MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State is favored to play for a Big 12 title for the second time in three years even without star power. The Wildcats are picked to finish second in the new-look league. Kansas State will be led by dynamic dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson, who may have the best chance of turning some heads nationally. Kansas State opens Aug. 31 against UT-Martin before a tough trip to Tulane. The Wildcats also play Big 12 newcomer Arizona in a non-league game before a tough stretch against BYU, Oklahoma State and Colorado.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels is expected to be healthy and ready when the Jayhawks open the season against Lindenwood on Aug. 29. That is good news for a program that hoped he would lead it to big things last season, only to watch as back trouble limited the dual-threat quarterback to just three games. The Jayhawks return plenty of stars from a team that won nine games, including the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Among them is Devin Neal, who is in sight of June Henley's school career rushing mark. The key to the season could be Oct. 26, when the Jayhawks play rival Kansas State, which is picked to finish second in the Big 12.

UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma State has a golden opportunity to establish itself as a dominant force in the new-look Big 12. The Cowboys return most of the talent from a 10-4 team that beat Oklahoma, reached the Big 12 title game and beat Texas A&amp;M in the Texas Bowl. Included is running back Ollie Gordon II. He finished seventh in the Heisman race last year. Now that Oklahoma and Texas are in the Southeastern Conference, Oklahoma State is poised to take another step. The Cowboys have 11 starters back on offense and 10 on defense.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Central Florida didn’t expect its transition to the Big 12 to be easy. The Knights won six games in their inaugural season in the conference, appeared in a bowl game for an eighth consecutive season and were a lot more competitive than a 3-6 league record might suggest. While that may not sound too bad, it wasn’t nearly good enough for coach Gus Malzahn and his players. The Knights have a new quarterback in Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson, and Malzahn thinks the experience his team gained a year ago will be beneficial as it tries to close the gap with the Big 12's top teams.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona made a rapid rise under coach Jedd Fisch, going from a school-record 20-game losing streak to 10 wins and a bowl victory in three years. Fisch is now at Washington and it’s Brent Brennan’s turn to keep the momentum going as the program shifts to the Big 12. The former San Jose State coach has the type of roster to continue the upward trajectory, with a quarterback who could end up being in the Heisman Trophy conversation and one of the nation’s best receivers. The defense has made vast improvements.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado Buffaloes begin Year 2 under coach Deion Sanders when they host FCS power North Dakota State. This season promises to be as entertaining as ever for Sanders and company, with celebrities galore sure to show up at Folsom Field along with pro scouts. After all, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are not only Heisman hopefuls but possible top NFL picks. The Buffaloes once again retooled their roster after a 4-8 season that began with a 3-0 start.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720809578231.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State is favored to play for a Big 12 title for the second time in three years even without star power. The Wildcats are picked to finish second in the new-look league. Kansas State will be led by dynamic dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson, who may have the best chance of turning some heads nationally. Kansas State opens Aug. 31 against UT-Martin before a tough trip to Tulane. The Wildcats also play Big 12 newcomer Arizona in a non-league game before a tough stretch against BYU, Oklahoma State and Colorado.LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels is expected to be healthy and ready when the Jayhawks open the season against Lindenwood on Aug. 29. That is good news for a program that hoped he would lead it to big things last season, only to watch as back trouble limited the dual-threat quarterback to just three games. The Jayhawks return plenty of stars from a team that won nine games, including the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Among them is Devin Neal, who is in sight of June Henley's school career rushing mark. The key to the season could be Oct. 26, when the Jayhawks play rival Kansas State, which is picked to finish second in the Big 12.UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma State has a golden opportunity to establish itself as a dominant force in the new-look Big 12. The Cowboys return most of the talent from a 10-4 team that beat Oklahoma, reached the Big 12 title game and beat Texas A&amp;M in the Texas Bowl. Included is running back Ollie Gordon II. He finished seventh in the Heisman race last year. Now that Oklahoma and Texas are in the Southeastern Conference, Oklahoma State is poised to take another step. The Cowboys have 11 starters back on offense and 10 on defense.ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Central Florida didn’t expect its transition to the Big 12 to be easy. The Knights won six games in their inaugural season in the conference, appeared in a bowl game for an eighth consecutive season and were a lot more competitive than a 3-6 league record might suggest. While that may not sound too bad, it wasn’t nearly good enough for coach Gus Malzahn and his players. The Knights have a new quarterback in Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson, and Malzahn thinks the experience his team gained a year ago will be beneficial as it tries to close the gap with the Big 12's top teams.TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona made a rapid rise under coach Jedd Fisch, going from a school-record 20-game losing streak to 10 wins and a bowl victory in three years. Fisch is now at Washington and it’s Brent Brennan’s turn to keep the momentum going as the program shifts to the Big 12. The former San Jose State coach has the type of roster to continue the upward trajectory, with a quarterback who could end up being in the Heisman Trophy conversation and one of the nation’s best receivers. The defense has made vast improvements.BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado Buffaloes begin Year 2 under coach Deion Sanders when they host FCS power North Dakota State. This season promises to be as entertaining as ever for Sanders and company, with celebrities galore sure to show up at Folsom Field along with pro scouts. After all, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are not only Heisman hopefuls but possible top NFL picks. The Buffaloes once again retooled their roster after a 4-8 season that began with a 3-0 start.

Optimism still running high for Wildcats, Jayhawks heading into football season

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bears cornerback Douglas Coleman III was immobilized on a stretcher and taken from Arrowhead Stadium in an ambulance on Thursday night after tackling the Chiefs’ Cornell Powell on the first play of the second half of their preseason game. The 26-year-old Coleman had his head up as he came darting in to make the tackle near the Chiefs sideline, but his neck bent awkwardly to the side and the former CFL standout went down on impact. Coleman lay motionless as trainers from both teams rushed onto the field to check on him, and they were soon joined by doctors as a medical cart also drove onto the field.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs and Creed Humphrey have agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension that makes him the highest-paid center in NFL history, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday night. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract had yet to be signed, said Humphrey will be guaranteed $50 million. Those numbers outpace both the total value of the five-year, $60 million deal the Saints signed with Erik McCoy and the $42 million in guarantees that Frank Ragnow got on his four-year, $54 million contract with the Lions.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — World No. 1 Nelly Korda shot 4-under 68 Friday to take a three-stroke clubhouse lead during the second round of the Women’s British Open in her quest for a second major title of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/british-open-nelly-korda-lilia-vu-e4359b808f430c6a8ee8da5d7df5fc2b">dominant year</a>&nbsp;for the American. Korda was bogey-free around the Old Course on another blustery day at St. Andrews, while picking up birdies at Nos. 17 and 18 for the second straight day and more at the par-5 No. 5 and No. 9 after starting on the 10th. Korda was 8 under for the tournament.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi ran the fourth-fastest 800 meters time in history Thursday at the first major track meet after the Paris Games. Wanyonyi clocked 1 minute, 41.11 seconds — 0.08 faster than his winning time in Paris two weeks ago — to tie Wilson Kipketer’s mark in 1997 that was a world record then.&nbsp; It was a fast early start to the storied Athletissima meet as the global Diamond League circuit resumed after a pause for the Olympics. Jakob Ingebrigtsen regained his authority in the men’s 1,500 — after a shocking fourth place in Paris — to beat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-track-hocker-kerr-ingebrigtsen-db9c2c2ce8c15801b29fb7c6e1b13e6f">Olympic champion Cole Hocker</a>&nbsp;by more than two seconds.

Thursday's Scores MLB&nbsp; American League

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bears cornerback Douglas Coleman III was immobilized on a stretcher and taken from Arrowhead Stadium in an ambulance on Thursday night after tackling the Chiefs’ Cornell Powell on the first play of the second half of their preseason game. The 26-year-old Coleman had his head up as he came darting in to make the tackle near the Chiefs sideline, but his neck bent awkwardly to the side and the former CFL standout went down on impact. Coleman lay motionless as trainers from both teams rushed onto the field to check on him, and they were soon joined by doctors as a medical cart also drove onto the field.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs and Creed Humphrey have agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension that makes him the highest-paid center in NFL history, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday night. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract had yet to be signed, said Humphrey will be guaranteed $50 million. Those numbers outpace both the total value of the five-year, $60 million deal the Saints signed with Erik McCoy and the $42 million in guarantees that Frank Ragnow got on his four-year, $54 million contract with the Lions.ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — World No. 1 Nelly Korda shot 4-under 68 Friday to take a three-stroke clubhouse lead during the second round of the Women’s British Open in her quest for a second major title of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/british-open-nelly-korda-lilia-vu-e4359b808f430c6a8ee8da5d7df5fc2b">dominant year</a>&nbsp;for the American. Korda was bogey-free around the Old Course on another blustery day at St. Andrews, while picking up birdies at Nos. 17 and 18 for the second straight day and more at the par-5 No. 5 and No. 9 after starting on the 10th. Korda was 8 under for the tournament.LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi ran the fourth-fastest 800 meters time in history Thursday at the first major track meet after the Paris Games. Wanyonyi clocked 1 minute, 41.11 seconds — 0.08 faster than his winning time in Paris two weeks ago — to tie Wilson Kipketer’s mark in 1997 that was a world record then.&nbsp; It was a fast early start to the storied Athletissima meet as the global Diamond League circuit resumed after a pause for the Olympics. Jakob Ingebrigtsen regained his authority in the men’s 1,500 — after a shocking fourth place in Paris — to beat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-track-hocker-kerr-ingebrigtsen-db9c2c2ce8c15801b29fb7c6e1b13e6f">Olympic champion Cole Hocker</a>&nbsp;by more than two seconds.Thursday's Scores MLB&nbsp; American LeagueNY Yankees 6, Cleveland 0Oakland 3, Tampa Bay 1Toronto 5, LA Angels 3Houston 6, Baltimore 0National LeagueWashington 8, Colorado 3St. Louis 3, Milwaukee 0Pittsburgh 7, Cincinnati 0Atlanta 3, Philadelphia 2NY Mets 8, San Diego 3InterleagueChicago Cubs 10, Detroit 2

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent ran for a touchdown on the opening drive of the Bears’ game against Kansas City on Thursday night, and Chicago went on to beat the Chiefs 34-21 in a preseason finale in which both teams sat nearly all their starters.

