New York Jets coach Robert Saleh acknowledged Zach Wilson “has to play better” on Wednesday, also adding the struggling quarterback “acknowledges it himself.” Here’s what you need to know: In three games, Wilson has thrown four interceptions and just two touchdowns, while New York has just three offensive touchdowns total. The third-year quarterback completed 18 of 36 passes for 157 yards and no touchdowns in a 15-10 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. The loss was the Jets’ 15th straight to the Patriots. Saleh said it’s key for Wilson to maintain belief in himself and to “continually stack good days.” Newly signed quarterback Trevor Siemian, who joined the practice squad Tuesday, will be inactive for Week 4 when the Jets host the Kansas City Chiefs, Saleh said. Saleh on Wilson Among 34 qualified quarterbacks, Wilson ranks 33rd in quarterback rating (26.7) through three weeks, ahead of only the Chicago Bears’ Justin Fields. He ranks last in completion percentage (52.4) and 32nd in yards per attempt (5.6). Saleh said Wilson needs to gain momentum in practice and transfer that momentum into games. “We all acknowledge he has to play better,” Saleh said. “We all acknowledge that. He acknowledges that, teammates acknowledge it, he acknowledges it himself. But the key is to have confidence in yourself. You have to.” Why the Jets signed Siemian Siemian, 31, joined New York as a free agent after he was released by the Cincinnati Bengals at the end of August. He has started 30 career games dating back to 2016, including one with the Jets in 2019. “He’s got a lot of games under his belt,” Saleh said. “He’s a quick learner, quick study from my understanding. So just giving him the ability to come on to the practice squad and help us out was the best decision for us.” What else Saleh said When asked about Aaron Rodgers’ comments that the team needs to “grow up” — after Garrett Wilson and Michael Carter were seen on the sideline of the Patriots game noticeably frustrated and in lively conversations — Saleh said Rodgers has “seen it all.” “For (Rodgers) to recognize that and talk through it he’s not wrong,” Saleh said. “When you have frustration, it’s easy to look for answers when sometimes the most important answers are inward. That’s the only way you can defeat adversity. “He’s not wrong but at the same time it’s just a bunch of young guys just showing a little frustration. They’ll be all right.” Saleh also answered a question about Jets legend Joe Namath’s comments on Zach Wilson. Namath said he has “seen enough of Zach Wilson” and that he “doesn’t believe in (Wilson)” in an interview on ESPN’s “The Michael Kay Show” on Tuesday. “Obviously, Joe is an icon, a Hall of Famer and a well-respected individual in this organization,” Saleh said. “The door’s always open for him to walk in and my office is always open for him. We’ll agree to disagree with his comments but he is entitled to those comments. Required reading Jets’ 2024 QB picture: The latest on Aaron Rodgers, Zach Wilson and team’s NFL Draft options Rosenblatt: Zach Wilson, Jets are playing with a fear of failure, and it can’t continue What’s a cut block? Why Aaron Rodgers didn’t like the play, even before injury (Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

League One Volleyball (LOVB), the first professional full-season volleyball league in the United States, raised $35 million in its second round of funding, with help from investors Lindsey Vonn, Kevin Durant, Candace Parker and her daughter Lailaa. Here’s what you need to know: Jayson Tatum, Amy Schumer and Jordyn Poulter (Olympic volleyball gold medalist), among others, also invested in LOVB. LOVB’s inaugural season debuts next year, with preseason starting November 2024 and the regular season running January through March 2025. The LOVB Pro Finals begin in April. There will be six host cities of the league, including Atlanta, Houston, Omaha (Neb.), Salt Lake (Utah), Madison (Wisc.) and one more to be announced later this year. Backstory There are more than 38 million current and former volleyball players in the United States, according to LOVB. The sport had a recent historic breakthrough on Aug. 30, when a University of Nebraska volleyball game recorded the world record for fan attendance at a women’s sporting event, surpassing 92,000 fans. The previous U.S. record was established on July 10, 1999, at the Rose Bowl as Team USA beat China in the Women’s World Cup final. The event, called “Volleyball Day in Nebraska,” was held at Nebraska’s football venue, Memorial Stadium, after Nebraska coach John Cook, who has led the Huskers to four of their five NCAA championships, and athletic director Trev Alberts thought of the plan after Wisconsin set a regular-season attendance record for a volleyball match. Women’s sports in general have been on the rise. The NCAA women’s basketball tournament championship game this year, in which LSU beat Iowa, attracted an average 9.9 million viewers — more than 4 million over the previous record for that event. The women’s basketball tournament also broke an attendance record. What they’re saying Katlyn Gao, co-founder and CEO of League One Volleyball, said “this is volleyball’s era.” “To us, this is the only way to build a sustainable and successful league in 2023, and if the excitement from some of the most well-known and admired trailblazers across sports, entertainment, consumer and business