TMZ Sports

Okay, EVERYBODY REMAIN CALM ... but U. of Nebraska president Ted Carter may have just spilled the beans on the return of the Big Ten football season ... saying an announcement is coming Tuesday night!!!

The revelation was made via a hot mic at a presser minutes ago ... when Carter was speaking with the University's National Strategic Research Institute director.

"We're getting ready to announce the Huskers and Big Ten football tonight," Carter said.

"Oh really?!," Bob Hinson said. "I heard that that was happening."

LISTEN -- like we said, do NOT panic ... but this sure as hell sounds like the season has been saved, according to the moment captured by KETV NewsWatch 7 in Omaha.

It's been an uphill battle for the conference -- with others like the SEC, Big 12 and ACC deciding to play through the pandemic ... and Big Ten and Pac 12 voting to wait.

The move resulted in a lawsuit filed by 8 Nebraska players against the Big Ten ... who claimed the conference didn't follow the proper protocols in coming up with its decision.

75 members of the Texas Tech football team have tested positive for COVID-19 since testing began in June ... this according to the University.

On Monday, TTU announced 5 football players had tested positive for coronavirus -- which raised the previous total from 70 to 75.

According to the University, there are still 6 active cases -- but 69 players have recovered.

75 cases is a pretty staggering number considering there are 123 players listed on the Texas Tech football team.

The school notes the total number of student-athletes who have tested positive at the University is at 116 -- which means the football team responsible for nearly two-thirds of all student-athlete cases.

The football team has the week off -- the next scheduled game is Sept. 26 against Texas.

The Red Raiders kicked off the 2020 season this past Saturday -- defeating Houston Baptist in a 35 to 33 victory.

Several TT players were missing from the game -- but the school did not say if it was COVID related, according to KLBK.

COVID has been an issue on the Texas Tech campus -- more than 1,100 students have reportedly tested positive so far -- with University president Lawrence Schovanec addressing the issue in an open letter this week.

"Over the last few days, we’ve seen a notable increase in positive COVID-19 cases in our campus community, with the majority of these cases among our students who live off campus," Schovanec said.

"While we anticipated positive cases and planned for this situation, it is disappointing that we are at this point less than two weeks into the semester."

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was NOT upset one of his players knelt for the national anthem ... in fact, he says he was actually pleased with the way his team handled it.

Defensive lineman Dontari Poe became the first person in team history to kneel for the pregame song Sunday ... and cameras appeared to catch Jones anxious over the scene.

But, speaking Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan for the first time since the demonstration ... Jones says he actually really liked the way Poe and the rest of the Cowboys handled the situation.

"I thought our players, I thought they gave it the sensitivity," Jones said. "They showed respect to Poe's decision there."

Of course, the comments are a complete 180 from just a few years ago ... when Jones threatened to fire any player who didn't stand "toe on the line" for the anthem.

Jones, though, had vowed to relax his stance before this season ... and he clearly kept that promise to his team this month.

"All in all," Jerry said, "I thought our team was very real, very genuine in the way it approached it."

Unclear how Cowboys players plan to handle the song going forward ... but seems Jones is fine with the demonstrations if others choose to join in.

Kanye West is on the attack -- against Universal, Sony and the NBA -- claiming they are enslaving Black people and he's trying to save them ... but somehow, Taylor Swift gets brought into the mix too.

Kanye's latest Twitter diatribe is focused on the music industry and the NBA, which he compares to "modern day slave ships." Ye seems to be encouraging rappers, singers and basketball players to free themselves from their business contracts and instead ... buy land and property, as suggested by his following tweets.

Though Kanye -- AKA "the new Moses" -- started tweeting late Monday night, he's continued Tuesday morning ... and that's where Taylor comes in.

Ye posted a long message from someone -- possibly a lawyer or business partner -- offering advice on how he can move forward in his relationship with Universal and Sony.

The person suggests they could follow in Swift's footsteps and either try to buy his masters or rerecord them ... but makes sure to point out Kanye's would probably be worth a lot more.

It's all moot though ... because Kanye says he's done with "any form of business" with the media giants.

Tennessee Titans star LB Rashaan Evans says he's sorry for uncorking a violent right hook to the dome of a Broncos player ... and he's now vowing to make up for it next week.

If you missed it ... during a play in the 1st quarter of the Titans-Broncos game Monday night -- Denver tight end Jake Butt got into it after the whistle with Evans.