Bagent was 3 of 6 for 57 yards along with his TD run. The second-year pro has been competing with Brett Rypien, who took over late in the first quarter against Kansas City, for the job of backing up first overall draft pick Caleb Williams.

Reddy Steward picked off two passes for Chicago, bringing one back 48 yards for a touchdown, while Velus Jones had 13 carries for 111 yards and a score as the wide receiver-turned-running back made a case for the 53-man roster.

“The guys performed tonight. They performed not only in games but in practice,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “I’ve always said that, you see in the games what you see in practice every single day out there, and the guys are giving tremendous effort.”

The game was halted briefly after the first play of the second half, when Bears cornerback Douglas Coleman III made a tackle along the Kansas City sideline and was left motionless on the ground. He was tended to by doctors as players from both teams took a knee, and eventually was immobilized on a stretcher and driven out of Arrowhead Stadium.

“When I was on the field, over there on the Chiefs sideline, he was moving his limbs and gave us a thumbs-up,” Eberflus said, “so that was good to see. I don’t have anything more. He’s at the hospital right now being evaluated.”

Carson Steele had the most impressive night for the Chiefs. The undrafted rookie from UCLA made a good case to back up Isiah Pacheco, running four times for 50 yards. That included a 31-yard, tackle-breaking run to set up his own TD plunge.

Shortly before kickoff, the Chiefs agreed with Creed Humphrey on a four-year, $72 million extension, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The contract includes $50 million guaranteed, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the paperwork for the richest contract for a center in NFL history had yet to be signed.

Humphrey watched from the sideline along with Patrick Mahomes, with whom he built a fast rapport after he was chosen in the second round of the 2021 draft. They were joined by most of the Chiefs’ starters on both sides of the ball.

“Heck of a football player. Real good football player,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He started off that way, and he’s kept it going that way. We appreciate all he does, and we appreciate having him here for this year.”

Jaylen Watson was among the few regulars who played for Kansas City. The cornerback, who is competing for a starting job, is coming off a torn labrum in his shoulder that had kept him out of the first two preseason games.

DeAndre Carter, who is trying to nail down punt return duties for Chicago, did not help his cause in the second quarter, when he let a punt bounce off his foot at his own 9. Carter was bailed out by Steward’s pick a few plays later.

“Just trying to block the gunner, you know, and the ball had some great English,” Eberflus said. “Ended up getting knocked into it, and that’s just a part of it. It’s a muffed punt.”

INJURIES Bears: LT Larry Borom was carted off the field with a right ankle injury in the first quarter. He was in line to make the 53-man roster as the swing tackle. ... WR Nsimba Webster left with a groin injury.

Chiefs: LT Wanya Morris hurt his knee in the first quarter. He was beaten in camp by rookie Kingsley Suamataia for the starting job but was likely to make the team as a backup. “He’s going to be OK,” Reid said. “Give him some time here to rest up.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724418268074.png" alt="Chicago Bears safety Douglas Coleman III is treated on the field after being injured during Thursday's preseason NFL game against Kansas City. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffman)" />
 <figcaption>Chicago Bears safety Douglas Coleman III is treated on the field after being injured during Thursday's preseason NFL game against Kansas City. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffman)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent ran for a touchdown on the opening drive of the Bears’ game against Kansas City on Thursday night, and Chicago went on to beat the Chiefs 34-21 in a preseason finale in which both teams sat nearly all their starters.Bagent was 3 of 6 for 57 yards along with his TD run. The second-year pro has been competing with Brett Rypien, who took over late in the first quarter against Kansas City, for the job of backing up first overall draft pick Caleb Williams.Reddy Steward picked off two passes for Chicago, bringing one back 48 yards for a touchdown, while Velus Jones had 13 carries for 111 yards and a score as the wide receiver-turned-running back made a case for the 53-man roster.“The guys performed tonight. They performed not only in games but in practice,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “I’ve always said that, you see in the games what you see in practice every single day out there, and the guys are giving tremendous effort.”The game was halted briefly after the first play of the second half, when Bears cornerback Douglas Coleman III made a tackle along the Kansas City sideline and was left motionless on the ground. He was tended to by doctors as players from both teams took a knee, and eventually was immobilized on a stretcher and driven out of Arrowhead Stadium.“When I was on the field, over there on the Chiefs sideline, he was moving his limbs and gave us a thumbs-up,” Eberflus said, “so that was good to see. I don’t have anything more. He’s at the hospital right now being evaluated.”Carson Steele had the most impressive night for the Chiefs. The undrafted rookie from UCLA made a good case to back up Isiah Pacheco, running four times for 50 yards. That included a 31-yard, tackle-breaking run to set up his own TD plunge.Shortly before kickoff, the Chiefs agreed with Creed Humphrey on a four-year, $72 million extension, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The contract includes $50 million guaranteed, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the paperwork for the richest contract for a center in NFL history had yet to be signed.Humphrey watched from the sideline along with Patrick Mahomes, with whom he built a fast rapport after he was chosen in the second round of the 2021 draft. They were joined by most of the Chiefs’ starters on both sides of the ball.“Heck of a football player. Real good football player,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He started off that way, and he’s kept it going that way. We appreciate all he does, and we appreciate having him here for this year.”Jaylen Watson was among the few regulars who played for Kansas City. The cornerback, who is competing for a starting job, is coming off a torn labrum in his shoulder that had kept him out of the first two preseason games.DeAndre Carter, who is trying to nail down punt return duties for Chicago, did not help his cause in the second quarter, when he let a punt bounce off his foot at his own 9. Carter was bailed out by Steward’s pick a few plays later.“Just trying to block the gunner, you know, and the ball had some great English,” Eberflus said. “Ended up getting knocked into it, and that’s just a part of it. It’s a muffed punt.”INJURIES Bears: LT Larry Borom was carted off the field with a right ankle injury in the first quarter. He was in line to make the 53-man roster as the swing tackle. ... WR Nsimba Webster left with a groin injury.Chiefs: LT Wanya Morris hurt his knee in the first quarter. He was beaten in camp by rookie Kingsley Suamataia for the starting job but was likely to make the team as a backup. “He’s going to be OK,” Reid said. “Give him some time here to rest up.”

Bagent leads Chicago to 34-21 preseason win over Chiefs

- Great Bend Panther Football coach Erin Beck, along with players Daxton Minton and Trenton Kern

- "On the Prowl" with Mike Courson. Mike will talk with Eleanor Joiner, a freshman at Ellinwood High School who place third at nationals this summer on an 4x800 relay team at the meet held at Texas A&amp;M.

- Barton Men's and Women's Soccer coach Rafael Simmons

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Thursday 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/ELSjehmQjr4?si=4BgTcYd8jM4fSglx" 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 Football coach Erin Beck, along with players Daxton Minton and Trenton Kern- "On the Prowl" with Mike Courson. Mike will talk with Eleanor Joiner, a freshman at Ellinwood High School who place third at nationals this summer on an 4x800 relay team at the meet held at Texas A&amp;M.- Barton Men's and Women's Soccer coach Rafael Simmons- Thursday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

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* All games begin at 7pm unless noted - Home games in CAPSFri Sept. 6&nbsp; MACKSVILLEFri. Sept. 13&nbsp; @ VictoriaFri. Sept. 20&nbsp; LACROSSEFri. Sept. 27&nbsp; SOLOMONFri. Oct. 4&nbsp; @ GoesselFri. Oct. 11&nbsp; CANTON-GALVAFri. Oct. 18&nbsp; @ Little RiverFri. Oct. 25&nbsp; ELL-SALINEFri. Nov. 1 1st Round 8-Man DI Playoffs - TBA

2024 Central Plains Football Schedule

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver’s unconventional quarterback competition concluded Wednesday with one final plot twist when Broncos coach Sean Payton walked up to his QBs during warmups and informed them rookie Bo Nix had won the starting job.

“He smiled,” Payton said of the 12th overall pick out of Oregon and sixth QB selected in the 2024 NFL draft. “We were getting ready to practice, and that was it. You know, we didn’t have cake and candles or anything like that.”

Payton didn’t even share the news with the rest of his team when he gathered everyone after practice.

“I haven’t told the rest of the team yet,” Payton said. “Because I’m not going to spend meetings with the rest of the team on every one of these other positions.”

Besides, he said, “they’ve kind of seen this coming.”

Nix, who started an NCAA QB-record 61 times at Oregon and Auburn, has led the Broncos to scores on six of the seven drives he’s directed in the preseason and he’s been statistically one of the league’s best passers this month.

Payton said one of his resolutions for this year was having a better relationship with the local media, so he made sure not to leak the news of his decision to anyone in the national media.

But he did inform about 50 local military members participating at “USAA’s Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp” of his choice before taking the podium, saying he was in a hurry because he had to go announce Nix as his starter.

Payton wouldn’t discuss his plans at QB for Sunday’s exhibition finale against Arizona but chances are the two veterans he beat out will share that workload.

Nix isn’t a flashy sort, so he didn’t mind the manner in which he was informed he’d be the first rookie to start at quarterback for the Broncos since Hall of Famer John Elway in 1983.

