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--GIANTS-DART
DESCRIPTION: Jaxson Dart has a chip on his shoulder that he says is the result of the New York Giants going 4-13 during his rookie year and is trying to prevent a repeat of another rough season, starting in training camp. By Stephen Whyno. Text, photos.
UPCOMING: By 08/03/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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BKL--MERCURY-PLUM
DESCRIPTION: PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury needed a boost if they’re going to make the playoffs a year after reaching the WNBA Finals. Trading for All-Star Kelsey Plum could be just the push they need. By John Marshall. 600 words, photos.
UPCOMING: By 08/03/2026 6:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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FBN--RAIDERS-GEORGIA CONNECTION
DESCRIPTION: Three Las Vegas Raiders defensive starters went to Georgia, forming a special bond they hope translates into the season.
UPCOMING: By 08/03/2026 7:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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BBO--DODGERS-CUBS
DESCRIPTION: Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers face Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Ohtani and Crow-Armstrong are two of the leading contenders for NL MVP. By Baseball Writer Jay Cohen.
UPCOMING: By 08/03/2026 10:45 p.m. EDT, Text
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NEW AND DEVELOPING
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BBO--MLB-TRADE DEADLINE RDP
MLB trade deadline: Phillies add Luis Arraez as table-setter for Harper and Schwarber
SUMMARY: The Philadelphia Phillies have taken a big swing by acquiring three-time batting champion Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants to create RBI opportunities for sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. Arraez is hitting an NL-best .324 in a resurgent season after signing a $12 million, one-year deal with San Francisco early in spring training. The 29-year-old has his highest batting average since 2023, and he’s played better defense at second base after questions about his glove hindered his market in free agency.
WORDS: 730 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 1:38 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ed454aacc349690b72f13a7618bba4b2&mediaType=text
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GLF--SOLHEIM CUP
Team Europe fills out Solheim Cup team with Leona Maguire and 3 rookies
SUMMARY: Europe captain Anna Nordqvist has finalized her Solheim Cup team by adding veteran Leona Maguire and three rookies. The matches are set for September 11-13 in The Netherlands. Charley Hull of England and Esther Henseleit of Germany earned automatic spots from the Ladies European Tour points list. Henseleit surged to No. 2 after her playoff loss in the Women’s British Open. That bumped out Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland. Nordqvist picked Maguire and rookies Julia Lopez Ramirez, Nastasia Nadaud and Mimi Rhodes. Maguire has an impressive Solheim Cup record but has struggled recently. Team USA won the Solheim Cup in 2024.
WORDS: 354 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 1:16 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8d5eb068b4c6e34b35d572e37b816458&mediaType=text
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FBC--NOTRE DAME-USC RIVALRY RENEWED
Notre Dame and USC agree to resume football rivalry with a 4-game series starting in 2030
SUMMARY: Notre Dame and Southern California have announced that their college football rivalry will resume in 2030. The schools agreed to a four-game home-and-home series. Notre Dame will play in Los Angeles on August 31, 2030, and USC will visit South Bend, Indiana, on August 30, 2031. The series is known as the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football. The rivalry began in 1926 and Notre Dame leads the series 53-38-5. Both schools have a rich history. They have combined for 22 national championships and 15 Heisman Trophy winners.
WORDS: 425 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 1:09 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:40e17604cd916012078d68d52aaf1087&mediaType=text
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BKL--AROUND THE WNBA
Las Vegas Aces face a brutal 4-games-in-7-days road grind, capped by Lynx-Liberty back-to-back
SUMMARY: It’s a busy week for the Las Vegas Aces, who play four road games in seven days, including a back-to-back pair in Minnesota on Saturday and then New York a day later. The Aces will have to make the nearly 1,200-mile trek to face the Liberty less than 24 hours after facing the No. 1 team in the league — the Lynx. Minnesota also has a back-to-back this weekend, but it’s home for both games. Las Vegas’ trek is about the worst a team could have to deal with as far as back-to-back goes.
WORDS: 679 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 12:44 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:bea965140a7040010300ab55de4dd82a&mediaType=text
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BBO--PHILLIES-ARRAEZ
Phillies beef up lineup with 3-time NL batting champion Luis Arraez from San Francisco
SUMMARY: The Phillies have acquired three-time batting champion Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants. Arraez is hitting .324 this season with four homers and 47 RBIs. He’s a four-time All-Star known for his contact hitting. The Phillies also picked up right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian in the trade. Arraez’s arrival signals a major shift in the lineup, potentially affecting Bryson Stott or Alex Bohm’s positions. The Phillies are currently holding one of the final NL wild-card spots. They also acquired left-handed reliever Brooks Raley from the New York Mets.
WORDS: 532 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 12:35 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c14652b0618c8de58955e9d69b3e82ec&mediaType=text
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FBC--NCAA-ELIGIBILITY
Judge clarifies NCAA eligibility order, which could blunt its impact on new ‘5 for 5’ rule
SUMMARY: The judge who granted the right to play another year of college sports to some athletes whose eligibility ran out last school year issued a new order to make clear that does not include football players who signed pro contracts this summer then had a change of heart. That change comes after U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney responded to an NCAA request for clarity about her ruling granting a fifth year to athletes who were not included in the new rule that allows five seasons of eligibility for Division I players.
