NEW YORK (AP) — Seth Lugo struck out 10 in seven masterful innings and Salvador Perez hit two run-scoring singles to reach 100 RBIs for the second time as the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Tommy Pham homered and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI single for the Royals, who began the night trailing first-place Cleveland by 3 1/2 games in the AL Central. They held a 2 1/2-game edge over Minnesota for the second AL wild card.

New York came in 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Baltimore atop the AL East.

Lugo (16-8) carved up a full-strength Yankees lineup that entered leading the majors in homers and ranked second in runs. The right-hander allowed only three singles and walked none, retiring 17 straight batters after Gleyber Torres' bloop hit to begin the bottom of the first.

Torres snapped the string on another soft single with two outs in the sixth.

Kris Bubic and John Schreiber completed the three-hitter, as Lugo tied Atlanta ace Chris Sale and Detroit lefty Tarik Skubal for the major league lead in wins.

The right-hander outpitched former Mets teammate Marcus Stroman (10-8), who permitted three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

No. 9 batter Kyle Isbel scored twice after leadoff singles for the Royals, who had dropped six consecutive road games. They won for the fifth time in 13 games overall and improved to 2-4 against the Yankees this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (left hamstring strain) was scheduled to pitch about three innings in a rehab outing with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He could rejoin the big league rotation after that. ... LHP Will Smith (back spasms) planned to throw another bullpen at less than full intensity. "He’s still not completely symptom-free in his back. But he’s working through the bullpens,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s improving, it’s just not completely resolved.”

UP NEXT All-Star LHP Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.33 ERA) starts for Kansas City against rookie RHP Luis Gil (13-6, 3.24) in the rubber match of the three-game series Wednesday night.

The first Royals lefty with 200 strikeouts in a season, Ragans pitched six shutout innings to beat Minnesota last Friday night. Gil returned that day from a lower back strain that landed him on the injured list and threw six innings of one-hit ball in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726020244726.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Seth Lugo struck out 10 in seven masterful innings and Salvador Perez hit two run-scoring singles to reach 100 RBIs for the second time as the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 5-0 on Tuesday night.Tommy Pham homered and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI single for the Royals, who began the night trailing first-place Cleveland by 3 1/2 games in the AL Central. They held a 2 1/2-game edge over Minnesota for the second AL wild card.New York came in 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Baltimore atop the AL East.Lugo (16-8) carved up a full-strength Yankees lineup that entered leading the majors in homers and ranked second in runs. The right-hander allowed only three singles and walked none, retiring 17 straight batters after Gleyber Torres' bloop hit to begin the bottom of the first.Torres snapped the string on another soft single with two outs in the sixth.Kris Bubic and John Schreiber completed the three-hitter, as Lugo tied Atlanta ace Chris Sale and Detroit lefty Tarik Skubal for the major league lead in wins.The right-hander outpitched former Mets teammate Marcus Stroman (10-8), who permitted three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.No. 9 batter Kyle Isbel scored twice after leadoff singles for the Royals, who had dropped six consecutive road games. They won for the fifth time in 13 games overall and improved to 2-4 against the Yankees this season.TRAINER’S ROOM Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (left hamstring strain) was scheduled to pitch about three innings in a rehab outing with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He could rejoin the big league rotation after that. ... LHP Will Smith (back spasms) planned to throw another bullpen at less than full intensity. "He’s still not completely symptom-free in his back. But he’s working through the bullpens,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s improving, it’s just not completely resolved.”UP NEXT All-Star LHP Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.33 ERA) starts for Kansas City against rookie RHP Luis Gil (13-6, 3.24) in the rubber match of the three-game series Wednesday night.The first Royals lefty with 200 strikeouts in a season, Ragans pitched six shutout innings to beat Minnesota last Friday night. Gil returned that day from a lower back strain that landed him on the injured list and threw six innings of one-hit ball in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Lugo dominates the Yankees for his 16th victory as the Royals win 5-0

- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" for Panther Sports

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oGM2fJBLKyk?si=KTNok0gKfaISKx_L" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- "Voice of the Cardinals" Cole Reif- Barton Volleyball coach Megan Besecker- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" for Panther Sports- Tuesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Tuesday on Sports Day(Watch)

MIAMI (AP) — After his traffic stop in Miami on Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolphins-tyreek-hill-detained-b7818aea160bed284444594a689f453d">Tyreek Hill</a>&nbsp;talked about “the talk” —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-ma-state-wire-new-york-race-and-ethnicity-wa-state-wire-5fca97fd716d6aaf034b60b16f3baad3">instructions passed down in Black families</a>&nbsp;for generations about what to do when pulled over by police.

Keep your hands in sight, preferably on the steering wheel. Avoid any sudden movements. Don’t talk back to the officer. And above all, follow instructions without error or delay.

Heeding that advice in the heat of the moment can be hard, as Hill’s own experience showed when the star wide receiver for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/miami-dolphins">Miami Dolphins</a>&nbsp;was stopped for speeding and reckless driving before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jaguars-dolphins-score-d3e04db401687f343f4d9097f6d35780">team’s first game of the season</a>.

His interaction with police — captured in a now-viral cellphone video and body camera footage — escalated and is yet again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/race-and-ethnicity">prompting a larger discussion</a>&nbsp;about the realities of “driving while Black.” According to a national law enforcement survey, traffic stops of Black drivers&nbsp;<a href="https://bjs.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh236/files/media/document/cbpp20.pdf">are more likely</a>&nbsp;to include the threat or use of force.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolphins-tyreek-hill-detained-a842542cfdf33179bdb5dac060fa2d4d">Body camera video shows</a>&nbsp;Hill rolled down the driver’s side window and handed his license to a Miami-Dade County officer knocking on the window. Hill then told the officer repeatedly to stop knocking, before he rolled the darkly tinted window back up.

After a back and forth about the window, the body camera video shows an officer pulled Hill out of his car by his arm and head and then forced him face first onto the ground on a street outside the team’s stadium.

The officers handcuffed Hill and one put a knee in the middle of his back.

“It happened so fast that it caught me off guard,” Hill said in a postgame interview on Sunday. Later, he said he was “embarrassed” and “shell-shocked” by the situation.

For many, Hill’s encounter with police drives home a reality that Black men in particular disproportionately experience what he did. Even if the encounter doesn’t end in tragedy, it confirms an ongoing need for the talk.

Hill wondered what would have happened if he wasn't a celebrity.

“If I wasn’t Tyreek Hill, worst-case scenario, we would have had a different article — ‘Tyreek Hill got shot in front of Hard Rock Stadium.’ That’s worst-case scenario,” his said in a CNN on Monday.

Other Black Dolphins players said they were used to seeing the kind of police conduct that Hill experienced.

“I won’t say it was scary. It’s something I’m used to seeing,” linebacker David Long Jr. said.

Dolphins safety Jevon Holland said it was “not unnatural” to see police conduct the traffic stop that way – including what the footage appeared to show: one officer striking his handcuffed teammate. One of at least three officers involved in detaining Hill was placed on leave pending an internal investigation.

The Miami-Dade Police Department's top officer, Director Stephanie Daniels, told the Miami Herald on Monday that the decision to place the officer on leave came after a review of the body camera footage, which she later said would not normally be released during an ongoing investigation but was, in this case, to maintain “public trust.”

“Excessive force on a Black man, that’s not uncommon. It’s a very common thing in America,” Holland said. “So I think that needs to be addressed at a countrywide level.”

Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith, who was at the scene to support Hill, echoed Holland’s sentiments.

“Obviously we all see the police brutality that goes on in this country, and when you see your teammate possibly being part of that, you’re doing everything in your power to help him,” he said.

Doing exactly as you’re told is no guarantee against discrimination or excessive use of force, said Andrew Grant-Thomas, co-founder of EmbraceRace, a nonprofit that provides resources for parents and educators.

Furthermore, he said, perfectly, subserviently obeying law-enforcement commands “shouldn’t be the standard for any of us in dealing with police," said Grant-Thomas, who is Black. "There are things like rights.”

Still, it often feels like white parents can talk to their children about how to maintain their rights with the police, he said, but for Black kids, it’s not about rights but “about survival.”

According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics’ special report released in 2022, Black people and Hispanic people were more likely than white people to experience the threat or use of force in 2020. Black people were also more likely to be shouted at by police than white people.

Black drivers were more likely than white drivers to experience no enforcement action during their most recent traffic stop, according to the report. But among those who did experience an enforcement action, white drivers were more likely to be let off with a warning than drivers of any other race or Hispanic origin.

Just like Hill, Grant-Thomas was taught at a young age to tread carefully when it comes to police.

“I’m not going to talk back, I’m going to put my hands at 10 and two o’clock and all those things because the reality is that this person can kill me. It doesn’t matter then whether my rights were observed,” he said.

Grant-Thomas also noticed how quickly people used Hill’s past&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-dolphins-tyreek-hill-assault-271a44309a8d1ead8db8757efe5d250b">allegations</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/da-declines-to-charge-chiefs-hill-in-domestic-violence-case-573d95eda1544879af505008e9bc06bd">violence</a>&nbsp;to justify any excessive use of force.

“What’s astonishing to me — although it shouldn’t be — is how many people immediately began to speculate in ways that were really in terms that were unfavorable to him,” Grant-Thomas said. “Because of who he was or who they supposed him to be, that for many people seems to justify the police treatment in a way that actually doesn’t make any sense.”

