Category: Sports Fox

Meet the tough-shot maker who leads Maryland women’s hoops: Oluchi Okananwa. The women’s college basketball season is ramping up with high-stakes games every night and the NCAA Tournament just around the corner. In those key regular-season games, March Madness stars introduce themselves to the nation with magical moments and Cinderella runs. We’re teaching you about them before they become national heroes. Ahead of No. 14 Maryland facing No. 8 Michigan on Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), let us help you get to know Okananwa: 1. Player Build Okananwa, a 5-foot-10 guard, is an elite mid-range scorer. She shoots 57.7% on 9.7 two-point shot attempts per game. 2. Dominant Defender Okananwa’s 2.3 steals per game ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Even while shouldering the greatest offensive load of anyone on Maryland’s roster, she’s also the Terrapins’ best defender, often covering the opposing team’s best guard. 3. Terrapins Transfer Okananwa came to Maryland after two seasons at Duke, but she’s having a breakout season with the Terrapins. After averaging 10.1 points per game as a sophomore, she has improved by over seven points per game. It’s impressive to see. As her shot attempts have risen from 8.1 per game to 12.3, her efficiency has too. 4. Foreign Descent Okananwa was born in Massachusetts and grew up on the East Coast. She has Nigerian heritage. 5. Youngest of Four Okananwa has three older siblings — Chieme, Ugonna and Chinma. She credits her older brothers for her competitive nature and aggressive playstyle, as they never took it easy on her in their driveway battles growing up.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Alex Palou thinks he could follow his eight-win 2025 with an eight-win 2026. Kind of. “Yes, it’s possible,” Palou told me Thursday prior to the INDYCAR opener this weekend in St. Petersburg. “It’s very hard, very low chances. But it’s possible. “It’s possible to win 17 races. I’m not going to do it, but it would be possible.” The Chip Ganassi Racing driver seeks his fifth INDYCAR title, and his fourth consecutive crown, when the season kicks off Sunday (Noon ET, FOX). The race kicks off what was initially a 17-race season, but an 18th race was recently added with the announcement of an August event in Washington, D.C. The 2025 season might have been a unicorn. Palou had earned only 11 wins in the four years when he won three titles before his dominant 2025, where Palou won eight races, led 778 laps and clinched the championship with two events remaining. Palou says repeating that type of season is not something he could expect. “Although I want to win eight again, I think it’s not realistic,” he said. Other drivers are not so sure. “It’s maybe possible with Alex, but I think a lot of us — probably the whole field — are hoping that’s not true this year,” Palou teammate and six-time series champion Scott Dixon told me. “You’ve just got to beat him. And I think there’s a lot of combos this year that may have the chance, but we’ll have to wait and see.” Dixon makes it sound so simple. “It is simple,” Dixon said. “It’s just another race each run you get to.” That is the way drivers look at it. They won’t concede one race and yet they know the odds. “This is racing,” two-time series champion Josef Newgarden said after practice Friday in a news conference. “Anything is possible. It’s not unfathomable to see what he did. “He’s excellent. His team is excellent. They could have a terrible year this year, and you would think, ‘Wow, that’s a crazy contrast,’ or he could do it all over again no doubt. Or you find someone new that has some crazy year. I think you’ve got to have an open mind in these championships. Sometimes people get on runs, too.” That is what everyone who describes the season for Palou last year, that he got on a run and got hot and the team made the most even off the bad days. “When you’ve had a run like he had in 2025, the target just becomes that much bigger,” FOX play-by-play announcer Will Buxton told me. “But from everybody that we’ve spoken to in this preseason, they’re all very, very aware that the target doesn’t remain constant. “The target rises every single year because Alex improves himself. He looks within himself and finds ways that he can improve,. Alex won’t be looking for eight wins this season. He’s going to be looking for nine, 10, 11, more. And so that’s the objective. That’s the goal that everyone’s got to aim for — it isn’t the Alex Palou of 2025, but what can Alex Palou be in 2026?” Palou believes that it would take a great set of circumstances to match his 2025. “I feel our 2025 season, it was just one of those seasons where everything came together,” Palou said. “My car was the fastest. My pit stops were amazing. The strategies that the team gave me were the best — and instead of finishing third, I would finish first.” With the addition of two street courses for six on the year, that could play into the favor of other teams as Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood won two of the four last year. Palou won one (St. Petersburg). Kirkwood indicated that a driver must feel that a season such as Palou’s is what will be needed to win the title. “We’ve just got to maximize every single weekend to have a chance of beating him in the championship or beating anybody in the championship,” Kirkwood told me and other reporters Friday morning. “Because he’s set the standard now, and that’s the new standard for anybody that’s going to try and win the championship. … The new standard is win a lot of races and always finish up front to win the championship. “It’s not three or four wins gets you a championship win anymore.” Palou seemed to genuinely wonder if he could have the success and win another championship. “I’m excited to just get started, see where we are, see what all the work that we’ve done [has produced],” Palou said. “Like, is it good enough? Is it not good enough? Did we improve in the areas we wanted? And see where our competitors are as well.” Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The smiles and sheepish grins began spreading wider and wider around the 9:13 mark of the second half, following back-to-back eye-popping buckets from Michigan center Aday Mara, the second of which extended the Wolverines’ lead to 13 points. He followed his skyscraping alley-oop dunk with a remarkable offensive rebound-turned-twisting-reverse layup that drew a foul and produced a traditional three-point play. Mara and frontcourt partner Morez Johnson Jr. beamed with glee. Senior forward Will Tschetter unleashed a screaming fist pump. All of it in recognition of what the moment represented: the Big Ten title was secure. Michigan arrived at State Farm Center needing to win just one of its final three games in order to secure an outright Big Ten regular season championship. And while a highly ranked showdown against No. 10 Illinois figured to be the most difficult of those opportunities — especially since it was away from home — the Wolverines hardly seemed to care. They ballooned a seven-point halftime advantage into a lead that swelled as high as 21 in the second half, thoroughly demoralizing a crowd that was ready and waiting to play spoiler. Instead, the evening ended as just another impressive Michigan victory in a season chock-full of them, the 84-70 score on Friday night somehow failing to properly capture the gulf between these two teams. The Wolverines, now humming toward a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, are legitimate national championship contenders. And Illinois head coach Brad Underwood now sits with the harsh reality that his team, almost certainly, is not. Here are my takeaways: 1. The Wolverines are deserving Big Ten champions Following Michigan’s loss to then-No. 3 