Sports

By NOAH TRISTER – AP Sports Writer There are times when a postseason bowl seems like the first game of next year for the participating teams. That cliche means something a little different for NC State and East Carolina. The Wolfpack and Pirates face each other in the Military Bowl on Saturday in Annapolis, Maryland.

By The Associated Press Dallas (7-8) at Philadelphia (12-3) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 7 1/2 Against the spread: Dallas 6-9; Philadelphia 9-6 Series record: Cowboys lead 74-58. Last meeting: Jalen Hurts threw two touchdowns and ran for two more in the Eagles’ 34-6 rout of the Cowboys at Dallas

By AP SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings have fired coach Mike Brown after a 13-18 start to the season, AP source says.

By DAN GELSTON – AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts is sitting out a potential NFC East clincher against Dallas because of the lingering effects of a concussion. The Eagles are turning to backup Kenny Pickett on Sunday because Hurts remains in the concussion protocol after being injured against Washington. Eagles coach Nick

By DENNIS PASSA – AP Sports Writer Two sailors on separate boats have died in boom accidents two hours apart on a storm-ravaged first night of the annual Sydney to Hobart race, adding to the event’s long history of deaths at sea. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney, which administers the yacht race,

By DAVE HOGG – Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman knew his team needed a change. So did his captain, Dylan Larkin. As a result, Yzerman and Larkin were each speaking to the media on Friday — the day after Yzerman fired head coach Derek Lalonde and replaced him

By CURT RALLO – Associated Press SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame’s defense set a dominating tone early in its College Football Playoff opener against Indiana. The Fighting Irish stuffed the highest-scoring team in the CFP field for a 14-3 halftime lead, but then Notre Dame suffered a gut punch. Defensive lineman Rylie Mills

By SHANE LANTZ – Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — It wasn’t pretty, but the Seattle Seahawks pulled off a 6-3 slog of a victory Thursday over the Chicago Bears. The win featured an outstanding effort from Seattle’s defense, a near disappearance from the offense and a game-sealing pick that ended Caleb Williams’ rookie record for

By NOAH TRISTER – AP Sports Writer COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — For Brenda Frese and her unbeaten Maryland team, the word “chemistry” is an important one. After a down season by their standards, the Terrapins have rebounded in 2024-25, winning their first 11 games with a slew of new players. Of the six women

By ANDREW SELIGMAN – AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — When the Chicago Bears threatened to score in the closing minutes of a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, fans expressed their feelings loud and clear. They weren’t cheering for a touchdown or field goal. They had something else in mind. “Sell the

By CIARÁN FAHEY – AP Sports Writer BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin has fired coach Bo Svensson and his assistants after nine games without a win in all competitions. The Bundesliga club said Friday it will decide on a new coach to take charge of the team from Jan. 2 in the “next days.” Union

By JOHN MARSHALL – AP Sports Writer TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Snoop Dogg has nearly as many ties to football as he does to rap music. The entertainer coached youth football for years and created the Snoop League, an after-school program for inner city Los Angeles youths. Snoop has been a guest analyst on football

By AP DUBAI (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo backed Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim on Friday, saying “the storm will finish” after his Portuguese countryman’s difficult start to life in the Premier League. The former Manchester United star, and five-time Ballon d’Or winner, currently plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr. Ronaldo spoke after being named the best

By AP KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson is heading to the NFL draft after leading the Southeastern Conference in rushing and setting a handful of school records. The SEC Offensive Player of the Year announced on social media his intention Friday to leave after his junior season. He helped the seventh-ranked

By AP ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Program milestones are on the line Saturday when Louisiana-Lafayette and TCU meet in the New Mexico Bowl. In the first meeting between the two schools, the Ragin’ Cajuns (10-3) are playing in a seventh consecutive bowl game and looking to reach 11 or more wins for only the third

By DANIELLA MATAR – AP Sports Writer BORMIO, Italy (AP) — French standout Cyprien Sarrazin was in intensive care with a head injury and will undergo surgery after a crash during training for a World Cup downhill race on Friday on the slope set to be used for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Sarrazin, who won

