College Football Playoff and Bowl Schedule: Complete List of All 40 Bowl Games

By KHADRICE ROLLINSwww.si.com

With the regular season over, it's time to go bowling.

The College Football Playoff will begin Jan. 1 with the Rose Bowl and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The winners of these matchups will meet up in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 8.

Here's the complete list of all the bowl games and matchups for this season.

AIR FORCE RESERVE CELEBRATION BOWL

Matchup: North Carolina A&T vs. Grambling State
​Location: Atlanta, Georgia​
​Date: Saturday, Dec. 16
Time: 11 a.m. EST

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL

Matchup: Troy vs. North Texas
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana​
Date: Saturday, Dec. 16
Time: 1 p.m. EST

AUTONATION CURE BOWL

Matchup: Western Kentucky vs. Georgia State
Location: Orlando, Florida​
Date: Saturday, Dec. 16
Time: 2:30 p.m. EST

LAS VEGAS BOWL

Matchup: MWC vs. Pac-12
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada​
Date: Saturday, Dec. 16
Time: 3:30 p.m. EST

GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL

Matchup: Colorado State vs. Marshall​
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Date: Saturday, Dec. 16
Time: 3:30 p.m. EST

QUICK LANE BOWL

Matchup: Northern Illinois vs. Duke
Location: Detroit, Michigan 
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 26
Time: 5:15 p.m. EST​

CACTUS BOWL

Matchup: UCLA vs. Kansas State
Location: Phoenix, Arizona 
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 26
Time: 9:00 p.m. EST​

WALK-ON'S INDEPENDENCE BOWL

Matchup: Southern Miss vs. Florida State
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana 
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 27
Time: 1:30 p.m. EST​

NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL

Matchup: Iowa vs. Boston College
Location: New York, New York
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 27​
Time: 5:15 p.m. EST​

FOSTER FARMS BOWL

Matchup: Purdue vs. Arizona
Location: Santa Clara, California 
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 27​
Time: 8:30 p.m. EST​

ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS TEXAS BOWL

Matchup: Missouri vs. Texas
Location: Houston, Texas 
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 27​
Time: 9:00 p.m. EST​

MILITARY BOWL PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN

Matchup: Virginia vs. Navy
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Date: Thursday, Dec. 28
Time: 1:30 p.m. EST​

CAMPING WORLD BOWL

Matchup: Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
Location: Orlando, Florida
Date: Thursday, Dec. 28
Time: 5:15 p.m. EST​

VALERO ALAMO BOWL

Matchup: Stanford vs. TCU
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Date: Thursday, Dec. 28
Time: 9:00 p.m. EST​

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION HOLIDAY BOWL

Matchup: Michigan State vs. Washington State
Location: San Diego, California 
Date: Thursday, Dec. 28
Time: 9:00 p.m. EST​

BELK BOWL

Matchup: Wake Forest vs. Texas A&M
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Date: Friday, Dec. 29
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST​

HYUNDAI SUN BOWL

Matchup: Arizona State vs. NC State
Location: El Paso, Texas 
Date: Friday, Dec. 29
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST​

FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL

Matchup: Northwestern vs. Kentucky 
Location: Nashville, Tennessee 
Date: Friday, Dec. 29
Time: 4:30 p.m. EST​

NOVA HOME LOANS ARIZONA BOWL

Matchup: New Mexico State vs. Utah State
Location: Tuscon, Arizona 
Date: Friday, Dec. 29
Time: 5:30 p.m. EST​

GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC

Matchup: USC vs. Ohio State
Location: Arlington, Texas
Date: Friday, Dec. 29
Time: 8:30 p.m. EST​

TAXSLAYER BOWL

Matchup: Mississippi State vs. Louisville
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Date: Saturday, Dec. 30
Time: Noon EST​

AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL

Matchup: Memphis vs. Iowa State
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Date: Saturday, Dec. 30
Time: 12:30 p.m. EST​

