UR MAG

Florida A&M football’s NCAA postseason banhas consequences that will extend beyond 2026.

The Rattlers will not be allowed to have spring football training camp due to theNCAA-imposed postseason banfor falling below the required 930 Academic Progress Rate score. A source close to the FAMU football program confirmed the spring practice restriction to the Tallahassee Democrat.

FAMU announced in April that it would face NCAA Level Two sanctions, including a postseason ban, due to its APR scores falling below the threshold.

On Tuesday, May 5, the NCAA released APR scores.FAMU had a 918 during the 2024-2025 athletic year, falling 12 points short of the 930.

However, it was animprovement from the Rattlers’ 901during 2023-2024.

The last time FAMU scored over a 930 was in 2018-2019, earning a 931. Since APR was introduced in 2004-2005, the program has only surpassed 930 twice, alongside the 2008-2009 athletic and academic year.

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Not having spring football in 2027 could hinder the Rattlers.

It would givenewly hired head coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr.an initial evaluation of his second-year Rattlers team after completing his first season this fall.

The NCAA allows its teams to have 15 spring practices. FAMU typically uses its final spring camp day to showcase the team to Rattler fans at theOrange and Green Game.

Florida A&Mfootball 2026 schedule

• Saturday, Aug. 29: vs. Albany State

• Sunday, Sept. 6: vs. South Carolina State, Orange Blossom Classic at Miami Gardens' Hard Rock Stadium

• Thursday, Sept. 10: at Miami

• Saturday, Sept. 19: vs. Tennessee State

• Saturday, Sept. 26: vs. Alabama A&M (SWAC)

• Saturday, Oct. 3: BYE

• Saturday, Oct. 10: at Alabama State (SWAC)

• Saturday, Oct. 17: at Jackson State (SWAC)

• Saturday, Oct. 24: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC/Homecoming)

• Saturday, Oct. 31: vs. Southern (SWAC)

• Saturday, Nov. 7: at Alcorn State (SWAC)

• Saturday, Nov. 14: vs. Mississippi Valley State (SWAC)

• Saturday, Nov. 21: vs. Bethune-Cookman (SWAC/Florida Classic)

Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of theFlorida A&M Rattlersat the Tallahassee Democrat.

Follow his award-winning coverage onRattlerNews.comand contact him via email atGDThomas@Tallahassee.comor on the app formerly known as Twitter@3peatgee.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat:Florida A&M football's NCAA postseason ban won't allow spring practice

Fox Sports and Indeed are teaming up to offer one fan the ultimate dream job: Chief World Cup Watcher.

The two companieshave announceda nationwide search for the fan, who will be paid $50,000 to watch all 104 games of the 2026 World Cup from a custom-built viewing space in New York City's Times Square.

Fans can apply through Indeed, using their profile to state their case by updating their skills, then posting a video on social media explaining why they are the ideal candidate.

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The winner will be revealed on Saturday, June 6 during Fox's broadcast of the MLB game between theBoston Red SoxandNew York Yankees.

Five days later, the World Cup will begin when Mexico hosts South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The tournament will conclude with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

The World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, will feature 48 teams for the first time, meaning there will be a record 104 matches in the competition.Of those matches, 70 will air on Fox's broadcast channel with the other 34 to air on FS1. Every match will also be streaming live on Fox One and the Fox Sports App.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Chief World Cup Watcher: Fox, Indeed to offer dream job

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown on Sunday criticized officiating in the team's first-round loss to Philadelphia and also pointed at 76ers center Joel Embiid for flopping.

Brown spoke on the streaming platform Twitch on Sunday, a day after the second-seeded Celtics lost Game 7 at home to the seventh-seeded 76ers in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Boston played without injured star forward Jayson Tatum, but Brown found other reasons for the Celtics' downfall as Philadelphia won the last three games in the best-of-seven series.

Embiid collected 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in the 76ers' 109-100 victory on Saturday. The 7-foot, 270-pounder was 9 of 11 at the free-throw line. He used his big body to draw fouls and used some physical acting to get extra calls, Brown contended.

"I mean, this is my personal opinion on basketball," Brown said. "Some of y'all might disagree, you know what I mean? But argue with your grandma. Flopping has ruined our game.

"Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in ... basketball history, flops," Brown continued. "He knows it. This ain't breaking news."

Brown acknowledged that he has been critical of officiating in the regular season, and he believes that carried over in how referees called the series, particularly in calling offensive fouls on him.

"Why are you targeting me? They clearly had an agenda," he said. "Maybe because I spoke, I was critical of the refs in the regular season. So you know how they responded? ‘We're gonna call every -- you're gonna lead the playoffs in offensive fouls.' That was the response from the officiating crew.

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"You could clearly tell," he continued. "I've actually spoken to some refs and they said it was an agenda going into each game. ‘Any time Jaylen brings his arm up, just from reputation, just call it.' "

Brown said that Paul George of the 76ers and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, for example, make push-off moves with their off arm when driving with the ball to create space, but they don't get called like he does for offensive fouls.

"It's a basketball play, whether y'all believe it or not," Brown said. "Everybody does that when you drive, especially if you've got bodies on you. But Philly took advantage of it, and they took advantage of the officiating. It cost us to some degree. I've been doing it all regular season, not a problem. Now, all of a sudden, it's an offensive foul every time. Keep that same energy with everybody else. That's all I've gotta say."

Brown was whistled for 10 offensive fouls in the first round, more than twice as many as the next-highest player, according to reports. In the regular season, the Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns was called for 65 offensive fouls, with Brown second in the league at 40.

Brown, 29, is a five-time All-Star who won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award when the Celtics captured the league championship in 2024.

He averaged career highs with 28.7 points and 5.1 assists and matched the mark with 6.9 rebounds per game in 71 regular-season games this season. Brown averaged 25.7 points, 3.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds in seven playoff games.

--Field Level Media

Anthony Volpe’s debut, on Opening Day 2023, was supposed to be the start of something.

Expectations for theBig Apple born, New Jersey raised,childhood Yankee fanwere outrageously high. For good reason. Volpe, still 21 years old, had just captured the Yankees’ starting shortstop job with a sensational spring training. Talent evaluators gushed about his maturity, defensive acumen and baseball IQ.

Drafted as a glove-first infielder with strong bat-to-ball skills, Volpe had reinvented himself by reengineering his swing for home run power. Recently departed Yankee legend Brett Gardner had even given Volpe permission to wear his No. 11 jersey. It was a bright, limitless future for the hometown kid living out his dream.

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On Tuesday,Volpe will, for the first time since his big league debut, return to the minor leagues in earnest. After undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, Volpe had been playing in Double-A and Triple-A on a rehab assignment. But with that 20-day rehab clock expiring, the American League leading Yankees optioned the 25-year-old to Triple-A on Sunday night. José Caballero, whom the club acquired from Tampa Bay at last year’s trade deadline, will continue on as the starting shortstop.

It’s a stunning move, one that Yankees brass had, time and time again, appeared hesitant to make. Volpe, despite lackluster offensive showings throughout his first three major league seasons, received unwavering support from manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman. Even team owner Hal Steinbrenner publicly backed the scuffling shortstop at one point. And as recently as mid-April, Cashman implied that Volpe would likely regain his starting spot upon completing his rehab assignment.

But that’s not how things played out.

Part of it has to do with Caballero, who has shined defensively this season for a Yankees team laying waste to the American League. His surface-level offensive numbers are perfectly viable, even though his underlying metrics tell a different story. Clearly though, the frisky Panamanian has played well enough and given the Yankees enough of an edge for Volpe to end up back in Triple-A.

TheKentucky Derbyisn’t just a Run for the Roses. There’s also a lot of money to be made.

The 2026 race will have a $5 million purse for the third year in a row. About $3.1 million goes to the winning horse and its teams.

Here’s a rundown of the payouts for the top-five horses:

• First: $3.1 million

• Second: $1 million

• Third: $500,000

• Fourth: $250,000

• Fifth: $100,000.

Of that $3.1 million for the winner, 80% goes to the horse’s owner. The trainer gets 10% and the jockey gets the last 10%.

And while the winning jockey would then technically collect $310,000, they share that with their valet and agent.

What about a trophy?

Yes, there is a trophy, aptly named The Kentucky Derby Trophy. It’s 22 inches tall and made of 14-karat gold. That trophy goes to the winning owner, while the horse’s connections — trainer, jockey and breeder — receive a half-sized replica made of silver.

Kentucky Derby 2026 current odds

(Post number; odds as of Saturday afternoon)

1. Renegade 6-1

2. Albus 44-1

3. Intrepido 47-1

4. Litmus Test 25-1

5. Right to Party 26-1(Scratch)

6. Commandment 5-1

7. Danon Bourbon 14-1

8. So Happy 5-1

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9. The Puma 8-1(Scratch)

10. Wonder Dean 26-1

11. Incredibolt 24-1

12. Chief Wallabee 7-1

13. Silent Tactic 38-1(Scratch)

14. Potente 19-1

15. Emerging Market 9-1

16. Pavlovian 47-1

17. Six Speed 34-1

18. Further Ado 6-1

19. GoldenTempo24-1

20. Fulleffort 19-1(Scratch)

21. Great White 22-1

22. Ocelli 78-1

23. Robusta 77-1