The Kansas City Chiefs said in a statement on Jan. 7 that they are aware of allegations circulating on social media alleging domestic violence by Rashee Rice.

It comes following allegations made in a public Instagram post by Rice’s ex-girlfriend on Jan. 7.

The post and the Chiefs’ statement did not name Rice.

‘The club is aware of the allegations on social media and is in communication with the National Football League,’ the Chiefs said in a statement. ‘We have no further comment at this time.’

Rice was suspended for the first six games of the 2025 NFL regular season for his involvement in a high-speed car crash in March 2024.

Rice hasn’t been charged in connection with the woman’s allegations.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text ‘START’ to 88788.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was once a perennial, top defender in the NBA and has the tape to show why he’s arguably one of the best of all-time on that side of the ball.

And he believes that’s still the case, today.

He had the task of guarding Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Warriors’ 120-113 victory on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Chase Center. Antetokounmpo scored 34 points on 15-of-22 shooting.

Green told reporters after the game that he takes a lot of pride in defense, especially being matched up with some of the games best players.

‘It’s an honor to play against great players in this league,’ Green said. ‘Giannis is one of the all-time greats in this league and at my position. Anytime you have an opportunity, for myself, I love that challenge.’

Green recognized that great players, such as Antetokounmpo, will have good nights offensively.

‘Sometimes you’re going to get absolutely annihilated and it’s okay,’ Green said to reporters. ‘Sometimes I’ll get the better of him, sometimes he’ll get the better of me. But most importantly there’s respect. There’s an appreciation for the competition that’s brought to the floor.’

Green added: ‘It’s an honor, I don’t take those matchups lightly. In my 14th year, I don’t think I’m at the end but you never (know) when this thing will change or that’s it. Anytime I get an opportunity to match up against like Giannis it’s always an honor.’

Throughout his 14-year NBA career, Green has captured one Defensive Player of the Year Award, has made the NBA All-Defensive nine times (five-time first-team, four-time second-team) and has been the heart and soul that has helped the Warriors become a four-time NBA champion.

Green, who will turn 36 in March, told USA TODAY Sports that he still views himself among the best in the Association when it comes to being a defender.

‘I think that’d be an understatement,’ Green said. ‘Top 10 seems a little low, but top 10 gets me on an all-defensive team so I’ll take that.’

He added: ‘I think, you know, I can still compete at the highest of levels, I believe. I think my knowledge and understanding of the game helps me out quite a bit. I can kind of be a step ahead of guys, most of the time. So yeah, top five.’

Green was all jokes when actually ranking himself amongst today’s defenders.

‘One, two, maybe three or two. Possibly, one,’ he said before cracking a smile. ‘Nah, I’m just playing.’

Draymond Green defensive stats

So far this season, Green is averaging a steal per game and 0.7 blocks at his 6-foot-6 frame. His defensive rating is at the highest its been at 112.2.

He’s compiled 1,211 steals and 911 blocks in his career, as of the Bucks game. He’s pulled down 6,266 rebounds, including 5,279 defensive rebounds, for what it’s worth.

Some might say his numbers aren’t staggering but Green told reporters after Wednesday’s game that he doesn’t get ‘caught up’ statistics.

‘I judge off the eye test,’ Green said. ‘We have a lot of numbers in this league. Some of them can be a bit deceiving. Some of the worst defenders in history have led the league in steals. It’s just the nature of the game that we play. I know who’s a good defender, I know who’s a bad defender. I know how to exploit the defender.’

He added: ‘The stats just don’t always tell the story so I don’t get caught up in them. … I really don’t get off into them and I don’t know many of them, other than my good ol’ eye.’

Warriors’ next five games

• Jan. 9 vs. Sacramento Kings
• Jan. 11 vs. Atlanta Hawks
• Jan. 13 vs. Portland Trail Blazers
• Jan. 15 vs. New York Knicks
• Jan. 17 vs. Charlotte Hornets

The College Football Playoff resumes Thursday at the Fiesta Bowl. It is perhaps not the semifinal matchup most observers anticipated, but it nevertheless features plenty of intrigue and subplots.

