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Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) — Christian Pulisic wants this responsibility. The one that requires him to carry the pressure weighing on the U.S. men’s national team as it embarks on what is expected to be a historic World Cup on home soil this summer. Pulisic, 27, has been in the senior national team for 10 years. He entered as a 17-year-old “next big thing” and has morphed into the face of the program. He’s seen unprecedented success playing in Europe, and at one point this season was AC Milan’s scoring leader. But on Saturday, following Belgium’s 5-2 dismantling of the American squad in a World Cup tuneup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Pulisic was forced to once again explain a poor performance from the U.S. “I think we played well for big stretches of the game, but it’s just fine margins,” a frustrated Pulisic told a group of reporters. “I mean, I have to be a bit more clinical and, yeah, defend. I mean, overall, it’s a tough result for us, but I don’t feel like it was a 5-2 game necessarily. So there are some things that we can definitely take positives from. But some things for sure we have to work on.” The Americans were actually the better team for most of the first half against Belgium. Weston McKennie, who has been close friends with Pulisic since their youth soccer days, scored the first goal in the 39th minute off a corner from Antonee “Jedi” Robinson to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead. Belgium quickly responded, equalizing moments before halftime. Pulisic had scoring chances early. There was a header that soared over the top of the goal in the seventh minute, and he looked dangerous when a low shot went wide in the 14th. In the 52nd minute, Tim Weah did the dirty work and beat Maxim De Cuyper deep near the right corner of the field and flicked a pass with the outside of his left foot to Pulisic near the box. Pulisic dribbled inside with excitement and speed, but couldn’t get the ball exactly where he wanted and skied his shot over the crossbar. Less than a minute later, Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana gave Belgium a 2-1 edge when he needed just one touch to slip a strike past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner. Eventually, the game got out of hand and fans found the exits before the final whistle. Pulisic doesn’t need to be reminded of the importance of finishing chances. No one is more disappointed than him when he doesn’t. He expects more from himself. He knows the U.S. will need to beat talented teams like Belgium in order to go far in the World Cup, and he will have to play a major role in that. “If we score there, we’re talking in a different way,” U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said after the game. “2-1 or 3-1 to us, we get the result. But sometimes you get what you want or you get things you don’t like. If you remember, the next section we concede [a goal]. “To feel the pain sometimes is good.” There is a silver lining following Saturday’s result. The squad gets right back to it with another match Tuesday vs. Portugal, a World Cup dark horse. Regardless of how that game shakes out, there’s still time for the U.S. to get things right before the tournament begins — its first match vs. Paraguay is on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. There have also been similar situations in the past where the U.S. hasn’t played well enough in one game and made adjustments quickly. In 2024, Colombia thrashed the team 5-1 in a friendly ahead of Copa América. A few days later, the squad regrouped and drew Brazil, 1-1, and Pulisic scored the equalizing goal. Last year, the squad was embarrassed by both Türkiye and Switzerland in friendlies before the Gold Cup, but then made a run to the tournament final. [Clash of Colors?: USA-Belgium Jersey Combo Was An Eyesore For Players] Pochettino himself has said on multiple occasions that it’s more important for the team to play its best during the World Cup and not peak in matches beforehand. He never wants to lose and has often stated he wants players to believe and dream that they can win the World Cup. He’s still in the process of whittling the player pool down to a final 26-man roster, which will be announced on May 26, so these matches are also important for him to get last looks at different player combinations. At some point, he’ll have to work on building chemistry with more specific lineups. All of that is to say, losing now is not necessarily indicative of how the team will perform this summer. Even so, Pulisic is the team’s biggest star, and it needs more from him. He has been in a scoring drought for the national team – his last goal came in 2024, and he hasn’t scored for AC Milan yet in 2026. He started his club season in fine form, scoring eight goals between August and December, but has hit a speed bump. He’s motivated to turn things around and has more to give. He’ll recover, watch film, and do everything possible to be better next time. “We have to take this on the chin,” Pulisic said. “It was a tough loss. It’s a very good team, but in a lot of ways there’s things that we can do better. “I have to improve. The team has to improve. All we can do is go push and try to get a result.