Being a diehard Nole comes with its perks. One of these is the joy of being at a sports school, (for the most part, anyways). Whether you’re a loyal sports fanatic or have gotten into sports to simply stay in touch with popular culture (guilty), The Athletic has a ton of different articles to fuel your curiosity!
Here are a few highlights from The Athletic that explore new comings in sports history and live updates of current active sports seasons.
(P.S. all FSU students, faculty, and staff have complimentary access to The Athletic through The New York Times! You can sign up here with your FSU email: NYT Activation)
° ⋆˖ ‧ ᯓ⚽︎ News Highlight #1 °₊˚.
Alysa Liu, bursting with joy, wins first U.S. Olympic women’s figure skating gold in 24 years.
One of Team USA’s figure skaters, part of the decorated trio, “Blade Angels,” brought home gold in what seemed like an impossible task. Alysa Liu, the girl who came back and won it all, is the first woman from team USA to bring home a gold figure skating medal since 2002. Her story is one that is inspiring for athletes of all generations and one that will go down as the historic comeback.
This article highlights Liu’s joyous victory during this past Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. In my, humble, opinion, Liu’s story is one that every college student, woman, and athlete should know. So, here’s a quick sneak peek and summary of her historic comeback!
Alysa Liu, a 20-year-old athlete and student, originally retired from figure skating just at 16 years old. She took time to enroll in UCLA, experience a “normal life,” and focus on her mental health. In 2024, she came out of retirement with the goal of returning to her passion, despite her coach’s many attempts to change her mind. Instead of focusing on gold and glory, Liu returned to the sport with a mentality of pure joy. Competing on her own terms, Liu took full control over her coaching, training, diet, and music. Her passion and joy for the sport shines through her performances, allowing all her programs to appear effortless and flawless.
Liu’s story is one that is actively changing the game for athletes with her “impossible” comeback. This “Blade Angel” has now become one of America’s Sweethearts and a historic gold medalist!
༄.°🏆 News Highlight #2 🏆⋆⭒˚
Fernando Mendoza, Heisman winner, started his football career as QB4. Look at him now
Perhaps one of the most inspiring comeback stories, if you don’t count Alysa Liu, is Fernando Mendoza’s rise to glory. This Miami local led the Indiana Hoosiers to victory during 2025-26 College Football Playoffs. What makes his story so interesting is the fact that Mendoza and the Hoosier’s weren’t even considered to make it far this past season.
Mendoza, though being a solid quarterback, was a 2-star recruit and was ranked No. 2,149 in his draft class. His impressive stats and leadership skills gradually put the spotlight on the Indiana Hoosiers. Mendoza was even able to win the most prestigious college football award this season, the Heisman Memorial Trophy (aka top player of the year).
What makes his victory so sweet, on top of being so unpredictable, was him being the first Cuban American to win this trophy. This “Cuban Missile” displays such gratitude and kindness on and off the field, being truly deserving of his victories. Mendoza’s story is not one to overlook. Check out this article, or even his honorable LinkedIn, to learn more about his success!
° ⋆˖ ‧ ᯓ⚽︎ News Highlight #3 °₊˚.
F1 hits reset in 2026. Your guide to the new cars, new rules and new era
If there’s one thing I notice throughout campus, it’s the amount of Formula 1 jerseys and merch I see every day. F1 has continued to branch out and expand its audiences to everyone, and that is definitely not limited to us Noles!
Whether or not you’ve kept up with F1 news, or have 0 knowledge about the sport, one thing to know is how different and chaotic this 2026 season is going to be. With two new names on the grid, Cadillac and Audi, there will be a total of 22 drivers (as opposed to the standard 20), brand new rules, and brand-new car regulations.
The 2026 F1 cars are smaller, lighter, and more powerful. With these new changes, drivers have to work harder than ever to make efficient use of their car’s energy, which will be even more difficult with an increased number of drivers. Though each team has been preparing and developing their engines for years, this change will come as a new challenge to all (with the usual drama, of course).
These articles do an amazing job to explain the different intricacies of the work put into these engines, as well as the new rules that teams will have to adhere to. Without a doubt, F1’s 2026 season is not one to miss out on. It’s only a matter of time before we start to see which drivers will be top contenders for the World Championship battle!
༄.°🏆 News Highlight #4 🏆⋆⭒˚
The nastiest rivalry in hockey? Canada vs. USA women’s hockey has drama, line brawls, hatred
If you’ve been on the internet anytime within the past month, you know hockey rivalries have taken over the news, (if you know, you know). Not only are the Canadian & USA Hockey Teams the biggest rivalry in hockey, but it’s considered one of the most intense rivalries in all of sports history.
This article goes over the years of history between the two teams, and how the rivalry has intensified. It also goes over personal anecdotes from various American and Canadian hockey players from the women’s teams. The article covers it all from brawls, tensions, and gold-medal battles. Truly, each team’s obstacle to the gold medal is the opposite team.
With Team USA’s recent gold-medal win in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, this rivalry becomes even more intensified as Canada fell into second place. For now, we can only wait until the 2030 Winter Olympics to see these two powerhouses battle it out once again!
° ⋆˖ ‧ ᯓ⚽︎ News Highlight #5 °₊˚.
Everything you need to know about the 2026 World Cup: What is it? When is it? Who are the favorites?
With so many different major sporting events, it can be easy to overlook some of the upcoming ones. In the post-Super Bowl and Winter Olympics era, it is now time for sports fans to turn their attention to the 2026 World Cup. The World Cup will take place throughout June and July, with the final match taking place on July 19th, 2026.
This article covers all the basics and important information leading up to the World Cup games. These matches will take place between the United States, Canada, and Mexico (aka co-hosted by North America). Spanning across 16 cities and three countries, the World Cup will be taking over the summer as fans fly in from around the world.
If you have no idea who to root for this summer, keep an eye out for the favorites: England, Brazil, France, and Argentina. Though, of course, anything can happen in the world’s biggest sport!
༄.°🏆 News Highlight #6 🏆⋆⭒˚
Is Charlie Woods the real deal? Experts break down the FSU recruit’s golf game
Perhaps one of the most renowned names in all of golf history is none other than Tiger Woods. Yet this article isn’t about him; it’s about his son Charlie Woods. Being the newest major Nole recruit, Woods recently announced his verbal commitment to Florida State for the fall of 2027.
Despite multiple top schools attempting to recruit him, Woods made the decision to commit to FSU, being the first official Nole in his family! Abandoning his family’s legacy at Stanford, Woods decided to go with the Seminoles to stay close to home and compete for the ACC.
Though he is the son of Tiger Woods, Charlie is truly an impressive and exceptional golfer for his age. As a top 10 contender of the Junior PGA Championship, and overall top 9 in his recruiting class, Woods is sure to go down as a Seminole powerhouse. This well-earned position is definitely one to keep up with as the 2027 fall season begins!
⋆⭒˚.⋆🥇 Bonus: News Quizzes 🥇ᯓ★
The Athletic News Quizzes
Did you know that The Athletic has its own connections minigame?
If you’re a NYT Games fien like me, check out The Athletics’ very own minigame connections! It’s just like the NYT connections, except the objective is to group sports terms (rather than just regular terms) that share a common thread!
The Athletic offers a whole bunch of articles from American football, Formula 1, the FIFA World Cup, and your favorite athletes. These are just a few that, I believe, provide some fun information and exciting sports stories for us Noles who are sports fans!
Disclaimer: This blog post was prepared by an undergraduate student. The opinions expressed in this article are to provide helpful advice and encourage students to utilize a shared resource, The Athletic subscription, through The New York Times.
Written by Cassandra Torres, Student Engagement Assistant
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