Mississippi finds itself halfway to duplicating the feat of the 1989 Michigan men’s basketball team, winning a national championship after its head coach left for another job. Up next for the Rebels is a date with Miami, fresh off sending the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes packing on its own redemption arc seeking the program’s first football crown since 2001 – and maybe even the opportunity to do it in its home stadium in 11 days.

Here’s a look at the particulars.

Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Mississippi vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.)

Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN in Glendale, Ariz.

Why watch: Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss, approaching legendary status in Oxford after not even being the starter on opening day, will next face the fierce Miami pass rush led by DEs Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor. His own evasiveness should serve Chambliss well, but he’ll also need help from steady RB Kewan Lacy. WRs Harrison Wallace III and De’Zhaun Stribling lead a deep Ole Miss group of pass catchers who will challenge the equally formidable Miami secondary, featuring DBs Jakobe Thomas and Bryce Fitzgerald. Hurricanes QB Carson Beck is somewhat familiar with Ole Miss, though his last encounter with them when he played for Georgia didn’t go well in a 28-10 road loss in the 2024 season. Several of those Rebels’ defenders are still around, including DL Zxavian Harris and LB T.J. Dottery, but Beck’s unit this year might be better equipped to stretch the field. WR Malachi Toney can be utilized in a variety of ways, and RB Mark Fletcher has been extremely valuable during the ‘Canes’ playoff run. Lucas Carneiro, who delivered three clutch field goals, including a pair from beyond 50 yards in the Sugar Bowl win against Georgia last week, could again give Ole Miss the edge in the kicking game.

Why it could disappoint: It shouldn’t, given the number of nail-biters we’ve already seen involving Ole Miss. But the Miami defense is the one unit that could conceivably turn the game into a romp.

ST. LOUIS — It has been 20 years since an American woman has won an Olympic figure skating medal, but if the stellar performances in the women’s short program Wednesday night at the U.S. championships are any indication of what’s to come at the 2026 Winter Olympics, that drought is about to end. 

If you haven’t been following figure skating, get to know these three names: Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito. One after another, those three — the top three women’s skaters in the nation — turned in consecutive flawless programs, finishing with a majestic skate by Glenn, the two-time defending national champion. 

Glenn, who at the advanced skating age of 26 is trying to qualify for her first Olympic team, landed one of the most scintillating triple axels ever by a woman on her way to a new U.S. short-program record score, 83.05 points.

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How good was the skating on the opening night of the national championships? Glenn broke the previous record of 81.11 points — set all of 10 minutes earlier by Liu, 20, the reigning world champion.

Between the two was another strong performance, this one by Isabeau Levito, 18, who finished third with 75.72 points.

The trio, dear friends who finish each other’s sentences and jokes, fed off each other on what arguably was the finest night of U.S. women’s short-program skating ever.

“The vibes were great today,” Glenn said. “It just kept going up and up and up and up. I’m very happy that I got to keep it going up. I felt a responsibility to keep it going better and better and better.” 

Levito, the 2023 national champion, said it all felt “like a big show.” As Levito skated, Liu, who had just come off the ice, decided not to head through the curtains to go backstage as almost all skaters do but instead stand near the ice and watch her fellow competitor. 

“I like watching them skate, so I’m going to watch them,” said Liu, who was the youngest U.S. women’s champion ever at 13, then retired at 16, only to come back two years later. “So many people pay to watch. I’m going to be here and watch for free from really close to the ice.”

As for her performance, Liu let out a little yell as she described it later. “I feel over the moon right now. I’m just so happy about it.”

There was happiness everywhere. “Of course I feel ecstatic,” Glenn said. “The score was huge.” 

So was the night, because even though there still is a long program to be skated Friday night, it was clear that for the first time in almost a generation, U.S. women skaters will be heading into an Olympic Games where the future is suddenly quite bright and the possibilities seemingly endless. 

