FRIDAY SPORTS, SEPTEMBER 4, 2026
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Mitchell Kernels football heads west for its first road game of the season, taking on Spearfish. Friday’s game has been moved back one hour because of expected heat with kickoff now set for 8 p.m. Central. The Kernels are 1-0 after opening the season with a 28-13 win over Brookings. Mitchell rushed for 303 yards in the victory, led by Samari Wright with 135 yards on just four carries. Lawson LeBrun, Brady Hoesing and Mason Kempf also scored rushing touchdowns. Spearfish is 0-1 after a 26-20 loss to Watertown. Coverage starts with the KORNer Booth pregame show at 7 pm on KORN News Radio.
— Mitchell High School hosted its annual Cheer and Dance Invite Thursday night, with 16 teams competing in dance and 18 in cheer. The Kernels placed 11th in the overall dance standings and 14th in cheer. Mitchell’s hip-hop routine finished sixth among 13 teams. Brandon Valley won the dance competition, while O’Gorman topped the cheer standings. Mitchell returns to competition Saturday at the Pierre Spirit Invite.
— The Mitchell and Mitchell Christian cross-country teams return to action on Friday at the Augustana Twilight meet in Sioux Falls at 6 pm.
— Mitchell Kernels volleyball, 2-4 on the season, will be at Huron on Tuesday at 6:30 pm. The game can be heard on KORN News Radio FM 101.3/AM 1490 and KORNRadio.com
— Mitchell Kernels soccer is back at home when they host Yankton on Tuesday with the girls match at 4 pm, followed by the boys at 6 pm.
— Mitchell Kernels boys golf returns to action on Friday, Sept. 11 at the Yankton Invitational.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Dakota Wesleyan volleyball has moved up five spots to No. 11 in the latest NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 poll. The Tigers are 8-1 on the season, with seven wins coming by sweep. DWU’s only loss came against No. 4 ranked Corban. The Tigers return to action Friday and Saturday at the Labor Day Classic in Omaha before opening GPAC play Sept. 9 against Dordt.
— Dakota Wesleyan is moving up its football home opener Saturday because of the heat. The Tigers will host Doane at 11 a.m. at Joe Quintal Field, two hours earlier than originally scheduled. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high of 96 degrees, with heat index values near 100. The game is the GPAC opener for both teams. DWU is coming off a 35-27 loss to Dakota State.
— Dakota Wesleyan women’s golf will compete at the Siouxland Invitational in Sioux City on Tuesday and Wednesday.
— Dakota Wesleyan men’s soccer host Northern Iowa Area Community College on Wednesday at 5 pm.
— Dakota Wesleyan men’s golf returns to action September 14 at the Siouxland Invitational.
— Dakota Wesleyan women’s soccer hosts Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday, Sept. 16th at 6 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— Second-ranked South Dakota State football hits the road for the first time this season when the Jackrabbits take on Big Ten opponent Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois on Saturday night. SDSU is 1-0 after a 70-7 win over Stetson in its opener. The Jackrabbits are ranked No. 2 in both major FCS polls and are making their first-ever football visit to Northwestern. The Wildcats are playing their season opener after going 7-6 last year, including a 4-5 record in the Big Ten. The Jackrabbits are 2-11 against FBS opponents since moving to the FCS in 2004, with wins over Kansas in 2015 and Colorado State in 2021. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Saturday on the Big Ten Network and on KORN News Radio.
— South Dakota State volleyball hosts the SDSU Invitational starting on Friday as the Jackrabbits face Western Illinois at 12:30 pm, followed by Northern Arizona at 7 pm. On Saturday, SDSU takes on Bradley at 1 pm. The Jacks are 1-3 on the season after losing 3-0 to No. 1 Nebraska at Wednesday.
