• Slug: Sports–AI Gambling,  2,200 words.
• Photo illustration available.

By Doyal D’angelo
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Sports gambling operators are using artificial intelligence to track and limit problem gambling exposure for their users, but the introduction of this technology and the use of personal data also raises questions about whether it could be used for the wrong reasons.

The sports gambling world is still largely unregulated, relying mostly on self-governance, which raises the possibility of a conflict of interest when it comes to responsible gambling.

Access to bettors’ data, behavior and habits opens the door to the potential for predatory behavior by sports-gambling operators. Continue reading “As sportsbooks implement AI to drive growth, identify problem gamblers, door opens to potential predatory behavior”

• Slug: Sports–ASU Hockey Sweep. 798 words.
• Photo available.

By Fletcher Anderson
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Arizona State is fresh off one of the hottest weekends a school can have.

The football team continued its miraculous run in their opening year in the Big 12, beating No. 14 BYU 28-23 before a packed house at Mountain America Stadium, making good on coach Kenny Dillingham’s promise to “activate the Valley.”

He might have activated the rest of the athletic program in the process. Continue reading “ASU hockey’s stunning sweep of No. 1 Denver suggests ‘Activating the Valley’ extends beyond football”

• Slug: Sports–ASU Football Fine. 600 words.
• Photo available.

By Aya Abdeen
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Big 12 Conference slapped Arizona State with a $25,000 fine Monday for failing to keep fans from storming the field Saturday at Mountain America Stadium with a second remaining in a chaotic 28-23 victory over BYU Saturday.

The Sun Devils might have gotten off cheap.

The SEC imposed a combined total of $300,000 on the Oklahoma Sooners and Auburn Tigers because of similar celebrations following their upset wins Saturday. Continue reading “Bill comes due: ASU football fined $25,000 for failing to keep fans from storming field during BYU victory”

• Slug: Sports–ASU Dillingham Play-calling, 940 words.
• Photo available.

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The lasting image of Arizona State’s exhilarating` victory over No.14 Brigham Young might be the thousands of fans streaming onto the field at Mountain America Stadium to celebrate one of the biggest wins in the school’s history.

However, it was ASU coach Kenny Dillingham’s late-game clock management that remained the hot topic in the wake of the victory. Dillingham tried to bleed the final seconds off the clock with quarterback Sam Leavitt running backward on a couple of plays, then sailing a pass high into the air and out of bounds as the clock appeared to expire.

That started a premature celebration. Continue reading “‘It worked horribly’: ASU’s Kenny Dillingham takes accountability on late-game chaos vs. BYU”

• Slug: Sports–Sporttrade Sportsbook Arizona, 980 words.
• Photo available.

By Brenden Paul
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Like many sports fans, Alex Kane struggled to understand the traditional moneyline odds system placed by sports bookmakers on events.

So he helped launch a new sportsbook modeled after a stock-trading platform that uses probability to simplify wagering.

“I never understood the odds,” said Kane, chief executive officer of Sporttrade, the Philadelphia-based sportsbook operation. “I built this whole thing because I wanted to create more of a Robinhood-type of experience, where you can just turn on the game, see the win probability, buy in at that win probability, and as the probability changes you can either make or lose money. And you can cash out at a fair market price at any point.” Continue reading “Sporttrade expands reach to Arizona with innovative stock market-style sportsbook”

• Slug: Sports–ASU BYU Chaos,  words.
• 3 photos available.

By Tucker Sennett
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Before the game even started, a lineman from the No. 14 BYU Cougars yelled, “It’s like a home game” as he ran to the locker room for the final team talk to a chorus of visiting fans chanting “BYU, BYU.”

“That was the craziest thing I’ve been a part of,” Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson said. “Their crowd getting loud, our crowd getting loud.”

Yet Saturday wasn’t about BYU’s storybook season getting back on track or the strong contingent of Cougars fans that filled a significant portion of Mountain America Stadium. It was about ASU and coach Kenny Dillingham achieving what he has sought to do with the program since arriving: Activate the Valley. A reporter asked him after the Sun Devils’ chaotic 28-23 win that put them one victory away from a Big 12 championship game berth whether he felt like his vision had come true. Continue reading “Chaos in Tempe: ASU hangs on to beat BYU, nears berth in Big 12 championship game”

• Slug: Sports–BYU Lassiter Homecoming, 900 words.
• Photo available.

By Jalen Weathers
Cronkite News

TEMPE – BYU football is on a mission to make history.

The No. 14 Cougars, perched atop the Big 12 standings with a 9-1 record, will be chasing double-digit wins Saturday in Tempe when they play conference rival No. 21 Arizona State. Each BYU game this season has been a statement of why the Cougars deserve to be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.