AI-assisted summary
• Figure skaters Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov are in first place at the 2026 U.S. championships.
• Efimova, who is from Finland, married her American partner Mitrofanov in 2024 and has a green card.
• The couple’s potential absence could impact Team USA’s chances for a medal in pairs skating.

ST. LOUIS — Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov wowed in their short program at the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships, finishing Jan. 7 comfortably in first place heading into Friday’s free skate.

It’s positioned them well to defend their 2025 U.S. championship, and winning back-to-back nationals would typically be enough to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Except that doesn’t look like it will be a reality. 

Despite their stellar performances on the ice, Efimova and Mitrofanov are not eligible to make Team USA right now because Efimova hasn’t obtained her U.S. citizenship. They face a tight deadline, with the Milano Cortina Games beginning in early February.

“The status right now, we’re still not eligible for the Olympics,” Mitrofanov told reporters. “We are hoping that maybe a last minute miracle might happen.”

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Efimova is from Finland and began skating with Mitrofanov – an American citizen from Wisconsin – in 2023. They have skated for the U.S. since. It wasn’t long until they became a couple and the two married in February 2024. That July, Efimova obtained her green card approval.

However, the Olympic Charter states any competitor must be a citizen of the country they want to represent in order to participate in the Olympic Games. Efimova tried to expedite her citizenship request so she could be approved in time for the Games. 

But the couple remains in limbo — and the U.S. Olympic figure skating team will be revealed in just four days. With time starting to run out, Mitrofanov said “it has been more difficult than normal” the last few weeks. 

“We had to do a little bit more paperwork and everything like that. There has been a great push for it. Hopefully things happen, but it is out of our control,” he said. “All we do is focus on our skating, focus on what we’re able to do, which is on the ice.”

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Efimova and Mitrofanov looked flawless in their short program at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. They scored 75.31, more than seven points ahead of Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy in second place. Should they find themselves back on the podium, it would be the third straight year Efimova and Mitrofanov have done so at nationals.

“We are very proud of this program. This has been by far our best program so far, but we’re still continuing to strive for a better score and better points,” Mitrofanov said. 

The status of Efimova also affects Team USA as a whole. The couple could end up being the best chance the U.S. has at performing well in pairs at the Winter Olympics, something that has escaped the Americans for some time. 

Team USA has never won a gold medal in pairs skating and hasn’t won a medal in the event since 1988, when Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard won bronze.

Efimova and Mitrofanov could also be key players for the Americans in the team event of the Olympics, which the U.S. infamously won in 2022 after the doping scandal of Russian skater Kamila Valieva resulted in the Russian Olympic Committee dropping their first place finish.

The new-look Major League Volleyball is gearing up for the 2026 season.

The startup pro volleyball league announced a merger with Pro Volleyball Federation in August and rebranded as Major League Volleyball (MLV), which kicks off its third season on Thursday, Jan. 8, with two premier matchups.

The new iteration features eight teams: Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Dallas Pulse, Grand Rapids Rise, Indy Ignite, Omaha Supernovas, Orlando Valkyries and San Diego Mojo. The Vegas Thrill, previously a member of MLV, are looking for new ownership and won’t be part of the upcoming season of the pro volleyball league.

Here’s a preview for the 2026 Major League Volleyball (MLV) season including a look back at 2025, a sneak peek at what lies ahead and team rosters:

Can you give me a refresh on Major League Volleyball’s 2025 season?

Before we look ahead to next season, let’s catch up on all that went down last year.

Why did MLV merge with PVF?

The Omaha Supernovas were set to leave the Pro Volleyball Federation for MLV following the conclusion of the 2025 season. The secession of the Supernovas, the PVF’s inaugural champions, would have been a huge blow as the Nebraska pro team averaged the highest attendance in the PVF last season with more 10,000 spectators per match. Instead of going head-to-head, the two league’s announced a merger and adopted the MLV moniker.

