In The News

 The CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™ will be held in 14 cities in the United States from June 20 to July 14, 2024, with 2 to 3 matches per venue.

●        The 14 stadiums distributed in 10 states on the East Coast, Central Zone and West Coast will be dressed in the colors and image of this new edition of the oldest and most exciting national team tournament in the world.

●        On this occasion, the CONMEBOL Copa América™ will feature 32 matches to be played over the 25 days of competition and 16 participating teams, 10 from CONMEBOL and six from Concacaf, as guests.

●        NRG Stadium to host 3 matches including the Mexican National Team's opener on June 22, a Group match on June 24 and the tournament's 1st Quarterfinal on July 4 featuring the winner of Argentina's group.

CONMEBOL announced the 14 host cities, the stadiums and the match schedule that will be part of the 48th edition of the CONMEBOL Copa América™, which will be held in the United States from June 20 to July 14, 2024.

This announcement comes after CONMEBOL confirmed that the opening match of the tournament will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) and the final at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL).

This competition, which promises to be an unforgettable spectacle for football lovers from around the world, will feature 32 matches to be played by the 16 participating teams (10 from CONMEBOL and 6 from CONCACAF) at 14 emblematic stadiums in the United States.

 

"We will experience an unforgettable Copa America, enjoying the best football in the world in 14 magnificent stadiums. The passion of football will run through this great country from east to west and from north to south, bringing excitement and fun to hundreds of thousands of fans at the venues and millions of spectators around the world," said Alejandro Dominguez, President of CONMEBOL and FIFA Vice President.

 

"I congratulate all of the host cities and their sports commissions. These venues are world-class and have passionate fans who are renowned for getting behind major events,” said Victor Montagliani, Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President. “The exciting prospect of co-organizing the Copa America 2024 with our partners at CONMEBOL, in addition to the range of Concacaf competitions we will deliver in the next three years, will cement our region as a global hub for football as we head towards the FIFA World Cup 2026”, added Montagliani.

 

The 14 stadiums that will host the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™, in alphabetical order are:

Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas

Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida

Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas

SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 

 

The group stage will be held from June 20 to July 2, quarterfinals from July 4 to 6, semifinals on July 9 and 10, third-place match on July 13, and lastly the final on July 14.

According to the dynamics of the competition, two groups will play in the west and center of the country, and two groups in the east and center. The competition will move in an easterly direction, the quarterfinals will be played in the west and center, while the semifinal and final will take place in the east.

 

CONMEBOL America's Cup 2024 

The CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™️ will be played in the United States and includes 10 CONMEBOL teams and 6 CONCACAF guest teams. In this edition, this traditional tournament will be organized by both confederations. 

The 6 Concacaf teams qualify through the Concacaf Nations League 2023/24. The already known representative teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean are the United States, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama. The other two Concacaf participants will be confirmed after a Play-In between Canada vs Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica vs Honduras. This Play-In will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2024. 

In the 48th edition of one of the most important competitions of the continent, this will be the second time in the tournament's history that it will host 16 teams - having hosted the same number of teams in its 2016 edition, also held in the United States.

Teams that have won 10 FIFA World Cup™ titles and the biggest stars of world football will take the field for 32 matches in this edition of the tournament in June and July 2024.

Rocking the Continent

The CONMEBOL Copa América has incredible power, it can make everything move, emotions vibrate and hearts soar.

 It makes the flags fly, the nets shake, the stands tremble, the stadiums rock. Its history makes the entire continent proud, causing our football to palpitate as a single force.

This competition has the power to bring out the best version of us to define who we are: as South Americans: football, history, joy and passion.

