Hundreds of thousands of student athletes are returning to their college teams this fall. Earning a spot on collegiate rosters, or athletic scholarships, takes years of work from young athletes and thousands of dollars from their parents in fees, travel and other costs.

But the odds are long to get them there: Just 7% of high school athletes will compete on a college roster at any level, while 2% will go on to earn a National College Athletic Association, or NCAA, athletic scholarship. An even smaller fraction will go pro.

So as parents are ordering fall uniforms and planning tournament entries, CNN analyzed the odds for a high schooler to make a college roster, based on data compiled by Patrick ORourke on the website ScholarshipStats.com.

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A more popular sport doesnt mean longer odds, since more schools sponsor collegiate teams. Football was by far the most popular high school sport, with more than 1 million high school athletes competing in the 2022-2023 school year, and more than 96,000 going on to play in college. Nearly one-third of those athletes played at the Division I level, typically schools with the more elite and well-funded sports programs. The size of football rosters with most teams exceeding 100 players helped those athletes odds further: 11:1 to make any college roster and 33:1 to make a Division I team.

Track and field was the second most common high school boys sport that year, with more than 580,000 high school track and field athletes vying for spots on just over 1,200 college teams. Those boys 16:1 odds of making any college roster were slightly longer than they were for the more than 465,000 girls competing to make one of more than 1,300 collegiate teams. Their odds were 13:1.

The more obscure sports had slimmer odds. Female wrestlers vying for a spot on one of the four Division I womens teams in 2022-2023 faced the longest odds by far: 709:1. For male wrestlers, the odds were still slim but much less challenging: 86:1. Female bowlers had better odds than either at making a DI team: 79:1.

The cost, and benefits, of youth sports

There are caveats to these numbers: Just 70% of female high school athletes go on to play in college, while just about half of male high schoolers go on to play collegiately, according to ORourkes data analysis.

Recent policy changes have cleared the way for college athletes to earn money from competing at that level, through scholarships at NCAA Division I schools or payments for their name, image and likeness, or NIL.

But NCAA teams dont award scholarships to every eligible player, and NIL earnings are highly concentrated in major sports like basketball and football, ORourkes analysis found when he crunched the numbers for his new site NIL-NCAA.com.

If it was me, instead of paying a gazillion dollars on youth sports, Id put the money in a 529, ORourke told CNN. Because thatll play for college no matter what.

Money isnt the only reason athletes might pursue a spot on a college roster athletic talent can give students an edge in admissions. While Ivy League schools, and other competitive academic institutions, have impossibly low general admission rates, many have student-athletes making up as much as a fifth of their whole student body a possible opportunity for kids with athletic talents, ORourke said.

Childhood sports are good for childrens physical, mental and emotional health and development.

And of course, just darn good fun.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) Hauss Hejny threw five touchdown passes, Colorado States buzzing defense had three interceptions and the Rams got off to a successful start under new head coach Jim Mora with a 35-13 win over Wyoming on Saturday night.

Hejny, a transfer from Oklahoma State, connected with RJ Vick for three scores, including a 57-yard reception as the Rams began their tenure in the Pac-12 Conference on the right note. Hejny finished with 214 yards passing and had a 28-yard catch on a trick play that set up a Colorado State TD on its opening drive.

The Rams brought home the Bronze Boot trophy as part of their Border War rivalry with Wyoming. For the first time in decades, though, the Rams and Cowboys did not meet as conference foes. Colorado State moved to the Pac-12 this season, while Wyoming remains in the Mountain West. The teams are currently not slated to play next season but will resume again in 2028.

Soon after the final whistle, the players sprinted to the sideline and grabbed the trophy as fans filtered onto the field. Mora, the longtime NFL and college coach, later sat with the trophy at his news conference. He arrived at Colorado State from Connecticut, where he spent the last four seasons, and has instantly provided a boost to the program.

Not that he was reading too much into one game.

Right now, Im just happy for the players, said Mora, who had lots of family in the stands, including his father, Jim. Well see see where it goes. I preach to them not get too high or too low. So if Im not steady, then they cant be they wont be.

Mora brought in 76 new players this season, including 41 transfers. Two of those newcomers were Hejny and Vick, who landed in Fort Collins after stints with Virginia Union and Wake Forest. Vick had six catches for 75 yards.

CSU is a place that was hungry to win and hungry to have success, Hejny said. I just wanted to be a part of it.

Wyoming had a short-lived momentum swing at the end of the first half when Rams kicker Kali Nguma missed a 54-yard field goal with 33 seconds left. The Cowboys made it a 14-6 game after Erik Sandvik connected on a 48-yard field goal.

Quarterback Tyler Hughes scrambled for a 9-yard score on the opening drive of the third quarter to draw the Cowboys to 14-13. Colorado States defense then came up big with Oumar Diomandes interception as the Cowboys were driving. Two plays later, Hejny found Vick to extend the lead. The Rams closed out the game by recovering a fumble.

Weve got a lot of things to fix, said Cowboys coach Jay Sawvel, whose team was 0-for-8 on third-down conversions. Weve got to stick together and do it, and we will.

The takeaway

Colorado State: Before Mora, the last football head coach to win their Colorado State debut was Mike Bobo in 2015. Steve Addazio lost in 2020 and Jay Norvell in 2022.

Wyoming: The last time Wyoming opened against the Rams was in 1964 when the Cowboys won 31-7 at home.

Wyoming: Host Northern Colorado on Saturday.

Colorado State: Host Southern Utah on Saturday.