Hill’s end-zone victory dance on Sunday that included mimicking being cuffed made many people feel validated in their opinion that the wide receiver had been wronged.

Many Black NFL players have long used their platforms, on and off the field, to draw attention to racial disparities in law enforcement.

In 2014, five St. Louis Rams players stood with their arms raised in an apparent show of solidarity with protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, before trotting onto the field for pregame introductions. The “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture referred to a debunked claim that Michael Brown, a Black teenager, had his hands raised in surrender when he was shot by a white officer.

And perhaps the most famous on-field anti-brutality gesture was sparked by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during the national anthem, in the wake of fatal police shootings in 2016.

“Unless there’s a conversation actually about this, if it’s simply floating out there and people are talking in their echo chambers," Grant-Thomas said. “I think the point really will have been lost.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725982686697.jpeg" alt="Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill speaks during an NFL football post game news conference, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Dolphins defeated the Jaguars 20-17. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)" />
 <figcaption>Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill speaks during an NFL football post game news conference, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Dolphins defeated the Jaguars 20-17. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — After his traffic stop in Miami on Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolphins-tyreek-hill-detained-b7818aea160bed284444594a689f453d">Tyreek Hill</a>&nbsp;talked about “the talk” —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-ma-state-wire-new-york-race-and-ethnicity-wa-state-wire-5fca97fd716d6aaf034b60b16f3baad3">instructions passed down in Black families</a>&nbsp;for generations about what to do when pulled over by police.Keep your hands in sight, preferably on the steering wheel. Avoid any sudden movements. Don’t talk back to the officer. And above all, follow instructions without error or delay.Heeding that advice in the heat of the moment can be hard, as Hill’s own experience showed when the star wide receiver for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/miami-dolphins">Miami Dolphins</a>&nbsp;was stopped for speeding and reckless driving before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jaguars-dolphins-score-d3e04db401687f343f4d9097f6d35780">team’s first game of the season</a>.His interaction with police — captured in a now-viral cellphone video and body camera footage — escalated and is yet again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/race-and-ethnicity">prompting a larger discussion</a>&nbsp;about the realities of “driving while Black.” According to a national law enforcement survey, traffic stops of Black drivers&nbsp;<a href="https://bjs.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh236/files/media/document/cbpp20.pdf">are more likely</a>&nbsp;to include the threat or use of force.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolphins-tyreek-hill-detained-a842542cfdf33179bdb5dac060fa2d4d">Body camera video shows</a>&nbsp;Hill rolled down the driver’s side window and handed his license to a Miami-Dade County officer knocking on the window. Hill then told the officer repeatedly to stop knocking, before he rolled the darkly tinted window back up.After a back and forth about the window, the body camera video shows an officer pulled Hill out of his car by his arm and head and then forced him face first onto the ground on a street outside the team’s stadium.The officers handcuffed Hill and one put a knee in the middle of his back.“It happened so fast that it caught me off guard,” Hill said in a postgame interview on Sunday. Later, he said he was “embarrassed” and “shell-shocked” by the situation.<h2>‘If I wasn't Tyreek Hill’</h2>For many, Hill’s encounter with police drives home a reality that Black men in particular disproportionately experience what he did. Even if the encounter doesn’t end in tragedy, it confirms an ongoing need for the talk.Hill wondered what would have happened if he wasn't a celebrity.“If I wasn’t Tyreek Hill, worst-case scenario, we would have had a different article — ‘Tyreek Hill got shot in front of Hard Rock Stadium.’ That’s worst-case scenario,” his said in a CNN on Monday.<h2>Fact of life for Black Americans</h2>Other Black Dolphins players said they were used to seeing the kind of police conduct that Hill experienced.“I won’t say it was scary. It’s something I’m used to seeing,” linebacker David Long Jr. said.Dolphins safety Jevon Holland said it was “not unnatural” to see police conduct the traffic stop that way – including what the footage appeared to show: one officer striking his handcuffed teammate. One of at least three officers involved in detaining Hill was placed on leave pending an internal investigation.The Miami-Dade Police Department's top officer, Director Stephanie Daniels, told the Miami Herald on Monday that the decision to place the officer on leave came after a review of the body camera footage, which she later said would not normally be released during an ongoing investigation but was, in this case, to maintain “public trust.”“Excessive force on a Black man, that’s not uncommon. It’s a very common thing in America,” Holland said. “So I think that needs to be addressed at a countrywide level.”Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith, who was at the scene to support Hill, echoed Holland’s sentiments.“Obviously we all see the police brutality that goes on in this country, and when you see your teammate possibly being part of that, you’re doing everything in your power to help him,” he said.Doing exactly as you’re told is no guarantee against discrimination or excessive use of force, said Andrew Grant-Thomas, co-founder of EmbraceRace, a nonprofit that provides resources for parents and educators.Furthermore, he said, perfectly, subserviently obeying law-enforcement commands “shouldn’t be the standard for any of us in dealing with police," said Grant-Thomas, who is Black. "There are things like rights.”<h2>Treading carefully around police</h2>Still, it often feels like white parents can talk to their children about how to maintain their rights with the police, he said, but for Black kids, it’s not about rights but “about survival.”According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics’ special report released in 2022, Black people and Hispanic people were more likely than white people to experience the threat or use of force in 2020. Black people were also more likely to be shouted at by police than white people.Black drivers were more likely than white drivers to experience no enforcement action during their most recent traffic stop, according to the report. But among those who did experience an enforcement action, white drivers were more likely to be let off with a warning than drivers of any other race or Hispanic origin.Just like Hill, Grant-Thomas was taught at a young age to tread carefully when it comes to police.“I’m not going to talk back, I’m going to put my hands at 10 and two o’clock and all those things because the reality is that this person can kill me. It doesn’t matter then whether my rights were observed,” he said.Grant-Thomas also noticed how quickly people used Hill’s past&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-dolphins-tyreek-hill-assault-271a44309a8d1ead8db8757efe5d250b">allegations</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/da-declines-to-charge-chiefs-hill-in-domestic-violence-case-573d95eda1544879af505008e9bc06bd">violence</a>&nbsp;to justify any excessive use of force.“What’s astonishing to me — although it shouldn’t be — is how many people immediately began to speculate in ways that were really in terms that were unfavorable to him,” Grant-Thomas said. “Because of who he was or who they supposed him to be, that for many people seems to justify the police treatment in a way that actually doesn’t make any sense.”Hill’s end-zone victory dance on Sunday that included mimicking being cuffed made many people feel validated in their opinion that the wide receiver had been wronged.<h2>Police and NFL players</h2>Many Black NFL players have long used their platforms, on and off the field, to draw attention to racial disparities in law enforcement.In 2014, five St. Louis Rams players stood with their arms raised in an apparent show of solidarity with protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, before trotting onto the field for pregame introductions. The “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture referred to a debunked claim that Michael Brown, a Black teenager, had his hands raised in surrender when he was shot by a white officer.And perhaps the most famous on-field anti-brutality gesture was sparked by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during the national anthem, in the wake of fatal police shootings in 2016.“Unless there’s a conversation actually about this, if it’s simply floating out there and people are talking in their echo chambers," Grant-Thomas said. “I think the point really will have been lost.”

Tyreek Hill's traffic stop revives discussion about the realities faced by Black drivers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Fill-in back Jordan Mason took top billing in a game hyped as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aaron-rodgers-return-jets-4b16a32fdbb8df549c81735de9c374e8">Aaron Rodgers’ return</a>. Mason ran for 147 yards and a touchdown in place of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccaffrey-49ers-inactives-69ac1a19e0c98c652907c0e593b2c1bc">injured Christian McCaffrey</a>&nbsp;and the 49ers spoiled Rodgers’ comeback game with a 32-19 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night. The former undrafted free agent overpowered New York’s highly acclaimed defense with his physical running style, helping the Niners score on eight straight drives. Rodgers threw for 167 yards and one TD and also had an interception exactly 52 weeks to the day after his debut with New York ended with a torn Achilles after four snaps.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — A police officer dragged Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill out of his sports car by his arm and head and then forced him face-first onto the ground after Hill put up the window of his car during a traffic stop before Sunday’s game, body camera video released Monday shows. The video showed that the altercation between the Miami-Dade County officers and Hill escalated quickly. The officers cursed at Hill but he did not resist their physical force or strike at them. He did tell one officer, “Don’t tell me what to do.” Six officers’ body camera videos have been released. Police Director Stephanie Davis said the tape would normally not be released while the investigation is ongoing, but she wanted to demonstrate the department’s “commitment to transparency and maintaining public trust.” In a CNN interview later Monday night, the 30-year-old NFL star said he was “embarrassed” and “shell-shocked” by the situation.

DENVER (AP) — Colorado safety Shilo Sanders had surgery after sustaining an arm injury in the team’s loss to Nebraska, his father and coach, Deion Sanders, said Monday in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeionSanders/status/1833166368721535476" target="_blank">social media post</a>. Deion Sanders posted pictures of his son, including one with Shilo Sanders in a wheelchair and another with his arm in a cast as he recovered in a hospital bed. Deion Sanders wrote: “God is Good! Can’t wait to see u back ready to go. Love ya son!” There’s no timetable for a return. The school doesn’t typically announce injuries.