PLAYSTATION FIESTA BOWL

Matchup: Washington vs. Penn State
Location: Glendale, Arizona
Date: Saturday, Dec. 30
Time: 4:00 p.m. EST​

CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL

Matchup: Wisconsin vs. Miami
Location: Miami Gardens, Florida
Date: Saturday, Dec. 30
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST​

OUTBACK BOWL

Matchup: South Carolina vs. Michigan
Location: Tampa, Florida
Date: Monday, Jan. 1
Time: Noon EST​

CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL

Matchup: Central Florida vs. Auburn
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Date: Monday, Jan. 1
Time: 12:30 p.m. EST​

CITRUS BOWL PRESENTED BY OVERTON'S

Matchup: LSU vs. Notre Dame
Location: Orlando, Florida
Date: Monday, Jan. 1
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST​

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF AT THE ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL

Matchup: Oklahoma vs. Georgia
Location: Pasadena, California
Date: Monday, Jan. 1
Time: 5:00 p.m. EST​

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF AT THE ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL

Matchup: Clemson vs. Alabama
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Date: Monday, Jan. 1
Time: 8:45 p.m. EST​

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY AT&T

Matchup: TBD
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Date: Monday, Jan. 8
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST​

 

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Beats Conor McGregor in 10th Round T.K.O.

nytimes.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr., the face of boxing for more than a decade, punctuated a stellar yet controversial career with a technical knockout over U.F.C. champ and first-time boxer Conor McGregor on Saturday night.

In the 10th round of a surprisingly competitive fight, Mayweather backed McGregor onto the ropes with a series of rights and lefts. McGregor’s face was completely bloodied. He was about to fall through the ropes, and the referee stepped in to stop the fight with 1:55 remaining in the round.

“I gave the fans what they wanted to see,” Mayweather said after the fight. “I told them that I owed them for the Pacquiao fight. I must come straight ahead and give them a show.”

The victory improved Mayweather’s record to 50-0, and allowed the typically defensive fighter to say farewell in thrilling fashion in what he said was his last fight. It also proved right the naysayers who said that this fight was nothing more than a glorified, money-making exhibition.

Continue reading the main story

Mayweather said the fight was not going to go the distance, and he delivered on that promise. Things went just the way that most pundits said they would. McGregor would have no way of connecting cleanly with Mayweather. He landed a few touch punches but nothing solid the entire fight. And given that U.F.C. fights are much shorter than boxing matches, McGregor’s stamina was in question. And he certainly seemed to tire in the late rounds as Mayweather made easy work of him.

Although McGregor is one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts, he had not boxed since he was a teenager, and had no professional boxing matches under his belt.

The fight was fashioned on the strength of two bombastic personalities with huge fan bases, making for a ripe promotional draw. It was expected to pull more than half a billion dollars in revenue. The pull of the money was so strong that Mayweather ended his two-year retirement to step into the ring with McGregor. To many, the fight was more exhibition than authentic.

Here’s how Mayweather beat McGregor:

9th round: McGregor is getting tired

Things got off to a chippy start. McGregor came out and landed a stiff right hand and then he hit Mayweather on the belt line. Mayweather appeared to be hurt by it, but the referee would not call a low blow. When the referee got in between them and Mayweather approached, McGregor flicked him with a right hand.

Late in the round, Maywather came storming back with a series of right hands, that had McGregor leaning on the ropes with his mouth open.

8th round: McGregor not Mayweather’s typical opponent

When they are clenching, Mayweather is positioning his body in a way that McGregor can only hit the back of his head. For most boxers, they would not throw that punch. But McGregor is not most boxers. He is taking hits to the back of Mayweather’s head, and the referee seems reluctant to do anything about it. Mayweather seems a little bit frustrated by that, but it’s not stopping him from landing some peppery right hands. Mayweather seems to be taking control.

