By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
Sports
2026 Preseason Big 12 Football Previews and Projections
The Big 12 doesn’t get respect on the national stage.
In some ways, it’s deserved. Last year, Texas Tech’s ugly Playoff performance against Oregon damaged the league’s reputation.
But the national narrative misses what makes the league different: its competitiveness. Every game is a battle, and the margins are razor thin.
There’s a Playoff spot up for grabs and every season is wide open. A program can quickly rise or fall over a short span of years.
Here’s my preview for the 2026 Big 12 Season.
Projected Conference Champion, Runner-Up, and Contenders
Champion: BYU
Bear Bachmeier enters his sophomore year after leading BYU to 12 wins as a true freshman.
The Cougars are 15-3 in conference games over the last two seasons and are 23-4 overall. Translation: Kalani Sitake is cooking. The combination of the NIL era and the transition out of independence has supercharged the program.
Now, BYU is a powerhouse in the Big 12. Bachmeier’s development should be the catalyst that pushes the Cougars to the Playoff in 2026.
Runner Up: Texas Tech
The Brendan Sorsby situation has been a disaster for Texas Tech. Not only did they lose their expected starting quarterback, but the entire college football world has collectively turned against them.
Nobody was brought in as a late replacement, leaving a significant question at the quarterback position. Will Hammond might be the answer. But his injury history and lack of experience are concerning.
Still, the rest of the roster should be elite. There’s nobody that can pay the way Texas Tech does. Money talks. And builds a strong roster.
Contender: Houston
The Cougars won 10 games last year in Willie Fritz’s second season. And starting quarterback Conner Weigman is back. But nobody is talking about Houston.
The program was a dumpster fire before Fritz took over. It only took two seasons to get to double-digit wins. Imagine what Year Three will bring.
Before coming to Houston, he led Tulane to 12 wins in 2022 and 11 in 2023. The guy just wins games. Look for Houston to compete for a Big 12 Championship this season.
Contender: Utah
Morgan Scalley takes over as head coach after waiting in the wings for years. Since 2016, Scalley had been Utah’s defensive coordinator and helped shape the identity of the program.
Now, he’s the lead man and returns star quarterback Devon Dampier. Named the 2025 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, Dampier led the Utes to 11 wins last season.
The transition from Kyle Whittingham wasn’t exactly clean-cut. But it’s water under the bridge. The expectations around Utah are real. The new era begins.
Contender: Arizona
Noah Fifita enters his redshirt senior season with momentum. The Wildcats won nine games last year and return coordinators on both sides of the ball. Wide receiver Tre Spivey is set for a productive year and could emerge as a star.
But there are questions on defense. The secondary lost several key players that must be replaced. Brent Brennan did his part by keeping defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales on the staff.
If contributors step up in the defensive backfield, Arizona could be competitive in the Big 12 title race.
The Rest of the Big 12
Arizona State
Kenny Dillingham hit the portal hard over the offseason. Arizona State’s transfer class is ranked No. 22 nationally, per 247Sports. But all eyes are on the quarterback.
Sam Leavitt left for LSU, and Dillingham brought in two transfers. Cutter Boley started 11 games for Kentucky and compiled a 4-7 record. Mikey Keene has 35 starts to his name after spending two years at UCF and two years at Fresno State.
Getting the quarterback battle resolved early in the season will be crucial. Because if the questions at quarterback are answered, ASU has the roster to be competitive in every Big 12 game it plays this year.
Baylor
Three. That’s the number of losing seasons Baylor has over the last four years. The program was once considered a power in the Big 12. One of the original founding members, the Bears have six 10-win seasons or better since 2011.
But expansion has put the program on the back foot. BU is 11-16 in conference games since the league started adding teams in 2023. This year, Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway was brought in to take over for the departing Sawyer Robertson.
His addition makes Baylor a dark horse in the Big 12. But with so many up-and-down years recently, there’s not much buzz around the Bears.
Central Florida
Scott Frost went 5-7 in his first year back in Orlando. It was an improvement over Guz Malzahn’s final four-win season. But Central Florida’s lack of growth in the Big 12 is concerning.
The program was a power in the American and has completely fallen off since joining in 2023. With three-straight losing seasons, it’s time for some progress to become apparent. Otherwise, UCF may be destined to be a perennial bottom dweller in the Big 12.
Fortunately, Frost knows how to get the job done there. There’s cautious optimism heading into the year. Anything less than a six-win season would be a failure.
Cincinnati
Forget the Brendan Sorsby noise. Cincinnati is on the rise. Scott Satterfield has improved the program each year since taking over in 2023.
The Bearcats had three wins that year, five in 2024, and seven last season. It’s a steady progression that’s been building up. But replacing a player like Sorsby won’t be easy.
Satterfield must not have a large enough war chest, either, because no splash transfer was brought in. The rest of the roster should be strong, though. Keep an eye on UC.
Colorado
The hype around Colorado has faded. The three wins last season were the fewest of Deion Sanders’ coaching career. But star offensive coordinator Brennan Marion was brought in to revamp the offense.
The former head coach of Sacramento State, Marion’s innovative system should result in a higher-scoring CU offense. Sophomore quarterback Julian Lewis figures to thrive within the scheme.