Duke in a high-profile, non-conference matchup earlier this month — a game in which head coach Dusty May’s group was out-toughed and out-muscled in a manner that surprised the Wolverines — it was easy to question whether that showing was indicative of what might happen in the NCAA Tournament against teams from beyond the Big Ten. Were the Wolverines truly as good as their performances have been all season? Or did they rack up one blowout victory after another against a schedule that was largely devoid of elite opposition? The answers to those questions won’t be revealed for another few weeks as Michigan embarks on what it hopes will be a lengthy postseason run. But for now, at this particular moment and on this particular evening following yet another comprehensive win over a ranked Big Ten opponent, the only thing that matters is the Wolverines’ remarkable conference dominance that has been on display all season. Sure, detractors will point toward a league schedule that ranks 18th out of 18 teams in difficulty, according to KenPom, but all May and his group could control was how they performed each time the ball was tipped. And with one lopsided beatdown after another, one dismantling of a ranked opponent after the next, it’s clear this Michigan squad is the class of the Big Ten. The Wolverines notched victories over fellow title challengers Nebraska, Michigan State and Purdue by 26 combined points entering Friday night and then obliterated Illinois in the second half, saddling the Illini with their largest loss of the season and first non-overtime defeat since Dec. 13. 2. Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. shines against his old team Johnson’s return to State Farm Center as a member of the Wolverines was among the primary talking points before and during Friday’s showdown. A former four-star prospect and Illinois native, Johnson played an important role for Underwood as a freshman during the 2024-25 campaign. He made 30 appearances for the Illini, including eight starts, while averaging 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in fewer than 18 minutes per game. That kind of production in such a small amount of playing time made Johnson one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal. “Morez is an unbelievable kid,” Underwood said in a media session earlier this week. “I just love him to death. And his time here was, I hope, just as beneficial for him as he was for us. I always look at guys, while we have them, they’re part of our family. They make decisions for whatever the reasons, and you wish them well. “I don’t begrudge anybody in today’s world. I hope I’m not that petty. But he’s a very talented player. I told their coach [Dusty May] in the summer [that] I think he’s a future pro. Somebody else will decide that, but he’s tough, he plays very hard and he’s impacted that team.” Johnson certainly impacted the game Friday night, no matter how boisterously and ferociously the Illinois crowd seemed to boo his every move, beginning in early warmups. Eager, perhaps, to put on a show against his old team, Johnson poured in 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in the opening half, terrorizing the Illini on the offensive glass and in transition, where his end-to-end speed posed problems for the slower Illinois big men. His consecutive putbacks in the waning moments of the first half — both of which came in the open floor — helped punctuate a 10-0 Michigan advantage in fast-break points. When Johnson slammed home a dunk in the second half on a big-to-big feed from Mara, he bellowed and roared at the Illini faithful to show just how much this victory meant to him personally. He finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. 3. Boswell and Wagler backcourt pairing gives Illinois a different dimension When Underwood announced on Jan. 20 that starting guard Kylan Boswell had suffered a broken hand in practice, an injury that would sideline him for nearly a month, the intrigue surrounding freshman backcourt partner Keaton Wagler reached new heights. Wagler had already tallied four 20-point games across the first few months of the season, raising the expectations for a player who arrived at Illinois as a three-star prospect and the No. 261 overall recruit, according to 247Sports. Within a week of Boswell’s injury, Wagler poured in 46 points and drilled nine 3-pointers in a virtuoso performance at then-No. 4 Purdue, driving the Illini to a critical victory. He quickly became the focal point of Underwood’s squad, assuming the role of primary ball handler and playmaker for an offense that leads the nation in efficiency. Still, there were questions — or at least some fascinations — regarding how the backcourt responsibilities would be shared when Boswell returned, which wound up happening on Feb. 15 against Indiana. Boswell quickly regained his place in Underwood’s starting lineup and immediately gave Illinois a second high-level ball handler. He scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds against the Hoosiers, then had 12 points, five rebounds and eight assists against USC, followed by 13 points, six rebounds and five assists against UCLA ahead of the matchup with Michigan. Neither rusty nor worse for wear. And once the game began on Friday night, it was Boswell who catalyzed Illinois’ offense in the early going. He knifed into the lane for a pair of Euro-step layups. He stopped on a dime — twice — for short floaters that evaded Michigan’s cadre of towering shot blockers. His speed with the ball provided a change of pace, which seemed to catch the Wolverines by surprise, slicing inside the 3-point line and then kicking the ball back out for a triple from forward David Mirkovic. By halftime, Boswell had a team-high 11 points compared to just six for Wagler, who missed four of his first six attempts. The second half, though, is where Wagler began asserting himself with more aggressiveness on drives to the rim and a willingness to hunt his own shot. He scored 15 of his 23 points after the break to eclipse his season average of 18.2 points per game. Wagler and Boswell combined to score 38 of Illinois’ 70 total points. 4. Porous Illinois defense is cause for NCAA Tournament concern There is a fascinating, and potentially calamitous, dichotomy developing around Underwood’s team as postseason play approaches. On one hand, Illinois entered Friday’s game with the most efficient offense in the country, a multi-faceted machine that is averaging more points per 100 possessions (132.8) than any team in 30 years of KenPom data. On the other hand, Illinois’ defense is beginning to slip at the worst possible time: From Feb. 7 through tipoff against Michigan — a five-game stretch that included three losses before getting dispatched by the Wolverines — the Illini rank 61st nationally in defensive efficiency, and 31st across the entire season overall. The current downward spiral includes a trio of overtime defeats to then-No. 10 Michigan State, Wisconsin and UCLA in which Underwood’s group surrendered an average of 90.7 points per game. And unfortunately for the Illini, that trend continued in a loss to Michigan in which the Wolverines shot 52.5% from the field — including a sizzling 60% in the second half — and pounded the interior for 42 points in the paint and a plus-10 margin in that category. Though Underwood’s frontcourt pairing of Tomislav Ivisic (7-foot-1, 255 pounds) and David Mirkovic (6-foot-9, 250 pounds) had the size to contend with the Wolverines down low, it became increasingly clear as the game wore on that they lacked the requisite physicality and strength to compete. Now, Underwood and his staff will have to solve the following riddle in extremely short order: How to become the first team in 30 years to win a national championship while ranking worse than 22nd in defensive efficiency. 