KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Big 12 will continue to operate without divisions in football next season. That's when Central Florida, Cincinnati, BYU and Houston join the league to create a 14-team conference. It will end the current round-robin scheduling framework. Every school will play nine conference games, just like they have since it became a 10-team league, and schools will play each other at least once in each two-year period. Traditional rivalries, or at least those left after realignments, will be preserved. The schedule is due out in December.
UNDATED (AP) — Just about every game in the Big 12 this season has come down to the final minutes. Of the 17 so far, 12 have been decided by 10 points or fewer. Nine games have been decided by one possession and three in overtime. Iowa State has lost four times by a combined 14 points. TCU and Kansas State are still unbeaten in Big 12. They have combined to win four one-possession games. The Horned Frogs and Wildcats play each other on Saturday.
UNDATED (AP) — The first half of the college football season has been defined by coaching changes, downtrodden programs finding success and several traditional powers hitting the skids. Over the next seven weeks, there will be more head coaches fired and at least a few hired. Expect more season-altering upsets, too. AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo says the Heisman Trophy race will be decided on conference championship weekend again. He is also picking Ohio State over Alabama in the national title game.
UNDATED (AP) — Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, two Big Ten running backs and Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. highlight The Associated Press midseason All-America team. The team was selected by AP Top 25 voters. Hooker is second in the country in passer efficiency rating at 187.7 and has accounted for 18 touchdowns. Joining Hooker in the backfield is Illinois’ Chase Brown, who leads the nation in yards rushing, and Michigan’s Blake Corum, who has scored 13 touchdowns for the fourth-ranked Wolverines.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Bryce Harper homered again, Kyle Schwarber hit a jaw-dropping, 488-foot drive and Zack Wheeler was brilliant in throwing one-hit ball for seven innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Diego Padres 2-0 in the opening game of the all-wild card NL Championship Series. Wheeler and two relievers combined on a one-hitter for the Phillies, who will try to take a 2-0 lead when they send Aaron Nola to mound to oppose Blake Snell on Wednesday afternoon. Schwarber’s incredible shot on Yu Darvish’s first pitch of the sixth had an exit velocity of 119.7 mph. Harper homered in his third straight playoff game.
NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge staggered Cleveland with early homers, and the New York Yankees rocked past the Guardians 5-1 in the decisive Game 5 of their AL Division Series to set up another rematch with Houston for the pennant. Yankees manager Aaron Boone won his gamble by starting Nestor Cortes on three days’ rest over Jameson Taillon, making the late switch after Monday night’s rainout. Cleveland starter Aaron Civale struggled. With two on and two outs in the ninth and ace Gerrit Cole warming up in case, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres stepped on the bag to end it, then mimicked rocking a baby with the ball -- a jab at Guardians slugger Josh Naylor, who made the motion rounding the bases after a homer off Cole in Game 4.
UNDATED (AP) — South Carolina is the unanimous No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25 women's basketball poll. The defending national champions went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team last year and have been the top team for 20 straight weeks. Stanford, Texas, Iowa and Tennessee round out the top five. UConn is sixth, the first time since 2006 that the Huskies aren’t in the first five in the preseason poll. Louisville, Iowa State, Notre Dame and N.C. State is the rest of the top 10.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry opened the season with 33 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109 after receiving their championship rings in a pregame ceremony.Jordan Poole made a pretty bounce pass assist to a driving Draymond Green for a layup and all seemed perfectly well with the defending champions almost two weeks after Green punched Poole at practice Oct. 5 then took a brief leave of absence from the team to work on his emotions. Poole wound up with 12 points and seven assists.
TUESDAY SCORES
AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final N.Y. Yankees 5 Cleveland 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Philadelphia 2 San Diego 0
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Boston 126 Philadelphia 117
Final Golden State 123 L.A. Lakers 109