Snow cancels YSU bowling tourney

The Prairie View Invitational, which Youngstown State’s bowling team was scheduled to compete in this weekend, has been canceled due to a potential winter storm in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of emergency as North Texas faces a winter storm starting Friday. The system is expected to bring “a treacherous mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow that could make travel nearly impossible through the weekend,” according to Dallas-based KDFW Fox 4.

The Penguins were scheduled to fly to Texas on Wednesday, and Prairie View A&M made the decision to cancel the tournament on Tuesday night. The event was slated to be held at The ITRC in Arlington, Texas.

Mets acquire Robert from White Sox

CHICAGO — The busy New York Mets acquired Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the Chicago White Sox late Tuesday night, filling a hole in center field.

New York sent speedy infielder Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley to Chicago for Robert, who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since a stellar 2023 season.

The Mets had been looking for outfield help since they traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien. They were in the mix for Kyle Tucker before he to signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The trade was announced after New York finalized a $126 million, three-year contract with Bo Bichette, a two-time All-Star shortstop who is moving to third base.

Robert hit a career-low .223 with 14 homers, 53 RBIs and a career-best 33 steals in 110 games last year. Despite the shaky performance, the White Sox exercised his $20 million option for 2026.

Robert’s contract also has a $20 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout.

New York is looking to return to the playoffs after it faded to an 83-79 record last year. Popular slugger Pete Alonso and star closer Edwin Díaz departed in free agency, but the Mets signed closer Devin Williams, reliever Luke Weaver and infielder Jorge Polanco.

The 23-year-old Acuña hit .234 with eight RBIs and 16 steals in 95 games with New York last season. Acuña, who can play second base, third base, shortstop and center field, was acquired by the Mets in a July 2023 trade with the Rangers for pitcher Max Scherzer.

Bills owner calls out Coleman pick

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — As if Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman didn’t attract enough negative attention for showing up late to meetings during an underperforming season.

On Wednesday, the second-year player was drawn into the conversation involving team owner Terry Pegula’s abrupt decision to fire coach Sean McDermott on Monday.

Pegula shared the podium with general manager Brandon Beane during an end-of-season news conference. And the owner interjected when questions turned to Beane’s failure to improve the team’s group of receivers last offseason and Coleman’s lack of development.

Pegula then explained it was the coaching staff that pushed for Coleman being the Bills’ second-round pick in the 2024 draft.

Pegula later clarified to The Associated Press he was not referring to McDermott, but rather another coach, whom he declined to name.

Beane somewhat contradicted Pegula by saying Coleman was “my pick,” before suggesting what Pegula meant is Buffalo could have considered addressing another position with the selection.

Buffalo twice traded back in the draft order before selecting Coleman with the first pick of the second round.

Coleman was disciplined by having to sit out the opening series of a loss to New England in Week 5. A month later, the 22-year-old was a healthy scratch in a game against Tampa Bay. It marked the third time he had been disciplined after also being late for a meeting during his rookie season.

Each time Coleman vowed to do better, and finished the season with 38 catches for 404 yards and four TDs.

Judge blocks Duke QB’s transfer

A judge has granted Duke’s request for a temporary restraining order blocking quarterback Darian Mensah from enrolling to play football at another school until a court hearing set for early February.

The school filed a lawsuit Monday in Durham County Superior Court against Mensah seeking to block his efforts to transfer and reach a contract with another school to play elsewhere next season. The complaint came three days after Mensah reversed his previously announced plan to return to the Blue Devils after leading them to the Atlantic Coast Conference title.

Judge Michael O’Foghludha signed an order Wednesday that prevents Mensah from enrolling elsewhere, signing a licensing deal with another school or taking any other action breaching the two-season contract Mensah signed with Duke running through 2026.

The order, formalizing a verbal ruling from Tuesday’s hearing, didn’t grant Duke’s additional request seeking to block Mensah from entering his name into the transfer portal entirely. But he otherwise can’t take additional steps in the process of reaching a deal to play at a new school, with the order designed to “preserve the status quo” until a Feb. 2 hearing.

