The Salina Invitational Tournament is officially underway and our boys and girls teams from Salina South, Salina Central, and Abilene are all competing for a spot atop the SIT field.

Below you can find matchups and results from all three rounds of the tournament.

Championship Game Wichita East 69 Wamego 46

3rd-Place Game Salina Central 68 Salina South 50

5th-Place Game Buhler 48 Great Bend 33

7th-Place Game Abilene 70 Junction City 47

Championship Game Salina South 63 Great Bend 39

3rd-Place Game Salina Central 57 Buhler 54

5th-Place Game Wamego 2 De Soto 0

7th-Place Game Wichita South 55 Abilene 39

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Wichita East 59 Salina South 22

Salina South 58 Salina Central 53

Salina South 64 Wichita South 53

The Salina Invitational Tournament is officially underway and our boys and girls teams from Salina South, Salina Central, and Abilene are all competing for a spot atop the SIT field.Below you can find matchups and results from all three rounds of the tournament.Monday Girls MatchupsChampionship Game Wichita East 69 Wamego 463rd-Place Game Salina Central 68 Salina South 505th-Place Game Buhler 48 Great Bend 337th-Place Game Abilene 70 Junction City 47Monday Boys MatchupsChampionship Game Salina South 63 Great Bend 393rd-Place Game Salina Central 57 Buhler 545th-Place Game Wamego 2 De Soto 07th-Place Game Wichita South 55 Abilene 39----------------------------------------------------Friday Girls FinalsWichita East 59 Salina South 22Wamego 43 Salina Central 34Great Bend 60 Abilene 36Buhler 46 Junction City 39Friday Boys FinalsSalina South 58 Salina Central 53Wamego 57 Abilene 43Great Bend 58 Buhler 49De Soto 59 Wichita South 57----------------------------------------------------Thursday Girls FinalsSalina South 54 Great Bend 48Salina Central 56 Buhler 24Wichita East 76 Abilene 23Wamego 58 Junction City 20Thursday Boys FinalsSalina South 64 Wichita South 53Salina Central 61 De Soto 57Buhler 63 Abilene 47Great Bend 54 Wamego 28

🏀 Salina Invitational schedule and results

Below you can find the schedule and results from the 2026 Sterling Invitational Tournament. The quarterfinal round will take place on Tuesday with the semis to follow on Thursday, and the final round on Friday.

Championship Game SE of Saline 43 Hugoton 21

3rd-Place Game Scott City 48 Sterling 37

5th-Place Game Smoky Valley 43 Kingman 38

7th-Place Game Lyons 50 Hutch Trinity 41

Championship Game Sterling 78 Hugoton 55

3rd-Place Game Scott City 63 Hutch Trinity 28

5th-Place Game Smoky Valley 63 Lyons 54

7th-Place Game SE of Saline 54 Kingman 48

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Smoky Valley 48 Hutch Trinity 17

Smoky Valley 59 SE of Saline 55

SE of Saline 79 Hutch Trinity 28

Hutch Trinity 59 Smoky Valley 48

Below you can find the schedule and results from the 2026 Sterling Invitational Tournament. The quarterfinal round will take place on Tuesday with the semis to follow on Thursday, and the final round on Friday.Friday Girls MatchupsChampionship Game SE of Saline 43 Hugoton 213rd-Place Game Scott City 48 Sterling 375th-Place Game Smoky Valley 43 Kingman 387th-Place Game Lyons 50 Hutch Trinity 41Friday Boys MatchupsChampionship Game Sterling 78 Hugoton 553rd-Place Game Scott City 63 Hutch Trinity 285th-Place Game Smoky Valley 63 Lyons 547th-Place Game SE of Saline 54 Kingman 48----------------------------------------------Thursday Girls ScoresSE of Saline 45 Scott City 23Hugoton 54 Sterling 29Kingman 39 Lyons 30Smoky Valley 48 Hutch Trinity 17 Thursday Boys MatchupsSterling 69 Sterling 37Hugoton 60 Hutch Trinity 21Smoky Valley 59 SE of Saline 55Lyons 50 Kingman 41----------------------------------------------Tuesday Girls ScoresSE of Saline 79 Hutch Trinity 28Scott City 52 Smoky Valley 32Hugoton 53 Kingman 22Sterling 60 Lyons 27Tuesday Boys ScoresHugoton 81 SE of Saline 52Hutch Trinity 59 Smoky Valley 48Sterling 81 Kingman 35Scott City 59 Lyons 46

🏀 Sterling Tournament schedule and results

WICHITA - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/977f57e5-13b5-4b8a-8f93-80ef74ffe4fe?elinkdata=35790">Brandon Avedon</a> flirted with a triple-double and three other Coyotes scored in double figures.

KWU, though, couldn't overcome turnover and rebounding issues in a 105-84 Kansas Conference loss to Friends on Monday night inside the Garvey Center. The game was rescheduled from Saturday because of the winter storm.

Avedon, a freshman point guard, finished with 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting and had 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bdeaefb8-af75-4d58-9844-b970eb8010bc?elinkdata=35790">Gabe Phillips</a> scored 15, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/61813598-4cd3-4d67-bc2f-eecfe7a655ee?elinkdata=35790">Stefan Spray</a> 14 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c214092b-e1a7-4eb3-b152-4bfe674d0820?elinkdata=35790">Caiden Punt</a> 12 as the Coyotes shot 55 percent from the field (32 of 58) including 9 of 16 from the 3-point line.

Friends also surpassed 50 percent, making 40 of 74 shots from the field (54 percent) including 14 of 38 from deep. Five Falcons scored in double figures led by Collin Maclin with 19 points and Owen Evans 16.

Wesleyan had 17 turnovers that led to 24 Friends points and the Falcons grabbed 16 offensive rebounds that resulted in 27 second chance points.

Avedon's 3-pointer with 15:09 left in the first half got KWU within 13-10 but Friends answered with a 19-5 run and led 32-15 with just under 11 minutes left in the half.

An 8-0 Coyote surge cut the deficit to 34-25 with 8½ minutes left before the break but Friends responded with scoring runs of 9-0 and 10-2 and led 57-39 at intermission.

Wesleyan got no closer than 16 (57-41) in the second half as Friends pulled away aided by eight 3-pointers.

WICHITA - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/977f57e5-13b5-4b8a-8f93-80ef74ffe4fe?elinkdata=35790">Brandon Avedon</a> flirted with a triple-double and three other Coyotes scored in double figures.KWU, though, couldn't overcome turnover and rebounding issues in a 105-84 Kansas Conference loss to Friends on Monday night inside the Garvey Center. The game was rescheduled from Saturday because of the winter storm.Avedon, a freshman point guard, finished with 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting and had 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bdeaefb8-af75-4d58-9844-b970eb8010bc?elinkdata=35790">Gabe Phillips</a> scored 15, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/61813598-4cd3-4d67-bc2f-eecfe7a655ee?elinkdata=35790">Stefan Spray</a> 14 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c214092b-e1a7-4eb3-b152-4bfe674d0820?elinkdata=35790">Caiden Punt</a> 12 as the Coyotes shot 55 percent from the field (32 of 58) including 9 of 16 from the 3-point line.Friends also surpassed 50 percent, making 40 of 74 shots from the field (54 percent) including 14 of 38 from deep. Five Falcons scored in double figures led by Collin Maclin with 19 points and Owen Evans 16.Wesleyan had 17 turnovers that led to 24 Friends points and the Falcons grabbed 16 offensive rebounds that resulted in 27 second chance points.Avedon's 3-pointer with 15:09 left in the first half got KWU within 13-10 but Friends answered with a 19-5 run and led 32-15 with just under 11 minutes left in the half.An 8-0 Coyote surge cut the deficit to 34-25 with 8½ minutes left before the break but Friends responded with scoring runs of 9-0 and 10-2 and led 57-39 at intermission.Wesleyan got no closer than 16 (57-41) in the second half as Friends pulled away aided by eight 3-pointers.

🏀 Coyotes fall to No. 14 Friends 105-84

WICHITA - Kansas Wesleyan's frantic rally in the final five minutes of Monday's game with No. 23 ranked Friends, came up just a fraction of a second short.

The Coyotes battled back, trailing by eight points with four and a half minutes left to tie the score, but Friends scored with 5.2 seconds left to come away with the 81-79 win at the Garvey Center.

The teams played Monday night after the game was rescheduled from Saturday due to the winter storm that blanketed the area with several inches of snow over the weekend.

Wesleyan nearly won the game. After retaining possession with 0.4 seconds left on the clock after a review to reset the time, the Coyotes drew up a perfect play as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/60241c42-6ec2-49dc-b70f-9d7c5bccd4d9?elinkdata=35826">Odessa Ozuna</a> passed to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6beb5356-4032-4709-99aa-95395bbe2b87?elinkdata=35826">Emma Gertken</a> in the corner and she appeared to make a 3-point shot that would have won the game for the Coyotes.

The officials would review the play to ensure the shot was off in time, but it was determined that Gertken did not get the shot off in time.

It was a heartbreaking end to a fantastic game played by the Coyotes.

Friends scored the first six points of the contest, but the Coyotes came back, rallying from a nine-point deficit with 2:16 left in the first to cut the difference to a point at the end of the quarter on a 3-pointer by Gertken.

The second quarter saw the Coyotes take the lead for the first time to open the period on a bucket by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d24dfc7-c550-49c6-852a-7f066cc4e995?elinkdata=35826">Jocelyn Hall</a>, and with the score tied at 28, the Coyotes used an 8-0 run on two <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/706468a6-e91e-4dab-bdba-a419f7abe704?elinkdata=35826">Izzy McCool</a> triples and a Gertken bucket to lead 36-28 with 2:29 left in the half.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/edd65c34-98a2-4feb-a5da-7defd809dabe?elinkdata=35826">Raegann McDonald's</a> bucket just before the half gave the Coyotes a 43-31 lead at the break.

Things didn't go great for the Coyotes in the third. KWU had a 48-36 lead with 8:18 to go when Friends made a run. A 21-7 run by the Falcons gave Friends a 57-55 lead with 48 seconds left in the quarter.

The Falcons would lead 59-57 after three.

Friends built a seven-point margin with 9:08 left in the fourth, but the Coyotes battled back, getting within two on Hall's bucket with 7:37 left that made it 66-64.

The teams traded blows back and forth until Friends pulled out to a 74-66 lead with 4:26 left.

The Coyotes then started their rally using a three-point play by McDonald. McDonald would score all 11 of KWU's points during the comeback as KWU outscored Friends 11-3 over the next three minutes to tie things up at 77 with 1:42 to go.

Five Coyotes reached double figures led by McCool with 18. McDonald had 17, just missing her career high, Gertken had 15, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/09a36e7d-e48d-494a-b65f-fc1974522442?elinkdata=35826">Anna Jueneman</a> had 14 and Hall had 11. Wesleyan shot 30 of 63 from the field for 47.6 percent and was 9 of 18 from 3-point range.

WICHITA - Kansas Wesleyan's frantic rally in the final five minutes of Monday's game with No. 23 ranked Friends, came up just a fraction of a second short.The Coyotes battled back, trailing by eight points with four and a half minutes left to tie the score, but Friends scored with 5.2 seconds left to come away with the 81-79 win at the Garvey Center.The teams played Monday night after the game was rescheduled from Saturday due to the winter storm that blanketed the area with several inches of snow over the weekend.Wesleyan nearly won the game. After retaining possession with 0.4 seconds left on the clock after a review to reset the time, the Coyotes drew up a perfect play as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/60241c42-6ec2-49dc-b70f-9d7c5bccd4d9?elinkdata=35826">Odessa Ozuna</a> passed to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6beb5356-4032-4709-99aa-95395bbe2b87?elinkdata=35826">Emma Gertken</a> in the corner and she appeared to make a 3-point shot that would have won the game for the Coyotes.The officials would review the play to ensure the shot was off in time, but it was determined that Gertken did not get the shot off in time.It was a heartbreaking end to a fantastic game played by the Coyotes.Friends scored the first six points of the contest, but the Coyotes came back, rallying from a nine-point deficit with 2:16 left in the first to cut the difference to a point at the end of the quarter on a 3-pointer by Gertken.The second quarter saw the Coyotes take the lead for the first time to open the period on a bucket by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d24dfc7-c550-49c6-852a-7f066cc4e995?elinkdata=35826">Jocelyn Hall</a>, and with the score tied at 28, the Coyotes used an 8-0 run on two <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/706468a6-e91e-4dab-bdba-a419f7abe704?elinkdata=35826">Izzy McCool</a> triples and a Gertken bucket to lead 36-28 with 2:29 left in the half.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/edd65c34-98a2-4feb-a5da-7defd809dabe?elinkdata=35826">Raegann McDonald's</a> bucket just before the half gave the Coyotes a 43-31 lead at the break.Things didn't go great for the Coyotes in the third. KWU had a 48-36 lead with 8:18 to go when Friends made a run. A 21-7 run by the Falcons gave Friends a 57-55 lead with 48 seconds left in the quarter.The Falcons would lead 59-57 after three.Friends built a seven-point margin with 9:08 left in the fourth, but the Coyotes battled back, getting within two on Hall's bucket with 7:37 left that made it 66-64.The teams traded blows back and forth until Friends pulled out to a 74-66 lead with 4:26 left.The Coyotes then started their rally using a three-point play by McDonald. McDonald would score all 11 of KWU's points during the comeback as KWU outscored Friends 11-3 over the next three minutes to tie things up at 77 with 1:42 to go.Five Coyotes reached double figures led by McCool with 18. McDonald had 17, just missing her career high, Gertken had 15, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/09a36e7d-e48d-494a-b65f-fc1974522442?elinkdata=35826">Anna Jueneman</a> had 14 and Hall had 11. Wesleyan shot 30 of 63 from the field for 47.6 percent and was 9 of 18 from 3-point range.

🏀 KWU WBB rally comes up just short against No. 23 Friends 81-79

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“We’re excited to announce that (Offensive Coordinator) Eric Bieniemy’s coming back to us. We put that out a couple of days ago, I believe, so I think this isn’t new news. It’s good to get him back in the building, and I think we all know how – the energy that Eric brings and what he gives to a football team. He’s coming off of a heck of a season with the Chicago Bears. My hat goes off to the Bears and the great job that they did there. On the other hand, we had another great coordinator, too, with (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt Nagy, and this gives Matt an opportunity to go out and run his show there and do what he does best, taking two Super Bowl Championships with him and three Super Bowl appearances and a top ten offense that he was working with this past year. He’ll go out and be able to put his own mark on things and that takes my name off of it and he gets the purity of it. I was hoping it’d be a head coaching position, and it still might be that. He deserves that definitely for sure. If that doesn’t work, it gives him an opportunity to step in as a coordinator and run his show from there. It’s a win-win on both sides for both coaches and again we’re glad that EB was able to come back in and jump in that position and bring all the knowledge that he has likewise to the table. With that, times yours.”

Q:&nbsp;In what ways did you notice that you needed Eric Bieniemy’s coaching style back on the team?

REID:&nbsp;“I thought (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) brought great energy too with his, it’s just different – they both have their own personalities that they share with it. (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB does, he’s going to be very direct with the players, very direct with the coaches. It’s a different flavor. Both have been very productive in this system here. I think it’s a win-win for us that way. There’s nobody like EB on the field that way – with the players he does a great job there.”

Q:&nbsp;Did you interview anyone else for the offensive coordinator position from the outside besides Eric Bieniemy?

REID:&nbsp;“(Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB was in the playoffs, so I didn’t talk to him until after he was done there. But I had to make a move fast. There are a lot of openings here Sam (McDowell). If one guy is going one direction, you have to make sure that you can fill that position and do it quickly as you possibly can. At the same time being able to talk to others. So, to answer your question yes, I did talk to other people.”

Q:&nbsp;Why does this hire fire you up?

REID:&nbsp;“I’m fired up to get into this offseason and get going. We didn’t do very well this past year and that hasn’t been our M.O. there. I’m going to fix the problem – the problems that we had in all phases, this isn’t just an offense, all phases. There will some guys that move on, there will be people that come in – players and a couple of quality control guys left and a couple of other guys left and we will cover all of that down the road here. Change can be good sometimes for you, and so that’s what I’m fired up about.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you think Eric Bieniemy will help Patrick Mahomes this upcoming season?

REID:&nbsp;“Patrick (Mahomes) knows him, first of all, Jesse (Newell), and then I’d tell you (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB will be very direct with him like he does with everybody. But he knows it’s coming from a place of knowledge. You guys can take this whole thing a couple of different ways, so I want to make sure we’re saying this right. Patrick loved (Matt) Nags, and he also loves EB. So, this isn’t an either-or deal. It’s one guy having to replacing another guy – that’s not what this is all about. I want to make sure Nags gets his shoutout here too and EB gets his for coming in here.”

Q:&nbsp;On the process of hiring Eric Bieniemy.

REID:&nbsp;“So, I know both guys (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Former Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy) and know them well. I’ve worked with them hand in hand (and) won championships with them. Here’s Nags in a position where he’s got an opportunity here potentially to move on and create things for him and his family and everything else. One side of that, I’m pushing that and saying, ‘let’s go man – do your thing,’ and on the other side I’ve got to sit there and go ‘who’s going to replace this guy who just came off of winning a couple of championships and going to three Super Bowls?’ EB becomes an obvious guy that you’d want to talk to I would think from a logical standpoint. I think he’s a great fit here – great fit now that he’s back and I’ve had success with bringing guys back into the fold and things happening. So as a unit (and) as an organization I think everybody is fired up to see that we replaced a great guy with another great guy. I’ve got great guys here – (Pass Game Coordinator) Joe Bleymaier, there are very few guys who are as good as Joe Bleymaier, and I feel very confident in him in that offensive room. (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags and his crew are here, (Offensive Line Coach) Andy Heck, these guys are all guys that are top notch and then (General Manager) Brett’s (Veach) working the personnel side of it. There’s good continuity, there’s good teamwork that goes on. I know everybody can function well together and that becomes important to me.”

Q: On the team’s coaching changes.

REID:&nbsp;“I don’t want to get into all that, Vahe (Gregorian). We’ll hit that another time. I don’t want to take anything away from (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB and him coming back here because I think for everybody, for our fan base, for our ownership (and) for the organization it’s a positive thing. At the same time, I want (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) to have a chance to be a head football coach and do the things that he’s dreaming of doing. That’s huge in this business, and he’s sitting at an important time with some openings in this league, that you very seldom see where you have these 10 at one time here, 10 different openings and there’s opportunities there.”

Q: When did you determine that it would be best to have a mutual parting with Matt Nagy?

REID:&nbsp;“If we left it that simple, that’s what I would tell you. I know everybody’s going to question everything and I get all that, that’s understandable. But (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) and I have a great relationship and here he sits. Before the season even started here, I knew that he wanted an opportunity to have his own show. He’s been a head coach, he was Coach of the Year, this guy – all the things I’ve said about him, I still feel about him. There’s nothing different there. He deserves to have a head coaching job, and if not, it gives him an opportunity to go out and do his thing. I would’ve told you the same thing about (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB when he did it. It gave him an opportunity to go out and do their thing. So, there was no signage of rollovers and all of that, he wanted to just keep it that way, word gets out on that and gives him an opportunity. Somebody is missing a gem here, that’s how I feel, and I would love to see him get picked up and going. At the same time, we got back a gem. It has a chance to be a win-win here whenever everything is set and done.”

Q: What things do you think Eric Bieniemy learned while he was away that he can bring back here?

REID:&nbsp;“Everywhere you go in this business you pick something up and you might take it with you, or you might say, ‘you know what, I’m not going to do that (and) I don’t want to do that.’ And at the same time, he’s (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) got all these years in this system too, he understands that. So, I welcome that. I always keep my ears and eyes open for things and that’s why we’re very seldom stagnant and why even with our record, I felt where I could stand in front of you guys and go, ‘Listen, what worked for us a year before, it just flipped on us.’ The games we won a year before, they flipped on us this year and we didn’t win and that’s sometimes how this thing works. Now it’s making sure that we get back and correct some things and then get them going in the right direction again. But at the same time, you finish and you’re looking at being in the top 10 offensively before Pat (Mahomes) gets hurt or even after the Dallas game which didn’t go our way. Here’s (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) sitting with a top five offense in a lot of categories in the NFL. So, I respect that part. This game, we’re seeing it now when you look at the playoffs, these games are nip and tuck baby, you miss a play here or there, you’re going to lose the game. All those games that were so tight for us this year, we have to fix and clean that up.”

Q: Do you think accountability was lacking last season?

REID:&nbsp;“No, I think Pat (Mahomes) probably said it best right there that we’ve always had accountability here with (Offensive Coordinator) Eric (Bieniemy) or without Eric. You’re still responsible for certain things. Whoever is coming in better be feeling that and there’s a certain standard that you’re going to hold each other to. I’m sure that’s what Patrick, without quizzing him here, Soren (Petro) I would tell you that is probably what he was saying.”

Q: Do you constantly remind yourself that the team needs to progress or can that become stagnant with the success the team has had?

REID:&nbsp;“I think we do a good job with that, we try to give you a little different flavor every year and stay ahead of things. I think we’ve got to do a better job all the way around in every area, I think that’s important. And so, you go through and you hammer this thing out, you take every offensive play, every defensive play (and) every special teams play, you go through it, you make sure that you’ve got guys that are aware of the league and how things go there. Different trends offensively, defensively and on special teams and you use all the technology that’s out there. There’s no reason to be stagnant, you’ve got too many different options. You shouldn’t have to bring in the latest greatest here and there and all that. You’ve got all that right at a finger-tip for you if you want to go that route.”

Q: How do you anticipate how play-calling will work with Eric Bieniemy?

REID:&nbsp;“I still enjoy calling plays, but what I do – I’m not afraid to delegate and get opinions from people and then even in certain situations, letting them go ahead and call things in different areas. We do this jointly. I keep it open, and I felt that that’s the best way. I want guys to contribute; I want them to work hard and be experts in their area and then cumulatively in all areas. I’ve always mixed and matched there I guess I’ll tell you Matt (Derrick). It’s seemed to have been fairly productive.”

Q: What do you think is the biggest area Eric Bieniemy can make an impact?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesJanuary 26, 2026OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“We’re excited to announce that (Offensive Coordinator) Eric Bieniemy’s coming back to us. We put that out a couple of days ago, I believe, so I think this isn’t new news. It’s good to get him back in the building, and I think we all know how – the energy that Eric brings and what he gives to a football team. He’s coming off of a heck of a season with the Chicago Bears. My hat goes off to the Bears and the great job that they did there. On the other hand, we had another great coordinator, too, with (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt Nagy, and this gives Matt an opportunity to go out and run his show there and do what he does best, taking two Super Bowl Championships with him and three Super Bowl appearances and a top ten offense that he was working with this past year. He’ll go out and be able to put his own mark on things and that takes my name off of it and he gets the purity of it. I was hoping it’d be a head coaching position, and it still might be that. He deserves that definitely for sure. If that doesn’t work, it gives him an opportunity to step in as a coordinator and run his show from there. It’s a win-win on both sides for both coaches and again we’re glad that EB was able to come back in and jump in that position and bring all the knowledge that he has likewise to the table. With that, times yours.”Q:&nbsp;In what ways did you notice that you needed Eric Bieniemy’s coaching style back on the team?REID:&nbsp;“I thought (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) brought great energy too with his, it’s just different – they both have their own personalities that they share with it. (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB does, he’s going to be very direct with the players, very direct with the coaches. It’s a different flavor. Both have been very productive in this system here. I think it’s a win-win for us that way. There’s nobody like EB on the field that way – with the players he does a great job there.”Q:&nbsp;Did you interview anyone else for the offensive coordinator position from the outside besides Eric Bieniemy?REID:&nbsp;“(Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB was in the playoffs, so I didn’t talk to him until after he was done there. But I had to make a move fast. There are a lot of openings here Sam (McDowell). If one guy is going one direction, you have to make sure that you can fill that position and do it quickly as you possibly can. At the same time being able to talk to others. So, to answer your question yes, I did talk to other people.”Q:&nbsp;Why does this hire fire you up?REID:&nbsp;“I’m fired up to get into this offseason and get going. We didn’t do very well this past year and that hasn’t been our M.O. there. I’m going to fix the problem – the problems that we had in all phases, this isn’t just an offense, all phases. There will some guys that move on, there will be people that come in – players and a couple of quality control guys left and a couple of other guys left and we will cover all of that down the road here. Change can be good sometimes for you, and so that’s what I’m fired up about.”Q:&nbsp;How do you think Eric Bieniemy will help Patrick Mahomes this upcoming season?REID:&nbsp;“Patrick (Mahomes) knows him, first of all, Jesse (Newell), and then I’d tell you (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB will be very direct with him like he does with everybody. But he knows it’s coming from a place of knowledge. You guys can take this whole thing a couple of different ways, so I want to make sure we’re saying this right. Patrick loved (Matt) Nags, and he also loves EB. So, this isn’t an either-or deal. It’s one guy having to replacing another guy – that’s not what this is all about. I want to make sure Nags gets his shoutout here too and EB gets his for coming in here.”Q:&nbsp;On the process of hiring Eric Bieniemy.REID:&nbsp;“So, I know both guys (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Former Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy) and know them well. I’ve worked with them hand in hand (and) won championships with them. Here’s Nags in a position where he’s got an opportunity here potentially to move on and create things for him and his family and everything else. One side of that, I’m pushing that and saying, ‘let’s go man – do your thing,’ and on the other side I’ve got to sit there and go ‘who’s going to replace this guy who just came off of winning a couple of championships and going to three Super Bowls?’ EB becomes an obvious guy that you’d want to talk to I would think from a logical standpoint. I think he’s a great fit here – great fit now that he’s back and I’ve had success with bringing guys back into the fold and things happening. So as a unit (and) as an organization I think everybody is fired up to see that we replaced a great guy with another great guy. I’ve got great guys here – (Pass Game Coordinator) Joe Bleymaier, there are very few guys who are as good as Joe Bleymaier, and I feel very confident in him in that offensive room. (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags and his crew are here, (Offensive Line Coach) Andy Heck, these guys are all guys that are top notch and then (General Manager) Brett’s (Veach) working the personnel side of it. There’s good continuity, there’s good teamwork that goes on. I know everybody can function well together and that becomes important to me.”Q: On the team’s coaching changes.REID:&nbsp;“I don’t want to get into all that, Vahe (Gregorian). We’ll hit that another time. I don’t want to take anything away from (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB and him coming back here because I think for everybody, for our fan base, for our ownership (and) for the organization it’s a positive thing. At the same time, I want (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) to have a chance to be a head football coach and do the things that he’s dreaming of doing. That’s huge in this business, and he’s sitting at an important time with some openings in this league, that you very seldom see where you have these 10 at one time here, 10 different openings and there’s opportunities there.”Q: When did you determine that it would be best to have a mutual parting with Matt Nagy?REID:&nbsp;“If we left it that simple, that’s what I would tell you. I know everybody’s going to question everything and I get all that, that’s understandable. But (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) and I have a great relationship and here he sits. Before the season even started here, I knew that he wanted an opportunity to have his own show. He’s been a head coach, he was Coach of the Year, this guy – all the things I’ve said about him, I still feel about him. There’s nothing different there. He deserves to have a head coaching job, and if not, it gives him an opportunity to go out and do his thing. I would’ve told you the same thing about (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB when he did it. It gave him an opportunity to go out and do their thing. So, there was no signage of rollovers and all of that, he wanted to just keep it that way, word gets out on that and gives him an opportunity. Somebody is missing a gem here, that’s how I feel, and I would love to see him get picked up and going. At the same time, we got back a gem. It has a chance to be a win-win here whenever everything is set and done.”Q: What things do you think Eric Bieniemy learned while he was away that he can bring back here?REID:&nbsp;“Everywhere you go in this business you pick something up and you might take it with you, or you might say, ‘you know what, I’m not going to do that (and) I don’t want to do that.’ And at the same time, he’s (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) got all these years in this system too, he understands that. So, I welcome that. I always keep my ears and eyes open for things and that’s why we’re very seldom stagnant and why even with our record, I felt where I could stand in front of you guys and go, ‘Listen, what worked for us a year before, it just flipped on us.’ The games we won a year before, they flipped on us this year and we didn’t win and that’s sometimes how this thing works. Now it’s making sure that we get back and correct some things and then get them going in the right direction again. But at the same time, you finish and you’re looking at being in the top 10 offensively before Pat (Mahomes) gets hurt or even after the Dallas game which didn’t go our way. Here’s (Former Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) sitting with a top five offense in a lot of categories in the NFL. So, I respect that part. This game, we’re seeing it now when you look at the playoffs, these games are nip and tuck baby, you miss a play here or there, you’re going to lose the game. All those games that were so tight for us this year, we have to fix and clean that up.”Q: Do you think accountability was lacking last season?REID:&nbsp;“No, I think Pat (Mahomes) probably said it best right there that we’ve always had accountability here with (Offensive Coordinator) Eric (Bieniemy) or without Eric. You’re still responsible for certain things. Whoever is coming in better be feeling that and there’s a certain standard that you’re going to hold each other to. I’m sure that’s what Patrick, without quizzing him here, Soren (Petro) I would tell you that is probably what he was saying.”Q: Do you constantly remind yourself that the team needs to progress or can that become stagnant with the success the team has had?REID:&nbsp;“I think we do a good job with that, we try to give you a little different flavor every year and stay ahead of things. I think we’ve got to do a better job all the way around in every area, I think that’s important. And so, you go through and you hammer this thing out, you take every offensive play, every defensive play (and) every special teams play, you go through it, you make sure that you’ve got guys that are aware of the league and how things go there. Different trends offensively, defensively and on special teams and you use all the technology that’s out there. There’s no reason to be stagnant, you’ve got too many different options. You shouldn’t have to bring in the latest greatest here and there and all that. You’ve got all that right at a finger-tip for you if you want to go that route.”Q: How do you anticipate how play-calling will work with Eric Bieniemy?REID:&nbsp;“I still enjoy calling plays, but what I do – I’m not afraid to delegate and get opinions from people and then even in certain situations, letting them go ahead and call things in different areas. We do this jointly. I keep it open, and I felt that that’s the best way. I want guys to contribute; I want them to work hard and be experts in their area and then cumulatively in all areas. I’ve always mixed and matched there I guess I’ll tell you Matt (Derrick). It’s seemed to have been fairly productive.”Q: What do you think is the biggest area Eric Bieniemy can make an impact?

Chiefs Quotes: 1-26-26

SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop, and Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game on Sunday.

Led by second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Darnold — an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth team — the Seahawks (16-3) reached the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years. Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

With Los Angeles (14-6) facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford’s pass was&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/2015612455158976655" target="_blank">broken up in the end zone</a>&nbsp;by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn’t get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.

Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.

Darnold, who flopped in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seahawks-sam-darnold-bye-playoffs-489ae91973a720c23bdbadb54676785e">playoff debut last season</a>&nbsp;with the Minnesota Vikings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seahawks-darnold-injury-74267fccc18bb171a3858acdb3f4e7e1">played through an oblique injury</a>&nbsp;and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving — the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history — and a touchdown on 10 catches.

“It’s amazing,” Darnold said. “To be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me.”

The Seahawks led 31-20 late in the third quarter on Darnold’s 13-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp, but the Rams got back into the game when Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen was&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFLonFOX/status/2015606662904918099" target="_blank">flagged for taunting</a>&nbsp;after breaking up a pass to Nacua on third-and-12, giving Los Angeles a first down.

On the next play, Stafford threw at Woolen again, and Nacua beat him in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.

The Rams forced a punt on Seattle’s next possession and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that came up empty thanks to Witherspoon’s pass breakup.

Seattle stayed aggressive on its final possession, with Darnold throwing for three first downs to run out most of the clock.

Davante Adams and Kyren Williams had receiving TDs for the Rams, and Kenneth Walker III rushed for a score for the Seahawks.

Rams: WR Jordan Whittington (chest) left in the third quarter. Defensive end Kobie Turner (cramps) also exited in the third.

Seahawks: LB Drake Thomas (shoulder) left in the fourth quarter. FB Brady Russell (hand) was injured in the second half and did not return.

Rams: Stafford turns 38 next month and has to wonder if this was his last, best chance at a second Super Bowl title.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769399039128.png" alt="eattle Seahawks’ Dareke Young (83) celebrates after recovering a fumble by Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith during a punt return during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)" />
 <figcaption>eattle Seahawks’ Dareke Young (83) celebrates after recovering a fumble by Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith during a punt return during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop, and Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game on Sunday.Led by second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Darnold — an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth team — the Seahawks (16-3) reached the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years. Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.With Los Angeles (14-6) facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford’s pass was&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/2015612455158976655" target="_blank">broken up in the end zone</a>&nbsp;by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn’t get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.Darnold, who flopped in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seahawks-sam-darnold-bye-playoffs-489ae91973a720c23bdbadb54676785e">playoff debut last season</a>&nbsp;with the Minnesota Vikings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seahawks-darnold-injury-74267fccc18bb171a3858acdb3f4e7e1">played through an oblique injury</a>&nbsp;and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving — the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history — and a touchdown on 10 catches.“It’s amazing,” Darnold said. “To be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me.”The Seahawks led 31-20 late in the third quarter on Darnold’s 13-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp, but the Rams got back into the game when Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen was&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFLonFOX/status/2015606662904918099" target="_blank">flagged for taunting</a>&nbsp;after breaking up a pass to Nacua on third-and-12, giving Los Angeles a first down.On the next play, Stafford threw at Woolen again, and Nacua beat him in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.The Rams forced a punt on Seattle’s next possession and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that came up empty thanks to Witherspoon’s pass breakup.Seattle stayed aggressive on its final possession, with Darnold throwing for three first downs to run out most of the clock.Davante Adams and Kyren Williams had receiving TDs for the Rams, and Kenneth Walker III rushed for a score for the Seahawks.<h2>Injuries</h2>Rams: WR Jordan Whittington (chest) left in the third quarter. Defensive end Kobie Turner (cramps) also exited in the third.Seahawks: LB Drake Thomas (shoulder) left in the fourth quarter. FB Brady Russell (hand) was injured in the second half and did not return.<h2>Up next</h2>Rams: Stafford turns 38 next month and has to wonder if this was his last, best chance at a second Super Bowl title.

🏈 Sam Darnold and Seahawks advance to Super Bowl with thrilling win over Rams in NFC title game

DENVER (AP) — Drake Maye handled the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patriots-broncos-afc-title-game-b1f16622fe4e7d14f4558e40ce5afe7a">sloppy, snowy conditions</a>&nbsp;better than the home team and he scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game Sunday.

Maye threw for just 86 yards, but ran for 65 and iced the win with a 7-yard keeper on third-and-5 in the waning minutes to send the Patriots (17-3) to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as coach.

The Patriots will play the winner of the NFC championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.

“I’m just proud of this team,” said the 23-year-old Maye, who’s the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, behind only Miami’s Dan Marino. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.”

Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, with 2:11 remaining for New England’s second takeaway. The first set up the Patriots with a short field and led to Maye’s touchdown scamper that tied it at 7 heading into halftime.

With Nix looking on from a suite following ankle surgery Tuesday in Alabama, Stidham made his first start in more than two years. His first completion since the 2023 regular-season finale was a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/2015518892354117789?s=20" target="_blank">52-yard dart</a>&nbsp;to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/2015519475064541595?s=20" target="_blank">Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch</a>.

That was Stidham’s highlight as he turned the ball over twice and finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards with the TD.

“I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham said.

New England, which went 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo, became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots, could become the first person in NFL history to also win as a head coach for the same franchise.

“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”

The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60, and he pointed the finger right at himself.

He said he regretted his call on fourth-and-1 from the New England 14 in the second quarter when a chip-shot field goal before the snow came in would have given Denver a double-digit lead. Stidham’s throw to running back R.J. Harvey was incomplete and the Broncos’ early momentum vanished.

“There’s always regrets,” Payton said. “Yeah, I mean, look, I felt like here we are, fourth-and-1. We felt close enough ... So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”

The Broncos were left clinging to a 7-0 lead that was short-lived. Elijah Ponder recovered&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Patriots/status/2015532622156636284?s=20" target="_blank">Stidham’s backward pass</a>&nbsp;at the Denver 12, setting up the tying touchdown two plays later.

“I thought I threw it forward and obviously the replay said differently,” Stidham said. “Probably should have just eaten the sack and let (Jeremy) Crawshaw punt the ball and flip the field.”

Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime. Lutz’s 45-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter was tipped by Leonard Taylor III.

The Patriots’ victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history.

It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.

“It was a lot of fun out there,” Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “Snow game, for the conference, to go to the Super Bowl — it doesn’t get any better than that. I felt like I was a little kid out there just playing in the snow.”

And the Patriots had the most fun of all.

“What an atmosphere out here,” said Maye, in his second NFL season. “Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”

The Patriots have allowed 26 points across three playoff games. The only team to allow fewer points over three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who allowed just 16 points.

After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.

Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale. The Broncos were the only team in the league that didn’t give their backup QB any snaps or handoffs the last two seasons.

The Patriots have averaged 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15.

“I’ll take an ugly win before I take a pretty loss,” Diggs said. “Nobody’s satisfied. Happy, but not complacent. We’re blessed to be where we are, but we know there’s more out there for us.”

Coming up just short of a trip to the Super Bowl will drive Denver, said Surtain, who suggested: “This is not the last time we’re going to be here. We’re going to just keep on building and getting better.”

Nix, who had 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, got hurt on Denver’s final drive in overtime against Buffalo last week, and this title game will always be dogged in Denver by the what-ifs.

“It (stinks),” linebacker Alex Singleton said. “We’ll remember it for the rest of our lives.”

Patriots: LB Robert Spillane (ankle) left in the first quarter.

Broncos: WR Pat Bryant left with a hamstring injury in the second quarter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769427461444.jpeg" alt="New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) hands off against the Denver Broncos during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) hands off against the Denver Broncos during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Drake Maye handled the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patriots-broncos-afc-title-game-b1f16622fe4e7d14f4558e40ce5afe7a">sloppy, snowy conditions</a>&nbsp;better than the home team and he scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game Sunday.Maye threw for just 86 yards, but ran for 65 and iced the win with a 7-yard keeper on third-and-5 in the waning minutes to send the Patriots (17-3) to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as coach.The Patriots will play the winner of the NFC championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.“I’m just proud of this team,” said the 23-year-old Maye, who’s the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, behind only Miami’s Dan Marino. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.”Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, with 2:11 remaining for New England’s second takeaway. The first set up the Patriots with a short field and led to Maye’s touchdown scamper that tied it at 7 heading into halftime.With Nix looking on from a suite following ankle surgery Tuesday in Alabama, Stidham made his first start in more than two years. His first completion since the 2023 regular-season finale was a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/2015518892354117789?s=20" target="_blank">52-yard dart</a>&nbsp;to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/2015519475064541595?s=20" target="_blank">Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch</a>.That was Stidham’s highlight as he turned the ball over twice and finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards with the TD.“I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham said.New England, which went 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo, became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots, could become the first person in NFL history to also win as a head coach for the same franchise.“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60, and he pointed the finger right at himself.He said he regretted his call on fourth-and-1 from the New England 14 in the second quarter when a chip-shot field goal before the snow came in would have given Denver a double-digit lead. Stidham’s throw to running back R.J. Harvey was incomplete and the Broncos’ early momentum vanished.“There’s always regrets,” Payton said. “Yeah, I mean, look, I felt like here we are, fourth-and-1. We felt close enough ... So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”The Broncos were left clinging to a 7-0 lead that was short-lived. Elijah Ponder recovered&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Patriots/status/2015532622156636284?s=20" target="_blank">Stidham’s backward pass</a>&nbsp;at the Denver 12, setting up the tying touchdown two plays later.“I thought I threw it forward and obviously the replay said differently,” Stidham said. “Probably should have just eaten the sack and let (Jeremy) Crawshaw punt the ball and flip the field.”Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime. Lutz’s 45-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter was tipped by Leonard Taylor III.The Patriots’ victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history.It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.“It was a lot of fun out there,” Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “Snow game, for the conference, to go to the Super Bowl — it doesn’t get any better than that. I felt like I was a little kid out there just playing in the snow.”And the Patriots had the most fun of all.“What an atmosphere out here,” said Maye, in his second NFL season. “Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”The Patriots have allowed 26 points across three playoff games. The only team to allow fewer points over three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who allowed just 16 points.After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale. The Broncos were the only team in the league that didn’t give their backup QB any snaps or handoffs the last two seasons.The Patriots have averaged 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15.“I’ll take an ugly win before I take a pretty loss,” Diggs said. “Nobody’s satisfied. Happy, but not complacent. We’re blessed to be where we are, but we know there’s more out there for us.”Coming up just short of a trip to the Super Bowl will drive Denver, said Surtain, who suggested: “This is not the last time we’re going to be here. We’re going to just keep on building and getting better.”Nix, who had 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, got hurt on Denver’s final drive in overtime against Buffalo last week, and this title game will always be dogged in Denver by the what-ifs.“It (stinks),” linebacker Alex Singleton said. “We’ll remember it for the rest of our lives.”<h2>Injuries</h2>Patriots: LB Robert Spillane (ankle) left in the first quarter.Broncos: WR Pat Bryant left with a hamstring injury in the second quarter.—

🏈 Patriots punch ticket to 12th Super Bowl with gritty win over Broncos in snowy Denver

BY NOAH HELGET Salina Post Contributor

The Lady Knights on their way to the championship with tonight’s win over Remington 52-39, on the boy’s side they fall to Moundridge 64-41.

The Lady Knights would come out firing and forcing 8 turnovers, 5 of those turning them into points on the other end. The Lady Knights would hold Remington to just 12 and lead them 18-12 at the end of the first. In the first half the Lady Knights would force 14 turnovers on Remington, and the Lady Knights would capitalize off of each turnover, and lead at intermission 28-21.

In the third quarter the Lady Knights would struggle getting shots to go from the inside, they adjusted and shot from the outside making 5 from deep range, 3 coming from Addie Lee and would extend their lead 43-36.

The 5 starters for Sacred Heart would never see the bench and play the whole game. But that didn’t stop them from having a defensive quarter in the fourth quarter. Sacred Heart didn’t allow a field goal in the fourth and win 52-39.

Sacred Heart had four goes into double digits tonight, Skylar Douglas(13), Addie Lee(12), Emmy Lee(11), Edyn Sharpton(10).

The Lady Knights move on to the Trojan Classic Championship and play Moundridge on Monday at 6:00.

On the boys’ side, Moundridge came out dominating on defense and held Sacred Heart to just 7 in the first quarter, leading 14-7 at the end of the first and Moundridge extending it in the second to lead 33-12.

Sacred Heart attempted to claw back at the deficit in the third, but Moundridge was ready and blew it up from there leading 47-28 going into the final quarter of play.

The Wildcats would only allow one Sacred Heart Knight to go into double digits and hand the Knights their first loss of the season, 64-41.

Sacred Heart drops to 13-1 overall and look to bounce back in the third-place game Monday against Holcomb.

Sacred Heart was led by Luke Koland and he finished with 12.&nbsp;

BY NOAH HELGET Salina Post Contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Lady Knights on their way to the championship with tonight’s win over Remington 52-39, on the boy’s side they fall to Moundridge 64-41.Girls: Sacred Heart 52 Remington 39The Lady Knights would come out firing and forcing 8 turnovers, 5 of those turning them into points on the other end. The Lady Knights would hold Remington to just 12 and lead them 18-12 at the end of the first. In the first half the Lady Knights would force 14 turnovers on Remington, and the Lady Knights would capitalize off of each turnover, and lead at intermission 28-21.In the third quarter the Lady Knights would struggle getting shots to go from the inside, they adjusted and shot from the outside making 5 from deep range, 3 coming from Addie Lee and would extend their lead 43-36.The 5 starters for Sacred Heart would never see the bench and play the whole game. But that didn’t stop them from having a defensive quarter in the fourth quarter. Sacred Heart didn’t allow a field goal in the fourth and win 52-39.Sacred Heart had four goes into double digits tonight, Skylar Douglas(13), Addie Lee(12), Emmy Lee(11), Edyn Sharpton(10).The Lady Knights move on to the Trojan Classic Championship and play Moundridge on Monday at 6:00.Boys: Sacred Heart 41 Moundridge 64On the boys’ side, Moundridge came out dominating on defense and held Sacred Heart to just 7 in the first quarter, leading 14-7 at the end of the first and Moundridge extending it in the second to lead 33-12.Sacred Heart attempted to claw back at the deficit in the third, but Moundridge was ready and blew it up from there leading 47-28 going into the final quarter of play.The Wildcats would only allow one Sacred Heart Knight to go into double digits and hand the Knights their first loss of the season, 64-41.Sacred Heart drops to 13-1 overall and look to bounce back in the third-place game Monday against Holcomb.Sacred Heart was led by Luke Koland and he finished with 12.&nbsp;

🏀 Sacred Heart splits set on second day of Trojan Classic

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Flory Bidunga had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Elmarko Jackson added 19 points, and No. 19 Kansas overcame the absence of standout guard Darryn Peterson with a big finishing kick for an 86-62 win over Kansas State on Saturday night.

Melvin Council Jr. contributed 17 points and Bryson Tiller had 16 for the Jayhawks (15-5, 5-2 Big 12), who ended the game on a 27-7 run in the return to the sideline for coach Bill Self, who had missed their previous game because of a health-related issue.

Peterson, one of the nation's best freshmen, had been on a tear after finally overcoming a series of cramping issues. But the Jayhawks' high-scoring guard was sidelined against Kansas State after spraining his ankle in Tuesday night's win over Colorado.

P.J. Haggerty had 18 of his 23 points in the second half to lead the Wildcats (10-10, 1-6). Andrej Kostic added 12 points.

Kansas State was short-handed, too. Khamari McGriff and fellow forward Mobi Ikegwuruka have been out with injuries, while starting guard Abdi Bashir remains sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot.

Kostic was among those pressed into more minutes. And the freshman from Serbia delivered right away, hitting four 3-pointers in a span of about four minutes in the first half, helping to keep the Wildcats within 37-35 at the break.

Kansas was still clinging to a 59-55 lead after Haggerty's 3-pointer with 7:50 to go, but Bidunga proceeded to score seven points during a 15-3 run. It was highlighted by a rim-rattling ally-oop dunk by Bidunga that helped to put the game away.

The Jayhawks won their fourth straight game while snapping a three-game skid against Kansas State in Manhattan. They also have won 16 of the past 20 overall in the second-longest active rivalry played in Division I men's basketball.

Kansas plays No. 13 BYU at Allen Fieldhouse next Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769310979047.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Flory Bidunga had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Elmarko Jackson added 19 points, and No. 19 Kansas overcame the absence of standout guard Darryn Peterson with a big finishing kick for an 86-62 win over Kansas State on Saturday night.Melvin Council Jr. contributed 17 points and Bryson Tiller had 16 for the Jayhawks (15-5, 5-2 Big 12), who ended the game on a 27-7 run in the return to the sideline for coach Bill Self, who had missed their previous game because of a health-related issue.Peterson, one of the nation's best freshmen, had been on a tear after finally overcoming a series of cramping issues. But the Jayhawks' high-scoring guard was sidelined against Kansas State after spraining his ankle in Tuesday night's win over Colorado.P.J. Haggerty had 18 of his 23 points in the second half to lead the Wildcats (10-10, 1-6). Andrej Kostic added 12 points.Kansas State was short-handed, too. Khamari McGriff and fellow forward Mobi Ikegwuruka have been out with injuries, while starting guard Abdi Bashir remains sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot.Kostic was among those pressed into more minutes. And the freshman from Serbia delivered right away, hitting four 3-pointers in a span of about four minutes in the first half, helping to keep the Wildcats within 37-35 at the break.Kansas was still clinging to a 59-55 lead after Haggerty's 3-pointer with 7:50 to go, but Bidunga proceeded to score seven points during a 15-3 run. It was highlighted by a rim-rattling ally-oop dunk by Bidunga that helped to put the game away.The Jayhawks won their fourth straight game while snapping a three-game skid against Kansas State in Manhattan. They also have won 16 of the past 20 overall in the second-longest active rivalry played in Division I men's basketball.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas plays No. 13 BYU at Allen Fieldhouse next Saturday.

🏀 Sunflower Showdown: KU finishes on 27-7 run to beat K- State 

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Southeast of Saline girls’ basketball program brought home a Sterling Invitational Tournament title on Friday, defeating Hugoton 43-21 in the championship game.

A first-place finish at Sterling is one of the few feats that had eluded the Lady Trojans for years, but no longer.

Southeast dominated all week long, defeating Hutch Trinity 79-28 on Tuesday, and Scott City 45-23 on Thursday, before sealing the deal against Hugoton on Friday night.

In that three-game stretch, the Lady Trojans outscored their opponents by 95 points, winning by over 30 on average throughout the tournament

Kyiah Samuelson and Aba Pearson were named to the All-Tournament team, with Pearson also being selected as the tournament’s Most Inspirational Player.

On Tuesday, three different Lady Trojans notched double digits, with Kyiah Samuelson (17), Vada Durfee (14), and Taryn Goetz (14) leading Southeast to a rout of Hutch Trinity.

Samuelson was excellent again on Thursday, dropping 12 points alongside a 13-point night from Aba Pearson as the Lady Trojans forced 17 Scott City turnovers and allowed just four Lady Beavers to score.

While both of those wins were impressive, SES saved their best for last, and on Friday night it quickly became apparent that Hugoton never stood a chance.

Southeast held the Lady Eagles, a team that entered the night 8-5, to just seven total points in the first half, and 21 for the entire night.

Seven different Lady Trojans scored in a win that also saw the Southeast defense generate 21 turnovers, one to match each Hugoton point in a championship game.

Samuelson continued her stellar play, leading Southeast with 12 points, this time aided by her sophomore partner in crime Reese Heinrich (10).

At long last, the tournament title that always felt just out of reach now belongs to the Lady Trojans, who will need this momentum as they enter the home stretch of their season.

Southeast of Saline resumes regular-season play on Tuesday, January 27 when they travel to Belleville for a rematch with Republic County.

You can watch Southeast of Saline’s victory on demand below.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769217489134.jpeg" alt="The Lady Trojans stand tall with a Sterling Tournament title in hand" />
 <figcaption>The Lady Trojans stand tall with a Sterling Tournament title in hand</figcaption>
 </figure>By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline girls’ basketball program brought home a Sterling Invitational Tournament title on Friday, defeating Hugoton 43-21 in the championship game.A first-place finish at Sterling is one of the few feats that had eluded the Lady Trojans for years, but no longer.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Southeast dominated all week long, defeating Hutch Trinity 79-28 on Tuesday, and Scott City 45-23 on Thursday, before sealing the deal against Hugoton on Friday night.In that three-game stretch, the Lady Trojans outscored their opponents by 95 points, winning by over 30 on average throughout the tournamentKyiah Samuelson and Aba Pearson were named to the All-Tournament team, with Pearson also being selected as the tournament’s Most Inspirational Player.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769217585702.jpeg" alt="Aba Pearson (33) and Kyiah Samuelson (4) wearing their all-tournament medals." />
 <figcaption>Aba Pearson (33) and Kyiah Samuelson (4) wearing their all-tournament medals.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Tuesday, three different Lady Trojans notched double digits, with Kyiah Samuelson (17), Vada Durfee (14), and Taryn Goetz (14) leading Southeast to a rout of Hutch Trinity.Samuelson was excellent again on Thursday, dropping 12 points alongside a 13-point night from Aba Pearson as the Lady Trojans forced 17 Scott City turnovers and allowed just four Lady Beavers to score.While both of those wins were impressive, SES saved their best for last, and on Friday night it quickly became apparent that Hugoton never stood a chance.Southeast held the Lady Eagles, a team that entered the night 8-5, to just seven total points in the first half, and 21 for the entire night.Seven different Lady Trojans scored in a win that also saw the Southeast defense generate 21 turnovers, one to match each Hugoton point in a championship game.Samuelson continued her stellar play, leading Southeast with 12 points, this time aided by her sophomore partner in crime Reese Heinrich (10).At long last, the tournament title that always felt just out of reach now belongs to the Lady Trojans, who will need this momentum as they enter the home stretch of their season.Southeast of Saline resumes regular-season play on Tuesday, January 27 when they travel to Belleville for a rematch with Republic County.You can watch Southeast of Saline’s victory on demand below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/glIwtWsZAEw"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

🏀 Lady Trojans capture first-ever Sterling Tournament title with win over Hugoton

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;With the 2026 Kansas football schedule set, season tickets for the upcoming season are officially on sale. The home slate features six games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium as Phase II construction continues on the stadium and the University of Kansas Gateway District.

The Jayhawks will host six opponents at The Booth during the 2026 season: Long Island (Sept. 4), Missouri (Sept. 12), Middle Tennessee State (Oct. 3), Baylor (Oct. 24), UCF (Nov. 7) and BYU (Nov. 21). Season ticket packages start at $350 and can be purchased through the Kansas Athletics ticket office by calling 800-34-HAWKS.

With Phase I of the Gateway District completed prior to the 2025 season, construction on Phase II commenced in December 2025 with the demolition of the east side of The Booth. Phase II construction will be done in multiple phases to complete the east side, along with the full district just&nbsp;east of the stadium. The Gateway District is set to be fully complete in 2028, with construction progressing&nbsp;during the off-season periods that follow the 2026 and 2027 Kansas Football seasons. More details will be released in the coming months related to the development and programming of the Gateway District.

The east side of The Booth will be partially complete for&nbsp;the 2026 season, meaning there will be reduced capacity for the season. The east side is scheduled to be complete prior to the 2027 season with The Booth back at full capacity. In addition for 2026, a new grandstand in the south will have student seating and a new area dedicated to the Marching Jayhawks.

“The University of Kansas continues to demonstrate its commitment to completing a 360-degree new build of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Simultaneously, we are focused on elevating Kansas Football, as recently demonstrated by increased investment in staffing and student-athlete retention and acquisition. We will not be deterred as we continue our work to build Kansas Football into a program all Jayhawks will be proud of and support,” Kansas Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. “We are thrilled with the new west and north sides of The Booth and, in earnest, have begun the transformation of the east and south sides in advance of the construction of the mixed-use development that will create the Gateway District for the University of Kansas.”

“Our fans have stepped-up in support of this project via game-changing donations and the purchase of season tickets. As we head into year two, it is vital that we continue that trajectory to ensure the completion of The Booth and the continued build of Kansas Football.”&nbsp;

The Gateway District continues to move forward with innovative progress, already transforming the north entrance to campus. The second phase of the stadium build will focus on the east and south sides featuring enhanced premium seating and improved fan amenities. The lower seating bowl on the east side&nbsp;will be open and utilized for the 2026 season and will require temporary concessions and restrooms. The remaining upper bowl and finished concourses will be completed prior to the 2027 season. For a full breakdown of 2026 stadium tiers and seat locations with pricing,&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/ukansas.sidearmsports.com/documents/2026/1/22/2026_Season_Ticket_Pricing_Map.pdf?timestamp=20260122123338" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Season ticket options for the 2026 season will be available in sections&nbsp;122-128. New club seating will be available for the 2026 seasons while east side loge boxes and suite club seating will be completed prior to the 2027 season.

As part of Phase II of the Gateway District, construction of a new surface parking lot located at the corner of 11th&nbsp;and Missouri Streets, will be completed prior to the 2026 season. Ongoing parking evaluations are being conducted in partnership with the university for future seasons. Various tailgating opportunities, including “Tailgate on the Hill” and the Gameday Boulevard on 11th&nbsp;Street will continue in the 2026 season, giving fans an opportunity to experience gameday atmosphere of Lawrence.

Phase I of the Gateway District project featured various stadium enhancements to elevate the fan experience in every seat on the west and north sides of the stadium. Five different premium hospitality spaces were introduced, featuring more than 3,000 premium seats ranging from suites and loge boxes to club seats.&nbsp; Given the success of the premium seating in Phase I, there will be new premium seating options available upon the completion of Phase II.&nbsp;For full information on what fans can expect for Phase ll&nbsp;including new renderings, live cams, and more, you can visit the updated KU Gateway District Website by&nbsp;<a href="https://kugatewaydistrict.com/" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Kansas football enters the sixth season under head coach Lance Leipold, as the Jayhawks bring back vital pieces in offensive tackle Calvin Clements, wide receiver Cam Pickett, linebacker Trey Lathan, defensive tackle Blake Herold, defensive end Leroy Harris III and cornerbacks Jalen Todd and Austin Alexander, among others. Kansas also welcomes became Andy Kotelnicki, the leader of some of the most prolific offenses in school history, while welcoming in a talented transfer portal class and 17 incoming freshmen who are looking to make their impact in their first season in Lawrence.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;With the 2026 Kansas football schedule set, season tickets for the upcoming season are officially on sale. The home slate features six games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium as Phase II construction continues on the stadium and the University of Kansas Gateway District.The Jayhawks will host six opponents at The Booth during the 2026 season: Long Island (Sept. 4), Missouri (Sept. 12), Middle Tennessee State (Oct. 3), Baylor (Oct. 24), UCF (Nov. 7) and BYU (Nov. 21). Season ticket packages start at $350 and can be purchased through the Kansas Athletics ticket office by calling 800-34-HAWKS.With Phase I of the Gateway District completed prior to the 2025 season, construction on Phase II commenced in December 2025 with the demolition of the east side of The Booth. Phase II construction will be done in multiple phases to complete the east side, along with the full district just&nbsp;east of the stadium. The Gateway District is set to be fully complete in 2028, with construction progressing&nbsp;during the off-season periods that follow the 2026 and 2027 Kansas Football seasons. More details will be released in the coming months related to the development and programming of the Gateway District.The east side of The Booth will be partially complete for&nbsp;the 2026 season, meaning there will be reduced capacity for the season. The east side is scheduled to be complete prior to the 2027 season with The Booth back at full capacity. In addition for 2026, a new grandstand in the south will have student seating and a new area dedicated to the Marching Jayhawks.“The University of Kansas continues to demonstrate its commitment to completing a 360-degree new build of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Simultaneously, we are focused on elevating Kansas Football, as recently demonstrated by increased investment in staffing and student-athlete retention and acquisition. We will not be deterred as we continue our work to build Kansas Football into a program all Jayhawks will be proud of and support,” Kansas Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. “We are thrilled with the new west and north sides of The Booth and, in earnest, have begun the transformation of the east and south sides in advance of the construction of the mixed-use development that will create the Gateway District for the University of Kansas.”“Our fans have stepped-up in support of this project via game-changing donations and the purchase of season tickets. As we head into year two, it is vital that we continue that trajectory to ensure the completion of The Booth and the continued build of Kansas Football.”&nbsp;The Gateway District continues to move forward with innovative progress, already transforming the north entrance to campus. The second phase of the stadium build will focus on the east and south sides featuring enhanced premium seating and improved fan amenities. The lower seating bowl on the east side&nbsp;will be open and utilized for the 2026 season and will require temporary concessions and restrooms. The remaining upper bowl and finished concourses will be completed prior to the 2027 season. For a full breakdown of 2026 stadium tiers and seat locations with pricing,&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/ukansas.sidearmsports.com/documents/2026/1/22/2026_Season_Ticket_Pricing_Map.pdf?timestamp=20260122123338" target="_blank">click here</a>.Season ticket options for the 2026 season will be available in sections&nbsp;122-128. New club seating will be available for the 2026 seasons while east side loge boxes and suite club seating will be completed prior to the 2027 season.As part of Phase II of the Gateway District, construction of a new surface parking lot located at the corner of 11th&nbsp;and Missouri Streets, will be completed prior to the 2026 season. Ongoing parking evaluations are being conducted in partnership with the university for future seasons. Various tailgating opportunities, including “Tailgate on the Hill” and the Gameday Boulevard on 11th&nbsp;Street will continue in the 2026 season, giving fans an opportunity to experience gameday atmosphere of Lawrence.Phase I of the Gateway District project featured various stadium enhancements to elevate the fan experience in every seat on the west and north sides of the stadium. Five different premium hospitality spaces were introduced, featuring more than 3,000 premium seats ranging from suites and loge boxes to club seats.&nbsp; Given the success of the premium seating in Phase I, there will be new premium seating options available upon the completion of Phase II.&nbsp;For full information on what fans can expect for Phase ll&nbsp;including new renderings, live cams, and more, you can visit the updated KU Gateway District Website by&nbsp;<a href="https://kugatewaydistrict.com/" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.Kansas football enters the sixth season under head coach Lance Leipold, as the Jayhawks bring back vital pieces in offensive tackle Calvin Clements, wide receiver Cam Pickett, linebacker Trey Lathan, defensive tackle Blake Herold, defensive end Leroy Harris III and cornerbacks Jalen Todd and Austin Alexander, among others. Kansas also welcomes became Andy Kotelnicki, the leader of some of the most prolific offenses in school history, while welcoming in a talented transfer portal class and 17 incoming freshmen who are looking to make their impact in their first season in Lawrence.

🏈 Kansas Football Announces 2026 Season Tickets on Sale

The winter storm forecast to hit the region this weekend has caused several Kansas Wesleyan Athletics teams to make changes to their schedule.

As of 3 p.m., Thursday, January 22, here are the changes:

January 22 - Developmental Men's Basketball at McPherson - POSTPONED, new date TBA

January 23 - Men's and Women's Indoor Track at Concordia Polar Dog in Seward, Nebraska. KWU will NOT be traveling to the event.

January 24 - Developmental Women's Basketball, Varsity Women's Basketball, Varsity Men's Basketball - Moved to Monday, January 26.

January 24-25 - Men's and Women's Bowling at Avila Eagle Invitationals, the bowling tournaments are CANCELED.

January 25 - Developmental Men's Basketball doubleheader at home vs Friends - one game canceled, one game moved to Monday and moved to be played at Friends as part of a quadruple-header, at 3:45 p.m.

January 26 - Developmental Women's Basketball game at home vs Mid-America Christian - CANCELED. Developmental Men's Basketball game at Hesston - POSTPONED, date TBA

January 26-27 - Baseball at University of the Southwest. These games will change due to the weather. A new schedule has not yet been determined. This schedule change may also affect KWU's home opener next weekend with Doane.

The winter storm forecast to hit the region this weekend has caused several Kansas Wesleyan Athletics teams to make changes to their schedule.As of 3 p.m., Thursday, January 22, here are the changes:January 22 - Developmental Men's Basketball at McPherson - POSTPONED, new date TBAJanuary 23 - Men's and Women's Indoor Track at Concordia Polar Dog in Seward, Nebraska. KWU will NOT be traveling to the event.January 24 - Developmental Women's Basketball, Varsity Women's Basketball, Varsity Men's Basketball - Moved to Monday, January 26.January 24-25 - Men's and Women's Bowling at Avila Eagle Invitationals, the bowling tournaments are CANCELED.January 25 - Developmental Men's Basketball doubleheader at home vs Friends - one game canceled, one game moved to Monday and moved to be played at Friends as part of a quadruple-header, at 3:45 p.m.January 26 - Developmental Women's Basketball game at home vs Mid-America Christian - CANCELED. Developmental Men's Basketball game at Hesston - POSTPONED, date TBAJanuary 26-27 - Baseball at University of the Southwest. These games will change due to the weather. A new schedule has not yet been determined. This schedule change may also affect KWU's home opener next weekend with Doane.