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Azzi Fudd scored 27 points and Sarah Strong added 26 to help No. 1 UConn beat 15th-ranked Tennessee on Sunday, 96-66, handing the Lady Vols their worst loss in the storied rivalry. The Huskies (23-0) only led 57-53 midway through the third quarter before scoring the last 14 points of the period to blow the game open. Strong got the run started with a 3-point play and the Huskies sliced through Tennessee’s pressure defense for layups. Allie Ziebell, who tied a program record with 10 3-pointers in the Huskies’ previous game, capped the burst with a 3 that made it 71-53 heading into the final quarter. The Lady Vols (14-5) never threatened to get back in the game in the fourth and the margin of defeat topped the team’s 23-point loss to UConn in 2002. It’s the second-worst loss ever for Tennessee, only surpassed by a 31-point defeat to Texas in 1984. Janiah Barker scored 16 points to lead the Lady Vols. It looked as if the rout would come a lot earlier as UConn jumped out to a 21-5 lead in the first 7 minutes behind Fudd, who had seven rebounds and seven assists. But Tennessee finally started getting going and outscored UConn 35-15 over the next 12 minutes to go in front by four late in the half. The Lady Vols played their frantic style of constantly subbing in fresh players while applying pressure defense. It worked during that stretch to wear down the Huskies a bit. However, UConn recovered and the two teams were tied at 42 at the half. UConn was missing star freshman Blanca Quinonez, who was sidelined with a shoulder issue that sidelined her earlier in the season. The two teams will continue their series for the next two years. It was the rivalry in women’s basketball for nearly two decades before they stopped playing after the 2007 season until it was picked up again in 2020. Tennessee won the meeting last season in Knoxville, which was the Huskies’ last loss en route to winning their 12th national championship and the current 39-game winning streak. Tennessee will look to end its skid when it takes on No. 23 Georgia in Athens on Thursday. UConn, meanwhile, will hit the road and take on DePaul on Wednesday. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders haven’t officially won the Klint Kubiak sweepstakes, but they appear primed to land the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator to be their next head coach. Kubiak intends to try to work out a deal with the Raiders to become their next head coach, ESPN reported Sunday. The feeling is reciprocal, as Las Vegas is also “zeroing in” on Kubiak after meeting with him on Saturday, NFL Media reported. Kubiak had also met with the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, with the expectation being that he would land either of the two remaining head coaching jobs. With the Seahawks playing in Super Bowl LX, any team that wants to hire Kubiak to be their next head coach can’t make the move official until after Feb. 8. Kubiak, who became the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator in 2025, has quickly made his way up the coaching ranks and has been regarded as one of the top offensive minds in the game. The 38-year-old helped quarterback Sam Darnold have another impressive year, while wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as the frontrunner to win Offensive Player of the Year. Seattle’s offense ranked eighth in yards and third in scoring this season. Prior to joining the Seahawks, Kubiak was the New Orleans Saints’ offensive coordinator in 2024 and the San Francisco 49ers’ passing game coordinator in 2023. Kubiak was ranked as the fourth-best head coach candidate this offseason by FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna. The Raiders, meanwhile, were ranked as the third-best head coach vacancy of the 10 head coaching jobs that became available by FOX Sports’ Ben Arthur. If Kubiak winds up becoming the Raiders’ next head coach, he’ll join a team that might be able to solve their quarterback issues soon. The Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza expected to be taken with the top selection. Kubiak comes from a coaching family as well. His father is Gary Kubiak, who served as the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos teams that won two Super Bowls with John Elway in the 1990s before helping the franchise win a Super Bowl as head coach in 2015. Kubiak worked under his father when the latter was the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings (2019-20), serving as the team’s quarterbacks coach before replacing his dad as offensive coordinator in 2021.