CHICAGO (AP) — Joey Cantillo pitched seven sparkling innings for his first major league win, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Monday night. Cantillo was working on a perfect game before Andrew Benintendi grounded a single into right field with two outs in the seventh. Benintendi advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Andrew Vaughn’s single, but Korey Lee bounced to third for the final out of the inning. Cantillo (1-3) struck out a career-high 10 in his fifth start and sixth major league appearance overall. The 24-year-old left-hander, recalled from Triple-A Columbus earlier in the day, stepped into the rotation after Alex Cobb was scratched Saturday because of a blister.

Monday's Scores National Football League San Francisco 32, NY Jets 19

Major League Baseball American League

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687862036691.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Fill-in back Jordan Mason took top billing in a game hyped as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aaron-rodgers-return-jets-4b16a32fdbb8df549c81735de9c374e8">Aaron Rodgers’ return</a>. Mason ran for 147 yards and a touchdown in place of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccaffrey-49ers-inactives-69ac1a19e0c98c652907c0e593b2c1bc">injured Christian McCaffrey</a>&nbsp;and the 49ers spoiled Rodgers’ comeback game with a 32-19 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night. The former undrafted free agent overpowered New York’s highly acclaimed defense with his physical running style, helping the Niners score on eight straight drives. Rodgers threw for 167 yards and one TD and also had an interception exactly 52 weeks to the day after his debut with New York ended with a torn Achilles after four snaps.MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — A police officer dragged Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill out of his sports car by his arm and head and then forced him face-first onto the ground after Hill put up the window of his car during a traffic stop before Sunday’s game, body camera video released Monday shows. The video showed that the altercation between the Miami-Dade County officers and Hill escalated quickly. The officers cursed at Hill but he did not resist their physical force or strike at them. He did tell one officer, “Don’t tell me what to do.” Six officers’ body camera videos have been released. Police Director Stephanie Davis said the tape would normally not be released while the investigation is ongoing, but she wanted to demonstrate the department’s “commitment to transparency and maintaining public trust.” In a CNN interview later Monday night, the 30-year-old NFL star said he was “embarrassed” and “shell-shocked” by the situation.DENVER (AP) — Colorado safety Shilo Sanders had surgery after sustaining an arm injury in the team’s loss to Nebraska, his father and coach, Deion Sanders, said Monday in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeionSanders/status/1833166368721535476" target="_blank">social media post</a>. Deion Sanders posted pictures of his son, including one with Shilo Sanders in a wheelchair and another with his arm in a cast as he recovered in a hospital bed. Deion Sanders wrote: “God is Good! Can’t wait to see u back ready to go. Love ya son!” There’s no timetable for a return. The school doesn’t typically announce injuries.CHICAGO (AP) — Joey Cantillo pitched seven sparkling innings for his first major league win, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Monday night. Cantillo was working on a perfect game before Andrew Benintendi grounded a single into right field with two outs in the seventh. Benintendi advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Andrew Vaughn’s single, but Korey Lee bounced to third for the final out of the inning. Cantillo (1-3) struck out a career-high 10 in his fifth start and sixth major league appearance overall. The 24-year-old left-hander, recalled from Triple-A Columbus earlier in the day, stepped into the rotation after Alex Cobb was scratched Saturday because of a blister.Monday's Scores National Football League San Francisco 32, NY Jets 19Major League Baseball American LeagueNY Yankees 10, Kansas City 4Boston 12, Baltimore 3LA Angels 6, Minnesota 2Cleveland 5, Chicago White Sox 3National LeaguePhiladelphia 2, Tampa Bay 1Cincinnati 1, Atlanta 0Pittsburgh 3, Miami 2Chicago Cubs 10, LA Dodgers 4InterleagueNY Mets 3, Toronto 2

Tuesday's Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

The 4th ranked Barton Community College volleyball team served up its second straight conference sweep on Tuesday night at the Barton Gym, defeating Pratt Community College 25-18, 25-14, and 25-19.

Remaining perfect on the year, the Cougars move to 2-0 in league play and 11-0 overall while the Beavers fall to 0-1 in conference play and 1-8 on the season.

Barton will step out of conference play to conclude its three match homestand Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. hosting the junior varsity squad of McPherson College before beginning a two-day weekend trip Friday in Sterling, Colorado at the Sheila Worley Tournament.

<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_phoebe_zp2h">Phoebe Reyes</a>' 12 kills on 29 attempts for a .310 attack led a pair of Cougars recording multiple kills.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/nixon_kassidy_bbcx">Kassidy Nixon</a>'s third double-double of the season paced Barton's .278 attack converting 10 of her 16 swings for a team best .500 percentage while adding a game high and season best 19 digs on the defensive end.

<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/zuluaga_nohava_sara_y8hs">Sara Zuluaga Nohava</a>&nbsp;set a new season high with five kills off the bench on her six swing attempts while adding a pair of blockages.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/olander_aubrey_49pp">Aubrey Olander</a>&nbsp;held team honors at the net providing six blockages with a solo and four assisted blocks.

Directing Barton's offense, sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/stankovic_elena_icdc">Elena Stankovic</a>&nbsp;put up a match high 23 assists to finish in double-figures for the 11th straight time this season with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_maurin_5w3d">Maurin Reyes</a>&nbsp;add 22 distributions and sharing team high honors with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/mclean_josie_zeev">Josie McLean</a>, each serving up a pair of service aces.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725971625518.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoThe 4th ranked Barton Community College volleyball team served up its second straight conference sweep on Tuesday night at the Barton Gym, defeating Pratt Community College 25-18, 25-14, and 25-19.Remaining perfect on the year, the Cougars move to 2-0 in league play and 11-0 overall while the Beavers fall to 0-1 in conference play and 1-8 on the season.Barton will step out of conference play to conclude its three match homestand Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. hosting the junior varsity squad of McPherson College before beginning a two-day weekend trip Friday in Sterling, Colorado at the Sheila Worley Tournament.<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_phoebe_zp2h">Phoebe Reyes</a>' 12 kills on 29 attempts for a .310 attack led a pair of Cougars recording multiple kills.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/nixon_kassidy_bbcx">Kassidy Nixon</a>'s third double-double of the season paced Barton's .278 attack converting 10 of her 16 swings for a team best .500 percentage while adding a game high and season best 19 digs on the defensive end.<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/zuluaga_nohava_sara_y8hs">Sara Zuluaga Nohava</a>&nbsp;set a new season high with five kills off the bench on her six swing attempts while adding a pair of blockages.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/olander_aubrey_49pp">Aubrey Olander</a>&nbsp;held team honors at the net providing six blockages with a solo and four assisted blocks.Directing Barton's offense, sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/stankovic_elena_icdc">Elena Stankovic</a>&nbsp;put up a match high 23 assists to finish in double-figures for the 11th straight time this season with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_maurin_5w3d">Maurin Reyes</a>&nbsp;add 22 distributions and sharing team high honors with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/mclean_josie_zeev">Josie McLean</a>, each serving up a pair of service aces.

No. 4 ranked Cougars serve up second straight KJCCC sweep

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Wells hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning and added an RBI double in the eighth as the New York Yankees pulled away for a 10-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night and widened their lead in the AL East.

The Yankees (83-61) surpassed last season's win total and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Orioles, who were handed a 12-3 loss in Boston.

Aaron Judge hit a tying single off James McArthur and four pitches later, Wells lifted a 2-1 fastball into the lower rows of the right field bleachers to push New York’s lead to 7-4.

The 404-foot drive was Wells’ seventh in his last 36 games since July 21 and sixth as New York’s cleanup hitter behind Judge.

Hunter Renfroe led off the sixth with a homer to give the Royals a 4-3 lead before the Yankees mounted a rally against McArthur (5-7) and scored the final seven runs of the game.

Gleyber Torres beat out an infield single after Bobby Witt Jr. made a diving stop at shortstop and Juan Soto drew a walk. Judge, who is homerless in 13 games, followed by singling to left to easily score Torres.

Jasson Domínguez singled, stole third base and scored New York’s first run on a throwing error by catcher Salvador Perez. Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer to give the Yankees a brief 3-2 lead.

Verdugo hit his second homer since the All-Star break after the Yankees called up Domínguez to see regular time in left field. Domínguez started in center field and was 1 for 4 while Judge was the designated hitter.

Torres hit an RBI single in the eighth before Wells doubled off the left field wall as the Yankees scored double digit runs for the 13th time this season.

Perez homered, went 4 for 4 and drove in Kansas City’s first three runs as the Royals capitalized on shaky defense to take an early lead.

He hit an RBI single off Carlos Rodón in the first after Tommy Pham started the game by reaching on a throwing error by third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who made a low throw to first base.

Perez homered in the third for a 2-0 lead and hit a tying single in the fifth on a miscommunication between Torres and Soto on a pop-up.

Rodón allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in six innings.

Jake Cousins (2-1) picked off pinch hitter Kyle Isbel in the seventh and Luke Weaver stranded two in the eighth. Ian Hamilton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in his first appearance since June 16.

Kansas City starter Brady Singer allowed three runs and five hits in five innings.