DENVER (AP) Ivn Herrera hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning to rally the St. Louis Cardinals past the Colorado Rockies 7-6 on Friday night, tightening a crowded race for the final National League wild card.

St. Louis pulled even with Miami at 71-71 as both teams chase San Diego (74-67) and Arizona (74-68) for the last NL playoff berth.

With the Cardinals trailing 6-4 in the ninth, Thomas Saggese drew a leadoff walk from Jordan Romano (0-3) and stole second with one out. He went to third when Jos Fermn reached on a throwing error by third baseman Connor Norby.

Herrera then drove a 1-2 slider 430 feet to center field for his 15th home run, handing Romano his fourth blown save.

Riley OBrien struck out two in the ninth for his 36th save. After committing a throwing error on a pickoff attempt that advanced the potential tying run to second base, OBrien fanned rookie Cole Carrigg to end it.

Cade Winquist (1-0) worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his first major league win.

Carrigg hit an inside-the-park home run and TJ Rumfield also homered and finished with three hits for Colorado.

The Rockies rallied to take the lead in the sixth after St. Louis starter Andre Pallante held them to a run through five innings.

Rumfield hit a one-out triple off Hancel Rincon, who was making his major league debut, and scored on a wild pitch. Carriggs drive off the wall in center got away from outfielder Nathan Church, and the speedy Carrigg scored easily.

Cade Winquist (1-0) worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his first major league win.

Carrigg hit an inside-the-park home run and TJ Rumfield also homered and finished with three hits for Colorado.

The Rockies rallied to take the lead in the sixth after St. Louis starter Andre Pallante held them to a run through five innings.

Rumfield hit a one-out triple off Hancel Rincon, who was making his major league debut, and scored on a wild pitch. Carriggs drive off the wall in center got away from outfielder Nathan Church, and the speedy Carrigg scored easily.

Up next

Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (5-13, 5.41 ERA) goes for his first win in nine starts against Rockies rookie RHP Mason Adams (0-0, 3.00) on Saturday night.

The Denver Summit is coming off its biggest statement win of the season and now, the toughest test may be waiting.

On this weeks episode of Denver Summit FC Pitchside, the Denver7 Sports team recaps the Summits dominant 6-1 win over the Chicago Stars, the most goals scored by any NWSL team in a match this season.

The victory gave Denver three massive points in the playoff race with just nine matches remaining in the regular season.

We also catch up with rookie Olivia Thomas after a milestone moment in the win. Thomas scored the first professional goal of her career in the 85th minute, and she joins us to talk about her college journey and what that unforgettable first goal meant.

Next up? A massive matchup at Centennial Stadium.

The Summit hosts first-place Gotham FC on Sunday in just the second meeting between the two clubs. Gotham enters the weekend atop the NWSL standings with 45 points and riding a club-record 10-match unbeaten streak.

But Denver has already shown it can beat Gotham.

The Summit won the first meeting 2-0 back in March, with Melissa Kssler and Tash Flint scoring second-half goals.

Can Denver pull off another upset and keep its playoff push rolling?

Watch the full episode 26 of Pitchside on youtube for more on the Summit's big win, Olivia Thomas' breakout moment and Sunday's showdown with the league leaders.

DENVER Before the Summit even took to the pitch, season ticket deposits were selling out breaking all NWSL expansion records to date. The excitement continued as 63,004 fans packed Empower Field for their home match in March and broke the NWSL attendance record. Now with the team playing at Centennial Stadium, fans show up and show out to cheer them on.

Bianca Velez is the vice president of ticket sales and service for the Summit, and has worked for professional soccer teams for the last 12 years. She recognized how crucial it is to build relationships with fans as the Mile High was buzzing with excitement before the team started their inaugural season.

Watch Pithcside correspondent Maggy Wolanske's story in the video below:

"At our home opener at Empower Field, we had 63,000 people in attendance, which was incredible and so special. Then, just within the league, we have numbers and records that we're breaking that we can't share just yet, but just a lot of success in this first year, and all of it is because of our fans," Velez said.

It does not matter if it is at home or away, Summit fans are dedicated to the club repping their colors and yelling out cries from the stands to the bars. Velez and her team recognized the importance of putting fans first as the team continues to make history in the Mile High.

"We are constantly listening to our season ticket holders. I would say this was like, from the very beginning when we when launched the club, you know, we went to our fans asking for a fan vote around the team name and we kind of just continued that trend as we developed as an organization," Velez said.

When it comes to building that relationship with season ticket holders, Velez explained they have tents set up on match days both inside and outside of the stadium, so season ticket holders can interact and ask questions with their ticketing team.

"Every season ticket holder account has an account executive. So if they don't know, they can find it in the email. They can give us a call, but we want to make sure that our fans feel like they have an individual that they can connect with on a 1-to-1 level to answer any of those questions that they have."

One of those account executives is Katie Therrien, who explaiend she has an immense passion for sports and it was a 'no brainer to come work here.' During game days, she explained it can get very busy helping fans and answering the many questions they have.

"This is a completely new stadium, so like, we're learning so much every day about growing the fan experience, making it better. I'm just really here to help out and make sure everybody has a great game day," Therrien said.

Whether on or off the pitch, the club is building lasting connections while making history in their inaugural season.

"I would say all departments like, work together and really know each other, which is huge in big companies, especially sports, I feel like you don't really get that," Therrien said. "Here we're just so collaborative and we think through every decision like, fan first and as a club is just been such a great experience to work here and put on the best for our players, our team, and our fans."

