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Alex Palou didn’t finish first in Sunday’s INDYCAR race at Arlington. But he couldn’t help but praise winner Kyle Kirkwood for his clean racing in the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington, the series’ debut on the streets adjacent to the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium. While Kirkwood took the checkered flag for his first win of the 2026 INDYCAR season, Palou finished second and Will Power finished third to complete the podium. All three drivers led the race for 16 laps. Midway through the 70-lap race on the 2.73-mile street course, Power took the lead and held on for about 10 laps, until he had to pit and Palou took control on Lap 46. But less than 10 laps later, Kirkwood started eyeing the lead. [INDYCAR RESULTS: Kyle Kirkwood Outlasts Alex Palou at Arlington] Kirkwood, driver of the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda, passed Palou in Turn 13, led the rest of the race and held on for a caution-plagued victory. And while Palou probably would have preferred a different finish, he lauded Kirkwood’s racing, particularly his “awesome pass” for the lead. “Hats off to him,” Palou said of Kirkwood during his INDYCAR on FOX post-race interview. “It was super clean, and it was pretty impressive.” Palou — who started second behind pole-winner Marcus Ericsson, Sunday’s fourth-place finisher — acknowledged he and his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda just didn’t have the speed to catch Kirkwood on the final restart. At one point late in the race, Kirkwood had a nearly a six-second lead over Palou and everyone else, and with a late caution leading into a last-lap shootout, there was always a chance Palou could pass for the lead. But he said his car just didn’t have it Sunday at Arlington. “We’ll get them in a couple weeks,” Palou added, referencing INDYCAR’s next race, the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on March 29 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Unsurprisingly, Jerry Jones was as excited as anyone for Sunday’s INDYCAR race, as the series made its debut on a street course around the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium for the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. “I said one thing when we first started talking about the idea: it has to be extremely high quality,” Jones told the INDYCAR on FOX pre-race broadcast. “Everything about it, the track, the equipment, everything involved, it’s beyond anything I could have expected,” Jones said. “We know this had to go up. What have they done to my football stadium? But no, it is great. And to think these guys are going to be upwards of 200 miles an hour in these turns, that just gives me a chill. Start your engines.” While speaking with the INDYCAR on FOX broadcast pre-race crew, Townsend Bell brought up Jones getting the opportunity to spend a little time with Arrow McLaren star Pato O’Ward, and the broadcaster mentioned his own experience meeting and watching Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, praising his “high energy, his leadership, his enthusiasm.” [INDYCAR: Everything to Know About the Grand Prix of Arlington] Bell then asked Jones to share his perspective on O’Ward after decades of working with elite athletes, and Jones was impressed by the No. 5 Chevrolet driver. “The controlled intensity,” Jones said about O’Ward. “You can feel it, boy, and he’s driving for the marbles. Everything, every motion he has looks [effortless], looks natural. “Deion Sanders used to say, ‘It’s natural.’ No, Deion worked at every nuance of it because he was intense and wanted to win. And that reminds me of what I see in these great athletes that are driving these cars.” Ahead of the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington’s green flag, Jones continued to praise the magnitude and challenges of putting on an INDYCAR race outside of AT&T Stadium. “I don’t know when, logistically, we have been a part of anything that had the coming together, the nuances of everything that it takes to make this work,” Jones told James Hinchcliffe on FOX’s pre-race broadcast. “Tangible and intangible, everything that goes. And it can’t miss because, frankly, this is serious business going up a couple of hundred [miles an hour].” Follow INDYCAR’s Grand Prix of Arlington LIVE HERE.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

