AP
Here are the AP’s top sports stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.
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UPCOMING
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FBC--T25-AUBURN-GEORGIA
DESCRIPTION: One week after winning at Alabama, No. 1 Georgia will try to complete a sweep of the state’s SEC schools when it plays Georgia while looking to protect its unbeaten record. By Charles Odum. 550 words, photos. Game scheduled for 3:30 p.m. start.
UPCOMING: By 10/17/2026 3:30 p.m. EDT, Text
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BKL--WNBA FINALS
DESCRIPTION: SAN FRANCISCO -- Gabby Williams and the Golden State Valkyries host Angel Reese and Atlanta in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. By Janie McCauley. Game starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT — With: Separates on merit
UPCOMING: By 10/17/2026 6:30 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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CAR--NASCAR-PHOENIX-PREVIEW
DESCRIPTION: Back-to-back wins have vaulted Chase Briscoe into contention for the NASCAR Cup Series championship. Denny Hamlin’s still lurking, too. But it remains to be seen if anyone can catch up to the steady excellence of Kyle Larson as the “Chase” heads to Phoenix Raceway on Sunday. By David Brandt. 700 words, photos by 6 p.m. EDT.
UPCOMING: By 10/17/2026 6:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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FBC--NOTRE DAME-BYU
DESCRIPTION: No. 2 Notre Dame plays at No. 8 BYU in one of the biggest Big 12 games in years. By John Coon. 500 words, photos. Starts at 5 p.m. MT.
UPCOMING: By 10/17/2026 8:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo, DigitalPlans
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FBC--FLORIDA STATE-MIAMI
DESCRIPTION: No. 3 Miami looks to move to 6-0 on Saturday night when it plays host to unranked and sputtering Florida State. The Hurricanes have won six of the last nine games between the schools. Game starts 7 p.m. By Tim Reynolds. Text, photos.
UPCOMING: By 10/17/2026 8:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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FBC--FLORIDA-TEXAS
DESCRIPTION: AUSTIN, Texas — Arch Manning and No, 7 Texas host Florida a week after the Longhorns were knocked off from No. 1 by arch rival Oklahoma. By Jim Vertuno
UPCOMING: By 10/17/2026 8:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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FBC--T25-OHIO STATE-INDIANA
DESCRIPTION: No. 4 Indiana puts the nation’s longest active winning streak, 22 games, in its biggest challenge yet against No. 5 Ohio State. The Hoosiers are looking for their first home win over the Buckeyes since 1988 in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten championship game. By Michael Marot. 600 words, more on merit, with photos. Game time is Noon ET.
UPCOMING: By 10/17/2026 8:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo, DigitalPlans
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BOX--FUNDORA-HADRIBEAJ
DESCRIPTION: Sebastian Fundora faces Ermal Hadribeaj for the WBC super welterweight championship.
UPCOMING: By 10/17/2026 8:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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BBO--POSTSEASON
FORMATS: Text
1. WITH: BBO--ALCS-RAYS-GUARDIANS2. DESCRIPTION: CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Guardians host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series after Friday’s game was postponed. By Joe Reedy. 700 words, photos. Game scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
3. UPCOMING: By 10/17/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT
4. WITH: BBO--BUILDING THE BREWERS5. DESCRIPTION: The Milwaukee Brewers play in Major League Baseball’s smallest market. They have a payroll in the bottom half of the majors. They typically trade away their big-name players a year before they reach free agency. Yet they contend every season and now are in the World Series for the first time since 1982. By Steve Megargee. 1,200 words, with photos.
6. MOVED: 10/17/2026.
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NEW AND DEVELOPING
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SOC--ENGLISH ROUNDUP
Another Premier League win for scandal-hit Man City as Haaland keeps scoring
SUMMARY: The ongoing financial scandal enveloping Manchester City isn’t affecting the team’s results in the Premier League or Erling Haaland’s appetite for scoring goals. City secured a seventh straight win on Saturday to open the league by beating Ipswich 3-2 at home. Haaland netted twice to move to a competition-high eight goals for the campaign. It made it back-to-back victories in the league for City since being found guilty of large-scale financial wrongdoing in the Premier League for nearly a decade. City leads by six points. Liverpool rallied to win 2-1 at Brentford, which finished with nine men. Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 in a match marred by a serious-looking head injury to Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
WORDS: 797 - MOVED: 10/17/2026 1:44 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b29457181d6ff7a19f2c31b923c315a7&mediaType=text
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SOC--EUROPEAN ROUNDUP
Napoli stunned by previously winless Venezia, PSG warms up for Barcelona showdown with a victory
SUMMARY: Napoli has slumped to another defeat with Akor Adams’ strike giving Venezia a 1-0 win for its first Serie A points of the season. Kevin De Bruyne saw his penalty saved by Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stanković as Massimiliano Allegri’s team suffered its second straight loss including the Champions League defeat to Villarreal and a third loss from seven games in the Italian league. It gave new Venezia coach Davide Nicola a winning start. Ousmane Dembélé came off the substitutes bench, missed a penalty and scored later in the game as Paris Saint-Germain fought back to beat Strasbourg 3-1 in the French league. Álex Baena scored late for Atlético Madrid to win 1-0 at Espanyol with La Liga leader Barcelona traveling to Real Betis later Saturday.