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Free agency is starting to wind down, and the 2026 NFL Draft is still nearly a month away. However, one of the most important weeks of the NFL’s offseason has arrived. NFL owners, general managers, head coaches and league personnel will convene at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel starting Sunday for the league’s annual meeting. The NFL’s busy schedule includes voting on five rule changes put forth by the league’s 11-person competition committee. The owners will also discuss the continued growth of the game globally, with a league-high nine games scheduled internationally in 2026, including the NFL’s first regular-season foray into Australia. The NFL will also continue its initiative to grow flag football, which received a boost from the Fanatics Flag Football Classic last week in Los Angeles, in which teams mostly consisting of NFL players lost handily to USA Football. “We’ll spend a fair amount of time talking about international growth, joined by a couple of special guests – Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kenny Moore will be there,” said Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President overseeing Player Health and Safety during a conference call with reporters this week. “And we’ll speak at length about flag and its growth, including the run-up to the Olympics in ‘28 and the premier time for flag to be in the Olympics.” Here are five other big storylines to follow during the meetings this week. 5. Proposal to avoid Fail Mary 2.0 NFL owners will consider a new rule allowing replay assist to correct clear and obvious missed calls temporarily for a year in the event of a referee work stoppage, which would mean the implementation of replacement officials. The last time the NFL used replacement officials was in 2012, due to a lockout. However, that ended three weeks into the regular season with an eight-year agreement after a Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, when a replacement official incorrectly ruled a touchdown catch for Golden Tate that ended the game with a victory for the Seahawks. Rich McCay, Atlanta Falcons CEO and chairman of the competition committee, said the league is in a better place to help replacement officials if it gets to the point. At least 24 of the 32 owners are needed to approve the measure. “Replay assist already allows us to do things that we never could do in 2012 and review a ton of plays – scoring plays, turnovers, all those things – and so for us, this was just another bucket we wanted to put in there in case we have to operate under that set of circumstances,” McKay said. The league and the referees reached a stalemate on compensation, along with the amount of dead time for officials during the down period from the end of the Super Bowl in February to May 15. The current agreement is set to expire at the end of May. The two sides were scheduled to meet for two days this week, but broke off talks after just a half day, with both sides claiming they were not negotiating in good faith. “The negotiations with the officials have not gone as quickly as we would have wanted,” Miller said. “We’ve made a number of proposals. We’re looking to improve the accountability and performance of the officials, and we just haven’t gotten to where we need to go. “We’re going to play football this fall, and we’re going to need officials to do it. So, this is part of the preparation, and we felt compelled to make these sorts of decisions in anticipation of playing football in a different environment.” 4. Another Super Bowl in Las Vegas? We’ve seen a lot of repeat Super Bowl locations in recent years. Be prepared for another city to find out it’s hosting the Super Bowl for the second time in a relatively short span this week. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is expected to be approved as the host of Super Bowl LXIII during the meeting. Allegiant Stadium hosted its first Super Bowl in 2024, a Kansas City Chiefs overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is slated to host the Super Bowl for the second time in February 2027. The Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl in the team’s home stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals the last time SoFi Stadium hosted the game in 2022. And Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium is scheduled to host the NFL’s championship game in 2028 – the second time that facility will host the blockbuster event since the New England Patriots defeated the Rams in 2019. Allegiant Stadium has been home to the Las Vegas Raiders since 2020. 3. The tush push lives The NFL’s most controversial play isn’t going anywhere. A proposal to potentially ban the tush push won’t be put forward when league owners meet this week. A proposal to ban the play put forth by the Green Bay Packers mustered 22 votes last year, falling two votes shy of the required 75% majority for a rule change. Last season, NFL referees struggled to accurately officiate the play at times, failing to see offsides in the close quarters of a scrum. However, defenses did a better job of defending the play and teams converted the tush push at a lower rate in 2025. Teams converted first downs on quarterback sneaks 77.4% of the time last season, compared to 76.4% on tush push plays, according to the league. That’s compared to 2024, when offenses converted first downs on 82.4% of Tush Push plays and 75.8% on traditional quarterback sneaks. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, a member of the competition committee and an opponent of the tush push in years past, no longer sees the play as an issue. “There are some optics that you’re saying, ‘It doesn’t feel like football,’” McVay said in a conference call. “But it’s like, ‘Hey, get over it.’ It’s not a big deal. If we did it at a high clip like Philly, we would be using it too. “We have to figure out how to stop it and if it becomes a part of our offense, then we’ll figure out how to execute it. … I’m not losing any sleep or thinking much about that one.” Still, will there be some chatter about the play in Arizona this week? We’ll see if other coaches agree with McVay’s assessment and the decision to keep the tush push alive for another year. 2. Where will A.J. Brown land? Teams around the league remain interested in securing the services of three-time All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown via trade, but are the Philadelphia Eagles still willing to move him? Eagles general manager Howie Roseman understands that the Eagles still have a talented roster and remain in a Super Bowl window. However, can the mercurial Brown continue to be a productive part of the team moving forward? And with the draft compensation teams like the Miami Dolphins received for trading Jaylen Waddle this season and the Seattle Seahawks moving DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, maybe it makes sense to trade Brown when his value is potentially at a high point? Philadelphia will take a $43.4 million dead money salary cap hit if they trade Brown before June 1. That lowers to just over $16 million if the Eagles move Brown after June 1, so it makes sense for Roseman to be patient. With the New England Patriots and both teams in Los Angeles as potential suitors, this week provides another opportunity for Roseman to assess Brown’s market. 