— South Dakota State women’s soccer played Colorado College to a 1-1 tie on Thursday night. SDSU moves to 4-1-1 on the season as they host Idaho on Sunday at 1 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— No. 11 USD football hits the road for the first time this season when the Coyotes visit Northern Colorado in Greeley on Saturday night. The Coyotes are 1-0 after a 59-20 win over Central Connecticut State. Redshirt freshman quarterback Austyn Modrzewski (Mud-Jet-Ski) had a record-setting debut, throwing for 304 yards and six touchdowns while adding 81 rushing yards and a 68-yard touchdown run. His six touchdown passes tied a USD single-game record. The Coyotes are ranked No. 11 in the Stats FCS poll and No. 12 in the coaches poll. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CST on Saturday with the game televised on ESPN+.
— USD volleyball swept Utah Valley 3-0 on Thursday night in Vermillion as part of the South Dakota Classic. Set scores were 25-21, 25-20, 25-16. The Coyotes improved to 3-1 on the season. USD hosts Air Force on Friday at 7 pm, followed by Northern Iowa on Saturday at 2 pm in Vermillion.
— USD women’s soccer lost to Idaho on Thursday night 1-0. The Coyotes fall to 2-3-3 on the season as they host Drake on Sunday at 1 pm.
MINNESOTA TWINS
— The Minnesota Twins start a three-game series in Chicago against the White Sox on Friday at 6:40 pm. The Twins are four games behind Cleveland for the final American League wild card spot with just 22 games left in the season.
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL – THURSDAY
No. 2 Sioux Falls Christian 3, No. 1 Dell Rapids 2 – SFC won the fifth set 15-13.
Parkston 3, Hanson 1
Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 3, Ethan 0 – Addison Bartholow with 15 kills for SCW.
Freeman 3, Howard 0
McCook Central/Montrose 3, Parker/Marion 0
Platte-Geddes 3, Stanley County 0
Corsica-Stickney 3, Centerville 0 – Kinley Spaans with 32 assists and 13 digs.
Wagner 3, Chamberlain 0 – Hannah Holzbauer led Wagner with 17 kills.
Tripp-Delmont/Armour 3, Irene-Wakonda 1
Avon 3, Andes Central/Dakota Christian 0
Scotland 3, Canistota 1
No. 1 Harrisburg 3, SF Washington 1 – Tigers have won 96 consecutive matches vs. South Dakota Class AA teams.
No. 2 O’Gorman 3, Huron 0
No. 4 SF Lincoln 3, SF Jefferson 2
No.5 Watertown 3, Brookings 0
Aberdeen Central 3, Yankton 0
Tea Area 3, Pierre 0
NBA
— The NBA’s completion of its investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers could clear the way for Kawhi Leonard to return to the Toronto Raptors. The NBA punished the Clippers Wednesday for salary-cap violations, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and taking away five first-round draft picks. Leonard was fined $700,000 but was not suspended. The Raptors and Clippers agreed in June to a trade sending Leonard to Toronto, but the deal was put on hold during the investigation. Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points last season while playing 65 games. He helped Toronto win the 2019 NBA championship.
— The Houston Rockets have signed guard Amen Thompson to a contract extension that reportedly is worth $208 million over five years. Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, started 79 games last season and averaged 18 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He led the NBA in minutes played and emerged as Houston’s top defender. The 23-year-old has improved each of his three seasons with the Rockets, increasing his scoring average from 9.5 points as a rookie to 18.3 last season.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
— A Louisiana judge has issued a preliminary injunction against the NCAA, clearing the way for LSU to put former NFL players on its football roster. The ruling came after a nearly nine-hour hearing involving athletes who want to return to college for a fifth season. Former Saints defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and former Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright testified they would have stayed in college if they knew they could get another season. The SEC is fighting the decision and has filed a federal lawsuit against LSU. The NCAA says about 450 athletes are seeking additional eligibility through lawsuits, with roughly 300 temporarily allowed to play.
— The Southeastern Conference has sued LSU in federal court over the school’s decision to allow former professional athletes to return to college sports. The lawsuit came as athletes testified in a Louisiana courtroom Thursday, seeking eligibility to play this season. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey defended new league rules barring former professionals from returning to its schools, saying the SEC wants to maintain a line between college and professional sports. A judge in Louisiana has not said when he will rule, while LSU is set to open its football season Saturday against Clemson.
— The NCAA has cleared the University of Cincinnati of wrongdoing in its investigation of former quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s sports betting activity. Sorsby, who played for Cincinnati in 2024 and 2025 before transferring to Texas Tech, was permanently ruled ineligible by the NCAA in April after admitting to placing thousands of impermissible bets totaling at least $90,000 during his college career. The NCAA opened an inquiry into Cincinnati in July after Sorsby’s agent said the school knew about his gambling. Sorsby made at least 40 bets while at Indiana in 2022 and at least 165 additional bets in 2024 on college and professional sports.
— Michael Lombardi has resigned as general manager of North Carolina’s football program while the school continues an investigation involving him. The school announced Lombardi’s resignation Thursday, saying the investigation will continue and that it will consider any appropriate corrective action. The school has not released details, but people familiar with the situation previously said a complaint from a former employee was involved. Lombardi was hired by coach Bill Belichick in 2024 and received a three-year contract worth $1.5 million in base salary.
NFL
— The Athletic says an internal review found former NFL reporter Dianna Russini violated the company’s standards because of her relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. The Athletic said the review did not determine the nature of the relationship, but concluded publicly released photos were enough to establish a policy violation. Russini resigned from the company in April. The review examined 903 stories, 204 podcast episodes and 77 videos. Four pieces, one story and three videos, were found to have fallen short of the company’s standards, and editors’ notes were added. The Athletic said Russini should have disclosed her relationship with Vrabel. Russini told The Associated Press she stands by her reporting and her resignation statement. Vrabel said he has moved on and declined to comment further.
— Former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez plans to plead guilty to charges stemming from a fight with a truck driver outside an Indianapolis hotel in October 2025. Court records filed Thursday ask a judge to schedule a hearing for Sanchez to plead guilty and be sentenced. The records do not specify which charges he plans to admit. Sanchez faces a felony battery charge and three misdemeanors. Prosecutors say the altercation began as a dispute over parking. Sanchez was hospitalized with stab wounds, while the truck driver suffered a facial injury. Sanchez’s jury trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday but had been postponed five times. Sanchez was released by Fox Sports last November.
MLB
— Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani appeared to be physically compromised after going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in Wednesday night’s 8-6, 10-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Roberts said Thursday he plans to consult with Ohtani and the training staff about his condition and whether he should get a day off. Roberts said he does not believe Ohtani needs to go on the injured list. Ohtani has been dealing with lingering left knee and right biceps pain and has not pitched since July 3. Ohtani is hitting .279 on the season with 30 HR’s and 80 RBI’s.
— Toronto’s Brett Bateman had three hits, while Nathan Lukes had a two-run double with the bases loaded in the fifth inning as the Blue Jays moved within striking distance of the third AL wild-card spot with a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Toronto has won five of six and is a half-game behind Cleveland after taking two of three in the series.
— Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 39th homer, while Kevin Gausman threw seven innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1. The Cubs salvaged a split of a four-game series with the NL-Central leading Brewers and are eight games behind in the division. Gausman allowed one run on five hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings.
— Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer and Daulton Varsho drove in two runs with a triple to lead the Houston Astros to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The Astros lead the AL West by 2 games over the Texas Rangers after winning three of four games in the series vs. the White Sox.
— Cal Quantrill allowed two singles and two walks in seven innings, while Corey Seager hit a two-run homer as the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-0. The Rangers are a half-game behind Cleveland for the AL’s final wild-card spot and trail first-place Houston in the West by two games.
— Teoscar Hernández hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the ninth inning, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers over the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2.
