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Amid the excitement of youth, world number three Zverev underlined his status as favourite for the men’s singles title with a clinical straight-set win over Jesper de Jong, which sent him through to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the sixth consecutive year.

The second seed, 29, has long been earmarked as a future Grand Slam champion but despite reaching finals at three of the four majors – and leading Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to one at the French Open in 2024 – he is still searching for his maiden title.

However, with world number one Jannik Sinner and Djokovic both eliminated in the first week, plus defending champion Alcaraz absent because of injury, the German’s route to the title has opened up.

De Jong, ranked more than 100 places below Zverev, went toe-to-toe with the heavy-hitting German in the opener, racing into a 3-0 lead and later leading 3-0 in the tie-break before Zverev reeled off seven consecutive points to take the set.

Zverev had to be patient in the second, waiting until the 10th game to convert one of only two break-point opportunities offered to him, but was too strong for his opponent in a 24-minute third set, completing a 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-1 win.

Relentless on serve in the final two sets, he conceded just six points across nine service games while also showing his formidable touch at the net, winning 29 of 38 points.

“It was a bit difficult in the beginning,” Zverev said on court. “I didn’t start strong and he started really fast. But once I found my rhythm, I was comfortable.

“My game is there. It’s about showing it on the match courts.”

Zverev is one of only three top-10 seeds left in the draw, one of just two players with experience of playing in a major final and is competing on a surface on which he has won nine of his 24 ATP titles.

Perhaps most crucially, while many of his rivals have battled through multiple five-set matches, he has won three of his four matches in straight sets.

CIF SOCAL BASEBALL REGIONALS

(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

First Round

DIVISION I

#8 San Diego Cathedral at #1 St. John Bosco

#5 La Mirada at #4 Bakersfield Liberty

#6 Chula Vista Eastlake at #3 Corona

#7 Huntington Beach at #2 Patrick Henry

DIVISION II

#8 Arroyo Grande at #1 Loyola

#5 St. Francis at #4 Bakersfield Christian

#6 Millikan vs. #3 Point Loma at Dana Middle School

#7 San Diego Madison at #2 Newport Harbor

DIVISION III

#8 Kaiser at #1 Mt. Carmel

#5 Laguna Beach at #4 Helix

#6 Westview at #3 Carson

#7 Culver City at #2 Glendora

DIVISION IV

#8 South El Monte at #1 Brentwood

#5 Francis Parker at #4 Covina

#6 Garfield at #3 Central Valley Christian

#7 North Torrance at #2 Bell

DIVISION V

#8 Rolling Hills Prep at #1 Verdugo Hills

#5 Los Angeles Roosevelt at #4 Rancho Alamitos

#6 Webb vs. #3 Schurr at Montebello

#7 Fremont vs. #2 Coastal Academy at Palomar College

Note: Semifinals in all divisions Thursday, June 4 at 4 p.m. at higher seeds; Finals in all divisions Saturday, June 6 at 4 p.m. at higher seeds.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Shane McClanahan pitched one-run ball for five innings, Jonathan Aranda homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Angels 5-2 on Sunday.

McClanahan (6-2) allowed four hits, struck out three and didn’t issue a walk. Bryan Baker pitched a scoreless ninth for his career-high 16th save this season in 19 chances.

Aranda hit a solo homer in the first inning before Jose Siri singled with two out in the second, advanced to third when Logan O’Hoppe doubled and scored on a wild pitch by McClanahan to make it 1-1.

Aranda and Richie Palacios drew consecutive walks leading off the third inning and Junior Camerino followed with a single to load the bases. Victor Mesa Jr. hit an RBI single and Cedric Mullins walked to drive in a run, giving the Rays a 3-1 lead.

O’Hoppe hit a solo homer in the seventh that pulled the Angels (23-37) within a run.

Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson singled to drive in a run in the bottom of the inning and stole second base. Taylor Walls walked to load the bases and Yandy Díaz drew an eight-pitch walk that scored Chandler Simpson and made it 5-2.

Camerino and Walls had two hits apiece for the Rays (36-20).

Jack Kochanowicz (2-4) allowed three runs and five hits and walked four in 2⅓ innings.

Up next for the Angels: RHP José Soriano (6-4, 2.65 ERA) is scheduled to pitch at home Monday against Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 8.08) in the opener of a three-game series.

Olid had left Hearts hinting that, despite winning the league title for the first time in their history, she was not going to be given the financial backing she wanted next season.

There is a sense that the domestic women’s game has lost a bit of the momentum in terms of public excitement and backing from their parent clubs it had when Celtic were first to go full-time professional in 2019 and Rangers, Hibs and Hearts soon followed.

However, former Partick Thistle manager Brian Graham suggested: “Over the last five or six years, the standard of the women’s game in Scotland is definitely getting better – and it’s only going one way.

“I would love to see it getting supported and backed a little bit more at times. We want to see more fans in here today.”

As for the Hampden protagonists, Graham thought Celtic deserved their victory because of the way they defended resolutely after their goal – and because Rangers did not make the most of their one-player advantage.

“They lost the League Cup to Glasgow City, they lost the league on the last day, now they’ve lost the Scottish Cup on the last day of the season.” he pointed out.

“So she [Crichton] will be bitterly disappointed because, over the piece, she’s had a good first season but just not got over that final hurdle for silverware.

“However, Leanne has done an incredible job after coming from Motherwell as assistant.”

Graham agreed with Scott – that Celtic have the momentum going into the new season.

“Believe me, there will have been a bit of self-doubt among these Celtic players this afternoon knowing the fact they had not beaten Rangers in 10 games,” he said.

“They know it’s not been the season they wanted, but winning here, it will give them that belief going into next season.

“Congratulations to him [Scott] getting the first piece of silverware in a short period of time.

“He knows he’s going to have a big summer. He’ll have payers going out, he’ll have players coming in. It’s a rebuild situation at Celtic now.

“This is where he can really put his stamp on it moving on to next season. You can really judge him next season.

“Hearts winning the league and their manager leaving, there’s going to be a big upheaval there too.

“They’ll want to get players in, but they have a strong nucleus of a squad, although you never know, some of those players might get moves and the manager coming in.”

Former Rangers midfielder Clare Gemmell pointed out that it is “phenomenal” that the SWPL has had five different winners in the last five seasons.

Will Celtic build on their Hampden triumph as they aim for a second title and first since 2024?

Collina asked for protocol to be updated so the VAR could step in if a foul occurred before the ball was in play.

There have been several examples, such as a goal scored by England in their 1-1 draw against Uruguay at Wembley in March.

Cole Palmer delivered a corner into the area, but before the ball was kicked Adam Wharton blocked the run of Jose Maria Gimenez.

That allowed the ball to run through to Harvey Barnes, who saw his effort saved by Fernando Muslera, and Ben White tapped in from close range.

VAR protocol did not previously allow a review for a foul before a corner has been taken, but the Italian asked Ifab for permission to change this.

The Ifab has now accepted the request, and says that any foul before the ball is in play that has a direct impact can be reviewed.

This will apply to a goal, penalty kick or disciplinary sanction which happens on a corner or free-kick

The measure will be applied for the World Cup and reassessed after the tournament.

It means that for the England goal, the VAR would be able to suggest a retake of the corner because of the foul by Wharton on Gimenez.

“We think this is very unfair, that the goal is given when the defender is prevented from being able to defend,” Collina said.

“A clear, illegal block made by an attacker. The only objective was to prevent the defender from being able to defend on his opponent.

“We are very confident to receive a clarification from the Ifab before the World Cup, saying that the VAR can intervene just before the ball is in play. We are convinced that nobody can object.”

This will only apply to attacking fouls, and not to defensive fouls for holding or pulling.

Collina also explained the new rule for players who cover their mouth with a hand, arm or shirt in confrontation with an opponent.

This will now be a red card after the controversial incident involving Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr in a Champions League game in February.

Prestianni received a six-game ban from Uefa for homophobic conduct.

“If the conversation is friendly, they can continue to do it without any problem,” Collina said.

“When the conversation is confrontational, covering the mouth means that you are doing something very wrong, potentially, and the sanction is the red card.”

Collina also said his referees would be ready to monitor grappling inside the area, with officials provided with data on the tactical approach of teams.

Brooke Mayo was just 4 when she started playing soccer. She was about 4½ when she started fantasizing about participating in the World Cup.

“I just fell in love with the game,” she said. “Like any soccer player, you dream about the World Cup, you know?”

That dream came true three years ago, though not quite in the way Mayo had imagined. Although she took part in four matches at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, she did so as an assistant referee, not a player, running up and down the field with a flag in her hand, not a ball at her feet.

Yet Mayo made history just the same, joining Tori Penso and Kathryn Nesbitt as the first American officials to work a World Cup final as a trio. More importantly, they performed so well they have been invited to officiate in the men’s World Cup this summer, where they will make more history as just the second all-female crew to work a game in the men’s tournament.

And while Mayo appreciates the barrier breaking, for the three women it’s just another day at the office.

“For us, it’s just business as usual,” she said. “I think there’s still a lot of places in the world that need to see this and that’s why it’s still important. But our colleagues are used to seeing women around.”

Mark Geiger, a two-time World Cup referee who is now general manager of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), which manages officials for MLS, agrees. After decades of seeing U.S. and Canadian referees given little respect by FIFA — nor by international soccer in general — Geiger says the biggest takeaway from this summer’s tournament isn’t the gender of the domestic officials selected, but rather the number, 11, making it the largest contingent to work a World Cup.

In addition to Mayo, Penso and Nesbitt, the list includes Ismail Elfath, Armando Villarreal, Kyle Atkins, Corey Parker and Drew Fischer, who took part in the 2022 men’s tournament. Nesbitt, Elfath, Parker and Atkins all worked the final of that World Cup four years ago, Elfath as the fourth official, Nesbitt as the reserve assistant referee and Parker and Atkins as video assistant referees.

With Mayo’s team working the 2023 women’s final — alongside Villarreal, who was in the video booth — seven MLS officials have worked the last two World Cup finals and at least one PRO official has been assigned to 19 of the 32 knockout games in the most recent men’s and women’s tournaments.

No other league or country in the world is even close to that.

“Over the past few years I think we’ve shown that the quality of football and the quality of the officiating in the United States and Canada is at a really high level,” said Geiger, who made history of his own in 2014 when he became the first American center referee to work a Round-of-16 match in the men’s World Cup.

“We are in the normal conversation of knockout-stage games, we’re in the normal conversation for Tori to do the final. It’s not out of the realm of possibility.”

Another thing that makes this World Cup special for the PRO officials is that with the U.S., Mexico and Canada sharing host duties, the tournament will be played at home. The only other time the men’s World Cup was played in the U.S., in 1994, Arturo Angeles, a Mexican-born naturalized citizen, was the only American referee selected and he supervised just one group-play game.

“Any World Cup game anywhere is going to be special on some level,” said Fischer, a 45-year-old Canadian who has been a FIFA referee for 11 years. “It’s definitely a special feeling when you get to play host. It’s a little bit of welcoming the world into your backyard.

“There’s a certain hometown pride. So I’m definitely looking forward to that aspect of it.”

Joe Dickerson, U.S. Soccer’s reigning male referee of the year, received the FIFA international badge he needed to work major competitions just three years ago. Yet he will be a replay official in this World Cup, the first one he was eligible to work.

“This kind of happened so fast in the last couple of years,” said Dickerson, who became a professional referee in 2013, then began targeting the World Cup when it was awarded to the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 2018. “To work the biggest sporting event in the world in front of friends and family is really cool. And being a part of the celebration of culture happening in your own country and, as much as we can, celebrate our own culture, is really cool.”

It also makes things much easier on family and friends. When Mayo officiated her first group-stage game in the 2023 tournament in New Zealand, her wife, Falon Catalano, flew in for the match.

Referee Brooke Mayo looks on during a CONCACAF Nations League third place match between Jamaica and Panama in March 2024.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

“I told her like hey, it’s our first World Cup. So she came to that and then went home,” said Mayo, 37, who wasn’t sure she’d get another game.

When she was assigned the England-Australia semifinal in Sydney, she called Catalano back.

“I said ‘this might be the biggest appointment in my entire career, in Australia in front of 75,000 fans. You’ve got to come to this,’” she pleaded.

So Catalano came then went before Mayo found out she would be doing the final. That led to another call. “I said, ‘well, you’ve gotta come back.’”

An exhausted and broke Catalano said no to the expense and fatigue of another 38-hour round trip, but after a group of MLS officials passed the hat to buy the ticket, Catalano surprised Mayo by making the match after all.

Making it to the semifinals — much less the final — was far from guaranteed since the World Cup is a meritocracy for officials as well as for the players. In fact, it’s harder to make the final as an official: There will be 170 officials from 50 countries taking part in this summer’s tournament as opposed to 1,248 players — or one referee for every 13 players.

“A lot of people underestimate how difficult it is for us to get there,” said Dickerson.

Referees are graded after every game and those who don’t measure up in their first match don’t work another one. Those who excel, however, continue to advance — as Mayo did in 2023.

“Just like teams try to kind of hit their stride in a tournament setting, that was similar with us. We just went in there focused on only one game in front of us,” she Mayo, who got her FIFA badge in 2018. “Our goal was to earn another game after that, do everything we can to clean up our communication. We’re like micro-managing ‘how could we have done this better?’

“You are just operating in sync. You’re spending every minute together. You’re together at breakfast. You’re together at training. You’re together at lunch. You’re traveling together. By the end, if they even sigh on the field, I know what that means.”

Mayo, like most officials, came to the game as a player — one good enough to play four years at Tennessee Tech. As a teenager she was moonlighting as a referee, raising enough money to fund a trip to South Africa to watch the 2010 World Cup as a fan.

“But I didn’t take reffing seriously,” she said. “Once I finished playing, I missed that competitive edge. When I realized I could do it in reffing, I was like, ‘Oh, this scratches that itch that I miss.”

Taking part in a World Cup remained a dream, however, and she got to scratch that itch three years ago. Now she’s working the tournament at home, where her family, who live in Colorado, will be just a few hours away should there be any frantic last-minute flights to catch.

Having already worked one World Cup final, anything short of the final this summer could feel like a failure.

“It’s a lot of skill, but it’s also a lot of luck. You have to be in the right place at the right time,” Mayo said. “There’s not that much that separates people at the top.

“We’re up against amazing referees. We’re going to fight for every game, one game at a time, knock it out of the park and hope for the best.”

Arsenal are fresh from Champions League final heartbreak but there is no time to wallow.

Sunday’s Premier League title celebrations in north London may have refocused minds on next season’s missions, when they will aim to stay at the top of the English game and go a step further in Europe.

Defeat by Paris St-Germain in Budapest on Saturday night came only on penalties, but Arsenal‘s limitations against opposition of the highest class were evident before the spot-kicks.

The Gunners had less than 25% of possession, and Kai Havertz’s early opening goal was their only shot on target in 120 minutes of football.

After the game, PSG midfielder Joao Neves said Luis Enrique’s side had been “the only one who wanted to play”.

Former Arsenal defender and Premier League winner Matthew Upson told BBC Sport that Havertz’s early goal killed the game in one sense.

“Had it been 0-0 throughout the first half, I think you might have seen a slight difference in Arsenal, but once you get that goal naturally you just slightly slip into protection mode,” Upson said.

“Every team does it and obviously PSG then dominated the ball, but the possession stats are pretty scary really for a final with two teams who are the best around. To have a 75-25% difference in possession is almost unheard of really in a Champions League final.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described PSG as “the best team in the world”.

He said it was their prowess that dictated Arsenal‘s style.

He also hinted that his side could look to emulate the French side’s style of play in the future.

“What they are able to do with the ball, with individual actions, I haven’t seen it,” Arteta said.

“It’s not the plan to play in certain areas when you don’t have the ball, but they force you to do that.”

So does the Spaniard need to refine his style for next season to push Arsenal to the next level, build up their possession numbers, and keep challengers at bay?

Or will we see more of the same Premier League title-winning formula from the Gunners?

Pitcher Violet Ascencio struck out 13 to lead Venice High to a 7-2 win over Eagle Rock in the City Section Division I softball championship game on Saturday.

Abilgail Ascencio had two doubles and finished with three hits.

Players held up a photo of the late Angelo Gasca, Venice’s football coach who also helped coach softball.

Division II

Arleta 11, Marshall 0: Naomi Tachin struck out four, walked none and led Arleta to the Division II title. Adriana Vasquez went four for four and Brenda Aguilar hit two doubles and finished with three RBIs.

Division IV

Franklin 17, Huntington Park 5: The Panthers, seeded No. 14, used their bats to become Division IV champions. Kamila Sanchez had three hits and five RBIs, including two doubles and a triple.

Southern Section

Division 4

Oxnard 3, Mission Viejo 1: Rachel Godoy hit a dramatic three-run home run in the fifth inning to lead Oxnard. Destinee Herrera threw a complete game.

Division 5

Irvine Northwood 11, Grace Brethren 1: Freshman Olivia Chen threw a two-hitter for Northwood, which went from missing the playoffs last season to Division 5 champions.

Division 3

Riverside Prep 4, Great Oak 3: Lila Morris threw a complete game, and Riverside Prep took advantage of two errors in the fifth inning to win the Division 3 title. Graclyn Necochea struck out 10 for Great Oak.

Division 8

Arroyo Valley 8, San Bernardino 5: Jaylin Casillas contributed three hits and two RBIs for Arroyo Valley. Aylssa Arredondo had four RBIs for San Bernardino.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel advised his World Cup players to go on holiday in United States time zones before the tournament, to help the acclimatisation process.

A total of 21 of England’s 26-man squad will arrive in Florida on Monday for their pre-tournament camp, where they will also face New Zealand and Costa Rica in warm-up matches on 6 and 10 June.

Many players are understood to have spent the off-season in the United States or Caribbean at the behest of the England boss.

The weather is sure to play a major factor in the tournament, with studies indicating that nearly a quarter of all World Cup games are likely to be played in temperatures higher than 26C.

Adapting to the US time zones will also be a factor, with England’s tournament training base in Kansas City, Missouri, six hours behind UK time, which is the same as Dallas, where Tuchel’s men face Croatia in their opening group game on 17 June.

The remaining Group L matches against Ghana and Panama, which will be played in Boston and New Jersey respectively, will be played in a time zone five hours behind the UK.

To ensure England can hit the ground running, Tuchel requested players travelled west for their post-season break before joining up with the squad.

Arsenal quartet Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka, and Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson – who were all involved in European finals this week – will join the rest of the squad at a later date.

Premier League players Alex Scott, Jason Steele, Rio Ngumoha, Josh King and Ethan Nwaneri will also join the squad for England’s training camp in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Matthew Stafford is a master at reading defenses.

The Rams star quarterback manipulates opposing players with his eyes. He knows what he sees.

So the reigning NFL most valuable player can easily anticipate, recognize and digest why moves — on or off the field — are made.

Which brings us to the Rams’ decision to select former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the NFL draft.

“I understand where the team’s coming from,” Stafford, 38, told reporters last week in his first public comments about a move that stunned many. “Listen, I’m not 25 years old and I get that, so we’re doing everything we can to be as good a football team as we can for now, for the future, for all of it.”

That doesn’t mean Stafford was thrilled about general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay spending a first-round pick on his heir apparent.

This, however, is not the San Francisco 49ers trading for Steve Young with Joe Montana on the roster.

But the Rams bypassed an opportunity to give Stafford and an already loaded roster another weapon such as former USC receiver Makai Lemon, who might have provided immediate impact to help them reach and win Super Bowl LXI in February at SoFi Stadium.

Because the Rams showed five years ago that going all in and winning a Super Bowl was worth it, regardless of the perceived and real costs down the road.

Regardless, the Rams are considered among the favorites to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since Stafford led them to victory in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

Like they did before and during that 2021 season, the Rams have done almost everything possible to ensure that owner Stan Kroenke can once again bask in the glory of winning a Super Bowl in the stadium he built.

After losing last season’s NFC championship game, the team quickly signed McVay and Snead — who were entering the final years of their contracts — to long-term extensions.

Then they improved their roster’s main weak spot by trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and signing cornerback Jaylen Watson — both of whom played on two Super Bowl championship teams with the Kansas City Chiefs.

On May 21, they signed Stafford to a one-year, $55-million extension that could keep him with the team through 2027.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and coach Sean McVay talk during practice on Thursday.

(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)

Whether the 17-year veteran and reigning NFL most valuable player plays beyond 2026 remains to be seen.

But McVay is happy that the future hall of famer will be leading the offense.

“It’s great to be able to have that taken care of,” McVay said in his first news conference with local reporters since April 24, the day after the Rams drafted Simpson.

McVay had spent the previous availability explaining the reason for his somber and dour countenance during an awkward news conference the night before. McVay said he was trying to be respectful of Stafford’s status as the team leader, and that a personal situation also had affected his demeanor.

On the night the Rams drafted Simpson, McVay said he had spoken with Stafford beforehand. When asked what he told Stafford, McVay said, “I’ll keep that between us.”

Last week, when asked about his discussion with McVay, Stafford said, “I’m not going to get in too much to what our conversation was. I appreciate him talking with me about those kinds of things. We have constant dialogue and a great relationship so I appreciate that.”

Stafford said his job as the starting quarterback was to help all players, including Simpson, prepare for the season.

“He’s a guy that asks questions,” Stafford said. “I’ve been trying to answer those as honestly and as thoroughly as I possibly can.

“He’s a smart kid. He’s got talent, obviously. He’s a high draft pick so happy to add good players to our team.”

It is too early to quantify what Simpson has brought to the team, McVay said. The offseason workout program is about “setting foundations” that will help once players are participating in full-speed settings during training camp.

Simpson is on track for a lot of reps when camp begins in late July at Loyola Marymount.

Last year, Stafford was sidelined all of training camp because of a back issue. But he returned before the opener and won his first MVP award.

So the Rams are expected to modify Stafford’s traditional training camp workload — and aim for similar results.

Offseason workouts are going well, Stafford said.

“Throwing it like I know how to throw it and for somebody my age,” he quipped. “I feel pretty good.”

Even with the extension, the Rams and Stafford will continue to talk contract on a year-to-year basis, a practice they have followed since 2024, when Stafford delayed his arrival to training camp because of an impasse.

“I can’t sit there and tell you what it’s going to look like 365 days from now,” he said. “But it’s just one of those deals where I’m doing the best I can to make sure that I can play as long as I can and make sure that my family and I are all on the same page before we embark on whatever season it may be.”

If this season plays out as expected, the Rams could give Stafford another weapon at the trade deadline.

Until then, they’ve guaranteed him plenty of cash.

And motivation.

As someone who has been covering high school baseball championship games in Southern California for six decades, the pitching performance seen on Friday night by Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco moves into the top five, if not a share for No. 1.

Garcia struck out 14, walked none and surrendered only a first-inning double to Codey Brown in a 2-0 victory over Norco in the Southern Section Division 1 final at Cal State Fullerton. His fastball was reaching 95 mph. He was blowing fastballs past top hitters all night.

Probably the No. 1 pitching performance continues to be Bret Saberhagen of Cleveland in the 1981 City Section championship game at Dodger Stadium when he threw a no-hitter against Palisades.

Others that come to mind:

No pitcher has been as overpowering as Garcia was under the lights. And he needed to be near perfect to beat Norco pitcher Jordan Ayala, who also was outstanding.

What a memory to add to Southern California’s great pitching moments in championship games.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Jennifer Cohen has heard her peers this spring lament the precarious state of college football, with the College Football Playoff format in flux, the College Sports Commission under fire and the current model of college athletics hanging by a proverbial thread. As athletic director at USC, Cohen understands the reasons for their doom and gloom.

There’s little clarity about where things stand in college athletics right now, let alone where they’re going. Plus, it has never cost more to run an athletic department — or a football program, with the price tag of rosters exceeding $40 million this season — in part because of name, image and likeness rights.

“There’s no doubt that this last year’s been frustrating, and that’s because we tried to fly a plane and build a plane at the same time,” Cohen told The Times last week. “So it’s certainly not going swimmingly, right?”

Before discussing all that’s wrong with the current college sports landscape, Cohen wants to remind everyone that it hasn’t all been bad.

“It’s important to talk about what are the positives that came from what’s happened,” Cohen said.” And from my perspective, student athletes have benefited now more than ever, you know?”

At USC, Cohen has managed to steer the athletic department through the chaos. As costs have risen exponentially with the advent of revenue sharing, Cohen says department revenue at USC is up almost 60% over a three-year span, sponsorship values have doubled and USC donors have poured money into the Trojan Athletic Fund, which is up 707% since she started.

Jennifer Cohen, left, and university president Carol Folt, right, flash the “V for Victory” hand sign during a news conference in 2023 introducing Cohen as USC’s new athletic director.

(Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

And later this summer, USC will open a $200-million football facility — a rarity in an age when such spending has more often taken a backseat.

None of that is to say USC is immune to the coming financial crunch in college sports.

“We also have to manage expenses, and we’re trying to do that and still support what we think is part of our DNA, which is [keeping all] 23 programs,” Cohen said. “As you look at the financial benefits that football brings to this place, the more you’re gonna take those revenues from football and put it back into football and to football student athletes versus other programs, you’re gonna feel the pinch. And so we’ve tried to mitigate that with new strategies on revenue generation.”

But what about when football rosters costs balloon to $50 million … or $60 million? What about $100 million?

“Hopefully not,” Cohen said. “We’ve gotta match roster spends with revenues and, and, and, and how we run a business.”

“I don’t think there’s one simple answer to this, and I do think that we are at a point where we’ve got to figure out as an industry, how do we do this in a smart way and not just let our competitiveness get the best of us? But that’s hard when football winning is the only way that you pay your bills.”

The Times sat down with Cohen last week to discuss the state of affairs in college football and USC’s athletic department. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

With college football in such an uncertain place, do you feel like there needs to be some form of outside intervention? Or some major governance change that would help solve these problems?

“I think at some point in time we’re gonna have to find something. I mean, obviously we’re a year in. So I think first we all need to look in the mirror — myself included, as a leader — and say, ‘What did we do in this new system that worked? And what have we done in this new system that doesn’t work? And the question becomes, ‘Can you get everybody across the Power Four [conferences] to do that exercise and be honest enough to find some sort of solutions together? Or do you need to start looking at other solutions? I, for one, fully believe in federal support. I understand why it’s needed. I’m somebody that spent a lot of time on that earlier in my career, and, you know, the patchwork situation of laws is not fair from a competitive standpoint. It’s also very confusing to student athletes and to their families and to our coaches. But I am absolutely not holding my breath for that.

Eric Musselman and athletic director Jennifer Cohen hold a jersey with Musselman’s name during his introductory news conference as the Trojans’ basketball coach in 2024.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

“The most important place where I’m spending my energy is figuring out how we are going to win in whatever environment that we’re dealt. Because I don’t have as much control in my current role to solve for all of those national issues. I am 24/7 thinking about how USC is going to compete in whatever environment we’re in. And I feel really confident that we will. But as somebody that loves college sports, I also think that we are gonna have to find a different alternative than how we’re operating right now to have a sustainable and durable model.”

USC seems to be in a really strong place with NIL, stronger certainly than when you were hired. How would you say that USC has gotten to that point?

“ When we got here, my mantra was if you’re not ahead, you’re gonna get behind. And so there were a lot of areas that we focused on to just try to improve and get ahead, and NIL was one of them. There’s a natural ability here to be really competitive in NIL — especially in the third-party space with brands. You know, we were just looking at some data the other day just in this new CSC-NIL Go model. Our brand deals are valued 2 1/2 times more than the national average, and I think that really speaks to both USC, the city of L.A., and obviously the quality of the student athletes that we have. And I think it’s just been a strategy of embracing the new era, recognizing that it’s really cool to be able to have student athletes benefit in that new era, and it’s important, and that you have to be competitive in that space.

“And so I think it was just a matter of having intentionality in a plan and getting all of our stakeholders aligned around that plan, and it was an urgent matter to keep trying to get ahead in that space. Because if we weren’t, other people were. That’s how we’ve been tackling it, and so we’re really proud of how robust the program is now. But we’re gonna have to keep getting better at it. We’re gonna have to keep evolving.”

The Big Ten has come out in favor of expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams. What are your thoughts on that?

“We’re unified as a league around 24, there’s no doubt about that. And obviously that’s gaining traction in some of the other conferences as well. And so where we’re unified, USC’s gonna support that. I think that there’s merits in the 24 model. I also think there’s plenty of fair questions around that. It has to make sense for everybody. So that’s kind of where we stand on it.

USC athletic direct Jennifer Cohen wears a headset with microphone as she’s interviewed before a football game in 2023.

(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“I think personally speaking, I would have absolutely no problem staying at 12. I think we’ve experienced a lot of change in college sports and in college football. I think we need to understand how that change is impacting not just us, but our fans and others. And so if we end up at 12, I’m confident that we’re gonna find our way in that 12 every single year. And again, uh, that’s where my focus is. I mean, I am nonstop thinking about how USC athletics can compete in whatever model that we’re in, and I feel really good about the plans that we are developing and will continue to develop because we’re gonna have to keep changing to, to make sure that we’re competitive.

