Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 301 on pay-per-view, ESPN and ESPN+.
The UFC is set for its return to Brazil’s most iconic city.
Here’s how to watch UFC 301 with the flyweight title on the line at the top of the lineup.
According to Murphy, the final will be at AT&T Stadium or MetLife Stadium
FIFA’s decision over the host of the 2026 World Cup final is down to the Dallas area against the New York City area, according to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
The two venues vying to host the final are AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“They’re going around, but they’ve been pretty clear publicly that it’s Dallas or here in our bid with New York City,” Murphy said in quotes on NorthJersey.com.
“It’s not just the final. That means every stadium gets their package of games. So you don’t know the teams yet, but you know the dates and you know what you’re going to sell generally.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been recently spotted attending NFL games at both venues.
Two weeks ago, Infantino was at AT&T Stadium to watch the Dallas Cowboys take on the New York Jets, calling the venue “incredible.”
Infantino took in another Jets game over the weekend, this time watching the Aaron Rodgers-less franchise face the New England Patriots at their home of MetLife Stadium.
Murphy, along with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, have been publicly lobbying this summer for MetLife Stadium to host the final.
“The biggest game should be played on the biggest stage and there is no stage bigger on the globe than this region,” Adams told Reuters in July.
“No team or player will come to our region and feel homesick,” Adams added. “You point to a country on the globe and you are going to find a community here.
“That is our biggest selling point, our diversity and how everyone is going to feel at home playing here.”
Other possible contenders for the final include SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Whichever venues don’t end up hosting the final will likely be considered for semifinal matches or for the tournament’s opening game.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first time the tournament has included 48 teams. The United States, Mexico and Canada will serve as co-hosts, with the U.S. featuring 11 of the 16 host cities.
[lawrence-related id=28525,19955,15538]
Governor Phil Murphy correctly predicted not just one but two of the NCAA Tournament upsets.
Last week, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy took to social media to sound off on Rutgers being excluded from the NCAA Tournament. Turns out that Gov. Murphy backed up his love of New Jersey with his bracket.
New Jersey’s governor went bipartisan and pro-New Jersey with his bracket, picking both No. 16 FDU to upset No. 1 Purdue and No. 15 Princeton to beat No. 2 Arizona.
And it isn’t shocking that the governor of New Jersey would actively support and back the state’s school. It is state pride after all and just common sense for a politician, right? For what it is worth, Gov. Murphy may be pro-New Jersey but he is also pragmatic.
He has both FDU and Princeton losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
It is the second straight year that New Jersey has rocked the NCAA Tournament. Last year, St. Peter’s beat No. 2 Kentucky in the opening round and then No. 7 Murray State to advance to the Sweet 16. They then beat No. 3 Purdue before losing to eventual champion North Carolina.
Just hung up the phone with @GovMurphy and his wife Tammy, who were so kind to offer their congratulations to @FDUKnightsMBB for their history making win. And, might I remind you, the governor’s bracket had FDU for the win! @FDUWhatsNew pic.twitter.com/Wmmu6tCP2c
— Michael Avaltroni, FDU Interim President (@FDU_President) March 18, 2023
[lawrence-related id=25128]
Last week following ‘Selection Sunday,’ Gov. Murphy weighed in on Rutgers basketball losing out on an NCAA Tournament bid. He went so far as to cite the KenPom Rankings in his tweet that Rutgers should have made the tournament.
[lawrence-related id=25115]
[mm-video type=video id=01gvtkt54dnmynwtdt49 playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gvtkt54dnmynwtdt49/01gvtkt54dnmynwtdt49-627851f85beb3ec9f60fb5aeb291bc4f.jpg]
Yesterday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy earmarked $100 million for Rutgers University athletics in the proposed budget for the state according to reporting from NJ Advance Media
Major funding for improvements to facilities for the Rutgers basketball and football programs are coming soon. Yesterday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) earmarked $100 million for Rutgers University athletics in the proposed budget for the state according to reporting from NJ Advance Media.