“Yeah, he walked up and said he’s going to tell you guys (in the media) this afternoon. (So) let’s have a good practice,” Nix recounted.

“We all attacked every day like we were the starter,” Nix said. “So, if you with that mindset, when they tell you (you’re the starter) it shouldn’t change much because you’ve been practicing that way and that’s your daily habit.”

Nix thanked the two veterans he beat out: Zach Wilson, the 2021 second overall draft pick by the Jets, and Jarrett Stidham, who was at once a career backup and Denver’s incumbent by virtue of his two starts at the end of last season when Payton benched Russell Wilson.

In his second year in Payton’s system, Stidham got off to a quick start in the QB competition in July and Zach Wilson showed by far the best arm strength of the three. But Nix caught on — and caught up — quickly and he shined against the Colts and Packers in exhibition games and against Green Bay in a joint practice last week.

Nix has completed 77% of his passes for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions and a 116.7 passer rating in the preseason.

Payton said he was impressed by Nix’s quick processor and his ability to navigate a “dirty pocket” when the pass rush closes in, both attributes that will make him the 14th different player to start at the position since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired in 2016 shortly after Denver beat Carolina in Super Bowl 50.

“You saw in every game he played (at Oregon) a dirty picket, a quick plant step, ball out accurately. And for some guys that’s hard to do, they need a full stride and a clean pocket,” Payton said. “He became a tough sack because the ball is out. Now, you have to go be able to process very quickly, too. You saw that on film.”

The Broncos have yet to return to the playoffs since winning the franchise’s third Lombardi Trophy in Manning’s farewell game. They hope their QB carousel has finally stopped spinning.

Trevor Siemian (13-11) is the only full-time starter to have a winning record in the past eight years.

Also passing through Denver’s QB turnstile were Paxton Lynch (1-3), Brock Osweiler (0-4), Case Keenum (6-10), Joe Flacco (2-6), Brandon Allen (1-2), Jeff Driskel (0-1), Brett Rypien (2-1), Drew Lock (8-13), Teddy Bridgewater (7-7), Russell Wilson (11-19), and Stidham (1-1).

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver’s unconventional quarterback competition concluded Wednesday with one final plot twist when Broncos coach Sean Payton walked up to his QBs during warmups and informed them rookie Bo Nix had won the starting job.“He smiled,” Payton said of the 12th overall pick out of Oregon and sixth QB selected in the 2024 NFL draft. “We were getting ready to practice, and that was it. You know, we didn’t have cake and candles or anything like that.”Payton didn’t even share the news with the rest of his team when he gathered everyone after practice.“I haven’t told the rest of the team yet,” Payton said. “Because I’m not going to spend meetings with the rest of the team on every one of these other positions.”Besides, he said, “they’ve kind of seen this coming.”Nix, who started an NCAA QB-record 61 times at Oregon and Auburn, has led the Broncos to scores on six of the seven drives he’s directed in the preseason and he’s been statistically one of the league’s best passers this month.Payton said one of his resolutions for this year was having a better relationship with the local media, so he made sure not to leak the news of his decision to anyone in the national media.But he did inform about 50 local military members participating at “USAA’s Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp” of his choice before taking the podium, saying he was in a hurry because he had to go announce Nix as his starter.Payton wouldn’t discuss his plans at QB for Sunday’s exhibition finale against Arizona but chances are the two veterans he beat out will share that workload.Nix isn’t a flashy sort, so he didn’t mind the manner in which he was informed he’d be the first rookie to start at quarterback for the Broncos since Hall of Famer John Elway in 1983.“Yeah, he walked up and said he’s going to tell you guys (in the media) this afternoon. (So) let’s have a good practice,” Nix recounted.And Nix did just that.“We all attacked every day like we were the starter,” Nix said. “So, if you with that mindset, when they tell you (you’re the starter) it shouldn’t change much because you’ve been practicing that way and that’s your daily habit.”Nix thanked the two veterans he beat out: Zach Wilson, the 2021 second overall draft pick by the Jets, and Jarrett Stidham, who was at once a career backup and Denver’s incumbent by virtue of his two starts at the end of last season when Payton benched Russell Wilson.In his second year in Payton’s system, Stidham got off to a quick start in the QB competition in July and Zach Wilson showed by far the best arm strength of the three. But Nix caught on — and caught up — quickly and he shined against the Colts and Packers in exhibition games and against Green Bay in a joint practice last week.Nix has completed 77% of his passes for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions and a 116.7 passer rating in the preseason.Payton said he was impressed by Nix’s quick processor and his ability to navigate a “dirty pocket” when the pass rush closes in, both attributes that will make him the 14th different player to start at the position since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired in 2016 shortly after Denver beat Carolina in Super Bowl 50.“You saw in every game he played (at Oregon) a dirty picket, a quick plant step, ball out accurately. And for some guys that’s hard to do, they need a full stride and a clean pocket,” Payton said. “He became a tough sack because the ball is out. Now, you have to go be able to process very quickly, too. You saw that on film.”The Broncos have yet to return to the playoffs since winning the franchise’s third Lombardi Trophy in Manning’s farewell game. They hope their QB carousel has finally stopped spinning.Trevor Siemian (13-11) is the only full-time starter to have a winning record in the past eight years.Also passing through Denver’s QB turnstile were Paxton Lynch (1-3), Brock Osweiler (0-4), Case Keenum (6-10), Joe Flacco (2-6), Brandon Allen (1-2), Jeff Driskel (0-1), Brett Rypien (2-1), Drew Lock (8-13), Teddy Bridgewater (7-7), Russell Wilson (11-19), and Stidham (1-1).

Bo Nix wins Broncos’ starting QB job

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

Nick Sirianni was an assistant coach with the Chargers in 2017 when Austin Ekeler made the team following a strong performance in the final preseason game.

Ekeler now is in his eighth NFL season and first in Washington.

Sirianni, who is entering his fourth season as the Eagles head coach, used clips from Ekeler to motivate players going into Philadelphia’s preseason finale last year. He’ll try the same tactic before the Eagles face Minnesota on Saturday.

“Yeah, we’ll probably do something similar to that,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “But as far as the guys here, we had a good amount of undrafted free agents make it the last couple years.”

Sirianni cited Eagles punt returner Britain Covey, cornerback Josh Jobe and linebacker Ben VanSumeren.

The final preseason game is an opportunity for players on the bubble to impress coaches and earn a roster spot before Tuesday’s deadline for cuts. Late-round draft picks and undrafted rookies benefit most from the playing time.

Ekeler was an undrafted running back struggling to make the Chargers before he caught the coaching staff’s attention by gaining 108 yards combined rushing and receiving. He eventually worked up to a starting role and had 38 touchdowns rushing and receiving in 2021-22. The Commanders gave him a two-year, $11.4 million contract in free agency.

While young players battle for roster spots this weekend, several veteran players are on edge because they could be on the way out.

Here are five veteran players on the bubble:

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, a 2021 first-round pick by the New York Giants, helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl two years ago after they acquired him in a trade during the season. In a three-minute span in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 38-35 win over Philadelphia in the Super Bowl, Toney made two monumental plays. First, he caught a 5-yard TD pass that gave the Chiefs a 28-27 lead. Then, he returned a punt 65 yards to the Eagles 5 to set up another TD.

But Toney couldn’t build off that success. He struggled last season and was inactive from Week 15 through the playoffs and sat out Kansas City’s Super Bowl win over San Francisco. His most memorable play of the 2023 season was an offside penalty that negated a go-ahead TD that he scored off a lateral from Travis Kelce late in the fourth quarter of a loss to Buffalo.

The Chiefs added veteran wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and drafted Xavier Worthy in the first round to go with Rashee Rice. They also have Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson.

Cornerback James Bradberry was a second-team All-Pro in 2022, playing an important role in helping the Philadelphia Eagles reach the Super Bowl. He had a poor season last year and the Eagles moved him to safety after selecting cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the NFL draft.

Bradberry has earned praise from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio during camp but he’s still learning the position. The Eagles would take on about $15 million in dead cap money by releasing Bradberry but can spread that hit over two seasons with about $4.3 million counting against this season’s cap and the rest in 2025.

Quarterback Bailey Zappe has started eight games for the New England Patriots in his first two seasons, going 4-4. But Zappe’s future is likely elsewhere. Drake Maye was drafted to be the quarterback of the future and Jacoby Brissett was signed to provide veteran leadership. The Patriots also drafted Joe Milton in the sixth round to add depth.

New England has probably held onto Zappe to try to trade him, though there won’t be much of a market for him unless a team loses a backup.

Right tackle La’el Collins hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2022 because a knee injury forced him to miss last season. He finished the season on Dallas’ practice squad, returning to the Cowboys after starting 71 games for them from 2015-21 and spending 2022 with Cincinnati.

Buffalo signed Collins to be a swing backup for tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. But he has struggled in training camp and was moved to guard as a last option to earn a roster spot.

Safety Mike Edwards, who won Super Bowl rings with Tampa Bay and Kansas City, also is battling to make the Bills. He missed the spring with a shoulder injury and much of training camp with an ankle injury. Edwards was eased into practice this week and is fighting to make up for lost time. He does have $1.6 million guaranteed but the Bills would save $1.2 million on the salary cap if they cut him.

