With Sunday's win, McIlroy is a back-to-back Masters champion, becoming the first golfer since 2002 to win two Masters tournaments in a row.

McIlroy's Masters performance

McIlroy shot 71 in what was an electric final round for the tournament. He had a six-shot lead in the third round before falling two shots behind Cameron Young and Justin Rose.

That was before his impressive stretch of a par and two birdies at holes eleven through thirteen, at Augusta's famous Amen Corner.

He was ahead by two strokes over Scheffler going into the 18th hole, and that's when McIlroy made it interesting.

He put his drive into the trees on 18, then his second shot into the sand trap, but a beautiful chip out.

And two putts later, McIlroy was the champion.

History made, again

While this year's win didn't involve McIlroy falling to his knees, as he did in 2025 when he joined elite company in completing his career Grand Slam, he still made history.

McIlroy is the first golfer since Tiger Woods to win back-to-back tournaments. He joins Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers ever to win the Masters two years in a row.

“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam, and then this year I realized it’s just really difficult to win the Masters,” McIlroy said Sunday. “Just incredible.”

The golf community is calling it a “Rory repeat.”

The order calls for clearer national standards on athlete compensation, eligibility and transfers, while encouraging revenue-sharing models and stronger protections for more than 500,000 student-athletes nationwide.

Administration officials and college sports leaders described the move as a necessary step to address what many see as growing “chaos” tied to name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and the transfer portal.

“This action establishes critical guardrails to stabilize college athletics and protect opportunities across all sports,” the White House said in a statement.

Leaders across college sports, including Charlie Baker of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, welcomed the order but emphasized that congressional action will be needed to create lasting rules.

“The executive order reinforces many of our mandatory protections,” Baker said, adding that “a permanent, bipartisan federal legislative solution” remains necessary.

The push comes as Congress weighs multiple proposals, including the SCORE Act, that would set nationwide standards for NIL compensation and athlete movement.

A system under strain

The executive action follows years of upheaval in college sports, driven by court rulings, athlete advocacy and the rapid expansion of NIL opportunities allowing athletes to profit from endorsements.

David Ridpath, a professor of sports administration at Ohio University, said the current turmoil reflects long-standing contradictions in the system.

“For over 100 years, college athletics has claimed to be about amateurism and education,” Ridpath told Straight Arrow News. “But in reality, it operates much more like a professional sports enterprise.”

He argued that the system historically limited athlete rights while generating significant revenue, a structure he described as “academic and economic exploitation.”

“That model was always going to collapse,” Ridpath said, pointing to increased athlete awareness and communication, particularly in the social media era.

Debate over the future

The executive order has drawn support from prominent figures, including former football coach Nick Saban, who called it “a critical step toward restoring stability.” Conference commissioners and university leaders echoed that sentiment, urging Congress to act quickly.

Still, significant debate remains over how far reforms should go.

Ridpath said he believes the system is ultimately moving toward treating at least some college athletes as employees, allowing them to collectively bargain over rules governing compensation, transfers and eligibility.

“You can’t call them students while treating them like employees without giving them employee rights,” he said.

Others worry that expanding compensation could widen disparities between major programs and smaller schools, or threaten non-revenue sports. But Ridpath argued those concerns are often overstated.

“Schools have already prioritized football and men’s basketball for decades,” he said. “The issue isn’t lack of money — it’s how it’s managed.”

Concerns over competitive balance

Questions about competitive balance have intensified with the rise of NIL deals and the transfer portal, which allows athletes to move more freely between programs.

Critics, including some coaches, say the changes undermine team stability. But Ridpath said data suggests otherwise, noting strong television ratings and fan engagement.

“The product hasn’t suffered,” he said. “Stadiums are still full, and people are still watching.”

He added that increased player movement may even improve parity by giving athletes more opportunities outside traditional powerhouse programs.

What comes next

While the executive order outlines a framework, its immediate legal impact is limited. Experts say lasting change will likely depend on a combination of congressional legislation, court rulings and potential collective bargaining agreements.

Ridpath expects the process to take years.

“This is going to be the courts, Congress and possibly labor negotiations all working at once,” he said. “There’s no quick fix.”

In the meantime, college sports continue largely unchanged on the surface.

“Whatever happens,” Ridpath said, “the games are still going to be played — and people are still going to watch.”

The committee said the new policy applies to all IOC sports programs, both individual and team. Eligibility for women’s sports will be determined by screening for the SRY gene, a test that World Athletics adopted last year.

The IOC said it based its policy on scientific findings that the presence of the SRY gene proves an athlete “experienced male sex development.”

“The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.”

The committee said there are some rare exceptions to this rule. For example, athletes with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome or other differences in sex development can still compete in women's Olympic sports if they don't benefit from what the IOC deems the performance-enhancing effects of testosterone.

The IOC said athletes who test positive for the SRY gene can compete in any male, mixed or open category or in sports that don’t break up athletes by sex.

Testing requires athletes to submit saliva or blood samples and is less intrusive than other methods, according to the IOC. Olympic officials said the test is a “once-in-a-lifetime” screening unless they believe there may have been an error.

Why was this created?

The IOC said it created the new policy to ensure both sexes have the ability to compete in elite sports. However, it’s unclear how many Olympic athletes would be affected. Previous reports indicate that about 0.001% of Olympic athletes identify as transgender. 

Nevertheless, transgender athletes in female sports have become a major political issue — especially in the U.S., the host of the next Olympic Games. 

In 2025, before the IOC released its new policy, President Donald Trump said he would require athletes hoping to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics to undergo genetic tests to prevent transgender athletes. 

"But there will be a very, very strong form of testing, and if the test doesn't come out appropriately, they won't be in the Olympics," Trump said at the time.

More than one in four U.S. workers admit to watching NCAA tournament games during work hours, according to a new survey commissioned by the online betting service Action Network. With many games tipping off on weekdays, fans often find themselves tracking scores, updating brackets or streaming games alongside emails and meetings. The survey was conducted online by Research without Barriers to understand how March Madness affects workplace behavior. The data was broken down by age, state, gender and relationship status with a slim margin of error.

The survey of 3,032 random U.S. workers found that American fans spend an average of 1.5 hours per workday following the tournament. With seven tournament days on weekdays, that amounts to about 10.5 hours of watching hoops per employee over the course of March Madness. 

Now figure in data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which estimates lost productivity comes to about $107 per hour. Action Network analysts calculated that each worker who follows the tournament represents roughly $1,125 in lost productivity. After accounting for vacation and sick time, the authors of the study estimates about 11.6 million employees are actively following the tournament during work hours. That brings the total economic impact to roughly $13.1 billion.

“March Madness is one of the few sporting events that unfolds almost entirely during business hours,” said Ben Mendelowitz, a research analyst with Action Network. “When millions of fans are checking scores, updating brackets or streaming games throughout the day, it inevitably spills into the workplace.”

The estimate is notably lower than last year’s figure of $20.9 billion. Mendelowitz said the decline is largely driven by fans reporting less time spent following games during the workday, down from an average of 2.4 hours per day in last year’s survey.

“It’s not entirely clear what’s driving that,” he said. “It could be cost-of-living concerns, job security or smaller workforces. But even with those pressures, people are still finding ways to participate.”

The annual survey found that 25% of workers say they have skipped or adjusted work in some way to watch tournament games. About 21% reported taking a vacation day, 17% said they left work early and 11% admitted calling in sick during the tournament. Still, 53% said they have never adjusted their work schedule to follow the games.

