UNDATED (AP) — College softball is experiencing a home run chase reminiscent of the epic showdown between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa nearly 30 years ago. Laura Espinoza's 1995 record of 37 homers is under threat. Oklahoma's Kendall Wells leads with 36, while UCLA teammates Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery have 35 and 33, respectively. Teams are breaking records, with UCLA and Oklahoma each hitting 173 home runs this season. As conference tournaments approach, these players have a chance to make history. The national average of 0.80 home runs per game is set to surpass the 2015 record of 0.77.
WACO, Texas (AP) — The American Football Coaches Association is proposing the elimination of conference championship games and other changes as part of its non-binding recommendation for the College Football Playoff to be completed by the second Monday each January. The AFCA has no authority within the NCAA or CFP governance structures. The AFCA, which has FBS coaches as part of its board and membership, publicly revealed its positions Tuesday. As for the size of the playoff field, currently 12 teams and expected to expand, the AFCA didn’t publicly endorse a certain number. It did say, however, that future playoff models should maximize the number of participants while honoring the proposed completion date.
UNDATED (AP) — Realignment among major college athletic conferences has slowed, but there's been movement elsewhere. The Power Four conferences, including the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC, head into the 2026-27 football season with no membership changes from a year ago. However, the rest of the 10 leagues in the Football Bowl Subdivision, especially the Pac-12, have new faces in some places.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Four women’s college volleyball teams will play for a total of $1 million in a made-for-TV exhibition at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Aug. 27. Florida, Nebraska, Penn State and SMU are the participating teams in Spikes Under the Lights. Two semifinals will be followed by a final. All will be played in a best-of-three set format designed to fit a three-hour broadcast window. Semifinal matchups and broadcast details will be announced later. Each team gets an $200,000 appearance fee. The winning team will receive the largest share of the $200,000 in prize money.
UNDATED (AP) — The robot umpire is coming to college baseball, at least on an experimental basis. The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee on Monday approved the Southeastern Conference’s request to implement a challenge system for balls and strikes for each game of the 2026 SEC Tournament. It would be a system similar to the one used in Major League Baseball. The system will permit teams to challenge an umpire’s strike or ball call via an automated ball tracking system that monitors the exact location of each pitch, relative to the specific batter’s zone. The system also would be allowed in other conference tournaments.
