September 10, 2024 4:25 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sidney Crosby says he’s pretty optimistic about getting a contract extension done before he and the Pittsburgh Penguins open the NHL season next month. The three-time Stanley Cup-winning captain and face of the franchise is entering the final year of his current contract that was signed in June 2012. Crosby expressed confidence about finalizing a deal before opening night Oct. 9 against the New York Rangers. The 37-year-old center was tied for 12th in the league in scoring last season.
September 9, 2024 10:26 am
TRAFFORD, Pa. – Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) commissioner Joe Onderko announced Monday the conference is granting a release to Carnegie Mellon from its multi-year football affiliate contract following a request from the University. With this announcement, the 2024 season will serve as the final year of Carnegie Mellon’s affiliate membership in the PAC. CMU joined the League in 1968, then withdrew from the conference following the 1989-1990 academic year, citing a desire to “go in a different direction.” The Tartans returned to the PAC as an affiliate member for football, along with Case-Western Reserve University, beginning with the 2014 season.
As a result of this decision, the PAC will be unable to move forward with its planned divisional format and PAC Championship Game, which was set to begin in 2025. The conference is now putting together an eight-game, unbalanced schedule for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, which will be released as soon as it is finalized.
September 10, 2024 2:57 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The University of Pittsburgh has fired athletic director Heather Lyke, a somewhat surprising move that came a few months before Lyke’s contract expired. Pitt chancellor Joan Gabel thanked Lyke on Monday for her leadership but noted she felt it was time for the athletic department to have a “new vision.” Lyke arrived at Pitt in 2017 and helped the Panthers start to find their footing in the Atlantic Coast Conference after treading water in their initial years after leaving the Big East. Jennifer Tuscano will serve as interim athletic director while the university searches for Lyke’s replacement.
September 9, 2024 4:37 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Justin Fields stepped in to lead the Steelers to a 18-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons with Russell Wilson’s Pittsburgh debut put on hold by a calf injury. He got a big assist from Chris Boswell’s strong right leg. Boswell booted six field goals, three of them longer than 50 yards, and the Steelers made life miserable for Kirk Cousins in his first game as Atlanta’s big-money quarterback. Boswell connected from 57, 56, 51, 44, 40 and 25 yards to account for all the Steelers’ scoring. Pittsburgh kept the play-calling close to the vest under new coordinator Arthur Smith, who was fired in January after three seasons as Atlanta’s head coach. Cousins passed for just 155 yards and was picked off twice in Raheem Morris’ first game as Falcons coach.
September 9, 2024 4:44 am
DETROIT (AP) — David Montgomery scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in overtime, lifting the Detroit Lions to a 26-20 win over the Matthew Stafford-led Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of an NFC wild-card game. The Lions lost a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter and extended the game with Jake Bates’ tying 32-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in regulation. Detroit won the coin flip and took advantage of having the ball, gaining at least 9 yards on its first four plays in overtime to set up Montgomery’s game-winning score.
September 9, 2024 4:43 am
Fox Sports is spending $375 million to put Tom Brady in the broadcast booth, and the network wants to make sure everyone knows he’s there. The seven-time Super Bowl champion made his debut as an NFL analyst during the Fox broadcast of the regular-season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. But first came a Brady hype video leading into the pregame show. The studio team admitted they couldn’t help but “fanboy” over their new co-worker.
September 9, 2024 4:40 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jared Jones cruised through seven innings, striking out nine, as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Nationals 7-3 for a split of the four-game series. Jones allowed two runs and four hits, all coming in the first two innings on Sunday. The 23-year-old rookie right-hander retired 16 straight to end his outing, striking out five of the final six. The Nationals’ Patrick Corbin worked six innings, surrendering seven runs and 10 hits with five strikeouts. Andrew McCutchen led off the third with his 19th home run.
September 9, 2024 4:38 am
The impasse between DirecTV and Disney over a new carriage agreement has become more heated as it entered its second week. DirecTV filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission on Saturday night accusing Disney of negotiating in bad faith. Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC-owned stations in nine markets, have been off DirecTV since the evening of Sept. 1. That meant DirecTV customers were blacked out from viewing most college football games and the final week of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, including the women’s and men’s finals. DirecTV has 11.3 million subscribers, according to Leichtman Research Group, making it the nation’s third-largest pay TV provider.
September 8, 2024 7:00 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ildemaro Vargas hit a two-run double off Aroldis Chapman in Washington’s four-run ninth inning, and the Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6 for a doubleheader sweep. The Nationals won 5-3 in the first game. DJ Herz pitched five hitless innings and fellow rookie Dylan Crews homered. Washington put together a two-out rally against Chapman in the second game. James Wood singled in Drew Millas to get the Nationals within one. With runners on second and third, Vargas was sent up to hit for Luis García Jr. With the Nationals down to their last strike, Vargas hit a sinking liner into right field that bounced off the glove of a diving Connor Joe.
September 8, 2024 6:56 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Drew Allar threw for two touchdowns and ran for another TD as No. 8 Penn State slipped past Bowling Green 34-27. Nick Singleton scored twice for Penn State. Omari Evans caught a touchdown pass and Sander Sahaydak kicked two field goals as the Nittany Lions rallied after trailing at halftime. Connor Bazelak passed for 254 yards for Bowling Green, which led 24-20 at the half before running out of steam over the final two quarters.
