On March 25, the Minnesota Vikings submitted an application for an important annual event. According to the Minnesota Vikings team website, the team has submitted an application to host the 2028 NFL Draft.

Yes, I know the hype is building up toward the 2026 NFL Draft, but the thought of hosting a future NFL Draft is exciting in its own right.

Looking ahead, we are, at the time of writing this article (7:43 pm CT on Friday, April 3), just 20 days away from the 2026 NFL Draft beginning in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And the 2027 draft will be in Washington, D.C.

So, the question is, what would the experience be like for the Minneapolis-St. Paul, area for the NFL Draft? Let’s take a deeper dive into the idea.

Could the 2028 NFL Draft be Coming To Minnesota?

The festivities surrounding the NFL Draft are an economic boon to the host city. And Minnesota Sports and Events Executive Vice President of Business Development & Tourism Matt Meunier wants to bring a strong regional flair to Minneapolis and St. Paul.

For the 2028 NFL Draft, Meunier’s submission likes his own location.

Per Meunier, “In terms of the location of the draft, the red carpet and all the ancillary events that go with hosting the draft, all those things are under evaluation by the league right now, so it’s to be determined, but what we can say is TCO Performance Center is a really viable option. We want to unite everybody with this event.”

Ties of the 2028 NFL Draft to Minneapolis

Not only will the potential 2028 NFL Draft have football ties to the Twin Cities, but another major sporting event could bring action to Minneapolis.

As Meunier notes, “Flag football, youth football is going to continue to be more prominent as it relates to the NFL and leaning into 2028 and the L.A. [Olympic] Games, so there’s potential to stage some youth football and community legacy events out at TCO Performance Center, but in addition to that, every event Minnesota Sports and Events hosts, we’re really intentional about staging events throughout the region and downtown [Minneapolis].”

And the team’s Executive Vice President of Public Affairs also noted that the event will bring in some major economic boom to the area.

As Lester Bagley notes, “The Vikings are vested and invested, and we will provide financial support, staff support, and organizational energy.”

Ties of the 2028 NFL Draft to the NFC North

Not only would the 2028 NFL Draft complete the cycle of major NFL events to come through the Twin Cities, but it would also complete the cycle of NFC North teams hosting an NFL Draft. Last year, the Green Bay Packers hosted the NFL Draft. 2024 was the year of the Detroit Lions hosting, and the Chicago Bears hosted in 2015 and 2016. And the Vikings also hosted the 2018 Super Bowl.

The Confidence of the Owner to Host the 2028 NFL Draft

Now, a week after the application was submitted, the team’s owner feels fairly confident that Minnesota can land the event.

As Mark Wilf noted on a recent radio interview, “Minnesota and the business community, and the entire community, really comes out and supports the big events. We’re working with the league officials to try to figure out the venue, and we’re working hard to try to win the bid for the 2028 draft. Coming up, later in April, it’s going to be in Pittsburgh, and Washington next year. So, we’re shooting for Minnesota. We think we’ve got a great chance. We’re very supportive of making sure the bid is as top-notch as it can be, and hopefully bring another great event to Minnesota.”

So, the 2028 NFL Draft will be very intriguing to Minnesota fans. Right now, the bid is in submission. Now, the Vikings play the waiting game. Hopefully, the application will be approved.

Man Utd are on track to return to the Champions League next season and that could provide a huge boost to their finances.

06:00, 06 Apr 2026

There was a time when Manchester United could take Champions League football for granted. The prestige of European nights at Old Trafford was a given and the revenues the competition delivers were baked into the balance sheet.

United enjoyed 18 unbroken years at Europe’s top table until Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement changed the course of history. Where once United were regulars in the knockout stages, qualifying for the competition is now a challenge.

There have been just six Champions League campaigns since 2013 and only one knockout tie since the spring of 2020. United are yet to play in the competition’s new format, which offers eight league phase games after eight different opponents.