In 2027, the MLV plans to expand with franchises in Washington D.C. and Northern California. The Northern California team is majority owned by Vivek Ranadivé and D.C. by the D.C. United ownership group.

Which team won 2025 PVF title?

The Orlando Valkyries defeated Indy Ignite in the title match in four sets (25–21, 25–19, 19–25, 25–15) to hoist the franchise’s first championship following a 31-point performance from league MVP Brittany Abercrombie. Abercrombie led the league in points (503), points per set (4.75), kills (462) and kills per set (4.36).

2025 PVF award winners

• Most Valuable Player: Brittany Abercrombie, Orlando Valkyries
• Libero of the Year: Morgan Hentz, Atlanta Vibe
• Outside Hitter of the Year: Brooke Nuneviller, Omaha Supernovas
• Middle Blocker of the Year: Ali Bastianelli, Grand Rapids Rise
• Opposite Hitter of the Year: Brittany Abercrombie, Orlando Valkyries
• Setter of the Year: Sydney Hilley, Indy Ignite
• Most Inspirational Player Award: Shara Venegas, San Diego Mojo
• Rising Star Award: Khori Louis, Atlanta Vibe
• Coach of the Year: Kayla Banwarth, Atlanta Vibe
• 2025 PVL All-League First Team: Leah Edmond (Atlanta Vibe), Morgan Hentz (Atlanta Vibe), Sydney Hilley (Indy Ignite), Azhani Tealer (Indy Ignite), Brooke Nuneviller (Omaha Supernovas), Brittany Abercrombie (Orlando Valkyries) and Chompoo Guedpard (Orlando Valkyries).

Can the Valkyries defend title?

The Orlando Valkyries completed a dramatic turnaround, finishing the 2025 regular season with an 18-10 record, a jump up from 8-16 in 2024, and won the title. With nine players returning from their title roster, the Valkyries are in prime position to become the league’s first back-to-back champion.

Returners include championship MVP setter Pornpun Guedpard, who was the third player in league history to cross the 1,000 assist threshold in a single season with 1,082. League MVP and opposite hitter of the year Brittany Abercrombie is also back, as is middle blocker Kazmiere Brown, who finished fourth in the league with 73 blocks. The Valkyries also added collegiate stars Bre Kelley (Pittsburgh) and Colby Neal (Arizona State) in the draft, in addition to Charitie Luper, Teodora Pusic, Paige Reagor, Naya Shime and Hannah Maddux in free agency.

Orlando was voted to finish atop the standings in the MLV Preseason Poll.

Can Omaha Supernovas return to the top?

The Supernovas were the inaugural champions of the Pro Volleyball Federation (now MLV) after sweeping Grand Rapids Rise in the 2024 championship game (25–13, 26–24, 25–22). Setter Sydney Hilley was named postseason MVP after recording 40 assists and six digs in the title match, while team captain Brooke Nuneviller aded a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs. The Supernovas carried that momentum into the 2025 season and finished with a league-best 21-7 record, but Omaha’s aspirations of repeating were ended by Indy Ignite in a thrilling five-set semifinal loss (17–25, 25–23, 25–23, 20–25, 13–15).

Hilley rejoined the Supernovas in free agency after a brief stint with the Ignite last season, where she led all setters with 11.30 assists per set and 2.73 digs per set. Omaha also returns Nuneviller from their championship squad after finishing Top five in the league in kills (381), kills per set (3.77), total points (413) and double-doubles (17). The Supernovas will get a boost from the addition of reigning libero of the year Morgan Hentz, who spent her first two pro seasons with the Atlanta Vibe. That means Omaha will have the reigning setter, outside hitter and libero of the year on the same squad. It’s no wonder Omaha is projected to make the championship match after being picked to finish second in the MLV preseason poll.

