College Football Playoff decides to double down and a 24-team playoff is set for next season

Manila Times - Nov 9, 2026

COLLEGE football will expand its playoff to 24 teams beginning next year, a move that lends an NFL flavor to its postseason while resetting decades of tradition surrounding a once all-important regular season and dumping conference championship showdowns that used to be among the sport's marquee events. The announcement from the College Football Playoff and ESPN on Monday made official a deal that's been in the works for months. The network reported it would pay an additional $1.7 billion over five years on top of the original $7.8 billion contract that runs through the 2031 season. The new format will grant the Power Four conference champions automatic spots and give one more to the best team from the Group of Six. But that slot and the other 19 will be decided by a selection committee that will serve as the latest edition in college football's long history of polls and opinions having lasting impacts on teams' fates. The move marks a seismic shift in college football that even ESPN conceded comes with some question marks. The network pays billions to televise regular-season games that might — or might not — have more meaning. “In all honesty, it's impossible to know for sure,” ESPN senior...

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Gauff outlasts Pegula to win group opener at WTA Finals

Nov 9, 2026

Gauff outlasts Pegula to win group opener at WTA Finals

LOS ANGELES — Coco Gauff outlasted fellow American Jessica Pegula to win a tension-packed group stage opener, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, on Sunday (Monday in Manila) in the WTA Finals at Indian Wells. Two-time major winner Gauff fell behind 5-1 in the second set but saved three set points in the 10th game and captured five games in a row to seize a 6-5 edge. Pegula denied a Gauff match point and held in the 12th game to force a tie-breaker, then jumped to a 5-2 lead and forced a third set with a forehand return winner. Gauff seized a 3-0 lead in the third set and dominated from there, holding in the final game to take the match after two hours and 39 minutes when Pegula swatted a backhand beyond the baseline. “I was having a lot of fun,” Gauff said. “I took a little break. First match in like a month. To play a tournament like this with no preparation is something I’ve never done in my career. “I’m just really happy to get through today. It was a tough match. It was 2 1/2 hours and I feel like every point was — I don’t know if you guys were holding my breath but me too, so just happy to be through. “I’m really proud of myself for this one.” Gauff, the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open champion, and Pegula had split 10 prior career matches, Gauff winning the Cincinnati final and a Wimbledon quarterfinal this year in their most recent prior meetings. In the other Group One opener, reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova defeated Marta Kostyuk, 6-2, 6-4. Noskova, a 21-year-old Czech, needed only 86 minutes to defeat Ukraine’s Kostyuk. World No. 1 and reigning champion Elena Rybakina withdrew from the WTA Finals on Saturday due to a viral illness with Kostyuk replacing her at the California hardcourt event. Noskova improved to 3-1 against Kostyuk, all matches coming this year as both made the WTA Finals for the first time. Noskova won in three sets at the US Open fourth round in their most recent prior meeting and in the Wimbledon semifinals, while Kostyuk won on her way to the Madrid clay crown. This year’s WTA Finals were scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia but in July were moved to Indian Wells after US military strikes on Iran in February and the subsequent war in the region. AFP

LeBron leads Sixers past Bulls

Nov 9, 2026

LeBron leads Sixers past Bulls

MIAMI — LeBron James had his best game yet for the Philadelphia 76ers, who bounced back with a 127-121 win in Chicago on Sunday over a Bulls side that has now lost seven straight NBA games. Veteran superstar James scored 22 points — his highest tally since joining the Sixers this summer — and a return to form after a paltry eight points in Friday’s disappointing loss to Cleveland. James also had five assists while Jaylen Brown top-scored with 29, Tyrese Maxey poured in 27 and Joel Embiid pulled down 10 rebounds. The star-studded Sixers have lost just twice so far this season, for their best start after 11 games since 2000. Philadelphia grabbed the lead early in the second quarter and never trailed from there, though a resilient Chicago pulled within two points in the closing stages. “We have a lot of guys that’s been in situations, late-game situations, and we have a ‘no panic’ button,” said James. “We understand that we got to get stops on this end, but if teams make a run, we understand how to be calm on the other end as well.” The Bulls remain joint-bottom of the Eastern Conference with the Milwaukee Bucks — the only team Chicago has beaten so far this campaign. They were without shooting guard Norman Powell, their second-leading scorer this season, who was placed on the injury report hours before tip-off with back discomfort. But Josh Giddey provided some hope with a double-double including 19 points and 15 assists. Meanwhile, James’ former Los Angeles Lakers team overcame the absence of red-hot talisman Luka Doncic to beat the Detroit Pistons, 121-116, and also move to 9-2. Doncic, who has been averaging more than 40 points per game this season, was left out with lower back tightness, the team announced. Austin Reaves stepped up, scoring 43 points, including two calm free throws in the final seconds to take the game beyond Detroit’s reach. The Lakers never trailed but had to fight hard to retain a razor-thin lead for most of the fourth quarter. Daniss Jenkins led the Pistons’ comeback attempt from the bench with 31 points, while Kevin Huerter added 24. The Charlotte Hornets announced that forward Kon Knueppel will miss at least four weeks with a left hamstring strain, while guard Dennis Schroder is out for at least two weeks with the same injury.

