Sports

No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon turn CFP Peach Bowl semifinal into celebration of Big Ten’s supremacy

ATLANTA (AP) — The College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl is a celebration of the Big Ten’s strength with No. 1-seed Indiana facing No. 5-seed Oregon. The game is a rematch. Indiana won at Oregon 30-20 on October 11 to hand the Ducks their only loss. Indiana is undefeated. Each team is coming off dominant wins. Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl as Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw three touchdown passes. The Ducks shut out Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl. Brandon Finney Jr. had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Chevon Championship moving LPGA’s first major to home of PGA Tour’s Houston Open

HOUSTON (AP) — The LPGA’s first major of the year is on the move. The Chevron Championship will be played this year at Memorial Park in Houston. It had been played in the suburbs about 40 miles north of Houston at The Club at Carlton Woods since 2023. Memorial Park also is the host of the Houston Open on the PGA Tour. The LPGA’s first major will be held one month after the PGA Tour stop. Chevron officials says the move is to be closer to Chevron’s headquarters in Houston and it should be more accessible to fans in the Houston area.

Derek Sprague steps down as CEO of PGA of America to care for his mother in New York

Derek Sprague is leaving the PGA of America as CEO after one year to tend to his family. Sprague was the first club professional in 20 years to be appointed CEO of the organization. He also was the first past PGA president to become CEO. Sprague says he was home in upstate New York last month when he realized he needed to be home to care for his mother and his mother-in-law. The PGA of America hopes to have a replacement in the coming weeks. Sprague says he will stay on as an advisor to help with the transition.

NFL sees 2nd-highest regular season average viewership since 1988 at 18.7 million, up 10% from 2024

The NFL has averaged 18.7 million viewers per game this season, marking the second-highest average since 1988. This is a 10% increase from last season. Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel methodology, which includes out-of-home viewers and smart TV data, has contributed to this rise. All five weekly NFL packages saw viewer increases. Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” had the largest gain at 16%. CBS had the most-watched slate, averaging 21.25 million viewers. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” averaged 23.5 million viewers, continuing its primetime dominance. Streaming platforms like Peacock and Paramount Plus also saw significant boosts.

Redick: LeBron James exhibiting ‘a different kind of greatness’ with the Lakers this season

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Lakers coach JJ Redick compares LeBron James at 41 years old to Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux at the end of his career. Redick says James doesn’t always have his best stuff, but usually has enough to win. James scored 30 points in a 111-103 victory in New Orleans on Tuesday night. It was James’ second 30-point game in his last three. James missed the first 14 games of this season because of sciatica and says his playing status on the second of back-to-back games should always be considered “to be determined.” But he says he also appreciates every chance to play now more than when he was younger and knew his career still had many years left.

Messi would prefer to be an owner rather than a coach when he quits playing

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Lionel Messi says he would prefer to become a club owner rather than a coach when he quits as a player. The Argentina star signed a three-year contract extension as a player with Inter Miami in October. Messi is already a part owner of Uruguay’s fourth-division team Deportivo LSM alongside Luis Suarez, who founded the club in 2018. Messi says in an interview “I don’t see myself as a coach. I like management but if I have to decide for one of the three I would like to be an owner.” Messi also has a future minority ownership stake included in his Inter contract.

No snow, no problem: The plastic slope surrounded by sheep that produced Britain’s top skier

PENDLE, England (AP) — A modest, 140-meter-long ski slope lies in the heart of Ribble Valley in northwest England and stands out for its plastic matting and sheep roaming all around. Workers there call it a “unique environment” for skiing and it has produced a World Cup-winning slalom racer who will be a medal contender at the upcoming Winter Olympics. Dave Ryding grew up racing in the quaint surrounds of Pendle Ski Club and is regularly beating rivals from classic winter-sports countries like Sweden, Austria and Norway. He recalls some of his practice sessions and races as a kid being interrupted by sheep idling across the slope. Ryding says “people know my story and they can’t really believe that it was possible.” He’s an inspiration to the club’s current skiing hopefuls.

Coco Gauff’s two wins lead the defending champion Americans into the United Cup semifinals

PERTH, Australia (AP) — After a singles loss and social media drama earlier in the week, Coco Gauff did all her talking on court in the United Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday. Gauff won twice — once in singles and then a clinching victory in mixed doubles — to send the Americans into the semifinals in Sydney on Saturday. Gauff beat Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-2 to give the defending champion United States a 1-0 lead over Greece. Taylor Fritz had a chance in his singles match to clinch the quarterfinal against Stefanos Tsitsipas, but lost 6-4 7-5. In the deciding mixed doubles, Gauff and Christian Harrison beat Tsitsipas and Sakkari 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.

John Harbaugh is fired as the Baltimore Ravens’ coach after 18 seasons, including a Super Bowl win

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — John Harbaugh has been fired after 18 seasons as the Baltimore Ravens’ coach. Owner Steve Bisciotti said Tuesday relieved Harbaugh of his duties after the Ravens were one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season. They went 8-9 and missed the playoffs after entering Week 1 as one of the Super Bowl favorites. Baltimore’s season ended Sunday night when Tyler Loop missed a last-second field-goal attmpt, allowing Pittsburgh to hold on for a 26-24 victory in the game that decided the AFC North title.

Ready for a trip to the ‘park? Snowboarding set for its spotlight at the Winter Olympics

Snowboarding’s roots trace back to Christmas Day 1965 when Sherman Poppen created the “snurfer” by strapping two skis together. Jake Burton later refined it, turning snowboarding into a popular sport. Superstars like Shaun White and Chloe Kim have pushed its boundaries with new tricks. The Winter Olympics feature three park events—halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air—and two racing events, snowboardcross and parallel giant slalom. Kim aims for a third straight halfpipe title, while Ayumu Hirano and Scotty James are top contenders.