Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski recap a wild Championship Sunday in the NFL and provide their biggest fantasy takeaways and implications for each game. The two break down each of the two games and look ahead to the teams that face questions in the offseason. The two also provide their first look at Super Bowl LX.
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(2:00) Seahawks 31, Rams 27
(30:15) Patriots 10, Broncos 7
(51:45) Super Bowl LX Early Preview
Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski recap a wild Championship Sunday in the NFL and provide their biggest fantasy takeaways and implications for each game. The two break down each of the two games and look ahead to the teams that face questions in the offseason. The two also provide their first look at Super Bowl LX.
This might finally be the week that we see the No. 1 team in the country, and the last unbeatens, go down.
Hereâs everything you missed in the 12th week of the regular season, and the latest Associated Press poll.
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Is this the week?
This is a critical week for the top of college basketball.
Arizona remained the top team in the country once again on Monday, one week after the Wildcats earned the spot unanimously for the first time all season. But finally, for the first time in well over a month, the Wildcats are looking at a ranked matchup and have a chance to remind everyone theyâve earned the No. 1 ranking.
The Wildcats will travel to No. 13 BYU on Monday night, and theyâre getting the Cougars at perhaps the worst possible time. BYU, after slipping at Texas Tech last week, rallied to beat Utah by double digits Saturday behind a 43-point night from projected lottery pick AJ Dybantsa. It marked the first 40 point game of his career, and set a new BYU freshman record. While it would likely take another similar effort to pull off the upset, Dybantsa has already more than proven heâs capable.
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UConn is just hanging on, but the Huskies beat Villanova in overtime Saturday to grab their 15th straight win, which kept them in second in the national poll. Michigan handled both Indiana and Ohio State last week and sits at No. 3, and Duke pushed its win streak to seven to get to No. 4.
Nebraska, thanks to Houstonâs slip at Texas Tech and Purdueâs stumble, jumped into the top five for the first time ever. The Boilermakers fell twice this past week, first at UCLA and then again Saturday at Illinois. That dropped them eight spots to No. 12, which completely opened up the Big Ten race for Nebraska â which will have all eyes on it in that league over the next week.
The Cornhuskers are off to a perfect 20-0 start, the best in school history, and are one of just three undefeated teams left in the country. But on Tuesday, the Huskers have to travel to Michigan â which has won four straight â and then theyâll host No. 9 Illinois on Sunday. It marks by far the toughest stretch of their schedule this season.
A pair of wins would not only be unprecedented for Fred Hoibergâs program in Lincoln, but it would give them complete control of the conference with just one ranked opponent left on their schedule before the Big Ten tournament. But if they canât at least split those games, or at a minimum keep them both close, the questions about Nebraska basketballâs legitimacy will undoubtedly creep back in, fair or not.
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Who knows? By this time next week, Miami (Ohio) may be the last undefeated team standing.
Games to watch this week
All times ET | * denotes neutral site
Monday, Jan. 26
No. 20 Louisville at No. 4 Duke | 7 p.m. | ESPN No. 1 Arizona at No. 13 BYU | 9 p.m. | ESPN
The fantasy football season effectively ended a month ago, but itâs important to scout the NFL playoff games as potential clues for 2026 value. Today, letâs discuss some players who have improved their stock since it got cold, be it with late-December rallies or impressive showings in the postseason.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Give Mike Vrabel credit for not mothballing Stevenson after some early-season fumbling issues. The Patriots hitched up to Stevenson in the playoffs, giving him 45 touches the last two weeks, including 25 in the AFC Championship win over the Broncos. He currently has 194 rushing yards for the playoffs, tops in the NFL.
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Meanwhile, TreVeyon Henderson saw just three opportunities (three forgettable runs) in the victory at Denver. Henderson was the home-run hitter in this backfield most of the year, with Stevenson the steady grinder; come playoff time, the Pats have leaned into the grinder. And Stevenson was trusted much more in the passing game during the money weeks â Stevenson bagged 16-190-2 through the air over his last six games, compared to Hendersonâs 3-16-0 log.
Figure on Stevenson getting a bell-cow workload in the Super Bowl, and earning the higher ADP in next summerâs draft season.
TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
Everyone remembers his âhello worldâ moment, the 6-118-2 detonation at Cincinnati, including the game-winning touchdown. But the Bears didnât completely hand Loveland the keys to the kingdom until after Christmas. He absorbed 48 targets over his final four games (including the playoffs), good for a 28-378-2 log.
