MIRAMAR BEACH, Florida — Greg Sankey arrived at the SEC’s spring meetings Monday with a message for anyone expecting a breakthrough on the College Football Playoff: the SEC has time, and it intends to use it.

Every other power conference has picked a side on whether to expand the CFP from 12 to 24 teams. The SEC might be filled with varying opinions, but the conference’s leadership is still thinking.

“I do not anticipate any decisions on the College Football Playoff — just so we’re clear, so we can tamp that down,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday evening, the day before the conference’s annual spring meetings were set to begin in Florida. “We have time. We’ll have informed discussion.”

Greg Sankey ‘committed’ to SEC Championship Game amid 24-team playoff expansion debate

John Talty

Advertisement

That means the biggest story hovering over the sport will likely stretch into at least June, as the SEC remains the lone power conference not yet to publicly support expanding the format from 12 teams to 24 as early as the 2027-28 season. The SEC has long resisted expansion beyond 16 teams, but several athletic directors and coaches have expressed interest in renewing discussions initially sparked by the Big Ten last fall.

What is expected behind closed doors in a beachside resort in the Florida Panhandle is a wide range of opinions. CFP executive Rich Clark will present to coaches and athletic directors on Tuesday, covering the current 12-team format and selection process — a point of contention a year ago — before walking through the pros and cons of expansion.

Sankey pushed back on the cost of expanding to 24 teams, specifically the prospect of eliminating conference championship games to clear calendar space for a December playoff start.

The CFP’s executives — 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame‘s athletics director — are not scheduled to meet until June.

Sankey has publicly supported expansion, but he offered last week that he prefers 16 teams. He reiterated Monday, however, that a decision from the SEC is tied to the coaches, athletic directors and presidents.

“I’ve never said, even last year, that we’re opposed to some number other than 14. I’ve told my colleagues that,” Sankey said. “I’m not an opponent of 24 or 28. We have to inform the decision-making. I think we did a good job informing our position last year on 16. We’ll consider other ideas, certainly, this week and moving forward.”

Sankey shared Monday that the SEC has studied expansion and how a 24-team playoff could affect the regular season, a point of debate among the sport’s leadership. He pointed to Oklahoma‘s upset of Tennessee on Nov. 1 as an example, a signature win that propelled the Sooners into the CFP. 

Would it carry the same weight in a 24-team field? Might teams with spots already secured sit starters late in the season?

“When you start to quantify, you look at a certain number,” he said. “What are games that may have mattered in a smaller number under the scarcity principles of 12? All of those games are high-leverage games for Oklahoma. Where you go to 24, and maybe one or two of those games don’t matter in the same way.

“Rivalry games will matter, I would argue. But, hey, if you’ve got somebody that needs to rest (at the end of the regular season) because they’re in at 24, those are things that we want to try to understand. I think you can quantify that because we’ve done some of that work for our own purposes.”

Most of Sankey’s 40-minute session with reporters focused on the CFP and governance. While discussing the CFP debate, he reflected several times on his 2020 work with a CFP subcommittee that explored expanding beyond a four-team field. The committee consisted of three commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, and it studied playoff models for five-, six-, eight-, 12-, 16-, 32-, and 64-team formats. They landed on 12.

He said that experience can still inform the future, even as the portal, NIL and revenue-sharing have fundamentally reshaped the sport and its prominent issues.

“There was never one variable that was, ‘We’re going to expand just because of this,’” Sankey said. “That was never in there. There were a set of issues that were part of the presentations that informed the decision-making.”

SEC coaches and athletic directors enter this week split on the CFP format, according to a CBS Sports survey conducted last week. At least three athletic directors and three head coaches prefer a 24-team playoff, and seven ADs and seven coaches expressed they are at least open to discussing an expansion to 24, including an outdated proposal discussed last year between the Big Ten and SEC to move to 16 with a commitment to expand to 24 within three years.

While compromise might be on the table among the SEC contingent, a 16-team playoff appears to be a no-go for the Big Ten. Big Ten athletic directors and coaches unanimously supported 24 at its annual meetings last week. The ACC and Big 12 voiced their support for the Big Ten’s model earlier this month.

