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.

For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, including agate, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477.

The New York sports desk can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1630. Sports photos, ext. 1918; graphics, ext. 7636.

——————————

UPCOMING

——————————

FBN--WORST TO FIRST

DESCRIPTION: There have been 27 teams since the 2002 realignment that followed up a last-place finish with a division title the following year. Here’s a look at the teams looking to pull off the trick this season after New England and Chicago did it in 2025. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. 850 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 08/01/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT, Text

___

HKW--DIVERSITY-JAMAICA HOCKEY CLINIC

DESCRIPTION: Women of Colour Hockey Collective broadens its reach by holding a recent weekend clinic in Jamaica. The event was a homecoming of sorts for many WCHC members, including co-rounder Saroya Tinker and Canadian national team defender Sophie Jaques, whose families have ties to the Caribbean nation. The collective’s objective is to make hockey more accessible to women and girls of color. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. 500 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 08/01/2026 1:00 p.m. EDT, Text

___

FBN--TITANS-LEVIS

DESCRIPTION: Will Levis controls his immediate future in an awkward situation in Tennessee. After missing last season recovering from shoulder surgery, Levis is in a crowded quarterback room fighting veteran Mitchell Trubisky for the backup job to starter Cam Ward or at least play his way into trade bait for a better opportunity. By Pro Football Writer Teresa M. Walker.

UPCOMING: By 08/01/2026 7:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

___

BBW--WPBL-OPENING DAY

DESCRIPTION: The first women’s professional baseball league in the U.S. in 30 years celebrates opening day when the New York Heights take on the Los Angeles Queens. The Women’s Pro Baseball League has four teams for its first year, and it is playing each of its games at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. By Baseball Writer Jay Cohen.

UPCOMING: By 08/01/2026 7:00 p.m. EDT, Text

___

GLF--ROCKET CLASSIC

DESCRIPTION: Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Fishburn share the second-round lead at the Rocket Classic. By Larry Lage. 550 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 08/01/2026 7:30 p.m. EDT, Text

————————————————————

NEW AND DEVELOPING

————————————————————

BKL--FEVER-CUNNINGHAM

Sophie Cunningham says she’s not concerned about being a distraction for the Fever

SUMMARY: Sophie Cunningham says she’s unconcerned that the rallies against transgender participation in women’s sports that have accompanied the Indiana’s Fever’s recent games are a distraction for the team. Cunningham made the comments before the Fever’s game against the Portland Fire. Outside, a group rallied for the second straight game in support of Cunningham and her comments about transgender participation in youth sports. Portland’s rally came after a similar rally for Cunningham earlier in the week before the Fever’s game at the Seattle Storm. Both rallies only attracted about two dozen participants.

WORDS: 696 - MOVED: 08/01/2026 12:56 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fe8e7b0864c98e5f0512c8df59fd6e5e&mediaType=text

___

BKL--FEVER-FIRE

Clark has 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the Fever’s victory over the Fire

SUMMARY: Caitlin Clark had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her fourth career triple-double, and the Indiana Fever won their their fifth straight with a 112-98 victory over the Portland Fire on Friday night. Kelsey Mitchell also had 26 points for the Fever (19-10), who have won nine of their last 11 and had five straight games with 100 points. Bridget Carleton had 26 points for the Fire (11-18), who have lost four straight. There was a pregame rally outside of the Moda Center in support of Fever player Sophie Cunningham and her recent comments about barring transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports. Cunningham was booed by the Moda Center crowd when she came into the game. She had 13 points.

WORDS: 325 - MOVED: 08/01/2026 12:35 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c658fcf4e1e10556740ae65cd494958d&mediaType=text

___

BKC--WASHINGTON-NCAA

Chancellor grants 19 college basketball players a 5th season and orders portal open Monday

SUMMARY: A judge in Colorado and a Nashville chancellor issued rulings Friday that will give 30 basketball players a fifth season of eligibility and prevent the NCAA from keeping them out of the transfer portal. I’Ashea Myles of the Davidson County Chancery Court issued a temporary injunction to Jalen Washington and 18 other players to retain their eligibility. A few hours later, U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney in Colorado granted a preliminary injunction giving student-athletes from the high school Class of 2022 another year of eligibility for the upcoming school year. Sweeney ruled that the injunction should cover the entire class of 2022 high school graduates facing similar circumstances.

WORDS: 598 - MOVED: 08/01/2026 12:23 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6c88d02d3385f94ad96a7e63a9f6dd8c&mediaType=text

___

US--CONGRESS-COLLEGE SPORTS

SEC, Big Ten add long-missing support to college sports bill and revive its chances in the Senate

SUMMARY: The Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences have agreed to support a Senate bill that seeks to regulate college sports, ending a breakneck week of negotiations and pulling the bipartisan measure out of what looked like a certain death spiral. School presidents from both conferences voted to back the bill after receiving last-minute concessions over language regarding third-party name-image-likeness deals and the so-called “associated entities” that often make those arrangements. More details need to be worked out, but the headline is that the bill still has a chance to earn the 60 votes it needs to halt debate and head to an up-or-down vote before the Senate heads for summer break.

