Sports
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss' appeal for 6th season denied by NCAA
Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) signals a first down after his run against the Miami Hurricanes during their Vrbo Fiesta Bowl matchup at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026. Trinidad Chambliss was already prepared for more bad news from the NCAA. On Wednesday, that news became official.
Ole Miss confirmed its star quarterback lost his appeal to the NCAA for sixth year of eligibility, meaning Chambliss’ next step will be in Mississippi state court.
The NCAA on Jan. 9 initially denied Chambliss’ request for a waiver to receive a medical redshirt after he argued that persistent respiratory issues prevented him from playing in 2022 when he was a redshirt freshman at Division II Ferris State.
His performance as an Ole Miss senior transfer in 2025 helped spark the 13-2 Rebels’ run to the College Football Playoff, which ended with a 31-27 semifinal loss to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8.
Part of the NCAA’s ruling in denying the appeal included the finding that adequate medical evidence from a treating physician wasn’t provided in the waiver request.
After the initial denial of the waiver, Chambliss’ attorneys filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, requesting an injunction that would allow Chambliss to play in 2026. Denial of the appeal was widely expected.
Ole Miss issued a statement after news of the ruling was made public Wednesday, stating in part, “The NCAA Athletics Eligibility Subcommittee’s decision to deny Trinidad’s appeal is indefensible in light of the undisputed facts. … he did not dress for a single game (in 2022) while suffering from severe, incapacitating medical conditions. Those conditions were fully and contemporaneously documented by his treating physician, yet this waiver request was still denied when it should have been approved at the NCAA staff level.”
The lawsuit filed on Chambliss’ behalf stated, “In Trinidad’s case, the NCAA failed in its mission to foster his well-being and development as a student-athlete. The mechanisms (i.e., waiver rules) for granting Trinidad an additional year of eligibility — so that he has the opportunity to compete in four years of college football — are available and within the NCAA’s control.
“Despite the duty of good faith and fair dealing it owes Trinidad, the NCAA insists on considering the evidence in Trinidad’s case in an isolated, rather than comprehensive, manner; interpreting its rules to impose requirements not contained therein; taking unreasonable if not irrational positions; and acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner in its decision-making and ruling.”
According to reports, Chambliss’ initial hearing for the injunction is expected to take place in Feb. 12 in Chancery Court of Lafayette County in Mississippi.
The Grand Rapids, Mich., product finished eighth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. He intended to return to Ole Miss next season had his waiver been approved, with ESPN reporting that his NIL deal with incentives to be worth more than $6 million.
If he ultimately does not get the sixth year, Chambliss would enter the NFL draft.
He threw for 3,937 yards (third in the nation) on 66.1% passing last season, with 22 touchdown tosses and three interceptions.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Anton Lundell has big night as Panthers edge Bruins
Feb 4, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) and Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) fight during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Anton Lundell came off the injured list and provided one goal and two assists in regulation and also scored in the shootout as the host Florida Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins, 5-4, on Wednesday night in Sunrise, Fla.
Brad Marchand also scored in the four-round shootout. Victor Arvidsson scored for Boston.
The Panthers, who snapped a season-high-tying four-game losing streak, also got two other players back from the injured list: Marchand and Sam Bennett.
Other prominent Panthers still injured are center Aleksander Barkov and defensemen Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov.
The Panthers also got goals from Eetu Luostarinen, Uvis Balinskis and Matthew Tkachuk. Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves for his first win since Jan. 24.
Boston, playing its final game before its Olympic break, got two goals from Michael Eyssimont. Prior to Wednesday, he had scored just once since Nov. 17. The Bruins also got one goal each from Mark Kastelic and Casey Mittelstadt.
Joonas Korpisalo added 22 saves as the Bruins lost consecutive games for the first time this calendar year.
Bennett appeared to open the scoring just 84 seconds in, but the goal was wiped out on review due to offsides.
The Panthers made it 1-0 — for real this time — as Boston’s Morgan Geekie fanned on a clearing attempt, and that led directly to Luostarinen scoring from the right circle.
However, Boston closed the first period with a 2-1 lead as Eyssimont scored with 12:42 left and again with 7:17 remaining.
On the first goal, Alex Steeves earned the primary assist as he won a puck battle and made a blind pass to Eyssimont, who was in alone on Bobrovsky. On the second one, Eyssimont scored on another breakaway, faking out Bobrovsky before stuffing the puck just inside the right post.
Florida took a 4-2 lead in the second period, scoring twice on its power play and once short-handed.
First, Tkachuk, operating from behind the goal line, tossed a pass to Balinskis, who scored from the slot. Then, less than three minutes later, Florida struck again as Tkachuk made two more great passes before scoring himself, banking the puck in off the back of Korpisalo.
Both times, the Panthers scored within the first 30 seconds with the man advantage.
Florida then added a short-handed goal as Sam Reinhart came up with a steal and then put the puck on Lundell’s stick for a tap-in tally.
However, Boston tied the score 4-4 with third-period goals by Kastelic and then Mittelstadt. First, Kastelic scored on a deflection off a pass from Charlie McAvoy. Then, with 9:30 left in the third, Mittelstadt scored on a rebound, just nine seconds into Boston’s sixth power play of the night.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Celtics' 3-point barrage too much for Rockets
Feb 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) shoots the ball as Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) defends during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Derrick White scored a game-high 28 points and Payton Pritchard added 27 points off the bench as the short-handed Boston Celtics throttled the Houston Rockets 114-93 on Wednesday.
The Celtics earned their fourth consecutive victory and claimed both ends of a road back-to-back, including a win in Dallas on Tuesday. The Celtics did so without Jaylen Brown, the Eastern Conference Player of the Month, who paired 33 points with 11 rebounds against the Mavericks, in the second game by unleashing a flurry of 3-pointers early in the third quarter.
White was the linchpin of the decisive surge. The Celtics opened the second half 5 for 7 from behind the arc with White and Baylor Scheierman (15 points, 10 rebounds) nailing two threes apiece before Ron Harper Jr. extended a seven-point halftime lead to 67-48 at the 7:02 mark. When White converted from deep again roughly two minutes later, the Celtics led 72-50.
With 1.1 seconds left in the third, Rockets coach Ime Udoka was assessed a technical foul. The Celtics closed that frame with four free throws, two each from Pritchard and Neemias Queta, and carried an 85-63 lead into the final frame.
Queta posted a double-double of 10 points and 19 rebounds, while Luka Garza added 19 points for the Celtics. Harper paired 11 points with nine rebounds, including a trio of 3-pointers. Boston finished 19 for 51 from behind the arc, with White and Pritchard finishing 11 for 24 from deep.
Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 15 points but missed 7 of 11 shots. Alperen Sengun, who grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 13 points apiece. Amen Thompson (11 points) and Tari Eason (10) also scored in double figures for the Rockets, who shot 41.5%.
The teams combined to shoot 32.6% and missed 17 of 20 3-pointers in the first quarter. The Celtics emerged from that slog with an 8-2 spurt to open the second quarter, only for Smith to drill back-to-back threes that pulled the Rockets to within 26-25.
However, Boston eventually gained some separation later in the quarter to take a 49-42 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bucks claim second straight in overtime battle versus Pelicans
Feb 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) shoots in against New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (25) during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Ryan Rollins scored 27 points, and six teammates scored in double figures as the host Milwaukee Bucks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 141-137 in overtime Wednesday night.
AJ Green scored 20, Kevin Porter Jr. had 18, Amir Coffey, Pete Nance and Myles Turner added 16 each and Gary Trent Jr. had 13 for the Bucks.
Trey Murphy III scored a career-high 44 points, making a franchise-record 12 3-pointers on 18 attempts, Saddiq Bey had 22 points, Zion Williamson had 20 and Jeremiah Fears added 13 for the Pelicans.
Rollins scored on a drive and Turner made a 3-pointer to start the scoring in overtime and the Pelicans got as close as one point, but Milwaukee held on.
New Orleans led by as many as nine points before holding a 34-30 edge at the end of the first quarter.
The Pelicans’ Yves Missi made two free throws to start the second-quarter scoring and the lead grew to 58-49 after Bey scored seven consecutive New Orleans points. Porter had six points and an assist, but Murphy countered with three 3-pointers and the Pelicans had a 70-63 halftime lead.
The Pelicans had a nine-point lead early in the third quarter, but Rollins and Green each made a 3-pointer and Turner made two jumpers to pull the Bucks even at 73.
Murphy made three 3-pointers and Williamson had five points to help New Orleans build an 89-82 lead. Milwaukee got as close as two points before Fears made consecutive 3-pointers to help the Pelicans grab a 101-96 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Rollins scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter, giving the Bucks their first lead of the game, and Trent added a 3-pointer, giving Milwaukee a 110-104 edge.
Herb Jones made two free throws for New Orleans’ first points of the quarter after nearly four minutes but the Bucks opened a 13-point edge. Karlo Matkovic made a 3-pointer for the first field goal the Pelicans pulled even at 121. The score was tied again at 126 and 128 before the game went to overtime.
-Field Level Media
Anton Lundell has big night as Panthers edge Bruins
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