Workplace viewing varies widely by state. According to the Research without Barriers polling, Colorado had the highest share of workers watching games during work hours, at 41%, followed by Washington at 38%. On the flip side, Vermont had the smallest share of workers watching games at work, at 11%, followed by Michigan at 12% and West Virginia at 13%. 

States also differed in how much time fans spent following the tournament. Workers in Washington reported spending the most time, averaging 2.4 hours per day. While it did not rank among the states with the highest share of workers watching games at work, North Carolina had the highest percentage of workers who said they were likely to call in sick to watch the tournament. Nearly 59% of respondents in the state said they had skipped or adjusted work in some way, including taking time off, leaving early or working remotely.

Even as reported viewing time declines, the tournament’s pull remains hard to ignore. For many workers, March Madness still means juggling spreadsheets and scoreboards. It also proves that once a year basketball has a way of sneaking into the workday.

What is the Olympic Truce?

The Olympic Truce is a United Nations (UN) resolution calling for global peace beginning seven days before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and continuing for seven days after the close of the Paralympic Games. Its goal is to promote peace and unity – Olympic principles – and allow athletes to safely travel to and from the Games without the threat of attack.

The Truce, however, is a non-binding agreement, a flaw the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognised in a statement Tuesday.

“The Olympic Truce Resolution is an aspirational and non-binding resolution which the UN Member States agree on for each edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” the statement said. “It is tabled by the host nation of the Games and is adopted by the UN Member States themselves. The IOC, with its Permanent Observer Status at the UN, has no means of enforcing the implementation of the resolution. We recognise that this is entirely in the remit of the UN system and outside the remit of the IOC.”

On paper, the IOC has the authority to take action against participating nations that violate its policies. But that rarely happens because the IOC has affirmed its stance as a politically neutral organization above all else.

The IOC’s stance on neutrality was spotlighted during the Milan Cortina Games after it banned a Ukrainian skeleton athlete from competition after he wore a helmet honoring fellow countrymen killed during Russia’s invasion, calling it political speech.

Comparing conflicts

This year’s truce should have run from Jan. 30 to March 22. When the U.S. began airstrikes on Iran last Saturday, it officially violated that agreement, and it’s not the first time America has done so.

“Countries ignore it all the time, the United States included,” said Jules Boykoff, a professor at Pacific University who studies the connection between sport and politics. “It's not like the U.S. stopped the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq when the Truce went into effect. The most recent bombing of Iran is yet another example.”

While the decision not to enforce the Truce was unsurprising to many after 2001, the 2026 decision is being made in direct comparison to four years ago. Russia invaded Ukraine just days after the close of the Beijing Olympics and before the Beijing Paralympics began. That action also violated the Olympic Truce, but the IOC and IPC took a different approach than they had previously, banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from Paralympic competition.

“Many Olympic mavens were shocked when the IOC listed the Olympic Truce as one of two reasons it was banning Russia from participating under its flag and anthem ahead of the Paris 2024 Summer Games,” Boykoff said.

The IOC kept that ban in place for 2024 and 2026. Thirteen athletes from Russia and seven from Belarus cleared the IOC’s Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel to compete independently in 2026. In addition to passing the review, those athletes also had to sign a pledge that “contains a commitment to respect the Olympic Charter, including ‘the peace mission of the Olympic Movement.’”

So, why is 2026 different from 2022? The IOC does not intervene until sport is impacted.

“The IOC gave two reasons for banning Russia: the Olympic Truce and the fact that it had snapped up Ukrainian territory and absorbed Ukrainian sports clubs into their own sporty orbit,” Boykoff said.

Russia had not been banned from the Games for its military action in Ukraine, despite annexing Crimea before that point, Boykoff pointed out. That stance was further cemented in 2024, when calls grew to ban Israel from the Paris Games for its role in the Gaza conflict. 

At the time, Bach said while the situation had “horrifying consequences,” Israel could compete because it had not attempted to annex Palestine’s national governing bodies and therefore had not violated the Olympic Charter.

“We must be politically neutral but not apolitical,” former IOC President Thomas Bach said in 2024. “We know well that our decisions have political implications, and we have to include that in our thinking.”

Unless the U.S. and Israel attempt to take over sports organizations under the Iranian Olympic Committee’s oversight, the committee will likely continue to ignore the violation of the Truce.

The men's hockey team, which also took home gold after defeating Canada in overtime on Sunday, was also invited.

What USA hockey said

"We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement," a USA Hockey spokesperson said. "Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate."

The spokesperson added that the women's team was honored to be included and grateful for the acknowledgement.

According to the Associated Press, logistics played a significant role in the decision, with the women not scheduled to arrive in North America until Monday night. The men's team arrived earlier on Monday via a chartered flight, while the women flew commercially later in the day.

Trump's invitation

The decline comes after Trump invited the men's team in a call on Sunday night after their overtime victory. He spoke to the team via FBI Director Kash Patel's cellphone, who was inside the locker room celebrating with the team, a move that has drawn fierce criticism.

The men's team enthusiastically accepted the invitation during the call with Trump.

The president also told the men he'd be extending an invitation to the women's team, saying, "I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that."

The president joked that if he didn't invite the women's team, he believes he "probably would be impeached."

The comment drew fierce backlash that is still circulating online, with some praising the women's team for declining the invitation.

Vladyslav Heraskevych, a skeleton athlete, planned to wear a helmet honoring Ukrainians killed in the war with Russia. The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation disqualified him the morning of the event after determining the design breached international Olympic Committee restrictions on political messaging during competition. 

Dispute over Olympic rules 

Heraskevych had been allowed to wear the helmet during training sessions. He said it depicted athletes and friends killed in the war. 

However, the IOC prohibits political speech during Olympic competitions and ceremonies. Spokesman Mark Adam said before the event, “The Games need to be separated from all types of interference so that all athletes can concentrate on their performances.”

Heraskevych rejected the decision and said he did not violate IOC rules. 

“I never wanted a scandal with the IOC, and I did not create it. The IOC created it with its interpretation of the rules, which many view as discriminatory,” Heraskevych wrote. “I am convinced that we did not violate any I.O.C. rules, and therefore we have every right to wear this helmet.”

He later proposed that the IOC lift the ban, apologize, and “provide electric generators for Ukrainian sports facilities that are suffering from daily shellings.”

The New York Times reported that Haraskevych had planned to wear the helmet during competition despite being told he could not.

Zelenskyy defends athlete 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy weighed in Thursday, backing the athlete and criticizing Olympic authorities. 

“Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

He said that 660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. He also noted that 13 Russian athletes are competing in Italy as “neutral” participants. 

“They compete under ‘neutral’ flags at the Games, while in real life publicly supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of our territories. And they are the ones who deserve disqualification,” Zelenskyy wrote.

“We are proud of Vladyslav and of what he did. Having courage is worth more than any medal.”

Russia’s Olympic status 

The IOC officially banned Russia from the 2026 Olympic Games in Italy. However, a limited number of approved athletes are competing as “individual neutral athletes.”

They are not allowed to participate in team sports, march in ceremonies, or have their medals counted toward a national total. 

Several Russian-born athletes are also competing for other countries. 

“Well, I was jumping up and down in excitement, and it fell off,” Johnson said after the ribbon split from the disc and connector. “Don’t jump in them.”

But Johnson’s gold was just the first medal to break. Figure skater Alysa Liu posted on social media Sunday night after the U.S. also took home a gold medal in the team event. 

“My medal don’t need the ribbon,” Liu wrote. The 20-year-old later said she was also jumping when it separated.

German biathlete Justus Strelow’s bronze medal fell off the ribbon while he was celebrating a relay win with his team. The moment, and Strelow’s attempt to put it back together, was caught on video.