1. Seahawks sale, Mark Davis succession plan for Raiders The Seahawks announced 10 days after winning the franchise’s second Super Bowl that owner Jody Allen is putting the team up for sale, according to the wishes of her brother Paul Allen, who died in 2018 at the age of 65 after complications from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The annual meeting in Phoenix provides an opportunity for the league to update fellow owners on potential ownership bids for the Seahawks and the expectation for owners to eventually approve vetted, final bid proposals to buy the franchise. NFL owners are also set to vote on a succession plan for Raiders owner Mark Davis that would give minority owner Egon Durban the option to purchase a majority stake in the team from Davis. Durban, the co-chief executive of tech private equity firm Silver Lake, and Discovery Land Company founder Michael Meldman each bought a 7.5% stake in the Raiders two years ago.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (ATLANTA) — The United States men’s national team impressed early against Belgium. Then the wheels fell off. A first-half lead in Saturday’s high-profile World Cup warmup match against Belgium — FIFA’s No. 9 ranked squad — melted away as the USA conceded four straight goals in front of a heavily pro-USA crowd of 66,867 fans at the home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. Weston McKennie put coach Mauricio Pochettino’s team ahead in the 39th minute by deftly redirecting an Antonee Robinson corner kick past Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The visitors equalized before the first half was over, though, when fullback Zeno Debast’s low rocket flew through a sea of bodies, past the outstretched hand of USA keeper Matt Turner and into the bottom corner of the net. Belgium got another shortly after the break, then scored three more as they ran away with the second-to-last match before Pochettino must select his final 26-player World Cup roster, though the Americans did pull one back late via second half substitute Patrick Agyemang. Here are my takeaways: 1. USA Faltered In the Second Half Pochettino’s side entered the match on a three-match winning streak, all against World Cup-bound foes. But Belgium is better than any of those teams by some distance. Still, the USA matched them almost evenly in the first half, even if the guests had almost 60 percent of possession and one more shot on target. Only a brilliant (and lucky) save by Senne Lammens on McKennie’s earlier shot in the opening stanza kept the game scoreless almost until the intermission. With former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and current Man City star forward Jeremy Doku leading coach Rudi Garcia’s attack, Belgium tested a USA backline missing injured center back Chris Richards repeatedly, mostly to no avail. Central midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Johnny Cardoso covered when fullbacks Robinson and Tim Weah bombed forward, repeatedly frustrating the Red Devils. Tim Ream and Mark McKenzie held firm, while Turner made a series of acrobatic saves in his first start since losing the No. 1 job to Matt Freese last June. The winning streak is over. A 5-2 loss is unsightly, at best. But based on the performance, the lopsided scoreline was probably both a little bit harsh on the home squad and a crucial reminder that there are no moral victories at the highest level. For Pochettino and Co., it’s better to learn that lesson now than in June. 2. Silver Linings? ‘Jedi’ and Matt Turner Stood Out Turner played every minute of the USA’s four matches at the 2022 World Cup. Antonee “Jedi” Robinson was on the field for all but the final moments of the round of loss to the Netherlands in Qatar. But both veterans had been out of Pochettino’s lineup for most of the Argentine’s tenure — Robinson because of injury, Turner because of the emergence of Freese. But both returned to Poch’s starting lineup on Saturday. And while Jedi’s return — U.S. Soccer’s male player of the year in 2024 didn’t make a single appearance last year because of knee issues — was expected, Turner’s was the biggest surprise before the match against the Red Devils kicked off. Jedi looked as good as ever, just as he has done with Fulham in the Premier League. And Turner justified Pochettino’s decision by making a series of fine stops during an overall confident display, even if his poor clearance led to a goal that was only ruled out because it inadvertently deflected in off forward Charles De Ketelaere’s arm. Turner’s best save of all might have been on the play that led to De Bruyne’s successful penalty, with Turner tipping the ball over his crossbar after it hit Ream’s hand and changed trajectory. 3. Pochettino Went With Best Available Players Richards wasn’t the only projected World Cup starter missing on Saturday. Tyler Adams, who captained the Americans at the last World Cup in Qatar, is injured. So is right back/winger Sergiño Dest. Yet Poch still got his best available players on the field, deploying Weah as an outside defender even with natural right back Joe Scally available. (Scally came on late in the second half.) At his core, Poch is a pragmatist. His lineup choices on Saturday confirmed as much — and provided a preview of what USA fans can expect in terms of personnel decisions when their World Cup campaign begins in earnest on June 12 versus Paraguay in Los Angeles. Who fills those spots is another matter. With just three more tuneup games to go before then, there are still plenty of lineup questions remaining. 4. Another Big Test Awaits Belgium is good. Very good. Reigning UEFA Nations League champions Portugal — FIFA’s sixth ranked side and the team that the USA will close out the March window in Tuesday’s match in Atlanta — is even better. That’s a scary thought. Yet it’s also an opportunity to right Saturday’s wrongs almost immediately and end this month on a decidedly brighter note. 4 ½. What’s Next? Time to regroup for that Tuesday game against Portugal, which will be taking on Mexico on Saturday night in Mexico City. The Portuguese are without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo during this swing through North America, but there is still tons of quality star power. Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes. PSG dynamic duo Nuno Mendes and Vitinha. The USA will have its hand full.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

