Sports

Phoenix – September 24, 2026 -- A Vietnam veteran's estate gift sent 360 fellow veterans, service members and first responders to New York Yankees games against the Mets on September 11, 12 and 13, fulfilling his final wish to keep serving the community he devoted his life to.

Joe Pasternack deployed to Qui Nhơn, Vietnam, from September 1965 to August 1966

Pasternack served three years in the U.S. Army before returning home to New York, where he became a lifelong Yankees fan. In 2013 he joined the Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix), a nonprofit that provides free event tickets to veterans, active service members and first responders through its 1st Tix program.

NEW YORK – September 24, 2026 -- World Team Tennis (WTT) announced that Coco Gauff has joined the Florida Flamingos Racquet Club as both a player and an owner ahead of the league's December relaunch.

Gauff will play two home matches at Amerant Bank Arena.

She is slated to compete on Monday, December 14, and Tuesday, December 15, against Victoria Mboko of Toronto North and Jessica Pegula of the New York Empire, according to projected lineups.

Gauff says the team format offers a rare experience for tennis players.

"Growing the sport through team competition and making it more accessible are two things I love, and WTT does both," Gauff said, adding that she is looking forward to playing in front of family and friends in South Florida.

Chicago – September 23, 2026 -- Shokz has released the OpenRun Pro 2 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Co-Branded Edition, a limited-run headphone priced at $199.95 USD ($249.95 CAD), available now exclusively at Shokz.com ahead of the October 11 race.

The open-ear bone conduction headphones come in a deep blue and gold colorway, with the marathon route illustrated on the gift box and case. Additional units will be sold at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Expo at Shokz Booth #339 from October 8 to 10, in both Standard and Mini sizes while supplies last.

The headphones pack 12 hours of battery life and DualPitch Technology

Built on the same platform as the standard OpenRun Pro 2, the co-branded edition includes DualPitch Technology for sound quality, up to 12 hours of listening time, and an open-ear design intended to keep runners aware of traffic, crowds and fellow participants during training and race day.

Ta' Qali, Malta – September 18, 2026 -- The Thunderpick World Championship 2026 Finals will run Oct. 14 to 18 at BLAST Studios Malta, with eight Counter-Strike 2 teams competing for a $1 million USD prize pool.

Defending champions FURIA headline a field stacked with top-20 talent

2025 champions FURIA, ranked #8 globally, return to defend their title. Seven of the eight qualified teams sit inside the Global VRS top 20.

The full lineup includes Legacy (#3), Brazil's top-ranked team; Falcons (#4), a star-heavy European roster; FURIA (#8); BETBOOM (#9), a Russian squad known for upsets; 9z (#10), one of South America's strongest sides; Aurora (#12), a European org built around international talent; PARIVISION (#17), a rising European team; and Virtus.pro, which enters at #30 after winning the TWC closed qualifier.

Loveland, Colo. – September 18, 2026 -- X-Golf America has launched X-League: Fall Season, a nationwide 3v3 indoor golf competition open to players of every skill level, with a $10,000 grand prize on the line. The league runs at all 138 X-Golf locations across 38 states, using a handicapped scoring format so beginners and low-handicappers can compete on equal footing.

Players compete on digital re-creations of Pebble Beach and Oakmont

Local qualifying rounds take place on newly remastered, enhanced-graphic simulator versions of famous American courses, including Pebble Beach, Kapalua, and Oakmont. Every shot is captured digitally, and players must physically chip and putt to finish each hole rather than relying on auto-converted results near the green.

Purchase, N.Y. – September 18, 2026 -- Pepsi is marking the Buffalo Bills' first regular-season home game at the new Highmark Stadium with a free fan tailgate and thousands of limited-edition commemorative cans, the company announced.

The celebration lands on the Bills' season opener at their new venue

On September 17, Pepsi will host a free "Tailgating Deserves Pepsi" event outside Highmark Stadium, offering ice-cold Pepsi, gameday food from Wegmans, premium giveaways and a meet-and-greet with a Bills legend.

The cans carry Josh Allen's signature and the team's rallying cry

Each limited-edition can features exclusive Pepsi and Buffalo Bills artwork, Josh Allen's printed signature, and Bills Mafia's "BILLIEVE" slogan. Fans can grab one at the tailgate or as they exit the stadium after the game, while supplies last.

Bristol – September 17, 2026 -- As shorter days, changing weather and busy fall weekends set in, glass cleaner brand Sprayway has teamed up with NASCAR driver Jeb Burton to share five practical tips for keeping vehicles clean and windshields clear.

Burton races the No. 27 Sprayway Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 18

Burton will compete in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, where rubber, oil and debris buildup on the track make visibility critical. He applies the same cleaning habits from race day to his personal vehicle.

"Visibility is everything when you're behind the wheel," Burton said. "At the track, things happen fast, so we make sure the windshield, mirrors and helmet visor are clean before the race. I use Sprayway because it leaves a streak-free shine, and that same routine works just as well in my everyday vehicle."

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- Germany's women's basketball team plays European champion Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinal on Thursday, live from 5:15 PM on MagentaTV and MagentaSport.

Germany enters the match on a three-game winning streak

The German team beat Japan, Mali, and South Korea in the group stage, building momentum ahead of the knockout round in Berlin. Head coach Olaf Lange told MagentaSport he is "very positively excited" about the team's growth, crediting the run of wins for boosting squad cohesion.

Belgium beat Germany by 30 points at EuroBasket 2025

Lange called Thursday's game a chance to move past that result, describing Belgium as an experienced, tactically detailed opponent with a different playing style than Germany's group-stage rivals. His plan: play with tempo to avoid getting caught out by the shot clock, and attack beyond Belgium's first line of defense.

Provo, Utah – September 15, 2026 -- BYUtv is bringing back its documentary series "Big Stories" with 12 new episodes airing free before every BYU home and away football game throughout the 2026 season, streaming on the BYUtv app and BYUtv.org alongside each broadcast.

Each episode runs 7 to 10 minutes and reaches millions of households

The series airs on BYU's national TV network, which reaches a combined 70 million U.S. households, and focuses on people and communities connected to BYU's opponents rather than game analysis or depth charts.

Montvale, N.J. – September 15, 2026 -- Sharp Home Electronics Company of America (SHCA) is joining the Carvana PPA Tour as Official Kitchen Appliance Sponsor for two stops this fall: the Veolia Arizona Open in Mesa, Arizona, from September 14–20, and the Rate Las Vegas Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, from September 28–October 4.

Sharp builds a working kitchen inside pickleball's 'kitchen'

Starting Thursday, October 1, at the Las Vegas event, Sharp will convert the sport's non-volley zone — nicknamed "the kitchen" — into a fully functional Sharp kitchen through an activation called "Sharp In the Kitchen." Fans can watch live cooking demos, play interactive games, meet players and check out Sharp's appliance lineup, including the Celerity High-Speed Oven and Smart Microwave Drawer Oven. A courtside Sharp refrigerator will also let athletes refuel during matches.