Swedish cross country skier Ebba Andersson also said her silver medal “fell in the snow and broke in two” while she was celebrating.

What do the organizers say?

The problem was becoming prevalent enough by Sunday night that the 2026 Milan Cortina organizing committee held a press conference on Monday.

"We are aware of the situation,” 2026 Milan Cortina Chief Games Operations Officer Andrea Francisi said. “We have seen the images. Obviously we are trying to understand in detail if there is a problem.”

“We are paying maximum attention to this matter, as the medal is the dream of the athletes,” Francisi added, “so we want that obviously in the moment they are given it that everything is absolutely perfect, because we really consider it to be the most important moment.”

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Organizers expect to award 1,146 Olympic medals during the 2026 Milan Cortina Games – 735 during the Olympics and 411 during the Paralympics.

There are typically a number of spare medals produced in case of ties or mishaps with engraving. Organizers did not comment on their plan to repair or replace medals for athletes with broken medals, or if they would be modifying medals going forward.

"Now I hope the organisers have a 'Plan B' for broken medals,” Andersson told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

Johnson and Liu said they received replacement gold medals, but were not able to keep the broken medals given to them on the podium. Johnson told NBC she was given a blank replacement and would have to get it re-engraved. She was also given a cardboard box to keep it safe, she said.

Why is this happening?

According to a source who spoke to Reuters, the problem may be related to the medals’ cord. There is a breakaway mechanism within it, required by law, that automatically releases if pulled with force so the medal’s wearer can’t be choked with it.

The extra piece that some athletes, including Johnson and Stretlow, have reported breaking off, is the piece that holds the ribbon to the medal.

Each gold and silver medal weighs about 500 grams, or just over a pound. Bronze medals are about 80 grams lighter. They’re not the heaviest Olympic medals produced – that title belongs to the 2018 Pyeongchang medals, which came in at just under 600 grams.

Ongoing problem

While the medals are more valuable than ever thanks, in part, to the fast-rising cost of gold, quality issues are not new.

After the 2024 Paris Games, dozens of athletes reported their medals began to tarnish, taking on a scaly appearance. As of February 2025, 220 requests to replace medals won in Paris had been made because of wear-and-tear. That’s about 4% of the medals awarded across Olympic and Paralympic events.

On Sunday, Trump called Hess a "real loser" on Truth Social after Hess said he had "mixed feelings" about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics.

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Olympian Hunter Hess started skiing at age 3 on Mt. Bachelor in his home state of Oregon.

"It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think," Hess told reporters on Friday when asked about how it felt to be part of Team USA. "It's a little hard. There's obviously a lot going on that I'm not the biggest fan of and I think a lot of people aren't."

He added, "Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S."

Trump responded to those comments writing, "If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the team, and it’s too bad he’s on it."

On Monday, Hess responded on social media, saying he loves his country and can't wait to represent Team USA when he competes.

"There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better," Hess wrote in the post. "One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out."

Other Olympians speak out

Hess isn't the only American Olympian speaking publicly about the moment.

During that same interview, fellow skier Chris Lillis also responded to questions about the political climate in the U.S.

"I love the USA, and I think I would never want to represent a different country in the Olympics," Lillis said. "With that being said, you know, a lot of times, athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what's happened in the United States."

Lillis added, "I think that as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody's rights and making sure that we're treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect."

Snowboarders Bea Kim and Maddie Mastro also said they're proud to wear the flag, while acknowledging the country feels deeply divided.

And two-time gold medalist Chloe Kim also addressed the issue.

"My parents being immigrants, this one definitely hits pretty close to home," Kim said during an interview Monday. "I think in moments like these, it is really important for us to unite and kind of stand up for one another, for all that's going on. And I think that I'm really proud to represent the United States. The U.S. has given my family and I so much opportunity. But I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions on what's going on."

Another two-time gold medalist, Eileen Gu — who was born in the United States but competes for China — also weighed in.

"I’m sorry that the headline that is eclipsing the Olympics has to be something so … unrelated to the spirit of the Games," Gu said. "It really runs contrary to everything the Olympics should be."

Not the only controversy

American figure skater Amber Glenn faces intense backlash of her own. Glenn, who identifies as pansexual, is the first openly queer woman to represent the U.S. in Olympic figure skating.

In an interview on Friday, Glenn said the LGBTQIA+ community is going through a “hard time” under the current political climate in the U.S. She said that comment has since triggered what she calls a "scary amount" of hate and threats, which has lowered her excitement for the games.

“I was disappointed because I’ve never had so many people wish me harm before, just for being me and speaking ‍about being decent — human rights and decency,” Glenn said Sunday night during the team medal ceremony after winning gold.

Hess, 27, an Oregon native competing in the Milano-Cortina Games, told reporters Friday that wearing the American flag didn’t mean he endorsed all U.S. policies and that the current climate had left him with “mixed emotions” about representing the country.

"There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” he said. Hess added he was motivated by his “friends and family” and the aspects of the country he believes are good. 

Trump, reacting on his Truth Social platform Sunday, called Hess “a real Loser” and questioned why he would try out for the Olympic team if he felt that way. “If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it. Very hard to root for someone like this,” Trump wrote. 

The backlash was not limited to the former president. Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that staged the famous “Miracle on Ice,” criticized Hess on social media in a now-deleted post, saying athletes who question their role should not wear the Team USA uniform. 

Hess’ comments came amid widespread criticism of recent federal immigration actions. Another U.S. skier, Chris Lillis, expressed that he was “heartbroken” over events at home and emphasized respect for rights and humane treatment of all people, saying that is the America he hoped to represent. 

"I think that as a country we need to focus on respecting everybody's rights and making sure that we're treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect," Lillis said. "And I hope that when people look at athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that that's the America that we're trying to represent."

The controversy has stirred debate on social media and among Olympic fans, with some defending Hess’ right to personal views and others calling for stricter expectations of national representatives. 

A few faces return to the Olympics for the first time in over a decade, while many gold-medal favorites are notably absent. And we know the athletes are physically tough, but are they mentally ready to take center stage for a global audience? Is Italy ready?

These are the storylines we’re watching heading into the next two weeks of Olympic competition across Italy.

Security at the Games: What role does ICE play?

Why was the United States sending the immigration agents that had been causing turmoil in Minnesota to Italy? That was one of the biggest questions following the American delegation to the Games, and it sparked days of protests across the host country. Simply put, they’re not, but the full answer is complicated.

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The United States sent 232 athletes to compete in the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, the largest winter delegation ever.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee confirmed to Straight Arrow News that it was not working with anyone from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including ICE, to provide security for athletes during the Milan Cortina Olympics. Italian officials are in charge of securing the Games, which includes security details for competitors and National Olympic committees.

However, DHS served as a partner and advised the Italians leading up to the Games. A branch of ICE, called Homeland Security Investigations, will be stationed in control rooms in Milan, according to Italian officials, to support security for the U.S.’s diplomatic contingent during the Games. This is typical and happens for most international events, including the recent 2024 Paris Olympics.

Another interesting note: Team USA’s hospitality center for the Winter Games is traditionally called “The Ice House,” and that was the plan for Milan. After public pushback on ICE’s presence in Italy, the center will now be known as “The Winter House.”

The (lack of) Russian athletes

At the Winter Olympics, we often hear about on-ice battles between the U.S. and Russia, or recently, the Olympic Athletes from Russia (who were cleared from a state-sponsored doping program). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) added a new hurdle for Russian athletes: have they shown support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

Russia invaded Ukraine just four days after the 2022 Beijing Games ended, and the conflict does not appear close to winding down. The IOC suspended Russian and Belarusian National Teams from competing in the games shortly after.

