Here are the AP’s top sports stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.

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UPCOMING

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SKI--WCUP-MEN’S SLALOM

DESCRIPTION: Lucas Pinheiro Braathen enters the last World Cup slalom before the Olympics as the leader in the discipline standings ahead of 2022 Olympic champion Clément Noël. 400 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 01/28/2026 4:00 p.m. EST, Text

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GLF--FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN

DESCRIPTION: Brooks Koepka looks forward to getting this week behind him with all the attention on his return from LIV Golf. Xander Schauffele, who hasn’t played in three months since winning in Japan, can’t wait to get started. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. 700 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 01/28/2026 4:00 p.m. EST, Text, Photo

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FBN--HALL OF FAME-EXPLAINER

DESCRIPTION: Bill Belichick’s reported snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning a record six Super Bowl titles as a head coach have placed new scrutiny on process of picking football Hall of Famers. While the specific reasons why Belichick didn’t get into the Hall in his first year of eligibility are unknown, there are some possible explanations why at least 11 of the 50 voters didn’t vote for one of the sport’s most accomplished coaches. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. 700 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 01/28/2026 5:00 p.m. EST, Text

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BBO--MARINERS-RIZZS

DESCRIPTION: Seattle Mariners play-by-play broadcaster Rick Rizzs has announced he will retire after the 2026 season, which will be his 41st behind the microphone for the franchise. He is scheduled to discuss his retirement on Wednesday, a few weeks before Seattle heads to Phoenix for spring training. By Andrew Destin. 650 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 01/28/2026 6:30 p.m. EST, Text

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BBO--YANKEES-BELLINGER

DESCRIPTION: Cody Bellinger discusses his decision to re-sign with the New York Yankees as a free agent. 550 words, photo.

UPCOMING: By 01/28/2026 7:30 p.m. EST, Text

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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FBN--ON FOOTBALL-BELICHICK

Bill Belichick’s snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame is criticized by voters and NFL fans

SUMMARY: Bill Belichick won six Lombardi Trophies as a head coach with the Patriots, two as an assistant with the Giants and has more Super Bowl rings than anyone in NFL history. Yet somehow he’s not a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer. Belichick didn’t get the required votes in his first year of eligibility, according to a report from ESPN that cited four unidentified sources. Belichick needed 40 votes from the 50-person panel of media members and other Hall of Famers. News of the snub stunned players, coaches, fans and anyone who has watched football. Patrick Mahomes called it “insane.” LeBron James said it’s “impossible, egregious, and quite frankly disrespectful.”

WORDS: 1123 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 1:35 p.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:af46e26dc1a5e55d27464a97d4c517c5&mediaType=text

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GLF--LIV-REED

Patrick Reed is leaving LIV Golf. He can return to the PGA Tour in September

SUMMARY: Patrick Reed is leaving LIV Golf with an eye on returning to the PGA Tour. Reed is the second major champion to leave LIV. He posted his intentions Wednesday on social media. His decision comes the same week that Brooks Koepka returns to the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines. The PGA Tour has shared the news in a memo to players. Reed is eligible to return to the PGA Tour in September. It will be one year since he last played on LIV in August 2025. The tour season will be over by then but he can play in the fall.

WORDS: 846 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 1:17 p.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d9fda5d8a044f40ef0b9f3ae87fd84e0&mediaType=text

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FBN--BROWNS-MONKEN

Todd Monken hired as the Cleveland Browns head coach

SUMMARY: The Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken as the franchise’s 19th full-time head coach, wrapping up a three-week search. He replaces Kevin Stefanski, who was fired on Jan. 5, the day after Cleveland finished a 5-12 season. This is Monken’s first NFL head coaching job after 11 years in the league as an assistant. He spent the previous three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator. Monken previously served as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019.

WORDS: 965 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 12:09 p.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6b9860cf0a113bbb2e37a09db7b5fe02&mediaType=text

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FBN--SUPER BOWL-FIELD

NFL’s turf guru has meticulous journey to prepare Levi’s Stadium field for Super Bowl

SUMMARY: Nick Pappas’ process for preparing the Super Bowl field started long before the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots started getting ready for the 2025 season. The NFL’s turf guru picked the sod farm that began growing the field for the game about 16 months ago and spent time since then monitoring the progress. The job went into overdrive this month when Pappas and his crew started a monthlong installation and preparation process to make sure the story of the game is about the teams and not the grass.

