AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:09 p.m. EST

Shohei Ohtani wins 3rd AP Male Athlete of the Year award, tying Michael Jordan for 1 shy of record LOS ANGELES (AP) Shohei Ohtani has been named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time.

That ties the two-way superstar with Michael Jordan, an athlete Ohtani followed while growing up in Japan.

He trails only Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James, who each won the award four times.

Ohtani received 48 votes in balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members.

He earned his third National League Most Valuable Player award after helping the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title.

Ohtani hit 54 home runs and stole 59 bases as the first player with a 50-50 season.

His dog, Decoy, became a celebrity, too, helping Ohtani deliver a ceremonial first pitch at a game.

Tennessee and Auburn remain 1-2 in AP Top 25 poll featuring 10 SEC teams Tennessee and Auburn remained Nos.

1-2 atop The Associated Press mens college basketball poll.

They were the headliners among the Southeastern Conference's haul of 10 ranked teams.

Iowa State, Duke and Alabama rounded out the top five.

Kentucky had the week's biggest fall, sliding six spots to No.

10 after a loss to Ohio State.

Mississippi State, Arkansas, Illinois and Baylor rejoined the poll after stints in the rankings earlier this season.

They replaced Memphis, Dayton, Michigan and Clemson.

The Big 12 and Big Ten were tied for second with five teams each in the AP Top 25.

USC up to No.

4 in women's AP Top 25 after win over UConn.

UCLA, South Carolina, Notre Dame stay 1-3 Southern California jumped to No.

4 in The Associated Press womens college basketball poll on Monday after edging UConn.

The Trojans moved up three spots after beating the then-No.

4 Huskies 72-70 in a rematch of last seasons Elite Eight game that UConn won.

UCLA, South Carolina and Notre Dame remained the top three teams.

The Bruins received 30 of the 32 first-place votes from a national media panel.

The Gamecocks and the Fighting Irish each got one first-place vote.

UConn fell to seventh behind Texas and LSU.

Maryland, Oklahoma and Ohio State rounded out the top 10 teams.

Former NFL great Michael Vick introduced as Norfolk States football coach NORFOLK, Va.

(AP) Michael Vick has been introduced as Norfolk States football coach, a homecoming for the former NFL star and a splashy, attention-grabbing hire for a program that has struggled in recent years.

Vick donned a Norfolk State lettermans jacket and cap in front of a crowd of supporters that included fellow Hampton Roads, Virginia, sports greats Allen Iverson and Bruce Smith.

Vick led Virginia Tech to the national championship game as a redshirt freshman and was selected No.

1 overall in the 2001 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

His career was derailed by his conviction in 2007 for his involvement in a dogfighting ring.

On Football: Falcons and Buccaneers flip spots atop the NFC South and playoff races tighten up The 49ers, Cowboys and Cardinals are out of the playoff race.

The Falcons took control of their hopes and the Colts, Dolphins and Bengals kept slim chances alive.

The NFLs playoff picture became clearer Sunday.

With two weeks remaining, three of eight division titles are secured, eight teams have wrapped up playoff berths and 11 more are competing for the six remaining spots.

The biggest change in the standings occurred in the NFC South with Atlanta reclaiming the top spot from Tampa Bay.

The Chiefs have the inside track for the AFC's No.

1 seed and the NFC's top spot could likely come down to the Vikings-Lions matchup in Week 18.

No.

1 Oregon and No.

8 Ohio State gear up for rematch of thriller won by Ducks Oregon and Ohio State have already produced one heck of a game this season.

Now, the top-seeded Ducks and eighth-seeded Buckeyes are gearing up for a rematch more than 10 weeks later in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Rose Bowl on New Years Day.

Of course, both teams have had ample time for evolution since that 32-31 Oregon win on Oct.

12.

But they also have that game and players familiarity with each other, not to mention common opponents in the Big Ten.

Texas, Arizona State to meet in CFP clash of old vs.

new Big 12 champs AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas won the Big 12 title in 2023 on its way out the door to the Southeastern Conference.

It was still swinging open when Arizona State waltzed in and won the league title in its debut season.

And now last seasons Big 12 champs meet the new Big 12 champs on the path toward a potential national title.

The fifth-seeded Longhorns and fourth-seeded Sun Devils play News Years Day in the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.

Penn State preparing for hard-charging Jeanty and Boise State in CFP quarterfinals STATE COLLEGE, Pa.

(AP) Penn State players have watched Ashton Jeanty make opponents look silly all season.

They dont want to be the next defenders Boise States star posterizes with jukes, spin moves, stiff arms and heavy shoulders.

But they also know that slowing down Jeanty, who finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, will be their toughest task yet when the two teams meet in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal Fiesta Bowl on Dec.

31.

NCAA appealing Pavia injunction as D-I board grants waiver to former JUCO players The NCAA on Monday appealed the preliminary injunction granted by a U.S.

federal judge giving Diego Pavia another year of eligibility even as the organizations Division I board of directors granted a waiver allowing athletes in a similar situation as the Vanderbilt quarterback to play in 2025-26.

The injunction Dec.

18 was limited to Pavia arguing he was likely to win on his argument that NCAA Division I eligibility rules discriminated against his junior college seasons.

The NCAA waiver announced Monday should limit the lawsuits from other athletes who started at a junior college seeking another season to access name, image and likeness opportunities.

Texas sues NCAA in latest push to block transgender athletes in women's sports AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the NCAA to block the participation of transgender athletes in womens sports, arguing that it tricks and misleads fans.

The lawsuit filed in state district court argues the NCAA violates the Texas Trade Practices Act.

The law is designed to protect consumers from deceptive business practices.

The lawsuit is the latest attempt by conservative politicians to target transgender athletes and push the NCAA into banning them from competition.

NCAA President Charlie Baker recently told Congress he was aware of fewer than 10 active transgender athletes..

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