AP Sports Digest
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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FBN--INSIDE THE NUMBERS
DESCRIPTION: With a nearly seven-month wait since the Super Bowl for meaning NFL games, it’s only natural for Week 1 to fuel some overreactions. What happened last season was the latest example of why that might not be wise. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. 1000 words, photos.
UPCOMING: By 09/16/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT, Text
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FBC--PITT-NARDUZZI’S RUN
DESCRIPTION: Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi will coach in his school-record 144th game on Thursday night when Syracuse visits. The coach who was hired to give the Panthers some needed stability has done that during a run that includes an ACC championship. By Will Graves.
UPCOMING: By 09/16/2026 10:30 a.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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FBC--KANSAS-LONDON
DESCRIPTION: Kansas holds practice ahead of weekend game at Wembley Stadium vs. Arizona State
UPCOMING: By 09/16/2026 3:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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NEW AND DEVELOPING
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BBO--ORIOLES-ALONSO
Pete Alonso hits 300th homer to tie game in 9th against Mets and gets rare curtain call on road
SUMMARY: Pete Alonso hit plenty of memorable home runs for the New York Mets. This one came at their expense — and still earned him a curtain call in Queens. Alonso launched his 300th career homer Tuesday night, a tying shot in the ninth inning against his former team, and Coby Mayo’s inside-the-park homer in the 11th sent the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-5 victory at Citi Field. With the Orioles clinging to playoff hopes, Alonso connected off Kodai Senga to tie the score 3-all. The pumped-up slugger fired his bat toward the Baltimore dugout and shouted in excitement. He rounded the bases as the crowd of 28,097 roared and then called him out for a rare curtain call on the road. Alonso hit a club-record 264 homers for the Mets before signing with the Orioles last December.
WORDS: 762 - MOVED: 09/16/2026 1:30 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7ab48878d0947f325a1d5ac03b75c270&mediaType=text
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BBO--BREWERS CLINCH
The Milwaukee Brewers and their brand of selfless baseball are NL Central champions again
SUMMARY: The Milwaukee Brewers have clinched their fourth straight NL Central title. Ace Jacob Misiorowski admits he’s still trying to figure out how they keep winning. The Brewers have relied on a mix of good pitching, timely hitting and smart baserunning. They have the 19th-highest payroll in baseball and the best record in the majors as the season winds down. The next goal for the Brewers is to finish as the top seed in the National League and earn home-field advantage in the playoffs.
WORDS: 989 - MOVED: 09/16/2026 12:24 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:557c299f4554f467bfd8f05967fb92a0&mediaType=text
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BKL--WORLD CUP-RATINGS
TNT says 1.2 million viewers watched the US beat France in the women’s FIBA World Cup final
SUMMARY: The U.S. delivered record ratings for the women’s FIBA World Cup on TNT, with an average of 1.2 million people watching the Americans beat France in the gold medal game. It was the third most-watched women’s World Cup game and it peaked at 1.5 million viewers. The top two also came from this year’s tournament, which ended Sunday. The title game went up against the opening weekend of the NFL season and the U.S. Open men’s final. The WNBA has drawn huge ratings this season, thanks in no small part to Caitlin Clark’s star power.
WORDS: 426 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 11:01 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:61fac074713c71d66ab290440fae1fbe&mediaType=text
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US--SENATE-COLLEGE SPORTS
A sweeping college sports overhaul bill clears early hurdle in Senate vote
SUMMARY: Legislation to broadly regulate college sports has cleared a first major hurdle in the Senate. The Senate voted Tuesday to consider the bill, a significant step forward as senators from both parties have made the legislation a priority. The bill aims to put guardrails around escalating spending in college sports as the industry struggles to adapt to a new model in which schools can pay players. Major conferences, Senate leadership and President Donald Trump have backed the bipartisan bill. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz of Texas said the bill aims to quell “the chaos we have in college sports.”
WORDS: 826 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 8:09 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d4a1a9e0cd6c0a36c0cfd5cf4f87fc42&mediaType=text
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SOC--EUROPEAN ROUNDUP
Real Madrid pulls off late La Liga win after squandering 2-goal lead at Elche. Mbappé scores again
SUMMARY: Carlos Espí has scored in stoppage time after a nifty move by Jude Bellingham and an assist by Kylian Mbappé to help Real Madrid salvage a 3-2 win at Elche in the Spanish league after it relinquished a two-goal lead. Bellingham used a neat long touch to get past an opponent near midfield and fed Mbappé in a breakaway into the area, and the France star quickly setup Espí’s close-range score to give Madrid the victory and move the Spanish powerhouse even on points with Barcelona. Defending champion Barcelona can regain the lead when it hosts promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday.
WORDS: 667 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 6:33 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:900c9d0f1bf4ba8b531e9e67f7e1e900&mediaType=text
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SOC--ARGENTINA-FRIENDLIES
Lionel Messi added to Argentina’s roster for Oct. 6 friendly that team says will be farewell match
SUMMARY: Lionel Messi might have one last dance with Argentina after all. Despite announcing his international retirement, the 39-year-old Inter Miami star was included Tuesday in Lionel Scaloni’s 28-man Argentina squad ahead of three home friendlies. Messi has yet to confirm whether he will join the team. But the head of Argentina soccer says the icon accepted the invitation for the Oct. 6 game against Benin in Buenos Aires for what will be a grand finale. Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and helped the Albiceleste reach the final at the 2026 edition.
WORDS: 338 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 6:10 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2e08c7b23aad42a807cbdc500a1d9e05&mediaType=text
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BKN--CELTICS-GEORGE
Paul George understands sentiments after trade, says he’s ready to prove himself with Celtics
SUMMARY: Paul George is embracing his new role with the Boston Celtics after being traded from Philadelphia. George says he understands fans’ disappointment over losing Jaylen Brown but said he’s focused on the opportunity ahead of him. George said he’s in a great place after past injuries and remains motivated as he prepares to join his fifth NBA team.
WORDS: 739 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 5:48 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:44885873896aacaf6cff030dd0baa02a&mediaType=text
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BKN--NBA-BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Silver says NBA looked at precedent before doling out Clippers’ penalties for cap circumvention
SUMMARY: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says the league looked at precedent before taking away five first-round draft picks from the Los Angeles Clippers for circumventing salary cap rules. He spoke Tuesday at the end of a two-day Board of Governors meeting. Silver pointed to a precedent with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were once docked five picks for similar violations. He acknowledged the decision was difficult because of its impact on fans. The Clippers were found to have circumvented rules on Kawhi Leonard’s behalf. The NBA also has suspended owner Steve Ballmer for one year and fined the team $30 million.
WORDS: 1002 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 5:31 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:877cacce94824e32f78c896fa52644a2&mediaType=text
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FBC--T25-TEXAS-MANNING APOLOGY
Texas QB Arch Manning apologizes to ESPN reporter Holly Rowe for laughing about fake video of slap
SUMMARY: Texas quarterback Arch Manning has apologized for publicly joking about an AI-altered video that depicted Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe in the moments after Texas’ big win over Ohio State. Manning was asked Monday at a news conference if he’d seen any social media posts about the postgame celebration. He mentioned the fake video clip, called it “hilarious” and laughed about it. The comments drew widespread criticism on social media. Manning publicly apologized to Rowe on Tuesday in a statement on Instagram. Rowe posted a note accepting his apology.
WORDS: 593 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 5:08 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1bf9de0fa2820fcb34c6999f3289fa43&mediaType=text
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FBN--BRONCOS-ANALYSIS
A proud Broncos defense unravels: 28 missed tackles fuel a 31-10 loss at Arrowhead
SUMMARY: The Denver Broncos’ defense struggled in a 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. They missed 28 tackles, allowing 247 yards after contact, marking one of the worst performances across the NFL since 2018. Patrick Mahomes ran for a touchdown and Kenneth Walker III gained 173 yards on the ground against Denver. Broncos receiver Jaylen Waddle was limited to a single catch, and new play-caller Davis Webb had a disappointing debut.
WORDS: 755 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 4:31 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6efca6f49418f1da38f695dc059ce27e&mediaType=text
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BKC--USC-BAKER-MAZARA LAWSUIT
Chad Baker-Mazara sues USC and Eric Musselman, alleging NIL pay dispute and racial remarks
SUMMARY: Former Southern California basketball player Chad Baker-Mazara is suing the university and coach Eric Musselman after being dismissed from the team in March. The lawsuit was filed Monday. It claims Musselman removed Baker-Mazara to avoid paying the remainder of his NIL contract. It also alleges Musselman made racially charged remarks after a loss to Nebraska. Baker-Mazara accuses USC of breach of contract and other offenses. USC says the dismissal was unrelated to race and plans to contest the lawsuit. Baker-Mazara was a key player for the Trojans and says he received no reason for his dismissal.
WORDS: 620 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 3:57 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7758a6a9c97e1c89622d905069d50c45&mediaType=text
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FBC--T25-OHIO ST-WHAT’S NEXT
Ryan Day calls Ohio State’s Texas collapse ‘maddening’ as sixth-ranked Buckeyes seek quick fixes
SUMMARY: Coach Ryan Day might have been understating things slightly when he said there’s a lot that comes with a loss at Ohio State. Last Saturday’s historic fourth-quarter collapse by the Buckeyes in their 24-23 loss at Texas has brought angst and second-guessing usually reserved for losses to arch-rival Michigan. Day spent Tuesday’s news conference going through the post-mortem after experiencing only his second setback in 27 games in September while trying to outline his hopes of preventing the loss from snowballing and impacting the rest of the season. Day says “the last couple of days haven’t been fun around here.”
WORDS: 689 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 2:18 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d682301a5d0f9f5771064bc3bf059fdd&mediaType=text
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HKN--CAPITALS-OVECHKIN
Capitals say Alex Ovechkin was asked to film United Russia ad while home this summer
SUMMARY: After Alex Ovechkin appeared in an ad for Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, the Washington Capitals said their long-time captain was asked to participate while back in his home country this summer. Team spokesperson Sergey Kocharov says in a statement to The Associated Press that Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow during the offseason and plans to return there after retiring from his NHL career. Kocharov says Ovechkin is a pillar of the community in Washington and that his and the team’s focus is on the coming season and the impact he makes on and off the ice.
WORDS: 355 - MOVED: 09/15/2026 1:50 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ab072baa41fd87569531f2767e1acf70&mediaType=text
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