AI-assisted summary
• Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye have the same agents and developed their friendship that way.
• Maye is an NFL MVP candidate in his second season and leads the league in completion percentage and passer rating.
• The Patriots and Bills are set to face off on Sunday, Dec. 14. New England can win the AFC East for the first time since 2019.
• Allen recently broke the record for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and continues to be a dual-threat danger.

To say Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has mentored New England Patriots second-year signal-caller Drake Maye would be a stretch. 

The two share agents through Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the powerhouse representation firm, and the connection has meant they’ve spent plenty of time in the same spaces and even trained alongside each other briefly. The conversations were more about life than football, but “any opportunity I can to help somebody,” Allen said, “I’m willing to do that.” 

Comparing the two, despite the obvious physical similarities – tall, right-handed gunslingers who can be equally deadly with their pocket mobility and legs – makes for good media discussion, Maye said. He’d be the first to say he has a long way to go to rival the 2024 NFL MVP. But Maye soon may match him in the hardware department, as the North Carolina product entered the Patriots’ Week 14 bye as the betting favorite to win the award this season.

“But I’m honored,” Maye said. “If that comparison is there with Josh, I’m honored to be compared to a guy like him at his level. I think I’m a far, long ways away from playing like him, and he’s, like I said, the best in the game. I’m looking forward to another matchup when we meet versus him.” 

That next meeting is Sunday, Dec. 14. A Patriots victory would give head coach Mike Vrabel’s team its first division title since 2019 in his first season at the helm in New England and snap the Bills’ streak of five consecutive AFC East crowns. 

“This is a great stage that we’ve put ourselves on,” Vrabel said. 

Riding a 10-game winning streak, New England is in this position in no small part due to Maye’s breakout campaign. Maye led the league in completion percentage (71.5) and passer rating (111.9) entering Week 14. 

“He’s playing like a veteran quarterback. He’s seeing things extremely well. He plays at a great pace. It looks like things have slowed down for him. Which, again, we hate to see that, right?” Allen said with a smile. “But I’m happy for how well he’s playing because he’s a great human being on top of being a great football player. Just got to find a way to win on Sunday.” 

Allen, who earlier this season broke Cam Newton’s record for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, is the first player in NFL history with 20 or more passing scores and 10 or more rushing touchdowns in three different seasons (2023-25). He entered the matchup against the Patriots leading all QBs with 487 rushing yards and 12 scores.

His 40-yard touchdown run against the Cincinnati Bengals came with the defense playing man coverage to the degree Allen strolled past a defender who had his back turned to the play. When the Bills faced a third-and-15 later in the game, Allen iced the snowy proceedings with a 17-yard dash for a first down. Suffice to say, Allen’s legs create a myriad of problems for defenses. No defense can call a particular coverage, defense or blitz package against him for the entire game, Vrabel said. 

“I think it’s about picking the opportunities and then when you get an opportunity to make a play on him, you’ve got to do everything that you can to get him on the ground, not jump when he pump-fakes, fall down when he stiff-arms you or anything else,” he said. 

Vrabel said the mantra of “keeping him in the pocket,” often applied to playmaking quarterbacks, is too simple. 

“We can all just stand there, and he’ll do this,” said Vrabel, mimicking Allen’s throwing motion. “You have to just – again, coordinated and relentless is probably the best way to phrase it. Because, again, you say, ‘Well, keep him in the pocket.’ And then guys are just standing there and they’re cautious, and we don’t want to coach that way. We want to make sure that we’re trying to remain aggressive, but certainly sound. When he does extend, then we’re going to need to plaster and have guys be able to come up and help us.’

That is one area of Allen’s game that Maye has certainly paid attention to, is how the Bills quarterback looks off defenders or executes a pump-fake while scrambling to the edge. 

“He’s very down to earth. I like to say I’m down to earth,” Maye said Oct. 1. “He’s a great player. Golly, it’s fun watching him. He makes some plays every week that you’re like, ‘Man, that’s pretty cool.’ 

“Stuff like that, that he’s so good at. From there, he’s great throwing down the field and great at extending plays, moving guys and scramble drill. So, he’s great.”

Maye venerated quarterbacks such as Allen and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers, who he faced in Week 3 (the last time the Pats lost). Facing them as competitors doesn’t completely erase the admiration.

“When you’re playing against these guys that are the best quarterbacks in the league, you want to compete with them,” Maye said. “You want to beat them, and you want to kind of master their level, but at the same time, you still want to take things from them and realize and appreciate what they’re doing for the game, what they’ve done for their careers and the players they are.

“Josh is one of them. He’s fun to watch, and he’s one of the best, if not the best, in the game right now. So, he’s playing at a really high level, and it’s always fun to watch. He’s been good to me, and I appreciate the relationship he’s built with me.” 

Have a night, Kyle Pitts.

The Atlanta Falcons’ fifth-year tight end had the kind of game on ‘Thursday Night Football’ that his team hoped would be a lot more common when it made him the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Pitts set new career-high numbers in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns against the Buccaneers and accomplished something no tight end has since 1996.

According to NFL senior researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno, Pitts is the first tight end to have 150-plus yards and 3-plus touchdowns in a game since Shannon Sharpe did it in Week 6 of that 1996 season.

The Falcons’ tight end finished with 13 more yards on two fewer catches than Sharpe did in his big game 29 years ago.

In the absence of Drake London, who missed his fourth straight game with a PCL sprain, Pitts stepped up in a massive way. Here’s a closer look at his numbers during his career night against the Bucs in Week 15:

Kyle Pitts stats

Pitts is having the best game of his career in the Week 15 edition of ‘Thursday Night Football.’

With just over three minutes to play, here’s how his stats against the Buccaneers look so far:

• Targets: 12
• Receptions: 11
• Receiving yards: 166
• Yards per reception: 15.1
• Touchdowns: 3

Pitts had one touchdown all season coming into tonight’s game. He quadrupled that season total in one evening against the Bucs in Week 15.

• Kirby Smart would rather smash a nonconference opponent than face another SEC team next season.
• As CFP auto bids are awarded by conference championship games, shouldn’t teams play more than half the conference?
• Kirby Smart ‘very concerned’ about Georgia playing a ninth SEC game in 2026, instead of facing Louisville.

Kirby Smart picked a peculiar time to climb upon the soap box. And soap box is a polite way of saying, Smart started whining about Georgia’s 2026 schedule, a year in advance. Seriously.

Say this for Smart: He’s consistent. A year ago, he roasted commissioner Greg Sankey about Georgia’s 2024 schedule, right after accepting the SEC trophy.

This time, the Bulldogs had just finished off a beatdown of Alabama in the SEC Championship, when a reporter asked Smart about young players stepping up in the victory.

A few seconds into his answer, Smart took a left turn. He wanted to discuss something else. By discuss, I mean lament.

Smart, like some of his SEC coaching peers, aren’t crazy about the conference adding a ninth league game next season.

Swapping in another SEC opponent in place of a nonconference game stands to make the schedule tougher. Coaches work relentlessly to minimize risk. Playing another SEC game heightens risk. Plus, it complicates Smart’s quest to win every game.

“I mean, the coaches in our league are concerned about” adding a ninth SEC game, Smart said. “Very concerned about it. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t speak my piece and say it’s concerning.”

As Smart put it, half of the SEC’s teams lose a conference game. Clearly, he’d prefer to dunk on overmatched nonconference foes.

Well, boo-hoo.

We’re supposed to pity a coach who must play Arkansas in place of Louisville?

More conference games help improve CFP auto bid process

Consider the upside of a ninth SEC game. If the CFP is going to keep guaranteeing bids for the SEC’s champion and its runner-up, wouldn’t it be helpful to know the conference’s two best teams are actually playing for the conference championship?

Officially, CFP rules don’t guarantee a bid for the SEC runner-up, but, let’s be real, that’s happening. The committee proved in recent weeks it has no intention of omitting the SEC’s runner-up, just as it never rejected the SEC’s champion from the four-team bracket.

The committee bent over backward to preserve a spot for Alabama. It went to such farcical lengths as elevating the Tide in the penultimate rankings after an ugly win against Auburn. That provided a rankings cushion, in case Alabama lost the SEC Championship game and Brigham Young won the Big 12 championship.

The SEC deserves multiple bids in a bracket of this size. No argument there. No argument with Alabama qualifying, either. It built a case, courtesy of the Tide’s 10 wins against a stout schedule. But, before the committee hands out a wink-wink auto bid to the loser of the SEC Championship, let’s at least employ additional measures to help ensure the conference’s two best teams are actually playing in Atlanta.

Alabama reached the conference championship by beating seven teams in a 16-team conference.

When I played first base for a three-time E League champion slow-pitch softball team, we faced everybody in the league en route to the titles. No automatic bid to a slow-pitch playoff awaited. Just a free T-shirt.

The E League respected what college football does not: To call yourselves champs (or runners-up), you need to face everyone in the league. (Also, $1 off draft beers if you reused the same plastic cup week after week.)

Conferences have become so bloated teams can’t possibly face everyone in their own league, but at least by adding a ninth SEC game, every team will play more than half the teams in the conference.

Same goes for the ACC, which will add a ninth conference game next season. In the meantime, unranked Duke won the ACC with an 8-5 record.

To capture the crown, the Blue Devils beat seven members of the 17-team league, showing how absurd conference championships have become.

This has made me evolve my thinking on the playoff. I’m now for a playoff with no automatic bids. I’d do away with the Power Four conference championship games and add a 13th regular-season game for everyone.

But, hey, the conference title games make a lot of money, so they endure.

In response to the addition of a ninth SEC game, Georgia countered by canceling future nonconference games against Louisville and NC State. So be it.

If conferences insist on retaining championship games and the CFP attaches automatic bids to them (and, in the SEC’s case, attaches a wink-wink bid to the runner-up), then conferences should maximize efforts to produce the top two teams in the finals. Playing a ninth conference game aids that.

Additional meaningful games will help clear up CFP selections

Also, consider how increasing the number of meaningful games helps the CFP selection committee.

The committee deserves criticism for its dubious machinations, but let’s acknowledge the difficulty the committee faces while sifting through teams with identical records and similar metrics that didn’t play each other, especially when those teams hail from the same conference.

Oklahoma and Vanderbilt, a pair of 10-win teams, didn’t play each other. So, the committee was left to guess that the Sooners deserve a bid and not the Commodores, by virtue of OU’s slightly better strength of schedule and superior record against common opponents.

There’s parity like never before in the SEC. The more games that pit similar-caliber teams against one another, the easier it becomes for the committee to separate the wheat from the chaff, without the need for guesswork.

Georgia deserves its first-round playoff bye and its SEC hardware. No one disputes that. But, when a team plays 25% of its 12-game regular-season schedule against nonconference cupcakes, as Georgia did this year, that’s a recipe for committee guesswork.

No matter the schedule, Smart’s Bulldogs will keep winning, while he stands on the soap box.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

AI-assisted summary
• The Indianapolis Colts signed 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers out of retirement.
• Three teams, the Broncos, Patriots and Rams, can clinch playoff berths in Week 15.
• The Houston Texans are on a five-game winning streak and have the league’s top total defense.
• The Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff chances could drop to just 1% with a loss to the Chargers.

We are in the midst of the stretch run for the NFL season.

Week 15 features some compelling matchups, including the Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots.

There’s also the improbable return of 44-year-old Philip Rivers who came out of retirement to help the QB-depleted Indianapolis Colts.

Here are my observations for Week 15:

Colts signing Philip Rivers is an act of desperation

There are people around the league who believe Rivers could play as soon as this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks. I’m more pessimistic. It’s hard to imagine a 44-year-old Rivers, who’s five years removed from football, having much success in Indy. Granted, Rivers does know Shane Steichen’s offensive system from their days together with the Chargers. If Rivers does help keep Indy’s season afloat and lead them in the playoffs, it should boost his Hall of Fame candidacy.

The Colts’ final four games are against teams vying for the playoff – Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Colts lose their next four games and finish the year on a seven-game losing streak.

Seattle’s defense has the NFL’s second-highest pressure rate and ranks second in the league in QB hits. Houston leads the NFL in total defense and points allowed.

Good luck, Rivers.

Three teams can finally clinch playoffs in Week 15

The Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams can become the first teams to clinch a playoff spot this week. The 2025 season marks the third time since realignment in 2002 that no playoff berths have been clinched entering Week 15, per NFL Research.

Patriots part of growing worst-to-first trend

Speaking of the Patriots. New England has a chance to win the AFC East division with a win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. It would be the Patriots’ first AFC East title since 2019.

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for coach of the year candidate Mike Vrabel, MVP candidate Drake Maye and the Patriots. New England finished last in the division last year. At least one team finished in first place in its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place in 19 of the past 22 seasons, via NFL Research.

