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There has been plenty of discussion around the time for the season opener between Ohio State and Texas, and theLonghornsultimately determined it. The College Football Playoff semifinal rematch will kickoff the 2025 season in one of the most highly anticipated Week 1 games. When it was announcedthe game would be on Fox, the belief was the game would kick off at noon ET as part of the network's "Big Noon Saturday." Thegametime was confirmed Thursday. The timeslot has been widely disapproved of byBuckeyesfans, so much that anOhio lawmaker introduced legislationto prevent Ohio State from playing early afternoon games. Understanding the implications of the matchup,Ohio State reportedlytried to move the game to Sunday − with no NFL − for a primetime kickoff. However, Fox Sports president of insights and analytics Mike Mulvihill said Texas blocked the move. "There was a deal in place between Fox and Ohio State to move the game to Sunday night," Mulvihilltold The Athletic. "We felt like Week 1 prior to NFL kickoff gave us an opportunity to look at sort of an alternate scenario, and then Texas exercised their contractual right to keep the game on Saturday, which is completely their right. I can understand why they would take that position, but we did work with the school to try to come up with a different scenario and get the game to Sunday." Texas athletic director Chris Del Conteconfirmed to ESPNhe vetoed the decision, citing the short week it would create for the Longhorns. Texas plays San Jose State in Week 2 at noon ET. Noon kickoffs have drawn the ire for Ohio State fans. When Fox debuted "Big Noon Saturday," the network could air a premier matchup in the first timeslot of the day as ESPN and CBS typically aired their top game in the late afternoon and evening. It's worked for ratings, but at the cost of people attending the game. Fans argue the early kickoff times force them to wake up earlier in the morning and give them less time to tailgate, in addition to losing the atmosphere that night games provide. Ohio State has been a consistent College Football Playoff contender, and thus has made it an easy choice for Fox to pick for the noon timeslot. Five of Ohio State's eight home games during the regular 2024 season were at noon, including the last six games of the regular season. The Buckeyes are also confirmed to have another Fox noon kickoff in the regular season finale at Michigan on Nov. 29, which is the rivalry's traditional time. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ohio State vs. Texas Sunday move vetoed by Longhorns, Fox exec says

Two years ago,Alexis Díazwas an All-Star closer with the Cincinnati Reds. Now, the 28-year-old right-hander is set to become aDodgersreclamation project. Amid a wave of early-season injuries to their bullpen and rotation, theDodgers agreed to acquire Díazfrom the Reds on Thursday, the team announced. Díaz, who was demoted to triple-A earlier this month by the Reds, won't be joining the Dodgers' big-league roster right away. He will instead report to Arizona to work with the Dodgers' pitching group there. Read more:'A major league shortstop, on a championship club.' Why Dodgers don't plan to move Mookie Betts To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred injured relieverEvan Phillips(who was initially expected to only miss 15 days with a forearm injury) to the 60-day IL. Once a rising relief star who had a 1.84 ERA as a rookie in 2022, and 37 saves and a 3.07 earned-run average as an All-Star selection in 2023, Díaz has faded over the past two seasons. In 2024, he was 28 of 32 in save opportunities, but posted a 3.99 ERA with 31 walks in 56 1/3 innings. This season, he lost the closer's job while battling a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the start of the season, then was optioned to triple-A after giving up eight runs, eight hits, four homers and five walks in his first six appearances. Five of the runs, and three of the homers, came in a single outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 30, the day before he was sent down. Díaz, the brother of New York Mets closerEdwin Díaz, hasn't experienced much greater success in the minors, holding a 4.61 ERA with 12 walks in 13 2/3 innings with the Reds' Louisville affiliate. Still, just two years removed from the early heights of his MLB career, the Dodgers were willing to take a flier on the once-promising talent, only giving up minor-league pitcher Mike Villani (a 13th-round pick in last year's draft) in return. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared inLos Angeles Times.

