Viewership for the 2026 Daytona 500 rebounded from 2025, but was still lower than previous regularly scheduled races in recent years.
Fox Sports said Thursday that nearly 7.5 million people watched Tyler Reddick’s win on Sunday. That’s an increase from the 6.76 million people that watched the 2025 Daytona 500, but that race was delayed significantly by rain. Last year’s event completed just eight green-flag laps before a rain delay of over three hours stopped the race.
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Sunday’s race was moved up an hour because of potential rain, and started just after 2 p.m. ET instead of after 3 p.m. ET.
With the 2024 Daytona 500 pushed to Monday because of rain, the last regularly scheduled race came in 2023. That race, won by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., averaged 8.17 million viewers. In 2022, the Daytona 500 drew over 8.8 million viewers.
Daytona 500 viewership has been on a steady decline since 2006, when Jimmie Johnson’s win drew over 19.3 million viewers. Kurt Busch’s win in 2017 had an average audience of 11.9 million and no Daytona 500 since then has gotten close to breaking 10 million.
In 2018, Austin Dillon’s win had 9.3 million viewers and Denny Hamlin’s win a year later had 9.2 million.
Charlie Baker is still very much on board with the NCAA tournament expanding in the near future.
The NCAA president reiterated his support for a plan to expand the annual basketball tournament in the near future, something he’s long been in favor of. What that looks like, or when it happens, remains to be seen.
“We’re still talking to the various players in this one,” he said on Thursday, via ESPN. “I said all along that I think there are some very good reasons to expand the tournament.
“So, I would like to see it expand.”
The NCAA tournament men’s field currently sits at 68 teams, with the last expansion coming back in 2011. That brought in the “First Four” round, which cuts the field from 68 to 64 for the first round. The women’s NCAA tournament officially expanded to 68 teams in 2021, too. That marked the most notable expansion in the tournament since it doubled in size from 32 in 1985.
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But expanding the tournament further is an idea that has been thrown around in recent years. The NCAA basketball selection committees met last summer and learned that expansion, if approved, would likely start during the 2026-27 campaign. That would likely expand the field to either 72 or 76 teams. It’s unclear if the women’s tournament would expand at the same time.
Baker insisted Thursday that he wasn’t worried about how the NCAA would fund the expanded tournament. The biggest challenge has long been simply a logistical one with the basketball calendar. Several major men’s conference tournaments run right up to the selection show — the Big Ten championship game ends moments before that show starts and teams are announced — and the NCAA tournament ends the week that the Masters starts. That doesn’t leave much time for added games.
“From my point of view, the more teams we can get into the tournament and make it work logistically and mathematically, the better,” Baker said. “It gives more kids the opportunity to experience that.”
But of course, expanding the field wouldn’t eliminate the snub conversation. It would just push it back by four, or eight, spots.
Regardless, the NCAA seems set on expanding the tournament in the future. Whether that happens in 2027, or a few years down the road, remains to be seen.
Today on the Kevin O’Connor show, KOC is joined by Tom Haberstroh to ask some big questions in the NBA world: Are the Houston Rockets done? What teams have the most to prove in the 2nd half of the season? Which young players might break out and which coaches are on the hot seat?
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Then, the pair look at two of the hottest names in college basketball: Darius Acuff and Darryn Peterson. How does Acuff’s 49-point explosion affect his draft stock? Is Peterson’s self-check-out gambit for Kansas threatening his no. 1 draft pick potential?
Later, KOC is joined by Daman Rangoola, Sam Esfandiari & Claire De Lune from All-Star Weekend to talk the latest with the Lakers and Warriors. That and more on today’s show!
(1:11) Contenders with the most to prove (13:38) Young players to watch (20:26) NBA coaches on the hot seat (33:46) Kings decimated by injuries (37:12) Darius Acuff drops 49 points vs. Alabama (41:44) What’s going on with Darryn Peterson? (56:32) Daman Rangoola & Sam Esfandiari join from All-Star (1:43:10) Claire De Lune joins from All-Star
HOUSTON, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 11: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the second half of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Toyota Center on February 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)
Australian sports presenter Danika Mason apologized Thursday after drinking alcohol before Channel Nine’s Today Show live Winter Olympics broadcast. Mason slurred her words throughout the segment and went off-topic, discussing iguanas when the segment had been focused on coffee. Studio host Karl Stefanovic attempted to cover for Mason, saying that cold weather can affect speech.
“I want to take full responsibility, it’s not the standard I set myself,” Mason said Thursday. “So in saying that, I’m genuinely really sorry and I’m thanking everyone for those messages I’ve received as well.”
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Mason added that she shouldn’t have had a drink on an empty stomach and that the cold weather did not help.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, however, expressed his clear support for Mason.
“I’m pro-Danika. Good on her,” Albanese said. “She’s over in Italy … and she would have been tired. It’s the time difference. It would have been having an impact. Nothing to see here.”
“This is ridiculous! Tanking is losing behavior done by losers,” Ishbia wrote on X. “Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with. Embarrassing for the league and for the organizations. And the talk about this as a ‘strategy’ is ridiculous.
“If you are a bad team, you get a good pick. That makes sense. But purposely shutting down players and purposely losing games is a disgrace and impacts the integrity of [the] whole league.
“This is much worse than any prop bet scandal. This is throwing games strategically. Horrible for fans that pay to watch and cheer on their team. And horrible for all the real teams that are competing for playoff spots.
“Awful behavior that Adam Silver and the NBA will need to stop with massive changes, and I have complete confidence that with his leadership, he will fix it. Those of us in a position of influence need to speak out… the only ‘strategy’ is doing right by fans, players and the NBA community.”
This past Saturday during All-Star Weekend, Silver conceded the league’s observed worse tanking behavior this season than it’s seen in recent memory.
The NBA currently has seven teams with fewer than 20 wins. The Jazz and Pacers are among that bottom-dwelling group that’s looking toward the future, including this year’s draft, which most notably features four potential franchise needle-movers: Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and UNC’s Caleb Wilson.
Despite hitting the reset button — moving away from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal — Phoenix isn’t tanking or even in rebuild mode. It’s in seventh place in a crowded Western Conference table.
At 32-23, the Suns have maximized a roster full of players who have chips on their shoulders.
Their performance and the organization’s refreshing transition after carrying the highest payroll in league history last season give Ishbia’s comments Thursday more credibility.
Nate Tice & Charles McDonald join forces to answer the NFL offseason’s biggest looming questions submitted by the audience. The duo start off by diving into the New York Giants’ potential NFL Draft plans with the 5th overall pick, how the Chicago Bears can fix their defensive line and whether or not Brian Daboll is a good fit with QB Cam Ward as the new Tennessee Titans OC.
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Next, Nate & Charles discuss whether or not the Los Angeles Chargers can fix their offensive line in one offseason, if the Jacksonville Jaguars defense can take a leap next season, who the Denver Broncos should be targeting in free agency (Tyler Allgeier?) and what our expectations for the 2026 Washington Commanders should look like.
Later, the two hosts wrap up with thoughts on the New England Patriots’ upcoming offseason decisions, why Sean McVay changed to a duo run game style with the Los Angeles Rams, whether Sean McDermott was really the problem with the Buffalo Bills and more.
(44:15) – Biggest offseason questions: Patriots, Rams, Bills & more
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
There were so many coaching changes this past month we decided to split our annual coaches show in two parts. Nate Tice joins Matt Harmon to breakdown every single head coach and offensive coordinator change in the NFC. Harmon and Tice identify which changes they like, they’re fine with and the one’s they are most skeptical of for fantasy purposes in 2026.