Just 13 athletes from Russia and seven from Belarus have cleared the IOC’s Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel. In addition to passing the review, those athletes also had to sign a pledge that “contains a commitment to respect the Olympic Charter, including ‘the peace mission of the Olympic Movement.’”

Russian athletes haven’t competed under the Russian flag since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

US figure skaters’ resilience

The U.S. figure skating team heads into Milan with its best shot at medaling in recent history, but the squad will compete with a tragedy in its recent memory.

It’s been just over a year since a flight returning to Washington, D.C. from a skating competition was involved in a midair collision over the Potomac River. Among the passengers who died were six members of the Skating Club of Boston and two of its coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

Shishkova and Naumov were two-time Russian Olympians and the parents of Maxim Naumov, who qualified for his first Games last month. Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, ice dancers selected for the squad, trained with Naumov at the Skating Club of Boston.

Mixed expectations for Americans in the alpine

On the ski slopes, two of the greatest skiers of all time will attempt a comeback. Lindsey Vonn came out of retirement last year after a partial knee replacement with the goal of returning to the Olympics. Vonn had a strong start to this season, winning her first World Cup races since 2018, but “completely ruptured” her ACL in a crash last week in Crans Montana, Switzerland. Vonn said she still plans to compete in the downhill.

Mikaela Shiffrin is also off to one of the strongest starts to a World Cup season in recent history after paring down her schedule to focus on her best events: slalom and giant slalom. The winningest alpine skier of all-time does not have the strongest track record at the Olympics. Shiffrin walked away from Beijing empty-handed after skiing off course in the slalom, giant slalom and combined events. Shiffrin openly discussed struggling with severe performance anxiety during the Games, and said she suffered from panic attacks during her runs.

Both Vonn and Shiffrin are looking for their first Olympic medals since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

The NHL’s Olympic return thaws

Ice hockey remains one of the most-watched events during the Winter Games, and that will likely hold true when the world’s best players return to Olympic ice. The NHL is allowing players to participate for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games. The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is taking off, giving the U.S. and Canada significantly stronger competition for medals heading into the tournament.

While best-on-best hockey has many of the players and fans excited, the ice might not be ready for hockey’s biggest stars. Milan’s Santagiulia Arena, slated to host the men’s and women’s gold medal games, has about 3,000 fewer seats than planned because of construction issues. The ice is also a few feet shorter than planned, and the first test event did not take place until late January. Construction teams are still putting finishing touches on the arena.

When does it all start?

The opening ceremony takes place in Milan at 8 p.m. local time, or 2 p.m. ET. NBC will rebroadcast the ceremony in primetime in the U.S. at 8 p.m. ET. While most of NBC’s over-the-air coverage will be tape-delayed, live events will be streamed on Peacock.

During a Thursday news conference, the USOPC said it did not need to comment beyond chairman Casey Wasserman’s expression of regret after his emails to Epstein appeared among the more than 3 million files about the disgraced financier that were released last week by the Department of Justice. 

Wasserman faces calls to step down

Among the files were emails between Wasserman, Epstein and Epstein’s longtime girlfriend and associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. 

“I think of you all the time,” Wasserman wrote to Maxwell, according to The Athletic. “So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”

Maxwell is now serving a 20-year sentence for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse minors.

Wasserman has not been accused of any crimes. Nevertheless, since his appearance in the files, many have called for him to step down. 

"If LA28 is very proud of women being in record numbers at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as they've been talking about, they need to have a leader who maybe isn't affiliated with a convicted human trafficker," said L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.

‘Deeply regrets’ emails

In a statement, Wasserman said he was sorry about the emails but added that he never had a close relationship with Epstein. 

“I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell, which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light,” Wasserman said. “I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”

Now, the USOPC says Wasserman’s statement is sufficient.

“We have nothing to add to that statement,” USOPC chair Gene Sykes said Thursday. “It sort of stands on its own.”

Sykes went on to express support for Wasserman’s L.A. 2028 committee and its work to deliver the city its first Olympics since 1984. 

Other prominent figures impacted

The fallout from Wasserman’s appearance in the Epstein files contrasts sharply with the consequences faced by other prominent figures whose associations with the sex offender were exposed.

For instance, Brad Karp, the longtime chairman of Paul Weiss, one of the nation’s top corporate law firms, resigned from his post following revelations that he had exchanged emails with Epstein and had been a guest at his New York mansion.

“Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm,” Karp said.

With top college athletes now commanding millions of dollars from their name, image and likeness — known as NIL money — several colleges in low-tax states are wooing them with the same playbook that won over Bezos and “Cheetah.” 

Could lower state taxes become the next big recruiting advantage in college sports?

Tax recruiting

College athletes can now make money off branding deals, autograph sessions and more. Some high-profile undergrads are estimated to be making millions each school year.

“It has impacted college football a lot, and I think we're seeing that play out in real time,” Josh Lens, associate professor of instruction at the University of Iowa, told Straight Arrow News.

Schools have all kinds of tactics to bring in recruits including showing off their facilities, the campus and more.

Now, schools in states with low-income tax levels are pointing out that student athletes making NIL money will get to keep more of it compared to schools in states with higher tax burdens.

On Jan. 10, the University of Central Florida posted to X an image touting its state’s lack of income tax.

The theme quickly went viral in the days leading up to the transfer portal closing. 

Vanderbilt University, which is in Tennessee with no income tax, followed suit.

Texas Christian University, also in a state with no income tax, posted something similar but threw in the perk of warm weather.

Schools like USC in California or Rutgers in New Jersey won’t be able to use that as part of any recruiting pitch.

Income tax effect

But does that matter?

There’s no data currently to show if players are thinking about state income taxes when they choose a school or enter the transfer portal to pick another school.

“To what extent the players and their agents are responding to that incentive difference, I can't tell you,” Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist, told SAN. “We don't have data on that yet, but I'll be shocked if it doesn't have an impact.”

That’s been a consideration professional athletes have had to think about for decades. A $50 million contract for the Dolphins will put more in your bank account than a $50 million contract for the Los Angeles Rams, which would be subject to California’s progressive tax rates that top out at a cumulative rate of 14.4% after adding in a surcharge meant for mental health services.

But does that matter for college kids?

“If I'm looking at the list of things, it's like six or seven on my list of things that matter,” Femi Ayanbadejo, a seven-year NFL pro and current sports analyst, told SAN.

Ayanbadejo said there’s more important factors for these student-athletes to look at than state income tax levels despite posts like this from the University of Houston.

“What's a motivator is the aggregate amount of money you're going to get, where you're going to go play, and are you going to start and what does that mean for your draft status?” Ayanbadejo, who played at San Diego State University, said. “Your draft status is way more important than saving 10% or 20% in tax money.”

Hiring agents

Once NIL money became legal, college athletes were also allowed to hire agents specifically for NIL activities.

Just this week, the Federal Trade Commission sent a letter to 20 different schools to see if agents working with those athletes are following the law. Specifically, the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act.

The FTC reportedly wants to see if student-athletes are being protected.

“Most states have a law that regulates agents,” Lens said. “Well, I think we're finding that it's very easy to call yourself an NIL agent. Do they really have the athletes’ best interests in mind?”

NIL changing college football

College football is very different since the legalization of NIL money and the transfer portal, which launched in 2018.

From 2015-2022, there were more national championship games than teams that played in it. Only six different teams played in the seven national title games during that period.

Three of those six were in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference (SEC) which has seen that power drop since the institution of the NIL.

This year’s national title game features Indiana University against the University of Miami (Florida). That’s a 3% state income tax rate against no state income tax.