But there are questions on defense and the general trajectory of the program doesn’t inspire confidence. As far as preseason expectations go, there are none for Colorado.
Iowa State
Left to pick up the pieces after Matt Campbell left for Penn State, the Iowa State administration may have made a home run hire. Jimmy Rogers had great success at the FCS level, leading North Dakota State to a national championship in 2023.
Last year, Rogers patched together a roster on short notice, implemented his system, and led Washington State to a 6-6 record while playing an independent schedule.
The Cyclones might not have immediate success in Year One. But the future is bright in Ames with Rogers leading the program.
Kansas
After back-to-back five-win seasons, Kansas is in rebuild mode. Star quarterback Jalon Daniels ran out of eligibility, and KU has lost its identity.
Without Daniels in the mix, the Jayhawks might be near the bottom of the Big 12. But new stars could emerge, and the team may establish a new identity. If that happens, a bowl appearance is achievable.
It’s a critical year for Lance Leipold. Another underwhelming season would test the patience of the fanbase.
Kansas State
Collin Klein enters his first year as a head coach at the age of 36. He previously served as the offensive coordinator for Kansas State during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Most recently, Klein was the offensive coordinator for Texas A&M.
There are many unknowns around KSU, and expectations are non-existent. It’s a foundational year, though, and one that could set the tone for seasons to come.
Avery Johnson is a dangerous quarterback, if utilized correctly. Klein may have the skill to optimize Johnson’s talent and Kansas State’s season.
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys were at rock bottom last season. Legendary coach Mike Gundy was let go, and Eric Morris was brought in from North Texas. Now, there is renewed hope.
Quarterback Drew Mastemaker threw 34 touchdowns for the Mean Green in 2025 and then followed his coach to Stillwater. OSU’s success could rise and fall based on Mastemaker’s performance.
From the conference-wide perspective, the Big 12 needs Ok State to get its program together. The Pokes were supposed to be the league’s marquee football brand after Texas and Oklahoma left. Instead, it’s been several years of irrelevancy.
This season is pivotal for Morris to begin the rebuild.
TCU
Sonny Dykes lost Josh Hoover to the portal over the offseason. The departure was a significant blow to TCU’s program.
Left to find a replacement, Dykes reeled in Harvard transfer Jaden Craig. The addition didn’t make any waves and limits the expectations for the Horned Frogs’ season. It could be a disappointing year and show how important Hoover was to the team.
Yet, the Big 12 is wide open. Perhaps Craig hits the ground running and makes TCU competitive. In that sense, the Horned Frogs are a bit of a wildcard.
West Virginia
Rich Rodriguez enters Year Two of his return to Morgantown. With a full season to teach his system, a bowl appearance in 2026 is a reasonable expectation.
When executed correctly, Rodriguez’s offense is borderline unstoppable. But depth is required, and the quarterback makes or breaks the season. This year, Rodriguez has options with Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr. and sophomore Scotty Fox Jr.
Executing the right reads will be critical all season long. If Hawkins can’t get it going, look for Fox to get an opportunity to steal the starting job.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
Latest posts by Dane Miller (see all)
Continue Reading
Any notion that players lured away by the Saudi Arabia riches of LIV Golf would never return to the PGA Tour doesn’t hold much water these days. Five months from now, there could be as many as five ex-LIV players teeing it up at the season opener in California.
Brooks Koepka was the first to return, and that didn’t go the way he had hoped. He played 16 times and looked like a five-time major champion until his caddie handed him the putter. Koepka failed to reach the post-season at No. 94 in the FedEx Cup, a performance he described as “pathetic.”
Patrick Reed, who decided not to renew with LIV a week before it began the 2026 season, is leading the Race to Dubai on the European tour and is a lock to be among the leading 10 players not already exempt to get PGA Tour cards for 2027.
“I always saw myself wanting to start and finish my career on the PGA Tour,” Reed said. He will be playing the Nexo Championship next week in Scotland for a $3 million purse. Even one of the lesser “Challenger Series” events in the new tour schedule will feel like an upgrade.
Others currently among the leading 10 are Eugenio Chacarra, Bernd Wiesberger and Shaun Norris. All of them were part of LIV Golf when the rival league launched in 2022, and all have been away from LIV long enough to return without penalty (and without equity).
The PGA Tour has a full plate as it tries to shore up a revamped schedule for 2028 and to create a post-season format that finally puts some meaning into the word “playoffs.”
Brian Rolapp, one year into his role as CEO of the PGA Tour, has never spent much time talking about LIV Golf because there’s no need, especially now. Rolapp saying in a Bloomberg News interview that there was “no merger, no conversations with LIV Golf,” somehow made news. The framework agreement got rid of the lawsuits. That was key.
But creating a path back will need to be added to the plate at some point.
The renegade league is in survival mode without Saudi funding, and while it is leaning into the concept of “LIV 2.0” with the promise of a lead investor, the numbers don’t make sense. The Public Investment Fund spent more than $5 billion in five years, much of that to attract stars who went over to LIV because of the money.
“So many of them came because this was a good opportunity for them to make some money, and this second bite at the apple is equity instead of cash,” LIV CEO Scott O’Neil said last week when sharing the news of an agreement with an investor.
He was full of more optimism than details, chief among them the size of the investment.
And then the show went on. Joaquin Niemann won for the ninth time. Jon Rahm clinched the individual title for the third straight time and picked up a $6 million bonus, down from $18 million the last two years he won it.
Scottie Scheffler won $10 million for winning the PGA Tour’s regular season. The PGA Tour’s new “Championship Series” in 2028 offers $20 million purses. LIV Golf’s restructuring will likely have prize funds half that size. The math is not that complicated.
LIV ends its season next week in Indianapolis. And then what? Players will have months to contemplate their futures in golf while dropping in on the odd European tour or Asian Tour event.
The day before O’Neil gave his update on a lead investor, Cameron Smith said about a return to the PGA Tour, “I mean, if it was the only option, I think that’s where everyone would want to be for sure, 100 per cent.” Lucas Herbert said his management has been in touch with the tour.
The key figures are Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, who are more valuable to LIV Golf than they would be to the PGA Tour. Of course, that’s not the way DeChambeau sees it.
“Personally, I’d love to be able to play events on the PGA Tour, too,” DeChambeau said last week in an interview with the New York Post. “I think that’s best for golf. I’d love that. It’s not an either-or mentality. It’s ‘can we do both?’ I think that’s where everybody wants to be.
“There isn’t a golf fan on the planet who doesn’t want to see me play a big tour event, and I get that,” he said. “I’d love to go play events that make sense, love to play team golf and love to play wherever they’ll let me.”
Is that what the PGA Tour and its members want?
Rolapp in January offered a path back to DeChambeau, Smith and Rahm — major champions since LIV launched in 2022 — and gave them three weeks to decide. None took the offer, no surprise. At the time, there was no indication Saudi Arabia was going to turn off the cash spigot for a league that is (was) all about cash.
Those are three prominent names. There are others like Tyrrell Hatton (four Ryder Cup teams) and Niemann (nine LIV victories). There is unproven youth. There also are 17 players who are 40 or older who might not want to saddle up for a rugged path back to where they once were.
So much depends on how LIV 2.0 comes together and how long it can last.
Rolapp has been consistent in saying he wants what is best for the tour while respecting that his players might harbour more bad feelings from having lived through the big split. He also might come to realize the PGA Tour has done just fine without them.
Sports
Matthias Jaissle warns success ‘will not happen overnight’ at Newcastle unveiling after summer of upheaval
Matthias Jaissle says he arrives at Newcastle in an “ambitious” frame of mind, though warned progress “will not happen overnight” after succeeding Eddie Howe at St James’ Park.
It follows a testing summer on Tyneside as Howe ended his four-and-a-half-year tenure, coinciding with the sales of captain Bruno Guimaraes, fellow midfielder Sandro Tonali and key forward Anthony Gordon.
Newcastle’s shift in recruitment policy towards talented youngsters rather than established players means that recent outfield signings – Bazoumana Toure, Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba – are all under 22.
While the upheaval leaves the squad lacking experience, Jaissle – who guided RB Salzburg to back-to-back Austrian titles and Saudi club Al-Ahli to consecutive Asian Champions League crowns – remains upbeat.
At his official unveiling at St James’ Park, the 38-year-old German boss said: “We are ambitious. That’s the most important thing, also why I decided to come here. But this will not happen overnight.
“The players who left the club, they were great players, great characters, experienced players and this is now a vacuum. Other players need to step in.
“It’s a big challenge, always when there’s a transition period, but it’s no time to complain. It doesn’t make sense to see the negative things. We want to see the chance in that situation and that’s our approach from day one.
“I’m long enough now in the industry that you cannot promise anything, it makes no sense to promise things now because I don’t know how things look in half a year or in one year. What we can control, we will control.”
Jaissle’s initial order of business was a training camp in La Manga, Spain, while his new-look side claimed an encouraging 2-1 win in Valencia before he arrived in Newcastle over the weekend.
He will now turn his attention to Wednesday’s friendly match against Everton in Edinburgh and securing reinforcements, with Marseille captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg heavily linked with a move to St James’ Park.
Jaissle, who noted he has not decided who will replace Guimaraes as captain, said: “We are all optimistic. I am here for 36 hours in Newcastle, I’m also really happy now to be home, I had a bit of time in La Manga already to get the lads better. We work on it, that’s all I can say.
“Other players need to step in. Either we adjust something in the squad, by signing these players, these profiles, or other players need to step up and fill these positions, these leadership roles.
“So I am quite optimistic, we can work in both scenarios. My job is to do the best out of it.”
Alongside prospective transfer additions, Jaissle, who opened his press conference by personally shaking hands with reporters in the room, will look to extract the best out of the squad he already has.
Nick Woltemade arrived 12 months ago for a record £69million but despite starting with five goals in his first eight appearances, he faded thereafter in a frustrating first season.
Jaissle added: “I saw that he had a difficult period. From the first day, we talked a lot, he should leave the past behind. It’s something he cannot change. We are just looking forward.
“We find solutions, we do our best. Not only with Nick, with all the other players as well.”
Scrum skirmish
New Zealand struggled a bit at the scrum against the Stormers, and with Vincent Koch in the front row, one would expect the Sharks to try and get after the tourists in that area. Ethan de Groot is an outstanding loosehead, mind, and there’s plenty of power in the All Blacks pack with an extra long-limbed lineout jumper in Tupou Vaa’i on the blindside. Dave Rennie will be glad his props are getting a good test in these tour games – scrum parity could be crucial come the four games against the Springboks.
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 17:30
Ma’a Nonu’s reunion
It is fair to question whether Ma’a Nonu’s spot in the Sharks 23 might have been better used by a Sharks youngster, but it is undeniably fun for the veteran centre to be facing the All Blacks. It’s remarkable Nonu is still going at 44 – he played at the 2003 World Cup! The absence of Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor from the New Zealand squad means that there is no-one old enough to have played Test rugby with the centre, but I’m sure he can expect a friendly welcome regardless.
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 17:20
Team news – New Zealand
Dave Rennie shuffles his All Blacks side as looks to settle on his best combinations ahead of the four Tests against the Springboks. With Codie Taylor still absent, and Ardie Savea rested for this part of the tour, Luke Jacobson leads New Zealand in Durban with Wallace Sititi fit to feature after a late withdrawal from the game against the Stormers.
Billy Proctor has been ruled out of the rest of the trip with a fractured shoulder, so Quinn Tupaea and Jordie Barrett could well form the centre partnership come the Tests and start together here. Among the replacements are two new faces: hooker Bradley Slater and back rower Semisi Ta’eiloa will pull on All Blacks shirts for the first time.
New Zealand XV: 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Asafo Aumua, 3 Fletcher Newell; 4 Josh Lord, 5 Sam Darry; 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 7 Luke Jacobson (capt.), 8 Wallace Sititi; 9 Kyle Preston, 10 Ruben Love; 11 Caleb Clarke, 12 Jordie Barrett, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 14 Fehi Fineanganofo; 15 Damian McKenzie
Replacements: 16 Bradley Slater, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Ethan Blackadder, 20 Semisi Ta’eiloa; 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Timoci Tavatavanawai, 23 Emoni Narawa.
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 17:10
Team news – Sharks
The Sharks are without their Springboks contingent but still have two double World Cup winners on which to call, with prop Vincent Koch joining former All Black Ma’a Nonu in the matchday 23. Vusi Moyo is at the other end of his career but the 20-year-old is highly rated, and made his South Africa debut against Wales during the Nations Championship.
Manu Tshituka starts on the blindside flank but brother Vincent was forced to withdraw from the bench after a head injury in training, while teenage talent Zekhethelo Siyaya has caught the eye in a few URC outings at full-back.
Sharks XV: 1 Nemo Roelofse, 2 Eduan Swart, 3 Vincent Koch; 4 Hendre Stassen, 5 Deon Slabbert; 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Manu Tshituka, 8 Nick Hatton (capt.); 9 Bradley Davids, 10 Vusi Moyo; 11 Litelihele Bester, 12 Murray Koster, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 14 Donavan Don; 15 Zekhethelo Siyaya.
Replacements: 16 Liam van Wyk, 17 Rambo Kubekha, 18 Simphiwe Ngobese, 19 Corne Rahl, 20 Matt Romao; 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Luan Giliomee, 23 Ma’a Nonu.
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 17:05
Team news on the way…
Righty then, kick off is under an hour away at Kings Park on the Durban coast – let’s take a closer look at the two teams.
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 17:03
All Blacks braced for another big test of basics
Stand-in New Zealand captain Luke Jacobson knows his side need to tune in and improve up front after struggling at the set piece and aerially particularly against the Stormers.
“It’s an awesome challenge, an awesome opportunity for us to really dial in on maybe some things that didn’t go as well for us in the last game,” the flanker said this week.
“We know how the South African teams play, they know their game, they’ve got their mauls, their scrums. There’s going to be upfront battles, so we’re going to have to be ready to play that. I thought there were some lessons and it was a great taste of what we were going to get on this tour. I think we’ve made some good adjustments.
“The top level of South African rugby has a really good kicking game, a really good chasing game. I don’t think we’re going to get anything different to what we saw last week in that area.”
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 16:55
Eddie Hearn’s warning for rugby: ‘It’s so unambitious’
Speaking of rugby’s future, I recently spent a chunk of time with Eddie Hearn, who now counts Henry Pollock and Finn Russell amongst his clients. An interesting man, with some interesting, divisive ideas.
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 16:40
The deeper significance behind South Africa and New Zealand’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series
There’s quite a lot going on with this tour, which brings together old rivals and may have a huge bearing on rugby’s future – as I attempted to explain last week:
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 16:30
Siya Kolisi suffers hamstring injury in huge blow to South Africa ahead of New Zealand series
The Springboks, though, weren’t too hot in a fully-fledged Test against a depleted Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday – and lost captain Siya Kolisi to injury. The severity has not been confirmed yet, but Deon Fourie has been called up to the squad as cover for the South Africa skipper.
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 16:20
All Blacks battle past Stormers in unconvincing start to South Africa tour
It wasn’t necessarily a vintage All Blacks performance in Cape Town against the Stormers, even if they eventually got the job done. What bearing will a sloppy showing have on Test selection? It feels like Ruben Love has a chance to seize the No 10 shirt tonight with Beauden Barrett looking short of his best.
Harry Latham-Coyle11 August 2026 16:10
Former cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath made a huge statement on Indian superstar Hardik Pandya’s trade deal ahead of IPL 2027. Several reports have linked the star all-rounder to Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
However, it is being said that Hardik would move to any franchise only if he was offered captaincy. That said, Badrinath reckoned that it would be unfair on current CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad if Hardik came in and took away the leadership. He reckoned that the current skipper should be given at least another year.
“If Hardik comes, you will take the captaincy from Gaikwad and give it to Hardik? I will not agree with this. It will be very harsh on [Ruturaj] Gaikwad. They gave him captaincy in 2025, but he got injured and did not play the majority of the season, and MS Dhoni led in that season. 2026 was the season where he fully led as captain. Yes, he did not do as great, I agree. He did lead in 2024 too, but I feel he should get one more season as captain. I think CSK will also do that,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
CSK have failed to make the playoffs since 2024. While Gaikwad played only five games in 2025, he returned as captain last season, where they finished eighth on the table. Badrinath added that with one more year left for the mega auction, the five-time champions could give Gaikwad one more season as captain.
“There is one more year in this cycle before the mega auction so probably CSK will give him one more year. Gaikwad the batter is someone I really like and I have said it before too. We don’t know who the new coach also will be. So we have to wait and see.”
Gaikwad’s form with the bat was a bit of a concern last season, though. He scored 337 runs from 14 games at an average of 28.08 and a strike rate of 123.44 with just two half-centuries. Overall, he has played 85 games for the franchise, scoring 2839 runs at an average of 38.36 and a strike rate of 135.64 with two hundreds and 22 fifties.
S Badrinath picks former champions as another franchise Hardik Pandya could go to
While rumours and reports have it that Hardik Pandya is likely to move to either Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) or CSK, Subramaniam Badrinath picked IPL’s inaugural champions, Rajasthan Royals (RR), as another option for Hardik.
He took a dig at RR skipper Riyan Parag, stating his captaincy was not as great and impactful.
“Rajasthan could also be an option, as Riyan Parag did not have much impact as captain. Tell me what he did as captain? Is he MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma? Is his captaincy of that level? Records are in front of you. I have nothing against any player personally,” Badrinath said.
Riyan Parag has led RR in 22 games so far with 10 wins, 12 defeats and a win percentage of 45.45. That said, they also finished fourth last season and made it to the playoffs, eventually losing to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the second qualifier.
Get real-time updates on IPL 2025, live scores, IPL Prediction, match schedule, points table,Result & squad –CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS
Edited by Rishab Vm
Sports
After being denied a direct spot, how can West Indies qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup? | Cricket News
West Indies Cricket Team (AP Photo)
NEW DELHI: For a team with two ODI World Cup titles, West Indies have found themselves in an unfamiliar position again. The Caribbean side will not qualify automatically for the 2027 World Cup and must now negotiate the qualifying route to make the tournament in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.It is the third straight World Cup cycle in which West Indies have been pushed into the qualifiers, underlining the difficult road the former champions now face.The immediate challenge is the 2027 World Cup Qualifier in February, where West Indies will be joined by Ireland, four teams from the Cricket World Cup League 2 and four sides emerging from the Qualifier Playoff.
The route West Indies must navigate
West Indies cannot secure one of the automatic qualification spots before the September 30 cut-off. They are currently 10th in the ODI rankings, and even two victories over India before the deadline would not be enough to move them into the required bracket.That leaves the Qualifier as their route into the World Cup.The tournament carries an important incentive: win it, and West Indies go straight into the second round of the 2027 World Cup.But finishing between second and fourth would leave them with another hurdle. Those three teams will enter the first round of the World Cup, the Super Series, alongside another Qualifier team. Only the winner of that stage will progress to the second round.In other words, West Indies have little room for error. Winning the Qualifier would provide the cleanest route, while anything less could mean another high-pressure battle for survival.
Why West Indies cannot afford another slip
The Caribbean side already know what happens when the Qualifier campaign goes wrong.West Indies failed to make the 2023 World Cup through direct qualification and subsequently finished fifth in the Super Six stage of the Qualifier. The result was historic for the wrong reasons: they missed a World Cup for the first time.The consequences extended beyond that tournament. West Indies also failed to feature in the 2025 Champions Trophy, a competition they had not played since 2013.Now, with another World Cup qualification campaign ahead, the former two-time champions face a familiar test. This time, the objective is simple: navigate the qualifiers successfully and ensure they are back on cricket’s biggest ODI stage in 2027.
Overwatch Season 4 is almost upon us, introducing brand-new changes and even complete overhauls to Blizzard’s beloved PvP FPS hero shooter. This will arguably be the biggest update since the game reverted to Season 1 following a branding rollback from “Overwatch 2”.
Here’s all you need to know about Overwatch Season 4 dubbed “Heroes of Busan”, including file size and a countdown. Read on to know more.
Also Read: Twitch streamer LilyPichu to voice Overwatch’s newest hero D.Mon
Overwatch Season 4 file size, launch and countdown explored
The update can be pre-loaded on Battle Net on PC up until launch, and is approximately 6.2 GB. Season 4 officially launches on August 11, 2026 at 11 AM PT. Here’s the countdown to keep track of each passing moment:
What to expect from Overwatch Season 4?
The update is massive, introducing the following changes and additions on top of a new Battle Pass, new cosmetics, and more:
- New Tank hero “D.MON“, who uses a mech similar to the other Tank character D.VA.
- New Hero Mythic Skin: Koi of Duality for Genji.
- New Weapon Mythic Skin: Eternal Crystal for Sojourn.
- Battle Pass revamp, including the return of older Battle Passes to keep permanently.
- Map reworks for Busan, Eichenwalde, and Paraiso.
- Competitive Rank Reset alongside the introduction of a new “Emerald” Rank.
- New events including Team Drives and Shooting Star: My Meka Mania
- New Overwatch x LE SSERAFIM collab
Overwatch Season 4 will be on all platforms, including PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Are you stuck on today’s Wordle? Our Wordle Solver will help you find the answer.
Edited by Siddharth Patil
Country race clubs, the very heart of Australian thoroughbred racing, face potentially devastating financial consequences should gambling reforms extend beyond the currently proposed legislation.
During a Senate inquiry held in Canberra last week, Racing Victoria’s chief executive Aaron Morrison and acting Racing NSW’s chief executive Graeme Hinton delivered impassioned and articulate statements, clearly outlining the potential repercussions if the reforms involve further limitations on advertising or more stringent regulatory measures.
A senior figure in the racing industry, who requested anonymity, commented that the long-term sustainability of country racing is at risk if there are additional changes to the gambling reforms package.
“It’s not the headline races that are going to be most affected, it’s country racing,” the source told Racing And Sports. “The cuts will start there because there’s so many mouths to feed. There’s 67 gallops tracks in Victoria. If a big chunk of wagering revenue is wiped out, some of those tracks will have to close.”
“I heard (Racing Victoria chief executive Aaron) Morrison say something like 30 percent of turnover could be affected. There’s no way all the country clubs can survive with that big a hole. I don’t think those people in Canberra realise what the real effect of these decisions will be. Racing’s a very big employer, not to mention a big part of many country towns.”
Morrison informed the Senate inquiry that industry leaders were presenting a unified front to illustrate the “real face” of racing – encompassing the people, jobs, livelihoods, careers, and communities integral to the racing product.
“That means trainers, jockeys, stable staff, breeders, vets, farriers, float drivers, feed suppliers, club employees, volunteers, owners and the country towns across Australia that rely on and thrive from racing,” Morrison stated. “Nationally, thoroughbred racing supports more than 100,000 FTE-equivalent jobs. Every day working Australians. The total number of people directly involved is many multiples of that considering owners, members, volunteers and participants.”
“Racing is a big part of the cultural fabric of Australia, we’re one of the oldest industries and we provide significant support to the communities in which our hundreds of mostly regional racecourses operate across the country. If reform overreaches, the impact to us will not be theoretical or abstract. It will be felt in livelihoods, careers, horses, clubs and communities across Australia.”
Morrison explained that when they “talk about a workable carve-out, we are asking the Committee to recognise racing’s distinct role as an important national industry that supports jobs, livelihoods and regional communities across Australia.”
Morrison affirmed that the racing industry does “support evidence-based harm minimisation, we support stronger protections for children and vulnerable people.”
“We have already supported significant harm minimisation reforms, we’ve seen wagering advertising reduce substantially over the last few years – down over 41%,” he said. “And reforms have had an impact on us, as far as industry revenues – we’re down 24% in the last 3 years alone – which is a significant hit at a time when many parts of our industry are under pressure. So, our request again is simply that the recognised racing carve-out, that is part of the bill, is a practical, proportionate and workable solution, and that the bill already recognises that we’ve already seen some impacts across the industry.”
Hinton also addressed the Senate inquiry, stressing that the legislation is already the single largest suite of gambling reforms in Australian history but warned of a “real risk of unintended consequences if we don’t approach this carefully”.
“Wagering represents just 10 percent of all gambling in Australia. This is an important fact. Placing a wager is a legal entertainment activity, enjoyed responsibly by millions of Australians in any given week,” Hinton commented. “What concerns us though is notwithstanding the protections afforded to racing in this bill, is that any further reduction in advertising or increased regulation could not only destroy the viability of our industry and takeaway livelihoods, it could result in increased harm.”
“The question needs to be asked if the further changes that are proposed to this bill will actually benefit problem gamblers. Or are they being driven by a false narrative that all gambling causes harm, and a lack of focus on the unintended consequences that can follow. What we propose is proportionate responses, focusing on supporting those in need.”
Hinton noted that the new level of wagering regulations introduced since the gambling reform package process commenced had “unsurprisingly corresponded with a period of significant revenue decline for our industry.”
Hinton also pointed out that Australia’s consumer protection standards are already among the strongest in the world and are poised to become even stronger with this legislation. “However, the minute you compress a market through overregulation and high taxation, the black market will always find a way,” he stated. “We’re seeing that every day with the tobacco excise levy disaster which has shown what happens when regulations and cost settings push consumers to illegal markets. The result can generate far worse outcomes, not better ones.”
The racing community is urging caution regarding the potential impacts of further gambling legislation.
Check out the latest Australian betting sites and their promotions.
Monday, day one of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, is a busy day for Irish competitors.
Six members of the Irish team will be in action in the morning session which gets underway at the Alexander Stadium at 10.30am.
Both Cian McPhillips and Mark English will be quickly into action in the men’s 800m heats which begin at 10.45am.
Ciara Neville and Lauren Roy will get their women’s 100m campaigns underway shortly afterwards when they contest the heats at 11.25am.
Jack Raftery runs in round one of the men’s 400m at 11.55am, before Eric Favors will become Ireland’s first field competitor in action when qualification begins at 12.40pm for the men’s shot put.
Day One – Morning Session – Monday August 10th
Cian McPhillips – Men’s 800m – Round One – 10:45
Mark English – Men’s 800m – Round One – 10:45
Ciara Neville – Women’s 100m – Round One – 11:25
Lauren Roy – Women’s 100m – Round One – 11:25
Jack Raftery – Men’s 400m – Round One – 11:55
Eric Favors – Men’s Shot Put – Qualification Group A & Group B – 12:40
There will be much Irish interest in the Monday evening session with at least six Irish athletes in action, but potentially up to nine, depending on results in the morning session.
Nicola Tuthill will begin her attempt to qualify for the Women’s Hammer Throw Final. There will be two qualifying groups, A and B, with the former underway at 7.10pm and the latter at 8.38pm.
Limerick’s Sarah Lavin competes in round one of the women’s 100m hurdles at 7.35pm.
Round one of the women’s 3,000m steeplechase gets underway at 9pm where Abbie Sheridan will make her European debut.
Prior to that, three Irish men will compete in the 5,000m final at 8.40pm – Darragh McElhinney, Nick Griggs and Brian Fay.
Depending on results in the morning session, Ciara Neville and Lauren Roy may compete in the Women’s 100m semi-finals at 8.10pm, with the final of that event at 9.50pm, while Eric Favors could have a slot in the Men’s Shot Put Final at 8.33pm.
Day One – Evening Session – Monday August 10th (* means if they qualify)
Nicola Tuthill – Women’s Hammer Throw – Qualification Group A – 19:10
OR
Nicola Tuthill – Women’s Hammer Throw – Qualification Group B – 20:38
Sarah Lavin – 100m Hurdles – Round One – 19:35
Ciara Neville – Women’s 100m – SF – 20:10 *
Lauren Roy – Women’s 100m – SF – 20:10 *
Eric Favors – Men’s Shot Put – Final – 20:33 *
Darragh McElhinney – Men’s 5000m – Final – 20:40
Nick Griggs – Men’s 5000m – Final – 20:40
Brian Fay – Men’s 5000m – Final – 20:40
Abbie Sheridan – Women’s 3000m Steeplechase – Round One – 21:00
Ciara Neville – Women’s 100m – Final – 21:50 *
Lauren Roy – Women’s 100m – Final – 21:50*
Jul 28, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) throws in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Today marks a week since the Major League Baseball trade deadline. And just as everyone expected, the Detroit Tigers are thriving and the Los Angeles Dodgers are skidding since the Tigers dealt Tarik Skubal, perhaps the best pitcher in the game, to the Dodgers as part of the latter’s bid to three-peat and possibly bring the sport to a screeching halt.
The Tigers have gone 4-2 since the Skubal blockbuster was officially announced Aug. 2 to climb within one game of the final American League wild card spot and within three games of the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox.
The Dodgers are 1-5 since the trade and 3-10 overall since July 26 as they’ve fallen to the No. 3 seed in the National League, which would force them to open the playoffs in the best-of-three wild card round.
Of course, this is the smallest of sample sizes for two teams who would have been rightfully blasted if they’d operated in any other fashion at the deadline.
The Tigers can’t or won’t re-sign Skubal to a lucrative deal once he hits free agency (even if Skubal must be giving Scott Boras fits by pining for a return to the Motor City), so it made sense to begin restocking the cupboard even as Detroit hung around the hilariously mediocre AL playoff race.
As for the Dodgers, this is real life and not some preteen fable where the bully gets his immediate comeuppance. They proved last season they can punt the regular season and still roll almost untouched to a championship, so Los Angeles is the favorite to once again win it all until someone else is dogpiling at the pitcher’s mound.
But there are a few other clubs for whom it’s not too early to begin second-guessing their activity — or lack thereof — at the deadline. Here’s three teams whose executives put themselves under the microscope last week.
MIAMI MARLINS
The Marlins being 1 1/2 games out of the last wild card spot entering last Monday and selling anyway is another reminder the biggest and bestest salary cap isn’t going to force woefully owned small market teams to start trying.
Dealing solid set-up man Lake Bachar and budding star catcher Liam Hicks to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively, for six minor leaguers delivered a terrible message — one Miami heeded by immediately getting swept by the Atlanta Braves. Yet consecutive wins over the Los Angeles Angels, the worst team in baseball, leave the Marlins just three games out of the last NL wild card spot, opening up the possibility they’ll be rewarded for waving the white flag after all.
SEATTLE MARINERS
Sep 28, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Cal Raleigh (29) waves to the crowd during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The Mariners were eight outs away from winning their first pennant fewer than 10 months ago and are mired in the muck that is the AL wild card race, so they did the right thing by adding at the deadline despite entering last Monday three games under .500.
But Seattle, whose 454 runs heading into Monday were third-fewest in the league, should have done much more to address the offense than simply acquiring outfielder Taylor Ward, who leads the AL in walks but has just 30 RBIs, 73 fewer than last season. Now the Mariners have the fewest runs in the majors after being outscored 34-9 since Tuesday and are 3 1/2 games out of the last wild card spot and tied for the fourth-worst record in the AL.
The Royals, in last place in the AL Central, were one of the fewer obvious sellers last week yet traded just one player — outfielder Lane Thomas — from their big league roster.
Starting pitchers Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are two of the few innings-eaters left — they entered Sunday ranked fifth and ninth in the majors in batters faced — and each is signed through next season. Kansas City wasn’t going to get an organization-changing haul for either pitcher, but dealing them could have yielded prospects more likely to help the next contending Royals club than a pair of pitchers in their mid-30s.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Sports
British Hall of Famer says Anthony Joshua ‘hasn’t got it anymore’: “Punch resistance has gone”
While being credited for his speed and power, Anthony Joshua has been accused of lacking any real punch resistance ahead of his expected clash with Tyson Fury.
The pair are set to finally collide in November, with New York having been named as the likely destination for their long-awaited heavyweight showdown.
This news follows their respective warm-up fights last month, when Fury turned in an uninspiring performance to stop the 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in seven rounds.
Even less convincing, however, was Joshua’s display against Kristian Prenga, who entered their contest as a perceived low-risk opponent who, while boasting a 100% knockout-to-win ratio, had not faced any top-level heavyweights.
Yet despite this, the Albanian managed to floor his opponent within the first 20 seconds, before keeping ‘AJ’ on rubbery legs with another first-round knockdown.
In a dramatic turn of events, Joshua was then able to score a knockdown in the following three minutes, needing just one thudding right hand to draw the curtains on their mini barnburner.
Given everything that transpired in the opening round, though, many have observed that the 36-year-old’s punch resistance is almost shot to pieces.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former world champion and Hall of Fame inductee Carl Froch expressed that very opinion with a little more colour than most.
“His punch resistance has gone. Yeah, AJ can punch hard. And he is fast, and he is dangerous. But he ain’t got it anymore. It’s not in the tank anymore.
“When you can’t take a punch, you’ve only got to get clipped on your way in – as we saw against Prenga – and it’s fight over.”
While perhaps lacking the necessary punch resistance to win a long, gruelling affair, Joshua’s speed and power should nonetheless make him a dangerous opponent for Fury in the early rounds.
Business9 seconds ago
Grupo Jumex unveils high-protein shake
Crypto World1 minute ago
ENS Tokenholders Hand Endowment Control to a Staffed Foundation
Sports3 minutes ago
Why PGA Tour must plan for more players returning from LIV
-
Fashion4 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Mattifying Sunscreen
-
Fashion4 days agoFrugal Friday’s Workwear Report: Cap-Sleeve Pointelle Crewneck Sweater
-
Sports6 days agoJordan Coyle & Cordiamo take Laya Arena Stakes at RDS
-
News Videos3 days agoCan Astrology Help Find Gold and Silver Trends? A Financial Astrology Guide
-
Business6 days agoUS stocks: Dow closes at record on Mideast optimism; SpaceX, AMD drag Nasdaq
-
Politics5 days agoReform UK And Greens Sink To Lowest Favourability Ratings To Date
-
Business7 days agoNvidia Stock Climbs 2.5% as Chip Sector Rally Builds Ahead of AMD Earnings, Nvidia’s Own Report Looms
-
Tech7 days agoOpenAI, Anthropic AI agents targeted real people and systems in cyber tests
-
Business6 days agoSupply chain issues impact Ingredion
-
Tech4 days agoRinn Pharma & Biopharma to join NordicPharmaTrain network
-
Business3 days agoHow to Start a Cleaning Business: A Step-by-Step Guide
-
Crypto World7 days agoDow and S&P 500 Hit Records on AI Earnings: When Will the Bubble Burst?
-
Business2 days agoDatadog: Best Of Breed For Multiple Reasons
-
Business3 days agoBDC Weekly Review: Private BDC Q2 Numbers Are Strong
-
Business7 days agoMcDonald’s (MCD) Q2 2026 earnings
-
Crypto World7 days agoDollar Index Trapped at 100 as Hawkish Fed Meets Official Selling
-
Fashion7 days agoThe Bright Side of Black and White
-
Business7 days agoApple UK encryption challenge filed against Home Office
-
Fashion6 days agoSuit of the Week: Me + Em
-
Sports6 days ago
Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending explained: Is Peter Parker alive?
You must be logged in to post a comment Login