After winning a tournament on Sunday, Ben Griffin stayed hot Thursday by shooting a 7-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. Griffin made an 11 1/2-foot eagle at the par-5 seventh and had a three-birdie run at Nos. 16-18 at Muirfield Village Golf Club. He finished the day with a two-shot advantage over Collin Morikawa, a two-time runner-up at the tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus. "My dad always used to tell me, 'Par the first and last holes,' and unfortunately, I birdied the first and the last," Griffin joked. Griffin, 29, won his first PGA Tour title last month at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event with Andrew Novak. He validated that victory with his first individual win this past week at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club. It was clear he was not tired from the quick turnaround. "This is nothing. I started out the year playing 13 events in a row," Griffin said. "... It's funny, I talked to a lot of my peers out here, and they don't understand how I do it. I think it's because I do a really good job resting on Mondays and Tuesday mornings. I don't really prepare for tournaments until pretty much Tuesday afternoons, unless it's a course that I'm not familiar with or maybe a major championship, I try to get a little extra prep in." Morikawa had five birdies through 14 holes before a wayward drive at the par-5 15th led to his lone bogey. He made up for it at the very next hole, rolling his tee shot at the par-3 16th just past the cup and making a 4-footer for birdie. "Honestly, I woke up today kind of not knowing how the swing was going to produce," Morikawa said. "I spent a couple hours on the range after the pro-am yesterday and was just trying to find something. Yeah, kind of went to some old swing thoughts, and it's hard to filter through that, but did it on the range, and kind of was just able to go play golf." In third place was Max Homa with a 4-under 68. Homa has fared better since parting with caddie Joe Greiner, who now works for Morikawa. Homa is searching for his first win on tour since January 2023. "My game feels about as good as it has in a very, very long time," Homa said, "and I knew that I think that brought some peace, which was nice, not feeling like I needed to do much. Then, yeah, you get off to a good start like that and it just kind of calms some of the nerves." U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, Canadian Nick Taylor and Irishman Shane Lowry are tied for fourth at 3-under 69. World No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler opened with a 2-under 70. "I need to give myself some more looks," Scheffler said. "I felt like I was out of the fairway a bit too much today. I was able to hit a decent amount of greens, just giving myself a few more quality looks, I think, would be a big difference." The $20 million signature event will feature a cut Friday from 72 players to the top 50 and ties, plus anyone within 10 shots of the lead. Only 13 players managed to shoot under par Thursday. Players who'll need to work to make the cut in the second round include Sweden's Ludvig Aberg (3-over 75), England's Matt Fitzpatrick (4-over 76) and Justin Rose (6-over 78), Wyndham Clark (78) and Justin Thomas (8-over 80). --Field Level Media

DALLAS (AP) — This playoff run has felt different for Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, though they are now back in the same place. They haveadvanced to their second Stanley Cup Final in a row, again against Florida after losing a seven-game series to the Panthers last June. "I think we're better for going through last year. It's a great learning experience and it's really driven us all year," McDavid, their captain, said after the Oilers wrapped up their second Western Conference title in a row. "This run has felt different than last year. It's felt very normal. ... I don't want to say boring because it's not boring at all. It hasn't been as emotional." Edmonton won in its first clinching opportunity in all three series so far this postseason. After losing their first two games at Los Angeles in the opening round, the Oilers won four in a row against the Kings, took out Vegas in five games and then did the same to the Dallas Stars in a West final rematch that ended with a 6-3 win Thursday night. Game 1 of their Stanley Cup rematch is Wednesday night in Edmonton. "We haven't had the highs and we haven't had the lows. It's just kind of been steady,"McDavid said. "I think that does put us in a good position. You know those games can be emotionally draining. We're not drained. ... You know, we've got as good a chance as they do." Florida wrapped up the East in five games over Carolina to get to itsthird Stanley Cup Final in a row. The Panthers won the first three games against Edmonton last year, then finished it off with a2-1 victoryafter the Oilers forced a Game 