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Good morning, sports fans! It’s Austin Nivison greeting you on this fine hump day. We have a lot to cover with the MLB hot stove heating up and basketball in full swing. Kyle Schwarber got the bag to remain in Philadelphia, UConn and Florida meet in a battle of heavyweights, the Knicks and Magic made it to Las Vegas and the Jaguars are surging as the NFL playoffs approach.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
⚾ Five things to know Wednesday
- Closer Edwin Díaz signs with the Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million contract. Nothing good ever happens for the Dodgers, so I’m sure the rest of the league was happy to see them land the former Mets closer in free agency. Díaz is coming off a 2025 season in which he tallied 28 saves while posting a 1.63 ERA and 98 strikeouts. He was also an All-Star, which is good because Los Angeles has a real shortage of those.
- Knicks and Magic represent the East in Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal. Jalen Brunson scored 35 points as visiting New York beat Toronto, 117-101, in one of two quarterfinal games. In the night’s first quarterfinal, Desmond Bane (37 points) had the hot hand for Orlando, which beat Miami, 117-108. The West’s quarterfinal games — Suns at Thunder, 7:30 p.m. and Spurs at Lakers, 10 p.m. — will be played tonight. The East and West winners will meet in Las Vegas Saturday night.
- No. 10 BYU pulls off monster comeback in Jimmy V Classic. Down 21 points at halftime, AJ Dybantsa led the Cougars on a furious comeback as BYU ultimately defeated Clemson, 67-64. Dybantsa finished with 22 points, but it was Rob Wright III’s 3 at the buzzer that lifted BYU to victory.
- The NCAA sets deadline for a decision on March Madness expansion. Love it or hate it, NCAA Tournament expansion has been a hot topic for a while now. After much deliberation, a final decision must be made by April, NCAA president Charlie Baker announced. If the tournament does expand, the field could grow to as many as 76 teams starting with the 2026-27 season.
- The University of Utah is finalizing landmark private equity deal for $500 million. The world of private equity has arrived in college athletics — or at least it will in 2026. Utah has come to terms on a $500 million deal with Otro Capital that will create a private entity in the form of Utah Brands & Entertainment LLC. In order to remain an NCAA member, Utah must abide by certain guidelines, like president Taylor Randall and Mark Harlan maintaining decision-making control.
💰 Do not miss this: Kyle Schwarber inks huge contract with Phillies
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If Kyle Schwarber has had better days, I sure would like to hear about them. After joining Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Philadelphia’s slugger re-signed with the Phillies on a record five-year contract to the tune of $150 million.
Schwarber, 33, was one of the biggest bats on the market this winter. With other suitors in the mix, MLB’s highest-paid designated hitter chose to run it back with Philadelphia, and it’s easy to understand why. All he did with the Phillies last season was lead the NL with 56 home runs while finishing second to Shohei Ohtani in the NL MVP race.
As Dayn Perry explains, this is a deal that made sense for both parties. Schwarber gets to remain in a good environment, and the Phillies would have had a world of trouble trying to replace his pop in the middle of the lineup.
- Perry: “Philadelphia’s front office wasn’t going to find a better pure hitter available on a five-year term. Yes, in theory, the Phillies could’ve chased after Kyle Tucker instead, but he would’ve required a much bigger commitment. Other potential alternatives, like free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, would’ve required a larger reshaping of the roster than the Phillies may feel comfortable with at this point.”
The MLB hot stove is still only preheating, so be sure to stay tuned with our offseason rumor tracker, which should only get more active as Winter Meetings continue.
📈 NFL Power Rankings: Jaguars are on the prowl
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It’s often easy to overlook the Jaguars, but other NFL playoff contenders need to have them on their radar. Jacksonville is rounding into form as the postseason comes into focus, and we might have a dark horse AFC title contender on our hands.
After a blowout win over the Colts, the Jaguars are now 9-4 and alone atop the AFC South standings and up to No. 6 in Pete Prisco’s latest NFL Power Rankings. Perhaps the biggest reason for this surge has been the offense. After a slow start for Trevor Lawrence, he has gotten rolling under new coach Liam Coen.
- Prisco: “Coen has taken an offense that struggled last season and elevated it to ninth in scoring at 25.2 points per game. Over the last three weeks, they’re averaging 29.3. Trevor Lawrence, who started slowly this season and drew questions from some, has taken his game up a notch. He threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts, but it’s how he’s playing that stands out: He’s much more decisive and willing to take shot throws.”
With the Jags creeping their way toward the top five, here’s little taste of the top 10.
6. Jaguars (+2)
7. Bears (-1)
8. 49ers (+1)
9. Texans (+2)
10. Bills (+2)
One team is heading in the wrong direction is the Colts (-2), and desperate times have called for desperate measures. Here’s why 44-year-old Philip Rivers is making an NFL comeback with Indianapolis.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
📺 What we’re watching Wednesday
We’ll be watching the UEFA Champions League matches on Paramount+ all day.
⚽ Newcastle United at Bayer Leverkusen, 3 p.m. on Paramount+/CBS Sports Network
🏀 No. 11 Iowa at No. 10 Iowa State (W), 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Minnesota at No. 6 Purdue (M), 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏀 NBA Cup — quarterfinals: Suns at Thunder, 7:30 p.m. on Prime Video
🏒 Rangers at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Wisconsin at No. 23 Nebraska (M), 9 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏒 Kings at Kraken, 10 p.m. on TNT
🏀 NBA Cup — quarterfinals: Spurs at Lakers, 10 p.m. on Prime Video