Mather: McGregor is falling behind in this fight, but is still gamely slugging it out. This is far from the ridiculous mismatch some predicted.

7th round: Mayweather’s speed gets to McGregor

Even though McGregor is the bigger fighter, Mayweather certainly does not seem to be worried about his punching power. He is going forward, with his hands up, walking right through McGregor. In one moment, McGregor slid around Mayweather but was met with a right hook. Then Mayweather came back with a quick jab that hit McGregor before he could respond. Even though Mayweather is 40, the speed definitely is still there.

Mather: Championship fights in the U.F.C. have 25 minutes of fighting time. McGregor is up to 21 here and might have to go 15 more. His fatigue level is the most important factor right now.

6th round: Mayweather makes his move

With Mayweather’s back turned, McGregor was unleashing on him and the referee let it go on for a little longer than he probably should have. After appearing perturbed, Mayweather started going forward and unloading on McGregor, landing solid left right combinations that got the arena to its feet. McGregor appears very tired and is not throwing back.

Fans have started with chants of “Conor,” but that appears to be doing little to uplift their fighter in a meaningful way. Although the fight is still pretty scrappy, Mayweather seems to be settling in.

Mather: Mayweather stung McGregor there several times, but eventually reverted to his defensive style. And another hands-behind-the-back display of bravado by McGregor as the round ends.

5th round: McGregor connecting but not doing damage

McGregor seems to be more swiping and tapping at Mayweather rather than throwing solid punches. It might be one sign of his inexperience in the boxing ring, as he is not used to throwing punches in close range the way that they are in this fight.

Late in the round, Mayweather started to talk down to McGregor. He hit him with a solid overhand right and then came back with a left. McGregor seems to be breathing a little heavier. And the two fighters have had some real tussles when they have locked up, and Mayweather seems a bit frustrated at what seems to be some wrestling moves by McGregor.

Mather: Mayweather is doing less defending and more lashing out. Could he be waiting for McGregor to tire to unleash his full arsenal? And McGregor is starting to look tired.

4th round: Mayweather makes up some ground

At the start of round 4, Mayweather backs into the ropes and covers up, allowing McGregor to take shots, none of which landed cleanly. I wonder if Mayweather is trying to rope-a-dope Mcgregor a little bit, make him tire himself out by throwing a lot of punches early in the fight.

Mayweather ducked under a Mcgregor jab and landed a pretty solid right hand.

Mayweather is getting some things going. He slipped a left hand from McGregor and fired off a right hand of his own. It was a close round but probably went to Mayweather. Mayweather also landed a couple of good body blows.

Mather: Every McGregor punch that lands, or looks like it lands, gets a roar from the crowd. Judges have been known to be influenced by crowd reactions.

3rd Round: McGregor winning rounds as aggressor

When McGregor gets in close he seems to be hammer-fisting Mayweather on top of Mayweather’s head when they clench. The referee has warned McGregor about it several times.

Mayweather seems to be taking his time figuring out how to get to McGregor. He has not shown much offensive aggression or landed too solidly with anything so far. McGregor has won the rounds so far, if nothing else because he is the aggressor. But let’s see if he can keep up the stamina.

Mather: McGregor could actually be ahead on the scorecards at this point. But there is a real sense that Mayweather is biding his time and hasn’t fired his big guns yet.

2nd round: McGregor keeping Mayweather at a distance

Referee warns McGregor for hitting Mayweather in the back of the head. McGregor is bouncing up and down in a somewhat awkward fashion for boxing. Mayweather seems to still be trying to figure him out.

McGregor doing a nice job of keeping Mayweather away, though he is not landing anything solid. But every time he even swipes his hands close to Mayweather’s, a big cheer goes up from the very pro-McGregor crowd.

We are starting to see Mayweather’s plan emerging. He is looking to hit McGregor with some lead right hands.

Mather: The fans who had stood for round 1, perhaps expecting fireworks, settled back into their seats for round 2. Between rounds McGregor was seen to smile broadly.

1st round: McGregor comes out strong, holds his own

McGregor comes out pushing Mayweather back onto the ropes. Mayweather seems content with seeing what McGregor has in terms of punching ability. McGregor is flicking his right jab out, trying to measure up a left hand but not landing anything seriously.”

McGregor seems to have done something no one thought he would. He may have won that round.

Mather: Before the round Referee Byrd emphasized the bout would be “by boxing rules.” And there was no surprise kicking or takedowns by McGregor. And not a lot of punching from Mayweather, who was content to use his legendary defensive skills to frustrate McGregor. He dropped his arms at one point, a tactic he has used in the U.F.C., as if to say, “Just try to hit me.” Mayweather did not take the bait.

Mayweather and McGregor make their entrances

McGregor has foregone the boxing rope, entering the ring with only an Irish flag around his neck, white trunks with gold trim.

And what’s this? Mayweather emerges wearing a black ski mask like a pro wrestling villain to the sounds of “The Club” by Lil Jamez.

The cheers were definitely louder for McGregor. There were more boos when Mayweather came out, but still a lot of cheers.

Ice Cube’s Big 3 Basketball League Gets Ready for Tip-Off

Andrew Barker

variety.com

From becoming the L.A. Raiders’ most famous celebrity historian to allegedly notching a triple-double while messing around, Ice Cube has never hidden his obsessions with sports. For most of his career, he was content to let his fandom be just that. But then he watched Kobe Bryant’s swansong with the L.A. Lakers in April of 2016, in which the outgoing star scored 60 points to close out his career, and had a revelation: If a player on the cusp of retirement was still capable of a performance like that, how many other NBA stars had retired long before their skills had abandoned them?

From there, Cube began to develop his boldest new venture since he first dipped his toes into film production. Kicking off later this month, Cube’s Big 3 basketball league will hope to find an audience for professional half-court three-on-three basketball, pitting a roster of still-got-it former pros against each other in a touring, televised tournament.

“It came to me thinking as a fan, at first,” Cube says. “What would I pay for, what would I go see? If the greats came to the Staples Center to play, would I pay my money to go see it? Hell yeah.”

Cube quickly recruited his manager Jeff Kwatinetz as a co-creator, and from there, “the idea started to snowball.” The two brought on former Miami Heat star and NBA Players Assn. deputy director Roger Mason Jr. as commissioner (“he helped let the players know that this wasn’t just a bunch of entertainment guys trying to get into sports”) and former Raiders chief executive Amy Trask as CEO (“that was a no-brainer, she’s been a godsend to make this thing a reality”). The league was announced last January, and Fox Sports picked up TV rights in March.

The league will essentially take its inspiration from standard pick-up game rules, with a few additional wrinkles. Eight teams will play one another in quadruple-headers once a week for 10 weeks, with the first team to 40 points the winner. For its inaugural season, the league already boasts a number of recognizable stars, including Rashard Lewis, Chauncey Billups, Jason Williams and Charles Oakley.

No doubt the league’s biggest coup, however, was the recruitment of Allen Iverson. An 11-time All-Star, Iverson often struggled with injuries and chafed at NBA protocol, and Cube hopes to avoid similar problems in his venture, keeping the schedules forgiving and the institutional oversight light.

“We spent months and months thinking about rules and things we could do to make it a player-friendly league and take some of the [league] control away that these players have been accustomed to in the NBA,” Cube says. “When you’re 22, 23, you can go for that s–t. But when you’re 38, 40, you don’t want somebody telling you where to be and how to act all the damn time.”

Perhaps the most radical departure from the NBA’s rules is the addition of a four-point shot, located beyond the three-point line. One can imagine purists blanching at the idea, though Cube insists: “Nah, they love it. I mean, some guys know it’s out of their range. But guys have been hitting about 25% of them, so it’s a viable option.”

Theoretically, the appeal of Big 3 seems obvious. The American appetite for sports is nigh bottomless, and other sports-mad countries have seen success establishing similar non-standard pro leagues. In Brazil, for example, indoor and beach soccer leagues thrive alongside the traditional 11-on-11 matches.

Nonetheless, starting a pro sports league from scratch isn’t the easiest task, and Cube claims he’s prepared to allow Big 3 the space to catch on.

“We’re hoping to get a lot of momentum this year when people realize how good [the product] is, but we’re like any new startup business, and I think by the third year we should be in a great, great place, rolling downhill.”

FILED UNDER:

 

• Allen Iverson
• Big 3
• Ice Cube

NBA Finals schedule 2017: Warriors-Cavs dates, times, TV info

JEREMY WOO

Thursday May 25th, 2017

www.si.com

The NBA Finals begin June 1, and the Golden State Warriors are back for the third year in a row. They’ll take on the winner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics in a series that could be decided on Thursday night.

Below is the full schedule for this year’s Finals. The Warriors swept the Spurs to advance to the Finals, and the Cavaliers took care of the Celtics in five games, wrapping up with a 135–102 win on Thursday.

This is the third straight year the Warriors and Cavs will face off in the Finals, with 

Golden State winning in 2015 and Cleveland rallying back down 3–1 in 2016. Golden State has yet to lose a playoff game this year, and Cleveland has lost just once.

All games will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

*Denotes if necessary

Golden State vs. Cleveland                                                Local     EDT      Broadcast

Game 1 – Thursday June 1, Cleveland at Golden State        6:00PM  9:00PM      ABC/R

Game 2 – Sunday June 4, Cleveland at Golden State           5:00PM  8:00PM      ABC/R

Game 3 – Wednesday June 7, Golden State at Cleveland     9:00PM  9:00PM      ABC/R

Game 4 – Friday June 9, Golden State at Cleveland             9:00PM  9:00PM      ABC/R

Game 5* – Monday June 12, Cleveland at Golden State       6:00PM  9:00PM      ABC/R

Game 6* – Thursday June 15, Golden State at Cleveland     9:00PM  9:00PM      ABC/R

Game 7* – Sunday June 18, Cleveland at Golden State        5:00PM  8:00PM      ABC/R

2017 Final Four: TV channel, game times, dates, updates for NCAA Tournament title

seccountry.com

The 2017 Final Four  starts on Saturday, April 1, and four teams will take the court in Phoenix. South CArolina was the first team to punch their ticket on Sunday’s games. The Final Four games will be played in University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals.

Two teams punched their tickets on Saturday, as Gonzaga throttled Xavier to advance to the school’s first final four in school history. Oregon also took out Kansas to advance to the school’s first Final Four since 1939.

Below you can find information for the 2017 Final Four, such as dates, scores and game times.

What days is the 2017 Final Four?

The Final Four will be held on Saturday, April 1, and Monday, April 3. The national semifinals will be played on Saturday, with the final on Monday.

What times do 2017 Final Four games in the NCAA Tournament start?

The games in the Final Four will start at 6 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 1. The national title game will begin at 9 p.m. ET.

2017 Final Four TV channels, schedule

All three games in the Final Four will be broadcast live on CBS. You can watch online with a cable subscription, or with CBS All-Access for $5.99 per month. A free trial is available.

2017 Final Four odds

*Odds as of Saturday, March 25

Gonzaga	2/1
North Carolina	9/4
Kentucky	7/2
Oregon	7/2
Florida	8/1
South Carolina	18/1

2017 NCAA Tournament schedules, results

Saturday, March 25 (Elite Eight):

FINAL: Gonzaga 83, Xavier 59 | Box score
FINAL: Oregon 74, Kansas 60 | Box score
Friday March 24 (Sweet 16):

FINAL: North Carolina 92, Butler 80 | Box score
FINAL: South Carolina 70, Baylor 50 | Box score
FINAL: Kentucky 86, UCLA 75| Box score
FINAL: Florida 84, Wisconsin 83 | Box score

Thursday, March 23 (Sweet 16):

FINAL: Oregon 69, Michigan 68 | Box score
FINAL: Gonzaga 61, West Virginia 58 | Box score
FINAL: Kansas 98, Purdue 66 | Box score
FINAL: Xavier 73, Arizona 71 | Box score

Sunday, March 19 

FINAL: Michigan 73, Louisville 69 | Box score
FINAL: Kentucky 65, Wichita State 62 | Box score
FINAL: Kansas 90, Michigan State 70 | Box score
FINAL: North Carolina 72, Arkansas 65 | Box score
FINAL: Oregon 75, Rhode Island 72 | Box score
FINAL: Baylor 82, Southern Cal 78 | Box score
FINAL: South Carolina 88, Duke 81 | Box score
FINAL: UCLA 79, Cincinnati 67 | Box score

Saturday, March 18 

FINAL: West Virginia 81, Notre Dame 73 | Box score
FINAL: Wisconsin 65, Villanova 62 | Box score
FINAL: Gonzaga 79, Northwestern 73 | Box scoreFINAL: Xavier 91, Florida State 66 | Box score
FINAL: Butler 74, Middle Tennessee State 65 | Box score
FINAL: Arizona 69, Saint Mary’s 60 | Box score
FINAL: Florida 65, Virginia 39 | Box score
FINAL: Purdue 80, Iowa State 76 | Box score

Friday, March 17 

FINAL: Michigan 92, Oklahoma State 91 | Box score
FINAL: Baylor 91, New Mexico State 73 | Box score
FINAL: Arkansas 77, Seton Hall 71 | Box score
FINAL: Oregon 93, Iona 77 | Box score
FINAL: Louisville 78, Jacksonville St 63 | Box score
FINAL: USC 66, SMU 65 | Box score
FINAL: North Carolina 103, Texas Southern 64 | Box score
FINAL: Rhode Island 84, Creighton 72 | Box scoreFINAL: Kansas 100, UC Davis 62 | Box score
FINAL: Wichita State 64, Dayton 58 | Box score
FINAL: Duke 87, Troy 65 | Box score
FINAL: Cincinnati 75, Kansas State 61 | Box score
FINAL: Michigan State 78, Miami (FL) 58 | Box score
FINAL: Kentucky 79, Northern Kentucky 70 | Box score
FINAL: South Carolina 93, Marquette 73 | Box score
FINAL: UCLA 97, Kent State 80 | Box score

Thursday, March 16 

FINAL: Notre Dame 60, Princeton 58 | Box score
FINAL: Virginia 76, UNC-Wilmington 71 | Box score
FINAL: Butler 76, Winthrop 64 | Box score
FINAL: Gonzaga 66, South Dakota State 46 | Box score
FINAL: West Virginia 86, Bucknell 80 | Box score   
FINAL: Florida 80, East Tennessee State 65 | Box score 
FINAL: Middle Tennessee 81, Minnesota 72 | Box score
FINAL: Northwestern 68, Vanderbilt 66 | Box scoreFINAL: Xavier 76, Maryland 65 | Box score
FINAL: Villanova  76, Mount St. Mary’s 56 | Box score
FINAL: St. Mary’s 85, VCU 77 | Box score
FINAL: Purdue 80, Vermont 70 | Box score
FINAL: Florida State 86, Florida Gulf Coast 80 | Box score
FINAL: Wisconsin 84, Virginia Tech 74 | Box score
FINAL: Arizona 100, North Dakota 82 | Box score
FINAL: Iowa State 84, Nevada 73 | Box score

Wednesday, March 15 

FINAL: UC Davis 67, NC Central 63 | Box scoreFINAL: USC 75, Providence 71 | Box score