The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a key opportunity slip through their hands in Week 17. With the NFC South still up for grabs, the team couldn’t get it together in a sloppy 20-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
With the loss, the Buccaneers could have been eliminated from the playoffs. But the team lucked out, as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Carolina Panthers to set up a pivotal Week 18 matchup. Depending on how the Atlanta Falcons perform against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, the winner of the Buccaneers vs. Panthers game in Week 18 could determine the NFC South crown.
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The Buccaneers could have put themselves in a much better position with a win over the Dolphins in Week 17. Tampa Bay had at least one major advantage heading into the contest, as rookie Quinn Ewers was making his first NFL start.
Ewers performed well, tossing two touchdowns in the outing. His counterpart, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, struggled, tossing two interceptions and losing a fumble in the loss.
It was a disappointing performance for the Buccaneers, something wideout Mike Evans didn’t sugarcoat after the game. Evans told reporters the team “didn’t deserve [a win]” in Week 17, adding that the Bucs played like a team that didn’t want to be there, per NFL.com.
“We didn’t deserve it,” said wideout Mike Evans, who caught three of seven targets for 31 yards and a touchdown. “They played like they had a chance at the playoffs, and we played like we were ready to go home.”
Evans didn’t turn in a massive performance in the loss, though he wasn’t part of the problem. Evans hauled in three catches for 31 yards and a score during the game. He was overshadowed by both Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan, both of whom gained over 100 receiving yards on the day.
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It wasn’t all gloom and doom in the Bucs’ locker room after the loss, though. Quarterback Baker Mayfield took a different track, saying the team needs to take advantage of the opportunity it’s been given following the Panthers’ loss to the Seahawks, per ESPN.
“Here’s the thing,” Mayfield said after the loss, via the Associated Press. “We still have a chance next week. We’ve been blessed with a chance next week, and guys need to handle it the right way. Lavonte (David) spoke to the team after the game and hit the nail on the head, so we’ve got to respond.”
It’s possible the Bucs’ Week 18 game against the Panthers winds up being a winner-take-all affair. For the Panthers, it already qualifies as that. With a win, Carolina would take the NFC South crown and make the playoffs.
The Bucs’ fate depends on the Falcons. If the Bucs and Falcons and Panthers wind up with the same record, the Panthers would win the division based on a tiebreaker. If the Falcons can beat the Rams in Week 17, a scenario exists where the Bucs could beat the Panthers in Week 18 and — if the Falcons also win in Week 18 against the New Orleans Saints — Tampa Bay would miss out on the playoffs.
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If the Falcons lose to the Rams on Monday, the Week 18 game between the Bucs and Panthers will be a winner-take-all matchup.
Despite the Buccaneers’ miserable performance Sunday, the team can still rally to a division title. But that will only happen if the team finds the motivation it was lacking in Week 17.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman will reportedly remain at the school despite garnering interest from NFL teams, according to SI’s Pat Forde.
Freeman seemed to confirm the report on X on Monday morning, saying he was ready to run it back with Notre Dame in 2026.
Freeman and the school reportedly agreed to a restructured deal that will pay the coach among the “top tier” of head-coach salaries, per Forde.
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Freeman, 39, has excelled at the university since taking over the head-coaching role in 2021. Since then, Freeman has compiled a 43-12 record. The Fighting Irish have been ranked every season under Freeman and made it all the way to the national championship last season, where Notre Dame lost to Ohio State.
Notre Dame was in good shape to make the College Football Playoff this season, but a final-week change by the committee left the Fighting Irish out of the bracket. That decision was met with controversy and drew some salty responses from Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua. Notre Dame declined to participate in bowl games following the snub.
Given Freeman’s college excellence, the coach was rumored to be a candidate for a few openings in the NFL. With one week of the regular season left, the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans are the only teams to have already fired their head coaches. Freeman was reportedly on the Giants’ short list, and the Titans were reportedly looking into the coach as well.
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While Freeman never appeared in an NFL game, he has experience in the league. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He was cut by the team after the preseason and joined the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad before finishing out the year on the Houston Texans’ practice squad. He was set to sign with the Indianapolis Colts in 2010, but retired due to an enlarged heart.
Freeman’s announcement comes less than 24 hours after the Giants defeated the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17. With the win, the Giants may have taken themselves out of the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s unclear how much, if at all, that played into Freeman’s decision to return to Notre Dame, though the reported contract revision probably carried a lot of weight.