UP NEXT Royals RHP Seth Lugo (15-8, 3.08 ERA) opposes New York RHP Marcus Stroman (10-7, 4.03) on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725935334963.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left, looks on as New York Yankees' Austin Wells, right, crosses home plate after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left, looks on as New York Yankees' Austin Wells, right, crosses home plate after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Wells hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning and added an RBI double in the eighth as the New York Yankees pulled away for a 10-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night and widened their lead in the AL East.The Yankees (83-61) surpassed last season's win total and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Orioles, who were handed a 12-3 loss in Boston.Aaron Judge hit a tying single off James McArthur and four pitches later, Wells lifted a 2-1 fastball into the lower rows of the right field bleachers to push New York’s lead to 7-4.The 404-foot drive was Wells’ seventh in his last 36 games since July 21 and sixth as New York’s cleanup hitter behind Judge.Hunter Renfroe led off the sixth with a homer to give the Royals a 4-3 lead before the Yankees mounted a rally against McArthur (5-7) and scored the final seven runs of the game.Gleyber Torres beat out an infield single after Bobby Witt Jr. made a diving stop at shortstop and Juan Soto drew a walk. Judge, who is homerless in 13 games, followed by singling to left to easily score Torres.Jasson Domínguez singled, stole third base and scored New York’s first run on a throwing error by catcher Salvador Perez. Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer to give the Yankees a brief 3-2 lead.Verdugo hit his second homer since the All-Star break after the Yankees called up Domínguez to see regular time in left field. Domínguez started in center field and was 1 for 4 while Judge was the designated hitter.Torres hit an RBI single in the eighth before Wells doubled off the left field wall as the Yankees scored double digit runs for the 13th time this season.Perez homered, went 4 for 4 and drove in Kansas City’s first three runs as the Royals capitalized on shaky defense to take an early lead.He hit an RBI single off Carlos Rodón in the first after Tommy Pham started the game by reaching on a throwing error by third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who made a low throw to first base.Perez homered in the third for a 2-0 lead and hit a tying single in the fifth on a miscommunication between Torres and Soto on a pop-up.Rodón allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in six innings.Jake Cousins (2-1) picked off pinch hitter Kyle Isbel in the seventh and Luke Weaver stranded two in the eighth. Ian Hamilton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in his first appearance since June 16.Kansas City starter Brady Singer allowed three runs and five hits in five innings.UP NEXT Royals RHP Seth Lugo (15-8, 3.08 ERA) opposes New York RHP Marcus Stroman (10-7, 4.03) on Tuesday.

Wells three-run homer helps lift Yankees past Royals 10-4

The impasse between DirecTV and Disney over a new carriage agreement has become more heated as it entered its second week.

DirecTV filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission on Saturday night accusing Disney of negotiating in bad faith.

Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC-owned stations in nine markets,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/espn-abc-disney-directv-94bb717f4b1a7f302e73102f23713308">have been off DirecTV</a>&nbsp;since the evening of Sept. 1. That meant DirecTV customers were blacked out from viewing most college football games and the final week of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, including the women's and men's finals.

DirecTV has 11.3 million subscribers, according to Leichtman Research Group, making it the nation’s third-largest pay TV provider.

ABC and ESPN will have the “Monday Night Football” opener between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. ABC will also produce and carry a presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

ABC-owned stations in Los Angeles; the San Francisco Bay Area; Fresno, California; New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; Houston; and Raleigh, North Carolina, are off DirecTV.

Besides all ESPN network channels and ABC-owned stations, Disney-branded channels Freeform, FX and National Geographic channel are dark.

DirecTV says in its 10-page complaint that Disney is violating the FCC's good faith mandates by asking it to waive any legal claims on any anticompetitive actions, including its ongoing packaging and minimum penetration demands.

DirecTV has asked Disney for the option to provide consumers with cheaper and skinnier bundles of programming, instead of bigger bundles that carry programming some viewers might not be interested in watching.

The complaint states: “Along with these anticompetitive demands, Disney has also insisted that DirecTV agree to a ‘clean slate’ provision and a covenant not to sue, both of which are intended to prevent DirecTV from taking legal action regarding Disney’s anticompetitive demands, which would include filing good faith complaints at the Commission. Not three months ago, however, the Media Bureau made clear that such a demand itself constitutes bad faith.”

DirecTV CEO Ray Carpenter said during a conference call with business and media analysts on Tuesday that they would not agree to a new carriage deal with Disney without bundling changes.

"We’re not playing a short-term game,” Carpenter said. “We need something that is going to work for the long-term sustainability of our video customers. The resolve is there.”

Disney has claimed since the blackout began that mutual release of claims is standard practice after licensing agreements are negotiated and agreed upon by the parties. It has also had one with DirecTV under its past renewals.

A Disney spokesperson said: “We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to our content as quickly as possible. We urge DirecTV to stop creating diversions and instead prioritize their customers by finalizing a deal that would allow their subscribers to watch our strong upcoming lineup of sports, news and entertainment programming, starting with the return of Monday Night Football.”

Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/disney-spectrum-cable-stations-cutoff-charter-e23fc3daa2b91df92ad9efe04bd79da0">Disney and Charter Spectrum</a>&nbsp;— the nation’s second-largest cable TV provider — were involved in a nearly 12-day impasse until coming to an agreement hours before the first Monday night NFL game of the season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725906620742.jpeg" alt="FILE - The ESPN logo is seen, Sept. 16, 2013, prior to an NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - The ESPN logo is seen, Sept. 16, 2013, prior to an NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>The impasse between DirecTV and Disney over a new carriage agreement has become more heated as it entered its second week.DirecTV filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission on Saturday night accusing Disney of negotiating in bad faith.Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC-owned stations in nine markets,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/espn-abc-disney-directv-94bb717f4b1a7f302e73102f23713308">have been off DirecTV</a>&nbsp;since the evening of Sept. 1. That meant DirecTV customers were blacked out from viewing most college football games and the final week of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, including the women's and men's finals.DirecTV has 11.3 million subscribers, according to Leichtman Research Group, making it the nation’s third-largest pay TV provider.ABC and ESPN will have the “Monday Night Football” opener between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. ABC will also produce and carry a presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Tuesday in Philadelphia.ABC-owned stations in Los Angeles; the San Francisco Bay Area; Fresno, California; New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; Houston; and Raleigh, North Carolina, are off DirecTV.Besides all ESPN network channels and ABC-owned stations, Disney-branded channels Freeform, FX and National Geographic channel are dark.DirecTV says in its 10-page complaint that Disney is violating the FCC's good faith mandates by asking it to waive any legal claims on any anticompetitive actions, including its ongoing packaging and minimum penetration demands.DirecTV has asked Disney for the option to provide consumers with cheaper and skinnier bundles of programming, instead of bigger bundles that carry programming some viewers might not be interested in watching.The complaint states: “Along with these anticompetitive demands, Disney has also insisted that DirecTV agree to a ‘clean slate’ provision and a covenant not to sue, both of which are intended to prevent DirecTV from taking legal action regarding Disney’s anticompetitive demands, which would include filing good faith complaints at the Commission. Not three months ago, however, the Media Bureau made clear that such a demand itself constitutes bad faith.”DirecTV CEO Ray Carpenter said during a conference call with business and media analysts on Tuesday that they would not agree to a new carriage deal with Disney without bundling changes."We’re not playing a short-term game,” Carpenter said. “We need something that is going to work for the long-term sustainability of our video customers. The resolve is there.”Disney has claimed since the blackout began that mutual release of claims is standard practice after licensing agreements are negotiated and agreed upon by the parties. It has also had one with DirecTV under its past renewals.A Disney spokesperson said: “We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to our content as quickly as possible. We urge DirecTV to stop creating diversions and instead prioritize their customers by finalizing a deal that would allow their subscribers to watch our strong upcoming lineup of sports, news and entertainment programming, starting with the return of Monday Night Football.”Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/disney-spectrum-cable-stations-cutoff-charter-e23fc3daa2b91df92ad9efe04bd79da0">Disney and Charter Spectrum</a>&nbsp;— the nation’s second-largest cable TV provider — were involved in a nearly 12-day impasse until coming to an agreement hours before the first Monday night NFL game of the season.

DirecTV files complaint against Disney as impasse enters 2nd week

- Great Bend Panther Color Analyst Shawn Behr will break down Friday's season opener at McPherson

- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misunas

- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend cross country coach Lyles Lashley

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ls844mUtrds?si=wjW-32LnLxURrzxR" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Great Bend Panther Color Analyst Shawn Behr will break down Friday's season opener at McPherson- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misunas- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend cross country coach Lyles Lashley- Weekend Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Monday on Sports Day(Watch)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Just watch us once and you’ll be hooked.

That is the message women’s college volleyball programs kept delivering as their sport went relatively unnoticed, struggling to find a television home amid the flurry of football games dominating screens each fall.

“It was an accessibility issue, not necessarily a passion issue,” Wisconsin middle blocker Carter Booth said. “I think people are very passionate about the sport. We just never really had the platform or the means to get it out there.”

Now they do – and fans are responding in droves.

As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/video/volleyball-women/2023-08-30/ncaa-president-charlie-baker-growing-popularity-womens-volleyball">NCAA president Charlie Baker</a>&nbsp;noted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/charliebakerma/p/C0962SiOVNh/?locale=%E7%BE%8E%E5%A5%B3%E8%A3%B8%E8%81%8A%E7%9B%B4%E6%92%AD%E5%AE%98%E7%BD%91(va736.com)%0A.cols&amp;hl=en">last year</a>, women’s volleyball has become one of college athletics’ hottest properties.