 

#VibraElContinente

 

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The CFB season is really just starting to hit its stride, so let’s take a look at what happened last week, project some TaxAct Texas Bowl teams and look ahead to another tremendous weekend in CFB for week 12.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Missouri - The Tigers got lambasted last year in Knoxville when the Tennessee Volunteers poured it on late in a 66-24 win. This year, though, was a different story. The Tigers, riding the wave of former DII transfer RB Cody Schrader trampled Tennessee 36-7, making a significant statement that the Tigers are a force in 2023. The Tigers have only lost to LSU by ten and to Georgia by nine last week. That’s it. So, they needed this one at home for a bit of revenge and a bit of redemption. A ten win season is certainly in range with games against Florida and Arkansas coming up.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - UCF - Gus Malzahn’s squad did not have a Big 12 win after grueling gut punch losses to Baylor, Oklahoma and West Virginia, in particular. But, in week ten, the Knights beat Cincinnati on the road. But, they still hadn’t beaten a legacy Big 12 team until Saturday. Not only did they beat a legacy team, they dismantled the HOT Oklahoma State Cowboys. Fresh off an upset over Oklahoma and five Big 12 wins in a row, Mike Gundy’s Cowboys got shellacked by Malzahn’s squad 45-3. That’s not a misprint. Oklahoma State was in some kind of driver’s seat after Kansas lost to Texas Tech, but the Cowboys couldn’t handle UCF at all. UCF RB R.J. Harvey looked more like Ollie Gordon than the real Ollie Gordon looked like Ollie Gordon. Harvey ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Player of the Week - LSU QB Jayden Daniels - I fell asleep well before the Florida-LSU game concluded, so I got on my phone first thing in the morning and I saw Daniels’ numbers. I got confused. I thought those have to be a misprint. Nope. Daniels did something that’s never been done in the history of college football. He’s the first QB to throw for 350+ yards and rush for 200+ yards. Check these #s out - 17 of 26 for 372 yards and three touchdowns through the air with 12 rushes for 234 yards and two touchdowns. 606 total yards, accounting for five touchdowns. He was the only player that could make Missouri RB Cody Schrader the honorable mention selection this week.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Missouri RB Cody Schrader - This was such a tough decision but when Daniels set records that no QB in FBS history had ever reached, Schrader moved down a notch from his high perch. But, that doesn't take away in the slightest from one of the greatest RB performances in SEC and Missouri history. He was the first player in SEC history to have 200 yards rushing (205) and 100 yards receiving (116) in the same game. There are only ten players that have done it in the history of college football. No player has generated as many all-purpose yards (321) in a game in FBS this season as Schrader.

National Team of the Week - Oregon State - The Beavers are one of the least talked about GREAT teams in the country. Stifling defense. Outstanding QB play. One of the nation’s best OL. The Beavers piled up 62 points on Stanford on Saturday, including 55 in the first three quarters. Circle the next two Saturdays - Oregon State gets Washington at home in Corvallis and then it’s Civil War time in Eugene against the Ducks. Those games will be AWESOME!

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - UNLV - The Rebels finished 2022 with six losses in their last seven games. In 2021, they won just two games. In 2020, they lost all six games. After Friday night’s win over Wyoming in Vegas, the Rebels are now 8-2. That’s eight wins, one more than the Rebels had in the last three years COMBINED. Head coach Barry Odom’s squad jumped all over the Cowboys in the second half, shutting out the Cowboys and putting up 13 points over the last 30 minutes in a 34-14 win. 

National Player of the Week - Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. - Three touchdowns against Michigan State. Went over 1000 yards receiving for the second consecutive season. Heisman love. Seven catches for 149 yards, two TD. One carry for a nineteen yard touchdown. Yeah, he’s the absolute Truth.

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Cal LB David Reese - You wouldn’t think that a defensive star emerged in a 42-39 game on the west coast, but Reese should get all kinds of honors for his performance. Three sacks. Six tackles. Two forced fumbles, one of which was returned for a 52 yard TD for the Golden Bears.

 

Quick Kudos

…to Sam Houston for its second win, and first ever against a CUSA as a FBS program, on the road at Louisiana Tech.

…to Georgia for a resounding win over a top ten team at home. TE Brock Bowers returned to the lineup and scored a TD in a 52-17 win over formerly #9 Ole Miss.