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This is going to push Loveland into pricy areas for next yearâs fantasy drafts, but Iâm here for it. Caleb Williams is also on the escalator and Ben Johnson is the right man with the play sheet.
RB Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay usually employs a very narrow offense for fantasy purposes, relying on just a handful of skill players. But that tree expanded during the 2025 season, with Corum starting to become a proactive complement to starting RB Kyren Williams. Corum was the teamâs most effective back in Sundayâs loss at Seattle (12 touches, 79 scrimmage yards), and he received double-digit touches in six of his final eight games. Corum also had six touchdowns on the year, with five of them coming after Thanksgiving.
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The Rams havenât soured on Williams and heâll be the clear starter entering 2026. But Corum probably has 8-12 touch equity in any game where heâs healthy, and heâll shoot past that projection every now and then, if the Rams want to steer into a hot hand. Corum is on the flex radar for 2026 fantasy planning, and heâs just one injury away from being a needle mover, too.
WR Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos
I donât know how to quit this guy. Mims was an afterthought for most of the year but he was forced into action during the playoffs, coming through with a nifty 12-155-1 line on 14 targets over two games. I get it, the Broncos have a crowded receiver room, and Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant are still ascending talents. But letâs not forget that Mims will only be 24 next year, too. Mims has already scored 11 regular-season touchdowns despite limited opportunities, and heâs dynamic as a kick returner. Heâs screaming for a bigger role.
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WR Jalen Coker, Panthers
Just making the NFL as an undrafted receiver out of Holy Cross is a big win for Coker, but heâs not content to stop there. He stepped forward in his final six starts, posting a 28-378-4 log, including that 134-yard explosion against the Rams. Coker has good size and the ability to high point the ball, which gives him the potential to score 8-10 touchdowns in a full season, even with Tetairoa McMillan already on the team. Coker will be a trendy fantasy sleeper next summer, but Iâll still try to get a seat near the front of that bandwagon.
The NFL has fined San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir $20,944 for head-butting Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in their divisional-round playoff game.
Tempers flared in this emotional rivalry game, and Lenoir let his get the best of him as the Seahawks dismantled the 49ers 41-6 to advance to the NFC championship game. The incident happened following a play where the two exchanged words before Lenoir used his helmet illegally and smashed his head into Smith-Njigbaâs facemask.
Lenoir, whoâs one of the more physical cornerbacks in the NFL, has a history of being fined since entering the league in 2021 as a fifth-round draft pick for San Francisco. In December, Lenoir was fined for a late hit on Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor in the Ninersâ win over the Colts. For that infraction, Lenoir was fined $11,593 by the league.
Niners linebacker Dee Winters was also fined $5,097 for a hip-drop tackle during the Seahawks playoff game.
Smith-Njigba and Lenoirâs confrontation can be traced back to the Week 18 meeting between these teams, where there was some trash talk leading up to the game. Lenoir was called a âfanâ by Smith-Njigba.
“I definitely heard it. It’s hard to respond back to all my fans,” Smith-Njigba told reporters following Seattle’s 13-3 win.
In November of 2024, Lenoir signed a five-year, $92 million extension with the 49ers. He just completed his fifth season with the team, starting all 17 games and recording 61 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 2 interceptions.
Itâs not often that the Cleveland Browns hit the news cycle for positive news at the quarterback position. But today is apparently that day. Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been named to the 2026 Pro Bowl Games as an alternate, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Monday.
After starting the season on the bench, Sanders slowly moved up the depth chart during the regular season. He was elevated into the No. 2 spot following the teamâs trade of Joe Flacco, and then eventually became its starter after fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel sustained a concussion.
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Sanders, 23, started seven games with the Browns, completing 56.6% of his passes for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Browns went 3-4 in his starts. By the more advanced metrics, Sanders rated as one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, ranking 42nd out of 43 quarterbacks, per PFF.
Sanders was not voted into the game initially, but will reportedly make the Pro Bowl as a replacement. NFL players often pull out of the Pro Bowl for various reasons, including injury and prioritizing rest.
In this instance, though, Sanders may be replacing Drake Maye in the AFC. With Maye leading the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, he will not be eligible to take part in the Pro Bowl. That forced the NFL to look for a replacement.
