This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
🏈 Five things to know Friday
- College football kicks off tomorrow! The season begins Saturday with North Carolina vs. TCU in Ireland. Bill Belichick will call the Tar Heels' defense while his son, Steve, remains on medical leave, but does that change their odds of suffering another season-opening blowout? A total of five ACC teams will be in action in Week 0, with NC State and Virginia beginning conference play in the first contest of the league's new nine-game schedule. With so many ACC squads getting their seasons underway this weekend, now is as good a time as ever to unveil our expert picks and predictions for the conference. Only one Big Ten team, No. 14 USC, takes the field in Week 0 for what is our first look in 2026 at Jayden Maiava — the No. 3 player in our preseason Big Ten quarterback rankings.
- The NFL preseason is winding down. Only two days remain before the focus shifts to regular-season games. You won't find many starters on the field this weekend, and that's a good thing for players fighting for roster spots like Browns quarterback Taylen Green. He made the most of his preseason debut with an electric scramble and a touchdown drive, and now he awaits his roster fate. This is also the part of camp, however, where tensions can really start to flare. Benches cleared at the joint practice between the Titans and Bears following a cheap shot on Wan'Dale Robinson. And it's safe to say the Giants' defense is tired of going up against Cam Skattebo every day.
- Josh Jacobs faces two misdemeanors and a possible suspension. The Packers running back was initially arrested on five charges in May, with three of them involving domestic abuse and one of them being a felony. On Thursday, he was formally charged only for battery and damage to property — a pair of Class A misdemeanors. While his alleged offenses are less severe than they seemed at first, the NFL could still issue a suspension if its investigation finds he violated the league's personal conduct policy.
- UEFA Champions League matchups are set. Thursday's draw locked the league phase into place and set the stage for a handful of colossal showdowns. Get ready for Paris Saint-Germain vs. Barcelona. Buckle up for Arsenal vs. Real Madrid. Brace yourself for Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich. There are 32 clubs and 144 matches in this phase, and no team should feel better about their path than Liverpool, who drew two of the least formidable opponents Pot One had to offer. Speaking of UEFA, the association took legal action against FIFA over the since-scrapped proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup.
- Min Woo Lee holds a lead through 18 holes at the Tour Championship. What a time to tie your personal best. Lee had never played in a Tour Championship until Thursday and debuted in style with an 8-under 62. That put him two strokes clear of Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup in the race for the FedEx Cup. Scottie Scheffler is still the odds-on favorite to win and will tee off three groups behind Lee in Round 2. In other PGA Tour news, both the tour and Callaway severed their partnerships with Good Good Golf over the company's controversial advertisement for its new driver.
✂️ Do not miss this: NFL 53-man roster deadline looms
Getty Images It's time for the annual harsh reminder that football is a business. Teams have until 6 p.m. ET on Sunday to trim their rosters down to 53 men, which means a whole host of players will receive bad news in the next couple of days. A large handful of big-name veterans are on the chopping block, so don't be surprised if these guys end up as free agents by the end of the weekend:
- Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants
- Darren Waller, TE, Panthers
- Mecole Hardman, WR, Bills
- Sterling Shepard, WR, Texans
- Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE, Chiefs
There is some give and take at the roster deadline. While every team has to part ways with some players, this is also an opportunity to make last-minute additions. Our Josh Edwards identified one position of need for all 32 teams. It's hard to imagine the Rams needing any more help than they already found this offseason, but Edwards says they would benefit from bolstering their linebacker group.
- Edwards: "The Rams have consistently shown that they would rather invest resources in just about every other area of the roster rather than linebacker. Special teams will factor heavily in remaining roster decisions and the opportunity to get younger in that role could incite them to make a move."
In other roster news, the Seahawks handed out another huge extension when they signed Leonard Williams to a three-year, $90 million deal. Don't hold your breath on an extension for Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, though — and keep an eye on these potential landing spots if he hits the trade block. And speaking of the Rams, we graded their trade for Tutu Atwell.
⚾ MLB September call-up and waiver candidates
Imagn Images Football isn't the only sport with a roster deadline coming up in the next couple of days. When the clock strikes midnight and the calendar flips from August to September, postseason eligibility locks and rosters expand by two spots. Anyone not in a specific organization at 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31 cannot play for that team in the postseason. Clubs are allowed, however, to carry two additional players on their active roster for the rest of the year.
This means two things: first, players available on waivers will become hot commodities as teams look for last-minute help ahead of the playoff push. Arguably no one carries as much upside as Eugenio Suárez, whom the Reds reportedly placed on Waivers earlier this week. Here are a few others who could become available:
- Luis Robert Jr., CF, Mets
- Gleyber Torres, 2B, Tigers
- Jeff McNeil, UTIL, Athletics
The second factor at play is the arrival of top prospects. When rosters expand, teams will in many cases be inclined to call up the biggest names from their farm system. Shall we get ready to see Franklin Arias in a Red Sox uniform? Our Mike Axisa says the 20-year-old could make his debut soon.
- Axisa: "Thanks mostly to Andruw Monasterio, the Red Sox have received strong play from their shortstops this season. Trevor Story is expected back from hernia surgery soon, possibly this weekend, but Monasterio's versatility means there are other ways to get him into the lineup. This really boils down to Arias vs. Story, rookie vs. veteran."
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
Getty Images - The U.S. Open starts Sunday! Here's the full draw as Carlos Alcaraz returns from injury.
- NFL coaches and front-office officials question whether Shedeur Sanders will ever latch on as a starting quarterback.
- Cameron Brink did not mince words in her rant against Enes Kanter Freedom.
- While he eyes the Week 1 starting lineup, Patrick Mahomes' potential speedy return from a torn ACL is still up in the air.
- With the Dodgers' rotation down another starter, will Shohei Ohtani make his return to the mound?
- Connor Hellebuyk wants out of Winnipeg. Here are five potential landing spots following the star goaltender's trade request.
- The Yankees are paying the price for their trade deadline silence with a serious injury in their bullpen.
- Liverpool finally completed the signing of Bradley Barcola on a deal worth nine figures guaranteed. We also graded Liam Delap's transfer to Nottingham Forest and Omar Marmoush's transfer to Tottenham. Plus, Gabriel Martinelli could be headed to the Saudi Pro League.
- Conferences are pushing back against returning pros in college basketball, and that leaves Kentucky's Mark Mitchell at the center of an eligibility battle.
- Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn will meet in a welterweight title showdown on Sept. 12. Check out Zuffa Boxing's loaded Mexican Independence Day weekend card.
- Will the 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class live up to its hype? The data says a few quarterbacks are on the verge of first-round status. Also, there is a tight battle between Dylan Stewart and Colin Simmons as the top edge rusher prospect.
- NaLyssa Smith is out for the year, which deals a major blow to the Aces' title hopes.
- MLB suggested changes to roster rules and free agency with its latest collective bargaining proposal.
📺 What we're watching this weekend
Friday
⛳ Tour Championship: Second round, 1 p.m. on Golf Channel
⚾ Reds at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚽ Venezia at AC Milan, 2:45 p.m. on Paramount+
🏈 Commanders at Ravens, 6 p.m. on NFL Network
⚾ Dodgers at Tigers or Marlins at Nationals, 6:40 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Red Sox at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Mariners at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Astros at Mets, 7:10 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Sun at Fever or Fire at Dream, 7:30 p.m. on Ion
🏈 Bengals at Eagles, 8 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚽ Thorns at Gotham, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
🤼 WWE SmackDown, 8 p.m. on USA Network
🏈 Vikings at Broncos, 9 p.m. on NFL Network
⚾ Phillies at Angels, 9:38 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Tempo at Aces or Mystics at Sparks, 10 p.m. on Ion
⚾ Diamondbacks at Giants, 10:15 p.m. on MLB Network
Saturday
🤼 UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song, 3 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Nottingham Forest at Liverpool, 7:30 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Everton at Bournemouth, 10 a.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏈 Aer Lingus College Football Classic: North Carolina vs. TCU, noon on ESPN
⚾ LLWS: Japan vs. Curaçao, 12:30 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur, 12:30 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Sky at Liberty, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Lions at Colts, 1 p.m. on NFL Network
⚾ Red Sox at Yankees (Game 1) or Dodgers at Tigers, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🥊 Unified junior middleweight title: Cameron vs. Mayer, 2 p.m. on ESPN+
🥊 Itauma vs. Hrgovic, 2 p.m. on DAZN PPV
⚽ Parma at Juventus, 2:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⛳ Tour Championship: Third round, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 San Jose State at No. 15 USC, 3 p.m. on NBC
🏈 NC State at Virginia, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ LLWS: Ohio vs. Nevada, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
⚾ Rockies at Braves or Royals at Guardians, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Astros at Mets, 4:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Padres at Rays, 4:10 p.m. on Peacock
⚽ Fire at Sounders, 4:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏈 Bears at Titans, 6 p.m. on NFL Network
⚽ Courage at Current, 6:30 p.m. on Ion
🏈 Hawaii at Stanford, 7 p.m. on ACC Network
🏈 New Mexico State at Florida State, 7 p.m. on The CW
⚾ Red Sox at Yankees (Game 2) or Rangers at Brewers, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
🏁 NASCAR at Daytona, 7:30 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Montreal at Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Cincinnati at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Stars at Summit, 8:45 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Real Salt Lake at Rapids, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Phillies at Angels or Diamondbacks at Giants, 10:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Austin at Timbers, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV
Sunday
⚽ Brighton at Chelsea, 9 a.m. on NBC Sports Network
⚾ LLWS third-place game, 10 a.m. on ESPN
⚽ Málaga at Real Madrid, 11 a.m. on ESPN+
⚾ Marlins at Nationals, 12:15 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
⚽ Como at Napoli, 12:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
⚽ Bay at Spirit, 12:30 p.m. on ESPN2
⛳ Tour Championship: Final round, 1:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚾ Red Sox at Yankees, 1:35 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Padres at Rays or Mariners at Blue Jays, 1:40 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Dodgers at Tigers, 1:40 p.m. on Peacock
⚽ Inter Milan at Cagliari, 2:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⚾ LLWS championship, 3 p.m. on ABC
🎾 U.S. Open: First round, noon on ABC, 3 p.m. on ESPN2, 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Lynx at Dream, 3 p.m. on NBA TV
⚾ Astros at Mets, 3:10 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Sparks at Storm, 5 p.m. on NBA TV
⚽ Dallas at St. Louis City, 7 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Reds at Cubs, 7:20 p.m. on NBC
Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments
