The New York Yankees held a moment of silence in remembrance of Charlie Kirk before Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.

Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, earlier in the day.

He was a right-wing talk show host who founded Turning Point USA, a conservative youth-focused organization, in 2012.

He also spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in 2024. 

Kirk was a known ally of President Donald Trump, who confirmed Kirk’s death after the shooting on the college campus.

Trump is scheduled to make an appearance at Yankee Stadium, where the team is expected to hold a pregame ceremony to recognize the victims and heroes of 9/11.

AI-assisted summary
• The Big Ten currently distributes revenue almost equally, with most members receiving about $63.2 million in 2024.
• Other conferences, like the ACC and Mountain West, have already adopted tiered revenue distribution based on viewership or brand value.
• Ohio State may face resistance from other Big Ten schools who would be unwilling to accept a smaller share of the revenue.

Ohio State is open to the possibility of changes to the Big Ten’s current revenue-sharing arrangement and how the university approaches athletics department funding, school president Ted Carter told USA TODAY Sports.

“I will say that there’s only a couple of schools that really represent the biggest brands in the Big Ten, and you can see that by the TV viewership,” said Carter.

Ohio State is not the first school to push for different levels of revenue sharing, nor would the Big Ten be the first to disburse tiered amounts of annual payouts.

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The Mountain West distributes more money to Boise State because of a carveout related to television revenue that pays the Broncos an additional $1.8 million per season. (Boise is poised to join the Pac-12 in 2026.) The ACC recently adopted a system that will distribute 60% of TV revenue based on a weighted five-year average of viewership.

But there are a few major differences between the steps taken by those conferences and the potential fallout should Ohio State push the Big Ten to adopt a dramatically different and likely very controversial new model.

What is the Big Ten’s current revenue model?

The Big Ten had just over $928 million in total revenue and distributed about $63.2 million to each of the league’s dozen longest-standing members during the 2024 fiscal year, according to federal tax records.

That total is more than what schools received in the SEC. Records released in February showed that league distributed about $52.5 million in 2024 to every school except first-year members Oklahoma and Texas.

Looking ahead, the Big Ten’s per-school payout for 2025 is likely to be around $75 million for every member except for Oregon and Washington, whose shares are being phased in over seven years.

And these per-member payouts are expected to continue to grow. Wisconsin’s athletics department made a presentation to a university committee during the spring that projected just under $82.6 million in revenue during the 2026 fiscal year, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Would Big Ten members accept a new model?

No, they would not — or not happily, at least. Here’s where major differences stand out when looking at steps taken by the Mountain West and ACC.

The Big Ten is not hurting financially; the opposite is true, actually. There is no rancorous debate over buyout numbers or the league’s grant of rights deal, as was the case in the ACC. While the Buckeyes may claim otherwise, there is not one single team responsible for the Big Ten’s reputation and national draw, as Boise State successfully argued with the Mountain West.

Getting the Big Ten to make a seismic change in revenue distribution would require a cut in the annual revenue of the Buckeyes’ fellow members. Even if revenue is soaring, that would be very difficult for the rest of the conference to accept.

Would Michigan and Penn State be OK with taking money out of their pockets to send to Columbus? Would this arrangement be acceptable to schools such as Purdue, Rutgers, Maryland and others near the bottom of the Big Ten power structure?

This would clearly be an extremely difficult sell.

Does Ohio State really have bargaining power?

Ohio State is one of college sports’ elite brands, capable of moving the needle on any number of key topics in a manner unmatched by all but a few members of the NCAA.

But there is a very real question about the Buckeyes’ bargaining power in terms of truly pushing for an altered revenue model. The reason for that is simple: OSU has nowhere to go.

Florida State and Clemson were able to push the ACC into changes by essentially dangling the threat of leaving the conference. That was a real concern for the ACC, not only because of the potential loss of two flagship members but because schools such as Miami and North Carolina would almost certainly follow the Seminoles and Tigers out the door. The same fear does not exist in the Big Ten.

And FSU, Clemson and others could’ve knocked on the doors of the Big Ten or SEC offices. Ohio State is obviously not going to leave for the SEC. So should the Buckeyes push for more revenue and the Big Ten balks, where would they go? The NFC South?

The landscape-shifting fallout of an Ohio State move

Let’s say OSU is unable to sway the Big Ten. The school’s only real move would be to push for the creation of one or two super leagues, which would create the biggest shakeup to college football since the Division I split in 1978.

Again, the Buckeyes are one of only a few schools capable of officially putting this topic on the table.