Kyler Murray’s uncertain future in Arizona

However, Murray’s contract will complicate matters if Arizona decides to move on. Murray is owed $36.8 million fully guaranteed in 2026, per Over The Cap. He’ll also earn $19.5 million in guaranteed money in 2027. I can see Murray and the Cardinals choosing an amicable divorce this offseason despite money complications.

Surging Texans

The red-hot Texans are looking like the scariest team in the AFC. Houston’s won five straight games, has the NFL’s top total defense, and ranks No. 1 in points allowed.

The Texans are one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars for first place in the AFC South. Don’t be surprised if Houston overtakes Jacksonville for first in the division – their playstyle travels. The Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts are the only clubs on Houston’s schedule with a winning record. The Texans can become the fifth team since 1990 to begin 0-3 and make the playoffs.

Optimism despite Eagles’ three-game losing streak

The Eagles are in danger of having another late-season collapse similar to their 2023 meltdown.

There are three reasons to still believe in the Eagles despite their tough stretch. I don’t expect Jalen Hurts to replicate a career-worst five turnovers (four interceptions, one lost fumble) the rest of the way. Hurts had just two interceptions before his nightmare Week 14 performance.  

The Eagles are at their best when they are a run-oriented team. Saquon Barkley had his second 100-yard rushing performance of the season last week.

Lastly, three of Philly’s final four regular-season games are against teams with losing records, including a potential get-right game versus the lowly Las Vegas Raiders at home this week.

Bucs, Panthers fight for NFC South title

Bryce Young hasn’t received enough credit for Carolina’s surprising turnaround. Young’s on pace to have career highs in every major quarterback statistical category. He’s already tossed a single-season best 18 touchdown passes.

The 7-6 Panthers have a chance to take the NFC South lead with a win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Carolina and the 7-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet twice in the final three weeks.

Carolina hasn’t won an NFC South crown since 2015 and hasn’t earned a playoff berth since 2017.

Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff face former teams

It’s poetic the Stafford-led Rams can clinch a playoff spot if they beat the quarterback’s former team this week.

The MVP candidate Stafford leads the NFL in touchdown passes (35) and passer rating (113.1). Stafford and the Rams have lost their two most recent meetings against Goff and the Detroit Lions, including the playoffs.

Chiefs on brink of being eliminated from playoffs

The 6-7 Chiefs are currently 10^th in the AFC playoff race. Kansas City currently has 12% chance to reach the postseason. The Chiefs’ playoff probability drops to just 1% if they lose to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, per Next Gen Stats.

The Chargers beat the Chiefs in Week 1. The last time the Chargers completed a season sweep of the Chiefs was in 2013 when Philip Rivers was the Chargers’ QB. Patrick Mahomes was in high school.

Way-too-early NFL draft observations

If the season ended today, the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans would own the top three picks in the 2026 NFL draft. Only one of those teams – the Raiders, presumably, need a quarterback.

We could see some trades at the top of the draft if the order remains the same.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

Indiana won its first outright Big Ten title since 1945 and was rewarded with seven players on the 2025 USA TODAY Sports Network All-Big Ten team.

Ten players earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors, led by Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza (Offensive Player of the Year), Ohio State DB Caleb Downs (Defensive Player of the Year) and Iowa kick returner Kaden Wetjen (Specialist of the Year).

Mendoza also won Big Ten Newcomer of the Year with his coach Curt Cignetti the unanimous pick for Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Here is the rest of the 2025 postseason All-Big Ten team as determined by beat writers who cover the league for USA TODAY Sports Network.

USA TODAY Network All-Big Ten team

* denotes unanimous selection

OFFENSE

• QB: Fernando Mendoza, Indiana*
• RB: Emmett Johnson, Nebraska*
• RB: Kaytron Allen, Penn State*
• WR: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State*
• WR: Makai Lemon, USC
• TE: Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon*
• OL: Carter Smith, Indiana*
• OL: Logan Jones, Iowa
• OL: Beau Stephens, Iowa
• OL: Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
• OL: Vega Ioane, Penn State

DEFENSE

• DL: Derrick Moore, Michigan
• DL: Caden Curry, Ohio State
• DL: Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
• DL: Tyrique Tucker, Indiana
• LB: Sonny Styles, Ohio State*
• LB: Aiden Fisher, Indiana
• LB: Arvell Reese, Ohio State
• DB: Caleb Downs, Ohio State*
• DB: D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
• DB: Louis Moore, Indiana
• DB: Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

SPECIALISTS

• K: Nico Radicic, Indiana
• P: Ryan Eckley, Michigan State*
• Returner: Kaden Wetjen, Iowa*

Also receiving first team votes

• WR: Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana)
• OL: Caleb Tiernan (Northwestern), Iapani Laloulu (Oregon), Gennings Dunker (Iowa), Austin Siereveld (Ohio State), Trevor Lauck (Iowa), Matt Gulbin (Michigan State)
• DL: Gabe Jacas (Illinois), A’mauri Washington (Oregon), Stephen Daley (Indiana)
• LB: Rolijah Hardy (Indiana), Isaiah Jones (Indiana)
• DB: Bishop Fitzgerald (USC), Davison Igbinosun (Ohio State), Zach Lutmer (Iowa), Brandon Finney Jr. (Oregon)
• K: Drew Stevens (Iowa), Sean O’Haire (Maryland), Mateen Baghani (UCLA)

Big Ten postseason award winners

• Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana*
• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year: DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State
• Big Ten Specialist of the Year: KR Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
• Big Ten Coach of the Year: Curt Cignetti, Indiana*
• Big Ten Newcomer of the Year: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Two of the four top seeds in the tournaments — Kentucky and Pittsburgh — advanced to the Elite Eight. No. 3 seeds Purdue and Creighton also move on. Creighton will face Kentucky and Pitt plays Purdue Saturday for a Final Four bid.

But first, No. 1 seed Texas plays Indiana at 12 p.m. ET and Nebraska, the lone undefeated team in the tournament and No. 1 overall seed, will face Kansas at 9:30 p.m. ET Friday.

Here are the highlights from Thursday’s Round of 16 at the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament:

Final: Purdue 3, SMU 1

Set 4: Purdue 29, SMU 27

SMU fought off four match points from Purdue, but the Boilermakers were able to cash in on the fifth point to take the fourth set 29-27 and advance to the regional final for the first time since 2021.

It wasn’t a perfect match by any means. Purdue hit .282 in four sets, which was lower than SMU’s .295 hitting percentage. But Purdue’s Kenna Wollard said the team ‘didn’t want our season to end.’ Wollard finished with 23 kills, 10 digs and five blocks, which ties her career high. Akasha Anderson added 16 kills and three digs.