Miami hasn’t been to the title game since 2002 and this is Indiana’s first-ever trip to the title game. The perennial basketball powerhouse hadn’t even outright won their conference in football since the Truman administration.

Miami is backed by major donors like UFC’s Dana White and mega-booster John Ruiz. Indiana is backed by billionaire alum Mark Cuban.

Major schools with major donors are most likely to benefit from this setup.

“Schools like Oregon, with its Nike backing, they could have a leg up,” Lens said.

Nike was founded in Eugene, Oregon, by university track coach Bill Bowerman and one of his former athletes, Phil Knight.

That’s not the only money coming in to players.

“It's not just NIL money, but it's also revenue sharing money,” Zimbalist said.

Schools are now allowed to pay their athletes directly following a judge’s ruling last year.

“Schools are getting tens of millions of dollars in television money,” Zimbalist said. “And they’re allowed to share that with the players.”

That money isn’t taxed as hard if you’re at a school like Florida Gulf Coast University.

Transfer portal impact

The transfer portal allows college athletes to formally declare their plan to transfer from their school and allows other schools to contact them, giving them more control over their careers.

“It's time that players have a little say in how this goes, because their coach can leave at any time, but a player can't? No,” Ayanbadejo said.

How much state income tax plays a factor in anyone’s transferring decision remains unclear.

“The top players are free agents in football, and they change schools looking for the best offer that they can get,” Zimbalist said.

When it comes to building a winning program, NIL and the transfer portal clearly aren’t everything.

Neither Miami nor Indiana ranked in the top ten in NIL spending in college football this year.

“Indiana was a perennial loser for 100 years,” Ayanbadejo said. “It shows what a good coach can do when young players move in unison and learn about culture and the system.”

ESPN is reporting that those charged played in the 2023-24 and/or the 2024-25 seasons, and CBS Sports said a few have played this season. 

Among the top-tier basketball programs affected by the alleged gambling scheme were Butler, DePaul, Georgetown, St. John’s and Tulane.

The point-shaving scheme

The indictment says the scheme began in September 2022 and primarily involved fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association. However, over time, the people behind the scheme began targeting college basketball players, allegedly offering them $10,000 to $30,000 to compromise games for betting purposes. 

"In placing these wagers on games they had fixed, the defendants defrauded sportsbooks, as well as individual sports bettors, who were all unaware that the defendants had corruptly manipulated the outcome of these games that should have been decided fairly, based on genuine competition and the best efforts of the players," the indictment said.

The NCAA sanctioned two of the players listed in the indictment in November for fixing New Orleans ’ games. Four other players played in games as recently as this past week. 

Current players named in the indictment are Simeon Cottle of Kennesaw State, who was named Conference USA’s preseason Player of the Year; Camian Shell of Delaware State; Carlos Hart of Eastern Michigan; and Oumar Koureissi of Texas Southern.

According to ESPN, two of those named in the indictment were also charged in a federal case centered on gambling schemes in the NBA. Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were among those charged in that indictment. 

After the indictment was unsealed on Thursday, NCAA president Charlie Baker issued a statement. He said the pattern of conduct revealed is “not entirely new information.”

“Through helpful collaboration and with industry regulators, we have finished or have open investigations into almost all of the teams in today's indictment,” Baker’s statement reads. 

Sports betting in the US

The new indictment comes as sports betting in the U.S. sees an all-time high. As of October 2025, sports betting is legal in 39 states either online or in retail locations. In 2024, the industry posted a record $13.7 billion in revenue, as Straight Arrow News previously reported. 

Officials in the NBA and NCAA have taken precautions and launched investigations into cheating. However, risks have not stopped leagues from cashing in on the industry. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver previously told ESPN that the choice isn’t whether people want sports betting, but whether it’s legal or illegal.

“With this regulated structure of legalized betting, we can monitor it in ways that were unimaginable years ago,” Silver said.

The NBA isn’t alone, either. Major League Baseball and the National Football League both have partnerships with online betting platforms. 

In an interview with Straight Arrow News in October, Jonathan Cohen, author of “Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling,” warned that cheating scandals are going to continue. 

“We’re going to keep having scandals like this,” Cohen said. “It’s just a matter of how much is too much. How much the public is willing to take before we really have a blowback on the whole sports betting infrastructure.”

History of point-shaving in basketball

These college players are not the first, and as Cohen stated, won’t be the last involved in a betting scandal. 

In 1951, point-shaving and match-fixing allegations flew around major colleges and universities surrounding New York City. The scandal involved dozens of players across seven teams. 

Another major college basketball scandal came around 10 years later, during the NCAA University Division men’s basketball season. It involved a former NBA All-Star and members of organized crime. There were 37 arrests, and 22 students from different colleges were involved. 

Oregon vs. Indiana

The Oregon Ducks and the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers are set to play in one of two college football playoff semifinals. The news comes after both teams won blowout games Thursday. An undefeated Indiana crushed Alabama in the Rose Bowl 38- 3. Oregon defeated Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl earlier in the day, 23-to-nothing.

When they met in October 2025, Indiana defeated the Ducks 30-20 in one of the Hoosiers' most impressive victories of the year. But can Oregon finally break the Hoosiers' season-long winning streak?

The most interesting aspect of the matchup is the quarterbacks for each team, who are both projected as the top two picks on many 2026 draft boards. According to The Associated Press, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza could join a list of quarterbacks who have won the Heisman and a national title in the same year, should Indiana pull off the win.

We'll find out who is moving on to the championship game on Friday, Jan. 9, during the Peach Bowl.

Ole Miss vs. Miami

On the other side, Miami and Ole Miss will play in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8 in Arizona.

The sixth-seeded Rebels, minus their former coach, Lane Kiffin, who left for LSU, rallied from nine points down at halftime and stunned Georgia 39-34 in Thursday night's Sugar Bowl. Since Kiffin departed the team, the Rebels have gone 2-0. Can they keep the streak alive?

One night earlier, Miami, a team many said should not be in the playoffs, upset the defending champions, Ohio State. They won 24-14 during the Cotton Bowl. 

The national title game is Monday, Jan. 19, in Miami, crowning a new champion.

What happened

The crash happened Thursday morning at Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 minutes north of Charlotte. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says the aircraft, a Cessna C550, went down around 10:20 a.m. as it was returning to the airport.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed the jet had departed and was on a re-approach when it crashed. Officials have not said why the plane turned back.

“All indications right now that it did depart this facility and in a very short time frame was on a re-approach and appeared to be coming back in for a landing at the time,” said Christopher Knox, a first sergeant with the North Carolina State Patrol. “But why that occurred, what was happening at the time, we don't have that and that's something NTSD will determine."

Video from the scene showed the aircraft engulfed in flames, with debris scattered along the runway and nearby areas. The airport was closed as emergency crews responded and investigators arrived.

Victims identified

NASCAR confirmed that Biffle, 55, was among those killed. Also killed were his wife Cristina, their children Emma and Ryder, and three others: Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton, and Jack Dutton.

In a statement, NASCAR said it was devastated by the loss. It called Biffle “a beloved member of the NASCAR community” whose influence extended far beyond the racetrack.

Families of the victims released a joint statement saying the tragedy has left them “heartbroken beyond words." They asked for privacy as they begin to grieve.

What investigators are examining

Flight-tracking data reviewed by authorities shows the jet looping back toward the airport shortly after takeoff. State officials said the aircraft is registered to GB Aviation Leasing, a company affiliated with Biffle.

This story is featured in today's Unbiased Updates. Watch the full episode here.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with support from the FAA. Officials say determining what caused the crash could take months.