UConn men’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma is ripping the double-regional format being used in the women’s NCAA Tournament, saying it doesn’t make sense for the teams still playing or for efforts to grow the game. Auriemma brought up attendance, bad shooting percentages and teams having to come to the arena early and late on the same day when taking aim at the format that’s in place for the fourth year, and set to continue for at least five more. “Well, I think the first question you’d have to ask is why did they go from four (sites) to two. What was the rationale?” the 12-time national champion coach said Saturday. “If they can explain it legitimately and then prove that it works, then great. So what was the reason?” NCAA officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The defending national champion Huskies (37-0), the overall No. 1 seed, play Notre Dame (25-10) in the Fort Worth Regional 1 final on Sunday. The Huskies held their required media availability Saturday morning, after the Fighting Irish had already completed their session and before two Sweet 16 games in Fort Worth Regional 3 were played at Dickies Arena. UConn and Notre Dame both had scheduled practice times there later in the evening. “So we had to get our kids up, come over here. You already knew who we were playing last night, but we can’t get on the court, and neither can the other teams,” Auriemma said. “Does anybody who makes these decisions ever ask the coaches and the players, hey, does this work?” AP All-America teammates Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong agreed with their coach’s strong sentiment. “Everyone’s trying to figure that out right now,” Fudd said. “Every team is going through that. There’s no excuse in that. So we’ll figure it out. We’re making it work, but it definitely isn’t the most ideal setup.” Auriemma, the winningest men’s or women’s NCAA basketball coach with 1,287 victories, didn’t wait for a question from reporters to share his thoughts on the format, opening his session by reading off a piece of paper these numbers: 4 for 20, 4 for 22, 1 for 17, 5 for 17, 4 for 16, 7 for 26. “That’s the 3-point shooting yesterday across the country,” he said. “How many arenas are we going to sell out with that? Now, maybe it was just a bad day shooting by everybody. These are all teams that average probably 30%, over 30, for the season. Know what time our shootaround was yesterday? Six in the morning, 6:20, I think, for half an hour.” He also mentioned the total combined attendance (18,821 announced) at the two venues Friday, in Fort Worth and Sacramento, California. UCLA coach Cori Close, whose team is the top seed in Sacramento Regional 2 and plays Duke in an Elite Eight game on Sunday, said it is important to get maximum exposure and coverage while also looking for the best setup to have high-level basketball played on the court. “I think that I was in favor of going to the two regional sites when that happened,” Close said. “I think every year we should look and go, where are we in our game, how did this play out efficiency-wise, from a student-athlete well-being side, is there some ways in which we can organize to make things a little bit more cohesive so teams aren’t going back and forth from media coverage to practices later and those kinds of things?” Auriemma said there is a lack of input from coaches, and that nothing changes even when the NCAA sends representatives to schools every year after the tournament. “Hopefully I’m speaking for the other coaches,” he said. “Some coaches might think I’m full of it. And this is not about UConn. I hope everybody understands that. This is not about us. … We’ve managed to go to the Final Four and win national championships no matter where they’re played, when they’re played, what time they’re played, whatever. “I think there is a level of frustration right now among the coaches that’s higher than any time I’ve ever seen it.” Duke coach Kara Lawson would like more practice time on the game court, especially more than the designated half-hour on game days for shootarounds, which routinely last about an hour the rest of the season. “That would be the only thing I’d change,” Lawson said. “I mean two regionals. I think the arena thing is the thing that’s hard. It’s not that we’re in the same city, it’s that we don’t get long enough practice or shootaround times in the venue for your most important games of the season.” For the second day in a row, Auriemma mentioned new rims and new basketballs being used during NCAA Tournament games, and the impact those have on shooting. “It’s hard to make shots in the postseason,” Auriemma said Friday after UConn’s 63-42 win over North Carolina, in which the teams were a combined 8 of 42 on 3-pointers. “They just break out these new baskets, new rims, and then it gets in the kids’ heads.” The coach on Saturday again brought up “new basketballs right out of the box” and the rims. “Got people dribbling the ball off their feet,” he said. “You got people missing layups all over the place. You bounce the ball, and it goes up to the ceiling. There’s just no concept of how basketball is played. Not that I have any of the answers. “Believe me, I just have questions.” Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The 2026 UFL season opened Friday with new teams, new coaches, new players, new uniforms and new rules. [2026 UFL: Everything To Know About the 2026 UFL Season] Kicking things off on FOX UFL Friday, the beloved Birmingham Stallions escaped a close one against the Louisville Kings — one of the league’s three brand-new franchises. Up first on Saturday, it was a battle between two familiar faces, as the St. Louis Battlehawks took down the defending champion DC Defenders. Later that afternoon, the Dallas Renegades, who relocated from Arlington this season, crushed the Houston Gamblers, who reverted to their original name from the legacy USFL this season. Closing things out Sunday, two new teams will go head-to-head, as the Columbus Aviators face the Orlando Storm. Here are the results from Week 1: Birmingham Stallions 15, Louisville Kings 13 Key players: Stallions QB Matt Corral (21-for-30 for 208 yards, one touchdown), WR Jaydon Mickens (9-for-9 for 108 yards); Kings QB Jason Bean (14-for-27 for 226 yards, one touchdown). Game recap: The Kings immediately turned the ball over on their first drive of the game, which led to a quick touchdown by the Stallions to make it 6-0. The Kings fired back with a touchdown drive of their own to regain the lead 7-6 late in the first quarter. Birmingham added a field goal midway through the second quarter to lead 9-7 at halftime. The Stallions had the ball for nearly eight minutes to open the second half and ended up turning things over on downs late in the frame. That allowed Louisville to kick a field goal and take a narrow 10-9 lead into the fourth quarter. After the Stallions turned the ball over on downs yet again to open the final frame, the Kings went up 13-9 with another field goal. Just when it looked like things were over for the Stallions, they scored a touchdown with two minutes remaining to take a 15-13 lead. Louisville turned the ball over on an interception on its next drive, sealing the win for Birmingham. Up next: In Week 2, the Stallions face the Gamblers and the Kings take on the Storm. St. Louis Battlehawks 16, DC Defenders 10 Key players: Battlehawks QB Brandon Silvers (16-for-28 for 198 yards, one touchdown), OLB Pita Taumoepenu (6.0 tackles, 2.5 sacks); Defenders QB Jordan Ta’amu (9-for-16 for 123 yards), WR Seth Williams (3-for-4 for 51 yards). Game recap: The first points of the game were historic for the league, as Defenders kicker Matt McCrane connected on a 60-yard field goal — marking the first four-point field goal in UFL history. The Battlehawks responded with a field goal of their own from 58 yards to make it a one-point game early, 4-3. The Defenders fired back with a 10-play, 66-yard touchdown drive that ended with a goal-line rush to make it 10-3. The second quarter was chaotic — a flurry of punts, interceptions and missed field goals — before the Battlehawks connected on a short field goal just before halftime to close the gap slightly, 10-6. The Defenders never found a rhythm in the second half. They finished the game with three more punts, an interception and a missed field goal, while the Battlehawks added a score late in the third and a field goal early in the fourth to seal a 16-10 win at home. Up next: In Week 2, the Battlehawks face the Renegades and the Defenders take on the Aviators. Dallas Renegades 36, Houston Gamblers 17 Key players: Renegades QB Austin Reed (26-for-40 for 376 yards, three touchdowns), WR Tyler Vaughns (7-for-9 for 144 yards, one touchdown, WR Greg Ward (3-for-3 for 93 yards, one touchdown); Gamblers QB Hunter Dekkers (19-for-29 for 227 yards), WR Jontre Kirklin (4-for-4 for 60 yards). Game recap: The Renegades’ first drive ended with a missed field goal, but they turned things around quickly. Dallas picked off Gamblers QB Nolan Henderson at Houston’s 30-yard line, returning it for the first pick-six of the season. The Renegades turned the ball over on downs near midfield late in the frame, allowing the Gamblers to get a quick field goal to pull within three, 6-3, heading into the second quarter. The Gamblers’ second quarter was riddled with mistakes, while the Renegades came up with back-to-back scores and a field goal to make it a 23-3 game at halftime. Coming out of the break, the Renegades picked up right where they left off. They scored on the first play from scrimmage of the second half; Reed found WR Greg Ward for a monster 66-yard touchdown to open the frame. (In a surprising move, Dallas revealed this week that Reed secured the starting job for Week 1, relegating longtime starter Luis Perez — who led the UFL in passing yards the past two seasons — to the bench.) With that, it was a 30-3 game, but that was short-lived. The Gamblers answered by running the ensuing kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown. Dallas added two more field goals, and Houston scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter before things ended. Up next: In Week 2, the Gamblers host the Stallions and the Renegades host the Battlehawks.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

In Driver’s Eye with James Hinchcliffe, the six-time INDYCAR winner will bring you inside the mind of a racer while breaking down the nuts and bolts of the sport for fans. I crashed the most expensive car I had ever driven. Well, the most expensive at the time. This was in 2011 at Barber Motorsports Park, where INDYCAR is racing Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One). It’s also where I made my career debut. The course is hugely physical and punishing for a driver at any level — both 15 years ago and for drivers this weekend — but more on that later. Back then, I was a 24-year-old rookie for Newman-Haas Racing, and after two seasons in Indy Lights — the developmental series now known as Indy NXT — I was ready. Or so I thought. Coming off just one prior test at Barber and the weekend’s practice sessions, I was feeling what every INDYCAR rookie feels before their first start: a combination of excitement, anticipation and being moderately terrified. I was nervous from the beginning, but the imposter syndrome really kicked in before the green flag when officials began clearing the grid of anyone who wasn’t a team member. For two years as an Indy Lights driver, I would go on every INDYCAR grid and leave with everyone else when it was time. The butterflies were abundant, and finally