That growth may have been inevitable considering volleyball’s popularity as a participation sport.

The number of girls high school volleyball players in 2022-23 hit an all-time high of 470,488, second only to outdoor track and field (486,355), according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. More girls play high school volleyball than basketball in all but nine states.

The three biggest crowds for a women’s college volleyball match all happened in the last year, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-volleyball-attendance-record-38f103fe2100a368cddb19b75e1adb8d">92,003 fans</a>&nbsp;attending a Nebraska victory over Omaha at Memorial Stadium. Texas’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-nebraska-ncaa-volleyball-championship-madisen-skinner-f20a1b678077aaa5b22cece5f16dc008">NCAA Tournament championship game</a>&nbsp;triumph over Nebraska drew a record 1.7 million television viewers, a 115% increase over the previous year.

“It just feels like the last two years, that it’s not niche anymore,” Pitt coach Dan Fisher said. “It’s truly mainstream.”

Fisher offered anecdotal evidence as well. He knows fans gathered for watch parties at local bars when his team made its third straight Final Four appearance last fall.

“Fans are watching it the same way they watch a basketball or football game,” Fisher said. “The last two years, there’s been more of those types of things. When girls come to our camps, they all have shirts with players’ names on them.”

Stanford coach Kevin Hambly believes the tipping point was the emergence of conference networks that needed programming. So women’s college volleyball helped fill time. As the number of telecasts increased, viewers followed.

It’s a far cry from when Stanford outside hitter Elia Rubin grew up struggling to find a college match on television.

“I feel like I’m able to watch every game I want to now,” Rubin said. “That’s cool. Ten years ago or five years ago, that wasn’t the case.”

NBC will nationally televise three matches this season (Nebraska-Ohio State on Oct. 19, Wisconsin-Purdue on Oct. 26 and Penn State-Wisconsin on Nov. 9). ABC will broadcast a regular-season match for the first time Sept. 22 when Louisville hosts Nebraska.

The State Farm Volleyball Showcase – a Labor Day weekend event at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum featuring Texas, Minnesota, Stanford and Wisconsin – aired on Fox and FS1. Fox's coverage of the Texas victory over Wisconsin&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/emilyehman/status/1831502742243975673">had 584,000 viewers.</a>

The Big Ten will have 83 matches televised this season – up from 53 in 2021, 55 in 2022 and 64 in 2023. ESPN will show over 2,600 matches across its platforms.

Coaches want those numbers to keep rising. They know the answer isn’t competing with the NFL or college football. Florida coach Mary Wise says they shouldn’t even try that.

“But one night a week … could we own that night?” Wise said. “Could it be we go from coast to coast, see one at 6, 8, 10? That’s how we would really build our fan base or expand our fan base.”

A first step is making the NCAA Tournament's early rounds more readily available on linear television.

“It’s hard to get new viewers into the sport without that,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said.

All first- and second-round matches will be available to stream on ESPN Plus, but the only television coverage of those rounds will be a “whip-around show” ESPN has on one of its networks to take viewers to various sites. For comparison’s sake, every game of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament is televised on one of ESPN’s various channels.

Women’s volleyball is growing so quickly it might not be hurt as much as other Olympic sports by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2299a5eadef386a8d5f72195d9dbeabf">$2.8 billion settlement agreement</a>&nbsp;of antitrust litigation facing the NCAA and major conferences. That agreement could lead to cost cutting that puts Olympic sports at risk on some campuses.

“There’s concern, especially in some of the places where volleyball’s not quite as popular, in some of the regions of the country where we’re hoping that grows and changes,” Hambly said. “But I think I’m more worried about men’s volleyball, to be honest, or beach volleyball.”

ESPN’s coverage of last week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association First Serve Showcase match between Nebraska and Kentucky drew 344,000 viewers, making it the second most-watched live regular-season volleyball match to air on ESPN’s various platforms. More than 30 Division I schools reported attendance records last season.

The attendance boosts have encouraged some schools to move selected matches to larger venues. Four of the top six schools in average attendance last season were Big Ten programs: Nebraska (12,603), Wisconsin (7,220), Minnesota (5,010) and Michigan State (4,090).

Wisconsin regularly sells out the 7,229-seat UW Field House and played Marquette last year in front of a near-capacity crowd of 17,037 at Fiserv Forum. This year’s Wisconsin-Marquette match will take place on Wisconsin's campus at the Kohl Center, with a capacity of about 17,000. Purdue is hosting Wisconsin this year at Mackey Arena, which seats 14,240.

The young girls who make up much of the fan base should help continue the sport’s growth.

“They follow us on social media," said Texas outside hitter Madisen Skinner, the most outstanding player of last year's Final Four. "They come to our matches. We autograph stuff for them. We do other things like Cameos and videos and personalized things. There’s a lot of different avenues for them to connect with us, which is really cool.”

Yet that player visibility is one area in which women’s volleyball lags behind women’s basketball.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese were household names by the time they finished their college basketball careers. JuJu Watkins already is reaching that level going into her sophomore season at Southern California.

Volleyball doesn’t have anyone with that kind of recognition.

“It doesn’t define our sport that we don’t have a person like that, but I do think it matters,” Booth said. “Caitlin Clark has brought in millions of dollars in revenue and millions of dollars in ticket sales just for being Caitlin Clark. Having someone like that in volleyball will help us get the exposure level we’re wanting to get to.”

Coaches are hoping for media coverage beyond the matches, stories that could help amplify the sport on social media. A three-part series promoting Texas’ team airs on Longhorn Network this year. ESPN also ran a documentary on Nebraska’s program last week.

