>>Vikings Release Initial Injury Report
(London) — Injuries are mounting for the Minnesota Vikings. Seven players missed practice with injuries yesterday in London, including three starting offensive linemen, one back-up center, and Pro Bowl linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. The Purple will take on the Cleveland Browns in London this Sunday at 8:30 A-M. Meanwhile, the team opened the practice windows for veteran full back C-J Ham and rookie edge rusher Tyler Batty. Ham has been with the Purple since 2017, and he was named a Pro Bowler in both 2019 and 2023. Both players will have 21 days to either be placed on the active roster or to be shelved for the rest of the season.
>>Browns Starting Dillon Gabriel At QB
(Cleveland, OH) — The Cleveland Browns are making a change at quarterback. The team announced on Wednesday that Dillon Gabriel is taking over for Joe Flacco, who will serve as the backup. Gabriel was selected in the third round of April’s draft while the team doubled-up rookie gunslingers by taking Shedeur Sanders in round five. The son of Deion will remain the third-string quarterback.
>>Gophers Prepping For Top-Ranked Buckeyes
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Golden Gopher football team has another practice today as it prepares for a big assignment on Saturday night. Minnesota is visiting top-ranked Ohio State. The defending national champion Buckeyes are 4-0 so far this season, including 1-0 in the Big Ten after a 24-6 win at Washington last Saturday. The 3-1 Gophers are 1-0 in the Big Ten after beating Rutgers at home last week 31-28. Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey is the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after throwing for three T-Ds in that victory. He says it is “super cool” to have a chance to play against O-S-U and they are looking for a chance to “shock the world” outside of their program. Saturday’s game kicks off at 6:30 P-M.
>>New Orleans To Host 2028 College Football National Championship
(New Orleans, LA) — New Orleans will host the College Football National Championship in 2028. The College Football Playoff announced the selection of New Orleans as the host city on Wednesday. This will be the second time the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will host the title game since the switch to the playoff format in 2015. New Orleans joins Miami and Atlanta as the only cities chosen by the C-F-P to host the game a second time. The 2026 championship game will be played at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
>>Kansas, Arizona State Football To Play In London
(London) — College football is heading to London’s Wembley Stadium for the first time ever. The Big 12 Conference announced Arizona State and Kansas will face off in the first-ever Union Jack Classic on September 19th, 2026. While college football has never been played at Wembley Stadium, it has hosted N-F-L games since 2007. Tickets for the game go on sale October 9th. This will be the second the college game to be played in Europe in 2026, with Texas Christian University taking on the A-C-C’s North Carolina in Ireland to open the season.
>>#10 Gopher Volleyball Falls On Road
(Ann Arbor, MI) — The tenth-ranked Golden Gopher volleyball team saw its 12-match winning streak come to a halt last night at Michigan. After claiming the first set 25-18, Minnesota lost the next three sets 25-12, 25-14, and 25-12. The Wolverines beat the Gophers for the first time in the past six meetings. Gopher senior Julia Hanson led the team with seven kills. The Gophers are now 12-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, while the Wolverines improved to 11-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference. Minnesota visits Northwestern on Sunday afternoon at 2 P-M.
>>Timberwolves Continue Training Camp
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota Timberwolves held their second practice session of training camp at Mayo Clinic Square yesterday. The team has a travel day today as they head out to San Diego. They’ll have a practice at S-D-S-U tomorrow before taking on Denver in their first preseason game on Saturday.
>>76ers, Knicks Battle In Abu Dhabi To Begin Preseason
(Abu Dhabi, UAE) — Basketball is back. The N-B-A preseason tips off in Abu Dhabi between the 76ers and the Knicks today at 11 A-M. The sides stay in the United Arab Emirates capital to square off again on Saturday. Another matchup on foreign soil takes place overnight when the Pelicans battle Melbourne United in Australia. The first game stateside features the Lakers and Suns clashing in Palm Springs tomorrow night.
>>Wild Back In Action Tomorrow
(St. Paul, MN) — The Wild have a couple of days off in between preseason games as they get ready to wrap up the exhibition schedule on Friday night in Chicago. Thus far, the Wild are 2-2-1 in preseason action. Both wins have come against the Jets including a 3-2 win on Tuesday night at Grand Casino Arena. Marco Rossi, Yakov Trenin and Riley Haight lead the Wild with two goals each through five preseason games while Matt Boldy leads the team in points with three. The Blackhawks are 2-2-0 but did beat the Wild in St. Paul last Sunday by a 4-1 final. Puck drops at 7 P-M on Friday night from the United Center.
>>Longtime N-H-L Defenseman Erik Johnson Retires
(Undated) — A former first-overall pick is hanging up his skates. Longtime defenseman Erik Johnson has announced his retirement as a member of the Colorado Avalanche following a 17-season career. Johnson was selected by the St. Louis Blues with the top pick in the 2006 N-H-L Draft and was traded away to Colorado in a blockbuster deal in 2011. He was a member of the Avs for 14 seasons and was a member of the Stanley Cup title team in 2022. The 37-year-old concludes his career with 95 goals, 253 assists, 1,717 blocks and 1,695 hits. He played in 1,023 games split between the Avs, Blues, Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers. Johnson is a former Golden Gopher skater from Bloomington.
>>M-L-B Wild Card Series Recap
(Undated) — Only one team has completed a two-game sweep of their opponent in the Wild Card Series round. The Los Angeles Dodgers are advancing to the N-L-D-S after taking down the Cincinnati Reds 8-4 in Game Two. Mookie Betts had four hits and three R-B-I to help LA advance to take on the Philadelphia Phillies in a series that begins Saturday. In the National League’s other Wild Card Series, Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres shut out the Chicago Cubs 3-0 to force a decisive Game Three in the Windy City. In the American League, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees kept their season alive with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the Bronx. Elsewhere, Bo Naylor and the Cleveland Guardians toppled the A-L Central rival Detroit Tigers 6-1 to force a win-or-go-home contest on Thursday.
>>Brian Snitker Out As Braves Manager
(Atlanta, GA) — The Braves need a new manager. Brian Snitker won’t return at the helm next season. The team announced on Wednesday that the 69-year-old will move to an advisory role. Atlanta missed the playoffs this season, but Snitker helped guide the team to a 2021 World Series title. He’s been with the organization for almost 50 years.
>>Sanderson Farms Championship Preview
(Jackson, MS) — Kevin Yu will be looking to defend his crown when the Sanderson Farms Championship tees off from the Country Club of Jackson. Yu won last year’s tournament after beating Beau Hossler in a playoff. He will be alongside Tom Kim and Tom Hoge of Fargo for the first and second rounds. Patrick Fishburn, Chan Kim and Mac Meissner will be among the first group teeing off round one. Former Gopher golfer Erik van Rooyen and Stillwater native Frankie Capan III are also in the field.