getting to remain on the grid was surreal. I qualified eighth, which is pretty strong for a guy making his first INDYCAR start. Beside me on the grid was Dario Franchitti, who, at that point, was already a three-time INDYCAR champion and a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. (He ultimately won each one more time.) Starting alongside one of the legends of the sport — a guy who I had looked up to for such a long time — and to be that far up the grid, I felt like I didn’t belong. And I hoped I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. Thankfully, I didn’t. But my day ended in heartbreak when I got caught up in someone else’s wreck. On a Lap 41 restart, a driver in front of me heading into the big brake zone in Turn 5 suffered some contact and spun. Now, the first lesson they teach you in racing school is if you’re spinning out, put both feet to the floor, pressing the brakes and the clutch — yes, Indy cars had three pedals back then! Well, this guy was clearly napping on Day 1 of racing school, because as I took evasive action and swerved around his car, he released the brake pedal and his car rolled back into mine and cleared out the left-rear corner. You only get one shot at your first race, and mine ended in smoke. I hated damaging that car. But that’s motorsports, that’s racing at Barber, and this course can get the best of the greatest racers. If I could go back and talk to my 2011 INDYCAR rookie self with all the knowledge and experience I possess now, I’d tell myself to just breathe. Just stay calm. [INDYCAR: Everything to Know About Eclectic Barber Track] And I’d probably relay what Franchitti actually said to me a couple weeks after that Barber debut. He checked in to see how I was doing and offered sage words that stuck with me. You spend your whole life trying to get to this level, and then you get here, and you realize you’re racing against the same boneheads you’ve been competing against since go-karts, he pointed out to me. It shifted my whole perspective and drained my imposter syndrome. In INDYCAR, we accomplish exceptional feats at the fastest speeds in some of the most expensive cars in the world. But we’re all just people, and anyone is beatable — if you apply yourself and relentlessly work. Franchitti reminded me that no one is invincible, and every driver out there has had to claw their way into the sport like everyone else before them. You’re here for a reason, just as they are, he reminded me, so act like you belong, believe that you belong and just go race these guys like you’ve raced anyone else. So I did. And that’s how drivers now approach sharing the track with INDYCAR champs like Alex Palou, Scott Dixon and Will Power — who won that 2011 race and could very well win again on Sunday. HIGH-SPEED PARITY With how this season started, we could see four winners in the first four races. In the first three, fans were treated to some incredible on-track battles, three different winners from three different teams and, for the first time in more than 620 days, a new championship leader. Let’s break it down ahead of Barber on Sunday. Palou has been the dominant force in INDYCAR in the last half-decade, earning four titles in the last five years. And he picked up right where he left off with Chip Ganassi Racing, winning the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. But an uncharacteristic DNF (did not finish) for the almost-29-year-old Spaniard on the short oval at Phoenix Raceway in Week 2 dropped him from the top for the first time in nearly two years. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won Phoenix, while Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood landed atop the podium with a win at the all-new hallmark event around AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — and in the championship race lead. So, who looks poised to make a mark at Barber this weekend? Palou, second in the points, is the defending race winner. His record on road courses is, by far, the best of all the various INDYCAR tracks. But you can’t count out the trio behind him. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, Newgarden and Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin sit third through fifth in the title race and previously have all stood at the top of the podium at Barber. Of that group, you would have to say that McLaughlin is the favorite — despite crashing Saturday during practice and going to a backup car. He’s won two of the last three races at Barber and was on the podium in the third. But he’s also coming off a winless 2025 and desperately wants to assert himself in the championship discussion. With all the top-5 drivers in peak form and capable of getting it done this weekend, we could very well be looking at the fourth different winner — and points leader — in as many races. [INDYCAR: Rotating Points Leaders and More Parity Before Barber] THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FAST: BARBER So, let’s talk about Barber Motorsports Park. It’s a 2.3-mile, 17-turn road course through the hilly outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama. The course was originally designed as a motorcycle track, but in 15 INDYCAR races there since 2010, we have had some incredible on-track battles. The landscaping may be scenic, but it’s the asphalt that makes this place so special. It’s comprised of many long, fast corners that really push the aerodynamic limits of an Indy car — and the drivers’ necks! Not to mention huge elevation changes and blind corners that challenge the drivers’ bravery and commitment. Because of the speed and length of the corners, the physical forces applied to the drivers’ bodies are intense. Seventy laps around Barber is like flying a fighter jet around an obstacle course for two straight hours. You can train all you want in the gym in the offseason, but when you get to a track like this, especially so early in the season, it can be a truly punishing, physical event. SOUND LIKE AN INDYCAR EXPERT For me, Barber holds the coolest corner combo of the entire INDYCAR season. At the end of the back straightaway are Turns 12 and 13, which you approach at the