“We could use that boost,” Sheffield said. “At times it feels like there’s ankle weights on us. We still have the ankle weights, but they’re not as heavy as they were.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725906539126.jpeg" alt="Wisconsin's Carter Booth blocks a shot by Texas' Madisen Skinner during an NCAA Division I women's college volleyball game, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)" />
 <figcaption>Wisconsin's Carter Booth blocks a shot by Texas' Madisen Skinner during an NCAA Division I women's college volleyball game, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)</figcaption>
 </figure>MILWAUKEE (AP) — Just watch us once and you’ll be hooked.That is the message women’s college volleyball programs kept delivering as their sport went relatively unnoticed, struggling to find a television home amid the flurry of football games dominating screens each fall.“It was an accessibility issue, not necessarily a passion issue,” Wisconsin middle blocker Carter Booth said. “I think people are very passionate about the sport. We just never really had the platform or the means to get it out there.”Now they do – and fans are responding in droves.As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/video/volleyball-women/2023-08-30/ncaa-president-charlie-baker-growing-popularity-womens-volleyball">NCAA president Charlie Baker</a>&nbsp;noted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/charliebakerma/p/C0962SiOVNh/?locale=%E7%BE%8E%E5%A5%B3%E8%A3%B8%E8%81%8A%E7%9B%B4%E6%92%AD%E5%AE%98%E7%BD%91(va736.com)%0A.cols&amp;hl=en">last year</a>, women’s volleyball has become one of college athletics’ hottest properties.That growth may have been inevitable considering volleyball’s popularity as a participation sport.The number of girls high school volleyball players in 2022-23 hit an all-time high of 470,488, second only to outdoor track and field (486,355), according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. More girls play high school volleyball than basketball in all but nine states.The three biggest crowds for a women’s college volleyball match all happened in the last year, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-volleyball-attendance-record-38f103fe2100a368cddb19b75e1adb8d">92,003 fans</a>&nbsp;attending a Nebraska victory over Omaha at Memorial Stadium. Texas’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-nebraska-ncaa-volleyball-championship-madisen-skinner-f20a1b678077aaa5b22cece5f16dc008">NCAA Tournament championship game</a>&nbsp;triumph over Nebraska drew a record 1.7 million television viewers, a 115% increase over the previous year.“It just feels like the last two years, that it’s not niche anymore,” Pitt coach Dan Fisher said. “It’s truly mainstream.”Fisher offered anecdotal evidence as well. He knows fans gathered for watch parties at local bars when his team made its third straight Final Four appearance last fall.“Fans are watching it the same way they watch a basketball or football game,” Fisher said. “The last two years, there’s been more of those types of things. When girls come to our camps, they all have shirts with players’ names on them.”Stanford coach Kevin Hambly believes the tipping point was the emergence of conference networks that needed programming. So women’s college volleyball helped fill time. As the number of telecasts increased, viewers followed.It’s a far cry from when Stanford outside hitter Elia Rubin grew up struggling to find a college match on television.“I feel like I’m able to watch every game I want to now,” Rubin said. “That’s cool. Ten years ago or five years ago, that wasn’t the case.”<h2>Matches are on TV</h2>NBC will nationally televise three matches this season (Nebraska-Ohio State on Oct. 19, Wisconsin-Purdue on Oct. 26 and Penn State-Wisconsin on Nov. 9). ABC will broadcast a regular-season match for the first time Sept. 22 when Louisville hosts Nebraska.The State Farm Volleyball Showcase – a Labor Day weekend event at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum featuring Texas, Minnesota, Stanford and Wisconsin – aired on Fox and FS1. Fox's coverage of the Texas victory over Wisconsin&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/emilyehman/status/1831502742243975673">had 584,000 viewers.</a>The Big Ten will have 83 matches televised this season – up from 53 in 2021, 55 in 2022 and 64 in 2023. ESPN will show over 2,600 matches across its platforms.Coaches want those numbers to keep rising. They know the answer isn’t competing with the NFL or college football. Florida coach Mary Wise says they shouldn’t even try that.“But one night a week … could we own that night?” Wise said. “Could it be we go from coast to coast, see one at 6, 8, 10? That’s how we would really build our fan base or expand our fan base.”A first step is making the NCAA Tournament's early rounds more readily available on linear television.“It’s hard to get new viewers into the sport without that,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said.All first- and second-round matches will be available to stream on ESPN Plus, but the only television coverage of those rounds will be a “whip-around show” ESPN has on one of its networks to take viewers to various sites. For comparison’s sake, every game of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament is televised on one of ESPN’s various channels.<h2>Road ahead</h2>Women’s volleyball is growing so quickly it might not be hurt as much as other Olympic sports by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2299a5eadef386a8d5f72195d9dbeabf">$2.8 billion settlement agreement</a>&nbsp;of antitrust litigation facing the NCAA and major conferences. That agreement could lead to cost cutting that puts Olympic sports at risk on some campuses.“There’s concern, especially in some of the places where volleyball’s not quite as popular, in some of the regions of the country where we’re hoping that grows and changes,” Hambly said. “But I think I’m more worried about men’s volleyball, to be honest, or beach volleyball.”ESPN’s coverage of last week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association First Serve Showcase match between Nebraska and Kentucky drew 344,000 viewers, making it the second most-watched live regular-season volleyball match to air on ESPN’s various platforms. More than 30 Division I schools reported attendance records last season.The attendance boosts have encouraged some schools to move selected matches to larger venues. Four of the top six schools in average attendance last season were Big Ten programs: Nebraska (12,603), Wisconsin (7,220), Minnesota (5,010) and Michigan State (4,090).Wisconsin regularly sells out the 7,229-seat UW Field House and played Marquette last year in front of a near-capacity crowd of 17,037 at Fiserv Forum. This year’s Wisconsin-Marquette match will take place on Wisconsin's campus at the Kohl Center, with a capacity of about 17,000. Purdue is hosting Wisconsin this year at Mackey Arena, which seats 14,240.<h2>Fan base</h2>The young girls who make up much of the fan base should help continue the sport’s growth.“They follow us on social media," said Texas outside hitter Madisen Skinner, the most outstanding player of last year's Final Four. "They come to our matches. We autograph stuff for them. We do other things like Cameos and videos and personalized things. There’s a lot of different avenues for them to connect with us, which is really cool.”Yet that player visibility is one area in which women’s volleyball lags behind women’s basketball.Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese were household names by the time they finished their college basketball careers. JuJu Watkins already is reaching that level going into her sophomore season at Southern California.Volleyball doesn’t have anyone with that kind of recognition.“It doesn’t define our sport that we don’t have a person like that, but I do think it matters,” Booth said. “Caitlin Clark has brought in millions of dollars in revenue and millions of dollars in ticket sales just for being Caitlin Clark. Having someone like that in volleyball will help us get the exposure level we’re wanting to get to.”Coaches are hoping for media coverage beyond the matches, stories that could help amplify the sport on social media. A three-part series promoting Texas’ team airs on Longhorn Network this year. ESPN also ran a documentary on Nebraska’s program last week.“We could use that boost,” Sheffield said. “At times it feels like there’s ankle weights on us. We still have the ankle weights, but they’re not as heavy as they were.”

More TV opportunities helping fuel the growth of women's college volleyball

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins was handcuffed and placed face down on a street outside the team’s stadium after he was stopped for speeding and reckless driving Sunday morning before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jaguars-dolphins-score-d3e04db401687f343f4d9097f6d35780">the Dolphins’ first game of the season</a>, an incident that left the star wide receiver baffled and resulted in a police officer being placed on administrative leave. The officer, who was not identified, was one of at least three involved in detaining Hill. Some fans saw Hill being handcuffed and captured video on their way to the game, and it quickly&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RGIII/status/1832822226900406478" target="_blank">went viral</a>&nbsp;on social media. Miami-Dade Police director Stephanie V. Daniels said she had launched an internal affairs investigation. Told after the game that the officer was placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Hill said: “That should tell you everything you need to know.”

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fighting tears, Alex Morgan waved to the crowd and walked off the field for the last time on Sunday as she capped an impactful 15-year career. Despite the nearly 100-degree heat, a crowd of 26,516 filled San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium for Morgan’s farewell match. The two-time Women’s World Cup winner announced on Thursday that she was pregnant with her second child and retiring from the game. She started and wore the captain’s armband for the San Diego Wave in her final match, playing for the first 13 minutes against the North Carolina Courage before subbing out of the game to an ovation. “I did everything I ever wanted to do and more. With this decision, I feel so at peace because I am ready to start my family and I am ready to hang up the boots and allow the next generation to flourish and just relish in the spotlight,” she said afterward. “It’s a good feeling.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Shohei Ohtani is the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, needing just 126 games. He’s the only player to hit the 40-40 mark in the same game. He did it in style, too, on a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Aug. 23. On the horizon for Ohtani is potentially becoming the first member of the 50-50 club. He slugged his 46th homer on Sunday and has 46 steals with three weeks remaining in the regular season.

CHICAGO (AP) — Angel Reese’s historic rookie season is over. The Chicago Sky forward said on social media&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/reese10angel/status/1832586256003559577?s=46" target="_blank">Saturday night</a>&nbsp;that she has a season-ending injury, which the team confirmed was to her wrist. “What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol,” Reese wrote. “Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed. All I have ever wanted was to come into the W and make an impact. I can confidently say I have done that and will strive to keep doing so.” Reese, the No. 7 pick in the draft, finished the season averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds. It’s the highest rebound average in the history of the WNBA. Reese also set the rookie record with 26 double-doubles — her last coming in a 92-78 win over Los Angeles on Friday night.

SEATTLE (AP) — It wasn’t a perfect start for Bo Nix. But Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton saw plenty of promise in his rookie quarterback’s NFL debut. Nix, the 12th overall pick in the draft, finished on the short end of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-seahawks-score-401254e6f0f616deb77a42bc2f29a445">a 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks</a>&nbsp;on Sunday. It was a frustrating day, filled with a lot of short passes, a few poor decisions and some late heroics that came up just short. Pushing the ball downfield was the biggest issue Nix faced. He finished 26 of 42 passing, but for only 138 yards, an average of just 3.3 yards per attempt. He also threw two interceptions, the first to Seahawks safety Julian Love early in the second quarter, and the other to Seattle cornerback Riq Woolen with 5:37 left in the game.

SUNDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball American League

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701258411232.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins was handcuffed and placed face down on a street outside the team’s stadium after he was stopped for speeding and reckless driving Sunday morning before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jaguars-dolphins-score-d3e04db401687f343f4d9097f6d35780">the Dolphins’ first game of the season</a>, an incident that left the star wide receiver baffled and resulted in a police officer being placed on administrative leave. The officer, who was not identified, was one of at least three involved in detaining Hill. Some fans saw Hill being handcuffed and captured video on their way to the game, and it quickly&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RGIII/status/1832822226900406478" target="_blank">went viral</a>&nbsp;on social media. Miami-Dade Police director Stephanie V. Daniels said she had launched an internal affairs investigation. Told after the game that the officer was placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Hill said: “That should tell you everything you need to know.”SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fighting tears, Alex Morgan waved to the crowd and walked off the field for the last time on Sunday as she capped an impactful 15-year career. Despite the nearly 100-degree heat, a crowd of 26,516 filled San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium for Morgan’s farewell match. The two-time Women’s World Cup winner announced on Thursday that she was pregnant with her second child and retiring from the game. She started and wore the captain’s armband for the San Diego Wave in her final match, playing for the first 13 minutes against the North Carolina Courage before subbing out of the game to an ovation. “I did everything I ever wanted to do and more. With this decision, I feel so at peace because I am ready to start my family and I am ready to hang up the boots and allow the next generation to flourish and just relish in the spotlight,” she said afterward. “It’s a good feeling.”LOS ANGELES (AP) —Shohei Ohtani is the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, needing just 126 games. He’s the only player to hit the 40-40 mark in the same game. He did it in style, too, on a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Aug. 23. On the horizon for Ohtani is potentially becoming the first member of the 50-50 club. He slugged his 46th homer on Sunday and has 46 steals with three weeks remaining in the regular season.CHICAGO (AP) — Angel Reese’s historic rookie season is over. The Chicago Sky forward said on social media&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/reese10angel/status/1832586256003559577?s=46" target="_blank">Saturday night</a>&nbsp;that she has a season-ending injury, which the team confirmed was to her wrist. “What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol,” Reese wrote. “Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed. All I have ever wanted was to come into the W and make an impact. I can confidently say I have done that and will strive to keep doing so.” Reese, the No. 7 pick in the draft, finished the season averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds. It’s the highest rebound average in the history of the WNBA. Reese also set the rookie record with 26 double-doubles — her last coming in a 92-78 win over Los Angeles on Friday night.SEATTLE (AP) — It wasn’t a perfect start for Bo Nix. But Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton saw plenty of promise in his rookie quarterback’s NFL debut. Nix, the 12th overall pick in the draft, finished on the short end of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-seahawks-score-401254e6f0f616deb77a42bc2f29a445">a 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks</a>&nbsp;on Sunday. It was a frustrating day, filled with a lot of short passes, a few poor decisions and some late heroics that came up just short. Pushing the ball downfield was the biggest issue Nix faced. He finished 26 of 42 passing, but for only 138 yards, an average of just 3.3 yards per attempt. He also threw two interceptions, the first to Seahawks safety Julian Love early in the second quarter, and the other to Seattle cornerback Riq Woolen with 5:37 left in the game.SUNDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball American LeagueTampa Bay 2, Baltimore 0Chicago White Sox 7, Boston 2Kansas City 2, Minnesota 0Detroit 9, Oakland 1Texas 7, LA Angels 4National LeaguePittsburgh 7, Washington 3Cincinnati 3, NY Mets 1Miami 10, Philadelphia 1Colorado 4, Milwaukee 1San Francisco 7, San Diego 6InterleagueAtlanta 4, Toronto 3Chicago Cubs 2, NY Yankees 1Seattle 10, St. Louis 4Arizona 12, Houston 6LA Dodgers 4, Cleveland 0

