Women's Flag Football Could Become NCAA Sport After Committee Recommendation
The NCAA will consider adding flag football as a women's varsity sport in all three divisions.
Division I, Division II and Division III leadership will be able to consider legislation approving the sport after the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics recommended its addition Wednesday.
The news comes ahead of the Olympic debut of both men's and women's flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Flag football previously made its international debut at a multi-sport event during the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama.
According to an NCAA press release, the three divisions "will review updated statistics, current sports sponsorship numbers, financial considerations, potential timelines and other relevant topics before making a final decision."
If approved, the sport would be added to college athletics as part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.
The program allows organizations governing each sport to work directly with schools interested in adding the program, according to the NCAA.
The Emerging Sports for Women program currently governs acrobatics and tumbling, rugby, stunt, triathlon and women's wrestling. Equestrian is also part of the program in DI and DII.
Women's wrestling successfully moved through the program to be granted NCAA championship status last month. Competitors will play for the sport's inaugural NCAA title in winter 2026.
Five other sports have reached championship status after advancing through the program, including rowing, ice hockey, water polo, bowling and beach volleyball.
In order for women's flag football to become the 92nd NCAA sport with a championship, the sport must meet minimum participation requirements including at least 40 schools sponsoring the sport at the varsity level, according to the NCAA.
Per the NCAA, at least 65 member schools are currently sponsoring women's flag football at either a club or varsity level. The NCAA expects more programs to add the sport next academic year.
The push to expand flag football has started at the youth and high school level, with help from the NFL. The league says it has been promoting flag football as both a physical education curriculum component and varsity sport at high schools across the United States.
Report: Matt Patricia Meets with Ryan Day, OSU About DC Job After Knowles' PSU Exit
Ohio State is reportedly interested in a former NFL head coach for its vacant defensive coordinator position.
Per CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, Matt Patricia met with the Buckeyes about their defensive coordinator opening in Columbus on Monday. Patricia, who coached the Detroit Lions from 2018 to 2020, last worked with the Philadelphia Eagles as a senior defensive assistant in 2023.
Patricia got his coaching start in the collegiate ranks but has only held NFL jobs since 2004. He was with the New England Patriots from 2004 to 2017, serving in various roles including defensive coordinator for six years.
His Lions tenure was mostly unsuccessful as he was fired in 2020 after failing to reach the playoffs in each of his first two seasons at the helm. After his stint in Detroit, he returned to the Patriots for two seasons before joining the Eagles for one season in 2023.
Ohio State is looking for a replacement for Jim Knowles, who was the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator from 2022 to last season. Fresh off a championship with Ohio State, Knowles left the program in January to become Penn State's defensive coordinator.
The three-year deal pays Knowles an average of $3.1 million per season, making him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football.
Replacing Knowles will be a tall task after he led Ohio State to having one of the best defenses in college football in 2024. The Buckeyes gave up just 254.6 yards per game, which was the best mark in the FBS last season. Their 12.9 points per game were also the fewest in the nation in 2024.
While Patricia has little experience at the collegiate level, he spent most of his career working under legendary coach Bill Belichick, who will coach North Carolina this season. Whether the Buckeyes give Patricia the chance to follow in the footsteps of Belichick remains to be seen.
Dan Hurley on UConn Falling Out of AP Poll Top 25: 'No One Gets Crowned in February'
UConn men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley isn't worried about the Huskies falling out of the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.
"No one gets crowned in February," Hurley said on Monday, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com.
"You know, there's no crowns handed out for for a while here," he added. "Obviously, in today's world there's going to be very quick reactions and all types of hot takes."
The Huskies, who have won the national championship in each of the past two seasons, own a 4-4 record over their past eight games and sit at 16-7 overall.
This included a 68-62 loss to No. 9 St. John's on Friday in which UConn blew a 14-point lead, faltering down the stretch of the second half.
Hurley's team is now out of the AP top 25 for the first time since the 2022-23 preseason poll (h/t Kels Dayton of the Hartford Courant).
The Huskies sat at No. 3 in the Week 1 AP top 25 poll for the 2024-25 season, rising as high as No. 2 before steadily dropping down.
Still, Hurley isn't concerned with the team's current placement and is focused on getting back on track for March.
"There's no crowns that get handed out on February 10," Hurley said, per Zagoria. "I know we didn't get any crowns the last two years in the beginning of February. So everyone's got to keep playing and, you know, all the big things get decided in March."
The Huskies have dealt with multiple injuries to key players this season. Freshman forward Liam McNeeley has only appeared in 15 games due to an ankle injury, while senior point guard Hassan Diarra has been dealing with knee issues.
The Huskies will attempt to start finding some consistency on Tuesday, facing off against Creighton. Tip-off is at 9 p.m. ET.
Alabama's Ryan Williams Announces NIL Contract with Nail Polish Brand in IG Video
Fresh off an outstanding freshman season at Alabama, Ryan Williams has inked a new NIL deal.
