AP Sports

Analysis: Amid a wide-open playoff race, a wide-open NBA MVP race might be brewing as well

The new rule that rendered Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid ineligible for a second consecutive NBA MVP award because he’s missing too many games has the potential to create something the league hasn’t seen in almost two decades. That would be a wide-open MVP race. Embiid was running away with the award when he got hurt. Now Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokoumpo have seen their chances of a third MVP soar. Or maybe the winner will be a first-timer, like Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Boston’s Jayson Tatum. The seeds are planted for what could turn into quite the race.

Coach Thomas Tuchel to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel will leave the club at the end of the season after a run of three straight losses raised the prospect of the club’s first season without a trophy in 12 years. Tuchel joined Bayern in March as the replacement for Julian Nagelsmann. Losses to Bayer Leverkusen, Lazio and most recently Bochum on Sunday left Bayern eight points off Bundesliga leader Leverkusen and facing elimination in the Champions League round of 16.

No. 15 Creighton knocks off UConn 85-66 for program’s first win over a No. 1-ranked team

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Steven Ashworth scored 16 of his 20 points in the first half as Creighton built a double-digit lead, and the No. 15 Bluejays knocked off UConn 85-66 for their first win over a No. 1-ranked team. Creighton led by 23 points with 10 minutes left but saw its lead cut to 10 before holding the Huskies scoreless on five straight possessions, rebuilding their cushion and prompting students to leave their seats to prepare for their court storming. UConn had its 14-game win streak end three days after it beat then-No. 4 Marquette by 28 points for one of the most impressive victories of the season.

How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work

The 12-team College Football Playoff is 10 months away from kicking off. The format is finally locked in. University presidents have unanimously approved one last tweak to increase the number of at-large bids from six to seven. The change reserves five spots for conference champions instead of six. The move was prompted by conference realignment and the demise of the Pac-12. The process of expanding the CFP from four to 12 teams began in 2019. The new system finally arrives during the upcoming 2024 season. The next two seasons are expected to be something of a test drive.

LIV’s Joaquin Niemann is one of three players to receive a special invitation to the Masters

Joaquin Niemann now has something money can’t buy. He’s going to the Masters. Niemann is one of three players awarded special invitations by Augusta National. The Chilean is the only player from LIV Golf to get an exemption, but this isn’t about the Saudi-funded league. The Masters looked at his willingness to play outside LIV and try to get world ranking points. Niemann won the Australian Open. He had high finishes at the Australian PGA and Dubai Desert Classic. Augusta National also awarded invitations to Ryo Hisatsune of Japan and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark. The Masters will have 13 players with LIV Golf, including defending champion Jon Rahm.

Christian Horner with Red Bull team at start of F1 testing in Bahrain despite ongoing investigation

SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Team principal Christian Horner was with Red Bull as Formula 1 preseason testing began even as he faces an ongoing investigation by the team’s parent company into an alleged claim of misconduct. Horner was in the team garage alongside car designer Adrian Newey as Max Verstappen drove the team’s new car at the start of the Dutch driver’s campaign for a fourth consecutive world title. The Red Bull parent company said Feb. 5 it was investigating allegations of misconduct toward a team employee. Horner denies any wrongdoing and has continued in his role as team principal during the investigation.

Thibault-DuDonis, carrying on the family business, has Fairfield on a 20-game winning streak

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Fairfield coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis had trouble sleeping as a child, so she would often get up and go downstairs to sit with her dad, now-former NBA and WNBA coach Mike Thibault, who seemed to be always awake and breaking down game film. Thibault-DuDonis would ask questions, becoming a student of the game at a very young age. Now 32, Thibault-DuDonis is in her second year as a head coach, leading Fairfield to a 22-1 record and a 20-game winning streak. The Stags are on the cusp of entering the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history, receiving 28 votes this week.

Premium talent is still available on MLB’s free-agent market, but GMs don’t seem in a hurry

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — There are still some premium free agents available in baseball as the calendar nears March. Two-time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell, six-time All-Star J.D. Martinez and former MVP Cody Bellinger are among the players who haven’t found a home. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said the game is at its best when the best players are on the field and he hopes they sign soon. But the sport’s general managers don’t seem particularly concerned with the stalemate.

Soccer academy in Southern California will join an evolving MLS system that’s paying dividends

An international soccer academy called Right to Dream is coming to the United States as the academy under San Diego FC, which will join Major League Soccer as the league’s 30th team in 2025. Right to Dream is unique in MLS in that its reach is international, with academies in Ghana, Denmark and Egypt. It is owned by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour, owner of San Diego FC along with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. The academy becomes part of a player development system in MLS that is seeing growing success in fostering world-class players.

FuboTV files lawsuit over ESPN, Fox, Hulu, Warner Bros. Discovery sports-streaming venture

Streaming service FuboTV has filed an antitrust lawsuit against ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery and Hulu, which are planning to launch a sports-streaming venture in the fall. The lawsuit has been filed in the Southern District of New York. FuboTV is seeking a jury trial. FuboTV not only wants the proposed joint venture shut down, but it is seeking cash damages. If the court does not rule to do either, FuboTV is seeking restrictions on the joint venture so that competition remains in the marketplace. The streaming services declined to comment. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the lawsuit.