Monday's Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

AP - After the first shake-up of the college football season, the Southeastern Conference grabbed six of the top seven spots in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">AP Top 25</a>&nbsp;— a first in the 88-year history of the rankings — and Notre Dame tumbled all the way to No. 18 on Sunday after being stunned at home.

Georgia received 54 out of a possible 63 first-place votes to keep a firm hold on No. 1. No. 2 Texas jumped a spot after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-michigan-score-ewers-d140dffcf01078793e9f40cb71f8dbc0">dominating defending national champion Michigan on the road</a>&nbsp;and received four first-place votes. The Longhorns have their best ranking since finishing second in 2009.

No. 3 Ohio State from the Big Ten Conference slipped a spot. Then it was four more SEC teams. Alabama held steady at No. 4 and Mississippi moved up a spot to No. 5.

Missouri moved up three spots to No. 6 and Tennessee made a big jump from No. 14 to No. 7 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-north-carolina-state-score-0bcd892a9c1d878fcc30a18cbd770a2a">routing North Carolina State in Charlotte</a>.

With the SEC bigger (16 teams) — and seemingly better — than ever given the additions of Texas and Oklahoma — the circumstances were right for an early season takeover like never before.

Not only is six of the top seven teams from one conference a record for a poll, but never before had a single league held as many as five of the top seven places.

Those teams will start playing each other in the coming weeks so it is unlikely the SEC can keep this up, but it's a stark example of what's possible in the superconference era.

Especially after the first huge upset of the college football season.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/notre-dame-northern-illinois-score-a1aa3c4c0abbc943e827aa7467ed0f17">Notre Dame's 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois</a>&nbsp;marked the first time a top-five team lost to an unranked team since the 2022 season, when Purdue knocked off then-No. 2 Iowa on Nov. 5, 2022.

The Huskies' victory, the first top-five win for a Mid-American Conference team in league history, landed Northern Illinois at No. 25 in the rankings. NIU is ranked for the first time since 2013 and is the first team from non-Power Four conference to be ranked this season.

Rounding out the top 10 were No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Oregon of the Big Ten and No. 10 Miami. The Ducks slip two spots after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-boise-state-score-21c3b528d2c8a3031bc5ea39b262dbcc">wild, comeback victory against Boise State</a>.

Northern Illinois is one of four teams to move into the rankings this week for the first time this season, most notably Nebraska at No. 23.

The Cornhuskers are ranked for the first time since 2019 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-score-colorado-nebraska-389d70cb3a2791542ff51328ea267b87">easily handling Colorado at home</a>. That was a brief stay. After starting that season ranked No. 24, the Huskers lost in Week 2, fell out the rankings and have been gone ever since.

The last sustained season in the rankings for Nebraska was 2016, though even that season ended with the Huskers unranked. They have not finished a season ranked since 2012. That's what second-year coach Matt Rhule and freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola are aiming for.

Just a reminder: Nebraska still owns the record for the longest streak of poll appearances with 348 under coach Tom Osborne from 1981-2002. The second-best streak is Alabama's active 264 straight weeks ranked.

The turnover came from the bottom of the rankings, where Kansas, Iowa, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State all fell out after losses.

No. 21 Iowa State essentially switched places with its Cy-Hawk rivals by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-state-score-5795335e96c3c8ecf01f1223c456d3b9">beating Iowa</a>.

Last week, Georgia Tech made its first appearance in the AP Top 25 since 2015, snapping one of the longest active droughts among power conference teams. The Yellow Jackets lasted only a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-tech-syracuse-score-479d0b24223be76604421bf8a2bae870">losing at Syracuse</a>, but another Atlantic Coast Conference team snapped its own lengthy drought.

No. 24 Boston College is ranked for the first time since 2018.

The only other time a conference had four of the top five teams was the SEC on Oct. 19, 2014, when Mississippi State was No. 1, Ole Miss was third, Alabama was fourth and Auburn was fifth.

SEC — 8 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16).

Big Ten — 6 (Nos. 3, 8, 9, 11, 17, 23).

No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State, Thursday. A Big 12 game that's not actually a Big 12 game. This is a nonconference matchup that already was set before realignment.

No. 24 Boston College at No. 6 Missouri, Saturday. An unexpectedly ranked ACC-SEC matchup.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725828124795.jpeg" alt="Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) runs the ball against Michigan in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)" />
 <figcaption>Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) runs the ball against Michigan in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)</figcaption>
 </figure>AP - After the first shake-up of the college football season, the Southeastern Conference grabbed six of the top seven spots in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">AP Top 25</a>&nbsp;— a first in the 88-year history of the rankings — and Notre Dame tumbled all the way to No. 18 on Sunday after being stunned at home.Georgia received 54 out of a possible 63 first-place votes to keep a firm hold on No. 1. No. 2 Texas jumped a spot after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-michigan-score-ewers-d140dffcf01078793e9f40cb71f8dbc0">dominating defending national champion Michigan on the road</a>&nbsp;and received four first-place votes. The Longhorns have their best ranking since finishing second in 2009.The Wolverines were down to No. 17.No. 3 Ohio State from the Big Ten Conference slipped a spot. Then it was four more SEC teams. Alabama held steady at No. 4 and Mississippi moved up a spot to No. 5.Missouri moved up three spots to No. 6 and Tennessee made a big jump from No. 14 to No. 7 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-north-carolina-state-score-0bcd892a9c1d878fcc30a18cbd770a2a">routing North Carolina State in Charlotte</a>.With the SEC bigger (16 teams) — and seemingly better — than ever given the additions of Texas and Oklahoma — the circumstances were right for an early season takeover like never before.Not only is six of the top seven teams from one conference a record for a poll, but never before had a single league held as many as five of the top seven places.Those teams will start playing each other in the coming weeks so it is unlikely the SEC can keep this up, but it's a stark example of what's possible in the superconference era.Especially after the first huge upset of the college football season.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/notre-dame-northern-illinois-score-a1aa3c4c0abbc943e827aa7467ed0f17">Notre Dame's 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois</a>&nbsp;marked the first time a top-five team lost to an unranked team since the 2022 season, when Purdue knocked off then-No. 2 Iowa on Nov. 5, 2022.The Huskies' victory, the first top-five win for a Mid-American Conference team in league history, landed Northern Illinois at No. 25 in the rankings. NIU is ranked for the first time since 2013 and is the first team from non-Power Four conference to be ranked this season.Rounding out the top 10 were No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Oregon of the Big Ten and No. 10 Miami. The Ducks slip two spots after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-boise-state-score-21c3b528d2c8a3031bc5ea39b262dbcc">wild, comeback victory against Boise State</a>.<h2>Poll points</h2>Northern Illinois is one of four teams to move into the rankings this week for the first time this season, most notably Nebraska at No. 23.The Cornhuskers are ranked for the first time since 2019 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-score-colorado-nebraska-389d70cb3a2791542ff51328ea267b87">easily handling Colorado at home</a>. That was a brief stay. After starting that season ranked No. 24, the Huskers lost in Week 2, fell out the rankings and have been gone ever since.The last sustained season in the rankings for Nebraska was 2016, though even that season ended with the Huskers unranked. They have not finished a season ranked since 2012. That's what second-year coach Matt Rhule and freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola are aiming for.Just a reminder: Nebraska still owns the record for the longest streak of poll appearances with 348 under coach Tom Osborne from 1981-2002. The second-best streak is Alabama's active 264 straight weeks ranked.<h2>In and out</h2>The turnover came from the bottom of the rankings, where Kansas, Iowa, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State all fell out after losses.No. 21 Iowa State essentially switched places with its Cy-Hawk rivals by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-state-score-5795335e96c3c8ecf01f1223c456d3b9">beating Iowa</a>.Last week, Georgia Tech made its first appearance in the AP Top 25 since 2015, snapping one of the longest active droughts among power conference teams. The Yellow Jackets lasted only a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-tech-syracuse-score-479d0b24223be76604421bf8a2bae870">losing at Syracuse</a>, but another Atlantic Coast Conference team snapped its own lengthy drought.No. 24 Boston College is ranked for the first time since 2018.<h2>Conference call</h2>The only other time a conference had four of the top five teams was the SEC on Oct. 19, 2014, when Mississippi State was No. 1, Ole Miss was third, Alabama was fourth and Auburn was fifth.SEC — 8 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16).Big Ten — 6 (Nos. 3, 8, 9, 11, 17, 23).Big 12 — 5 (Nos. 12, 13, 14, 20, 21).ACC — 4 (Nos. 10, 19, 22, 24).MAC — 1 (No. 25).Independent — 1 (No. 18).<h2>Ranked vs. ranked</h2>No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State, Thursday. A Big 12 game that's not actually a Big 12 game. This is a nonconference matchup that already was set before realignment.No. 24 Boston College at No. 6 Missouri, Saturday. An unexpectedly ranked ACC-SEC matchup.

