⚽️🎙️ First broadcast of the fall coming up this Sunday on ESPN+! NC State makes the trip up from Raleigh to take on VCU at the new VCU Athletic Village. www.espn.com/watch/player...

NC State vs. VCU 8/16/26 - Stream the Match Live - Watch ESPN

Stream the NCAA Women's Soccer Match NC State vs. VCU live from ESPN+ on Watch ESPN. Live stream on Sunday, August 16, 2026.

espn.com

🎙️ College sports are back this week, which means "get paid to talk" season is back. Looking forward to five games over the next three weekends on ESPN+, including a long-overdue first visit to Farmville!

It's been 13 years since I lived on Staten Island, but it is always funny to me every time I'm reminded that the outermost bridge to Jersey is named after a guy named Outerbridge.

⚽️🎙️ The college soccer season is a couple weeks away and I'm excited to return to the broadcast booth again this fall! Looking forward to some autumn afternoons with Longwood, Richmond and VCU on ESPN+.

The vast majority of the time when I hear a politician talking about sports, my thought is that someone on their staff handed them some talking points to try to make them sound relatable. It rarely comes off as genuine.

The Atlantic@theatlantic.com · 2mo ago

Politicians need as much attention as possible, as frequently as possible, while seeming as relatable as possible—and a cheat code exists to hit all three objectives, Nathaniel Frum writes:

🇳🇱 I believe there’s a website for this… only for farmers.

🇳🇱 Duolingo’s always good for one that’s wonderfully on-brand on a Monday morning.

⚾️ Back-to-back nights at RVA’s new home for baseball. We did it, @gosquirrels.bsky.social!

🎶 @wfuv.bsky.social at my desk each morning remains a true joy in my daily routine.

✈️ ☕️ Airports: All I ask for in 2026 is an express lane at the coffee shop for people ordering drip coffee.

Some things in here I agree with and others I don't, but an overarching idea that's spot on: A large percentage of D1 is trying to keep up with the P4 in a way that's detrimental to their departments and institutions. And something needs to change for the sustainability of the majority.

Matt Brown@mattbrown.bsky.social · 6mo ago

NEW EXTRA POINTS: Today, a former AD at UMBC and CCSU wrote a column for us, where he recommended D1 split up (But share a combined NCAA tournament). The big schools do their thing, everybody else does something else: www.extrapointsmb.com/p/split-up-d-i

Prince is No. 1 on this list in the way that Katie Ledecky is No. 1 in an Olympic swimming event and they have to zoom out to get her lapping everyone.

The Athletic@theathletic.com · 6mo ago

What is the greatest Super Bowl halftime show? 🎤 Before Bad Bunny takes the stage on Sunday, The Athletic's @saadyousuf126.bsky.social watched every performance since 1991. Here's his top 10.

The story of the first two weeks of the college lacrosse season is the cold. So. Very. Cold. And so many postponements, too. A look at what could be done about early February (and late January!) lacrosse, for USA Lacrosse Magazine. www.usalacrosse.com/magazine/col...

Who Goes Outside in This? Lacrosse Coaches Rethink Early Start

NCAA men's lacrosse coaches sound off on the start date that keeps creeping earlier and earlier.

usalacrosse.com

📚 Book No. 6 of 2026: @johngasaway.bsky.social's "Miracles on the Hardwood." Instant recommendation to my Holy Cross alum father-in-law, some coaches who attended Catholic institutions, and the Providence fans in my life.

Great story... and a great reminder of why quality writing like this is still so valuable.

Matt Gelb@mattgelb.bsky.social · 6mo ago

What happens after a season-ending error? Orion Kerkering did not run from it this offseason. "It's going to affect me for the rest of my life," he said. "No matter where I go." He knows the challenge that awaits him: www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...

⚾ The memes about guys just naming random baseball players with their friends? They're true. I just made a Todd Hundley comp about a friend's five-day-old baby.

🏀 The schedule-makers around women's college basketball should get free coffee on Monday. Seven ranked vs. ranked matchups on the first Sunday of the year that doesn't go up against the NFL. 21 national TV games. Turn on a game or three. 📺

🥍 There’s a really simple answer to the number of early-season lacrosse games that wind up being played indoors without fans and/or a broadcast: The season starts too early.

Dan Arestia@danarestia.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Now official. The Saturday game between Delaware and Utah has been moved to Friday. The Hens will host at Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington Delaware, start time is 12:30pm. No fans will be allowed, and the game will not be broadcast, though live stats will be available.

🇵🇹 These are the people who give Jon Rothstein nightmares.

Lost the AFC Championship by three points in a blizzard with a QB who hadn't played in two years. 2026: A time when everyone fires coaches like they're 70s/80s George Steinbrenner.

🏐 At a hotel bar last night. Guy next to me asks for "sports, any sports". Bartender picks the first game on the guide, Mich St-Rutgers MBB. Guy looks at me and says "better than women's volleyball, I guess." I smiled and suggested he learn how many volleyball matches outdraw the game on the TV. 🤷‍♂️

The selective outrage on inducting/not inducting people into Halls of Fame has greatly devalued the whole thing, and it's a shame. And if the voters want to make it about themselves, publicize their selections.

The Athletic@theathletic.com · 7mo ago

If it’s true that the people who vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame were making a “statement” by denying Bill Belichick a first-ballot ticket to Canton for the Class of 2026, they failed spectacularly.

🏀 Amid a stretch of six college basketball games in 11 days — in six different arenas around the region — to close out January. Last week: URI-Richmond; QU-Mount; Richmond-GW. This week: DePaul-Georgetown; Loyola Chicago-VCU; Campbell-W&M. Truly a life of luxury.

Men’s college team rosters are like dating apps: If he claims he’s 6’0”, there’s about a 97% chance he’s <5’10”.

Jason Kirk@jasonkirk.fyi · 7mo ago

The old man stayed in college so long that he has already begun experiencing the shrinking process that occurs to so many senior citizens later in life

🏀 A long overdue first visit to GW for the Spiders and Revolutionaries. The 8th A10 arena where I’ve attended a game, but only the 6th with the home team participating.

⚽️ Truly massive. I am happy to contribute some of my 🎟️💵 to this effort, @washingtonspirit.com.

Washington Spirit@washingtonspirit.com · 7mo ago

EXTRA, EXTRA! TRINITY RODMAN IS STAYING IN DC ⭐️

🏀 After an Amazing Race-like trip up from RVA on a weekday evening, finally in Emmitsburg to see the alma mater at The Mount.

🧠 I would love to read a research study on how social media algorithms push anonymous and inaccurate severe weather forecasts over professionals who responsibly report them to the public. It's an issue that's ripe for alarming the public and driving distrust in traditional media.

I think they should call the second edition of the Sphere the... Sphere 360.

The New York Times@nytimes.com · 7mo ago

A smaller version of the Sphere in Las Vegas is in the works for National Harbor, in the Washington, D.C., metro area. The new venture in Maryland would have 6,000 seats, compared with the 18,600-seat Sphere in Nevada. nyti.ms/45NbTkA

Sports decision-making is deeply short-term and reactionary. Emotional people with lots of money making emotional decisions that cost lots of money.