Weather conditions at the time included cloud cover and light drizzle, according to AccuWeather. However, investigators have not identified any specific contributing factor.

Cristina Biffle’s mother told People magazine that her daughter sent a text message shortly before the crash, saying they were in trouble.

Authorities have not commented on the message, and investigators say the cause of the crash remains under review.

Tributes from the racing world

Tributes poured in throughout the day from across NASCAR and the broader racing community.

Biffle is a former NASCAR Cup Series driver and one of the sport’s 75 Greatest Drivers. He's being remembered not only for his success on the track but for his character and service off it.

He drew widespread praise last year for using his personal aircraft to deliver supplies and aid following Hurricane Helene, helping residents in hard-to-reach areas of western North Carolina.

What comes next

Investigators say their focus is now on reconstructing the aircraft’s final moments and reviewing flight data, maintenance records, and pilot information.

The global soccer federation presented the new award to Trump in Washington during the drawing for matchups for the 2026 World Cup. The New York Times previously reported that FIFA officials would give Trump the award. 

During the award ceremony, FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised Trump saying he was a great example of a strong leader.

“This is what we want from a leader — a leader that cares about the people,” Infantino said. "This is your prize, this is your peace prize.”

Trump looked overjoyed during the ceremony, even saying, “This is truly one of the great honors of my life." He thanked his family, as well as the leaders of the host countries, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Trump said the coordination among the three countries has been "outstanding."

The award’s creation highlights the relationship between Trump and FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino. The two have had several high-profile meetings at events unrelated to soccer or even sports, according to The Times. 

What is Infantino’s relationship with Trump?

Trump and Infantino grew close during Trump’s first term, after FIFA selected the U.S. as a co-host for the 2026 World Cup. Infantino has traveled thousands of miles for events with Trump, according to The Times. In one instance, Infantino arrived hours late to a FIFA annual meeting in Paraguay after touring the Persian Gulf with Trump. His tardiness prompted European soccer officials to leave the meeting. 

Trump has gone as far as to call Infantino “my boy” during a Miami business summit in November. 

“The president of FIFA — Gianni Infantino,” Trump said. “Wow, Gianni, my boy. I didn’t know he was going to be here.”

While FIFA statutes require officials to maintain political neutrality in public, Infantino has offered support for the Trump administration’s agenda, according to The Times.

“We should all support what [Trump’s] doing,” Infantino said during an event in Miami, adding that he thought it was “looking pretty good.”

The former head of FIFA governance, Miguel Maduro, said the federation values close relationships with world leaders. However, he believed Infantino went too far in supporting Trump’s agenda. 

“That is clearly, in my view, a violation of the duty of political neutrality imposed by FIFA’s code of ethics,” he said. 

Infantino said close relationships with the U.S. administration are vital to ensuring a successful World Cup. Since the U.S. is hosting most of the games, FIFA said it requires elaborate coordination.

What is the award?

Trump's new FIFA peace prize is technically not the first award Infantino gave him. During a White House visit in August, Infantino showed off a replica of the World Cup trophy. Trump admired the “beautiful piece of gold” before asking to keep it. 

FIFA said the award, dubbed the FIFA Peace Prize — Football Unites the World, is meant to “reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world.” Officials announced Trump as the winner during Friday’s drawing for the 2026 World Cup pairings. 

The association held the event at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Trump faced criticism earlier this year after he fired the center’s leadership and placed supporters on the board. 

Now, new criticism of the center emerged after Democrats alleged that the Trump administration gave FIFA an unfair deal to use the venue. The center denied the claim. 

Details of the event suggested that FIFA would not pay to use the center, The Times reported. But Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi said FIFA would pay $5 million in unspecified sponsorships and would make a $2.4 million donation. 

When is the World Cup?

With a record-breaking 104 games in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the 2026 World Cup will be one of the biggest sporting events in the world. The scale of the event required years of planning, according to The Times. 

The White House created a World Cup task force to support planning. The task force, overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, has more than a dozen employees. These employees are working with federal, state and local officials to ensure everything runs smoothly. 

The White House required every agency involved to submit a report about efforts to enhance security in the 11 cities hosting games. In the past, Trump has cited security threats as a reason to pull the games out of Democratic-run host cities. That has not happened yet, but FIFA officials said the administration has final say on where matches are played. 

During an Oval Office press conference, Trump pulled Infantino into the debate when he brought up self-described socialist Katie Wilson’s election as Seattle’s mayor. Trump asked Infantino if they would move the games out of Seattle.

“ I think safety and security is the number one priority for a successful World Cup,” Infantino responded. “It's the responsibility, of course, of the government, of [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem], of everyone. Obviously, we will discuss.”

Club and travel teams on the rise

A recent study published in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues found that participation in club and travel sports has steadily increased over generations. 4% of surveyed adults born in the ’50s participated, compared with 13% of those born in the ’90s. The Aspen Institute estimates that 17% of kids in 2024 played on club or travel teams. The trend is not slowing, and the rising costs are leaving many kids and families behind.

There are thousands of club and travel tournaments of varying sizes held each year across the country, and parents who can afford it will spend, on average, between $2,000 and $20,000 per year to take their children to those events. Chris Knoester, a sociology professor and researcher at Ohio State, is the lead author of the study. He told Straight Arrow News that marketing to parents is a big factor. 

“Part of the rise in private club and youth sports right is this confluence between parenting expectations and a boom in the youth sports industry full of people who are selling services and are essentially youth sport entrepreneurs making the case that they can aid skill development and offer improved experiences,” Knoester said. 

Youth sports travel comprises more than 60% of the estimated $52 billion sports tourism industry annually, according to the Sports Events and Tourism Association. Parents often spend more on travel than on equipment or registration fees for their children.

What can influence families to join?

Chris Bjork, professor of education at Vassar College and co-author of the study, told SAN that parents can easily get sucked into the “travel team trap” because they want what's best for their kids. They follow the lead of other parents in the community.

“Sometimes that works out, but sometimes it doesn't,” Bjork said. “The effects tend to get exacerbated because once you sign up for one of these elite programs, you discover that you're spending a tremendous amount of time with these other parents who are all looking at things from the same perspective. So it's kind of an echo chamber.”

Unbiased. Straight Facts.^TM

Youth sports travel accounts for more than 60% of the estimated $52 billion sports tourism industry annually, according to the Sports Events and Tourism Association.

The echo chamber can take parents and their budding star players to youth-sports meccas like Ripken Baseball. The original Ripken facility is in Aberdeen, Maryland, where MLB Hall of Famer Cal Ripken grew up. Visiting teams can be charged over $3,000 to enter a four-day tournament that showcases as many as 48 teams from around the country. 

In addition to the cost of actually getting to the facility — which can cost thousands if air travel is involved — families will likely pay for multiple hotel rooms — which can cost more than $200 per night — meals, gas, tolls and activities in the area before and after each day’s games. That kind of investment for a four or five-day trip leaves many kids on the sidelines. 

“Seventy percent of 10th-grade students from families with high socioeconomic status played a sport, and only 43% from low socioeconomic status families played,” Bjork said. “On top of that, all these private options, specialized coaching, training, elite teams, it gets really, really expensive, and we found that parents don't realize how much they're spending. The parents we spoke with who do pay between $3,000 and $30,000 a year.”  

Kids feel the pressure.

If travel teams are an option, kids then find themselves under the “bright lights” and are pushed to play well against top competition. 

“There's certainly an atmosphere of pressure and even focus on every practice and every game to the extent that didn't really exist for much of the history of youth sports, certainly,” Knoester said. “It’s become amplified as parents and children and communities invest more time and energy and awareness of what goes on in youth sports and particularly private club and travel sports.”