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Freeman’s decision to stick around at Notre Dame comes at a time when multiple premium college programs have endured high-profile coaching changes. Ole Miss, LSU, Michigan and Penn State, among others, are just a handful of universities to make coaching changes this year.
With his reported new contract in hand, Freeman will provide stability to Notre Dame at a time when other programs have seen massive upheaval. After missing out on the CFP this season, Freeman should be more motivated than ever to lead the Fighting Irish to another national championship.
As we approach 2026, the new year offers a fresh start, and that may be exactly what fantasy basketball managers are looking for depending on how their team looked in 2025. It’s been about two months of High Score on Yahoo Fantasy, and this past week we saw our highest score of the season. And the player who posted the score may surprise none of you.
Nikola Jokić is the best basketball player in the world and it’s only fitting that he’s the one to enter 2026 with the highest output of any player in High Score. The Nuggets big man had 108(!) fantasy points in a Christmas Day classic, a 142-138 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime. Jokić finished with an insane 56-point triple-double, racking up 16 rebounds, 15 assists and 2 blocks. The previous top score belonged to Cade Cunningham, who had 101 fantasy points back in November.
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We’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who can top Jokić’s career Christmas performance, but the season is still young. Let’s look at the rest of the High Score perfect lineup from the final week of 2025.
The top-six performances overall by position from Week 10.
(Taylor Wilhelm)
More from the top performers
Cade Cunningham, guard: The Pistons star was dethroned from his place as the top High Score total of the season but continues to be a staple in this lineup. He entered Sunday trailing only Jokić and Luka Dončić in terms of fantasy points per game in High Score (59.2). Detroit has a deep lineup, so there will be floor games for Cunningham. But when the Pistons face a weak defense or are in a close game, that’s when Cunningham really shines.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, guard: We haven’t seen SGA often in this article. Gilgeous-Alexander has one of the better floors in fantasy basketball, but for High Score, his ceiling is limited by his lack of peripheral stats. The steals are consistent but Shai isn’t an active rebounder and is usually in attack mode, rather than distributor mode. Last Tuesday, SGA came close to his first triple-double of the season against the Grizz with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists with 5 stocks.
Nikola Jokić, frontcourt: We’ll be brief because we already went over this up top (and we’ve seen Jokić is pretty much every perfect lineup in 2025). It’s pretty remarkable how Jokić has separated himself from other fantasy assets this season; he’s averaging over 70 fantasy points per game and that’s over 20 more fantasy points per game than the 12th-ranked player (Donovan Mitchell; 50.6 FPPG). It’s safe to say we’re going to see Joker on a lot of fantasy basketball championship rosters in April.
Kawhi Leonard, frontcourt: Santa must have been good to Kawhi to spark such an outburst. This had been building for some time and Leonard has had a very impressive finish to 2025, averaging 29.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game in December. Kawhi has 40+ points in two of his past three games, scoring a season-high 55 in the Clippers’ win over the Pistons on Sunday evening. What’s even better is, after missing most of November, Leonard appears to be healthy, a great sign for fantasy managers.
Scottie Barnes, frontcourt: Barnes was ripping down rebounds like Charles Barkley on Sunday evening. The Raptors forward helped Toronto to victory after scoring on a putback to force overtime. He’d go on to finish with a triple-double on 23 points, 10 assists and a career-high 25 rebounds, plus 4 stocks. This is definitely an anomaly in terms of statistics with Barnes, who isn’t going to grab 20+ boards often. But he’s one of the few players capable of these types of games because of his category coverage.
Jamal Murray, utility: Four out of six of the players in the High Score perfect lineup from this week were connected in some way to the Nuggets. Murray was also great on Christmas with 60 fantasy points but his highest score of the week came last Tuesday while going up against Cooper Flagg and Dallas. Murray had 31 points, 7 boards and 14 assists, one shy of his career high. The Nuggets sport the NBA’s best offense by a wide margin, averaging 125.8 points per contest, Murray being one of the main reasons for that.
If 2026 is the soccer feast that U.S. soccer fans can’t wait to devour, the past year was an appetizer of savory treats and sour bites.
A summer before the World Cup is served across North America — at exorbitant market prices, mind you — the head chef in Zurich overcooked the Club World Cup and cozied up to political clientele.
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The finest table was in South Florida, where an ageless artist continued wowing audiences with unforgettable dishes. The vanilla chain that employs him spiced things up with German and Korean flavors while also voting to embrace European sensibilities by changing its operating hours in 2027.
