UNDATED (AP) — Ohio State and Oregon give the Big Ten Conference the top two teams in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason rankings for the first time in 65 years. The Buckeyes received 40 first-place votes in the poll of 69 media members. Oregon was No. 1 on 14 ballots. Ohio State is now tied with Alabama for second most preseason No. 1 rankings behind Oklahoma’s 10. Oregon has its highest preseason ranking in program history. Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas round out the top five. Defending national champion Indiana is No. 6 and followed by Miami, Texas A&M, Mississippi and Oklahoma.
UNDATED (AP) — The Associated Press has released its preseason Top 25 rankings for college football. Ohio State leads the pack with the No. 1 spot, receiving 40 first-place votes. Oregon, Notre Dame, Indiana, and Miami also received top votes. The Southeastern Conference has nine teams in the rankings, while the Big Ten follows with eight. Georgia is in the preseason top five for the ninth consecutive year. Ohio State is No. 1 for the ninth time, tying with Alabama for the second-most preseason top rankings. The Big Ten has the top two teams for the first time since 1961.
UNDATED (AP) — Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia and Notre Dame would be the top four seeds in the College Football Playoff based on The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll. The five highest-ranked conference champions will qualify for the CFP. The other seven spots will be filled by the next highest-ranked teams. First-round matchups would be Mississippi at Texas A&M, Boise State at Texas, Oklahoma at Miami and Texas Tech at Indiana. Boise State is not in the AP Top 25 but is on the bracket as the Group of Six team receiving the most votes.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Western Michigan’s Dan Bartholomae has been hired as Michigan State’s athletic director. Bartholomae has served in the same role at Western Michigan since 2022 and was named a finalist last fall for the Sports Business Journal AD of the year. Western Michigan won 37 conference championships and the 2025 men’s hockey national title under Bartholomae’s leadership. It was the Broncos' first national championship in 60 years. Bartholomae replaces J Batt, who was hired away by Kentucky in June.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Khalil Benson, an overlooked offensive tackle, has impressed the Kansas City Chiefs after going undrafted in April, working his way into the starting lineup. Despite being passed over 224 times in the NFL draft, Benson found his way onto the Chiefs' practice field through a rookie minicamp invitation. His performance earned him a spot for the rest of the offseason. And over the weekend, he stood out in Kansas City's preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Chiefs coach Andy Reid praised his talent and versatility, and even QB Patrick Mahomes has noticed Benson's progress. Good thing, because it will be Mahomes who he'll be protecting this season.
UNDATED (AP) — As women’s college volleyball continues to see an increase in popularity on television, Fox Sports announced Monday that it will air 35 matches, including eight on Fox, this season. The eight matches marks the most on a broadcast network in a single season. The remaining 27 matches will be on FS1 and FS2. The schedule will be highlighted by top-ranked Nebraska facing No. 2 Texas in the inaugural Players Era Volleyball Showcase in Las Vegas on Aug. 30.