4½. What’s next? In defeating Illinois on Friday night, the Wolverines secured just their fourth Big Ten regular-season title in the last 40 years and second this decade. It represents the first of three championships Michigan is chasing in this remarkable second year under May, with more potential trophies to come in the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament. The program has made eight Final Four appearances all-time — with its most recent coming in 2018 under former coach John Beilein — but is still searching for the second national title in school history. Between now and the postseason, though, Michigan must navigate a difficult two-game finishing stretch against Iowa (away) and Michigan State (home) — two teams ranked among the top 23 in KenPom. Having already beaten the Spartans in East Lansing on Jan. 30, the Wolverines are now aiming for their first multi-game, regular-season sweep of their in-state rivals since the 2013-14 campaign. Illinois, meanwhile, should have no issue bouncing back from Friday’s loss in two remaining games against highly overmatched opponents. The Illini will host Oregon on Tuesday before traveling to Maryland for the regular-season finale. Those two teams have combined for just eight conference victories thus far, none of which have been against ranked foes. There’s no reason Underwood’s team can’t regain its form ahead of the Big Ten Tournament.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

As the calendar flips toward March, the NCAA Tournament picture has started to crystallize. For weeks, the prevailing belief across men’s college basketball has been simple: A trio of No. 1 seeds are essentially spoken for. Duke, Michigan and Arizona have looked like clear-cut top seeds. That left one final No. 1 seed dangling — a debate to be settled over the season’s closing stretch. Perhaps not anymore. On Wednesday night, UConn flexed its muscles with a 72-40 demolition of St. John’s, snapping a 13-game winning streak for the Red Storm and delivering the most lopsided loss of the Rick Pitino era in Queens. With that performance, UConn made a powerful case for securing the fourth and final No. 1 seed as March Madness looms. Is the race truly over? Or is there one more twist before Selection Sunday? FOX Sports’ bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy has his latest NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament projections. EAST REGION SOUTH REGION MIDWEST REGION WEST REGION And it’s never too early to check in on the bubble. According to DeCourcy’s projections, Indiana, TCU, Santa Clara and VCU are the last four teams in the tournament, while Auburn, San Diego State, Virginia Tech and USC are the first four out. As for conference representation, the SEC leads the way with 10 teams, while the Big Ten and ACC have nine teams each. The Big 12 has eight teams in DeCourcy’s latest tournament projections. The Big East and the West Coast have three teams represented, while the A-10 has two teams. Selection Sunday is less than one month away, and these projections will inevitably evolve. For now, DeCourcy’s latest bracket forecast offers a clear snapshot of who’s rising, who’s falling and which programs are already building the résumés they’ll need when March arrives.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — At the NFL Combine, it’s customary for prospects to get bombarded with questions about which teams they’ve met with. Have you talked to the Buccaneers? Have you met with the Jets? And so on. But at his combine press conference on Friday, Fernando Mendoza didn’t have to field a single one of those questions. No, reporters simply asked how his meeting with the Raiders went. That’s because it’s a virtual lock that the Indiana quarterback will go No. 1 overall to join rookie head coach Klint Kubiak in Las Vegas. “It was a fantastic interview,” Mendoza told reporters. “I know they have the prospective No. 1 pick, but anything could happen in the draft. I’m just excited for the opportunity, and whatever team drafts me, I’m gonna give it everything I got.” Not every team is enamored with Mendoza. Not every media member is enamored with him. But he is so clearly the No. 1 pick that he fielded a question about what he’d say to a team that didn’t draft him first overall. And Mendoza showed the type of guy he is — generous, earnest — with his answer. “Nothing. There’s so many great guys in this class,” Mendoza said. “I’m just honored to be a part of the group. There’d be no hard feelings. … I’m just grateful for whatever team drafts me, whether it’s the No. 1 pick or the 199th pick.” [RELATED: What’s Fernando Mendoza’s Best Trait? NFL Scouts, Execs Weigh In] This isn’t Baker Mayfield. Mendoza won’t spend his time keeping receipts. He’s intrinsically motivated. He’s disciplined. And he truly loves football. That love, he explained, stems from the game’s unique strategy — and the way intelligence can play a major role, even when a player isn’t an elite athlete. Like Mendoza, or Tom Brady, who was the 199th pick of the 2000 draft. All the more reason for Mendoza to prepare thoroughly. “In the NFL, the margins are so small,” he said. “There’s so many games decided by so few points. And the difference between a losing record and a winning record is a couple of drives, a couple of key plays.” It’s Mendoza’s detail-oriented mindset that has elevated him into a position that absolutely no one — even one year ago — could have seen coming. He was the 140th-ranked quarterback coming out of high school in 2022. “It was a true ranking,” Mendoza said at the combine. “I was a raw prospect. I was terrible.” He went to just about every camp he could to attract attention. And still, he only got two offers — one from Yale (unofficially) and one from Cal. And the Golden Bears showed up at the buzzer only because they whiffed on two or three other quarterbacks. This is the lore of Mendoza. It’s an underdog story. He’s not attention-seeking. He’s not Shedeur Sanders, whose combine press conference last year drew a far bigger crowd than Mendoza’s. The only crowd that matters to Mendoza is the one in Las Vegas. Mendoza said he spoke briefly on the phone with Raiders part-owner Tom Brady before the interview. And Mendoza hopes he’ll get to meet Brady in person soon. “Who hasn’t admired Tom Brady? I mean he has more Super Bowl rings than anybody,” Mendoza said. “To potentially have a mentor like that, it would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful.” [RELATED: Fernando Mendoza’s QB Coach Reveals Why He’s Perfect No. 1 for Raiders] During the Raiders’ meeting with Mendoza in Indy, the coaching staff dove into an install, teaching the quarterback a few plays to see how he learned. Vegas then reviewed his film and got to know him. It was nothing out of the ordinary for a prospect-team meeting. Then during Mendoza’s press conference, the sentiment was all about humility. This draft will likely be all about him, and yet he refuses to make it all about him. Just listen to how Mendoza spoke about Hoosiers receiver Omar Cooper Jr., a fringe first-round pick. “He helped make me this year,” Mendoza said. “He’s like prime Deebo Samuel. … He has great body control, great hands. He can really play any position on the field — a receiver that can be a gadget guy, also take it deep and also have great routes.” The media might be taking Mendoza’s status at the top pick for granted. But he isn’t. After all, he has a LinkedIn page that he regularly updates. “Right now, I’m unemployed,” he said. “This is the most important job interview of your life. Right now, I’m just doing everything to hopefully get employed on April 23rd.” That’s the optimistic, down-to-earth approach that drew the folks at Cal and Indiana to Mendoza. That’s the personality that has made him magnetic to those close to him. And it’s one of the many traits that, no doubt, has drawn the Raiders to him.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