DAIKIN PARK (Houston) – Time to get beaned up, Miami. The magical run continues for undefeated Italy, which will be taking its Armani suits, espresso machines, cheek-kisses and, most importantly, high-powered offense to the World Baseball Classic semifinals after holding off a late charge from Puerto Rico in Saturday’s quarterfinal to seal an 8-6 win. Here are my takeaways: 1. Tournament Surprise Story Italy Writes Its Latest Chapter There was no letdown for Italy after upsetting Team USA in pool play, so why should the quarterfinals be any different? No stage appears too mighty or inconquerable for Italy, which continues cruising through the tournament undefeated with its compilation of primarily Italian-American prospects and neophyte big-leaguers pummeling the baseball. After hitting 12 home runs in pool play — a total that trailed only the Dominican Republic for the most in the WBC — Italy didn’t need the long ball on Saturday, instead stringing together two separate four-run rallies. Prior to Saturday, Puerto Rico hadn’t even allowed four runs in a game. The team’s pitching staff entered the quarterfinals leading the WBC with a 1.22 ERA. By game’s end, Puerto Rico allowed more runs against Italy than it had in its four pool-play games combined. All nine players in Italy’s starting lineup reached base, a testament to the depth of a lineup that continues causing more havoc than anyone imagined. Italy’s offense has scored as many runs as Team USA — and hit for more average and power — through five games. 2. Puerto Rico Strikes First; Italy Responds Immediately, Emphatically On an 0-2 count to start the game, Italy starter Sam Aldegheri left a changeup up to Willi Castro, who did not miss. Puerto Rico’s leadoff hitter sent the pitch over the Crawford Boxes in left field and sent a crowd of 34,291 — primarily pro-Puerto Rico fans — at Daikin Park into a frenzy. Puerto Rico’s players emptied out of the dugout to celebrate the blast as chants of “olé, olé, olé, olé” filled the stadium and Puerto Rico flags flew. But Italy went undefeated in pool play for a reason. Puerto Rico had its most accomplished starter on the mound. Against an Italy offense that outscored its opponents by 21 runs during pool play, it didn’t matter. Italy has showcased various ways to score throughout the competition. During pool play, it was primarily with power. In the quarterfinals, it was patience and precision. The start to the game for the Italy offense: walk, strikeout, walk, three straight RBI singles. Just like that, five batters into the game, Italy had chased 2024 All-Star Seth Lugo. The Italians tallied another run before the end of the inning on a sacrifice fly to jump out to a 4-1 lead. Three innings later, Italy’s next four-run was catalyzed by three straight walks which led to back-to-back run-scoring doubles from Andrew Fischer and J.J. D’Orazio. Back in pool play, that same duo hit back-to-back solo shots against Great Britain. D’Orazio, a 24-year-old minor leaguer with the Los Angeles Angels, has become the team’s primary catcher since Kyle Teel strained his hamstring against Team USA — and he’s running with the opportunity. 3. Puerto Rico Makes Late Charge, Will Lament Missed Opportunities Puerto Rico didn’t just fold after falling behind 8-2, responding with its own four-run rally in the eighth inning and getting the tying run to the plate in the ninth. However, it will regret the chances it let slip away right from the start. Right after Italy poured it on in the first, Puerto Rico had a chance to respond similarly. The team put four runners on base in the second inning and scored only one run with the opportunity. Aldegheri, one of three Italian-born players on Team Italy, lost his command in the second and was removed with one out after allowing two straight walks and then hitting a batter. Alek Jacob entered and then immediately hit another batter to bring in a run. But with the bases loaded, he struck out Castro and got pool-play hero Darell Hernaiz to groundout to keep Italy’s lead at two. In the seventh, Puerto Rico had another chance to rally and cut into Italy’s lead when a walk and an error put runners on the corners to start the inning. A lineout and two strikeouts followed. Puerto Rico finished the game 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. 4. Italy Goes Where It Hasn’t Before Italy has made the WBC quarterfinals twice before in its country’s history, including at the 2023 WBC. Now, it will be making its first trip to the semifinals, where it will play the winner of Saturday night’s Japan-Venezuela matchup.