Rome, Cincinnati and the Canadian Open will pay women the same as men from 2027, so all seven of tennis's big joint events now do

The rest of the day

37 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

1. 02

   College players paid $1.77bn in year one

   US colleges paid their athletes more than $1.77bn in the first year they were allowed to pay them directly, the NCAA and the College Sports Commission said on Thursday. [7] The payments come from a $2.8bn court settlement that let schools share their income with players from 2025-26, up to $20.5m each. [7] 34,915 athletes at 307 schools were paid, and 68 schools spent the full limit or came close. [7] Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari says nine of his players earn more than his assistant coaches. [18]

   Why it matters — The US Senate has voted to raise the limit to about $48m a school, and the bill now needs the House of Representatives. [7] Schools report that most of the money went to football and basketball players. [7]

2. 03

   City prepare an appeal as MPs call in the tax office

   Manchester City have until Friday to appeal against an independent panel's finding that they broke Premier League spending rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18. [19] The panel found City used 'sham' contracts with sponsors to hide more than £830m of secret funding. [20] BBC Sport's sources say City will argue that Abu Dhabi's government, not the club's owners, paid for those sponsorships. [20] Meg Hillier, who chairs the UK Parliament's Treasury Committee, has asked HMRC, Britain's tax office, whether it has asked for the hidden parts of the report. [19]

   Why it matters — A research group, Tax Policy Associates, says City may owe up to £12m in tax over a 'sham' contract with their former manager Roberto Mancini. [19] Britain's prime minister, Andy Burnham, was criticised for saying he would be 'really concerned' if City's owners sold, and his office then said nobody is above the rules. [20][21]

3. 04

   Rogers now owns all of the Leafs and Raptors

   Rogers Communications, a Canadian phone and media company, bought the last 25% of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) on Thursday for C$4.35bn. [9] MLSE owns ice hockey's Toronto Maple Leafs, basketball's Toronto Raptors, the football club Toronto FC, the Toronto Argonauts and their arena. [9] Rogers already owned baseball's Toronto Blue Jays and Sportsnet, a TV channel that shows their games. [9] The deal was announced in July and needed the leagues' approval. [9]

   Why it matters — One company now owns five of Toronto's biggest teams, as well as the channel that shows them. [9] Rogers has said it plans to sell a minority stake in its sports and media business within a year. [9]

4. 05

   Duren signs for $200m after a long stand-off

   Jalen Duren, the Detroit Pistons' 22-year-old All-Star centre, agreed a five-year, $200m contract on Thursday night, before an 11.59pm deadline that day. [8] He was a restricted free agent, so Detroit could match any offer another team made him. [22] His other choice was a one-year offer of $9.6m that would have let him leave freely in 2027. [8] He could have been paid up to $287m, but Detroit offered less after he averaged 10.2 points in the playoffs. [8][22]

   $200mPistons deal, 5 years

   vsvs

   $287mMost allowed, 5 years

   Why it matters — CBS Sports worked out that taking the one-year offer and leaving next summer would probably have paid him less over five years. [8] A clause that would have made him check his weight with the team every month was removed this week, The Athletic reported. [8]

5. 06

   Nike plans $2.5bn of cuts

   Nike, the world's biggest sportswear maker, said on Thursday it will cut costs by $2.5bn over four years, including $1bn in staff costs. [23] Its chief executive, Elliott Hill, told staff that job cuts will come from 2027. [23] Profit for the three months to August fell 2% to $712m, on sales down 4% to $11.2bn. [23] The footballer Kylian Mbappe recently left Nike for a rival shoe brand, On, after 20 years. [24]

   Why it matters — Nike's shares have fallen by more than 40% this year. [23][24] Analysts at J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America have all told clients to sell the shares since August. [24]

6. 07

   Messi now owns Eldense

   Lionel Messi has bought CD Eldense, a club in Spain's second division, the club said on Thursday. [11] Messi, 39, still plays for Inter Miami in the US, and in April he bought Cornella, a club in Catalonia. [25] The deal still needs approval from Spain's High Council for Sports. [26] Eldense are 19th of 22 clubs, with one win from seven games. [25]

   Why it matters — Cristiano Ronaldo bought a quarter of Almeria, another second-division club, this year, so the two stars' clubs meet in the same league. [26] Eldense said Messi's arrival starts a long-term plan for the club. [11]

7. 08

   Bordeaux sold for one euro

   Bordeaux, French football champions in 2008-09, have been sold to Park Bench, a US-based investment fund, for one euro. [10] The buyer takes on the club's debts, close to €18m according to the French outlet Ici. [10][27] Bordeaux have gone into administration twice since 2021. [10] The DNCG, which checks French clubs' accounts, has pushed them down to the sixth tier over money problems. [10]

   €1Price paid

   ++

   about €18mDebts taken on

   Why it matters — A regional league commission must approve the sale, and a commercial court must approve it too, or the club could be closed. [10][27] Park Bench also owns most of Dunfermline in Scotland and shares in Cordoba in Spain. [10]

8. 09

   An old promise may cost Ohio State more

   Ohio State University may owe millions more to men abused by Richard Strauss, a former team doctor, Sportico reported. [12] In 2020 it promised its first 152 claimants that no later settlement would pay more per person than their average of $252,551. [12] Its new $100m settlement covers 279 people, about $358,000 each on average. [12] Under the 2020 deal, a mediator must now decide how much extra the first group is owed. [12]

   Why it matters — An investigation found Strauss abused at least 177 male students while he worked for the university, many of them athletes. [12] Ohio State declined to comment, citing a confidential mediation. [12]

9. 10

   US lined up for the first women's Club World Cup

   The US is set to host FIFA's first Women's Club World Cup in January 2028, with Los Angeles and San Diego among the likely cities, the Guardian reported. [28] Qatar had also been in talks, and there was no formal bidding. [28] FIFA, which runs world football, wants the 19-team event as a trial for the 2031 Women's World Cup, which the US is due to co-host. [28] The deal has not been confirmed. [28]

   Why it matters — It falls between the 2027 Women's World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, so top players face a crowded year. [28] Europe's top clubs have said a deal with FIFA must be signed before the TV rights for it are sold. [28]

10. 11

    Real Madrid hand UEFA a file on Barcelona

    Real Madrid have sent UEFA, which runs European football, what they call 'evidence of extraordinary gravity' about Barcelona. [29] Barcelona are alleged to have paid €8.4m between 2001 and 2018 to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, once vice-president of Spain's referees' committee. [29] Barcelona say the money paid for scouting reports on referees, and deny any wrongdoing. [29] UEFA called the file, reported to run past 50,000 pages, 'substantial', and says its inspectors will assess it. [29]

    Why it matters — Barcelona say UEFA has opened no new case and that its review began in 2023. [29] It has been alleged that the money was used to bribe referees, which Barcelona strongly deny. [29]

11. 12

    Porter traded to Dallas after a pay stand-off

    The Pittsburgh Steelers traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys late on Wednesday, ending a stand-off over his contract. [30] The deal involved a 2027 sixth-round draft pick and a 2028 second-round pick. [30] Porter is in the last year of his first NFL contract and had wanted a new one in Pittsburgh. [30][31] He adds $4.92m to Dallas's wage bill this season, leaving them about $16m under the league's salary cap, its limit on spending. [31]

    Why it matters — ESPN's Ed Werder reports Porter is happy to play this season without a new contract, which would make him a free agent in 2027. [31] In 2025 quarterbacks throwing towards him did worse than against any of 128 defenders who faced at least 60 throws. [30]

12. 13

    NHL boss questions how no-trade clauses are used

    Gary Bettman, commissioner of the NHL, ice hockey's top league, said on Thursday that no-trade clauses are not being used as intended. [14] The clauses let a player block a trade, and Bettman said they were meant to protect players who signed long deals to stay in one city. [32] Instead, players have asked to leave and then used them to choose their next club. [14] Brady Tkachuk left Ottawa for Florida this off-season after giving a list of four teams. [32]

    Why it matters — Bettman said one summer does not make a problem. [32] If it becomes one, he said, the league will raise it with the players' union. [32]

13. 14

    Cricket's new rules fine slow batters five runs

    New playing rules from the International Cricket Council, which runs world cricket, took effect on Thursday. [33] A batter who is not ready in time gets a warning, then a final warning, and on the third time the fielding side is given five runs. [33] In longer matches, a wicket in the day's last over no longer ends play early. [33] The MCC, which writes cricket's laws, also banned many 'bunny-hop' catches, where a fielder outside the boundary knocks the ball back in, jumps back and catches it. [34]

    Why it matters — Sporting News reports confusion over a new line saying a fielder must have full control of the ball to run a batter out. [35] Women's cricket now has its own stated ball size. [33]

14. 15

    India and Pakistan drawn together again

    India and Pakistan will meet in the group stage of the 2027 men's one-day Cricket World Cup, after this week's draw. [36] Their group also holds the holders Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and a qualifier. [36] England face South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and a qualifier, with games in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. [36] The tournament opens with India against Australia in Cape Town on 7 October 2027. [36]

    Why it matters — England will play in Zimbabwe for the first time since 2004. [36] They refused to play in Harare at the 2003 World Cup because of the country's politics. [36]

15. 16

    Braves knock out the Phillies

    The Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 on Thursday to win their best-of-three baseball playoff series 2-1. [37] Ray Kerr, a 32-year-old relief pitcher who once worked at a 7-Eleven, started the game and gave up no runs in three and a third innings. [38] Michael Harris II hit a three-run home run in the first inning. [37] Atlanta now play the Los Angeles Dodgers, the reigning champions. [15]

    Why it matters — Since this three-game round began in 2022, the team that won the first game has won 19 of 20 series. [15] The Phillies reached the playoffs for a fifth year in a row and went out early again. [37]

16. 17

    Aces knock out the Fever

    The Las Vegas Aces, last year's WNBA champions, beat the Indiana Fever 94-83 on Thursday to win their first-round series 2-1. [16] A'ja Wilson scored 36 points and took 10 rebounds. [16] The WNBA had decided not to punish her further for an incident with a fan. [39] The Aces reach the semi-finals for the eighth year in a row. [16]

    Why it matters — For the second year running the Aces ended the season of Caitlin Clark's Fever. [40] Indiana had just had a regular season that set WNBA scoring records. [40]

17. 18

    Longer WNBA playoffs would cost owners up to $1m

    Coaches and players have criticised the WNBA's best-of-three first round after the top seed, the Minnesota Lynx, went out in two games. [17] Under the deal with the players' union, more playoff games must bring bigger player bonuses in the same proportion. [17] Front Office Sports worked out that a best-of-five first round would add about $400,000 to this year's $1.44m bonus pot. [17] Best-of-seven in every round would add about $1m. [17]

    Why it matters — Each player on the champion team gets a $60,000 bonus, against $5,000 for a first-round loser. [17] The regular season also grows from 44 to 50 games next year, which leaves less room in the calendar. [17]

18. 19

    Browns go top for the first time since 2014

    The Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 on Thursday night with a 56-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt with 10 seconds left. [41] Quarterback Deshaun Watson led the winning drive, and the Browns are 3-1 and first in their division for the first time since 2014. [41] The cheapest ticket rose from $73 on Saturday to $266 on Thursday afternoon, according to TicketData. [39] That was on course to be the highest for a Browns game since at least 2022. [39]

    $73Cheapest ticket, Saturday

    ↓→

    $266Cheapest ticket, Thursday

    Why it matters — Watson had missed more than a season and a half injured. [39] Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes for Pittsburgh but was intercepted twice, the last time on the final play. [41]

19. 20

    Playoff baseball adverts cost up to $120,000

    Prices for TV adverts during baseball games rose 40% in September as the playoffs neared, according to Guideline, which tracks advertising spending. [42] In the first half of the season, the cost of reaching 1,000 viewers fell 1.5% to $26.60. [42] Buyers say a 30-second advert in NBC's Red Sox-Yankees series cost about $70,000. [42] A slot in the next round's biggest games, such as Yankees-Rays, can cost up to $120,000. [42]

    $70,000Wild-card advert, NBC

    ↓→

    up to $120,000Division series advert

    Why it matters — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, the three biggest US TV markets, all have teams in the playoffs, and together they hold nearly 14% of US TV homes. [42] A Guideline analyst thinks the 162-game season leaves advertisers in no hurry until October. [42]

20. 21

    Cubs win the right to sell the view

    A US federal judge has barred Wrigley View Rooftop, a building across the street from the Chicago Cubs' ballpark, from selling tickets to watch games from its roof. [43] Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled on Wednesday that it was taking the value of games the Cubs pay to stage. [43] She pointed to a 1938 ruling for the Pittsburgh Pirates against a radio station that broadcast games from a nearby rooftop. [43] Every other rooftop near Wrigley Field pays the Cubs royalties, a share of what it takes. [43]

