Latest news with #Tournament
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Download your Euro 2025 wallchart
The wait is almost over. Euro 2025 kicks off on 2 July, with England and Wales among the 16 teams going for glory in that is left to do is study the fixtures, consider the permutations and keep track of the results using your essential piece of kit - the Women's Euro 2025 not print out your own, follow the fixtures and fill in the results as the tournament plays out?You can download yours here.
USA Today
19-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking all 18 Big Ten basketball arena atmospheres from worst to first
Ranking all 18 Big Ten basketball arena atmospheres from worst to first It was a busy weekend of preview work for the 2025-26 college basketball season here at Badgers Wire. First, we returned to an offseason staple of ranking the conference's 18 basketball venues, as well as its uniform combinations. Notably, we also evaluated the Big Ten Conference landscape for the upcoming season by focusing on each team's returning production. Those numbers can be combined with our latest offseason power rankings to forecast the upcoming 2025-26 campaign and establish expectations for each of the conference's 18 members. Now, in line with our recent basketball venue rankings, it's time for a unique look at the Big Ten landscape: An evaluation of the in-game atmospheres of each of its home arenas. Where is the toughest place in the Big Ten to play as a road team? Which teams are elevated by a top-tier home environment? How does stadium atmosphere correlate with an arena's overall ranking? The answers to those questions and more can be found in our power ranking of the Big Ten's 18 basketball arena atmospheres. 18. Galen Center (USC Trojans) Capacity: 10,258 Stadium Rank: No. 17 Team success, or the lack thereof, plays a role in some of these rankings. USC had a strong run under Andy Enfield through the 2010s. However, there's much more to do in Los Angeles during the winter months than watch a fringe-NCAA Tournament team play. Get more (USC) news, analysis, and opinions on Trojans Wire 17. Bryce Jordan Center (Penn State Nittany Lions) Capacity: 15,261 Stadium Rank: No. 18 Penn State has had some moments in the Bryce Jordan Center, including wins over then-No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 12 Illinois during the 2023-24 campaign, plus a triumph over No. 8 Purdue last year. Still, the arena itself doesn't generate a top-tier atmosphere. Many of the seats are set back from the court, creating more of an NBA feel. Get more (Penn State) news, analysis, and opinions on Nittany Lions Wire 16. Value City Arena (Ohio State Buckeyes) Capacity: 18,809 Stadium Rank: No. 16 Ohio State's ranking should come with the following disclaimer: Just because Value City Arena sits near the bottom of this power ranking, that doesn't mean the arena has a bad atmosphere. However, the stadium's size hurts its standing, as it's too big to create a true college basketball feel. Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis, and opinions on Buckeyes Wire 15. Alaska Airlines Arena (Washington Huskies) Capacity: 10,000 Stadium Rank: No. 11 Alaska Airlines Arena can be an extremely tough place to play when Washington is good. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case more often than not over the last decade. Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire 14. Pinnacle Bank Arena (Nebraska Cornhuskers) Capacity: 15,500 Stadium Rank: No. 15 Nebraska's Pinnacle Bank Arena is trending positively on this list. The arena is only 12 years old and houses a program that has mostly struggled over the last three decades, having made just three NCAA Tournaments since 1995. The Fred Hoiberg-era Cornhuskers are bringing this arena to life, however. It wouldn't be a surprise if it rises dramatically on next year's list. Get more (Nebraska) news, analysis, and opinions on Cornhuskers Wire 13. Williams Arena (Minnesota Golden Gophers) Capacity: 14,625 Stadium Rank: No. 13 Minnesota's home atmosphere at Williams Arena would rank among the best in the conference if the Gophers found a sustainable winning formula. The arena itself creates a fantastic environment, evidenced by the program's five ranked wins in the building from 2018-20. 12. Matthew Knight Arena (Oregon Ducks) Capacity: 12,364 Stadium Rank: No. 10 Oregon has been one of college basketball's more consistent winning programs since Dana Altman's arrival in 2010. Its specific place in the Big Ten is still to be determined. But a perennial 25-win team usually leads to a strong home environment. Get more (Oregon) news, analysis and opinions on Ducks Wire 11. Welsh-Ryan Arena (Northwestern Wildcats) Capacity: 7,039 Stadium Rank: No. 14 The new Welsh-Ryan Arena is a major upgrade over the old, pre-renovation version. The arena's atmosphere took a significant step forward, which is partially due to the program's success under coach Chris Collins. For a 7,000-seat arena, the new Welsh-Ryan Arena punches way above its weight. 10. Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa Hawkeyes) Capacity: 14,998 Stadium Rank: No. 8 Carver-Hawkeye Arena became a dangerous place to visit during the height of the Fran McCaffery era. The Hawkeyes' program-best run from 2018-23 saw the building at its height for the men's program. The Caitlin Clark era raised it to even greater heights, making the arena the place to be to watch women's college basketball. That record run factors into the arena's strong standing. Get more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire 9. Kohl Center (Wisconsin Badgers) Capacity: 17,287 Stadium Rank: No. 6 This ranking may surprise some Wisconsin fans. The Kohl Center, as a building, ranks among the best in the conference. But its atmosphere does not. That is due to several factors, including its larger size and extended premium seating around the court. The arena's big-game atmosphere remains second only to a few, though that atmosphere isn't consistent enough game-to-game. 8. Pauley Pavilion (UCLA Bruins) Capacity: 13,800 Stadium Rank: No. 3 Pauley Pavilion has more history than almost any other arena in college basketball. Atmosphere-wise, it is already one of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten. That reality is even more impressive when considering the Los Angeles, California, weather in February. Get more (UCLA) news, analysis, and opinions on UCLA Wire 7. Crisler Center (Michigan Wolverines) Capacity: 12,707 Stadium Rank: No. 5 Michigan's Crisler Center shares a characteristic with some of the top arenas in the conference: Its student section surrounds the court, placed right behind each team's bench and the scoring/broadcasting table. The arena's overall atmosphere is terrific. That in-game feel is heightened by its placement of the students. Get more (Michigan) news, analysis, and opinions on Wolverines Wire 6. Xfinity Center (Maryland Terrapins) Capacity: 17,950 Stadium Rank: No. 7 Maryland's Xfinity Center might not be a household name like Assembly Hall, Pauley Pavilion, or Mackey Arena. But the arena's atmosphere stacks up favorably. It creates an impressive college feel, even with an 18,000-seat capacity. 5. Assembly Hall (Indiana Hoosiers) Capacity: 17,220 Stadium Rank: No. 1 Indiana's Assembly Hall is our top arena in the Big Ten. While its atmosphere is among the best, it has slipped in the last few years. That trajectory is in line with the program's general on-court struggles. The arena's atmosphere has one of the highest ceilings in the conference. Entering 2025-26, the program needs to help return it to that ceiling. 4. Jersey Mike's Arena (Rutgers Scarlet Knights) Capacity: 8,000 Stadium Rank: No. 12 Jersey Mike's Arena sees the biggest difference between our overall arena rankings and this specific look at each stadium's atmosphere. While the Scarlet Knights are far from a Big Ten contender, Rutgers' home atmosphere consistently delivers. The stadium's unique construction contributes to this standing. 3. State Farm Center (Illinois Fighting Illini) Capacity: 15,544 Stadium Rank: No. 9 Illinois' State Farm Center is one of the toughest places to play in college basketball. Like Michigan's Crisler Center, the arena surrounds a significant portion of the court with the student section. An energetic fan base and a winning program help bring this building to life all winter. 2. Breslin Center (Michigan State Spartans) Capacity: 14,759 Stadium Rank: No. 4 Program success is a significant contributor to these rankings. Thanks to a Hall of Fame 30-year run from Tom Izzo, Michigan State has one of the best home environments in college basketball. A big part of that environment is the student section, which is arguably the best in the Big Ten. Its placement and consistent energy make every game feel significant. Get more (Michigan State) news, analysis and opinions on Spartans Wire 1. Mackey Arena (Purdue Boilermakers) Capacity: 14,240 Stadium Rank: No. 2 No Big Ten basketball atmosphere tops Mackey Arena's. The building is arguably the loudest in the Big Ten, thanks to a raucous student section and energetic fan base. There's a reason that it's a massive surprise whenever Purdue loses a home game. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
The Sun
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
What is the World Cup of Darts 2025 format?
