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UPCOMING

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BKN--NBA PLAYOFF COVERAGE

FORMATS: Photo, Text

1. WITH: BKN--PLAYOFFS-SEEKING QUIET

2. DESCRIPTION: Spurs coach Mitch Johnson going to do a lot of screaming on Wednesday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals at Oklahoma City, win or lose. It’s inevitable, provided that he wants his team to have a chance of hearing anything that he says. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. Text, photos.

3. UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT

4. WITH: BKN--SPURS-THUNDER

5. DESCRIPTION: OKLAHOMA CITY -- The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder will try to avoid a 2-0 series hole in the Western Conference finals when they take on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Game begins 8:30 p.m. EDT. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. Text, photos.

6. UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 11:00 a.m. EDT

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HKN--NHL PLAYOFFS COVERAGE

FORMATS: Photo, Text

WITH: HKN--CANADIENS-HURRICANES PREVIEW

DESCRIPTION: The Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens are set to meet in the Eastern Conference Final, which has become a familiar roadblock for the Hurricanes. By Aaron Beard. 750 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT

WITH: FBN--SABRES

DESCRIPTION: Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and coach Lindy Ruff are scheduled to address reporters on Wednesday, two days after the team was eliminated in Game 7 of its second-round playoff series against Montreal. Loss aside, the Sabres accomplished plenty in a year the team won its first Atlantic Division title and ended a 14-season playoff drought. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. 650 words, photos on merits.

ON MERITS: By 05/20/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT

WITH: HKN--GOLDEN KNIGHTS-AVALANCHE

DESCRIPTION: DENVER -- The Western Conference Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights starts Wednesday night. The Avalanche last won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and the Golden Knights in 2023. By Pat Graham. 500 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT

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FBN--NFL-ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

DESCRIPTION: ORLANDO, Fla. — Jeff Ulbrich and Daronte Jones were among 34 participants in the NFL’s revamped coaching and front-office accelerator program that was held Monday and Tuesday at a posh resort just a few miles from Disney World. By Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi.

UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT, Text

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SOC--WCUP-LOCAL BUSINESSES

DESCRIPTION: FIFA expects to generate a record-breaking $11 billion-plus in revenue during the World Cup, thanks to an expanded 48-team format, ticket sales and sponsorships. Small, locally owned businesses in host cities scattered across the country are hoping to cash in, too, but at a much smaller scale. By Dave Skretta. 750 words. With video, photos.

UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Video, Text

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KOREAS-WOMEN’S SOCCER

DESCRIPTION: Spot story planned after the match ends

UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 8:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Video, Text

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SOC--WCUP-BOSTON-THINGS TO KNOW

DESCRIPTION: World Cup veteran host Boston has everything from lobster rolls to American history to offer visiting fans. By Kyle Hightower. 400 words. With photos.

UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 8:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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FBC--TEXAS TECH-SORSBY-GAMBLING

DESCRIPTION: An NCAA enforcement expert says Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s attempt to have his eligibility reinstated is a long shot. By College Football Writer Eric Olson. 700 words, photo.

UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 3:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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FBN--SUPER BOWL-NASHVILLE

DESCRIPTION: The Tennessee Titans and local officials take a bit of a victory lap Wednesday at a news conference talking about landing Nashville’s first Super Bowl with a party planned downtown Wednesday night complete with a drone show.

UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 4:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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TURKEY IRAN FOOTBALL TEAM

DESCRIPTION: 500 words on-merit

ON MERITS: By 05/20/2026 4:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Video, Text

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SOC--EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL

DESCRIPTION: ISTANBUL, Turkey-Aston Villa faces Freiburg in Istanbul on Wednesday.