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That should change next season. United are within touching distance of being back in the Champions League for the first time since a group stage exit in the final months of 2023. They will then have to learn the intricacies of navigating the group stage.

But whatever happens, finishing in the top 24 of a 32-team league should be a formality. That would guarantee United at least 10 games in the competition, five of which will be at home. The Old Trafford bean counters will be delighted.

The absence from the Champions League has certainly hurt the balance sheet. United’s fall to eighth in the most recent Deloitte Football Money League was their lowest-ever position and it could fall further next year, with no European football at all this season and just 20 games at Old Trafford in all competitions.

The most recent financial results paint a contrasting picture. United’s revenues remain solid, and if they are back in the Champions League next term, they will likely post record-breaking numbers.

But in February, they increased their revolving credit facility to £400million, of which £185million is available. They also owe transfer fees of £422.1million to other clubs, of which £238million is due within a year.

They also used a tool called transfer factoring recently, selling some of the transfer fees they were due to receive to lenders for an upfront payment of £39.4million, which helped pay off some of the credit facility. That could help fund some of this summer’s transfer business.

A return to the Champions League will clearly be a financial boost, easing any potential concerns there may be, as football finance expert Kieran Maguire explains.

“You’ll get a minimum of effectively £30million just for rocking up,” said Maguire. “Then it works out as €2million per match if you get a victory, €700,000 if you get a draw in terms of prize money. And on top of that, you’ve got gate receipts.

“You’re guaranteed four home fixtures, potentially could be seven to eight home fixtures. For a club the size of United, they should be looking to get £8million per match in gate receipts. So you’ve got a minimum of £30million from gate receipts, another £30million for participation. So that’s £60 million minimum. They’ll get the Adidas [kit supplier] bonus of £10 million, so that’s £70 million. And as you progress through the tournament, you can start adding the numbers.

“I think there’s around about €150million for winning it last year. Now that was for a club with a fairly good UEFA coefficient, which United don’t have these days because they’ve not been as good as they have been, but even so, I think you’d be looking at €120million and of course if you win the tournament, you qualify for the next FIFA Club World Cup, which made Chelsea £80million. It really does ratchet up.”

Winning the Champions League might be a step too far for United to budget for at the moment, but the financial implications, especially under the new model, could have a big impact on the bottom line.

That will provide a healthy boost to the transfer kitty, as well as a great incentive to players to come to Old Trafford, but it might also allow United to stretch their wage budget at a time when some big earners are already likely to depart the stage.

“I think it not only helps in terms of being competitive, but also in being able to offer wages,” said Maguire. “I put some stuff out recently on Twitter. United always used to pay the highest wages in the Premier League and now they’ve fallen behind City and Liverpool. Which is, for a club of United’s stature, you wouldn’t expect.

“It allows them to go into the market, and players want to play at the highest level. So not only can they afford to pay them, but they’ve got something to offer them from a non-financial perspective as well.”

One area it is unlikely to have much impact on is plans for the new stadium. United are talking to potential investors over helping fund a project that could cost in excess of £2billion and Maguire points to the example of Tottenham.

“I think the stadium issue is fairly well ring-fenced,” he explained. “If they are going to the debt market, Spurs borrowed a lot of money for their stadium, and they’ve never been guaranteed participation in the Champions League, and they still manage to borrow A) a lot of money and B) lots of money very cheaply.

“If Manchester United can show that we have addressed some of the shortcomings on the pitch that we’ve seen over the course of the last decade, it can only help in terms of the confidence of investors.”

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The final game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament has arrived, and the college basketball world will set its sights on Indianapolis on Monday night for a fantastic finale as No. 1 seed Michigan takes on No. 2 seed UConn for the national championship. With 70 combined wins on the season, both teams have been among the top picks to compete for a title throughout much of the season and now get 40 minutes to fulfill that destiny. 