WORDS: 644 - MOVED: 10/17/2026 1:29 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a26e0c1fb8e1ceeb3155c6eedfe0e3c9&mediaType=text
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BBO--BUILDING THE BREWERS
Shrewd moves helped the Brewers become annual contenders. Here’s how they got to the World Series
SUMMARY: The Milwaukee Brewers play in Major League Baseball’s smallest market. They have a payroll in the bottom half of the majors. They typically trade away their big-name players a year before they reach free agency. Yet they posted the best record in the majors for a second straight year, earned their eighth playoff berth in nine seasons and won a fourth straight NL Central title. Now they’re in the World Series for the first time since 1982 as they attempt to win it all for the first time ever.
WORDS: 1327 - MOVED: 10/17/2026 12:31 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:202059e95ba08672e097251993902ba7&mediaType=text
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SOC--CHELSEA-MARTINEZ
Chelsea’s Martinez ‘conscious’ after being hospitalized following head clash in Premier League game
SUMMARY: Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez has been taken to the hospital with a head injury after receiving about 10 minutes of treatment following a nasty-looking collision while playing for Chelsea in the Premier League. Martinez came out to meet a free kick into the area and had a head-on-head clash with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite midway through the second half of the match at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Martinez eventually was carried off the field on a stretcher after medical staff from both teams attended to him. He was seen moving his arms as he was being taken away and Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso says Martinez “left the stadium conscious.”
WORDS: 167 - MOVED: 10/17/2026 11:08 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:37de788b674f3157ad706b036f1a6e2f&mediaType=text
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FBN--JAGUARS-LONDON FUTURE
Jaguars eye a full 2028 home slate in Jacksonville in shift that could end Wembley run
SUMMARY: Jacksonville’s run of playing an annual home game at Wembley Stadium could be nearing its end. Jaguars president Mark Lamping says the team hopes to keep all of its 2028 home games in Jacksonville to coincide with the re-opening of its renovated stadium. The Jags were early adopters of the NFL’s international push and began staging an annual game at Wembley in 2013, but the economic incentive has been decreasing. Jacksonville plays its 16th London game on Sunday against the Houston Texans at Wembley. Lamping says the plan for the 2028 season is a full slate at its “stadium of the future.”
WORDS: 286 - MOVED: 10/17/2026 10:00 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:457091afda4f9abaa703c13e148a6c01&mediaType=text
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RGL--WORLD CUP
Tonga stuns England in Rugby League World Cup
SUMMARY: Tonga has pulled off a stunner at the Rugby League World Cup by beating England 30-12. It was another shock result against a Pacific island nation for the English, who were beaten by Samoa in the semifinals on home soil in 2022. It was the first of third-ranked England’s three group-stage games and immediately jeopardizes its progress to the semifinals. England has games still to come against France and Papua New Guinea. Tonga had never previously beaten England.
WORDS: 147 - MOVED: 10/17/2026 8:01 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:386e9e53a7b04704a1bb1699590b709c&mediaType=text
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FBC--T25-COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY
Wall-to-wall Top 25 showdowns, with 6 ranked matchups on tap starting with Ohio State at Indiana
SUMMARY: Week 7 of college football is packed with excitement as six games feature teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Ohio State visits Indiana in a key Big Ten matchup. Indiana holds the longest active winning streak but hasn’t beaten Ohio State at home since 1987. Mississippi State faces LSU. Alabama takes on Tennessee, while Mississippi hosts Missouri. Notre Dame plays BYU in a top-10 clash, and Oklahoma State visits Houston in a Big 12 showdown.
WORDS: 807 - MOVED: 10/17/2026 6:10 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:af846a30c4d75e085ad8bdd7da9fd7b1&mediaType=text
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BKL--WNBA FINALS-WHAT TO KNOW
A first-time WNBA champion awaits as the Valkyries and Dream open the Finals
SUMMARY: The WNBA will crown a first-time champion with the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream playing for the title in the best-of-seven series that starts Saturday. Golden State is looking to become the fastest expansion team in league history to win a championship as the Valkyries are only in their second year. Atlanta reached the Finals for the first time since 2013 and after losing in its previous three appearances in the championship round, will be trying for their first as well. Offense will be at a premium as the series features two of the best defensive teams in the league led by coaches Karl Smesko and Natalie Nakase.
WORDS: 522 - MOVED: 10/17/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3f11c5216fdae6376445627381613cbb&mediaType=text
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MOVING TOMORROW
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BBO--ALCS-RAYS-GUARDIANS
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Guardians host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series. By Joe Reedy.
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FBC--T25-COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL
The AP releases its latest Top 25 college football poll. By College Football Writer Eric Olson.
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FBN--SAINTS-GIANTS
Jameis Winston and the NFC East-leading New York Giants host the New Orleans Saints, who are coming in on a three-game losing streak. By Stephen Whyno.
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BKL--WNBA FINALS
Coverage of the WNBA finals.
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