Power conferences are moving closer to banning former NFL players from playing within their membership across 64 schools with the SEC following the Big Ten by proposing conference rules to keep professional athletes from returning to play college sports.    

On Tuesday, the Big Ten became the first conference to levy significant penalties when its athletic directors and faculty athletics representatives unanimously approved a ban on former NFL players pursuing a fifth year of eligibility within their league. 

Sources tell CBS Sports the punishment is modeled on the NCAA’s ghost transfer rule. That rule bans coaches from 50% of games and carries a financial penalty on the school equal to 20% of its football budget.

The SEC announced its new policy later Tuesday after a meeting at the conference’s headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. LSU was considering adding two former NFL players to its roster, but sources told CBS Sports’ John Talty the vote, like the Big Ten’s, was unanimous. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey will have wide-ranging powers to determine punishments for violating the new policy  

The SEC’s ban includes players from the NFL, NBA or WNBA. The Big Ten’s policy only mentioned NFL players.

The Big 12 is mulling a similar ban, and the ACC is set to meet Wednesday to discuss the subject, sources told CBS Sports. 

Big Ten, SEC decide to take action

The decisions by the Big Ten and SEC arrive amid growing legal uncertainty and a recent push from players who’ve signed NFL contracts trying to return to school and even seeking to enter the transfer portal — utilizing recent court rulings allowing players interested in a fifth year of eligibility to return to college football.

The Big Ten made it clear that its ban includes players who signed a professional contract, were on a professional roster, or declared for the NFL Draft without withdrawing.

Previously, under the Big Ten’s Sportsmanship Policy, standard disciplinary measures gave the Big Ten’s commissioner the leeway to levy immediate five-figure fines or hand down suspensions on his own authority, while major escalations — including extended sideline bans or institutional sanctions — required only the executive committee’s rubber stamp.

Such violations will be dealt with swiftly and decisively. That will surely be the case with other conferences if they implement the same rule, as many in the college athletics space expect. Lawsuits could follow from players — and potentially schools — seeking to circumvent these rules, though it appears unlikely to have much impact, at least within the Big Ten, at this point, given the unanimous approval among the 18 schools. 

“The lawsuits are circumventing the NCAA, but now when the league says you can’t do it, now you’re dealing with problems with your conference,” a power conference head coach told CBS Sports.

Do penalties go far enough? 

Several head coaches told CBS Sports they would like to see further punishment, including game forfeitures, if teams play a former professional athlete.

The SEC released a statement Tuesday night urging Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act in September to better protect itself from such developments, but the league, along with other power conferences, is moving toward individual conference-wide rules and enforcement. 

It also potentially signals the first step toward the long-gestating proposals within the Big Ten and SEC to shoulder enforcement policies under a new rules-and-enforcement model separate from the NCAA. The conferences have been preparing self-governance models in case legislation in Washington, D.C. fails to become law later this year.

LSU moved quickly

LSU has been at the center of the recent controversy after Lane Kiffin secured commitments from two former NFL players — defensive tackle ZXavian Harris and former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Harris. 

LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry has been supportive of Kiffin’s plan, though it remains to be seen whether he votes alongside his SEC colleagues this week to ban those players from participating in the SEC.

“There are a lot of parts of this I don’t like,” Kiffin said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show. “I don’t think professionals should come back to college sports and college football. But in this instance, these are not players who have gone on to play seasons professionally or randomly filed an injunction. This is part of a specific class that was ruled wrong by the NCAA that was supposed to be [five years to play five seasons].”

The NCAA approved a measure allowing players to play up to five seasons within a five-year span, but only for the Class of 2023 and later. That decision led to former players from the Class of 2022 who had exhausted their four years of eligibility to file lawsuits seeking temporary injunctions for a fifth season. 

Some were successful, leading many players to rejoin rosters across the country — though LSU is the only school so far to seek out players that landed on NFL rosters.

