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With the Big 12 weighing how to handle the court-mandated eligibility of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, the office of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton warned the conference against sanctioning the Red Raiders.

The 15 Big 12 athletic directors excluding Texas Tech met Tuesday and unanimously expressed their opposition to Sorsby playing for the Red Raiders. The conference presidents met Thursday and a full board meeting is scheduled for Monday, with the Big 12 pondering how to proceed.

Earlier this week, a district court judge in Texas granted Sorsby a temporary injunction, stopping the NCAA from ruling him ineligible. The NCAA had reached that decision after court documents filed by Sorsby’s legal team showed the quarterback placed at least 40 bets on the Indiana football team while a member of the program in 2022 and 2023. In all, he wagered about $90,000 over a four-year period. He entered an addiction treatment program on April 27.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark wrote in a statement on Thursday, “Shortly before the start of today’s Big 12 Executive Board meeting, the Conference received a letter from the Texas Attorney General’s office notifying the Conference of potential legal action from Texas Tech if the Conference pursues certain actions under its Bylaws. We are taking time with our legal counsel to understand the concerns of the state and will meet again with the full Board next week.

“We moved forward with our Executive Board today in preparation for our full Board meeting on Monday. We had a good and informative discussion. Sentiment among the Executive Board was no different from what we heard from the ADs earlier this week.”

The NCAA went to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas in Amarillo, Texas, earlier this week and asked for an “accelerated appeal” of the temporary injunction that restored Sorsby’s eligibility.

PITTSBURGH — Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of Thursday night’s 8-6 win over Pittsburgh due to left knee inflammation.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts downplayed the significance of the injury.

Roberts said the move was precautionary because the Dodgers did not want to risk Ohtani being injured further.

Roberts also said he is optimistic that Ohtani will be ready to play Friday night when the Dodgers meet the White Sox in Chicago to open a three-game series between division leaders.

“We tried to be smart about it and get him out of the game,” Roberts said. “He told the trainer that he felt a little something behind his knee and I just didn’t see any sense in risking it.”

The reigning NL MVP hit his 13th homer of the season, a solo shot, in the third inning. He also had a single and walked twice, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances.

Ohtani was not made available to the media following the game. He is hitting .305 with 40 RBIs. As a pitcher, he is 6-2 with a 1.06 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings.

Starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski left the game in the fifth inning with a left hamstring contusion. The left-hander was hit by a line drive off the bat of Bryan Reynolds. The ball ricocheted off Wrobleski to first baseman Freddie Freeman. Wrobleski collided with Reynolds while taking Freeman’s toss at first base.

“I’ll get some treatment on it and I’ll be fine,” Wrobleski said. “I don’t think it’s a big deal. Just a little frustrating.”

BOSTON, Massachusetts, June 11 : Haiti midfielder Leverton Pierre has been ruled out of the World Cup with an adductor muscle injury, the country’s football federation said on Thursday.

“Leverton Pierre will not be able to play in the World Cup after the medical team detected an injury to his right adductor,” the Haitian Football Federation said in a statement.

They have called up centre-back Garven Metusala, who plays for the second-tier USL Championship club Colorado Springs Switchbacks, to replace Pierre.

Haiti face Scotland on Saturday in their first Group C match. They also play five-times world champions Brazil as well as Morocco.

Haiti are participating in their second World Cup after an appearance in 1974.

NEW YORK, June 11 : New York Knicks fever has engulfed the five boroughs this week, with the team just one win away from snapping a 53-year NBA title drought and the kickoff of the first of the region’s eight World Cup matches across the river on Saturday taking a backseat for many locals.

Brazil and Morocco will have the eyes of the world when they kick off the soccer action in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at 6:00 pm ET on Saturday. But the attention of born-and-raised New Yorkers will be on the Knicks when they tip off against the San Antonio Spurs in Texas in Game 5 of the championship series two-and-a-half hours later.

“This is an incredible time to be a sports fan and, frankly, an even greater time to be a New Yorker,” said the city’s sports-mad Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday, wearing a Knicks jersey underneath his blazer as he addressed locals and out-of-towners ahead of Saturday’s World Cup match.

The steamy-hot streets of Manhattan were clogged with blue-and-orange-clad fans deep into the night on Wednesday, after the Knicks made up a staggering 29-point deficit to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden.

The London-born OG Anunoby capped the instant classic with a gamewinning putback that coach Mike Brown called “the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball”. Others compared the tip in to Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal, with ESPN dubbing it the “Hand of OG.”

“The energy in our city right now is incredible,” said Mamdani. “Time and again, people have doubted the Knicks. And time and again, the Knicks have proven the doubters wrong. OG Anunoby with the greatest outstretched hand since Diego Maradona.”

Fans from New York and New Jersey snapped up some 44 per cent of tickets for Saturday’s Game 5 at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center sold on TickPick, the secondhand ticket platform said on Thursday, as the Knicks hoped to wrap up the series on the road or play Game 6 at home on Tuesday.