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(3:00) – NFC coaching changes this offseason: I like it, It’s fine and I’m skeptical
(6:18) – I like it – Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur
(20:45) – I like it – Commanders OC David Blough
(30:00) – I like – Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski + OC Tommy Rees
(38:30) – It’s fine – Lions OC Drew Petzing
(47:30) – It’s fine – Buccaneers OC Zac Robinson
(56:00) – It’s fine – Seahawks OC Brian Fleury
(1:02:00) – I’m skeptical – Eagles OC Sean Mannion
(1:11:30) – I’m skeptical – Giants HC John Harbaugh + OC Matt Nagy
There were so many coaching changes this past month we decided to split our annual coaches show in two parts. Nate Tice joins Matt Harmon to breakdown every single head coach and offensive coordinator change in the NFC. Harmon and Tice identify which changes they like, they’re fine with and the one’s they are most skeptical of for fantasy purposes in 2026.
The NCAA has issued a threat to schools among the recent rise of court cases arguing for additional eligibility. The threat is to impose the Rule of Restitution. This was created in 1975 to allow the NCAA to punish a school or athlete if the preliminary injunction, which that athlete competed under, was overturned. Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey discuss the NCAA issuing this threat and what may be the fallout. They also dive into the discussion that the SEC had about the conferences self-governing rather than the NCAA being the governing body. Is the NCAA’s power dwindling enough for it to not be necessary anymore?
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Then, after the recent discussion about former Nebraska AD, Bill Moos, saying he wanted to move Nebraska back to the Big 12, Andy got to thinking about who were the winners and losers from all of the realignment in the 2010s. This led to him ranking what teams made the best move during that era of realignment. The crew discusses the list and what were some of the issues and casualties that came with it.
Later, the guys revisit a conversation from the beginning of the show. When discussing court cases, Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and his case was discussed. This led to the point that many Tennessee fans want one of the two five-star quarterbacks on the roster to be the Vols’ QB this year instead. The guys discuss how Tennessee should go about deciding this and what the future of player development looks like. Is there a way that a “minor league” could be created out of schools in the Group of Six?
NCAA President Charlie Baker & SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
All of this and more on today’s College Football Enquirer.
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0:00:00 – NCAA threatens the Rule of Restitution
14:44 – Is the NCAA needed in college sports anymore?
31:38 – Ranking conference realignment of the 2010s
52:51 – Should Tennessee move on from Joey Aguilar?
58:47 – Creating a “minor leagues” in college football
The storm of confetti had barely been cleared from Chase Stadium in early December when Inter Miami — still awash in MLS Cup revelry and ravenous for a second trophy — was back at work retooling inventory and identifying pieces to accompany the luminous Lionel Messi on another bubbly voyage.
For those reasons, among others, the pink-splashed Floridians will begin MLS’ 2026 campaign this weekend with high hopes of becoming the first repeat champions in 14 years.
Miami also converted two 2025 loans into permanent acquisitions: Argentines Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende, who set a playoff record with nine goals in six matches. De Paul will step into a larger role following Sergio Busquets’ retirement.
(Illustration by Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports illustration)
Messi, who has won consecutive MVP awards, has shown no signs of slowing down, compiling 57 goals and 45 assists in 62 regular-season and playoff appearances. But this is a World Cup year, and with him expected to play for reigning champion Argentina one last time, don’t be surprised when he and Miami manage his minutes the first part of the season. He was nursing a hamstring injury late in preseason.
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The club will begin its title defense with five away matches before christening Freedom Park, a 25,000-seater near Miami International Airport that sits 30 miles south of its makeshift stadium used the past six seasons.
Here are 11 other talking points ahead of Major League Soccer’s 31st season:
Will MLS keep playing during the World Cup?
No way. The summer belongs to the World Cup. MLS will go dark for seven weeks starting May 25 — 17 days before the tournament begins — and resume a few days before the July 19 Cup final.
Five stadiums used by MLS teams (Vancouver, Toronto, Seattle, Atlanta and New England) are reserved for tournament matches, while multiple MLS training facilities will host World Cup teams.
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Besides, with an international soccer spectacle on home ground consuming attention, MLS understands it needs to just get the heck out of the way.
For fitness and sharpness purposes, MLS teams will continue training (and playing informal matches) during the break.
The longest scheduled pause in league history will push the regular season to its latest end date (Nov. 7) and extend the playoffs deep into December. MLS is praying Minnesota, Montreal or any northern team isn’t the host.
Didn’t MLS vote to change the schedule calendar, so it wouldn’t have summer conflicts anymore?
It did, but the move does not go into effect until 2027-28, when the adjusted schedule will largely mirror European calendars (late summer to late spring). In colder months, MLS has promised to prioritize indoor and warm-weather venues just before and after a planned winter break.
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So enjoy the last season contained within a calendar year. To fill the gap between the end of this season and the later-starting 2027-28 campaign, MLS will conduct a sprint season early next year, complete with the MLS Cup.
Lionel Messi returns to MLS with Inter Miami aiming for another championship amid a World Cup year.
(MARCOS PIN via Getty Images)
MLS wants to become one of the top leagues in the world, but is it there yet?
No, it still has a ways to go. For now, never mind the world; the first step is becoming consistently successful in these parts, clunkily known as CONCACAF. The region’s annual competition is the Champions Cup, which, in MLS’ early years, was won by D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy two years apart.
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Since 2001, however, the Seattle Sounders are the only MLS team to hoist the trophy. In that time, clubs from Mexico’s Liga MX — the measuring stick for MLS — have claimed 21 crowns. MLS has made progress, sending a representative to the final five of the previous six years, but in last year’s championship game, Cruz Azul blasted Vancouver 5-0.
This year’s MLS candidates: Miami, Vancouver, Seattle, L.A. Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, Philadelphia, San Diego, Cincinnati and Nashville.
Could the ascending Whitecaps really descend out of Vancouver?
On the surface, the Whitecaps have strengthened their place in British Columbia after years of mediocrity with appearances in both the MLS Cup and Champions Cup finals last season and a resurgence at the box office, thanks in part to German star Thomas Müller’s summer arrival.
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The organization, however, claims it can’t generate enough revenue playing at BC Place, which is owned and operated by the provincial government. The sides recently agreed to a 2026 lease, and the Whitecaps reached a non-binding agreement with the city to explore building their own stadium.
Without significant change to the current arrangement or a deal for a new venue, it’s hard to see a future in Vancouver for the Whitecaps, who have been an MLS member since 2011 but on the market for more than a year.
NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese is making a strong case to be USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino’s leading option in goal for the 2026 World Cup.
(Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Are any MLS players going to make the U.S. World Cup roster?
Yes, several. More than a dozen are in the running for a place on Mauricio Pochettino’s 26-man squad, headed by New York City goalkeeper Matt Freese, Columbus left back Max Arfsten and Charlotte center back Tim Ream.
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New England goalkeeper Matt Turner, Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson, Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan and Real Salt Lake attacker Diego Luna have made their cases, as well.
The Canadian World Cup squad will also include several MLS players.
Which U.S. players from abroad have joined MLS teams?
All the top U.S. national team players in Europe remain there, but goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, a 2022 World Cup backup who spent a dozen years abroad, signed with Red Bull New York. Joining him in Harrison, New Jersey, are two young returnees: right back Justin Che (Brondby/Denmark) and forward Cade Cowell (on loan from Chivas Guadalajara), who has made 11 national team appearances.
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Others of note: St. Louis midfielder Dante Polvara (Aberdeen/Scotland) and New England midfielder Griffin Yow (Westerlo/Belgium).
Colombia’s James Rodriguez brings star power and vision to Minnesota United.
(Jordan Bank via Getty Images)
Aside from Miami adding Berterame, are any international arrivals moving the needle?
The most exciting arrival is in Minnesota: Colombian superstar James Rodríguez, the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner who captains the national team but has bounced around the globe seeking club stability. His contract runs only through June, with a club option for an additional six months.
Since leaving Everton in 2021, the 34-year-old ringleader has played in Qatar, Greece, Brazil, Spain and Mexico, totaling 17 goals and 26 assists in 102 matches. His enormous popularity — almost 52 million Instagram followers — will elevate his new club and the league, but will on-field influence and impact follow before he heads to the World Cup?
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San Jose used a designated player slot to sign Timo Werner, the 29-year-old German forward who, amid injury setbacks, fizzled at Chelsea and Tottenham and fell off the national team radar after tallying 24 times. He has not scored a league goal in almost two years.
