Sports
No. 15 Michigan aims to ignite offense vs. Rutgers
Feb 24, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Danny Wolf (1) shoots the ball against Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Berke Buyuktuncel (9) and guard Rollie Worster (24) during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images The ugliest of victories has put Michigan in a pretty position for a Big Ten regular-season title.
The 15th-ranked Wolverines now will try to protect their home court for the next three games, beginning with a matchup against Rutgers on Thursday night in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan, which averages 79.7 points per game, had to rely on defense and grit when it visited Nebraska on Monday. The Wolverines shot a paltry 29.5 percent from the field and 18.5 percent on 3-point attempts in a 49-46 victory.
“It was two teams almost mirroring each other where we were both determined not to let the other team’s best players beat them,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “And I think we both accomplished that. We found a way to win the big possessions. We made just enough big shots and came out on top.”
The Cornhuskers converted just 25.8 percent of their field-goal attempts. Brice Williams, one of the Big Ten’s top scorers, carried them with 26 points but shot 9-for-21 from the floor. His teammates had just seven field goals in 41 attempts.
“We find a way, no matter what. Whatever way we get it done, we find a way,” Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said during a post-game radio interview. “We have plenty of games where shots weren’t falling or there were games where we did have shots falling.
“I feel like through the ups and downs, we stay levelheaded, we stay in that medium. I feel like that’s the way we thrive. We don’t have a specific way we need to win. There’s no telling what the game requires us to win.”
The Wolverines (21-6, 13-3) had a six-game winning streak snapped by Michigan State — the other prime contender for the league’s top spot — on Friday. Michigan will host Rutgers, Illinois and No. 16 Maryland before a rematch with the No. 8 Spartans in East Lansing on March 9.
The Scarlet Knights (14-14, 7-10) have won their last two games, including 95-85 at home over Southern California on Sunday.
“We played with great energy. These guys are getting better, and so we just keep plugging away one game at a time,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “Now we’re on the road in Michigan, one of the best teams in the league that we are playing for the second time.”
Guard Dylan Harper has gotten into an offensive groove. He had 34 points in an 89-85 win on Feb. 19 over Washington, then supplied 25 points and nine assists against the Trojans. Harper also sparked the defense with six steals.
Rutgers’ total set a school record for regulation points in a Big Ten game.
“Dylan Harper dominated the basketball game,” Southern California coach Eric Musselman said. “He’s going to be a lottery pick. When you look at the game and have a freshman have those stats, you aren’t going to win that game.”
Harper missed Rutgers’ first game against Michigan this season due to injury. The Wolverines secured a 66-63 road win on Feb. 1 behind Danny Wolf’s 16 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Big 12 keeps Brendan Sorsby lawsuit active amid draft questions
Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby goes through warmups before the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium. The Big 12 is not ready to close the book on the Brendan Sorsby case, even after the Texas Tech quarterback moved to leave college football behind.
The conference’s presidents and chancellors have not withdrawn the federal lawsuit filed earlier this week, with lingering questions about Sorsby’s NFL future and whether Texas Tech could still face consequences from the legal fight, a Big 12 source told ESPN. The league’s board of directors is expected to meet early next week to discuss its options.
“We don’t know the answer to those questions,” the source said. “We haven’t done anything different at this point. We’re going to reconvene next week to run through all the options. Right now that case is still active.”
The Big 12 filed suit Monday in the Northern District of Texas, looking for a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief that would allow the conference to use its bylaws to potentially discipline Sorsby. Hours later, Sorsby moved toward the NFL supplemental draft and dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA, a step needed for him to be declared ineligible in college by Monday’s deadline.
Sorsby admitted to violating NCAA rules by placing thousands of bets, including 40 on Indiana football while he was on the Hoosiers’ roster. The NFL still has to approve his application for the supplemental draft, which has not produced a selected player since 2019.
The Big 12 could also revisit whether Texas Tech should be responsible for the costs associated with the dispute. One Big 12 athletic director said the issue is less about punishment and more about whether the entire league should absorb legal fees from a case that other schools did not start..
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brazil's Raphinha (leg) departs match vs. Haiti
June 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.; Brazil’s Raphinha in action with Haiti’s Martin Experience. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — Brazil attacker Raphinha departed in the 40th minute of Friday night’s World Cup Group C clash against Haiti in Philadelphia with an apparent leg injury.
The 29-year-old FC Barcelona winger was making his second start of the tournament for manager Carlo Ancelotti after going the full 90 in a 1-1 draw against Morocco last Saturday.
He was a critical part of Brazil’s most recent qualifying effort, scoring five of the Selecao’s 24 goals while appearing in 13 of their 18 matches.
It was unclear what caused him to drop to his haunches shortly before halftime and eventually exit in favor of Rayan. He departed with his side leading 2-0 through Matheus Cunha’s brace, before Vinicius Junior added a third in first-half stoppage time.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
Sports
UFC Freedom 250 Falls Short of Super Bowl Hype but Delivers Massive Win
UFC Freedom 250 was an unquestionable hit, but the biggest event in combat sports didn’t quite touch Super Bowl number.
Paramount+ said viewership for UFC Freedom 250 reached 17 million across the U.S. and Latin America, citing Nielsen in a press release on Thursday. The previous record was five million viewers for the first UFC card on Paramount+ in January.
How did UFC Freedom 250 compare to Super Bowl?
UFC boss Dana White was “expecting Super Bowl-type numbers” for the fight on the White House lawn. The 2026 Super Bowl was watched by an estimated 125 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
The UFC and Donald Trump promoted this event diligently. Even though they didn’t even come close to touching Super Bowl viewership numbers, this event was a massive success for the UFC.
Politics aside – the production quality of UFC Freedom 250 was awesome. Fighters walking out of the White House from all angles, surrounded by military heroes. The live band was great. The backdrops of Washington, D.C. completely trumped the visuals at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
But more importantly, the fights exceeded expectations. All seven bouts ended before decisions. Judges weren’t needed.
For the health of the sport, that’s a good thing. Casual fans love knockouts and finishes. For an event that hauled in well over 10 million more viewers than the average UFC fight, that feels like a massive win. The UFC has a few upcoming weekends of Fight Nights before UFC 329, where Conor McGregor is expected to make his long-awaited return against Max Holloway.
It’s probable that fight will pull in big ratings also, which should appease Paramount+ – as long as the streaming giant had more realistic expectations than Dana White’s Super Bowl prediction.
Over the last few years, many fans have griped that the UFC was running low on superstars. But Diego Lopes got a huge ovation from the American crowd after the first fight of the night. Bo Nickal got a much-needed victory to maintain relevance in the UFC.
More notably, Josh Hokit’s viral Michelle Obama comment got the heavyweight exactly what he wanted – attention. Even though the UFC publicly shamed these remarks, there’s no doubt that they understand his personality is polarizing and could cause fans to tune in. Similarly, Sean O’Malley earning big knockout finishes always feels good for those fans that tune in.
Sure, the point still stands that there aren’t a ton of intriguing names on the rise. But Hokit’s fights will be watched. Fans will always keep up with O’Malley. And there will be natural intrigue on what Justin Gaethje decides to do next after this win. Similarly, what will Ilia Topuria do following that first devastating defeat?
The White House card might’ve fallen hilariously short of Super Bowl expectations. Dana White loves to remind fight fans that he’s not competing with up and coming leagues like the PFL or Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. Instead, he insists that he’s competing with the NFL, NBA and MLB.
Report: Big 12 keeps Brendan Sorsby lawsuit active amid draft questions
Brazil's Raphinha (leg) departs match vs. Haiti