The 2025 soccer menu turned out to satisfy most tastes, and as a new year dawns, reviews are in order.
(Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports illustration)
(Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports illustration)
USMNT rising
Culturally and tactically, Mauricio Pochettino finally got through to the U.S. men’s national team. The result was a five-game unbeaten streak to end the year and swelling optimism heading into a World Cup year.
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After the lows of the Nations League last March, the Americans reached highs under their Argentine coach this fall. The most impressive performance came in the final match, a 5-1 demolition of Uruguay that was all but settled before halftime. And they did it without many mainstays, including Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie.
Yes, it was just a friendly against a team oddly lost under famed coach Marcelo Bielsa, but a good result shouldn’t be minimized. The last camp also offered an opportunity to measure the impressive growth of young players integrated by Pochettino this past year, most notably Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman and Sebastian Berhalter.
Magnificent Messi
Someday we’ll look back at these MLS years and think, “Wow, Lionel Messi not only played here, but he was downright phenomenal, wasn’t he?”
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Indeed, the Argentine magician became the first player in the league’s 30 seasons to win back-to-back MVP trophies after recording 29 goals and 19 assists in 28 regular-season matches and six goals and nine assists in six playoff games, culminating with two assists in Inter Miami’s championship victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Belying his 38 years, Messi performed with elegance and exuberance in elevating his club, the league and the sport in this country. And he’s not done: A contract extension will keep him in Miami’s distinctive pink jersey several more years.
Red card for FIFA
Gianni Infantino, president of soccer’s global governing body, likes to say FIFA is the “official happiness provider for humanity.”
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After seeing World Cup ticket prices and the fees involved in reselling seats, most fans would vehemently disagree. FIFA ultimately lowered the cost for a small percentage of tickets, but anyone planning to attend the tournament next summer has come to realize it’s going to require a second mortgage.
Political fútbol
To ensure the World Cup goes off without a hitch, Infantino felt it necessary to lavish constant praise on U.S. President Donald Trump, visiting the Oval Office regularly and accompanying the U.S. leader on diplomatic missions in the Middle East.
The piece de resistance was Infantino inventing a FIFA peace prize to present to Trump at the World Cup draw, which, to appease Trump, was conducted at the Kennedy Center in Washington instead of Las Vegas.
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Unnecessary soccer
On the surface, an expanded tournament to determine the best club in the world sounded cool. From a practical standpoint, though, it was much more complicated. Infantino’s 24-team brainchild took flight this summer across the United States.
But with most players weary from long seasons, many clubs participating begrudgingly, fans skeptical of the whole thing, complaints about field conditions and violent weather interrupting games, the Club World Cup was bizarre. Even the championship ceremony went sideways as Trump injected himself into Chelsea’s celebration at MetLife Stadium.
Single Espresso
“Triple Espresso” — the U.S. women’s vaunted attack featuring Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson — was reduced to a lone shot this year. Wilson and Swanson were on maternity leave, while Rodman was limited to one appearance because of back and knee injuries.
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Their absences, though, opened opportunities for inexperienced forwards Michelle Cooper, Ally Sentnor, Yazmeen Ryan and Emma Sears, who combined for 10 goals. Catarina Macario also stepped into a greater role, posting eight goals and two assists in 10 appearances.
Overall, in a year without major tournaments, coach Emma Hayes used 43 players in 15 matches, and 51 percent of the 69 combined goals and assists came from players 24 and younger.
The Rodman Rule?
Faced with losing Rodman overseas on a free transfer, the National Women’s Soccer League will adjust its salary-cap rules to accommodate marquee contracts. The league lost Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea and missed out on other Americans, such as Macario, who went straight to Europe years ago. Top to bottom, the NWSL is arguably the best in the world, but individual European clubs with deep pockets and no salary caps have become alluring to high-end NWSL players.
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Pochettino’s best quotes
Though English is not his first language, Pochettino has produced some strong comments during his brief tenure.
He sent a message to players not fully bought into his plans by saying, “If you arrive to camp and you want to have a nice time, play golf, go for a dinner, visit my family, visit my friend, is that the culture that we want to create? No, no, no, no, no.”
Another time, flicking his wrist while holding an imaginary wand, he said, “You cannot be Harry Potter and you touch it to create chemistry.”
The best was when he put his foot down amid summer tension with Pulisic, declaring, “I am the coach. I am not a mannequin.”
