Latest news with #NationalChampionship
Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Will former UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar win the starting job at Tennessee?
ATLANTA — The Southeastern Conference's evolving quarterback situations continued to be a focal point of SEC media days on Wednesday. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway went 6-1 after taking over as the starter midway through 2024, creating some buzz around the Gators heading into year four of the Billy Napier era. Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen is back after a shoulder injury ended his 2024 season in September, and the Bulldogs are looking to respond from a winless league campaign in year two under Jeff Lebby. Meanwhile, Tennessee has an ongoing quarterback battle with three participants, headlined by Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar. Tennessee underwent one of the highest profile quarterback changes. Former five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava started all 13 games for the Volunteers last season as they reached the College Football Playoff, but departed the week of the spring game before eventually transferring to UCLA. Coach Josh Heupel — a former National Championship winning quarterback himself — confirmed three quarterbacks are still in the mix to earn the job heading into preseason camp. 'We've found a way to win with a lot of different quarterbacks throughout my career,' Heupel said. 'And we're going to find a way to win with the guy that earns a starting spot as we go through training camp here in August.' Aguilar initially transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA in December, but re-entered the portal and enrolled at Tennessee following Iamaleava's exit. He started 11 games for the Mountaineers in 2024, throwing for 3,002 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Jake Merklinger appeared in two games last season while redshirting, and George MacIntyre is an incoming true freshman. 'Now it's about getting to training camp and going and competing,' Heupel said. 'Somebody is going to earn the opportunity to be our starting quarterback through that process.' As Napier enters his fourth season, only one player on his roster has appeared in every single game of his tenure. Center Jake Slaughter brings a streak of 38 consecutive games played and 21 consecutive starts into 2025, and was the only 2024 AP All-America selection in attendance at SEC media days. 'He was voted team captain by his teammates last year, and he very much lives it out,' Napier said about Slaughter. 'He's a guy that sets the tone every day.' The battery between Slaughter and Lagway sparked a late charge last fall, helping Florida rebound from a 4-5 start to win its final four games including upsets of then No. 22 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss. Lagway's 6-1 mark as a starter tied Chris Leak for the most wins by a true freshman quarterback in program history. 'He treats everything like it's the last thing he's ever going to do,' Slaughter said on Lagway. 'But then on game day, he's got a different type of swag to him. He's getting everybody fired up. You don't see that from Sunday through Friday, just Saturday.' Lebby has nowhere to go but up after a winless conference season and a 2-10 overall record in 2024. Part of Mississippi State's struggles last season spiraled from Shapen's injury. The Baylor transfer fractured his right scapula in week four and the Bulldogs went 1-7 in his absence. 'I am 100% healthy,' Shapen said. 'Obviously it was tough not playing last year, but I'm back now and I feel better than ever.' Shapen threw eight touchdowns and only one interception with 974 passing yards in his limited sample size, creating some belief his return combined with an extra year of experience in Lebby's offense can help the Bulldogs in 2025. 'Inside our walls right now we have great belief,' Lebby said. 'Our guys are incredibly intent on getting better and changing the outcome this fall.' Cole writes for the Associated Press.
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Science
- Indian Express
Surat SUMAN school students bags prizes in robotics competition held in Ahmedabad
A total of 106 students from a Surat Municipal Corporation-run SUMAN high school won first, second, and third prizes in the Gujarat regional World STEM & Robotics Olympiad (WSRO) robotics and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) competition, held on July 10 in Ahmedabad. Among them, 12 teams comprising 34 students from SMC schools will participate in the National Championship to be held in September this year. The WSRO, in collaboration with STEMbotix and supported by Shrijitechno Aspire, organises a competition for students every year. This year, the WSRO 2025 regional championship was held at Karnavati University in Ahmedabad. For the first time, 106 students (from Class 9 to 12) from the SUMAN schools participated in the competition, while 117 students from other schools and around 30 from private schools competed in various STEM-based challenges. SUMAN school sources said that 