Sports
NCAA investigates after Dabo Swinney raises transfer portal tampering accusations against Ole Miss
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The Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Miami Hurricanes last week to cap the college football season.
Just one day before the transfer portal window closed for players who competed in the national championship, Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney sounded the alarm over what he sees as a lack of governance in the sport.
During a wide-ranging news conference, Swinney specifically raised concerns about Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding’s alleged repeated, unauthorized contact with Clemson linebacker Luke Ferrelli. Swinney suggested Golding was working to get Ferrelli’s name into the transfer portal.
On Tuesday, the NCAA contacted Clemson about Swinney’s accusations and launched an investigation.
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney details transfer portal events involving linebacker Luke Ferrelli while seated next to athletic director Graham Neff during a Jan. 23, 2026, news conference at the Smart Family Media Center in Clemson, S.C. (Ken Ruinard/USA Today Co/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“The NCAA will investigate any credible allegations of tampering and expect full cooperation from all involved as is required by NCAA rules,” NCAA vice president of enforcement Jon Duncan said in the statement obtained by The Athletic. “We will not comment further on any ongoing investigation.”
The newly adopted 15-day window for other FBS and FCS athletes, including graduate transfers, opens the day after the CFP quarterfinals end. There are built-in exceptions for players who experience a head coaching change.
2026 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRANSFER PORTAL: 10 BEST REMAINING PLAYERS AVAILABLE
“This is a whole other level of tampering,” Swinney said in reference to Ole Miss’ alleged communication with Ferrelli. “It’s total hypocrisy. … This is a really sad state of affairs. We have a broken system, and if there are no consequences for tampering, then we have no rules, and we have no governance.”
Ferrelli, a highly sought-after recruit, elected to enter the portal in January. He did visit Ole Miss but eventually agreed to a contract and enrolled in classes at Clemson. However, shortly after classes at Clemson started, Swinney said football team general manager Jordan Sorrells said “Ole Miss was going hard” after the linebacker.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney during a game against Louisville Nov. 2, 2024, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Sorrells later asked an Ole Miss official to get the school to end all communication with Ferrelli. According to Swinney, the Ole Miss official made it clear he did not support tampering. On Jan. 15, Ferrelli asked to be entered into the portal with the intention of transferring to Ole Miss.
The next day, Clemson submitted a complaint to the NCAA detailing alleged “blatant” tampering. As of Friday, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff made it clear that legal action was not off the table.
“I’m not trying to get anybody fired, but when is enough enough?” Swinney said. “If we have rules, and tampering is a rule, then there should be a consequence for that. And shame on the adults if we’re not going to hold each other accountable.”
Pete Golding watches during warmups prior to Ole Miss’ game against the Furman Paladins at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Aug. 31, 2024, in Oxford, Miss. (Petre Thomas/USA Today Sports)
Swinney expressed concern about the message unchecked tampering could send to future college football players.
“This is not about a linebacker at Clemson,” he said. “I don’t want anyone on our team that doesn’t want to be here. But it’s about the next kid and the next kid and the message that’s being sent with just blatant tampering being allowed to happen without consequences. This isn’t about our program. It’s about college football.”
Swinney said the current college football climate invites misconduct and must be fixed. The two-time national championship-winning coach backed moving the transfer portal window from January to the spring. He also called for spring football to resemble an NFL team’s OTAs and proposed limits on free transfers.
Fox News Digital contacted Ole Miss’ athletic department for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
A record 4,900 FBS players and more than 3,200 FCS student-athletes entered the transfer portal during the 2024-25 academic year.
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Sports
Orioles’ Craig Albernaz says he must eat baby food for weeks after foul ball to face leads to 7 fractures
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has seven fractures in his orbital area as well as a broken jaw after taking a foul ball to the face, but he remains in the dugout with his squad.
However, Albernaz has one big change to his daily routine over the next month or so. He needs to eat baby food.
The injury occurred on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the foul ball came whipping toward the Orioles’ dugout and hit Albernaz square on the right side of his face. But he was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after suffering his multiple facial injuries.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz looks on before an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on April 8, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
Reports from Baltimore state that he has a visible bruise on the right side of his face, and that he will need to consume baby food for the next six weeks as his face heals.
“This is what we’re here for,” Albernaz said to reporters, per the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We have a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go.… If my jaw was wired shut, I’d still be here.”
ORIOLES MANAGER CRAIG ALBERNAZ TAKES LINE DRIVE TO FACE IN TERRIFYING SCENE
Albernaz said he felt “pretty good” considering the circumstances from Monday night’s foul ball off the bat of one of his own, Jeremiah Jackson.
“Ball hit me pretty flush in the cheek, but I feel good,” he added. “Luckily, no surgery. I think all in all, it was at least seven fractures in my cheek area, orbital, and then a broken jaw. But luckily, it doesn’t have to be wired. No surgery. I just have to eat baby food for six weeks.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
Albernaz, like many managers, was standing at the top of the dugout steps when Jackson was late to a pitch that shot immediately toward his teammates and coaches. It’s an unfortunate situation for Albernaz, but the first-time MLB manager is clearly showing his grit and resilience for his squad.
They also showed it for him on Monday night, as they were trailing at that point in the game. However, the Orioles rallied to win the game 9-7.
A lot of that had to do with Jackson, who bashed two home runs, including a grand slam in the victory.
“I hit, and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face,” Jackson told reporters. “My heart kind of dropped. I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.… Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better. I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
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The Orioles’ win keeps them tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East standings at 9-7.
Albernaz will continue to lead the way in the dugout moving forward, even if his diet does have to change.
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Sports
NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns after photos published of her and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel
NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic days after the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel interacting at an Arizona resort.
The photos appear to show Russini and Vrabel holding hands, hugging and sitting a hot tub and a swimming pool. In the April 7 article that accompanied the photos in the Post’s Page Six, Russini and Vrabel — both of whom are married to other people — gave statements denying anything inappropriate was happening between them.
The article also included a statement from Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, who expressed full support of Russini and said the photos “are misleading and lack essential context.” The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, reported days later that the digital sports outlet would conduct an investigation into the matter.
Russini submitted her letter of resignation to Ginsberg on Tuesday, then posted it on X. In it, Russini states she has “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini wrote. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.
“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks. … Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
The New York Times confirmed Russini’s resignation but declined to comment further for this article.
Page Six wrote Tuesday that it received a statement from Ginsberg following Russini’s resignation.
“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter.”
But as “additional information emerged,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.” Ginsberg’s statement did not elaborate on the “new questions.”
The investigation is ongoing, according to Page Six.
Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where her roles included “SportsCenter” anchor and NFL analyst and insider. Vrabel was a three-time Super Bowl champion as a Patriots linebacker and was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023 before returning to New England as head coach last season.
In Page Six’s initial article last week, Russini said the photos of her and Vrabel “don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.” Vrabel said in the same article: “Those photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying moment during the team’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Albernaz was struck by a line drive off the bat of Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson in the fifth inning. The ball hit the manager’s left cheek and he left to be looked at by the team’s medical staff.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Albernaz briefly returned to the game after Jackson hit a grand slam to help the Orioles to the 9-7 win.
“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” Orioles bench coach Donnie Ecker said.
Jackson said he had a sunken feeling when he saw Albernaz in pain after the errant liner.
“I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson said. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.”
AVALANCHE COACH TAKES PUCK TO THE FACE, WILL MISS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
“Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better,” Jackson added. “I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Albernaz and Jackson embraced after the infielder hit the big home run in the sixth inning.
“That was awesome,” Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. “You never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome. It sucked. But he wore it well and he’s in good spirits so it made me feel better.”
Albernaz is in his first year as Baltimore’s manager. He served as a bench coach and assistant manager for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and 2025.
Baltimore Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore on April 13, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)
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Baltimore improved to 9-7 with the win and are tied with the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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