Sports

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The American Athletic Conference will not use divisions and play an eight-game league football schedule when it expands to 14 teams next season. As it does now, the AAC will match the top two teams from the regular-season standings in its championship game. The scheduling model was approved for use the

HOUSTON (AP) — Ben Olsen has been hired as coach of Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo, two years after he left D.C. United. Olsen replaced Paulo Nagamura, who was fired on Aug. 8 and replaced by Dynamo 2 coach Kenny Bundy as senior team interim coach for the rest of the season. The Dynamo missed

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The attorney general for the District of Columbia is set to hold a news conference related to the NFL’s Washington Commanders. The office of D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine says he will make a major announcement Thursday. No details were provided. His office launched an investigation

By The Associated Press The Panthers will meet the Falcons for the second time in 12 days on Thursday night, a rematch of a game on Oct. 30 in which the Falcons won 37-34 in overtime after several costly Carolina mistakes. Panthers running back D’Onta Foreman ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns and D.J.

By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer The Eagles, Jets, Giants and Seahawks are among the biggest surprise success stories at the midway point of the NFL season. Within that group, only the Eagles had a winning record and made the playoffs last season. Philadelphia has stunned the league with its undefeated start. Seatte and the

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Clemson’s loss at Notre Dame was a severe blow to the ACC’s hopes of landing a team in the College Football Playoff. Last weekend’s 35-14 setback at three-loss Notre Dame dropped Clemson (8-1, 6-0) from the list of the nation’s unbeaten teams. The Tigers moved from

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Inflation? High gas prices? American gamblers are shrugging them off — and losing money at casinos at a record pace. Figures released Wednesday show the U.S. commercial casino industry had its best quarter ever, winning over $15 billion from gamblers in the third quarter of

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — For years, as Dusty Baker chased his first World Series title as a manager, the former big league outfielder would always say if he won one he’d like to win two. Baker will get a chance to do just that after he agreed to a one-year

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals acquired minor league infielder Jose Fermin from the Cleveland Guardians for cash considerations Wednesday and added him to their 40-man roster. The Cardinals also reinstated pitchers Alex Reyes and Drew VerHagen from the injured list. The 23-year-old Fermin hit .215 with six homers and 31 RBIs in

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have made Jacque Vaughn their head coach, promoting Steve Nash’s replacement instead of hiring suspended Boston coach Ime Udoka. Vaughn has gone 2-2 as acting coach since the Nets and Nash parted ways on Nov. 1. After moving on from Nash, the

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The worst division in the NFL gets a prime-time matchup when the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons meet for the second time in less than two weeks on Thursday night. Despite a losing record, the Falcons are in the mix for first place with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Guardians All-Star third baseman José Ramírez underwent thumb surgery to repair a ligament that he tore in June. Ramírez will need up to two months to recover from the surgery before he can resume baseball activities. The team expects him to be ready for the

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills coach Sean McDermott says Josh Allen will miss practice due to an injury to his throwing elbow, but the star quarterback could play against the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings this weekend. McDermott wouldn’t reveal the severity of the injury and stuck mostly to

By LUJAIN JO Associated Press DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Qatar has unveiled a 6,000-cabin fan village in an isolated lot near its airports, an offering for housing toward the lower end of what’s available for the upcoming World Cup, which is just days away from starting. Journalists toured the cabins on Wednesday as desert winds

By LUJAIN JO Associated Press DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Qatar has unveiled a 6,000-cabin fan village in an isolated lot near its airports, an offering for housing toward the lower end of what’s available for the upcoming World Cup just days away from starting. As journalists toured the cabins Wednesday, desert winds kicked up sand.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Gary Patterson could now play a key role in spoiling what has been a perfect season so far for fourth-ranked TCU. Patterson had as good a run as any Big 12 coach in whipping Texas over the past decade while still in purple. But

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Carlo Ancelotti has defended Karim Benzema from accusations he is not playing with Real Madrid to be ready for the World Cup. The Madrid coach says the France striker himself is upset about his lack of minutes going into Qatar. The 34-year-old Benzema has been dealing

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Jim Ratcliffe has dropped interest in buying Manchester United just months after considering a takeover bid for the Premier League club. The billionaire owner of petrochemicals firm INEOS also has no intention of making an offer for Liverpool after owner Fenway Sports Group this week

Senegal forward Sadio Mané is in doubt for the World Cup after Bayern Munich said he would miss the last league game before the tournament with a leg injury. Bayern says the two-time African player of the year had an injury to the head of the fibula bone in his lower right leg. Bayern hasn’t

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Reece James says he is “devastated” to miss out on England’s World Cup squad. The Chelsea defender is recovering from a knee injury sustained last month and on Wednesday confirmed he will not be going to Qatar. England head coach Gareth Southgate names his final