THURSDAY SPORTS, AUGUST 27, 2026
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Mitchell boys golf returns to action Thursday at the Huron Invitational at Broadland Creek Golf Course.
— Mitchell girls tennis will compete at the Rapid City Invitational starting on Thursday at 1 pm. The Kernels are 7-2 in duals this season.
— Mitchell cross country will host the Mitchell Invite on Thursday at Wild Oak Golf Course at 4 pm.
— Mitchell volleyball starts its season on Friday at home vs. Sturgis at 5 pm. The Kernels will compete at the Huron Invite on Saturday with four matches on the schedule.
— Mitchell football starts its season on Friday at home vs. Brookings at 7 pm. The KORN Booth pregame show starts at 6 pm on KORN News Radio.
— Mitchell soccer is back in action on Tuesday at Pierre with the girls match at 4 pm, followed by the boys at 6 pm.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan defeated Dakota State 25-18, 25-18, 19-25, 25-23 Wednesday night in Madison. The Tigers improved to 8-1 with their fourth straight win. Madisyn Grimsrud led Dakota Wesleyan with a career-high 18 kills. Setter Kayleigh Hybertson finished with 50 assists. The Tigers will play Sept. 4-5 at the Labor Day Classic in Omaha, Nebraska.
— Dakota Wesleyan men’s soccer is back in action on Friday at Nebraska Wesleyan at 7 pm.
— Dakota Wesleyan women’s soccer will be at Bellevue (Neb.) on Saturday at 4:30 pm.
— Dakota Wesleyan football starts its season on Saturday at Dakota State at 7 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State has been picked to win the Summit League volleyball title in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll. The Jackrabbits received six first-place votes and finished ahead of USD and St. Thomas, which tied for second. SDSU has won the Summit League regular-season title in each of the past two seasons and will host the 2026 Summit League Volleyball Championship. Senior outside hitter Sylvie Zgonc and senior libero Joslyn Richardson were named Summit League Players to Watch. Zgonc was the league’s Player of the Year last season.
— South Dakota State women’s soccer returns home Thursday to host Western Illinois at 7 p.m.
— South Dakota State volleyball starts its season on Friday vs. Sacramento State at 5 pm CST. The Jackrabbits will play three matches as part of the Pepperdine Tournament. SDSU plays the host Pepperdine on Saturday at 7 pm CST, followed by Villanova on Sunday at Noon CST.
— South Dakota State football starts its season on Saturday vs. Stetson at 6 pm. The Jackrabbit pregame show starts at 4 pm on KORN News Radio.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— USD women’s soccer will be at Northern Colorado on Thursday at 8 pm.
— USD volleyball starts its season on Friday at the Drake Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, facing the host Drake at 6 pm. The Coyotes take on Milwaukee on Saturday at 3 pm, followed by DePaul on Sunday at 11 am.
— USD football starts its season on Saturday vs. Central Connecticut State at 1 pm.
MINNESOTA TWINS
— Lawrence Butler homered, while Alika Williams hit a two-run triple as the Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins 7-4. Minnesota fell four games behind Cleveland for the final American League playoff spot. Brooks Lee homered in the first inning and Trevor Larnach and Kaelen Culpepper hit back-to-back shots in the second to give the Twins an early 3-0 lead. Minnesota has today off before starting at three game home series vs. the Chicago White Sox on Friday at 7:10 pm.
NFL
— NFL owners have unanimously approved the $9.6 billion sale of the Seattle Seahawks to Vinod Khosla and his family. Khosla, the founder of Silicon Valley venture capital firm Khosla Ventures, previously owned a 3% stake in the San Francisco 49ers. The family will give up that ownership as part of the Seahawks purchase. The sale follows the Seahawks’ second Super Bowl championship in franchise history. The agreement was announced in July and fulfills the wishes of late Seahawks owner Paul Allen. Khosla has an estimated net worth of $13.7 billion, according to Forbes.
— NFL players who leave the league to return to college football will not be eligible to play in the NFL during the 2026 season. NFL executive Troy Vincent reiterated the league’s policy Wednesday as the ACC and Big 12 consider whether to allow former NFL players to return to college. The SEC and Big Ten have already banned players who have been on NFL rosters from playing at their schools. At least two former undrafted NFL players are seeking to return to LSU. Vincent said players who return to college would become free agents for the 2027 NFL season.
— The NFL is ending the Pro Bowl game after more than seven decades, the league announced Wednesday. The exhibition featuring the NFL’s top players had been held nearly every year since 1951, with the exception of 2021 because of the COVID pandemic. The league will still name 88 Pro Bowlers following the 2026 season. Players will be honored in Los Angeles, where several flag football events also will be held. The Pro Bowl had declined in popularity in recent years and moved from its longtime home in Honolulu to various cities. The NFL also switched from tackle football to flag football in 2023.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
— The Big 12 has joined the SEC and Big Ten in banning athletes who have been on professional sports rosters from returning to college competition. The Big 12 rule, approved unanimously Wednesday, applies to football and all other conference-sponsored sports. Athletes would be ineligible if they were drafted by a professional league, appeared on a professional roster or signed a contract to provide athletic services and did not withdraw from the draft on time.