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Arlington, Texas — Alex Palou hadn’t left a race weekend not as the INDYCAR points leader for 21 months. So when he exited Phoenix Raceway fifth in the standings, some would think he might have lost a little swagger. Palou knows his incredible run is over, but he qualified on the front row for the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington, where Marcus Ericsson will lead an INDYCAR field to green for the first time in his career at a new temporary 2.73-mile street circuit that winds by both the Cowboys and Rangers stadiums (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET) Here are my takeaways: 1. Palou Ready To Pounce Palou won the last two points races on new road/street courses as he captured the first win at the new Detroit course and also won last year at Thermal. Can he make it three in a row and cut into his 19-point deficit on leader Josef Newgarden. [ARLINGTON PREVIEW: Everything to Know About Inaugural Race] “[Those wins] mean nothing,” Palou said in his post-qualifying news conference. “It means more that the team does a good job not having data and being able to put the car. “I felt good at both Detroit, Thermal, and here as well. I feel we have a good car. I feel very confident with the track.” Both Palou and Newgarden downplayed the fact that Palou — a four-time series champion who has won the title the last three years — isn’t leading the standings two races into the season. “It’s crazy, crazy numbers, crazy statistics,” Palou said in a news conference Friday about that streak. 2. Ericsson Long Road To Pole This was the first pole for Marcus Ericsson in 117 career starts. [POWER RANKINGS: Who is on top at Arlington?] The former Formula 1 driver and former Chip Ganassi Racing driver finished 20th in the standings last year at Andretti Global, and doesn’t hide from the fact that this will be his last year there if he doesn’t perform. “I was very pissed off really after last year and the way I performed, especially the second half,” Ericsson said in his post-qualifying news conference. “I just felt like I didn’t recognize myself as a driver. I wasn’t aggressive, I lost confidence. I put a lot of work in in the offseason, tried to drive different things. “I jumped in GT3 cars and all kinds of things to build up my confidence and sort of enjoyment of driving race cars again.” 3. Newgarden, McLaughlin Wreck It was a long day for Team Penske as its mechanics had to repair cars throughout the day. Josef Newgarden wrecked in Saturday’s morning practice and Scott McLaughlin hit the wall in qualifying. Newgarden had to go to a backup car (a little bit of a surprise since the wreck didn’t appear too hard) and McLaughlin’s car will need repair. McLaughlin will start tail of the field in 25th while Newgarden starts 11th. While the track does appear racy enough where they can pass, they both are in somewhat significant holes. Newgarden said he just locked up the rear wheels and “ran out of room” while McLaughlin started a turn too early. Newgarden said on the FS1 telecast: “The speed’s been great, so hopefully it’s all good.” No one should be surprised by the wrecks. They are all trying to maximize speed and learning the course. It is typical for those type of incidents when drivers come to a track for the first time. 4. Wind Worries With wind gusts of up to 50 miles an hour, INDYCAR officials opted to move the race an hour earlier with a green flag in the vicinity of noon ET. The move was made for general safety reasons — from workers and fans trying to navigate the facility, which has plenty of temporary structures, as well as lifts being used to broadcast and officiate the race. “Sounds like a tailwind down into Turn 10 there [after the 0.9-mile backstretch] — it’s going to make it fun,” McLaughlin told me and other reporters. “A lot of slipstreaming and passing.” 4 ½. What’s Next Drivers might get a better feel of the wind and how it could impact them in their warmup Sunday morning (9:30 a.m. ET, FS1). They then will battle for 70 laps in what is expected to be an electric crowd to witness the inaugural race.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

“Hello, A.J. … what’s happening?” Star wide receiver A.J. Brown remains a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Nonetheless, Brown’s four-year stint with the Eagles (2022-25) has come against the backdrop of the three-time Pro Bowler publicly complaining about his role in the team’s offense and rampant speculation about his relationship (or lack thereof) with quarterback Jalen Hurts. Just last season, Brown told fans to “get rid” of him if they have him on their fantasy football team and that playing “Madden NFL 26” is the only way to find “highlights” of him. Meanwhile, former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson said in November of last season that he knew “something else” was “going on” between Brown and Hurts. Earlier this week, reports circulated that the Eagles were discussing a potential Brown trade with multiple teams. Here’s what’s going on with Brown and an explainer on the situation. Who’s interested in trading for Brown? The Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots discussed a trade with the