📰🏟️ MLB clinching day
Plus: The NBA’s new rival league…
Good afternoon. The top-five sports stories of today are at your fingertips—just keep scrolling.
1) Four MLB teams could clinch Championship Series berths today
The last quadrupleheader of the MLB season could also be a historic one, with all four games having one team that can move on to the next round with a victory. If all four win, it would mark the first time the MLB’s Division Series all ended on the same day since 1996.
- In the afternoon, the Mariners (2-1) play the Tigers at 2:08 p.m CT, while the Brewers (2-0) take on the Cubs at 4:08 pm CT.
- The evening slate features the Blue Jays (2-1) and Yankees at 6:08 pm CT, followed by the Dodgers (2-0) and Phillies at 8:08 pm CT.
2) NFL field goals are getting longer
Long-distance kicks are becoming more prevalent in the NFL, and this season is kicking things into high gear. Teams have already made four field goals from 60+ yards, just one shy of the all-time single-season record.
- Additionally, NFL kickers this season are making 72.5% of their field goals from 50+ yards, nearly double the rate from three decades ago.
- Analysts say this year’s kicking boom largely stems from new rules allowing teams to prepare kicking balls and practice with them before game day.
Go inside the kicking revolution.
3) Stanford football receives $50M donation
The school this morning announced the donation from Bradford M. Freeman, a former Stanford football player who graduated in 1964. It represents the biggest individual gift in Stanford football history, outside of facilities, as the program looks to turn things around under GM Andrew Luck.
- The Cardinal have finished 3-9 in each of their past four seasons.
- They’re off to a 2-3 start this season under interim coach Frank Reich, as the team searches for a full-term replacement.
Learn about Stanford’s new money tree
4) Conor McGregor suspended under UFC anti-doping policy
The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion was handed an 18-month suspension yesterday due to three missed drug tests within a year-long window. McGregor, 37, was initially set to be suspended for 24 months until further cooperation prompted a reduction down to 18 months.
- McGregor’s suspension is retroactive to the date of his final missed test, meaning the Irishman will be eligible again in March 2026.
- McGregor has been vocal about returning to competition for the first time since 2021 for the UFC’s upcoming White House card set for June 2026, though CEO Dana White says nothing is confirmed yet.
5) New international basketball league plans 2026 launch
The new league, informally dubbed “Project B,” is backed by current/former sports stars like Novak Djokovic, Steve Young, and Candace Parker, along with major tech investors. But one major name—who was previously linked to the league—is now missing from that list, per a new report: LeBron James’ business partner Maverick Carter.
- Project B plans to host five-on-five men’s and women’s basketball competitions in Asia, Europe, and Latin America starting next fall, in direct competition with the NBA calendar.
- It will also pay “the highest salaries and equity packages in women’s team sports,” per league officials.
Explore the (W)NBA’s new rival league
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