THE World Cup of Darts will take place THIS WEEK with 40 nations competing for the iconic title. Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will team up and represent England as the duo look to secure back-to-back wins for their country. Cool Hand won the tournament with Michael Smith last year after the English pair beat Austria in the final to claim a record-breaking fifth World Cup of Darts title. Netherlands will be looking to match England's tally of titles once again as Danny Noppert teams up with debutant Gian van Veen. Wales are also well fancied to add to their two tournament wins with Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price representing the Red Dragons. When is World Cup of Darts 2025? The World Cup of Darts will get underway on Thursday, June 12. The tournament will run until Sunday, June 15. Frankfurt's Eissporthalle will host. What is the World Cup of Darts 2025 format? The top four ranking nations, based on the lowest cumulative PDC Order of Merit ranking of the two players, will be seeded and begin their campaigns in the second round. England, along with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, are the four seeded nations at this year's tournament. The 36 other teams are split into 12 groups of three for the round-robin phase, from which each group winner will progress. Each group will contain one seeded nation that is outside the top four, who progress automatically. The four seeded nations will be pre-allocated into the draw for the last-16, with the 12 group winners drawn at random. The second round will take place across two sessions on Saturday, followed by a blockbuster Finals Day on Sunday, which will feature the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. Here is the match format: All rounds are played as one-off doubles matches First Round (Group Stage) - Best of seven legs Second Round - Best of 15 legs Quarter-Finals - Best of 15 legs Semi-Finals - Best of 15 legs Final - Best of 19 legs World Cup of Darts 2025 groups and teams Here are the full groups and teams for each nation: Seeded nations through to the second round: 1. England (Luke Humphries and Luke Littler) 2. Wales (Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price) 3. Scotland (Gary Anderson and Peter Wright) 4. Northern Ireland (Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney) Group A 5. Netherlands (Danny Noppert and Gian van Veen) Italy (Michele Turetta and Massimo Dalla Rosa) Hungary (Gyorgy Jehirszki and Gergely Lakatos) Group B 6. Belgium (Mike de Decker and Dimitri van den Bergh) Latvia (Madars Razma and Valters Melderis) Philippines (Lourence Ilagan and Paolo Nebrida) Group C 7. Germany (Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko) Portugal (Jose de Sousa and Bruno Nascimento) Singapore (Paul Lim and Phuay Wei Tan) Group D 8. Republic of Ireland (William O'Connor and Keane Barry) Gibraltar (Craig Galliano and Justin Hewitt) China (Xiaochen Zong and Lihao Wen) Group E 9. Poland (Krzysztof Ratajski and Radek Szaganski) South Africa (Cameron Carolissen and Devon Petersen) Norway (Cor Dekker and Kent Joran Sivertsen) Group F 10. Canada (Matt Campbell and Jim Long) Malaysia (Tengku Shah and Tan Jenn Ming) Denmark (Denjamin Drue Reus and Andreas Hyllgaardhus) Group G 11. Sweden (Jeffrey de Graaf and Oskar Lukasiak) Lithuania (Darius Labanauskas and Mindaugas Barauskas) France (Thibault Tricole and Jacques Labre) Group H 12. Austria (Mensur Suljovic and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez) Spain (Daniel Zapata and Ricardo Fernandez) Australia (Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock) Group I 13. United States (Danny Lauby and Jules van Dongen) Hong Kong (Man Lok Leung and Lok Yin Lee) Bahrain (Sadeq Mohamed and Hasan Bucheeri) Group J 14. Czech Republic (Karel Sedlacek and Petr Krivka) India (Nitin Kumar and Mohan Goel) Chinese Taipei (Teng Lieh Pupo and An-Sheng Lu) Group K 15. Croatia (Pero Ljubic and Boris Krcmar) Japan (Ryusei Azemoto and Tomoya Goto) Group L 16. Finland (Teemu Harju and Marko Kantele) New Zealand (Haupai Puha and Mark Cleaver) Argentina (Jesus Salate and Victor Guillin)
New York Times
11-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Club World Cup Fantasy: How does the game work and what are the best strategies for success?
No summer tournament — even an expanded, revamped FIFA showpiece like the Club World Cup — is complete without an accompanying fantasy football game. For those fantasy addicts who have no desire to give themselves a few months off from Fantasy Premier League and the like, Club World Cup Fantasy, the official game run by FIFA, will be taking place during this summer's 32-team competition in the United States, allowing managers to compete while signing players from Real Madrid, Inter Miami and Wydad. Advertisement So how does Club World Cup Fantasy work? How do the rules differ from FPL and what are the best tactics for success? Holly Shand explains… Similarly to FPL, you have a budget of $100million to use to pick a squad of 15 players. It's the usual combination of players required here: two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards. Managers then select a starting XI in a valid formation with a minimum of three defenders, three midfielders and one forward, with four players on the bench. Managers also receive unlimited transfers before the tournament kick-off as well as ahead of the start of the round of 16, the knockout stage of the competition. Managers will receive two free transfers before Matchday 2 and Matchday 3, which still sit within the group stage, with the ability to carry one of those transfers over into the next group-stage matchday. For the knockout stages, managers receive four free transfers for the quarter-finals, five for the semi-finals and six ahead of the final. Any transfers above that allocated number of free transfers deduct three points from your total. Points are scored across a variety of metrics, including goals, assists and clean sheets. The scoring matrix is broadly similar to FPL but with some differences. A player who wins a penalty receives two points while a player conceding a penalty loses a point, with a goalkeeper penalty save worth three. Clean sheets are given more prominence: defensive players are rewarded with five points for a clean sheet and penalised one point for each goal conceded after the first goal. Defensive midfielders have a greater purpose in this format of the game, with one point gained for each three tackles made, while their more creative counterparts can earn a point for every two chances created. Forwards with an eye for goal earn one point for every two shots on target. Advertisement There's no traditional bonus point system like in FPL but if a player scores from a direct free kick, they gain an additional goal point and there are also extra points available for differential players — if you have a player who is in less than five per cent of teams and they earn four or more points in a match, they will receive an additional two points. This could lead to greater variety in defensive choices! In the group stage, you may only select three players per club, with this increasing by one during each knockout stage and capped at eight per club for the final. Ahead of the knockout phase of the competition, your budget increases by $5million to account for higher player values for the remaining clubs — player prices are fixed and won't fluctuate throughout the tournament. Unlimited manual substitutions are permitted through a matchday to utilise bench players providing that player hasn't played yet, so it's important to invest in a full squad of starters: not just your starting XI. When initially setting your starting line-up, this should be chosen by the day each player plays, with those featuring earlier in the matchday selected first, with a view to substituting them if they have underperformed. Be mindful of time zones and timing of games here, especially if you're not based in the U.S., since it may not be practical to make substitutions during the day of the 'matchday'. With this in mind, try to pick goalkeepers who play on different days and ensure you log in at least once each day to make manual substitutions where required. As with FPL, your selected captain will score double points. However, as we've seen in UEFA and FIFA fantasy competitions in the past, captaincy can change an unlimited number of times during a live matchday, as long as the new selected captain is yet to play. Advertisement Given this, it's important to forecast several captaincy options for the upcoming matchday and decide on a points return that you would be prepared to stick with. This threshold may decrease as the matchday progresses, where twisting can become riskier. With this in mind, managers might look to build a strong attacking front seven to increase the captaincy options across the matchday and at some points, it may even be viable to captain a defender, giving you multiple bites of the cherry. The challenge is being able to stay on top of captaincy changes while the matchday is live, especially given the timing of some of the games if you aren't in a U.S. timezone, so for some, it may only be viable to have one captain option per day. There are four chips — this game calls them 'boosters'— available for Club World Cup fantasy: Wildcard, 12th Man, Maximum Captain and Mystery Booster. The Wildcard allows you to make unlimited changes within a specific round and is perhaps most powerful to use in one of the group stages of the competition. It is the only booster which cannot be cancelled once activated. Meanwhile, 12th Man allows you to select one additional player to score points for your team in a matchday — this player cannot be substituted, captained or transferred, and so this chip should be used with caution. This is a player who isn't already part of your squad, with team or budget restrictions not applying in this instance. Maximum Captain is a particularly powerful booster, allowing you to get double points from whichever player scores the most points from your starting XI. This is likely to be more powerful during the knockout stages of the competition, where results are less predictable and there are fewer opportunities to change your captain pick. Finally, there's a Mystery Booster which will be revealed