Latest news with #NationalChampionship
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Chris Del Conte responds as Texas blocks prime-time move for 2025 opener at Ohio State
The Texas Longhorns will open their 2025 football season against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus — and it will remain a Big Noon Saturday kickoff despite efforts to move the game to Sunday night. According to multiple reports, including one from Horns247, it was the Texas athletic department that declined a proposal from Ohio State and Fox Sports to shift the highly anticipated matchup into a Sunday prime-time slot. Advertisement Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte didn't mince words when asked about the decision. 'Why would I want to move the game to Sunday night and have a short week? I've got to go to church,' Del Conte said Wednesday, citing concerns over recovery time and personal priorities. When Fox Sports initially announced it had secured the rights to the game, the kickoff time was noticeably absent, prompting speculation the network was eyeing a marquee evening slot. Ohio State's athletic department reportedly lobbied for the move in hopes of avoiding yet another noon kickoff — a time slot that many Buckeyes fans believe stifles the game-day experience and tailgating atmosphere in Columbus. But that effort hit a wall. Since a Sunday move would alter the scheduled date of the game, Texas had to sign off on the change — something it was unwilling to do. Sources indicate that Texas believed its chances of winning would be stronger with a noon start and preferred not to compromise its preparation for the following week's game against San Jose State. Advertisement Fox has faced criticism from Ohio State fans in recent seasons for placing the Buckeyes in the Big Noon Saturday window for several high-profile games, diminishing the typical energy associated with late afternoon or evening kickoffs at Ohio Stadium. Had the game remained on Saturday but simply moved into a later time slot, Texas would have had no jurisdiction. But the proposed shift to Sunday required mutual agreement, and UT made its position clear. Texas and Ohio State are set to rematch after the Cotton Bowl win that advanced Ohio State to the National Championship, and then to win it all. This will also be the first game Texas has Arch Manning at the helm of the team. The 2025 showdown is expected to be one of the premier non-conference games of the season, drawing national attention — regardless of the time slot. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Chris Del Conte shares thoughts on Ohio State game scheduling
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Hamilton hosts 45th National Scrabble Champs this weekend
The 45th National Scrabble Championship is being held in Hamilton this weekend. Photo: 123RF Hamiltonians are preparing for the 45th National Scrabble Championship hosted in the city this weekend. Top players from across New Zealand and Australia are flying in to battle it out, tile by tile. Reigning champion Howard Warner has 12 national titles already under his belt. He said he started playing board games and doing puzzles as a child. "Naturally I would gravitate towards the king of all word games when I was a bit older." He said he was pretty relaxed about this weekend's competition. "I've been doing it a long time now and I'd like to get the first game under my belt and at that point then that settles the nerves, butterflies in the stomach and then I'm fine." Warner thought about 100 players would be competing this weekend although said it could be a struggle against other 'brain sports' such as chess and bridge. Anyone who wants to follow the national champs can do so via a livestream on YouTube. A good scrabble player does not just need to be a good speller, he said. "To be honest you have to have a very good mathematical mind, believe it or not, there are a lot of things like probability theory come into it." But Warner described himself as useless at maths "except in the context of scrabble". Strategy was also important which involved knowing where to play which tiles and what to keep on your rack, as well as always looking ahead rather than just focusing on your next turn, he said. At this level players did not just learn words or their meanings, he said. "We learn huge numbers of anagrams, so a combination of seven or eight random letters and what they make, so that when we're playing a game the words can just leap into our minds straight away and we don't have to spend a lot of time thinking about it." High level scrabble players also need to be competitive and have a "killer instinct", he said. "Also what I can hang-in-ability where even if you're losing you just hang in and hang in and hang in, hoping that by the end you can turn the game just so that you can just end one point ahead of your opponent." Warner said the highest scoring word he had ever played was fiberize which got him 252 points. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Times, channel information announced for Texas A&M's first three games of the 2025 season
Times, channel information announced for Texas A&M's first three games of the 2025 season Texas A&M will kick off the 2025 college football season against UTSA inside Kyle Field on Aug. 30 before hosting Utah State in Week 2, followed by the first significant test of the season against Notre Dame in South Bend on Saturday, Sept. 13. Coach Mike Elko's second season is critical for building a winning culture during his tenure, and starting 2-0 in Kyle Field before facing the Irish, who were just a couple of plays away from winning the 2025 National Championship against Ohio state, could end up become the catalyst for an Aggie team needing to prove their worth as early contenders for the College Football Playoff. On Thursday, Texas A&M's first three games have received start times and broadcasting information, as Aggie fans can now make their plans for the start of the 2025 season, which will include an early start during the hottest month of the year against Utah State. Here are is all the information for Texas A&M's matchups vs. UTSA, Utah State and Notre Dame. Texas A&M vs. UTSA (season opener) Date: Saturday, Aug. 30 Time: 6:00 p.m. CT. Channel: ESPN Texas A&M vs. Utah State Date: Saturday, Sept. 6 Time: 11:45 a.m. CT. Channel: SEC Network Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame (South Bend) Date: Saturday, Sept. 13 Time: 6:30 p.m. CT. Channel: NBC Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Three-day Indian Open of Surfing from May 30 at Mangalore