“Mr. Mensah has an existing contract with Duke which the university intends to honor, and we expect he will do the same,” Duke said in a statement Wednesday. “The court-ordered temporary restraining order issued (Tuesday) ensures he does not violate his contract. The university is committed to supporting all our student-athletes, while expecting each of them to abide by their contractual obligations.”

The school argued its contract with Mensah — signed in July 2025 — paid him for exclusive rights to market Mensah’s name, image and likeness (NIL) tied to playing college football. Duke’s lawsuit argued that the contract requires parties to go through arbitration before any dispute can be resolved.

In an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday, sports-law attorney Darren Heitner, said on social media that Mensah “is not, for the time being” allowed to enroll or play football elsewhere before a decision by a different judge set to preside over the next hearing.

Mensah, who transferred in from Tulane and even faced his former team, finished second in the Bowl Subdivision ranks by throwing for 3,973 yards while ranking tied for second with 34 passing touchdowns.

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Dieter Memorial Scholarship opens

The Trumbull County Tennis Association is taking applicants for the Gary Dieter Memorial Scholarship.

To be eligible, applicants must be graduating seniors who are T.C.T.A members and played varsity tennis. Consideration is also given to non-Trumbull County students who are members of the T.C.T.A and have participated in the organization’s tournaments.

Applications can be obtained through area high school guidance counselors and athletic directors, or by visiting www.trumbullcountytennis.com.

Entries must be postmarked by March 27 to T.C.T.A Scholarship Committee, C/O Marilyn Spahr, 2804 Crestwood Dr. NW, Warren, Ohio, 44485.

No applications will be accepted after March 27.

Scholarships will be paid directly to the college or university upon receipt of billing.

YSU men’s runners sweep awards

Youngstown State men’s track and field standouts Brayden Green and Joseph Owusu-Ansah claimed Under Armour #HLTF Indoor Athlete and Runner of the Week honors following their outstanding performances at YSU Collegiate Invitational on Friday.

Owusu-Ansah won the 60m dash at the 200m dash at the YSU Collegiate Invitational at the WATTS. Owusu-Ansah won the 60m with a time of 6.76 seconds and won the 200m with a time of 21.26 seconds. He won the 200m in impressive fashion by 0.18 seconds. That time ranks 34th currently in the NCAA. He leads the Horizon League in both events.

Green won the triple jump at the YSU Collegiate Invitational on Friday at the WATTS. Green won the triple jump with an impressive leap of 14.65m in the event. The leap moves him into fourth place all-time in program history. He jumped 14.41m prior to the semester break in YSU’s lone meet. The 14.65m mark leads the HL.

YSU makes the short trip to Kent, Ohio, on Friday to compete at the Kent State Jud Logan Memorial Invitational at the Kent State Field House.

Rangers sign Junis to 1-year deal

ARLINGTON, Texas — Right-hander Jakob Junis finalized a $4 million, one-year contract with the Rangers on Tuesday that includes a mutual option for 2027, and Texas signed 2023 World Series reliever Josh Sborz to a minor league contract.

Junis was 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA in a career-high 57 appearances with Cleveland last season, when he allowed only five home runs over 66 2/3 innings. He will make $2.75 million this year, and the 2027 option is at $5 million with a $1.25 million buyout.

In his nine-year big league career, the 33-year-old Junis is 46-46 with two saves and a 4.36 ERA with 768 strikeouts in 249 games, including 116 starts, with Kansas City (2017-21), San Francisco (2022-23), Milwaukee (2024), Cincinnati (2024), and Cleveland (2025). He is among four active pitchers with at least 100 starts and 100 relief appearances since 2017.

Right-hander Dom Hamel designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

Sborz spent all of last season on the injured list after right shoulder surgery in November 2024.

He got the final seven outs in the Rangers’ World Series-clinching victory at Arizona in Game 5 in 2023, then was limited to 16 1/3 innings over 17 appearances in 2024, when the right-hander was on the injured list four times for right shoulder issues.

He never pitched for the Rangers last year, making 12 appearances during a minor league rehab assignment, the last on Aug. 30.

Falcons hire O-line coach Callahan

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons hired veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan on Tuesday, making one of the NFL’s most-experienced coaches the first offensive assistant added to new coach Kevin Stefanski’s staff.