“We’ve had zero conversation about 16,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said after the conference’s annual meetings outside Los Angeles. “Plan B is what we have now (12 teams), what we negotiated … we would stay with what we have.”

The coaches themselves have also weighed in.

Earlier this month, the American Football Coaches Association formally recommended expanding the playoff field to its maximum. Their proposal was tied to tightening the postseason calendar so it doesn’t conflict with the transfer portal in January, while also allowing a uniform season start date in late August — a spot historically labeled Week 0.

The latest 24-team format proposed includes only one automatic qualifier spot reserved for the highest-ranked Group of Six champion. The remaining 23 teams would be seeded based on the Selection Committee’s rankings, a point of contention among SEC schools since last spring, when the conference demanded tweaks to the committee’s strength-of-schedule metrics.

The Big Ten and SEC hold decision-making power to change the CFP format, though they must consider the opinions of the other FBS conferences and Notre Dame before making a final decision. If the two conferences are unable to commit to a shared vision, the playoff will remain at 12 teams.

The deadline for a decision from the CFP’s executives is Dec. 1.

If you are excited about the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback changes in 2026, mainly the addition of Kyler Murray, CBS Sports does not share your enthusiasm. That website ranked Minnesota’s quarterback group as the NFL’s seventh-worst heading into the summer.

Minnesota’s quarterback group has risk, but calling it one of the league’s worst feels premature.

It’s the latest evidence to suggest that Murray’s stock is at its lowest.

Murray’s Track Record Makes the Ranking Hard to Defend

Seventh-worst? Really?

CBS Sports: Vikings QB Room Isn’t Good

Garrett Podell of CBS Sports decided seventh-worst for the Vikings’ QB room ranking, explaining, “One would think the Minnesota Vikings’ signing of two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray would keep them off this list, but that’s not the case. Murray earned his Pro Bowl selections in 2020 and 2021. That’s a lifetime ago in NFL years. From 2022 to 2025, Murray missed 30 of his possible 68 games.”

“In the five games Murray played for the Cardinals in 2025, he averaged a career low 227.0 total yards per game. Recent first-round pick J.J. McCarthy was the worst quarterback in the NFL in 2025, which sparked the signing of Murray. McCarthy’s performance was simply incredible considering the offensive ecosystem under 2024 Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell.”

Murray is in town on a contract worth $1.3 million. The Cardinals are paying him to play for the Vikings.

“Despite an electrifying supporting cast, McCarthy ranked dead last in the league in completion percentage (57.6%), touchdown-to-interception ratio (11-12), and passer rating (72.6). Murray could rediscover his early career form with Minnesota,” Podell continued.

“Murray is one of just four players in NFL history with 20,000-plus passing yards (20,460) and 30-plus rushing touchdowns (32) through his first seven seasons, joining Josh Allen, Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson. Week 1 starter: Kyler Murray.”

Little Faith in Murray, McCarthy, and Wentz

Vikings fans are enthused about this year’s quarterback trio, primarily because the franchise finished 2025 with a 9-8 record, despite posting the NFL’s fifth-worst quarterback performance per Dropback EPA/Play. Adding Murray feels like a serious remedy to an even graver malady.

It’s just that the NFL populace doesn’t agree yet. It has to see Murray thrive in Minnesota to believe it. After all, a team as lowly as the Arizona Cardinals got rid of Murray in favor of Jacoby Brissett and Carson Beck. That’s pretty damning.

Minnesota now has a quarterback with something to prove in Murray, a man with upside in the 23-year-old McCarthy, and a gritty veteran named Wentz in case the other two flounder or get hurt.

The Sam Darnold Lesson

In 2024, the Vikings signed Darnold from free agency, and fans groaned. The club was really going to embark on the Kirk Cousins afterlife with Darnold, who was certifiably the butt of jokes at the time? Indeed, they were.

That offseason, though, Minnesota knew what it was doing, even if folks groused when Darnold signed on the Vikings’ dotted line. He’d later post 35 touchdowns in Minnesota, fully reclaimed his career, and after the Vikings were done with him, he went on to win a Super Bowl with the 2025 Seattle Seahawks.

Compared to Darnold, Murray starts his post-Cardinals adventure with much more proven production. Murray isn’t a punchline like Darnold was two years ago. Perhaps it’s not the best time to write off the Vikings’ decision-makers before seeing Murray’s time unfold. If they struck oil with Darnold for a season, there’s no reason to believe Murray can’t achieve the same outcome.

Browns Take the Cake as the Worst

Who has the quarterback situation in football? That’s the Cleveland Browns, says Podell.

He wrote, “There is no quarterback room more chaotic than that of the Cleveland Browns. There’s the husk of Deshaun Watson, a quarterback who tore his Achilles in 2023 and once more in his rehab process in 2024, set to enter the final season of his five-year, $230 million fully-guaranteed contract in 2026.”

“Then you have the lightning rod that is 2025 fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders, the son of Deion. Despite being blitzed on 24% of his dropbacks since his NFL debut in Week 11, Sanders faced pressure on 51% of his dropbacks, the highest such rate in the league. Dillon Gabriel, a 2025 third-round pick, started in Weeks 5-11 for the Browns.”

All signs point to Watson starting for Cleveland in September.

“Then, there’s 2026 sixth-round pick Taylen Green, a player with so much athletic potential that fans are begging him to switch to wide receiver. It’s the final year of Watson’s contract, and if he can still move around after two Achilles tears, he’s the quarterback who has experienced the most NFL success with three Pro Bowl selections,” Podell concluded.

The Vikings’ first regular season game is less than 16 weeks away, when Murray can deconstruct the CBS Sports narrative.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson (second from left) and Justin Brownlee mix it up with the Rauin or Shine duo of Adrian Nocum and Jaylen Johnson. —MARLO CUETO

Scottie Thompson once again proved why Barangay Ginebra continues to lean on him in big moments.

Thompson fired 25 points and sparked a decisive second-half turnaround as Ginebra defeated Rain or Shine, 103-98, on Sunday night to seize a 2-1 lead in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series at Mall of Asia Arena.

The veteran guard knocked down five three-pointers and added seven rebounds, two assists and three steals as the Gin Kings recovered from an eight-point halftime deficit and withstood a late Rain or Shine rally before a crowd of more than 13,000.

“There’s nobody better than a guy who comes out and does his job literally every game,” Ginebra coach Tim Cone said of Thompson. “He does all the stuff that no one else wants to do. It’s amazing to watch day in and day out.”

Wednesday game

Justin Brownlee delivered 24 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, while RJ Abarrientos chipped in 17 points and five assists despite ditching a protective mask after suffering a nose injury earlier in the series.

Ginebra can move within a victory of another Finals appearance when the best-of-seven series resumes Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

And Thompson should play a key role in that match, too. Cone knows, having watched the do-it-all guard work hard even during practice.

“I’ve had the opportunity for 10 years to watch him do that every day, every game,” Cone said. “He just comes to work every day.”

“I tell you, he does it every practice, too. He comes out and he does his job. He does all the stuff that no one else wants to do. It’s just amazing to watch that day in and day out,” he added.

Thompson is averaging 19 points on 51-percent shooting while also contributing 6.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and one steal per game in the semifinals.

Rain or Shine looked poised to regain control of the series after a blistering start led by Andrei Caracut, who scored all 15 of his points in the opening quarter on five three-pointers.

‘Explosive diarrhea’

The Elasto Painters also welcomed back Caelan Tiongson, who saw action after battling what coach Yeng Guiao described as “explosive diarrhea.”

Tiongson and Jaylen Johnson scored 23 points each and helped Rain or Shine build an early cushion, but Ginebra gradually turned the game around behind Thompson’s outside shooting and Brownlee’s steady playmaking.

Tjompson orchestrated Ginebra’s rally in the third and, when Rain or Shine rallied late in the game, hit timely shots that sealed the victory. INQ

Claressa Shields has threatened to take legal action and made an accusation of defamation in a fiery onslaught on social media.

Such allegations stem from the altercation between Shields and Alycia Baumgardner earlier this month, where both fighters were seen trading barbs in a hot-tempered exchange.

This took place during a Most Valuable Promotions Netflix event, headlined by Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano, where Jake Paul’s promotional outfit delivered a series of MMA contests.

But while action took place inside the cage, there was also a confrontation between two high-profile women’s boxers inside the VIP area.

Video footage appears to show Shields slapping Baumgardner following their war of words, to which MVP have responded by banning the ‘GWOAT’ from future events.

In an official statement, MVP described the incident as a physical “attack”, while Baumgardner wrote in her own statement that Shields’ behaviour was “unprovoked”.

It is important to highlight, too, that Baumgarner is signed to the flagship promotional organisation for women’s boxing, while Shields is still being promoted by Dmitry Salita.

Regardless of their allegiances, though, Shields has said in a social media clip that she plans to sue both MVP and Baumgardner.

“MVP does not run boxing, so let’s wrap that s*** up. I’m not banned from boxing. Actually, I have a huge fight announcement coming soon.

“Both of MVP and Baumgardner’s statements were lies – that is defamation.

“For those who saw the video of Baumgardner threatening me, telling me ‘I’ll beat your ass right now’, that is a threat.

“You saying everything that happened was completely unprovoked – that’s a lie. Now that I’m looking at statements, and I’m seeing people lie, it’s okay because I’m not gonna handle it with the law; I’m gonna handle it with the court.

Advertisement

“Ya’ll gonna get sued for defamation.”

As a five-weight world champion, Shields is regarded alongside Katie Taylor as the greatest female fighter of this generation, if not of all time.

Tributes continue to pour in from across the sporting world following Pep Guardiola’s emotional farewell as Manchester City manager, with basketball legend Michael Jordan and NBA champions Boston Celtics among the high-profile names celebrating the Spaniard’s legacy.

Jordan stunned fans during City’s farewell event after appearing in a special tribute video congratulating Guardiola on what he called an “unbelievable career.”

“Hey Pep, this is Michael Jordan,” the six-time NBA champion said.

“I just want to congratulate you on an unbelievable career. Enjoy your retirement. Good luck on the links (golf). And keep them straight.”

The Boston Celtics also joined the tributes on social media, posting:

Congrats Pep on a legendary run at @ManCity pic.twitter.com/ScbJWpGvsH

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 24, 2026

Advertisement

The NBA champions’ connection to Guardiola runs deeper than a congratulatory message.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has repeatedly credited Guardiola for influencing his coaching philosophy during Boston’s championship-winning run. Mazzulla, a known admirer of Manchester City’s tactical structure and team culture, previously visited Guardiola in Manchester and maintained regular contact with the City boss during the Celtics’ title campaign.

After winning the NBA Finals, Mazzulla openly admitted Guardiola helped shape some of Boston’s tactical ideas.

“Pep helped me in transitions and how to move guys,” Mazzulla said while discussing how Boston solved Dallas’ defense during the Finals.

Mazzulla also praised Guardiola’s emphasis on “competitive joy” and togetherness, concepts he later implemented inside the Celtics locker room during their championship season.

The admiration between both coaches became one of the most fascinating cross-sport relationships in recent years. Guardiola attended Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Boston in 2024, while Mazzulla spent time observing Manchester City training sessions and exchanging ideas with the legendary football manager.

Guardiola’s influence has long stretched beyond football, with coaches from basketball, American football, rugby, and other elite sports often citing his leadership, tactical innovation, and team-building methods as inspiration.

The farewell celebration itself became a global sporting event, featuring emotional speeches, tributes from former players, celebrities, and musicians including lifelong Manchester City supporter Noel Gallagher.

After nearly a decade in charge, Guardiola departs Manchester City having transformed the club into one of football’s greatest modern dynasties — winning multiple Premier League titles, domestic trophies, and delivering the club’s first UEFA Champions League crown.

And judging by the tributes arriving from every corner of sport, Guardiola’s impact may ultimately be remembered as far bigger than football itself.

Former Major League Baseball All-Star Wander Franco will avoid prison despite being found guilty for a second time on charges of sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. A Dominican Republic judge granted the 25-year-old shortstop a judicial pardon.

The decision overturned Franco’s original June 2025 conviction, in which he received a two-year suspended sentence.

The charges against Franco stemmed from a months-long relationship the ex-MLBer had with a 14-year-old girl beginning in December 2022, when the former top baseball prospect was 21 years old. The court ruled that while Franco was criminally responsible for his actions, he was also the victim of an extortion and blackmail scheme allegedly orchestrated by the minor’s mother.

Wander Franco of the Tampa Bay Rays watches the game during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Aug. 12, 2023. (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco sits in court during his trial on charges of sexually abusing a minor in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on June 2, 2025. (Ricardo Hernandez/AP)

Prosecutors pushed aggressively for a five-year prison sentence for the Tampa Bay Rays star, but the court ultimately handed its harshest punishment to the minor’s mother. Investigators previously uncovered more than $100,000 in cash during raids on her home tied to Franco.

DOMINICAN APPEALS COURT GRANTS NEW TRIAL FOR CONVICTED MLB STAR WANDER FRANCO IN SEXUAL ABUSE CASE

The mother was sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering and commercial sexual exploitation.

During the proceedings, prosecutors detailed how she allegedly used her daughter as a financial commodity, extracting thousands of dollars from the wealthy MLB player in exchange for consenting to the relationship.

While Franco avoided jail time, his pro baseball career in Major League Baseball is long over. He signed an 11-year, $182 million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021.

Wander Franco of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Fla., on June 8, 2023. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Franco has not appeared in an MLB game since August 2023, when allegations involving the minor first exploded on social media.

He was later placed on administrative leave before MLB moved him to its restricted list, freezing both his salary and service time.

RAYS NIXING NEW STADIUM DEVELOPMENT; TEAM REMAINS COMMITTED TO REACHING ‘BALLPARK SOLUTION’

Under U.S. immigration law, the case likely qualifies as a “crime involving moral turpitude.”

Because Franco was not fully exonerated, immigration experts believe it will be nearly impossible for him to secure the work visa necessary to resume his Major League career.

Dominican baseball star Wander Franco gestures during his trial in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on June 26, 2025. Franco received a two-year suspended sentence after being found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage girl. (Luis Tavarez/AFP)

The sentence also gives the Rays significant leverage financially.

With roughly $160 million remaining on Franco’s contract, the organization is under no obligation to pay him if he cannot obtain a visa or report to the team.

The Rays could also attempt to void the remainder of the deal under morality clauses commonly included in professional sports contracts.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Major League Baseball’s independent investigation under its Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy remains ongoing.

MLB previously said it was waiting for the Dominican Republic’s legal process to conclude before issuing formal disciplinary action.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Monday that her country has “no issue” with hosting Iran‘s World Cup team, following the squad’s decision to move its training base from the United States to Mexico for the summer soccer competition.

The team is still scheduled to play its matches in the U.S., but its new base has been relocated to Tijuana, Mexico, situated just south of San Diego, California, as confirmed by Iran’s soccer federation.

President Sheinbaum clarified at a news conference Monday that she was told by a FIFA representative that the U.S. was reluctant to have the Iranian soccer team spend time outside of their scheduled games on U.S. territory.

“The United States doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States,” Sheinbaum told reporters. She said a FIFA representative had then asked, “Can they stay overnight in Mexico?”

“And we said, ‘Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that’,” she said.

Iran’s soccer team is slated to play matches in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and against Belgium six days later, before facing Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.

Before the war broke out, the team was originally planned to set up its base in Tucson, Arizona. But with tensions simmering, Iran’s team moved its base to Tijuana in Mexico, Sheinbaum said, confirming an announcement by the Iranian federation over the weekend. The federation said the Iranians had received approval from FIFA, though it has not confirmed the move.

Teams use base camps to train before and after matches. This year’s World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 and will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The possibility of a move had simmered for months in the uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East and security concerns. U.S. sanctions on Iran were likely to only make the team’s stay in the U.S. more complex.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement on Monday that President Donald Trump had made it clear the Iranian team was welcome to participate in the tournament.

The department’s statement did not address where the team might stay, or Sheinbaum’s comments.

Sheinbaum said that her government was working with FIFA to hash out all the details before the competition.