Morning Edition

September 8, 2026

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The eve of the 2026 NFL season arrives Tuesday as the league, which continues to push the boundaries of its popularity both domestically and internationally, prepares for its first Wednesday night kickoff since 2012.

—David Rumsey

First Up

SMU–Florida State kicked off Monday night after a nearly two hour delay due to a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.
Bill Belichick declined to comment on UNC’s ongoing investigation into the football program in his first media availability since GM Michael Lombardi resigned.
Three FCS teams upset superior and better-funded FBS opponents during Week 1 of the college football season—and got paid more than $1 million to do it.
The Big 12 has withdrawn the federal lawsuit against Texas Tech it filed this summer as tensions rose surrounding the Brendan Sorsby situation.

NFL Once Again Pushing Boundaries As New Season Kicks Off

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The eve of the 2026 NFL season arrives Tuesday as the league continues to push the boundaries of its popularity both domestically and internationally.

Fresh off completing their $9.612 billion sale, the reigning champion Seahawks begin their title defense in a Super Bowl LX rematch against the Patriots on Wednesday night, a day earlier than the league typically kicks off. The last time the NFL season began on a Wednesday rather than Thursday was in 2012 in order to avoid a conflict with President Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

This season’s opener—on NBC, as usual—is on Wednesday because the NFL’s debut game in Australia (49ers-Rams) will air Thursday night due to the league’s inability to play on Friday like it has done on Week 1 the previous two years. That’s because the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 precludes pro football games from happening on Fridays or Saturdays beginning with the second Friday of September and continuing through the second Saturday in December. The 49ers-Rams matchup is being played Friday morning in Australia, but that does not violate the rules, since Melbourne is 14 hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast, giving the game an 8:35 p.m. ET kick off.

Wednesday night football will be a theme this year, as the Packers and Rams will play in the NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve game, to be streamed exclusively on Netflix. The streamer drew strong viewership for the most recent Wednesday NFL games on Christmas Day in 2024.

Netflix is expanding its NFL package to five games this year, including another Christmas doubleheader, a Week 18 contest, and Thursday’s 49ers-Rams matchup in Melbourne, which is the first of a record nine regular-season games that will be played outside the U.S. this fall. Those international games could hit double digits in 2027 after NFL owners approved further expansion this past offseason.

The new focus on more primetime and standalone TV windows for games has meant fewer matchups in traditional Sunday afternoon slots, though. Meanwhile, the NFL is not happy with new changes Nielsen is implementing around its viewing measurement methodology this fall. The league believes fans actually watching NFL games are still not being properly reflected in the audience counts. The NFL in 2025 posted its best viewership season in more than three decades, averaging 18.7 million viewers per game.

The NFL’s aggressive media and international strategy has been led by commissioner Roger Goodell, who has just finalized a four-year contract extension that will keep him in place through at least March 2031. The current collective bargaining agreement also runs through March 2031, and the NFL can begin opting out of its current 11-year, $110 billion media rights deals after the 2029 season.

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STATUS REPORT

Two Up, One Down, One Push

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College volleyball ⬇ A match between Nebraska and Missouri, played outdoors at Wrigley Field, was suspended Sunday night after humidity that led to issues with the court surface. Players and team personnel attempted to dry the court’s surface and also began tearing logos off the court as a result of the weather-related issues. In a statement, the Big Ten said, “Despite best efforts and in collaboration with all parties, rescheduling at Wrigley Field is not possible.” The conference said an announcement on continuation of the suspended game will be announced at a later date.

Elena Rybakina ⬆ The world No. 2 defeated Naomi Osaka in straight sets during the round-of-16 at the US Open. With the 6–1, 6–4 win, Rybakina reaches the tournament’s quarterfinals for the first time, where she will face Zheng Qinwen who defeated Iga Swiatek 7–5, 6–3. If Rybakina reaches the final four, she would overtake Aryna Sabalenka as world No. 1, which she acknowledged on the court after the match, saying, “Of course I want it, I don’t know anyone who won’t want this. I tried to approach it the same way and do everything I can and fight to the end of my next match, let’s see what is going to happen.”

Tua Tagovailoa ⬆ The Falcons named the quarterback their Week 1 starter on Monday, choosing the seventh-year veteran over Michael Penix Jr. Tagovailoa, formerly the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft, signed a one-year contract with the Falcons for the veteran minimum ($1.215 million) in March after being cut by the Dolphins, who incurred an NFL-record $99.2 million in dead money for the move.

Rams ⬆⬇ Sean McVay told reporters Sunday that the team expects Puka Nacua and Alaric Jackson to be able to play against the 49ers Thursday. Nacua’s case remains under review by the NFL under the personal conduct policy after a woman filed a civil lawsuit against the wide receiver in March, citing gender violence, assault and battery, and negligence. Nacua has denied the allegations through his attorney. Jackson was arrested on a domestic violence charge in June. He also faces potential discipline by the NFL under the conduct policy.

DAILY SPORTS TRIVIA

Can you rank the top five NHL players by most assists in the 2025-26 season?

LOUD AND CLEAR

Time Travel

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“I feel like I’m in the future.”

—49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on being in Australia and communicating with his family back home in the U.S. The team arrived in Australia about a week before for its NFL season–opening matchup against the Rams this Thursday, which will be Friday Down Under. Because of the time difference, Shanahan said the 49ers would not release an injury report until Tuesday in Australia, alongside the Rams releasing their own on Monday. The Rams are traveling to Melbourne on Tuesday.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LIVE

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Taylor Rooks, Prime Video
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Mike Foss, ESPN

Plus, John Fanta of NBC Sports and Josh Pate of Josh Pate’s College Football Show will pair up to discuss the growth of college sports and what it means for the future of media.

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