UPCOMING: By 05/20/2026 5:30 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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BBO--TARPS-OFF-FANS

Shirtless fans the stars at MLB stadiums as “Tarps Off” trend sweeps baseball world

SUMMARY: Major League Baseball is experiencing an epidemic of (mostly) guys being dudes. At ballparks all across the country, groups of largely young men are joining in on the “Tarps Off” trend that’s loud, goofy, infectious and new to the baseball world. Joining in on the fun is simple: Go to the section where the party is happening, take off your shirt and start twirling it above your head. After getting it’s start in St. Louis last Friday, it has spread across the league to places like Detroit, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Anaheim, California.

WORDS: 548 - MOVED: 05/20/2026 1:13 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b07576816fbc5abfcfda2d7b50e98ea6&mediaType=text

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BKN--CAVALIERS-KNICKS

Jalen Brunson leads Knicks back from 22 down in the 4th for 115-104 win over Cavs in OT in Game 1

SUMMARY: Jalen Brunson sparked one of the NBA’s greatest postseason comebacks, a rally from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter, and he finished with 38 points as New York beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. After a record-setting run through the first two rounds, the Knicks were going nowhere for 40 minutes, trailing 93-71 with 7:52 to play. But Brunson relentlessly attacked James Harden to spark an 18-1 run that made it a ballgame, and he tied it at 101-all on a basket with 19 seconds remaining in regulation.

WORDS: 616 - MOVED: 05/20/2026 12:26 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9fc0d93422e35926bda74c987f672502&mediaType=text

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BKN--CAVALIERS-HARDEN STRUGGLES

‘We were attacking Harden’: Knicks, Brunson go after Cavs veteran to key their improbable comeback

SUMMARY: James Harden’s struggles to defend Jalen Brunson down the stretch stuck out as a big factor in the Cleveland Cavaliers blowing a 22-point fourth-quarter lead and losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in overtime. Brunson scored on several possessions in a row off the dribble with Harden guarding him. Coach Kenny Atkinson said he trusts Harden and never considered sitting the 11-time NBA All-Star on defense. Harden also struggled with the ball in his hands, shooting 5 of 16 overall and 1 of 3 from 3-point range and turning the ball over six times.

WORDS: 556 - MOVED: 05/20/2026 12:24 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:5607578c9045a3eebc877991fab5acac&mediaType=text

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BKN--ON BASKETBALL-GAME 1 MAGIC

On Basketball: Game 1s in the NBA’s conference finals were beyond belief

SUMMARY: If the NBA had screenwriters, not even they could come up with a start this good to the conference finals. Victor Wembanyama has 41 points and 24 rebounds. San Antonio goes into Oklahoma City and beats the defending champion Thunder. New York trails by 22 points with about eight minutes left in regulation, then beats Cleveland. Both games go to overtime, in a conference finals first. And the score at the end of regulation in both games was 101-101. The best player on the winning team took over in crunch time: Wembanyama for the Spurs and Jalen Brunson for the Knicks.

WORDS: 685 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 11:44 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fbede6a5a5744878700d20d3dc8136e1&mediaType=text

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FBC--BIG TEN MEETINGS

Big Ten commish says a 24-team playoff would make regular season more meaningful, not less

SUMMARY: Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti paints his conference’s 24-team College Football Playoff proposal as a way of making the regular season more meaningful, not less. Petitti said Tuesday he’s surprised he keeps having to explain that to a stout group of critics who favor a smaller expansion. Meeting with reporters at the Big Ten spring meetings, the commissioner explained reasons he favors doubling the current 12-team format. He’ll need buy-in from the Southeastern Conference, whose own commissioner, Greg Sankey, says he expects some of his coaches and athletic directors to favor that format as well at that league’s meetings next week.

WORDS: 644 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 11:30 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7d0d0090cc0f2974aa0d15b28dc5b34c&mediaType=text

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BKN--MAVERICKS-KIDD OUT

Jason Kidd is out as coach of the Mavericks, 2 weeks after the hiring of team president Masai Ujiri

SUMMARY: Jason Kidd is out as coach of the Dallas Mavericks after five seasons, and two weeks after the club hired former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as team president and governor. The team says it is parting ways with Kidd, describing the move as a mutual decision. The Hall of Fame point guard led the franchise to its only championship as a player in 2011. When asked about the future of Kidd at his introduction on May 5, Ujiri was noncommittal, saying he would talk to Kidd while evaluating all aspects of the team.