WNBA
— The Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky game Sunday averaged 3.3 million viewers on NBC and Peacock to make it the most-watched regular-season WNBA game since the league’s inaugural season in 1997. It also was the third-most watched regular-season game ever. Caitlin Clark and the Fever continue to be the league’s top draw. They also have set all-time viewing records this season for games on CBS, ESPN and Amazon Prime Video.
NBA
— Los Angeles Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss is asking a Los Angeles court to block a vote by her five siblings to sell the Buss family’s remaining shares in the team. Buss says the sale is not in the best interest of the family trust and claims two of her siblings violated their duties as co-trustees. The siblings voted to sell their stake as part of a deal that values the Lakers at $12.5 billion. Buss says she was not consulted about the decision and that the family trust should retain enough of its stake to maintain control and benefit from the team’s rising value.
— Free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The deal includes a player option for the second season. Minnesota is expected to give the 23-year-old a chance to start at power forward alongside Anthony Edwards. Kuminga chose Minnesota over offers from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers. He spent last season with the Atlanta Hawks after being traded by Golden State and averaged 13.7 points during Atlanta’s playoff series against New York.
NASCAR
— NASCAR has unveiled its 2027 schedule, including a return to Naval Base Coronado in San Diego for a Cup Series race. NASCAR and the Department of Defense have agreed to a multiyear plan for military-base street races, with a different U.S. military installation expected to host an event in 2028. The 2027 season will begin at Daytona and end at Homestead-Miami. The Clash will be held at Daytona the weekend before the Daytona 500, while the All-Star race returns to North Wilkesboro. Dover also returns to a points-paying Cup race in May. The Southern 500 at Darlington will serve as the final regular-season race before the playoffs.
TENNIS
— Serena and Venus Williams are teaming up again at the U.S. Open. The sisters received a wild card on Wednesday to play doubles at the tournament, where they have won two championships. The Williams sisters are 27-7 in nine U.S. Open doubles appearances and last played together in 2022. They have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals as a team. Serena returned to tennis this summer after a four-year absence. Meanwhile, Venus is also entered in the women’s singles tournament. The first round of women’s doubles begins Sept. 3.
GOLF
— Scottie Scheffler enters the Tour Championship this week in Atlanta coming off another huge season on the PGA Tour. Scheffler collected a $23 million bonus last week for leading the FedEx Cup standings and his tour earnings have topped $20 million for the fourth consecutive year. The 30-player Tour Championship features a $40 million purse, with the winner earning $10 million. Scheffler is also battling Wyndham Clark for PGA Tour player of the year. Scheffler has won the award the past four years, while Clark has three victories this season, including the U.S. Open and last week’s BMW Championship. Scheffler finished 12th at the BMW Championship while dealing with hand, foot and mouth disease. He says he is now about 95% healed. The Tour Championship begins Thursday.
— LIV Golf is beginning to lay off employees as it prepares to operate without financial backing from Saudi Arabia. The league informed many employees their jobs will end in the first week of September. LIV did not say how many workers are affected, but some could be rehired if the league finalizes a deal with a new lead investor. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil says the league is scaling back operations as it works toward a new version of LIV Golf for 2027.
— Former PGA Tour winner Matt Gogel has been suspended for six months for violating the PGA Tour’s gambling policy. The PGA Tour said Wednesday that Gogel placed golf wagers in 2024 and 2025, but none were on tournaments he was playing in. Gogel called the betting an honest mistake and said the wagers were small and recreational. The 55-year-old Gogel is currently competing on the PGA Champions Tour. Gogel will be eligible to return on Feb. 22, 2027.
SOCCER
— European soccer governing body UEFA is expected to formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances that FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposed $20 billion private investment plan will not return. UEFA member federations are meeting Thursday in Monaco and are expected to end the boycott threat. That would allow six European teams to compete in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which begins Sept. 5 in Poland. The boycott threat came after Infantino proposed creating a FIFA commercial subsidiary that would include rights to events such as the World Cup. The plan drew strong opposition and was abandoned within four days.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
— The NCAA is giving college baseball teams the option to use an Automated Ball/Strike system next season in all three divisions. The experimental system will allow batters, catchers and pitchers to challenge called balls and strikes when the technology is available. The SEC tested the system during its conference tournament in May. The NCAA is also permitting 18-inch bases, while 15-inch bases remain standard, and a double first base will be required. Division I will add a 30-second timer between batters, during mound visits and offensive timeouts.