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is retiring at the end the year, bringing to a close her seven-plus years at the helm of the league and a stewardship that has been transformative and at times tumultuous.

Engelbert is the second-longest tenured WNBA president or commissioner, and she helped negotiate a lucrative collective bargaining agreement this past spring that resulted in the league's first set of million-dollar player salaries.

"Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league's 30-year history," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday when announcing Engelbert's decision. "We are grateful for Cathy's leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women's basketball."

Engelbert, who turns 62 in November, told The Associated Press that she has been thinking about retiring for months.

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"When I first came to the league I intended to do this for 3 1/2 years," she said in a phone interview. "The 7 1/2 years exceeded that time. This is a really good time given the financial transformation journey we've been on. Getting the collective bargaining agreement done, getting a long-term media rights deal done, getting expansion done."

Engelbert insists that the decision to leave was solely her own and that she did not feel any pressure to step down from NBA or WNBA stakeholders.

Engelbert: Several unidentified successors on league's radar

The commissioner said she has been working on a succession plan over the last few years. While she didn't give any specifics on who might be considered for the position, Engelbert did say there are both internal and external potential candidates on the league's radar.

"It's a good time to hand it off to the next leader to take the 'W' into a better phase," she said. "I'm proud of the team we built and everything we accomplished. A leader knows when it's time to drop the mic and move on after building a powerhouse team in the league office."

Engelbert said she has mixed emotions about leaving.

"I love women's basketball and am not going anywhere yet. We'll run a real succession process in the remaining four months. If we don't find someone I'll stay on," she said. "I had no transition. I walked in the door and I was by myself as no one transitioned me into this role.

"Hopefully I can help this next leader transition in especially considering the elevation of this league."

The WNBA has grown at an exponential rate during Engelbert's tenure as commissioner, with record television ratings, strong attendance, a new long-term media rights deal and expansion to 18 teams by the end of the decade.

"I was brought in as a business leader to transform the business," she said. "I look at revenue and merchandise, viewership and attendance," she said, noting how they've all improved. "A great leader senses when it's time for someone else to come in. When I came in, this league was facing questions about our long-term viability and sustainability."

Engelbert said the growth of the league has "blown away her expectations" since she stepped into her role after leaving her previous position as president of Deloitte in 2019.

Besides the new CBA, the list of things she is most proud of includes getting charter travel for players, keeping the league going during the coronavirus pandemic, the historic media rights deal and exponential increase in the value of of WNBA franchises. In 2019, the average value of a WNBA franchise was $10 million; in 2026, it is about $460 million.

Along with the financial gains, however, turmoil and tension have accompanied the WNBA's growth.

Players say they have seen more social media vitriol directed toward them over the last few years and some don't feel the league has done enough to ensure their safety. The league also has been at the center of discussions about transgender athletes playing in the league.

Engelbert has repeatedly said the online attacks of players are unacceptable and she backs league initiatives to protect players. She also said there should be no confusion on the transgender question.

"We have no current eligibility issues in the WNBA," Engelbert said, adding that "if we did, we would have a thoughtful policy discussion with the (players' association) and the players."

While there was a strained partnership between the commissioner and players during the recent CBA negotiations, Engelbert insists she has a good relationship with them.

Talks between the commissioner and players have been complicated.

RELATED STORY | WNBA growth amplifies longstanding debates over race, gender and power

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, vice president of the WNBA players' union executive committee, said before the All-Star Game that there is a respect for Engelbert among the players, just not much of a relationship.

Engelbert said she is ready to do what most retirees plan: spend more time with family.

She also admitted that the online hate she receives has affected her family as well, though she did not share details of the impact.

"There have been some hard parts of that on my family with the vitriol and hate I get online," Engelbert said.

Her retirement will make her mother happy.

"My mom is turning 90 this year, and she said that 'it would be good if you were retired to spend more time with me,'" Engelbert said, laughing. "I have two children, one I barely see.

"I'm one of eight kids (and I) have five brothers. They always say can you retire so you can spend more time with us."

Come Jan. 1, her family will get its wish.

PAHOKEE, Fla. (AP) Alphonso Smith, a two-time All-America defensive back who played in the NFL for four seasons, has died. He was 40.

Smith died on Wednesday, according to Wake Forest, who was informed by his family. The school's release Thursday afternoon didn't reveal a cause of death.

The Associated Press contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in Florida earlier Thursday seeking to confirm Smith's death. In an emailed statement responding to that inquiry, the office said sheriff's deputies had responded to a Pahokee address in reference to a suicide attempt" on Wednesday afternoon.

An adult male was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the sheriff's office stated.

___

EDITORS NOTE This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

___

Smith appeared to post on his Facebook account on Wednesday, lamenting his mental health challenges, apologizing and asking for forgiveness.

Do not cry for me! a post read on his account. I tried everything in my power to fight the demons behind the ones that someone put into ME! I did not want to be that WAY! I know I have disappointed so many folks. This is a DEMON in me! But not only me! Its EVERYONE! I have HURT so many! I needed help & did not get it! I am so sorry!

Smith apologized to his children in the note and suggested that trauma from his childhood had caused him mental anguish.

I pray my soul rest in heaven for my heart is pure, he said.

Denver drafted the former Wake Forest star in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft. After playing in 15 games for the Broncos, returning punts and kickoffs, he was traded to Detroit shortly before the 2010 season.

Smith played in 33 games, including 11 starts, over the next two seasons with the Lions and had eight interceptions, returning two for touchdowns.

The Lions released him just before the 2012 season, signed him later that year and cut him again after he played in four games as a backup.