St. Petersburg, Fla. — INDYCAR is officially back! Drivers get on track Friday for the first time in the 2026 INDYCAR season as they prepare for the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Sunday’s race (Noon ET on FOX) will be the first time Will Power drives for Andretti Global after 17 years at Team Penske. That will be one of the storylines to watch. But there’s plenty more. Here are 26 storylines for 2026: 26. Scott Dixon going for seventh title Can Scott Dixon win a seventh title? He sure will try. Does he need to win a seventh title? He certainly does not. He will still be a legend. As he told me, it’s about the people. It is, but it’s also about Dixon and just how incredible it is that he has raced at such a high level for more than 20 years. Dixon told me this on three-time reigning champion Alex Palou’s dominance: “Some of us have been lucky enough to be a part of those years where everything justs not your way or luck or anything like that, but you have a head of steam and it rolls and it was a hell of a year. I think he’s definitely got a target on him.” 25. Ryan Hunter-Reay at McLaren for Indy 500 For its extra Indy 500 car this year, McLaren isn’t going with a driver from another series who would generate buzz. Instead, they have a driver who has generated buzz at Indianapolis by winning the sport’s biggest race. Ryan Hunter-Reay nearly won last year for a part-time team racing a car that had been used in the shop for pit practice. He gives McLaren another threat — but maybe even bigger, he potentially gives the team’s drivers some additional insight into what can work or what to try at Indy. RHR told me: “I really look forward to contributing here. I want to come in here, I’m not just on the receiving end. I want to give. … My years of experience at Indianapolis will hopefully allow that to happen.” 24. Will INDYCAR get Mexico race approved for 2027? It appeared that INDYCAR was well on its way to solidifying a Mexico City race for 2026, but the deal never got done. Blame the World Cup, blame one side or the other, but it’s not on the 2026 schedule. INDYCAR needs to return there, especially at the height of Pato O’Ward’s popularity. 23. The return of Romain Grosjean Former Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean is back in the series driving full time for Dale Coyne Racing after not having a ride in 2025. He is known as an aggressive driver and he’s late in his career, so he’s not going to back down for any reason. Grosjean told me: “I never doubted I would be back in INDYCAR because I felt like what I did was pretty good, and there was always going to be an opportunity — and I’m glad that it’s happening with Dale Coyne Racing that I love profoundly. It sucked watching from the sideline.” 22. Development of new car for 2028 A new INDYCAR is coming in 2028, a year or two later than many hoped, but at least there’s a timeline to get the new car out on the track. Testing of the car should start in earnest later this year. Weight distribution, safety elements and improved ability to race are all goals. INDYCAR President Doug Boles told me: “The thought is we’ll do some baseline testing of it this summer, get the manufacturers their cars so they can start testing. The idea is we can get enough testing in by the time we get to next summer. And next summer is the time when we’ll start rolling those cars out to teams, and then the team testing will begin.” 21. Get out of the way! INDYCAR has increased the number of laps from the finish where lapped-down cars will restart behind lead-lap cars. That could mean more restarts where those in the middle of the field have a chance to pass. 20. How does Colton Herta do in F2? Colton Herta isn’t racing in INDYCAR anymore, but he carries the hope of the paddock that he runs well in Formula 2, proving to any doubters that INDYCAR drivers have talent to succeed overseas. If he makes a successful transition, it could also open the door — for INDYCAR being seen as a place where top drivers can race and not close their F1 hopes and also for the best in INDYCAR to maybe get a serious F1 look. 19. Is ECR on the rise? Is Ed Carpenter’s organization on the rise? Alexander Rossi posted the fastest speeds in the test at Phoenix. Christian Rasmussen won a race last year. The team has had an influx of investment from Ted Gelov and is building a new facility. Rossi told me: “I think that the team has grown a lot over the past 14 months, and there’s been a lot of change in terms of the way that we go about things, the structuring of the organization. Starting the year off on the right note, and then continuing that especially through May is critical.” 18. McLaren-Ganassi dynamic after Alex Palou trial Do you think Chip Ganassi Racing is happy that it has to pay a $12 million judgment that McLaren obtained against Alex Palou in British courts (CGR agreed to pay the damages in the breach-of-contract case)? Probably not. These two owners are far from friends and it will be interesting to see if this spills on to the track. Palou told me: “I have no issues with any McLaren drivers, or McLaren in general, in particular. It’s more a personal thing, but it’s in the past. Stuff that happens outside the track, honestly, doesn’t really motivate me to be like, ‘Oh yeah, now I’m going to try and be this guy, that guy, or finish in front of him, I don’t really care. I just want to win for my team, myself, my family, and I love to drive. That’s what motivates me.” 17. Tire rules changes for street courses For street courses, teams will have to use at least two sets of the soft tires and at least one set of the primary tires. This will increase strategy. Pato O’Ward told me that it could mean that if the caution comes out at an inopportune time, a driver might not feel as if he had no chance as he did with the previous rule of needing to use at minimum one of each type of tire. Penske driver Scott McLaughlin said the new “soft” tire is more durable so he’s not sure how much change it will have. Mclaughlin told me: “We might actually see a red [soft tire] race.” When will he know for St. Pete? “Not until morning warmup. Maybe Practice 1, we’ll see how they feel and how they drop off. It will be interesting how it races.” 16. Will Indy 500 field get to 34 cars? Right now, there are 25 full-time entries and 29 announced drivers for the Indy 500 with Ryan Hunter-Reay (McLaren), Ed Carpenter (ECR), Jack Harvey (Dreyer & Reinbold) and Helio Castroneves (Meyer Shank) confirmed. Andretti Global will add a fourth car and Dreyer & Reinbold will add a second car. So that’s 31 and other teams could add another car. It could come down to whether Prema returns and fields a car or two. There are drivers who are looking (including Jacob Abel, who got bumped out a year ago) but Chevrolet likely needs to wait and see whether it needs to allocate an engine to Prema. INDYCAR president Doug Boles told me: “When you think about the Indianapolis 500, there’s things that are central to our DNA, and one of them is 33 cars. So we have to at least have 33. Bumping has made qualifying exciting, even though it’s been one car. So to the extent we can have bumping, it’d be fantastic. The most important thing is getting to getting the 33. Obviously, there’s some unknown about where Prema ends up this year, and that’s two cars that we counted on last year that got us to that 34 number. So we’ve got some work to do there.” 