Jun. 18—BEMIDJI — Bemidji State women's soccer head coach Jim Stone announced Thursday afternoon the dates and opponents for the 2026 season, the 31st in program history.

The Beavers open the fresh season Friday, Aug. 28, and will play an 18-match regular season.

Ahead of the start of their 18-match regular season, the Beavers will play three exhibition matches, Aug. 21-23, beginning Friday, Aug. 21, against College of Saint Benedict at Chet Anderson Stadium. The Beavers will then travel to Wisconsin-Superior and St. Catherine the following Saturday and Sunday.

The Beavers' 2026 season officially gets underway the following weekend when they host regional opponents Missouri Western State and Northwest Missouri State at Chet Anderson Stadium, Aug. 28 and 30. BSU then concludes its nonconference schedule with a road trip to Mankato on Sept. 4 to face regional foe Grand Valley State.

The 15-match Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule begins the following weekend with the Beavers traveling to Sioux Falls (Sept. 11) and Southwest Minnesota State (Sept. 13). BSU then returns home Sept. 18-20 and hosts Wayne State and Augustana for its first NSIC home matches. Bemidji State closes out play in September with another road trip, beginning with Minot State on Sept. 25 and ending at U-Mary on Sept. 27. Five of the seven matches during the month will be played on the road.

Bemidji State soccer fans will get a better look at the Beavers during the month of October as five of the team's matches will be played at their home pitch, Chet Anderson Stadium. BSU kicks off the month by hosting Minnesota State and St. Cloud State on Oct. 2 and 4. BSU then has a split weekend, traveling to Minnesota Crookston on Oct. 9 and then returning home to host Minnesota State Moorhead on Oct. 11.

The Beavers then make a road trip south to face Winona State (Oct. 16) and Concordia-St. Paul (Oct. 18). BSU hosts its final regular-season home matches on Oct. 23 and 25 against Jamestown and Northern State. The final match of the regular season then follows as the Beavers travel to Minnesota Duluth on Thursday, Oct. 29, ahead of the 2026 NSIC Tournament.

The Beavers will attempt to qualify for their 17th straight postseason when the NSIC Tournament begins Nov. 2 at campus sites. The winner of the NSIC Tournament earns an automatic bid into the NCAA D-II Women's Soccer Tournament, which begins Nov. 12. BSU will attempt to qualify for its second consecutive NCAA Tournament and fifth in the last six seasons. BSU has made six NCAA Tournament appearances in its 31-year history.

2026 will be the 25th season under head coach Jim Stone, who boasts a 271-144-53 career record. His career winning percentage of .636 is the second-best winning percentage among active coaches in the NSIC. His 24 seasons at a single institution are tied for the 10th-longest tenure among active coaches in Division II.

The five-time NSIC Coach of the Year returns an experienced group to the pitch in 2026, with 21 letterwinners returning of the 34 rostered student-athletes. Stone returns United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection Megan Ko as well as All-NSIC selections Madeline Davey (Second Team), Maggie Kramer (Second Team) and Ella Wade (Second Team).

FIRST TEAM

Brady Chandler, UTIL, Suncoast senior: Chandler had a strong season at the plate and on the mound. He hit .380 with 13 RBIs and a .908 OPS. He also went 5-1 with a 3.11 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings.

Tommy Ciaccio, UTIL, St. John Paul II senior: Ciaccio, a Union College signee, was a solid part of the Saint John Paul lineup and pitching staff. He hit .337 with a home run and 23 steals, and he pitched 17 innings with a 1.24 ERA.

Harrison Craft, UTIL, Jupiter Christian sophomore: Craft was the Eagles’ top hitter, leading the team with a .449 average and 10 extra-base hits (nine doubles and one home run). He also averaged more than a strikeout per inning on the mound.

Campbell Harrison, C, St. John Paul II junior: Harrison was key hitter for Saint John Paul, hitting .344 with two home runs, 25 RBIs and a 1.007 OPS.

Micah Herring, OF, Atlantic Christian junior: Herring was a prolific hitter and base-stealer in 2026, hitting .569 with five home runs and 26 steals. Herring notched a 1.715 OPS.

Tyler Johnson, P, St. John Paul II sophomore: Johnson did not rely on strikeouts to have success, punching out 21 batters in 39 innings. But he got hitters out reliably, going 4-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.

Liam Magun, P, Cardinal Newman sophomore: Magun was the Crusaders’ ace, going 4-1 with a 1.54 ERA. He dominated opposing hitters, striking out 71 in 45 1/3 innings.