7. That was the first Stanley Cup Final for the Oilers since 2006, their only other one since the franchise's five titles in a seven-season span from 1984-90. "I think we spent seven months getting ready for this playoff run. Like, I think it was on our minds since we lost that last game," coach Kris Knoblauch said. "A long, tough summer, and training camp, regular season and it was just kind of punching our card, showing up, wanting the playoffs, just having another opportunity." While top scorers McDavid (26 points, six goals) and Leon Draisaitl (25 points, seven goals) were the players on the podium after the West clincher, these playoffs have been more than a two-man show for the Oilers. Nineteen different players have goals, 11 of them have at least three. Corey Perry, 40, has seven goals — the most in a single postseason by any player 39 or older. Both goalies, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, have won six games. Regular-season starter Skinner was replaced in net after the two losses to the Kings. He took over again when Pickard got hurt midway through the second round against Vegas. Skinner finished off the Golden Knights with consecutive shutouts, including a 1-0 overtime win in the clincher, and posted another shutout against the Stars. "We're mature. We've learned, and we're learning every game. The way we're playing, the calmness on the bench and making plays when things are going hairy on the ice," Perry said. "This group, it's been a want since the end of last year. There's been a lot of things said about what happened last year and self-reflecting. But here we are." So are they glad they get another shot at the Panthers? "It doesn't matter. You're competing for a Stanley Cup," said Perry, a Cup champion at age 22 with Anaheim in 2007, and now going into his fifth Final in six seasons while still seeking another title. "I mean we know what they're about. We played them seven times and they're a good team," Draisaitl said. "We're really a good team as well. Obviously it's nice to get a shot at, you know, getting some revenge, but a long ways from that." ___ AP NHL playoffs:https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cupandhttps://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty; Tim Clayton via Getty Naomi Osaka shared a new image of the painful open blisters on her knuckles after losing the first round of the 2025 French Open "I genuinely cannot bend these fingers all the way lol," the tennis star wrote on Instagram, per theNew York Post Following the match, Osaka became emotional as she admitted, "I hate disappointing people" Naomi Osakahas revealed a painful injury following her first round exit from the2025 French Openon Monday, May 26. The tennis star, 27, shared an Instagram Stories post of a cluster of open blisters on her knuckles on Thursday, May 29. "I genuinely cannot bend these fingers all the way lol," she wrote, per theNew York Post. The four-time Grand Slam champion lost the first round of the French Open to Spain'sPaula Badosain three sets, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4. In a subsequent Instagram Stories post, Osaka shared an image of her sneakers on a court and wrote per theNew York Post, "Me: 'I'm sick of this I'm gonna take a break for a while,' " followed by "Me a day after my match because I have anxiety if I don't work out." In a post-match press conference held on May 26, Osaka explained she had been working through the tough blisters since the Italian Open earlier this month. "Since Rome, I have had blisters on my hands," she said, perBBC Sport. "I think it's the friction of clay because I don't have blisters on any other surface." Tim Clayton via Getty During her match against Badosa, 27, Osaka also called a medical timeout after the end of the first set as she struggled with the blisters, according to the outlet. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The sports star then became emotional during the press conference and started to cry, according to theNew York Post. "I hate disappointing people," she said. "Even with [coach] Patrick [Mouratoglou], I was thinking just now, he goes from working with like the greatest player ever [Serena Williams] to like, what the f–-- this is." Robert Prange/Getty Photos from the match show Osaka briefly kneeling on the ground and examining her fingers. In 2024, Osaka was forced to forfeit in the second round of the China Open due to a back injury. In a heartwarming show of sportsmanship,U.S. player Coco Gauff, who was Osaka's opponent at the time,helped her move her bags off the court. In avideo of the moment posted to Xat the time, Gauff, 21, asked Osaka if she was okay or needed any help, with Osaka replying in a surprised voice saying "Really?" Gauff then grabbed one of Osaka's tennis bags to carry and the two walked off the court to cheers from the crowd. Read the original article onPeople