15. Prema uncertainty Prema isn’t on the entry list for the first race of the season at St. Pete and the earliest race they could get to, if they can solidify the funding, is likely Long Beach. But the longer this goes, the more skeptical people get as they also would need to re-staff, which would be much tougher as the season goes along. Funding issues typically are a constant battle for teams at the back of the grid, so whether any changes happen with other teams throughout the year or after the 2026 season also remains to be seen. 14. Phoenix doubleheader with Cup The March 7-8 race weekend at Phoenix will be a spectacle as INDYCAR and NASCAR’s O’Reilly Series (formerly Xfinity) race in a doubleheader March 7, followed by the Cup Series cars a day later on March 8. Seeing the open-wheel cars and the stock cars on an oval during the same weekend will be fascinating with the different speeds and styles. INDYCAR president Doug Boles told me: “[Phoenix] is a track that has a lot of history in INDYCAR racing, so I’m excited to be back here for that for sure. Certainly the opportunity to race on a Cup weekend. I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for the INDYCAR guys expose ourselves to a different fan base.” 13. A new track at Markham There are three new street courses this year and Markham is one of them. The Toronto suburb is the new home for the race as the Expo Centre course was potentially not usable because of World Cup preparations (not to mention the worn streets). Markham is paving the streets that will be used for the circuit, so it should be interesting. INDYCAR president Doug Boles: “From the moment we started talking to the folks in Markham, they’ve been so excited about having us — the big investment that that community is making to make sure the racing surface is the kind of racing surface we want to see. And they started right away in terms of resurfacing and getting things ready. The Markham project is on course.” 12. New officiating structure In hopes of creating an arm’s length relationship between Penske and the officials, a new independent officiating board will oversee inspection and race control. The board still has to hire a managing director of officiating, and that person will answer to the board, not Penske. So far, there have been no major changes as far as race control (Kyle Novak is still race director) and technical inspection (Rocket Blanch remains overseeing tech). But additional personnel have been added. Whether the board — former Ford exec Raj Nair, former NASCAR crew chief and owner Ray Evernham and the FIA’s Ronan Morgan — sees a feel for more changes will be a talking point throughout the year, at least in the paddock. Nair told me and other reporters: “We have a high degree of confidence in the existing team. We’ve spent a lot of time with them, and have really, truly been impressed. But we know they need some incremental resources for help, and there are definitely some areas for continuous improvement in those areas that specifically were called out in these last two years and issues.” 11. Scott McLaughlin’s return to Indy It is hard to forget what happened to McLaughlin at the Indianapolis 500 last year when he wrecked out on the pace laps. That’s something most wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy. Until he takes the 2026 first lap under green, that thought will be in the minds of everyone who couldn’t believe what they witnessed in 2025. 10. David Malukas’s debut season with Team Penske Replacing Will Power won’t be easy, and Malukas will need to focus on his own development. But beyond any obvious comparisons, it will be more whether Malukas is running at about the same level as his teammates. Being fastest on the first day of testing at Phoenix was a start. Malukas told me: “No matter what the name may be or what it is, there’s pressure — it’s Team Penske, right? It’s 110 percent, they’re the top of the top. And I grew up watching them, and I think no matter what driver you ask or who’s going to be, it’s going to be the same answer. I’ve had different pressures throughout my entire career, and this one’s going to be no different. So very excited to tackle it and see what we can do.” 9. Can Nolan Siegel keep his McLaren ride? Maybe we’re making too much out of Tony Kanaan’s comments about Siegel needing to be a top-10 driver to keep his ride. It’s no secret after the documents that came out during the Alex Palou trial that Siegel brings funding to this ride. Last year was a little bit of a struggle, but he also had his moments. He’ll need more moments in 2026 to be there in 2027. Siegel told me: “I am always trying to get the best result that I possibly can for myself and for the team, and that doesn’t change based on other people’s expectations. I am going to put everything I have into it, as I would at any other time, and that doesn’t change based on what other people say the goal is.” 8. Andretti Global overall changes Will Power as the driver of the No. 26 isn’t the only change at Andretti,and when looking at the team beyond Power, there are plenty of storylines. Former Team Penske executive Ron Ruzewski is now the team principal. Andretti also has another driver — Dennis Hauger — in the series but he’s been loaned to Dale Coyne Racing. If that doesn’t put pressure on Marcus Ericsson, who is in a contract year, then nothing else will. The veteran Ericsson has been through this before and knows he needs to rebound from a subpar 2025. Ruzewski told me: “I said it in front of the whole group, and I continue to live by it: Winning races isn’t terribly hard — it’s just a lot of hard work.” 7. Team Penske’s new leadership This will be the first full season with Team Penske under new leadership with Jonathan Diuguid at the helm of the organization and Travis Law the new VP of competition. Can they do enough to spark the organization in finding its mojo back after a season of only two victories and no driver higher than ninth in the standings? We’ll see. McLaughlin told me: “There’s a lot of new faces and new positions in our team, and we had to do that halfway through the year last year, and having six months really to mesh everyone together and get ourselves a really strong team, I think it really puts us in a really strong position right now. We’ve got a lot of trust in the building. There’s a lot of just want to go out there and put ourselves back to where we think we belong. It’s going to be hard. But I think with the people that we’ve got, it’s going to be a lot of fun.” 6. Racing Around The Capitol In a late addition to the schedule, a race on the streets of Washington, D.C., in the National Mall area will run on Aug. 23. A project that didn’t appear to get done ended up getting done thanks to a President Donald Trump executive order. Much of the access to the event will be free. It should be a spectacle of a weekend in celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. INDYCAR president Doug Boles: “We’ve actually been working on that since late summer. So while the announcement of it just came a couple weeks ago, we’re a lot further along. We have a lot of work to do, though, in order to get that done. But we’ve laid out the course. Hopefully, we’ll get that announced in the next couple weeks. I’ve ordered the concrete, the fencing, all the things that we need for that. So I think we’re in pretty good shape. Just going to be a heavy lift.” 5. Racing in Arlington around Jerry World The new race in Arlington is in just a couple of weeks (March 15) and will feature racing around the stadiums of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers. This race has created a lot of buzz. Driver Rinus VeeKay told me: “I’m excited for that. So that’s that’s really just the big show with all the entertainment around, with all the stadiums, that’s just something. Big sports is America and is Texas, so I’m excited.” 