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football WriterNick Sirianni was an assistant coach with the Chargers in 2017 when Austin Ekeler made the team following a strong performance in the final preseason game.Ekeler now is in his eighth NFL season and first in Washington.Sirianni, who is entering his fourth season as the Eagles head coach, used clips from Ekeler to motivate players going into Philadelphia’s preseason finale last year. He’ll try the same tactic before the Eagles face Minnesota on Saturday.“Yeah, we’ll probably do something similar to that,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “But as far as the guys here, we had a good amount of undrafted free agents make it the last couple years.”Sirianni cited Eagles punt returner Britain Covey, cornerback Josh Jobe and linebacker Ben VanSumeren.The final preseason game is an opportunity for players on the bubble to impress coaches and earn a roster spot before Tuesday’s deadline for cuts. Late-round draft picks and undrafted rookies benefit most from the playing time.Ekeler was an undrafted running back struggling to make the Chargers before he caught the coaching staff’s attention by gaining 108 yards combined rushing and receiving. He eventually worked up to a starting role and had 38 touchdowns rushing and receiving in 2021-22. The Commanders gave him a two-year, $11.4 million contract in free agency.While young players battle for roster spots this weekend, several veteran players are on edge because they could be on the way out.Here are five veteran players on the bubble:Kadarius ToneyWide receiver Kadarius Toney, a 2021 first-round pick by the New York Giants, helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl two years ago after they acquired him in a trade during the season. In a three-minute span in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 38-35 win over Philadelphia in the Super Bowl, Toney made two monumental plays. First, he caught a 5-yard TD pass that gave the Chiefs a 28-27 lead. Then, he returned a punt 65 yards to the Eagles 5 to set up another TD.But Toney couldn’t build off that success. He struggled last season and was inactive from Week 15 through the playoffs and sat out Kansas City’s Super Bowl win over San Francisco. His most memorable play of the 2023 season was an offside penalty that negated a go-ahead TD that he scored off a lateral from Travis Kelce late in the fourth quarter of a loss to Buffalo.The Chiefs added veteran wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and drafted Xavier Worthy in the first round to go with Rashee Rice. They also have Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson.James BradberryCornerback James Bradberry was a second-team All-Pro in 2022, playing an important role in helping the Philadelphia Eagles reach the Super Bowl. He had a poor season last year and the Eagles moved him to safety after selecting cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the NFL draft.Bradberry has earned praise from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio during camp but he’s still learning the position. The Eagles would take on about $15 million in dead cap money by releasing Bradberry but can spread that hit over two seasons with about $4.3 million counting against this season’s cap and the rest in 2025.Bailey ZappeQuarterback Bailey Zappe has started eight games for the New England Patriots in his first two seasons, going 4-4. But Zappe’s future is likely elsewhere. Drake Maye was drafted to be the quarterback of the future and Jacoby Brissett was signed to provide veteran leadership. The Patriots also drafted Joe Milton in the sixth round to add depth.New England has probably held onto Zappe to try to trade him, though there won’t be much of a market for him unless a team loses a backup.La’el CollinsRight tackle La’el Collins hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2022 because a knee injury forced him to miss last season. He finished the season on Dallas’ practice squad, returning to the Cowboys after starting 71 games for them from 2015-21 and spending 2022 with Cincinnati.Buffalo signed Collins to be a swing backup for tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. But he has struggled in training camp and was moved to guard as a last option to earn a roster spot.Mike EdwardsSafety Mike Edwards, who won Super Bowl rings with Tampa Bay and Kansas City, also is battling to make the Bills. He missed the spring with a shoulder injury and much of training camp with an ankle injury. Edwards was eased into practice this week and is fighting to make up for lost time. He does have $1.6 million guaranteed but the Bills would save $1.2 million on the salary cap if they cut him.

Kadarius Toney headlines list of players on the roster bubble

AMERICAN LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GBNew
York	74	53	.583	—Baltimore	74	54	.578	½Boston	67	59	.532	6½Tampa
Bay	64	62	.508	9½Toronto	59	68	.465	15Central DivisionCleveland	73	53	.579	—Kansas
City	71	56	.559	2½Minnesota	71	56	.559	2½Detroit	62	65	.488	11½Chicago	31	97	.242	43West DivisionHouston	68	58	.540	—Seattle	64	64	.500	5Texas	59	69	.461	10Los
Angeles	54	73	.425	14½Oakland	54	73	.425	14½NATIONAL LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GBPhiladelphia	74	52	.587	—Atlanta	67	59	.532	7New
York	66	61	.520	8½Washington	57	70	.449	17½Miami	46	81	.362	28½Central DivisionMilwaukee	73	53	.579	—St.
Louis	62	64	.492	11Chicago	62	65	.488	11½Cincinnati	62	65	.488	11½Pittsburgh	59	67	.468	14West DivisionLos
Angeles	76	52	.594	—Arizona	72	56	.563	4San
Diego	72	56	.563	4San
Francisco	65	64	.504	11½

MLB Standings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen pitched seven shutout innings, MJ Melendez homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on Wednesday for their sixth win in seven games.

The Royals spoiled the season debut of Johnny Cueto (0-1), a 17-year veteran who helped Kansas City win the 2015 World Series.

Cueto hadn’t pitched in the majors since Sept. 27 last year with the Marlins. He signed a minor league contract with the Angels in July, and was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier Wednesday. He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings and left the mound to an ovation from the Kansas City crowd.

Lorenzen (7-6) allowed four hits, two walks, a hit batter and struck out five. He only allowed two runners to reach scoring position. Three of the four hits he allowed came in the first three innings.

“I wasn’t very happy with the first three innings. I was kind of spraying the ball all over the place, getting frustrated with myself,” Lorenzen said. “I guess I was able to make that adjustment and my pitch quality got a lot better.”

Lorenzen gave up a hit to Taylor Ward to lead off the game but got Zach Neto to ground into a double play.

“The double play the second hitter of the game, that was a big relief,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It was more of a mentality of let’s just attack here and not work the edges as much. He was on the attack more so after the first couple innings.”

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his sixth save and fourth with the Royals.

The Royals (71-56) remained tied with the Minnesota Twins for the second wild-card spot and moved to within 2.5 games of AL Central-leading Cleveland with their first home series win in a month.

The Royals put together a two-out rally in the second to grab a 2-0 lead. Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier singled, Maikel Garcia walked and Kyle Isbel hit a two-run double to the right-center gap.

“It was a five-pitch first and I think he had 12 pitches total in the second before we put those two runs up,” Quatraro said of Cueto. “He got a ton of ground balls. He was working the edges, he’s got the sinker. ... He elevated it too, so he pitched well.”

Melendez hit a two-out solo home run off the right-field foul pole in the sixth for a 3-0 lead.

“Obviously he’s got good stuff and he knows how to pitch,” Melendez said of facing Cueto. “He is able to disrupt your timing. He definitely knows what he’s doing up there. ... You just have to stay locked in and stay within yourself and not try to do too much against him.”

Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. That’s Witt’s fifth hitting streak of 10 or more games this season.

The Angels optioned RHP Hans Crouse to Triple-A Salt Lake City to make room for Cueto. They also released RHP Jose Cisneros to add Cueto to the 40-man roster.

The Angels have not announced a starter for the series opener at Toronto Thursday. ... Michael Wacha (10-6, 3.33 ERA) will start for the Royals at home against Philadelphia on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724320302968.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen pitched seven shutout innings, MJ Melendez homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on Wednesday for their sixth win in seven games.The Royals spoiled the season debut of Johnny Cueto (0-1), a 17-year veteran who helped Kansas City win the 2015 World Series.Cueto hadn’t pitched in the majors since Sept. 27 last year with the Marlins. He signed a minor league contract with the Angels in July, and was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier Wednesday. He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings and left the mound to an ovation from the Kansas City crowd.Lorenzen (7-6) allowed four hits, two walks, a hit batter and struck out five. He only allowed two runners to reach scoring position. Three of the four hits he allowed came in the first three innings.“I wasn’t very happy with the first three innings. I was kind of spraying the ball all over the place, getting frustrated with myself,” Lorenzen said. “I guess I was able to make that adjustment and my pitch quality got a lot better.”Lorenzen gave up a hit to Taylor Ward to lead off the game but got Zach Neto to ground into a double play.“The double play the second hitter of the game, that was a big relief,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It was more of a mentality of let’s just attack here and not work the edges as much. He was on the attack more so after the first couple innings.”John Schreiber pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his sixth save and fourth with the Royals.The Royals (71-56) remained tied with the Minnesota Twins for the second wild-card spot and moved to within 2.5 games of AL Central-leading Cleveland with their first home series win in a month.The Royals put together a two-out rally in the second to grab a 2-0 lead. Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier singled, Maikel Garcia walked and Kyle Isbel hit a two-run double to the right-center gap.“It was a five-pitch first and I think he had 12 pitches total in the second before we put those two runs up,” Quatraro said of Cueto. “He got a ton of ground balls. He was working the edges, he’s got the sinker. ... He elevated it too, so he pitched well.”Melendez hit a two-out solo home run off the right-field foul pole in the sixth for a 3-0 lead.“Obviously he’s got good stuff and he knows how to pitch,” Melendez said of facing Cueto. “He is able to disrupt your timing. He definitely knows what he’s doing up there. ... You just have to stay locked in and stay within yourself and not try to do too much against him.”Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. That’s Witt’s fifth hitting streak of 10 or more games this season.ROSTER MOVESThe Angels optioned RHP Hans Crouse to Triple-A Salt Lake City to make room for Cueto. They also released RHP Jose Cisneros to add Cueto to the 40-man roster.UP NEXTThe Angels have not announced a starter for the series opener at Toronto Thursday. ... Michael Wacha (10-6, 3.33 ERA) will start for the Royals at home against Philadelphia on Friday.