in our latest round is any indication, it’s clear, LOVB is onto something big,” she said. Vonn, an Olympic gold medalist, said she is “thrilled” to help bring major-league volleyball to the U.S. “With over 200 million girls involved in the sport globally, this is a huge opportunity to continue providing a platform for young women to excel, both athletically and personally, far beyond high school,” she said. “It’s about empowering the next generation of female athletes and fostering a strong sense of community within the sport.” Candace Parker and her daughter Lailaa added they are excited to invest in a league “focused on community and unlocking new opportunities for women in sports.” Required reading Nebraska volleyball eyes attendance world record: ‘No other school could do this’ Nebraska women’s volleyball set to break NCAA record with Memorial Stadium sellout (Photo: Keith Lucas / NCAA Photos / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Michigan State formally fired football coach Mel Tucker on Wednesday, one week after providing him with a written notice of intent to terminate his contract for cause. The dismissal comes amid Michigan State’s investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Tucker. The university cited Tucker’s “admitted and undisputed behaviors which have brought public disrespect, contempt and ridicule upon the university” as reason for his termination in a statement. According to MSU, Tucker failed to provide “adequate reasons” to athletic director Alan Haller and interim president Teresa Woodruff as to why he shouldn’t be terminated for cause. Michigan State named Harlon Barnett interim coach, subject to board approval during its October meeting. Barnett was acting head coach during Tucker’s suspension. The university’s investigation into the allegations will continue, regardless of Tucker’s participation in an upcoming hearing on Oct. 5 and 6 or his being fired. Last week, Michigan State said?Tucker’s “admitted behavior”?violated the terms of his contract, which required him to conduct himself professionally and ethically at all times. MSU also said?Tucker?engaged in conduct “which constitutes moral turpitude, or which, in the university’s reasonable judgment, would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt or ridicule” on the school. Tucker’s attorneys filed a formal response Monday to MSU’s written notice of intent, saying Tucker “did not engage in unprofessional or unethical behavior or ‘moral turpitude’ by any stretch of the imagination.” The university released a copy of Tucker’s termination letter from Haller on Wednesday. Haller said Tucker’s response provided “a litany of excuses for his inappropriate behavior.” View: MSU’s termination letter to Mel Tucker On Sept. 9, the sexual harassment allegations against Tucker became public in a story published by USA Today. According to USA Today, Brenda Tracy — a rape survivor and activist — accused Tucker of making sexual comments and masturbating while on a phone call with her in April 2022 after the two had developed a professional relationship because of her advocacy work. Tracy filed a complaint against Tucker with the school’s Title IX office in December, and MSU hired an outside Title IX attorney to investigate. The attorney submitted her report on July 25, according to Haller, and Tucker is set for a hearing during the football team’s idle week to determine whether he violated school policy. Haller said publicly that he learned of the investigation in late December. GO DEEPERTimeline of sexual harassment allegations against Mel Tucker, MSU's investigation After the allegations became public, Michigan State?suspended Tucker without pay. Since then, Tucker has denied Tracy’s allegations, calling them “completely false.” Last week, he said “other motives are at play” in the school’s intent to fire him for cause. Tucker claimed the university decided to terminate his contract only after Tracy and potentially others “leaked” the report of Michigan State’s investigation into the allegations. On Sept. 12, Tracy released a letter through her attorney saying she had no intention of disclosing her identity publicly while the investigation was ongoing and only agreed to allow USA Today to publish its article after her name was leaked to local media. Michigan State is known for its missteps in handling sexual abuse accusations against Larry Nassar, the disgraced former USA Gymnastics and campus physician. Nassar sexually abused over 300 female gymnasts; he pleaded guilty in 2018 to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison. Then-school president Lou Anna K. Simon resigned amid the scandal, but criminal charges against Simon were dismissed. Athletic director Mark Hollis also resigned during that period. It was never alleged Hollis had any knowledge of Nassar, but an ESPN report in 2018 described a pattern of sexual assault issues within MSU athletics. The Spartans hired Tucker away from Colorado in February 2020. In November 2021, he signed a 10-year, $95 million contract extension, making him one of college football’s highest-paid coaches. He amassed a 20-14 record at MSU and had about $80 million remaining on his contract. Michigan State’s move and the subsequent responses from Tucker and his lawyers now likely set the stage for a legal battle over the remaining money on his contract. “I look forward to one day obtaining discovery