Mahomes overcomes injury scare in win

Nov 9, 2026

Mahomes overcomes injury scare in win

WASHINGTON — Three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes overcame an injury scare to lift Kansas City over the New York Jets on Sunday (Monday in Manila) while Joe Burrow sparked Cincinnati to victory over Atlanta in Madrid. Two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Mahomes completed 23-of-31 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs' 35-12 triumph over the Jets. Burrow completed 24-of-29 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in Cincinnati's 34-17 victory, the Bengals' fourth triumph in a row. At Kansas City, Mahomes suffered a right elbow injury and lost a fumble in the second quarter after being sacked by Jets rookie defender David Bailey, but his 120 passing yards and two touchdown throws gave the Chiefs a 14-12 halftime lead. Mahomes directed touchdown drives of 60 and 82 yards in the third quarter and 57 yards in the fourth and said the elbow was not a factor "once I got it warmed up a little bit." "It's doing good," Mahomes said of his right elbow. "It's part of playing football. You get hit, you've got to bounce back and we were able to get it loosened back up and we went back out there and played. "A couple of errant throws early in the second half. My guys rallied behind me. They ran the ball well in the second half. My offensive line did a great job protecting me and then I threw when I needed to." Kenneth Walker ran 18 times for 102 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns for the Chiefs (6-2). The Bengals improved to 6-2, level with idle Pittsburgh atop the AFC North division ahead of next week's showdown against the Steelers. "The sky is the limit when we play like this. This is how we need to attack every game going forward," said wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who made 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. "Intense impact," Burrow said of Chase. "He was unbelievable." Burrow leads the NFL with 23 touchdowns. "He does a good job getting out of the pocket and making scramble plays, keeping the play alive," Chase said. "That's why he's one of the best." The Denver Broncos improved to 7-2 with their fifth win in a row as Bo Nix threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-21 triumph at Carolina in a matchup of division leaders. Niners reach 7-1 San Francisco improved to an NFL-best 7-1 with a 38-17 home victory over the Las Vegas Raiders as Brock Purdy threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. Host Chicago will try to reach 7-2 in a later game against Tampa Bay. Green Bay's Jordan Love threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score to spark the Packers (6-3) to victory 45-27 at New England. Dak Prescott threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns while Javonte Williams ran for 101 yards and scored the deciding one-yard touchdown run with 68 seconds remaining to give Dallas a 27-23 victory at Indianapolis. New Orleans edged visiting Cleveland 23-22 in overtime on Tyler Shough's 15-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson. Cleveland's Shedeur Sanders tossed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin but a two-point conversion pass to win the game failed. Matthew Stafford threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Puka Nacua for the winning points and the Los Angeles Rams' defense stopped Washington in the final seconds for a 20-13 road victory. Nacua caught 14 passes for 150 yards. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 74 yards and scored the only touchdown in Detroit's 19-9 victory at Miami, the Lions improving to 6-2. Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals to lift the New York Giants to a 19-11 victory at Philadelphia. Houston's CJ Stroud threw for 384 yards and five touchdowns as the Texans routed the winless Los Angeles Chargers, 44-22. AJ Barner caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Drew Lock and scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of Seattle's 17-3 home triumph over Arizona.