They should find many Power Four schools willing to at least have the conversation. The top programs in the SEC could be persuaded by the possibility to add millions of dollars in annual revenue — as we’ve seen in recent years, just about every single move taken by schools and conferences has been driven by finances.

Likewise with high-profile Big Ten teams, who would push back at changing the league’s revenue structure but could be more willing to follow OSU into a super conference occupying the current Big Ten footprint.

This is the possible fallout that frightens the majority of NCAA members: After trying and failing to obtain more revenue than the rest of the Big Ten, Ohio State takes a drastic step that could create permanent change to college football.

• NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he expects to have All-Star Game tweaks approved by the start of the 2025-26 regular season.
• Silver confirmed that the NBA was looking at a structure he referred to as a ‘Ryder Cup-type format.’
• The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be played Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

NEW YORK — Expect changes to the NBA All-Star Game to be formalized very soon.

After news emerged last week that the league had honed in on a round-robin tournament structure featuring domestic players against international ones, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday, Sept. 10 that he expects to have the tweaks approved by the start of the 2025-26 regular season on Oct. 21.

“The goal is to have the new format in place by the opening of the regular season,” Silver said upon the conclusion of the Board of Governors session at the St. Regis Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. “I think there’s something to that, that once the season starts everyone should understand the rules of the road and what we’re looking at for All-Star this year. That would be our goal.”

Silver confirmed that the NBA was looking at a structure with a pair of teams featuring domestic players and one consisting of international stars, something he referred to as a “Ryder Cup-type format of U.S. against international,” alluding to the golf tournament. Each team will have eight players, and 12-minute quarter games will be played. He said the structure had been discussed with the Competition Committee, and that it was raised with the Board of Governors at the meetings this week.

This is a departure from the format at the 2025 All-Star Game in San Francisco, which saw a mini-tournament with four teams competing in three games. Silver has been outspoken about the format being “a miss.”

Silver also added that the NBA is working alongside the National Basketball Players Association and executive director Andre Iguodala to finalize the revised format.

“I think they have the same interest we do in having a more exciting and engaging All-Star,” Silver said. “None of us have shied away from acknowledging our disappointment of what we’ve seen on the floor the last few years. It’s an odd situation because it’s not just us and the Players Association, but even the players individually are acknowledging, ‘Yeah, this is not the best foot forward for the league.’ ”

Although the NBA is fully leaning into the U.S. versus World format, one of the four teams at last season’s event was comprised mostly of international superstars. That team, Chuck’s Global Stars, had players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama, though it also had domestic players like Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young.

The NBA is also looking to capitalize on the potential momentum of international competition, with the All-Star break coming right in the middle of the Winter Olympics, which will be held in Milan Cortina.

“I will say I’m hopeful,” Silver said. “I know I’ve stood up before all of you before and said, we fixed it, we got it, it’s going to work this year. So I don’t want to overpromise. But I feel pretty good about it.”

The 2026 All-Star Game will be played Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the home arena of the Los Angeles Clippers.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the New York Yankees’ home game against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, Sept. 11.

The Yankees are expected to hold a pregame ceremony to recognize the victims and heroes of 9/11.

The president has made appearances at several sporting events this year, including the US Open men’s tennis final on Sept. 7 and several UFC events.

His arrival caused an increased presence of Secret Service, who are usually at the scene of the event with dogs on hand before the president’s arrival.

The Yankees encourage anyone with a ticket for the game to arrive early because of the enhanced security measures around Yankee Stadium.

The stadium gates are scheduled to open at 4 p.m. ET, three hours before the scheduled first pitch.

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports’ newsletter.

AI-assisted summary
• Notre Dame’s playoff chances are on the line in their upcoming game against Texas A&M after an opening loss to Miami.
• Clemson faces a crucial game against Georgia Tech following a disappointing start to the season.
• The matchup between No. 3 Georgia and No. 15 Tennessee will significantly shape the SEC championship race.

Ten wins seems like the magic number for the College Football Playoff, based on the first year of the expanded format. But while that’s a solid limbo bar to separate the cream of the crop in the Power Four from mere playoff contenders, the who, where and how of those wins matter.

No. 8 Notre Dame hosts No. 16 Texas A&M this weekend after losing 27-24 to No. 6 Miami in the season opener. Down the line, the Hurricanes could win the ACC and capture a top-four playoff seed, taking the sting out of that result for the Fighting Irish.

Think back to last season: Notre Dame survived an awful loss to Northern Illinois to make the playoff and advance all the way to the national championship game. Clearly, a single loss to Miami won’t sideline the Irish if they take care of business against a schedule that features only one additional opponent ranked in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll in the Aggies.

Southern California might crack the Top 25 when the Trojans visit South Bend in October. Likewise with North Carolina State. By the time November comes around, Navy and Pittsburgh could be in the mix for national rankings. These same teams might also hover around bowl eligibility and do little to bolster Notre Dame’s credentials.

One loss in September is survivable against this schedule; two losses right out of the gate would paint an entirely different picture.

As they head into Saturday, the Irish have to embrace the reality of this matchup: Losing to A&M would deal a potentially devastating blow to Notre Dame’s playoff hopes — not a fatal blow, maybe, but one that would leave the defending national runner-up in a serious bind even with months to go before the playoff bracket is released in early December.

That puts the Irish under the spotlight as we look at the team, game, coach and quarterback facing the most pressure heading into Week 3 of the 2025 season

Team: No. 11 Clemson

It’s been a nightmarish two weeks for the preseason ACC favorites, with a disappointing loss to No. 4 LSU followed by an often ugly, tighter-than-expected win against Troy. And this feels like a continuation of a distressing trend: Clemson has now dropped three of five dating to last season.

Through these two games, the Tigers have scored just four touchdowns while ranking 120th in the Bowl Subdivision in yards per game and 95th in yards per play. Stumbling out of the gate has handed ACC front-runner status to the Hurricanes and raised another round of serious questions about this team’s viability as a championship contender.

You can pretty much write off the Tigers with a loss Saturday at Georgia Tech, which has started out with wins against Colorado and Gardner-Webb. A second defeat in three weeks would require Clemson to run the table from here to justify at-large playoff consideration and could demand an unblemished finish simply to reach the ACC championship game.

Game: No. 3 Georgia at No. 15 Tennessee

There’s still a sense of unknown circling around both teams, mostly because of the wins each has posted through two weeks: Georgia has beaten Marshall and Austin Peay, while Tennessee has topped Syracuse and East Tennessee State. The Volunteers have better looked the part, though, scoring a combined 117 points while averaging 605 yards per game, second best in the Bowl Subdivision.

Nasty weather and an extended pregame delay impacted how the Bulldogs looked in the win against Austin Peay. The offense is still adjusting to the tweaks in scheme and approach implemented to better suit new quarterback Gunnar Stockton. Overall, Georgia brought back seven starters, with four additional players with starting experience brought in through the transfer portal.

Some early-season struggles aren’t unexpected. And these hiccups might also be a byproduct of Georgia trying to hamper Tennessee’s ability to prepare by playing things closer to the vest against a pair of overmatched opponents.

The result in Knoxville will shape the direction of the SEC race. The Bulldogs can erase any doubt and give themselves room for error against a slate highlighted by No. 7 Texas, No. 13 Mississippi and No. 18 Alabama. The Volunteers can establish prime playoff positioning against a schedule that includes just two more ranked teams in the Crimson Tide and No. 16 Oklahoma.

Coach: Billy Napier, Florida

Napier is on borrowed time after the Gators’ 18-16 loss to South Florida, which included a botched three-and-out possession late in the fourth quarter that helped spark the Bulls’ massive upset.

His overall record speaks for itself: Napier is 20-20 in three-plus seasons at Florida, giving him the lowest winning percentage of any coach with at least 30 games of experience at Florida during the modern era. Last weekend’s loss was the program’s first at home against a school from Florida other than Florida State or Miami since Stetson in 1938.

Given the Gators’ schedule, the odds of Napier returning for another year are nearly infinitesimal. The gauntlet of eight matchups against teams in this week’s Coaches Poll starts on Saturday night at LSU, which is close to a must-win game any Power Four coach will face in September.

The Gators have dropped six of seven in Baton Rouge and haven’t won two in a row in this rivalry since 2008-9.

Quarterback: Arch Manning, Texas

No FBS quarterback is becoming more familiar with wall-to-wall scrutiny. While not unexpected – his name, his reputation, the fact that he’s the starter at Texas all play a role — the parsing of every Manning throw is vastly greater than the attention heaped on any other player in the FBS.

He accounted for five scores in last week’s win against San Jose State, a big uptick in production from the opener against No. 1 Ohio State. But Manning was still under fire for things seemingly as innocuous as his grimace after misfiring a sidearm throw against the Spartans. (Steve Sarkisian said this week that Manning “doesn’t have any” injuries.)

The SJSU win still progress for the first-year starter. He’ll have to continue that improvement in what should be another rout, this time against Texas-El Paso. The Miners allowed 233 yards on 8.3 yards per attempt in a loss to Utah State and then gave up 295 yards on 8.2 yards per throw in last Saturday’s win against Tennessee-Martin.