The standout receiver, who just turned 18, revealed on his Instagram on Sunday that he's partnering with beauty company Sally Hansen for his nail polish needs this season.
According to On3's Pete Nakos, Williams began painting his nails with his younger sister before every game in high school. He's kept the tradition going in college, and it led to an NIL deal.
Nakos also noted that former Duke star and current Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain had an NIL deal with Sally Hansen last year. McCain, like Williams, made painted nails his signature look.
Williams had a tremendous freshman season for the Crimson Tide, recording 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He added a pair of touchdowns on the ground as well. Williams turned heads in Alabama's win over Georgia in September when he had six receptions for 177 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown that helped seal the win in the fourth quarter.
Williams was rated as the No. 3 receiver and No. 4 player in the nation in the Class of 2024, per 247Sports' composite list, leading to lofty expectations. It's safe to say he met those expectations in Year 1, and he's now looking to have an even better sophomore season.
AP College Basketball Poll 2025: Complete Week 15 Men's Rankings Released
A loss to Florida wasn't enough to dislodge Auburn from the No. 1 spot in the newest Associated Press Top 25 poll.
With a 21-2 overall record, the Tigers lead the way for the fifth straight week. The Gators' upset did, however, move them up three spots to No. 3.
Alabama made it through the week unscathed, beating Arkansas 85-81 and improving to 20-3 overall in its only game, which was enough to earn a bump up to No. 2 thanks to Duke's loss to Clemson.
Week 15 AP Poll
1. Auburn
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. Duke
5. Tennessee
6. Houston
7. Purdue
8. Texas A&M
9. St. John's
10. Iowa State
11. Michigan State
12. Texas Tech
13. Arizona
14. Memphis
15. Kentucky
16. Wisconsin
17. Kansas
18. Marquette
19. Ole Miss
20. Michigan
21. Missouri
22. Mississippi State
23. Clemson
24. Creighton
25. Maryland
If you're the No. 1 team in the country, then it's a good idea to avoid Florida moving forward. The Gators' upset of Auburn was their second victory against the top-ranked program in the AP poll.
Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. had a team-high 19 points, while sophomore forward Alex Condon dropped a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The 16 points and nine boards from sophomore forward Thomas Haugh were instrumental in the win as well.
"I thought our guys were fantastic for 40 minutes tonight," Gators head coach Todd Golden said after the game. "We were able to withstand a little rush early in the game, which we knew we were going to see. The last 36 minutes of the game, I thought we were just about as good as you could be in an environment like this."
Auburn's upset wasn't a huge shock because the Tigers had had some close calls against SEC foes already.
There probably weren't many fans who had Duke losing to Clemson on their radar. The Tigers were coming off a defeat to Georgia Tech in three overtimes, and they had played just four times against opponents in the top 50 of ESPN's Basketball Power Index.
Clemson successfully out-muscled Duke inside. It nearly doubled the Blue Devils up on points in the paint with a 40-22 edge, and it grabbed 13 more rebounds.
The Tigers succeeded in limiting the impact of freshman phenom Cooper Flagg as well. The 6'9" forward shot 6-of-17 from the floor for 18 points.
Now sitting with an 11-2 mark in the ACC, Clemson reinforced its status as a legitimate threat to claim a regular-season conference time.
Over in the Big East, St. John's Rick Pitino is working his usual magic. The Red Storm ran their winning streak to 10 games by beating Marquette and UConn.
Against the Huskies, St. John's rallied from a 14-point deficit early into the first half.
Junior guard RJ Luis Jr. put up 21 points and seven rebounds, and he was one of four St. John's starters to score in double figure. The Red Storm did an excellent job defensively, holding UConn to 39.2 percent shooting overall, including 8-of-29 from the perimeter.
It's not as though fans doubted Pitino's résumé as a coach, but his age, 72, and St. John's lack of recent success provided some reason to question whether this experiment would work.
Midway through his second season, the Hall of Famer is delivering more than the school's administrators could've expected when they hired him.
Cooper Flagg, No. 2 Duke Upset By Clemson, Disappoint CBB Fans with 1st ACC Loss
No. 2 Duke suffered an upset loss to Clemson on Saturday night, falling by the final score of 77-71.
With the Blue Devils trailing by two points and 21 seconds left in the second half, standout freshman Cooper Flagg slipped and fell. Flagg was called for a travel, helping the Tigers secure the win.
It was a rough end to a promising second-half performance from the 18-year-old, scoring 14 of his 18 points after halftime. Flagg shot just 6-17 from the field, but he connected on three of his six attempts from behind the arc.
This included a three-pointer that put the Blue Devils up by one point with roughly one minute remaining in the contest.
Fans weren't pleased with the performance from Flagg and Duke as head coach Jon Scheyer's team suffered its first ACC loss of the season.
The defeat was especially disappointing for the Blue Devils considering their three-point accuracy throughout the contest, connecting on 12 of their 24 attempts from behind the arc as a team.