By JOSH DUBOW – AP Sports Writer Athletics president Dave Kaval will resign from the organization after being the public face of the organization’s planned move from Oakland to Las Vegas. Kaval has been president of the A’s for the past eight years and will step down from the role on Dec. 31 to pursue

By JOHN WAWROW – AP Hockey Writer It didn’t take goalie Mackenzie Blackwood long to establish himself as the Colorado Avalanche’s starter for the present and future after signing a five-year $26.25 million contract extension on Friday. The Avalanche announced the signing, and a person with direct knowledge of the contract confirmed its value to

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ – Associated Press SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Colorado is relishing the chance to end its season on a high note regardless of the outcome of the Valero Alamo Bowl. While a number of teams are shuffling their roster with players opting out of bowl games to enter the transfer portal or prepare

By AP DOVER, Del. (AP) — Former NFL receiver DeSean Jackson is taking over the football program at Delaware State. The school announced Jackson’s hire Friday in the latest move by a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference program to hire a former NFL star as its football coach. Norfolk State hired Michael Vick last week. “DeSean Jackson

By AP DALLAS (AP) — Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov will miss Friday night’s game at Dallas because of a lower body injury. Kaprizov is tied for second in the NHL with 23 goals and tied for fourth in points with 50. He leads the league this season with six multi-goal games and is tied

By TIM REYNOLDS – AP Basketball Writer ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Miami football coach Mario Cristobal wants now-retired Miami men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga to do at least one more thing for the Hurricanes. Cristobal wants him to share all his knowledge. A day after Larrañaga announced his sudden retirement after 41 years as a

By JIM FULLER – Associated Press STORRS, Conn. (AP) — The last few pictures were taken with the basketballs honoring Dan Hurley winning his 300th career game as a college head coach and Alex Karaban scoring his 1000th career point. Without saying a word, they began to walk off the court and headed in different

By AP ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record should be back on very soon. Signs point to Ovechkin returning to the Washington Capitals’ lineup on Saturday night at the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing five weeks with a broken left leg. Ovechkin skated with regular linemates Dylan

By PHILIP ROSSMAN-REICH – Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cam Ward missed out on the College Football Playoff, the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game and the Heisman Trophy. He’s not missing one more chance to play for Miami. Ward and the 15th-ranked Hurricanes (10-2) take on 18th-ranked Iowa State (10-3) in the Pop-Tarts Bowl

By The Associated Press Dec. 28 1944 — Maurice Richard has five goals and three assists to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 9-1 rout of the Detroit Red Wings. 1947 — The Chicago Cardinals behind Elmer Angsman’s two 70-yard scores and Charlie Trippi’s 44-yard TD run and 75-yard punt return beat the Philadelphia Eagles

By JIMMY GOLEN – AP Sports Writer The last time Nebraska sat out the bowl season for seven years in a row, the Big 12 was still the Big 8, the 10 schools in the Big Ten didn’t include the Cornhuskers, and Yankee Stadium was still the House that Ruth Built. That slump ended with

By AP LAS VEGAS (AP) — Southern California opened its season at Allegiant Stadium with a victory over LSU that set up the Trojans for early contention for the College Football Playoff. They instead will end the year where they started. Texas A&M also had high hopes for a playoff spot. The Aggies went even

By AP PHOENIX (AP) — Dylan Edwards ran for 196 yards and scored his third touchdown on a 36-yard run in the fourth quarter, helping Kansas State rally past Rutgers 44-41 in the Rate Bowl. The Scarlet Knights led by 10 at halftime and went up 34-17 on Ja’shon Benjamin’s 7-yard touchdown catch on the

By AP CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Jim Larrañaga has stepped down as Miami’s men’s basketball coach effective immediately. Larrañaga will be replaced by associate head coach Bill Courtney — one of Larrañaga’s best friends for the past three decades or so — for the remainder of the season. The now-former coach says he loves