Sports
Women’s College Volleyball Bracketology: Top seedings, bracket watch and more
With conference tournaments concluding this week and the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 wrapping their regular seasons this weekend, résumés will all be finalized by Saturday and all the drama gets solved on the Selection Show on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The 31 automatic bids will already know their NCAA tournament fate, just not their status. The other 33 spots will be filled with at-large teams. Volleyball seeds the top eight seeds in each region and the top-four in each region serve as first- and second-round hosts. The rest of the bracket is filled out to balance it competitively and geographically. The highest-remaining seeds also host the regionals, and the 2025 Final Four is in Kansas City, Missouri, on Dec. 18 with the finals on Dec. 21.
Bracket watch
Two of those No. 1 seeds should be Texas and Kentucky. After their epic five-set SEC tournament championship game, won by the Wildcats, it’s hard to imagine they aren’t among the top four teams in the country. Barring something stunning this weekend, Nebraska will be the No. 1 overall team. The fourth No. 1 seed is now the biggest question mark. Arizona State slots in there now by virtue of its No. 3 Rating Percentage Index (RPI) ranking, ninth ranked strength of schedule (SOS) and 6-3 record against the top 25 in the RPI.
However, an argument could be made that the quality of Pittsburgh’s top 25 wins is better and that would supersede the Panthers lower RPI and SOS than the Sun Devils. Pittsburgh may be able to strengthen that argument with wins over Louisville and Georgia Tech. Convincing wins in those two matches and expect the Panthers to elevate to that final No. 1 spot. A Louisville sweep of Pittsburgh and Stanford and the Cardinals will stake a claim to a No. 1 seed.
Top seedings
No. 1 seeds: Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas, Arizona State
No. 2 seeds: Pittsburgh, SMU, Texas A&M, Creighton
No. 3 seeds: Louisville, Stanford, Wisconsin, Purdue
No. 4 seeds: Indiana, Minnesota, Miami, USC
No. 5 seeds: BYU, Kansas, Iowa State, TCU
No. 6 seeds: Tennessee, Baylor, Colorado, Kansas State
No. 7 seeds: Penn State, Florida, Northern Iowa, Marquette
No. 8 seeds: Michigan, Western Kentucky, North Carolina, UTEP
Rest of the field (alphabetical): American, Arkansas State, Campbell, UC Davis, UCLA, Central Arkansas, Cincinnati, Coppin State, Eastern Illinois, Fairfield, Florida A&M, Georgia Tech, High Point, Long Island, Loyola-Chicago, Maryland-Baltimore County, Northern Colorado, Princeton, Rice, St. Thomas, San Diego, South Dakota State, South Florida, Stephen F. Austin, Toledo, Tulsa, Utah State, Utah Valley, Villanova, Wofford, Wright State, Xavier
(The rest of the field teams wouldn’t be seeded)
Bubble watch
Upsets in conference tournament games this week dealt a blow to some bubble teams. The Summit League now has two teams in the field with St. Thomas beating South Dakota State and earning the automatic bid, stealing a spot for a bubble team with the Jackrabbits staying in the field as an at-large bid. Tulsa did the same in the American. That made the second round SEC tournament losses by bubble teams Auburn, Georgia, Missouri and Oklahoma even harder to overcome. None of those teams are likely to make the NCAA tournament now.
Coming off a bad week, Michigan State can still play its way back into the field with wins over USC and UCLA. Oregon’s remaining schedule — Rutgers and Maryland — doesn’t offer as much résumé help. The Ducks will have a tougher time getting into the field now. Georgia Tech solidifies a spot with an upset of either Stanford or Pittsburgh or even playing competitively in both.
Last Four In: South Dakota State, Georgia Tech, Villanova, South Florida
First Four Out: Oregon, Michigan State, Dayton, Arizona
Next Four Out: Missouri, James Madison, Auburn, Pepperdine
Conference breakdown
Big 12: 8
Big Ten: 8
ACC: 7
SEC: 5
Big East: 4
American: 3
CUSA: 2
Summit: 2
Sports
NCAA president responds to integrity concerns after alleged point-shaving scheme leads to dozens of arrests
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The NCAA said that protecting the “integrity” of its athletics is “of the utmost importance” for the organization after at least 26 people were charged Thursday in connection with fixed college basketball games, and urged states to “ban risky bets.”
Prosecutors said the alleged participants bribed Chinese Basketball Association players in 2022 “to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in certain games and then, through various sports books, arranged for large wagers to be placed on those games against that team.”
The following year, the participants allegedly expanded their scheme to the NCAA, recruiting players and paying bribes between $10,000 and $30,000 per game.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
NCAA President Charlie Baker and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell announce a gambling prevention program aimed at kids during a press conference at TD Garden. The program includes a school curriculum on the risks of gambling that will be rolled out to schools statewide, as well as new money towards research to understand the scope of the problem. (Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
According to the indictment, more than 39 players on 17 different teams attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA Division I men’s basketball games, including conference tournament contests. The organizers of the alleged scheme placed wagers totaling millions of dollars.
“Protecting competition integrity is of the utmost importance for the NCAA. We are thankful for law enforcement agencies working to detect and combat integrity issues and match manipulation in college sports,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement.
Baker said the indictments were “not entirely new information to the NCAA,” as it had conducted “integrity investigations into approximately 40 student-athletes from 20 schools over the past year.”