Michael Lorenzen's strong start leads Royals over Angels 3-0

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Michael Lorenzen pitched seven shutout innings, MJ Melendez
homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on
Wednesday for their sixth win in seven games. The Royals spoiled the
season debut of Johnny Cueto, a 17-year veteran who helped Kansas
City win the 2015 World Series. He allowed three runs on eight hits
and two walks in 6 1/3 innings and left the mound to an ovation from
the Kansas City crowd. Lorenzen allowed four hits, two walks, a hit
batter and struck out five. Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn
his sixth save and fourth with the Royals.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Nolan Arenado hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to give the St.
Louis Cardinals a 10-6 comeback victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Arenado’s fifth career walk-off homer and sixth career grand slam
gave the Cardinals their second win in their last eight games and
snapped the Brewers’ six-game winning streak. The Brewers led 6-4
after Joey Ortiz’s two-run double in the eighth inning. But the
Cardinals capitalized on Devin Williams’ control issues. Williams
hit Willson Contreras to start the ninth and St. Louis tied the game
at 6-all with bases loaded walks to Matt Carpenter and Tommy Pham.
Ryan Helsley (5-4) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Pinch-hitter Jesse Winker led off the ninth inning with his first
home run for the New York Mets, giving them another rousing 4-3
victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Mets starter Sean Manaea retired
his first 17 batters and Mark Vientos put New York ahead 3-2 with a
solo homer in the seventh. Francisco Lindor also went deep and J.D.
Martinez drove in a run with a grounder to help the Mets take two of
three in the series. Austin Slater had a two-run homer for the
Orioles. In the series opener Monday night, it was Francisco
Alvarez’s solo homer in the ninth that gave the Mets a 4-3 victory.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.
(AP) — Rookie Bo Nix was informed Wednesday that he'd won the
Denver Broncos' starting quarterback job. That means he'll be the
14th different player to start at quarterback for the Broncos since
Peyton Manning retired in 2016. Nix was the 12th player and sixth
quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft. He started 61 games at
Auburn and Oregon, which is the most by a quarterback in NCAA
history. Nix beat out incumbent Jarrett Stidham and trade acquisition
Zach Wilson, whom the Broncos acquired from the New York Jets in
April.

CLEVELAND (AP) —
Deshaun Watson is dealing with what the Browns describe as “general
arm soreness.” That development could impact whether Cleveland’s
quarterback makes his preseason debut this week. The Browns stopped
Watson from throwing during Wednesday’s practice. Coach Kevin
Stefanski said he's not "overly concerned” by the soreness.
Watson had shoulder surgery in November to repair a fracture that
ended his second season with Cleveland after six starts. Stefanski
has not decided if or how much Watson will play on Saturday when the
Browns visit Seattle Seahawks. Also, Browns running back Pierre
Strong Jr. has been released from a hospital after suffering a rib
injury in practice.

UNDATED (AP) — The
impact of the NCAA ruling granting an extra year of eligibility as a
result of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season remains apparent four
years later as players extend their college careers into their
mid-20s.Hundreds of Football Bowl Subdivision players are in their
sixth season of eligibility and dozens are in their seventh year or
later. Miami tight end Cam McCormick is entering his ninth season of
eligibility at the age of 26. No. 17 Oklahoma State has two
seventh-year players in quarterback Alan Bowman and linebacker Justin
Wright. Fourteen other Oklahoma State players are entering their
sixth seasons.

UNDATED (AP) —
Superconferences and a 12-team College Football Playoff make this
season more difficult to predict than ever, but we’ll give it a
shot anyway. Georgia and Ohio State appear to be the closest thing to
locks. The Southeastern Conference could have a third of the field,
and still not get Alabama in. There will be some surprises, too.
Wisconsin and Virginia Tech, anybody?

CASTLE ROCK, Colo.
(AP) — Scottie Scheffler could have skipped the BMW Championship.
He already is practically assured of the top seed going to the FedEx
Cup finale this week. Castle Pines is not only at mile-high altitude
south of Denver, it's new to 48 out of the 50 players in the field.
But Scheffler is setting his sights on another trophy. He already has
six of them this year, along with an Olympic gold medal. At stake for
the other 50 players is making sure they get into the top 30 in the
FedEx Cup and qualify for the season finale.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) —
Bobby Hurley is returning to Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium for a
charity exhibition game with his Arizona State basketball team. The
Sun Devils and Blue Devils will play the game on Oct. 27 with
benefits going to the Duke Children’s Hospital. Hurley won two
national championships and was a first-team All-American under former
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski from 1989-93. Hurley is still the NCAA’s
all-time assists leader with 1,076. Hurley has spent the past nine
seasons coaching at Arizona State.

Final	Chicago White
Sox	6	San Francisco	2	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723542041782.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Michael Lorenzen pitched seven shutout innings, MJ Melendez
homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on
Wednesday for their sixth win in seven games. The Royals spoiled the
season debut of Johnny Cueto, a 17-year veteran who helped Kansas
City win the 2015 World Series. He allowed three runs on eight hits
and two walks in 6 1/3 innings and left the mound to an ovation from
the Kansas City crowd. Lorenzen allowed four hits, two walks, a hit
batter and struck out five. Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn
his sixth save and fourth with the Royals.ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Nolan Arenado hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to give the St.
Louis Cardinals a 10-6 comeback victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Arenado’s fifth career walk-off homer and sixth career grand slam
gave the Cardinals their second win in their last eight games and
snapped the Brewers’ six-game winning streak. The Brewers led 6-4
after Joey Ortiz’s two-run double in the eighth inning. But the
Cardinals capitalized on Devin Williams’ control issues. Williams
hit Willson Contreras to start the ninth and St. Louis tied the game
at 6-all with bases loaded walks to Matt Carpenter and Tommy Pham.
Ryan Helsley (5-4) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win.NEW YORK (AP) —
Pinch-hitter Jesse Winker led off the ninth inning with his first
home run for the New York Mets, giving them another rousing 4-3
victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Mets starter Sean Manaea retired
his first 17 batters and Mark Vientos put New York ahead 3-2 with a
solo homer in the seventh. Francisco Lindor also went deep and J.D.
Martinez drove in a run with a grounder to help the Mets take two of
three in the series. Austin Slater had a two-run homer for the
Orioles. In the series opener Monday night, it was Francisco
Alvarez’s solo homer in the ninth that gave the Mets a 4-3 victory.ENGLEWOOD, Colo.
(AP) — Rookie Bo Nix was informed Wednesday that he'd won the
Denver Broncos' starting quarterback job. That means he'll be the
14th different player to start at quarterback for the Broncos since
Peyton Manning retired in 2016. Nix was the 12th player and sixth
quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft. He started 61 games at
Auburn and Oregon, which is the most by a quarterback in NCAA
history. Nix beat out incumbent Jarrett Stidham and trade acquisition
Zach Wilson, whom the Broncos acquired from the New York Jets in
April.CLEVELAND (AP) —
Deshaun Watson is dealing with what the Browns describe as “general
arm soreness.” That development could impact whether Cleveland’s
quarterback makes his preseason debut this week. The Browns stopped
Watson from throwing during Wednesday’s practice. Coach Kevin
Stefanski said he's not "overly concerned” by the soreness.
Watson had shoulder surgery in November to repair a fracture that
ended his second season with Cleveland after six starts. Stefanski
has not decided if or how much Watson will play on Saturday when the
Browns visit Seattle Seahawks. Also, Browns running back Pierre
Strong Jr. has been released from a hospital after suffering a rib
injury in practice.UNDATED (AP) — The
impact of the NCAA ruling granting an extra year of eligibility as a
result of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season remains apparent four
years later as players extend their college careers into their
mid-20s.Hundreds of Football Bowl Subdivision players are in their
sixth season of eligibility and dozens are in their seventh year or
later. Miami tight end Cam McCormick is entering his ninth season of
eligibility at the age of 26. No. 17 Oklahoma State has two
seventh-year players in quarterback Alan Bowman and linebacker Justin
Wright. Fourteen other Oklahoma State players are entering their
sixth seasons.UNDATED (AP) —
Superconferences and a 12-team College Football Playoff make this
season more difficult to predict than ever, but we’ll give it a
shot anyway. Georgia and Ohio State appear to be the closest thing to
locks. The Southeastern Conference could have a third of the field,
and still not get Alabama in. There will be some surprises, too.
Wisconsin and Virginia Tech, anybody?CASTLE ROCK, Colo.
(AP) — Scottie Scheffler could have skipped the BMW Championship.
He already is practically assured of the top seed going to the FedEx
Cup finale this week. Castle Pines is not only at mile-high altitude
south of Denver, it's new to 48 out of the 50 players in the field.
But Scheffler is setting his sights on another trophy. He already has
six of them this year, along with an Olympic gold medal. At stake for
the other 50 players is making sure they get into the top 30 in the
FedEx Cup and qualify for the season finale.DURHAM, N.C. (AP) —
Bobby Hurley is returning to Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium for a
charity exhibition game with his Arizona State basketball team. The
Sun Devils and Blue Devils will play the game on Oct. 27 with
benefits going to the Duke Children’s Hospital. Hurley won two
national championships and was a first-team All-American under former
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski from 1989-93. Hurley is still the NCAA’s
all-time assists leader with 1,076. Hurley has spent the past nine
seasons coaching at Arizona State.WEDNESDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	N.Y.
Mets	4	Baltimore	3	Final	Texas	1	Pittsburgh	0	Final	Chicago White
Sox	6	San Francisco	2	Final	Minnesota	11	San
Diego	4	Final	Cincinnati	11	Toronto	7	Final	Detroit	8	Chicago
Cubs	2	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	8	Seattle	4	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Boston	4	Houston	1	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	8	Cleveland	1	Final	Kansas
City	3	L.A. Angels	0	Final	Tampa
Bay	4	Oakland	2	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Washington	6	Colorado	1	Final	Philadelphia	3	Atlanta	2	Final	Arizona	10	Miami	8