Smith went to Pahokee High School in his hometown, where he helped the football team win a Florida state title as a two-way star playing quarterback and defensive back in 2003. He redshirted as a freshman at Wake Forest and went on to become a key player for the program over the next four seasons.

Smith was a first-team AP All-America defensive back in 2008 and a third-team All-America in 2007.

After playing in 44 NFL games over four years, he worked as a sideline reporter for Wake Forest football games during the 2013 season when he was also an assistant high school coach in nearby Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Smith was a head high school football coach in Moore Haven, Florida, and Pahokee High School, where he was also dean of students in charge of discipline, according to his LinkedIn account. His last listed job was director of marketing for a South Florida family physician.

ATLANTA (AP) Colorado freshman quarterback Julian Lewis hit tight end Charlie Williams for a 20-yard touchdown with 42 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, lifting the Buffaloes to a last-minute, 14-13 win against Georgia Tech on Thursday night in the season opener.

Georgia Tech looked like it could pull off the improbable when quarterback Alberto Mendoza found receiver Dalen Penson for a 42-yard gain, putting the Yellow Jackets in field goal range. But Boo Carter blocked Aidan Birr's 45-yard attempt, and the Buffaloes stormed the field.

Coach Deion Sanders said his team, despite trailing all second half, never lost hope.

If you'd know how many linemen grabbed me and said I told y'all we got this, I told you we got this coach,'" Sanders said. "I mean you have no idea how many times I was shaken by a lineman and told that we got this, and I never doubted it."

A tough night for Lewis came together in the final two drives. The freshman quarterback took 9:07 off the clock with a 17-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a blocked field goal from 6-foot-9 Georgia Tech tight end Kevin Roche Jr.

Georgia Tech responded with a field goal scoring drive to take a 13-7 lead, but with newfound confidence, Lewis led a clutch two-minute drill for the win.

I talked to him at halftime in front of the whole team... I told (Lewis) Lets go. Be that man. We believe in you. Lets go. You know, I challenged him in front of the whole team, Sanders said. He took advantage of the moment.

After a first half with six completions for 41 yards, Lewis finished the night 14-of-27 for 124 yards and a touchdown. Running back Micah Welch put the Buffaloes on the board with a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, giving Colorado a short-lived 7-0 lead.

Georgia Tech responded 14 seconds later as Rahkeem Smith returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown and tied the game. It was Smiths first touch as a Yellow Jacket and the programs first kick returned for a touchdown since Jahmyr Gibbs against Boston College in 2021.

Mendoza finished the night 17-of-23 for 237 yards and dodged an injury scare that onlookers feared could affect his second half availability.

His debut featured promising moments, like scrambling away from traffic in the second quarter and throwing a 22-yard dart to Jordan Allen on the move. Mendoza capped off Georgia Tech's final drive with his longest completion of the night, a 42-yarder, to put the Yellow Jackets in field goal range.

He was sacked three times for a loss of 22 yards.

Colorado's last time starting the season 1-0 was in 2023 in Sanders' debut with a 45-42 win against TCU, and it, too, was a thriller. The Buffaloes were the last to find the end zone in a barnburner, with Shedeur Sanders leading a 6-play, 82-yard drive late in the fourth.

Colorado: After seven seasons without a 1,000 yard rusher, Colorado has two strong prospects with Welch and Damian Henderson II splitting snaps in the backfield. Welch finished the night with 58 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Henderson had 12 carries for 65 yards.

Georgia Tech: Atlantas 74% humidity didnt impact fan attendance, with 51,913 fans packed in Bobby Dodd Stadiums third consecutive sell-out. The humidity helped contribute to ball control issues for Georgia Tech who fumbled three times in the first half, losing one.

Colorado hosts Weber State on Sept. 12.

Georgia Tech hosts No. 20 Tennessee on Sept. 12.

Former Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez plans to plead guilty to charges ahead of a trial stemming from an October 2025 fight with a truck driver outside an Indianapolis hotel, according to court records filed Thursday.

A motion asks for a guilty plea and sentencing hearing for Sanchez in Marion County Superior Court. Online records didn't indicate which charges Sanchez plans to plead guilty to.

Sanchez faces a felony battery charge, along with three misdemeanor charges, for what prosecutors have said was a fight over parking.

RELATED STORY | Fox Sports lets go of former quarterback Mark Sanchez after stabbing incident

The ex-NFL quarterback's jury trial was scheduled to start Tuesday. The trial had been rescheduled five times since it was initially set to begin in December. Sanchez and Fox Sports also face a civil lawsuit filed by the truck driver, Perry Tole.

A police affidavit alleges that Sanchez, smelling of alcohol, accosted Tole, who had backed his truck into a hotel's loading docks in downtown Indianapolis. Tole claims in his lawsuit that Sanchez entered the truck without permission, then physically blocked and shoved Tole, who then doused Sanchez with pepper spray.

When Sanchez advanced after being sprayed, Tole pulled a knife to defend himself, authorities said. Sanchez was hospitalized with stab wounds to his upper right torso while Tole suffered a face laceration, according to a police affidavit.

RELATED STORY | Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez booked into jail following Indianapolis altercation

Sanchez told police at the hospital that all he could remember was grabbing for a window, the court document said. Sanchez said he didn't know who else was involved or where the altercation happened.

Sanchez was let go by Fox Sports in November and replaced by Drew Brees. Sanchez had joined Fox Sports as a game analyst in 2021 after appearing on ABC and ESPN for two years.

