INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There's more than just school pride and bragging rights to all that bellyaching over who might be in and who might be out of college football 's first 12-team playoff. Try the more than $115 million that will be spread across the conferences at the end of the season, all depending on who gets in and which teams go the farthest. According to the College Football Playoff website , the 12 teams simply making the bracket earn their conferences $4 million each. Another $4 million goes to conferences whose teams get into the quarterfinals. Then, there's $6 million more for teams that make the semifinals and another $6 million for those who play for the title. Most of this bonanza comes courtesy of ESPN, which is forking over $1.3 billion a year to televise the new postseason. A lot of that money is already earmarked — more goes to the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference than the Big 12 or Atlantic Coast — but a lot is up for grabs in the 11 games that will play out between the opening round on Dec. 20 and the final on Jan. 20. In all, the teams that make the title game will bring $20 million to their conferences, all of which distribute that money, along with billions in TV revenue and other sources, in different ways. In fiscal 2022-23, the Big Ten, for instance, reported revenue of nearly $880 million and distributed about $60.5 million to most of its members. The massive stakes might help explain the unabashed lobbying coming from some corners of the football world, as the tension grows in advance of Sunday's final rankings, which will set the bracket. Earlier this week, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark lit into the selection committee, which doesn't have a single team higher than 15 in the rankings. That does two things: It positions the Big 12 as a one-bid league, and also threatens to makes its champion — either Arizona State or Iowa State — the fifth-best among conference titlists that get automatic bids. Only the top four of those get byes, which could cost the Big 12 a spot in the quarterfinals — or $4 million. “The committee continues to show time and time again that they are paying attention to logos versus resumes,” Yormark said this week, while slamming the idea of teams with two losses in his conference being ranked worse than teams with three in the SEC. The ACC is also staring at a one-bid season with only No. 8 SMU inside the cut line of this week's projected bracket. Miami's loss last week all but bumped the Hurricanes out of the playoffs, a snub that ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said left him “incredibly shocked and disappointed." “As we look ahead to the final rankings, we hope the committee will reconsider and put a deserving Miami in the field," Phillips said in a statement. The lobbying and bickering filters down to the campuses that feel the impact. And, of course, to social media. One of the most entertaining episodes came earlier this week when athletic directors at Iowa State and SMU went back and forth about whose team was more deserving. There are a few stray millions that the selection committee cannot really influence, including a $3 million payment to conferences that make the playoff. In a reminder that all these kids are going to school, after all, the conferences get $300,000 per football team that meets academic requirements to participate in the postseason. (That's basically everyone). Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the countryside city of Rosario. The 12-year-old Messi played with the No. 10 jersey of an Inter Miami youth team, which lost 1-0 on Monday to host Newell’s Old Boys in the traditional under-13 competition. The team also played Tuesday. Lionel Messi took his first steps as a footballer in the Argentinian club in Rosario, 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of capital Buenos Aires. Thiago's mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play. Lionel Messi did not attend. Thiago, who was substituted in the second half, played with his friend Benjamín Suárez, son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, Messi's teammate and close friend at Barcelona and now at Inter Miami. Messi and Suárez are in Rosario after Inter Miami’s early elimination in the MLS playoffs. On Sunday, they watched a friendly game of Inter Miami's U13 team against Unión at the same sports complex. The youth tournament in Argentina brings together eight teams from North and South America. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A doctor has warned that the mysteriously named Disease X could become the next huge pandemic, adding that the world is not prepared for a sudden boom in cases. Disease X - which is the name given to a as-yet-uknown infection - is among 11 diseases which have been described as dangerous by doctors , reports the Mirror. Measles, cholera, scabies, bird flu, and even another Covid outbreak were also named in the list of scientists' most feared infections for 2025. The World Health Organization (WHO) had previously classed the unknown pathogens as Disease X, and it was included in its own priority list of diseases that needed researched urgently. Recently, the disease killed at least 31 people - mainly children - in the Panzi region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The WHO revealed that there were more than 400 recorded cases of an undiagnosed disease in the DRC between October 24 and December 5. The most common symptoms included fever, headache, body aches, and a bad cough. However, the most severe cases were linked to severe malnutrition, they added. Disease X is one of the infections that's is likely to lead to severe outbreaks, and potentially a pandemic, according to Dr Michael Head; Senior Research Fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton. If an outbreak was to happen immediately, the world is likely to be severely unprepared, similar to the global shock of coronavirus. Disease X does not refer to one infection but a name given to any disease that has not yet been identified. However, the idea of an unknown virus or bacterial infection is very real, and scientists have urged governments to be prepared for anything Mother Nature might throw at us. "Disease X is the name given to an as-yet-unknown bug, that has the potential to cause large outbreaks or even a pandemic," Dr Head told the Mirror. "This bug would have the potential to spread quickly and have a high mortality rate; for example like COVID-19. "The world was poorly prepared for the most recent pandemic, and though we have significant advances in technology, such as the use of mRNA platforms for vaccines and other medicines, we would likely fall short again should Disease X emerge tomorrow." Dengue fever is the world's most commonly transmitted virus, spread by mosquitoes. Tens of millions of cases are contracted per year, and up to 25,000 people die annually. Commonly found in South America and Southeast Asia, more cases are popping up in southern Europe - mainly due to climate change. France, Italy and Spain are most likely to see outbreaks of dengue - which is also referred to as the 'bone breaker' disease. The mosquito that carries the virus is eventually expected to gain a foothold in the UK. However, it's still unknown when that might be. Medicine professor at the University of East Anglia, Paul Hunter, expected to see more cases of dengue fever in 2025 - specifically in southern Europe. This year, there was only one confirmed case of chikungunya in Europe, although it could potentially be on the rise in the coming year, warned Professor Hunter. It's another mosquito-driven viral infection, and is similar to the mayaro virus and the ross river virus. Nearly all cases of the virus are found in South America; particularly in Brazil, which had more than 400,000 between August and October in 2024. Yet, as European climates are becoming more favourable for mosquitoes, and scientists fear chikungunya could be on the rise. Professor Hunter said: "I think we will likely see more mosquito-borne diseases in southern Europe; mainly dengue but also probably chikungunya. I also worry about West Nile fever." The West Nile virus is not often noticed in about 80% of human patients. However, for those remaining 20%, it can lead to deadly West Nile fever. The virus is transmitted by mosquito bite, although it could also be spread by blood transfusions and organ transplants. It's still to be reported by local transmission in the UK, but there have been cases of travellers returning with the infection. Human infections have been reported in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Germany since the start of November 2024. At its worst, West Nile fever can develop into West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND). WNND describes when the nervous system is directly affected by the virus, and it can include developing meningitis, encephalitis, and acute flaccid myelitis. Measles is an extremely serious airborne infection that mainly affects young children. Over 107,000 people died from measles globally in 2023, a majority of whom were under fives years old. It's spread by coughing or sneezing, moving in air droplets, and can live in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours. That makes it highly infectious, and infects about 90% of all unvaccinated people within close contact. Measles has been on the rise in the western world over the past few years, largely driven by a fall in vaccination rates. The proportion of kids receiving their first dose of the measles vaccine in 2019 was 86%. But that fell to 83% in 2023. Dr Head said: "Measles is vaccine-preventable. With two doses of the MMR vaccine, that stops measles in its tracks. With a high uptake, we could literally eradicate it from the planet, like smallpox. A lower uptake, partly due to too much covid interrupting health service delivery in the pandemic, means children in the UK and globally are being affected. It is a nasty