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

* All games begin at 7pm unless noted. Home games are in CAPS

Fri. Nov. 1&nbsp; Class 1A Playoffs - TBA

* All games begin at 7pm unless noted. Home games are in CAPSFri. Sept. 6&nbsp; SYRACUSEFri. Sept. 13&nbsp; HERINGTONFri. Sept. 20&nbsp; @ Stanton CountyFri. Sept. 27&nbsp; @ SterlingFri. Oct. 4&nbsp; SOUTH SUMNERFri. Oct. 11 @ Hutch-TrinityFri. Oct. 18&nbsp; @ Conway SpringsFri. Oct.&nbsp; 25 MEDICINE LODGEFri. Nov. 1&nbsp; Class 1A Playoffs - TBA

2024 Ellinwood Eagle Football Schedule

- Great Bend High School Volleyball coach Shelly Duvall

- "Voice of the K-State Wildcats" Wyatt Thompson

- "Voice of the FHSU Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Wednesday show lineup with Hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher." />
 <figcaption>Wednesday 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/dCTT-1OSO5I?si=W_47YEoSbeKoBlKu" 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 High School Volleyball coach Shelly Duvall- "Voice of the K-State Wildcats" Wyatt Thompson- "Voice of the FHSU Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock- Wednesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Wednesday on Sports Day (Watch)

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska football program posted a picture of Dylan Raiola moving into his dormitory on one of its social media platforms and it was viewed nearly 14 million times in a week. His hairstyle and sunglasses prompted a flood of comments about how much he resembled Patrick Mahomes.

The anecdote illustrates the excitement and expectations for the highest-rated recruit in program history among a fan base that's endured seven straight losing seasons, the Cornhuskers' worst stretch since the 1940s.

Raiola was the nation's No. 1 or 2 quarterback prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, and he had pledged to Ohio State and Georgia before he flipped to Nebraska in December. Anticipation has been building since. On Wednesday, he was named the starter for the Aug. 31 opener against UTEP.

How does the son of Nebraska All-America center Dominic Raiola tune out the noise?

“First, my faith,” he said. “I wake up every morning, give my devotion, and it sets your day off right and you protect yourself from the world. And then I have great parents that have raised me correctly and have taught me the way to act and how to be around people and keep the distractions out.”

It also helps that his uncle, Donovan Raiola, is the offensive line coach and his sister, Taylor, is a graduate manager for football recruiting.

“To have family in the building is very comforting,” Dylan said.

As for similarities between Mahomes and Raiola, both wear jersey No. 15, and Raiola has trained with Mahomes' longtime personal coach, Jeff Christensen. Raiola said it's cool if fans want to say he looks like Mahomes. He said he can only aspire to play like him.

“Just try to do my thing," he said, pausing. “My hair? I guess it looks like his.”

The Huskers haven't won more than five games since 2016. They had four losses by three points while going 5-7 last year.

“If I say 10-2 is good, or 8-4, I'm telling you I think we're going to lose four games,” coach Matt Rhule said. “I want to go out and try to win every game. So I guess what I’m saying to you is I expect us to be a really good team. If we’re 5-7 again, that’s not going to be enough.”

The list of priorities begins with cutting down on turnovers, an issue that carried over from the Scott Frost regime. The Huskers' 50 turnovers since 2022 are most among power-conference teams. Their 15 lost fumbles last year were most in the nation, and their minus-17 turnover margin was second worst.

“Having a minus-17 turnover ratio ... We might have won nine games, and I don't think we were necessarily a nine-win team," Rhule said. "That speaks to a lot of good things we did, but one thing messed it up. And so we’ll fix it.”

The most improved position should be receiver, where the Huskers added transfers Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor. Each has one year of eligibility.

Banks recorded more than 100 catches and 1,400 receiving yards in four seasons at Wake Forest. Last year he caught 59 balls for a team-high 653 yards and four touchdowns.

Neyor was one of the top receivers in the Mountain West for Wyoming in 2021. He transferred to Texas and missed 2022 because of injury and appeared in just one game last season.

Freshman Carter Nelson, who played tight end in high school, has moved to receiver and is in line for significant playing time. Tight end Thomas Fidone is set to build on a solid 2023.

Isaac Gifford, the Huskers' leading tackler last year, leads a veteran defense under coordinator Tony White. He said he returned for a fifth season rather than declare for the NFL draft because his work is not done at Nebraska.

The Gifford name has been part of the program for most of the last 10 years. Luke was a linebacker at Nebraska from 2014-18 and now plays for the Tennessee Titans.

“Since I’ve been here, it’s to get Nebraska to the place where everybody respects you,” Isaac said. “And that’s what we’re going to get done.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724259985606.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;FILE - Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola throws passes for teammates during the NCAA college football team's NFL Pro Day, March 20, 2024 in Lincoln, Neb. (Anna Reed/Omaha World-Herald via AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;FILE - Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola throws passes for teammates during the NCAA college football team's NFL Pro Day, March 20, 2024 in Lincoln, Neb. (Anna Reed/Omaha World-Herald via AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska football program posted a picture of Dylan Raiola moving into his dormitory on one of its social media platforms and it was viewed nearly 14 million times in a week. His hairstyle and sunglasses prompted a flood of comments about how much he resembled Patrick Mahomes.The anecdote illustrates the excitement and expectations for the highest-rated recruit in program history among a fan base that's endured seven straight losing seasons, the Cornhuskers' worst stretch since the 1940s.Raiola was the nation's No. 1 or 2 quarterback prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, and he had pledged to Ohio State and Georgia before he flipped to Nebraska in December. Anticipation has been building since. On Wednesday, he was named the starter for the Aug. 31 opener against UTEP.How does the son of Nebraska All-America center Dominic Raiola tune out the noise?“First, my faith,” he said. “I wake up every morning, give my devotion, and it sets your day off right and you protect yourself from the world. And then I have great parents that have raised me correctly and have taught me the way to act and how to be around people and keep the distractions out.”It also helps that his uncle, Donovan Raiola, is the offensive line coach and his sister, Taylor, is a graduate manager for football recruiting.“To have family in the building is very comforting,” Dylan said.As for similarities between Mahomes and Raiola, both wear jersey No. 15, and Raiola has trained with Mahomes' longtime personal coach, Jeff Christensen. Raiola said it's cool if fans want to say he looks like Mahomes. He said he can only aspire to play like him.“Just try to do my thing," he said, pausing. “My hair? I guess it looks like his.”Can Nebraska improve?The Huskers haven't won more than five games since 2016. They had four losses by three points while going 5-7 last year.“If I say 10-2 is good, or 8-4, I'm telling you I think we're going to lose four games,” coach Matt Rhule said. “I want to go out and try to win every game. So I guess what I’m saying to you is I expect us to be a really good team. If we’re 5-7 again, that’s not going to be enough.”Those pesky turnoversThe list of priorities begins with cutting down on turnovers, an issue that carried over from the Scott Frost regime. The Huskers' 50 turnovers since 2022 are most among power-conference teams. Their 15 lost fumbles last year were most in the nation, and their minus-17 turnover margin was second worst.“Having a minus-17 turnover ratio ... We might have won nine games, and I don't think we were necessarily a nine-win team," Rhule said. "That speaks to a lot of good things we did, but one thing messed it up. And so we’ll fix it.”Upgraded receiving corpsThe most improved position should be receiver, where the Huskers added transfers Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor. Each has one year of eligibility.Banks recorded more than 100 catches and 1,400 receiving yards in four seasons at Wake Forest. Last year he caught 59 balls for a team-high 653 yards and four touchdowns.Neyor was one of the top receivers in the Mountain West for Wyoming in 2021. He transferred to Texas and missed 2022 because of injury and appeared in just one game last season.Freshman Carter Nelson, who played tight end in high school, has moved to receiver and is in line for significant playing time. Tight end Thomas Fidone is set to build on a solid 2023.It's about respectIsaac Gifford, the Huskers' leading tackler last year, leads a veteran defense under coordinator Tony White. He said he returned for a fifth season rather than declare for the NFL draft because his work is not done at Nebraska.The Gifford name has been part of the program for most of the last 10 years. Luke was a linebacker at Nebraska from 2014-18 and now plays for the Tennessee Titans.“Since I’ve been here, it’s to get Nebraska to the place where everybody respects you,” Isaac said. “And that’s what we’re going to get done.”The schedule

Nebraska turns to star QB recruit to pull program out of tailspin

By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer

Marc Smith was relaxing in his basement when he got an alert on his phone. An athlete at his alma mater, Grambling State, had posted on social media about not having enough food and needing help.

That incident led Smith to form the Icon 1901 Collective in April 2022 to help Grambling athletes land paid endorsement deals at the school best known for iconic football coach Eddie Robinson. Smith searched and couldn't find a single historically Black college or university with a collective focused on name, image or likeness compensation so he expanded Icon 1901 to represent HBCU athletes elsewhere as well.

“These kids want to be inclusive in the NIL space and many of the universities don’t have the resources,” Smith said.

Outside the biggest and wealthiest athletic programs, the financial strain of offering robust NIL options to college athletes is a constant concern and is often especially pronounced at HBCUs. The four major HBCU conferences recently agreed to work together to increase the value of HBCUs and send more athletes to the pros, but now there is a new wrinkle.

The mammoth $2.8 billion antitrust settlement agreed to by the NCAA and the biggest conferences in the nation includes the prospect of schools paying athletes directly starting as early as 2025. Revenue sharing is a new and daunting factor for all schools with modest resources, including HBCUs.

“There may be some questions about how are they going to be able to navigate this, but if past experience is any indication they will find a will and a way based on alumni coming together to figure out a way to push these institutions forward,” said Texas Southern Professor J. Kenyatta Cavil, who studies HBCU athletics.