The NCAA logo on entrance sign outside of the NCAA Headquarters on Feb. 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The NCAA added that 11 athletes from seven schools were “recently found to have bet on their own performances, shared information with known bettors, and/or engaged in game manipulation to collect on bets they — or others — placed” and have since been permanently banned.
“Additionally, 13 student-athletes from eight schools (including some of those identified above) were found to have failed to cooperate in the sports betting integrity investigation by providing false or misleading information, failing to provide relevant documentation and/or refusing to be interviewed by the enforcement staff. None of them are competing today,” Baker added.
Baker also called on states to crack down on “threats to integrity,” specifically prop bets, “to better protect athletes and leagues from integrity risks and predatory bettors. We also will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement. We urge all student-athletes to make well-informed choices to avoid jeopardizing the game and their eligibility.”
The chargers on Thursday included bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud.
“[Defendants] aided and abetted the carrying into effect, the attempt to carry into effect, and the conspiracy to carry into effect, a scheme in commerce to influence by bribery sporting contests, that is, Chinese Basketball Association (“CBA”) men’s basketball games and National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) men’s basketball games, with the defendants engaging in different aspects of this scheme, with knowledge that the purpose of this scheme was to influence in some way those contests by bribery,” the indictment said.
General view of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship game between the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Florida Gators at the Georgia Dome on March 14, 2004, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The announcement follows the federal government’s crackdown on illicit sports gambling and point-shaving schemes that involved the NBA in October.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Twenty men have been charged in a point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 college basketball players on more than 17 NCAA Division I teams, leading to more than 29 games being fixed, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Fifteen of the defendants played college basketball during the 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 seasons, according to the indictment. Some have played this season. Two of the players named in the indictment, Cedquavious Hunter and Dyquavian Short, were sanctioned in November by the NCAA for fixing New Orleans games.
At least two of the defendants, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, were also charged in a federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York centered on gambling schemes in the NBA.
Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was named but not charged in the indictment. The indictment describes Blakeney as being “charged elsewhere.”
The scheme, according to the indictment, began around September 2022 and initially was focused on fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association. The group later targeted college basketball games, offering bribes to college players ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to compromise games for betting purposes, according to the indictment.
“In placing these wagers on games they had fixed, the defendants defrauded sportsbooks, as well as individual sports bettors, who were all unaware that the defendants had corruptly manipulated the outcome of these games that should have been decided fairly, based on genuine competition and the best efforts of the players,” the indictment said.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
USAA on Thursday announced the three finalists for the NFL’s Salute to Service Award, and a dynasty in San Francisco could be on the rise.
After 49ers star George Kittle took home the award last year, Christian McCaffrey is among three finalists for the league’s award, along with Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson and Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones as the finalists — Jones was a finalist last year, as well.
“The finalists for the 15th Annual Salute to Service Award presented by USAA have used their platforms to be exceptional advocates for the military community, reminding us that service doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off,” Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Bob Whittle, Senior Vice President and Head of Military Affairs at USAA, said in a release.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Christian McCaffrey, Jake Ferguson and Aaron Jones are this year’s Salute to Service Award finalists. (, G Fiume, and John Fisher/Getty Images)
“The NFL and USAA applaud Jake Ferguson, Aaron Jones, and Christian McCaffrey as deserving finalists who have demonstrated exactly what the award stands for — using the power of football to connect with, empower, appreciate and uplift our service members, veterans and their families.”
McCaffrey launched 23 and Troops in 2021 to focus on post-traumatic stress and athlete-level care for veterans. The foundation has raised $700,000 for military support and paid off holiday layaway for 515 military families.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates his touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Santa Clara, California. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Ferguson has partnered with USAA to visit local military bases and supported the National Medal of Honor Museum, including an event in 2024 in which 900 students joined in person and thousands more virtually.
Jones grew up in a military household. His father, Alvin, served 29 years in the Army, while his mother, Vurgess, served for 27. Jones’ older brother, Xavier, serves in the Air Force. Jones and his twin brother, Alvin Jr., founded the A&A All the Way Foundation in 2020 to support the youth of military families.
The winner will be announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco on Feb. 5, the same night the MVP, Offensive and Defensive Players and Rookies, and Coach of the Year will be crowned.
George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown with Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter in the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium on Dec. 10, 2023, in Santa Clara, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Whittle and Kittle will be among those on the judging panel for the award.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
NCAA president responds to integrity concerns after alleged point-shaving scheme leads to dozens of arrests
How A$AP Rocky and Rihanna fell in love?
Xreal files patent suit against rival smart glasses maker Viture
-
Politics1 week agoUK says provided assistance in US-led tanker seizure
-
Entertainment1 week agoDoes new US food pyramid put too much steak on your plate?
-
Entertainment1 week agoWhy did Nick Reiner’s lawyer Alan Jackson withdraw from case?
-
Business1 week agoTrump moves to ban home purchases by institutional investors
-
Sports5 days agoClock is ticking for Frank at Spurs, with dwindling evidence he deserves extra time
-
Sports1 week agoPGA of America CEO steps down after one year to take care of mother and mother-in-law
-
Business1 week agoBulls dominate as KSE-100 breaks past 186,000 mark – SUCH TV
-
Sports6 days ago
Commanders go young, promote David Blough to be offensive coordinator