The two tangled up ... and Evans was so heated about being grabbed -- he straight-up threw a Mike Tyson-like haymaker right to Butt's face.

Fortunately, Butt had his helmet on and didn't suffer any injuries ... and, as a result of throwing the punch, Evans was ejected.

The linebacker said after the Titans' win he felt so badly about being disqualified -- he apologized to his teammates and promised he'd learn from the situation for next week.

"It was basically an overreaction after the play," Evans said of the punch. "A little bit after the whistle, there was a little tussle and I ended up overreacting by hitting him."

"But at the end of the day, man, I’ve got to keep playing, get ready for next week and basically make up for it."

Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel added he wasn't pleased with Evans for the shot as well ... saying he hopes the 24-year-old learns from it.

FYI ... Evans is one of the Titans' best players -- the 2018 first-round pick started all 16 games for the team last season and logged 111 total tackles.

Two teens are taking "Cheer" star Jerry Harris to court for grooming them into sending nude photos and demanding sexual favors ... those are the allegations in a new lawsuit filed on their behalf.

The plaintiffs are minor twin brothers who are part of the cheerleading community in Fort Worth, TX -- where they say they first encountered Harris around 2018 at high-level competitions and became acquainted. From there, things allegedly turned sexual fast.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the brothers were starstruck by Harris when first getting to know him, as he was already a well-respected cheerleader on the champion Navarro college team, and had also filmed for Netflix's "Cheer" documentary.

In the lawsuit, they claim Harris almost immediately began taking them into his inner circle, befriending them on different social media platforms ... and, eventually, soliciting "booty pics" from them -- exploiting the fact they were both gay.

The docs say the boys reluctantly complied at times with Harris' requests, but go on to claim his requests became more frequent and more offline ... meaning he would allegedly solicit sexual acts from them in person, while also allegedly sending sexually explicit photos and video to them too.

In one alleged instance in 2019, one of the brothers claims Harris led him to a bathroom during a cheer competition and cornered him in a stall, where he allegedly begged the kid for oral sex. The boy says he managed to take off when his bro and teammates blew up his phone.

Mind you, at the time during these interactions ... the boys say they were just 13 and 14 years old, and that Harris was over 18. They also claim they've discovered other minors Harris has allegedly harassed, while adding he's been allowed to remain as a high-level coach and mentor at several different cheer organizations despite his alleged "past and ongoing sexual abuse of children." Some of these organizations, including United States All Star Federation and Varsity Spirit, are also defendants in the lawsuit.

You're about to enter another dimension of sound and sight ... and mind. That, or you're just walking into a tire ad courtesy of a flying billboard -- you tell us.

So, supposedly, there was a UFO sighting out in Rutherford, New Jersey Monday night over the MetLife Stadium, near a freeway where a bunch of cars appeared to stop dead in their tracks to catch a glimpse of what's either the start of an alien takeover ... or just a blimp.

Check it out ... the guy filming here doesn't seem quite sure what to believe, and if we're being honest -- neither are we!!! From his angle, it could certainly pass for a UFO ... one straight out of a movie, which actually makes it a bit harder to believe on its face.

Alright, now time for a little reality check (or one people want you to buy into) ... a bunch of folks are saying that was no UFO sighting at all, but nothing more than the good ol' Goodyear flying over the Giants-Steelers MNF game.

Yeah, sorry ... we're gonna score this one for the non-believers -- 'cause the full context of an NFL game going on makes it clear it's for sure one of Goodyear's famed blimps with its LED board on the belly.

However, we have encountered what we believe might be a legit UFO sighting earlier this year in CA ... where SOMETHING zipped by up in the sky at lightning-quick speeds. That, or it was just a super-fast fighter jet doing some aerial maneuvers up there.

That one might give ya pause, but as for the Jersey sighting. Just a blimp, folks. No offense to Goodyear ... or the Giants, who lost their home opener.

Steve Nash says his haters will NOT be his motivators with the Brooklyn Nets -- telling TMZ Sports he's too busy working to worry about outside noise.

And, there has been A LOT of noise ... with current and former NBA players, coaches, analysts and fans criticizing the Nets for hiring Nash over a qualified Black candidate.

So, when we saw Nash leaving Lilia in Brooklyn over the weekend, we asked if he's using the backlash as fuel to succeed.

"No," Nash told us straight-up ... "I'm busy trying to build something and collaborate with my staff."