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL – HANSON EARLY BIRD TOURNAMENT
Wessington Springs vs. Andes Central/Dakota Christian, 5:15 pm
Sanborn Central/Woonsocket vs. Platte-Geddes, 5:15 pm
Hanson vs. Avon – Hanson Early Bird Third Place, 7:30 pm
Freeman vs. Parker/Marion – Hanson Early Bird Championship, 7:30 pm
Bridgewater-Emery vs. Corsica-Stickney – 6:15 pm
Burke vs. Mitchell Christian – 6:15 pm
Howard vs. Oldham-Ramona-Rutland – 6:15 pm
No. 1 Chester vs. Ethan – 7 pm
Elk Point-Jefferson vs. Mt. Vernon/Plankinton – 7 pm
Wagner vs. Vermillion – 7 pm
Bon Homme vs. Kimball/White Lake – 7:30 pm
No. 5 Parkston vs. Chamberlain – 7:30 pm
MLB
— Eugenio Suarez hit a grand slam as part of Cincinnati’s seven-run ninth inning as the Reds overcame a six-run deficit and beat the San Francisco Giants 10-9. The Reds have a record of 3-1,917 when trailing by six or more runs in the ninth inning. Besides Wednesday’s comeback, Cincinnati rallied from six-or-more runs down in 1958 against the Cubs and in 1918 against St. Louis. The six-run lead was the largest ever squandered in the ninth inning by the Giants since at least 1901.
— Pinch-hitter Ha-Seong Kim singled home Lane Thomas with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Atlanta Braves to a 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
— Seven Toronto pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout, while Nathan Lukes hit a three-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Royals 3-0, ending Kansas City’s nine-game winning streak.
— Steven Kwan hit a tying double in the ninth inning and Travis Bazzana followed with a sacrifice fly as the Cleveland Guardians rallied past the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 for their seventh straight victory.
— Cody Bellinger hit a go-ahead double with the bases loaded in the seventh inning as the New York Yankees pulled away for a 9-3 victory over the Houston Astros.
— Tristan Peters homered for the fifth consecutive game to match the franchise record and MLB rookie record, while Brenton Doyle hit a three-run shot as the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 10-4. Texas remains a half-game behind AL West-leading Houston.
— Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a tiebreaking RBI double, while Leody Taveras and Pete Alonso homered as the Baltimore Orioles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7. The Orioles stayed within 2 ½ games of Cleveland in the race for the final American League wild-card spot.
— Brice Turang hit a three-run homer as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the New York Mets 8-1, overcoming an injury to starter Dustin May after one pitch. May left in the first inning when a 106 mph line drive off ricocheted off his right shoulder blade. May was replaced by Robert Gasser, who earned the win by tossing 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
— Freddy Peralta pitched six scoreless innings and picked up his first win with his new team as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Detroit Tigers 3-0. Peralta won for the first time in five starts since being acquired from the New York Mets at the trade deadline.
— Jackson Merrill doubled, tripled, drove in a run and scored another to help Randy Vásquez reach 10 victories as the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0. The Padres remained in possession of the National League’s third wild-card spot, one game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
— Eduardo Rodriguez struck out nine in seven innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0. The Cubs, who occupy the top NL wild-card spot, have lost five of seven.
— Kyle Schwarber hit his MLB-leading 40th home run, while Jesús Luzardo struck out nine in seven innings as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Seattle Mariners 6-0.
— Javier Sanoja had three hits and drove in a run as the Miami Marlins beat the Red Sox 4-0.
— Connor Norby hit a grand slam, while Troy Johnston, Cole Carrigg and Hunter Goodman had two-run homers as the Colorado Rockies beat the Washington Nationals 13-1.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POLL – AUGUST 24
CLASS 11AAA
1. Sioux Falls Lincoln (16) 95
2. Brandon Valley (3) 69
3. Sioux Falls Jefferson (1) 67
4. Harrisburg 42
5. O’Gorman 23
Receiving votes: Sioux Falls Washington 4.
CLASS 11AA
1. Pierre (19) 97
2. Huron 62
3. Yankton 59
4. Tea Area 37
5. Sturgis (1) 24
Receiving votes: Watertown 12, Spearfish 9.
CLASS 11A
1. Sioux Falls Christian (20) 100
2. Lennox 72
3. Dell Rapids 60
4. West Central 38
5. Madison 19
Receiving votes: Dakota Valley 9, Canton 1, Tri-Valley 1.
CLASS 11B
1. Elk Point-Jefferson (10), 1-0, 83
2. St. Thomas More (8), 1-0, 82
3. Winner (1), 1-0, 41
4. Deuel, 1-0, 39
5. Sioux Valley, 1-0, 23
Receiving votes: Clark/Willow Lake 17.
CLASS 9AA
1. Parkston (19), 1-0, 99
2. Bon Homme, 1-0, 73
3. Platte-Geddes, 1-0, 54
4. Viborg-Hurley, 1-0, 27
5. Hamlin, 0-1, 16
Receiving votes: Britton-Hecla 13, Hanson 4, Garretson 3.
CLASS 9A
1. Freeman (14), 1-0, 84
2. Howard (4), 1-0, 76
3. Castlewood (1), 1-0, 46
4. Elkton-Lake Benton, 1-0, 41
5. Kimball/White Lake, 1-0, 30
Receiving votes: Lyman 4, Alcester-Hudson 3, Philip 1.
CLASS 9B
1. Dell Rapids St. Mary (14), 1-0, 89
2. Wall (5), 1-0, 75
3. Warner, 1-0, 60
4. Avon, 1-0, 40
5. Colman-Egan, 1-0, 16.
Receiving votes: Herreid/Selby Area 5.