Mangalore (Karnataka) [India], May 29 (ANI): The surfing spotlight returns to Karnataka's coastal city of Mangalore as the sixth edition of the NMPA Indian Open of Surfing gets underway tomorrow at the Tannirbhavi Eco Beach. Scheduled from May 30 to June 1. This is the second stop of the 2025 National Surfing Championship Series. Organized by the Surfing Swami Foundation and hosted by the Mantra Surf Club under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India (SFI), this year's edition continues to serve as a pivotal leg in the National Championship series, drawing India's finest surfing talent for three days of high-stakes competition and valuable ranking points, as per a press release. The three-day contest will see over 50 top surfers compete across four divisions: Men's Open, Women's Open, Groms (U-16) Boys, and Groms (U-16) Girls. Among the biggest highlights for this round is the return of defending National champion Ramesh Budihal and Kishore Kumar, two of India's top-ranked surfers who missed the previous edition but are now ready to make a statement. They will join an elite lineup that includes Harish Muthu, Kamali P, Ajeesh Ali, Srikanth D, and Sanjay Selvamani. All of them impressed on the Asian circuit in 2024, including standout performances at the Asian Surfing Championship and the Maruhaba Cup. Their performances were key to India securing a 5th-place rank in Asia last year and also securing two quotas for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Adding a dramatic layer to this year's edition is the surf forecast, with wave heights predicted between 10 to 12 feet across the competition dates. These powerful swells will demand precision, stamina, and strategy, elevating both the thrill of the contest and the difficulty for competitors. Due to cyclonic activity and unpredictable weather patterns over the Arabian Sea, the ocean may prove to be an unpredictable competitor and play a spoilsport to the event schedule. The heightened challenge will also have implications for national rankings, especially with the Asian Surf Championship 2025, a qualifier for the 2026 Asian Games, on the horizon. Originally scheduled at Sasihithlu Beach, this year's competition has been relocated to Tannirbhavi Eco Beach due to unfavourable weather and wave patterns at the former site. While Sasihithlu has been synonymous with the Indian Open of Surfing for years, the new venue promises comparable wave quality while ensuring better safety conditions for surfers and spectators alike. This year too, the event continues to enjoy unwavering backing from key partners. The New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) returns as the Title Sponsor for the second consecutive year, while Karnataka Tourism presents the championship for the sixth year running. Cycle Pure Agarbathies also continues its association as the Powered By sponsor for the second straight year. 'We are excited to bring the sixth edition of the NMPA Indian Open of Surfing to the coast of Mangalore. With a strong field of athletes and a challenging forecast of 10-12 ft waves, we are in for an intense and exciting three days of competition. This event wouldn't be possible without the unwavering support of New Mangalore Port Authority, Karnataka Tourism, and Cycle Pure Agarbathies, who continue to champion the growth of surfing in India,' said Rammohan Paranjape, Vice President of Surfing Federation of India and Director at Mantra Surf Club. In the lead-up to the sixth edition of NMPA IOS, local Grom events have been underway, aiming to unearth the next wave of surfing talent in the region. These grassroots competitions not only build momentum ahead of the national championship, but also set the stage for a sustainable pipeline of talent. (ANI)
Hans India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Top surfers gear up for 6th Indian Open of Surfing in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: The surfing spotlight returns to Karnataka's coastal city of Mangaluru as the sixth edition of the Indian Open of Surfing is set to get underway at the Tannirbhavi Eco Beach on Friday. Scheduled from May 30 to June 1, this is the second stop of the 2025 National Surfing Championship Series. Organised by the Surfing Swami Foundation and hosted by the Mantra Surf Club under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India (SFI), this year's edition continues to serve as a pivotal leg in the National Championship series, drawing India's finest surfing talent for three days of high-stakes competition and valuable ranking points. Originally scheduled at Sasihithlu Beach, this year's competition has been relocated to Tannirbhavi Eco Beach due to unfavourable weather and wave patterns at the former site. While Sasihithlu has been synonymous with the Indian Open of Surfing for years, the new venue promises comparable wave quality while ensuring better safety conditions for surfers and spectators alike. The three-day contest will see over 50 top surfers compete across four divisions: Men's Open, Women's Open, Groms (U-16) Boys, and Groms (U-16) Girls. Among the biggest highlights for this round is the return of defending National champion Ramesh Budihal and Kishore Kumar, two of India's top-ranked surfers who missed the previous edition but are now ready to make a statement. They will join an elite lineup including Harish Muthu, Kamali P., Ajeesh Ali, Srikanth D., and Sanjay Selvamani, all of whom have impressed on the Asian circuit in 2024, including standout performances at the Asian Surfing Championship and the Maruhaba Cup. Their performances were key to India securing a 5th place rank in Asia last year and also securing two quotas for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Adding a dramatic layer to this year's edition is the surf forecast, with wave heights predicted between 10 to 12 feet across the competition dates. Due to cyclonic activity and unpredictable weather patterns over the Arabian Sea, the ocean may prove to be an unpredictable competitor and play a spoilsport to the event schedule. The heightened challenge will also have implications for national rankings, especially with the Asian Surf Championship 2025, a qualifier for the 2026 Asian Games, on the horizon. The event continues to enjoy unwavering backing from key partners. The New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) returns as the Title Sponsor for the second consecutive year, while Karnataka Tourism presents the championship for the sixth year running. 'We're excited to bring the sixth edition of the NMPA Indian Open of Surfing to the coast of Mangalore. With a strong field of athletes and a challenging forecast of 10–12 ft waves, we are in for an intense and exciting three days of competition," said Rammohan Paranjape, vice president of the Surfing Federation of India and director at Mantra Surf Club. In the lead-up to the sixth edition of IOS, local Grom events have been underway, aiming to unearth the next wave of surfing talent in the region. These grassroots competitions not only build momentum ahead of the national championship but also set the stage for a sustainable pipeline of talent.