against MSU, including the Trustees and the Athletic Department, to see what they really knew and said about this matter, as well as their motives in handling the entire investigative process,” Tucker said in a statement published on Sept. 19.? MSU coaching candidates Because it’s September, Michigan State will have time to put out feelers and gauge interest. When Tucker was hired, it was a mad dash around signing day in February and the timing turned away some potential hires. This time around, potential names to watch could include?Kansas State?coach Chris Klieman, Kansas coach Lance Leipold, Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis,?Duke?coach Mike Elko,?Iowa State?coach Matt Campbell and?Oregon State?coach Jonathan Smith, among others. This is a Big Ten job that has a lot of resources and a program that has played in four CFP/NY6/BCS games since 2013, so it will get a lot of interest. This will be Haller’s first time making a football hire. He has recently hired new hockey and women’s basketball coaches, and the hockey hire of Adam Nightengale quickly turned around that program in one year. This will also be MSU’s first football coaching hire on a more regular fall timeline since it hired Mark Dantonio in late 2006. —?Vannini Required reading Trotter: Mel Tucker should be fired for insensitivity, stupidity Who could replace Mel Tucker? Michigan State football coaching candidates Michigan State football after Mel Tucker: Spartans coaching job pluses, minuses and candidates (Photo: Mike Mulholland / Getty Images)

Texas A&M starting quarterback Conner Weigman could miss the rest of the season with a lower leg injury, a school source confirmed Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know: Weigman suffered the injury in the second quarter of Texas A&M’s 27-10 win over Auburn on Saturday. He left the game, limped to the locker room and didn’t return. In four games, Weigman threw for 979 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 68.9 percent of his passes. The sophomore made only his ninth start against Auburn after finishing the 2022 season as the starter and winning an offseason competition for the job in training camp. The Athletic’s instant analysis: How this impacts Texas A&M It’s a significant blow to an offense that has taken a step forward thus far in 2023. Weigman is a rising star and is a major reason the Aggies have increased their scoring and yardage output after a woeful 2022. He was the No. 2 quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class and his talent, toughness, leadership and potential gave the offense a higher ceiling than it has had any time in the last two seasons. Who steps in for Weigman? Former LSU transfer Max Johnson finished the Auburn game with a strong second-half performance to secure the win and will be the starter moving forward. The Aggies are fortunate to have a backup with as much experience as Johnson. He started all 12 games for LSU in 2021 before transferring to A&M and has 17 career starts, including three last season at A&M. Johnson has appeared in three games this season, completing 64.5 percent of his passes for 226 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Against Auburn, he led three second-half touchdown drives, completing 7 of 11 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. “I feel very confident (in him),” coach Jimbo Fisher said Wednesday. “He throws the ball very well, can distribute and understands our offense. We’re blessed to have him.” Jaylen Henderson, a transfer from Fresno State, will serve as the backup to Johnson moving forward. Backstory On Monday, Fisher called Weigman “day-to-day” based on initial testing as X-rays came back negative and an MRI revealed a normal sprain. On Wednesday, Fisher said Weigman underwent further testing on Tuesday morning, including a CAT scan, which “showed us some things in there that they’re going to have to go in and fix,” he said. “We hate to lose Conner for our football team and for himself,” Fisher said. “But like I said before, I think we have two starting quarterbacks and felt very good about that, so we’ll have to move on.” This is the third season in a row that Texas A&M has lost a quarterback to a season-ending injury. In 2021, Haynes King started the first two games and missed the final 10 with a lower leg injury. In 2022, Johnson started three games and missed the final seven with a hand injury. Required reading SEC football superlatives: LSU, Arkansas play for Brooks; Pearsall makes catch of the year From Texas A&M to Houston, checking in on the state of Texas’ hot seats: Ask the Texpert (Photo: Maria Lysaker / USA Today)

It sounds like Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift had the best day when she attended Kansas City’s game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. “Shoutout to Taylor for pulling up. That was pretty ballsy,” Kelce said on Wednesday’s episode of his podcast “New Heights.” “I just thought it was awesome how everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her, the friends and family. She looked amazing. Everybody was talking about her in great light, and on top of that, the day went perfect for Chiefs fans.” Kelce added: “It was definitely a game I’ll remember, that’s for damn sure. And then we just slid off in the getaway car in the end. Took my Chevelle to my game.” Swift and Kelce sent the internet into a frenzy when she appeared in his box at Sunday’s game, a 41-10 win over the Chicago Bears for the Chiefs. The 12-time Grammy winner sat with Kelce’s mom, Donna, before exiting the stadium with Kelce and leaving together in his car. Taylor Swift is HERE for the Chiefs game ? pic.twitter.com/46SW4gEodz — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 24, 2023 Kelce first publicly expressed his interest in Swift after she performed at Arrowhead Stadium in July on her Eras Tour. The eight-time Pro Bowler said he wanted to meet Swift and give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. But Kelce was disappointed that Swift didn’t meet people before or after her concerts to spare her voice, and he still hoped for a chance to meet. This month, rumors took off that Kelce and Swift were in communication and saw each other when he was on a trip to New York City, where Swift primarily lives. Last week, Kelce revealed on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he’d invited Swift to watch a game at Arrowhead Stadium. Swift’s surprising appearance at Sunday’s game saw her fans, known as Swifties, and football fans take a heightened interest in Kelce, sparking an increase in sales of his No. 87 jersey. So Travis has some New News … NEW EPISODE PREMIERES NOW ? Tap in: https://t.co/uh6Z2ZSnQt pic.twitter.com/ZmGTRfmwKP — New Heights (@newheightshow) September 27, 2023 Despite that interest, Kelce told his brother and podcast co-host Jason, a center for the Philadelphia Eagles, that he wants to keep his personal life out of the spotlight. “What’s real is that you know, it is my personal life, I want to respect both of our lives,” Travis said. “She’s not in the media as much as I am doing this show every single week and having fun during the NFL season on other guys’ shows, like the McAfee show and any other show I go on from here on out. … Like you said on that Thursday night game, I’m enjoying life and I sure as hell enjoyed this weekend.” (Photo: David Eulitt / Getty Images)

Spire Motorsports purchased perennial NASCAR Truck Series contender Kyle Busch Motorsports on Wednesday, KBM announced. Spire acquiring KBM, owned by two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, will allow Spire to relocate from its current shop in Concord, N.C., to KBM’s expansive 77,000-square-foot shop in nearby Mooresville, N.C. KBM’s larger shop will allow Spire to effectively better manage its expanding Cup Series team, plus its own Truck Series program that is expected to continue operating in some capacity next year. Spire’s recent expansion to three Cup teams catalyzed it to begin inquiring and eventually strike a deal with Busch to buy KBM. Busch founded KBM in 2010, initially as a Truck team then later expanding into NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series and a multitude of regional and grassroots-level series and races. While KBM has had success in most places it has competed, it was in Trucks that KBM firmly established itself as a dominating force by winning a series-record 100 races, a series-record seven owners championships and two driver championships. Busch and KBM are credited with helping to launch the careers of several drivers, a list that includes Christopher Bell, William Byron, Erik Jones and Bubba Wallace, all of whom went on to win multiple Cup races. That KBM served as the incubator for young drivers seeking to make a name for themselves was in conjunction with it being Toyota’s flagship Truck organization, a relationship that included Toyota providing KBM resources, equipment and personnel. But that partnership ended when Busch left Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota’s primary Cup team, after the 2022 season to join Chevrolet-backed Richard Childress Racing. “I’m at a different point in my life now than I was back in 2010,” Busch said in a statement. “My family has grown, my Cup Series team changed this year and our son’s racing schedule has become as demanding as my own. It’s important to me to be able to spend more time with my family and my No. 8 team at Richard Childress Racing. It’ll be hard to walk away from the amazing facility that we’ve built. I’ll miss walking the shop floor talking with our employees, hosting our fan days in the lobby and spending countless hours there ensuring its success. However, I know at this point in my life and in my career that this is the correct decision.” Busch’s status with RCR is not impacted by the KBM sale. For Spire, which began fielding a Cup team in 2019, this transaction is the latest in a series of substantial financial moves the team is making as it strives to become a consistently competitive NASCAR organization. Earlier this month, Spire announced it was expanding to three full-time Cup teams in 2024 by purchasing Live Fast Motorsports’ charter and entering into an alliance with Trackhouse Racing that includes Trackhouse loaning talented prospect Zane Smith to Spire for the 2024 season. Spire paid a record $40 million for Live Fast’s charter, according to people briefed on the situation but not authorized to speak publicly. In addition to expanding to three Cup teams, Spire re-signed driver Corey LaJoie to a multiyear contract extension this summer and entered into a multiyear sponsorship agreement with high-profile sponsor Gainbridge. “I’m confident that our assets and employees are in good hands moving forward,” Busch said. “I don’t see the winning ways changing at all. I’ve known the Spire guys for a long time and their recent investments in NASCAR show their commitment to success.” (Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)