Eagles for Brown during the opening week of NFL free agency, according to The Athletic. Brown played for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel over his first three seasons in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans (2019-21). The report noted that Philadelphia is tabling any trade discussions regarding Brown. What are the Eagles asking for in a potential Brown trade? At least one first-round pick and a top-100 draft pick in any trade for Brown, according to Sports Illustrated. What is Brown’s current contract? Brown, who will be 29 at the start of the 2026 season, signed a three-year, $96 million extension with the Eagles in April 2024, a contract that includes $84 million guaranteed and one that doesn’t begin until 2027. Why is a Brown trade more likely after June 1? If the Eagles trade Brown before June 1, they would incur a $43 million dead cap hit, whereas if they trade the receiver after June 1, the dead cap hit would be just $16.4 million. Beginning on June 1 of every NFL year, teams can spread out a dead cap hit for a player in a trade or release over two years, whereas it directly impacts their payroll for the upcoming season if a player is released before June 1. What have the Eagles done this offseason? On Mar. 7, Philadelphia extended defensive tackle Jordan Davis to a three-year, $78 million deal. On the free-agent front, the Eagles have signed cornerback and 2022 Pro Bowler Riq Woolen (one-year, $12 million deal) and linebacker Arnold Ebiketie (one-year, $7.3 million deal), among other deals. What did Brown do last season? Coming off the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX triumph, Brown totaled 78 receptions for 1,003 yards (career-low 12.9 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns through 15 regular-season games in 2025. It marked the sixth time that Brown reached 1,000 receiving yards in a single season in his seven-year NFL career (2019-25). At the same time, Brown had four games where he logged two or fewer receptions, and he had just three receptions on seven targets in Philadelphia’s NFC wild-card round loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

DAIKIN PARK (Houston) – As Team USA quashed a late charge from Canada on Friday night, Paul Skenes had already started the process of preparing for a seemingly indomitable machine. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, the best hope the United States has of getting back to the World Baseball Classic final, took off early to get ready for his Sunday start in Miami where a juggernaut will be waiting. “I expect it to be, like, one of the best games of all time,” USA manager Mark DeRosa said ahead of the star-studded semifinal matchup against the Dominican Republic. Despite fielding the most talented roster it has ever assembled, Team USA got to this point by surviving rather than thriving. The U.S. held on late against Mexico, lost to Italy and needed help to advance out of pool play, then held on for life again against its neighbors to the north. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic has steamrolled its way through the competition, dancing and bat-flipping and swim-moving and soaring and soaking in every minute of a tournament that so outwardly and obviously means the world to its players. Julio Rodriguez even said it would mean more to win the World Baseball Classic than the World Series. “It’s exciting,” Aaron Judge said of the Dominican style of play. “I know the fans definitely love it. But I try not to look at what other teams are doing, other people are doing. I’m focused on what we got here. We’ve got a special group of guys that love to play this game, they’re excited to be in this room, they’re all honored to be in this room, and they’re not taking it for granted.” The U.S. players say they’re having fun, too, even if it’s not as obvious, even if the wins aren’t as convincing and even if every game is changing the color of their pitching coach’s head. The latest survival was a 5-3 win, during which Canada put the tying runners in scoring position in the seventh. “I’m telling everybody, my hair might start falling out I think,” said Andy Pettitte. “It’s all turning gray. But it’s fun.” Is it? “I mean, I’m trying to have fun,” Pettitte, a five-time World Series champion with the Yankees, said. “I’m not going to lie, it’s tough. With what we’re doing and how we’re trying to do things and trying to talk through this and figure it out, it’s not easy, but it’s fun, and we knew what we were getting into when we accepted this. The guys have been amazing. I hope they’re having fun. I’m enjoying it.” Pettitte’s hair isn’t likely to get any thicker with the opponent on deck. Just as the U.S. is attempting to avenge its performance