WORDS: 716 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 10:36 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:80aa1b095dd4a6d1e1ca517f00bf2206&mediaType=text

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MMA--ROUSY-CARANO-RATINGS

Rousey’s return draws US-record MMA viewership for Netflix

SUMMARY: The first live MMA event broadcast on Netflix — featuring a double-comeback bout between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano — attracted the most U.S. viewers in the sport’s history. Netflix and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions are reporting as many as 17 million viewers worldwide, including a peak of 11.6 million in the U.S. The U.S. figure surpassed the previous MMA record of 8.8 million in 2011 for UFC on FOX 1. The 39-year-old Rousey, performing in a mixed martial arts cage for the first time in nearly a decade, defeated the 44-year-old Carano with her signature armbar move just 17 seconds into the bout.

WORDS: 195 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 8:19 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:45d0c928e480791375533409e4b63a11&mediaType=text

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BBO--YANKEES-COLE

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole to return from elbow surgery Friday night against the Rays

SUMMARY: Gerrit Cole is scheduled to return from Tommy John surgery Friday night and make his season debut for the New York Yankees against Tampa Bay. Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced the plan Tuesday before his team’s game against Toronto. Cole, a six-time All-Star and the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since October 2024 in Game 5 of the World Series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees had planned for Cole to make one more minor league rehab start. But after the 35-year-old right-hander threw 86 pitches over 5 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday night, Cole and the Yankees changed course.

WORDS: 931 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 8:17 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:26e8dc8dc8b5e0db0085b7199a5dbbe6&mediaType=text

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HKN--GOLDEN KNIGHTS-APPEAL DENIED

NHL denies Golden Knights’ appeal to get draft-pick punishment reduced, AP sources say

SUMMARY: The Vegas Golden Knights’ appeal to have their punishment reduced for breaking media access rules has been denied by the NHL and they will lose a second-round pick in the draft this year. That’s according to two people with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the league had not announced the result of the appeal. The league docked Vegas the second-rounder and fined coach John Tortorella $100,000 for what it called flagrant violations of media regulations. Tortorella refused to speak to reporters and the team did not open its locker room following a series-clinching Game 6 victory.

WORDS: 556 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 8:12 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d80f4585f992efb7c6d5a0cd12a28f91&mediaType=text

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SOC--ENGLISH ROUNDUP

Arsenal wins its first Premier League title in 22 years after Man City draws with Bournemouth

SUMMARY: Arsenal was crowned Premier League champion for the first time since 2004 after Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth. The result put an end to City’s title challenge with one round of the season go. Pep Guardiola’s team needed to win at the Vitality Stadium to take it down to the final game of the campaign on Sunday. But the draw left Arsenal with an unassailable four-point lead at the top, ending its 22-year wait for the title. Arsenal fans celebrated wildly outside its Emirates Stadium. The players did likewise after gathering to watch the game at the club’s training ground.

WORDS: 823 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 7:18 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:828b9b177f8c0484754945eeb4ee0d0f&mediaType=text

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FBN--CHIEFS-RICE

Chiefs’ Rashee Rice ordered to jail after testing positive for marijuana in violation of probation

SUMMARY: Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice has been sentenced to serve 30 days in jail after testing positive for marijuana in violation of the terms of his probation for his role in a crash that left multiple people injured on a Dallas highway two years ago. The Texas State Attorney’s Office said Rice was ordered to go to jail now as part of his original sentence for the third-degree felony of racing and causing bodily injury. Rice is set to be released on June 16. The team said it is aware of the situation and has been in touch with the league office.

