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

——————————

BKN--NBA FINALS COVERAGE

FORMATS: Text, Photo

1. WITH: BKN--NBA FINALS COVERAGE

2. DESCRIPTION: Coverage of the NBA Finals

3. UPCOMING: By 06/09/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT

___

SOC--INTERNATIONAL ROUNDUP

DESCRIPTION: Luciano Spalletti takes charge of his final game as Italy coach in a World Cup qualifier at home to Moldova. Spalletti said he would be losing his job after the Italians, who missed the last two World Cups, started the qualifying campaign with a 3-0 loss at Norway on Friday. By Steve Douglas. UPCOMING: 400 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 06/09/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo

___

GLF--US OPEN

FORMATS: Text

4. WITH: GLF--US OPEN-ANNIVERSARIES

5. DESCRIPTION: OAKMONT, Pa. -- A capsule look at key anniversaries this year for the U.S. Open, including Ben Hogan winning at Merion 75 years ago. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. Upcoming: 1,300 words, photos.

6. SENT: By 06/09/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT

7. WITH: GLF--US OPEN-TREE TRENDS

8. DESCRIPTION: OAKMONT, Pa. -- Last month, Scottie Scheffler made mention of a popular trend in golf design that rubs him wrong -- removing trees from the courses. If so, the world’s best player won’t have much love for this week’s stop for the U.S. Open, Oakmont Country Club. That’s the course that started a trend three decades ago when it began removing some 15,000 trees from the course to restore it to its original design. Moved: 1,100 words, photos.

9. SENT: By 06/09/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT

10. WITH: GLF--US OPEN-THE DENTIST

11. DESCRIPTION: PITTSBURGH — Matt Vogt is a dreamer, but a practical one. The long-hitting amateur Pittsburgh native is in this week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he caddied as a teenager. No matter how he does, however, one thing is for certain: he’ll be back at his dental practice in the Indianapolis suburbs next week. By Will Graves. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos.

12. UPCOMING: By 06/09/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT

13. WITH: GLF--US OPEN

14. DESCRIPTION: OAKMONT, Pa. -- Xander Schauffele is still finding his groove after a rib injury disrupted the start of his year. The U.S. Open should be a good measure. Schauffele is renowned for keeping his head on straight in the toughest moments, which explains why he has finished out of the top 10 only once in his eight U.S. Open appearances. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. Upcoming: 800 words, photos.

15. UPCOMING: By 06/09/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT

___

FBN--ENERGIZED 49ERS

DESCRIPTION: SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The vibes were off from the the start last season for the San Francisco 49ers. Contract disputes provided a cloud over the team throughout the spring and summer, the Super Bowl hangover and a third straight short offseason sapped some energy and a lack of roster turnover led to some staleness around the Niners. Those factors and a bevy of injuries turned a Super Bowl contender into a 6-11 also-ran, leading coach Kyle Shanahan to deliver a blunt message at the end of the season about what needed to change in 2025. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. 600 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 06/09/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT, Text

___

BBO--DIAMONDBACKS-PITCHING-WOES

DESCRIPTION: PHOENIX — The normally budget-conscious Arizona Diamondbacks have been willing to spend big money over the past several years, gambling on the notoriously volatile market that is free agent starting pitching. So far, it’s a $425 million bet that has come up snake eyes. By Baseball Writer David Brandt. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 2 p.m. MST.

UPCOMING: By 06/09/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT, Text

___

BBO--RED-FRANCONA-CLEVELAND RETURN

DESCRIPTION: CLEVELAND -- Reds manager Terry Francona has his first game in Cleveland since leaving as the Guardians manager after the 2023 season. Francona led the Guardians to six playoff appearances and the 2016 World Series in 11 seasons a the helm. By Joe Reedy. 600 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 06/09/2025 6:00 p.m. EDT, Text

___

HKW--PWHL-EXPANSION DRAFT

DESCRIPTION: After adding five players apiece during last week’s signing period, The PWHL’s two newest teams, Seattle and Vancouver, will each fill seven more spots on their rosters in the expansion draft on Monday night. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Draft begins at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

UPCOMING: By 06/09/2025 11:00 p.m. EDT, Text

___

BBO--DODGERS-PADRES

DESCRIPTION: SAN DIEGO — Nick Pivetta takes the mound for the Padres against Dustin May and the Dodgers in the California archrivals’ first meeting of the season. San Diego trails defending champ Los Angeles by just one game in the NL West standings. By Greg Beacham. UPCOMING: 300 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 06/09/2025 11:55 p.m. EDT, Text

___

——————————

NEW AND DEVELOPING

——————————

CAR--NASCAR-IN THE PITS

NASCAR goes south of the border to grow fan base with its 1st Cup Series race in Mexico City

SUMMARY: NASCAR’s first international Cup Series race of the modern era is all about attracting new fans in a new market. NASCAR is headed to Mexico City for three days of racing at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, one of the most popular stops on the Formula 1 calendar. This will be the first time since 1958 and only the third time in 77 years that NASCAR’s top series will run an international event that counts in the championship standings.

WORDS: 850 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 12:49 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d343188e7c3c1b06727ae42d533963a4&mediaType=text

___

BKC--ESPN-VITALE

Dick Vitale has an extension with ESPN — and a college basketball event in his honor

SUMMARY: Famed broadcaster Dick Vitale is sticking around college basketball with a new contract extension and a new event named in his honor. ESPN announced Monday that Vitale has signed a contract through the 2027-28 season. In addition, ESPN Events is launching the Dick Vitale Invitational. The first matchup comes with a matchup between Duke and Texas on Nov. 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina, during the first week of the college basketball season. The announcement comes on Vitale’s 86th birthday. It also comes months after he returned to the airwaves after being gone for two years amid a fourth cancer battle.

WORDS: 226 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 12:01 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d34f215c1c4a10c699bfe3d33a146cd8&mediaType=text

___

TEN--ALCARAZ AND SINNER

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now take their terrific rivalry from the French Open to Wimbledon

SUMMARY: The takeaways from Carlos Alcaraz’s fifth-set tiebreaker victory over Jannik Sinner in the French Open men’s final are multiple and significant. Let’s start with this: Anyone worried about how men’s tennis would survive in the post-Big Three era can rest easy. Alcaraz and Sinner produced 5 1/2 hours of evidence Sunday that the game is in good hands — and that their rivalry will be, and perhaps already is, a transcendent one. They have combined to win the past six Grand Slam titles and eight of the last 11. Now they’ll head to Wimbledon, where play begins June 30.

WORDS: 846 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 11:12 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0f83d29c58eeab9229cb312822516cc7&mediaType=text

___

BKN--NBA FINALS-PACERS

Pacers, back home in Indiana, have some things to figure out before Game 3 vs. Thunder in NBA Finals

SUMMARY: The Indiana Pacers simply couldn’t wait to get home early Monday. There’s a slew of possible reasons for that. Maybe they just wanted to get out of Oklahoma City with their split of the first two games in the NBA Finals. Maybe they couldn’t wait to see what finals fever will look like in Indianapolis after a 25-year wait to get back to the title round. Or maybe they just wanted to get back to work. It’s probably a little of everything — especially the last part.

WORDS: 773 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 10:33 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9075a49555a884bf64ae6a2fe0802644&mediaType=text

___

SOC—CLUB WORLD CUP-SOCCER IN NASHVILLE

Nashville grows from ‘not a soccer city’ to hosting Club World Cup matches

SUMMARY: Soccer fans in Music City once numbered so few that someone could recognize a car’s driver by the bumper sticker. Now? Don’t wave. Odds are that’s a stranger. Soccer has grown by leaps and bounds from the immigrants who played at a park decades ago through semi-pro ball to teams drawing only a diehard fans. That thirst for soccer helped Nashville go from an outside chance at a Major League Soccer expansion franchise to drawing the biggest crowd to see a match in the state of Tennessee in February 2020. Now Nashville SC will be hosting Club World Cup games at GEODIS Park in June.

WORDS: 1346 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 10:24 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8df3e2422d3fb2a14c2649793af2414e&mediaType=text

___

FBN--PACKERS-ALEXANDER

Packers plan to release veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, AP source says

SUMMARY: A person familiar with the situation says the Green Bay Packers are planning to release veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Packers haven’t announced the move yet. NFL Network first reported it. The release would end a seven-year run with the Packers in which Alexander earned two Pro Bowl selections and intercepted 12 passes. Injuries limited his playing time in recent seasons. This move is expected to clear about $17 million in cap space. The Packers are holding their mandatory minicamp this week.

WORDS: 536 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 10:19 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:5d88c8484aa7be7be1dff543ab5b5d8d&mediaType=text

___

HKN--STANLEY CUP

Stanley Cup Final shifts to South Florida for Game 3 after the Panthers and Oilers split in Edmonton

SUMMARY: The Stanley Cup Final shifts to Sunrise for Game 3 on Monday night between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers. The last time the Oilers were here, they experienced a gut-wrenching Game 7 defeat in the final a little under a year ago. They were back in the same visiting locker room for practice Sunday that they were in last June 24, listening to the Panthers celebrate with the Stanley Cup. This series is tied at a game apiece after the teams split in Edmonton.

WORDS: 400 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 6:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1192cb4dd21931aa4a26985cf7322d82&mediaType=text

___

BBO--THIS WEEK IN BASEBALL

Atlanta’s season is starting to slip away after another 7-game losing streak

SUMMARY: A 4-3 defeat at San Francisco dropped the Atlanta Braves to 10 games under .500 and 9 1/2 behind the National League’s final playoff spot. The Braves haven’t missed the postseason since 2017. It’s too early to count them out this year, but they can’t afford to have much more go wrong. Atlanta started the season 0-7, then spent about six weeks clawing its way back to .500. All that work has already been undone after the Braves dropped another seven straight this past week. The last five of those defeats have been by one run.

WORDS: 674 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 6:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:31fd087f782169ca78ca478c4564999e&mediaType=text

___

GLF--US OPEN-TREE TRENDS

US Open ’25: Decades ago under dark of night, Oakmont began removing trees and started a golf trend

SUMMARY: Last month, Scottie Scheffler made mention of a trend in golf design that rubs him wrong -- removing trees from courses. This week, the world’s best player and favorite to win the U.S. Open will play a course that did just that, but didn’t become one bit easier the way so many layouts do when the trees go away. Under the dark of night three decades ago, the people in charge of Oakmont Country Club started cutting down trees. They didn’t stop until some 15,000 had been removed. The project reimagined one of America’s foremost golf cathedrals and started a trend of tree cutting that continues to this day across the country.

WORDS: 1149 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 6:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:330c0ef5e0226a70681cdd304ae934fb&mediaType=text

___

GLF--US OPEN-ANNIVERSARIES

US Open ’25: Hogan and Woods and other key anniversaries in the U.S. Open this year

SUMMARY: A capsule look at key anniversaries this year for the U.S. Open, a list that includes Ben Hogan at Merion in 1950 and Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach in 2000.

WORDS: 1488 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 6:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:842ffb5e16065ad9b119455642fd6f34&mediaType=text

___

BKN--NBA FINALS-THUNDER

Through 2 Finals games, it’s clear that the moment isn’t too big for OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

SUMMARY: The moment is clearly not too big for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. These are his first NBA Finals. It’s hard to remember that sometimes. The Oklahoma City Thunder star — and NBA MVP — just had a pair of debut finals games like nobody in league history, with a combined 72 points in his first two appearances in the title series. That’s a record. The previous mark for someone in his first two finals games: 71 by Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson in 2001.

WORDS: 697 - MOVED: 06/09/2025 6:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d8a2ecd5e0477f5b82b2e2f0b63df53d&mediaType=text

——————————

MOVING TOMORROW

——————————

BKN--NBA FINALS COVERAGE

Coverage of the NBA Finals.

___

HKN--STANLEY CUP

Coverage of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.

___

SOC--WCUP-YEAR TO GO

NEW YORK —- A year from the start of the expanded 48-nation World Cup in the U.S. Mexico and Canada, there has been no announcement on ticket sales and prices for most seats as FIFA’s top officials mostly avoid disclosing details. By Ronald Blum.

___

SOC--SWITZERLAND-US

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United States plays Switzerland in a friendly, its last match before the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

___