three years ago, Team D.R. is looking to do the same. The Dominican Republic won the tournament in 2013 but was bounced in the second round in 2017 and didn’t make it out of pool play in 2023. It has started this tournament with a vengeance, pulverizing every pitching staff it has faced. Team D.R. went 4-0 in pool play and entered the quarterfinals with the best run differential in the tournament. The unrelenting behemoth of a lineup has scored 51 runs in five games — and that’s while mercy-ruling two of their opponents in seven innings. “They’re one of the greatest countries in the world at baseball,” said Bryce Harper. “They’re young. They’re talented. One through nine in that lineup, they can all go deep. They can all hit for average.” “We know what type of team they’ve got over there,” added Judge. “Incredible offense, incredible pitching staff, bullpen, everything is just top notch.” On Friday, the Dominican Republic shut out its latest victim. Austin Wells’ three-run shot triggered a run rule in the seventh against Korea and gave the Dominican Republic the 10-0 win and its 14th home run of the WBC, already tying a tournament record. Team USA, meanwhile — with a lineup that many expected to be similarly formidable — has hit half as many homers and scored 11 fewer runs than Team D.R. in the same number of games. The U.S. didn’t hit any home runs in its win on Friday, though Harper had a 416-foot flyout and Alex Bregman and Cal Raleigh both narrowly missed home runs on deep foul balls. “If we’re going to win this tournament like we all believe we’re going to, it’s going to take more than home runs,” Judge said. “There’s times we’re not hitting home runs, we’ve got to play small ball, we’ve got to move runners, we’ve got to do different things just to create some offense.” Added Bregman: “We’ll get it dialed in.” DeRosa said he doesn’t see “any crazy changes taking place” with the lineup and believes in the group he has. On the mound, he’ll have perhaps the only person left in the tournament capable of giving the Dominican Republic lineup a challenge. Skenes, who threw 60 pitches in four scoreless innings in USA’s win against Mexico, is projected to have a pitch limit of around 75 to 80, though that number is subject to change. “He wanted the ball,” Pettitte said. “Before he left today, we were out there talking — man, he’s wanting to get to Sunday — and of course all of us were praying we’d be able to get there and have an opportunity to do this. He’s a special human being, a special kid, and he’s looking forward to it, I know. It’s going to be a great game.” Added Judge: “I like any game that Paul Skenes pitches.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

DAIKIN PARK (Houston) – Once again, it did not come easily or stylishly for Team USA on Friday night, as evidenced by the subdued celebration on the field in the aftermath of its victory against its neighbors to the north. It seemed more like a sigh of relief than a scene of jubilation. But coming off a shocking pool-play loss to Italy that put its tournament hopes at risk, the dream team survived again, holding off Canada in the quarterfinals to set up a matchup of the juggernauts between Team USA and the Dominican Republic in Sunday’s semifinals. Here are my takeaways: 1. Team USA Has Major Pitching Advantage Moving Forward Yes, Team USA has assembled a lineup packed with superstars, but the biggest difference for the club in this tournament compared to past iterations is the arm talent — particularly in the rotation. Even with Tarik Skubal no longer available, the U.S. had a back-to-back All-Star in Logan Webb to start on Friday and will have a back-to-back All-Star and Cy Young Award winner in Paul Skenes ready for Sunday’s much-anticipated matchup against the Dominican Republic. Webb did his job against the Canadians, holding them scoreless for 4.2 innings with five strikeouts. In two starts in the WBC, Webb allowed just one run in 8.2 innings. Once he left, though… 2. Canada Made Things Interesting vs. USA Bullpen After falling behind 5-0, Canada didn’t go down without a fight. The inning after Webb’s departure, Tyler Black got Canada on the board with an RBI single off Brad Keller in the sixth. USA manager Mark DeRosa then turned to lefty Gabe Speier to get the platoon matchup on Bo Naylor, but it didn’t matter as the Canada catcher crushed an inside slider 404 feet out to right field to bring Canada within two runs. It would soon get even dicier for the U.S. bullpen. David Bednar entered in the seventh and got a couple ground balls to start the inning, but they both resulted in infield singles. After a passed ball by Cal Raleigh, Canada suddenly had the tying runs in scoring position. The Yankees reliever buckled down from there, though, getting Josh Naylor to pop out before striking out Tyler O’Neill and Owen Caissie, Canada’s hottest hitter entering the game, to extinguish the threat. In the ninth, Mason Miller shut the door. 3. Canada Gifted Jerseys, USA Gifted Runs Before the game, Hockey Canada sent a congratulatory video message to the country’s baseball players for getting through to the quarterfinals for the first time and gifted the team Canadian hockey jerseys, which the players proudly wore pregame at Daikin Park. Three innings into the game, Canada’s defense was also in the giving spirit. After plating a run on an RBI groundout in the first inning, Team USA didn’t hit a ball out of the infield in the third yet still managed to tack on two more runs to give Webb some breathing room. The damage came with two outs and the bases loaded, when Alex Bregman pulled a grounder that third baseman Abraham Toro secured on a dive. The throw to first, however, was airmailed, as two runs came home. That ended the day for Michael Soroka. Reliever Micah Ashman entered and prevented the inning from unraveling by striking out Roman Anthony. On a night in which Canada managed to hold USA’s biggest boppers in check, it was the bottom of the lineup delivering crucial insurance. The No. 8 and 9 hitters in USA’s lineup, Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong, came through with RBI singles in the sixth. At the time, it seemed like they were just padding USA’s lead. Given how the ensuing innings went, those hits instead ended up the difference. 4. The Juggernaut Semifinal Matchup is Upon Us The Dominican Republic has bulldozed its way through the tournament with elation and bat flips and brute force. Team USA, despite fielding a roster capable of doing the same, has not. And if it plays the way it has to this point, the offense awaiting them in Miami will be salivating. But as the lineup attempts to play to its capabilities, the biggest hope for the Americans is on the bump. The Dominican Republic used its best arm while run-ruling Korea, 10-0, in a game in which starter Cristopher Sánchez fired five scoreless innings. The U.S., meanwhile, will have reigning National Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes ready to go.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Arlington, Texas — When a track runs for 2.73 miles, drivers will find something that they wish could change. Maybe a little bump here, a little different curbing there, not enough runoff in another spot. Those things are relatively minor, kind of like small issues with a warning track or pitching mound. For a 2.73-mile INDYCAR course that features four different racing surfaces — old asphalt, new asphalt, concrete and some painted concrete — drivers enjoyed their first day of practice on the new course that winds the streets around the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers stadiums. They will compete for 70 laps Sunday in the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX). [Grand Prix of Arlington: Everything to Know] Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was among those who cut the ribbon to open the track on Thursday night. And then the drivers determined the next day that the track is bigger and better than many, if not all, of their other street circuits. “That is instantly my most favorite street circuit ever,” Scott McLaughlin said in a television interview after stepping out of his car. McLaughlin did have reason to be happy. He topped the speed charts after the first day of practice on the 14-turn course that includes a 0.9-mile straightaway for a historic weekend that will also include a tweak to the qualifying format (more on that later). “It’s so technical in spots, and then there’s spots where it’s really tough to brake into,” McLaughlin said in a post-practice news conference. “You’ve got to maximize high-speed corners, high-speed entries. “It’s a blast to drive.” Most of the drivers scouted the track Thursday and they gave feedback to INDYCAR. The curbing in one of the turns was reduced by about 12 feet after the apex. There was a concern that, if a car shortcut the course (possibly to avoid an accident), it would hit that curb and get airborne. Instead, INDYCAR will rule that area with timing lines and review if a car shortcuts the course without a legitimate reason, which could result in a penalty. Those types of changes are typical for a new circuit. Drivers do have some concerns about runoff area in a couple of the turns. The entry to pit road is after a turn, so drivers won’t see it until just before getting there. The cars were bottoming out, meaning the car floors were scraping the surface of the street because of bumps or raised areas of surfaces after a crack. But as McLaughlin noted, it was an easy fix to raise the height of the car. “Even the detail of how much work they put into grinding spots [to make them smooth] — we’ve never seen to that level before,” said six-time series champion Scott Dixon. “So it’s really, really nice to see.” Right behind McLaughlin on the speed chart was four-time series champion Alex Palou, who has won the last two points races on new circuits. “It’s insane,” Palou said in his post-practice news conference, using the term with a positive connotation. “It’s super fun to drive. It’s just a lot more fun than I thought just how the car feels. There’s so many different corners. “There’s corners that you can attack so much, and you feel like a superhero. There’s other corners where you need to back off because the grip is very different. [It’s] a lot more bumpy than I thought, which makes it super challenging, but super fun.” Palou said the different surfaces present a fun challenge. “It’s just tough on how we set up the car because you don’t want to set it up too aggressive one way or the other because it just keeps on changing so much,” Palou said. “You need different stuff in different sectors.” Drivers will face a new challenge in qualifying Saturday. The format for the final session of the fastest six drivers vying for the pole has changed. At most street and road courses, they get six minutes and can run as many laps as they want in a session where all six cars are on track. They will now be on the track one car at a time but get only one lap. The idea is to give those six fast cars more exposure. But it will also force some strategy, as the car that goes out first (the sixth-fastest among the finalists) could potentially go faster because the tires (if they use the same set) would have more grip when being hot and the car could go faster with fluids up to temperature. “It’ll be interesting,” Will Power, the series all-time leader in poles won (71) told me and other reporters. “I hope I get that chance to try that out. That looks cool. … On a long track like this, you could do it and get tire temp. When you get some of these shorter laps [at other tracks], that might be difficult.” It will make the final session easier to follow, albeit a final session that lasts an additional 15-20 minutes. “It’s going to be great for the fans,” Pato O’Ward told me and other reporters. “If I was a fan, that’s what I would want to watch.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The Big 12 Conference is ditching its slippery new glass floor for a hardwood court for the final two days of the tournament. “After consultation with the coaches of our four semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the tournament,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement Thursday night. “We look forward to a great semifinals and championship game.” Numerous players have slipped when trying to plant. On Thursday, Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson strained a muscle slipping in the No. 16 Red Raiders’ 75-63 loss to No. 7 Iowa State. “Obviously, the floor is a bit slippery,” Anderson said. “I think I just kind of misstepped or did a movement that caused me to slip,” The Big 12 announced last month that it would play the men’s and women’s tournaments on the ASB GlassFloor-made court that has been used at the NBA All-Star Game and in Europe but never before during an official U.S. competition. “I personally didn’t have any involvement (in the decision to go to hardwood),” Kansas coach Bill Self after the No. 14 Jayhawks beat TCU 78-73 on Thursday night in the last game played on the glass floor. “If the other coaches are doing it, (they) have juice and they got more than I got. Because I didn’t have any any involvement with that at all.” Then he added, “I think it’s the right thing to do.” The glass floor has an aluminum and steel spring-action design that is supposed to mimic the flexibility of hardwood. The LED panels, which display everything from data-driven graphics to advertising, have ceramic coating and little dots etched into the glass that are supposed to create grip that is consistent with traditional surfaces. The ball seems to bounce like usual, though with a different “thudding” sound. There are a whole lot more squeaks from sneakers than usual. But the biggest difference has been the traction. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There has been well over a billion dollars in contracts handed out in the first wave of NFL free agency. Not all of it was spent wisely.It’ll be months or even years, of course, before we know the full damage caused by some of the deals in this year’s free-agent frenzy. But at first glance, here are five that look like the riskiest bets so far. RELATED: The 5 Best Deals of NFL Free Agency Jaelan Phillips, Edge, Carolina Panthers Four years, $120 million ($80 million guaranteed) The Philadelphia Eagles loved the way he fit in their defense after they acquired him at the trading deadline last year, and they wanted to keep him. But not at $30 million per year. Pass-rushers always come at a premium price in free agency, and there’s still a gap between him and the top six, who get $35-45 million per season. But Phillips does have injury issues in his past (Achilles, knee) and he’s coming off a five-sack season. In fact, his sack numbers have been on a steady decline since the 8.5 he posted as a rookie in 2021. Phillips still young (he’ll be 27 in May), but this money shows an expectation of double-digit sacks and a player who will be one of the most dangerous edge rushers in the league. Phillips is good, but he’s never proven to be that good. Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts Two years, $88 million ($50 million guaranteed) Jones was a revelation last season for the Colts and the way he played through the first 10 games in particular, he showed he’s worthy of a huge investment. But then, in Week 14, he tore his Achilles, and now he’s an enormous risk. He’ll be 29 in May and there’s no guarantee that he’ll be ready for the start of training camp or even the first week of the season. Even worse, when he tore his ACL with the Giants in 2023, he was terrible the next season — so bad the Giants eventually released him. That doesn’t bode well for his recovery this time. Thanks to his Achilles, knee and neck injuries, he hasn’t played a full season since 2022. The Colts first gave Jones the transition tag at $37.8 million, which was risky enough. Why did they then needlessly up the ante considering no one was going to offer a broken-down, mediocre QB more than that? Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts Four years, $116 million ($80 million guaranteed) There is no doubt that Pierce is a talented, dangerous, stretch-the-field weapon who will make the Colts and their quarterback better next season. His average of 21.8 yards per catch the past two seasons proves that. But at $29 million per year, he better do more than that. He’s now the ninth-highest-paid receiver in the league, which puts him in the stratosphere of guys like A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown. If you’re going to be paid like them, you need to perform like them, and Pierce never has. His best season was last season when he had 47 catches for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. The Colts could have found that kind of production for a lot less money. To justify this deal, he needs to push 100 receptions and 1,300 yards. Clearly, the Colts believe Pierce is capable of that. They even traded away Michael Pittman Jr. to clear the field for him. The pressure is now on Pierce because there’s no pedigree to suggest he’s capable of doing it. It’s just hope. Odafe Oweh, Edge, Washington Commanders Four years, $100 million ($68 million guaranteed) Oweh has been a good pass-rusher for most of his career, but he earned this payday with a legendary contract year. Oweh had no sacks in his first five games last season before the Baltimore Ravens traded him to the Chargers. Then he had 7.5 over the final 12 games of the regular season before adding a three-sack game in the playoffs. That run (10.5 sacks in 13 games) was quite an anomaly, too, considering his career high was 10 sacks in 17 games in 2024, and he’s averaged only six sacks per season overall. That’s good, but now he’s the 13th-highest-paid edge rusher, and on a team desperate for pass-rushing help. The Commanders are clearly counting on double-digit sacks from him. He’s 27, and maybe he’s ascending, but it seems like the Commanders mostly bought into his recent film. Alijah Vera-Tucker, G, New England Patriots Three years, $42 million ($21 million guaranteed) The 26-year-old is a tremendous guard with the potential to be one of the NFL’s best — when he’s healthy. But that’s the problem. When is he healthy? He rarely has been during his NFL career. He missed 10 games with a torn triceps in 2022, 12 games with a torn Achilles in 2023, and all of last year with a torn triceps in his other arm. Vera-Tucker was terrific for the Jets as a rookie (2021) and again in 2024, showing all the potential the Pats are clearly banking on. But at this point, it’s more likely that he spends significant time on the sidelines for New England. The money isn’t crazy, but $14 million per year still puts him 17th among guards. It’s a good deal if he stays on the field, but history suggests there really isn’t a good chance of that happening.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports