Previewing every college football conference championship game

Conference championship game pairings in the Bowl Subdivision are set three months after the season started withIowa StateandKansas Statemeeting in Dublin, Ireland, setting the stage for the unveiling of theCollege Football Playoffbracket.

While theBig Tenchampionship game will match the top two teams inthe US LBM Coaches Poll. The three matchups with the biggest playoff impact are in theSEC, the ACC and the Sun Belt.

Alabamawas able tosurvive the Iron Bowl against Auburnand will draw a rematch against Georgia. But the Crimson Tide failed to impress down the stretch of the regular season and might need to beat the Bulldogs for the second time to avoid being left out of the field.

The nine championship games will be played on Friday and Saturday. The playoff rankings and bracket will be released early on Sunday afternoon.

These games will close the door on a crazy regular season and get us set for the postseason:

All times Eastern.

SEC: Alabama (10-2) vs. Georgia (11-1)

Time/TV:Saturday, 4 p.m., ABC, Atlanta

Alabama won the first meeting 24-21back in September, the first of four wins in a row against ranked SEC opponents. But the Tide scuffled through November while Georgia answered the bell with wins against Texas andGeorgia Tech. Alabama would likely fall out of the at-large mix with a lopsided loss.

Big Ten: Ohio State (12-0) vs. Indiana (12-0)

Time/TV:Saturday, 8 p.m., Fox, Indianapolis

The winner is the playoff's top seed and the loser should still finish in the top four, especially if the game is competitive. (And especially if the loser is Ohio State.) Think of this matchup as a barometer for both teams heading into the postseason.

Big 12: Texas Tech (11-1) vs. Brigham Young (11-1)

Time/TV:Saturday, noon., ABC, Arlington, Texas

Texas Tech won 29-7 when the two teams met in early November.BYUmight have a case for the playoff with a closer loss, but there might be too much ground for the Cougars to overcome. For the Big 12, the dream scenario is to send two teams to the playoff with a narrow BYU win that leaves theRed Raidersas an at-large pick.

ACC: Virginia (10-2) vs. Duke (7-5)

Time/TV:Saturday, 8 p.m., ABC, Charlotte, N.C.

For the ACC, this matchup is potential nightmare that leaves the chance of sending zero teams to the playoff should Duke take the rematch against the Cavaliers. In that case, Virginia would not be an at-large pick while Duke would come into comparison with James Madison, should the Dukes win the Sun Belt. The Blue Devils would probably win that debate, but that it's not a sure thing will cause a few sleepless nights in the ACC offices leading into Saturday.

American: North Texas (11-1) at Tulane (10-2)

Time/TV:Friday, 8 p.m., ABC

This is for the Group of Five's playoff berth — there's no question whatsoever the winner lands in the bracket over JMU. What's interesting is that both teams will be led by coaches set to leave for the Power Four after the end of the season. Eric Morris has already said he's leaving UNT for Oklahoma State, while Tulane's Jon Sumrall will be the next coach at Florida or Auburn.

Conference USA: Kennesaw State (9-3) at Jacksonville State (8-4)

Time/TV:Friday, 7 p.m., CBSSN

In a bit of a shocker, Jacksonville State knocked off Western Kentucky on Saturday to knock the Hilltoppers out of the championship game. Kennesaw State has already made a seven-win jump under first-year coach Jerry Mack and is looking to take Conference USA in just the program's third year as a member of the FBS.

Mid-American: Western Michigan (8-4) vs. Miami (Ohio) (7-5)

Time/TV:Saturday, noon, ESPN

Western has quietly been the most consistently strong team in the MAC all year and will head into the championship game with just one league loss. TheBroncos' matchup wasn't settled until Miami beat Ball State 45-24. The RedHawks get the nod over Toledo and Ohio because of a better record against common opponents.

Mountain West: UNLV (10-2) atBoise State(8-4)

Time/TV:Friday, 8 p.m., Fox

The MWC had to break a logjam of four teams tied atop the standings at 6-2 in league play by using composite computer rankings. The pileup of New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV and defending conference champion Boise State came after the Lobos knocked off the Aztecs on the final weekend. The Rebels and Broncos got the good news Sunday morning and will meet for the conference title for the third consecutive seasons. The teams played earlier this season with Boise State winning at home 56-31.

Sun Belt: Troy (7-5) at James Madison (11-1)

Time/TV:Friday, 7 p.m., ESPN

JMU won't earn the Group of Five's one guaranteed bid but could sneak in via an unexpected backdoor provided by Duke. How will the committee compare two teams separated by four wins? There's no doubt the Blue Devils have better victories, and JMU did lose to Louisville in non-conference play. In addition, Duke's five losses came to Illinois, Tulane, Georgia Tech, nine-win Connecticut and Virginia.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football conference championship game matchup previews

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November 30, 2025

Previewing every college football conference championship game

Conference championship game pairings in the Bowl Subdivision are set three months after the season started withIowa Stat...

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Seth Curry reportedly joins Warriors, will play with brother Stephen for first time in NBA

It took 12 seasons, but Seth Curry and Stephen Curry are about to take the court together. Seth will reportedly re-sign with the Golden State Warriors on Monday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The move has been expected since the Warriors waived Seth in October.

Seth Curry intends to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors on Monday to a deal for the remainder of the season, sources tell ESPN. Curry – who shot an NBA-best 45.6% from 3-point range in 2024-25 – joins older brother Stephen on the Warriors for his 12th season in the league.https://t.co/umwvhCy4OX

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)November 30, 2025

Seth initially signed with the Warriors in September, but waswaived by the teama month later for salary-cap reasons. The team has more roster flexibility in December, leading to Seth rejoining the team.

Seth has carved out a fine career despite jumping around to a lot of different teams. Over his previous 11 years in the NBA, Seth has played for nine different franchises. But he's never played with his brother ... until now.

Seth, like Stephen, is a sharpshooter from 3-point range. Seth has a career .433 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. That's actually higher than Stephen's career .423 shooting percentage from deep.

The Warriors almost certainly intend to use Seth in a pure shooter role, letting him drain 3s from long distance. As an added benefit, Seth will get to play with his brother for the first time in their NBA careers.

Seth had to wait a while for the move to finally happen, but the fact that he's teaming up with Stephen might make it worth the wait.

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November 30, 2025

Seth Curry reportedly joins Warriors, will play with brother Stephen for first time in NBA

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After 4-way tie for first, computer rankings determine that Boise State will host UNLV in Mountain West title game

Boise State will host UNLV for the Mountain West championship again.

The conference announced Sunday that the Broncos and Rebels had made Friday's conference title game for a second straight season after a four-way tie for first. Boise State and UNLV finished at 6-2 in conference play along with New Mexico and San Diego State.

Per conference tiebreaker rules, the conference title game participants were determined by the composite average of the S&P+ rankings, ESPN strength of record, KPI and SportSource rankings. The top two teams in the rankings advanced to the title game and Boise State earned the right to host with its win over UNLV earlier in the season.

There was a four-team tie thanks to New Mexico's win over San Diego State on Friday. The Aztecs had a chance to clinch a spot in the title game and host it as well, but they lost in overtime to the Lobos. Now, both teams are on the outside of the title game after Boise State's comeback win over Utah State on Friday afternoon and UNLV's easy win at Nevada on Saturday.

The Rebels made the conference title game despite losses to both Boise State and New Mexico. UNLV did not play San Diego State. Boise State beat New Mexico and UNLV but lost to San Diego State and Fresno State along with non-conference defeats to South Florida and Notre Dame.

In 2024, Boise State beat UNLV 21-7 to earn a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. The Broncos then lost to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Thanks to the strength of the American Conference and James Madison heading to the Sun Belt title game against Troy at 12-1, it's highly, highly unlikely that this year's MWC title game will be for a spot in the CFP.

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November 30, 2025

After 4-way tie for first, computer rankings determine that Boise State will host UNLV in Mountain West title game

Boise State will host UNLV for the Mountain West championship again. The conference announced Sunday that the Br...

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4 dead, 10 injured in California shooting at child's birthday party

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Four people died after 14 people were shot at a family gathering in Stockton in Northern California on Saturday night, police said.

The shooting took place at a child's birthday party, Stockton's Vice Mayor Jason Lee said in a Facebook post.

"I am in contact with staff and public safety officials to understand exactly what happened, and I will be pushing for answers," he said.

Police said they received reports shortly before 6:00 p.m. local time of a shooting that occurred near the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue in Stockton. Several victims were transported to local hospitals,the sheriff's office reported.

4 victims confirmed dead in shooting near Stockton

Sheriff's office spokesperson Heather Brent said there was limited information to share with the public on the shooting, but did confirm that four people have died.

The incident was reported at a banquet hall where a family was celebrating inside the building. During the celebrating, gunshots erupted and 14 victims were shot, and four of those people died. The victims' ages range from "juvenile and adults," according to Brent.Early indications suggest this maybe a "targeted incident," Brent said during a press conference Saturday night.

"This is a very active and ongoing investigation," Brent said. "Information remains very limited at this time."

