Sports
Rams move training camp to LMU; Matthew Stafford's contract situation is unmoved
After conducting training camp at UC Irvine since their return to Los Angeles in 2016, the Rams this year are moving preseason workouts to Loyola Marymount, the team announced Tuesday.
Will starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, who wants his contract adjusted, be there when training camp opens in late July?
After watching Stafford go through the first workout of organized-team activities open to the media Tuesday, coach Sean McVay was asked if he was confident Stafford would be there for the start of training camp.
“I’m confident that he’s been out here leading the way,” McVay said.
If that sounds noncommittal, well, at least McVay is consistent.
Stafford, 36, is scheduled to earn $31 million this season and carry a salary-cap number of $49.5 million, according to Overthecap.com.
Stafford has two additional years left on the extension he signed in 2022 after leading the Rams to a Super Bowl title, but the salaries of $27 million and $26 million are not guaranteed, according to the website.
During the draft, McVay confirmed a report that Stafford wanted his contract adjusted to include guaranteed salary beyond this season. He also expressed confidence the Rams and Stafford would come to an agreement on his contract situation and that he would participate in OTAs.
“There’s nothing that’s more important than making sure that he feels appreciated,” McVay said at the time, “and he knows how much we love him and want him to lead the way and, you know, I think that the commitment that I think he wants to have can be reciprocated and we want to work toward figuring that out.”
In April, when the Rams opened their offseason workout program, Stafford was not among players made available to reporters. He was not made available to reporters Tuesday, and his availability during OTA workouts is to be determined, a team spokesman said.
Rams’ coach Sean McVay instructs quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during their organized team activity Tuesday.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
“He’s here and we appreciate that and he knows that,” McVay said. “I’ve had good conversations with him about football, and anything other than that really just going to keep it in house.”
Stafford appeared sharp during drills and 11-on-11 situations. The quarterback’s contract situation is not affecting his preparation or play, receiver Cooper Kupp said.
“There’s been no change in his attitude, the way he comes in and approaches things, the way he’s interacting with guys in meetings, coaches and with guys out here,” Kupp said. “He’s a pro’s pro. He’s going to be out here and be the best version of Matthew for the team.
“And so, whatever’s going on with that, he’s not letting it affect anything about what the goal is for the L.A. Rams this year.”
It seems unfathomable the Rams would not work out an agreement with Stafford before training camp.
The 15-year veteran bounced back from injuries in 2022 and a thumb injury early last season and keyed the Rams’ unexpected run to the playoffs.
Rams quarterbacks Matthew Stafford, left, and Jimmy Garoppolo walk and talk Tuesday during their organized team activity.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
In March, the Rams signed veteran Jimmy Garoppolo to be Stafford’s backup but Garoppolo is suspended for the first two games — against the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals — for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy when he played for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Stetson Bennett, a fourth-round draft pick in 2023, is participating in the offseason program after spending his rookie season on the NFL’s non-injury/illness list because of an unspecified issue. Bennett was not made available to reporters Tuesday.
“Stetson’s had a couple good days and it’s been good having him out here,” McVay said.
Quarterback Dresser Winn also is on the roster.
The depth chart for the opener against the Lions will come into clearer focus during training camp.
At Loyola Marymount, players, coaches and staff will return to living in dorms for several weeks. That will be a change from the last several years. The Rams were in dorms at Irvine for a few years, but during the last several years they stayed at a luxury hotel in Newport Beach and bused to the Irvine campus.
That travel time counted against the hours teams are allowed to practice and meet under terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
Fans will be allowed to attend select practices, the team announced, but the footprint at Loyola Marymount is smaller than Irvine.
“Our organization constantly looks to evolve our operations, and calling LMU home for these few weeks presents incredible opportunities for this new chapter of Rams Training Camp,” Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ chief operating officer said in a statement.
Etc.
Running back Kyren Williams will not participate in OTAs because of a foot issue, but he will be ready for training camp, McVay said. … Linebacker Ernest Jones IV was not in attendance because of an excused absence, McVay said. … New guard Jonah Jackson, who played last season for the Lions, is not participating in 11-on-11 situations because of “some things after the season” that made him “not quite ready,” for full participation, McVay said.
UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.
Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.
Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.
The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.
The Bruins reeled in former North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarnisalo and former Texas Christian senior guard Donovyn Hunter a few weeks ago, adding two more experienced players to the depleted starting lineup after a record six UCLA players were selected in the WNBA draft.
UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.
A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.
Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.
The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.
Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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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.
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.
PRO WRESTLING STARS CHRIS SABIN, ALEX SHELLEY TALK POSSIBILITY OF WWE USING TNA’S GIMMICK MATCHES
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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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