of SS Jose Fernandez from Amarillo Sod Poodles.11/18/25 Selected the contract of LHP Mitch Bratt from Amarillo Sod Poodles.11/18/25 Designated LHP Tommy Henry for assignment.11/17/25 Sent RHP Christian Montes De Oca outright to Reno Aces.11/06/25 INF Ildemaro Vargas elected free agency11/06/25 RHP Austin Pope outrighted off 40-man roster and became a free agent11/06/25 Activated from 60-day ILINF Pavin Smith (strained left quad; placed on Aug. 29; retro 8/28; transferred on Sept. 5)RHP Kevin Ginkel (sprained right shoulder; placed on Aug. 4, retro Aug. 3; transferred on Aug. 6)LHP Tommy Henry (left ulnar collateral ligament surgery; placed on July 6)RHP Justin Martinez (sprained right ulnar collateral ligament, placed on June 15)RHP Cristian Mena (strained right shoulder; placed on June 10)RHP Christian Montes De Oca (back stress fracture/right elbow inflammation; placed on June 9)RHP Corbin Burnes (right elbow inflammation; placed on June 7)LHP A.J. Puk (left elbow inflammation; placed on May 1)LHP Blake Walston (sprained left ulnar collateral ligament; placed on March 23)11/05/25 Sent LHP Kyle Nelson outright to Reno Aces.11/05/25 Sent RHP Casey Kelly outright to Reno Aces.11/05/25 Sent SS Connor Kaiser outright to Reno Aces.11/05/25 Sent RHP John Curtiss outright to Reno Aces.11/04/25 RHP Elvin Rodrguez elected free agency.11/02/25 LHP Jalen Beeks elected free agency.11/02/25 RHP Zac Gallen elected free agency.11/02/25 C James McCann elected free agency.

CINCINNATI (AP) Carlos Alcaraz withdrew Tuesday from the Cincinnati Open because of a lingering right wrist injury that has sidelined him since April.The No. 2-ranked Spaniard was hoping to return to defend his title in the hard-court tournament, which serves as an important warmup for the U.S. Open.We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible, tournament director Bob Moran said in a statement. We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future.Alcaraz last played at the Barcelona Open, then missed the French Open and the entire grass-court season, including Wimbledon. He is entered in the U.S. Open, where he is the defending champion. Recent photos and videos on social media have shown the seven-time Grand Slam winner on the practice courts, so it was thought he would be ready to play in the Cincinnati event that begins Aug. 11.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Aug. 4DEERWOOD, Minn. The Minnesota State High School League announced a new venue for the boys and girls state cross country meets at their first board meeting of the school year on Tuesday.Starting in 2026, the Board of Directors affirmed an Executive Committee approval to hold the 2026 state meets at Majestic Oaks Golf Course in Ham Lake on Saturday, Nov. 7. Majestic Oaks has been a longtime host venue for numerous high school cross country events.Ham Lake is 25 miles north of Minneapolis.The past three cross country state meets were held at the Les Bolstad University of Minnesota Golf Course, but the facility was closed shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 event when the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents opted to explore selling the property, which came to fruition in late June 2026.The Board also approved a schedule adjustment for the 2027 girls and boys state basketball tournaments. The girls state tournament will be played March 24-27, and the boys tournament will be played a week later, March 31-April 3.Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus will be the primary venue for the two events. The schedule adjustment was necessary, in part, because Williams Arena was booked for the NCAA women's tournament on March 17-20, 2027.Another item finalized for the upcoming season included an approval to increase ticket prices for 2026-27 state tournament events to a base price of $15 for adults and $10 for students.League Staff also discussed a softball proposal that would implement an NFHS-approved tie-breaking rule during regular season contests only. If a game remains tied after eight innings, each half-inning would begin with the batter scheduled last in that inning to be placed on second base.The League also shared a proposal that would change the method of determining classification in boys tennis to an even class split with approximately 82 teams in both Class A and Class AAThe Board of Directors also received informational updates on three Emerging Activities:* Girls Wrestling: League Staff shared Draft Policy Language on the maximum number of contests exception. Currently, a wrestling team may schedule up to eight team events for girls only without counting against the 16 dates/45 matches permitted. The proposal would create flexibility and eliminate the reference to eight team events and read, thusly: "A girls team is limited to 16 dates/45 matches in a season. All individual wrestlers must not exceed those limitations."* Girls Flag Football: League Staff shared an update on the work of the Girls Flag Football Advisory Committee that continues to further identify an initial model and step-by-step process that could be used to move to full sanction. The next action step is to survey its membership regarding Girls Flag Football prior to its next meeting on Oct. 8.* Esports: League Staff shared an update after attending a preseason workshop last week in Rochester. The 2026-2027 School Year will be called a "shadow" year when the League will work closely with Fenworks, a technology company that provides after-school curriculum and competitive leagues in a Presenting Partner model. The League's first Esports State Tournament will be held during the 2027-2028 School Year.