12 teams were selected for the National Championship after they won awards across multiple categories — Robo Race, Line Follower, STEM Balloon Car, Young Scientist – All STEM Open, AI Innovator (Junior & Senior), Young Scientist Energy Challenge in the WSRO competition. The SUMAN school secured first and second positions in the Line Follower challenge, and also received the Judges' Choice Award in another category — a testament to the students' creativity, innovation, and strong technical foundation. These achievements followed advanced training and mentorship provided at the AI & Robotics Lab, established by Shrijitechno Aspire at Surat's SUMAN school. The lab plays a pivotal role in providing hands-on learning experiences in STEM, AI, and robotics, says Sunil Vankar, AI lab coach at the school. The WSRO aims to engage young innovators and STEM enthusiasts in a competitive yet educational environment. The event encompasses various challenges that test participants' technical skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities across a range of robotics and technology-based competitions. Each category is structured to assess specific competencies, such as technical accuracy, innovative thinking, and teamwork. For the Robo Race Challenge, participants had to design a manually operated robot, wired or wireless, that navigates a challenging race track in the shortest amount of time. The team with the fastest time to complete the course wins. The competition featured a qualifying round for each team. Line Following Challenge (Non-LEGO) was a premier robotics event designed to challenge participants in autonomous navigation and sensor integration. In this, robots are programmed to detect and follow a continuous black line on a white surface, navigating turns and maintaining speed with precision. The objective is for the robot to complete the course in the shortest possible time without deviating from the track. This challenge emphasises skills in robotics engineering, sensor programming, and path-following algorithms, making it one of the most competitive events globally. LEGO Line Following Competition is a popular event in the WSRO India Championship that requires participants to design and programme autonomous LEGO robots capable of following a designated path as quickly as possible. Robots are required to detect and follow a continuous black line on a white synthetic field, using precision and speed. The competition tests participants' skills in robot design, sensor integration, and programming while maintaining adherence to LEGO-based construction standards. Balloon Car Challenge by WSRO India was designed to inspire creativity, innovation, and teamwork. In this challenge, participants were tasked with designing and constructing a balloon-powered car capable of navigating a track efficiently. The competition highlights fundamental STEM concepts and encourages sustainable practices in design. Under the category of Young Scientist, All STEM open category, the IoT (Internet of Things) iProtect: A Smart Home System for Energy Saving and Safety (a house model) developed by Barvaliya Heniben Bhagwanbhai, Asodariya Vaishnavi Prafulbhai, was treated as one of the best projects by the judges, and they won a prize. Both of these students are in Class 10 and they got the guidance of mentor Sunil Vankar, STEM and Robotics coach at the SUMAN school. Bhagwanbhai told this correspondent: 'This project ensures safety, automation and remote alerts using ARdunion Nano and IOT-based sensors. The IoT iProtect is a sensor-based innovative automation system designed using an Arduino Nano as the main controller. It is capable of monitoring environmental conditions, controlling appliances, and sending SMS alerts during emergencies such as fire, gas leaks, or unauthorized entry — using a GSM module.' Talking about how the system works, she said:'Temperature and humidity monitoring.' Their mentor Vankar said, 'This system encourages the use of IoT and sensor technology for solving real-life problems. It provides an excellent learning model for students to understand automation, safety systems, and embedded electronics, making it suitable for school exhibitions and innovation fairs.' Talking to The Indian Express, the SUMAN school's administrator Dharmesh Patel said, 'This year we have started courses like AI (artificial intelligence), coding, drones, robotics and 3D printing for students from Classes 9 to 12. These subjects are optional for students, and they receive two hours of training each week from our AI and robotics coaches. No extra fees are paid. The main motive behind starting such courses is to develop interest among students in these courses.' He further added, 'Generally, the students in our schools come from weak financial backgrounds, and such courses are taught to students in private schools, which charge high fees. We want our students to also learn such courses.' Sources stated that the Surat Municipal Corporation operates 26 SUMAN schools in Surat. AI, coding, and robotics are taught in 18 schools, which have a total of 11,000 students from Classes 9 to 12, studying these courses.