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MLS’ best decisions
The league will pause the 2026 season during almost the entire World Cup, getting out of the way of the summer spectacle in North America and conditioning the public for what’s to come starting in 2027. That is when MLS will permanently align with most European leagues by ditching its February-to-December schedule and playing from mid-to-late summer until the following spring (with a winter break and an emphasis on warm-weather venues in December and February).
MLS’ worst decision
With a long gap in early 2027 before the calendar change, the league will conduct a “sprint season” featuring 14 matches apiece and a playoff culminating with an MLS Cup final. The compact campaign is necessary for players to remain active before the 2027-28 season begins in July, but while the best team deserves recognition, a special trophy would be much more appropriate than a cheapened MLS Cup.
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From best to (almost) worst
The Los Angeles Galaxy were not expected to repeat as MLS champions, not with playmaker Riqui Puig sidelined all year with an ACL injury and the long odds facing any MLS team pursuing back-to-back titles. But the precipitousness of the Galaxy’s fall was something to behold: winless in its first 16 matches before finishing last in the Western Conference. Three wins in the last four games elevated L.A. to 26th out of 30 in the overall standings. Despite the woes, Coach Greg Vanney was granted a mulligan – and a contract extension.
Continental divide
MLS likes to think it has made strides on the global landscape, but failure in the CONCACAF region says otherwise. Since D.C. United won the 1998 Champions Cup, league representatives have hoisted the trophy just twice: the Galaxy in 2000 and Seattle Sounders in 2022. This past year, Vancouver advanced to the final before getting smoked 5-0 by Cruz Azul — Mexico’s 19th crown in 20 years.
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Older influence
MLS heralded the midseason arrival of two famous European-based players — Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller, 36, to Vancouver and Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min, 33, to Los Angeles FC. While both made profound impacts and helped boost the league’s global visibility, lucrative spending on big names older than 30 reinforced the perception that MLS remains a retirement community for international stars.
Family matters
It was a very good year for the Berhalter family. Gregg, who coached the U.S. national team from 2018-24, resurfaced with the Chicago Fire and guided the MLS side to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. His son, Sebastian, enjoyed a breakout season for both Vancouver and the USMNT — performances that enhanced his World Cup roster hopes.
Family matters II
Michael Bradley — the former U.S. standout who retired two years ago — is following in his father’s footsteps, rising to head coach of the New York Red Bulls in December following four months in charge of the club’s developmental team. Michael, now 38, launched his midfield career with the New Jersey-based club formerly known as the MetroStars, playing for his father Bob, whose coaching career spanned four other MLS teams, the U.S. and Egyptian national teams and three European clubs.
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Playoffs? What playoffs?
The Kansas City Current (21-3-2) and Louisville City (22-1-7) were close to unbeatable in the regular season, but in the playoffs, the respective top seeds in the NWSL and second-flight USL Championship (men) were ousted in their first match. MLS frontrunner Philadelphia was not as dominant as those leaders, but after winning the Supporters’ Shield, the Union was done in the Eastern Conference semifinals. One Knoxville SC got it right, winning both the regular season and playoff crowns in third-division USL League One (men).
Regular season? What regular season?
In the 2023 and ‘25 NWSL regular seasons, Gotham FC had a combined record of 17-15-16 and slipped into the playoffs as the lowest seed. Both times, though, it ended up winning the championship. This fall, No. 8 Gotham stunned No. 1 Kansas City in the quarterfinals and edged No. 4 Orlando in the semifinals before defeating No. 2 Washington — all decided by goals in the 80th minute or later. Rose Lavelle was the championship hero.
USL’s big ideas
The United Soccer League — which operates multiple lower divisions – unveiled ambitious plans to launch not only a first-tier circuit in 2027-28 to compete with MLS, but a European-style promotion-relegation system between its three pro tiers. The USL, though, still needs to get its unstable house in order: Multiple teams suspended operations in recent years, many venues are inadequate and overall attendance remains low.
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Every second counts
College soccer goes against the grain by keeping the official time on the scoreboard, counting down instead of up and stopping the clock instead of adding stoppage time. While purists roll their eyes, the untraditional method does bring countdown drama.
In the Division I women’s tournament, Texas Christian got even with reigning champion North Carolina with six seconds left, then won a shootout to advance to the quarterfinals.
In the Division III men’s final, Tufts equalized with four seconds to go before downing Trinity (Texas) on a golden goal in extra time.