Being that it’s now Year 5, is it fair to say that the expectation is that Lincoln [Riley] needs to take USC to the Playoff this year?

“The expectation has always been the same. That’s the thing, that’s the reason why I came here, is that the standard is high. We do expect to make the playoff. We do expect to have a championship run. We do expect to be competing for championships every single year. I think that’s what’s awesome about USC, is that that’s what we all expect of it. And I know that I’m not the only one that expects that. I know our fans expect that. I know that he expects that. And so I really like this team. I really like the kids that we brought in. I love the returners. I love the leadership of this team.

“We’ve got some really outstanding older young men in this program that get it, that have been through a lot and really care about this place and this program. The young guys are awesome. They’re really challenging the older guys. So I feel really good about the talent level of this team, and I feel really good about what Lincoln’s done. I think with this staff, I think we have a highly competitive staff. I think we have a really experienced staff. And then you can’t dismiss what Chad’s accomplished. You know? I think that that’s been the benefit of bringing in not just Chad, but an entire front office staff, taking the pressure off of Lincoln, taking the pressure off of the other coaches so that they can be at their best. I mean, he’s been really energized about that and really focused on taking the strengths that he has. So yeah, the expectation, I mean, we haven’t been shy about that. We expect to win, and I, I feel confident that we’re going to.”

Before Ireland’s Six Nations win over Scotland in March, which secured the triple Crown, Farrell said he expected both Lowe and centre Bundee Aki to sign new contracts.

Aki has agreed a new one-year deal to stay with Connacht but there has not been any progress with Lowe, who is contracted by Leinster rather than an central contract with the Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU].

Lowe did not make the squad for the Champions Cup final defeat by Bordeaux despite having returned from a hamstring injury sustained in the Six Nations win over England.

However, his two record-breaking tries on Saturday show he is still a threat when fit and available.

While Cullen declined to comment on his future, he did praise the impact Lowe has made since he moved to Ireland nine years ago.

“He’s been a great character in the group. Very, very different, you know, what he brings, great energy,” Cullen said after the game.

“Internally, we had a video there just in terms of some of the stuff that he’s done in a Leinster jersey over his career.

“There’s not many James Lowes running around the streets that we’ve come across so far. He’s been a great addition to the group over the years.”

CLOVIS, Calif. — There were many impressive performances at the CIF state track and field championships on Saturday, but the most breathtaking of all was one the fans packed inside Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium did not see — Jaslene Massey’s throw of 196 feet and four inches in the discus — a mark that not only broke the state record but was the farthest throw ever by a girl in a U.S. high school meet.

The discus competition finished before any of the track events started and was held on an auxiliary field, but the Aliso Niguel senior got a standing ovation on the victory stand half an hour after her third throw thrust her into the record books.

“My goal was to for the gold first, then the mark,” said Massey, who will continue throwing at Oregon and may even compete in hammer and javelin. “I always dreamed of this and I wouldn’t be here without my support system.”

Aliso Niguel senior Jaslene Massey competes in discus at the CIF state track and field championships on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Massey waited several agonizing minutes while the distance was measured, but when the mark flashed on the scoreboard, she leaped in the air and screamed “Let’s go! Three more!”

After all, she still had three throws left.

“I wanted something big and I got something big,” said Massey, who defended her state title and topped the meet record of 186-9 set by Anna Jelmini of Shafter in 2009. “I had good warmups yesterday and today, and I knew I had it in me.”

To prove her historic hurl was no fluke, she came back with a 192-6 effort on her sixth and last throw. Shelbi Vaughan from Mansfield Legacy High in Texas set the American Junior record of 198-9¼ at the USA junior outdoor championships in 2012.

Massey later defended her shot put title with a throw of 52-9. She is the national leader in both events.

Also making history was Sherman Oaks Notre Dame senior JJ Harel, who repeated as boys high jump champion at 7-2. Harel cleared 6-9 on his third attempt to stay alive but still trailed Jay Woodson of American Canyon on misses until the bar was raised to 6-11. Harel cleared it on his first try while Woodson failed on his three attempts to ensure a second straight state title for Harel, who won with a height of 6-9 last year.

“I backed up on my first two attempts at 6-9 and that messed me up,” Harel said. “My heart was sinking and it went through my mind that I might finish second so when I cleared it that gave me adrenaline and muscle memory kicked in. At 6-11 I had such a great clearance, I knew I could get over at 7 and even at 7-2 I didn’t touch it.”

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s JJ Harel competes in the high jump at the CIF state track and field championships on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Harel cleared 7-2 on his first attempt — a personal best — tying for fourth on the national list this year. The bar was raised to 7-3½, giving Harel a chance to break the state record of 7-3¼ set by Lee Balkin of Glendale in 1979, but he was unsuccessful on three tries.

“I was 17 jumps deep and that took too much out of my legs,” Harel said of his unsuccessful efforts at the last height. “This season was an emotional roller coaster but I know I can get 7-3.”

Rosary won the girls 4×100-meter relay by a full second in 44.87 seconds.

Calabasas junior Malia Rainey won the girls 100 meters in 11.54. Maliyah Collins, who anchored Rosary’s relay, was third in 11.62, followed by Rainey’s teammates Marley Scoggins (11.63) and Olivia Kirk (11.63).

“I love my teammates, but today I had to focus on me — it was all about getting the win,” Rainey said. “Seeing my name up at the top made me so happy.”

Servite won the boys 4×100 in 39.73, shattering Hawthorne’s 38-year-old meet record of 40.24. Jorden Wells ran the first leg and was followed by Benjamin Harris, Kamil Pelovello and Robert Gardner. The Friars have run the seven fastest times in state history.

Servite’s record-setting 4×100-meter relay team (from left): Jorden Wells, Kamil Pelovello, Benjamin Harris and Robert Gardner.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Harris won the boys 100 meters in a wind-aided 10.14 (the wind-legal state record remains 10.20 by Rodrick Pleasant of Gardena Serra in 2023) in a showdown against top qualifier Cy Lugo of Elk Grove, who won the 200 in a wind-aided 20.31 to edge Servite twins Jace (20.69) and Jorden Wells (20.79). Harris was fifth in 20.84.

“That’s the most locked in I’ve ever been in my whole career,” Harris said of his 100 triumph. “My mentality was kill or be killed.”

Arkansas-bound Braelyn Combe of Corona Santiago pulled off a distance trifecta, winning the 1,600 in 4:35.59, the 800 in 2:05.13 and anchoring the Sharks’ 4×800 relay, which won with a meet record time of 8:46.16. Afterward, Combe hugged her teammates. She pulled away from Stanford commit Chiara Dailey of La Jolla to repeat as the four-lap champion in the fourth-fastest time in the nation this year.

Long Beach Wilson junior Clara Adams doubled in the 400 (circling the track in 52.28, seven-tenths of a second ahead of teammate Saniah Varnado) and the 200 (clocking 23.40 to beat Amirat Temi Aganju of Pittsburg by 12-hundredths of a second.

Loyola’s Ejam Yohannes, left, celebrates after winning the boys 400 meters at the CIF state championships. Riverside King’s Maximo Zavaleta, right, wins the boys’ 1,600 meters.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Varnado won the 300 hurdles in 39.95 and Wilson won the girls 4×400 relay in 3:36.17.

Wilson won its seventh girls team title and fourth in a row, tying the record set by Moore League rival Long Beach Poly from 2008-11.

Dailey won the 3,200 in 10:01.91. Irvine’s Summer Wilson was sixth in 10:16.89.

Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley won the girls triple jump in 42-8¾, won the high jump at 5-10 and was third in the triple jump, won by Ellie McCuskey of St. Ignatius with a leap of 20-3½.

Loyola’s Ejam Yohannes (45.73) clipped Servite’s Jaelen Hunter (46.05) at the wire in the boys 400 meters.

Riverside King senior Maximo Zavaleta won the 1,600 in 4:02.78 and the 3,200 in 8:52.47.

Servite closed the meet by winning the 4×400 relay in a state meet record 3:07.62 — the fastest time in the country this year — to repeat as the boys team champion with a state-record 60 points.

Amanda Serrano equalled the record for the most knockouts in women’s boxing history with a second-round stoppage of Cheyenne Hanson in Texas to retain her WBA and WBO featherweight titles.

The American dominated the encounter and, having pinned Germany’s Hanson, 28, in the corner, unloaded a flurry of unanswered punches that lead to the fight being waved off in El Paso, Texas.

The 37-year-old, who now has 32 wins by knockout – tying with women’s boxing pioneer Christy Martin – was the first fighter to stop Hanson inside the distance.

In the co-main event, former UFC star Holly Holm was again narrowly defeated by Stephanie Han to miss out on claiming the WBA lightweight title.

One judge scored it even at 95-95, but the other two saw it 96-94 for the undefeated champion.

Prior to the fight, Holm said she wanted to make a statement and then challenge Taylor in Ireland, but instead it was Han who called for that fight.

“The next fight I want, and I know every fighter wants it, is Katie Taylor,” Han said ringside.

On the undercard, Desley Robinson retained her IBF and WBO middleweight titles by winning a wide unanimous decision against Mary Spencer, while Mexican Lourdes Juarez retained her WBC light-flyweight title with a split decision against Yokasta Valle.

Elsewhere, O’Shaquie Foster impressed to beat Raymond Ford by a majority decision to retain his WBC super-featherweight title at the Fertitta Center, Houston.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Fresno City College

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

DIVISION I

Mira Costa d. Northgate, 25-15, 25-17, 26-24

DIVISION II

Sanger d. Francis Parker, 29-27, 26-28, 25-23, 25-20

DIVISION III

Santa Cruz d. Central East, 26-28, 25-14, 25-20, 25-18

DIVISION IV

El Dorado d. Point Loma, 25-15, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20

Victor Wembanyama bagged 22 points as San Antonio Spurs defeated defending champions the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, where they will face the New York Knicks.

San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson had called on Wembanyama to score more than 20 points after a disappointing showing in game five.

An inspired 28-point haul by the 22-year-old Frenchman on Friday helped level the best-of-seven series at 3-3 and save his “childhood dream” – which is now within touching distance.

“Winning the Larry O’Brien [NBA championship trophy] is a childhood dream, and having a real shot at it, having a tangible chance at winning it – it’s a lifetime chance,” said Wembanyama after reaching the Finals for the first time.

“You never know when it’s gonna happen again. But the day we win it, speaking for myself, it’s going to be an amazing day – the realisation of a dream.

“It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”

Johnson’s side last won the NBA showpiece in 2014, while the Knicks will compete in the finals for the first time in 27 years.

It will be a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, which San Antonio won in five games for their first of five NBA championships.

Having scored 41 points in game one and 33 points in game four, the number one pick in the 2023 draft showed in the deciding two matches why he was one of the most coveted picks since LeBron James in 2003.

“What I’ve learned is that I can go through hurdles that I didn’t know could get so high,” added Wembanyama.

“I found resources inside of me. Relentlessness. I already knew that, but doing it at this level, this is the best basketball being played on the planet right now. And the crazy thing is I want to do that 15 or 20 more times.”

The NBA Finals series will begin on 3 June, with a possible game seven finale on 19 June.

Philadelphia’s Edmundo Sosa sauntered out of the box, motioning with one hand in a pump-wave in front of 51,794 Dodgers fans. The left fielder, who had taken over for Brandon Marsh in the top of the sixth, connected on a four-seam fastball that Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott left too far over the plate for a two-run home run that put the Phillies ahead.

The Dodgers had been playing with fire all night, but they couldn’t regain momentum after Scott’s struggles, losing to the Phillies 4-3 to set up a Sunday series rubber match.

The Dodgers (37-21) started strong, with pitcher Roki Sasaki giving up just three hits and one earned run over 5⅓ innings.

Sasaki’s elevated velocity posed early concerns for the Dodgers as he struggled more with his command. The right-hander crossed the 100-mph threshold for the first time this season on two pitches: a 100.4mph four-seam to J.T. Realmuto and another fastball, this time 100.1mph, to Kyle Schwarber.

Three of his four pitches — the four-seam, slider and splitter — averaged at least 1.2 mph faster than his yearly average. As a result, he struggled with location. Neither his slider and splitter hit the zone more than 45% of the time. Even his fastball hit the strike zone a mere 55%.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts warned about this scenario when Sasaki’s fastball had only reached an upper limit of 99.5 mph.

“I think now the velo is certainly in a good spot,” Roberts said before the game. “I do believe that if he wanted to throw 100 miles an hour, he could do that, but it wouldn’t be where he needed to throw it.”

Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki delivers during the first inning Saturday against the Phillies.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Still, the Phillies (30-28) struggled to generate consistent momentum despite Sasaki’s location problems. Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm hammered a four-seam fastball that skimmed the top of the strike zone over the center field wall. The rest of the Phillies lineup ended most of their at-bats with little luck, striking out seven times and walking only once.

Roberts pulled Sasaki with runners on first and second in the sixth. Left-hander Alex Vesia walked Bryce Harper but escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam by striking out Sosa and forcing Alec Bohm into a ground out to third.

By then, the Dodgers had already established a lead. Alex Call put them on the board in the second on a poked single through the gap between second and short. In the fourth, Call reached third on a double and throwing error from Adolis García. Santiago Espinal hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, driving in Call.

Mookie Betts also found his footing after he went 0 for 3 on Friday. The shortstop struggled in the first four games of the Dodgers’ homestand, batting .200 across 15 plate appearances. Against the Phillies on Saturday night, Betts laced two singles and a double.

Andy Pages scored on a close play at the plate after Betts singled to shallow right field in the seventh. Although catcher J.T. Realmuto missed tagging Pages’ foot, the Dodgers center fielder’s cleat didn’t appear to touch the plate. After a long review, the safe at home call stood.

But the Dodgers’ good fortune didn’t last. Scott gave up an RBI single to Bryce Harper, and it was like the Phillies could sense exactly when the reliever’s pitches crossed over the zone. Scott (1-2) then gave up the home run to Soto before going down in order on three groundouts in the ninth.

Cardiff lost head coach Matt Sherratt to Steve Tandy’s backroom staff just a few days before the season started, with forwards boss Corniel van Zyl making the step up to replace him.

“We’re proud of the boys from where we started the season into how we finished,” said van Zyl.

“To end up sixth, with 16 quality teams, I say would make us proud. Unfortunately we couldn’t push on to the next step and that’s the disappointing part.”

Van Zyl guided Cardiff to 11 league victories, with eight of those coming at their Arms Park home.

With only one URC win achieved outside of Wales this season, securing an unlikely play-off victory in South Africa against a former tournament winner was always going to be a tough ask.

The squad landing just a few days before the fixture after a 6,000-mile flight to Cape Town added to their task.

Cardiff flanker Dan Thomas has been one of the shining lights this season and again impressed against Stormers.

The open-side did not want to accept defeat but acknowledged the steps made in the 2025-26 campaign.

“Everyone was happy with how the season went, we made the play-offs which was important for the club, but no-one remembers who loses in quarter-finals,” Thomas told S4C.

“Making the play-offs is important for the club.

“It’s an odd one, we’re happy with how the season has gone, but you want silverware. It is back to the drawing board now and we need to start again.”

Cardiff have signed Australian veteran prop Scott Sio next season, which they will hope shores up a scrum taken apart by Stormers.

“It is obvious, our set-piece needs to improve,” said Thomas.

“The Stormers were dominant and we didn’t cope. We knew it was coming and still couldn’t stop it.

“We know the hard work will start in pre-season.”

Arsenal will celebrate their Premier League title win on Sunday in front of their supporters in north London.

“If you’d offered them at the start of the season – that they would win the Premier League title and lose the Champions League final by a penalty kick, then it is not a bad season, it is a great season and I mean a really great season,” Pat Nevin told BBC Sport.

“Let’s remember they have lost tonight but they are the Premier League winners,” Onouha added.

“They have got their parade to look forward to and I don’t think there will be any fewer people turning up tomorrow just because they have lost the Champions League final.

“I think the club is in a great position, the manager has been there for many years now and he has a bunch of players who are still very very hungry, even though they have been successful.”

The review of the Arsenal squad will come in the summer but this team has progressed so much from the one that Arteta took over in 2019.

Bukayo Saka is the last player left from that squad and Arteta said it has been a “joy” to share this season with his players and staff.

Arsenal have looked at how they could generate money in the coming transfer window by potential player sales.

There is also a group of exciting youngsters, including 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly – who started in Budapest – Ethan Nwaneri, 19, and 16-year-olds Max Dowman and Marli Salmon who could emerge as first-team regulars in the coming seasons.

“It is cruel for Arsenal fans, but it is inevitable that this club win the Champions League,” European football expert Julien Laurens said on 5 Live.

“Mikel Arteta will see the positives because that is the kind of guy he is. Arsenal are getting closer and closer.”

And for Arteta, despite the pain, says he is ready to celebrate what has been a big step for his Arsenal side.

“I already know how they [the fans] feel about the team. I want to thank them for everything they’ve done for us throughout the season.”

“Difficult moments like this, they’ve been with us. It’s been a joy to see the reaction they’ve had when we’ve been able to win a league after 22 years.

“It hurts a lot for them not to win it today because I can’t even imagine what would have happened.

“We all had a huge desire to win it and tomorrow we’ll have a great day, I’m sure.”