WORDS: 518 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 6:36 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b44f882e7facf5d08130fbc655b67256&mediaType=text

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US-VOTING RIGHTS-BLACK ATHLETE BOYCOTT 3RD WRITETHRU

NAACP calls for boycott of Southern college sports programs over voting rights

SUMMARY: The NAACP is calling on Black athletes, alumni, fans and the general public to boycott the athletic programs of public universities in states that aim to redistrict longtime Black lawmakers. If Black athletes participate in the boycott, it could deplete rosters for powerhouse football and basketball programs across the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference. The effort was launched Tuesday, and it comes as civil rights activists aim to apply pressure to Republican-led state legislatures through mass protests and economic boycotts. The Congressional Black Caucus has also said it will oppose a key piece of legislation backed by college athletic conferences unless conference leaders oppose the redistricting efforts.

WORDS: 1232 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 6:31 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:67fdb6561b7fb3dfd3c2a804047a68e5&mediaType=text

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CAR--NASCAR-HALL OF FAME

Kevin Harvick selected to NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2027 along with Jeff Burton, Larry Phillips

SUMMARY: Kevin Harvick, who captured the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship and won 60 races at the sport’s top level, has been selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with fellow drivers Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips. The induction ceremony is set for Jan. 22, 2027, bringing the total number to 73 Hall of Fame inductees. Harvick’s career took an unexpected turn in 2001 when he was selected by team owner Richard Childress to replace Dale Earnhardt after the seven-time champion was killed in a wreck at the Daytona 500. He earned NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 2001.

WORDS: 689 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 6:02 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3f27a9214a8ac65439fb4c962e91768f&mediaType=text

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FBN--NFL-SUBPOENA

Roger Goodell says the NFL is cooperating with the Florida AG after receiving subpoena

SUMMARY: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league is cooperating with Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier after being issued a subpoena last week. Uthmeier sent the subpoena to the NFL on May 13 as his office investigates whether the league has committed potential civil rights violations related to the Rooney Rule and the league’s other employment practices, policies and programs. Uthmeier threatened possible enforcement actions against the league in March if it didn’t suspend the 23-year-old Rooney Rule. The subpoena commands the league to appear at the attorney general’s office in Tallahassee, Florida, on June 12.

WORDS: 464 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 5:58 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4d4bcdabdf92f9cf03f1f7335dddd335&mediaType=text

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FBN--NFL MEETINGS

NFL owners approve playing up to 10 international games beyond 2026 season

SUMMARY: The NFL will be playing more games overseas. NFL owners on Tuesday approved an increase to 10 international games beyond this upcoming season. That’s the maximum number of games the league can play outside the United States per the collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said 16 international games is the goal. There will be a record nine international games this season across four continents, including the first regular-season games in France and Australia. Rio de Janeiro will be a first-time host, there will be three games in London, one in Munich, one in Spain and one in Mexico City.

WORDS: 1003 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 5:49 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:531e496b3e7fff3ed05bf76aaa21ea86&mediaType=text

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US-SOC--WCUP-WHALE WALL

An outcry erupts as a whale mural beloved by many in Dallas is replaced with art for the World Cup

SUMMARY: The painting over of a giant mural in Dallas of swimming whales to make way for art related to the upcoming World Cup matches has spurred an outcry. The mural had become a beloved part the downtown landscape to many. But this month, passersby began noticing that the mural that’s graced two entire walls of a parking garage for nearly 30 years was being painted over with solid blue paint. Wyland, the artist who created the mural, said in a statement that the destruction left him “deeply disheartened.” Hundreds of people upset by the erasure have signed a Change.org petition.

WORDS: 500 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 5:44 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d89333faf9431c8fff1620b5b9b44426&mediaType=text

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FBO--WOMEN’S FLAG FOOTBALL

Women’s flag football on track to gain NCAA championship status before sport makes its Olympic debut

SUMMARY: Women’s flag football is on track to gaining NCAA championship status. A title game may even take place right before the sport makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games. The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact voted Tuesday to recommend that Divisions I, II and III add a national collegiate flag football championship as soon as the spring of 2028. It’s a giant step toward NCAA championship inclusion for women’s flag football. In order to be recommended, 40 schools need to sponsor it at the varsity level. More than 100 schools have been planning to compete during the next academic year, according to the NCAA.

WORDS: 566 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 5:02 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4fccfe51c4091fcd66d4de41e9afb1d7&mediaType=text

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BBO--YANKEES-BAGGY PANTS JAZZ

Jazz Age style: Chisholm borrows Stanton’s baggy pants, Caballero’s bat to spark turnaround

SUMMARY: Jazz Chisholm Jr. is making a style statement with baggy pants, and it’s paying off for the New York Yankees. Chisholm has been wearing Giancarlo Stanton’s trousers and using José Caballero’s bat to break out of an early season slump. His tiebreaking, two-run homer led the Yankees to a 7-6 win over Toronto on Monday. Chisholm’s batting average had sunk to .200, but he’s been on a hot streak since switching gear. Teammates and Yankees fans love the look, and manager Aaron Boone doesn’t mind the sartorial strangeness. Chisholm’s new pants even have his name on them now.

WORDS: 727 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 4:41 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c37626ba580d265892e12f886b356221&mediaType=text

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SOC--ARSENAL-HOW THE TITLE WAS WON

Pickpockets, set-pieces and keeping the faith: Inside Arsenal’s journey to the top of English soccer

WORDS: 948 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 4:38 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ab159ec095995f52177589239e8855a6&mediaType=text

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SOC--SOUTHAMPTON-SPYING SANCTION

Southampton expelled from playoffs for spying, loses shot at promotion to Premier League

SUMMARY: Southampton has been expelled from the Championship playoffs after admitting to repeatedly spying on opponents. The English Football League reinstated Middlesbrough to play in the final — the richest game in soccer — against Hull City on Saturday. The winner gets promoted to the Premier League. Southampton was accused of the unauthorized filming of Middlesbrough’s practice sessions ahead of their semifinal. It went on to win the two-legged tie to go within one game of promotion to the top flight. The league said the southcoast club had subsequently admitted further breaches this season concerning games against Oxford United and Ipswich. It was also deducted four points for next season.

WORDS: 469 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 3:48 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f75d7cb0400050484f3112abfc05ac8f&mediaType=text

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FBN--SUPER BOWL-NASHVILLE

NFL taking 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville and Titans’ new enclosed stadium

SUMMARY: The NFL is taking the 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville and the Tennessee Titans’ new Nissan Stadium after team owners voted Tuesday to hold the league’s championship game in the Music City for the first time. Once the Titans broke ground on the $2.1 billion enclosed stadium, a Super Bowl being played in Nashville appeared to be only a matter of time. Commissioner Roger Goodell said in November that Nashville lacked only the stage after setting a new standard for the league’s annual draft with record attendance at the 2019 draft. The Titans are on schedule to finish the new stadium directly across from the current Nissan Stadium in February, completing the three-year construction.

WORDS: 789 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 3:00 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a3522bd938e09fa523082c98e4d44330&mediaType=text

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GLF--ON THE FRINGE-PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Aaron Rai a surprise major winner only by name as PGA Championship lives up to major reputation

SUMMARY: Aaron Rai might be a surprising winner of the PGA Championship, but that’s based on his pedigree and not the quality of shots that makes him a major champion. Rai performed like a champion and delivered shots at Aronimink that will be remembered for a long time. Most surprising is that he outplayed some of the best players in the game. It’s worth nothing that the PGA Championship also came away a big winner. It gets referred to as the fourth of four majors. But this was a week that tested every aspect of the game from the tee box to the green.

WORDS: 1006 - MOVED: 05/19/2026 2:54 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f9b1bab64453befaf8db81b7491beb28&mediaType=text

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