Lo’ and behold
Is there anyone who enjoys playing soccer more than Lo’eau Labonta? The Kansas City midfielder celebrates goals as though she is rehearsing for a dance recital or talent contest. This season, her balletic fouette earned perfect 10s. Even better, at age 32, she became in May the oldest player to make a U.S. national team debut.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will turn 41 on Tuesday. Amid all of his records and accomplishments over his legendary 23-year NBA career, the fact that he’s still producing at a high level despite joining the league in 2003 might be his most impressive feat.
James seems to believe that’s the case as well. When asked about his age Sunday night, James referenced a commercial he shot in 2023, in which he defeats “Father Time,” played by Jason Momoa, in various activities.
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James reflected on still performing at a high level despite filming that commercial a few years ago, saying, “I’m kicking [Father Time’s] ass on the back nine.”
The Lakers’ star isn’t wrong. After an injury disrupted the start of his season, James needed a few games to round back into form. James experienced a bit of a tepid start, but has turned things around recently, averaging 25.4 points over his last eight games. That recent surge has James averaging over 20 points once again.
Father Time, of course, remains undefeated. And while James should take pride in continuing to play at a high level at an age when most of his peers are long out of the league or deep into a coaching career, he’s clearly nearing the end of his playing days. Despite that, James hasn’t made any announcements about his future at this time.
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As long as the Lakers star continues to put up numbers, he doesn’t have to make that call just yet. James is set to be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2025-26 NBA season. If he still feels good about his ability, James could opt to chase another ring — either with the Lakers or a different franchise.
But if James feels he doesn’t have much left to give, the offseason provides a convenient time for him to finally hang up his sneakers.
Trae Young is in limbo these days with a $49 million player option for next season, which the Hawks have some indirect control over.
No, they don’t control the option, but their unwillingness to give him an extension allows them to pivot toward budding star Jalen Johnson, who has become the best player on the team.
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In essence, the Hawks have to ask themselves whether Young is the worth the salary slot, or if they can use it in a more optimal manner, further dedicating themselves to Johnson and Dyson Daniels, who was the Most Improved Player last season.
The evolution of Nickeil Alexander-Walker isn’t making the situation any easier, as he’s broken out this season, averaging 20.3 points while acting as a defensive playmaker alongside Daniels.
So what should the Hawks do? Let’s break it down:
Forward Jalen Johnson has changed the Hawks’ priorities. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Identifying needs and building a plan
So, what type of player should the Hawks target, if Young should move on? And by all accounts, the Hawks are open to facilitate that process on their own.
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The need for a point guard would still be present, yet the player will need significant off-ball capabilities to optimize floor spacing around Johnson.
Given the large contractual hold, it also allows Atlanta to seek improved bench depth, preferably prioritizing wing depth and 3-point shooting.
Could the Hawks make a play for Chicago’s Ayo Dosunmu as a third guard, or lean into Naji Marshall from the Dallas Mavericks?
Both would be upgrades that could help push them into the postseason. It might appear as the Hawks are thinking small, and obviously the compensation level should far exceed both Dosunmu and Marshall, but the idea that Atlanta doesn’t need a heliocentric floor leader remains a solid one.
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Perhaps, then, it becomes a question of direction as opposed to identifying specific players.
Assuming Johnson, Alexander-Walker and Daniels are the current core, with the asset from the Pelicans pick being added to that pool, the Hawks could focus on the summer of 2026 and beyond, as opposed to chasing a playoff spot this year.
Would they instead be willing to flip Young for a number of expiring contracts and draft picks, kicking the can down the road a year?
It’s a tough balance, especially considering how well Johnson and Alexander-Walker are performing this season.
But therein lies the potential sacrifice.
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While there are no guarantees Alexander-Walker will ever have a season like this again, Johnson is sure to develop even further. If the Hawks identify the 2026 summer as their turning point, perhaps they’d be willing to risk Alexander-Walker’s season as being a one-off and not capitalizing on it for the sake of the long-term vision.
Of course, that leaves some open-ended questions in regard to one of their youngsters.
The idea of moving off Zaccharie Risacher is weird
It has been reported the Hawks are open to moving off Zaccharie Risacher, last year’s top draft pick, due to his lack of development.
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First off, it’s undeniably true that the 6-foot-9 wing hasn’t developed further. If anything, he’s regressed and is showing some concerning signs of being an NBA enigma.
(Risacher is grabbing just 2.9 rebounds per game, isn’t a playmaker and maintains only modest scoring efficiency, but has the physical tools to keep teams enticed for probably a decade.)
