This week, with the approval of the House vs. NCAA settlement, college sports officially split into two. The power conference schools are going to pay their athletes, make their own rules and take the responsibility of enforcement and punishment from an NCAA that was never very good at it in the first place. 

Is there fear and resentment across the rest of the college sports landscape about where this is all headed? Of course there is. Schools at the lower end of Division I see a power grab led by the Big Ten and SEC and wonder if the clock is ticking on their conference’s automatic access to NCAA championships and perhaps even a full divorce. To many folks in the smaller conferences, it feels like they’re paying the price for a problem they didn’t cause. 

But in a world where it increasingly feels like the new financial realities of the Big Ten and SEC are driving a land grab for postseason bids, starting with the College Football Playoff but undoubtedly trickling down to every sport in the future, this year’s College World Series shows why some traditions are worth preserving. 

The eight teams that advanced to Omaha over the last few days represent seven different conferences:

• The SEC (LSU and Arkansas)

• The Big 12 (Arizona)

• The ACC (Louisville)

• The Big Ten (UCLA)

• The Sun Belt (Coastal Carolina)

• The Missouri Valley (Murray State)

• The Pac-12 (Kind of. Oregon State played as an independent this season but was crucial in the effort to resurrect a new Pac-12, which will begin play in the 2026-27 academic year.)

Is such a huge conference spread a bit of an anomaly? Absolutely. In recent renditions of the CWS, you’ll see a whole lot of SEC and ACC representation, some strong Big 12 and Pac-12 programs (before it imploded) and your occasional interloper from outside the power conferences. 

But this year’s field underscores a very simple point that the SEC and Big Ten would be wise to remember as they go about the business of remaking college sports: At the end of the day, competition is what this is all about. And even if that means you come up on the short end some years, it’s nothing to be afraid of. That’s just sports.

Though we can find a thousand things the NCAA has done wrong on its journey toward the professionalization of college sports, it did one thing that was really genius. In constructing its format for national championship tournaments, it ensured that all Division I conferences would be represented by an automatic qualifier. 

This means that when the men’s basketball players at SIU-Edwardsville began last season, they could dream of playing in March Madness. Was there a realistic chance to win a national championship? Of course not. Were they even likely to win a game? Heck no. Were they better than dozens of basketball teams who missed the tournament? According to the computers, they weren’t even in the top 200. 

But they won their conference, earned their moment on the big stage and got blown off the court by Houston. That’s what usually happens. But every now and then, you get an upset everyone remembers. Either way, the possibility of that moment keeps those programs viable and those communities invested in college basketball. Overall, it’s a pretty great system.

Folks at those lower levels have good reason to wonder if they’ll keep those automatic bids going forward, not just in basketball but a variety of sports. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, in particular, has made public comments that could be considered threatening to the notion of equal access regardless of conference size or strength. 

Meanwhile, there was talk a few weeks back that the SEC and Big Ten could be interested in a 16-team CFP format where they get four automatic bids each, with the ACC and Big 12 getting two apiece and one going to the top-ranked Group of Five champion. 

It seems as if that idea has subsequently died down. Even though the ACC and Big 12 locking in two bids each might have been tempting on the surface, formalizing an existence as second-class citizens would not have gone over well with those fan bases. 

If you were to construct the CWS on the same kinds of principles that the Big Ten and SEC have been flirting with this year in their CFP expansion discussions, you’d never have seven conferences involved like this year. And the reason it’s such a timely development for college sports is that it should remind people in the industry why they do this in the first place. 

Everyone understands that a true level playing field is impossible, but competition is about more than revenue on a spreadsheet. And when it comes to the structure of Division I, giving an automatic bid to every conference underlines that they are partners in an enterprise whose mission is to deliver a good product – even if a lot of those partners can’t stack up competitively to the mighty SEC.

You can’t deliver as good of a product for the sport – the entire sport – by stacking the deck and using historical performance to engineer future outcomes in your favor. 

You can only do it by making the postseason possibility available to everyone and letting the chips fall where they may. Even in a more complicated and professionalized world, you don’t need to apologize for the outcome when you just let sports do its thing.   

The U.S. men’s national team had one of its worst performances in recent memory, coughing up four goals in a hapless, helpless first half en route to a 4-0 loss to Switzerland on Tuesday, June 10.