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is expected to start for the AFC in the contest. Los Angeles Chargers starter Justin Herbert is the other quarterback on the AFC roster.
The Pro Bowl has a reputation for ⌠not being the most important or competitive game. Questionable players have been named Pro Bowl replacements in recent years, including Baltimore Ravens backup Tyler Huntley, who made the game in 2022 after throwing two touchdowns against three interceptions in just four starts.
While Sandersâ selection to the contest should draw criticism, there is precedent for the NFL making similar decisions in the past.
It’s not uncommon for a quarterback to shell out big money to show other players on his team how much he appreciates them. When a quarterback makes the Pro Bowl or wins the Super Bowl, they often buy expensive gifts for each member of the offensive line. It’s a gesture that shows appreciate for the unit, one that often gets overlooked by the national media.
That isn’t exactly what happened with Seattle Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, but quarterback Sam Darnold did play a major role in Lawrence winning himself a new Rolex … only Darnold may not have known about that.
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Turns out, Lawrence won a bet against former Dallas Cowboys teammate Dez Bryant, who now owes Lawrence a new Rolex. Bryant shared a NSFW text exchange he had with Lawrence at the beginning of the season. In it, Bryant doubts whether Darnold will be good enough to lead the team to the Super Bowl. Lawrence sends multiple texts supporting Darnold, saying the quarterback “ain’t going to turn the ball over,” and that the team’s defense is going to “take the league by storm.”
Bryant said he didn’t doubt the defense, but that Darnold would need to “make me a believer,” calling out that Darnold didn’t have Justin Jefferson to throw to anymore.
After Lawrence thanked Bryant for having the conversation, Bryant said, “I pray you stay healthy … ball the f*** out … you guys make it to the Super Bowl … I’ll buy you a Rolex for doubting you lol.”
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The two engaged in that conversation in March, shortly after Lawrence found himself in the crosshairs of his former Dallas teammates. After signing a three-year, $42 million deal with the Seahawks, Lawrence called out the Cowboys, saying he wasn’t going to win a Super Bowl in Dallas. That drew the ire of a number of Lawrence’s former teammates, including then-Cowboy Micah Parsons, who said it was “clown s***.”
Bryant seemingly sent words of encouragement to Lawrence at the time, which may have been the reason the two started texting in the first place.
In both instances, Lawrence came out on top. The Cowboys couldn’t reach an extension with Parsons, trading him to the Green Bay Packers. The team then turned in a miserable defensive performance this season, finishing with a 7-9-1 record and not making the playoffs.
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Lawrence, meanwhile, is a key player on the most dominant defense in the NFL. Darnold not only carried over the success he had with the Minnesota Vikings, but turned in arguably his best game of the season against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship.
The 28-year-old Darnold threw for 346 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Rams in the 31-27 victory.
Because of that performance, the Seahawks are heading to the Super Bowl. And while a ring would be enough of a prize for Lawrence if the team wins, knowing a Rolex is on the way right now probably feels pretty good too.
The go-for-it revolution in the NFL can probably be traced back to Doug Pederson, when he was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
For years fourth downs were for punting, unless it was late in the game and a team had little choice. Fourth-down rates remained about the same for many years. About once per game, on average, a team would go for it on fourth down.
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Pederson got the Eagles job in 2016 and that started to change. The Eagles won a Super Bowl at the end of the 2017 season going for it far more often than teams had in the past, and that led to a major shift in strategy around the NFL.
In 2015, teams went for it on fourth down 476 times, or 0.93 times per team, per game. This past season teams went for it 886 times on fourth down, or 1.63 times per team, per game. Thatâs an increase of 75.3% from just a decade ago. Through the 1980s, it was way more conservative; teams went for it on fourth down 0.57 times per game on average. It has nearly tripled in the 35 years since.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton faced scrutiny for his decision early in the game to forgo a field goal try and go for it on fourth-and-1. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Thatâs a massive spike, and it has changed the way the NFL is played. The idea is simple: Possession of the ball is paramount, and going for it on fourth-and-short instead of punting or trying a field goal typically increases a teamâs win expectancy. Itâs not a revolutionary concept, itâs just one that hadnât been followed too often until the past decade.
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On Sunday, with two spots in Super Bowl LX on the line, each losing coach got aggressive on fourth down. Each one got criticized for it, too.