Nash understands the criticism -- he has no real coaching experience and admitted to "skipping the line" to land the Nets job. But, he also argued that he's extremely qualified saying last week, "I think leading an NBA team [as a player] for almost 2 decades is pretty unique."

There's more in our convo with Nash ... here are the quick hits:

TMZ Sports: Have you spoken with Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant about the social justice movement?

Nash: "I haven't actually spoken with them about that," Nash says ... "but they know I'm an ally."

TMZ Sports: "Have you reached out to other coaches for advice?"

Nash: "I have."

TMZ Sports: Anyone, in particular, you can share?

Nash: "I can not."

TMZ Sports: "What's one goal you have in Brooklyn?

Nash: "Build a great environment for my players and make the community proud."

TMZ Sports: Were there any other teams you considered?

The Steelers came up with a unique way to show solidarity and send a message during the national anthem ... with players holding a sign saying, "Steelers Against Racism" before Monday Night Football.

There have been many different approaches throughout the league during the opening weekend ... with some teams electing to stay in the locker rooms while other teams had players kneel, lock arms or show other ways to demonstrate before games.

The Steelers revealed their decision before facing off with the NY Giants on Monday ... holding the long banner, which listed each player's hometowns.

The Giants were also present for the anthem, with roughly one-third of the team electing to kneel.

'Bachelor' star and former NFL player Colton Underwood better avoid his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, at least until he can plead his case in front of a judge ... TMZ has learned.

According to new court docs, a judge signed off on Cassie's request for a temporary restraining order against Colton, requiring him to keep at least 100 yards from her, her home, her work and avoid any contact or threatening behavior.

In October, he'll have a chance to appear at a hearing where he can argue his side of things ... but in the meantime, he has to steer clear of Cassie.

One last thing ... Cassie attached photos of the alleged tracking device she claims Colton stuck to her car in order to keep up with her whereabouts. It's a small, black contraption ... and she says it was taped to the bottom of the back bumper of her car.

As we first told you ... Cassie claims that -- in addition to allegedly trying to track her -- Colton was also bombarding her and others with harassing texts.

Jerry Harris -- one of the cheerleading stars of Netflix's uber-popular show "Cheer" -- is being investigated by the FBI for allegedly soliciting minors for sex.

FBI agents executed a search warrant at a home in Illinois Monday, following up on the allegations against Harris ... according to USA Today. At this point, Harris -- a fan favorite while cheering for Navarro College on "Cheer" -- has not been charged.

Authorities were reportedly made aware of the allegations when Varsity, a private company in the cheerleading industry, alerted cops in Florida and Texas. The company learned about the claims of "inappropriate sexual conduct" last month.

According to the report, Varsity shared 2 screenshots with police, including an alleged Snapchat message of Jerry's face with the message, "Would you ever want to ****."

As you know ... Jerry rose to fame during the Netflix docu-series following his cheer team, and he became known as the "King of Mat Talk."

FILE UNDER -- things you love to see!

Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was spotted doing a random act of kindness for a man in need on Sunday ... buying the guy a meal without any fanfare.

The act was caught on video by a fan who recognized the NFL star, who described the situation this way.

"No cameras, no fanfare - just being kind to someone in need."

The person who shot the video added, "So proud to have @TeamJuJu wear the Black and Gold."

23-year-old Smith-Schuster has a reputation for doing nice things like this ... remember back in 2019, he went on a toy shopping spree for kids in need.

After that, he bought a house for his family!

He also went to a high school prom in 2019 with a fan who needed a date after his original date blew him off.

As for his on-the-field life, Juju and the Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up to take on the NY Giants on Monday Night Football.

Juju is hoping to bounce back in a big way after a disappointing 2019 campaign.

Don't forget, Juju killed it in 2017 and 2018 -- but playing without Ben Roethlisberger in 2019 proved difficult for the WR.

But he's only 23 and super talented ... and he's clearly still a fan favorite!

Two men suspected of murdering Floyd Mayweather boxing prodigy Danny Gonzalez have been arrested, TMZ Sports has confirmed ... and cops say they're still on the hunt for a 3rd suspect.

Both 27-year-old Andre Richee and 32-year-old Lee Mooring were arrested Thursday for 1st-degree murder stemming from the Sept. 7 incident.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office also says it's issued an arrest warrant for 28-year-old Joseph Goldsmith over his alleged involvement in the shooting as well.

As we previously reported ... 22-year-old Gonzalez -- who signed with Mayweather's The Money Team in 2016 -- was shot on Labor Day in Moreno Valley, Calif., just before 9 PM.

Cops say when they responded to the scene ... Gonzalez succumbed to his bullet wound injuries. They say two other men were also injured by gunfire in the incident.

What's still unclear ... why Gonzalez was killed? Officials have not revealed a possible motive.

Investigators say they not only spoke with multiple witnesses but also have evidence and surveillance footage pointing to Richee and Mooring as the killers.

If convicted of 1st-degree murder, both could face the death penalty.

The RCSO is now asking for help in finding Goldsmith.

Floyd was convinced Gonzalez was going to be a star after he signed with TMT Promotions when he was only 18 years old ... with Mayweather saying, "There are certain times when you know you've just struck gold and this is one of them."

Danny took 3 pro fights after signing with Floyd ... but eventually left the sport in 2017.

NOONAN!!!!!

"Caddyshack" star Michael O'Keefe is back on the bag ... the actor who famously played Danny Noonan in the iconic 1980 golf flick is a real-life caddie at the U.S. Open this week!!!

For real!!!!!

Here's the deal ... O'Keefe used to work at Winged Foot Golf Course in N.Y. back in the 1970s before his acting career took off -- and with the PGA Tour's U.S. Open scheduled to play there this year, Michael had an idea.

O'Keefe told the New York Post he wanted to reprise his role as Noonan and hop on a pro's bag ... all in an effort to help raise money for caddies who have been affected by the pandemic.

Of course, no pro was going to let him be their caddie during ACTUAL tournament play ... but O'Keefe at least found a taker for some practice rounds!!

Danny Balin -- a head pro at a local Long Island country club -- offered to let O'Keefe caddy for him Monday and Tuesday ... and the early pics from their outing are priceless.

Check out how Noonan looks today ... not a thing's changed!!!

Balin says he re-watched "Caddyshack" in anticipation of his rounds with O'Keefe ... and promised he'd have all the 1-liners down by the time the two hit the fairways.

Well, we're waiting!!!!

The Patriots are one week into the Cam Newton era and Dave Portnoy is ready to schedule the Super Bowl parade ... with the Barstool Sports founder telling TMZ Sports their new QB is a straight-up MONSTER!!!

Oh, and Tom Brady?? Portnoy says that dude's looking like an "antique!!!"

We caught up with El Pres out in NYC shortly after New England's 21-11 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday ... and he said Cam's performance was great from start to finish -- beginning with his can't-miss pregame outfit.

"He looked like the sexiest banana I've ever seen walking into the stadium," Portnoy says. "And, the second I saw that, it was over."

Pres says Newton was unstoppable on the field ... and while some may discredit the dub because it was against a team that went 5-11 last year, he points out TB12 even lost to the 'Fins last year.

"The Dolphins always give us trouble. Cam made 'em look like a high school team."

Speaking of Brady, Portnoy says he'll always support the man that won his team 6 Super Bowls ... but admits he's not the same guy from the past 20 years.

"I'll root for him. Brady's given me so much. But, I mean, he looks like the 'Antique Bowl' out there."

BTW -- Brady and the Bucs lost their season opener to the Saints, 34-23 ... and TB12 threw 2 INTs in the process.

Pres says he hopes TB12 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can get things in order by the time playoffs come around ... 'cause he wants the Pats to see him in the Super Bowl.

Stern warning from NFL officials to its teams Monday ... the league is demanding coaches wear their masks properly -- or they could face punishment!!

Due to the coronavirus pandemic ... the NFL has ordered all essential personnel on the sidelines to wear masks AT ALL TIMES.

The problem? Cameras caught several prominent coaches Sunday -- including Rams head man Sean McVay and Raiders leader Jon Gruden -- wearing the face coverings improperly around their necks.

In a league memo from Troy Vincent, obtained by multiple media outlets, the league exec said that's straight-up just unacceptable.

"The face covering must be worn as designed so that it securely fits across the wearer's nose and mouth to prevent the transmission of the virus," Vincent said.

"Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in accountability measures being imposed against offending individuals and/or clubs."

In addition to McVay and Gruden, cameras also caught Lions head coach Matt Patricia and Saints head coach Sean Payton improperly wearing their masks.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, meanwhile, did not wear one for the pregame national anthem Sunday night ... but added it during his team's game against the Rams.