Sanchez had a 10-year NFL career before retiring in 2019. He spent four seasons with the New York Jets and also appeared in games with Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington.

The NBA imposed a sweeping punishment against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday for violating salary cap circumvention rules, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and forcing it to forfeit five first-round draft picks.

Also, two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard was hit with a $700,000 penalty, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was banned for six months and team president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year.

The Clippers will give up one first-round pick in each draft from 2029-2033.

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The league came down hard on the organization after a nearly yearlong investigation led by an outside law firm.

The Clippers had said multiple times that they had done nothing wrong and expected to be exonerated.

I think that were going to be in the clear, Leonard said in April, so Im not stressing it.

At the same time, Frank said, If you know Steve and know Steves integrity, you know theres nothing to it. We believe and weve very confident were on the right side of this.

The team maintained that stance Wednesday.

We vehemently reject the NBAs findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence, the team said in a statement. What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner (Adam) Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure its fairness and accuracy.

The Clippers said they will now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence. We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process.

The league said it and the players' union agreed to confirm the penalties as final and binding on all parties. It said the outside law firm continues to receive information involving the investigation, and the league will consider further action as appropriate.

I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers' institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct, Silver said in a statement. The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.

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The NBA began investigating in September 2025 whether a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC a company that filed for bankruptcy last year broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre. Earlier this year, Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million.

The Clippers released a letter from Ballmer's attorney David Kelley to Silver in which he described the investigation as a witch hunt and the subsequent penalties as a gross injustice.

Kelley accused Silver of not keeping his promises that the investigation would be governed by due process and fundamental fairness as well as the burden being on the league to prove any violations through evidence.

League counsel has acknowledged in our discussions that the league does not believe there was an agreement between the Clippers and Aspiration to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard. League counsel also agreed with the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and a federal judge that Mr. Ballmer was a victim of Joe Sanbergs fraud not a participant, wrote Kelley, a partner in the firm O'Melveny and Myers.

Mr. Ballmers reputation has been irreparably damaged as he now finds himself embroiled not only in this heavily biased investigation, but in civil litigation, the Aspiration bankruptcy proceeding, and more, Kelley wrote.

Kelley wrote that no league rule prohibits team personnel making introductions to both sponsors and vendors in response to player requests.

Retroactively punishing the Clippers for violating a rule that never existed is hardly consistent with due process, Kelley wrote.

The league said Ballmer knowingly sought to help Leonard obtain off-court income deals, approved a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement contract with Leonard, and for failing to create conditions under which his team followed league rules.

I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family, Leonard said in a statement issued through his new agent, Harrison Gaines.

The NBA said Leonard, through his former business manager and uncle Dennis Robertson, violated the circumvention rules by pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities, successfully obtaining those opportunities, and failing to reimburse payments by the Clippers for personal expenses.

I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyones part to circumvent the salary cap, Leonard said in his statement.

The league said Ballmer was suspended for knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities, among other issues.

Leonard's trade to the Toronto Raptors has been on hold pending the outcome of the investigation. The Raptors had said they still want Leonard, and he apparently is just as eager to return to the team where he won an NBA title and was Finals MVP in 2019.

As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate, Leonard said in his statement.

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The Clippers and their personnel will be under a compliance and monitoring program by the league for five years and Robertson was banned from doing business with NBA teams for five years.

The league penalized Frank for his involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Leonard and his family. Zucker was banned for being primarily and directly culpable for the illegal endorsement arrangements and for lying to investigators. Both will lose their salaries during their bans.

It's not the first time the Clippers have run afoul of NBA rules under Ballmer, who bought the team for $2 billion in August 2014.

They were fined $250,000 a year later for violating rules against offering unauthorized business or investment opportunities to players during their courting of free agent DeAndre Jordan. A presentation to him improperly included a $200,000-per-year deal with luxury carmaker Lexus.

Ballmer, 70, was CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) LSU coach Lane Kiffins chances of fielding former NFL players improved Thursday night when a Louisiana judge issued a preliminary injunction against the NCAA in a high-profile eligibility case.

East Baton Rouge Parish Judge William Jorden issued his ruling the night before LSU was due to submit its 105-man roster to the Southeastern Conference, which last week announced heavy potential punishment for football and basketball teams that bring in ex-pros.

The ruling clears the way for LSU to list some former NFL players on its roster. How many games they might be eligible to play remains to be seen as the matter continues working its way through the courts.

Its not about coach Kiffin. Its not about LSU. Its about treating these kids fairly, said Tony Clayton, an attorney for the athletes. Today, justice was served. And justice was serve to the SEC. It was served like a cold cup of gumbo. And that judge forced them to eat it.

The ruling followed a nearly nine-hour hearing in a courtroom less than three miles from the LSU campus. Several athletes took the stand to explain why they should be allowed to return to play college sports for a fifth season some of them after turning pro.

The commissioner of the powerful SEC argued against them, and the league doubled down by filing a lawsuit against the school in a federal court in Alabama. That lawsuit could become the SEC's best chance at preventing former pros from playing this season.

Thursday's hearing was attended by Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill, who filed an athlete-friendly brief in the case. While she did not make any arguments in court, she spoke after the hearing and referred to the SEC's federal lawsuit against LSU as legal garbage, and frivolous.

Were going to continue to do everything we can to protect the school from those threats, she said.

The courtroom confrontation came just two days before 11th-ranked LSU opens the season at home against Clemson. Jorden scheduled the hearing over his temporary injunction preventing the NCAA from barring former pros or fifth-year college athletes, a stance reiterated by the SEC and other Power Four conferences in potential punishments adopted last week.