— Adley Rutschman homered twice in his return to Baltimore as the Boston Red Sox beat the Orioles 6-5.
— Carter Jensen finished a single shy of hitting for the cycle with a home run, triple and a double while driving in three runs and scoring three times as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Miami Marlins 7-3.
— Lawrence Butler drove in the go-ahead run with two-run single in the top of the fifth as Athletics pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts in a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
— Six relievers combined on a two-hitter to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants.
MLB
Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins, 6:10 pm on Saturday
San Diego Padres vs. New York Yankees, 6:15 pm on Saturday on FOX
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves, 12:10 pm on Sunday on NBC
Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins, 5:20 pm on Saturday on NBC
Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins, 2:10 pm on Monday
San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds, 7:10 pm on Monday on NBC
COLLEGE FOOTBALL – WEEK 1 – THURSDAY
Minnesota 59, Eastern Illinois 7
UMass 37, Rutgers 21 – Rutgers was a 29.5-point favorite.
Colorado 14, Georgia Tech 13
COLLEGE FOOTBALL – WEEK 1 – SATURDAY
Nebraska vs. Ohio, 11 am on FS1
No. 6 Indiana vs. North Texas, 11 am on FOX
No. 13 Alabama vs. East Carolina, 11 am on ABC
No. 2 Oregon vs. Boise State, 2:30 pm on CBS
No. 5 Texas vs. Texas State, 2:30 pm on ESPN
No. 22 Iowa vs. Northern Illinois, 3:15 pm on Big Ten Network
No. 16 Michigan vs. Western Michigan, 6:30 pm on NBC
No. 11 LSU vs. Clemson, 6:30 pm on ABC
Northwestern vs. South Dakota State, 7 pm on Big Ten Network
COLLEGE FOOTBALL – WEEK 1 – SUNDAY
No. 17 Washington vs. Washington State, 3 pm on NBC
No. 4 Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin, 6:30 pm on NBC (Lambeau Field in Green Bay)
No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 24 Louisville, 6:30 pm on ABC
Florida State vs. No. 19 SMU, 6:30 pm on Monday on ESPN
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POLL
Class 11AAA
1. Brandon Valley vs. 3. O’Gorman
2. SF Jefferson vs. Rapid City Stevens
4. SF Lincoln vs. SF Roosevelt
5. Washington at Harrisburg
Class 11AA
1. Pierre at 2. Yankton
3. Tea Area at Aberdeen Central
4. Watertown at Brookings
5. Huron at Douglas
Spearfish vs. Mitchell
Sturgis vs. Rapid City Central
Class 11A
1. SF Christian vs. Custer
2. Dell Rapids at Belle Fourche
3. West Central at Milbank
4. Lennox at Vermillion
5. Madison at Tri-Valley
Class 11B
1. Elk Point-Jefferson vs. Parker/Marion
2. St. Thomas More at Hot Springs
3. Winner vs. Mt. Vernon/Plankinton
4. Deuel vs. Sioux Valley
5. Clark/Willow Lake vs. Aberdeen Roncalli
Chamberlain vs. Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central
Wagner vs. Miller/Highmore/Harrold
Class 9AA
1. Parkston vs. Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan – Q107.3
2. Bon Homme vs. Scotland/Menno
3. Viborg-Hurley
4. Hamlin vs. Baltic
5. Platte-Geddes at Sioux Falls Lutheran
Garretson vs. Hanson
Burke vs. Tripp-Delmont/Armour/Andes Central/Dakota Christian
Class 9A
1. Freeman at 3. Howard – KORN Country 92.1
2. Castlewood vs. Estelline/Hendricks
4. Lyman at Sully Buttes
5. Centerville vs. Irene-Wakonda
Chester vs. Canistota
Class 9B
1. Dell Rapids St. Mary vs. 4. Avon
2. Wall
3. Warner vs. Faulkton Area
5. Colman-Egan