The Athletic

The Athletic has published a bracket forecast for the 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs, laying out projected matchups and team-by-team scenarios as the postseason approaches. The breakdown examines which clubs are positioned to reach October, the potential seeding paths, and what each contending team needs to do down the stretch to secure a spot in the playoff field.

Data analytics company Databricks has agreed to pay $22.8 million for naming rights to the University of California, Berkeley's football field. The deal is being framed as more than a college sports sponsorship: Databricks was founded by Berkeley alumni, and the agreement signals how tech companies are deepening ties with university programs amid intense competition for AI talent and brand visibility.

The Chicago Cubs are investing in innovative bat technology, part of a broader trend spreading across Major League Baseball teams. According to The Athletic, clubs across the league are increasingly turning to new bat designs and materials in search of performance gains. The report highlights how equipment innovation is becoming a competitive focus in baseball, with teams treating bat technology as another area to gain an edge.

Paris 2024 organisers have confirmed that a small number of Olympic medals awarded at the Games have been affected by premature aging. Athletes whose medals are damaged can request a replacement through their National Olympic Committee. The announcement has drawn attention because the medals were meant to mark a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, and some observers are questioning the quality control behind the awards.

The Asian Games are getting under way in Japan, with coverage spotlighting ten athletes expected to make an impact at the multi-sport event. As competition begins, attention is turning to the standout names across athletics, swimming and other disciplines, with fans and commentators following how the region's top performers fare over the coming days.

Germany has chosen Munich as its candidate city to host the Olympic Games, which would mark the first time the country has hosted them since the 1972 Munich Games, which were overshadowed by the Palestinian terrorist attack that killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches. Officials hope a successful bid would allow Germany to finally return to hosting the event more than five decades later, though the 1972 legacy looms over the plans.

The 20th Asian Games open in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in 2026, with athletics results and medallists being tracked live for fans following the continental multi-sport event. Coverage highlights the athletics programme, one of the Games' flagship disciplines, as athletes from across Asia compete for medals. The event is drawing attention as one of the biggest sporting occasions on the Asian calendar.

India's medal prospects for the 2026 Asian Games, to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, are being tracked in a full table of the country's medals tally and winners. Interest centres on how India's athletes will build on recent continental results across athletics, shooting, wrestling and other disciplines when the Games get under way.

India's Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will not compete at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Reports explain he is skipping the event, depriving Indian fans of their biggest athletics star at the continental multi-sport Games. The reason for his absence has not been fully detailed, but the news is drawing wide attention given his status as India's most celebrated track and field athlete.

Singapore sprinter Shanti Pereira is aiming to reach the women's 200m final at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya 2026, where she is expected to face China's teenage sprinting sensation Chen Yujie. The matchup is being billed as a potential historic final for Southeast Asian sprinting, with Pereira among the region's most prominent athletes ahead of the Games.

An approaching East Coast storm has forced sports leagues and organisers across the region to postpone, relocate or cancel scheduled events. The Athletic reports the disruption is affecting competitions throughout the area as teams and venues adjust to severe weather expected to hit the coast.

Indian athletes are in medal contention on September 27 at the 2026 Asian Games. Young squash player Anahat Singh and Abhay are chasing gold in the squash events, while Tejaswin Shankar holds the lead in the decathlon and will look to defend it through the final stages of the competition.

News outlets are publishing year-end memoriam features honoring notable public figures who died in 2026. These retrospectives typically cover celebrities, politicians, athletes, artists and other prominent personalities lost over the year, prompting readers to share tributes and memories of those they admired.

A group leading a referendum on transgender athletes in sports has begun collecting signatures to place the question on the 2027 ballot in Maine. The measure would address whether transgender athletes may compete in school sports consistent with their gender identity. Organizers must gather the required number of voter signatures for the question to qualify, and the campaign is expected to draw significant public debate.

Reports list the final results and placings from Fitness Olympia 2026, naming the athlete who won the title. Coverage focuses on who took the crown and how the top competitors finished in the official standings.

The Houston Astros faced the Athletics on September 26, 2026, with MLB publishing a recap of the score and standout plays from the matchup. Fans are following the highlights as the baseball season reaches its closing stretch, with postseason implications keeping attention on results involving both clubs.

The results and scorecards from the 2026 Pro Wheelchair Olympia have been published, revealing how the athletes in the wheelchair bodybuilding division placed at the contest. Full scorecards give fans and competitors a breakdown of the judges' decisions, though details of the winners and placings were not included in the announcement that is circulating.