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The 150th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is in full swing! Prove-It, a Border Collie, won the 13th Annual Masters Agility Championship Finals on Saturday, continuing the herding breed’s dominant reign in the competition. Vanish’s win marks the 10th for Border Collies, which are renowned for their intelligence, intensity and nimbleness, out of 13 all-time winners — more than two-thirds of WKC’s agility titles. Prove-It, who represented the 20-inch height division, sped her way through the course in just 29.81 seconds alongside veteran handler Amber McCune. Just as impressive, Prove-It had zero faults, making a clean run to victory. Prove-It did not, however, complete the course in a quicker time than last year’s winner, Vanish, a Border Collie who ran it in a blazing 26.49 seconds — the fastest winning time since the event began in 2014. Prove-It came closer to wins by Nimble the All-American dog in 2024 (28.76 seconds) and Truant the Border Collie in 2023 (28.68 seconds). Dogs participated in two rounds of preliminaries before the field was narrowed down to 50 finalists, the top 10 finishers from five respective height classes — 8-inch, 12-inch, 16-inch, 20-inch and 24-inch. Fan-favorite Nimble participated in this year’s event once again in the 12-inch height class and turned in one of Saturday’s top five performances, winning her division after flying through the course in 29.19 seconds. Another standout this year was Iron Man, an All-American dog from the 16-inch height class, who won a special award for top mixed-breed dog with handler Merritt Speagle after zooming through the course in 29.60 seconds. The largest dog to win their respective division was Gerard the Poodle, who won the 24-inch class with a time of 36.55 seconds, while the smallest pup to win was Gabby the Papillon in the 8-inch class with a time of 33.42 seconds; Gabby also won the same division in last year’s championship event with an impressive time of 30.05 seconds. The Masters Agility Championship Finals was the highlight of the Canine Celebration Day on Saturday. Agility is a timed competition that tests a dog’s ability to complete an obstacle course — including any combination of tunnels, seesaw, bar and wall jumps, weave poles and more — following the commands of its handler. Participants are not given the course map ahead of time, and agility is judged by both time and accuracy (minus faults) of the course. The WKC donates $5,000 to honor the winner to the AKC training club of their choice or the AKC Humane Fund, along with a donation of $1,000 in the names of the four remaining first-place dogs in their height classes and the highest-scoring All-American (mixed breed) dog. The 2025 WKC Dog Show resumes Monday, with events taking place at Madison Square Garden and Jacob K. Javits Convention. The 2026 Masters Agility Champion, Prove-It, and the highest-scoring All-American dog, Iron Man, will go head-to-head in an agility race at MSG on Tuesday. Best in Show will also be crowned Tuesday evening at MSG. For full results from the 13th Annual Masters Agility Championship Finals, click here.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Just how incredible is it that the INDYCAR season will feature a race in the nation’s capital? The Freedom 250 around the streets of Washington, D.C., is set for Aug. 23 on FOX. Most of the grounds will be free admission. With such a historic event being announced, we decided to break down some of the coolest and most iconic sporting events and venues to date. Let’s take a look: WNBA Stars vs Team USA at Radio City Music Hall, 2004 Dubbed as “The Game at Radio City”, the WNBA hosted an exhibition game between the U.S. Olympic team and a group of WNBA stars. Some of the biggest names in the history of the sport, like Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird took the court in one of the most iconic entertainment venues ever. The game was set up as a way to excite fans for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Athens. Team USA defeated the WNBA stars, 74–58, and would go on to win the gold medal as well. NHL Winter Classic (Hockey at Wrigley, Fenway, Big House), 2008-Present The NHL Winter Classic is staged in large outdoor stadiums originally built for baseball or football, including Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Michigan Stadium. A full-size ice rink is constructed on top of the field surface, creating an incredible scene. Whether it’s Wrigley Field’s ivy-covered walls, Fenway Park’s Green Monster, or Michigan Stadium’s massive bowl, the venue becomes part of the story. These stadiums typically hold between 35,000 and 100,000 spectators, far exceeding standard NHL arena capacity. Northwestern vs Illinois at Wrigley Field, 2010 In 2010, Northwestern’s football team took on Illinois in what was the first football game to be played at Wrigley Field in 40 years. The iconic baseball venue provided a picturesque backdrop for two of the oldest programs in the Big Ten. The Wildcats would also later return to Wrigley, playing four games there between 2024 and 2025 due to ongoing construction at their home