WORDS: 927 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 11:39 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c85da8b728c994ad8d7f47dc6c2b6609&mediaType=text

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FBN--INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Mike Macdonald and Mike Vrabel lead Seahawks and Patriots to Super Bowl in quick turnarounds

SUMMARY: Two years ago, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots made the decision to move from Super Bowl-winning coaches Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick. Those decisions have been validated now that Mike Macdonald and Mike Vrabel have engineered quick turnarounds to get those two franchises back to the Super Bowl, with Macdonald doing it in his second season in Seattle and Vrabel in his first in New England. This marks just the fourth Super Bowl featuring two head coaches in their first or second year. It last happened in the 2008 season when Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin bested Arizona’s Ken Whisenhunt in a matchup of second-year coaches.

WORDS: 1250 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 11:33 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:20826396f372bc608e24dd0f5eb52e1c&mediaType=text

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OLY--HKW-GAME OF QUEENS

Captain America vs. Captain Clutch: Knight and Poulin face off for 5th and perhaps last Winter Games

SUMMARY: Team USA’s Hilary Knight and Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin have gone at it for nearly 17 years and more than 100 games in an intense but friendly rivalry involving two of the greatest players in the history of women’s hockey. The two meet for a fifth and potentially last time at the Winter Olympics. At 36, Knight has already announced that the Milan Cortina Games will be her last. At 34, Poulin hasn’t shed light on her Olympic future. Knight has the nickname “Captain America” for being the face of women’s hockey in the U.S. while Poulin is called “Captain Clutch” for scoring three gold medal-winning goals at the Olympics.

WORDS: 1117 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 10:52 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:67d9b9612e90b70c2f057948a1c5f008&mediaType=text

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BKH--GIRLS BASKETBALL DECLINE

Even in Caitlin Clark’s home state, girls high school basketball in decline. It thrives in this town

SUMMARY: The northwest Iowa towns of Newell and Fonda are outliers at a time participation in girls basketball is in steep decline. The Mustangs have been Class 1A state champion or runner-up seven of the last eight seasons and the team packs its gym whenever it plays. High school girls basketball participation has dropped 21% since 2000 while volleyball participation is up 29%. In Iowa, girls basketball has seen a 38% drop over that time and even the state’s largest and most successful schools are losing players.

WORDS: 1817 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 10:47 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8ef1374f135a415770fb03478ff3e59a&mediaType=text

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OLY--FIG-WASHINGTON MIDAIR COLLISION-SKATERS

Maxim Naumov heads to Olympics, hoping to honor his parents and the others killed in airline crash

SUMMARY: Maxim Naumov reflects on his journey to the Milan Cortina Olympics, carrying the memory of his parents, former world champion skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. They were among 67 people killed when American Airlines Flight 5342 crashed into a military helicopter on January 29, 2025. The tragedy a year ago deeply impacted the figure skating community. Naumov, who finished third at the U.S. championships, often finds solace in memories of his parents. He wears a gold chain and ring as reminders of them. Naumov hopes to inspire others by sharing his story and honoring his parents’ legacy.

WORDS: 1238 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 10:43 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b352396a22451dd2fb9d95007da79788&mediaType=text

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SOC--WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS CUP

Brazil’s Corinthians defeats Gotham FC 1-0 in Women’s Champions Cup semifinal

SUMMARY: Corinthians captain Gabi Zanotti has scored late to help her team beat Gotham FC 1-0 in the semifinals of the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup intercontinental competition. The 40-year-old Zanotti stopped a cross on her chest and shot with her left boot to the right of Gotham’s German international goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who got her hands to the ball but couldn’t stop it slipping through in the 82nd minute. The Copa Libertadores champion Corinthians awaits the winner between Arsenal and African champion ASFAR of Rabat, Morocco in the second semifinal later. Both the final and third-place match are to be played Sunday at Arsenal’s stadium.

WORDS: 402 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 10:21 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3684db5113e8f622903cf52176ad3f34&mediaType=text

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TEN--AUSTRALIAN OPEN-MEN’S QUARTERFINALS

‘I was lucky’ says Djokovic after setting up Australian Open semifinal against Sinner

SUMMARY: Novak Djokovic is back in the Australian Open semifinals after Lorenzo Musetti retired with an injury in the third set of their quarterfinal. The 10-time Australian Open winner next faces two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner. The No. 2-ranked Sinner fended off No. 8 Ben Shelton in straight sets. The fifth-seeded Musetti won the first two sets of the earlier quarterfinal but took a medical timeout for treatment on his upper right leg after being broken in the third game of the third. He played on for another game but couldn’t continue. Djokovic will now continue his bid for an 11th Australian title and a record 25th major but says he was “lucky this time.”

WORDS: 848 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 7:31 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:51adb29a9590dd636cbfdd810af23d79&mediaType=text

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SOC--CHAMPIONS LEAGUE-ROUNDUP

Champions League knockouts lineup to be decided by hectic 18-game finish to opening phase

WORDS: 415 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 7:29 a.m. EST. Will be updated from matches starting at 3 p.m. EST.

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1cbf3f81621397edcd3866bb6a6aa28d&mediaType=text

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TEN--AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Pegula beats fellow American Anisimova to finally reach Australian Open semis

SUMMARY: Jessica Pegula has defeated fellow American Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6 to reach the semifinals of the Australian Open. Pegula also beat defending champion Madison Keys of the U.S. in her previous match. In the other women’s quarterfinal at Rod Laver Arena, Elena Rybakina defeated Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1. It ended Swiatek’s bid to complete a career Grand Slam of singles titles — at least for 2026. The top four seeds reached the final four in the men’s draw with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner and 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic advancing to a semifinal featuring No. 2 vs. No. 4. Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz will face No. 3 Alexander Zverev in Friday’s other semifinal.

WORDS: 676 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 6:49 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9868b09476245cca5f2d05b63b61d1aa&mediaType=text

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BKC--T25-NEBRASKA-STREAK ENDS

No. 5 Nebraska’s run of 24 wins in a row is over after narrow loss to No. 3 Michigan

SUMMARY: Major college basketball’s longest winning streak ended at 24 games with No. 5 Nebraska’s 75-72 loss at No. 3 Michigan on Tuesday night. Nebraska did not score over the last 3:20, missing its last five shots after leading most of the game despite two key players being out of the lineup. Rienk Mast missed the game with an illness as did double-digit scorer Braden Frager, who was out for a second straight game with an ankle injury.

WORDS: 818 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 5:39 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4e87d179b92f89efc4144a773aefe39a&mediaType=text

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OLY--XXC-CROSS-COUNTRY-DIGGINS

With history already made, Jessie Diggins opens her final Olympic chapter with momentum

SUMMARY: Jessie Diggins is preparing to celebrate her final Olympic Games at Milan Cortina, closing a career that reshaped American cross-country skiing. The Minnesota native is a three-time overall World Cup champion and the most decorated U.S. Olympic cross-country skier, with gold, silver and bronze medals across three Winter Games. Now leading the World Cup standings ahead of her 35th birthday, Diggins enters her last Olympics backed by family, teammates and a new generation she has inspired. Known for relentless endurance, fearless racing and glittered flair, she leaves a legacy that extends beyond medals to advocacy, resilience and joy in sport.

WORDS: 827 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 4:59 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:745b8ec543bda09b3010ce989bf22e1d&mediaType=text

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TEN--AUSTRALIAN OPEN-CAMERAS ROLLING

Are tennis players being treated like zoo animals? Iga Swiatek thinks so

SUMMARY: Iga Swiatek is echoing Coco Gauff’s concerns about the constant camera gaze at tennis tournaments. Gauff highlighted the lack of privacy after her racket-smashing frustration at the Australian Open went viral. She believes a conversation is needed about the lack of private spaces for players off the court. After her quarterfinal loss to Elena Rybakina, Swiatek has expressed similar feelings. She questioned whether players are being treated like “animals in the zoo.” Swiatek says she understands the need to keep the public entertained but feels some moments should remain private.

WORDS: 894 - MOVED: 01/28/2026 4:53 a.m. EST

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:26e2cefe12e25f2a51f3f4f6c34ad671&mediaType=text

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MOVING TOMORROW

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BKN--MAVERICKS-YEAR AFTER LUKA

The state of the Mavericks a year after the Luka Doncic trade. By Schuyler Dixon.

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OLY--WINTER OLYMPICS-DIVERSITY-THE FIRST

Four years ago, American speedskater Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at a Winter Olympics. She doesn’t want to be the last. That’s one of Jackson’s goals, along with bringing home more hardware from the Milan Cortina Games. By Howard Fendrich.

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OLY--SBD-SPINNING FOUR WAYS

Though snowboarding loves to flaunt its massive jumps and daring flips, it’s the ability to spin four ways — riding forward and backward, then spinning either clockwise or counterclockwise from either direction — that’s considered one of the sport’s holy grails. Those technical tricks could make the difference between silver and gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics. By Eddie Pells.