    Why it matters — The ruling says a team can stop others selling views of its games, even from private property next door. [43]

21. 22

    Portugal win 4-2 without Ronaldo

    Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen on Thursday in the Nations League, a competition between European national teams. [44] It was a day after Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, left the squad, having sat on the bench for a whole match in Norway. [44][45] The coach, Jorge Jesus, called it 'a victory of the highest quality'. [44] In Munich, Jurgen Klopp won his first game as Germany's coach, 2-0 against Serbia. [44]

    Why it matters — In Portugal most newspapers have said Ronaldo behaved selfishly. [45] Some outlets in which Ronaldo owns shares have criticised the coach instead. [45]

22. 23

    Wales beat Norway for their first win of 2026

    Wales came from behind to beat Norway 2-1 in Cardiff on Thursday, their first win this year. [46] Neco Williams scored the winner from a free kick after Norway's Torbjorn Heggem was sent off 17 seconds into the second half. [46] The win ended a run of six games without a victory that began with a World Cup play-off defeat by Bosnia-Herzegovina in March. [47]

    Why it matters — Coach Craig Bellamy said the criticism during that run had been 'really difficult'. [47] Norway, with Erling Haaland, lost two games in a row for the first time in four years. [46]

23. 24

    Protests stop Ireland's game twice

    Pro-Palestinian protests twice stopped the Republic of Ireland's Nations League match against Austria in Dublin on Thursday. [48] Tennis balls with Palestinian flag stickers were thrown onto the pitch, and later a man ran on with a flag. [48] Ireland led 2-0 but drew 2-2. [48] Their next game is against Israel on Sunday, a 'home' match played without fans in Backa Topola, Serbia. [48]

    Why it matters — Ireland's two games against Israel have divided opinion in the country and drawn protests. [48]

24. 25

    Kansas State to pay fired coach $12m

    Kansas State University is close to paying its former basketball coach Jerome Tang $12m to settle his firing, ESPN reported. [13] It fired him 'for cause' in February, pointing to an angry rant after a 91-62 defeat. [13] CBS Sports says the aim was to avoid paying his buyout, the money owed for ending a contract early. [13] Tang would have been owed more than $18m if he had been fired without cause. [13]

    Why it matters — Tang said he strongly disagreed with the reason given. [13] In his first season, 2023, he took Kansas State to the last eight of the national tournament. [13]

25. 26

    Wembanyama says no to betting firms

    Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs' French star, said he will never promote a sports betting company. [49] He said it is 'very sad' to see other players do it, and that he has turned down offers worth far more than the sponsor deals he signed. [49] LeBron James has a deal with Polymarket, an app that takes bets on events, that will pay him $15m a year. [39] Kevin Durant has a deal with the betting firm FanDuel. [49]

    Why it matters — Wembanyama said money once mattered in choosing sponsors, and now it does not. [49]

26. 27

    Nishikori ends his career in Tokyo

    Kei Nishikori, 36, played his last match this week, losing 6-4 6-4 to Frances Tiafoe at the Japan Open in Tokyo. [50] In 2014 he became the first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam final, at the US Open. [50] He won more than $26.2m in prize money, the most of any Asian man on the ATP tour. [39] In several years his sponsors paid him more than $30m. [39]

    Why it matters — Injuries held him back through a 19-year career, and he never won a Grand Slam. [50]

27. 28

    Denver's women's team starts its own stadium

    Denver Summit FC, the city's first professional women's football club, broke ground on its own stadium at Santa Fe Yards on Thursday, its president Jen Millet wrote. [51] She said private money pays for the stadium, while the city's money goes on the land, the roads and about four acres of park. [51] She says it will be only the second ground in the NWSL, the US women's league, with facilities built for women players. [51]

    Why it matters — Millet argues that a team that owns its building controls its own income, costs and calendar instead of renting. [51]

28. 29

    Northwestern's new stadium opens with cheap seats

    Northwestern University opens its new Ryan Field against Penn State on Friday night, after nearly three years of building. [39] At $875m it is the most expensive stadium in US college sport, yet it holds 35,000, more than 12,000 fewer than the old one. [39] The cheapest ticket for the opener has fallen by more than 70% in two months, to $110, according to TicketData. [39]