stadium. Carrier Classic, 2011-12, 2022 The Carrier Classic was a series of college basketball games played on the deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier beginning in 2011. Set against an open sky and the ocean, the image of a basketball court in the middle of the ocean is one that’s hard to beat. Every camera angle feels like a movie shot, especially at sunset when the horizon glows behind the baskets. And it helps that powerhouse teams like Michigan State, North Carolina, Syracuse, and Gonzaga have all participated in some electric games in this series. Battle at Bristol, 2016 In 2016, Bristol Motor Speedway was converted to a football stadium for a college football game between Virginia Tech and Tennessee. The game saw 156,990 people, making it the largest college football venue in history. Peyton Manning and Bruce Smith were the alumni representatives for each school at the coin toss, further adding to the spectacle. Field of Dreams Game, 2021-22, 2026 The 1989 baseball movie Field of Dreams is arguably one of the best sports films of all-time. It revolves around an Iowa farmer who builds a baseball field on his cornfield. Major League Baseball decided to pay homage to it by creating the “Field of Dreams” game in 2021 between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox, constructing a field in Dyersville, Iowa. It is one of the most jaw-dropping images in sports, as players are often photographed while walking through the cornfields. In 2022, the Chicago Cubs took on the Cincinnati Reds and will feature the Minnestoa Twins and Philadelphia Phillies this season. Clash at Coliseum, 2022-24 Racing inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum turns NASCAR into a stadium spectacle. The historic venue, once home to the Olympics and still the house for the USC football team, becomes a tight, high-banked short track packed into an iconic bowl. Fans tower over the action from all sides, creating a sense of intensity and closeness rarely seen in motorsports. Joey Logano won in 2022, Martin Truex Jr. in 2023, and Denny Hamlin in 2024. Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, 2023-Present People often view Vegas as the city that never sleeps, known for opulence, luxurious hotels and casinos, and excess. What else could you add to the world-famous Las Vegas strip? Well, Formula 1 decided to build a racetrack around it, constructing a 6.2-kilometer course for the world’s fastest drivers and cars. Imagine being at the Bellagio Hotel, looking out the window, and seeing cars drive 200-plus miles per hour on the streets! The first edition took place in 2023, with Max Verstappen getting the victory. NASCAR’s Grant Park 165, 2023-25 Few motorsports events can match the spectacle of NASCAR racing through the heart of a major American city. The Chicago street race transforms downtown streets into a temporary speedway, wrapping stock cars around Lake Michigan, Grant Park, and the skyline itself. Instead of grandstands and infields, fans get skyscrapers, waterfront views, and iconic landmarks framing every lap. It feels less like a traditional race and more like a citywide festival, where Chicago’s energy collides with NASCAR in one of the sport’s most visually striking settings. Shane van Gisbergen won the event in 2023 and 2025, while Alex Bowman took it in 2024. Nebraska Women’s Volleyball at Memorial Stadium, 2023 Dubbed as “Volleyball Day in Nebraska”, the University of Nebraska hosted a two-match event featuring four schools at Memorial Stadium, the home of the Cornhuskers’ football program. The second match, featuring the women’s volleyball team against Omaha saw a whopping 92,003 people in attendance, widely considered one of the highest attendances on record for a women’s sporting event. The sea of red all over the stadium was one of the most incredible sights you’ll see in sports. UFC 306 at The Sphere, 2024 There aren’t many venues that are cooler in the country than the Sphere in Paradise, Nevada. Built in 2023, it features 580,000 square feet of LED displays and measures 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide. A year after its construction, the UFC decided to host one of its biggest events there. Headlined by “Suga” Sean O’Malley taking on Merab Dvalishvili for the Bantamweight Championship, UFC 306 was also a celebration of Mexico’s Independence Day, and dubbed “Noche UCF.” Throughout the night, incredible visuals representing Mexican culture were featured on the Sphere’s massive screen. MLB Speedway Classic, 2025 The 2025 MLB Speedway Classic brought baseball into the roaring world of motorsports, transforming a racetrack into a diamond. The Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves played a game at Bristol Motor Speedway with over 91,000 fans present, setting the attendance record for a MLB regular-season game. The venue combined features of a traditional ballpark, such as dugouts and backstops, with the scale and layout of a speedway. Grand Prix of Arlington, 2026 INDYCAR is headed to Arlington, Texas, this year, bringing two “American institutions together.” From March 13-15, INDYCAR will unveil a brand-new stop right outside AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. This will be the first-ever Grand Prix of Arlington and the third stop on the INDYCAR calendar, after the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway. Freedom 250, 2026 For more information on INDYCAR’s newest event, check out the links below:​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Superstars will be in abundance at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, especially on the United States and Japan rosters, but that’s not the case for other countries. Houston Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa and New York Mets star Francisco Lindor aren’t cleared to compete in the esteemed baseball tournament for their respective countries. Here’s what’s going on: Insurance at the heart of the issue Altuve (Venezuela), Correa (Puerto Rico) and Lindor (Puerto Rico) are among the players who can’t participate in the World Baseball Classic due to not being granted the proper insurance to play; an insurance policy is in place that financially protects MLB teams if a player gets hurt in the tournament. “Due to the criteria for WBC insurance coverage, Jose Altuve was looking forward to participating in the WBC and representing Venezuela, but unfortunately is not eligible to do so,” the MLBPA said in a statement. “Jose is obviously disappointed in this result, but he is looking forward to getting to spring training and preparing himself for a successful season.” Altuve, who suffered a thumb injury in the 2023 WBC and missed the beginning of the 2023 MLB regular season due to the injury, underwent foot surgery in November; Correa has missed extensive time due to back, rib, finger and foot injuries, among other issues throughout his MLB career; Lindor underwent elbow surgery in October. “Due to the cleanup procedure that Francisco Lindor had on his right elbow earlier this offseason, he will not be participating for team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic,” the MLBPA said in a statement. “Francisco is obviously disappointed that he will be unable to participate. However, because of WBC insurance constraints, he is ineligible to play in WBC games. “He will participate fully in all spring training activities.” Puerto Rico is in trouble Additionally, Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios and Cincinnati Reds reliever Emilio Pagan, who would each play for Puerto Rico, haven’t been cleared. The country is considering withdrawing from the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Dr. Jose Quiles, the President of the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation, said. “We are considering not participating in this edition [of the WBC]. It’s a discussion we’ve already had,” Quiles said. “If we are not playing under equal conditions, we will not participate. It’s a decision that is almost, almost, made. We are issuing a warning. We’ll see what happens in the coming days, and we will make a final decision.” Precedent In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, reliever Edwin Diaz — who signed a five-year, $102 million contract with the Mets just four months earlier — suffered a torn right patellar tendon in a celebration pile after a Puerto Rico victory. Diaz subsequently missed the entire 2023 MLB season. Prior to the 2023 WBC, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw wasn’t able to secure the needed insurance coverage to play due to concerns about his back.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Themus Fulks scored 21 points, including a jumper with a minute to play to key a late run that led UCF to an 88-80 win over No. 11 Texas Tech on Saturday. The win marked UCF’s third straight conference win, the first time they have done that since joining the Big 12 three years ago. The Knights led for all but 1:20 of the game but were clinging to a two-point advantage with 1:30 to play after Fulks turned the ball over. But Jaylen Petty fumbled the outlet pass after the steal, and UCF (17-4, 6-3 Big 12) recovered to set up Fulks’ jumper to go up by two possessions. The Red Raiders (16-5, 6-2) missed many opportunities to close the gap as the Knights outworked them in the paint throughout the game. JT Toppin scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, his 13th double-double this season and his 10th in the last 12 games, to lead Texas Tech. But the Knights dominated the interior, out-rebounding the Red Raiders 35-23. UCF outscored Texas Tech 21-4 on second-chance points. Knights center John Bol scored a career-high 14 points to go with 10 rebounds. It was the sophomore’s second double-double of the season and third straight game with 10 or more rebounds. JaMichael Stillwell added 10 points and 10 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the season. Jordan Burks added 17 points for the Knights. Texas Tech hit 11 3-pointers, including three by Christian Anderson. He finished with 17 points and nine assists. The Red Raiders couldn’t hit the 3’s when they needed them, missing their last six attempts from behind the arc. Next, UCF travels to No. 4 Houston on Wednesday, and Texas Tech hosts No. 14 Kansas on Monday. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Shohei Ohtani has been continually writing baseball history. Now, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is writing something else. Ohtani wrote a children’s book centered around his dog, Decoy, called “Decoy Saves Opening Day,” which sees the Dutch Kooikerhondje deliver the Opening Day baseball to Ohtani behind home plate. It will be released for purchase on Feb. 20. Decoy has made numerous public appearances throughout Ohtani’s MLB career (2018-present), including before regular-season games, during World Series parades and in live reaction videos of the two-way sensation winning MVP honors. One season after accomplishing the first 50-50 season (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases) in MLB history in what was his first year with the Dodgers (2024), Ohtani put together a third consecutive MVP campaign in 2025. In the regular season, Ohtani totaled 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and 6.6 wins above replacement, while posting a .282/.392/.622 slash line. Meanwhile, he led the National League with 146 runs scored and a 179 OPS+. Ohtani also returned to the mound for the first time since tearing his UCL in August 2023, posting a 2.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 145 ERA+ and 62 strikeouts in 47.0 innings pitched (14 starts). Then, Ohtani totaled eight home runs and 14 RBIs in 17 postseason games for the Dodgers, while posting a .265/.405/.691 slash line. He also made four starts, posting a 4.43 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched. In Game 4 of the Dodgers’ closeout NL Championship Series matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers, Ohtani had one of the best individual performances in MLB history, blasting three home runs and striking out 10 batters in six scoreless innings pitched as the Dodgers’ starting pitcher. The Dodgers became the first back-to-back World Series champions since the New York Yankees three-peated from 1998-2000. Ohtani, a four-time Silver Slugger and four-time MVP, will play for Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He also played for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with Japan winning the tournament.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The dust has mostly settled on the MLB free agent market, but a handful of impactful players are still for the taking, most notably Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen. While the 30-year-old Gallen is coming off a 2025 season that saw him post a career-high 4.83 ERA, he has been among the best starting pitchers in the sport for the better part of his MLB career (2019-present) and is a proven top-of-the-rotation force; he can move the needle for a pitching staff that needs a boost. Here are the top three fits for Gallen should he depart Arizona. Baltimore Orioles Since losing Corbin Burnes last offseason, the Orioles have been searching for an ace. Adding Gallen would, at the very least, quell some of the concern about the upper portion of Baltimore’s rotation. Gallen would beef up an Orioles’ starting rotation that was 26th in MLB in opponent batting average (.265), 24th in ERA (4.65) and 21st in WHIP (1.32) last season. The right-hander, who leans on his four-seamer and knuckle curve while mixing in a changeup, pitches deep into games and was the ace of Arizona’s starting rotation en route to it winning the 2023 National League pennant. Combine Gallen with left-hander Trevor Rogers, who posted a 1.81 ERA and 5.5 wins above replacement in 18 starts last season, and offseason acquisition Shane Baz, among others, and the Orioles would have a plausible rotation. Plus, with the additions of star first baseman Pete Alonso and outfielder Taylor Ward — who blasted a career-high 36 home runs last season — an improved starting staff gives the Orioles a chance to compete in an ever-improving American League East. That said, given that Baltimore has already made some moves on the pitching front this offseason (trading for Baz and re-signing Zach Eflin), it may prefer to add a more consistent ace-caliber pitcher like Framber Valdez or make a blockbuster trade (e.g., acquiring Detroit Tigers two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal), rather than take a chance on Gallen getting back on track should it seek to add another starting pitcher. San Francisco Giants The Giants are in no man’s land in the National League West (the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are in their division), but they have plenty of potent talent and should be operating as if they expect to be in the postseason. Operating as such entails adding to their starting rotation, and signing Gallen would fit the bill. From 2022-24, Gallen averaged a 3.20 ERA and 1.09 WHIP per season with the Diamondbacks. He can post strikeouts at an efficient rate and would improve a Giants’ starting rotation that was tied for 23rd in WHIP (1.34), tied for 23rd in opponent batting average (.255) and was 17th in ERA (4.10) last season. Sure, the Giants have already added veteran right-handers Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser this offseason. At the same time, assembling a rotation trio of Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Gallen would make for a fierce attack. That’s without mentioning that Mahle posted a 2.18 ERA in 16 regular-season starts for the Texas Rangers last season, right-hander Landen Roupp has held his own to date (3.80 ERA in 22 starts last season) and Houser is a proven commodity who can also come out of the bullpen. The Giants have been both buyers (signing Willy Adames on a seven-year, $182 million deal and acquiring Boston Red Sox star infielder Rafael Devers) and sellers (they traded relievers Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski at the 2025 MLB trade deadline) over the last 18 months. Combining it all, though, this team is closer to competing for the playoffs than hoping to win the MLB Draft Lottery (that’s still funky to type out). Adding Gallen gives the Giants a fighting chance. At the same time, while Gallen would enhance San Francisco’s chances of returning to the postseason, he could progress a different California team in a more profound way. Athletics The Athletics are close, and with an improved starting rotation, they have a legitimate chance of being a playoff team next season, hence them being a fit for Gallen. Why are the A’s, who won 76 games last season, “close?” Outside of teams that made the playoffs in 2025, the A’s have the best young positional core in baseball, which includes Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler. It’s also a unit that’s complemented by two-time All-Star Brent Rooker and could later be joined by highly touted infield prospect Leo De Vries, who was acquired in a 2025 trade with the Padres. Last season, the Athletics’ offense was tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for fourth in slugging percentage (.431), while being fifth in hits (1,403) and tied for fifth in batting average (.253). What was this offense accompanied by? A starting rotation that was 27th in ERA (4.85), 25th in opponent batting average (.257) and tied for 23rd in WHIP (1.34). Gallen would become the Athletics’ ace from the outset, providing a stabilizing right-hander with postseason experience who’s in the prime of his career to anchor their pitching staff. The need for a top-of-the-rotation arm, if not two, comes with the continued struggles of the A’s to develop their homegrown pitchers into rotation linchpins. Meanwhile, free agent signee Luis Severino had a rough first year with the team in 2025 (4.54 ERA in 29 starts), while left-hander Jeffrey Springs (4.11 ERA in 32 appearances/30 starts) was arguably their best starting pitcher. With Gallen in the fold, the urgency for Jacob Lopez, J.T. Ginn, Luis Morales and a healthy Gunnar Hoglund, among other young pitchers, to make a jump would decrease. Gallen’s timeline and that of the burgeoning A’s is a match.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

NASCAR has embarked on a season where it hopes to generate some enthusiasm from the roots of the sport. Racing in the snow wasn’t included in that list. NASCAR has postponed its preseason exhibition Clash, moving it from Sunday night to Monday afternoon because of snow in North Carolina. The 200-lap exhibition race at the quarter-mile Bowman Gray Stadium — a historic track owned by the city of Winston-Salem that also serves as the football home of Winston-Salem State University — is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Feb. 2. Practice and qualifying is set for 11 a.m. ET Monday on FS2, with the 75-lap last-chance qualifying race kicking off the coverage on FOX at 4:30 p.m. ET. Forecasts predict that up to nine inches of snow will fall in the area on Saturday — a part of the country not accustomed to that type of snowfall. After more than an inch had fallen Saturday morning, the league made the decision. FOX Weather forecasts that the snow will end on Saturday night, with temperatures in the 30s on Monday and in the 40s on Tuesday. There is no minimum temperature needed for NASCAR to conduct the race, but drivers could have concerns about their tires and brakes in the cold. Temperatures will be in the 20s by the time the main event starts Monday. “We’re going slow enough at Bowman Gray, I don’t think that the cars themselves, the engines, will be too cold or anything like that,” said 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick in a media call Thursday. “If we were running a really big race track with that amount of [cold] air, maybe. …. We’ll just kind of see what it does, if the [tires] lay rubber.” NASCAR has said it is treating this event just like any other race weekend with a weather challenge by racing once it feels it can hold the event. The next on-track activity following the Clash is practice and qualifying on Feb. 11 at Daytona. “If we do get a bunch of snow and it’s Monday, Tuesday or even goes out further, I think, we’ll be just fine in order to be able to get to Daytona,” said Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell in a media call Friday. The track surface should be ready by Monday. One complication could be any melting snow from up against the wall (some of the wall barrier is two sections as part of the SAFER Barrier system) melting and then possibly re-freezing. “Our biggest obstacle right now is we need to get the snow to stop, and we need to get the wind to die down,” said Justin Swilling, who oversees Clash operations for NASCAR. “After that, I’m very confident in our team and our equipment that we can get this place race ready, and we can put on a good show for fans on Monday. “We just need Mother Nature to stop as soon as she can, and we need the wind to die down, and we’ll be in a good place.” The other big issue is can the infrastructure safely handle fans? The stadium seats 17,000 and all the personnel needed to conduct the race will also need access to the facilities. A storm a week earlier had still left many of the city streets — while passable — with icy spots that are now covered with snow. Most of the teams are also based about an hour away, so the ability of crews to get to the race also would be considered. Swilling said NASCAR is in constant communication with city and state transportation officials to determine when teams and fans could potentially start coming to the facility. The cars for the race currently are nearby at the Winston-Salem Farigrounds (where they are inside to avoid the cold temperatures) and the current plan is for the team transporters to take the cars to the track early Monday morning.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Prior to arguably the most anticipated Big Ten matchup of the season to date (No. 3 Michigan against No. 7 Michigan State), Wolverines head coach Dusty May made himself a meme. Sitting on the bench prior to the Friday night ranked matchup, the Michigan head coach was surrounded by a group of Michigan State fans yelling over his shoulder. What happened here? “I was actually just taking a peak,” May said in his postgame press conference following Michigan’s 83-71 win over MSU. “I thought, when we pulled in, the students were still lined up down the block and even when we rode in at the Kalamazoo entrance. There [was] a long line, and I assumed it was students. I was like, ‘Okay, they’re not in yet,’ but, man, we’re building. There’s a lot of anticipation for this game, and so I walked by and I was greeted as soon as I stuck my head out on the court. At that point, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m ducking and running from this smoke now.'” “This stuff doesn’t bother me. I just let them get all their frustration and their animosity out early and then that way they can enjoy the game, so I felt like I contributed to the environment just a little bit.” As for the game, Michigan was 23 of 26 from the free-throw line, held Michigan State to 4 of 23 from behind the arc and was able to get a 12-point victory despite blowing an 18-point lead. For Michigan, Yaxel Lendeborg finished with a team-high 26 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and two blocks; Elliot Cadeau had 17 points, six assists and three rebounds; Morez Johnson Jr. had 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks; as for the opposition, Jeremy Fears Jr. had a game-high 31 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals for Michigan State. Monday’s in-state rivalry win moved Michigan to 20-1 overall and 10-1 in Big Ten play, good for first in the conference. This win also came three days after Michigan delivered No. 5 Nebraska its first loss of the season on Tuesday night in Ann Arbor. Meanwhile, Friday night’s loss dropped Michigan State to 19-3 overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play, good for fourth in the conference. Michigan and Michigan State will face off again on March 8 in Ann Arbor. Next up for Michigan is a home matchup against Penn State on Feb. 5 (6:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports app).​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports