College football's playoff nears a deal to double to 24 teams in 2027, with ESPN buying the extra games and the conference title games scrapped

The rest of the day

35 more stories on this beat.

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

1. 02

   Infantino says sorry, but critics stay

   Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, which runs world football, apologised to its 37-member council in Zurich on Thursday. [25][26] He said sorry for not consulting it about his scrapped plan to sell part of FIFA's business to investors. [26] He did not explain the plan and asked members to send their questions in writing. [26] England's FA chair, Debbie Hewitt, said that if he does not answer them, he is not fit to lead. [25] European officials want Arsene Wenger, FIFA's head of football development, to stand against him. [27]

   Why it matters — Infantino stands for a fourth term in March, and rivals have until 18 November to enter. [27][28] A council member from Mauritania said most members want him to stay, and he is still the only credible candidate. [26]

2. 03

   Brewers sweep the Dodgers to the World Series

   The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday to win their semi-final series 4-0. [29] They reach the World Series, baseball's final, for the first time since 1982. [29] The Dodgers had won the last two titles. [17] The Brewers spend about $146m to $155m on players, depending on how it is counted, the 19th-biggest bill of the 30 teams. [15][17] They face the Cleveland Guardians or Tampa Bay Rays from 23 October. [17]

   Why it matters — Baseball's owners want a salary cap, a fixed limit on team pay, and say small-market success does not last. [17] Over the past decade, 85% of World Series teams came from the 15 biggest markets. [17] Sportico, a sports-business site, says the Brewers' run undercuts commissioner Rob Manfred's argument that the sport needs a cap. [15]

3. 04

   A small-city World Series can still draw viewers

   Fox, the US network showing the World Series, will have no team from New York or Los Angeles, the two biggest TV markets. [15] The Brewers' first semi-final game averaged 10.7 million viewers, the most for a first game of that round since 2005. [17] Teams ending long waits have drawn big audiences before: the Chicago Cubs' 2016 title series averaged 22.85 million. [15] Resale tickets for the first World Series game reached $2,058. [17]

   Why it matters — Sportico expects a big audience if the series runs to six or seven games, even without the largest cities. [15]

4. 05

   The Dodgers' season ends, and an ace goes free

   Tarik Skubal, who pitched for the Dodgers this year, will be the top free agent this winter, free to sign with any team. [30] He has a 2.13 earned run average, runs allowed per nine innings, in eight play-off starts. [30] He would not talk about his future after the loss. [30] Veteran Miguel Rojas retired straight after the game. [31] Shohei Ohtani played with knee and arm pain that will be treated now the season is over. [29]

   Why it matters — Skubal is expected to command a very large contract. [30] Owners are expected to lock the players out in December, when the current labour deal ends. [17]

5. 06

   FIFA puts off its red-card rule change

   FIFA's council put off a change that would stop a red card's automatic one-match ban from ever being suspended. [28] The change follows the World Cup, where US striker Folarin Balogun's ban was lifted after President Trump asked for a review. [25] Members got the wording less than 48 hours before the meeting and asked for more information first. [32][28] The council also approved $6.35bn for its members' football projects over four years, The Athletic reports. [26]

   Why it matters — FIFA's own paper says the change is needed so teams can be sure which players may play. [32] The council next meets in Doha on 16 December, after nominations for FIFA's election close. [28]

6. 07

   Rahm walks away from LIV with nothing more

   Jon Rahm, a Spanish golfer, will leave LIV Golf without taking another dollar, under a deal filed in its US bankruptcy case. [33] LIV, the league once paid for by Saudi Arabia's state fund, owes him $7.47m in unpaid money. [33] He was also thought to be owed more than $100m in future payments, and gives it all up, with his 25% stake in his LIV team. [33] A court will be asked to approve the deal on 5 November. [33]

   Why it matters — Once he is free of LIV, Rahm can talk to the PGA Tour, the main US tour, about coming back. [33] The court also let LIV cancel 20 more player contracts, including Bryson DeChambeau's. [33]