Nevertheless, there’s now growing doubt once again among athletic department, coaching and front-office sources about whether those players will actually be able to play at all this season.

It was a night of brutal finishes — and one massive upset — at the Meta Apex. Dana White’s Contender Series concluded it’s third week of fights on Tuesday night with a wild final bout featuring the daughter of a former UFC champion. 

Bella Mir was expected to walk through Alex Apodaca in the main event on her way to the UFC. Except nobody told Apodaca. Mir was anywhere from a -2000 to -3000 favorite heading into the fight with Apodaca expected to make her look good. But Apodaca stuffed many of the Mir takedown attempts throughout the fight and then bloodied Mir’s nose as well. She controlled the action from the opening bell and earned one of the biggest upsets in Contender Series history.

Sign up for Paramount+ and watch Dana White’s Contender Series on Tuesday night for no additional fee — every UFC numbered event and UFC Fight Night is included with the price of your subscription! Plans start as low as $8.99/month or $89.99/year!

“That’s crazy, I didn’t look at the odds before, I knew it was bullshit,” Apodaca said after the fight. “I just truly believe that if I stay present and in the moment that nobody’s going to beat me because I’m technical and I’m strong.”

White was so thoroughly impressed that, despite his admitted bias towards Mir coming into the fight due to his relationship with her family and former heavyweight champion Frank Mir, he awarded her a contract for her outstanding performance. That marked the fifth winner of the five fights to earn a contract on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Guilherme Uriel made the most of his second chance on Contender Series by locking in a nasty standing guillotine choke in the first round against Mario Piazzon. Uriel, who was stopped by rising heavyweight star Josh Hokit last year, did not disappoint in this opportunity by taking Piazzon’s neck almost instantly up against the cage. He never let go and forced Piazzon to tap out.

Plus, Ronald Humphrey put on an incredible show in his bout with Alexis Miranda. Humphrey dropped Miranda with a jab before unleashing brutal ground-and-pound that opened up his opened. Before long, Humphrey had taken his back and locked in a rear-naked choke for a violent finish.

DWCS Week 3 results

• Alex Apodaca def. Bella Mir via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)*
• Guilherme Uriel def. Mario Piazzon via first-round submission (standing guillotine choke)*
• Sean Clancy Jr. def. Gary Balletto via second-round TKO (punches)*
• Ronald Humphrey def. Alexis Miranda via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)*
• Nick Galanti def. Carlos Petruzzella via first-round knockout (punches)*

*Denotes contract won

Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 Mixed Doubles LIVE Streaming: 23-time women’s Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will make her return to the US Open after four years, as she teams up with men’s singles superstar Carlos Alcaraz for the mixed doubles at US Open 2026. After making her competitive tennis comeback at Wimbledon earlier this year, Williams will begin her hunt for a tenth US Open crown across categories. Men’s World No. 3 Alcaraz is also making his Grand Slam comeback, having missed both the French Open and the Wimbledon due to injury. The duo take on Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and Kiwi Erin Routliffe in the Round of 16.

US Open 2026 Mixed Doubles LIVE Streaming, Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz LIVE Telecast: Check Where and How to Watch

When will the Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match take place?

The Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match will take place on Tuesday, August 25 (IST).

Where will the Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match be held?

The Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match will be held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.

What time will the Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match start?

The Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match is scheduled to start at 11:30 PM IST.

Which TV channels will show the live telecast of the Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match?

The Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match will be televised live on the Star Sports network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match?

The Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2026 mixed doubles Round of 16 match will be live streamed on the JioHotstar app and website.

(All details are as per information provided by the broadcaster)

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Spain’s World Cup Champions Celebrate Wildly At Cibeles Square

Aston Villa have reportedly contacted Man United over the availability of Joshua Zirkzee. It appears to be a case of when, not if, the Dutch striker leaves following an underwhelming spell at Old Trafford.

Zirkzee has been strongly linked with a move to Napoli, but that deal is on hold as the Serie A side need to move a player out first. That has opened the door for other potential suitors.

According to Fabrizio Romano, they include Villa, whose squad has undergone a massive overhaul this summer, with the likes of Lucas Digne, Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa, plus Tielemans, departing.

The 2026 NFL regular season gets underway in just over two weeks, and a vast majority of Fantasy football drafts will go on the clock during that span. Avoiding 2026 Fantasy football busts is one of the best ways to win a league as players such as Lamar Jackson, Justin Jefferson, Brian Thomas Jr. and Bucky Irving left gaping holes in Fantasy lineups last season due to injury and/or ineffective play. 

Who should you target in your fantasy football draft strategy, and which players should fall on your list of potential 2026 Fantasy football busts and riskiest picks? Before finalizing your 2026 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2026 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Last year, the model accurately predicted that Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin would fall well short of his top-50 ADP. The result: A season after piling up nearly 1,100 receiving yards and a career-high 13 touchdown catches, McLaurin had career lows in receiving yards (582) and receiving touchdowns (3). Injuries were a factor, but his per-game averages were down across the board as well, so anybody who avoided him in Fantasy drafts dodged a major headache. 

The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor’s monstrous season in 2021 and correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024. Additionally, it’s called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. 

Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2026, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them. 

Top 2026 Fantasy football busts

One of the 2026 Fantasy football busts the model is predicting: New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers. He’s going off the board around pick No. 33, but SportsLine’s model doesn’t even have him as a top-15 receiver. In fact, it has players such as DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins above him.

Nabers isn’t a lock to be ready to at the start of the season after tearing his ACL last season and then undergoing a follow-up procedure in the spring. The Giants are also expected to lean heavily on the run game under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, making Nabers a risky pick in the second or early third round. See more busts at SportsLine.

Another bust that SportsLine’s Fantasy football rankings 2026 have identified: Bills running back James Cook. Cook is going off the board with an ADP around No. 10 overall and is the fifth running back being taken on average. SportsLine’s model, however, ranks him as RB No. 10, behind players such as Derrick Henry and Chase Brown, saying that he should be more of a late-second or even third round pick.

Cook has stacked two impressive seasons and was the RB6 a year ago, so it’s understandable why he’s getting first-round consideration in many drafts. He did fumble at a higher rate last season, however, and he’s not an elite target out of the backfield. Also, Josh Allen always looms as a touchdown vulture for Buffalo, as these factors are why the model is leaning to other high-end backs early. See which other Fantasy football busts 2026 to pick here.

How to find proven 2026 Fantasy football rankings

SportsLine is also fading one of the first five receivers off the board in early 2026 Fantasy football drafts. The model ranks this player barely inside the top 10 and is calling for him to be one of the biggest busts in the league this year. You can only see who it is, and the 2026 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.

So which 2026 Fantasy Football busts should you be steering clear of, and which high-end WR should you completely fade? Visit SportsLine now to get 2026 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that helped managers avoid a disastrous Terry McLaurin season in 2025.

2026 Fantasy football ADP

(PPR, via CBS)
Get Fantasy football cheat sheets at SportsLine.

1. Jahmyr Gibbs (1.24)
2. Bijan Robinson (1.94)
3. Ja’Marr Chase (4.01)
4. Puka Nacua (5.16)
5. Jonathan Taylor (5.20)
6. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (6.88)
7. Christian McCaffrey (7.51)
8. Amon-Ra St. Brown (9.17)
9. James Cook (10.45)
10. De’Von Achane (11.69)
11. Chase Brown (12.40)
12. Derrick Henry (13.30)
13. Saquon Barkley (14.07)
14. Ashton Jeanty (14.53)
15. CeeDee Lamb (15.31)

Enjoy it – and do what Serena Williams tells you to.

That was how Carlos Alcaraz settled back into competitive action at the US Open, partnering the American great as she returned to her home slam after a four-year absence.

The tournament’s revamped mixed doubles format has attracted criticism for favouring the allure of the sport’s top singles stars at the expense of established doubles players.

But the crowds turned out and produced a terrific atmosphere for the tournament’s headline act, with about 15,000 people packed inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

All four doubles specialist pairings lost to a team of singles players on Tuesday, while Alcaraz and Williams fell in the quarter-finals.

Seven-time major winner Alcaraz was playing his first competitive match since April after injuring his wrist, while 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams was competing in New York for the first time since she “evolved away” from tennis in 2022.

The pair were greeted by huge cheers and were roared on throughout their opening 5-3 4-1 win against Great Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe.

The 44-year-old Williams won the US Open mixed doubles title in its original format alongside Max Mirnyi in 1998 – five years before Alcaraz was born.

Almost 30 years later, Williams still had the competitive desire. She and Alcaraz enjoyed the occasion, playing with smiles on their faces and roaring each other on after winning a point.

Interviewed during a change of ends, Alcaraz said: “I’m playing next to the one and only Serena Williams, so what else can I do? Just enjoy and try to do the things she told me to do.”

Their partnership improved rapidly in their first match as they won eight of the final nine games to seal victory.

However, they were denied a place in Wednesday’s semi-finals by Italy’s world number six Flavio Cobolli and Swiss team-mate Belinda Bencic, who won 5-4 (7-4) 4-1.

Star pairing Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz defeated Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and his partner Erin Routliffe before losing in the quarter-finals of the US Open mixed doubles.

Williams – a 23-time grand slam singles champion – made her return to tennis in June at the age of 44, while seven-time major winner Alcaraz, 22, had been off the tour since April nursing a wrist injury.

The high-profile duo embraced after capitalising on a third match point at Arthur Ashe Stadium to secure a 5-3 4-1 victory in just under an hour.

“I never expected to be back on this court,” said Williams, according to usopen.org. “It’s just a really cool moment – I never thought this would happen.”

Alcaraz double-faulted on the first point en route to dropping the opening service game and admitted to feeling some nerves.

“I was out for almost five months and I almost forgot how it feels stepping out on the court once again,” said the Spaniard.

“She (Williams) made it really easy for me – just to try to enjoy it and go for it every time.”

Williams and Alcaraz were subsequently denied a semi-final spot by a 5-4 (4) 4-1 loss to fourth seeds Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic.

Earlier, top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka suffered a first-round exit after surrendering a one-set lead to lose to Britain’s Henry Patten and Czech player Katerina Siniakova.

Patten and Siniakova – two of the world’s top-ranked doubles players – overcame some early nerves to complete a 1-4 4-2 10-2 comeback victory.

Djokovic – a 24-time grand slam singles champion, including four US Open titles – was aced by Siniakova on match point in the tie-break.

Patten, 30, told Sky Sports: “It wasn’t looking very good for a while. In this format, we played one bad game and all of a sudden the first set’s gone.

“We knew the same was possible in the second set and we played an amazing tie-break – Kat acing Novak on match point was pretty fun.”

Patten and Siniakova were later beaten 5-4 (6) 4-5 (3) 10-8 by married couple Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals.

The US Open mixed doubles was revamped last year to include singles stars in a bid to attract greater attention to the format.

A shorter scoring system was introduced, with only four games required to win a set in matches before the final, no ‘advantage’ scoring, and 10-point match tie-breaks instead of a third set throughout.

In qualifying for the women’s singles, British trio Fran Jones, Katie Swan and Harriet Dart each progressed to the second round.

Jones defeated Italy’s Nuria Brancaccio 6-3 6-4 after Dart overcame 16-year-old American Jordyn Hazelitt 6-0 6-7 (1) 6-1. Swan beat another American, Katrina Scott, 6-3 6-1.

Jodie Burrage lost 7-6 (1) 6-4 to Spain’s Guiomar Maristany, while compatriot Henry Searle exited men’s qualifying following a 6-1 6-2 defeat to 16-year-old American Michael Antonius.