and available going into the knockout stages of the competition. Each booster can only be used once, and only one can be used each matchday. Advertisement In Group C, Bayern Munich are the clear favourites to progress in a group which contains underdogs Auckland City, who they face in Matchday 1, as well as Boca Juniors and Benfica. Meanwhile, Chelsea are the big favourites in Group D, although their easiest fixture comes in Matchday 3 against ES Tunis, at a point where they may already have qualified for the knockout stages. Elsewhere, Inter Milan have an appealing opener in Group E against Monterrey. In Group G, Manchester City have a plum opener against Moroccan team Wydad and Juventus also kick off with an enticing fixture against Al Ain, with these two teams not facing each other until Matchday 3. Real Madrid have the easiest group on paper, facing Al Hilal, Pachuca and RB Salzburg in Group H. They could be a key side to triple-up on from the off. The four most expensive players in the game are all forwards priced at $11million: Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, with Lionel Messi coming in slightly cheaper at $10.5 million. Looking at the opening fixtures, Real Madrid's Vinicus Jr and Mbappe appear to be the key targets for Matchday 1 teams, while there's an early opportunity to use the 12th Man booster on Haaland for this round of games. Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele ($10.0m) is the most expensive midfielder in the game but has a tricky opener against Atletico Madrid. I'd be more inclined to back Cole Palmer ($9.6m) for Matchday 1 against Los Angeles FC or Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham ($9.3m). Having made an early switch in the transfer window from Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold ($6.4m) is among the premium defenders to back from the start, coming in $0.1 million cheaper than the most expensive option in PSG's Achraf Hakimi ($6.5m). Denzel Dumfries ($6.3m) will also be an important early pick from Inter given his high positioning on the pitch, which often translates to attacking returns. I was looking forward to a break from fantasy football over the summer but the format of this game has got me intrigued! Advertisement I think the beauty of fantasy games for international tournaments is that it gives you specific interest in matches you wouldn't normally watch and also provides a great opportunity to get to know players from different clubs, especially from sides outside of Europe, who might be less familiar. If you plan to watch the tournament avidly, then this fantasy game could provide the perfect accompaniment. I particularly like the scoring matrix for the tournament, with the bonuses available for differentials, which should go hand-in-hand with the higher rewards on offer for clean sheets. For those managers taking the game seriously, it will be important to stay abreast of the schedule and timings, setting alarms to make manual substitutions and captain changes between each game in order to maximise points. Engaged managers should be richly rewarded!
Business Wire
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
VulnCheck Announces Inaugural THREATCON1 Security Conference
LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- VulnCheck, the exploit intelligence company, today announced the first-ever THREATCON1, a conference designed to increase collaboration in the fight against emerging threats. The event will be held at Carahsoft Headquarters in Reston, VA, September 21-22, 2025. Researchers, analysts, and cyber experts are invited to submit sessions via the conference website here. 'THREATCON1 isn't just another security event, it's a movement of its own kind,' said Thomas Bain, CMO, VulnCheck. 'We created the event to push the industry toward thinking differently about managing emerging threats to our economy, critical infrastructure and national security. This event, and the quality of presenters and attendees we anticipate, will appeal to those who are interested in progressing cybersecurity, and coming together to share knowledge and ideas around the seemingly never-ending list of vulnerabilities intrinsically linked to the emerging threat landscape.' The event will bring together the brightest minds in cyber threat response to exchange groundbreaking ideas, accelerate innovation, and shape how industry protects national security, critical infrastructure and the global economy. From cutting-edge research to real-world threat response strategies, THREATCON1 delivers high-impact content for practitioners across the cyber domain. THREATCON1 Call for Papers is now officially open until July 10, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST. Researchers, analysts, and cyber influencers and encouraged to submit presentations on emerging threats, including specific approaches and strategies for analysis, mitigation, frameworks, playbooks and impact. Experts can also submit deep dives into zero-day threats, exploits, vulnerability discovery and practitioner-level analysis of emerging threats. The event will also feature: THREATCON1 Capture the Flag will be a featured challenge as part of the event and will run for two days, from September 21-22, 2025, with prizes. THREATCON1 The Golf Tournament will take place the day prior to THREATCON1, on September 21, 2025, at Reston National. For more information on the event and the papers submission process, visit About VulnCheck VulnCheck is the exploit intelligence company helping enterprises, government organizations, and cybersecurity vendors solve the vulnerability prioritization challenge. Trusted by some of the world's largest organizations responsible for protecting hundreds of millions of systems and people, VulnCheck helps organizations outpace adversaries by providing the most comprehensive, real-time vulnerability intelligence that is autonomously correlated with unique, proprietary exploit and threat intelligence. Follow the company on LinkedIn or X. To learn more about VulnCheck, visit
