Sports
No. 3 Michigan, No. 7 Michigan State put win streaks on line
Jan 27, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) reacts during overtime against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images It promises to be a Big Ten showdown of epic proportions when No. 3 Michigan visits No. 7 Michigan State on Friday night at East Lansing, Mich.
The Wolverines (19-1) and Spartans (19-2) are part of a three-way tie for first (9-1) in conference play along with No. 5 Nebraska.
Michigan State has won its past seven games and Michigan has won its last five after beating the visiting Cornhuskers 75-72 on Tuesday.
“There certainly isn’t going to be anything easy about Friday night,” Wolverines coach Dusty May said. “It’s a game that means a lot for a number of reasons – obviously the rivalry, the fans, I think we’re both capable of winning a Big Ten championship.
“Obviously, a lot is on the line and we’ve got to find a way to get on the road and play a little bit better and get over that hump.”
Michigan is 5-0 in true road games this season, while the Spartans are 11-1 at home.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said there is no love lost between the programs.
“Of course I hate them. They hate us,” Izzo said. “You know, you got friends down there. You think I’m getting Valentine’s Day cards or birthday cards? …
“The key word is ‘respect,’ and I do respect them a lot. So, that’s all that matters. When I die, I don’t care if anybody likes me or not. I care if they respect me.”
Michigan State’s lone Big Ten loss came at then-No. 13 Nebraska on Jan. 2 when the Spartans fell 58-56. Michigan State also lost at home to then-No. 4 Duke in early December.
The Spartans nearly were upset Tuesday before pulling out an 88-79 overtime win at Rutgers.
Michigan State trailed for nearly 36 minutes of regulation before Divine Ugochukwu drained a tying 3-pointer with 11.1 seconds left to force overtime.
Izzo admitted it wasn’t a night in which the Spartans earned the win.
“They deserved to beat us,” Izzo said of the Scarlet Knights. “And yet as I’ve said, whether it be my championship years, other years, there’s always a game or two in the season that you have to win when you don’t play as well or the opponent plays really well, and that’s how you stay above water.”
Jeremy Fears Jr. kept Michigan State afloat by scoring 27 of his career-high 29 points after halftime. He also had nine assists.
Fears is aware the Spartans must raise their level of play against the Wolverines.
“It’s always a battle. At the same time, it’s still basketball and you have to do your part,” Fears said. “It’s a rivalry or whatnot but our goal is to take care of business and win the game.”
Fears leads Michigan State in scoring (14.1 points per game) and ranks second nationally in assists (8.9). Jaxon Kohler averages 13.1 points and team-leading 9.3 rebounds.
Michigan’s game with Nebraska also was decided late. The Wolverines led for just 2 minutes and 3 seconds but survived as Trey McKenney converted a tiebreaking layup with 1:07 to play.
“That’s really what you come here for, to play in those platform games and play against these really good teams in the Big Ten,” McKenney said. “This is the best conference in America, so coming here, this is what I wanted to do.”
Morez Johnson Jr. had 17 points and 12 rebounds for Michigan. He’s second in scoring (13.9) and the team leader in rebounding (7.2). Yaxel Lendeborg averages a team-best 14.2 points.
The Spartans swept the two-game series in each of the past two seasons. The teams will meet again in Ann Arbor on March 8 in the regular-season finale for both squads.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Wake Forest desperate to build off 1st win in weeks vs. Stanford
Feb 7, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Tre’von Spillers (25) reacts to his go ahead score with forward Juke Harris (2) during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Wake Forest has finally regained a bit of confidence and now the Demon Deacons will see how far that carries them.
Stanford will arrive as the opponent for Saturday’s game at Winston-Salem, N.C., after Wake Forest snapped a five-game losing streak last time out versus Georgia Tech on Wednesday.
“We were down a little bit throughout the season and we picked it back up,” Wake Forest guard Juke Harris said. “You see how great we can be.”
Wake Forest (12-12, 3-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) has work to do, especially in home games. The Demon Deacons lost their last four at home.
Stanford (16-9, 5-7) began its two-game trip by winning 70-64 at Boston College on Wednesday, giving the Cardinal a multi-game winning streak for the first time in more than a month. They beat Georgia Tech to end a five-game skid last Saturday.
Travel to the East Coast has become less stressful for the Cardinal.
“Last year, it felt like we were astronauts doing something no one’s done before,” Stanford coach Kyle Smith said of the team’s first go-around in the ACC. “Now it’s like, you know what, we’ve got our little routine.”
Another boost from guard Mekhi Mason could do wonders for Wake Forest. He racked up 17 points in the Georgia Tech game for his first double-figure output since prior to Thanksgiving. Mason made four 3-pointers to match his season high.
“He was a starter earlier in the year and he’s struggled a little bit, but he’s had great resilience and he’s been a great teammate,” coach Steve Forbes said. “Good things happen to good people.”
Harris has consistently been Wake Forest’s leading scorer, including in seven of the team’s last nine games. He eclipsed the 20-point mark in the past three games, pushing his scoring average to 21.2 points, which is the third-highest mark in the ACC.
Second on the scoring list is Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie at 22.4 points.
Harris averages 2.7 makes from 3-point range, barely ahead of Stanford’s Benny Gealer (2.5). Okorie accounts for 1.9 made threes per game.
The key for the Cardinal might be excelling in open-court situations.