Collegiate stars add instant impact

A handful of All-American collegiate stars will make their professional debuts this season, including 2025 AVCA Player of the Year finalist Mimi Colyer of Wisconsin. Here’s some rookies to look out for:

• Mimi Colyer, Wisconsin, Dallas Pulse: Colyer was named Outside Hitter of the Year after recording a team-high 598 kills and 5.44 kills per set, in addition to 659.0 points and 5.99 points per set in Wisconsin’s run to the NCAA semifinals.
• Flormarie Heredia Colon, Miami, Columbus Fury: The 6-foot outside hitter broke the program record with 43 kills in a match against Louisville. Heredia Colon led the nation in kills (779), points (881.5), kills per set (6.33) and points per set (7.17).
• Malaya Jones, SMU, Dallas Pulse: The 6-foot first-team All-American led the Mustangs with 600 points, 4.88 points per set, 526 kills and 4.28 kills per set. She had nine double-doubles on the season.
• Gillian Grimes, Penn State, San Diego Mojo: The 5-foot-6 Illinois native was named Big Ten Libero of the Year after recording 441 digs and 3.64 digs per set, in addition to 30 aces. Grimes won a national title with Penn State in 2024.

2026 MLV rosters

Here’s a look at each team’s roster, by position:

Atlanta Vibe

Head coach: Kayla Banwarth

• Liberos: Elli McKissock, Britt Rampelberg
• Middle Blockers: Phoebe Awoleye, Raven Colvin, Khori Louis, Jackie Moore
• Outside Hitters: Leah Edmond, Madolyn Isringhausen, Ava Martin, Taylor Smith, Pia Timmer
• Opposite Hitters: Anna Dixon, Aiko Jones
• Setters: Averi Carlson, Shannon Shields

Columbus Fury

Head coach: Ángel Pérez

• Liberos: Aleksandra Jegdic, Kamaile Hiapo
• Middle Blockers: Rainelle Jones, Maya Winterhoff, Rachel Gomez, Regan Pittman-Nelson, Abby Walker
• Outside Hitters: Akasha Anderson, Jaelyn Hodge, Flormarie Heredia Colon, Raina Terry, Megan Lush
• Opposite Hitters: Taylor Fricano
• Setters: Audrey Pak, Ashley Evans

Dallas Pulse

Head coach: Shannon Winzer

• Liberos: Kylie Murr, Kendall White
• Middle Blockers: Karson Bacon, Kaitlyn Hord, Tristin Savage, Layne Van Buskirk
• Outside Hitters: Mimi Colyer, Kaylee Cox, Geli Cyr, Sofia Maldonado Diaz, Isabel Martin, Caroline Meuth
• Opposite Hitters: Malaya Jones, Kelsie Payne
• Setters: Celia Cullen, Natalia Valentin-Anderson

Indy Ignite

Head coach: Lauren Bertolacci

• Liberos: Emma Halter, Elena Scott
• Middle Blockers: Alexandra Botezat, Cara Cresse, Lydia Martyn, Blake Mohler
• Outside Hitters: Emoni Bush, Anna DeBeer, Taylor Landfair, Kayla Lund, Leketor Member-Meneh
• Opposite Hitters: Camryn Hannah, Azhani Tealer
• Setters: Ainise Havili, Mia Tuaniga

Omaha Supernovas

Head coach: Luka Slabe

• Liberos: Morgan Hentz, Allison Holder
• Middle Blockers: Kiara Reinhardt, Janice Leao, Toyosi Onabanjo, Elise Goetzinger, Leyla Blackwell
• Outside Hitters: Brooke Nuneviller, Norah (Sis) TeBrake, Reagan Cooper, Sarah Parsons
• Opposite Hitters: Merritt Beason, Emily Londot
• Setters: Sydney Hilley, Brooke Mosher

Orlando Valkyries

Head coach: Amy Pauly

• Liberos: Emmy Klika, Georgia Murphy, Teodora Pusic
• Middle Blockers: Kazmiere Brown, Natalie Foster, Bre Kelley, Colby Neal, Paige Reagor
• Outside Hitters: Charitie Luper, Hannah Maddux, Courtney Schwan, Lindsey Vander Weide
• Opposite Hitters: Brittany Abercrombie, Naya Shime
• Setters: Pornpun Guedpard, Hannah Pukis

San Diego Mojo

Head coach: Alisha Childress

• Liberos: Shara Venegas, Gillian Grimes, Kate Georgiades
• Middle Blockers: Kayla Caffey, Taylor Sandbothe, Marin Grote, McKenna Vicini, Karis Watson, Morgan Perkins
• Outside Hitters: Allison Jacobs, Kendra Dahlke, Grace Loberg, Maya Tabron, Hayden Kubik, Shannon Scully (also listed as Libero)
• Opposite Hitters: Jovana Brakočević, Morgan Lewis
• Setters: Marlie Monserez, Carly Graham

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PARADISE VALLEY, AZ – He’s clearly tired of getting dragged into these hypotheticals, the delicious soundbites feeding the starving masses.

But since everyone wants an answer, Pete Golding finally relented the day before the biggest game in Ole Miss history. Before we find out if this storybook, screw you ride continues for a team, a university and a community hell-bent on exposing the one thing we’ve all overlooked. 

Did Lane Kiffin make Ole Miss, or did Ole Miss make Kiffin?

“I don’t have a message for anybody else,” Golding said — because that’s how he has played the past month as the new Ole Miss coach. Stick to the script, coach the team, win the day. 

And then it happened. 

“I do think the message is I’m replaceable,” Golding continued. “You’re replaceable. Our players are replaceable. You want to build a program where it’s headed in the right direction, and one person or one player is not going to derail that.”

Let me explain for those not skilled at reading between the lines: the Ole Miss team, the program, is more than Lane Kiffin. 

In fact, it may very well be better off without him.

If this team was built Kiffin-centric, it falls apart in the College Football Playoff — instead of winning two games to set up a Fiesta Bowl semifinal showdown with Miami.

Instead of the team’s biggest and brightest players — including star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and tailback Kewan Lacy — committing to return to Oxford next season. They and many others on the Ole Miss roster have been actively recruited by Kiffin to join him at LSU, not long after he left Oxford for the bright lights and championship history of the school that just fired its coach after he won 34 games in three and a half seasons.

When you think about it, there’s really no decision to be made. Stay at Ole Miss, or leave for LSU and play for the coach who flat left you to fend for yourselves in the biggest moments of your playing careers?

Or leave for the coach who, prior to this season, hadn’t proven to be an elite coach. Hadn’t proven he could build a championship roster at the Power conference level. 

His best team — even better than this year’s white-hot group — did what his teams seem to always do: play down to competition. The 2024 Ole Miss team could’ve made the CFP and advanced this far if it didn’t collapse at home against an awful Kentucky team, and to a reeling Florida team in Gainesville.

And while Kiffin was set on the transition of former five-star quarterback recruit Austin Simmons for 2025, Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. found Chambliss at Division II Ferris State, and convinced him to join the Rebels as a backup. Hey, you never know what could happen. 

“There’s a plan for everything,” Chambliss said. 

This is beginning to feel like the Ole Miss plan all along. Find the one coach who can illuminate the path to winning and convince high-rolling boosters to bankroll it, and then get there and squeeze the life out of the moment. 

Kiffin showed the path, did the heavy lifting and got Ole Miss to the party. Then Golding took over and began producing a sweet symphony that only underscored the undeniable reality of sports. 

“It’s always about the players,” said Ole Miss associate head coach Joe Judge. “There’s a reason coaches aren’t out there playing. We’re here drinking coffee and eating potato chips.”

Or doing daily hot yoga sesh, and avoiding red meat.

Look, I’m not trying to minimize what Kiffin accomplished at Ole Miss. The results paint a clear picture of where it was in Oxford before he arrived in 2020, and what it became.

