Sports
It's been one year since one of the wildest weeks in Kentucky Basketball history
There’s a lot happening today. We’ve got a national championship game to watch, news on the House Settlement to wait for, and plenty of transfer portal developments to track (Welcome to the family, Mo Dioubate); however, I couldn’t let today end without acknowledging an important anniversary. One year ago today, John Calipari entered negotiations to […]


There’s a lot happening today. We’ve got a national championship game to watch, news on the House Settlement to wait for, and plenty of transfer portal developments to track (Welcome to the family, Mo Dioubate); however, I couldn’t let today end without acknowledging an important anniversary. One year ago today, John Calipari entered negotiations to take the Arkansas job, setting the course for one of the wildest weeks in Kentucky Basketball history.
It was a normal Sunday night in our house when the texts started rolling in about the reports that Calipari was considering leaving Lexington for Fayetteville. At first, I dismissed them as misguided rumblings from Arkansas media, but as the night went on, more emerged, including one from the late, great Bob Holt, the dean of the Arkansas beat. By the end of the night, ESPN reported that Calipari was finalizing a five-year deal with the Razorbacks, the seeds of which we later learned were first planted during a meeting between Calipari, Arkansas mega-booster John H. Tyson, and athletic director Hunter Yurachek in Calipari’s hotel room at the Final Four two nights prior.
From there, absolute chaos broke out. The next week was a complete blur of blog posts, late night Rapid Reactions, big boards, Twitter refreshing, plane tracking, and stress. Everyone knows what happened, so I won’t bother going too in-depth, but let’s take a trip down memory lane just to remember how absurd it all was.
Sunday Night (4/7): Calipari to Arkansas news breaks
Shockwaves roll across the Bluegrass as fans learn the news.
News rolled out fast and furious that Monday, which included a three-hour radio show as Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, and Billy Rutledge processed that the John Calipari era was over (Drew Franklin was at the Masters in Augusta with his phone off). That afternoon, we got a Calipari sighting as WKYT cameras captured him walking his dog along Richmond Road.
“No, I don’t, I’m walking my dog right now,” Calipari said when asked if he had a message for Kentucky fans. “Nah, I’m good. My dog is walking with me.”
On Monday, Calipari reportedly met with the players, who started entering the transfer portal; Karter Knox decommitted; and Jay Wright and Nate Oats took themselves out of the running for the Kentucky job. UConn also won the national championship, their second straight.
Did you remember that there was also a total solar eclipse that day, with parts of Western Kentucky in the “path of totality”? Me neither.
Tuesday (4/9): Calipari says goodbye
Around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, John Calipari finally broke his silence, confirming that he was leaving Kentucky and that it was time for a “new voice” for the program. We also got statements from Mitch Barnhart and Ellen Calipari, the latter of which tugged on BBN’s heartstrings.
On Tuesday, Dick Gabriel also reported that Calipari gave Kentucky a chance to counter Arkansas’ offer but Kentucky turned him down, which Gabriel later walked back. Billy Donovan and Scott Drew became the hot names in the coaching search, with Drew emerging as the frontrunner.
Wednesday (4/10): Scott Drew has tacos in Waco
Wednesday was Scott Drew day, as fans tracked the Baylor coach’s whereabouts. We were all thrown a curveball when a plane from Waco arrived in Lexington, but Drew tweeted a picture of himself having lunch with a Baylor booser at Mi Casita in Waco at the same time. Turns out it was Drew’s family, coming to check out the city before he made his decision.
Once the picture made the rounds, Kentucky fans called the restaurant and left reviews online. We even researched the Family Feud episode in the background to verify when the picture was actually taken.
The Scott Drew/Kentucky buzz was so loud on Tuesday that Baylor superfan Chip Gaines entered the chat, going back and forth with Kentucky fans online, including yours truly. I’m still waiting on my Magnolia gift package.
Thursday (4/11): Dan Hurley says no, Mark Pope gets the job
Scott Drew turned Kentucky down on Thursday morning, shifting the focus of the search to Dan Hurley. Kentucky reportedly offered Hurley $11-$12 million per year to come to Lexington, but he still said no. In hindsight, this proved to be a huge blessing, as Hurley went off the rails a bit during the 2024-25 season. There’s no denying his coaching talent, but as time goes on, it becomes clearer how bad of a fit Hurley and Kentucky would have been.
On Thursday afternoon, word first broke that Mark Pope was a candidate for the job, although most of us were too busy trying to figure out Billy Donovan’s postseason timeline with the Chicago Bulls to take it seriously. A few hours later, we did when word broke that Kentucky was finalizing a five-year deal with Pope to be the head coach. “Stunned” doesn’t begin to describe our Rapid Reaction to the news.
Friday (4/12): Mitch Barnhart, Rick Pitino make the case for Pope
It didn’t take us long to warm up to the hire. On Friday morning, Mitch Barnhart made the case for Pope during an appearance on the radio show, praising his passion for the program and exciting offense. Rick Pitino also went to bat for his former team captain, predicting greatness and even offering to donate NIL money. Speaking of NIL, two boosters donated $4 million to help build Pope’s program that morning, the first big wave of support.
By Friday night, the video comparing Pope’s offense to a video game started making the rounds as Kentucky fans got on board with his system. Plans were made for Pope’s introductory press conference on Sunday at Rupp Arena.
Saturday (4/13): The Popes arrive in Lexington
On Saturday, it started to become real as Mark Pope, his wife, and daughters arrived in Lexington. By the end of the day, he had already sent a pre-recorded phone call to UK students, introducing himself.
Sunday (4/14): Mark Pope is introduced to BBN
A wild week wrapped up with Pope’s introductory press conference at Rupp Arena, which served as a revival for the fanbase. Fans lined up outside Rupp for hours, and Pope even hopped out of his car to come greet them on his way inside. UK officials only expected 7,000 fans to attend the event but ended up having to turn 5,000 away because the building was filled to capacity.
It was an incredible afternoon, with Pope walking off the bus holding the 1996 championship trophy just as he had 28 years prior and vowing that he “understands the assignment,” a phrase we’ve heard a million times since. It may only be topped by the moment he brings another trophy back to Rupp, hopefully in the not-too-distant future.
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All of that happened in the span of just one week. As happy as I am about the end result, let’s not pack that much into seven days again, please — unless it’s for a celebration.
Sports
Volleyball: FIVB Women’s World Championship 2025 – full schedule, all results & standings
Who will be crowned the queens of volleyball at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship? Thirty-two nations from across the globe will compete for the women’s volleyball crown, currently held by Serbia who have won the last two editions of the tournament. Four cities will play host to the eight pools – Chiang Mai, […]

Who will be crowned the queens of volleyball at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship?
Thirty-two nations from across the globe will compete for the women’s volleyball crown, currently held by Serbia who have won the last two editions of the tournament.
Four cities will play host to the eight pools – Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phuket, and the Thai capital Bangkok, which will also host the final round.
The event is from 22nd August to 7th September, with preliminary rounds from 22-27 August, before the round of 16 gets underway on 29 August.
The top two teams in each pool will progress from the preliminary round into the final round, which takes place in a knockout stage format from the round of 16 all the way to the final, being held at the Indoor Stadium in the Hua Mak Sports Complex in Bangkok on 7 September.
Find the full schedule for the women’s world championship below, as well as the results, scores and standings as they come in.
Sports
CSUB Athletics Announces Fall 2025 ESPN+ Broadcast Slate
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The 2025 Fall season is already underway and the Cal State Bakersfield Athletics Department is preparing for its first official home contest less than a week away. Heading into the new season, CSUB is excited to once again partner with ESPN via, the world’s leading multiplatform sports entertainment brand, to broadcast all 26 Roadrunner […]

Cal State Bakersfield has been collaborating with ESPN to broadcast `Runner home games for more than a decade, including as part of The Big West’s ongoing partnership with the global sports leader. Sports fans who are unable to attend CSUB’s home contests in person will be able to stay up-to-date with the `Runners live on ESPN+ with CSUB Director of Creative Services Kyle LePere leading the production process.
Under LePere’s leadership, Cal State Bakersfield has broadcasted 125 out of 128 regular-season home matches for the two soccer programs and the indoor volleyball team dating back to 2017. During the 2024-25 season, these three sports combined to average over 5,000 viewers per home contest on ESPN+.
The highest-flying and most exciting plays the `Runners have made, several of which have made SportsCenter Top Play of the Day lists, have all been streamed to thousands of fans watching from home and that tradition continues this year. Visit GoRunners.com/Live for the latest schedule of upcoming ESPN+ broadcasts from Bakersfield.
Tickets for all of these home contests are available now at GoRunners.com/Tickets, but fans interested in following the `Runners and the rest of the Big West from home should subscribe to the service today. More information, including where to watch and deals like the Disney Bundle can be found here.
Cal State Bakersfield’s first broadcasted home game for the Fall season is the men’s soccer team’s home opener, Aug. 25, against California Baptist. Some of the best matchups and storylines of the Fall season are listed below:
– Aug. 28: Men’s Soccer welcomes back former Head Coach Simon Tobin and San José State for a non-conference matchup.
– Sept. 4: Women’s Soccer faces cross-valley rival Fresno State in the annual Rally for the Valley match.
– Sept. 9: Volleyball hosts Santa Clara for the team’s 2025 Home Opener, the only chance for fans to see the new-look `Runners at home in either August or September.
– Oct. 26: A rematch from the 2024 Big West Semifinals will see Women’s Soccer hosting Hawai’i at the Main Soccer Field.
– Oct. 31: A Halloween matinee is on tap when Volleyball welcomes defending Big West Champion Cal Poly to the Icardo Center.
– Nov. 1: Men’s Soccer played the 2024 regular season finale on the road at Cal Poly with the winner to take home the Big West crown. The `Runners came up short last year and will be looking for revenge on Senior Night in 2025.
Sports
Bainbridge, Leijenaar Tabbed Big Ten Runners to Watch – University of Nebraska
Nebraska cross country runners Ali Bainbridge and Rico Leijenaar were recognized as Big Ten Preseason Runners to Watch. Bainbridge is coming off an impressive 2024 campaign, where she earned NCAA All-Midwest Region and second-team All-Big Ten honors. The rising junior represented the Huskers at the 2024 NCAA Championships and grabbed a 76th-place finish, the highest […]
Sports
Volleyball Hosts Palm Beach Juniors Round Robin Starting Thursday
Story Links The Keiser volleyball team continues its early-season slate this week after going 2-2 at the Palm Beach Juniors Classic, highlighted by a straight-set win over No. 11 Montana Western — the highest-ranked victory in program history — and a 3-0 sweep of WVU Tech. The pair of victories […]

The Keiser volleyball team continues its early-season slate this week after going 2-2 at the Palm Beach Juniors Classic, highlighted by a straight-set win over No. 11 Montana Western — the highest-ranked victory in program history — and a 3-0 sweep of WVU Tech. The pair of victories also marked the first collegiate wins for head coach Dan Bergren last weekend.
The Seahawks now turn their attention to four matches in two days hosting the Palm Beach Juniors Round Robin beginning Thursday at 9:00 a.m. against Mobile before facing Florida National at 1:00 p.m. On Friday, Keiser will meet Columbia (S.C.) at 11:00 a.m. followed by a 1:00 p.m. contest with (rv) Grace College.
The Palm Beach Juniors Round Robin
August 21-22, 2025
Student Life Center, West Palm Beach, Fla.
WATCH LIVE: Urban Edge Network
LIVE STATS: SIDEARM STATS
ADMISSION: Day Pass $12 (Full Tournament – $20)
Thursday, August 21
Keiser vs Mobile – 9:00 AM
Keiser vs Florida National- 1:00 PM
Friday, August 22
Keiser vs Columbia (SC) – 11:00 AM
Keiser vs Grace – 1:00 PM
Mobile
- The series is tied 2-2 dating back to 2008
- Keiser won the most recent matchup, 3-1 in their opening season match last season
- Keiser’s largest win came in a 3-0 sweep in April of 2021
- Mobile won the first meeting, 3-0 in 2008
Florida National
- Keiser leads the all-time series 10-4 since 2015
- The Seahawks won the most recent matchup, 3-0 in 2023 in the Student Life Center
- Keiser is on a three-match win streak, its longest in the series
- Florida National’s longest streak was two matches in 2017
- Keiser is 7-1 at home and 3-3 on the road in the series
Columbia (SC)
- Keiser leads the all-time series 2-0
- The Seahawks won the most recent matchup, 3-0 back in 2022 at a neutral site in Cleveland, Ga.
- Keiser is on a two-match win streak, its longest in the series
- Both victories have come by 3-0 sweeps
- The first meeting was also a 3-0 Keiser win on Aug. 28, 2019, in Columbia, S.C
Grace
- This will be the first meeting between Keiser and Grace
- The Seahawks sit at 2-2 on the season after hosting the Palm Beach Juniors Classic last weekend
- Head Coach Dan Bergren collected his first career victory at Keiser, highlighted by the program’s highest-ranked win in history over No. 11 Montana Western
- Keiser’s second win of the weekend came in a 3-0 sweep against West Virginia Tech
- Isabella Steffel paced the offense with 34 kills, followed closely by newcomer Cece Worsham with 31
- Setter Mallory Dills directed the attack with 112 assists across four matches
- Defensively, Faith Marquis posted nine service aces while leading the back row with 89 digs
- At the net, Aubree Valcourt recorded five blocks while Worsham added four
Seahawks Tournament Opponents
**Mobile and Columbia are listed with 2024 stats
Keiser | 2025 Stats | Mobile (2024) | Florida National | Columbia (SC) (2024) | Grace |
164 | Kills | 1690 | 96 | 839 | 206 |
.119 | Attack % | .227 | .052 | .071 | .220 |
156 | Assists | 1554 | 85 | 787 | 201 |
28 | Service Aces | 239 | 22 | 175 | 15 |
287 | Digs | 2126 | 142 | 1078 | 248 |
12.0 | Total Blocks | 225.0 | 7.0 | 107.0 | 17.0 |
Get the latest information on the team by following @keiser_vb on Instagram and @keiservb on X.
General athletic news can be found at KUSeahawks on Facebook, @kuseahawks on Instagram, and @kuseahawks on X.
Sports
CricViz Announces Landmark Partnership to Deliver Non-Live Content for Prasar Bharati
PRESS RELEASE Published August 20, 2025 CricViz has been appointed by India’s public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, to produce a new cutting-edge cricket show for millions of fans across India. NEW DELHI, IN / ACCESS Newswire / August 20, 2025 / CricViz, the world’s leading cricket data and analytics provider, has announced a landmark partnership […]

PRESS RELEASE
Published August 20, 2025
CricViz has been appointed by India’s public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, to produce a new cutting-edge cricket show for millions of fans across India.
NEW DELHI, IN / ACCESS Newswire / August 20, 2025 / CricViz, the world’s leading cricket data and analytics provider, has announced a landmark partnership with Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster. The deal was formally announced at a special premiere of The Great Indian Cricket Show held in New Delhi on Monday.

Michael Kivido, MD – CricViz and Shri Gaurav Dwivedi, IAS, CEO – Prasar Bharati, present signed agreements.
Under the multi-year agreement, CricViz will lead the creation of compelling content narratives, manage end-to-end production and show logistics, and curate a star-studded line-up of legendary Indian cricketers and guests across more than 100 episodes.
The show, which will be broadcast across Prasar Bharati channels like Waves and Doordarshan Sports to an audience of over 240 million people, features celebrated ex-Indian national team cricketers such as Anil Kumble, Sanjay Manjrekar, Parthiv Patel, and Sanjay Bangar. It celebrates India’s cricketing heritage while also incorporating and data-led storytelling, as it aims to shape the future of sports broadcasting.
Following the opening of its Mumbai office and the creation of a specialist team of sports industry executives, this deal reflects CricViz’s rapid growth both geographically in India and new capabilities. In addition to its collaborations with global rightsholders, international cricket governing bodies, teams, and leagues, this partnership underscores CricViz’s strength in content production, driving broadcast audience growth and enhancing fan engagement.
Michael Kivido, Managing Director, CricViz, stated: “This partnership with Prasar Bharati represents a unique opportunity to combine CricViz’s analytical expertise with Prasar Bharati’s unparalleled reach. The Great Indian Cricket Show will set new standards in cricket storytelling for audiences across India.”
Shri Gaurav Dwivedi, IAS, CEO, Prasar Bharati, added: “The Great Indian Cricket Show is an important step in Prasar Bharati’s continuing endeavour to bring high-quality, meaningful content to audiences across India. It seeks to honour the country’s cricketing legacy while engaging with the next generation of fans.”
Monday’s invite-only premiere marked the commencement of this flagship production, which will be aired on DD Sports every Saturday and Sunday at 8 PM IST, and will also be featured on Akashvani, Waves OTT App and Prasar Bharati digital platforms in the coming weeks.
About CricViz:
CricViz, part of Ellipse, was founded in 2015 to deliver a new narrative in cricket. Combining the world’s most extensive cricket database and unique predictive models with the expertise of our team of data scientists, programmers, analysts and story-tellers, CricViz provides unrivalled analysis and insight to cricket clients around the world.
About Prasar Bharati:
Prasar Bharati is India’s autonomous public service broadcaster and the parent body of Doordarshan Television Network and All India Radio. With nationwide reach across terrestrial, satellite, and digital platforms, Prasar Bharati plays a vital role in delivering high-quality, diverse, and inclusive programming to the Indian population.
Media Contact:
Alan Davis – Marketing Director
alan.davis@ellipsedata.com
SOURCE: CricViz
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

ACCESSWIRE
News network reaching more than 1,500 media outlets in 98 countries. The newest, fastest-growing and most disruptive newswire available today.
Sports
Bison Spotlight: Freshman Lacrosse Standout Sophia Lima Brings International Experience as She Embarks on Her Howard Journey
As a fifth grader growing up in Los Angeles, Sophia Lima decided to take a try at lacrosse since her father’s friend was a coach looking for players to field a team. That decision not only introduced Sophia to the game but also helped set her on a path where her talent and determination would […]

As a fifth grader growing up in Los Angeles, Sophia Lima decided to take a try at lacrosse since her father’s friend was a coach looking for players to field a team. That decision not only introduced Sophia to the game but also helped set her on a path where her talent and determination would take her on a global journey — including a stint on the Mexican national team, where she played in tournaments in Europe and Asia. Now, Lima’s bringing her skills to the Mecca and looking to make an impact.
Lima, a freshman health management major, is one of the newest members of the Howard University women’s lacrosse team. And, according to Head Coach Karen Healy-Silcott, she is one to watch as the team continues to build a successful program.
“This is the first [year] I’ve head real confidence in what our team can do because of the growth we’ve had in recent years, the bonds the players have made, and the talent of our players, especially players like Sophia,” said Healy-Silcott, who is beginning her fifth year leading the program.
Lima caught Healy-Silcott’s eye a few years ago while playing for LA Select, a highly competitive club team in her hometown. After powering through programs as an elementary and junior high school student, Lima became one of the most-watched lacrosse players in southern California, helping her high school team, Crescenta Valley, win the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championship in 2023 as a sophomore.
Now, Lima finds herself in a similar situation — joining a team as a young member with great expectations. The team will have a series of exhibition games this fall, including hosting Keio University from Japan Oct. 5, with the 2026 campaign beginning in January.
“It will be exciting to see where we are and what we need to work on,” said Lima, who joined fellow newcomers this summer in the Committed Games, a tournament designed for elite committed players who are rising college freshmen. During the tournament, Lima and other Bison newbies played against freshmen phenoms from some of the game’s top institutions, such as Northwestern, Boston College, North Carolina, and Maryland. The experience was much like what Lima has grown accustomed to in her young career, having competed against high-caliber players as a member of the Mexican national team the last three years. Lima — whose father, Guillermo Lima, is from El Salvador, and mother, Arianna Garcia, is from Mexico — chose to play for the Mexican team because of its emergence as a women’s lacrosse contender. She credits her parents’ commitment to supporting her dreams for being a major factor in her success.
“With my club play, I was often traveling to Santa Barbara or even San Diego for practices, and we did a lot of travel around the country and even internationally,” Lima said. “My parents did a lot to make this happen for me and I’m very grateful.”
The elder Lima said the long hours getting Sophia to practices and games — and even hours he has spent as her personal trainer — are now paying off with his daughter having earned a scholarship to play lacrosse for a Division I program, even if it means that his only child will be attending college across the country.
“I’m sad to see her go far away, but very grateful for the opportunity that she has here,” said Guillermo, who made the trip out with Sophia to help her get settled this month. “She’s excited and so am I. She’s using her wings to continue flying high.”
As a child, Sophia had two goals when it came to playing lacrosse: playing for a Division I program and competing in the Olympics. With her standing as a Bison now confirmed, Sophia has one more goal left and is hopeful to be playing in the 2028 Summer Olympics in her hometown of Los Angeles. It will be even more meaningful considering the origin of the game.
“The sport definitely comes with a history having been created by Native Americans before colonization made it something communities of color weren’t too involved with,” Lima said, stressing that the finesse with which women players play and the aggressiveness of the men’s game are major reasons people can become fans of the game.
“The way the game is played is just so interesting to watch. It’s really entertaining, but strategic,” Lima added. “And I think it’s growing [in] popularity and taking the time to learn its history, students here could really start to become fans of the game, especially since Howard is a school that greatly respects history.”
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