Tadhana: Dwyane Wade fulfills long-awaited destiny in first Manila visit

Nov 9, 2026

Tadhana: Dwyane Wade fulfills long-awaited destiny in first Manila visit

Tadhana means destiny in Filipino. And for NBA legend Dwyane Wade, his long-awaited first visit to Manila in October felt like destiny fulfilled.

Carlos Alcaraz takes ‘one step forward mentally’ after Paris win

Nov 9, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz takes ‘one step forward mentally’ after Paris win

PARIS — Carlos Alcaraz feels proud of taking “one step forward mentally” after following up his Vienna title last week with a 7-6 (5), 7-5 victory over Ben Shelton in the Paris Masters final on Sunday. The Spanish showman, who missed more than four months of the season because of an injured right wrist, continued

NBA: Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson lead Heat over struggling Kings

Nov 9, 2026

NBA: Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson lead Heat over struggling Kings

SACRAMENTO, California — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists in the Miami Heat’s 114-108 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Antetokounmpo made 14 of 23 shots from the field and added three assists and two blocks. Klay Thompson had 23 points, including seven 3-pointers, for the Heat (4-6), and Bam

Austin Reaves steps in for Luka Donic in Lakers win over Pistons

Nov 9, 2026

Austin Reaves steps in for Luka Donic in Lakers win over Pistons

DETROIT — Austin Reaves thought he had a very fortunate night against the Detroit Pistons. He was the only one in the Los Angeles Lakers locker room who thought so. On a night when the Lakers were playing without red-hot Luka Doncic, Reaves scored 43 points against one of the league’s best defenses in a

NBA: 76ers defeat Bulls as Brown, Maxey, LeBron combine for 78

Nov 9, 2026

NBA: 76ers defeat Bulls as Brown, Maxey, LeBron combine for 78

CHICAGO — Jaylen Brown scored 29 points, Tyrese Maxey added 27 and LeBron James had his highest-scoring effort so far in a Philadelphia uniform as the 76ers held off the struggling Chicago Bulls 127-121 on Sunday afternoon. James had a season-high 22 for the 76ers, who got 18 points and 10 rebounds from Joel Embiid

Cabo Verde World Cup hero Vozinha struggles to cope with glare of new-found fame in Chile

Nov 9, 2026

Cabo Verde World Cup hero Vozinha struggles to cope with glare of new-found fame in Chile

After repelling eventual champions Spain and becoming an instant global celebrity, Vozinha was an unlikely hero of this year’s World Cup. But four months on from his tournament exploits, Cabo Verde’s veteran goalkeeper is discovering that adapting to his new-found fame is not easy. The 40-year-old, whose full name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias, moved to Chile in July and now finds himself struggling to settle at new club Colo Colo. At the World Cup, Vozinha helped Cabo Verde hold Spain to a 0-0...

Alex Eala reaches new career-high No. 15 in WTA rankings

Nov 9, 2026

Alex Eala reaches new career-high No. 15 in WTA rankings

Alexandra “Alex” Eala has achieved a new career-high ranking of No. 15 as her WTA season concluded on Sunday.

NBA: Austin Reaves fires 43, Lakers beat Pistons without Luka Doncic

Nov 9, 2026

NBA: Austin Reaves fires 43, Lakers beat Pistons without Luka Doncic

DETROIT — Austin Reaves scored 43 points as the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Detroit Pistons 121-116 at Little Caesars Arena without Luka Doncic on Sunday. Doncic (lower-back tightness), who is averaging 45 points, nine rebounds and eight assists over his last four games, was ruled out earlier on Sunday. Walker Kessler added 12

EAC gets payback win against Arellano, clinches QF twice-to-beat incentive

Nov 9, 2026

EAC gets payback win against Arellano, clinches QF twice-to-beat incentive

MANILA, Philippines -- Emilio Aguinaldo College scored a payback win against Arellano University, 102-93, at the PhilSports Arena Monday to clinch a Group B twice-to-beat quarterfinal incentive in the NCAA Season 102 men's basketball tournament. Avenging their first-round loss to the Chiefs, the Generals improved to 7-6 for second place in Group B behind leader and likewise twice-to-beat team in the 8-4 Colegio de San Juan de Letran. EJ Castillo fired 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting including a perfect 3-of-3 from the 3-point area while also logging four rebound and two assists to lead EAC.  Jude Bagay came through with 23 points, too, for the Generals, who dropped the Chiefs in third place with a 6-7 record.

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