NCAA  – Big Ten votes to add USC, UCLA as members starting in 2024

The  Big Ten voted unanimously to add Southern California and UCLA as conference  members beginning in 2024. The expansion to 16 teams will happen after the  Pac-12’s current media rights contracts with Fox and ESPN expire and make the  Big Ten the first conference to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The  announced came almost a year after Oklahoma and Texas formally accepted  invitations to join the Southeastern Conference in July 2025.

NHL  – Red Wings hire Lightning assistant Derek Lalonde as coach

  The  Detroit Red Wings have hired two-time Stanley Cup-winning assistant Derek  Lalonde as coach after a lengthy search process. Lalonde was on Jon Cooper’s  Tampa Bay Lightning staff the past four years in which they won the Cup twice  and most recently reached the final. Lalonde is now in charge of a team in  Detroit on the upswing of a long-term rebuild. Lalonde is the first active  Cooper assistant to take a head coaching job in the NHL. He replaces Jeff  Blashill who coached the Red Wings for seven seasons.  Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman hired  Lalonde when Yzerman held the same position as GM of Tampa Bay.

MLB  – Major League Baseball
Yesterday

  Chicago Cubs 15, Cincinnati Reds 7

  Tigers and White Sox were off

Cubs 15, Reds 7 – Wisdom’s slam, 6 RBIs lift Cubs over  Reds 15-7 

  Patrick  Wisdom hit a grand slam and a solo homer en route to a career-high six RBIs,  rookie Christopher Morel had a career-high five hits and the Chicago Cubs beat  the Cincinnati Reds 15-7. The Cubs collected 23 hits off five pitchers, tying  their season high from a 21-0 rout of the Pirates on April 23. Seven of those  hits came in the eighth against outfielder Max Schrock, who allowed a two-run  homer to P.J. Higgins and a solo shot to Morel. Wisdom’s slam off Graham  Ashcraft capped a five-run second, and he also connected against Dauri Moreta  in the sixth.

Tonight

  Boston  (Hill 4-4) at Chicago Cubs (Sampson 0-0), 2:20 p.m.

  Kansas  City (Keller 2-9) at Detroit (TBD), 7:10 p.m.                             WSJM/WCSY  6:50

  Chicago  White Sox (Lynn 1-1) at San Francisco (Cobb 3-3), 10:15 p.m.

MLB  – Agency clears way for Oakland Athletics $12B ballpark plan

  A  California agency has cleared the way for the Oakland Athletics to move forward  with a $12 billion waterfront ballpark project. The San Francisco Bay  Conservation and Development Commission voted Thursday to reclassify a terminal  at the Port of Oakland as a mixed-use area where a new ballpark could be built.  The vote is the first in a series of hurdles before the team could get  permission to break ground for the project. The Athletics have also been  working on plans to relocate to Nevada and find a spot for a new stadium in Las  Vegas.

NBA – 5 players, $1.1 billion: NBA free agency starts  with a bang

  The NBA generated more basketball related income than  ever this past season, the total number coming up just short of $9 billion.  Business is good. The first night of free agency underscored how good. Nikola  Jokic, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns and Ja Morant agreed to  extensions worth more than $1 billion by the time they expire, highlighting the  moves made Thursday when the NBA’s annual free-agent negotiating window opened.

NBA – AP source: Kevin Durant asks for trade from  Brooklyn Nets

  A person with direct knowledge of the decision says  Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. The decision  revealed just before the start of NBA free agency undoubtedly will have teams  scrambling to put together enormous offers for the perennial All-Star. The Nets  have been working with Durant to find a trade partner, and he has multiple  teams on his preferred list. That’s according to the person who spoke to The  Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the player nor Brooklyn  revealed any details publicly. ESPN first reported Durant’s trade request and  cited Phoenix and Miami as two of his preferred destinations. Durant is a  12-time All-Star, 4-time scoring champion, 3-time Olympic gold medalist and 2-time  NBA champion.

NBA – Hornets forward Miles Bridges arrested on eve of  free agency

  Charlotte Hornets and former Michigan State forward  Miles Bridges has been arrested in Los Angeles on the eve of NBA free agency  after a warrant was issued, according to the LAPD. Details of the arrest first  reported by TMZ were not immediately available. Bridges was the Hornets’  leading scorer last season and is set to become a restricted free agent and  could command a max contract. NBA free agency begins Thursday night. The  24-year-old Bridges averaged career highs with 20.2 points and seven rebounds  last season for the Hornets in what amounted to a breakout season while playing  alongside All-Star LaMelo Ball. Bridges is also a rapper, who goes by the name  RTB MB.

Golf – LIV – LIV tees off in Oregon amid criticism  over Saudi funding

  The Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf tour’s second event  teed off Thursday, angering a group of families who lost loved ones on Sept. 11  and want the Saudi government held to account for the terrorist attacks. About  10 family members and survivors spoke at a small park honoring veterans in tiny  North Plains, home to Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. The LIV Golf series, funded by  Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, was making its first stop on American  soil this week after a debut this month outside of London. Carlos Ortiz took  the lead Thursday with a 5-under 67. Dustin Johnson, the 2020 Masters winner,  was a shot back, and Hideto Tadihara, Pat Perez and Brenden Grace were two  shots off the lead.

Golf – PGA – JT Poston shoots 62, leads John Deere  Classic by 2 strokes

  J.T. Poston shot a 9-under 62 on Thursday to take a  two-stroke lead in the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic. Coming off a second-place  tie last week in Connecticut after also opening with a 62, Poston eagled the  par-5 second and had seven birdies in a bogey-free round at TPC Deere Run. He  won the 2019 Wyndham Championship for his lone PGA Tour title. Canadian Michael  Gligic was second at 64, playing in the final group of the day off the first  tee. Vaughn Taylor and Christopher Gotterup followed at 65.

Tennis – Wimbledon – Most American men reach  Wimbledon’s 3rd round since 1995

  There will be eight American men in the third round of  Wimbledon for the first time since 1995. That’s also the largest group for the  country at that stage of any Grand Slam tournament since the U.S. Open a year  later. Brandon Nakashima, Taylor Fritz and Jenson Brooksby all advanced at the  All England Club. Nakashima pulled off the biggest surprise by beating 2021  Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov of Canada. Four U.S. men will play for  a berth in the fourth round Friday: John Isner, Steve Johnson, Frances Tiafoe  and Tommy Paul.

Tennis – Wimbledon – COVID-19 at Wimbledon: 3 top-20  men out after positive tests

  Reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic might be  playing in his last Grand Slam tournament for a while because he isn’t  vaccinated against COVID-19. And the coronavirus has become a significant  matter at the All England Club: Three of the top 20 seeded men in the  tournament have pulled out of the bracket after testing positive. Players  aren’t required to get tested for COVID-19 but are encouraged to if they develop  symptoms. They also are encouraged to let Wimbledon know if that happens and  pull themselves out of the tournament. No. 8 Matteo Berrettini, No. 14 Marin  Cilic and No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut have done that so far.

WNBA  – Women’s National Basketball Association
Tonight

Indiana Fever at Seattle Storm, 10:00 p.m.

Saturday

  Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky, 1:00 p.m.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night

  West Michigan Whitecaps  8, Fort Wayne Tin Caps 4

  Lansing Lugnuts 10, Lake  County Captains 3

  Dayton Dragons 11,  Great Lakes Loons 8

  South Bend Cubs 5, Beloit  Sky Carp 3

Tonight

  Fort Wayne Tin Caps at  West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.

  Lansing Lugnuts at  Lake County Captains, 7:00 p.m.

  Dayton Dragons at  Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m.

  South Bend Cubs at  Beloit Sky Carp, 7:35 p.m.

NCAA &#8211; Big Ten votes to add USC, UCLA as members starting in 2024 
The Big Ten voted unanimously to add Southern California and UCLA as conference members beginning in 2024. The expansion to 16 teams will happen after the Pac-12&rsquo;s current media rights contracts with Fox and ESPN expire and make the Big Ten the first conference to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The announced came almost a year after Oklahoma and Texas formally accepted invitations to join the Southeastern Conference in July 2025.
NHL – Red Wings hire Lightning assistant Derek Lalonde as coach 
 The Detroit Red Wings have hired two-time Stanley Cup-winning assistant Derek Lalonde as coach after a lengthy search process. Lalonde was on Jon Cooper&#8217;s Tampa Bay Lightning staff the past four years in which they won the Cup twice and most recently reached the final. Lalonde is now in charge of a team in Detroit on the upswing of a long-term rebuild. Lalonde is the first active Cooper assistant to take a head coaching job in the NHL. He replaces Jeff Blashill who coached the Red Wings for seven seasons.  Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman hired Lalonde when Yzerman held the same position as GM of Tampa Bay.
MLB – Major League Baseball 
 Yesterday 
 Chicago Cubs 15, Cincinnati Reds 7 
 Tigers and White Sox were off
Cubs 15, Reds 7 – Wisdom&#8217;s slam, 6 RBIs lift Cubs over Reds 15-7 
 Patrick Wisdom hit a grand slam and a solo homer en route to a career-high six RBIs, rookie Christopher Morel had a career-high five hits and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 15-7. The Cubs collected 23 hits off five pitchers, tying their season high from a 21-0 rout of the Pirates on April 23. Seven of those hits came in the eighth against outfielder Max Schrock, who allowed a two-run homer to P.J. Higgins and a solo shot to Morel. Wisdom&rsquo;s slam off Graham Ashcraft capped a five-run second, and he also connected against Dauri Moreta in the sixth.
Tonight 
 Boston (Hill 4-4) at Chicago Cubs (Sampson 0-0), 2:20 p.m. 
 Kansas City (Keller 2-9) at Detroit (TBD), 7:10 p.m.                             WSJM/WCSY 6:50 
 Chicago White Sox (Lynn 1-1) at San Francisco (Cobb 3-3), 10:15 p.m.
MLB – Agency clears way for Oakland Athletics $12B ballpark plan 
 A California agency has cleared the way for the Oakland Athletics to move forward with a $12 billion waterfront ballpark project. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission voted Thursday to reclassify a terminal at the Port of Oakland as a mixed-use area where a new ballpark could be built. The vote is the first in a series of hurdles before the team could get permission to break ground for the project. The Athletics have also been working on plans to relocate to Nevada and find a spot for a new stadium in Las Vegas.
NBA – 5 players, $1.1 billion: NBA free agency starts with a bang 
 The NBA generated more basketball related income than ever this past season, the total number coming up just short of $9 billion. Business is good. The first night of free agency underscored how good. Nikola Jokic, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns and Ja Morant agreed to extensions worth more than $1 billion by the time they expire, highlighting the moves made Thursday when the NBA&rsquo;s annual free-agent negotiating window opened.
NBA – AP source: Kevin Durant asks for trade from Brooklyn Nets 
 A person with direct knowledge of the decision says Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. The decision revealed just before the start of NBA free agency undoubtedly will have teams scrambling to put together enormous offers for the perennial All-Star. The Nets have been working with Durant to find a trade partner, and he has multiple teams on his preferred list. That&#8217;s according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the player nor Brooklyn revealed any details publicly. ESPN first reported Durant&rsquo;s trade request and cited Phoenix and Miami as two of his preferred destinations. Durant is a 12-time All-Star, 4-time scoring champion, 3-time Olympic gold medalist and 2-time NBA champion.
NBA – Hornets forward Miles Bridges arrested on eve of free agency 