Lane Kiffin is cold as ice. Hes wonderful to watch. He pushes every limit to try to win, said New Orleans attorney Jason Williams, representing the SEC. "The SEC exists in part to prevent individual competitive incentives from destroying the common conditions that make college football great.

Former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and former Cleveland Browns tight end DaeQuan Wright, two players who now expect to suit up for LSU within weeks, sat next to each other in the gallery as the hearing began. Both took the stand to say they would not have signed with NFL teams this year had they known they might get another year in college.

Each said they each earned about $1 million in college. Harris said he was paid just $190 in travel expenses by the Saints and spent all of his time with the club rehabbing a foot injury. Wright said he was paid a $25,000 signing bonus by Philadelphia before his brief time with the Browns and would gladly pay that back for the chance to play for LSU.

While both former Mississippi players were unsure how soon they might make their LSU debut, they said after the hearing that they expect to play when the Tigers visit Ole Miss on Sept. 19.

Two LSU soccer players, Jazmin Ferguson and Jocelyn Ollivierre, won earlier court orders and have already played this season. Ferguson testified that she was paid $4,500 by a USL team, but ended her contract and paid the money back in hopes of clearing the way to play for the Tigers again. Two LSU softball players also testified.

The athletes were questioned after SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was on the stand for more than two hours, defending the leagues authority to enforce its longstanding rules barring former pros from returning to play at its 16 member schools and enforce newly outlined fines and suspensions against programs and coaches. He said school presidents and chancellors felt that they needed to establish ways to hold schools accountable for recruiting professionals back to college.

The line between professional sports and college sports needs to be maintained, Sankey testified, adding that the league was concerned about incoming athletes being displaced from limited roster spots.

As he spoke, the SEC filed the federal lawsuit in Alabama against LSU and its leadership, alleging the school had waged a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes in defiance of league rules. The court filing against one of the leagues founding members in 1933 seeks an injunction barring LSU from violating the SECs First Amendment rights by forcing it to associate with conduct that is contrary to the conferences purpose and mission.

While questioning Sankey, attorneys for the athletes cited numerous examples of when SEC eligibility rules align with NCAA rules, suggesting the potential for collusion. They questioned why league members met last week to adopt stiff penalties for the very actions addressed in the Louisiana state courts temporary injunction against the NCAA.

The attorneys also asked why the SEC singled out players who signed contracts with specific U.S.-based leagues the NFL, NBA and WNBA but not overseas pro leagues or womens pro soccer leagues. When Sankey tried to qualify an answer about whether the SEC had previously punished a school for adding a player with previous pro experience, Clayton said, I didnt ask how to build a clock. Im just asking what time it is.

Sankey acknowledged that there had previously been no such punishment, but that it had been considered against Alabama last basketball season when the Crimson Tide briefly added a former G League player.

The players in question also include former Denver Broncos defensive back Blake Cotton, who like Harris and Wright is hoping to join LSU and Kiffin.

Wright started practicing at LSU this week, too late to be eligible for Saturdays home opener against Clemson under the NCAAs required seven days of practice. Harris has committed to LSU, while Cotton, who played at Utah last fall, has been recruited by Kiffin.

All three are among a host of athletes whove argued in lawsuits around the country that they are unfairly being denied an opportunity to spend a fifth year in college under newly adopted NCAA rules allowing for five full years of competition. In all, the NCAA says there are approximately 450 athlete plaintiffs seeking additional eligibility through litigation, with some 300 of them winning the ability to play at least for now.

NCAA attorney Taylor Askew said the number of disputes actually strengthens the argument that the NCAA is trying to enforce rules fairly.

That can't be arbitrary," Askew said. "It's consistency.

The athletes in the case who signed pro contracts have argued they did so only because current rules that would have allowed them another college season werent adopted until after their decisions to sign NFL contracts.

The SEC contended the question before the judge narrowly regarded whether the conference can enforce and require its member institutions to comply with SEC rules. The SECs new penalties include fines up to half of a given sport's revenues, up to half-season suspensions for coaches and member universities loss of voting privileges on league business matters.

Sankey provided an affidavit stating that SEC university presidents had voted 15-0 in favor of those penalties, with LSUs Wade Rousse abstaining.

The fight over eligibility between schools and their own conferences and the NCAA has simmered for months and spilled into politics.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry posted on X to attorneys general in Georgia and South Carolina that calling them NFL players is at best disingenuous, and at worst intentionally deceptive.

They are not professional football players circling back after years in the NFL, Landry wrote. They are college players who were told, by the NCAA, that they were done. So they took the only door that was open only to watch the NCAA change the lock behind them.

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DENVER - In two words, Super Bowl. That's where the Broncos figured they were headed until Bo Nix broke his right ankle while leading Denver to a game-winning drive in overtime against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills during the playoffs in January. Nix underwent surgery the next day and backup Jarrett Stidham had an awful game a week later in Denver's 10-7 loss to New England in the AFC championship. Now Nix is embarking on a comeback. Coach Sean Payton relinquished game-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb and general manager George Paton traded his first-round pick in the NFL draft to Miami for speedy wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who should free up everyone around him as teams decide whether to double him or Courtland Sutton. The defense has led the league in sacks each of the last two seasons and decided not to bring back DE John Franklin-Myers and ILB Dre Greenlaw. Justin Strnad, who has started 16 games over the last two seasons, steps in for Greenlaw and JFM's snaps will be shared by Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike and rookie Tyler Onyedim.