For Dusty May and Michigan, a win would be a warning sign to the sport of what’s to come from the Wolverines under his watch. A Michigan program operating at peak efficiency can be among the most disruptive forces in a college basketball landscape that can often get familiar with its main characters. But teams like Houston, Florida, Duke, Arizona, Kansas or Purdue aren’t the ones still playing, and you get the feeling looking at how Michigan has navigated this quick turnaround under may that it has already jumped up into a tier to be taken seriously on a regular basis. A win would also snap a 26-year title drought for the Big Ten, which has not seen a current member win it all since Michigan State in 2000 (interestingly enough, in Indianapolis). 

But the one main character of college basketball who is still playing, and stands in the way of that break through for Michigan and the Big Ten, is UConn. 

Dan Hurley is pursuing his third ring in four years and the program is on the cusp of claiming its seventh national championship since 1999. That would leave UConn with the third-most titles all-time trailing only UCLA (11) and Kentucky (8). And it should be noted that the Huskies have won all seven of their championships since UCLA won its most recent in 1995. 

Yet this UConn team which exemplifies elite performance in the NCAA Tournament finds itself as an underdog in the national title game, a stage where the Huskies have yet to lose. That speaks to the greatness of Michigan and how well-constructed, well-rounded and well-coached the Wolverines have been all season and in this tournament. 

The health status of key players for both teams threatened to throw a wrench into the matchup. Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg was injured during the first half of the Wolverines’ national semifinal win against Arizona, but he returned to action and has indicated his plans to play in the title game after receiving treatment on his knee and ankle between games. UConn also has a major injury to note with Solo Ball suffering a foot injury in the win against Illinois. Ball was seen with a boot during media availability on Sunday, however neither player was listed on their school’s NCAA initial player availability report indicating thy will play in Monday’s game. For title contenders the phrase “next man up” becomes crucial to the pursuit of a title, but which team can get the most from its walking wounded or can supplement their production will have an edge in a game that could be decided at the margins. 

Now that the stage is set let’s get into the picks. Since we have been in the habit of offering multiple picks from full tournament slates in this series, there are going to be multiple angles to entertain for this single game left in the 2025-26 season. But in addition to thoughts on the spread and the total, we have included more a traditional approach with straight up and against the spread selections via our Expert Picks panel. 

National Championship preview: Key trends to know ahead of the Michigan vs. UConn NCAA Tournament title clash

Isaac Trotter

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(1) Michigan vs. (2) UConn 

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The math says Michigan but the mood says UConn finds a way. The Huskies’ resilience through injuries and deficits throughout this tournament echoes the call of Dan Hurley for his teams to show the heart of a champion in the postseason. The Huskies are going to face a tough foe in Michigan’s front line, but they are coming into the game after facing another team with size in Illinois and passing the test. In fact, UConn’s tournament run has included three single-digit seeds from the Big Ten with Michigan being the fourth, and the Huskies had a strong showing defensively against all three teams. The key for UConn will be to get down into those final minutes within a couple of possessions, because if this pack of dogs smells blood they are going to be ready to deliver in crunch time. Michigan could win this thing by 10-15 points in a coronation moment for Dusty May and the Big Ten, but if it’s close I like the Huskies to not just cover the spread but close it out by cutting down nets. 

As for the total points scored, the trends do favor lower-scoring games by the time we get to Monday night’s national championship. The under has gone 6-2 in the last eight national title games, which might be as much of a reflection on late-round fatigue as it is the football stadium setting of the Final Four. But here the reasoning is focused far more on the matchup, where as we mentioned earlier UConn has had some great game plans and execution three of its last four tournament opponents and Michigan has been absolutely stifling in its recent wins against Tennessee in the Elite Eight and Arizona in the Final Four. Any kind of shooting regression for UConn from 3-point range will lower output after the Huskies knocked down 12 3-pointers against Illinois, and of course any limitation for Yaxel Lendeborg lowers Michigan’s offensive ceiling as well.    Picks: UConn ML +240, Under 144.5

Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole has responded to Chelsea being drawn against Leeds United in the FA Cup semi finals.