Moving off Risacher makes sense if the Hawks are trying to win now. But realistically, any attempt to do so would be awkward if Young feels as though his exit is pending.
It’d be additionally awkward if they acquire a player like Anthony Davis, who they’re apparently interested in, and he becomes unavailable due to immediate injuries — which is something they need to take into account given his history.
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Finally, relinquishing Risacher in a trade when his value is arguably at its lowest is never a smart business move.
You don’t buy at $9, sell at $4.25 and consider yourself a winner.
His situation might be frustrating for the Hawks, but if they choose to go the long-term route, they have far more incentive to hang onto him, at least until summer.
Risacher can work with Johnson, and he should be able to work with a new super rookie, if Atlanta ends up landing a high pick via New Orleans.
There simply shouldn’t be a rush to push Risacher out the door.
Which direction should the Hawks choose?
It’s easy to stand outside the window and make calls on the behalf of others, but logic dictates patience.
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Johnson turned 24 just 11 days ago, so there’s a bit of runway here to build something without wasting his prime years.
Moving off Young and shopping him to teams in dire need of a star might be the right call, as long as Atlanta secures either young players with a few years left on their rookie deals, or draft equity as part of the compensation package.
Given that Atlanta is enjoying great contractual value from Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu (the duo earns just $30.1 million this year, combining for over 36 points and 10 rebounds per game), they’re also not in any rush to pivot off them.
In fact, the Hawks have somewhat clean books, a stable situation in regard to young players and a valuable incoming pick in a strong draft.
If that isn’t enough incentive to at least explore the long-term outlook this summer, nothing is.
Scott Drew and Dabo Swinney coach different sports, but in many ways they share a similar career arc. Both doubted and dismissed early in their tenures and both deeply rooted in Christianity as a prominent part of their coaching brand, they pushed their programs uphill against the impossible, finally breaking through for national titles that cemented their status among the best in their era.
Drew and Swinney have also seen the halos around their programs wear off a bit in the name, image and likeness era, even as their employers have rewarded past success with massive contractual investments in their head coaches.
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Baylor, a small, private school in Waco, Texas, without a massive donor base, has stalled out four straight years in the NCAA tournament’s second round since winning the title in 2021. Clemson, more of a boutique regional power without the national reach of most football blue bloods, was clearly the country’s second-best program between 2015 and 2020 but hasn’t finished a season in the top 10 since.
But over the weekend, Drew and Swinney found themselves on opposite ends of a spectrum that illustrates just how complicated times have become in college sports.
With Baylor basketball 9-2 but unranked as it begins conference play this weekend, Drew crossed a threshold by signing center James Nnaji, a former No. 31 overall NBA Draft pick who has been playing professionally in Europe for the last few years. Thanks to the NCAA’s stunningly permissive stance on eligibility issues this year, he’ll be playing right away.
“Most coaches are 99 percent aligned on things we’d like to see done with our game,” Drew told reporters. “At the same time, from my knowledge, until we get to collective bargaining I don’t think we can come up with rules that are agreeable and enforceable. And until that, I think all of us gotta be ready to adjust and adapt to what’s out there … we don’t make the rules, and as we find out about things we’re always going to adapt to put our program in the best position to be successful because that’s what we get paid to do.”
Baylor coach Scott Drew is catching plenty of flak for his addition of James Nnaji. (Getty Images)
(Grant Halverson via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, after Clemson finished its season with a lifeless 22-10 loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl to finish 7-6, Swinney’s response to being one of the most disappointing teams in the country took on a far different tone.
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The subject of significant criticism among Clemson fans and the media over the last few years for his unwillingness to embrace transfer portal culture and unyielding loyalty to players and coaches who were developed in the Clemson system, Swinney was lobbed a softball about how much he pours into his players as men and not just people who can help him win games.
“That’s my calling in life,” Swinney said. “That’s my purpose. I know everybody wants me to win football games, but it’s more about how I win. That’s what matters to me more than anything. Always has. It’s never been anything different, never will be. That’s my purpose in life: Glorify God, be a great husband and father, and use this platform of football and education to build great men through this game I love.”
It’s a fascinating contrast. Both in their mid-50s, Drew and Swinney should be at a point where what’s on their résumé allows their programs to be on cruise control to a certain extent. Instead, they have essentially had to relearn how to do their jobs under a completely different set of rules than what governed college sports at the peak of their powers.
Swinney said very plainly that he cares more about winning what he perceives to be the right way than whatever unsavory compromises he might have to make to keep his program relevant. Drew has acknowledged that he’s choosing a different path, one rooted in the reality of a system where the rules as we knew them no longer exist and that his responsibility lies primarily in serving the fans and an administration that pays him an exorbitant salary to put an entertainment product on the floor.
Dabo Swinney and Clemson went 7-6 this season. The Tigers have lost six games or more only one other time in Swinney’s 18-year tenure. (John Byrum/Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Even if you believe Swinney has the more ethical argument, there is little doubt about which coach is putting himself in a better position to succeed as they reach the back end of their careers. Just ask yourself: What’s the purpose of this whole thing? Living up to an imaginary standard that no longer has much relevance in college sports, or acknowledging that the scoreboard is the ultimate judge of who’s wrong or right so long as everyone is staying within the rules?
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Swinney may have gotten into the coaching profession because he wanted to help boys become men, but he would do well to remember it’s not the reason he’s the head coach at Clemson making $11 million per year. If he cannot do what’s necessary to win championships, he should turn in his keys and find a nice D-II program to coach where he can be a life-changer without having to adapt to the rules of a de facto professional sport.
Interestingly, though, it’s Drew who has taken on far more criticism, including from within his own profession.
Even Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, someone Drew has a friendly relationship with, questioned the decision to recruit Nnaji during a news conference Saturday.
“I’m a little surprised,” Izzo said. “I have a call into Scott. I’m anxious to see what he tells me. I’m not saying we’re holier than thou or anybody should not do this or that, but if we’re dipping into that one, if it’s like I’m hearing and now we’re taking guys that were drafted in the NBA and everything, come on Magic [Johnson] and Gary [Harris], let’s go baby. Let’s do it. Why not? I mean if that’s what we’re going through, shame on the NCAA. Shame on the coaches, too, but shame on the NCAA. But coaches are going to do what they’ve got to do, I guess.”
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Privately, a few coaches have been even more critical of Drew in conversations with Yahoo Sports. They see the decision to enroll a full-fledged professional basketball player who was nearly a first-round NBA Draft pick as an existential threat to the sport that should be off limits no matter how lax the rules get because NCAA officials fear being taken to court. Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should.
But the battle for the soul of college sports, such as it is, has long since been decided. Swinney’s worldview lost. We can debate the reasons why and pine for Congress to come in and fix everything with laws that turn the clock back 15 years to a time when the big debate was whether colleges should pay for a few thousand dollars in “cost of attendance” stipends for athletes.
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It’s not going to happen. Through the NCAA’s own arrogance and legal incompetence, amateurism was put on trial — both literally and figuratively — and lost. Trying to cling to it only leads to a fan base like Clemson’s now being up in arms over a steady half-decade decline and desperately hoping their two-time national championship coach either wakes up to reality or moves on before he does enough damage that the school is forced to fire him.
Drew, meanwhile, gave his fan base hope last week. Though the details may not matter to some, the reality is that Baylor’s plans for this season were built around Robert Wright playing point guard after a spectacular freshman year and Juslin Bodo Bodo, a transfer from High Point, protecting the rim.
That team never materialized. Despite turning down other point guards because they believed Wright would be one of their best players, he left abruptly in April for BYU. Meanwhile, an arm injury Bodo Bodo suffered over the summer still hasn’t healed.
What was Drew supposed to do, just give up on this season? No. He found another way to add to the roster, allowed by the NCAA, that gives his current team the best chance of a successful season and gives the program’s stakeholders the best chance at a return on their investment.
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That’s the job. Drew doesn’t work for the best interests of college basketball, and he certainly doesn’t work for Izzo. He works for Baylor, and there is no reason to feel guilty about doing everything within the rules to get back to championship glory.
Especially when the alternative is a program like Clemson with a coach in a downward spiral clinging to a delusion and forgetting that when he went into the athletic director’s office after those national titles to ask for massive raises, it wasn’t his passion for social development that made them say yes.
Though a return to the PGA Tour isn’t set just yet, and it’ll likely take a year or so at best, all signs are pointing to Brooks Koepka making a jump back to the league after he opted to leave LIV Golf earlier this month.
That, Billy Horschel said on Sunday, wasn’t “shocking” at all.
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“And it may continue with guys over the next handful of years if the contracts that they expect isn’t there, and they’re like, ‘Listen, I made my money I want to go back to the PGA Tour and compete for real championships and a little bit more meaning in golf than just the financial side,’” Horschel said after the TGL season opener in Florida on Sunday, via Golfweek.