WR Jaylen Waddle, RB Jonah Coleman, DE Tyler Onyedim.

ILB Dre Greenlaw, DE John Franklin-Myers, S P.J. Locke.

Continuity. The Broncos were quiet in free agency and only four of their seven draft picks made the initial 53-man roster. Among those who didn't was fifth-round tight end Justin Joly, who was claimed by Miami. Denver has long relied on its dominant defense and even without OLB Jonathon Cooper, who's on the commissioner's exempt list after a pair of domestic-violence arrests in June, this unit is set to lead the way again in 2026. The Broncos have led the league in sacks each of the last two seasons and they posted a combined sack differential of plus-84 over that span, leading the league by a wide margin. The offense should be better with Waddle taking up so much attention, freeing others to beat one-on-one coverage.

The weak link again is probably tight end even though Evan Engram should get more opportunities with former Giants teammate Webb running the offense. Inside linebacker could be a question mark on defense but only because the secondary, led by former AP Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II and rising star Riley Moss, is so good as is the pass rush led by Nik Bonitto and a slew of others.

The player who turned all the heads and dropped all the jaws in training camp wasn't Waddle or Sutton but second-year pro Pat Bryant. Man, Pats a beast, Waddle said. Hes another young guy Im excited to see work this year, Im excited to play alongside him. Im excited for the world to get to know Pat Bryants name. Webb has already introduced a new moniker for Bryant: Patty Ice: Man, Patty Ice has had some really, really good practices, said Webb.

While Waddle will be key with his ability to zip past defenders or stop suddenly to create separation and Sutton could have another big season he's caught 25 touchdown passes over the last three seasons combined the guess here is that Bryant continues his rise and becomes a household name among fantasy owners and rewards those smart enough to draft him out of the gate.

DENVER (AP) Brett Sullivans two-out, two-run single capped Colorados 11th-inning comeback, and the Rockies beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 on Wednesday.

The loss was a blow to Baltimore in its battle for the final AL wild-card spot. The Orioles (69-71) went 6-3 on their trip out West, but they dropped the final two against the Rockies and fell two games behind Cleveland, which played later Wednesday, for the last playoff berth.

Baltimore took a 5-3 lead in the 11th on RBI singles by Samuel Basallo and Blaze Alexander, who finished with three hits, but Colorado rallied against Grant Wolfram (6-3). TJ Rumfield drove in Connor Norby before Wolfram struck out Cole Carrigg and Zac Veen.

Adael Amador hit a ground-rule double to left. Sullivan then blooped a 3-2 sinker into left, and Amador easily beat the throw home.

The Orioles squandered Trevor Rogers career-high 11 strikeouts when Colorado tied it with two outs in the ninth off Andrew Kittredge. That temporarily avenged Monday nights loss, when Colton Cowser reached over the center field wall to rob Jake McCarthy of a two-out, two-run homer with Kittredge on the mound.

Luis Robert Jr., who was picked up on waivers from the New York Mets on Monday, had a two-run double in the third inning that gave Baltimore a 3-0 lead. He was the automatic runner in the 11th and scored on Basallos single to left off Blas Castano (2-0).

Dylan Beavers and Alexander hit consecutive singles to drive in another run.

Rogers, whose previous career high in strikeouts was 10, fanned six straight at one point. He left with two outs in the seventh and a 3-2 lead.

Orioles: Open a four-game home series against Boston on Friday night.

Rockies: Continue their six-game homestand Friday night with Ryan Feltner (5-9, 5.84 ERA) opening a three-game series against St. Louis.

DENVER It now marks the return to school and the return of fall sports. At Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), the women's soccer team is kicking off the start of its season with an away match against San Angelo State.

Katie Hooker, head coach of the MSU Denver women's soccer team, is excited to have both new and returning players on the pitch. This marks her second season with the team, previously playing both in college and professionally.

"Everybody on the team has worked hard to kind of include everybody, get them to where we want to be, to understand our identity, what Roadrunner Soccer looks like, what our goals are for the season," said Hooker. "So, it's really about the entire team kind of being together, supporting each other and getting through everything together."

Hooker says the team's goals are set high, wanting to be towards the top of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and to try and host a tournament game. While it may still feel like summer temperatures, she knows there is no time to waste, with the team ready to give their all.

"Being a fall sport, we do have to hit the ground running. We had one week of training before the players went to school. They're really here to be true student-athletes," Hooker said.

The Roadrunners know there is a new team in town, not competition, but rather inspiration, as the Denver Summit FC kicked off their inaugural season this year.

"I mean they can really kind of feel that with it being a women's team, like the growth of women's sports and women's soccer," explained Hooker. "The professional league that has been able to sustain itself for a while now in the United States is something that they can look forward to, whether they want to play or they want to get involved with coaching, or they want to be in the front office, all those things."

Not only does MSU Denver student-athlete Addison Mandeville look up to the Summit, but she also is involved with the team. Growing up in Gypsum, Mandeville chose MSU Denver with all the stars aligning so she could be close to home and also play for the soccer team.

"My dream to play soccer has been since I was like 4 years old. It's always just been to play at the next level from high school to club, and I knew from middle school that I wanted to play in college. Didn't know where, but here is the dream," Mandeville said.

When she learned Denver would be home to a professional women's soccer team, Mandeville knew that would open the doors of opportunity in the sports industry, as she is majoring in sports management.