The Blues smashed Port Vale 7-0 at the weekend to go through to the semi finals of the competition, alongside Manchester City, Leeds, and Southampton.

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Chelsea have had a very favourable road to Wembley so far, and many will see this still as a pretty decent draw even though it is against Premier League opposition. They’ve managed to avoid Manchester City, and other than City, it looks like a really good chance for Chelsea to get silverware.

Leeds and Chelsea is a historic match, with a real rivalry between the two sides dating back to the 70s. There has been some nasty encounters between the two sides, so this is being billed as a mouth-watering semi final clash.

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Cole’s reaction to the tie

Joe Cole doing punditry for TNT Sports. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

In comments picked up by The Chelsea Chronicle, Joe Cole instantly responded with “ooh, that is feisty, 1970”, briefly mentioning the final 56 years ago on TNT Sports.

I certainly expect it to be another feisty one, with both sides being up for it, or at least I hope Chelsea will be up for it.

In other news today…

After recent injury struggles, Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer says he is feeling much better now in news that will be very nice to hear for Blues fans. Palmer wore the captains armband for the club at the weekend, and they need him fit and firing.

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Palmer also says the 7-0 thrashing of Port Vale on Saturday night will give everyone a much needed lift going into a crucial run of games for the rest of the season.

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Enthusiasm is jacked for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2026 NFL Draft, mainly because the franchise found a quarterback in Kyler Murray, the previously poor-drafting general manager has been removed from his chair, and the club has nine picks to spend. Nevertheless, like every year, a few nightmare scenarios lurk.

Several draft outcomes would leave Minnesota in a much worse spot after Round 1.

From bad to awful, consider the following list a worst-case scenario compilation for the Vikings at the end of the month.

A Handful of Draft Outcomes Could Go Sideways for Minnesota

How livid would you be if these events transpired?

Drafting an OT

Would it be fundamentally terrible to select an offensive tackle in Round 1? No, not at all. That spot is a premium position.

However, Minnesota jumping into a bed with Round 1 offensive tackle would forebodingly suggest a grim fate for Christian Darrisaw’s ACL. If the Vikings need a new tackle, it would mean they don’t trust Darrisaw for the long haul — or that Brian O’Neill’s days are numbered.

Picking an OT is not a popular sentiment right now in the mock-draft community, but it would cause head-scratches among fans if it came to fruition.

Reaching for a Round 2 Player

A dirty little secret about last year’s draft for the Vikings? Their 1st-Rounder, Donovan Jackson, lived at No. 39 on the Consensus Big Board, and Minnesota drafted him at No. 24. While the working theory suggests the Houston Texans would’ve grabbed Jackson via the following pick after Minnesota, it still reached for a guy that most draft heads pegged as a 2nd-Rounder.

Jackson has worked out so far in Minnesota, and nobody really regrets the pick. But reaching for 2nd-Rounders should not be the new normal.

For example, if you hear on Thursday, April 23rd, “With the 18th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select …. cornerback Chris Johnson, San Diego State,” that will mean Minnesota picked the draft’s 42nd-best player on the Consensus Big Board at No. 18.

That’s not the ideal scenario.

An example: in March, A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness mock-drafted Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen to Minnesota, explaining, “Linebacker isn’t at the top of the needs for the Vikings across the board, but it’s one long-term need. They don’t have a linebacker signed to the roster after the 2026 season, with Blake Cashman set to be a free agent. Allen has all of the ability to thrive in Brian Flores’ defense and can be eased into the role.”

Allen is a fine prospect, but picking him 18th is a reach.

Trading Too Far Down

On the other hand, while trading down with a team at No. 18 might be smart — the Vikings can probably get a 2nd-Rounder or 3rd-Rounder by moving down 10-15 spots — they must avoid getting too cute.

