UNDATED (AP) — UConn is the No. 1 team in the country in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason women's basketball poll. The Huskies received 27 first-place votes from a 31-member national media panel. South Carolina, last season’s runner-up, is second and received the other four first-place votes. UCLA and Texas are third and fourth, with LSU fifth. UConn, led by Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, is ranked No. 1 in the preseason for the 13th time since 1995. Coach Geno Auriemma is optimistic about the season, emphasizing leadership and luck as key factors.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Arkansas coach John Calipari is speaking out against the current name, image and likeness era in college sports, saying he refuses to become a "transactional" coach. Speaking at SEC basketball media days, Calipari emphasized the importance of being transformational rather than paying players to perform. He acknowledges the changes in college athletics, including softened transfer guidelines and the ability for students to profit from their celebrity.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says it will be business as usual for the second-ranked Gamecocks after losing star Chloe Kitts to a season-ending ACL tear. The team welcomes top freshmen and key transfers like Ta'Niya Latson and Madina Okot. Staley expressed confidence in returning players like Maryam Dauda and Joyce Edwards. Edwards says she believes the team can collectively fill Kitts' gap.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is working to recover from a tough game against Texas. He completed just over 50% of his passes, threw three interceptions, and the Sooners lost 23-6 last Saturday. Coach Brent Venables says that Mateer is handling the situation well, but may be taking too much blame. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle believes Mateer needs a mental reset to get back on track. Mateer is looking forward to Saturday’s game at South Carolina, seeing it as an opportunity to bounce back. He was a Heisman frontrunner just weeks ago and still has a chance to regain that status.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — No. 4 Texas A&M has played only one game away from home in its undefeated start to the season. This week the Aggies will travel to Arkansas for the first of three straight road games where a win will give them their first 7-0 start since 1994. It will be a stark change for Texas A&M, which had a crowd of 105,086 for it’s 34-17 win over Florida on Saturday for its 10th straight game with at least 100,000 fans at home dating back to last season. Linebacker Taurean York says it will be a challenge to leave Kyle Field but that they're ready to “take our talents on the road.”
UNDATED (AP) — Gunner Stockton is earning a reputation for toughness in his first season as No. 9 Georgia’s starting quarterback, taking full advantage of his skills as a runner and passer. There are times his toughness has drawn criticism for taking hits at the end of some runs that many quarterbacks try to avoid as Georgia prepares for Saturday’s important Southeastern Conference home game against No. 5 Mississippi. Some say Stockton should hit the ground faster to avoid those hits. No one can say he stays on the ground too long. Stockton is quick to bounce back to his feet.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The defending national champion Florida Gators have been picked by the media to win the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky's Otega Oweh has been selected as the Preseason Player of the Year. Voters in the preseason poll were a select panel of both SEC and national media members. Kentucky is expected to finish second, followed by Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Missouri and Mississippi. This is the third time since 1989 that Florida has been chosen as the preseason favorite. The Gators previously received the honor in 2006-07 and 2010-11 and won the SEC championship both times.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — South Carolina is predicted to repeat as the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball champions in 2026. Texas' Madison Booker has been selected as the Preseason Player of the Year. A panel of SEC and national media members did the voting. South Carolina, which beat Texas in last year's SEC championship game, will be without star forward Chloe Kitts this season because of a knee injury. Texas is picked to finish second in the league, followed by LSU and Tennessee. Booker received 13 points for the SEC Preseason Player of the Year honor.
