TRACK & FIELD

Michael Johnson’s new track league has struck a media deal for Peacock to stream all the action live and The CW to broadcast the weekend races during the four events in 2025. The Grand Slam Track League has signed 48 racers, including Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas, to compete in a four-event circuit beginning April 4 in Kingston, Jamaica. Johnson, the four-time Olympic gold medalist, has raised upward of $30 million and the league is promising $100,000 first prizes and a prize pool of more than $12.6 million.

Securing media deals was considered a key piece of the rollout. The move gives NBC Sports, the Olympic rights holder that operates Peacock, a foothold in track and field after not renewing its deal to stream track’s Diamond League meets after last year. Johnson’s mission is to keep track in front of fans for more than just the Olympic year, and to set up more showdowns between the sport’s top athletes.

FOOTBALL

Oregon’s running backs coach, who was hired last spring, interviewed for the same job with the Dallas Cowboys but turned down the opportunity, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. Terms of Samples’ new contract at UO were not immediately available.

Samples’ existing contract runs through January 2026 with a $650,000 salary this year, according to documents received by The Oregonian/OregonLive in response to public records requests.

BASKETBALL

Auburn and Duke remain 1-2 atop The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the third straight week. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers held the No. 1 ranking for the fourth consecutive week. Alabama moved up to No. 3, followed by Tennessee and Houston in the top five. Maryland is No. 18 in that program’s first appearance since February 2023.

The Terrapins were joined by No. 20 Arizona and No. 24 Michigan as the new additions. Oregon, Louisville and Vanderbilt fell out from last week. The SEC had at least nine teams in the poll for the seventh straight week.

Southern Cal’s second loss of the season has dropped the Trojans to seventh in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll. The Trojans lost at Iowa in an upset over the weekend. UCLA, South Carolina and Notre Dame remain the top three teams in the rankings.

The Bruins received all 32 first-place votes. Texas, UConn and LSU all moved up a spot to follow the Fighting Irish. Ohio State, TCU and Duke remained eight through 10.