WORDS: 818 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 11:26 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c21e3c72be06f773620690dea7633068&mediaType=text

___

SOC--WCUP-FIFA-INVESTORS

Infantino abandons plans to sell World Cup profits to private equity following massive pushback

SUMMARY: FIFA President Gianni Infantino is abandoning his divisive plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity after receiving pushback from all corners of the soccer world. Infantino’s decision came after his senior adviser who sat on a White House panel resigned and Asia’s soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it. Infantino had proposed creating a $20 billion company to run the World Cup with private investors including the Kushner family, but drew backlash that grew every day. UEFA’s 55-member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions over Infantino’s plan, followed by CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.

WORDS: 588 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 9:47 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8aba1b529f220c27d02d326e8fd9e377&mediaType=text

___

BBO--METS-TWINS TRADE

Twins acquire veteran reliever A.J. Minter from the last-place Mets for a pair of infield prospects

SUMMARY: The Minnesota Twins have acquired left-handed reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets for minor league infielders Bruin Agbayani and Billy Amick to reinforce a thin bullpen ahead of the trade deadline. The 19-year-old Agbayani is the son of former Mets fan favorite Benny Agbayani. He was playing for Fort Myers in low Class A. The 23-year-old Amick had 23 homers in 86 games for Double-A Wichita. Minter had a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings with 20 strikeouts and only two walks for the Mets. He didn’t make his season debut until May 26 after recovering from a lat injury.

WORDS: 594 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 9:12 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:71eb104abe338faea59f66150ccfa889&mediaType=text

___

FBC--NCAA-ELIGIBILITY RULING

Courts hand NCAA major loss on five-year eligibility rule

SUMMARY: A federal court dealt a perhaps chaos-inducing blow to the NCAA’s new eligibility rule when it ruled all high school class of ’22 athletes who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility this spring are eligible for a fifth season this school year. The ruling, which is expected to be appealed, undercuts the NCAA’s plan to have the so-called “five for five” rule go into play starting with athletes who enroll in college in fall 2027. It also has potential to wreak havoc on rosters across the country. It opens the possibility that an undrafted player in an NFL training camp could decide to try to head back to college for a fifth year this upcoming season.

WORDS: 353 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 9:04 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:322a7322999947c6709f89b9092a9146&mediaType=text

___

FBC--BIG TEN-SEC-DEPTH

Big Ten believes its reputation as a top-heavy league is unfair as it claims conference supremacy

SUMMARY: The Southeastern Conference argues its superior depth makes up for the Big Ten winning the last three titles in the debate over which college football conference is strongest. The Big Ten says its reputation as a top-heavy conference is unfair. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti considers those three College Football Playoff championships testaments to the league’s strength from top to bottom. Michigan won in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana in 2025. Five SEC schools combined to win 13 titles from 2006-22. But no SEC team has reached any of the last three championship games.

WORDS: 970 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 9:02 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:411c33789b2d0ca52d5306f6a8529b12&mediaType=text

___

BBO--GIANTS-BADER

Giants suspend pay to injured outfielder Harrison Bader following scooter accident

SUMMARY: The San Francisco Giants are suspending payment to injured outfielder Harrison Bader after he aggravated his injured left foot during a scooter accident last weekend. Bader has been out since late May dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The team said the injury got worse following the accident early Sunday morning in San Francisco. Bader signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Giants before this season that includes a $4.5 million base salary for this season. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Bader was involved in a vehicle collision while riding his scooter around 2 a.m. Sunday. He was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

WORDS: 301 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 9:00 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4c0e9f5b8b666d04e9e1d521024e680f&mediaType=text

___

BBW--WPBL BEGINS

WPBL looking for longevity as players take the field amid rising popularity for women’s sports

SUMMARY: The inaugural season of the Women’s Pro Baseball League begins this weekend. Denae Benites and the New York Heights face Mo’ne Davis and the Los Angeles Queens on Saturday. The other two teams in the league — the Boston Hunters and San Francisco Firebells — play on Sunday. The 15 regular-season games for each club and the playoffs will be held at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. The start of the WPBL marks another major moment in a scattered history for women’s professional baseball in the United States. Los Angeles infielder Ashton Lansdell says the players “want to make this thing last forever and ever.”

WORDS: 666 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 8:38 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a03784fdde54a60ade07824c184b5286&mediaType=text

___

SOC--WCUP-FIFA-INVESTORS-WHAT TO KNOW

Infantino abandoned his World Cup equity plan after seismic FIFA backlash. Here’s what to know

WORDS: 1171 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 8:21 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:10160e494eebf37301201b9175ec836d&mediaType=text

___

GLF--ROCKET CLASSIC

Cameron Young shares 2nd-round lead at Rocket Classic after cooling off to shoot 9-under 61

SUMMARY: Cameron Young birdied seven of his first eight holes in the second round of the Rocket Classic and thought he had a shot at the lowest score in PGA Tour history. Young cooled off with two birdies on his back nine in a bogey-free round, closing with a Detroit Golf Club-record tying 61 to reach 10 under for the tournament to tie Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Fishburn atop the leaderboard Friday. Young is the No. 3 player in the world with three wins this season. He shot a 59 in 2024 at the Travelers Championship.