top of sixth gear, almost 180 miles an hour. You lift just before the turn — but only enough to allow the engine to let you knock it down one gear before getting back on the power for a quick burst. The entry is downhill and blind. At the exit, you immediately tap the brakes again to speed-correct for Turn 13, which angles extremely uphill and means the exit is totally blind. The car gets super light on the exit as the track drops back away, and it’s so easy to misjudge your throttle point. It’s as much fun as you can have in a race car! With this being the first true road course of the year after two street tracks and an oval — it also happens to be the most physical — drivers needed to adjust their training in the off-week after Arlington. A huge emphasis on neck, upper-body and core strength likely made their way into drivers’ training programs to ensure they aren’t falling out of the seat late in the race. Sometimes you can see a lap time drop off in the final stint for certain drivers, and you know it’s not the car… 1 FOR THE ROAD Finally, I would be remiss not to mention this will be the first race held at Barber’s beautiful facility since the passing of its creator, Mr. George Barber, in February. He was 85. Barber — a businessman, philanthropist and racer himself — built this place as his own personal race track and even built a museum to house his record-setting motorcycle and car collection. His attention to detail and commitment to perfection are evident in everything you see and touch at Barber Motorsports Park. It’s nicknamed the Augusta National of Motorsports, and such is the quality of presentation each time we show up. His contribution to this sport and the area simply cannot be overstated. While it will certainly feel different without Mr. Barber on hand this weekend, having worked closely with many of those who have trained and worked with him over the years, I have no doubt whatsoever the trademark Barber look, feel and friendliness will carry on for years to come. Here’s hoping to a great weekend for his legacy. Catch you on the INDYCAR on FOX Barber broadcast Sunday!​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The 2026 UFL season will be a season of firsts across the board, and we already got one of those on Saturday. With 9:08 remaining in the first quarter of the DC Defenders’ Week 1 road matchup against the St. Louis Battlehawks, kicker Matt McCrane connected on a 60-yard field goal — marking the first four-point field goal in UFL history. This year, among other rule changes, teams are given four points for field goals that are made from 60 or more yards. McCrane has kicked for the defending UFL champion Defenders since 2023. Last year (2025), he made 14 of 20 regular-season field goal attempts (70.0%), while going 2-for-3 on kicks of 50 or more yards. He then went 5-for-5 on field goals in the UFL postseason. McCrane previously kicked at Kansas State from 2014-17 and had practice squad/offseason stints in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions from 2018-24. He also kicked for the New York Guardians of the legacy XFL in 2020. Other rules changes in what’s the third season of the UFL are the “tush push” being banned, only one foot having to be in bounds for a completion and teams not being able to punt inside the 50-yard line until the two-minute warning of both the first and second half.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

And then there were eight! We’ve reached the Elite Eight round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and there are several high-profile programs who have made the cut. With that in mind, here’s the last time each of the eight teams that reached this year’s Elite Eight made the Final Four. Note: Schools are mentioned in alphabetical order. Arizona Wildcats – 2001 Arizona earned a No. 2 seed in the 2001 NCAA Tournament and proceeded to go on a run to the title game, defeating, most notably, the No. 1 seed Illinois, fellow No. 1 seed Michigan State and No. 3 seed Ole Miss. That said, Arizona came up just short, losing to Duke in the championship game. Duke Blue Devils – 2025 The Elite Eight is familiar territory for Duke under both current coach Jon Scheyer and coach Mike Krzyzewski. Last year, Duke not only made the Elite Eight, but it made the Final Four — a run that included standout victories over Baylor, Arizona and Alabama, among other teams. At the same time, said trip to the Final Four became a nightmare for the Blue Devils, who blew a six-point lead with 1:14 remaining in the second half to Houston, who won 70-67. Illinois Fighting Illini – 2005 The Fighting Illini have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past six seasons, but they haven’t been able to play “Connect Four” since 2005. In said season, Illinois reached the national championship, defeating Lute Olson’s Arizona team in the Elite Eight and Rick Pitino’s Louisville squad in the Final Four. Ultimately, though, North Carolina beat the Fighting Illini in the title game, 75-70. Iowa Hawkeyes – 1980 It’s been a minute for the Hawkeyes. Nevertheless, Iowa went on one of the best runs in program history in 1980 when it reached the Final Four. It was a stretch that featured wins over Syracuse and Georgetown. However, it came to a close in the Final Four, as Iowa lost to Louisville. Michigan Wolverines – 2018 After winning the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan earned a No. 3 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament and reached the Final Four. Unfortunately for the Michigan faithful, though, the Wolverines ran into the freight train that was Villanova, who defeated Michigan in the championship game for its second title in three years. Purdue Boilermakers – 2024 After losing in the first round of the tournament in 2021 and 2023 — which saw the Boilermakers lose to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the tournament, becoming just the second No. 1 seed to lose in the opening round — and being eliminated in the Sweet 16 in 2022, Purdue reached the national championship in 2024. The Boilermakers finished the season at 34-5, with UConn later defeating them in the title game. Tennessee Volunteers – Trick Question! The Volunteers have been a fixture in the second weekend of the tournament of late, with them reaching the Elite Eight in each of the past three seasons. That said, Tennessee has never reached the Final Four in program history. UConn Huskies – 2024 Following winning the national title in 2023, Dan Hurley’s Huskies became the first men’s college basketball team to repeat as national champions since Florida accomplished that feat under Billy Donovan in 2006 and 2007. UConn went 37-3 altogether and won its six NCAA Tournament games by an average of 23.3 points per contest. The Huskies later had four players selected in the 2024 NBA Draft, with two of them being picked in the first seven selections (Stephon Castle at No. 4 and Donovan Clingan at No. 7).