Luccas Mendez, IF, St. Andrew’s senior: Mendez anchored the Scots’ lineup, hitting .433 with a 1.103 OPS. He hit two home runs and drove in 14 runs.

Landon Moffitt, P, Atlantic Christian senior: Moffitt was the Sharks’ ace, going 5-1 and pitching 43 1/3 innings. He had a 1.62 ERA and struck out 39 batters over 43 1/3 innings.

Luke Shelhamer, C, King’s Academy senior: Shelhamer had a strong senior campaign, hitting .379 with four home runs and 21 RBIs. Shelhamer notched a 1.164 OPS.

Carlo Vazquez, UTIL, Oxbridge Academy junior: Vazquez was the ThunderWolves’ top hitter, hitting .571 with 10 extra-base hits. Vazquez had a 1.612 OPS.

Bryan Zuniga, OF, Atlantic Christian freshman: Zuniga had a breakout freshman year, batting .548 with a home run and a team-best 31 RBIs. He had 15 steals and posted a 1.417 OPS.

Alec Cabrera, IF, King’s Academy sophomore: Cabrera had a stellar sophomore year, hitting .506 with a team-leading eight home runs. Cabrera had 33 RBIs and a stellar 1.604 OPS with 22 total extra-base hits and stole 10 bases.

Van Kamen, OF, Dr. Joaquin Garcia senior: Kamen was a key part of the Bulldogs’ lineup, leading the team with a .392 batting average. He hit six doubles and stole 21 bases.

SECOND TEAM

Jason Blair, P, American Heritage-Delray sophomore

Josh Burnston, OF, Suncoast senior

Scotty Crowe, P, Saint John Paul II junior

Derek Dohler, IF, Saint John Paul II junior

Stephen Eusey, OF, Jupiter Christian senior

Ryan Galinis, P, Saint John Paul II junior

Stefano Giresi, C, Lake Worth Christian sophomore

Connor King, UTIL, Berean Christian junior

Ryan Lampman, P, Dr. Joaquin Garcia senior

Reilley Moore, IF, Berean Christian senior

Thomas Murray, IF, Oxbridge Academy senior

Brock Shaffer, UTIL, St. Andrew’s junior

Matthew Spina, OF, St. Andrew’s senior

Joaquin Urrutia, UTIL, Dr. Joaquin Garcia senior

HONORABLE MENTION

American Heritage-Delray: Noah Garfinkel, Carlos Jimenez; Atlantic Christian: Diego Dipre, Giovanni Garcia, Yadiel Garcia; Benjamin: Ryan Smith, C.J. Soto; Berean Christian: Elijah Brown; Cardinal Newman: Brady Heminger, Gianluca Luciano, Cameron Portilla, David Zitnik; Dr. Joaquin Garcia: Emmanuel Edwards, Tony Evans, Peyton Holton; Glades Central: Victor Castro, Edinson Cruz, Christopher Leon; Glades Day: Adrian Baeza, Taranta McKelvin Jr.; Jupiter Christian: Matt Kutsukos, J.D. Whitaker; King’s Academy: Daniel Cabrera, Jayden Deveaux, Grayson Sheetz, Aiden Strompf; Lake Worth Christian: Gavin Farnen, Sebastian Fernandez, Mia Kruspe, Lex Wilson; Oxbridge Academy: FJ Bahl, Brandon Langley; Pahokee: Isaac Sarmiento; Palm Beach Lakes: Kaiden Edwards, Gabriel Hall, Samuel Mojica; Somerset Canyons: Freddy Haney, Boyton Zulick; St. Andrew’s: Brian Bechtel, Derek Hopkins, Aiden Krasnow, Oliver Lipari, Aaron Tralongo; Suncoast: Emmett Casey, Guy Chityat, Brayden Moore, Nicholas Pascocello; Yeshiva: Ronen Ben-Aharon, Evan Henner, Yamin Levitt.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Pete Graffeo, St. John Paul II: Graffeo led the Eagles to a 24-5 record — their best mark in more than a decade. The Eagles
won the district title for the first time since 2022 and reached the regional semifinals.

National and international competition awaits a group of current and former Indiana State Sycamore track and field standouts.

The competitions include the 2026 USA Track and Field Under-20 Championships, which began Thursday and continue Friday at Eugene, Oregon, as well as this week's 2026 Canada Track and Field Championships in Ottawa.

Sycamore weight throwers Ben Brown and Theo Thurmond are competing at the USATF U20 meet in Oregon, while hurdler Kieran Barnewall will compete in the Canada championship on Saturday.

Also, Sycamore women's hurdler Rachel Mehringer — the seventh-place finisher at last week's NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning her First Team All-America status — will represent ISU at the USATF Outdoor Championships on July 23-26 in New York City. Mehringer will run the 100-meter hurdles.