Set 3: Purdue 25, SMU 22

SMU’s hitting percentage has dwindled as the match has progressed, dropping from .414 in the first set to .171 in the third set. The Mustangs now find themselves with their backs against the wall, down 2-1.

Kenna Wollard has a team-high 14 kills and two errors for Purdue. Akasha Anderson has 11 kills and two errors. The Boilermakers are up to 19 total blocks, compared to 10 for SMU.

SMU’s Malaya Jones has 15 of her team’s 43 total kills.

Set 2: Purdue 25, SMU 19

Purdue led the entirety of the second set and took it 25-19 over SMU to tie the match 1-1.

The Boilermakers flushed the first set entirely. After hitting .067 in the frame, Purdue came out aggressive and hit .361 in the second set. Purdue head coach Dave Shondell said his team came out ‘tight’ in the first set.

Kenna Wollard has a team-high nine kills and one error for Purdue. Akasha Anderson had seven kills and two errors, while Grace Heaney had five kills and two errors.

SMU’s hitting percentage dipped to .281. Malaya Jones has eight kills and no errors.

Set 1: SMU 25, Purdue 16

SMU dominated Purdue in the first set, holding the Boilermakers to .067 hitting percentage with nine kills and seven attack errors. Meanwhile, the Mustangs hit .414 in the first set to take a 1-0 lead. Kennedi Rogers has a team-high five kills for the Mustangs, while Malaya Jones added four kills on five swings (.800).

Maggie Croft injury update

SMU freshman middle blocker Maggie Croft is playing with a cast on her left hand after dislocating her left pinky on Tuesday. The cast didn’t appear to affect Croft’s serve. She opened SMU’s Sweet 16 matchup on the service line and recorded an ace to put the Mustangs up 3-0 in the first set.

SMU vs. Purdue women’s volleyball underway

The Sweet 16 matchup between No. 2 SMU and No. 3 Purdue is underway in Petersen Center in Pittsburgh.

Purdue starting lineup

SMU volleyball’s starting lineup

Final: Pittsburgh 3, Minnesota 0

Set 3: Pitt 25, Minnesota 22

No. 1 Pitt is moving on to the Elite Eight after taking the third set 25-22 to complete the sweep, the Panthers’ 18th sweep of the year. Pittsburgh will face the winner of No. 2 SMU and No. 3 Purdue.

Pitt junior Olivia Babcock had eight kills and no errors in the third set, finishing the match with 18 total kills, eight digs and four errors. Bre Kelley finished with eight kills on 10 swings, hitting .800 with no errors.

Minnesota finished with three players with eight or more kills — Carly Gilk (9), Kelly Kinney (9) and Julia Hanson (8). The Gophers finished with a .178 team hitting percentage, compared to .271 for Pitt.

Set 2: Pitt 25, Minnesota 23

Pittsburgh ran away with the first set against Minnesota, but the second set included 13 ties and five different lead changes. Neither team led the set by three points.

The Panthers clinched the set on a block from Abbey Emch and Blaire Bayless. Panthers head coach Dan Fisher said his team was ‘lucky to get that one,’ pointing to the team’s eight attack errors in the second set. ‘We were going for a few too many highlight swings,’ Fisher added.

Pitt junior Olivia Babcock is up to 10 kills, seven digs, four errors and three blocks. Bre Kelley has six kills and the team is collectively hitting .243. Pittsburgh is 20-1 this season when winning the first two sets.

Can Minnesota respond? The Gophers cut down on their self-inflicted wounds with only three attack errors and two service errors in the set. Carly Gilk and Julia Hanson each have five kills for Minnesota.

Set 1: Pitt 25, Minnesota 16

No. 1 Pitt has yet to drop a set at the 2025 NCAA tournament. The Panthers took the first set over No. 4 Minnesota 25-16 behind five kills, four digs and two block assists from Pitt junior Olivia Babcock. Pitt led by as many as seven points in the set, but Minnesota went on a 7-3 run to come within two, 13-11. The Panthers responded and closed out the set on an 11-4 run. Pitt’s Bre Kelley added four kills in the first set.

Minnesota had five service errors and seven attack errors in the opening set. Carly Gilk had a team-high three kills.

Pitt volleyball starters

Minnesota starters

Final: Kentucky 3, Cal Poly 0

No. 1 Kentucky advances to the Elite Eight to face No. 3 Creighton.

Set 3: Kentucky 25, Cal Poly 7

Kentucky cruised in set three with a .609 team hitting percentage and very little resistance from Cal Poly. The Mustangs had seven errors in the period (15 total between sets two and three), and ran out of gas as the Wildcats stretched them out defensively. Kentucky’s Lizzie Carr finished with 11 kills on .667 hitting and six blocks, and Eva Hudson had nine kills, seven digs and three blocks. Kennedy Washington sealed the match point for the Wildcats.

Set 2: Kentucky 25, Cal Poly 19

Set two was powered by several Wildcats, but Lizzie Carr and Eva Hudson led the group with eight kills and seven kills, respectively. Hudson added five digs and three blocks. Molly Tuozzo sealed the set point to help Kentucky go up 2-0. Cal Poly’s Emma Frederick had eight kills.

Set 1: Kentucky 25, Cal Poly 17

The Wildcats owned set one behind a perfect start from Lizzie Carr, who was five-for-five on kills, and hitting .464 as a team. Trinity Ward landed an ace to capture the set for Kentucky.

Kentucky is the first to 15 in Set 1 vs. Cal Poly

Full credit to Cal Poly for hanging tough with Kentucky early in set 1. The Mustangs made the Wildcats earn every point thus far behind the power of Kendall Beshear and Emma Frederick. There’s no shortage of offense. Both teams are hitting around .500

Cal Poly vs. Kentucky is underway

The Mustangs and Wildcats are live in set one of the second match during the Sweet 16.

Creighton 3, Arizona State 1

Set 4: Creighton 25, Arizona State 18

Arizona State tried mightily to keep up with Creighton in set four, but they seemingly ran out of steam (a .152 hitting percentage in the final set with six errors). The Bluejays ultimately pulled away to move on to the Elite Eight. Creighton’s Ava Martin had a fantastic day, leading the team with 23 kills on .388 hitting, followed by Kiara Reinhardt with 15 kills on .737 hitting and three blocks. Reinhardt sank the final set point to advance the Bluejays.

