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
——————————
BBO--MARINERS-ICHIRO
DESCRIPTION: SEATTLE-- The Seattle Mariners will unveil their newest statue honoring Ichiro Suzuki at T-Mobile Park on Friday morning. This moment will celebrate Ichiro’s extraordinary legacy and lasting impact on the Mariners organization and Seattle. Ichiro will discuss the statue shortly after the unveiling. By Andrew Destin. 750 words. Photos.
UPCOMING: By 04/10/2026 2:30 p.m. EDT, Text
___
MMA--UFC 327 PREVIEW
DESCRIPTION: Second-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka faces No. 3 Carlos Ulberg in a light heavyweight bout.
UPCOMING: By 04/10/2026 3:00 p.m. EDT, Text
___
HKN--BLUE JACKETS-BOWNESS TIME
DESCRIPTION: At 71 and twice retired, Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness isn’t sweating the anxiety or pressure of being in the thick of a late-season playoff race he once felt in his younger days. Though the urgency to win remains, he is also enjoying the moment in what could be called the “Bowness Time” of his lengthy career. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. 650 words, photos.
UPCOMING: By 04/10/2026 4:00 p.m. EDT, Text
___
SOC--GERMAN ROUNDUP
DESCRIPTION: Hoffenheim seeks a win over Augsburg to stop a three-game winless run which has seen it fall out of the Champions League places in the Bundesliga.
UPCOMING: By 04/10/2026 4:30 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
___
HKN--MAMMOTH-PLAYOFF RUNN
DESCRIPTION: Barring a massive late-season collapse, the Utah Mammoth will be in the playoffs. The rebuild started five years ago when the franchise was still in Arizona. By John Marshall. 600 words, photos by 2 p.m. PT.
SENT: By 04/10/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT, Text
___
HKC--NCAA-CHAMPIONSHIP-PREVIEW
DESCRIPTION: Wisconsin plays Denver in the for the national championship on Saturday, giving the Big Ten Conference yet another shot at a title.
UPCOMING: By 04/10/2026 7:00 p.m. EDT, Text
___
——————————
NEW AND DEVELOPING
——————————
BKN--HEAT-ROZIER WAIVED
Heat waive Terry Rozier, the last official act of a season derailed by federal gambling charges
SUMMARY: Terry Rozier, who is facing federal charges related to a gambling operation, has been waived by the Miami Heat in an expected and procedural move that allows the team to sign another player to its roster before the postseason. Rozier was with the Heat for one game this season, that being the opener at Orlando on Oct. 22. He did not play in that game. He was arrested by federal officials at the team hotel the following morning on charges that he offered information to help people win bets on his stat totals in a 2023 game when was with the Charlotte Hornets.
WORDS: 568 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 1:44 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6d92cf1196f03a63b591d5aebe3ba3ce&mediaType=text
___
BKO--MARCH MADNESS PAYOUTS
Big Ten earns nearly $70M in March Madness incentives for appearing and advancing in tournaments
SUMMARY: The Big Ten amassed nearly $70 million in revenue from NCAA distributions awarded for team appearances and performances in the 2026 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The Big Ten swept the national championships with Michigan winning the men’s and UCLA the women’s. The Southeastern Conference totaled $56.2 million. Distributions will total $42.9 million for the Big 12, $34.2 million for the Atlantic Coast Conference and $22.2 million for the Big East. The NCAA since 1991 has rewarded conferences for having its teams appear and advance in the men’s tournament. A similar system for the women’s tournament began in 2025.
WORDS: 710 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 11:54 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3ba87a900d29fb78b977fe67c84d81b3&mediaType=text
___
HKN--FLYERS-POPE JERSEY
Flyers fans have faith as run at playoff spot follows family’s jersey gift to Pope Leo XIV
SUMMARY: Philadelphia Flyers fan Mike Culin took a unique approach to support his team by gifting Pope Leo XIV a customized Flyers jersey during a family trip to Italy. Culin, along with his family, attended a papal audience at St. Peter’s Square, hoping to catch the Pope’s attention. They succeeded, and a security team member passed the jersey to a man in the popemobile. The Flyers then started a winning streak, which some fans attribute to divine intervention. The jersey was handstitched with the pope’s name and Leo is an avowed sports fan.
WORDS: 771 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 11:49 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:33933e2da054eb8321182c0b836ff107&mediaType=text
___
BKL--SPARKS-OGWUMIKE
Nneka Ogwumike to return to the Los Angeles Sparks, where she spent first 12 years of her career
SUMMARY: Nneka Ogwumike is headed back to the Los Angeles Sparks. Ogwumike spent the first 12 seasons of her career in Los Angeles after she was drafted No. 1 by the team in 2012. She won the MVP in 2016 and helped the franchise win the WNBA championship that season. The veteran forward posted on social media a 45-second video that showed her intentions to return to the Sparks, which her agent later confirmed. Free agents can’t sign until Saturday.
WORDS: 237 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 11:00 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:be760a8882c4a4d51d29cc198f265f0f&mediaType=text
___
FBC--ALABAMA-QBS
Alabama’s spring game offers a glimpse of the Tide’s next starting QB, Mack or Russell
SUMMARY: Alabama didn’t need to turn to the transfer portal or the recruiting trail to find a replacement for potential first-round draft pick Ty Simpson. The Crimson Tide had two options waiting for a shot: Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Mack and Russell have spent spring practice vying for the starting job. Coach Kalen DeBoer has declined to offer much detail on any separation. But the team’s annual spring game Saturday could provide a glimpse into the competition.
WORDS: 713 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 9:59 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:dd9e2bac77c5786e352e3bf8d27cbb66&mediaType=text
___
GLF--MASTERS-GNOMES
Masters gnomes a hot commodity at Augusta National amid speculation this is final year of production
SUMMARY: Patrons are lining up at Augusta National to secure a limited edition Masters gnome. This year marks the 10th and possibly final year of the gnome’s release, making it highly sought after. Each year’s gnome is unique, and this year’s edition features the gnome in golf attire and with a Masters-themed cup. With only about 1,000 available daily, they have been selling out quickly and have become valuable on resale markets. Prices on eBay and Facebook Marketplace have soared, with some gnomes listed for up to $800. Speculation about this being the last edition has fueled demand. Many buyers have considered reselling them for the potential profit.
WORDS: 690 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 9:25 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9b99a7dcbc3889ce8a51cd6184c5bb50&mediaType=text
___
SOC--ITALY-CRISIS
Italian soccer crisis worsens with Bologna and Fiorentina losses in Europe
SUMMARY: First it was the Champions League. Then came the national team. Now it’s the Europa League and Conference League. Italy’s soccer crisis is worsening with Bologna and Fiorentina risking European exits. Bologna’s 3-1 loss to Aston Villa in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals and Fiorentina’s 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in the same stage of the Conference League make it likely that Italy won’t have any clubs in a European semifinal for the first time in seven years. The latest losses came after Atalanta was eliminated by a whopping 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich last month to erase Serie A from the Champions League.
WORDS: 568 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 6:08 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8230959434e1887c64bb348307ca5702&mediaType=text
___
GLF--MASTERS
McIlroy atop Masters leaderboard again, while DeChambeau and Rahm will have to fight to make the cut
SUMMARY: Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns enter Friday’s second round tied for first at the Masters after opening with 5-under 67s at Augusta National. Those in striking distance include past champions like Patrick Reed and Scottie Scheffler, plus a few others who have come close here in Justin Rose, Jason Day, Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele. Further back, a couple LIV Golf stars aren’t yet certain of making the weekend. Bryson DeChambeau shot 76 on Thursday, and Jon Rahm was two shots worse.
WORDS: 545 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7933f5985c6fb7480f222d381f4ff40c&mediaType=text
___
FBN--NFL DRAFT-SHRINKING PIPELINE
Fewer players from outside the Power Four are being selected in the NFL draft
SUMMARY: The NFL draft is seeing fewer longshots from small schools. The rise of NIL deals and the crowded transfer portal have concentrated talent in power conferences. The shift is impacting the draft, with fewer players from nonpower conferences being taken during the three-day event. Only 24 of 257 NFL draftees last year came from nonpower conferences. The NCAA’s policy changes on name, image, and likeness, along with transfer rules, have altered scouting strategies, focusing more on traditional football powerhouses.
WORDS: 834 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8270350bdd39b1bb0b765f620e92aad4&mediaType=text
___
FBC--FLORIDA’S BIG FIVE
Retaining these 5 starters could be pivotal in Jon Sumrall’s debut season at Florida
SUMMARY: New Florida coach Jon Sumrall went 5 for 5 in his quest to keep running back Jadan Baugh, receiver Vernell Brown III, linebacker Myles Graham, receiver Dallas Wilson and edge rusher Jayden Woods. The plug-and-play starters – who will cost a combined $5.2 million in 2026 — should improve Sumrall’s chances of pulling the Gators out a five-year funk and returning the once-proud program to some semblance of normalcy. Sumrall says he’s “grateful those guys stayed” and adds they “give us a shot to have success.”
WORDS: 960 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 5:59 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7156d1d3a0d14cace517f5539fac25ca&mediaType=text
___
GLF--MASTERS-AUGUSTA NATIONAL
MacIntyre gives middle-finger salute as firm, fast Augusta National bites back at the Masters
SUMMARY: The opening round of the Masters on Thursday provided a glimpse of just how difficult a dry, fast Augusta National can play. And with warm temperatures expected through the weekend, and not a drop of rain in sight, the course could play even tougher before a champion slips on the green jacket Sunday. It’s all up to the whims of those running the Masters. They could drench the course with water at any point, softening it up and making the fairways and greens more receptive, or let Mother Nature decide everyone’s fate. Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns handled the conditions the best on Thursday and were atop the leaderboard at 5 under.
WORDS: 787 - MOVED: 04/10/2026 5:59 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a775754ea71119f14fa953981c3f2842&mediaType=text
___
MOVING TOMORROW
—Masters
—MMA-UFC 327
—NCAA hockey championship final
