As part of their preparations for big tournaments in recent years such as this summer's World Cup, USA Basketball has been taking a few extra players to help in practices and workouts.

USA Basketball is on the brink of qualifying for next year’s World Cup.

Alabama is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 for the second straight season.

Notre Dame has promoted defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to replace Brian Kelly as head coach of the Fighting Irish.

Brees completed 28 of 39 passes for 265 yards, connecting with Michael Thomas and Latavius Murray for touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Chicago Bears 21-9 in an NFC wild-card game Sunday. Brees' first touchdown pass in the opening quarter was 11-yards over the middle to Thomas, back from a three-game absence to help heal a nagging ankle injury. The 2019 Offensive Player of the Year missed nine games this season and had not caught a touchdown pass since December 2019. That marked the second time this season a Bears player was thrown out for action taken against Gardner-Johnson after the whistle. The Bears have reached the playoffs twice since Pace took over in 2015, both times under Nagy, who was hired in 2018.

INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Notre Dame has implemented mandatory coronavirus testing for students and strict penalties for those who don’t comply after students rushed the school's football field to celebrate a double-overtime upset over Clemson and held numerous weekend parties. Now, all Notre Dame students are required to undergo coronavirus testing before they leave South Bend for the extended winter break, Notre Dame President the Rev. Following the win, Notre Dame moved up two spots to No. Notre Dame reported 24 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with 220 active cases overall. The university has reported 1,355 positive cases since the start of the fall semester.

The undefeated Titans are healing up from the NFL’s first COVID-19 outbreak. DeCastro will miss his third game of the season after sustaining an abdominal injury last week against Philadelphia. Johnson, Pittsburgh’s second-leading receiver, is out because of a back injury suffered on a punt return last week. Cincinnati also will be missing starting defensive tackle D.J. Eagles: RT Lane Johnson, WR DeSean Jackson, WR Alshon Jeffery, CB Avonte Maddox, S Marcus Epps, LB Duke Riley, QB Nate Sudfeld.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether any of those involved cases reported in Qingdao. ___DENVER — Colorado is experiencing another surge of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, prompting Gov. Michigan had 89 new cases per 1 million people per day, up from 81.6 cases last week, the health department said. After two days of no virus-related deaths, the latest numbers on Tuesday bring the statewide confirmed case total to more than 226,000 and the 5,767 confirmed deaths. With 80 new deaths confirmed in the past 24 hours, the death toll rose to 33,204.

Bowser acknowledged on Monday that White House medical officials “have their hands full” at the moment. Instead it has been forced to entrust the White House medical staff to conduct its own contact tracing. “If that information has been provided to us ... the D.C. contact trace force will do its work,” Nesbit said. White House spokesman Judd Deere said Monday that the White House "has established a robust contact tracing program led by the White House Medical Unit with CDC integration to provide appropriate recommendations.”He said those who com in close proximity to Trump would continue to be tested. Bowser and Nesbit took pains Monday to avoid direct commentary or criticism of the White House — perhaps seeking to avoid the appearance of politicizing the crisis.

Chris Christie, seen in an AP photo with his arm around another guest while chatting up several face to face, announced his positive virus test this weekend. Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, who attended the debate and helped him prepare with Christie, has tested positive for COVID-19. White House officials said they began learning of Hicks’ positive test after Trump boarded Marine One to start his journey to New Jersey. Despite the abject failure to keep the president protected from the virus, White House officials defended their current protocols as well thought out. And masks still won't be required on the White House grounds for all West Wing employees.

Notre Dame President Father John Jenkins stands at back right. – The University of Notre Dame’s president announced Friday he tested positive for the coronavirus less than a week after he attended a White House event without wearing a mask. Trump also announced early Friday that he and the first lady, Melania Trump, tested positive for the virus. Notre Dame’s football team suspended practice and postponed its scheduled Sept. 26 game at Wake Forest after 18 players tested positive for COVID-19. Jenkins Joined Notre Dame's faculty in 1990 and has been the school's president since 2005.

WASHINGTON The University of Notre Dame has become the second university to withdraw as the host of one of this fall's three scheduled presidential debates amid the coronavirus pandemic. The university was set to host the inaugural face-off between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on Sept. 29. The first debate will now be hosted by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday. The commission has selected Cleveland Clinic as its health adviser for all three presidential debates and the one scheduled vice presidential debate. John Jenkins said the university made this difficult decision because the necessary health precautions would have greatly diminished the educational value of hosting the debate on our campus.The University of Michigan was scheduled to host the second presidential debate but withdrew last month.