Detectives are asking that anyone with information, contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.

"Our No. 1 priority right now is identifying this suspect," Brent said.

Stockton shooting at child's birthday party leaves at least 4 dead

State officials issue statements on fatal San Joaquin County shooting

Gov. Gavin Newsom's Office issued a statement on social media late Saturday night. The governor said he's has been briefed on the "horrific shooting" in Stockton.

"The Governor's Office of Emergency Services (@Cal_OES) is monitoring this evolving situation and coordinating with local law enforcement," Newsom stated.

>>@CAGovernorGavin Newsom has been briefed on the horrific shooting in Stockton.The Governor's Office of Emergency Services (@Cal_OES) is monitoring this evolving situation and coordinating with local law enforcement.

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice)November 30, 2025

Rep. Josh Harder also took to social media Saturday night.

"I'm devastated at news of a mass shooting in Stockton, and Pam and I are praying for the victims and their families. My office is carefully monitoring this situation and in close contact with local law enforcement."

Vice mayor issues statement, vows push for answers

Lee expressed heartbreak and anger Saturday evening following reports of the mass shooting in the city.

"Tonight, my heart is heavy in a way that's hard to put into words," Lee wrote on Facebook shortly after 7 p.m. "As Vice Mayor of Stockton — and as someone who grew up in this community — I am devastated and angry to learn about the mass shooting at a child's birthday party. An ice cream shop should never be a place where families fear for their lives."

"Violence touched my life as a young person, and seeing our own children, parents, and neighbors go through this shakes me deeply. Stockton is my home. These are our families. This is our community," he continued. "...Our community deserves to know the truth, and the families impacted deserve justice and every resource available to support them."

The shooting site remains an active scene as details are still being confirmed. Authorities are asking people to avoid the area near Thornton Road, where the shooting occurred close to a Dairy Queen and other businesses.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Record:4 dead, 10 injured in California shooting at child's birthday party

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4 dead, 10 injured in California shooting at child's birthday party

(This story has been updated to add new information.) Four people died after 14 people were shot at a family gat...

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SNAP benefits are flowing again, but many enrollees will soon hit another hurdle

Food stamp recipients are now receiving theirNovember benefits, but a growing swath of enrollees may soon lose their vital food assistance completely.

At the same time as the government shutdowndisruptedthe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, states began implementing an expansion of the program's work requirements as mandated in theRepublicans' "big, beautiful bill," which was signed into law by President Donald Trump this summer.

Under the GOP package, more food stamp enrollees will have to work, volunteer or participate in job training for at least 80 hours a month or they will only be able to receive benefits for three months out of every three years.

The expanded work requirements will result in 2.4 million fewer Americans receiving food stamps benefits in an average month over the next decade, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis. This includes 300,000 families with children.

Recipients who don't meet the requirement will likely start losing their benefits in March, but the timing will depend on where they live and when they must recertify their eligibility for food stamps.

Republicans have long wanted to beef up SNAP's existing work requirement, which used to apply to beneficiaries ages 18 to 49 who did not have disabilities or dependent children. The GOP increased the age threshold to 54 as part of the 2023 debt ceiling agreement.

The GOP spending bill further broadened the work requirement to include recipients through age 64 and parents of children ages 14 through 17. Veterans, people experiencing homelessness and former foster youth are now also subject to the mandate.

Plus, the legislation made it harder for states to seek waivers during poor economic conditions. Previously, states could obtain waivers in areas they identify as having a lack of sufficient jobs. Now, only areas with unemployment rates over 10% qualify.

A federal judge in Rhode Island has temporarily barred the US Department of Agriculture from terminating existing waivers before their expiration dates, but the agency has yet to release guidance on the decision, said Chloe Green, assistant director of policy at the American Public Human Services Association.

Asked about the case, the USDA said it is approving waivers "within its statutory authority under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, on an individual basis."

Overall, roughly double the number of SNAP recipients will be subject to the mandate, said Lauren Bauer, a fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution.

The rollout of the expanded work requirements, however, has been chaotic, which was exacerbated by the record-long government shutdown, states officials and experts say.

"There is both a tremendous amount of confusion and, strangely, a wide array of differences across states and how they are implementing it," Bauer said.

Rushed timetable

The SNAP work requirement provisions were among the few GOP agenda bill measures that did not have a set implementation date. In the fall, the US Department of Agriculture published guidance that said the new rules took effect on July 4, when the bill wassigned into law,but effectively gave states until November 1 to stand up their programs.