Set 3: Creighton 25, Arizona State 13

It was all Creighton in the third set as they hit .600 in the frame. The Bluejays built a double-digit lead behind masterful work from Kiara Reinhardt (12 total kills and one block) and Jaya Johnson (eight total kills, two blocks). Creighton slammed the door with a service ace to end the set.

Set 2: Arizona State 25, Creighton 19

Arizona State fought back for a second set victory. Noemie Glover has 11 kills to lead the Sun Devils, who are looking to avoid an upset. Arizona State had 16 kills with 0.368 hitting percentage in the set.

Set 1: Creighton 26, Arizona State 24

Creighton stormed back, going up 20-18, but Arizona State was ready. Back and forth they went until Creighton team won the first set 26-24.

Arizona State is the first to 15 in Set 1 vs. Creighton

After some back and forth, the Sun Devils created some separation to be the first team to reach 15 during the first set. Arizona went on a 4-0 run, powered by two aces from Brynn Covell, her 27th and 28th aces of the season.

Creighton vs. Arizona State is underway

The Bluejays and Sun Devils are live in set one of the first match during the Sweet 16.

Where is NCAA women’s volleyball Sweet 16?

The 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball Final Four will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s the third time since 2010 that the venue has hosted the volleyball national championship.

When is NCAA women’s volleyball Sweet 16?

• Date: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
• Time: Four matches each day, beginning at 1 p.m. ET Thursday and noon ET Friday. Match-by-match times below.

How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament

• Streaming: ESPN+ ∣ Fubo (free trial)

The 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. Games can be streamed ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

NCAA volleyball Sweet 16 schedule: Times, TV

All times Eastern

Thursday, Dec. 11

• No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 2 Arizona State 1
• No. 1 Kentucky 3, Cal Poly 0
• No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, No. 4 Minnesota 0
• No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 2 SMU 1

Friday, Dec. 12

• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Indiana, 12 p.m. | ESPN
• No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 2 Stanford, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
• No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Louisville, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
• No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 4 Kansas, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Saturday, Dec. 13

• No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 1 Kentucky, 5 p.m. | ESPN2
• No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 3 Purdue, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Sunday, Dec. 14

• Regional final, TBD
• Regional final, TBD

NCAA volleyball second-round results

Lexington bracket

• No. 1 Kentucky 3, No. 8 UCLA 1 (30-28, 25-16, 28-30, 25-17)
• No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 6 Northern Iowa 1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21)
• No. 2 Arizona State 3, Utah State 1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15)
• Cal Poly 3, No. 4 USC 2 (25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7)

Austin bracket

• No. 4 Indiana 3, No. 5 Colorado 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-23)
• No. 3 Wisconsin 3, North Carolina 0 (25-14, 25-21, 27-25)
• No. 1 Texas 1, No. 8 Penn State 0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-19)
• No. 2 Stanford 3, Arizona 1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20)

Pittsburgh bracket

• No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 6 Baylor 1 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20)
• No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, Michigan 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18)
• No. 2 SMU 3, Florida 0 (25-11, 25-21, 26-24)
• No. 4 Minnesota 3, No. 5 Iowa State 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-14)

Lincoln bracket

• No. 4 Kansas 3, No. 5 Miami 1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 27-25)
• No. 2 Louisville 3, Marquette 2 (21-25, 25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12)
• No. 1 Nebraska 3, Kansas State 0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-16)
• No. 3 Texas A&M 3, No. 6 TCU 1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 29-27)

NCAA volleyball first-round results

Lexington bracket

• No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-12)
• No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2 (24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10)
• Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2 (25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10)
• No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0, (25-19, 25-12, 25-13)
• No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2 (12-25, 25-23,25-23,17-25, 8-15)
• No. 6 Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2 (15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10)
• Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2 (25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11)
• No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-12)

Austin bracket

• No. 1 Texas 3, Florida A&M 0 (25-11, 25- 8, 25-14)
• No. 8 Penn State 3, South Florida 1 (25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-19)
• No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16)
• No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17)
• No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-19)
• North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21)
• Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15)
• No. 2 Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14)

Pittsburgh bracket

• No. 1 Pitt 3, UMBC 0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-13)
• Michigan 3, No. 8 Xavier 0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-23)
• No. 5 Iowa State 3, St. Thomas-Minnesota 2 (21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8)
• No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0 (25-12, 25-7, 25-13)
• No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19)
• No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2 (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10)
• Florida 3, No. 7 Rice 0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-19)
• No. 2 SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-13)

Lincoln bracket

• No. 1 Nebraska 3, Long Island 0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-17)
• Kansas State 3, San Diego 2 (21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12)
• No. 5 Miami 3, Tulsa 1 (25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20)
• No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-18)
• No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-13)
• No. 6 TCU 3, Stephen F. Austin 0 (25-8, 26-24, 25-20)
• Marquette 3, Western Kentucky 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-16)
• No. 2 Louisville 3, Loyola (Illinois) 0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-12)

When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?

• Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21

The two semifinal matches in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be broadcast on ESPN. The national championship game is Sunday, Dec. 21 on ABC.

NCAA volleyball tournament champions

Penn State is the reigning NCAA volleyball champion, having defeated Louisville in four sets last year in the national title game. It was the Nittany Lions’ eighth volleyball championship since 1999.

Here’s a look at the past 10 NCAA volleyball champions:

• 2024: Penn State
• 2023: Texas
• 2022: Texas
• 2021: Wisconsin
• 2020: Kentucky
• 2019: Stanford
• 2018: Stanford
• 2017: Nebraska
• 2016: Stanford
• 2015: Nebraska

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Behind all of the boos that rained down on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 11, one could almost hear the cheering from a little further up north.

The Carolina Panthers are in sole possession of first place in the NFC South after the Bucs’ 29-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Carolina still has to play Tampa Bay twice this season in games that likely will determine the division champion, but the Buccaneers look especially vulnerable of late.

Their loss to start Week 15 was also their fifth loss in the last six games, which has allowed the Panthers to climb into the NFC South lead.

Atlanta, meanwhile, can relish playing something of a spoiler for the four-time reigning division champions. The Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention last week. But even without starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and top receiver Drake London, Atlanta came away with the upset win on the road to win its fifth game of the season.

There were standouts from both sides. Mike Evans had a massive comeback game for the Buccaneers after missing six straight games with a broken collarbone. The bigger story was Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, who had the best game of his career against Tampa Bay.