WORDS: 589 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 7:14 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2fd470a13c6a32e79479a78f7d29741a&mediaType=text

___

FBN--HEAT SAFETY-TREAT FIRST

Lessons from Korey Stringer’s death led to cold water immersion tubs by every NFL practice field

SUMMARY: Korey Stringer’s death from heat stroke in 2001 after he collapsed at practice with the Minnesota Vikings prompted many changes to safety protocols across all levels of sports. There’s no lesson learned more vital than this: cool first, transport second. The lack of effective diagnosis and treatment by the team’s medical staff between the time he exited a blocking drill to the time he arrived at the hospital made his outlook all the more dire. Stringer had a core temperature of 108.8 degrees. The required presence of cold tubs by every NFL practice field can be traced to his death.

WORDS: 486 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 6:59 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ffb1d975de191d9fd7fbff53b28b52ee&mediaType=text

___

FBN--HEAT SAFETY-KOREY STRINGER

Korey Stringer died from heat stroke 25 years ago. His widow has made prevention her life’s mission

SUMMARY: Kelci Stringer has made a life mission out of heat safety after her husband Korey Stringer died in 2001 from heat stroke suffered during training camp in Minnesota. The Vikings will mark the 25-year anniversary of his death prior to their first open-to-fans practice on Saturday afternoon with Kelci Stringer speaking at the tribute. Her wrongful death lawsuit against the league led to the creation of the Korey Stringer Institute. The institute at the University of Connecticut researches heat safety for athletes at all levels, day laborers and military members.

WORDS: 1211 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 6:44 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3085905d527b8c3032d287f26d0f9c91&mediaType=text

___

BKW--WOMEN PLAYERS-UNIONIZATION

Over 100 women’s college basketball players team up in unionization effort

SUMMARY: Over 100 women’s college basketball players have formed the United College Athletes Association, a union for college athletes. The UCAA announced this on Friday. This comes two years after players requested collaboration on issues affecting college athletics, which was denied. Now, these athletes have signed union authorization cards for collective bargaining. The announcement follows the College Football Players Association’s recent move at Stanford. The UCAA aims to represent and protect athletes, ensuring fair and safe sports. Oregon State’s women’s basketball team has filed for union representation. The UCAA’s mission is to give athletes a voice in decision-making.

WORDS: 378 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 5:45 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:04507598159b81e0bfa5daba7dd51bfb&mediaType=text

___

FBN--GIANTS-SKATTEBO

Giants running back Cam Skattebo is ready to play football and take a break from backflips

SUMMARY: Cam Skattebo is all systems go at practice. His signature celebration is on hiatus. Skattebo declared himself nearly fully healthy at New York Giants training camp, nine months removed from his gruesome right ankle and leg injury. But after getting into some hot water with the organization for recently doing a backflip and landing awkwardly on that surgically repaired ankle, he’s planning to stay grounded for a while. Coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen spoke to the 24-year-old running back about the situation, and Skattebo said he has learned from it.

WORDS: 646 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 5:32 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:949030c5190d2274b40c84b3ee5ae013&mediaType=text

___

FBN--JAGUARS-HUNTER

Jags 2-way player Travis Hunter returns stronger and fast after knee injury cuts short rookie year

SUMMARY: Travis Hunter really does like to do it all. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ receiver and cornerback was photographed before training camp with the sheriff and the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department. Hunter says that was just having fun. The work is recovering from ligament damage in his right knee that ended the season of the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft. The plan to play both sides of the ball hasn’t change. And Hunter has returned with 10 pounds of muscle on his upper body and even more speed. He was clocked running 22.6 mph before camp started.

WORDS: 754 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 2:20 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8b5b3104651bb0f030ad3dfeca23a2fc&mediaType=text

___

BBO--MLB-TRADE-DEADLINE-PREVIEW

MLB trade deadline: Tarik Skubal is the big prize, but buyers have other options, too

SUMMARY: Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is approaching, and several top pitchers could be on the move. Tarik Skubal, a two-time Cy Young winner, is a standout candidate. Despite recent surgery, he’s been performing well for the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are still on the periphery of the playoff race, which complicates trade decisions. Other pitchers like Freddy Peralta and Mason Miller are also attracting attention. Teams like the Yankees, Rays and Dodgers are clear buyers, while others remain undecided. The deadline is Monday at 6 p.m. EDT, and many teams are weighing their options as they consider potential trades.

WORDS: 1086 - MOVED: 07/31/2026 1:57 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c4eed4730d125bdf77298d032fde0610&mediaType=text