Sports

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer Rutgers will replace Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after an NCAA committee decided to adhere to an existing policy for making teams with 5-7 records bowl eligible. Texas A&M pulled out of the game in Jacksonville, Florida, scheduled for New Year’s Eve because

By ISIFU WIRFENGLA, GERALD IMRAY and ROB HARRIS Associated Press YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon (AP) — African Cup organizers insist the tournament will begin as planned in Cameroon early next month despite the fast-spreading omicron variant adding to an extensive list of concerns. Perhaps the biggest doubts now are when national teams will have their full 28-man

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian soccer great Pelé has been released from a Sao Paulo hospital but will continue being treated for a colon tumor. “Edson Arantes do Nascimento was discharged from the Israelita Albert Einstein on Thursday,” the hospital said in a statement. “The patient remains stable and will continue having treatment on the

By The Associated Press The Southeastern Conference and Big East Conference have updated their policies for basketball game postponements, cancellations and rescheduling to give more leniancy to teams that are unable to play because of spiking COVID-19 cases. The policies for both conferences establish that men’s and women’s teams will be required to play if

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets don’t expect Kevin Durant to be available for their Christmas showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers. Coach Steve Nash says James Harden has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, but he says the Nets don’t expect any of their players still

By BRANDON GDULA numberFire Russell Wilson struggled in Week 15 without Tyler Lockett and against a solid pass defense. The Chicago Bears are weaker in the pass defense department. The sims still like him at a near-coin flip to finish as a top-12 performer in Week 16. Tampa Bay’s Ronald Jones is set for a

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer Rutgers will be given the opportunity to fill in for Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after the NCAA’s football oversight committee decided to adhere to existing policy. Texas A&M pulled out of the Jacksonville, Florida, game scheduled for Dec. 31 on Wednesday because

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter, the NFL Players Association president who has been pushing for daily COVID-19 testing all season, has tested positive for the virus. Tretter posted on Twitter that he was experiencing symptoms and chose to be tested at the team’s facility in Berea, Ohio. The Browns

By The Associated Press The second matchup of the season between the Bills and Patriots has huge playoff implications. The Patriots can clinch the AFC East title with a win and Miami loss or tie at New Orleans. If the Bills win they’d be back in first place in the division, hold tiebreakers over the

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — No. 4 Cincinnati has done the improbable and become the first school from outside a Power Five conference to crack the College Football Playoff. Coach Luke Fickell has propelled the Bearcats to unprecedented heights. Now they have to figure out how to stay up there. Cincinnati

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Five-time Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray has received a wild-card entry for the tournament’s main draw. Murray last played at Melbourne Park in 2019 when he made a teary retirement announcement before undergoing a second hip surgery to extend his career. The former top-ranked Murray also had accepted a wild-card entry

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have enough players to fly to Los Angeles and play their Christmas showdown against the Lakers, though Kevin Durant might not be among them. Coach Steve Nash said Thursday that James Harden has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols but that

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer The attention of the figure skating world rests squarely on the Eastern Hemisphere this week. The Russian national championships should reveal Olympic favorites for the women’s competition. With four of the top five skaters in the current world rankings, led by record-setting Kamila Valiyeva, there’s a chance the Russians

By The Associated Press The Atlanta Falcons will look for their first true home win of the season when they play the Detroit Lions. The Lions are 0-5 in Atlanta while the Lions are 0-6-1 on the road. At 6-8 overall, the Falcons are trying to protect their slim playoff hopes. The Lions may be

BY ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LONDON (AP) — Coronavirus outbreaks at Leeds and Watford have led to two Premier League matches scheduled for Sunday being postponed. Leeds was due to travel to Liverpool and Watford was set to play at Wolverhampton as part of the Boxing Day program of fixtures. The Premier League