…to Washington for remaining undefeated in a hard fought win over Utah in Seattle 35-28

…to Oregon QB Bo Nix for throwing four TD passes against USC in a 36-27 win.

…to the Red Raiders of Texas Tech for wrecking Kansas’ magical season with a last second field goal in Lawrence, KS.

…to Jedd Fisch and the Arizona Wildcats for their seventh win of the season, this time over Colorado on the road in Boulder.

…to Iowa for a shutout over Rutgers.

…to James Madison for its tenth win in a row this season. All that stands between JMU and a perfect 12-0 season is a game with Appalachian State and a trip to Coastal Carolina.

 …to Hugh Freeze and Auburn for finding their offensive attack at the right time in the season. 48-10 over Arkansas in Fayetteville.

 

Week 12’s Big games

#2 (10-0) Georgia at #13 (7-3) Tennessee - the Volunteers are coming off of an embarrassing showing in Columbia, MO, so ruining the season of the #2 Bulldogs would be an amazing finish to the year.

 #5 (10-0) Washington at #12 (8-2) Oregon State - This is the BEST game of the weekend, in my estimation. Oregon State is actually a slight favorite at home, so it’s clear this could be Washington’s last biggest test.

 #24 (8-2) North Carolina at (6-4) Clemson - The Tigers are starting to play some good football finally, but facing, and shutting down, North Carolina QB Drake Maye might be a more difficult exercise on Saturday afternoon.

 

TaxAct Texas Bowl Potential teams

Big 12 candidates

(7-3) Oklahoma State - The Cowboys have overachieved a bit this year, but I didn’t expect them to get it handed to them this past weekend. Still in the Tax Act Texas Bowl hunt.

(7-3) Kansas - The Jayhawks lost to Texas Tech and have Kansas State this week…and potentially a banged up QB.

(5-5) Texas Tech - If the Red Raiders finish out the year with a win over UCF and an upset of Texas…I wouldn’t mind a HOT Tech team coming back to Houston.

SEC candidates

(7-3) LSU - If LSU finishes out with two more wins, the Tigers will get snapped up by a New Year’s Bowl

(6-4) Texas A&M - With the change at the head coaching position, A&M is an intriguing team to watch this offseason for many reasons.

(6-4) Auburn - The Tigers stayed hot with a MASSIVE blowout win on the road last weekend.

 

Tax Act Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Oklahoma State - Before the season started, I was convinced that this was the year, finally, that Oklahoma State was not going to be in this Big 12 race. But, head coach Mike Gundy has done a whale of a job keeping his Cowboys right in the mix. Oklahoma State knocked Oklahoma off its potential playoff perch with a scintillating 27-24 win in Stillwater…Bedlam will be decked in orange and black for the foreseeable future. RB Ollie Gordon II put on a show for the third straight week, rushing for 137 yards and two TD, while junior WR Rashod Owens took over the game with his receptions and runs after the catch. Oklahoma State moved to 7-2 on the season and 5-1 in the conference. What a win.

Tax Act Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Houston - QB Donovan Smith ran in a QB Draw on a two point conversion to beat Baylor in Waco 25-24 to move within two games of bowl eligibility. That would be a MAJOR feather in head coach Dana Holgorsen’s cap - first year in the Big 12 and the Cougars find a bowl?? Wow.

Tax Act Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Alabama QB Jalen Milroe - The Katy, TX product just kept scoring touchdowns against LSU. He threw for 219 yards, but he ran for 20 times for 155 yards and FOUR touchdowns in a come from behind win over rival LSU in Tuscaloosa

Tax Act Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II - as noted above, Gordon was instrumental in the 27-24 win over Oklahoma. He’s now run for 136, 168, 282, 271 and 138 in his last six games. In fact, he only ran the ball 19 times in his first three games for 109 yards.