For some families, the cost and the scrutiny are worth it. Those trips and experiences can become cherished family memories and lead to lifelong friendships. Success on the field can also lead to more exposure and interest from college recruiters and professional scouts. But those opportunities are rare; only 2% of high school athletes will land a scholarship, according to the NCAA.    

“Now, because of this huge increase in kids who are playing for a travel team, the pool (of talented kids) has increased substantially, but the kind of endpoint has remained the same,” Bjork said. “That means that a lot of families are going to get disappointed.”

Are club and travel teams necessary?

Bjork, co-author of the book “More Than Just a Game: How the Youth Sports Industry Is Changing the Way We Parent and What to Do About It,” says your kid doesn’t need to join a club or travel team unless you’re committed to helping them get a shot at that scholarship.   

“Your kid can be very happy, can be very successful without playing basketball 11 months a year, four days a week,” Bjork said. “But now parents are forced to make these decisions when their kids are eight, nine, or 10 years old. And what eight-year-old knows what they're really going to want to do when they're 15?” 

When deciding whether to join a club or travel team, Bjork and Knoester encourage parents to be mindful of outside influences that pressure them to keep up with other families. Creating balance in your kids' lives is essential, regardless of how much money you spend.

Clayton was a budding star on the Notre Dame Prep JV team in 2024. The running back from Scottsdale, Arizona, was building a reputation for being tough to tackle. He quickly became the centerpiece of the Saints' offense and appeared to have a bright future in the game. 

Then, on Oct. 24, 2024, Clayton was hit during a third-quarter running play. He didn’t get up. He remained unresponsive on the ground and began convulsing. An ER doctor in the stands ran to the field to help team trainers treat him, and Clayton was rushed to the hospital. 

His injury is a severe example of a sports-related traumatic brain injury — a remarkably frequent injury. Millions of U.S. kids suffer TBIs each year, including 1.9 million kids who are affected by concussions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that seven out of 10 emergency room visits for sports-related concussions are among children ages 17 and under.  

High school football dream cut short 

It became clear early on that Clayton had a remarkable talent for football. 

“I was just hoping to have a decent role in the team,” Clayton told Straight Arrow News. “Then my coach found out how good I was. And next thing you know, I was getting 30 carries a game, 250 yards, a couple touchdowns.”

Like many kids, Clayton was “all in” on his sport. He began suiting up and winning trophies in tackle football in the fifth grade. 

Football was a central focus in his life. But that third-quarter hit was a knockout blow. 

“I went down (to the field), but I had to kind of stay back,” said Clayton’s mother, Korine Liebman. "They did not want me to see what condition he was in.” 

Clayton suffered a brain bleed. Doctors performed a craniotomy, removing a fist-sized part of his skull, to relieve pressure. He spent nearly two weeks in intensive care, much of it on a ventilator. He still doesn’t remember what happened on the field. 

“There's one memory I can think of,” Clayton said. “I was in the hospital. I don't think I was talking, I was throwing the football with my uncle, and I was doing it left-handed because the right side of my body was shut down.” 

The number one medical issue in high school sports

Traumatic brain injuries are the No. 1 medical issue in high school sports, according to Dr. Karissa Niehoff of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

“The issue's always there,” Niehoff told SAN. “Sports come with inherent risks. And it's not just football. It's soccer. It's baseball. It's any sport, really. I mean, our bodies are active, and there's a risk that we're going to hurt our heads.” 

All 50 states have enacted laws to help protect kids playing organized sports from head injuries. Several states, along with the NFHS, specifically track concussions. Yet even though youth sports have tackled the concussion protocol head-on for more than a decade, traumatic brain injuries still occur. Dr. Niehoff noted that nationwide, numbers remain steady or are declining.

Concussions account for roughly 15% of all high school sports injuries, according to the CDC. To further lower that rate, it is essential for athletes, coaches and parents to be vigilant and speak up if something doesn’t look or feel right.

“So when the kids don't self-report, and somebody may not have seen a play or a situation happen, we may never know until later, and then they go home, and they have these symptoms, and then the parents don't know,” Niehoff said. “So it can quickly slip through your fingers. Concussions are like snowflake injuries. Every person who sustains a concussion might experience it a little differently.”

How are concussions diagnosed and treated?

In the past, concussion diagnoses were graded on a scale using indicators like the type of impact suffered and whether someone lost consciousness, but that approach is now outdated. The American Academy of Neurology published revised guidelines in 2013 emphasizing a patient-specific approach. 

Unbiased. Straight Facts.^TM

Concussions account for roughly 15% of all high school sports injuries, according to the CDC.

While symptoms and recovery time vary by patient, concussions are now diagnosed and treated on an all-or-nothing model. Either a patient has experienced enough force to trigger a concussion, or they haven’t.   

The most important thing a coach or parent can do if they suspect a child has sustained a concussion is to keep them on the sidelines, said Dr. Ginger Yang, a principal investigator at the Center for Injury Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Athletes who have suffered a concussion are four to six times more likely to suffer a second one, said Yang, who specializes in youth concussion diagnosis.

“When you have a concussion (the key is) seeking care right away so you can recover sooner,” Yang told SAN. “Also, get enough rest before you go back and wait until you fully recover before going back, so you will not have an additional concussion.” 

Youth sports 'specialization' can contribute to injury

Specializing in just one sport at a young age can also contribute to a child’s rate of injuries, including concussions, according to Yang. The heightened competition and pressure to perform that can sometimes come from specialization can lead young athletes and their parents to try to do too much. 

“Athletes are supposedly tough,” Yang told SAN. “You never say you're tired or whatever because you are tough. So sometimes kids push too hard. That could have an impact on the athletes, not only physically but mentally.”

Niehoff agreed that is often the toughest part: Kids and coaches want to “push through” to reach a goal or win a game. This, Niehoff said, is why education about the symptoms and signs of concussions becomes so important. 

“Especially with the student athletes themselves,” Niehoff said. “They should know, hey, if you get dinged, it's okay to say, time out for me. ‘My head got banged, and I'm not feeling right.’”

The inherent risk of youth sports

NFHS guidelines stress minimizing the risk of head injuries by using protocols and protections before kids even play a game, in every practice. 

“We got rid of the bull in the ring drill,” Niehoff said. “We got rid of some of the named drills that used to be central to football — not heading the ball so much in soccer, wearing helmets in baseball and softball. Lacrosse for boys. Just looking at better protective ways to approach practice and play.”

Yet even with those precautions, a life-threatening injury like Clayton’s can occur without warning. Doctors told Korine Liebman that what happened to Clayton was a “freak accident”. Other than a couple of requests to come out of the game because he was tired, Clayton’s performance during that Thursday night game had appeared to be business as usual until the third-quarter hit. 

“They think this potentially had been happening in the whole game,” Korine told SAN. “He was tired, but he still felt like he could still play. So there wasn't really any other symptoms.” 

Community support is essential

After his hospital stay, Clayton completed over six months of intensive rehab to restore his speech and many of his motor skills. He had to strengthen the right side of his body and learn to walk again. His recovery continues, and he is currently repeating the 10th grade.

“Before my injury, I was a straight-A student taking honors and AP classes,” Clayton told SAN. “I had to get rid of some of those classes. But I'm still doing pretty good. I'm getting better and better.”  

Still, the 16-year-old has never expressed a “why me?” moment during his recovery – even as he has learned to accept that he is no longer able to play the sport he pushed himself so hard to excel at. 

He still loves the game and became wistful when asked what he’ll miss most.  

“Just playing on a team, supporting my teammates, scoring touchdowns,” Clayton said. “It was just a good camaraderie we had.” 