For instance, a trade down to No. 28 is fine. Let’s do it. A trade down to No. 45 is not good business. Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski must thread the needle if he trades down, adding another Top 100 pick but still staying in Round 1 or at the Top of Round 2.

There’s a risk of stockpiling five or six players from the draft’s Top 10 — but not landing a blue-chip 1st-Rounder.

The Lewis Cine trade from four years ago is a good (bad?) recent example.

Our Brevan Bane wrote this week, “It is my belief that the Vikings should double-up in the secondary with their first two selections. They also hold the 49th overall selection in the second round, where someone like D’Angelo Ponds or Chris Johnson could be available.”

“Corners are very hard to predict, as we thought there would be plenty taken in the first round last year, when in reality, there were only 2.5 (.5 being Travis Hunter) taken. The first true CB, Jahdae Barron, wasn’t taken until pick 20 by Denver.”

Drafting Ty Simpson at No. 18

The Vikings don’t need a quarterback from this draft. They just don’t.

Some, like former NFLer Chase Daniel, have suggested that Minnesota should take a flyer on Simpson in Round 1, even if Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy are attached to the roster. Daniel is wrong; Murray and McCarthy are enough for Minnesota to determine in 2026 if it has a franchise quarterback.

Additionally, the upcoming draft class stinks for quarterback talent, and if Murray and McCarthy don’t pan out, the 2027 draft class is much deeper at the position. The Vikings shouldn’t reach for a quarterback just because McCarthy hasn’t fully blasted off yet.

In fact, there’s a decent chance that Murray plays so well that the franchise considers him the quarterback for the long haul.

The Freedman brothers duo reclaimed the spotlight in the winner’s stall during day one of The Championships at Randwick, with Profoundly enhancing her Australian Oaks bid via success in the Adrian Knox Stakes.

Under Michael Freedman’s care, the filly who placed in her latest Kembla Grange Classic is jointly owned by brother Lee, a Hall of Fame figure who sourced her for $65,000 at the sales, managed her initial breaking-in, before joining Michael’s Gold Coast operation last July.

“I bought her when I was training for $65,000,” Lee Freedman said.

“Then when I turned it up, I was looking for a good trainer, and my brother rang me.

“I was really happy that the form from Kembla worked out, because a lot of people were saying it was slowly run and it wouldn’t be good form.

“But I just knew that this filly had improvement to come, and we’d never run her over a mile-and-a-quarter. All she wanted to do was stay.”

With Tommy Berry in the saddle, Profoundly at $5 stormed home to win by 2-1/4 lengths from $3 favourite Soverato, Satono Invader ($51) 1-1/4 lengths adrift in third.

Michael Freedman eyes a swift return to Randwick for the Group 1 Oaks (2400m) in seven days with the Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) champion, pending a positive week.

“Why not? I think we’ll be here next week,” Michael Freedman said.

Heightening the win’s appeal is Profoundly’s use of the Freedman family racing colours – red with purple sash, white sleeves, purple cap – immortalised by stars including 1992 Melbourne Cup winner Subzero, 1994 Golden Slipper hero Danzero and 2003 Caulfield Cup winner Mummify.

Berry is set to continue with Profoundly for the Oaks, assured by her breathing and recovery.

“She is a very clean-winded filly. She pulled up lovely then,” Berry said.

“She spends no petrol in the run, and she does it without any effort.”

Profoundly advanced to second in the Australian Oaks betting at $4.50, following New Zealand classic winner Ohope Wins at $2.20.

Discover competitive racing betting markets for the Australian Oaks featuring Profoundly.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) made a spectacular start with the ball in their second IPL 2026 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday, and their owner Sanjiv Goenka’s happiness was there for everyone to see. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami dismissed the dangerous SRH opening duo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head cheaply, and Prince Yadav clean bowled Ishan Kishan to leave SRH tottering at 11/3. Sanjiv Goenka, watching on from the stands, appeared to thank the heavens as LSG made the perfect start.