Bay FC has hired Albertin Montoya as its inaugural coach, the club announced Wednesday. “The Bay Area has been such a great area with professional sports, and how can we not have a women’s team here in Northern California?” Montoya told The Athletic on Monday. “And now that the opportunity is there, I’m just honored, and it’s just a privilege, that the organization is trusting me (with this role).” The 48-year-old manager joins the NWSL expansion franchise after most recently serving a brief stint as interim head coach of the Washington Spirit in 2022. His time in Washington last year gave him “the bug for the professional game again,” he said, “I love it. This is what I’ve done all my life. My wife also played professionally. So, it’s kind of in our family. An opportunity came here in the Bay Area, where it just made sense.” Welcome, Albertin! ? ? Read the full announcement of the Club’s inaugural Head Coach at: https://t.co/3FspHQsW40#BayFC | @NWSL pic.twitter.com/RJu4jqK12h — Bay Football Club (@wearebayfc) September 27, 2023 Montoya’s roots run deep in Northern California, having moved to the area from Cuba when he was six years old. He grew up in Mountain View and played professionally in the area in the 1990s. He also played collegiately at Santa Clara University. In 1999, he turned to coaching professionally when he was named co-head coach of California Storm in the Women’s Premier Soccer League. He was there till 2006 and in 2009 served as head coach for FC Gold Pride in the Women’s Professional Soccer League. Montoya led the team to a championship season in 2010. In 2003, he also served a stint as an assistant trainer with the San Jose CyberRays, which played in the Women’s United Soccer Association. Montoya also coached collegiately at Santa Clara and Stanford and founded the Montoya Soccer Academy in 2002 with his wife, Erin, a former professional player who played for Santa Clara. At the international level, Montoya coached the U.S. women’s U-17 team, leading them to a CONCACAF championship in 2012. His initial actions as head coach of Bay FC, which was announced as an NWSL club earlier this year and will begin play next year, will be to build out the coaching staff and roster. The franchise envisions, and hopes, that Bay FC’s inaugural roster will “play an attractive style of soccer,” Montoya said. “We want to have the players express themselves. We want to be a team that attacks, that plays attacking football, that controls the tempo, that enjoys possession,” Montoya said. “There’s a lot of different ways to play the game, but that’s how I’ve coached all my life.” GO DEEPERNWSL's new expansion franchise to be named Bay FC The hope is that Montoya’s ties to the area will be a draw for local talent, especially in an area with such a rich soccer history. Some of the franchise’s founders include former USWNT players with ties to the area – Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner. Osborne and Chastain were on the FC Gold Pride’s inaugural roster in 2009 when Montoya served as that club’s inaugural coach. “I’ve been around for quite some time, so I know the players that are around the league that have the Bay Area ties,” Montoya said, with a smile. “And if things come together the way we see it, we’d like to bring in some of the local talent that’s playing in other places around the league, and maybe do more of a Bay Area team. But we’ll see.” He added, “I do believe that just having these Bay Area ties might put us at a little bit of an advantage to identifying the players that will be the right fit for our organization.” Bay FC is entering a crowded California market in professional women’s soccer. The NWSL has already seen historic attendance with Angel City FC and San Diego Wave since the clubs began playing in the NWSL in 2022. Lucy Rushton, Bay FC’s general manager, envisions the Northern California club fitting right in with Angel City and San Diego. “They’ve been fantastic clubs for us to look at and really take lessons from,” Rushton told The Athletic. “But I think it speaks massively to California, right? And what we have here in this market. Both of those clubs have incredible fan bases already – and it just comes back to the passion that’s in this area for women’s football. “So, for us, I think the sky’s the limit and I look forward to those games the most because the derby games are always the best ones.” With Montoya’s appointment now official and NWSL free agency open, Bay FC is looking ahead to the next several months of laying out the groundwork for the club’s inaugural squad. “This is where we really get into the nitty-gritty of player recruitment and scouting. So, obviously, a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes to identify players that we think fit our brand and identity, knowing all along what we wanted that to be,” Rushton said. “We (now) have the ability to actually engage with some players, and I’m extremely confident that players are going to want to come and play for Bay FC when they know that Albertin is our head coach.” She continued, “We have 22 to 26 players to bring in over the next four or five months – and the hard work, but the fun work, starts now.” (Photo: United States Soccer Federation)