The family is thankful the entire community rallied behind them. Clayton heard from professional athletes Larry Fitzgerald and Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo, and NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash. 

His high school teammates visited every day during his recovery, and still wear “Clayton Strong” bracelets. This football season, he returned the favor by helping to coach during JV games. 

Clayton has another big goal on the horizon: His 17th birthday is in December, and he’s hoping to get his driver’s license soon after. 

With 6.5 million people expected to attend the 2026 World Cup, fans, businesses and soccer officials expect next year’s tournament to be transformative. Experts and fans told Straight Arrow News that soccer’s growing popularity can be attributed to everything from the growth of immigrant communities to new TV deals expanding game accessibility, even to viewers being introduced to Ted Lasso.

Jason Takhtadjian, a Fresno-based news anchor, grew up playing soccer. As an adult, and a diehard Chelsea fan since the mid-2000s, he’s spent years waking up early to catch games at 5 a.m. before services like Peacock were around to carry Premier League games. He was excited to see stars such as Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard win titles and fight for a common cause.

How popular is the World Cup in America?

“The sport has become more accessible, and we have gotten to know what people are saying around the world,” Takhtadjian told Straight Arrow News. “Broadcasts from CBS Golazo and Peacock have put it in people’s faces. As long as the sport is accessible to the fans, the game will expand.”

America hosted the World Cup once before in 1994, an event that helped launch Major League Soccer (MLS) and the U.S. Soccer Foundation, and laid the groundwork for the sport’s future in the States.

Melanie McAninch, a Memphis-based pharmacist, told Straight Arrow News that serving as president of her city’s local chapter of the nonprofit soccer-boosting organization American Outlaws “consumes (her) entire life.”

Her love of the sport started when she watched the 2006 World Cup with her late French grandmother, and it grew further as she watched the women’s team win World Cups over the years.

“I have been to two Women’s World Cups and definitely plan to go to the next one in Brazil,” she said. “Almost all of my vacations are soccer-related. It’s a huge part of my life.”

The World Cup is a massive marketing moment for the sport, not to mention an economic engine. And investors and soccer officials have taken note. In a sport where sponsor logos are bigger than the team crest, soccer teams have been synonymous with brands and commercial appeal. 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the 2025 Club World Cup generated more than $2 billion, making it the most financially successful iteration of the tournament in its history.

What's with all the celebrities buying soccer teams?

Many American investors have begun purchasing stakes, or even outright ownership, in teams throughout the world, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, among others. At least two MLS teams, Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC (LAFC), are now worth $1 billion, according to Forbes. Comedian Will Ferrell is a part-owner of the latter.

He joins other celebrities like Tom Brady, who recently invested in English soccer club Birmingham City, Kevin Durant, who owns a stake in Paris Saint-Germain and Michael B. Jordan, who is a minority owner in the English Premier League team AFC Bournemouth. Some of these big names turn their teams into big brands.

On the heels of the American success of Ted Lasso, which helped give Americans a glimpse into soccer culture, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney launched their docuseries, “Welcome to Wrexham,” about the Welsh soccer club they co-own.

With more than 30 MLS teams and a 10-year, $2.5 billion broadcast deal with Apple TV, soccer’s U.S. footprint is poised to grow even further. Most importantly, it presents an opportunity for what was once seen as a niche sport to enter the popular consciousness.

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U.S. men’s soccer had its best Olympic showing in 2000, when the team reached fourth place at the Sydney Olympics. Women’s soccer has won five gold medals in 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2024.

“Next year’s World Cup offers a transformational opportunity,” said Brian Katzowitz, a spokesperson for the U.S. Soccer Federation. “This is about making 2026 not just a tournament, but a catalyst for lasting change across all three host nations.”

According to the Harris study, 65% of soccer fans still think of soccer as a foreign sport. But that's not necessarily a deterrent.

Cameron Kirkpatrick, who lives in Saugerties, New York, follows the Premier League giants Manchester United, the Seattle Sounders and other lower-league German teams.

“So many people write off soccer for being a European concept, but I have to say that it’s not anything awful,” Kirkpatrick told Straight Arrow News. “I love the people I come with to watch it with. It doesn’t need to be something you care about every four years.”

What keeps fans from attending soccer games in the US?

Still, the international appeal leaves many fans with questions about both affordability and safety. With a large Hispanic fanbase and foreigners traveling for matches, the recent increase in ICE raids has concerned fans at home and abroad over how fans will be treated during matches.

Although FIFA controls which cities host World Cup matches, President Donald Trump has threatened to lobby the organization to move certain matches out of areas like Boston. Vice President JD Vance has said ICE will be ready to detain individuals if possible.

McAninch said she plans to attend a World Cup match next year. But she is worried about the possibility of violence and disorder caused by federal immigration agents during the tournament.

“I do worry about the implications of Trump’s policies for people who do live here and are visiting,” she said. “I’ve had many mixed feelings about the World Cup, but I’m going to try to avoid those feelings. I do not want anyone to take away joy from me.”

Is soccer an expensive sport?

Immigration is not the only concern that could keep fans from the stands next year. After backlash over dramatically high ticket prices for the Club World Cup, FIFA has given greater consideration to using dynamic pricing for cheaper World Cup tickets. ESPN reported that prices could range from $60 for group stage matches to $6,730 for the final.

And it’s not just watching the sport that can break the bank. The cost of playing soccer has drawn plenty of criticism over the years, as Americans’ level of access to youth soccer lags behind other nations, particularly among Black and Hispanic children. Soccer is among the nation’s most expensive sports to play, costing roughly $1,188 per child annually.

This higher cost of entry has a real impact. Many critics of the “pay-to-play” model state that the United States lags in men’s development in the sport because of the higher cost of entry, which turns away immigrant communities and people of color.

“Six hundred bucks for year-round club play doesn’t sound like a lot, but it was definitely unaffordable for my family growing up nearly 20 years ago,” Takhtadjian said.

How can soccer become more affordable?

Organized soccer is aware of this. Katzowitz, from the U.S. Soccer Federation, said his organization expects the World Cup tournament to serve as a massive catalyst to expand youth participation. 

“We’re partnering more closely with community organizations, local leaders and youth clubs to invest in coaching, player development and low-cost or no-cost opportunities that keep kids in the game longer,” Katzowitz explained.

The Soccer Forward Foundation will rally support for more youth development by building new fields, strengthening local clubs and ensuring that all American kids live within 15 minutes of a field to play in.

As part of this philosophy, community leaders in cities like Chicago partnered with the Chicago Fire to establish places like the North Austin Center on Chicago’s West Side. The new state-of-the-art sports facility offers 20 hours a week of free community soccer programs in a predominantly Black community.

Kids can grow the sport. And female fans, and athletes, are also doing their part: Nearly a third of soccer fans are women, thanks in large part to the success of the women’s national team and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), which has helped the game grow even as the men’s national team lagged behind.

“The work the team did for equal pay was incredible and opened the door for so many women after them,” McAninch said. “They are making sure they make things better for the next generation, they’re not just pulling the ladder from under them.”

The women’s national team is the most successful women’s team of all time, winning four World Cup titles and five Olympic gold medals. Women like Michele Kang have pledged $30 million over the next five years to growing the women’s game.

Representatives from the U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed to Straight Arrow News that they are lobbying to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup in the United States.

While no one knows for sure how the tournament will play out, the group believes that 2026 will be the most transformative year for the sport.

“U.S. Soccer stands at the cusp of a tremendous opportunity. The passion and interest we’re seeing across the country, especially from younger and more diverse fans, point to a future where soccer plays a bigger role in American culture,” Katzowitz said.