National Team of the Week - Washington - Head coach Kalen DeBoer’s undefeated Huskies went to Los Angeles and dropped a 50-burger on the USC Trojans in a 52-42 win three weeks after beating Oregon in Seattle.

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - Army - The Black Knights were decided underdogs heading to Denver to take on the undefeated Air Force Falcons. They left Denver with a win for the ages 23-3, knocking Air Force from its undefeated perch. With a win over Navy in the finale, Army will take home the Commander in Chief trophy after the massive upset in Air Force’s backyard. Congrats to Jeff Monken and his Army squad.

National Player of the Week - Washington RB Dillon Johnson - All the Greenville, MS native did was run for a career high 256 yards and four touchdowns in that 52-42 win over USC. He tacked on 11 more receiving yards for a total of 267 all-purpose yards and those four tuddies.

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Penn State QB Drew Allar - 25-34 for 240 yards and FOUR touchdowns against Maryland in a 51-15 win.

Quick Kudos

…to Sam Houston for its first win as an FBS program - 24-21 win over Kennesaw State on a Colby Sessums game ending FG.

…to UCF for its first Big 12 win against Cincinnati 28-26

…to James Madison for continuing its dominant 9-0 run through CFB this year…even though James Madison can’t go to a bowl. It can STILL finish 12-0 with wins over UConn, Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina.

…to West Virginia for getting to bowl eligibility under head coach Neal Brown in a dominant 37-7 win over BYU.

…to Ole Miss for a hard fought win over Texas A&M in Oxford. Ole Miss hung on as Texas A&M kicker Randy Bond missed a game tying kick at the buzzer.

Week 11’s Big games

#3 (9-0) Michigan at #11(8-1) Penn State - Can Penn State finally win a BIG game against a top five team? Michigan is arguably the best team in the nation, so Penn State is in for a fight at home.

#18 (7-2) Utah at #5 (9-0) Washington - Utah can make a complete mess of the situation in the Pac-12 with an upset win in Seattle. Washington WR Rome Odunze is the absolute truth and Utah must stop him…and RB Dillon Johnson…and WR Ja’Lynn Polk…and QB Michael Penix Jr.

#17 (7-2) Tennessee at #12 (7-2) Missouri - The Tigers gave Georgia all it could handle in Athens, so returning home for Tennessee could make things tough on the Vols.

Tax Act Potential Bowl teams

Big 12 candidates

(6-3) Kansas State - the Wildcats have a great history with the bowl here in Houston

(6-3) West Virginia - without that late loss to Houston, Neal Brown’s Mountaineers would be 7-2

(4-5) Houston - the Cougars would be one heck of a story, but need two difficult wins to get to 6-6, at a minimum.

(5-4) BYU - The Cougars need a win to get to bowl eligibility, but if they do, they’ll bring fans in droves to H-Town.

 

SEC candidates

(6-3) LSU - If LSU finishes out with three wins, the Tigers will get snapped up by a New Year’s Bowl

(5-4) Texas A&M - the Aggies have had some gut punch losses this year, including last week’s 38-35 barnburner in Oxford.

(5-4) Auburn - In his first year at Auburn, Hugh Freeze has put Auburn in position to get into a bowl game, but must beat one of Arkansas, New Mexico State or Alabama to get to six wins.

HOUSTON – Today, the Houston Texans and NFL Mexico, in partnership with Tec de Monterrey and NRG Park, announced the creation of the inaugural Mexican College Football Showcase, which will be held on Friday, Sept. 8 at NRG Stadium. 

Known as the “Clásico Regio” in Mexico, this notable matchup between the Borregos from Tec de Monterrey and the Tigres from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León marks the first ever ONEFA regular season game to be played in the United States.

“We are proud to partner with NFL Mexico and Tec de Monterrey to bring this historic matchup to NRG Stadium this fall,” Houston Texans President Greg Grissom said. “This partnership presents an exciting opportunity to establish an international network for college football and grow the game on a global level while offering passionate local fans the chance to enjoy the best rivalry in Mexican college football right here in Houston.”