Only a handful of Black colleges have NIL collectives to help arrange deals for athletes, though efforts have grown in the past year or so as alumni have rallied and in the wake of Deion Sanders' football coaching tenure at Jackson State.

Many HBCU schools don’t rake in nearly as much money from sports as their Championship Subdivision peers. Out of 64 FCS schools, none reported less total athletic revenue in 2023 than Mississippi Valley State’s $4.8 million, according to Knight-Newhouse. Eight of the bottom 11 were HBCUs.

Alcorn State, like Grambling and Mississippi Valley part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, reported $7.9 million. That compares to James Madison’s $68 million at the top of the list (not acounting Ivy League schools).

SWAC Commissioner Charles McClelland said he doesn’t know what the athletics landscape will look like down the road. But he knows big-money schools and conferences don’t either, and that whatever happens will ultimately trickle down to his league and the rest of the FCS.

The SWAC and Southeastern Conference are both headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. That affords McClelland and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey chances to meet and discuss the potential changes.

“One thing he said to me, he said, ‘Charles, we have the same problems. There might just be differences in zeroes at the end of those problems. We’re all in this thing together,’” McClelland said. “We have to share ideas. And what better opportunity to learn and grow than to share ideas with the SEC from the Southwestern Athletic Conference standpoint?"

Prairie View A&amp;M football coach Bubba McDowell said his SWAC program lost a half-dozen top players because of NIL money. His school didn’t have it, others did. He is leery of what revenue sharing might do to recruiting and retention of players at HBCUs.

“It’s going to hurt big time,” McDowell said. “That’s what these kids are looking for and that’s what society has done for these young men. I’m not against that. I’ve said from Day 1, if we’re going to do this thing, let’s do it the right way. We just still haven’t figured out how to do it the right way.”

McDowell and his SWAC peers are realistic. Unless their name is Sanders, now at Colorado, top recruits were likely headed elsewhere anyway.

Now they are also more likely to develop and then lose players who are missed or not recruited by bigger programs out of high school. Alabama State coach Eddie Robinson Jr. (no relation to the former Grambling coach) went from a walk-on with the Hornets to a second-round NFL draft pick at the same school.

The Hornets' leading receiver, Kisean Johnson, left for Western Kentucky after last season.

“We’re still looking for the same type of kid," Robinson said. "It’s just a matter of can we hold on to them once they develop into that player. That’s kind of the part that you don’t like.”

There's no denying the tradition and passionate fan bases of HBCUs. The Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern drew nearly 65,000 fans to the Superdome in New Orleans last season. The Magic City Classic pitting Alabama State and Alabama A&amp;M brought 52,000-plus to Legion Field in Birmingham.

“I think once you become part of the HBCU family you’re going to go to all of those big games and it’s more than just, ‘I went 2,000 miles away from home, I got a big check and then I never go back to the school again,’” Robinson said. “Once you start coming to Alabama State, you come to the Magic City Classic, you’re going to be 50 years old coming back to the Magic City Classic. It’s going to be part of what you do.”

Black colleges are hardly alone in their uncertainty about how to handle sharing revenue with athletes. Athletic directors below the Power Four leagues are grappling with three major financial topics: Less annual money from the NCAA because of the damages portion of the settlement; establishing the best options for a limited donor base so their school has a shot at landing athletes with NIL deals; and figuring out how much they can take on should their school decide to pay athletes.

“As a general sense, FCS football programs are struggling to retain talent because they do not have established NIL collectives or partners,” said Blake Lawrence, CEO of Opendorse.com, an NIL marketplace. “I think there’s a growing need for those programs in the HBCU and beyond to have a real answer to, how do we retain talent by leveraging NIL? It will become a growing need.”

Opendorse partners with dozens of schools across all three NCAA divisions that have or are trying to develop NIL collectives. That group includes HBCUs Jackson State, Delaware State and Howard.

The Icon Collective's web site reads: “For years, the Black athlete has built wealth with their skills on the field and some have written their way into history via their universities and on the national level.”

Smith said he and his team aren't trying to make HBCU athletes wealthy. He said his collective represents some 350 athletes from 45 Black colleges, just under half of the 107 total, according to the Labor Department. He said the deals typically range from $500 to $1,000 per athlete and often run for 3-6 months.

"We’re not here to make millionaires or make school free for kids. I’m here to lessen the burden," Smith said.

His son, Jayden, landed a $20,000 deal with math tutoring company Mathnasium in October 2023. Jayden Smith plays baseball for Xavier University of Louisiana, an NAIA school, and does things like promotional videos on YouTube.

Grambling basketball player Jimel Cofer received a deal with Buffalo Wild Wings after his layup sent the Tigers into overtime in an eventual win over Montana State in a First Four game of the NCAA Tournament. Marc Smith said the deal was worth $5,000.

Krispy Kreme locations in Tallahassee, Florida, have offered a “Dean Dozen” special named after Florida A&amp;M running back Kelvin Dean, who was the Celebration Bowl offensive MVP.

Alabama State quarterback Andrew Body, a Texas Southern transfer, said he had some interest from Bowl Subdivision schools while in the transfer portal. Going to those might have meant some NIL money, but he said he is being patient and focusing on a potential pro career, saying “getting paid in college right now kind of takes a little hunger away from your game.”

“It’s tough to compete with (NIL money) but the thing I think the kids are really missing on most is, if you do what you’ve got to do on the field, some type of connections, revenue, whatever it may be are going to come your way,” Body said.

Grambling State quarterback Myles Crawley, the preseason SWAC offensive player of the year, said in July that he didn’t have a NIL deal but noted “there’s nothing like the HBCU experience.”

“I grew up around the HBCU coaching so I always said I wanted to start at the HBCU and finish,” Crawley said. “I’m building a culture for the next guy to understand that they can make it from an HBCU. The money might be different but as far as culture, there’s nothing like HBCUs.”

By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports WriterMarc Smith was relaxing in his basement when he got an alert on his phone. An athlete at his alma mater, Grambling State, had posted on social media about not having enough food and needing help.That incident led Smith to form the Icon 1901 Collective in April 2022 to help Grambling athletes land paid endorsement deals at the school best known for iconic football coach Eddie Robinson. Smith searched and couldn't find a single historically Black college or university with a collective focused on name, image or likeness compensation so he expanded Icon 1901 to represent HBCU athletes elsewhere as well.“These kids want to be inclusive in the NIL space and many of the universities don’t have the resources,” Smith said.Outside the biggest and wealthiest athletic programs, the financial strain of offering robust NIL options to college athletes is a constant concern and is often especially pronounced at HBCUs. The four major HBCU conferences recently agreed to work together to increase the value of HBCUs and send more athletes to the pros, but now there is a new wrinkle.The mammoth $2.8 billion antitrust settlement agreed to by the NCAA and the biggest conferences in the nation includes the prospect of schools paying athletes directly starting as early as 2025. Revenue sharing is a new and daunting factor for all schools with modest resources, including HBCUs.“There may be some questions about how are they going to be able to navigate this, but if past experience is any indication they will find a will and a way based on alumni coming together to figure out a way to push these institutions forward,” said Texas Southern Professor J. Kenyatta Cavil, who studies HBCU athletics.Less money to work withOnly a handful of Black colleges have NIL collectives to help arrange deals for athletes, though efforts have grown in the past year or so as alumni have rallied and in the wake of Deion Sanders' football coaching tenure at Jackson State.Many HBCU schools don’t rake in nearly as much money from sports as their Championship Subdivision peers. Out of 64 FCS schools, none reported less total athletic revenue in 2023 than Mississippi Valley State’s $4.8 million, according to Knight-Newhouse. Eight of the bottom 11 were HBCUs.Alcorn State, like Grambling and Mississippi Valley part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, reported $7.9 million. That compares to James Madison’s $68 million at the top of the list (not acounting Ivy League schools).Big pictureSWAC Commissioner Charles McClelland said he doesn’t know what the athletics landscape will look like down the road. But he knows big-money schools and conferences don’t either, and that whatever happens will ultimately trickle down to his league and the rest of the FCS.The SWAC and Southeastern Conference are both headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. That affords McClelland and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey chances to meet and discuss the potential changes.“One thing he said to me, he said, ‘Charles, we have the same problems. There might just be differences in zeroes at the end of those problems. We’re all in this thing together,’” McClelland said. “We have to share ideas. And what better opportunity to learn and grow than to share ideas with the SEC from the Southwestern Athletic Conference standpoint?"Dollars and departuresPrairie View A&amp;M football coach Bubba McDowell said his SWAC program lost a half-dozen top players because of NIL money. His school didn’t have it, others did. He is leery of what revenue sharing might do to recruiting and retention of players at HBCUs.“It’s going to hurt big time,” McDowell said. “That’s what these kids are looking for and that’s what society has done for these young men. I’m not against that. I’ve said from Day 1, if we’re going to do this thing, let’s do it the right way. We just still haven’t figured out how to do it the right way.”McDowell and his SWAC peers are realistic. Unless their name is Sanders, now at Colorado, top recruits were likely headed elsewhere anyway.Now they are also more likely to develop and then lose players who are missed or not recruited by bigger programs out of high school. Alabama State coach Eddie Robinson Jr. (no relation to the former Grambling coach) went from a walk-on with the Hornets to a second-round NFL draft pick at the same school.The Hornets' leading receiver, Kisean Johnson, left for Western Kentucky after last season.“We’re still looking for the same type of kid," Robinson said. "It’s just a matter of can we hold on to them once they develop into that player. That’s kind of the part that you don’t like.”Rich on traditionThere's no denying the tradition and passionate fan bases of HBCUs. The Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern drew nearly 65,000 fans to the Superdome in New Orleans last season. The Magic City Classic pitting Alabama State and Alabama A&amp;M brought 52,000-plus to Legion Field in Birmingham.“I think once you become part of the HBCU family you’re going to go to all of those big games and it’s more than just, ‘I went 2,000 miles away from home, I got a big check and then I never go back to the school again,’” Robinson said. “Once you start coming to Alabama State, you come to the Magic City Classic, you’re going to be 50 years old coming back to the Magic City Classic. It’s going to be part of what you do.”FCS challengesBlack colleges are hardly alone in their uncertainty about how to handle sharing revenue with athletes. Athletic directors below the Power Four leagues are grappling with three major financial topics: Less annual money from the NCAA because of the damages portion of the settlement; establishing the best options for a limited donor base so their school has a shot at landing athletes with NIL deals; and figuring out how much they can take on should their school decide to pay athletes.“As a general sense, FCS football programs are struggling to retain talent because they do not have established NIL collectives or partners,” said Blake Lawrence, CEO of Opendorse.com, an NIL marketplace. “I think there’s a growing need for those programs in the HBCU and beyond to have a real answer to, how do we retain talent by leveraging NIL? It will become a growing need.”HBCU teams and collectivesOpendorse partners with dozens of schools across all three NCAA divisions that have or are trying to develop NIL collectives. That group includes HBCUs Jackson State, Delaware State and Howard.The Icon Collective's web site reads: “For years, the Black athlete has built wealth with their skills on the field and some have written their way into history via their universities and on the national level.”Smith said he and his team aren't trying to make HBCU athletes wealthy. He said his collective represents some 350 athletes from 45 Black colleges, just under half of the 107 total, according to the Labor Department. He said the deals typically range from $500 to $1,000 per athlete and often run for 3-6 months."We’re not here to make millionaires or make school free for kids. I’m here to lessen the burden," Smith said.His son, Jayden, landed a $20,000 deal with math tutoring company Mathnasium in October 2023. Jayden Smith plays baseball for Xavier University of Louisiana, an NAIA school, and does things like promotional videos on YouTube.Grambling basketball player Jimel Cofer received a deal with Buffalo Wild Wings after his layup sent the Tigers into overtime in an eventual win over Montana State in a First Four game of the NCAA Tournament. Marc Smith said the deal was worth $5,000.Krispy Kreme locations in Tallahassee, Florida, have offered a “Dean Dozen” special named after Florida A&amp;M running back Kelvin Dean, who was the Celebration Bowl offensive MVP.Players' perspectiveAlabama State quarterback Andrew Body, a Texas Southern transfer, said he had some interest from Bowl Subdivision schools while in the transfer portal. Going to those might have meant some NIL money, but he said he is being patient and focusing on a potential pro career, saying “getting paid in college right now kind of takes a little hunger away from your game.”“It’s tough to compete with (NIL money) but the thing I think the kids are really missing on most is, if you do what you’ve got to do on the field, some type of connections, revenue, whatever it may be are going to come your way,” Body said.Grambling State quarterback Myles Crawley, the preseason SWAC offensive player of the year, said in July that he didn’t have a NIL deal but noted “there’s nothing like the HBCU experience.”“I grew up around the HBCU coaching so I always said I wanted to start at the HBCU and finish,” Crawley said. “I’m building a culture for the next guy to understand that they can make it from an HBCU. The money might be different but as far as culture, there’s nothing like HBCUs.”

