La Crosse Tribune Sports News

Seven charter flights of LSU fans were scheduled to land Thursday, and that was on top of a parade of fans for both teams arriving by RV, car and bus.

NFL

Kelli Bates has only watched the video of the final points of the University of Wisconsin volleyball team’s five-set loss to Florida in last season’s NCAA regional tournament a couple of times.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Top-ranked Alabama has never lost an opener under Nick Saban. And the Crimson Tide's last two national championships, including a season ago, started at the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) -- Ryan Strausborger hit a walk-off single in the 14th inning, as the Tacoma Rainiers topped the Fresno Grizzlies 2-1 on Thursday.

Houston coach Tom Herman has spent all offseason downplaying the importance of the Cougars' opener against No. 3 Oklahoma.

BEIJING (AP) — As coaches take notes, teenagers dribble footballs through a course of cones on Ritan Middle School's gleaming artificial field in eastern Beijing, part of a massive program to promote soccer as a pillar of China's rise to…

ADELANTO, Calif. (AP) -- Scott Heineman, Josh Morgan and Michael De Leon each had three hits, as the High Desert Mavericks beat the Inland Empire 66ers 14-4 on Thursday.

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) -- Arismendy Alcantara, Melvin Mercedes and Seth Brown each drove home three runs, as the Stockton Ports beat the Visalia Rawhide 12-1 on Thursday.

TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) -- Edson Garcia hit a run-scoring double in the fifth inning to give the Toros de Tijuana a 2-1 win over the Sultanes de Monterrey on Thursday.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Colin Kaepernick and San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid kneeled during the national anthem Thursday night, continuing the quarterback's preseason protest of American racial injustice and minority oppression.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Robinson returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown to lead the Seattle Seahawks to a 23-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders in the preseason finale on Thursday night.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Colin Kaepernick passed for 103 yards after kneeling alongside teammate Eric Reid during the national anthem before the San Francisco 49ers' 31-21 preseason victory over the San Diego Chargers on Thursday night.

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (AP) -- Chase Jensen hit a walk-off single with one out in the ninth inning, as the Lake Elsinore Storm beat the Modesto Nuts 6-5 on Thursday.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Pedro Silverio allowed just one hit over five innings, leading the Eugene Emeralds over the Tri-City Dust Devils in a 4-0 win on Thursday.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — While Chris Sale is the bigger name among the Chicago White Sox left-handed starting pitchers, Jose Quintana has made his own name by entering Thursday as the American League's with a 2.77 ERA.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- Pat Porter hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, driving in Bobby Wernes with the go-ahead run, as the Quad Cities River Bandits defeated the Kane County Cougars 3-2 on Thursday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy got everything he wanted out of the preseason.

MINNEAPOLIS — Rookie Jared Goff’s first start of the preseason for Los Angeles featured two turnovers and one touchdown, as the Minnesota reserve running backs led a 27-25 victory by the Vikings over the Rams on Thursday night.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Matt Barkley, trying to hang on to Arizona's No. 3 quarterback job, outshone Denver rookie Paxton Lynch in the Cardinals' 38-17 victory over the Broncos in the teams' preseason finale on Thursday night.