​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Barber Motorsports Park (Leeds, Ala.) — Scott McLaughlin spun and backed his car through a foam barrier and a chain link-and-cable fence in a wild-looking accident Saturday during INDYCAR practice ahead of Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (1 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One). McLaughlin said the accident was much more dramatic than how it felt. He exited the INDYCAR medical unit about 15 minutes after the crash, which occurred at the high-speed exit of Turn 1. “I feel fine,” McLaughlin told me and a couple other reporters outside the medical unit. “A testament to the INDYCAR safety and whatnot, [the hit] was fine. I just dropped the right rear onto the exit of [Turn] 1. “I’ve seen other people do that before, actually in testing, and unfortunately, I was the one that did it today. I’m gutted. … The crash was pretty theatrical, but I feel fine and just want to get back out there.” The wreck ended the practice session after about 35 minutes — it was scheduled to be 40 minutes and then a pair of 12-minute group sessions — as INDYCAR had to repair cabling in the fence, a process that took more than an hour to repair. McLaughlin wouldn’t criticize the barrier in the initial moments after the crash. He was fine, and his Team Penske squad was preparing a backup car after the crash. [INDYCAR: Everything to Know About Eclectic Barber Track] His car hit some raised gravel that possibly accelerated it as it backed into the barrier and slid underneath the lowest cable, breaking through the fence. His car stopped with just the nose on the inside part of the fence and the rest of the car (including the cockpit) outside it. “I don’t want to nitpick anything because motorsports is built on accidents like this that we learn from,” McLaughlin said. “Do you want to see a car going through the catchfence? No. But do you want the catchfence to do a good job? “I thought it did everything that I needed to do. I think the skipping on the gravel was probably what made it to that point. I’m not here to blame anyone.” [INDYCAR: Rotating Points Leaders and More Parity Before Barber] McLaughlin said it was far from the hardest hit — and obviously the car didn’t stop as abruptly as maybe it would have if it hit a more sturdy barrier. “It was like the smallest one [compared to others] — and I’ve had a few lately,” McLaughlin said. “Like I said, it looked a lot worse than it felt.” McLaughlin should be able to qualify the backup car Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1).​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Barber Motorsports Park (Leeds, Ala.) — George Barber Jr. took over the family dairy business and expanded into ice cream stores and then properties such as warehouses and office buildings. And boy did he love motorsports, racing himself and collecting cars … and then motorcycles. Lots and lots of motorcycles. He thought big. The Barber Motorsports Park and the museum on the property are not just his vision but also that of his mind. It includes incredibly eclectic statues and artwork with a good deal of quirks, from a big spider statue to monkey (named George) hanging on to the top of the scoring pylon to a hanging mannequin from a bridge (named Georgina). His legacy lives on through the 830-acre property. George Barber died at age 85 in February, and that legacy includes the anchor event of an INDYCAR race. Barber’s passion didn’t just bring INDYCAR to the track, he used that as fuel to make improvements to the facility to have a major automobile event that fans and competitors praise. This is the 16th INDYCAR race at Barber’s pride and joy. Scott Dixon has known Barber since they first started racing there. “Obviously, he was huge for our sport, and what he’s done for that community — a big loss, but a hell of a person for what he did for motor racing, but also not just motor racing,” Dixon told me and other reporters earlier this month. “It was sad to see him go, but what he’s done and his legacy that will live on forever is pretty astounding.” The veterans in the series knew Barber and his passion. He sold the dairies in 1998 and then went to work on the motorsports mecca. Most of the cars this weekend have an apt tribute to the man known for his dignity and his humility – simply his initials on a black background. “I really liked George,” Will Power told me and other reporters. “He did a lot for INDYCAR, the way he presented that track, that museum, When you drove into that track, it was the nicest venue that we went to. “He loved INDYCAR. He was always a great guy, very open to any suggestions. I was sad to hear of his passing.” The museum (which has the biggest collection of motorcycles in the world as well as a stout collection of Lotus cars) operates as a non-profit, and the facility is set to continue to operate after his death. “You can see when you drive in for the first time, or every time, at this facility that it’s insane — the amount of love and work and money that him and his team has put in,” three-time defending INDYCAR champion Alex Palou told me and other reporters Friday. “It’s sad that he’s not here. I’m just hoping that we can keep these places as he wants, and that we can keep on delivering great races.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports