The 2025-26 Premier League season delivered another unforgettable campaign packed with thrilling encounters, tactical battles, standout individual performances and dramatic storylines across the table. From title races to European qualification battles, the season showcased the very best of English football.

At the centre of it all were Arsenal, who finally ended their long wait for Premier League glory under manager Mikel Arteta. The Gunners secured their first league title in 22 years after producing a remarkably consistent campaign built on defensive solidity, intelligent set-piece routines and big-match composure.

Arsenal wrapped up the title with a game remaining and finished thier season with 85 points from 38 matches, recording 26 wins, seven draws and only five defeats. They beat Crystal Palace in thier final fixture by 2-1 at Selhurst Park to celebrate the historic achievement in style.

Premier League Player of the Season: Bruno Fernandes

The Manchester United captain produced one of the finest campaigns of his career to win the Premier League Player of the Season award. Fernandes combined creativity, leadership and consistency throughout the season, helping United remain firmly in the race for Champions League qualification.

Golden Boot winner: Erling Haaland

Despite Manchester City falling short in the title race, Haaland once again demonstrated why he remains one of the world’s most feared strikers. The Norwegian forward claimed the Premier League Golden Boot after scoring 27 goals in 35 appearances.

His movement, physicality and clinical finishing allowed him to comfortably finish ahead of Brentford striker Igor Thiago, who scored 22 goals during an impressive campaign.

Golden Glove winner: David Raya

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya played a massive role in the club’s title-winning campaign by securing his third consecutive Premier League Golden Glove award.

The Spanish shot-stopper kept 19 clean sheets in 38 matches, providing calmness and reliability behind Arsenal’s disciplined defensive setup. Raya’s consistency throughout the season was one of the foundations of the Gunners’ success.

Young Player of the Season: Nico O’Reilly

Manchester City youngster Nico O’Reilly enjoyed a breakthrough season that established him as one of the brightest young talents in English football.

Capable of operating both defensively and in advanced attacking roles, the academy graduate contributed five goals and three assists in 34 league appearances. His versatility, maturity and technical quality earned widespread praise and helped him secure the Young Player of the Season award.

Canelo Alvarez has shared his thoughts on the potential upcoming battle between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn.

After months of speculation, Garcia appeared to confirm last week that he will make the first defence of his WBC welterweight title against Benn in Las Vegas in September.

‘King Ry’ won the belt back in February with a dominant win over Mario Barrios, dropping his rival in the opening round before going on to claim the one-sided unanimous decision victory.

He now looks set to turn his attention to Benn, who would be challenging for world honours for the first time, after two notable fights against long-term rival Chris Eubank Jr in 2025.

Those contests were up at middleweight, and while ‘The Destroyer’ did secure a unanimous decision win over Regis Prograis in a 150lb catchweight bout in April, it has been over four years since Benn last competed in the welterweight division.

Ahead that potential fight, multi-weight world champion Canelo has weighed in with his take, and speaking to Boxing News during a media scrum, he praised the abilities of both men.

“It’s a good fight. Conor Benn is a good fighter, he throws a lot of punches. He’s very brave. Ryan Garcia is a great fighter too, it’s a good fight.”

Canelo knows Garcia extremely well, with the two men having previously been gym-mates before a public fallout, but they have since patched things up and ended their feud.

One man who Canelo still appears to have an ongoing feud with is David Benavidez, and the 35-year-old has responded to the latest callout from ‘The Mexican Monster.’

Tottenham back in for Savinho, Yan Diomande tops Liverpool‘s list of Mohamed Salah replacements, Barcelona keen to make Marcus Rashford move permanent and Arsenal to swoop for Julian Alvarez.

Tottenham are rekindling interest in a £60m move for Manchester City and Brazil winger Savinho, 22. (Mail – subscription required), external

Liverpool will prioritise signing a replacement for Mohamed Salah, with RB Leipzig’s 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, who has a release clause of £86m, their top target. Newcastle and England winger Anthony Gordon, 25, and Paris St-Germain and France forward Bradley Barcola, 23, are also options. (Telegraph – subscription required, external)

Newcastle‘s Gordon is also wanted by Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich who could use 29-year-old Germany goalkeeper Alexander Nubel as a makeweight in any deal for the 25-year-old winger. (Bild – in German, external)

Barcelona will hold fresh talks with Manchester United before the World Cup to try and sign Marcus Rashford, with the Spanish club already agreeing personal terms with the 28-year-old England forward. (Talksport, external)

Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 25, has emerged as Manchester City‘s top summer transfer target. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Roma are keen on Marseille’s English forward Mason Greenwood, 24, Manchester United‘s 25-year-old Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee and West Ham‘s 24-year-old Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville as they gear up for the Champions League next term. (La Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Julian Alvarez wants to leave Atletico Madrid with Arsenal set to make an aggressive move for the 26-year-old Argentina forward. (Teamtalk), external

Aston Villa are eyeing a move for Newcastle‘s 28-year-old England winger Harvey Barnes as they prepare for the Champions League next season. (Mail), external

Juventus are closing in on a deal for Liverpool and Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, who has just over 12 months left on his present contract. (Goal Italia – in Italian), external

Liverpool have entered the race to sign 16-year-old German midfield wonderkid Kennet Eichhorn from Hertha Berlin. (Sky Germany), external

Bernardo Silva has held positive talks with Atletico Madrid as the Spanish giants attempt to hijack Juventus’ move for the Manchester City and Portugal midfielder, 31, who is available on a free transfer. (Teamtalk), external

English managers, Scott Parker, 45, who recently left Burnley and Strasbourg’s Gary O’Neil, 43, are of interest to West Ham if they part company with Portuguese boss Nuno Espirito Santo, 52, this summer. (Guardian) , external

AC Milan have approached the representatives of Bournemouth‘s Spanish manager Andoni Iraola, 43, after the Serie A club sacked 58-year-old Italian head coach Massimiliano Allegri. (Sky Sports, external)

Teddy Atlas has pinpointed who he believes to be the next major star to emerge in boxing.

Atlas knows a thing or two about helping to discover major stars, having worked with a young Mike Tyson during the early stages of his career, whilst also training fighters such as Michael Moorer and Tim Bradley.

Along with his training career, Atlas has also become a highly-respected analyst, and so his expert insight into the sport is always taken seriously by boxing fans.

With that in mind, Atlas has revealed who he thinks has what it takes to be one of the next flagship stars of boxing, with newly-crowned WBO super-middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz the man in question.

Sheeraz became world champion for the first time on Saturday when he knocked out the unheralded Alem Begic inside two rounds to secure the vacant title at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

While Atlas was critical of the match-up, he posted on social media to heap praise on Sheeraz and has backed him to have plenty of success.

“The way these organizations put fighters in title bouts is truly ridiculous, but Sheeraz did what he should & got rid of him quickly. He’s the next star in the sport!”

Sheeraz has won 23 of his 24 fights, 19 of those wins by knockout, with his only blemish coming when he was held to a draw against Carlos Adames in their WBC middleweight title fight in February 2025.

Since stepping up to 168lbs, Sheeraz has looked extremely impressive, and could be set for a showdown with Canelo Alvarez in the future, but first the Mexican superstar challenges Christian Mbilli for the WBC super-middleweight title in September.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has reorganised its daily operations, giving the N S Johal-led Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Division responsibility for 27 Olympic sports disciplines. The division has also been asked to handle governance-related issues in national federations whenever directed by the sports ministry.According to an order issued by sports secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, who is also the Director General of SAI, the TOPS division will now serve as the main point of contact between SAI and the respective National Sports Federations (NSFs).Johal, who already heads the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG), will continue to oversee TAGG as a sub-group under TOPS.TOPS was launched in 2014 to support elite athletes with training and competition planning in priority sports such as boxing, badminton and athletics.Under the new structure, TOPS will fully oversee aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, golf, gymnastics, hockey, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, shooting, skateboarding, sport climbing, squash, surfing, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling.The order stated that TOPS will act as the “primary interface” between SAI and the respective NSFs, associations and stakeholders for the assigned sports.The division will also deal with governance matters referred by the ministry, along with development proposals and budgeting matters of NSFs linked to these disciplines.TOPS has also been given the responsibility of coordinating India’s participation in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympics, Asian Youth Games and Asian Beach Games.The Training of Elite Athletes and Management Support Division (TEAMS), which also comes under Johal, will handle operations related to disciplines outside TOPS, including para sports, winter sports and non-Olympic disciplines.Johal is a former Olympian sailor.The TEAMS division will also coordinate National Sports Awards and functions related to Republic Day, Rashtrapati Bhawan and the Prime Minister’s Office.

Boxing art collector Ingo Wegerich explores the stories behind iconic fight artwork, drawing on his extensive private collection. This piece centres on the legendary rivalry between Tom Cribb and Tom Molineaux, one of the most controversial and mythologised contests of 19th-century prizefighting.

Few fights in boxing history have generated as much debate and mythology as the two contests between Cribb and Molineaux. More than 200 years later, details remain disputed, stories continue to evolve, and the rivalry still stands as one of the defining chapters of early prizefighting.

This painting by Stanley Weston captures the second meeting between the English heavyweight champion and the Black American challenger, a bout that followed one of the most controversial fights of the nineteenth century.

The fight

Tom Cribb and Tom Molineaux first met on December 18, 1810, on Copthorne Common near East Grinstead in Sussex. Thousands reportedly travelled to watch the fight despite dreadful weather conditions, with contemporary accounts describing roads almost knee-deep in mud and many spectators failing to even reach the venue.

The fight took place outdoors in a simple roped ring and was contested under the rules of early English prizefighting. Bouts were fought with bare fists, and rounds ended only when a fighter was knocked down. The contest itself would continue until one man could no longer carry on.

Cribb entered as England’s heavyweight champion at 29 years old, while Molineaux, believed to have travelled from America in search of the best fighters in the world, arrived as a dangerous and physically imposing challenger. Reports from the time describe Cribb as the superior technician, while Molineaux relied heavily on strength and relentless pressure.

Accounts of the fight differ dramatically depending on the source. Most reports state that Cribb won after 44 rounds when Molineaux could no longer continue, though even the duration and exact round count remain disputed. What is certain is that the fight became surrounded by controversy almost immediately.

Several stories have followed the bout through boxing history, including claims of crowd interference favouring Cribb, allegations that Molineaux injured his hand during a chaotic moment in the ring, and suggestions that Cribb was allowed extra time to recover after being overwhelmed in the middle rounds. More than two centuries later, many of those details are impossible to fully verify.

What remains beyond dispute is the scale and brutality of the contest. Contemporary reports describe both men repeatedly being knocked down and exhausted by the conditions. The London Courier wrote of Molineaux’s pressure attack:

“If this could not be called murder, it was something like manslaughter.”
The rematch took place on September 28, 1811, at Thistleton Gap in front of an estimated crowd of 15,000 spectators. This time, Cribb appeared far better prepared and gradually broke Molineaux down before winning decisively after 11 rounds.

The artwork

The painting stages the second fight between Tom Cribb and Tom Molineaux not simply as a sporting contest, but as a dramatic confrontation between two figures who had already become larger than life.

At the centre stand the two fighters, frozen in a moment of tension. Their guarded stances, raised fists and fixed gazes create a scene that feels suspended between movement and stillness. The composition closely resembles early prints of the fight, particularly the famous George Cruikshank depiction held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, though Stanley Weston strips away many surrounding details to focus almost entirely on the fighters themselves.

The bodies are heavily emphasised, almost exaggerated, giving both men a monumental physical presence. Molineaux is painted in warm, earthy tones, while Cribb appears lighter and cooler, creating a visual contrast that subtly heightens the tension between the two rivals.

Meanwhile, the crowd in the background is only loosely defined. Faces blur together into a collective mass, reinforcing the sense that the fight itself has become mythologised over time.

Perhaps most striking is the feeling that the painting is not trying to function as a literal recreation of the bout. Instead, it presents the rivalry as something closer to boxing folklore — a historical memory shaped by storytelling, controversy and legend as much as fact.

The artist

Stanley Weston (1919–2001) was an American photographer, artist, sports journalist and publisher best known for his deep connection to boxing. Alongside his journalistic and photographic work, he also created numerous paintings depicting historic fights and legendary fighters.

Although Weston produced a substantial body of artwork, he never considered himself a professional painter in the traditional sense. Instead, he remained above all a passionate boxing historian and chronicler of the sport.

Personal note from the owner

This painting is the original artwork that appeared on the cover of The Ring Magazine in April 1948. I acquired it, along with seven other Stanley Weston cover paintings, from another collector around two years ago.

Unfortunately, many works from this era have been lost over time through fire, water damage or poor storage conditions, making surviving originals increasingly rare. In total, I own 24 works by Stanley Weston, all of which appeared on the covers of contemporary boxing publications.

This particular painting means a great deal to me because it depicts one of the most important fights in boxing history.

During my most recent visit to London, I went to the National Portrait Gallery, where small ceramic figures depicting Tom Cribb and Tom Molineaux in the exact same pose as Weston’s painting are also on display. It was a special moment to see that connection between boxing history and art history.

Artwork details

Molineaux vs Cribb
Original
1948
Stanley Weston
20″ x 15″
Mixed media on cardboard

Copyright Stanley Weston. You can view more of Ingo’s artwork on his website, Ingo Wegerich Fine Art Collection, or contact him via Instagram.

The New York Knicks began the 2026 NBA Playoffs with a victory against the Atlanta Hawks before dropping the next two games of their first-round series. They haven’t been defeated since.

New York aims for its 11th consecutive victory and first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1999 when it visits Rocket Arena to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks, who are seeking their second straight series sweep, rallied from a 22-point, fourth-quarter deficit to post a 115-104 overtime victory in the opener before recording a pair of double-digit wins in regulation to push the Cavaliers to the brink of elimination.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points and Mikal Bridges added 22 as New York cruised to a 121-108 triumph in Game 3. The Knicks are looking to improve to 5-0 all-time against Cleveland in the postseason and sweep the Cavs for a third time.

Evan Mobley recorded 24 points while Donovan Mitchell had 23 for Cleveland, which has lost consecutive home games after having won its first six this postseason. The Cavs have been swept four times in best-of-seven series in their history, most recently by the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals.

Use the Caesars Sportsbook promo code to wager on Monday’s NBA playoff game.

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs also continue Monday as the Montreal Canadiens host the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre at 8 p.m. ET for a pivotal Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final. The top-seeded Hurricanes were trounced 6-2 in the series opener following an 11-day layoff but evened the series with a 3-2 overtime win as Nikolaj Ehlers scored his second goal of the game 3:29 into the extra session. Carolina is 4-0 on the road this postseason, and Montreal is just 2-4 at home.

Monday’s MLB evening schedule features six games, including the opener of a three-game series between the Miami Marlins (25-29) and Toronto Blue Jays (25-28) at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre. The Marlins are coming off a three-game sweep of the New York Mets at home, during which they allowed a total of two runs, while the Blue Jays had their four-game winning streak halted with Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Another game on the slate has the Seattle Mariners (25-29) visiting Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif. to face the American League West-leading Athletics (27-26) at 9:40 p.m. ET as the division rivals begin a three-game set. The teams are meeting for the second time this season, and the Athletics won two of three at Seattle last month.

The Knicks are 2.5-point favorites against the Cavaliers in the latest consensus NBA odds. The Hurricanes are -142 favorites on the money line over the Canadiens, the Blue Jays are -162 favorites against the Marlins and the Mariners are -117 favorites against the Athletics.

Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Monday, May 25. All times Eastern

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NBA best bets, where to watch

Knicks at Cavaliers

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Cleveland | TV: ESPN

SportsLine picks — Model: Over 218.5 (-110) | Expert: Jarrett Allen Over 12.5 points (-105, Mike Barner)

The Knicks are the highest-scoring team in the postseason with an average of 119.2 points, while the Cavaliers are fifth at 108.8 per game. New York has averaged 122.2 points during its 10-game winning streak, the most by any team over a 10-game span in the playoffs since the 2017 Warriors. At least 219 combined points were produced in two of the first three games of this series, and the SportsLine Projection Model sees the trend continuing as the Over hits in well over 56% of its simulations. SportsLine NBA expert Mike Barner (136-95, +2259 on his last 231 NBA player prop picks) likes Jarrett Allen to score at least 13 points in Game 4, as the Cleveland center has averaged 15.7 over his last nine playoff contests.

NHL best bets, where to watch

Hurricanes at Canadiens

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Montreal | TV: TNT | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine pick — Model: Under 5.5 (+107)

The teams combined for eight goals in Game 1, and two of the last three contests at the Bell Centre had eight or more total goals scored. But six or more were scored in only two of Carolina’s first 10 playoff games and seven of Montreal’s 16 contests thus far. The SportsLine Projection Model is leaning toward Game 3 being a low-scoring affair, as its simulations have the Under hitting 50% of the time.

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MLB best bets, where to watch

Marlins at Blue Jays

Time: 7:07 p.m. | Location: Toronto | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Over 7.5 (-111) | Expert: Blue Jays ML (-160, Adam Thompson)

After a string of nine consecutive games in which at least nine total runs were scored, the Marlins played three straight against the Mets in which no more than five runs were produced. Four of the Blue Jays’ last five contests saw fewer than eight runs scored. The SportsLine Projection Model doesn’t believe the teams will have much difficulty scoring in the series opener, as the Over hits in more than 66% of its simulations. SportsLine expert Adam Thompson is backing Toronto to win behind right-hander Trey Yesavage, who has posted a 1.07 ERA over his first five starts this season.

Mariners at Athletics

Time: 9:40 p.m. | Location: West Sacramento, Calif. | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Athletics +1.5 (-162) | Expert: Luis Castillo Under 4.5 strikeouts (-137, Angelo Magliocca)

The Athletics are 2-1 against the Mariners this season, and their loss was a one-run decision. The Mariners have lost three of their last five contests, with one of their victories coming by a single run. The SportsLine Projection Model believes the Athletics will at least keep it close in the series opener as its simulations have them covering the run line 65% of the time. Seattle righty Luis Castillo’s last appearance was as a reliever, as he struggled as a member of the team’s starting rotation, and he’ll likely have a short leash on Monday. With that in mind, SportsLine expert Angelo Magliocca doesn’t see him recording more than four strikeouts against the Athletics.

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Reigning world champion D Gukesh is not ruffled by the barrage of criticism that has come his way in the past 18 months as the young Indian Grandmaster believes all of it is justified given his underwhelming form.

Gukesh, who will turn 20 on May 29, is here to compete in the Norway Chess Tournament and opens his campaign against Germany’s Vincent Keymer on Monday. He would be eager to turn things around and log some strong results in the lead-up to his world title defence against challenger Javokhir Sindarov later this year.

“Most of it (critical comments made by former greats) I don’t see, but there are some that I have heard and I think it’s fair,” said Gukesh on Sunday.

“I have not been performing well in the last one-and-a-half year and I think I would say that my performances have been way below expectations. They (critics) have the right to say what they feel and I have the right to do my best,” added the reticent teenager while seated alongside one of his critics, former world champion Magnus Carlsen.

The world number one Carlsen is chasing a record-extending eighth Norway Chess title on home soil.

This year, Gukesh finished 10th at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, followed it up with a ninth-place finish at the Prague International Chess Festival, and most recently finished sixth at the Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland on the Grand Chess Tour.

He pulled out of all classical events on the Grand Chess Tour and, for now, will play only in Norway Chess and the Chess Olympiad before his World Championship title clash against Sindarov.

Due to his prolonged poor form, Gukesh’s world title win in 2024 against China’s Ding Liren has been underplayed by the likes of Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, who feels the Indian just “plays badly” at times.

Former world champion Anatoly Karpov has gone to the extent of saying that Gukesh won the coveted crown “by accident”. Carlsen has also repeatedly questioned the quality of chess played during the 2024 title clash in Singapore.

Gukesh’s challenger for the crown, Sindarov is also in Oslo and will no doubt be keen to closely study the Indian’s game ahead of their much-anticipated showdown later this year.

“Yes, Norway Chess and the Olympiad are the two tournaments I will be playing, there are more which I am considering,” said Gukesh, without elaborating his plans.

Gukesh said he would be happy to play the World Championship match anywhere in the world, but acknowledged that it would be special if it was to be held in India, even though the pressure of defending the title at home would be immense.

“Anywhere would be nice… In India there’s always a lot of pressure. The World Championships will attract a lot of (attention). If it’s in India it will be supercool and I will be very happy,” he added.

Gukesh agreed that winning the World Championship for the first time and defending it require completely different mindsets but conceded that retaining the title is tougher than winning it.

“Surely there are different mindsets going into winning both the matches and many people have said that defending a title is more difficult than actually winning it. So for sure, there is a lot of expectation and pressure of not wanting to lose.

“But at the end of the day the basic thing is to go there and play good chess. Yeah, I’ll try my best to win,” he said.

Gukesh was seated across the board from Carlsen at Norway Chess2025 when the Norwegian great, frustrated after losing to the Indian, banged the table in exasperation — a moment that quickly went viral and was watched by millions around the world.

Asked whether he would like to see Carlsen recreate the famous outburst this year’ too, Gukesh said the incident was terrific for the sport as it generated enormous publicity and pushed chess further into the global spotlight.

“My job is to play chess. That (winning or losing) is not in my control. But that moment in general I guess speaks about…chess players generally don’t show a lot of emotions but when it did happen, a lot of people got attracted to chess,” he concluded.

The battle for college baseball’s national championship heats up this week with the start of the NCAA tournament, and the selection committee unveiled the 64 teams in contention for the title on Monday.

After it cruised through an increasingly competitive Big Ten and maintained a No. 1 ranking during the entire regular season, UCLA secured the top overall seed and the right to home-field advantage through the super regional round. The Bruins have company in the hunt for a College World Series crown, though, as each of the power conferences boasts multiple top-16 national seeds. No. 2 Georgia Tech from the ACC and No. 3 Georgia from the SEC present the biggest threats to John Savage’s club.

New this year is the seeding of the top 32 teams in the bracket. While there are no changes to hosting rights for the top 16 national seeds in the regional round and top eight in the supers, the expansion of the seeding process brings more transparency to the selection committee’s bracketing process and guarantees (on paper, at least) more favorable paths for the nation’s most prolific teams.

The journey to Omaha, Nebraska, begins Friday across 16 regional sites. Super regionals ensue the following weekend and set the stage for the CWS, which kicks off on June 12 at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.

Below are the regional pairings, takeaways from the bracket unveil and odds for the most prominent national championship contenders.

Nebraska to host “regional of death”

Congratulations are in order for Nebraska, which secured hosting duties for the first time since 2008. Haymarket Park promises to deliver a special atmosphere. The Cornhuskers’ reward for playing on their home turf, however, is arguably the toughest regional field of them all. In order to advance beyond the first weekend, they will need to get past an Ole Miss squad whose pitching staff is more emblematic of a top-16 national seed rather than a regional No. 2 and an Arizona State lineup that hits the cover off the baseball.

Not only is the Lincoln Regional stacked with three realistic winners, but the team that emerges as the victor is likely to face a road super regional at Auburn. This path to Omaha is as tough as they come in 2026.

Mississippi State wins host bubble battle

A few fanbases ought to think there was a dereliction of duty on the selection committee’s part with regard to the hosting bubble. Those hoping to “call the hogs” in Fayetteville were particularly distressed when the committee unveiled the 16 host sites. Oregon State, a consensus top-10 team in the human polls, also missed out. USC finished ninth in RPI but must hit the road this weekend.

Meanwhile, Mississippi State secured the No. 14 national seed despite going 4-6 in SEC series, losing each of its last three weekends and being swept in two others. They also lost a head-to-head series with the Razorbacks.

“Mississippi State had a very strong conference schedule, grade-A RPI when you look at all the metrics they had,” selection committee chair Michael Alford said on ESPN. “And it was more than that. It wasn’t really comparing Arkansas to Mississippi State. You had West Virginia in the fold, and they really did a good job in their conference tournament, finishing second in a very competitive conference. You look at Kansas; we rewarded them. They won the regular season and the conference title.”

SEC reigns supreme in otherwise balanced field

Each of the four power conferences has multiple regional sites, and seven leagues sent at least two teams into the field. Every corner of the country will be represented well, and all of the biggest conferences should feel as though they have real shots to reach the CWS.

Still, the SEC remains the conference to beat. Each of the last six national champions hailed from the dominant league, and nearly half of the top 16 national seeds this year call the SEC home.

Regional fields, pairings

Check out the official NCAA bracket for scheduled start times for all games.

National championship odds

Odds via FanDuel

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UCLA (+500)

No team in the D1Baseball rankings era (since 2015) had ever gone wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team until UCLA accomplished the feat this season. A loaded lineup, including projected top overall MLB Draft pick Roch Cholowsky, made the Bruins an obvious force that delivered on lofty regular-season expectations. Already at 51 wins, they enter the tournament having lost just two Big Ten games. A relative lack of elite starting pitching could catch up to them eventually, but the bullpen is as strong as they come. If staff ace Logan Reddemann returns to the mound after a five-week bout with arm fatigue, the rotation will no longer be much of a question mark.

Georgia Tech (+650)

It was obvious from the first series of the year that Georgia Tech boasted the most explosive bats in the nation. The Yellow Jackets drove across 10 or more runs in each of their first six games and remained hot all season to post the sport’s highest team batting average (.358), OPS (1.105) and run total (603). The star tandem of Vahn Lackey and Jarren Advincula spearheaded that offense and more than made up for some inconsistent pitching on the back end of the rotation, and guided this program to its second consecutive ACC title and first conference tournament trophy since 2014.

Texas (+750)

Dylan Volantis’ move out of the bullpen and into the Friday night starter role is a credit to Texas’ top-three pitching staff in the SEC. The reigning National Freshman of the Year enters the tournament with the fourth-best ERA among qualified pitchers at 2.00 and anchors a rotation that stymied elite offenses. While Texas leaned on its starting pitchers to open the season at 16-0 and win all but two series, an offense prone to droughts and a volatile bullpen limits the Longhorns’ margin for error in pursuit of its first national championship under Jim Schlossnagle.

Georgia (+1200)

In an unpredictable SEC where seemingly any team could and did sweep any other, Georgia emerged as the commanding frontrunner to win the league by 3.5 games. The Bulldogs went 5-0 in road series, which quieted any concerns about their strength of schedule after they played one of the weakest non-conference slates in the Power Four. The lineup is absurdly strong, even with mashing outfielder Henry Allen suffering a season-ending knee injury on May 1. While that loss would hamstring most teams, the Bulldogs went 10-1 without him and scored at least 11 runs in their first five Allen-less contests.

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Auburn (+1400)

Between drawing most of the SEC’s top teams and playing the 10th-toughest non-conference schedule in America, Auburn posted the No. 1 strength of schedule in college baseball this season. To win 38 games against a slate that difficult is a commendable feat and one that earned the Tigers the No. 4 national seed. Chase Fralick is one of the biggest reasons why Auburn came away from that gauntlet relatively unscathed. In what has been dubbed “the year of the catcher” nationally, Fralick stands among the best at his position with a 1.009 OPS and 14 home runs.

North Carolina (+1400)

If North Carolina finally breaks through for its first national championship, the pitching staff will be the catalyst. This is arguably the deepest staff in the sport — one that includes a true ace in Jason DeCaro, a solid weekend trio, dominant midweek starters and tremendous young bullpen arms like freshman Caden Glauber and sophomore Walker Duffie. That staff neutralized Georgia Tech’s nation-leading offense to win the regular-season series, showcasing the Tar Heels’ championship ceiling. It also has a top-10 defense by fielding percentage, which makes UNC as elite in run prevention as any team in the field.

Texas A&M (+2200)

Texas A&M suffered its first shutout loss of the campaign in its lone SEC Tournament outing, but that result was not indicative of the tremendous season-long numbers its offense posted. The Aggies rank fifth nationally with a .988 team OPS and feature seven players with individual OPSs of 1.000 or better. Veterans Gavin Grahovac and Caden Sorrell stir the pot for one of the deepest lineups in baseball. The question — and it is a big one — is whether the arms can prevent enough runs to sustain a push to Omaha.

Florida (+2200)

Sophomore Aidan King, with his league-best 0.93 WHIP in the regular season, became the first underclassman in Florida history to win the SEC Pitcher of the Year award. He leads a fantastic pitching staff that boasts electric heat, and that ranks eighth nationally in strikeouts. The Gator bats can lag behind against tougher competition, but they rarely need to produce more than a small handful of runs to win.

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Mississippi State (+2200)

Mississippi State is a prime example of how playing in the SEC greatly increases a team’s margin for error when it comes to bracket placement. The Bulldogs lost more conference series (six) than they won (four) and went a mediocre 13-17 against Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents, but because their strength of schedule was so bold, they secured a home regional with room to spare. Their floor is extremely high, so a CWS berth is certainly attainable. They will need to take things to another level if they are to win the whole thing, though.