infection in unvaccinated children, and it can and does kill." Coronavirus has been around since the beginning of the pandemic, and has never left. It's also still mutating and changing, with new strains harbouring the potential to become more infections and potentially vaccine-resistant. In October 2024, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed a new variant appeared to be more infectious than previous strains. The XEC variant, which combined strains of KS.1.1 and KP.3.3 suddenly sparked a big rise in Covid cases across the country. Admission rates for people testing positive for Covid rose from 3.7 per 100,000 to 4.5 per 100,000 in just one week. Dr Head said: "The vaccines, along with use of medicines and diagnostics etc., have massively blunted the public health impact of COVID -19. But, it’s still here, very much hasn’t gone away, and will continue to pose a problem to health services and populations everywhere around the world. Do get vaccinated if another dose if offered to you!" The WHO has warned that cholera is a global public health threat. Caused by consuming food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae bacteria, it's a severe diarrhoeal disease. In the most extreme cases, the infection can develop extremely fast, leading to death within a few hours if not treated. Up to 143,000 people die from cholera each year worldwide. There have been seven cholera pandemics since in the 19th century, with the most recent in 1961 largely affecting south Asia. But forced migration, sparked by climate change, could mean that 2025 sees another big surge in cholera cases, warned Professor Hunter. Still, cholera cases are incredibly rare in Europe, and most confirmed cases are found in Africa and Asia. In 2022, for example, 29 cases were reported by nine EU countries; all of which included a history of travel to a cholera hotspot. Avian flu, or bird flu as it's known, is widely accepted as the most likely known cause of the next pandemic. It's a form of flu virus that commonly spreads among birds, but has been known to move across to humans. The virus isn't easily passed to humans, although it can mutate rapidly, leaving scientists fearing a mass outbreak. As it stands, almost all cases of H5N1 - the most common bird flu strain in humans - have been reported in those that work closely with animals. "A permanent member of any ‘possible infectious disease threat’ list, avian influenza evolves its shape and style a little like the Covid variants, and has the potential to cause a pandemic," said Dr Head. "We haven’t yet seen widespread human-to-human transmission - but we could do." Bird flu is spread to humans by touching infected animals, their droppings or bedding, or by preparing infected poultry for cooking. There isn't a seasonal bird flu vaccine, but a universal jab to protect against all types of flu, including avian flu, would be the "holy grail", added Dr Head. Antibiotic-resistant infections continue to rise in the UK, the UKHSA has warned. With the WHO stating that antimicrobial resistance is a top global health threat. Antimicrobials are medicines commonly used to treat infectious diseases, including antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals. Scientists have warned that these infections are taking increasingly longer to react to the medications, as they're evolving and developing to protect against them. Individuals who catch a bacterial infection that's resistant to antibiotics are more likely to die within 30 days, according to the UKHSA. Professor Hunter added that antimicrobial-resistant bacteria posed a "significant concern" going into 2025. E.coli is by far the most common type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the UK, which commonly causes diarrhoea, vomiting, and urinary tract infections. By the middle of 2024, the UK reported more than 600 cases of the bacteria, which was markedly more than seen in previous years. UKHSA Chief Executive, Professor Dame Jenny Harries, said in November: "Increasingly the first antibiotics that patients receive aren’t effective at tackling their infections. That’s not just an inconvenience – it means they are at greater risk of developing a severe infection and sepsis. Our declining ability to treat and prevent infections is having an increasing impact, particularly on our poorest communities. "Only take antibiotics if you have been told to do so by a healthcare professional. Do not save some for later or share them with friends and family. This isn’t just for your own health - it’s about protecting everyone in our communities and future generations." Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs, and can be deadly if left untreated. It often affects young children and babies, but any can develop symptoms if they become infected. The infection is named after the characteristic 'whoop' sound made by infected young babies between deep breaths. Yet, not all babies make the noise, which means it can go untreated for some time. The UK is in the middle of a major whooping cough outbreak, and annual confirmed cases topped 10,000 in August. The second quarter of the year saw higher confirmed cases than any of the quarters in 2012, which was the last major outbreak year. Professor Hunter said it remained unclear whether there would be more cases of whooping cough in 2025 than 2024, but it remained a "big concern". At least 10 infants have died in the UK since the start of the current outbreak, which dates back to November 2023. UKHSA's Director of Immunisation, Dr Mary Ramsay, said earlier this year: "Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time. Pregnant women are offered a whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks. "This passes protection to their baby in the womb so that they are protected from birth in the first months of their life when they are most vulnerable and before they can receive their own vaccines." Recently, doctors have urged Brits to avoid ignoring the signs of scabies infestation, after a spike in cases. The condition is caused by tiny mites burrowing into the skin to lay their eggs, sparking a really unpleasant itchy rash. Scabies doesn't cause death in many people, but it can really affect your quality of life, according to Dr Head. It's particularly common in the UK, and is mainly seen in institutional settings, including schools, care homes, and prisons. The number of confirmed scabies cases in England increased by 58% in the first half of 2024, compared with 2023. GP diagnoses were also well above the five-year average, with the north of England seeing the largest proportion of cases. "The mites burrow under the skin, causing an immune response that triggers inflammation and itching," said Dr Head. "You can catch it by prolonged skin-to-skin contact, or via clothes, furniture or bedding that an infected person may have used previously." Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Signing day for high school and junior college recruits is the most positive day of the year on the college football calendar. Whereas portal day, when players can enter the transfer portal to go find greener pastures, has turned into the most negative. Idaho State, like every other football program in the nation, celebrated early signing day on Wednesday, when the Bengals welcomed 18 new high school players and a junior college transfer. On Monday, the Bengals will say goodbye to at least one accomplished player who still has eligibility remaining – All-Big Sky Conference kicker Gabe Panikowski. Panikowski, who was a perfect 15-for-15 on field goal attempts this past season, announced on social media last week that he’s going to enter the transfer portal after just one season in the ISU program. One of the most positive and upbeat young men you’ll ever want to meet, he is determined to pursue his dreams of kicking at the highest levels of the college game – and eventually in the National Football League. “I love to explore life,” said the California native in a recent interview. “I love to have really different experiences. One of the things I’ve learned is that life is very short. ... Sometimes in life you’ve gotta move on. I want to compete with those guys whose names are big in the kicking world. I want to have that type of competition, to push myself to the max.” Leaving ISU, his kicking coach Dan Hawkins and his head coach, Cody Hawkins, are not easy things to do for Panikowski, who started his college career at Sacramento State, moved on to junior college and then came to the Bengals over the summer. “Those are the two best coaches I’ve ever had,” he said of the father-son duo. “It was definitely hard to make that decision.” Panikowski dreams of taking his talents to a Power 4 school, where he can perform under the pressure of kicking before tens of thousands of rabid fans. He is fully aware, however, of the pitfalls of such situations. He watched what happened to former ISU kicker Ian Hershey, who transferred to Arizona State. Hershey was publicly called out by ASU head coach Ken Dillingham after missing two important field goals in a loss to Cincinnati earlier this season. Hershey, a Highland High School graduate who started his collegiate career at ISU, missed from 41 and 48 yards out in the 24-14 loss to the Bearcats. After the game, Dillingham called the ASU kicking game “atrocious,” and said he was going to hold tryouts to find a new kicker. “I’m dead serious,” Dillingham told the media after the game. “We’ve got to find somebody who can make a field goal.” Dillingham later issued an apology on social media. He said he talked about ASU’s kicking game like he would the team’s offense or defense. “However, the kicking game is always directed at one player. I should not have done that and I apologize,” Dillingham said. “This team’s losses will always 100% fall on me.” Hershey, who was 7-of-12 in field goal attempts this season, hasn’t kicked for Arizona State since that game. But Panikowski is not deterred by Hershey’s experience. “It was very unfortunate what happened to Ian Hershey,” he said. “He’s a phenomenal kicker. I definitely took into consideration that going into a bigger level of football. There’s going to be criticism – always. Again, that’s a part of life. What makes people different – the excellent people vs. the normal people, is the excellent people are able to put their head down and move through criticism. They are able to drive themselves through to finish their task and do whatever it is they need to do. “You’ve gotta have a professional mindset when you get to that next level,” Panikowski continued. “I do understand, and I think I’m fully capable, fully ready for this. I’ve prepared myself mentally for this.” Panikowski has used his former private kicking coaches to put the word out that he’s going into the transfer portal. But schools can’t officially contact players until the portal opens on Monday. While the internet is full of stories of prospective transfers getting back-channel contacts from schools, coaches and collectives before the portal opens, Panikowski is determined to play by the rules and wait until Monday to find out what interest there is in his kicking abilities. “I haven’t heard anything from my coaches, they’ve being very cautious about the rules,” Panikowski said. “I also told them if there is a school that is interested, let’s make sure we don’t break any rules or regulations. I’ve gotta find out on Monday and let’s do it the right way. That’s what’s cool about the transfer portal – life is full of uncertainty. The transfer portal brings a lot of uncertainty, and uncertainty makes life fulfilling, it makes it fun.” A lot of coaches would call the “uncertainty” that the portal brings something other than “fun.” But Cody Hawkins has been consistent in his approach to his players who may have the opportunity to play at a higher level. He works with them to understand their aspirations, he gives honest appraisals to larger schools that express interest in his players and he sticks to the mantra that he treats his players the way he’d want his own son to be treated if he were a potential portal transfer. A good example of this was wide receiver Chedon James, who led the FCS in receiving at ISU during the 2023 season. James met with Hawkins and talked about what schools he was interested in playing for, and when none of those schools pursued him in the early portal period, decided to return to ISU. However, after spring ball was completed and Fresno State expressed interest, James took the opportunity to move up. It was not a great experience. He caught only one pass, couldn’t beat out the competition to get in the Bulldogs’ regular receiving rotation, and eventually, Fresno State made the decision to redshirt him. Of course, while there are cautionary portal tales like those of Hershey and James, there are also success stories. Sacramento State running back Cam Skattebo has become one of the most productive running backs in the nation after transferring to Arizona State two seasons ago. He gained almost 1,400 yards and scored 17 touchdowns for the nationally-ranked Sun Devils this season. And while Hawkins and the ISU staff will miss Panikowski, and perhaps other talented Bengals who decide to make use of the portal staring on Monday, they also realize the portal door swings both ways. ISU greatly benefitted from the addition of quarterback Kobe Tracy, who transferred from Utah Tech this past summer, and wound up being the Bengals’ starting quarterback. They also picked up receiver Jeff Weimer from UNLV, who was a first-team all-conference selection, starting safety Jaydin Davis from Central Michigan, receiver Tsion Nunnally from Washington State, offensive linemen Ty Hyde from Utah Tech and Jake Hellmann from Utah State. The perception problem with the portal, though, is that typically the players who are leaving a program tend to all hit the portal at the same time, creating the impression that the sky is falling. The players that use the portal to come to a smaller school like ISU, however, typically don’t start showing up in the public’s perception until they can start producing the following season. So while ISU effectively traded Chadon James for Jeff Weimer as first-team all-conference receivers, Bengal fans didn’t really appreciate what they got until the past season was over. The message to ISU fans, then, is this: When you hear about Bengals entering the portal over the next couple of weeks, it’s okay to miss them, but don’t forget there are probably going to be some good portal additions you won’t know about until spring football – or when fall practice begins. Brad Bugger has been observing athletics in southeastern Idaho since 1979 as a sports writer, broadcaster and fan. He can be reached at bpbugger@gmail.comWhere to watch ‘Yellowstone’: Paramount Network free live stream, Season 5, episode 11 todayNova Leap Health Corp. enters into Term Sheet to amend its Credit Agreement for up to an Additional $7 million to Support Continued Growth
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