Athletic’s review of Russini concludes she didn’t comply with standards

September 4, 2026

An investigation by The Athletic has concluded that former NFL reporter Dianna Russini violated the company’s standards because of her relationship with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel that led to her resignation in April. The report drew no conclusions about the nature of Russini’s relationship with Vrabel, who said he took accountability for his actions without addressing photos released of the coach and the reporter at a resort in Arizona. He stepped away from the team on the third day of the NFL draft to begin counseling and returned soon afterward. “We neither ...

College basketball lurks with its own uncertainties

September 4, 2026

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Michael Malone has gone from winning an NBA championship in his head-coaching career to throwing himself fully into a new world of leading a blueblood college basketball program at North Carolina. Yet these days, he’s not much different than any college ...

Completion of the NBA’s investigation of the Clippers could facilitate Leonard trade

September 4, 2026

TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Toronto Raptors could be back on now that there’s a resolution to the NBA’s investigation into salary cap circumvention rules during the seven-time All-Star’s time with the Los Angeles Clippers. On Wednesday, the NBA imposed a sweeping ...

Engelbert to retire in December after transformative and tumultuous tenure

September 4, 2026

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is retiring at the end the year, bringing to a close her seven-plus years at the helm of the league and a stewardship that has been transformative and at times tumultuous. Engelbert is the second-longest tenured WNBA president or commissioner, and she helped ...

All eyes turn to federal court in Alabama as SEC tries again to ban former pros

September 4, 2026

The Southeastern Conference's next — and maybe last — chance to keep players who spent time with NFL teams this summer from being added to LSU's football roster comes in a federal court in Alabama. With a Friday night deadline looming for SEC schools to set their rosters for the season, the league went to federal court in Birmingham to sue LSU — along with coach Lane Kiffin and the school's athletic director and president — hoping for a different result than it got Thursday night from a state court in Louisiana. “LSU respects the judicial process and the court’s decision," ...

Pro Football Hall of Fame cuts selection panel nearly in half

September 4, 2026

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is overhauling the selection process by eliminating a separate category for senior players, cutting the selection committee nearly in half and returning to in-person meetings. The new procedures were approved by the Hall of Fame board following discussions with Hall of Fame staff, members and people on the selection committee. The changes that were announced on Friday will be in place for the Class of 2027 and come after the voting process came under heavy scrutiny for the most recent class, when six-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Belichick failed ...