The money is specifically earmarked to be used for renovating Jersey Mike’s Arena and for the building of a proposed indoor practice facility for football.
Part of the deal in hiring football’s head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] was a commitment toward building an indoor practice facility. While a formal fundraising campaign should be announced soon, receiving some state funding is a major first step. The budget is expected to be passed on Wednesday and signed into law by Murphy on Thursday, per the report.
In a deal quietly hammered out last week, #NJ leaders agreed to earmark $100m to Rutgers to help fund the renovation of the university’s aging basketball arena and kick-start a sports practice facility @johnsb01 and me https://t.co/lPMJuKJju0
— Ted Sherman (@TedShermanSL) June 28, 2022
Also included in the budget is a commitment of $150 million additional to the Rutgers medical schools and $50 million for a research complex to be built in downtown New Brunswick.
[listicle id=16808]
Peter McDonough Jr., the university’s senior vice president for external affairs spoke to Brent Johnson and Ted Sherman about the $300 million dollar investment in the university:
“The investments that the proposed budget makes in Rutgers University will help the state establish its role as a global leader in the innovation economy, will provide several hundred million dollars for aid to students and for making improvements to essential academic facilities in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden, and will provide seed money for enhancements to athletics facilities that will be overwhelmingly funded through private donations.”
After Rutgers athletics had a strong 2021-2022 season across the board, Tuesday’s news of the impending funding for the athletic department and the state university as a whole, better days continue to be on the horizon for all Scarlet Knights.
[lawrence-related id=16843]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
New Jersey governor Phil Murphy discusses Rutgers athletics and the need for facilities in the Big Ten.
It has been an unprecedented year for Rutgers athletics, ranging from the return of the football team to a bowl game to consecutive NCAA Tournaments for men’s basketball and the success of field hockey, women’s soccer and both lacrosse programs as well as wrestling (not to mention baseball’s current run).
And the question now becomes given the success of Rutgers athletics over the past two years, what exactly is the ceiling for the different programs, especially in the ultra-competitive Big Ten?
When Rutgers entered the Big Ten in 2014, it faced a deficiency in terms of facilities and infrastructure. That much is clear and obvious.
But now with everything from the Rodkin Academic Success Center (an initiative from athletic director Pat Hobbs) to the new training facility for the soccer teams (see Hobbs, Pat) to naming rights for the basketball arena (again, Hobbs) to the facility for the basketball programs (Hobbs yet again) and the proposed football facility (Hobbs…Hobbs…Hobbs…), Rutgers is gaining traction in terms of the arms race to be competitive in the Big Ten.
[lawrence-related id=15797]
It is something not lost on New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who told RutgersWire last week that the need to be competitive in the Big Ten is both academic and athletic when it comes to infrastructure.
“Absolutely and by the way, it’s not an either-or with a Rutgers,” Murphy said last week in an interview.
“If you’re a Big Ten university, you can and probably must be both a great research institution of higher education and you have to be competitive as it relates to your sports presence and all the stuff that goes into making those presences competitive.”
There is also talks of upgrading the baseball facility, something that Hobbs hinted at recently in an interview with the Big Ten Network.
Murphy also spoke about the importance of having Greg Schiano back as head coach of Rutgers football. Now in his third season back with the Scarlet Knights, Schiano has back-to-back recruiting classes that are highly ranked and has pieced together improvement in each year with the program.
[lawrence-related id=15814]
In the process of bringing Schiano back, Murphy was instrumental in the process of recruiting the man who once resurrected the program from the ash heap of college football. Schiano is now charged with the same objective yet again to rebuild Rutgers football from the Ash heap.
“It’s a big deal. And I think most of the great moments for that football program are before us,” Murphy told ‘Rutgers Wire’ last week about the direction of the football team under Schiano.
“Coach Schiano is a game-changer. He’s one of the best recruiters in sports. He’s put together a heck of a staff. They’ll win more games this year than they win last year and they won last year more games than they did before. I think it’s on a great trajectory.”