Former Sycamore and 2024 Olympian Erin Reese will also compete in the hammer throw at the USATF Outdoor Championships at New York next month, and at the prestigious Prefontaine Classic on July 3-4 at Eugene.

Reese, a 2019 ISU graduate, was a three-time All-American for the Sycamores. In 2024, she competed at the Paris Olympics for Team USA and placed 14th in the 32-athlete field inside the huge Stade de France.

In this week's USATF U20 Championships in Oregon, the discus competition includes Brown and Thurmond getting three attempts each to make the top nine athletes who will advance to Friday's finals. If they reach that round, they'll again receive three additional attempts.

Brown will also compete in the shot put, which will divide the field into two flights on Friday. Brown is in the first flight, throwing third. All athletes will get three attempts, with the top nine athletes advancing to finals and receiving three additional attempts.

Meanwhile at Canada championships, the 110-meter hurdles will feature qualifying, semifinals and finals. Barnewall's seed time advanced him past qualifying and into Saturday's semifinal round. Barnewall can advance to the finals by finishing as one of the two fastest times in his preliminary heat or as one of the three fastest times outside of the automatic qualifiers.

The top two finishers in each event will qualify for the World Athletics U20 Championships, which take place August 5-9 in Eugene, Oregon, provided that they meet the qualification standard, according to an ISU sports information report. Athletes who finish third in their events will serve as alternates for their national team for the championships.

Each of ISU's three U20 Championships qualifiers scored significant points at last month's Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships.

Brown, the only athlete of the three to qualify for multiple events at the USATF U20 Championships, booked his place with a top-five finish in the discus at the MVC Championships and a strong shot put performance at the Sycamore Open.

Brown's discus mark of 53.06 meters, or 174 feet, 1 inch at the MVC Championships was a personal best by 5 meters and gave Indiana State multiple scorers in the event. His shot put mark in the final home meet measured 17.65 meters, or 57 feet, 11 inches, and represented his best outdoor mark of the season by over a meter.

Thurmond finished second at the MVC Championships in the discus and also earning a top-30 finish at the NCAA East First Round in the event. Thurmond already ranks in the top 10 in program history in the discus with his mark of 54.39 meters, or 178 feet, 5 inches, which earned him runner-up honors at the MVC Championships as a freshman. He was also over the 53-meter mark in the discus at the NCAA East First Round.

Barnewall continued ISU's strong hurdles tradition Hurdle by placing second at the MVC Championships and 26th at the NCAA East First Round in the 110-meter hurdles. Barnewall, the top-ranked hurdles athlete at the Canada U20 Championships, already ranks in the top 10 in program history in the event for all-conditions times.

On Thursday, the Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 to send an amended version of the Protect College Sports Act—a sweeping bipartisan college sports bill—to the Senate floor for a full vote. 

It’s the first time that a college sports bill has passed a committee vote in the Senate in the six years that college sports stakeholders have been lobbying in Congress.

“No one got everything they wanted,” Cruz said at the outset of the hearing. “But we did create a framework that stabilizes college athletics.”

The bill, introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D., Wash) and co-sponsored by Sens. Eric Schmitt (R., Mo.) and Chris Coons (D., Del.) would codify academic and health and safety standards, athlete revenue-sharing and NIL rights, and implement minimum requirements for Olympic sports participation. It would also establish limits on player compensation, transfers, and eligibility, give the NCAA and conferences antitrust protections to enforce these rules, and prevent state legislatures from passing laws to conflict with these rules. Additionally, it would prevent a power conference super league and allow for FBS conferences to pool media rights. 

Dozens of conferences, including the Big 12 and ACC, have come out in favor of the bill, as  has the NCAA. 

But it continues to have opposition from the Big Ten and SEC, the conferences said in a joint statement on Thursday morning. The opposition comes even though the newest version of the bill ameliorates their concern about the super league provision. The original version effectively prevented a Big Ten-SEC merger only, while the new version sent to the Senate floor prevents this for all four power conferences. 

An amended version of the bill also strengthens protections for Olympic and women’s sports by setting minimum roster and scholarships numbers regardless of whether schools decide to share media rights revenue in the future. A previous version of the bill only implemented these protections if media rights were pooled.

A vote on the Senate floor has not yet been scheduled, and the bill is expected to face headwinds in the House of Representatives, as Republican leadership has critiqued the bill. President Donald Trump, however, has publicly endorsed it. 

The post Landmark College Sports Bill Advances Toward Senate Vote appeared first on Front Office Sports.

Running off at the typewriter. …

Last week, I argued that the Big 12 faced a defining moment.

Would Commissioner Brett Yormark, UCF and the rest of the conference membership stand up for the integrity of college athletics, or would they surrender to the growing reality Nick Saban recently described before Congress — a world in which every NCAA rule is merely an invitation to file a lawsuit?

Now we have our answer.

The Big 12 stood up.

And Texas Tech backed down.

And college athletics is better for it.

Earlier this week, the conference took the extraordinary step of filing a federal lawsuit seeking to preserve its ability to sanction Texas Tech if it chose to field quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who admitted to extensive sports gambling activity that included betting on his own team.

The filing sent a powerful message, and hours later, Sorsby announced plans to enter the NFL supplemental draft, effectively ending the immediate standoff. But make no mistake, the most important development wasn’t Sorsby’s decision; it was the conference’s willingness to fight.

That matters because Texas Tech was hardly some expendable member institution. The Red Raiders are the defending Big 12 champions and arguably the conference’s best hope of earning a coveted College Football Playoff berth this season.

Yet Yormark and the league’s presidents recognized something larger than wins and losses. They actually understood that the credibility of competition itself was at stake.

For more than a century, sports has operated under a simple principle: participants cannot bet on the games they could possibly influence. The reason isn’t complicated. Once athletes wager on their own sport, public trust begins to erode. Fans question outcomes. Opponents question motives. The legitimacy of the competition comes under scrutiny.

The Big 12 understood that reality.

Texas Tech, however, preferred a different narrative.

School officials repeatedly framed their support of Sorsby as a matter of compassion and mental health.

Puh-leeze.

Nobody disputes that gambling addiction is serious. Nobody disputes that Sorsby deserves treatment, counseling and support.

But participation is not treatment, and being a starting quarterback for a national title contender is not a medical necessity.

Texas Tech could have supported Sorsby’s recovery without making him the face of its football program. It could have demonstrated compassion while simultaneously acknowledging that actions carry consequences.

Instead, the school chose a path that looked suspiciously convenient for a team with championship aspirations.

The rest of college athletics noticed. The Big 12 noticed. And ultimately the conference decided protecting its reputation was more important than protecting a contender.

Contrast that with what occurred in the Big Ten during Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal. While the Wolverines marched toward a national championship three years ago, the conference imposed a limited suspension on Jim Harbaugh but never seriously challenged Michigan’s ability to continue pursuing college football’s biggest prize.

The Big 12 took a different approach here. Rather than shrugging and hoping the controversy disappeared, conference leaders made clear they were prepared to use every available tool to defend what they viewed as the integrity of the league.

That is exactly what conferences are supposed to do. College athletics desperately needs governing bodies willing to enforce standards even when doing so is inconvenient.

Correction: ESPECIALLY when it is inconvenient.

The Big 12 didn’t choose the easy path. It chose the right one.

In an era when lawsuits, politicians and judges increasingly dictate the rules of college sports,  Yormark and the Big 12 membership reminded everyone that conferences still have a responsibility to protect the games themselves.

For one day at least, integrity won.

SHORT STUFF: The three stipulations Iran must accept to end the war with the United States: (1) Freeze nuclear activity. (2) Reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (3) Pay Mike Norvell’s buyout at Florida State. … At 38-years-old, the legendary Lionel Messi became the oldest player to ever record a hat trick at the World Cup. It seems that not even Father Time can defend the Magnificent Messi … Overall, the NBA Finals between the Knicks and the Spurs averaged 20.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen, the highest since the 1998 series between Chicago and Utah when Michael Jordan won his sixth and final NBA title. Who knew that the only thing as compelling as MJ’s dynasty was a Knicks team with legitimate hope. And, by the way, congratulations to Jalen Brunson for winning Finals Most Valuable Player, but judging by the post-game arrest reports during the series, my vote for the MVP went to the NYPD. …

Boxer Floyd Mayweather is facing two felony charges alleging theft and “intent to defraud” by passing a bad check to purchase a fancy-smancy $200,000 wrist watch in Las Vegas. It seems “Money” Mayweather should change his name to Funny Money Mayweather. … The winning golfer in this week’s U.S. Open will get $4.3 million. LIV Golf used to call that sort of money chump change, but now they call it next season’s entire operating budget. … My three favorites at the U.S. Open this weekend: (1) Scottie Scheffler. (2) Rory McIlroy. (3) The USGA’s sadistic course superintendent. … The Jacksonville Jaguars are auctioning off the wig Trevor Lawrence wore during their schedule release video that fooled many fans into thinking he was actually cutting his famous long, blond hair. The wig is the biggest joke the franchise has played on its fans since the hiring of Urban Meyer. …

Sorry, Jalen Brunson, but Saban is still the greatest Nick of all-time! … It took only one NBA Finals appearance for Wemby to go from the fresh new face of the NBA to the biggest villain in the NBA. The transformation was so fast it almost qualifies as a Eurostep through public opinion. … Eight different franchises have won NBA championships in the last eight seasons. I guess you could say dynasties and dominance have been replaced by, “Hey, we’ll figure it out in May and June.” … Can you believe they held a UFC fight night on the White House lawn? Then again, I guess it’s appropriate. Nothing defines today’s America like politics that feel less like governance and more like a pay-per-view main event. …

LAST WORD: With today being Juneteenth, let us never forget the words of the late, great Muhammad Ali: “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.”

Gannon men’s basketball has promoted assistant coach Mike Chalas to associate head coach, following the Golden Knights’ historic season.

Having joined head coach Easton Bazzoli’s staff in 2024, Chalas has been an integral part of the Gannon run that included the school’s first national title in men’s hoops.

For more information, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.

Jun. 17—Gonzaga may not be finished adding young talent or international flavor to its 2026-27 roster.

Nikola Kusturica, a 17-year-old wing who split time playing for FC Barcelona's senior team and U-22 squad this season, has been linked to a few of the top programs in college basketball, including Gonzaga, Kentucky, Michigan and UCLA.

Given that he won't be eligible for the NBA Draft next season, the native of Serbia is reportedly mulling a two-year college commitment before making a jump to the NBA in 2028.

According to the Field of 68's Jeff Goodman, Kentucky is considered to be the current frontrunner to land Kusturica, with Gonzaga and Michigan also making a push for the young FC Barcelona prospect.

"He's down to three schools it sounds like, it sounds like it's Kentucky, Gonzaga and Michigan probably," Goodman said Wednesday on the Field of 68's YouTube channel. "But Kentucky is the clear favorite at this point and I had somebody tell me involved in his recruitment ... they think the money is huge here, huge for Kentucky."

Other outlets, including 247Sports.com, have indicated Kusturica's recruitment is still wide open. Travis Branham, a recruiting analyst for 247Sports, initially gave a "crystal ball" to Kentucky, suggesting the Wildcats had emerged as the favorite, but later pulled it down writing "other teams are more legitimate threats to land the international star than sources indicated."

Those may not be the only options for Kusturica, who's also considering UCLA, a return to FC Barcelona or one season at Ohio-based prep school Spire Academy, according to college basketball reporter and content producer Ant Wright.

Kusturica had a breakthrough performance last summer at 2025 FIBA U-16 EuroBasket, where he earned Most Valuable Player honors while leading Serbia to a gold medal. He finished fourth in the tournament averaging 20.0 points per game to go along with 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Playing alongside Duke commit Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje on Barcelona's U-22 team, Kusturica averaged 13.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.9 apg and 1.5 spg over 19 games last season. He also made nine appearances for Barcelona's senior team in Liga Endesa play, averaging 2.3 ppg in 6.0 mpg.

The Zags already have four international players signed or committed to the 2026-27 roster. The group includes two projected starters in sophomore point guard Mario Saint-Supery, a native of Spain, and Senegalese center Massamba Diop, who transferred from Arizona State.

Real Madrid forward and Spanish native Izan Almansa committed to the Zags last month, but is expected to require an NCAA eligibility waiver after previously playing in the G League and going through the NBA Draft process last month.

Most recently, Gonzaga picked up a commitment from French guard Juwan Ekanga Ehawa, who will arrive this fall with four years of eligibility after playing for the youth and senior team at LNB Pro A club JL Bourg.

The turn of each school year means the potential for athletic departments to bring in new faces to their coaching staffs to help lead programs into the future.

Greenville ISD took a step toward the future with the hiring of new basketball coaches Cindee Wright for the Lady Lions and Anthony Portley for the Lions.

According to Wright’s LinkedIn page, the coach received her Master of Education in teaching from Ashford University and has held several different coaching positions throughout the years.

A report from the Webster Parish Journal says that Wright previously coached as an assistant in five different collegiate settings ranging from community colleges to universities.

She has also previously served as a head coach for Vermilion Community College, Cavalry Baptist Academy, Southwood High School and Minden High School.

On the flip side, Portley is a familiar face to the Greenville community. The coach is a Greenville High School alum who played for the Lions during his high school career and has had various coaching stints, including one of his latest stops being as an assistant coach at East Texas A&M University.

Portley comes back to his hometown and will look to lead the basketball program, alongside Wright, into the future.