Then, earlier this month, the USDA said that states should not count November when calculating whether enrollees are meeting their work requirements because of theshutdown-spurred benefit disruptions.

Most states set November 1 as their implementation date, though some started earlier, Green said. But other states say their systems may not be ready to track the expanded requirement until the spring, even though that could put them at risk for being penalized by the USDA.

"One worry we have is that when you make systems changes this fast, there's a risk for unintended impacts somewhere else in the system," she said, noting that such updates usually take 12 to 18 months to do properly.

States are particularly sensitive to making payment mistakes now because another provision of the Republican agenda bill requires that they shoulder a larger share of the program's administrative costs if they have high error rates.

Beneficiaries who may be newly subject to the work requirements need to be notified and screened to make sure they don't qualify for other exemptions, such as having physical or mental limitations.

"A lot of people who are calling in are worried that now they're being assigned work requirements without them even knowing," Green said. "That should not happen."

Many states are starting the three-month clock when residents first apply for food stamps or when they file their recertification forms, which generally happens every six to 12 months depending on the state and entails an interview. But some states are checking all their enrollees at once, without waiting for their recertification dates.

Updating systems

Connecticut has found it "very challenging" to implement the expanded work requirements, said Dan Giacomi, director of program oversight and grants administration at the state's Department of Social Services. An estimated 36,000 residents — or 10% of the state's SNAP enrollees — could be at risk of losing their benefits in coming months because of the law's changes.

"You can't just flip a switch in your eligibility system and have it do all of these new categories or new processes you have," he said.

To ensure it is complying with the Republican agenda bill the state has had to implement temporary workarounds — which involve case workers manually inputting whether recipients are newly subject to the requirement — while it races to update its technology. Giacomi is also concerned about these cases being integrated properly into the system once it is updated, as well as any payment errors that may result in penalties for the state.

Another reason for the delay is that the state had to wait for guidance from the USDA so staffers knew how to handle all scenarios, he said. Though it still has several outstanding questions, it has enough information to get started.

States often want to wait for clear USDA guidance so they don't take steps that the agency might later say don't comply with the regulations, said Ed Bolen, director of state SNAP strategies for the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

In Pennsylvania, the timetable began even earlier because its economic waivers, which covered many counties and localities, expired in September. The commonwealth took "substantial steps" to connect with all the SNAP recipients in these areas to determine if they could qualify for another exemption from the work requirements, Hoa Pham, a deputy secretary in the Department of Human Services, said. If they don't qualify, they could start losing their benefits as soon as January 1 unless they meet the work mandate.

Pennsylvania has several ways of verifying recipients' income, including state and federal data and a pilot program in which enrollees allow a third-party platform to pull and report their payroll information. But these sources don't necessarily cover all the work that recipients perform so they may also have to submit pay stubs.

Prior to the GOP agenda bill, fewer than 25,000 of Pennsylvania's roughly 1 million SNAP enrollees were subject to the work requirement rules that applied to those ages 18 to 54. The legislation expanded that number to just under 248,000 people.

The department projects that a total of 144,000 recipients could lose their benefits over the next year when they renew their eligibility.

States are also racing to inform SNAP beneficiaries who may now be subject to the work requirements to make sure they meet the mandate or file for exemptions.

Connecticut is sending text messages, mailing notices and meeting with community groups. It has also set up an online questionnaire that will direct those potentially affected to the next steps they have to take. Pennsylvania has launched a website — with a video and a screener — to explain the changes to residents.

Still, Pham is worried that some people who would continue to qualify could lose their benefits because of the paperwork.

"It is all too easy for someone to miss an action step, and for that reason alone, that opens up the risk for people to lose their SNAP eligibility — for just missing an administrative process, and not because they are not otherwise eligible," she said.

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SNAP benefits are flowing again, but many enrollees will soon hit another hurdle

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A Border Patrol-led immigration crackdown is coming to southeast Louisiana. Here's what to know

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Around 250 federal border agents are expected to launch a monthslongimmigration crackdownon Monday in southeast Louisiana and into Mississippi dubbed "Swamp Sweep."

The deployment, which aims to arrest 5,000 people, is centered in liberal New Orleans and is the latest federal immigration enforcement operation to target a Democratic-run city as President Donald Trump's administration pursuesits mass deportation agenda.

Border Patrol commanderGregory Bovino, who has led aggressive operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina, is expected to helm the campaign.

Many in the greater New Orleans area, particularly in Latino communities, have been on edge since the planned operationswere reportedearlier this month, even as Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he welcomes the federal agents.

Here's what to know about "Swamp Sweep."

Border Patrol accused of aggressive tactics in blue cities

Bovino has become the Trump administration's go-to operative for leading large-scale, high-profile immigration enforcement campaigns. During his operation in Chicago, federal agentsrappelled from a helicopterinto a residential apartment complex and fired pepper balls and tear gas at protesters.

Federal agents arrested more than 3,200 immigrants during asurge in the Chicago areain recent months, but have not provided many details. Court documents on roughly 600 recent arrests showed that only ahandfulhad criminal records representing a "high public safety risk," according to federal government data.

Border Patrol, whichdoes not typicallyoperate in dense urban areas or in situations with protesters, has been accused of heavy-handed tactics, promptingseveral lawsuits. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Chicagoaccused Bovino of lyingand rebuked him for deploying chemical irritants against protesters.

Bovino has doubled down on the efficacy of his agency's operations.

"We're finding and arresting illegal aliens, making these communities safer for the Americans who live there," he said in a post on X.

Louisiana has strict immigration enforcement laws

The Department of Justice has accused New Orleans of undermining federal immigration enforcement and included it on a list of 18 so-called sanctuary cities. The city's jail, which has been under longstanding oversight from a federal judge, does not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under most circumstances, and its police department views immigration enforcement as a civil matter outside its jurisdiction.

However, Louisiana's Republican-dominated Legislature has passed laws tocompel New Orleans agenciesto align with the Trump administration's hard-line immigration stance.

One such law makes it a crime to "knowingly" do something intended to "hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart" federal immigration enforcement efforts. Anyone who violates the law could face fines and up to a year of jail time.

Additionally, lawmakers expanded the crime of malfeasance in office, which is punishable by up to 10 years in jail, for government officials who refuse to comply with requests from agencies like ICE. It also prohibits police and judges from releasing from their custody anyone who "illegally entered or unlawfully remained" in the U.S. without providing advance notice to ICE.

New Orleans awaits federal agents

In and around New Orleans, some immigration lawyers say they have been inundated with calls from people trying to prepare for the upcoming operation. One immigration lawyer, Miguel Elias, says his firm is conducting many consultations virtually or by telephone because people are too afraid to come in person.

He likens the steps many in the immigrant community are taking to what people do to prepare for a hurricane — hunker down or evacuate. Families are stocking up on groceries and making arrangements for friends to take their children to school to limit how frequently they leave the house, he said.

In the days leading up to Border Patrol's planned operations, businesses have posted signs barring federal agents from entry and grassroots advocacy groups have offered rights-related trainings and workshops on documenting the planned crackdown.

While New Orleans is famous for its blend of cultures, only around 6.7% of its population of nearly 400,000 is foreign-born, though that rises to almost 10% in neighboring metro areas. That's still well below the national average of 14.3%, according to U.S. census data.

The city's Hispanic population ballooned during rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and now makes up around 14% of the population, according tocensus data compiled by New Orleans-based Data Center.

ThePew Research Centerestimates 110,000 immigrants who lack permanent legal status were living in Louisiana as of 2023, comprising approximately 2.4% of the state's population. Most of them are from Honduras.

Amanda Toups, who owns local restaurant Toups Meatery and runs a nonprofit to help feed neighbors in need, said she expects the federal operations to negatively impact the city's tourism-dependent economy, which supports the rest of Louisiana.

"If you're scaring off even 5% of tourism, that's devastating," she said. "You're brown and walking around in town somewhere and you could get tackled by ICE and you're an American citizen? Does that make you want to travel to New Orleans?"

Santana reported from Washington, D.C. and Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.Report for Americais a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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November 30, 2025

A Border Patrol-led immigration crackdown is coming to southeast Louisiana. Here's what to know

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Mohamed Salah left out of Liverpool team for Premier League clash with West Ham

LONDON (AP) — Mohamed Salah was left out of Liverpool's starting lineup to play West Ham on Sunday in a surprise move by coach Arne Slot.

Club great Salah was Liverpool's leading scorer on the way to a record-equaling 20th English league title last season. But the Egypt international has struggled for form this term as the Merseyside club's title defense has unravelled.

Slot named a forward line of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo for the game at the London Stadium, with Salah a substitute.

Liverpool headed into the match on the back of a run of nine losses in 12 games in all competitions. It has lost six of its last seven in the league.

Salah's decline in form has been a feature of that run as he failed to score in his last four games and managed only four goals in the league all season.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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November 30, 2025

Mohamed Salah left out of Liverpool team for Premier League clash with West Ham

LONDON (AP) — Mohamed Salah was left out of Liverpool's starting lineup to play West Ham on Sunday in a surprise move...

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