The Mountain West added North Dakota State as a football-only member beginning in 2026, getting paid $12 million to do so.

Could they seek more realignment moves?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I discuss how winning impacts realignment moves for schools like Sacramento State.

Will the Hornets find a home in an FBS Conference?

Also, I owe an apology to Kennesaw State.

Michigan’s Big 10 schedule is among the most difficult of any league slate in the country for 2026.

Can Kyle Whittingham overcome that to put the Wolverines in the Playoff?

03:21 Mountain West Expansion Speculation
07:21 Group of Six Playoff Potential
12:33 Bison’s FCS-to-FBS Transition
17:53 Winning’s Role in Conference Growth
28:26 College Football Playoff Debate

Villanova and Notre Dame are in the final stages of solidifying a monumental scheduling sacrament to begin the 2026-27 college basketball season. 

The Wildcats and Fighting Irish’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have been given special clearance by the NCAA to open next season in Rome for a doubleheader on Sunday, Nov. 1, sources told CBS Sports. College basketball’s official start to the season is Monday, Nov. 2, but the NCAA quietly approved a waiver in January to allow the teams a one-day head start, given the historic precedent of the games.

The motivation for the overseas twinbill happens to be one of the most famous people on the planet: Pope Leo XIV.

The two universities are prominent private Catholic schools with connections to the Pope. For Villanova, an obvious one: Robert Francis Prevost is a 1977 alumnus. The Notre Dame piece is tied to the school’s massive global brand. Notre Dame is regarded as the most prominent Catholic institution of higher learning in the world. It also has an outpost in Rome. An avowed sports fan, the Pope also grew up in Chicago, which has a significant Notre Dame fan presence given its proximity to nearby South Bend, Indiana. (Soon after Prevost was named the most powerful man in the Catholic Church, online detectives went back and found he appeared on television during the White Sox’s 2005 World Series run.)

Notre Dame’s women’s program is a powerhouse with two national titles and nine Final Fours. Since 2020, Niele Ivey has been the coach. Villanova owns three national titles in men’s basketball and has made the Final Four seven times, most recently in 2022 under Jay Wright. It’s now coached by Kevin Willard.

Villanova and Notre Dame worked in concert on arranging the game for months, sources said, with talks seriously materializing in the early fall. Paperwork has not been finalized, but both schools are moving forward with the expectation that one of college basketball’s most ambitious scheduling ideas in recent memory will transpire on the first day of November.

Fox is on board to broadcast both games, per sources, with the doubleheader scheduled to play out in the afternoon in Rome. That means breakfast-time basketball in the United States. While final details are still being worked through, the general plan is to have Villanova-Notre Dame lead into NFL coverage on Fox in the United States on that Sunday. The women’s game is planned to air afterward on Fox Sports 1. 

Starting a season in a foreign country isn’t unprecedented: Women’s college basketball opened this past season in Paris with Duke playing Baylor. On the men’s side, Villanova and Notre Dame is believed to be the first season-opener on foreign soil and the first regular season Division I basketball competition in Italy.

The teams will play the doubleheader at the Palazzetto dello Sport, known more colloquially as the PalaTiziano. The arena seats 3,500 people for basketball games and has existed since the late 1950s. It was built in the lead-up to Rome’s hosting of the 1960 Olympics. The PalaTiziano underwent significant renovations from 2018-2023 and is approximately 30 minutes from the Pope’s residence in Vatican City. 

The Pope’s involvement in the event — if any — is unclear and very much to be determined, according to sources, though officials from both schools have been in contact with the Pope and people around the Holy See. Notre Dame’s president and others had a private meeting with the Supreme Pontiff in November, while Villanova had officials fly to the Vatican last May to see Pope Leo’s inaugural mass. Villanova’s president, Rev. Peter M. Donohue, was not in the same class as Prevost in the 1970s, but the two did overlap as undergrads at VU.

The schools intend to make the trip not just about basketball, but a huge educational experience as well. Rome, which surrounds Vatican City, is a destination for millions of devout Catholics and tourists every year. 

And come November, should all go to plan, it will play host to a global American sporting event.

United States figure skater Maxim Naumov delivered an emotional performance in his Olympic debut on Tuesday, honoring his late parents who died in a tragic plane crash last year.