But for BYU wide receiver Darius Lassiter, a co-captain who is second on the team in receiving yards (576), this weekend is about more than football. The Chandler native returns home for a high-stakes showdown in front of a sold-out crowd at Mountain America Stadium – a moment he has been waiting for. Continue reading “Chandler’s Darius Lassiter comes full circle for decisive BYU-Arizona State battle in Tempe”

• Slug: Sports–Arizona Cardinals Update, 760 words.
• Photo available.

By James Morel
Cronkite News

TEMPE – It may not be a bird or a plane but football will soar to the gloomy skies of the Pacific Northwest this Sunday as the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks meet in a pivotal NFC West matchup.

The Cardinals, coming off a bye week of mental relaxation and physical rejuvenation, travel to Seattle for a key game against a rival team that went toe-to-toe last week with the defending NFC West champions, the San Francisco 49ers, winning 20-17.

While most teams would hate to have a bye during a stretch of success, Arizona wide receiver Michael Wilson believes it was exactly what the Cardinals needed. Continue reading “Bird(s) watching: Arizona Cardinals return from bye week for NFC West thriller vs. Seattle Seahawks”

• Slug: Sports–Biofreeze Pickleball Championships, 900 words.
• Photo available.

By Sebastian Mondaca Sepulveda
Cronkite News

MESA – Jake Plummer never imagined that a paddle and a plastic ball could rekindle his competitive spirit after he retired from the NFL. Yet, there he was on the court, two hours before his match, sharing laughs and volley with Shane Doan, another Valley sports legend.

For Plummer, it wasn’t just about the game — it was about staying active, connecting with others, and championing a sport that is winning over players of all ages and abilities.

“Pickleball, for me, is fun and joyful,” said Plummer, the former NFL and Arizona State quarterback who partnered with Doan in the Dinks for a Difference Celebrity Match that highlighted last week’s Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships. Continue reading “Stars align: Jake Plummer, Shane Doan join celebrities at Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships”

• Slug: Sports–ASU BYU Fans, 620 words.
• Photo available.

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The next test for newly ranked Arizona State will be a 46-year-old throwback from the school’s past in the Western Athletic Conference as longtime rival Brigham Young comes to Tempe with a potential College Football Playoff appearance on the line for both teams.

The Sun Devils’ X account confirmed Tuesday that tickets for Saturday’s anticipated showdown are sold out. With roughly 53,599 fans packing Mountain America Stadium, the noise from fans in attendance may be a factor.

Despite tickets being sold out, tailgating will be in abundance for fans who can’t attend the game. This includes a large tailgate party being organized by the BYU Alumni Board. Continue reading “Fan duel: Sold-out Mountain America Stadium braces for ASU, BYU supporters and game-day drama”

• Slug: Sports–ASU Notre Dame 2014, 700 words.
• Photo available.

By Brenden Paul
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – In the first-ever College Football Playoff rankings in 2014, Arizona State found itself ranked 14th. A week later, the Sun Devils skyrocketed into the top 10 at No. 9 in the Week 11 rankings. Not only did this mark the highest CFP ranking in program history, but it also set the stage for ASU’s biggest opponent of the CFP era, the 10th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The game had major playoff implications for both teams, and the fan support backed the magnitude of the game. Despite temperatures reaching 85 degrees in November, a capacity crowd of 65,870 screaming Sun Devil fans made their way to Sun Devil Stadium.

Jaelen Strong, who currently serves as a coach at AZ Compass Prep, played wide receiver on the 2014 ASU team and later went on to spend three seasons in the National Football League with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Strong not only had a fond memory of the crowd for the Notre Dame game but for all Sun Devil home games that season. Continue reading “Relive the magic: Former ASU players recall 2014 Notre Dame game ahead of Saturday’s BYU matchup”

• Slug: Sports–Arizona Wildcats Outlook, 570 words.
• Photo available.

By Caleb Campero
Cronkite News

LOS ANGELES – Funny what a convincing victory can do for a team’s mentality.

Before last Saturday’s 27-3 win over the Houston Cougars, Arizona football had lost five straight and sat near the bottom of the Big 12 standings. Now coach Brent Brennan’s 4-6 Wildcats are two wins away from bowl eligibility with games against TCU and Arizona State remaining.

The Wildcats found themselves in a tough position before last Saturday’s matchup against Houston but had a bye week as it aimed to finish the season on a high note. Continue reading “Scrambling toward a happy ending: Arizona football maintains hope for bowl eligibility”