Brazil under-20s begin preparations for Bolivia friendliesPreparation beginsCredits: Rafael Ribeiro / CBFBrazils Under-20 National Team began preparations this Tuesday (4) for the friendlies against Bolivia. The first training session took place at Granja Comary, in Terespolis, Rio de Janeiro, marking the start of another training period for the team led by Paulo Victor.After the squad assembled, the players took part in their first on-field activity. The session focused on group integration and the coaching staffs initial adjustments, making use of the preparation period to observe the players and continue the team-building process.The friendlies against Bolivia are part of the coaching staffs plan to build the squad that will compete in the 2027 South American Under-20 Championship. In addition to tactical and technical aspects, the training period also serves to strengthen the teams playing identity, broaden the evaluation of the called-up players, and promote integration among the squad members.Paulo Victor, Under-20 National Team head coach, during training at Granja ComaryCredits: Rafael Ribeiro / CBFHead coach Paulo Victor highlighted the importance of the matches."These matches are very important for the teams development. We have been taking advantage of every opportunity to observe more players and make changes from one match to another. The idea is to stay on this path so that, in January, we can make the best decisions and represent Brazil in the best possible way at the South American Championship."The group will return to training on Wednesday morning (5) to continue preparations.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in here.

Deebo Samuel's one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers carries a modest base but significant upside, structured in a way that reflects how uncertain his role and playing time projected to be when San Francisco signed him to replace an injured Ricky Pearsall.Samuel, 30, agreed to a contract with a $3.27 million guaranteed base salary and a $490,000 signing bonus, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco. But the deal can climb as high as $7 million if the seven-year veteran hits every bonus tied to availability, production and team success. It's a structure that bets on Samuel staying healthy and productive rather than guaranteeing him a big payday upfront.The incentives break down as follows:Availability: $20,000 roster bonus for every regular-season game he's active, worth $340,000 if he plays all 17.Scrimmage yards: $200,000 for 600-802 combined rushing and receiving yards, or $450,000 for 803-plus. Both figures double if the 49ers make the playoffs.Touchdowns: $200,000 for five or six regular-season touchdowns, $450,000 for seven or more again doubling with a playoff berth.Kick returns: $250,000 if he finishes top-10 in yards per return (minimum 20 attempts), plus another $250,000 if the 49ers make the postseason while he hits that mark.Snap count: $250,000 for playing 68% or more of San Francisco's offensive snaps, with an additional $250,000 tied to a playoff appearance.Pro Bowl: $100,000 if he's voted a starter or backup on the initial ballot.Samuel replaces Pearsall, who is out for the season, in a receiving corps that also includes 33-year-old Mike Evans, rookie De'Zhaun Stribling and veteran Christian Kirk. The deal's heavy reliance on per-game and per-snap bonuses suggests San Francisco built in protection against exactly the kind of health uncertainty that has already reshaped its receiver room this offseason.If Samuel stays on the field and produces at the level he has shown he's capable of, the incentives give him a realistic path to more than doubling his guaranteed money while giving the 49ers a low-risk structure if his workload ends up limited.This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Details emerge on Deebo Samuel's $3.27 million contract with 49ers

Chelsea and Juventus meet on Wednesday for the first time in nearly five years, with Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong hosting the preseason friendly.Xabi Alonso's first match in charge of Chelsea brought a 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers, but Tottenham beat the Blues 2-1 on Saturday.Alonso has rotated hard so far, with only two players starting both friendlies.Watch Chelsea vs. Juventus on Paramount+Juventus has had a smoother beginning to preseason. Luciano Spalletti's side has yet to concede in three matches, drawing with Basel before beating Standard Lige and Nice.That follows a sixth-place finish in Serie A that dropped the record 36-time champion into the Europa League. Spalletti said last month his team is "quite far away from the Scudetto."These clubs have met six times, all in the Champions League, with two wins each and two draws. Chelsea took the last one 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in 2021.Chelsea vs. Juventus prediction, pickChelsea has conceded six goals in two friendlies while Juventus has three clean sheets, and Alonso is still working through a huge squad. Kenan Yldz and Weston McKennie are both waiting on their first Juventus minutes of the summer, so neither side is near full strength.Prediction:Juventus 2, Chelsea 1Chelsea vs. Juventus channel, start time, streamingWhen:Wednesday, August 5Where: Kai Tak Stadium (Hong Kong)Time:7:30 a.m. ETChannel/streaming:Paramount+ (WATCH HERE), CBS Sports GolazoThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chelsea vs. Juventus friendly prediction, start time, how to watch