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
The New York Giants will play in front of a full crowd at MetLife Stadium in 2021 following an announcement from N.J. Governor Phil Murphy.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=none image=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
The New York Giants had hoped they would play in front of a packed house during the 2021 regular-season, and those hopes became a reality on Monday.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that the state will re-open in its entirety, including MetLife Stadium, which holds 82,500 fans.
[vertical-gallery id=669357]
“At a certain point, we’ve got to open up,” Murphy said at a press conference. “And we believe this is the right point to do that.”
Almost immediately, an announcement came from MetLife Stadium executives.
“MetLife Stadium, the New York Jets and the New York Giants are very excited with Governor Murphy’s announcement today that will allow events to return at full capacity as of May 28. We are currently reviewing stadium policies and protocols, as our commitment to the health and safety of our guests and staff remains our top priority. New York Giants and New York Jets game-day fan protocols will be communicated prior to the 2021 NFL football season,” the statement read.
Shortly thereafter, the Giants and New York Jets also released a joint statement.
“We are thrilled by Governor Murphy’s announcement today to have MetLife Stadium operate at full capacity for the 2021 season,” the teams said. “We can’t wait to welcome our fans back, creating the gameday atmosphere we have all been missing. We will continue to work to ensure the return of fans is accomplished in a safe and responsible way.”
The Giants were one of the few teams in the league that were unable to host a single fan in 2020. They will open the 2021 regular-season on September 12 against the Denver Broncos, but will also play two preseason games (vs. Jets and Patriots) at MetLife Stadium in August.
[lawrence-related id=669355,669353,669337]
Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that the chances of MetLife Stadium being able to operate at full capacity come Week 1 are “pretty good.”
After playing in an empty MetLife Stadium throughout 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Jets could once again be playing in front of a full house in their New Jersey home.
With the NFL set to release the regular-season schedule Wednesday night, Gov. Phil Murphy said the chances of MetLife Stadium being able to host fans at full capacity are “pretty good” during his COVID-19 press briefing on Monday, according to NJ.com.
Murphy went on to say that whether MetLife Stadium is allowed to fill its 82,500 seats depends on COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations remaining at low levels in New Jersey. The state has experienced a 66 percent drop in positive coronavirus cases since last month, and COVID-related hospitalizations are at their lowest point since October.
“If we blow through our objectives, there’s a lot higher likelihood the Jets and Giants can sell more tickets,” Murphy said.
According to Murphy, social distancing recommendations for fans at MetLife Stadium will follow CDC guidelines. Murphy said the CDC is likely to shift social distancing and mask-wearing recommendations in the coming months, but to what extent remains to be seen. Changes in the CDC’s social distancing recommendations would likely be a major factor in whether the Jets will be able to play in front of sellout crowds in 2021.
“Could you sit beside someone who is not in your family or your bubble?” Murphy wondered. “Too early to tell, but there’s a good shot.”
Under new guidelines set to be enacted on Friday, large outdoor venues in New Jersey can increase their capacity to 50 percent, with the standard applying to outdoor venues with more than 1,000 fixed seats. However, six feet of distance between fans is required.
The earliest the Jets could host a home game is Sept. 12; the season is slated to begin Thursday, Sept. 9. New York’s home opponents next season include its AFC East rivals, as well as the Bengals, Buccaneers, Eagles, Jaguars, Saints and Titans.
[listicle id=657395]
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said there’s a “pretty good” chance the New York Giants can have a full stadium during the 2021 season.
The New York Giants had no fans at MetLife Stadium for the entire 2020 regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but by the time Week 1 rolls around this year, there’s a chance for a packed house.
Currently, MetLife Stadium is set to allow 15 percent capacity this season, but New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on Monday that if hospitalizations and deaths remain low, the Giants can potentially welcome all 82,500-plus fans into the stadium.
[listicle id=668714]
“I think the prospects are pretty good,” Murphy said during a COVID-19 briefing. “If we blow through our objectives, there’s a lot higher likelihood the Jets and Giants can sell more tickets.”
The NFL will release the regular-season schedule on Wednesday night, and the Giants’ earliest possible home game is Sept. 12. That will allow area residents four more months to receive their vaccinations should they choose to do so.
The potential for full capacity is something that will please Giants coach Joe Judge, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to play in front of fans.
“Not having fans in the stadium, there were some things you just couldn’t prepare for — like on the road, you come out of a locker room to complete silence and wait in 11 minutes for complete silence until the other team comes out and the national anthem begins,” Judge said during an appearance on WFAN’s “Carton & Roberts” show. “We’d just sit there on headsets sometimes, saying, ‘This is strange.’
“All the interactions I’ve had with fans have been awesome. I love them and love to be here, and can’t wait until fans are in the stadium. I don’t know if they truly know how much we rely on them and their energy. Even on the road, those boos can make you feel at home in a good way, like it’s us against the world.”
Giants season-ticket holders should have already received their yearly invoices, while single-game tickets are scheduled to on sale Wednesday, ahead of the schedule release.
[lawrence-related id=668817,668809,668807]
The beginning of high school hockey season in New Jersey has been put on ice until at least January.
The beginning of high school hockey season in New Jersey has been put on ice until at least January after the suspension of all indoor adult, high school and youth sports.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Monday that the suspension will go into effect on Saturday at 6 a.m. and will last until Jan. 2 due to recent COVID-19 spikes in the state. The suspension does not apply to college and professional sports teams in the area.
“We’re seeing outbreaks related to indoor sports, and this will help slow the spread,” Murphy said in a press briefing.
RELATED: NYSPHSAA delays high-risk winter high school sports until 2021
High school ice hockey season was scheduled to begin practices on Dec. 14 with games beginning on Jan. 14. It remains to be seen if the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) will now extend hockey season beyond its originally scheduled end date of Feb. 17.
“We’re hopeful that, with schedule modifications, the ice hockey season will be viable when the state’s pause is lifted,” the NJSIAA said in a statement shared with USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey, per CentralJersey.com. “The governor has made it clear that he wants high school winter sports to be played, based on the significant mental and physical health benefits they provide and in recognition of the seniors who desire one more season of the sports they love.
“NJSIAA looks forward to working with the Governor and his staff in this regard.”
Don’t plan on attending any Jets or Giants games at MetLife Stadium in 2020.
Don’t plan on attending any Jets or Giants games at MetLife Stadium in 2020.
With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday that his executive order restricting outdoor public gatherings will apply to events at MetLife Stadium. In response to this news, the Jets and Giants released the following joint statement in which they said they will play without fans in attendance “until circumstances change.”
Today Governor Murphy announced that, due to the ongoing public health crisis, his Executive Order limiting outdoor public gatherings will apply to events at MetLife Stadium until further notice. This decision was reached after careful consideration of the current state of the COVID crisis, in discussions with our team, and in consideration of the health and safety of our fans, players and staff, which will continue to be our primary focus.
We support Governor Murphy’s decision in the interest of public health and safety and, until circumstances change, we will play our games without the benefit of fans in attendance. Although we would prefer to have fans at MetLife Stadium for our games, we will continue to work with Governor Murphy’s office and will provide updates if necessary.
Additionally, out of an abundance of caution, each team’s 2020 Training Camps and practices will not be open to the public.
We urge our fans to continue to take the necessary precautions recommended by health officials to stay safe and we look forward to seeing you at MetLife Stadium as soon as possible.
Thank you again for your continued patience and understanding during these unprecedented times and we will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.
The language in the statement leaves open the possibility of fans returning to MetLife at some point this season if the crisis improves, but no such plans are in the stadium’s immediate future. Instead, the Jets and Giants will play in front of an empty house for the forseeable future.
Games without fans have become the new normal for sports in 2020. Various soccer leagues and Major League Baseball have already played without crowds. The National Basketball Association, meanwhile, won’t have fans when it resumes its season in its Disney bubble.
It remains to be seen what other NFL states, cities, venues and teams will do in regards to hosting fans this season, but the Jets and Giants will be without their hometown hopefuls.