Fox Sports
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: I Want J.J. McCarthy to be 'Confident' to Make Plays
Sam Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, and the Minnesota Vikings said "best to you and the Seattle Seahawks," but Aaron Rodgers never came walking through the door. In fact, he went to the Pittsburgh Steelers after being released by the New York Jets. And, as a result of those events, it's now J.J. McCarthy's show in Minnesota, and McCarthy's superstar wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, is a believer in the young signal-caller. "As his teammate and as a captain of the team, just trying to make him dialed in every chance that I can," Jefferson said in an interview with Yahoo Sports. "Our lockers are right next to each other, so every chance that I get to talk to him about football, about anything that goes on outside of football. "Just try to get to know him as much as I can, because when the season comes and whenever we're locked in, I want him to be just as confident as I am of him to make the plays out there." Minnesota traded up one spot to select McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after playing three seasons at Michigan and starting the bulk of the last two, highlighted by helping the Wolverines win the National Championship in his junior season (2023). McCarthy's rookie season was derailed by him suffering a torn meniscus in the 2024 preseason, which ended the quarterback's rookie campaign. Darnold then became the Vikings' official starting quarterback, helping lead them to a 14-3 season before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC wild-card round. In his final season at Michigan, McCarthy, who always presented a threat with his legs, totaled 2,991 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, four interceptions and a Big Ten-high 167.4 passer rating, while completing a conference-high 72.3% of his passes in a run-happy offensive scheme. As for Jefferson, the two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler totaled 103 receptions for 1,533 yards (14.9 yards per reception) and 10 touchdowns last season. He ranked eighth among wide receivers with an 87.2 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus. McCarthy inherits a stacked Vikings' offense that includes the aforementioned Jefferson, budding wide receiver Jordan Addison — who has averaged 66.5 receptions for 893.0 yards and 9.5 touchdowns per season over his first two NFL seasons — tight end and two-time Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson and running back Aaron Jones, who rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards, while tallying 408 receiving yards last season, among others. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Minnesota Vikings J.J. McCarthy Justin Jefferson recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
The Herald Scotland
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Donald Trump NIL executive order shouldn't excited college leaders
What does that mean exactly? People who are generally informed on the interplay between college sports and the federal government didn't seem to know an executive order was imminent or what exactly would be in it - even folks with a direct line to Trump and who have engaged with about potential federal action that would bail college sports out of its current dysfunction. So now we wait. For something - or maybe nothing. With the Trump Administration, you can never quite tell. What we do know, however, is that the White House has, in fact, been working on something in the form of a likely executive order since Trump met with former Alabama coach Nick Saban at the school's graduation ceremony in May. Regardless of what's ultimately in it, however, coaches and administrators should resist the temptation to get excited about the possibility of Trump saving the day for a few simple, but important reasons. An executive order isn't a law. College sports and the NCAA do not operate under the purview of the executive branch of the federal government, thus any executive order compelling them to do anything would be legally questionable at best. And finally, any so-called "fix" for college sports made with the stroke of one man's pen can be undone by the next one who occupies that office. UNWANTED TALK: Nick Saban rumor is last thing Alabama needs Sorry, college sports executives. You're going to have to actually do the work on this one. We know that's not easy, which makes the temptation to rely on Trump more tempting. It's been nearly six years since the NCAA pivoted toward begging Congress for relief from its never-ending string of lawsuits, and so far they've gotten no reward for their effort. Unless, of course, you consider it a reward to be dragged into more committee hearings to answer ridiculous, superficial questions from legislators who know as much about college sports as they do about the Finnish language. Oh sure, there's another bill on the way. And this one apparently has bipartisan support in the House. But then there's the Senate, where the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., last week called it "the National Championship of all heists" because it is too favorable to the NCAA's interests. Remember, any bill must get 60 votes due to filibuster rules in the Senate, which means a minimum of seven Democrats will need to sign off on it. That's not going to be easy, especially if it puts hard caps on how much college athletes can earn and eliminates the potential to bargain collectively for their rights in the future. Purely from a political standpoint, I'm not sure why Senate Democrats would cooperate at all here. If a bill finally passes that fixes some issues with the NCAA, they won't get credit - because Trump will take it. And he'll play it to the hilt, which doesn't seem particularly helpful to their electoral goals heading into the midterms next year. That's just how stuff works in Washington, and both parties play that game on issues far more serious and important than the NCAA's ability to regulate the transfer portal. It's part of why the NCAA's "let Congress fix our mess" strategy has been a complete failure thus far and may never pay off. At the end of the day, there's a lot more upside for Congress to use college sports as a political plaything than to make a law that will only impact a relatively small number of people and isn't an urgent matter of national interest. But a "let Trump fix it" strategy could be worse, particularly right now as institutions are scrambling to implement terms of the House vs. NCAA settlement that allow athletic departments to pay their athletes directly. At the moment, the House settlement and the College Sports Commission - a regulatory body created by the power conferences to enforce the settlement rules - hold the key to how college sports will operate over the next several years. Will the CSC get sued by athletes and booster collectives whose deals get denied because they aren't considered true NIL? Of course, but they already knew that. Unless Congress quickly grants college sports some type of antitrust exemption, the CSC will have to go in front of a judge and show that it follows the law to continue having regulatory power over college athletes' paychecks. That's really the only issue worth talking about right now, regardless of what Trump may write in an executive order. And what can he possibly do anyway? Maybe he can decree that college athletes can't be made employees through some type of National Labor Relations Board policy -- but they already aren't. So unless the NCAA is going to become a federal agency, where the president would have significant legal authority to regulate it, anything in an executive order is mostly going to be performative. And anything that touches actual NCAA business like the transfer portal or limiting how athletes earn money stands on far shakier legal ground than the guardrails that were already installed through the House settlement. Regardless of which direction a president wants to take college sports - any president, for the record - the fundamental problem will not change no matter who's in the office or how many executive orders they write. By refusing to engage in a true collective bargaining effort that mimics the relationship between the NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB and their respective players associations, the college sports industry left itself in a vulnerable position where any attempt to enforce its rules will face legal scrutiny. For better or worse, that's the American Way. And at this point, the focus of college sports should be long-term stability through the appropriate legal and legislative means instead of a flimsy proclamation. Colleges need to be especially careful right now. We've seen how the Trump Administration strongarms schools it has ideological disagreements with: Withholding federal grants, deporting international students, pressuring university presidents to resign. His involvement in college sports issues on behalf of the NCAA's immediate interests is going to inevitably create the appearance of long-term leverage. As frustrated as college sports executives might be with Jeffrey Kessler and other sports attorneys who keep them in court, creating space for tussles with this White House might not be the best tradeoff. Keep all that in mind when Trump issues his mysterious executive order. Because at the end of the day, only the people in charge of college sports can truly save it - no matter how much a president is itching to claim credit for doing so.
a day ago
- Sport
Tennessee embraces QB battle as Florida, Mississippi State seek new heights
ATLANTA -- The Southeastern Conference's evolving quarterback situations continued to be a focal point of SEC media days on Wednesday. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway went 6-1 after taking over as the starter midway through 2024, creating some buzz around the Gators heading into year four of the Billy Napier era. Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen is back after a shoulder injury ended his 2024 season in September, and the Bulldogs are looking to respond from a winless league campaign in year two under Jeff Lebby. Meanwhile, Tennessee has an ongoing quarterback battle with three participants, headlined by Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar. Tennessee underwent one of the highest profile quarterback changes. Former five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava started all 13 games for the Volunteers last season as they reached the College Football Playoff, but departed the week of the spring game before eventually transferring to UCLA. Coach Josh Heupel — a former National Championship winning quarterback himself — confirmed three quarterbacks are still in the mix to earn the job heading into preseason camp. 'We've found a way to win with a lot of different quarterbacks throughout my career,' Heupel said. 'And we're going to find a way to win with the guy that earns a starting spot as we go through training camp here in August.' Aguilar initially transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA in December, but re-entered the portal and enrolled at Tennessee following Iamaleava's exit. He started 11 games for the Mountaineers in 2024, throwing for 3,002 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Jake Merklinger appeared in two games last season while redshirting, and George MacIntyre is an incoming true freshman. 'Now it's about getting to training camp and going and competing,' Heupel said. 'Somebody is going to earn the opportunity to be our starting quarterback through that process.' As Napier enters his fourth season, only one player on his roster has appeared in every single game of his tenure. Center Jake Slaughter brings a streak of 38 consecutive games played and 21 consecutive starts into 2025, and was the only 2024 AP All-America selection in attendance at SEC media days. 'He was voted team captain by his teammates last year, and he very much lives it out,' Napier said about Slaughter. 'He's a guy that sets the tone every day.' The battery between Slaughter and Lagway sparked a late charge last fall, helping Florida rebound from a 4-5 start to win its final four games including upsets of then No. 22 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss. Lagway's 6-1 mark as a starter tied Chris Leak for the most wins by a true freshman quarterback in program history. 'He treats everything like it's the last thing he's ever going to do,' Slaughter said on Lagway. 'But then on game day, he's got a different type of swag to him. He's getting everybody fired up. You don't see that from Sunday through Friday, just Saturday.' Lebby has nowhere to go but up after a winless conference season and a 2-10 overall record in 2024. Part of Mississippi State's struggles last season spiraled from Shapen's injury. The Baylor transfer fractured his right scapula in week four and the Bulldogs went 1-7 in his absence. 'I am 100% healthy,' Shapen said. 'Obviously it was tough not playing last year, but I'm back now and I feel better than ever.' Shapen threw eight touchdowns and only one interception with 974 passing yards in his limited sample size, creating some belief his return combined with an extra year of experience in Lebby's offense can help the Bulldogs in 2025. 'Inside our walls right now we have great belief,' Lebby said. 'Our guys are incredibly intent on getting better and changing the outcome this fall.'
