The 25-page report, compiled over a year through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests and released Wednesday, asserts that Christian coaches are illegally inviting chaplains to work with their teams in an attempt to spread religious beliefs among players. To varying degrees, chaplains at the schools are provided office space at team facilities, travel with the team on road trips and occasionally baptize players on campus, the report claims....

On Friday, the Mississippi Department of Health reported a new single-day high in COVID-19 cases with 418, topping a previous high of 404 on May 8. This number brings the total number of cases in Mississippi to over 14,000, as well as at least 710 deaths. In addition to Mississippi, Alabama also saw an increase in the average number of coronavirus cases over the past seven days. On Thursday, the state’s department of health reported an average of 446 cases over the past week, which is a record high for the state....

Suspended running back Tyren Jones became the third Alabama player to be arrested in four days Tuesday morning when he was charged with second-degree possession of marijuana, AL.com reported. Alabama dismissed Jones on Tuesday evening. HAYES: What Saban could have — should have — done | MORE: SN Top 50 players “Tyren Jones was indefinitely suspended from the football program early in the semester,” Alabama coach Nick Saban released in a statement....

Alabama fell just short of its fifth national title under Saban in a 35-31 loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The Crimson Tide have sent another loaded class to the NFL Draft, so there are some changes to be made in 2017. MORE: Alabama’s recruiting streak isn’t stopping anytime soon Alabama, however, is still ranked No. 1 in our Way-Too-Early Top 25 heading into spring practice, and will be favored to claim a fourth consecutive SEC championship....

Machado, a 6-0, 195-pound prospect, has also received verbal offers from Iowa State, Michigan State, N.C. State and West Virginia, his high school coach, Dennis Marroquin, told ESPN. MORE: Recruiting: SEC gets defensive Machado is not the first eighth-grader to receive a scholarship offer recently. Miami (Fla.) coach Mark Richt extended quarterback Harrison Bailey an offer to play for the Hurricanes in February, and LSU offered QB Zadock Dinkelmann in 2014....

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook installed the Tide as a 7-point favorite over Clemson with a total of 53.5. CG Technology was lower at -4.5. MORE: Bama rolls | No more doubting Clemson In early November, oddsmakers slated Alabama as a 3-point favorite in this hypothetical matchup. Now that it’s here, and with the way the Tide have rolled in the last few months, that number is even higher....

Mosley received 70 points, followed by Buffalo’s Khalil Mack (52), UCLA’s Anthony Barr (44) and Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier (22). Mosley, who finished the regular season with 102 tackles and nine tackles for loss, is the third Alabama player to receive the award. Derrick Thomas (1988) and Rolando McClain (2009) were the Crimson Tide’s previous winners. Alabama finished third in the final BCS standings and will play Oklahoma in the BCS Sugar Bowl on Jan....

Saban suffered a scratch on his left cheek that bled throughout the second quarter and second half of the Crimson Tide’s 49-27 triumph. CBS reporter Jenny Dell said that Saban suffered the scratch after being hit in the face by a player’s shoulder pads: MORE: What Ohio State’s loss to Michigan means for Alabama, LSU, USC and more The scratch was still visible during a postgame interview: Apparently, enough people brought up the scratch that Saban immediately addressed it in his postgame news conference....

One of the retweets that the groups identified in their letter as problematic included a video clip of a hooded Black man punching a white man, which the groups said did not show the full interaction between the individuals involved. Above the video was a caption that read: “#BlackLivesMatter’s war on whites continues on camera.” Another retweet the groups pointed to read: “When patriots decide it’s time to fight back it’s gonna be ugly....

According to a university police report, the incident occurred Sunday between 10:20 p.m. and 10:25 p.m. near Bryant Hall — the on-campus football and engineering residence hall. Tennison has since been released on a $300 bond. MORE: Alabama hires Dan Enos as QB coach Tennison, a freshman for Alabama in 2017, didn’t see too much of the field for the national champion Crimson Tide. He played in five games, catching two passes for 30 yards....

Hardest hit was the city of Fultondale where multiple injuries and damage to homes, businesses and powerlines were reported. The National Weather Service in neighboring Birmingham confirmed a tornado was on the ground in north Jefferson County near Fultondale around 10:45 p.m. on Monday. The agency said they received reports of widespread damage in the Fultondale area and issued a tornado watch 4 until 6 a.m. Tuesday for 15 Alabama counties....

Alabama brings in the nation’s second-highest scoring offense at 51 points per game, and Heisman contender Tua Tagovailoa (27 touchdowns, one interception) continues to shine in offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s offense. Nick Saban is a perfect 12-0 against Tennessee since taking over in 2007. Tennessee (3-3) scored a confidence-building 20-10 victory against Mississippi State in Week 7, and the Vols are showing signs of improvement under second-year coach Jeremy Pruitt, who was the former defensive coordinator at Alabama....

The victim, Ruthie Mae Brown, was 36 years old and a resident of Jasper, Walker County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson T.J. Armstrong told local media. Brown was walking along Jagger Road in Nauvoo when the dogs set upon her. The Associated Press reported that the circumstances of the incident were unclear, but at least five animals were involved in the attack. The woman was declared dead at the scene, while two of the animals were claimed by their owners following the incident and three others have since been captured by the authorities....

The future Hall of Famer became a baseball legend in his 11 seasons with the Cardinals. And even though this is his eighth year with the Angels, it will be a bit surreal to see him take the Busch Stadium field wearing a uniform that doesn’t have two crested red birds sitting on a bat, even if the new threads still include a shade of red. MORE: Home run pushes Pujols past Babe Ruth among all-time RBI leaders...

In March, I wrote these words about the Blue Jays’ rotation: “R.A. Dickey is 40 years old, Mark Buehrle will turn 36 before the season starts, Drew Hutchison is 24, Aaron Sanchez is 22, Daniel Norris is 21 and Marco Estrada is bad. … Every starter is either over the hill, in need of more experience, or Marco Estrada, who is bad.” MORE: Top ALCS photos | Five takeaways from the game...

It is now almost two months since cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died on the film’s set in New Mexico after a prop gun held by the actor discharged and fatally hit her and injured the movie’s director, Joel Souza, as well. Now Baldwin has given his first TV interview since the tragedy where he discussed the shooting, and also reflected on the future of his career. In an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that aired on Thursday night, the 63-year-old said: “My family is all I have....

Azar told Good Morning America that the vaccinations could begin as soon as Monday or Tuesday of next week. “Well I’ve got some good news for you on Good Morning America that just a little bit ago, the FDA informed Pfizer that they do intend to proceed towards an authorization for their vaccine,” Azar said. “In the next couple of days probably as we work to negotiate the information doctors need to prescribe it appropriately, we should be seeing the authorization of this first vaccine....

Earnhardt’s recovery from concussion-like symptoms continues to defy a successful conclusion, one that might be determined in two weeks by doctors. Gordon won’t be in the car this week at Michigan because of a scheduling conflict. Alex Bowman, then, will make a second relief drive. Bowman did well in his first race in Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 88 car, running in the top 10 at New Hampshire on July 17 before a flat tire sent his car into the wall....