There wasn’t a dry pair of eyes at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Tuesday night, as Naumov fulfilled a dream he had alongside his parents, former pairs world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were among the 67 people killed when a military helicopter collided midair into American Airlines Flight 5342 in Washington D.C. in January 2025.

Naumov, 24, was expected to be a long shot to even crack the top 10 at this year’s Olympics, let alone medal. But he delivered quite the show that resulted in a full standing ovation, as he looked up at the sky and said, “Look at what we’ve done,” per ESPN.

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Maxim Naumov of Team United States reacts after competing in the men’s singles skating short program on day four of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 10, 2026. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

“I didn’t know if I was going to cry, smile or laugh,” Naumov said after his short program resulted in a score of 85.65 — good for 12th and having him qualify for the next round.

Naumov skated to “Nocturne No. 20,” and he couldn’t have been happier with his performance, knowing his parents were with him in spirit.

FIGURE SKATER MAXIM NAUMOV MAKES US OLYMPIC TEAM ONE YEAR AFTER LOSING BOTH PARENTS IN TRAGIC DC PLANE CRASH

“I’ve been inspired by them since day 1, ever since we stepped on the ice together,” Naumov, who was holding an old photo of himself and his parents on the ice together in the kiss-and-cry zone after dedicating his performance to them.

Naumov’s parents were among a contingent of U.S. figure skaters, coaches and family members who tragically passed away from the crash after leaving a developmental camp in Wichita, Kansas after the 2025 national championships. Naumov was on an earlier flight.

Maxim Naumov of Team United States competes in the men’s singles skating short program on day four of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 10, 2026. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Three days before being named to the U.S. Olympic team, Naumov was emotional after skating in their honor at the U.S. Championships, where he held up the same picture of himself as a 3-year-old boy with his parents on either side of him.

“Sharing the vulnerability with the audience and me feeling their energy back has been something I remember for the rest of my life,” Naumov said to reporters after his skate that solidified his spot on the U.S. team. “It’s what my parents and I — one of our last conversations was about exactly that, and you know, it would mean the world to me to do that. That’s what we’re fighting for.”

As he took the ice, Naumov said that being too technical about his performance wasn’t the thought process.

His effort level was all that mattered — no matter the result.

USA’s Maxim Naumov holds a picture of his parents, who died in a plane crash last year, after competing in the figure skating men’s singles short program during the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 10, 2026. Naumov’s parents Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova died after a midair collision of an American Airlines plane and a US Army helicopter in Washington DC on Jan. 29, 2025. (WANG Zhao / AFP)

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“I wasn’t thinking about executing anything perfectly or anything like that. I wanted to go out there and just give my heart out. Leave everything out there. Have no regrets. And that’s exactly what I felt,” he said, per ESPN.

Naumov will perform again during the men’s free skate on Friday night.

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Sam Darnold’s NFL journey has been nothing short of inspiring. 

The quarterback finally got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy with his Seattle Seahawks, his fifth NFL team, Sunday in Santa Clara.

Darnold was the third overall pick out of USC in 2018 to the New York Jets, where he was hoping to take the team out of playoff purgatory and cement himself as one of the greats for “Gang Green.”

Instead, Darnold found himself out of New York after three seasons, traded to the Carolina Panthers and beginning his move from the East Coast to West Coast.

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Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

After battling with Baker Mayfield in Carolina, Darnold eventually landed as Brock Purdy’s backup with the San Francisco 49ers. Then he got another shot at starting in the league with the Minnesota Vikings, leading them to a 14-3 record.

The success Darnold found led to choices in free agency, every player’s dream. He went with the Seahawks, reuniting with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and the rest is now history.

SEAHAWKS’ KENNETH WALKER III EARNS SUPER BOWL MVP HONORS AFTER DOMINANT RUSHING PERFORMANCE

So, as Darnold sat at a Raising Cane’s to celebrate with a “shift” in front of Seahawks fans after the 29-13 victory, Fox News Digital asked him what lesson might be learned from his journey through the league.

“I really think it’s about believing in yourself and taking it one day at a time,” he said over the phone. “I think, if there’s any lesson, it’s that. Continue to be yourself in any situation and always believe in yourself.”