Prospect of player pay another wrinkle for HBCU schools

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Anderson outlasted Cole Ragans in a matchup of All-Star pitchers, Zach Neto hit a go-ahead homer for Los Angeles, and the Angels beat Kansas City 9-5 on Tuesday night to end the Royals' five-game winning streak.

Anthony Rendon, Kevin Pillar and Logan O'Hoppe drove in two runs apiece for the Angels, who had lost three straight and six of seven overall. Nolan Schanuel walked three times, and Jo Adell and Jack Lopez each drove in a run.

“That team has been playing really good baseball,” Anderson said. "You just want to battle and give your guys a chance."

Anderson (10-11) allowed five runs on 12 hits and two walks while pitching into the seventh, when Kansas City trimmed a five-run deficit to two. It was good enough to make Anderson the first Angels lefty since Hector Santiago in 2016 to reach 10 wins.

It also was better than Ragans (10-8), who was pulled after Neto homered and two more batters reached base in the sixth. The left-hander allowed five runs — four earned — on three hits, three walks and a hit batter while striking out nine.

“It's always nice when you score runs and we've been having trouble doing it,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Today we got a chance to score them and tomorrow I hope we can continue. ... I just want us to be consistent and able to sustain it. Tonight we were able to do that. But I would like to see us come back tomorrow and put those types of at-bats together.”

Vinnie Pasquantino had three RBIs for Kansas City. Bobby Witt Jr. had three hits and drove in a run.

The Royals had not trailed during their five-game win streak, but the Angels were able to strike first Tuesday night. Schanuel and Pillar led off the fourth with doubles, and Rendon's sacrifice fly later in the inning gave them a 2-0 lead.

Kansas City answered in the bottom half on doubles by Witt and Pasquantino and Hunter Renfroe's tying single.

Neto homered for the second straight game leading off the sixth, and Ragans walked Schanuel and plunked Pillar before departing for the night. O'Hoppe and Rendon greeted James McArthur with run-scoring singles to give Los Angeles a 5-2 lead.

In the seventh, Pillar added a sacrifice fly after a 14-pitch at-bat and O'Hoppe hit an RBI single to extend the lead to five.

The support came in handy when Kansas City scored three times in the bottom of the inning. But Hunter Strickland came in for Anderson and limited the damage, and Los Angeles added two more runs in the ninth to put the game away.

“They fought like they always do,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We had a chance to come back there in the seventh and just couldn’t get there.”

Crew chief Vic Carapazza's umpires had a tough night, getting three calls overturned by review. Two involved first base umpire Mike Estabrook and the third came when plate umpire Tom Hanahan incorrectly called Rendon out trying to score in the ninth.

Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back tightness) had a setback while throwing before Monday night's game. He received an injection Tuesday, Quatraro said, and the hope is Harvey can try throwing again later in the week.

Angels: RHP Johnny Cueto will be back on a big league mound Wednesday night when the Angels wrap up the series. The 38-year-old Cueto, who helped the Royals win the World Series in 2015, had been pitching at Triple-A Salt Lake.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (6-6, 3.68 ERA) gets the start in the series finale against the Angels before Kansas City takes Thursday off. Lorenzen tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball his last time out in his return to Cincinnati.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Anderson outlasted Cole Ragans in a matchup of All-Star pitchers, Zach Neto hit a go-ahead homer for Los Angeles, and the Angels beat Kansas City 9-5 on Tuesday night to end the Royals' five-game winning streak.Anthony Rendon, Kevin Pillar and Logan O'Hoppe drove in two runs apiece for the Angels, who had lost three straight and six of seven overall. Nolan Schanuel walked three times, and Jo Adell and Jack Lopez each drove in a run.“That team has been playing really good baseball,” Anderson said. "You just want to battle and give your guys a chance."Anderson (10-11) allowed five runs on 12 hits and two walks while pitching into the seventh, when Kansas City trimmed a five-run deficit to two. It was good enough to make Anderson the first Angels lefty since Hector Santiago in 2016 to reach 10 wins.It also was better than Ragans (10-8), who was pulled after Neto homered and two more batters reached base in the sixth. The left-hander allowed five runs — four earned — on three hits, three walks and a hit batter while striking out nine.“It's always nice when you score runs and we've been having trouble doing it,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Today we got a chance to score them and tomorrow I hope we can continue. ... I just want us to be consistent and able to sustain it. Tonight we were able to do that. But I would like to see us come back tomorrow and put those types of at-bats together.”Vinnie Pasquantino had three RBIs for Kansas City. Bobby Witt Jr. had three hits and drove in a run.The Royals had not trailed during their five-game win streak, but the Angels were able to strike first Tuesday night. Schanuel and Pillar led off the fourth with doubles, and Rendon's sacrifice fly later in the inning gave them a 2-0 lead.Kansas City answered in the bottom half on doubles by Witt and Pasquantino and Hunter Renfroe's tying single.Neto homered for the second straight game leading off the sixth, and Ragans walked Schanuel and plunked Pillar before departing for the night. O'Hoppe and Rendon greeted James McArthur with run-scoring singles to give Los Angeles a 5-2 lead.In the seventh, Pillar added a sacrifice fly after a 14-pitch at-bat and O'Hoppe hit an RBI single to extend the lead to five.The support came in handy when Kansas City scored three times in the bottom of the inning. But Hunter Strickland came in for Anderson and limited the damage, and Los Angeles added two more runs in the ninth to put the game away.“They fought like they always do,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We had a chance to come back there in the seventh and just couldn’t get there.”CUE THE VIDEOCrew chief Vic Carapazza's umpires had a tough night, getting three calls overturned by review. Two involved first base umpire Mike Estabrook and the third came when plate umpire Tom Hanahan incorrectly called Rendon out trying to score in the ninth.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back tightness) had a setback while throwing before Monday night's game. He received an injection Tuesday, Quatraro said, and the hope is Harvey can try throwing again later in the week.UP NEXTAngels: RHP Johnny Cueto will be back on a big league mound Wednesday night when the Angels wrap up the series. The 38-year-old Cueto, who helped the Royals win the World Series in 2015, had been pitching at Triple-A Salt Lake.Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (6-6, 3.68 ERA) gets the start in the series finale against the Angels before Kansas City takes Thursday off. Lorenzen tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball his last time out in his return to Cincinnati.