For Clemson, senior forward Viktor Lakhin scored a team-high 22 points on 9-12 shooting. Guard Chase Hunter also chipped in with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Duke's 16-game win streak was snapped, marking its first loss since Nov. 26.
The Blue Devils fell to 20-3, while the Tigers improved to 19-5.
Bill Belichick Adds Former NFL LB Jamie Collins to UNC Staff as Defensive Assistant
Bill Belichick added a familiar face to his coaching staff at North Carolina.
Former New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins, who played 79 games under Belichick during his NFL career, will be joining the Tar Heels as a defensive assistant in 2025 (via TMZ Sports).
"Blessed for the opportunity," Collins said. "My guy. I love that dude, he love me. Obviously, he can't get rid of me so we'll see how that works out. But I'm grateful, man. I'm shocked, but grateful and ready."
Collins explained that he'll "mainly" work with North Carolina's linebackers.
The 35-year-old spent 10 years playing in the NFL, starting his career with New England after the team selected him with a second-round pick in the 2013 draft.
Collins quickly excelled in a starting role, winning a championship with the Patriots during the 2014 season and earning Pro Bowl honors in 2015. He was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2016, but he returned to New England two more times before the end of his career.
This included a stint from the middle of the 2021 season through Collins' 2022 campaign, his final year in the NFL. He eventually retired in Oct. 2023.
As for Belichick, he agreed to mutually part ways with the Patriots following the 2023 season.
He was officially named the Tar Heels' next head coach on Dec. 11, signing a five-year contract worth $10 million annually.
North Carolina's current regime already has multiple members with ties to Belichick's days with the Patriots.
General manager Mike Lombardi served as an executive in New England, while Tar Heels strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera previously worked under Belichick on the Patriots (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Now, Collins has become the latest member of North Carolina's staff as the team gears up for the 2025 season.
Deion Sanders Hires NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk to Colorado Staff as RB Coach
Colorado is adding a legendary former running back to its coaching staff.
Marshall Faulk, a three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year winner, is joining Deion Sanders' Colorado staff as a running backs coach, the team announced on Thursday. The hire marks Faulk's first collegiate coaching job.
Faulk, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011, is now the third Hall of Famer on Colorado's staff, joining Sanders and Warren Sapp, who joined the Buffs staff as a senior quality control assistant ahead of the 2024 season.
Though Faulk doesn't have prior experience as a coach, his resume speaks for itself. He racked up 12,279 rushing yards and 100 rushing yards during his NFL career, adding 6,875 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns through the air.
Faulk, the 2000 MVP, knows a thing or two about winning too, as he helped lead the St. Louis Rams to a win in Super Bowl XXXIV.
The Buffaloes will have a challenge in 2025 as they look to replace the production of star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman-winning two-way star Travis Hunter. Bringing in a legendary player like Faulk could help Colorado get its running game going after relying mostly on the passing game over the past two years.
Sanders inherited a Colorado team that went 1-11 in the season before his arrival. The Buffaloes had some growing pains in Year 1, going 4-8 in 2023 before taking a major leap in 2024, finishing the season 9-4.
Colorado was an upset loss to Kansas away from reaching the Big 12 title game, which could have helped the Buffs punch a ticket to the College Football Playoff. With Faulk joining the staff, Colorado will look to make another leap in Year 3 of the Sanders era and potentially compete for a championship.
Report: Indiana, Mike Woodson to Part Ways After 2024-25 CBB Season amid Struggles
Indiana and men's basketball head coach Mike Woodson will part ways after the 2024-25 season, according to Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68.
The news comes after Goodman reported that Woodson was contemplating stepping down and retiring. He noted in that report that if Woodson chooses to retire, he would finish out the season before doing so at the end of the Hoosiers' 2024-25 campaign.
ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello reported that Indiana and Woodson are "in discussions" surrounding his future at the school and the coach is "unlikely" to return for the 2025-26 season.
Woodson has been with the Hoosiers since 2021.
Indiana currently sits at 14-9 and has struggled as of late, losing six of its past seven games.
The Hoosiers are coming off a 76-64 defeat against Wisconsin that wasn't as close as the final score indicated, as the Hoosiers instantly faced a 22-point deficit just over seven minutes into the first half.
"We're just not a tough team right now," Woodson said after the loss, per Steve Megargee of the Associated Press. "We're not. Mentally we're not tough."
"Right now our backs are against the wall," he added. "We're not playing great basketball. We're playing in spurts."
Woodson owns an overall record of 77-49 with Indiana, making NCAA Tournament appearances in both of his first two years at the school. The Hoosiers couldn't secure a March Madness spot after finishing with a 19-14 record during the 2023-24 season, and their recent losing stretch has put a 2025 tournament appearance in serious doubt.
Indiana has struggled against Big Ten opponents, owning a 15-17 record against conference foes since the start of its 2023-24 campaign.
Before joining the Hoosiers, Woodson was an assistant coach for six different NBA teams and also had head-coaching stints with the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks.
Now, his tenure with Indiana may be coming to a close at the end of the season.