He had four double-digit win seasons in the past five, an unheard of string of success at a school that has never played in the SEC championship game, and hasn’t won a conference championship game since the days of legendary coach Johnny Vaught.  

He marketed the hell out of the program — “Come to the ‘Sip” — and made it hip to play in a tiny southern town where life moves as slow and sweet as sugarcane molasses. He embraced the transfer portal quickly and with robust intent while most other coaches complained about it. 

But understand this: He was given free reign at Ole Miss by an athletic director and a president that said yes to everything. 

Want to place a Ferrari in front of the Carrier House, the stately Oxford mansion and home of the university president for decades, to attract recruits? Why not.

Or an expanded staff of analysts to help build out recruiting and development, a staff so deep with coaching experience that some of those analysts could move to on-field roles while Kiffin played games with what coaches would be allowed to leave LSU and coach Ole Miss during the CFP.

Or an NIL war chest so deep, Ole Miss could annually rebuild and turn over a roster through the transfer portal, and then supplement with high school recruiting. Or the exact opposite of how championship teams are typically built.

Give all of that to many FBS coaches, and watch what happens. For every Kiffin, there will obviously be more like Billy Napier, who received the same framework from Florida and failed miserably. 

But there are also coaches like Golding, who bust their tails for years in the NCAA lower divisions, get a job at the FBS level as an assistant, and then one day find themselves staring at an opportunity they could only dream of early in their career.

Ole Miss lost at Georgia in October under Kiffin, and came back two months later — against an improved Georgia defense — and beat the Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal under Golding. Does that mean the Rebels are better off without Kiffin?

Not by a long shot.

But it does mean everybody is replaceable. 

When is Fiesta Bowl? What TV channel is Ole Miss vs Miami on?

The Fiesta Bowl is 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 8 and the main broadcast will be on ESPN.

CFP schedule, bracket

Here’s the CFP schedule with the bracket moving into the semifinals:

• CFP semifinal Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, Jan. 8, State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona); ESPN (Fubo)
• CFP semifinal Peach Bowl: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 5 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday, Jan. 9, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta); ESPN (Fubo)
• National championship game: No. 1 Indiana/No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 10 Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET, Monday, Jan. 19, Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida); ESPN (Fubo)

The Atlanta Hawks have traded guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official.

Young was in his eighth season with the Hawks, but the signs that his tenure was coming to a close had become apparent in recent months. He leaves as the franchise’s all-time leader in assists (4,837) and 3-pointers (1,295).

Young has only played in 10 games this season and did not play on Wednesday due to a quad injury. Reports of the trade emerged during the team’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans and Young was seen being embraced by members of the organization.

The four-time NBA All-Star has averaged 19.3 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game this season.

Entering Thursday’s game, the Hawks had an 18-21 record this season and were ninth in the Eastern Conference standings. When Young is not in the lineup, though, the Hawks have produced a 16-13 record.

The trade will keep Young in the Eastern Conference, joining the Wizards, who have a 10-26 record and are 14th out of 15 teams in the conference standings.

Trae Young trade grades

Wizards

Young helps provide an offensive spark to a team that’s struggled in recent seasons and has been missing a superstar-level player on the roster since Bradley Beal’s departure after the 2022-23 season.

Young is not known for his defensive ability and could be seen as a liability on that end of the floor. He also could be a free agent after the season, owning a player option for 2026-27.

Grade: B

Hawks

McCollum may not be the standout player he was during his days in Portland, but he will bring a veteran presence to the locker room in Atlanta, which is one of the younger teams in the NBA this season. On the court, he’s averaged 18.8 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in 35 games played.

Kispert played the first five seasons of his career in Washington. After playing in 80 games during the 2023-24 season, he played just 61 last season and didn’t start a game. He started two of the 19 games he played in for the Wizards this season. He has averaged 10.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists during his career. Kispert did not play on Tuesday due to a hamstring injury and McCollum also sat.

Grade: B