In what is the final tune-up match for Mauricio Pochettino’s side before the start of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, things went as badly as it sounds. Dan Ndoye’s 13th-minute goal required some slick play from the Swiss, but from there the USMNT cratered. Michel Aebischer, Breel Embolo, and Johan Manzambi scored three times in a 13-minute span as the U.S. couldn’t find the effort level required for international soccer.

The loss comes on the heels of a merely adequate performance on June 7 that ended with a 2-1 loss to Turkey, and saw Pochettino switch to a back five while trying to find any sort of solution without Tyler Adams (who missed out with a foot injury. 

Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter — the son of the USMNT’s previous head coach, Gregg Berhalter — and 1.FC Köln forward Damion Downs made their senior-team debuts on a night that was otherwise a miserable one for the U.S. heading into its final major tournament before the 2026 World Cup.

USMNT vs. Switzerland highlights

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INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton used to have the video staff assemble clips of his made shots and assists.

Then, Rick Carlisle became his coach with the Indiana Pacers.

“He’s really helped me learn how to watch film, which I think is important,” Haliburton said. “I think that’s something that’s not talked about enough. … If you’re just watching and trying to find your highlights, that’s much different than really trying to dissect things.’

Carlisle and Haliburton are spending time dissecting video of Oklahoma City’s defense on Haliburton and the Pacers through the first two games of the NBA Finals.

While the series is tied at 1-1, the Thunder have led for all but one minute and 53.3 seconds of the 96 minutes over two games.

Headed into Game 3 Wednesday, June 11 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), attention is on Haliburton and his ability to break down Oklahoma City’s top-ranked defense.

“We’ve gone through these situations many times, not only during the playoffs but during the regular season, not just this season but prior seasons,” Carlilse said. “We’re going to have to adjust and create better situations. We’re going to have to be better.”

In the Thunder’s 123-107 victory in Game 2 on Sunday, June 8, Haliburton scored 17 points and had six assists, but 12 points came in the fourth quarter when the Thunder had established control.

It doesn’t mean the Pacers can’t learn from those points and help Haliburton create better offensive opportunities.

Carlisle and Haliburton acknowledged that it is difficult playing against the Thunder’s top-ranked defense.

“Oklahoma City has more people to throw at a great player – really at both of our All-Stars,” Carlisle said. “They can throw bigger, smaller, medium guys at Tyrese and at Pascal (Siakam). It’s one of their strengths.”

The Thunder made a change to their lineup at the start of the Finals, inserting Cason Wallace into the starting lineup and putting Isaiah Hartenstein on the bench. That gives the Thunder more versatility with a smaller but still strong lineup. That decision takes away some of Indiana’s ability to find favorable matchups.

According to nba.com player-tracking data, Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort, a first-team All-Defensive selection this season, Jalen Williams, a second-team All-Defensive selection this season, Alex Caruso, an All-Defensive choice in 2023 and 2024, and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are guarding Haliburton the most. They are using their size, strength and speed to help defend Haliburton.

“They got more guys than most teams in the NBA that are high level at the point of attack,” Haliburton said. “They’re really connected on the defensive end. I feel like they mix up coverages. I think (Thunder) coach (Mark) Daigneault isn’t afraid to do things on the fly. He doesn’t do everything that’s like very traditional.”

Haliburton hinted at a couple of solutions. Getting into the offense quicker in the shotclock and curtailing pick-and-roll sets.

“That starts with me just getting us in better positions, playing out of different spots, all those things,” Haliburton said. “Definitely got to mix it up against these guys.”

During the regular season, 37.7% of Indiana’s shots were taken with 15 or more seconds remaining on the 24-second shot clock. In the Finals, just 30.5% of the Pacers’ shot attempts came with 15 or more seconds on the shot clock.

“I feel like I probably got caught in too many high pick-and-rolls where they can really pack it in and end up getting shots late against the clock, especially the first half of both games,” Haliburton said.

In the fourth quarter of Game 2, the Pacers found success getting Haliburton the basketball on the go, using multiple screens to give him space in the paint and at the 3-point line.

None of that is easy, especially with the Thunder using their physicality, and Haliburton is a banged up with what he termed a “lower (right) leg thing” but he says he is fine and will be ready for Game 3.

“Keep watching film, see where I can get better,” Haliburton said. “The answers always lie in the film.”

