N.C. State’s visit to No. 16 Notre Dame and Pittsburgh’s trip to No. 25 Florida State headline the Atlantic Coast Conference’s weekly slate. The Fighting Irish need to keep winning to help their College Football Playoff case. The Seminoles have lost to No. 19 Virginia and No. 2 Miami for an 0-2 league start. They face a Pitt team that made a surprise switch at quarterback to a true freshman. The schedule has seven of 17 teams on a open week.… Continue Reading
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference’s multiyear coaching overhaul will include four new head coaches for the 2025-26 season. Those are Florida State’s Luke Loucks, Miami’s Jai Lucas, N.C. State’s Will Wade and Virginia’s Ryan Odom. The league has seen 14 of its 18 programs change coaches at least once going back to the 2020-21 season. Those losses include retiring Hall of Famers in North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim. Loucks said during the ACC’s preseason media days that there’s “a new wave of youthfulness” among the new coaches coming into the league.… Continue Reading
Duke is getting help from former Blue Devils player and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. The school announced Tuesday that the six-time NBA all-star would serve in a volunteer advisory role for the program as “chief basketball officer.” Tatum is currently recovering from a ruptured right Achilles’ tendon suffered in May during the NBA playoffs. In its release, the school said Tatum’s tasks will include having in-person visits with the team to discuss development, professionalism and team culture. Tatum says the role will allow him to support “the next generation of Duke Basketball.”… Continue Reading
CHARLOTTE,. N.C. (AP) — Rico Dowdle made an impressive debut as a starter for the Carolina Panthers, rushing for 206 yards against the Miami Dolphins. He predicted to teammates last week that he’d run for 180 yards, but exceeded his own expectations. Dowdle’s performance included runs of 53 and 43 yards, nearly breaking the franchise’s single-game rushing record. Despite early turnovers, the Panthers stuck with the run game and rallied for a 27-24 win. Dowdle even suggested a key play that set up a field goal. With Chuba Hubbard’s status uncertain, Dowdle’s role looks set to expand. He faces his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, next Sunday.… Continue Reading
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Joey Logano has secured the final spot in the next round of the NASCAR playoffs after a dramatic race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. On Sunday, Logano battled Ross Chastain for the last transfer position, with the two swapping spots multiple times. Denny Hamlin played a key role in the outcome when he made contact with Chastain, causing him to spin and finish behind Logano. This allowed Logano to advance and eliminated Chastain. Shane van Gisbergen won the race, while Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, and Austin Cindric were also eliminated from the playoffs.… Continue Reading
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney found reason for optimism while North Carolina coach Bill Belichick found only more of the same struggles in Saturday’s meeting. Clemson won 38-10 on the road. That included scoring 28 points in the first quarter. Both teams were coming off an open date after struggles in September. It marked UNC’s third blowout loss to a power-conference opponent in as many games this year for the 73-year-old Belichick. It marked the second time this year that the Tar Heels played much of the second half in a largely empty home stadium due to a lopsided score.… Continue Reading
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Antonio Williams threw a 75-yard trick-play touchdown pass to T.J. Moore on the first offensive snap to start Clemson’s dominating show in a 38-10 win at North Carolina on Saturday. The coaching matchup of Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and North Carolina’s Bill Belichick became a quick romp by the Tigers. Clemson scored 28 points while averaging 15.8 yards per play in the opening quarter. Cade Klubnik threw four TD passes by halftime. Benjamin Hall ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown for the Tar Heels with the outcome long decided.… Continue Reading
No. 3 Miami’s visit to No. 18 Florida State headlines the week ahead in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes are playing a third straight game against an instate opponent after beating South Florida and Florida. The Seminoles beat Alabama in Week 1 but are coming off a double-overtime loss at now-ranked Virginia. The schedule includes the 24th-ranked Cavaliers visiting unbeaten Louisville. Additionally, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and North Carolina’s Bill Belichick meet in a game between high-profile coaches leading struggling teams.… Continue Reading
Duke coach Jon Scheyer has a two-year extension running through the 2030-31 season. The school announced the deal Thursday. It comes roughly a month before the 38-year-old begins his fourth season as successor to retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. Scheyer won NCAA titles as a player and assistant coach with the Blue Devils. He has become the first coach to win two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament titles in his first three seasons. He reached the Final Four last year for the first time as a head coach.… Continue Reading
Times are changing in the Metropolitan Division, even if many of the top teams remain the most legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Washington coming off finishing a distant first has much of the same team back with Alex Ovechkin going into what could be his final NHL season at age 40. Carolina added one of the top free agents in Nikolaj Ehlers to a core that has been to the Eastern Conference final two of the past three years. The New York Rangers have a new coach in Mike Sullivan, while across the river in New Jersey, the Devils are getting Jack Hughes back healthy.… Continue Reading