This partnership between the city of Houston and Monterrey highlights the longstanding history of collaboration in industry and sport between the two communities that will enable a broader audience to partake in the rich traditions of this historic game. 

“I am looking forward to this thrilling opportunity for the city to host the first-ever regular season ONEFA college football game at NRG Stadium,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “As a sports city, we are well-prepared to welcome fans from all over the world. Houston is eagerly awaiting the exciting game ahead and further strengthening our ties with Monterrey.”

The matchup between Tec de Monterrey and Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León leads up to the NFL’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins on Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15.

“This is an exciting and historic moment for college football in Mexico, and it is fantastic to see two of the top college teams represent our country in the United States,” added Arturo Olive, Director General NFL Mexico. “It will be a great showcase of the Mexican college game at the highest level and promises to be a great spectacle for fans.”

A press conference with Tec de Monterrey Rector David Garza Salazar, UANL Rector Santos Guzman Lopez, NFL Mexico Director General Arturo Olive, and Houston Texans President Greg Grissom will be held on Thursday, June 29 at 5:30p.m. CT and may be viewed at live.tec.mx. Tickets and additional information can be found at MCFS.com.

About Tecnológico de Monterrey

Tecnológico de Monterrey (http://www.tec.mx) is a private nonprofit multi-campus university system founded in 1943, and distinguished globally for its academic excellence, innovation in education, entrepreneurship, and global vision, along with its deep engagement with industry and employers, and its high executional capability. With a presence across 28 cities in Mexico, the institution has more than 67,000 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, almost 7,000 faculty members, and more than 26,000 high school students served by 2,500 professors. The institution has been accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) since 1950. According to the QS World University Rankings (2023), Tecnológico de Monterrey ranks 170th globally and among the top 30 private universities worldwide. The QS Graduate Employability Rankings (2022) places the institution 1st in Latin America and 26th globally for Employer Reputation. The Times Higher Education Latin America University Rankings (2022) ranks the institution 1st in Mexico and 5th in Latin America. Tecnológico de Monterrey is the only university outside the USA included in The Princeton Review & Entrepreneur magazine ranking of Top Schools for Entrepreneurship Studies (2023), placing 4th for undergraduate entrepreneurship programs. Tecnológico de Monterrey belongs to several prestigious global networks including, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), Universitas 21 (U21), and The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN).

 

HUNTSVILLE — A rivalry will be renewed when Sam Houston plays Texas State at NRG Stadium in Houston during the 2024 season.

Sam Houston football has played annually at NRG Stadium since 2010 and that will continue into the FBS as the Bearkats join Conference USA on July 1. It was announced in October that Sam Houston will play Air Force at the home of the Houston Texans this upcoming season. 

The Bearkats and Bobcats have previously played each other 91 times from 1915 to 2011 with the only break in the series coming during World War II (1943-45). Texas State leads the all-time series 50-36-5.

“Anytime two rivals with over a century of history come back together, it’s exciting for the fans, the schools and the community. We couldn’t be more thrilled for NRG Stadium to play host next fall to welcoming back this great Texas rivalry for the first time in over a decade,” said David Fletcher, General Manager of Lone Star Sports and Entertainment.

 The game will take place on Sept. 28, 2024, and the Bearkats will be considered the home team. The last time the two teams met on the field were as members of the Southland Conference in 2011 before Texas State joined the Sun Belt with Sam Houston coming away with a 36-14 victory in San Marcos.

NRG Stadium is a venue that Sam Houston first started playing at in 2010 when it joined forces with Stephen F. Austin and Lone Star Sports and Entertainment to move the Battle of the Piney Woods rivalry to Houston.

 The game against Texas State concludes the 2024 non-conference portion of the schedule for the Bearkats. Sam Houston will play at Rice on Aug. 31, at Central Florida on Sept. 7 and host Hawai'i on Sept. 14.