Who left MLS?
D.C. said goodbye to striker Christian Benteke, the 2024 Golden Boot winner who, in the twilight of his career, has landed in the United Arab Emirates.
Two top young talents transferred to La Liga clubs: right back Alex Freeman from Orlando to Villarreal for up to a reported $7 million and midfielder Obed Vargas from Seattle to Atlético Madrid for $3.5 million. Chicago sold winger Brian Gutiérrez to Chivas Guadalajara.
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Veteran goalkeepers Pedro Gallese (Orlando to Deportivo Cali), Carlos Coronel (Red Bull New York to São Paulo) and Maarten Paes (Dallas to Ajax) departed, while Philadelphia sold defender Kai Wagner to Birmingham City.
What were the most notable moves within the league?
Following St. Clair’s free-agent move to Miami, fellow goalkeeping standout Sean Johnson (Toronto) signed with D.C.
Nashville bolstered a potent attack by signing free-agent midfielder Cristian Espinoza, who posted 36 goals and 70 assists in seven seasons at San Jose. He’ll collaborate with striker Sam Surridge (24 goals last year) and attacker Hany Mukhtar (82 goals, 49 assists in six seasons).
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Nashville, though, lost two key figures: free agent center back Walker Zimmerman to Toronto and winger Jacob Shaffelburg in a trade with LAFC, which strengthened an already scary attack featuring Korean superstar Son Heung Min and Denis Bouanga (64 goals in three seasons).
Philadelphia shook things up by trading 16-goal scorer Tai Baribo to D.C. and MLS Best XI defender Jakob Glesnes to the Galaxy. Seeking to return to contention after a poor 2025, the 2024 champion Galaxy bolstered their frontline by acquiring João Klauss (10 goals) from St. Louis.
U.S. national team midfielder Luca de la Torre will play for Charlotte after spending last year in San Diego on loan from Spain’s Celta de Vigo.
Who are the most intriguing new coaches?
Gerardo “Tata” Martino returns to Atlanta, where, eight years ago, he won the MLS crown. In between, he guided the Mexican national team and Inter Miami.
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Michael Bradley, the former U.S. national team standout, was promoted by Red Bull New York after less than a year in charge of the club’s developmental squad (his first head role). Marko Mitrovic, who oversaw the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, takes over in New England.
Is it any easier to watch MLS matches?
Yes, it is, but you’ll still need Apple TV to view most matches. The difference from the previous three years is everything will now be available on that platform without a supplemental subscription to MLS Season Pass.
If you have Apple TV, you’ll get more than 500 matches, including Leagues Cup, the summer tournament with MLS and Liga MX teams. In addition, 15 MLS matches will appear on Fox and 19 on FS1. (All 34 are on Fox Deportes.)
The season kicks off Saturday with 13 matches, headlined by LAFC hosting Miami at the historic Coliseum, which sits across Exposition Park from LAFC’s 22,000-seat BMO Stadium.
The Cooligans welcome former MLS head coach and analyst Giovanni Savarese for a deep dive into the 2026 MLS season. Gio shares his predictions, breakout teams to watch, and how the league continues to evolve ahead of a massive 2026 on home soil. The conversation also turns to the USMNT, as the guys assess expectations, pressure, and what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup.
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Christian and Alexis then tackle the troubling racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. They unpack how these situations are currently handled, question whether the responsibility to stop a match unfairly falls on the player experiencing abuse, and debate what meaningful structural changes could better protect players moving forward.
Finally, it’s a jam-packed Champions League recap. Folarin Balogun shines in a statement performance against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus suffer a shocking defeat to Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt pull off a stunning win over Inter Milan. The boys react to all the drama, surprises, and what these results mean going forward.
Timestamps:
(6:30) – 2026 MLS preview and predictions
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(30:00) – Gio Savarese’s USMNT World Cup outlook
(39:00) – Vinicius Junior deals with racism again: time for a rule change?
(59:00) – Folarin Balogun shines in Champions League loss to PSG
(1:04:30) – Serie A teams suffer shocking Champions League losses