Koepka, one of the bigger names who joined LIV Golf initially in 2022, announced earlier this month that he will no longer play on the Saudi Arabian-backed circuit. He had one year left on his initial contract, which is reportedly worth more than $100 million.
Koepka, a five-time major championship winner, can still compete in the majors this season. He could potentially play on the DP World Tour in Europe, too. But actually returning to the PGA Tour isn’t something that could happen until at least next fall.
The Tour has indicated that a pathway back from LIV Golf would require a player to sit out at least a full year from their last non-sanctioned event. For Koepka, that was on Aug. 25, 2025. If that’s the case, he could potentially play in PGA Tour fall events next season.
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While most on the Tour’s side agree that there should be some sort of punishment handed down for Koepka and other future LIV Golf defectors, there isn’t a consensus of what that should be.
“It’s going to be a mixed bag,” Xander Schauffele said on Sunday. “Depending on who you interview, what point in their career they are, where they sit in the standings, what the world ranking is, you’re just going to get an array of different answers.
“It’s going to be hard to make everybody happy, I can answer that.”
Horschel — an eight-time Tour winner who currently sits at No. 53 in the Official World Golf Rankings — admittedly has changed his stance on the issue, too.
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“At the very beginning, I think I was on the side of, there needs to be some punishment for these guys,” he said. “And now I’m on the side that I think for the betterment of the game, for the quality of the PGA Tour product to continue to grow …
“Selfishly, having equity stake in the PGA Tour now, bringing Brooks back, that does add value. So I think there needs to be a process to figure out what [brings] these guys back.”
What happens with the two leagues, and the potential of other players jumping ship back to the Tour in the coming months and years, remains to be seen. There are a number of different paths the Tour can take with players as they appear to take several steps ahead of LIV Golf as a whole. LIV has struggled with TV ratings in its first few seasons, still isn’t getting OWGR points, and more. The merger or sorts that Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced back in 2023 feels long gone.
Eventually, as long as things keep trending the way they are for LIV Golf, Horschel expects many more big names to follow Koepka back.
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“I’ve always thought that the guys that went to LIV would come back to the PGA Tour at some point for a sole fact that the salaries, the PIF, LIV, they’ve spent billions of dollars and they’re not getting any return on their money,” Horschel said. “They’re not going to keep signing these guys for the big contracts if the value for LIV doesn’t improve.”
The Kansas City Chiefs as the NFL knows them are no more. For now, at least.
But Andy Reid isn’t calling it quits. The longtime Chiefs coach who’s guided them to five Super Bowls and three championships on Monday shot down the notion he’d consider retiring this offseason.
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Reid was asked at his Monday news conference if he envisioned a scenario in which he would not coach Kansas City in 2026.
“I think I’m coming back,” Reid said with a chuckle. “If they’ll have me back, I’ll come back. You never know in this business. But I plan on it.”
Andy Reid’s not ready to hang it up.
(Justin Edmonds via Getty Images)
Why would Andy Reid retire?
Had Reid responded otherwise, it would have come as a surprise. But if there was a recent offseason for Reid to consider calling it quits, this would be it.
Reid’s done everything there is to do as an NFL head coach. He’s steered one of the league’s iconic dynasties and has placed himself on the short list of the most accomplished coaches in football history.
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That dynasty is now at an inflection point. The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since Reid’s second season as head coach in 2014 and for the first time since they drafted Patrick Mahomes. They’ll finish the season with their first losing record under Reid.
The team’s immediate future is in doubt. Mahomes is rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn ACL, and it’s not clear when next season he’ll be able to return. The most optimistic timeline could have him ready for the start of the season. He could also be in line to miss several weeks if not longer, placing a return to competitiveness in a tough AFC West in doubt.
And Travis Kelce might retire. Kelce’s been one of the faces of the Chiefs dynasty alongside Mahomes and Reid and will have a decision this offseason on whether to retire at 36 years old. With Kelce potentially done, and Mahomes’ immediate future unclear, now would certainly make a lot of sense for a 67-year-old coach with nothing left to accomplish in football to consider taking it easy.
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But there’s one big motivation for Reid to keep coaching. While the state of Mahomes’ 2026 season is in doubt, there’s little reason to think he won’t make a full recovery with years of high-level football ahead of him. He’s 30 years old in a sport where quarterbacks at his level have played into their 40s.
And a future with Mahomes would be hard for any coach to walk away from.