The addition of Callahan comes one day after the team announced defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will return.

Callahan was the Tennessee Titans’ offensive line coach the past two years, including time working for his son, Brian Callahan, who was fired as coach on Oct. 14.

Bill Callahan has coached 48 years in college and the NFL. He has had 14 offensive linemen earn 35 Pro Bowl selections in his 27 years in the NFL. Callahan coached the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line for four years (2020-23) before his time with Tennessee.

Callahan was Nebraska’s head coach from 2004-07 and the Oakland Raiders’ head coach from 2002-03 as well as time as interim head coach with Washington in 2019.

Callahan also coached the offensive lines for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets.

Stefanski was hired on Saturday night as the replacement for Raheem Morris, who was fired following an 8-9 finish in his second season. New Falcons president of football Matt Ryan, who also holds most of the Falcons’ major passing records, is continuing his search to replace fired general manager Terry Fontenot.

Warriors guard Butler tears ACL

SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler will require surgery and miss the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during the third quarter of a 135-112 victory over Miami.

The Warriors made the announcement Tuesday ahead of their home game against Toronto.

Butler was hurt Monday night moments after catching a pass in the paint when he went down hard and awkwardly following a collision with the Heat’s Davion Mitchell — who was called for a foul. After the play, Butler was asking for two free throws, a positive sign to coach Steve Kerr that his spirits were good.

The news was not good, and now Golden State — with about two weeks until the trade deadline — will have decisions to make about how to handle the remainder of the season without Butler.

Butler’s knee buckled upon his landing and he grimaced and grabbed at the knee while down for a couple of minutes. He needed teammates Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield to escort him off the court and to the locker room after the fall on the Warriors’ offensive end. When he finally got up with assistance, he was unable to put any pressure on his knee.

In just under 21 minutes, Butler had 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting, four assists and three rebounds. He is Golden State’s second-leading scorer behind Curry, having averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists entering the week.

Capsules

Campbell to speak to Curbstone

Youngstown State softball coach Brian Campbell will be the guest speaker at Monday’s luncheon meeting of The Curbstone Coaches at the Avion Banquet Center on Western Reserve Road in Beaver Township.

The event begins at noon and the public is welcome to attend. For those arriving early the buffet lines will open at 11:45 a.m.

All sports fans are welcome and you do not need to be a current or former coach.

Twins sign catcher Caratini

Catcher Victor Caratini and the Minnesota Twins agreed Friday to a $14 million, two-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

Caratini, 32, hit .259 last year in his second season with the Houston Astros and set career bests with 12 homers, 46 RBIs and 386 plate appearances. He caught in 49 games, played first base in 15 and was a designated hitter for 30.

A switch-hitter, Caratini batted .268 versus right-handers and .208 against lefties. He could wind up in a platoon with Ryan Jeffers, a right-handed hitter who batted .313 versus left-handers and .248 against righties.

Jeffers is on track to be eligible for free agency after the 2026 season, and the move sets the Twins up for his potential departure. They also acquired journeyman Alex Jackson for depth in a trade with Baltimore.

Caratini had signed a $12 million, two-year deal with the Astros.

He has a .244 average with 58 homers and 247 RBIs in nine big league seasons with the Chicago Cubs (2017-20), San Diego (2021), Milwaukee (2022-23) and Houston.

NFL sees WC viewership increase

After double-digit increases in its regular-season and wild-card playoff round ratings, the NFL is looking for another large bump in ratings during this weekend’s division round.

The league and Nielsen said last weekend’s six wild-card games averaged 32 million viewers, a 13% jump from last year. It was also the most-watched opening weekend of the NFL playoffs since the field expanded to 14 teams in the 2020 season.

Overall, it was the most-watched wild-card round since the 2015 season and the fifth highest since average viewer numbers started being tracked in 1988.

Five of the games saw increases compared to the same time frames a year ago while the sixth game was even.

The regular season averaged 18.7 million viewers per game, a 10% increase. It also was the second-highest average on record.

Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in the way viewers are counted. Nielsen began using its Big Data + Panel methodology for all events last September with the start of the current television season.

