Northern Illinois appears set to head to the Mountain West in 2026 as a football-only member. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Northern Illinois appears headed to the Mountain West as a football-only member. The school has officially accepted an invite from the conference and its board of trustees is set to vote on the move on Jan. …

Patriots-Bills injury report: Maye questionable, Polk ruled out for Week 18 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The New England Patriots’ 2024 season will end Sunday against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium, and we still don’t know how much Drake Maye will play. The rookie quarterback has started the last 11 games for the Patriots, and offensive coordinator Alex …

. According to reports, Alabama Crimson Tide outside linebacker Jayshawn Ross is entering the NCAA transfer portal after one season in Tuscaloosa. Ross becomes the latest Alabama player to do so, bringing the total number from the Crimson Tide to enter the transfer portal this offseason to 20 total. RELATED: Which Alabama players have entered the transfer portal this offseason? …

Linebacker DJ Johnson won’t be available for the Panthers on Sunday. The team ruled Johnson out for personal reasons on Friday and later announced that he suffered a concussion in a car accident. He has been placed on the non-football injury list ahead of their game against the Falcons. The Panthers also ruled out linebacker Amare Barno (shoulder), cornerback Jaycee …

Sep 14, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Alabama Crimson Tide helmets during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images According to a report Friday morning from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Alabama Crimson Tide co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Colin Hitschler has been informed that he will not return for the …

Why Shanahan initially was concerned about Purdy’s injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Programming note: Watch Greg Papa’s full “Game Plan” interview with Kyle Shanahan at 9 p.m. PT Friday on NBC Sports Bay Area. Kyle Shanahan initially was concerned that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had seriously injured his elbow against the Detroit Lions. The San Francisco coach …

ORLANDO — UCF added an intriguing piece to its quarterback room Friday via the NCAA transfer portal. Tayven Jackson, a former four-star recruit who made six starts at Indiana over the past two seasons, announced a verbal commitment to the Knights. Jackson will have two years of eligibility remaining. Jackson — a 6-foot-4, 212-pound redshirt sophomore from Greenwood, Indiana — …

Rams starting receiver Puka Nacua (17) and Cooper Kupp will not play against the Seahawks in the regular-season finale. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) With the Rams having clinched a playoff spot, quarterback Matthew Stafford, receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, running back Kyren Williams, left tackle Alaric Jackson and right guard Kevin Dotson will be held out of …

Wisconsin is set to host Miami transfer cornerback D’Yoni Hill on an official visit, according to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Zenitz reports that Wisconsin, West Virginia and Missouri are the three schools with a visit scheduled, with Kansas State and Oklahoma State also in the mix. Hill is looking for a new destination for his final year of eligibility. Related: Tracking Wisconsin …

Quarterback Start: Michael Penix, Falcons We’re doing it again with Penix. The Falcons’ team total sits at 28 points. They get a Carolina defense that ranks 31st in EPA per dropback allowed and has given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Atlanta dialed up an extremely conservative approach in Penix’s first start, logging a -11% pass rate over …

AUSTIN, TEXAS – DECEMBER 21: Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo XV enters the stadium during the Playoff First Round Game against the Clemson Tigers at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on December 21, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) After being banned from the sidelines for the SEC Championship Game and the CFP Quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl, …

The Dallas Cowboys’ (7-9) 2024 season finale on Sunday afternoon against the Washington Commanders will not alter team owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ evaluation of head coach Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff.  McCarthy and his staff’s original, five-year coaching contracts that began in 2020 are set to expire on Jan. 14, per NFL Media, which gives Jones a little …

Wisconsin transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is visiting SMU this weekend, according to a report from 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Van Dyke entered the portal last month after one season with the Badgers. He played just two full games before a Week 3 knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He’s in the portal with one year of …

The Vikings shouldn’t make J.J. McCarthy available. Sam Darnold has been nothing short of magnificent this season, but barring a trip to the Super Bowl, they don’t have to pick one or the other yet. They should franchise tag Darnold (which isn’t an issue with $77 million in cap space), make him show it for one more year, and then …

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer dismissed safeties coach Colin Hitschler on Friday, as first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The move is a significant one after Hitschler spent just one season with the program. The Crimson Tide finished at 9-4 after a bowl loss to Michigan, clinching its first season without double-digit wins since 2007 — Nick Saban’s …