“It was hard enough in the halfcourt,” Smith said after the Boston College game. “Anyone is a lot better in a broken field. … The transition probably gave us the best chance.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
NFLPA still plans to collect team report cards despite arbitration ruling
Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft before the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images An NFL memo sent Friday morning informed all teams that the players association no longer can publish its annual report cards, which rank the franchises on everything from the locker room to the owner to the treatment of families.
That is the result of a grievance filed by the league against the NFL Players Association, according to the memo.
“We are pleased to report that the NFL prevailed in the grievance filed against the NFL Players Association, challenging its practice of creating and publicizing annual ‘Team Report Cards’,” the memo said. “The arbitrator held that the publication of Report Cards disparaging NFL clubs and individuals violates the Collective Bargaining Agreement and issued an Order prohibiting the NFLPA from publishing or publicly disclosing the results of future player Report Cards.”
The 2025 report was the third produced by the NFLPA. The NFLPA made it clear in a statement that it still plans to collect the report cards even if the results can no longer be made public.
“The ruling upholds our right to survey players and share the results with players and clubs,” the NFLPA statement said. “While we strongly disagree with the restriction on making those results public, that limitation does not stop the program or its impact. Players will continue to receive the results, and teams will continue to hear directly from their locker rooms.
“Importantly, the arbitrator rejected the NFL’s characterization of the process, finding the Team Report Cards to be fair, balanced, and increasingly positive over time. Our methodology is sound. The Team Report Cards exist to serve players. That mission remains unchanged. We will continue working to ensure players’ experiences are heard, respected, and acted on – by their teams, by their union, and wherever else possible.”
The survey was designed to improve overall working conditions for the players but also to give them the information they need when considering factors to help them make career decisions, such as free agency.
Teams were given letter grades in 11 categories that concerned ownership, coaching, strength and conditioning programs, as well as areas such as travel, locker room facilities, nutrition and treatment of player families.
Last year, the Miami Dolphins ranked first overall out of the 32 teams, with No. 1 votes in seven of the categories. Owner Stephen Ross was the highest-graded owner. He received an A-plus rating, as did head coach Mike McDaniel, who was fired after the conclusion of the season.
Coming in at No. 2 were the Minnesota Vikings, who ranked first in treatment of families and locker room. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and the owners, the Wilf family, ranked third overall.
In last place were the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were dinged, especially, for their facilities, but players also said the team needed an upgraded food and dining area. Coach Jonathan Gannon received an A grade from players — the only A on the Arizona report card — while ownership ranked No. 30 overall with a D-minus grade.
Gannon also was fired at the end of the season.
Coming in No. 31 were the New England Patriots. After the 2024 survey, owner Robert Kraft made improvements, such as investing $50 million in a new facility next to the stadium, currently under construction, and improving services for family members.
Still, Kraft –whose teams have won six Super Bowl games — ranked only No. 30 among team owners with a D.
The Patriots, under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel, won the AFC title in 2025 but lost to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX last weekend.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Victoria Mboko, Karolina Muchova to square off in Doha title match
Jan 25, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Victoria Mboko of Canada in action against Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of the women’s singles at the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images No. 10 seed Victoria Mboko delivered six aces while recording a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jelena Ostapenko on Friday to reach the final of the Qatar Open at Doha.
Mboko took down Ostapenko one day after upsetting Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in a quarterfinal match.
The Canadian will face Czech Karolina Muchova in Saturday’s title match. The No. 14 seed beat Maria Sakkari of Greece 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in her semifinal match.
Mboko, 19, will be seeking her third career WTA title on Saturday. She also will enter the Top 10 on Monday, regardless of whether she wins (at No. 9) or loses (No. 10) in the championship match.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Mboko said afterwards. “I never expected something to happen so fast for me. I just have been taking it day by day, tournament by tournament. Every tournament I enter, I want to do well. I don’t really hold that much expectation of myself. It’s not like when I enter a tournament I’m going to say I’m going to win it, but you always want to try your best.
“I think this came relatively fast, but it’s a nice feeling. It’s nice to see that, to have that milestone, to see that number. So, yeah, I’m pretty happy with that.”
Ostapenko of Latvia started strong by winning the first two games of the match. Mboko then took over and won 11 of the next 12.
Mboko said she will stick to her plan in the title match.
“I don’t want to change something up because what I’ve been doing has been working so far,” Mboko said. “I just want to rest up the best I can, focus for tomorrow, tomorrow’s a new day, and just play my game.”
Muchova, 29, has won just one singles title and that came in Seoul in 2019. The clash with Mboko will be her seventh WTA final.
“It’s going to be the first time,” Muchova said of facing Mboko. “I watch her here and she’s playing incredible. I know her since last year, probably all of us, she has this boom. I think she’s an incredible, strong athlete. So it’s for sure going to be a very tough battle.”
Muchova had four aces against Sakkari, who saved 11 of 17 break points. Sakkari wilted in the final set as Muchova won the first five games en route to closing out the win.
“I tried to play a little more aggressive, I would say,” Muchova said of her third-set strategy. “I tried to change it up more. I wanted to go more for the returns, go for more lines. I think that it paid off because then we didn’t play such long rallies, which I think she’s striving at, and I was able to get some faster points on my side.”
Muchova saved 6 of 10 break points against Sakkari.
–Field Level Media
Wake Forest desperate to build off 1st win in weeks vs. Stanford
NFLPA still plans to collect team report cards despite arbitration ruling