Here’s how the Falcons’ 29-28 win happened on ‘Thursday Night Football’:

Buccaneers vs Falcons takeaways

• Baker Mayfield missed Mike Evans. Like, really missed Mike Evans. The veteran wide receiver had missed six straight games with a broken collarbone before making his return in Week 15 against the Falcons. It’s a near-certainty that Evans will lose his 1,000-yard season streak given the nine total games he has missed this year, but Mayfield tried his darnedest to get his top receiver back on track. The Bucs’ quarterback targeted Evans 12 times on ‘Thursday Night Football,’ five times more than his second-most-targeted pass-catcher, Emeka Egbuka. The result was a six-catch, 132-yard night from the 12-year veteran. He’s not quite back on 1,000-yard pace, but Evans showed plenty of evidence that he’s got more in the tank. His most notable catch of the night was a 45-yard reception he caught over the outstretched head and arms of Falcons cornerback Cobee Bryant in a true display of ‘Mossing.’
• The Falcons finally have a pass rush, but they’re a sloppy team. First-round rookie James Pearce Jr. had two of his team’s five sacks on ‘Thursday Night Football,’ and Mayfield was facing tons of pressure all night. Pearce is within striking distance of a 10-sack season as a rookie, which would make him the first Falcons player with double-digit sacks in a season since Vic Beasley in 2016. While Pearce was a positive, the penalties were a negative. Game officials flagged Atlanta a staggering 19 times for 125 penalty yards during the ‘Thursday Night Football’ game. That included two in one drive as the Falcons were playing red-zone defense, giving the Bucs two free first downs in goal-to-go situations. One was on kicker Zane Gonzalez for failing to kick the ball off of the ground on a kickoff. Thanks in large part to the pass-rush attack, Atlanta managed to overcome the issues with penalties for a fifth win of the season.
• This was the Kyle Pitts Game. The Falcons’ tight end had the kind of game that their fans (and fantasy managers with Pitts in their lineups over the years) have been waiting for. In the end, he had 156 yards and three touchdowns on 10 catches. According to NFL senior researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno, Pitts became the first tight end with 150+ yards and 3-plus touchdowns in a game since Shannon Sharpe in Week 6 of the 1996 season. Not only did Pitts only have one touchdown all season coming into Week 15, he managed to match or surpass the touchdown total he had in four separate seasons in his five-year career. He also had only ever had one multi-touchdown game before – a two-touchdown outing against the Buccaneers in Tampa in Week 8 last year. Go figure.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Zane Gonzalez walks it off

In a game where the Falcons didn’t roll over, it took all of the clock to take the win. After being down 28-14 in the fourth quarter and missing two 2-point conversion attempts, the Falcons take a 29-28 win off the leg of Zane Gonzalez, who nailed a 43-yard field goal for the win.

Falcons win, 29-28

Kyle Pitts stats

Pitts is having the best game of his career in the Week 15 edition of ‘Thursday Night Football.’

With just over three minutes to play, here’s how his stats against the Buccaneers look so far:

• Targets: 11
• Receptions: 10
• Receiving yards: 152
• Yards per reception: 15.2
• Touchdowns: 3

Pitts had one touchdown all season coming into tonight’s game. He has quadrupled that season total in 56.5 minutes of game action in Week 15.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Kyle Pitts has third TD of game

It’s Kyle Pitts night in Tampa. The Falcons’ tight end is having the best game of his career with 10 catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns so far.

Atlanta was unable to convert its two-point conversion attempt after a touchdown for the second straight drive, so the Buccaneers still lead, 28-26, with 3:34 left.

Who is Devin Culp?

Devin Culp is a second-year tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay drafted Culp in the seventh-round of last year’s NFL draft after he ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

Culp is listed as the third tight end on the Buccaneers’ depth chart, but he’s playing as the team’s No. 2 tight end on ‘Thursday Night Football’ with Cade Otton out. The second-year tight end scored his first touchdown of his career in the third quarter.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Bijan Robinson, Falcons strike back

Robinson was responsible for 23 yards on Atlanta’s 65-yard scoring drive, with the most important six yards coming at the end for an untouched touchdown run.

The Falcons still trail, 28-20, after the failed two-point conversion. There’s still 9:37 left to play. 

What is an octopus in the NFL?

An ‘octopus’ is a colloquial term that means a player scores a touchdown and also the 2-point conversion, as Chris Godwin did on the prior Buccaneers score.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Chris Godwin extends lead with TD grab

Godwin spent the early part of the season recovering from a dislocated ankle and then a fibula injury that kept him out of eight games in total this season. He finally score his first touchdown of the season in Week 15 on a three-yard pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The Bucs then decided to go for two to make it a two-touchdown game, and Godwin caught a very similar looking pass for the two-point conversion.

Tampa Bay leads 28-14 with 13:34 left in the game.

Mike Evans injury update: Buccaneers WR shaken up after hit

The Buccaneers wide receiver returned from a broken clavicle in Week 15, and with great production. But he was shaken up on a hit at the end of the third quarter after making a catch.

He was examined quickly by medical staff and returned to the field at the start of the fourth quarter.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Tampa re-takes lead with Devin Culp TD

The Falcons had appeared to stop Tampa Bay on a third-and-goal play, but Atlanta nickel back Dee Alford was called for illegal contact, then linebacker Divine Deablo got a flag for a face mask.

So after two new fresh sets of downs, the Buccaneers’ tight end found the end zone to reclaim the lead for Tampa Bay.

Culp’s first career touchdown gives the Bucs a 20-14 lead with 6:22 left in the third quarter.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Bucs down by one at half

The Buccaneers were unable to complete a touchdown drive in the final moments of the first half, but their kicker managed to cut their deficit to one point as time expired on the second quarter.

McLaughlin’s 52-yard field goal was his second make of the night. The Falcons still lead, 14-13, at halftime.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Kyle Pitts finds end zone again

For the first time tonight, the Falcons have the lead. Once again, it was tight end Kyle Pitts with the score.

Pitts’ second touchdown of the night is also his third of the season, and it gives Atlanta a 14-10 lead with 38 seconds left in the first half.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Chase McLaughlin field goal gives TB lead

The Bucs’ kicker knocked through his first field goal attempt of the night from 49 yards out to push his team to a three-point lead.

It’s 10-7 Buccaneers with just over two minutes left in the first half.

Who is Cobee Bryant on the Falcons?

Bryant is a rookie cornerback who joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent earlier this year. Atlanta elevated him from the practice squad in late November.

Outside of a similar-sounding name, there is no relation to the deceased basketball great.

What is a Buccaneer?

Outside of a player for the Tampa Bay football franchise, a buccaneer today is a synonym for ‘pirate,’ though the origin dates back to explicitly to the privateers of the 17th and 18th centuries who used to sail the Caribbean sea.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Kyle Pitts finds end zone

For the first time since Week 4, the Falcons’ top tight end is on the board and in the end zone. His second touchdown of the season came on an eight-yard pass from Kirk Cousins and drew Atlanta even with the Buccaneers early in the second quarter.

The game is all tied up at 7 points each with 12:11 left in the first half.

Buccaneers vs Falcons score update: Sean Tucker opens scoring

A replay review overturned what was initially ruled a touchdown by second-year wide receiver Jalen McMillan on his first catch of the season. Instead, Tampa Bay had to run a couple of extra plays from the 1-yard line, and running back Sean Tucker pushed his way across the goal line for the first score of the night.

The Buccaneers lead, 7-0, with 1:38 left in the first quarter.

Kirk Cousins contract

• Length: Four years
• Value: $180 million
• AAV: $45 million per year

Cousins signed his four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons before the 2024 season. He is tied with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the 14th-highest AAV at his position.

Just over one month after signing Cousins, Atlanta drafted rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Since joining the Falcons, Cousins has appeared in 20 games over two seasons with 18 starts. The veteran quarterback is in line to start the remainder of the Falcons’ games during the 2025 regular season after Penix underwent surgery to repair a partially torn ACL.

Are the Falcons eliminated from the playoffs?

Yes, the Falcons are both eliminated from the playoffs and clinched a losing record for the eighth consecutive season.

Who is the Falcons owner?

The Falcons are owned by Arthur Blank, who purchased ownership of the Atlanta-based franchise in 2002. Blank was a co-founder of The Home Depot in 1978.

He owns two other sports franchises: MLS’s Atlanta United FC and TGL’s Atlanta Drive GC. Blank also owns the Atlanta-based expansion team in the NWSL that it set to debut in the women’s soccer league 2028.

What time does the Falcons game start?

• Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET

How to watch Buccaneers vs. Falcons

• Live stream: Amazon Prime Video 
• Tampa market: WTVT (Fox 13) | Atlanta market: WAGA (Fox 5)

The NFL’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ game will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video for national viewers. For those in the Buccaneers TV market, WTVT (Fox 13) will air the game. In Atlanta, viewers can tune to WAGA (Fox 5).

Buccaneers creamsicle jersey

The Buccaneers reintroduced their orange ‘Creamsicle’ jerseys this season, uniforms which they wore for the first 21 years of their existence.

Atlanta Falcons inactives today

Here’s the complete list of Falcons who won’t see the field vs. the Buccaneers:

• WR Drake London
• WR Jamal Agnew
• ILB JD Bertrand
• OL Michael Jerrell
• WR Casey Washington
• WR Malik Heath
• DL Elijah Garcia

Buccaneers inactives vs. Falcons

Tight end Cade Otton will not play tonight vs. Tampa Bay, and it’s official that Mike Evans will see the field. Here’s the full list of inactives:

• QB Connor Bazelak
• LB Sirvocea Dennis
• G Elijah Klein
• CB Benjamin Morrison
• TE Cade Otton
• DL Elijah Simmons
• S Tykee Smith

Is Kyle Pitts playing tonight?

Yes, the Falcons tight end is active and set to play despite carrying a questionable status entering the game.

Is Mike Evans playing tonight?

The Buccaneers wide receiver is expected to play tonight, but in a limited role, per ESPN. The wide receiver is returning from a fractured collarbone which he suffered in Week 7.

Is Baker Mayfield playing tonight?

Yes, the Buccaneers quarterback is expected to start despite dealing with a left shoulder injury he suffered in Week 12. Mayfield has not missed any time while nursing the injury.

Buccaneers vs. Falcons TNF live stream

• Stream:Amazon Prime Video | Fubo (local market)

Amazon Prime Video will air the Buccaneers-Falcons ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup. Those in local TV markets can watch the matchup on Fubo.

Watch ‘Thursday Night Football’ with a Prime Video subscription

Buccaneers vs. Falcons predictions, picks

Tampa Bay hit a roadblock with injuries halfway through the season, which explains why they’ve lost four of their last five. They just lost to the lowly Saints at home, but they still control their playoff hopes. It sounds like they’re finally getting healthy with Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan potentially returning. Atlanta’s offense is one-dimensional without Drake London, and the strength of the Bucs defense is against the run. Tampa Bay’s push for the playoffs starts tonight. They’ll win by a touchdown and prepare for a massive divisional clash against the Panthers with a few extra days of rest.

Prediction: Buccaneers 23, Falcons 17

Buccaneers vs. Falcons odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list.

• Moneyline (ML): Tampa Bay -225 (Bet $225 to win $100) | Atlanta +185 (Bet $100 to win $185)
• Against the spread (ATS): Tampa Bay -4.5 (-110) | Atlanta +4.5 (-110)
• Over/Under (O/U): 44 (O: -110 | U: -110)

The U.S. women’s senior national basketball team is one of the most dominant in history, winning eight consecutive Olympic golds dating back to the 1996 Atlanta Games. Many of the young stars vying for a chance to represent Team USA in Los Angeles in 2028 weren’t born when the medal streak began.

Ten of the 18 players invited to the Team USA training camp at Duke University over the weekend are set to make their senior national team debut, forming a youthful core Paige Bueckers nicknamed the ‘young and turnt’ crew.

‘Great name,’ Sonia Citron said Thursday. ‘That sounds like (Bueckers). I love the name.’

Despite the bold moniker, the first-timers carry a cool confidence. The Team USA training camp offers a mix of experience and youth, especially at the guard position, but the rookies feel like they belong. Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron and Veronica Burton are among the rookies at Team USA camp, in addition to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Lauren Betts, Cameron Brink, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson and JuJu Watkins.

‘There’s a level of excitement for sure. There’s a confidence too,’ Veronica Burton added. ‘These bigger stages can be a little daunting at times, but I think that there’s a confidence that everyone who’s here belongs here.’

USA BASKETBALL: Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese invited to Team USA camp

Bueckers, who is coming off a national championship at UConn before winning WNBA Rookie of the Year, is ready to learn from everyone in camp.

‘Our generation and our young core is the ‘young and turnt’ core, so that’s the kind of vibe that we want to bring to this camp,’ Bueckers said.

‘There’s some vets and there’s the older class who have already came in and won gold medals and they have that experience. So as a younger group you want to ask them questions, soak it up, be a sponge, get their experience, and then grow in our experience.’