4. Mick Schumacher brings a big name. Will he have big results? Can Mick Schumacher be successful in a transition from European racing? Who knows. But everyone will be watching to see if the son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher can find success in INDYCAR, especially on ovals, where he has never raced before. Schumacher told me last week: “We’re all excited. We’ve been talking about it for so long now that they’re all very keen on getting going with the race weekend.” 3. Will Palou continue to dominate? Will Alex Palou dominate and win his fourth consecutive (and fifth overall) title? It’s hard to imagine that he would win eight races again this year. But why not? Palou told me: “I think everybody knows that it’s pretty tough to win so many. Our 2025 season was just one of those seasons where everything came together.” 2. Josef Newgarden: Will he rebound or will he struggle? The two-time series champion obviously was sour over the way 2025 went, and even a win at the Nashville finale wasn’t enough to make him feel good about the year, where he finished 12th in the standings. If he has a similar year, the question will be whether he will come back to Penske in 2027 or seek to make a move. Newgarden told me: “I don’t feel like anything [as far as momentum] from the last race. We’ll reset going into ’26 and nothing from last year is going to carry over right now. We’re going to have to just restart and be strong right out of the gates.” 1. Will Power move to Andretti What else do you think it would be? Power was the storyline off the track last year as far as his saga and whether he would return to Penske. Obviously he didn’t. So how many races will he win and how fast will he get up to speed at Andretti? He thinks it won’t take long. Power tells me: “When I see their resources, the shop the engineering trailer, some of the stuff, I feel like they’re ahead in some respects — and behind a little bit in some of the basic stuff, which they’ve worked hard on the offseason anyway. I feel like Andretti will be better than what they were last year. I feel like they’ll take quite a step this year. And I feel like it puts them a pretty good position. That’s why I’m very interested to see where we stack up.” 2026 INDYCAR SEASON PREVIEW: Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — Measurements! Testing! On-field drills! Those are some of the main talking points in Indianapolis as the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine rolled on Thursday with the start of televised workouts. Defensive linemen and linebackers took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, and a few of the top prospects in this year’s draft class dominated. But the day also brought us several more media availabilities with top draft prospects. Here are four takeaways from Day 3 of the combine: 1. NFL personnel high on Rueben Bain Jr. despite short arms Miami (Fla.) edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.’s suboptimal arm length was one of the biggest talking points of this year’s draft entering combine week. We now have an official measurement for it after Thursday: 30 ⅞ inches. At that arm length, the Miami star would have the shortest arms for an edge rusher drafted in the first round since at least 1999, according to data available by Mock Draftable. Despite that, there does seem to be a strong feeling in league circles that Bain has a bright future as a pro. His power, polish and pass-rush repertoire jump out on tape. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year registered 83 pressures (!), 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss last season. “Shorter arms or not,” a high-ranking AFC executive told me, “he’ll find a way to factor in games.” The Titans, who have the No. 4 pick, are one of the teams who’ve publicly spoken glowingly of Bain, too. “His tape is undeniable,” coach Robert Saleh told Titans media this week. “He is an unbelievable football player. He plays with great violence. His football IQ is off the charts. … There are certain things he’ll have to adjust to like all these rookies will, but I think he’s a kid that is going to have a lot of success in this league.” I do wonder, though, what having an official measurement for Bain’s arm length could do for his draft stock. League personnel have known his arms were short, but do they now become too short? Could he potentially slide into the teens in Round 1, after being a consensus top-five guy? “I really don’t give the time of day for it,” Bain said Wednesday on the discourse about his arms. “That’s all stuff I feel like you see on social media. None of the teams had concerns, so I’m not too concerned.” We’ll see the true feeling of teams on the first night of the draft. 2. Ohio State’s Sonny Styles and Texas Tech’s David Bailey were the big winners from combine workouts Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles, a consensus first-round pick, stole the show Thursday after posting a 43.5-inch vertical and a 4.46-second 40-yard dash with his 6-foot-5, 244-pound frame. That vertical is actually the best mark ever for a linebacker at the combine. He’d already been projected to go in the top half of the first round, but the rare athleticism he displayed could thrust him into the top five or just outside of it. Styles had 82 tackles (6.5 for loss), three pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble for Ohio State this past season. Texas Tech star edge rusher David Bailey also impressed with an official 4.50-second 40-yard dash. Bailey reached 22.91 miles per hour, which is the third-fastest top speed in the 40 by any edge prospect at the combine over the last four years, according to Next Gen Stats. The showing could make Bailey the first edge rusher taken in April’s draft. He’s been in contention for that possibility with Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. The first edge rusher could go as high as No. 2 to the Jets, who are reportedly trading former first-round pick and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Titans for defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. Bailey tied for first in the FBS this past season with 14.5 sacks and second with 19.5 tackles for loss. Reese also had his moment on Thursday when he ran a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash that was later bumped up to a 4.46. 3. Imagine if Caleb Downs played a premium position … The hype would be nuts, right? Despite being a safety, the superstar out of Ohio State tied Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza for first place when we polled a small group of NFL executives and scouts at the combine earlier this week and asked them to name the top overall prospect in the draft. But there hasn’t been significant hoopla with him, at least not the kind you’d expect for a prospect who’s been given a “generational” label by draft pundits. Downs answered in the affirmative when asked if he’s the best defender in this year’s draft on Thursday. “I feel confident every time I step on the field,” he said at the podium. “If I would say I stepped on the field and thought anybody was better than me, yeah, that’s not true.” Downs is on track to be the highest-drafted safety since 2017, when Jamal Adams went No. 6 overall to the Jets. He has a realistic chance of going top five. And when you consider all that he can do, he should be. He’s been a versatile, high-impact chess piece in the Buckeyes’ defense the last couple of years. Downs played more than 140 snaps at three different positions this past season: in the box (241), free safety (240) and slot corner (146), per Pro Football Focus. He also played 44 snaps on the defensive line and nine at outside cornerback. His versatility as a safety is similar to Ravens All-Pro Kyle Hamilton. “It’s not really positional value. It’s who affects the game,” Downs said. “If you affect the game in a lot of ways, that’s what is most important. That’s really all I can worry about. … At the end of the day, my film is what it is.” It shows a premium player, even if he’s not at a premium position. 4. Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq’s combine performance is uniquely valuable It was fitting that Sadiq, the draft’s top tight end, made sure to tell reporters that he was going to make the most of this weekend in Indianapolis. “I want to make a statement and have a dominant combine performance,” he said Thursday. “One of the best to do it.” He appears to be an impressive athlete, but because he’s just 6-foot-3 — and an inch shorter than his NFL comp, Trey McBride — it’s of the utmost importance that Sadiq confirms his athleticism with impressive testing numbers over the course of the weekend in Indianapolis. “The versatility, I think I bring, explosive pass game. I’m going to go run a great 40 and all those things tomorrow,” Sadiq told reporters. “Just showing how explosive I am in the pass game, but in the run game as well, so I can help a team all around.” Sadiq seems like a clear Round 1 prospect. But the difference between the Ravens at 14th overall (with a $23.3 million deal) and the Broncos at 30 (with a $16.9 million deal) is considerable. If he can do what he’s saying, there’s a chance he breaks into the top half of the first round. 4 ½. A Curt Cignetti story to leave you with One of the best moments of the day came from Indiana tight end Riley Nowakowski, who was discussing Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti. Through laughter, the tight end prospect explained a memorable moment during one of the team’s blowout victories this past season. Backup quarterback Alberto Mendoza, Fernando’s younger brother, was in the game. And the sophomore had pulled the ball on a zone read multiple times in a row. “Then after like, the fourth time of it, it was a terrible read. He should’ve given the (play up) after he lost like two yards,” Nowakowski explained. “[Cignetti] tells a coach, ‘Get Bert over here! Get Bert over here!’ So Bert’s like, ‘what? It’s the middle of the game. What are you doing?’ “He runs over to the sideline, bro,” Nowakowski continued. “[Cignetti] goes, ‘we’re not paying you to run the ball! Hand the ball off!’ We’re up like 70 points. He’s pissed off, yelling at Bert. “Then he just turned back at me and gave me one of his little smiles, bro,” he added. “He was just like, ‘You like that?’” Henry McKenna contributed to this report.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — Who is the best player in the 2026 NFL Draft? Well, there’s one way to find that answer: ask the prospects who was the best player they faced in college. I did just that in the latest version of my NFL Combine Survey, asking 42 prospects who were invited to the combine who was the best player they went up against in their college days. It’s a fun question that can yield three different kinds of answers — big-name former college stars already in the NFL, top prospects in this year’s draft class or players who will be back in college football in 2026. In all, we had 34 different players get name-dropped, including seven who were picked by two prospects. No player received more than two votes, though, showing the depth of talent currently in the game. One player abstained from answering this question. Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was among the group of seven players who received two votes in this exercise. Only two prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft received two votes: Penn State guard Olaivavega “Vega” Ioane and Miami (Fla.) edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. Of the seven players returning to college to receive a vote in this exercise, none of them received more than one vote. Miami (Fla.) wide receiver Malachi Toney made a strong enough impression in his freshman year to receive a vote, though. Unsurprisingly, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith received a vote for the second straight year in this exercise. Smith is widely considered to be a top prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft. One surprise from this question was that the reigning Heisman winner and presumptive No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza, didn’t receive a vote. Let’s take a closer look at who prospects believe were the toughest players they faced in college. RESULTS: PLAYERS NOW IN NFL C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State (now Texans): 2Jared Verse, edge rusher, Florida State (now Rams): 2Laiatu Latu, edge rusher, UCLA (now Colts): 2Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia (now Eagles): 2Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas (now Chiefs): 2 Other current NFL players picked: Braylon Allen, RB, Wisconsin (now Jets)Abdul Carter, edge rusher, Penn State (now Giants)Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia (now Eagles)Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington (now Steelers)Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College (now Ravens)Matthew Golden, WR, Texas (now Packers)Mohamad Kamara, OLB, Colorado State (now Buccaneers)Jacob Saylors, RB, East Tennessee State (now Lions) Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee (now Bears)Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (now Panthers)Peter Skoronski, G, Northwestern (now Titans)Rome Odunze, WR, Washington (now Bears) PLAYERS IN THIS DRAFT Rueben Bain, edge rusher, Miami (Fla.): 2Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State: 2Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake ForestCaleb Downs, S, Ohio StateMikail Kamara, DE, IndianaJeremiyah Love, RB, Notre DameCashius Howell, edge rusher, Texas A&MTy Simpson, QB, AlabamaJordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona StateWesley Williams, DL, Duke PLAYERS STILL IN COLLEGE Isaac Brown, RB, LouisvilleTrinidad Chambers, QB, Ole MissMalachi Toney, WR, MiamiAhmad Hardy, RB, MissouriKam Perry, Miami (Ohio)*LaNorris Sellers, QB, South CarolinaJeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine begins this week, which means everybody’s favorite college football players from this past season will have a massive platform to showcase themselves to general managers, coaches and scouts. It’s a huge deal to be invited, and it’s a great opportunity to prove yourself one way or another — through workouts, interviews and press conferences. There have been plenty of examples of how important these four days can be in improving one’s stock or crushing draft hopefuls’ prospects. In this week’s roundtable discussion, our college football analysts debate who might benefit most from the combine and who was overlooked and not invited to participate at all: Who needs to improve their draft stock at the combine? Michael Cohen: Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana Sarratt toyed with entering the NFL Draft last winter following a standout 2024 season in which he caught 53 passes for 957 yards and eight touchdowns in his first year with the Hoosiers. One reason he returned for another season was the chance to reach his personal goal of topping 1,000 yards, — a milestone he had already achieved at James Madison, but one he was eager to reach against Big Ten competition. Nagging injuries sidelined Sarratt for multiple games midyear, costing him the chance to reach that milestone. The fact that he still finished with 65 catches for 830 yards and 15 touchdowns — including three in the College Football Playoff — speaks to how impactful Sarratt can be when healthy. A strong showing in Indianapolis this week could vault him higher in the wide receiver pecking order. Laken Litman: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama Simpson is hoping to be the second quarterback selected in April’s NFL Draft behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. There’s also chatter that while Simpson could be a first-round pick, he could also be taken later on. Simpson was at Alabama for four years, sitting patiently his first three behind the likes of Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe. He started the 2025 season and threw for 3,567 total yards (second in the SEC behind Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss) with 28 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He led the Crimson Tide to an 11-4 record and a spot in the Rose Bowl, where they lost to eventual national champion Indiana. However, Simpson’s stock took a hit as his performance dipped toward the end of the season. He reportedly turned down lucrative transfer offers to enter the draft because, he said, that playing at another school would “tarnish” his legacy. NFL brass has to like his loyalty and maturity in making that decision. Simpson is expected to throw at the combine, too, which could certainly boost his stock. RJ Young: Joey Aguilar, QB, Tennessee Up until last week, Aguilar believed he would start for Tennessee, leading the Vols toward a second CFP appearance in three years. Instead, he’s now part of a crowded job fair — competing with some of the best quarterback prospects in the world for a chance to make an NFL roster. Aguilar isn’t the type of signal-caller teams typically target in the first two rounds. Still, his lone season at Tennessee was impressive: over 3,700 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. Even more remarkable, he mastered Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s playbook in the summer and won the starting job in preseason after joining the program through the spring transfer portal. Aguilar must not only perform on the field as an older rookie — he’ll turn 25 this year — but also demonstrate command of the game in one-on-one interviews, navigating formations and schemes with precision. Who was wrongly snubbed from the combine? RJ Young: Jaden Dugger, LB, Louisiana Dugger was an absolute menace in the Sun Belt last year. Along with 125 total tackles in a conference that produced its first CFP invitee — James Madison — Dugger also accounted for 4.0 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. Scouts love his measurables. As an inside linebacker, he stands at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, has an 84-inch wingspan and arms that are almost 35 inches in length. Dugger is the kind of specimen at the position Dallas Cowboys linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. was coming out of Oklahoma but with better production at the collegiate level. Some teams will see him and recognize supreme value in a player who didn’t get an invitation to the combine in a deep linebacker draft. Litman: Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana Black, another transfer who followed Cignetti from JMU, led Indiana last season with 10 rushing touchdowns and was second in total rushing yards with 1,040. He had 80 fewer yards than Hoosiers’ teammate Roman Hemby, who was invited to the combine. Black is a talented downhill and patient runner. He ran for 241 yards and three touchdowns across three CFP games, including the 79 yards that led Indiana in the title game. There were 21 running backs invited to the combine. Because he was overlooked, Black will have to impress NFL general managers and head coaches at Indiana’s Pro Day on April 1. Cohen: James Brockermeyer, C, Miami (Fla.) The interior offensive line is far from the most glamorous position in football, but Brockermeyer has been viewed as a blue-chip player for quite some time. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 194 overall recruit when he committed to Alabama in the 2021 cycle, ultimately spending two seasons with the Crimson Tide in a reserve role. He transferred to TCU ahead of the 2024 campaign and quickly won the starting center job, allowing just a single sack in 500 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. That was enough to propel Brockermeyer to Miami this past fall, where he anchored one of the strongest offensive lines in the country and helped the Hurricanes reach the national championship game. He did not allow a single sack across 558 pass-blocking snaps, according to PFF, and earned third-team All-ACC honors from the league’s coaches. There should have been a spot for him in Indianapolis. In Let’s Debate, our experts tackle and explain the hot-button issues fans care about.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The stars will be on the field and in the studio for the 2026 World Baseball Classic! FOX Sports, the home of this year’s tournament, announced its broadcasting team for the upcoming event, headlined by former New York Yankees greats Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz and FOX Sports veteran Kevin Burkhardt on the studio desk. The studio show will be live at the site of both semifinal round games (March 15 and 16) and the championship game (March 17) at loanDepot Park in Miami, FL. – World Baseball Classic: Team Breakdowns, Predictions Rodriguez has been an MLB studio analyst for FOX Sports dating back to his penultimate season as a player in 2015; Ortiz has been a full-time analyst for FOX Sports since 2017; Jeter is entering his fourth year at the network; Burkhardt, who has been with FOX Sports since 2013 and is also the network’s lead NFL play-by-play announcer, has been an MLB studio host for FOX since 2014. In the booth, Joe Davis will be the primary play-by-play announcer, with John Smoltz as the primary color commentator. They will be on the call for both semifinal round games and the title game. Davis and Smoltz are entering their fifth full-time season as a broadcasting duo for FOX. Adam Amin and Kevin Kugler will also serve as play-by-play broadcasters throughout the 2026 WBC, with Adam Wainwright and A.J. Pierzynski also serving as color commentators. Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will serve as reporters for the tournament. Edgar Gonzalez, Adrian Garcia-Marquez, Carlos Alvarez, Rolando Nichols and Jaime Motta will provide coverage for FOX Deportes. Jeter, Ortiz and Rodriguez have made five WBC appearances, representing the United States and the Dominican Republic. The 2026 WBC begins on March 4. It is the sixth WBC and the second with FOX as the primary broadcasting home. World Baseball Classic: How To Watch In all, 20 countries from around the world will compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. And with top players like Aaron Judge (USA), Shohei Ohtani (Japan), and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Dominican Republic), get ready for some high-stakes baseball. – WBC Broadcast Schedule: How To Watch All Games All the WBC’s 47 games will air across FOX Sports’ family of networks (FOX, FS1, FS2 and FOX Deportes), as well as the FOX Sports App and Tubi. All matchups will also be available to stream live and on-demand on FOX One. Additionally, 41 out of the 47 contests will air in Spanish across a combination of FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App, Tubi and FOX One. The four quarterfinal games will be played on March 13 and 14 at Daikin Park in Houston. The two semifinals will be played on March 15 and 16 at loanDepot Park in Miami. The final will be in Miami on Tuesday, March 17, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Team USA’s World Baseball Games: How To Watch All four of Team USA’s games in Pool B will be played at Daikin Park (home of the Houston Astros) against Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil. If the USA wins its Pool, the quarterfinal game would also be in Houston before the semifinals and Championship Game take place at loanDepot Park (home of the Miami Marlins).​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports