UNDATED (AP) — Dale Brown, who coached some of the most successful basketball teams in LSU history, as well as one of the Tigers' most famous players in Shaquille O’Neal, has died. He was 90. LSU says Brown died on Friday. He was just over a week away from what would have been his 91st birthday. Brown was named AP Coach of the Year in 1981, was a four-time SEC Coach of the Year and has the most wins of a coach in program history. The highlights of his 25 years as LSU’s coach included two trips to the NCAA Final Four with his 1981 and 1986 teams.
UNDATED (AP) — UConn's Sarah Strong and USC's JuJu Watkins headline the preseason AP All-America women’s college basketball team. The team, released Thursday, also includes Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes, Texas forward Madison Booker, and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo. Strong, the reigning AP Player of the Year, earned 30 votes from the 31-member national media panel. Hidalgo and Booker each received 28 votes, Blakes had 27, and Watkins 26. Watkins is returning after an ACL tear in 2025. Strong averaged 18.4 points and 7.7 rebounds last season. Booker and Hidalgo have been honored as preseason picks for three consecutive years.
UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference is heating up with key matchups this week. Mississippi faces Texas on Saturday. The Rebels have bounced back from a loss to Florida, while Texas is on a two-game losing streak. Texas is a slight favorite, relying on its strong defense. Mississippi's offense has been impressive, with a trio accounting for over 2,700 yards. Auburn takes on LSU, hoping to build on a big win against Georgia. LSU's offense is leading the conference, but quarterback Sam Leavitt has struggled with interceptions. Both games could impact College Football Playoff chances.
UNDATED (AP) — Florida's Thomas Haugh and Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. highlight the preseason AP All-America team. Fears received 57 votes from a 58-person media panel and Haugh earned 56. Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner received 43 votes, Illinois forward David Mirkovic had 24 and Arizona big man Motiejus Krivas 17 to round out the team.
UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference dominates the latest AP Top 25 college football rankings with nine teams. Five two-loss teams in the poll are all from the SEC, highlighting the conference's parity and talent. Georgia's coach, Kirby Smart, notes that any team can be beaten on a given Saturday. Despite two losses, teams like Alabama, LSU, and Texas still have playoff hopes. The SEC's depth and competitiveness have led some coaches to advocate for a 24-team playoff. With no unbeaten teams left, the race for the SEC championship and a College Football Playoff berth is wide open.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has banned a fan who made obscene gestures to Florida players after the Gators defeated then-No. 7 Texas 27-24 from attending future games at the Longhorns’ stadium. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte made the announcement in a newsletter. “We pride ourselves on sportsmanship and treating our opponents with respect. This individual’s actions did not reflect those values or meet our standards and will not be tolerated," Del Conte wrote.
UNDATED (AP) — Beware, Miami, when Pittsburgh comes to town Saturday. The No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25 has lost to unranked opponents two straight weeks. Oklahoma knocked off Texas and then Auburn upset Georgia. Unranked teams are 9-198 against No. 1s since 2000. That's according to Sportradar. The only other year No. 1 teams lost twice to non-Top 25 opponents over that span was 2007. Auburn is one of two schools with two wins over No. 1s as an unranked team since 2000. The other is Texas A&M.
UNDATED (AP) — College football fans should get a chance to catch their breath Saturday. Week 8 doesn’t set up to be nearly as upside down as Week 7. There were six Top 25 matchups last week and five of the top seven teams lost on the same day in a regular season for the first time in the 90 years of The Associated Press poll. This week there are just two Top 25 matchups with No. 7 Mississippi at No. 19 Texas and No. 14 Houston at No. 10 Utah. There also is a new No. 1 team in Miami.