Earlier this year, Nielsen began measuring out-of-home viewers for all states but Hawaii and Alaska, along with including data from smart TVs along with cable and satellite set-top boxes.

Nielsen previously measured only the top 44 media markets, which covered 65% of the country.

Last year’s four divisional matchups averaged 37.1 million viewers. The record for the NFL’s second weekend of the playoffs is 40 million, set two years ago. That was led by the Kansas City-Buffalo matchup, which averaged 50.4 million, making it the most watched divisional or wild-card game on record.

Fox averaged 37.5 million for the Green Bay-San Francisco Saturday night divisional matchup two years ago, which was the most-watched Saturday NFL playoff game on record.

The 49ers will face the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night, which drew some criticism in some quarters because they played in Philadelphia in the late afternoon Sunday window and have a short week. Meanwhile, the Rams and Chicago Bears both played on Saturday.

The Rams and Bears though will close the weekend on Sunday night on NBC.

The last time at least one team didn’t have a short week between the wild-card and divisional rounds was the 2018 season.

Chambliss sues NCAA for extra year

Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss sued the NCAA in state court on Friday for an additional year of eligibility so he can play for the Rebels next season.

The suit filed in Lafayette County came a week after the NCAA denied Ole Miss’ request for an extra year, saying the university and Chambliss’ previous school — Ferris State — failed to provide adequate medical documentation to back up the request.

The lawsuit filed Friday called the NCAA’s denial in “bad-faith, unreasonable and arbitrary,” and detailed Chambliss’ history of illness and included letters from physicians.

Ole Miss’ arguments revolve around the fact that the 23-year-old Chambliss, although he has been in college for five years, has only played three years of college football because of that medical history.

After taking a redshirt his first season at Ferris State in 2021-22, Chambliss was held out in his second season for medical reasons.

He played two more seasons at the Division II school in Michigan, leading the Bulldogs to a national championship before transferring to Ole Miss before the start of this season.

Chambliss completed 294 of 445 passes (66.1%) for 3,937 yards with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions for Ole Miss (13-2), which set a school record for wins, including two after making the College Football Playoff for the first time. He ran for 527 yards and eight more TDs.

The Rebels lost 31-27 to Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinals on Jan. 8.

The NCAA, when contacted Friday, did not have a new statement, but referred to its statement from a week ago saying “This decision aligns with consistent application of NCAA rules.”

The NCAA said in that week-old statement that approval of such waivers requires schools to submit medical documentation from a treating physician at the time of a student’s incapacitating injury or illness.

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Mavericks’ Davis injures hand

Anthony Davis has ligament damage in his left hand, and the Dallas Mavericks’ oft-injured big man is seeking multiple opinions on treatment options, the team said Friday without offering a time frame on a possible return.

Davis was injured late in a 116-114 loss at the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. The 10-time All-Star was in obvious pain on the bench before going to the locker room. The team said an MRI revealed the damage.

The possibility of a lengthy absence from the latest injury for Davis is a significant development for the Mavericks as they try to figure out how to move on from the trade for Davis that sent young superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers 11 months ago.

General manager Nico Harrison, the orchestrator of the deal, was fired in November after Dallas got off to a slow start. The Mavericks are 10 games under .500 and out of the playoff picture less than two years after playing in the NBA Finals.

There has been speculation about Davis getting traded again, but most of that has been predicated on him being healthy. The hand injury could sideline him until after the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Davis is averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.

The 32-year-old Davis missed 18 of the Mavericks’ first 38 games this season with calf and groin injuries. He was nursing an abdominal injury when the Mavericks traded for him last February, and he re-aggravated it in his Dallas debut. Davis was sidelined for the next 18 games.

Another injury to Davis also could affect the franchise’s decision on when Kyrie Irving returns from last season’s knee injury. It’s possible the nine-time All-Star guard won’t play at all in 2025-26. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee on March 3 last year.

Brooks Koepka leaves LIV Golf

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, just over two weeks after defecting from Saudi-funded LIV Golf, has applied to have his PGA Tour membership reinstated.

The next step belongs to the tour, which has suspended players for joining the rival league, even if they never had PGA Tour membership.