    Why it matters — The new ground has a student section with no seats, built to give better views. [39]

29. 30

    An 11-year-old becomes a woman grandmaster

    Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, from Harrow in north London, became the youngest person ever to earn the chess title of woman grandmaster, at the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan. [52] She played on a car booster seat so she could reach the board. [52] Her father taught her the game when she was five. [52] By Tuesday she was back at secondary school. [52]

    Why it matters — She has won three smartphones at tournaments but is not yet allowed to use one. [52]

30. 31

    A goalkeeper scores for the Rangers

    Igor Shesterkin, the New York Rangers' goalkeeper, scored a goal in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. [53] Tampa Bay had taken their goalkeeper off for an extra attacker with about two and a half minutes left, leaving their net empty. [53] Goalkeepers have scored only 21 times in NHL history, and eight of those were own goals credited to them. [53]

    Why it matters — A losing team pulls its goalkeeper late to add an attacker, which is usually the only time the other goalkeeper has an empty net to shoot at. [53]

31. 32

    Navarro stops for the year over her health

    Emma Navarro, a 25-year-old American who reached a US Open semi-final, has ended her season early. [54] She said she has had RED-S, where the body gets too little energy for the training it does, and Hashimoto's, a thyroid illness, for three years. [54] She reached the US Open quarter-finals this month and aims to return for next year's Australian Open. [54]

    Why it matters — She said she had felt hungrier and fallen ill more often since 2023, but pushed on to keep up with the busy tennis calendar. [54]

32. 33

    Toney denies a nightclub assault

    England striker Ivan Toney pleaded not guilty on Thursday to assaulting a man at a nightclub in Soho, central London. [55] Prosecutors say Toney, 30, head-butted and punched Saber Da Silva last December after the two 'squared up'. [55] Toney chose a trial by jury in the Crown Court, and his next hearing is on 29 October. [56]

    Why it matters — Toney, who plays for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, has 10 England caps and was in the squad that reached the Euro 2024 final. [56]

33. 34

    Mickelson had treatment for addiction

    Phil Mickelson, the 56-year-old golfer who has won six major titles, sought treatment earlier this year for 'family trauma and addiction', his representatives said on Wednesday. [57] He has spoken in the past about a gambling addiction. [57] He pulled out of the Masters in April and several LIV Golf events, citing a family health matter. [57]

    Why it matters — In June he denied allegations about his conduct towards a female employee at a San Diego golf club, and resigned from the club. [57]

34. 35

    Ex-Wallaby Nathan Charles has motor neurone disease

    Nathan Charles, a 37-year-old former Australia rugby hooker, has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, which has no cure. [58] He was the first person with cystic fibrosis to play a contact sport professionally. [58] He played four Tests for Australia and retired in 2018. [58]

    Why it matters — He said his health had been declining for a long time before doctors found the cause. [58] Jai Arrow, a former rugby league player, has the same disease. [58]

35. 36

    England recall Crane after eight years

    England have recalled leg-spinner Mason Crane, 29, for a one-day tri-series in Pakistan that also includes Sri Lanka. [59] Crane played his only Test in Sydney in 2018. [59] Adil Rashid and Sam Curran return from injury, Jos Buttler misses out with a torn hamstring, and Jofra Archer is rested. [60] The series ends with a final in Lahore on 31 October. [60]

    Why it matters — Brydon Carse stays out while the Cricket Regulator looks into an incident outside a nightclub in Derby. [59]

36. 37

    Former riders sue UC Davis over aid for women

    Nineteen former members of the University of California, Davis women's equestrian team are suing the university for $1.4m. [17] They say women were 59% of its athletes in 2025-26 but received only 56% of sports financial aid. [17] Title IX, a US civil rights law, requires aid to be shared in proportion to how many men and women take part. [17]

    Why it matters — The university removed the team's top-division NCAA status this year and made it a club sport. [17]

37. 38

    Blazers drop new announcer within a day

    The Portland Trail Blazers fired their new play-by-play announcer, Braiden Bell, less than 24 hours after hiring him. [61] Racist posts he wrote on social media in 2012 and 2013, when he was a teenager, were found after his hiring was announced. [61] Bell, 29, would have been the youngest play-by-play announcer, Sports Illustrated reported. [61]

    Why it matters — The team apologised to fans, saying it 'did not meet our own bar'. [61]