‘SHOUTOUT TO OUR FANS’

The Knicks towering center Karl-Anthony Towns paid tribute to the fans’ grit and resiliency, applauding them for staying through to the final buzzer when Game 4 appeared all but out of reach.

“Shoutout to our fans, man,” he told reporters. “As anyone who lives in New York knows, if you want to make it in this city, you have to be okay getting it out of the mud, and we did that.”

The New York City Police Department’s public relations office said it would announce on Friday whether fans would be permitted to congregate outside Madison Square Garden to watch the game on big screens, a tradition among fans that was upended due to security concerns at this week’s two home games, prompting open rancor between Knicks owner James Dolan, the NYPD and Mamdani.

Madison Square Garden sits atop Penn Station, a key transit hub for ticketholders to Saturday’s World Cup game.

MEXICO CITY, June 11 : Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said his side had overcome their opening-match nerves after beating nine-man South Africa 2-0 in the World Cup Group A opener at the Estadio Azteca on Thursday, but warned they still had plenty to improve.

Julian Quinones fired the co-hosts ahead with a composed finish before Raul Jimenez sealed the win with a second-half header in front of an expectant home crowd.

“This could have been a 4-0 match, but people were happy. It is the start of the World Cup, we left the nerves behind and we go with three points,” Aguirre told reporters. “Now we are thinking about what is next.”

Mexico were the better side for long spells and played most of the second half with a numerical advantage after South Africa midfielder Sphephelo Sithole was sent off five minutes after the restart for a foul on Brian Gutierrez.

The visitors were reduced to nine men in the 84th minute when Themba Zwane was dismissed for violent conduct, but Aguirre said Mexico had made the game more complicated than necessary.

“We didn’t play well in the first half. It could have ended 3-0 easily,” he said. “We were superior in the first part, but the score did not reflect that. We complicated things for ourselves.

“After the second goal we got overconfident, then came the sending-off. We need to improve, but it was a good game.”

Quinones opened the scoring after Erik Lira won possession following Sithole’s defensive error and Jimenez headed in Mexico’s second in the 67th minute from Roberto Alvarado’s incisive cross.

Mexico, who ended a seven-match wait for an opening-game victory at the World Cup, next face South Korea in Guadalajara, while South Africa take on the Czech Republic.

LOS ANGELES, June 11 : United States coach Mauricio Pochettino said his side must be prepared for a very difficult World Cup opener against Paraguay on Friday, warning that the South Americans are dangerous opponents despite the hosts being favoured.

The U.S. begin their World Cup campaign at Los Angeles Stadium in Group D, carrying the expectations that come with playing on home soil and with a squad Pochettino said has arrived in strong physical, tactical and emotional condition.

But the Argentine, who knows Paraguay well from his playing and coaching career, said Gustavo Alfaro’s team would pose a serious challenge.

“I know very well the mentality, the aggressivity, the competitivity,” Pochettino told reporters on Thursday.

“Paraguay showed in qualification for this World Cup how tough it is to play against them and how they performed so well. They beat Argentina, Brazil. My expectation is tomorrow is going to be a very tough game.

“They have good quality and a great coach in Gustavo Alfaro who I respect and admire him a lot.”

ENCOURAGED BY RECENT RESULTS

Pochettino, appointed in 2024 to lead the U.S. into a home World Cup, said he was encouraged by the team’s growth in the months leading into the tournament, particularly in their final two warm-up matches — a 3-2 win over Senegal and a narrow 2-1 defeat by Germany.

The coach said those performances helped convince the squad they could hold their own against leading teams.

“The last two games allowed us to think and to feel that it’s possible to do whatever we want and compete in our best way, and to compete with big teams,” he said.

Pochettino said the team had improved not only tactically but also mentally, adding that the players had embraced a more demanding culture around the national team.

“I think they are much better players. The mindset is starting to change,” he said.

LINEUP QUESTIONS 

Pochettino said all 26 players were available for selection, including defender Chris Richards, who had been working his way back from an ankle injury.

One decision Pochettino has already made is who will start in goal, though he declined to reveal whether Matt Turner or Matt Freese would get the nod.

“I decided,” Pochettino said when asked about his starting lineup. “The starting 11 is there, unless something happens before the game.”

Asked whether the goalkeepers had been informed, he smiled and added: “I don’t know if they know, because if I tell you they know, you are going to start to call them.”

‘PLAY WITH PASSION’

The Argentine said the U.S. must play with freedom and passion if they are to connect with home supporters and build momentum through the tournament.

“What we can do is contagious,” he said. “We need to play with passion. We need to win games, so important, but play with passion and make the fans feel proud about what they are seeing on the field.”

Asked how he would define success for the U.S. at the tournament, Pochettino was unequivocal.

“For me, success is win,” he said. “It’s win tomorrow and win after tomorrow.

“When we signed here, it’s because we wanted to come here and be involved in this unique event, but with the possibility to compete well and a belief in winning.”

TORONTO, June 11 : Bosnia and Herzegovina know they are underdogs heading into their World Cup Group B opener against co-hosts Canada, coach Sergej Barbarez said on Thursday, but the Balkan nation will play with pride as they return to the tournament for the first time in 12 years.

Bosnia will look to advance past the group stage this time around after managing one win during their 2014 debut in Brazil. 

“We are a small country,” Barbarez said. “This is our second ever World Cup and for sure we are sort of an underdog in many of the matches ahead.”

But despite his side being ranked 64th, the coach is confident in his side’s ability to perform on the world’s biggest stage.

“If you know our results, I think you have to just admire what we’ve managed to achieve.”

Bosnia claimed one of the six final spots in the World Cup after defeating three-times champions Italy in a penalty shootout. They are heartbreakers who play with heart and will look to carry that same mentality into the tournament. 

“(I once said) I love this game between David and Goliath,” Barbarez said. “We play with our hearts and that has been our advantage.”

The Dragons are led by 40-year-old striker Edin Dzeko, who Barbarez confirmed will be in the squad for Friday’s match after overcoming a shoulder injury. Dzeko is Bosnia’s all-time leading scorer with 73 goals. 

“Edin will be with us tomorrow,” Barbarez said. “Edin will be playing just as usual.”

CANADA GAME WILL BE ‘QUITE INTENSE’

Barbarez is expecting a tough game against Canada, who are also aiming to reach the knockout stage for the first time but face the added pressures of chasing their first ever World Cup win and playing on home soil.

“I am maybe exaggerating a bit but I’m sure (the game) is going to be quite intense, which is characteristic of both the teams,” Barbarez said. 

While Canada will have the local crowd behind them, Bosnia will not be without strong support. The Dragons have enjoyed a warm welcome since arriving in Toronto, with fans flocking to the team’s training sessions this week. 

“We really want to show our best to the whole world,” Barbarez said. “We really want to be the team that earns respect and we can only do that by showing what we know on the pitch.” 

MEXICO CITY: South Africa coach Hugo Broos said his side could still take confidence from their 2-0 World Cup Group A loss to Mexico, which they finished with nine men, after containing the hosts for long periods of the tournament’s opening match on Thursday (Jun 11).

Goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez gave Mexico victory at the Estadio Azteca, but Broos said the scoreline did not fully reflect his team’s defensive performance against the co-hosts in front of more than 80,000 fans.

“You’re playing a World Cup, you’re playing against a really good team, but we played a good game,” Broos told reporters.

“I saw a desperate Mexico. They didn’t know what to do with the ball. The organisation was perfect defensively.”

South Africa struggled to create chances and Broos acknowledged his side must improve in attack if they are to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

“Offensively I think we have to improve,” he said. “If we can play the same game but be better offensively, then I’m sure we will have a better result.”

THREE RED CARDS

The defeat left South Africa facing additional challenges after Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off in a match in which Mexico captain Cesar Montes was also dismissed, the first World Cup openIng game to feature three red cards.

Broos accepted Sithole’s dismissal for denying a goalscoring opportunity but questioned the decision that led to Zwane’s red card.

“The first card I think you have to accept. The second, I think you can discuss because it is the Mexican player who blocks my player,” he said. “But it’s the appreciation of the referee and we have to accept it.”

“We have two players who can’t play in the next game but we still have other players and if we can show the same mentality and the same way we play today, I’m sure we will have good results in the next two games.”

South Africa next face the Czech Republic in Atlanta, a match likely to determine whether they remain in contention for a place in the knockout rounds.

“We need the next couple of days to get over the disappointment and also the fatigue,” Broos said. “But then we have to work on our offensive game because it wasn’t enough today.”

June 12 : South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo named Son Heung-min to lead the attack against the Czech Republic in Thursday’s World Cup Group A clash, while their opponents have selected the inexperienced Alexandr Sojka in midfield.

• Son starts up front for South Korea and is two shy of his country’s all-time scoring record of 58 goals.

• Playmaker Lee Kang-in also starts fresh from helping Paris St Germain to the Champions League title.

• Defender Cho Yu-min is ruled out with a foot injury, with Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae anchoring the back three.

• Patrik Schick will be a lone striker for the Czech Republic.

• Midfielder Alexandr Sojka makes a first competitive start for the Czechs.

Former captain Tomas Soucek gets the nod in the midfield. Lineups:South Korea: Kim Seung-Gyu, Lee Han-Beom, Kim Min-Jae, Lee Gi-Hyuk, Seol Young-Woo, Hwang In-Beom, Lee Jae-Sung, Lee Tae-Seok, Lee Kang-In, Paik Seung-Ho, Son Heung-Min.Czech Republic: Matej Kovar, Stepan Chaloupek, Vladimir Coufal, Robin Hranac, Ladislav Krejci, Lukas Provod, Alexandr Sojka, Tomas Soucek, Jaroslav Zeleny, Pavel Sulc, Patrik Schick.