7. 08

   NBA pay data answers a player's complaint

   Bruce Brown, an NBA player trying to make the New York Knicks' team, said the league's 'second apron' hurts middle-earning players. [18] The second apron is a payroll level above the luxury tax, and teams that go over it lose trading and signing options. [18] The NBA replied that pay has risen about 30% for every kind of player. [18] Sportico's own count found pay for middle earners rose 57% and 59%, more than the stars' 43%. [18]

   Why it matters — Brown is right that fewer teams use a set offer called the mid-level exception: 24 players signed with it last year, against 42 three seasons earlier. [18] Seven teams would have been above the apron in 2022-23, and only one was in 2025-26. [18]

8. 09

   WNBA Finals tickets cost six times more

   The WNBA Finals, women's basketball's US title series, start on Saturday between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream. [19][20] The cheapest ticket for Game 1 in San Francisco was $214 on Thursday, against $34 for last year's first game. [19] The Valkyries, in only their second season, have sold out every home game. [19] They are worth $850m by Sportico's count, and the Dream $280m, the lowest in the league. [20]

   Why it matters — The Valkyries became the first women's team to bring in $100m in a year. [20] Five years ago the Dream were sold after their players campaigned against the team's then owner, a US senator. [20]

9. 10

   Two London 'home' games, and one profit

   The Jacksonville Jaguars, an NFL team, play the Houston Texans at Wembley on Sunday, their second London game of the season. [34] The first, at Tottenham's stadium, was run by the NFL, so the team lost the money a home game in Florida brings. [34] The Wembley game is run by the Jaguars themselves, who keep the ticket and food money. [34] In 2022 their ticket money at Wembley was 40% higher than at a home game in Jacksonville. [34]

   Why it matters — Since 2022 the NFL no longer pays teams back for a lost home game, because every team now gives one up in turn. [34] Josh Harris, owner of the Washington Commanders, said of his own team's London game: 'It's not good.' [34]

10. 11

    A 24-year ban for tennis match-fixing

    Stefan Milicevic, a Serbian player once ranked 1,338th in the world, has been banned from tennis until October 2050. [35] The International Tennis Integrity Authority, the sport's anti-corruption body, says he fixed six matches and tried to fix six more between 2022 and 2024. [35] It says he also recruited other players into a cheating network. [35] He was fined about 53,000 pounds too. [35]

    Why it matters — The ban is longer partly because he ignored seven attempts to contact him. [35] In December a French player, Quentin Folliot, was banned for 20 years for his part in a similar network. [35]

11. 12

    Martinez says sorry to United's bosses

    Lisandro Martinez, a Manchester United defender, apologised on Thursday for criticising the club's leaders after Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League loss at Atletico Madrid. [36][37] He had said he expected more from Jason Wilcox, the club's director of football, in signing players. [36][37] He is understood to have been fined, though the club will not say so in public. [37][36] United are 13th in the Premier League with two wins from nine games. [36]

    Why it matters — A day earlier he had stood by his comments without saying sorry. [37] The Guardian's Jonathan Liew argues that Martinez pointed at a real problem in how the club is owned and run. [38]

12. 13

    Champions Arsenal plan to cut 60 jobs

    Arsenal, England's Premier League champions, told staff this week that about 60 jobs could go. [24] The cuts follow a review by Boston Consulting Group, a firm hired to advise companies. [24] The club's last accounts, for 2024-25, showed 691m pounds of revenue but no profit. [24] The news came days after manager Mikel Arteta signed a new contract that almost certainly makes him the league's best-paid manager. [24]

    Why it matters — A writer for The Athletic argues the club does not have to cut, because it is not struggling. [24] He compares the cuts with reserve signings, such as a goalkeeper bought as third choice. [24]

13. 14

    Dutch team looks into a 'culture of fear'

    Picnic PostNL, a Dutch team in cycling's top series, has ordered an independent investigation into how it treats its people. [22] It follows a report by the Dutch broadcaster NOS and the site In De Waaier, which spoke to 71 past and present staff. [22] They describe a culture of fear, and former rider Martijn Tusveld said he thought about harming himself. [22] One rider said a team director told him he did not believe in psychologists. [22]

    Why it matters — The team says riders have coaches, a rider committee and confidential advisers to turn to. [22] Many staff told the reporters they did not know who those advisers were. [22]

14. 15

    Coach leaves after a player's collapse

    Arizona State University has parted ways with its ice hockey coach, Greg Powers. [23] He had been on leave since a military-style workout on 20 August left 21-year-old player Matthew Mayich on life support. [23] The university says it reached a money settlement with Powers but will not give the figure; he was paid $503,680 in 2024-25. [23] Dave Hakstol, a former NHL head coach, takes over. [23]

    Why it matters — Mayich's family says the exit looks like a negotiated deal, and that the case is not closed. [23] The university has started an independent investigation, which lawmakers had backed. [23]

15. 16

    Colleges paid their athletes $1.77bn

    Top-level US universities paid $1.77bn directly to 34,915 athletes in 2025-26, Forbes reports. [12] It was the first year schools could share their money with players, after a court settlement known as House v NCAA. [12] Each school could pay up to about $20.5m, and many gave football and basketball the biggest share. [12] With extra scholarships and other benefits the total reached about $1.975bn. [12]

    Why it matters — Schools can split the money as they like, so a quarterback usually gets more than a linebacker. [12] That spending is part of why the Big Ten's boss wanted a bigger playoff. [1]

16. 17

    Indiana's title brings in money

    Indiana, unbeaten national champions last season, host Ohio State on Saturday in the first game between two top-five teams at their stadium. [14] On Thursday the university put a sponsor's logo, Merchants Bank, on the shirts of all 24 of its teams. [14] The bank already pays $50m over 20 years to put its name on the field. [14] Athletic director Scott Dolson says fundraising, tickets and sponsor sales have soared, and costs have climbed fast too. [14]

    Why it matters — Billionaire Mark Cuban, a former student, gave money for new players, and Indiana's intake of transfer players rose from 25th to eighth in the country. [14]

17. 18

    BYU's biggest backer arrives before Notre Dame

    Brigham Young University (BYU), ranked eighth, hosts second-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday in its stadium's first meeting of two top-10 teams. [13] Last week BYU signed the largest money deal in its sports history, with PV3 Enterprises, a Utah investment firm. [13] It covers naming rights to the field, new football buildings and payments to some players. [13] BYU's player bill is about $20m to $25m, around 40th in the country, by The Athletic's estimate. [13]

    Why it matters — Coach Kalani Sitake has spoken often about the money gap with richer rivals. [13] BYU has won the sixth-most games in the country since 2020, despite spending less than many of them. [13]

18. 19

    Women's flag football gets a college league

    More than 100,000 US high school girls played flag football, a version of American football without tackling, in 2025-26. [21] That is almost 50% more than the year before. [21] Few big universities offer it, so students have been starting their own clubs. [21] In January NIRSA, a non-profit that runs college sport for fun, starts the first national club league for women, with 86 teams, paid for by an NFL grant. [21]

    Why it matters — The NCAA, which runs US college sport, votes early next year on making women's flag football a championship sport. [21] Nebraska is the only big football school to announce a full team so far. [21]

19. 20

    Aikman says he will be a free agent

    Troy Aikman, ESPN's main NFL match analyst, said on Thursday he will be a free agent at the end of this season. [39][40] His partner of 25 years, Joe Buck, signed a six-year, $108m deal with ESPN last month. [39][40] Aikman says ESPN has not made him a formal offer. [40] He did not deny a report that the two argued before Monday's game. [39]

    Why it matters — The pair are still due to call February's Super Bowl together on ESPN. [39] Forbes suggests Aikman's business interests outside TV may explain why the two were treated differently. [40]

20. 21

    Alex Scott leaves Disney's women's football show

    Alex Scott, a former England defender and TV presenter, has left her job fronting Disney+ coverage of the Women's Champions League, Europe's top women's club competition. [16] Disney+ took the rights in 2025, and its coverage was criticised after technical problems in the first round. [16] One unplanned advert break cut into an Arsenal match for more than three minutes. [16] It is understood she chose to leave to focus on her own show. [16]

    Why it matters — Scott said this month she did not agree with all of Disney's decisions and had tried to advise. [16]

21. 22

    Australia edge New Zealand before 40,000 fans

    Australia beat New Zealand 24-22 in Sydney on Thursday in the first game of the Rugby League World Cup. [41] More than 40,000 fans came, the biggest Test crowd in Sydney for 50 years. [41] Jack Bostock, playing his first game for Australia, scored three tries, including the winner in the last five minutes. [41][42] New Zealand's Kalyn Ponga scored twice but broke his arm. [43]

    Why it matters — Ponga once played for Australia's junior team and switched to New Zealand this year, which new rules make easier. [44][43] The tournament has also been cut from 16 nations to 10 and from 31 games to 18. [44]

22. 23

    Spain bids for the 2035 Rugby World Cup

    Spain has bid to host the men's Rugby World Cup in 2035, with the final planned at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium. [45] It would be the first final played in front of more than 100,000 fans. [45] Japan, and a group led by Argentina with Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, are also bidding. [45] World Rugby, which runs the sport, plans to name its preferred bid by mid-2027. [45]

    Why it matters — Spain plays in its first men's World Cup since 1999 next year, and its federation wants to triple the number of players by 2035. [45]

23. 24

    Few fans for a Test between the two best teams

    Fewer than 20,000 people watched all five days of South Africa's first Test against Australia in Durban. [46] South Africa are the world Test champions, and Australia are ranked first. [46] Heinrich Strydom, head of the KwaZulu-Natal cricket union, has promised a review. [46] A football cup final across town during the match drew more than 50,000. [46]

    Why it matters — Crowds for Test cricket, the five-day form, are falling in many countries, most of all South Africa and the West Indies. [46] Australia won by 214 runs and can take the series in Gqeberha from Sunday. [46]

24. 25

    Haas picks Rafael Camara for 2027

    Haas, a US-based Formula 1 team, has picked Rafael Camara, a 21-year-old Brazilian, to race for it in 2027. [47] Camara leads Formula 2, the junior series below F1. [47] He was the fastest of four drivers tested in older F1 cars, including the reigning F2 champion. [47] He takes the seat of Esteban Ocon, who leaves at the end of the year. [47]

    Why it matters — Team boss Ayao Komatsu said speed was the deciding reason. [47] Haas says it plans to keep Oliver Bearman in its other car. [47]

25. 26

    Colapinto asks his fans to stop abuse

    Franco Colapinto, an Argentine Formula 1 driver for the Alpine team, has asked his fans to stop attacking other drivers online. [48] His teammate Pierre Gasly was targeted after blocking Colapinto's overtake in Madrid, and Gasly said his family was abused too. [48] Lando Norris was attacked after saying Colapinto did not deserve his place, a comment Norris later took back. [48]

    Why it matters — Colapinto, in his first full F1 season, has a large online following. [48]

26. 27

    Blades Brown is the youngest to go up

    Blades Brown, a 19-year-old American golfer, has become the youngest player to earn a PGA Tour place through the Korn Ferry Tour, golf's second US tier. [49] He finished ninth, inside the top 20 who go up, and beat Jason Day's 2007 record. [49] Brown turned professional at 17 and skipped college. [49] He has won $1.8m in prize money so far. [49]

    Why it matters — He called leaving school early a gamble, and it now gives him a full season on the main tour in 2027. [49]

27. 28

    Bournemouth win their first home game in Europe

    Bournemouth beat Sturm Graz of Austria on Thursday in the Europa League, their first home game in Europe in the club's 127 years. [50][51] In 2008 the club was in administration and began a season 17 points below zero, at the bottom of England's league ladder. [50] Sunderland also won in Portugal, against Torreense, with a goal in stoppage time. [52]

    Why it matters — Bournemouth have not yet won in the Premier League this season, so the win eases pressure on their coach, Marco Rose. [51]

28. 29

    St. Louis City set a 21-game record

    St. Louis City drew 0-0 with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday to go 21 games without a loss, a record for a club in Major League Soccer, the top US league. [53] That beat the 20 set by the New York Red Bulls in 2016, across all competitions. [53] Their last league defeat was on 3 May. [53]

    Why it matters — They are second in the Western Conference, a point behind Vancouver, with five games left. [53] They play the Columbus Crew in the US Open Cup final on 21 October. [53]

29. 30

    Mexican clubs take promotion to court again

    The Court of Arbitration for Sport, which settles sport's legal disputes, will hear five Mexican second-tier clubs on 18 and 19 November. [54] They want promotion and relegation back, so clubs move between divisions by their results. [54] Mexico's football federation stopped it in April 2020, as part of a rescue for the second tier during the pandemic. [54] The clubs have lost at the court twice before. [54]

    Why it matters — This season's rules removed every penalty for the bottom clubs, even fines. [54] Debates in Mexico's Senate in September led to a proposal to bring promotion back. [54]

30. 31

    AFL bans a player after a drug night

    The AFL, which runs Australian rules football, has banned Carlton defender Lachie Cowan, 21, for two matches for using an illegal drug on a night out. [55] He was treated in hospital and sent home a short time later. [55] He also got a suspended fine of 5,000 Australian dollars and must attend drug education. [55] The ban starts next season. [55]

    Why it matters — The players' union says punishing a player who needed medical help could put others off seeking treatment in an emergency. [55] A stricter drug policy, with hair tests, starts in January. [55]

31. 32

    Britain win two world track golds

    Great Britain's women won the team pursuit, a race between teams of four riders, at the track cycling world championships in Shanghai. [56] Erin Boothman, Anna Morris, Josie Knight and Millie Couzens beat world champions Italy by more than five seconds. [56] Matthew Bostock won the men's scratch race for his first world title. [56] Britain's men took bronze in their team pursuit. [56]

    Why it matters — Denmark won the men's team pursuit for the fourth time in a row. [56]

32. 33

    An all-women chess team hires a top player

    She Plays to Win Lionesses, an all-women chess team run by a charity, won promotion to the top division of Britain's Four Nations Chess League. [57] The league says top teams must include at least one player of each sex, so the team hired Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri, the world number 11. [57] Giri and Eline Roebers won all four of their games, and the team beat The Sharks 2 by 6-2. [57]

    Why it matters — The team lost its first match 4.5-3.5, and three of the 12 teams will go down. [57]

33. 34

    The Savannah Bananas go abroad

    The Savannah Bananas, a touring team that plays its own fast version of baseball called Banana Ball, announced its 2027 season on 15 October. [58] It includes its first games outside the US, in Monterrey and Tijuana in Mexico, and Toronto and Winnipeg in Canada. [58] One event will put two fields inside Notre Dame's football stadium. [58] The tour covers 75 cities and 79 stadiums. [58]

    Why it matters — Its championship moves to Nashville's new Nissan Stadium, home of an NFL team. [58]

34. 35

    Women's indoor golf league starts in November

    WTGL, an indoor team golf league for women, starts on 8 November in a 1,500-seat arena in south Florida. [59] It copies TGL, the men's league started by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. [59] Charley Hull, ranked eighth in the world, will play. [59] She says the women's LPGA Tour needs to show more of its players' personalities. [59]

    Why it matters — Hull has one of golf's largest followings online, with more than 866,000 Instagram followers. [59] The first season lasts 45 days, all before Christmas. [59]

35. 36

    Royals show their downtown ballpark

    The Kansas City Royals, a baseball team, have shown six new drawings of their planned downtown stadium. [60] The open-air ground will hold 34,000 people and is due to open in 2030, in a $2bn project with Hallmark, the greetings-card company. [60] A fabric canopy will shade about 65% of seats in late-afternoon games. [60] It keeps features of the old Kauffman Stadium, such as its fountains. [60]

    Why it matters — The architects, Populous, say the site has room to build a whole neighbourhood around the ground. [60]