AP Sports Summary for December 19th, 2024:
Texas-based Friedkin Group completes purchase of Premier League team Everton
The Texas-based Friedkin Group has completed its 98.8% purchase of Everton. Friedkin has added the storied Premier League club on Thursday to its wide-ranging portfolio of investments that includes Italian team Roma. It ends a long period of huge uncertainty at Everton. It is a nine-time English champion which has been an ever-present in the top division since 1954 but is without a major trophy since 1995. Fronted by Dan Friedkin and his son, Ryan, the group has investments in the automotive industry, entertainment, hospitality and sports. The Friedkins made a fortune distributing Toyotas in Texas. They take over from Everton's majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri.
Brr! Winter adds an old-school challenge to the CFP. Visiting teams insist it's 'snow' problem
Besides first-round games at on-campus sites, the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff also serves up something now for this postseason: cold-weather northern venues as opposed to bowl games in warm, sunny climates. Whether that provides a home-field advantage for sixth-seeded Penn State, No. 7 seed Notre Dame and No. 8 Ohio State remains to be seen, but it's a factor southern schools such No. 11 SMU and No. 9 Tennessee must prepare for. Tenth-seeded Indiana only has to travel a couple hundred miles north to South Bend but December football will be new to the Hoosiers, especially at No. 7 seed Notre Dame.
Pro Picks: Eagles will cruise past the Commanders and Seahawks will upset the Vikings
The setup for two Christmas Day games means two games on Saturday in Week 16. They'll be potential playoff previews. Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs host C.J. Stroud and the AFC South champion Texans in the first game Saturday. Then, it's Russell Wilson and the Steelers visiting Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in a battle for the AFC North. Pro Picks likes the favorites in both matchups.
Notre Dame and Indiana get 1st taste of playoff football under the Friday night lights
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and Indiana coach Curt Cignetti are football junkies at heart. They enjoy studying film, game prep and Saturday afternoons. They're also deeply fond of playing underneath the Friday night lights. They'll get a chance to relive that memory this week when the 10th-seeded Hoosiers visit the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish in the first Friday night game ever played at Notre Dame Stadium. Freeman will be making his playoff debut as a head coach. Cignetti has playoff experience at different college levels but is making his first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
College Football Playoff picks: SMU, Clemson, Vols, Hoosiers beware as CFP opens on campus
SMU could face the biggest adjustment playing in the cold in the College Football Playoff. A 10- to 15-mph northwest wind will make temperatures in the 20s feel like it's in the mid teens in State College, Pennsylvania, on Saturday for SMU's game against Penn State. Cold weather also is in the forecast for Indiana at Notre Dame and Tennessee at Ohio State. Temperatures in the 60s are expected for Clemson's game at Texas. For SMU, its game could be its coldest ever. The lowest temperature at kickoff for the Mustangs was 24 degrees for games in 2013 and 1983.
Red Bull picks Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen's F1 teammate in 2025
MILTON KEYNES, England (AP) — Formula 1 team Red Bull says Liam Lawson will be the partner for world champion Max Verstappen in 2025. Lawson is a New Zealander. He replaces Sergio Perez after the Mexican was dropped on Wednesday after months of poor results. The 22-year-old Lawson will switch from Racing Bulls, Red Bull's sister team, after racing as a replacement driver in 2023 and this year. He started in Red Bull's junior program. Lawson says it is a "lifelong dream" to be racing with Red Bull. He says "this is something I've wanted and worked toward since I was 8 years old."
Hajj-Malik Williams throws 2 TDs passes to help No. 24 UNLV beat Cal 24-13 in the LA Bowl
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Hajj-Malik Williams passed for two touchdowns, Kylin James ran for another and No. 24 UNLV pulled away in the second half for a 24-13 victory over California in the LA Bowl on Wednesday night. UNLV won a bowl game for the first time since 2000 and had its first 11-win season as an FBS program. Del Alexander, an assistant when UNLV last won a bowl game, was the interim head coach after Barry Odom departed forPurdue on Dec. 8. Cal, who hasn't had a winning season since 2019, were missing quarterback Fernando Mendoza and leading wide receiver Nyziah Hunter, after both entered the transfer portal.
Falcons' Cousins says he 'didn't forget how to play quarterback' after losing starting job to Penix
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — After losing his job as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins is promising to support rookie Michael Penix Jr. Cousins threw nine interceptions with one touchdown in the past five games. The switch to Penix comes with the Falcons one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South as they prepare to play host to the New York Giants. The change wasn't a one-game decision, but Cousins insists he believes he can still start in the NFL. He said Wednesday he has not forgotten how to play the position.
Caitlin Clark's No. 22 to be retired during February ceremony at Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark's No. 22 will be retired in a ceremony Feb. 2 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Clark finished her college career last season as the all-time leading men's or women's scorer in NCAA Division I history and is widely regarded as a transformational figure in the women's game. The flair of her game and long-distance 3-point shots spawned a legion of fans adorned in her No. 22 jersey at games both home and away. Clark grew up in the Des Moines area and said Iowa holds a place in her heart bigger than just basketball.
Vandy QB Diego Pavia wins injunction allowing him to play D-I football in 2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge granted Diego Pavia's request for a preliminary injunction allowing the quarterback to play the 2025 season and told the NCAA the organization cannot take any action against Vanderbilt or any other university that Pavia plays a fifth season for next year. U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell issued the injunction Wednesday after a hearing Dec. 4. The judge noted in his order filed with the injunction Vanderbilt's historic success with Pavia reaching its first bowl game since 2018 with wins over both Alabama and Auburn. Pavia sued the NCAA on Nov. 8 contesting the organization's rules limiting players who start at junior colleges to only four seasons.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Detroit 6 Philadelphia 4
Final Toronto 5 Dallas 3
Final Florida 6 Minnesota 1
Final Anaheim 3 Winnipeg 2
Final OT Utah 3 Vancouver 2
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TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final (24)UNLV 24 California 13
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (6)Alabama 97 North Dakota 90
Final (9)Marquette 80 Butler 70
Final (11)UConn 94 Xavier 89
Final (13)Gonzaga 102 Nicholls 72
Final (14)Oklahoma 87 (24)Michigan 86
Final (15)Houston 78 Toledo 49
Final (21)Memphis 64 Virginia 62
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Charlotte at Washington 7 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Orlando 7 p.m.
Utah at Detroit 7 p.m.
Brooklyn at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at Boston 7:30 p.m.
Atlanta at San Antonio 8 p.m.
Golden State at Memphis 8 p.m.
New Orleans at Houston 8 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Indiana at Phoenix 9 p.m.
New York at Minnesota 9:30 p.m.
Denver at Portland 10 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Sacramento 10 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
New Jersey at Columbus 7 p.m.
St. Louis at Tampa Bay 7 p.m.
Los Angeles at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Nashville 8 p.m.
Seattle at Chicago 8:30 p.m.
Boston at Edmonton 9 p.m.
Ottawa at Calgary 9 p.m.
Vancouver at Vegas 10 p.m.
Colorado at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Denver at L.A. Chargers 8:15 p.m.
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