"I am part of their street team, the Denver Summit street team, so we do a lot of promotions and marketing at events throughout Denver," explained Mandeville. "I remember my first event was on Larimer Square, where it was kind of the opening ceremony, and it was really fun because we just got to set up and talked to people from all over Denver."

As part of being involved with the Summit street team, Mandeville was able to help out at the home opener at Empower Field. She said it was a memory she will never forget. Even though this is the first season for the Denver Summit, Mandeville knows this team is having a ripple effect across all generations.

"I actually coached at a couple of soccer camps this summer, and I coached little 13-year-olds, and talking to them about the Summit, they are just in awe. I know it's so exciting for little younger generations and especially our generation, just knowing there's a lot more opportunities out there," Mandeville said.

DENVER - The Broncos ended the Kansas City Chiefs' nine-year reign atop the AFC West last season, yet Patrick Mahomes sensed his team's stranglehold on the division loosening just a bit way back in mid-November 2024 when he was on his way to a third consecutive Super Bowl.

The Chiefs had just blocked a game-winning field-goal attempt as time expired to preserve a stunning 16-14 win over Denver.

Mahomes approached Broncos coach Sean Payton during the postgame hugs and handshakes and delivered a simple message: You've got one.

As in a franchise quarterback.

Bo Nix had just methodically and calmly driven the Broncos into field-goal range only to watch linebacker Leo Chenal break through the line to block Wil Lutzs chip-shot field-goal try.

Nix and the Broncos recovered to reach the playoffs that season, but they were bounced by Buffalo in the wild-card round while the Chiefs reached the Super Bowl only to fall short of a three-peat with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Nix blossomed last season when he led the Broncos to a 15-4 record, their first division crown in a decade and a trip to the AFC championship game, which he missed after breaking his right ankle on Denver's game-winning drive in overtime against the Bills in the divisional round.

Nix tied Russell Wilson's record for most wins in his first two NFL seasons with two dozen, joining Mahomes and the Los Angeles Chargers ' Justin Herbert among the league's accomplished quarterbacks.

The Raiders changed coaches and quarterbacks this season with Klint Kubiak taking over for Pete Carroll as head coach and QB Geno Smith giving way to free agent Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza.

While Herbert was banged up last season, it's Nix (ankle) and Mahomes (knee) who are coming off surgeries in 2026 and they'll square off on Sept. 14 in a marquee Monday night matchup at Arrowhead Stadium to top off the NFL's opening weekend.

The Broncos face a harrowing six-game stretch to open the season.

After traveling to Kansas City, they'll host the Jacksonville Jaguars, who thumped them last year 34-20 in Denver to snap the Broncos' 11-game winning streak, and the Los Angeles Rams, who added Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald to a dominant defense.

Then, they visit the San Francisco 49ers and the Chargers before returning home to host the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

It's football, bro, said Broncos second-year rising wide receiver Pat Bryant. "I'm a competitor. I love going out there. To be the best, you've got to beat the best. Having a schedule like that, coming out strong, I mean, it'll help build us a team.

Playing those great teams, it challenges us and at the end of the day we're up to the challenge, Bryant added. I love it. I like going out there and competing mano a mano. Six great teams with a lot of great players will allow us to go out there and show off what we've been through this training camp.

Mahomes, who tore two ligaments in his left knee last December, didn't play in the preseason, the first time the two-time MVP has gone through a full scheduled exhibition season without appearing in a game.

Its the amount of time theyve said from the beginning, that if I did everything the right way, I would be ready to play Week 1, Mahomes said. Im someone, if you put (a target) in front of me, I want to go out and get it and maximize every single opportunity, every rep in the weight room, every hour that I can spend in the building to get my body right.

If the past is any indication, watch out.

Mahomes had one of the best seasons of his career the previous time he didn't play in any tuneup games.

After the NFL canceled the preseason in 2020 amid the pandemic, Mahomes threw for 4,740 yards with 38 touchdowns with only six interceptions as Kansas City went 14-2 and beat Buffalo for the AFC championship, before losing to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl.

If the Chargers are to win their first division crown since 2009 when they were still based in San Diego, or break through with a playoff victory after back-to-back 11-win seasons under Jim Harbaugh, they'll have to do a better job of protecting Herbert.

He was pressured a league-high 183 times last season, and after getting Pro Bowl tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt back healthy, the Chargers lost veteran center Tyler Biadasz to a season-ending knee injury this summer after signing him away from Washington.

The Chargers are hoping former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, their new offensive coordinator, helps keep Herbert upright by bringing his speed-based schemes and high-flying attack to L.A.

Herbert absorbed the most hits and sacks of his six-year career last season, so McDaniel is putting a premium on quick throws to keep him out of harm's way.

The Chargers will really be put to the test in Weeks 5 and 18 when they face Denver's daunting defense that has led the league in sacks each of the past two seasons. The Broncos have a combined sack differential of plus-84 over that span, leading the league by a wide margin.

Seems it's just a matter of time before Mendoza assumes the starting quarterback job in Las Vegas after leading Indiana to the national title, winning the Heisman Trophy and getting drafted first overall.

But when that time comes is anyone's guess.

He'll likely be the backup to Cousins, who's entering his 15th NFL season, to start out the season.

Cousins received the lions share of first-team snaps in training camp and was the starter in the two Las Vegas preseason games he played. Not only that, but the O-line is far from proven, no wide receiver has emerged as a bona fide No. 1 option and the starting running back might be a rookie not an ideal situation to start a first-year QB.

No matter who's under center, it should be better than last season when the Raiders' averages of 14.2 points and 245.2 yards per game were both last in the league.

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Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders.