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Ohio State holds off Notre Dame to win college football national championship

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Ohio State holds off Notre Dame to win college football national championship

The Buckeyes are back on top, as Ohio State took down Notre Dame, 34-23, to win the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday night. 

Ohio State has now won nine college football titles, tying them with USC for fourth-most ever among NCAA’s officially recognized championships. 

This is also the first title since the 2014 season, which was the inaugural College Football Playoff. 

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025. (IMAGN)

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The Buckeyes have been such a different team since losing to Michigan in their rivalry game. And after convincingly defeating Tennessee (42-17), Oregon in the Rose Bowl (41-21), and Texas in the Cotton Bowl (28-14), Ohio State used their high-octane offense to barrel its way past Notre Dame to win it all. 

But this game wasn’t like previous Ohio State wins during this playoff, as the Fighting Irish really made a statement on an opening drive that lasted 18 plays and killed over nine minutes of first quarter clock. 

And it was all thanks to the hard work by quarterback Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offensive line. 

NOTRE DAME, OHIO STATE MEETING IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH FAITH AT FOREFRONT

Leonard ran nine times for 34 yards and scored after picking up a fourth-and-1 on Ohio State’s five-yard line. ESPN even reported that Leonard ran to the sideline, threw up and stumbled a bit before sitting on the bench. He also appeared to tell teammates that he landed on the ball on one of the runs, which could’ve caused the upset stomach. 

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However, the tides of momentum quickly shifted to the Ohio State sideline, as Will Howard and his group of talented weapons didn’t just respond, but took over when they had the ball in their hands. 

The ensuing drive went 11 plays and 75 yards, as freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith capped the drive with a perfect play call that saw him act like he was running behind Howard on pre-snap motion but planting in the ground and walking into the end zone with no one in sight. 

Ryan Day’s group not only tied the game, but the defense turned it up a notch as they forced back-to-back three-and-outs on Notre Dame’s second and third drive. And the Buckeyes’ offense used that to their advantage with two more touchdown drives before the end of the first half. 

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) celebrates a touchdown catch with tight end Gee Scott Jr. (88) against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second quarter during the College Football Playoff championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025. (IMAGN)

Quinshon Judkins, the explosive running back that splits time with TreVeyon Henderson, scored both of those touchdowns, the first of which being a nine-yard run where he fought through multiple tackles to get across the line. Then, he was wide open in the end zone on a rolling throw by Howard with 27 seconds left in the second quarter to put the Buckeyes up 21-7. 

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And if that wasn’t deflating enough, Judkins scored his third touchdown of the night on the first drive of the second half – a one-yard run that was set up by his 70-yard run on the second play of the half to immediately get the Buckeyes first-and-goal. 

Judkins finished the game with 100 rushing yards on just 11 carries as well as his two catches for 21 yards.

There was some concern for Ohio State, though, when Notre Dame cut it to a two-score game after Leonard found Jaden Greathouse for a 34-yard touchdown and converted the two-point try to make it 31-15. 

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The concern was due to an Emeka Egbuka fumble after going 24 yards on a catch-and-run. It was the first Ohio State fumble since their game against Penn State on Nov. 2. 

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Notre Dame used that turnover to drive downfield, and Leonard found himself knocking on the doorstep until an incomplete pass to Greathouse made it fourth-and-goal from Ohio State’s nine-yard line with 9:27 left to play in the game. 

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day celebrates after a touchdown by running back Quinshon Judkins during first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Given the score, one would think head coach Marcus Freeman wanted to try his luck at another touchdown, but kicker Mitch Jeter and the special teams unit ran out onto the field. And the interesting play call backfired, as Jeter’s 27-yard field goal attempt ran off the left goal post – he hooked it. 

The game wasn’t over entirely after the defense forced a punt, and Leonard was able to find Greathouse once again, this time on a beautifully thrown ball and an even better catch from 30 yards out. Needing another two-point conversion, Jordan Faison took a handoff and it looked like Ohio State sniffed it out, but he threw it to Beaux Collins for the successful try. 

Now a one-score game, the Buckeyes had to dig deep with the Fighting Irish knowing a stop gave them a chance to make the comeback complete. 

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Backed up with third-and-11, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly called a gutsy deep pass from Howard to Smith, and despite the freshman not having a single reception in the second half, he secured the dagger – a 57-yard catch to place the Buckeyes on the nine-yard line at the two-minute warning. 

The Buckeyes could run out the clock at that point with the Fighting Irish using all of their timeouts, and the celebrating ensued.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) celebrates a touchdown with running back Quinshon Judkins (1) against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025. (IMAGN)

In the box score, Leonard was 20-for-29 for 240 yards with two touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-high 40 yards on 17 carries with his score on the ground. Greathouse had 11 yards on five receptions as well. 

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For the Buckeyes, Smith led the way with his 89 yards on five receptions, while Egbuka had six catches for 64 yards. Howard finished the game 17-of-21 for 231 yards, and he also rushed for 57 yards on 16 carries. 

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WWE to hold premium live event in Saudi Arabia amid Iran ceasefire

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WWE to hold premium live event in Saudi Arabia amid Iran ceasefire

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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.

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The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.

Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)

As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.

“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.

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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)

The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.

WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”

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John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)

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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”

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Are you still hoping to buy Olympic tickets? LA28 shares terms for second ticket drop

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Are you still hoping to buy Olympic tickets? LA28 shares terms for second ticket drop

Thousand-dollar tickets and hundreds of dollars in fees shocked some hopeful Olympic fans this month, but they did not keep LA28 from boasting strong sales in the committee’s first ticket drop.

LA28 announced Thursday that it sold more than 4 million Olympic tickets during the first ticket drop. The private organizing committee will have a second ticket drop in August with “refreshed inventory across all Olympic sports at a range of price points.”

But after the popularity of the first purchasing period, many of the lower-priced tickets have already been scooped up.

LA28 said roughly half of the total 1 million $28 tickets were sold during the locals presale, which was limited to people living near venue cities in Southern California and Oklahoma City.

The average price per Olympic ticket is less than $200, which includes a mandatory 24% service fee, and LA28 said about 75% of all tickets, including final events, will be under $400. The premier seats at high-demand events command more than $1,000 per ticket, but the highest priced categories make up about 5% of the total ticket inventory.

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Artistic gymnastics sold out the quickest in Drop 1. Four new Olympic sports — flag football, lacrosse, softball and squash — sold all their available inventory for the first drop. After five days of local presale, global ticket sales opened and drew fans from 85 countries and all 50 states and U.S. territories. The largest international sales came from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Japan.

For the first female-majority Olympic Games, LA28 reported that women’s Olympic sessions outsold men’s 93% to 88% during the first drop.

“The response to our initial on-sale was nothing short of historic. Fans from near and far have spoken: the world wants to be part of the LA28 Games,” LA28 chief executive officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “The success of Drop 1 is about more than momentum — it reflects LA28’s commitment to delivering a fiscally responsible Games that create a lasting legacy for Los Angeles and its communities.”

Drop 2, which will begin in August, will have additional tickets across all Olympic sports, including those that may have sold out during the first purchasing windows. The registration period for Drop 2 opened Thursday and will continue until July 22. Fans who registered for the first drop of tickets but did not receive a time slot and fans who did not buy their maximum 12 general ticket allotment will automatically be entered into the random lottery Drop 2. The new registration period is only required for anybody who did not sign up for the initial drop.

Fans are still limited to 12 Olympic tickets and up to 12 soccer tickets that don’t count toward the general maximum. There is a four ticket per ceremony limit for the opening and closing ceremony that count toward the 12-ticket maximum, which is cumulative across all LA28 presales and ticket drops.

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LA28 will have multiple ticket drops with assigned purchasing time slots before ticket sales move to a first-come, first-served format closer to the Games, which open on July 14, 2028. LA28 began its ticketing process earlier than most other Olympic Games with tickets going on sale more than two years in advance of the opening ceremony. The early timeline has created excitement for the first Summer Olympics in the United States since Atlanta 1996, but also prompted concerns about scheduling. Fans clamored for tickets with little information about which teams or athletes would be competing in most sessions.

Tickets are not refundable, but fans can opt for verified resale when LA28 launches its official resale system in 2027. AXS and Eventim is the official secondary ticket marketplace of the LA28 Games and Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets have also signed on as additional verified resale platforms.

LA28 will have 14 million tickets available for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which would eclipse the record of 12 million tickets sold for the Paris Games. Paris 2024 sold an about 9.5 million tickets for the Olympics, but used a different ticket system than LA28. For Paris, 3.5 million tickets were sold during the first phase, during which fans were required to buy tickets to at least three different sports instead of the option for single-event tickets available during LA28’s Drop 1 process.

Tickets for the 2028 Paralympics, which will be the first in L.A.’s history, will go on sale in 2027. Ticket sales and hospitality are expected to cover about $2.5 billion of LA28’s expected $7.1 billion budget for the first Games in L.A. in more than 40 years.

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Trump envoy asks FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in 2026 World Cup: report

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Trump envoy asks FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in 2026 World Cup: report

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An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.

The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.

United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

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President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA)

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.

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Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.

“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post. 

“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”

While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.

Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)

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“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.

“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”

Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.

All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.

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Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)

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Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.

“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.

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Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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