LSG suffered defeat in their opening game of the season against Delhi Capitals. As a result, their sensational start against SRH must have been a relief for Goenka.

Fans on the internet were also quick to point out Goenka’s reaction, which came in the fourth over after Prince Yadav dismissed Ishan Kishan.

MOST HAPPIEST MAN LSG OWNER SANJIV GOENKA pic.twitter.com/CJB6N5R0Yk

— Ravi (@RaviWritess) April 5, 2026

Prayers worked

Sanjiv Goenka celebrates as Lucknow Super Giants rattle Sunrisers Hyderabad top order early! pic.twitter.com/ik7LWstW8Y

— (@imGauravsingh96) April 5, 2026

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SRH vs LSG, IPL 2026: As it happened

Mohammed Shami’s figures of 2/9 and an unbeaten 68 by skipper Rishabh Pant led Lucknow Super Giants to a tense five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL on Sunday.

Pace bowler Shami’s inspirational opening spell had Hyderabad tottering at 26/4 before the home team reached 156/9 at the Uppal stadium.

Lucknow started strongly but wobbled in the middle phase before the left-handed Pant kept calm to steer the team home with one ball to spare for their first win of the season in two matches.

Aiden Markram’s 45 off 27 balls set up the chase but Lucknow lost quick wickets including impact substitute Ayush Badoni, stumped for 12, and Nicholas Pooran, run out for one.

Needing nine off the final over, Pant, a wicketkeeper-batter, hit three fours including the winning boundary off Jaydev Unadkat.

Shami stood out after he took down Hyderabad’s dangerous openers Abhishek Sharma, for a duck, and Travis Head, for seven, on successive balls in his first two overs.

He had Sharma caught at short third off the last delivery of his opener and Head then taken at mid-off from the first ball of his second over.

With AFP inputs

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IPL 2026: One Trophy, Ten Teams – Who Writes History?

J.J. Spaun had a dream season in 2025. But for the first few months of his follow-up campaign, things looked more like a nightmare.

Through seven starts entering this week, Spaun had made just three cuts, with a T24 finish standing as his high-water mark. His strokes-gained metrics had declined across the board, and his putting was so poor that he ranked among the 10 worst on Tour.

At TPC San Antonio, none of that mattered.

Spaun, playing this week as a final tune-up before the Masters, fired a final-round 67 to win the Valero Texas Open by one shot over Matt Wallace, Michael Kim and Robert MacIntyre. The victory marked Spaun’s second at the Texas Open (he also won in 2022) and the third of his PGA Tour career.

“I haven’t been in the form I wanted based on last season,” Spaun said. “It means a lot to come back and win here at a place that’s been so good to me.”

Returning to a course filled with positive memories proved to be the spark he needed. At the Players, Spaun recorded his best finish of the season to that point with a T24. He missed the cut the following week at the Valspar, but a return to the familiar setting of the Texas Hill Country seemed to bring something out of him.

After opening with back-to-back rounds of 69, Spaun surged over the weekend in soggy conditions. With play suspended midway through his third round on Saturday, he returned early Sunday morning to complete a six-under 66, putting himself firmly in contention. When the final round began, he kept the momentum rolling, carding four birdies and an eagle en route to a five-under 67 to claim the clubhouse lead. When none of the contenders on the course could track him down, the burden of his nightmare start had finally been lifted.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself at the start of the year, and a lot of expectations,” Spaun said. “It’s the complete opposite of the mantra I had all year last year that really helped me, so I tried to get back to that. Went into the last few weeks starting at The Players just trying to be freed up and put less pressure on myself. It’s been trying, but sticking to that mantra has really helped me.”

With the win, Spaun earns a custom pair of cowboy boots and a $1.76 million paycheck. More importantly, he heads to Augusta for the Masters in his best form of the season — and you can’t put a price tag on that.