Darnold’s belief led him to this point. And he got a taste of what Wednesday will be like at the parade in Seattle when Seahawks fans flocked to Raising Cane’s to see their Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

“It’s unbelievable, man,” he said. “I mean, the warm welcome I got with fans was just pretty special. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. It’s just unlike anything I’ve seen.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws a pass during the first half of the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

“They’ve shown up for us all season, all the way to the end. So, I’m very thankful to be playing here in Seattle with these fans.”

Fox News Digital spoke with Darnold in March 2025 when he made the decision to join the Seahawks after they had just traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, making the starting quarterback spot open. He said he loved the mutual interest and believed in head coach Mike Macdonald and the group of guys already in the building.

Darnold was simply hoping to fit in and help lead the team to the promised land. Mission accomplished.

“Clearly, I made the right decision,” he said almost one year later. “It’s been a very special ride with this group, with my teammates and the coaching staff that we had this year.

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks walks on the field after the NFC championship against the Los Angeles Rams Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. The Seattle Seahawks won 31-27. (Getty Images)

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“It’s funny, I feel like after the Super Bowl even, we all wanted to play another game. Maybe not physically, but mentally, emotionally, we’re still in it, and we just love playing ball with each other. That’s all you can ask for when you sign up to play this great game.”

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Bolton Middlebrook Leisure Trust has scooped the contract to run five leisure sites as an agent on behalf of Bolton Council. The 15-year contract starts on 1 April. 

Managing director, Neil Hutchinson, told HCM that the trust, which has been operating Bolton Arena since 2021, has been preparing for the bid since his appointment four years ago.

Underdogs in terms of scale, the team are delighted to have fought off competition from much larger operators.

 “To get to the start line and be in a position to even bid for a large leisure tender is a huge challenge for a small local independent leisure trust, such as us,” he says. “We had to work very hard over the last year just to meet the criteria checklist to enable us to submit a competitive bid.

“Although price was a factor, Bolton Council had written the tender to be more about quality delivery, social value and investing in Bolton communities, this played to our strengths, because our health and wellbeing angle was very highly commended.”

Contract goals include increasing overall participation by 20 per cent and priority groups by 30 per cent. Supporting 10,000 people with inactivity-related health conditions and improving the mental wellbeing of targeted participants by 20 per cent.

“The council wanted an operator that would collaborate with public health and work towards reducing health inequalities across the borough, particularly in areas where there is less access or engagement with health and fitness,” says Hutchinson. “Our health and wellbeing fund is about reinvesting back into Bolton and we’ll also buy most of our support services locally.

“We’ll be working closely with Bolton Council and Public Health on an ABCD approach maximising Asset Based Community Development to improve peoples lives across Bolton.

“Initiatives which extend beyond the four walls of the leisure centre are planned, for example utilising the parks and green spaces for activities such as yoga. A whole town activation of a population of 180,000 is in the pipeline that will involve a mass orienteering style event  to engage schools, colleges and families.”

One of the leisure centres is a shared site with the NHS, so as part of the GM Active collective the trust will be running the Prehab4Cancer programme. There will also be GP referral cardiac rehab, stroke prevention and Parkinson support programmes ,as well as further engagement with established partners, including Age UK and Bolton Deaf Society. Some instructors have been trained in sign language to run classes for the hard of hearing and this will be extended.

Around £1.2 million will be invested in gym refurbishments across the sites in the next two to three years, replacing gym equipment, upgrading changing areas and creating a health and wellbeing hub with a specialist gym at one of the sites. A wellbeing membership giving access to mental health services and advice on nutrition and sleep with access to a GP will be offered as part of gym memberships.

 “The next challenge is to mobilise for the 1st April and we can’t wait to go live,” says Hutchinson.

Cole Palmer’s face said it all. His mouth agasp in utter disbelief, the 94th-minute open-goal miss of the weekend’s hat-trick hero perhaps signalled the end of Liam Rosenior’s honeymoon period. And once more, it’s against Leeds United when fortunes change for a Chelsea manager.

Before the visit of Daniel Farke’s men, Rosenior’s early career at the Stamford Bridge helm consisted of seven wins in nine games, only suffering defeat in Chelsea’s two Carabao Cup semi-final legs against quadruple-chasing Arsenal. His impressive record had admittedly been aided by a favourable run of league fixtures, with his only top-half opponents coming in the form of Brentford in mid-January. But considering the backlash from a portion of the fanbase following his appointment, alarm bells were yet to really sound on BlueCo’s pick.

Dropped points against Leeds, however, could be the reality check that shifts the tide, as was the case in December. The visitors’ dismantling of Chelsea in this season’s reverse fixture plunged a club with a growing ambition of a title charge into turmoil. Defeat at Elland Road, eight days on from a stunning 3-0 win over Barcelona, can be seen as the turning point that led to Enzo Maresca’s messy demise. A month and two wins in seven games later, the Italian was sacked.

Chelsea were overrun in that contest, falling victim to a blistering start by Daniel Farke’s side as they fell behind inside six minutes. There was a brief sense the same was about to happen when Jayden Bogle, bizarrely playing in a second striker role rather than his usual wing-back position, found himself in the Blues box inside 60 seconds, a break stemming from Cole Palmer giving the ball away cheaply. Without Dominic Calvert-Lewin in support, who lost his race to make fitness, Bogle ended up running the ball out of play, but it was an early glimmer of hope for the visitors.

That glimmer was swiftly snuffed out as Chelsea grew increasingly comfortable. Leeds became camped in their own half as the hosts pressed and probed, who found the breakthrough in the 24th minute thanks to a scything Chelsea move, cutely finished by Joao Pedro after being slipped in by Palmer.

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That’s eight goal contributions in his last nine outings for the Brazilian, who had seen his star fade after an electric start to his Chelsea career. The instant impact he made in New Jersey last summer, lighting up the latter stages of the Club World Cup before carrying that form into the opening weeks of the season, led many to tip him as the Premier League’s signing of the season. He is now rediscovering the potency that justified that initial hype.

The roles of Chelsea goalscorer and provider were swapped after the break, in a way. Jaka Bijol gifted the Blues a penalty in the 56th minute, pushing Joao Pedro in the back with both hands to send the striker tumbling over. The Slovene’s appeals were pointless – it was stonewall. And off the back of his first-half hat-trick at Molineux – including two converted spot-kicks – there was no mistake from Palmer, tucking past Karl Darlow to double his side’s lead.

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Chelsea were cruising, with Rosenior looking on course for an fourth straight league win. The new Blues boss has so far looked impermeable to an upset – but then the wheels came off.

Just as it seemed a clumsy challenge down one end had put the game out of sight for Leeds, a clumsy challenge down the other end offered the visitors a way back. Moises Caicedo’s tripping of Bogle gave referee John Brooks another simple decision to make, and Lukas Nmecha – deputising for Calvert-Lewin – sent Robert Sanchez the wrong way.

Six minutes later, things weren’t so black and white for the referee. Noah Okafor tucked into an open net after a calamitous mix-up between Sanchez and Josh Acheampong, who failed to clear the ball after Bogle had forced himself into the box. It seemed, however, that Chelsea’s sinners would get a reprieve, with replays showing the ball to have touched Bogle’s arm in the build-up.

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A delay ensued – not as long as we’ve seen in the recent past, but one significant enough for home fans to believe a jog to the monitor was imminent. But that didn’t come; the goal was given. Leeds were resurrected, Chelsea crestfallen.

Farke’s side still had a quarter of an hour to survive as Chelsea upped the ante, but while taking no credit away from their defensive reslience, there was a sense it just wouldn’t fall for the hosts now that they’d surrendering total control.

Joao Pedro was nearly the hero as his late header crashed off the bar, but it’s Palmer who will have sleepless nights after skying a last-gasp chance with the goal gaping from a couple of yards out. Caicedo, who must have thought he’d set up a late winner when squaring it across the six-yard box, could not quite believe his talisman hadn’t scored as he looked lifelessly into the Matthew Harding Stand.

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Palmer was crouched, dejected, before the full-time whistle even went, with Leeds winding down the final seconds of the clock. For Farke’s side, it’s another point towards survival.

Champions League qualification remains paramount for the Blues and this result on its own will not harm them too much, with sixth-placed Liverpool going into the matchweek four points adrift. But as we saw at the tail-end of 2025, things can snowball and fast. Just ask Rosenior’s predecessor.

Canelo Alvarez is seemingly inching closer towards securing an immediate world title shot following his points defeat to Terence Crawford last year.

The 35-year-old lost his undisputed super-middleweight crown in September, with Crawford claiming a unanimous decision victory after moving up two weight classes.

But while ‘Bud’ announced his retirement several months later, Canelo has opted to remain in the sport for a little while longer.

It was announced by Turki Alalshikh last month, in fact, that the Mexican will headline a card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this September.

Along with that, Alalshikh added that Canelo is set to face one of the champions at 168lbs, presenting him with an opportunity to reclaim one of his titles.

As it stands, the only current male super-middleweight world champions are Christian Mbilli and Jose Armando Resendiz, with the WBO and IBF titles remaining vacant following Crawford’s departure.

And, of the two, WBC champion Mbilli is perhaps the obvious candidate for a Canelo clash, given his fan-friendly style and Alvarez’s traditionally productive relationship with the WBC.

The unbeaten Frenchman comes off a 10-round draw with Lester Martinez, featuring on the undercard of Canelo-Crawford, which saw Mbilli retain his WBC ‘interim’ strap.

Since then, the sanctioning body has elevated him from ‘interim’ to full world champion, with the 30-year-old now searching for a worthy challenger to defend his title against.

Speaking with Sky Sports, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman named Alvarez, among others, as a possible option.

“We’re going to address the situation in the following weeks to see what is coming up for Mbilli and the division.

“Of course, Canelo, [Jaime] Munguia, Lester Martinez, Luka Plantic – there are so many fighters who can make great fights for the champion.”

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Should he secure a fight with Mbilli, then this would be Canelo’s first outing since his defeat to Crawford.

Manchester United ticked off another game in their race for Champions League football thanks to Benjamin Sesko’s smart finish in added time at West Ham

Manchester United are six points above Liverpool in the Premier League top five after drawing 1-1 with West Ham United on Tuesday night. Benjamin Sesko’s injury-time leveller maintained Michael Carrick’s unbeaten start to life in interim charge.

The draw moves United up to 45 points, with Chelsea just one point behind after their 2-2 draw against Leeds United. Liverpool face Sunderland on Wednesday night before the Premier League pauses for FA Cup action this weekend.

United are next in action on February 23 when they travel to Everton. Here, the Manchester Evening News takes a look at United’s upcoming fixture list compared to some of their Premier League rivals.

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Manchester United

Everton (A) – Feb 23 (8pm) – Premier League

Crystal Palace (H) – Mar 1 (2pm) – Premier League

Newcastle (A) – Mar 4 (8.15pm) – Premier League

Aston Villa (H) – March 15 (2pm) – Premier League

Bournemouth (A) – March 20 (8pm) – Premier League

Aston Villa

Brighton (H) – Feb 11 (7.30pm) – Premier League

Newcastle (H) – Feb 14 (5.45pm) – FA Cup

Leeds (H) – Feb 21 (3pm) – Premier League

Wolves (A) – Feb 27 (8pm) – Premier League

Chelsea (H) – March 4 (7.30pm) – Premier League

Manchester City

Fulham (H) – Feb 11 (7.30pm) – Premier League

Salford (H) – Feb 14 (3pm) – FA Cup

Newcastle (H) – Feb 21 (12.30pm) – Premier League

Leeds United (A) – February 28 (5.30pm) – Premier League

Nottingham Forest (H) – March 4 (7.30pm) – Premier League

Chelsea

Hull City (A) – Feb 13 (7.45pm) – FA Cup

Burnley (H) – Feb 21 (3pm) – Premier League

Arsenal (A) – March 1 (4.30pm) – Premier League

Aston Villa (A) – March 4 (7.30pm) – Premier League

Newcastle (H) – March 14 (5.30pm) – Premier League

Liverpool

Sunderland (A) – Feb 11 (8.15pm) – Premier League

Brighton (H) – Feb 14 (8pm) – FA Cup

Nottingham Forest (A) – Feb 21 (3pm) – Premier League.

West Ham (H) – Feb 28 (3pm) – Premier League

Wolves (A) – March 3 (8.15pm) – Premier League

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.

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