Did Sean Payton make a mistake?
The Denver Broncosâ Sean Payton and Los Angeles Ramsâ Sean McVay are two of the NFLâs best head coaches, but they each caught some heat for being too aggressive and not taking the points in their conference championship games.
Payton got far more criticism. In the second quarter, the Broncos passed on a short field-goal attempt when they led 7-0, and their fourth-and-1 play resulted in an incompletion. Bad weather invaded Denver for the second half, and the Broncos didnât score again in a 10-7 loss. Payton said he wanted to be aggressive, but when speaking later he laid out what would have been a reasonable argument for taking the points.
âYou donât know that itâs going to be like this three-point game, but it became apparent with each possession that a field goal, that type of thing, was going to be really important,â Payton said after the game.
The Ramsâ situation was much different. It was fourth-and-4 at Seattleâs 6-yard line with just under five minutes to go in the game. The Rams trailed 31-27. A field goal would have brought the Rams within one point, needing a stop and a field goal in the final minutes to win. McVay went for it, Matthew Stafford threw incomplete and the Rams didnât get the ball back until 25 seconds left. They ended up losing by four points.
âIâll have to go back and look at it,â McVay said of his decisions during the game. âBut there was other opportunities we could have converted on.â
The chorus, with the help of hindsight, was that at least Payton should have taken the points. It was reminiscent of the NFC championship game two years ago, when the Detroit Lionsâ Dan Campbell â annually one of the NFLâs most aggressive head coaches when it comes to fourth-down decisions â went for it on fourth down against the San Francisco 49ers when a field goal would have put the Lions ahead 17 points in the third quarter. The 49ers came back to win. Those fourth-down decisions will always look bad and be second-guessed when they donât work out. The ones that do work out are more quickly forgotten.
Fans who grew up hearing that going for it on fourth downs was a massive gamble cringe when coaches donât take points on short field goals. Theyâll complain that analytics have ruined the game. But will the trend ever change back to kicking more often?
Fourth-down attempts have spiked
Throughout the 1980s, the team that went for it on fourth down the most was the 1984 Atlanta Falcons, who went for it 30 times, according to Stathead. This past season, 11 of 32 teams went for it on fourth down at least 30 times.
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The increase started in the 1990s, but it really started to shift in 2018, the season after Pedersonâs Eagles won the Super Bowl. The instances of going for it on fourth down went from 485 in 2017 to 539 the season after. That was up to 886 times this regular season, and even accounting for the added 17th game since then, thatâs a remarkable increase. Here is the average of teams going for it on fourth down per game, per team through the years:
1980s: 0.57
1995: 1.03
2005: 0.91
2015: 0.93
2018-2025: 1.36
2025: 1.63
Perhaps itâs due to practice, but teams are better on fourth downs. Hereâs the fourth down conversion rate through the years:
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1980s: 49.2%
1995: 53.8%
2005: 48%
2015: 48.9%
2025: 55.2%
That contributes to the math that youâll hear so often about, even on television broadcasts. Win expectancy percentages, with teams leaning into analytics, help dictate fourth-down decisions. Coaches can also add in their feel for the game. Payton said his feel for the momentum of the game, how his defense played and the ability of the Patriotsâ offense, all played into him going for it Sunday.
âItâs also a call you make based on the team youâre playing and what youâre watching on the other side of the ball,â Payton said.
Teams are going for it more than ever, they are improving at their success rate on fourth down, and it seems unlikely the trend completely reverts with more young coaches who have grown up on analytics rising to head coaching jobs. However, games like the Broncosâ loss to the Patriots could lead to a change in philosophy, however slight.
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And no matter how many times teams who go for it cash in with touchdowns, whenever a team like Paytonâs Broncos fail in that situation, youâre bound to hear that they should have instead taken the points.
The International Olympic Committee apparently wonât be coming to the rescue of an American skeleton racer who believes that she was unjustly denied the chance to qualify for her sixth Winter Games.
The global governing body declined to act on a request from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to grant Katie Uhlaender a wild-card berth into the women’s skeleton competition at the Milan-Cortina Olympics scheduled for Feb. 13-14.
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When asked Monday for an update on Uhlaenderâs status, USOPC chief of sport and athlete services Rocky Harris told reporters that heâd heard back from the IOC earlier that morning. Harris said the IOC is supporting the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federationâs previous ruling against Uhlaender.