AP Top 25: SEC grabs six of the first seven spots in rankings, Irish fall to No. 18

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, Garrett Hampson and Salvador Perez drove in runs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 2-0 on Sunday to complete a series sweep of their closest pursuers in the AL wild-card race.

Wacha (12-7) struck out seven while allowing just one walk is 100th career win. He got plenty of help from his defense, which turned two double plays and threw out a runner trying to score from first base in the first inning.

Kris Bubic handled the eighth for Kansas City before Lucas Erceg worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 11th save.

Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks before he was pulled with one out in the fifth inning. The Twins bullpen did not allow a run the rest of the way, though it didn't matter with their offense getting shut out.

The Royals moved 2 1/2 games ahead of AL Central-rival Minnesota for the second wild-card spot.

The Twins had a chance to strike in the first inning, and finally build some momentum after dropping four of the first six games on their seven-game trip. But Jose Miranda, who had singled, was thrown out by about a foot trying to score on Trevor Larnach's double, and Royce Lewis eventually struck out to end the inning.

Their only other hits off Wacha came from Christian Vázquez leading off the third and sixth, and both times the right-hander was able to get a double play to prevent a runner from even reaching second base again.

When the Royals got their chance, they took advantage of it.

MJ Melendez drew a walk leading off the fifth, and Freddy Fermin and Maikel Garcia followed with singles to load the bases for Hampson, who hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field. And when Tommy Pham walked to load the bases again, Perez followed with an RBI dribbler that traveled all of 80 feet down the third-base line for the only other run of the game.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (left hamstring strain) is scheduled for a rehab appearance for Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday. He's been out since Aug. 27. ... LHP Will Smith (back spasms) threw a bullpen session Saturday and is “progressing fine,” manager Matt Quatraro said. He went on the injured list Aug. 26.

Kansas City: RHP Brady Singer (9-10, 3.35) opens a three-game set against the Yankees on Monday night in New York.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725828266033.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, Garrett Hampson and Salvador Perez drove in runs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 2-0 on Sunday to complete a series sweep of their closest pursuers in the AL wild-card race.Wacha (12-7) struck out seven while allowing just one walk is 100th career win. He got plenty of help from his defense, which turned two double plays and threw out a runner trying to score from first base in the first inning.Kris Bubic handled the eighth for Kansas City before Lucas Erceg worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 11th save.Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks before he was pulled with one out in the fifth inning. The Twins bullpen did not allow a run the rest of the way, though it didn't matter with their offense getting shut out.The Royals moved 2 1/2 games ahead of AL Central-rival Minnesota for the second wild-card spot.The Twins had a chance to strike in the first inning, and finally build some momentum after dropping four of the first six games on their seven-game trip. But Jose Miranda, who had singled, was thrown out by about a foot trying to score on Trevor Larnach's double, and Royce Lewis eventually struck out to end the inning.Their only other hits off Wacha came from Christian Vázquez leading off the third and sixth, and both times the right-hander was able to get a double play to prevent a runner from even reaching second base again.When the Royals got their chance, they took advantage of it.MJ Melendez drew a walk leading off the fifth, and Freddy Fermin and Maikel Garcia followed with singles to load the bases for Hampson, who hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field. And when Tommy Pham walked to load the bases again, Perez followed with an RBI dribbler that traveled all of 80 feet down the third-base line for the only other run of the game.<h2>Trainer's room</h2>Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (left hamstring strain) is scheduled for a rehab appearance for Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday. He's been out since Aug. 27. ... LHP Will Smith (back spasms) threw a bullpen session Saturday and is “progressing fine,” manager Matt Quatraro said. He went on the injured list Aug. 26.<h2>Next up</h2>Kansas City: RHP Brady Singer (9-10, 3.35) opens a three-game set against the Yankees on Monday night in New York.

Wacha tosses 7 innings of 4-hit ball, Royals complete sweep of Twins

The Barton Community College women's soccer team's six-hour drive to Sioux City, Iowa, resulted in a 3-1 victory at Western Iowa Tech.

The Cougars put a solo tally on the board in the first half but had to fend off the Division II Comets' upset bid with a pair unanswered net shakers in the a four minute span in picking up the non-conference victory.

Barton improves to 3-1-1 on the season with WIT dropping to 1-3.

Next up is another long trip on Wednesday traveling to 12th ranked Kansas City Kansas Community College for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff.

<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/aguirre_lancheros_sara_mg6s">Sara Aguirre Lancheros</a>&nbsp;got the Cougars on the board first with 31:18 left in the opening half, putting away&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/guillou_orlane_y1ap">Orlane Guillou</a>&nbsp;third collegiate assist with a 25-yard laser to the upper-90 for her 4th of the year.

The Comets produced the equalizer fifteen minutes after the intermission off a breakaway with an eventual loose ball being sent in from just outside the eighteen to the far post beyond&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/tanaka_mio_fiw7">Mio Tanaka</a>'s diving effort.

Five minutes later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/jolly_fiona_g347">Fiona Jolly</a>'s backside mid-air strike sent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">Leticia Quadros</a>' corner kick to the back of the net for her 4th of the year and delivering Quadros' first assist of the season.

With the momentum swung back to the Cougars, four minutes later it was the creativeness from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/burnier_candice_9y4m">Candice Burnier</a>'s soft touch flick over the keeper in fielding&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/methman_kayla_tv0d">Kayla Methman</a>'s throw-in pushing the lead to a two-goal advantage with twenty minutes remaining. For Burnier it was her second of the season while Methman chalked up her team leading 5th assist.

Scoring: 13:42:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/aguirre_lancheros_sara_mg6s">Sara Aguirre Lancheros</a>&nbsp;(4); Assist:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/guillou_orlane_y1ap">Orlane Guillou</a>&nbsp;(3)

65:48:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/jolly_fiona_g347">Fiona Jolly</a>&nbsp;(4); Assist:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">Leticia Q</a><a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">uadros</a>&nbsp;(1)

69:00:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/burnier_candice_9y4m">Candice Burnier</a>&nbsp;(2); Assist:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/methman_kayla_tv0d">Kayla Methman</a>&nbsp;(5)

The Barton Community College women's soccer team's six-hour drive to Sioux City, Iowa, resulted in a 3-1 victory at Western Iowa Tech.The Cougars put a solo tally on the board in the first half but had to fend off the Division II Comets' upset bid with a pair unanswered net shakers in the a four minute span in picking up the non-conference victory.Barton improves to 3-1-1 on the season with WIT dropping to 1-3.Next up is another long trip on Wednesday traveling to 12th ranked Kansas City Kansas Community College for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff.<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/aguirre_lancheros_sara_mg6s">Sara Aguirre Lancheros</a>&nbsp;got the Cougars on the board first with 31:18 left in the opening half, putting away&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/guillou_orlane_y1ap">Orlane Guillou</a>&nbsp;third collegiate assist with a 25-yard laser to the upper-90 for her 4th of the year.The Comets produced the equalizer fifteen minutes after the intermission off a breakaway with an eventual loose ball being sent in from just outside the eighteen to the far post beyond&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/tanaka_mio_fiw7">Mio Tanaka</a>'s diving effort.Five minutes later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/jolly_fiona_g347">Fiona Jolly</a>'s backside mid-air strike sent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">Leticia Quadros</a>' corner kick to the back of the net for her 4th of the year and delivering Quadros' first assist of the season.With the momentum swung back to the Cougars, four minutes later it was the creativeness from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/burnier_candice_9y4m">Candice Burnier</a>'s soft touch flick over the keeper in fielding&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/methman_kayla_tv0d">Kayla Methman</a>'s throw-in pushing the lead to a two-goal advantage with twenty minutes remaining. For Burnier it was her second of the season while Methman chalked up her team leading 5th assist.Scoring: 13:42:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/aguirre_lancheros_sara_mg6s">Sara Aguirre Lancheros</a>&nbsp;(4); Assist:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/guillou_orlane_y1ap">Orlane Guillou</a>&nbsp;(3)60:00: Western Iowa Tech65:48:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/jolly_fiona_g347">Fiona Jolly</a>&nbsp;(4); Assist:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">Leticia Q</a><a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">uadros</a>&nbsp;(1)69:00:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/burnier_candice_9y4m">Candice Burnier</a>&nbsp;(2); Assist:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/methman_kayla_tv0d">Kayla Methman</a>&nbsp;(5)