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt

College football is just around the corner, and ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ has already set its location for Week 1 of the 2025 season, which will be Lee Corso’s final appearance on the show.

‘GameDay’ will be headed to Columbus, Ohio, for an expected top-five ranked matchup between Ohio State, the reigning national champions, and Texas in a rematch of the Cotton Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The 89-year-old who has been a key member of the show since its inception in 1987 will receive a celebratory sendoff.

Ohio State-Texas will still be the site of ‘GameDay’ in Week 1, despite the game airing on Fox. Alabama-Florida State and LSU-Clemson will occupy ABC’s primetime slots at 3:30 p.m. ET and 7:30 p.m. ET.

Corso has a 286-144 all-time record on headgear picks and will look to add his 287th when Ohio State and Texas face off on Saturday, Aug. 30.

“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ for nearly 40 years,” Corso said in a news release in April. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”

BEREA, OH — The road for Shedeur Sanders to become the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns is long – a lot longer than the 40 yards his right arm covered with his first rep of modified team drills during Cleveland’s first minicamp practice on June 10. 

Sanders dropped that pass in a bucket to wide receiver Gage Larvadain, a fellow rookie, on a go route down the right sideline that received a cheer from the gathered Browns employees and fans watching from the roof of the team’s practice facility. It was the highlight of the day for Sanders and the entire Browns quarterback group – all four of them. 

Veteran Joe Flacco did not take many reps, and Kenny Pickett – acquired over the offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles – took the bulk of reps with the first-team offense. Dillon Gabriel, the Browns’ third-round draft pick, was next in line and had all of the reps with the starters against the first-team defense during the 11-on-11 portion of practice. 

“I view things as, ‘I got time.’ I got time to grow and mature and be able to understand the ins and outs of the defenses and get the insight from the vets in the room,” Sanders said after practice. “I look at it as a plus…Whenever it’s time for me to play, it’s time for me to play. But I’m not really looking too far into the future.” 

In April, Sanders’ selection in the fifth round baffled the NFL draft ecosystem while serving as an indictment of Sanders’ play and how he and his father Deion Sanders, his college coach at Jackson State and Colorado and a Pro Football Hall of Famer, handled the pre-draft process. Since then, the confident bravado that lasted his entire college career has waned into a more traditional avatar of an NFL rookie not trying to draw much attention – positive or negative. 

To that end, Sanders said he could view the lack of reps negatively, or he can be proactive to stay warm so there’s no excuses when his number is called. Because nobody cares about practice when it’s game time, he said.  

“When you get out there,” Sanders said, “you got to be able to produce. 

“Everything off the field, it is what it is, but everybody knows when it’s time to get on that grass, you know who I am.” 

For Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, being intentional with the practice reps helps him evaluate the other three quarterbacks outside of Flacco, who’s entering his 18th season in the league and played the 2023 season with the Browns following Deshaun Watson’s season-ending shoulder surgery that year. 

“All of them look pretty calm, efficient, going through their calls, making the plays they need to make,” defensive end Myles Garrett said. 

Sanders watched Pickett and Gabriel run their plays while holding his helmet in his right hand. Sometimes, he’d debrief with Flacco or quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave. Six reps at a time, though, Sanders tried to make the most of his turn at the front of the line. The waiting until that point is being treated as a life experience. 

“Anything in life, you got to go through different things so you can understand the message God is trying to give you,” the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year said. 

That message was received loud and clear the night before minicamp began. Much like the night before his heavily-publicized pro day at Colorado two months ago, Sanders said he felt a higher power trying to reach him in his hotel room. Earlier in the day, Sanders said he’d spoken with pastors about his purpose. 

“It’s a lot going on, I’d say in my mind, and I understand what peace is,” said Sanders, who will go back to Texas and reset between the three days of practice this week and training camp. 

Tuesday’s practice ended with red-zone, 7-on-7 work. Sanders displayed his quick-processing abilities by finding an open receiver over the middle at the goal line.

“I already have a different type of confidence about myself,” Sanders said. “But when you go out there and you know the ins and outs of everything, then it’s a whole different type of confidence. I’m definitely getting to that point.

By the time training camp arrives in July, Sanders said, he plans on being there. Whether Stefanski and the Browns coaching staff agree or not will determine the direction of Sanders’ rookie season.

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