Author: BostonSportsNews

NEW YORK, NY — Global Sports Analytics released a new analytical report examining how the expanded 48-team format of the 2026 FIFA World Cup may influence squad management, competitive dynamics, and exposure for emerging international football talent. The report analyzes the structural implications of the tournament’s revised format, which introduces 12 groups of four teams and a newly added round of 32. According to the analysis, the expanded structure is expected to increase the total number of matches played and extend competitive demands across the tournament calendar, placing greater emphasis on squad depth and rotational planning. The analysis also considers…

Gas and electric bills in Massachusetts are about to go down temporarily, according to Gov. Maura Healey.In a preview of her State of the Commonwealth Address Thursday night, Healey said she will immediately reduce electricity bills by 25 percent across the state and gas bills by 10 percent.Massachusetts gas and electric bill reductionsThe discounts will come in February and March. The governor said the rate reductions will cost the state $180 million, and her administration will cover that by using “existing funding sources.”The move comes two days after Healey announced she was running for re-election.Last month, National Grid proposed a…

Indiana vs. Miami: can Carson Beck Deliver?If Indiana’s defense contains Miami’s rushing attack, the spotlight shifts to Carson Beck — and whether he can carry the offense when it matters most.Texas, Ohio State, and Georgia are early top contenders for the 2026 college football season.The transfer portal continues to play a significant role in shaping team rosters for the upcoming season.Big Ten and SEC schools dominate the top of the too-early rankings for 2026.The book on the 2025 college football season closed after hundreds of contests across six months preceded Indiana defeating Miami in the College Football Playoff championship game.That…

BOSTON — The Red Sox certainly improved their starting rotation this offseason, signing free agent Ranger Suárez and trading for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo. But Boston also lost some right-handed hitting production (and infield defense) with third baseman Alex Bregman leaving for the Cubs and fourth outfielder Rob Refsnyder signing with the Mariners.Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is still looking to add players, including acquiring an infielder and possibly a left-handed reliever. But does Breslow think the roster, as it stands right now, is as good or better than last year’s?“I think the improvements we made on the pitching…

Cheboygan-area high school sports returned to action this week, with basketball players leading the way during the Jan. 5-6 time period.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Olympic Committee has recommended global sports federations cease holding events in Indonesia after the country barred Israeli athletes from the ongoing gymnastics world championships in Jakarta.The IOC’s executive board issued a statement Wednesday saying it was also ending “any form of dialogue” with Indonesia about hosting future Olympic events.AdvertisementAn Indonesian government official declared earlier this month that Israeli athletes would be denied visas to participate in the world championships, which started last Sunday and run through this weekend.Israel was among 86 teams registered to compete, and its squad included 2020 Olympic gold medalist and…

There were slightly more single-family homes sold in Massachusetts in 2025 than in 2024 and the median price of those homes climbed at a faster clip, but observers say the housing market may be stabilizing.The Warren Group reported 43,240 single-family home sales here during 2025, a 3 percent increase over 2024’s 42,138 single-family sales. But during the course of the year, the median single-family home sale price rose 3.7 percent and ended the year at $638,000.Cassidy Norton, associate publisher of the industry data and analytics firm, said 2025’s results suggest the state’s housing market that has long been chaotic for…

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Boston College is set for a mid-week matchup at the Edgerley Family Court at Conte Forum, as it welcomes Pitt Wednesday night. Tip off is set for 7 p.m., streaming on ACCN and heard on WEEI 850.BOSTON COLLEGE VS. PITTSBURGH – ALL-TIME SERIES Wednesday marks the 62nd overall meeting between the Eagles and Panthers.  Pitt holds a 39-22 all-time series lead.  BC’s most recent encounter with Pittsburgh occurred on Mar. 8, 2025 where the Panthers claimed a 93-67 win. LAST TIME OUT Boston College won its first conference game of the season, overcoming Syracuse, 81-73, in overtime. Fred Payne had a career-high…

Local News The rally followed a series of nationwide walkouts earlier in the day and brought hundreds of protesters to Copley Square. Protesters march down Boylston Street during a Jan. 20 rally. Darin Zullo/Boston.com Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Copley Square Tuesday for a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the second Trump administration.“I think that issues are always going to come up and change, but our analysis is always pretty clear, which is like all of these different attacks,” Boston Democrats Socialists of America co-chair Bonnie Jin told Boston.com. “Whether it…

US prosecutors charged 26 people for allegedly participating in an international basketball match-fixing scheme, the latest in a number of such scandals since the country legalized sports betting.More than a dozen US college basketball players are accused of taking part in the fraud, which also involved gambling on China’s professional basketball league. The case represented a “significant corruption of the integrity of sports,” a US attorney said.AdvertisementConcerns about match fixing have grown since the US Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports betting in 2018: An NBC News poll last year showed that 70% of respondents feared sports…