âIâm going to talk to Katie later today and see how she wants to move forward,â Harris said, perhaps hinting at the possibility Uhlaender could take the matter to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Uhlaender, 41, hoped to earn enough points to qualify for the Olympics at the North American Cup in Lake Placid earlier this month, but a controversial decision by the head coach of the Canadian skeleton team undercut her chances. Joe Cecchini withdrew at the last minute four Canadian entrants from the final race of the week, decreasing the field size from 23 to 19 and reducing the number of Olympic qualifying points available to each finisher.
Canada entered the day in position to send two skeleton athletes to the Olympics but at risk of losing one of its spots. The reduction in points available made it more difficult for racers from other countries to overtake the Canadians.
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After winning all three North American Cup races in Lake Placid but not securing enough points to qualify for the Olympics, Uhlaender publicly accused Canada of deliberately pulling athletes to manipulate the points standings. The national federations of Belgium, Korea, Denmark, Israel, Malta and the Virgin Islands expressed support for her cause.
In response to Uhlaenderâs media tour, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton released a statement defending Cecchini. The national federationâs statement noted that the athletes had already raced twice that week and described Cecchiniâs decision to pull them from competition as âappropriate, transparent and aligned with both athlete welfare and the integrity of the sport.â
When siding with Canada in its decision, the IBSF noted that its rules did not prohibit pulling athletes from a competition without notice.
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âThe late withdrawal of athletes intuitively gives rise to concern that the action may have constituted impermissible manipulation,â the IBSF acknowledged. âAt the same time, the express language of Section 7 of the IBSF Code of Ethics precludes any finding that conduct âexpressly permittedâ by the competition rules is âimproperâ or creates an âundue benefit.ââ
On Friday, Harris sent a letter to the IOC in support of Uhlaender, urging the global governing body to âconsider adding a womenâs skeleton quota spot and awarding it to Ms. Uhlaender.”
Three days later, the IOC declined to intervene, leaving Uhlaender running short on time and options.
Aryna Sabalenka will face American Iva Jovic tonight in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Australian Open. The No. 1 seed and the No. 29 seed will face off in Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, with an estimated start time of 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Tournament coverage will air across ESPN and ESPN2. The entire tournament will stream on ESPN+ for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about watching the 2026 Australian Open.
How to watch Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iva Jovic tonight:
Date: Monday, Jan. 26
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Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
TV channel: ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN+
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iva Jovic match start time:
In the U.S., the quarterfinals match between Sabalenka and Jovic is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iva Jovic match channel:
The Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iva Jovic match may have coverage on ESPN2, when the tournament coverage airs at 9 p.m., but to catch the whole match live, you’ll need ESPN Unlimited on ESPN+.
Australian Open channel:
The Australian Open is airing across ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2 before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.
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How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary.Â
Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:
If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia, a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.
Don’t live in the land down under? You can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
9Now. Plus it’s Engadget’s pick for the best premium VPN. ExpressVPN offers three tiers of subscriptions: the Basic Plan (starting at $3.49/month), the Advanced Plan (starting at $4.49/month) and the Pro Plan (starting at $7.49/month).
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.
Australian Open 2026 schedule:
All times Eastern
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Saturday, Jan. 17
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 18
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 19
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 20
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 21
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 22
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 23
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 24
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 25
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 26
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 27
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3 a.m.
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 28
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3 a.m.
(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 29
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 30
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.
Saturday, Jan. 31
(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, Feb. 1
(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?
The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.
Men’s singles seeds
1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Women’s singles seeds
1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Iga Swiatek
3. Amanda Anisimova
4. Coco Gauff
5. Elena Rybakina
Australian Open prize money:
For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and semi-finalists receiving $1,250,000.
The way Dabo Swinney views his career at Clemson and his place in the world have long been defined by the traumatic upbringing he overcame. In Daboâs version of his own life story, it was very much the difficulty of it all â sleeping in his familyâs car, coming to terms with an alcoholic father, walking on at Alabama â that forged a national championship coach who now makes $11 million a year.
There have been times over the last five years or so where that defining ethos has worked against him. Heâs been too loyal to underperformers in his organization, too stubborn to adapt to changing times. After guiding Clemson to four national championship games over a five-year span, it now looks like a run-of-the-mill ACC program on a downward trajectory. After going 7-6 last season, thereâs even speculation about how long of a leash Swinney has before the school is forced to make a drastic decision about the best coach in school history.
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But on Friday, it drove Swinney to arguably the most interesting place of his career. He became a whistleblower.
Was this simply one lone voice railing against a system that no longer works for his program, or is it the beginning of a quiet revolt against absurdities that nearly all coaches feel but are reluctant to push back against with the specificity that Swinney brought to the table.
âIf you tamper with my players, Iâm going to turn you in,â Swinney told reporters, continuing, âif there are no consequences for tampering, then we have no rules and we have no governance.â
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The rant included specific claims against Ole Miss regarding linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who transferred from Cal and enrolled at Clemson before re-entering the portal and landing in Mississippi. Among the accusations made by Swinney: Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding allegedly texted Ferrelli, “I know youâre signed. Whatâs the buyout?â while he was in class at Clemson and that Ferrelliâs agent said he would turn over to Clemson incriminating text messages from Ole Miss if Clemson agreed to add one year and $1 million to Ferrelliâs contract.
Clemson declined. Ferrelli will play at Ole Miss in 2026.
Luke Ferrelli is at the center of a tampering claim made by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. (AP Photo/Mark Ylen,File)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
âYou either step up and you be an example to young coaches in this profession and be people of integrity or just shut your mouth and don’t complain again,â Swinney said. âThat’s what I would say to all the coaches out there because I know this has happened, and we’re never going to get this under control until we start having some consequences.â
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In one sense, youâd like to take Swinney by the scruff of his neck, shake him a few times and say: âEarth to Dabo! Integrity? Youâre a college football coach! This is not a business where integrity works well or is even expected in the first place. Also, you make $11 million. Deal with it.â
But even in a business as absurd as college sports, there is a threshold where the behavior gets so out of control and the circumstances so dire that people realize complaining about the NCAA is a waste of time and instead start pointing fingers at each other.
In other words, in the absence of any regulatory body to police tampering and other recruiting sins, is it possible that Swinney going nuclear on Golding might be the most effective deterrent the NCAA could possibly have?
Itâs not like anything else has worked.
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Even though everything has changed in college sports, the fundamental problem is the same now as it was five, 10, 20 years ago.
Everyone from coaches to athletic directors to university presidents talks about wanting rules and enforcement in the way they do business but in the very next breath will explore gray areas and legal challenges to gain a competitive advantage.
âIâve asked at every level,â Sankey said. âOur university presidents and chancellors, our athletic directors, our head coaches: If you want an unregulated, open system, just raise your hand and let me know. And universally, the answer is, âNo. We want oversight. We want guardrails. We want structures.â
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But words are cheap. Linebackers are expensive. And itâs not just Ole Miss allegedly doing this stuff. Heck, the Rebels had to endure their own portal shenanigans in the wake of Lane Kiffinâs departure to LSU. Tennessee, backed by an attorney general eager to get a piece of the NCAA, has been a habitual line-stepper in the NIL era. Someone is going to have to explain how Kentuckyâs supposed $22 million basketball roster fits within the bounds of the $20.5 million revenue share cap for all sports.
The regulations that are supposed to be governing this business simply are not working.
On one hand, fans only care to a point. Just look at the boffo ratings for the College Football Playoff and the national title game. This is still a compelling product and maybe even better than it was before. Indiana just won the national title for goodness sakes.
On the other hand, if itâs true that the Ole Miss head coach was continuing to recruit a transfer who enrolled at Clemson and that an agent tried to shake down Swinney for $1 million to ward off the threat, nobody could credibly argue thatâs how a professional sports league should operate.
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Oh, and these NIL agents? Many of them are laughably unprofessional and out of their depth, which is what you get when there are no real standards or certification processes. No matter what you think of Swinney â and many of us have had our critiques the last few years â this is not a âfailure to adaptâ issue. Itâs a refusal to enable corruption issue.
Fixing all this is not solely up to Swinney. He is a cog in a very large and out-of-control machine. But if a future Hall of Famer with two national titles doesnât have the courage to stand up and call out peers for their role in the full-scale system breakdown, who will?
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In a career and lifetime of defying the odds, Swinney will now try to do it one more time. If NCAA rules and potential punishments donât get other coaches to act right, wouldnât it be something if pure, old-fashioned shame did the trick?