Veteran bigs vs. rookie point guards

The point guard position is often hailed as the leader of any team. Think of six-time gold medalist guard Diana Taurasi, who retired earlier this year after becoming the most decorated basketball player in Olympic history. Point guards are the on-court quarterbacks. They run the offense and control the ball.

But unlike previous years, Team USA’s youth will be primarily at the point guard position. The realization recently dawned on USA women’s national team managing director Sue Bird, who compared the team’s current cycle to the ‘Lisa Leslie kind of years, where she was always, like, a vet, but she always had Dawn (Staley).’

‘For a really long time, our vets on the team were in the guard spots,’ Bird added on Thursday. ‘And now, if you look at the past Olympic team, you’ve got A’ja (Wilson), you’ve got a (Napheesa Collier), you’ve got (Breanna Stewart) … all of our post players have the most gold medals.’

USA women’s basketball does have experience and depth at the point guard position between gold medalists Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, who were all invited to the training camp. Citron said she’s ‘excited to really learn from them all,’ especially her fellow Notre Dame alum.

‘There’s nobody that I wouldn’t take advice from that has been on this team, but I think Jackie Young, just because again, she’s one of the Notre Dame greats,’ Citron said when asked if there’s a certain veteran she gravitates toward. ‘I’ve heard so much about her and I’ve spoken with her a couple of times, but never really got to play alongside her for real because I don’t think (WNBA) All-Star really counts.’

Bird said the training camp will be a crucial time to not only evaluate players, but help them build experience to bridge that gap: ‘You want to have people who have been there, of course, but you also need to, like, keep the pipeline going with the younger players and get them experienced. That always, that balance is always existing. It just sometimes it looks a little different. So we’ll see how this one shapes up.’

Paige Bueckers: ‘Fun to share the court’

The newcomers may be stepping into new territory with the U.S. women’s senior national team, but there’s a level of familiarity and comfort amongst the players on the court. When Bueckers last suited up for Team USA at the FIBA Under-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2019 — which ‘feels like ages ago now’ — Bueckers won gold alongside Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Cameron Brink.

‘We’ve been competing against each other for so long these past couple years, whether it be college or last year in the (WNBA),’ Bueckers said. ‘I played with a few of them at the Under-19, 16, and 17 levels and we did really well and it was great competing with them for a change instead of against them. We all really bring the best out of each other. That’s what USA basketball does … It’s really fun to be able to share the court and be on the same side for a change.’

Burton recently helped the U.S. women win gold at the 2025 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup last month. The senior level is ‘newer’ to Burton compared to the 3×3 event, but she said the mindset remains the same.

‘There’s always a lot to take away from any USA basketball event,’ Burton said. ‘The level of professionalism that you show up there with and compete with — you’re playing with and against the best. So even within our training camp beforehand, we’re just competing at the highest level. So just a mindset of beating everyone, winning gold and taking that back here was really big.’

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AI-assisted summary
• Four-star recruit Matt Ludwig was released from his letter-of-intent with Michigan after the firing of head coach Sherrone Moore.
• Moore was fired after the university found ‘credible evidence’ of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and was later arrested.
• Ludwig, a tight end from Montana, had planned to enroll early at Michigan in January.
• Ludwig’s high school coach said the recruit and his family were ‘devastated’ and ‘shocked’ by the news.

“Our principal just bought him a cap and gown and just did (the ceremony) real quick in the hallway,’’ Stanton told USA TODAY Sports. “Then about 20 minutes later (Ludwig’s) phone was blowing up.’’

A tight end, Ludwig got blindsided. Suddenly was digesting the shocking news: Sherrone Moore had been abruptly fired as Michigan’s head football coach.

The school released a statement saying it had found ‘credible evidence’ Moore engaged in an ‘inappropriate relationship with a staff member.’ Later in the day, Moore was arrested as police investigated an alleged assault.

Ludwig, who planned to enroll at Michigan in January to get an early start, instead requested he be released from his letter of intent and the university has complied, according to Stanton.

Stanton said he thinks Ludwig already had emerged as a leader among Michigan’s signees.

‘Just the bond he had with all those guys was pretty special,’ Stanton said, “and I think he did a good job of helping get some other people there.’

Now it remains unclear who, like Ludwig, will leave that group behind.

Stanton said he visited Ludwig at the family’s home Wednesday and ‘he was just really devastated, shocked, all the emotions with the news that he received. Right now he’s in the stage of processing everything.’

Ludwig’s father, Matt Ludwig Sr., on Dec. 11 told USA TODAY Sports by text message, ‘Currently exploring all options, not ready to release any statements at this time.’

The younger Matt Ludwig did not have his direct messages open on his X account Thursday and could not be reached for comment by USA TODAY Sports.

During the recruiting process, Stanton said, the Ludwigs got to know Moore, who was completing his second year as Michigan head coach.

‘They got to know him really well and they trusted him,’’ Stanton said. “So that’s just hard right now for them to go through this.’

Matt Ludwig was part of a 27-signee recruiting class ranked 11^th by 247 Sports and 12^th by Rivals. The profile photo on Ludwig’s X account shows him wearing a black cowboy hat and flexing his biceps. He is 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds and had a grade point average of 3.87, according to information on his X account.

Michigan interim president Domenico Grasso sent a letter to the school’s students and faculty on Thursday, Dec. 11 regarding the investigation into former football coach Sherrone Moore, which remains ongoing.

It’s the first comments from the university since it announced Moore’s firing Wednesday, Dec. 10. It does not mention Moore’s detainment and arrest that occurred later in the day.

Moore was fired after a university investigation found ‘credible evidence’ he ‘engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.’ In the letter, Grasso said Moore’s employment was terminated immediately when the findings of the investigation were presented on Dec. 10.

‘There is absolutely no tolerance for this conduct at the University of Michigan. None,’ Grasso wrote. ‘I have been in close communication with the Board of Regents and we are united in committing to doing what is right.

‘This breach of trust by Coach Moore is painful for many in our community, first and foremost, the individuals directly involved in this situation,’ he added.

Grasso said ‘all of the facts here must be known’ and the university is continuing its investigation into Moore. He encouraged anyone with information related to the investigation should reach out to university officials.

There was no mention of any possible criminal charges or findings against Moore. The former Wolverines coach was detained by police on Dec. 10 after the Pittsfield Township Police Department responded to a residence ‘for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault’ at 4:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 10 — roughly 30 minutes Michigan announced the firing.

Moore was arrested and booked into Washtenaw County Jail on Wednesday evening, where he remains in custody as of 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 11. No information related to any possible charges have been made available.

Moore is expected to be in court for arraignment on Friday, Dec. 12.