Sports
Duke upsets Virginia in overtime to claim ACC title, possibly shaking up CFP picture
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Duke sent the College Football Playoff picture into uncertainty with a stunning overtime win on Saturday.
The Blue Devils won their first outright ACC championship since 1962 with a 27-20 victory over Virginia.
Duke quarterback Darian Mensah connected with tight end Jeremiah Hasley for a 1-yard touchdown on a fourth-down play in overtime, in what would be the deciding score.
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Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) looks to pass during over time against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. (Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images)
Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris was intercepted by Duke’s Luke Mergott on the Cavaliers’ first offensive play of overtime.
Duke last won a share of the ACC regular-season title in 1989, sharing it with Virginia in Steve Spurrier’s final season as the Blue Devils’ coach. The conference championship game was created in 2005, and Duke got there this year thanks to a five-team tiebreaker.
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Duke’s Dan Mahan (12) celebrates defeating the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. (Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images)
Virginia, the ACC regular-season champion, would have reached the CFP for the first time in school history with a victory. While Duke is still unlikely to make the playoff field, the win opens the door for a second Group of Five team — likely James Madison — to sneak in.
JMU alums Ben Overby and James Turner were even at the game to support Duke.
“Nothing against UVA,” Turner said excitedly, “but we’re just here to support Duke.”
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Duke Blue Devils defensive end Wesley Williams (97) celebrates with safety DaShawn Stone (8) after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. (Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images)
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips argued this week that his league deserved two bids: one for No. 12 Miami as the league’s highest-ranked team, the other for the Duke-Virginia winner as the league’s champion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
2026 NFL free agency live updates: Signings, trades, rumors
NFL free agency officially begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with the start of the new league year. But as of Monday at noon ET, when the legal negotiation window opened, teams can now agree to terms with players.
Quarterback Malik Willis is signing with the Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa is signing with the Falcons, but which team could be interested in Kyler Murray? What’s the latest on edge rusher Trey Hendrickson? And which big-name players are available as trade candidates?
We’re tracking all the action of 2026 NFL free agency. Follow along live here with the latest signings, trades, cuts and contract restructures.
2026 NFL free agency coverage:
Top 100 rankings | Grading big moves
Mini mock draft
Free agency and trade market updates
Sports
Michigan St.’s Fears gets tech for another kick at player’s groin
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. drew attention for another kick toward an opponent’s groin.
Fears was called for a technical after a video review Sunday that showed he swung his right leg backward and into Elliot Cadeau during the first half of the eighth-ranked Spartans’ 90-80 loss at No. 3 Michigan.
“I got fouled, I should have probably just fell,” Fears said after the game. “It’s an unfortunate situation.”
Spartans coach Tom Izzo said he didn’t think Fears kicked Cadeau on purpose. Izzo, though, added that he “chewed him out about it” during the game.
“Nobody is tougher on him than me,” he said. “Nobody will be tougher on him than me.”
In the emotionally charged first half, the Wolverines were called for two technical fouls as officials tried to keep the rivals in check.
When the Wolverines won the first matchup earlier this season, Fears appeared to intentionally trip preseason All-America forward Yaxel Lendeborg and Michigan coach Dusty May said there were several dangerous plays in the game.
During an in-game interview on CBS, Izzo said Fears is under a microscope because of what was said following the previous game.
“I told him I don’t even want him breathing wrong,” Izzo said.
After the game, Izzo had more to say.
“I’m sick of it being one-sided,” he said. “That’s what upset me about the first time. Fears will get his lunch from me. I wonder if some of their guys will get their lunch from what happened in the first game that didn’t get public.”
During the postgame handshake, May said Izzo congratulated him on winning the Big Ten championship.
“I think it’s a great rivalry,” May said. “I think it’s a lot of fun.”
In a game at Minnesota, Fears swung his leg backward to hit Langston Reynolds‘ groin area and was called for a foul — and a technical on review.
“I’m sick of it being one-sided. That’s what upset me about the first time. Fears will get his lunch from me. I wonder if some of their guys will get their lunch from what happened in the first game that didn’t get public.”
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo
He was scrutinized again in the following game when Illinois coach Brad Underwood asked officials to review whether Fears intentionally tripped David Mirkovic after Fears stopped in front of him, but Underwood didn’t win the appeal.
Fears, who scored 22 points and had nine assists Sunday, has had a breakout season in his third year at Michigan State after bouncing back last season from a near-death experience.
His freshman year was cut short because he needed a three-hour surgery to remove a bullet from his left thigh. While hanging out with friends on Dec. 23, 2023, during a holiday break from the team, Fears and a 19-year-old woman were shot by a male with a handgun after the man entered a residence and opened fire before fleeing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Tyler Linderbaum’s $81M record-breaking deal headlines Raiders’ free agent spending spree
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The Las Vegas Raiders have flexed their financial muscle on the first day of the legal tampering period in the NFL.
The Raiders came in with a league-high $111.91 million when the legal tampering period opened on Monday, and they wasted no time revamping their roster in different ways, including shelling out a record-breaking deal.
Center Tyler Linderbaum was perhaps the best offensive lineman available on the market, and the former Baltimore Ravens first-round pick is heading out to Sin City after agreeing to terms on a three-year, $81 million deal with $60 million guaranteed. He is now the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history, per ESPN.
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Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens looks on before the game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Linderbaum, 25, cemented himself as one of the best centers in the league when he came out of Iowa, providing a consistent presence snapping the ball to two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson while in Baltimore.
But with John Harbaugh parting ways, making way for the hiring of head coach Jesse Minter, Linderbaum returning to the Ravens was never a done deal. He was expected to get a hefty long-term deal somewhere in the NFL, but Las Vegas, a team that struggled on the offensive line all through last season, made it worth his while to move to the AFC West.
It wasn’t just Linderbaum, though. Players from all over were enticed by the Raiders, who opened up the coffers to land key free agent additions, including linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean.
Dean agreed to terms before Walker, as the ex-Philadelphia Eagles linebacker is set to make $36 million with $20 million guaranteed. But Walker got more in the end: a $40.5 million deal over three years, including $28 million guaranteed, per his agents.
Walker, a first-round choice of the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft, is coming off a career year, having tallied 128 tackles to help a solid defensive group in Green Bay. He’s a trusty tackler, notching at least 100 in each of his first four seasons. Only one Packers player since 1975 has been able to do that.

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) reacts after sacking Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Philadelphia. (Matt Slocum/AP Photo/)
As for Dean, the 25-year-old Georgia product has 226 total tackles across 47 games with the Eagles, including 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 19 tackles for loss.
Staying on the defensive side, Kwity Paye shores up the interior line, as the 2021 first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts reached an agreement on a deal worth $48 million over three years with $32 million in guaranteed money. Paye is known for his ability in run defense, doing a great job setting the edge for his defense to ensure short gains.
Cornerback Eric Stokes (three years, $30 million) and defensive end Malcom Koonce (one year, $11 million) also return to the Raiders, creating even more defensive reinforcement on the roster.
Finally, the offensive pass game got a sneaky upgrade, as former Minnesota Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor agreed to terms on a $35 million deal with $23 million guaranteed across three years as well.

Nov 27, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker (7) runs out of the tunnel for action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)
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The Raiders may not yet be done with their spending spree, as they have more cap room to work with. They also have the first overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft, where they’re expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza to start a new era under head coach Klint Kubiak, who is fresh off a Super Bowl title with the Seattle Seahawks.
In a tough AFC West division, it feels like the Raiders are ready to turn the tides, hoping to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Las Vegas has gone 7-27 combined since 2024.
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