Two people with knowledge of Koepka’s application confirmed Friday he has started the process to rejoin the tour. They spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been made public. Koepka’s manager at Hambric Sports, Blake Smith, said he would not have a comment at this time.

ESPN first reported Koepka’s application. With one year left on his LIV contract, the Saudi-backed league announced Dec. 23 that he would no longer be part of the LIV Golf League and his captaincy of Smash had been turned over to Talor Gooch.

“Brooks is prioritizing the needs of his family and staying closer to home,” said Scott O’Neil, the CEO of LIV Golf, who described the departure as amicable and mutual.

The tour policy has been players having to sit out one year from their last LIV appearance, but that was only for nonmembers, such as Laurie Canter. The Englishman was a part-time LIV player, and he qualified for The Players Championship last March one year and a month after last playing a LIV event in Las Vegas.

Brian Rolapp, who took over as CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises last summer, will face one of his first early decisions on a pathway back for LIV Golf players wanting to return. His case will be reviewed by Rolapp, along with the policy board and player directors. That includes Tiger Woods, who chairs the Future Competition Committee.

Koepka, and other PGA Tour members who left for LIV and were seen as damaging the tour, presumably would face any number of penalties. But the tour’s longtime policy has been to never publicize discipline.

The application comes one day after Rolapp sent a memo to players that the Player Equity Program is being expanded to include current year performance. Koepka already was with LIV when the tour began its first-of-a-kind program, with equity grants first being awarded in April 2024.

Koepka’s departure in June 2022 was one of the biggest surprises, mainly because he was at a corporate function the week before he bolted for LIV encouraging the top players to rally around support for the PGA Tour.

But he also was at a crossroads in his career, hampered by injuries in his knees and his left hip. Koepka got his health in order and he won in Saudi Arabia later in 2022, then became the first LIV player to win a major at the 2023 PGA Championship.

He has suggested he might not have joined LIV if he were more certain of his health. Koepka also expressed frustration last year the rival league wasn’t as far along as he had hoped. A statement that accompanied his departure from LIV said, “Family has always guided Brooks’s decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home.”

His wife, Jenna, announced on social media in October that she had suffered a miscarriage. They have a 2-year-old son.

The PGA Tour offers a five-year exemption to players who win a major, and if the 2023 PGA Championship title is honored, that would make him exempt through 2028. Still to be determined is what kind of punishment the tour will dispense.

The PGA Tour season starts next week at the Sony Open, followed by The American Express in the California desert and the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. The next event would be the Phoenix Open, which Koepka won for his first PGA Tour title in 2015. He also won Phoenix in 2021.

Michigan RB Haynes enters portal

Big Ten rushing leader Justice Haynes is transferring again after an injury-shortened single season at Michigan.

Haynes, who played his first two college seasons at Alabama, announced on social media Friday that he planned “to return for another year of college football and enter the transfer portal.”

Haynes ran for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns, with more than 100 yards in six of his seven games during his only season with the Wolverines. He missed their last five games because of a right foot injury, but still qualified as the Big Ten leader with 122.4 yards per game and 7.1 yards per carry.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder from Alpharetta, Georgia, ran for 616 yards and nine touchdowns in 25 games for Alabama in 2023 and 2024. He started six games as a sophomore before transferring to Michigan.

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Warren Sports HOF releases class

The Warren Sports Hall of Fame released the inductees for its Class of 2026.

There are 11 who will be honored during an event on Feb. 1 at DiVieste’s Banquet Center at 1 p.m.

The class consists of: 1) Dr. James Brodell, Warren G. Harding physician and contributor; Pamela Brown Gant, Warren G. Harding girls basketball; John Condoleon, Warren JFK boys and girls basketball head coach; Kelton Dansler, Warren G. Harding football; Mark Elston, Warren JFK basketball and contributor; Gloria Gillen, St. Mary’s and Warren JFK contributor; Ted Gozur, Warren JFK multiple sports; David Herron, Warren G. Harding football; Eli Hilas, Warren G. Harding football; Steven Vingle: Warren Western Reserve multiple sports; Tameka Washington McBride: Warren G. Harding girls basketball.

Tickets are available by calling Denny Rossi at 3308838300. Tickets cost $40 for adults and $20 for children under 12.

Robb Schmidt, Youngstown State associate athletics director for corporate sponsorship and athletic marketing, will serve as MC.

For more information, visit warrensportshof.com.

Cards acquire Bruihl from Guards

ST. LOUIS — Left-hander Justin Bruihl’s brief stay with the Cleveland Guardians ended Tuesday when he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for cash.

Cleveland acquired Bruihl from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash on Dec. 17 and designated him for assignment three days later.

Bruihl, 28, went 0-0 with a 5.27 ERA in 15 games for Toronto last season. He struck out 18 and walked seven in 13 2/3 innings.

He is 2-2 with a 4.72 ERA in 94 career appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2021-23), Colorado Rockies (2023), Pittsburgh Pirates (2024) and Toronto.

St. Louis designated right-hander Zak Kent for assignment. He was claimed off waivers from the Guardians on Dec. 5.

Jackets name Gilman vice president

COLUMBUS –The Columbus Blue Jackets named veteran National Hockey League executive Laurence Gilman Vice President of Hockey Operations, Don Waddell, Columbus president of hockey operations and general manager, announced on Tuesday.

Gilman brings more than two decades of management experience to Columbus and will assist Waddell in all aspects of the club’s hockey operations.

“I have known Laurence for many years, and I am very excited to welcome him to the Columbus Blue Jackets,” Waddell said. “He is extremely knowledgeable about all facets of team and league operations, and his experience and personality will be a great addition to our hockey operations staff.”

Gilman began his NHL management career with the Winnipeg Jets in 1994 and remained with the organization when the club relocated to Phoenix in 1996. He served as director of hockey operations for the Coyotes from 1998-01, vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager from 2001-05 and senior vice president of hockey operations and assistant general from 2005-07. He then spent seven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks as vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager from 2008-15. During his tenure, Vancouver won five-straight Pacific Division titles from 2008-13, captured back-to-back Presidents’ Trophies in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and advanced to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba native most recently spent six seasons in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization as assistant general manager from 2018-22 and senior vice president of hockey operations for the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies from 2022-24. The Leafs qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his four seasons with the club, while the Marlies competed in the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2022-23 and 2023-24 and won the North Division title in 2022-23. Gilman is a 1991 graduate of the University of Manitoba and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1994.

“I’m very excited to join the Blue Jackets and want to thank Don for the opportunity,” Gilman said. “Columbus is a terrific market with great fans, and I look forward to working with everyone there and doing everything I can to help this team have success on the ice.”

The Blue Jackets faced San Jose on Tuesday night. The game was not completed by print deadline. Check out vindy.com for a complete story.

Athletics hit trademark speedbump

LAS VEGAS — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has for now denied the A’s request to trademark the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics.”

The club, which intends to move to Nevada in 2028, has three months from when the refusals were issued Dec. 29 to ask for an extension to file a new application within a six-month period.

The A’s were told the nickname “Athletics” was too generic and could be confused with other activities even if associated with Las Vegas.

That, however, has been the club’s nickname since the Philadelphia Athletics began playing in 1901. The A’s kept the nickname when they moved to Kansas City in 1955 and Oakland in 1968.

The Patent and Trademark Office denied the NHL’s Utah team to use the nickname “Yetis” on Jan. 9 because of potential confusion with companies such as Yeti Coolers. Utah, which moved from the Phoenix area in 2024, now uses the nickname “Mammoth.”

The A’s relocated to West Sacramento, California, last year to play the first of three planned seasons in the city’s Triple-A ballpark. The team is going solely by “Athletics” while playing in the Northern California city.

A $2 billion, 33,000-capacity stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is under construction. Club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Dec. 4 that the ballpark is on schedule to open in time for the 2028 season.

Nevada and Clark County have approved up to $380 million in public funds for the ballpark, and the A’s have said they will cover the remaining expenses. Owner John Fisher has been seeking investors to assist in the funding.

Going back to last offseason, the A’s also reached agreements on a $60 million, five-year contract with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and a $65.5 million, seven-year deal with outfielder Lawrence Butler. Manager Mark Kotsay signed an extension that takes him through 2028 with a club option for 2029.

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