 Charlotte Hornets and former Michigan State forward Miles Bridges has been arrested in Los Angeles on the eve of NBA free agency after a warrant was issued, according to the LAPD. Details of the arrest first reported by TMZ were not immediately available. Bridges was the Hornets&rsquo; leading scorer last season and is set to become a restricted free agent and could command a max contract. NBA free agency begins Thursday night. The 24-year-old Bridges averaged career highs with 20.2 points and seven rebounds last season for the Hornets in what amounted to a breakout season while playing alongside All-Star LaMelo Ball. Bridges is also a rapper, who goes by the name RTB MB.
Golf – LIV – LIV tees off in Oregon amid criticism over Saudi funding 
 The Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf tour&rsquo;s second event teed off Thursday, angering a group of families who lost loved ones on Sept. 11 and want the Saudi government held to account for the terrorist attacks. About 10 family members and survivors spoke at a small park honoring veterans in tiny North Plains, home to Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. The LIV Golf series, funded by Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s sovereign wealth fund, was making its first stop on American soil this week after a debut this month outside of London. Carlos Ortiz took the lead Thursday with a 5-under 67. Dustin Johnson, the 2020 Masters winner, was a shot back, and Hideto Tadihara, Pat Perez and Brenden Grace were two shots off the lead.
Golf – PGA – JT Poston shoots 62, leads John Deere Classic by 2 strokes 
 J.T. Poston shot a 9-under 62 on Thursday to take a two-stroke lead in the PGA Tour&rsquo;s John Deere Classic. Coming off a second-place tie last week in Connecticut after also opening with a 62, Poston eagled the par-5 second and had seven birdies in a bogey-free round at TPC Deere Run. He won the 2019 Wyndham Championship for his lone PGA Tour title. Canadian Michael Gligic was second at 64, playing in the final group of the day off the first tee. Vaughn Taylor and Christopher Gotterup followed at 65.
Tennis – Wimbledon – Most American men reach Wimbledon&#8217;s 3rd round since 1995 
 There will be eight American men in the third round of Wimbledon for the first time since 1995. That&#8217;s also the largest group for the country at that stage of any Grand Slam tournament since the U.S. Open a year later. Brandon Nakashima, Taylor Fritz and Jenson Brooksby all advanced at the All England Club. Nakashima pulled off the biggest surprise by beating 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov of Canada. Four U.S. men will play for a berth in the fourth round Friday: John Isner, Steve Johnson, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.
Tennis – Wimbledon – COVID-19 at Wimbledon: 3 top-20 men out after positive tests 
 Reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic might be playing in his last Grand Slam tournament for a while because he isn&#8217;t vaccinated against COVID-19. And the coronavirus has become a significant matter at the All England Club: Three of the top 20 seeded men in the tournament have pulled out of the bracket after testing positive. Players aren&#8217;t required to get tested for COVID-19 but are encouraged to if they develop symptoms. They also are encouraged to let Wimbledon know if that happens and pull themselves out of the tournament. No. 8 Matteo Berrettini, No. 14 Marin Cilic and No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut have done that so far.
WNBA – Women&rsquo;s National Basketball Association 
 Tonight 
Indiana Fever at Seattle Storm, 10:00 p.m.
 Saturday 
 Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky, 1:00 p.m.
MILB – Midwest League Baseball 
 Last Night 
 West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Fort Wayne Tin Caps 4 
 Lansing Lugnuts 10, Lake County Captains 3 
 Dayton Dragons 11, Great Lakes Loons 8 
 South Bend Cubs 5, Beloit Sky Carp 3
Tonight 
 Fort Wayne Tin Caps at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m. 
 Lansing Lugnuts at Lake County Captains, 7:00 p.m. 
 Dayton Dragons at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m. 
 South Bend Cubs at Beloit Sky Carp, 7:35 p.m.

Southwest Michigan's Sports Leader

WSJM Sports

NCAA  - Big Ten votes to add USC, UCLA as members starting in 2024 The  Big Ten voted unanimously to add Southern California and UCLA as conference  members beginning in 2024. The expansion to 16 teams will happen after the  Pac-12’s current media rig...