WORDS: 422 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 12:06 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4c7be58edee18f5af5025d496a48c51a&mediaType=text
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SOC--FIFA-UEFA-LEGAL THREAT
European soccer body UEFA warns FIFA of legal action over Infantino’s failed World Cup sell-off plan
SUMMARY: European soccer body UEFA has threatened FIFA with legal action over Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to private investors. It also asked for potential evidence from at least 18 FIFA executives which it said should not be destroyed. Infantino’s secretive proposal to raise $4.2 billion from investors including the New York investment firm of Joshua Kushner was dropped Saturday. It followed days of a global furor since media reports revealed the plan and UEFA members said they would boycott FIFA events. The letter dated Friday from New York legal firm Dechert was seen by The Associated Press.
WORDS: 824 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 11:53 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:de560598ef25affea0267dd568f7c431&mediaType=text
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SOC--US-POCHETTINO
Mauricio Pochettino stays as US coach, agrees to new 4-year contract through 2030 World Cup
SUMMARY: Mauricio Pochettino is staying with the U.S. soccer team, agreeing to a four-year contract to coach the Americans through the 2030 World Cup. The 54-year-old Pochettino took over the national team in October 2024. He led the U.S. to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup, where the tournament co-hosts were eliminated in a 4-1 loss to Belgium. He still helped the seeded U.S. team to a pair of firsts in the expanded 48-nation tournament, clinching advancement from the group stage with a game to spare and winning three games in a single World Cup.
WORDS: 857 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 11:23 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7e525f0a4f9f868a63d6446e4960732b&mediaType=text
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CYC--SPANISH VUELTA-POGACAR
Pogačar returns to the Spanish Vuelta in pursuit of a rare double and elusive treble
SUMMARY: Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar is returning to the Spanish Vuelta after a seven-year absence to pursue a Grand Tours hat trick of titles. The Slovenian rider’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG team announced its lineup on Monday for the three-week race. In July, Pogačar joined Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault as the only riders to win five Tour de France titles. But unlike male riders including Hinault, Anquetil, Merckx and Jonas Vingegaard, Pogačar has not also won the Spanish Vuelta for the hat trick of titles. Pogačar is also bidding to become just the fourth male rider to win the Vuelta and Tour de France in the same year.
WORDS: 294 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 8:37 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4790c58dcbd2cdcc1f3d24b7ae98a445&mediaType=text
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FBN--HALL OF FAME-CRAIG
Roger Craig’s versatility helped fuel the 49ers dynasty and earned him entry into the Hall of Fame
SUMMARY: The San Francisco 49ers’ dynasty had launched even before Roger Craig arrived in 1983 as a fullback out of Nebraska. Craig’s versatility as a runner, receiver and blocker helped elevate Bill Walsh’s offense to an even higher level as a perfect fit in a trendsetting scheme. Craig’s success in the offense led to him becoming the first player ever to reach 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season, helped San Francisco win three more Super Bowl titles and eventually made him a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Craig will be inducted into the Hall on Saturday after being chosen from the seniors category.
WORDS: 882 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 6:10 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c3756a7fcf3e1b95df1c44ac61322f9d&mediaType=text
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BBO--THIS WEEK IN BASEBALL
Skubal joins Clemens and Martinez among a handful of reigning Cy Young winners to be traded
SUMMARY: As the clock ticks down to Monday’s trade deadline, the biggest deal so far came courtesy of the Detroit Tigers. They sent left-handed ace Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Skubal is a free agent after this season, and Detroit is under .500. But even considering all that, trading away the 2024 and 2025 Cy Young Award winner couldn’t have been easy. The Tigers will be judged on how the three prospects they acquired perform. History shows that it’s possible to come out OK when trading a pitcher of Skubal’s caliber, but there are plenty of teams who got little in return.
WORDS: 975 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7ddff9e338e56703ff2673961fcf5b8c&mediaType=text
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FBN--PROVE-IT PLAYERS
Several big-name NFL players enter this season with something to prove
SUMMARY: Breece Hall has a new contract with the New York Jets and a strong desire to prove himself. Hall is among several NFL players with something to prove this season. Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield feels disrespected by the Buccaneers for not getting the contract extension he wanted. Meanwhile, quarterbacks such as Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, Minnesota’s Kyler Murray, Miami’s Malik Willis and Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr. are trying to show they’re the answer for their teams. Wide receivers such as New England’s A.J. Brown, Buffalo’s Keon Coleman and Kansas City’s Rashee Rice also face pressure to perform.
WORDS: 1316 - MOVED: 08/03/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:5022349d7e44bcdbdfaa576aeed1d7cf&mediaType=text
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MOVING TOMORROW
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FBN--BREAKOUT CANDIDATES
Here’s a look at some of the second-year players poised for a breakout campaign in 2026. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow.
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FBN--HALL OF FAME-FITZGERALD
Larry Fitzgerald spent his entire 17-year NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals, growing into one of the best receivers in NFL history. Though the franchise had its ups and downs during his tenure, his personal excellence never wavered. The 11-time Pro Bowl selection enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio. By David Brandt.
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FBO--NCAA-WOMEN’S FLAG FOOYBALL
The NCAA has women’s flag football on the fast track to becoming a championship sport. There could be a national title game as soon as the spring before the 2028 Los Angeles Games, where flag football will make its Olympic debut. By Pat Graham.
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