Sept. 9: Three Big Things

University

Men’s soccer releases 11-game schedule

The men’s soccer team announced its schedule for the 2020 season on Friday, with a few games to note and stories to watch. Before the Sun Belt Conference championships begin at the GSU Sports Complex on Nov. 13, the Panthers will have themselves a solid 2020 season on the pitch.

A key player to watch will be Aris Briggs. Following an exceptional season, the 2019 Sun Belt Player of the Year will be called on as the leader of this team.

State

The south has their beloved high school football again

High school football returned last week, and the state of Georgia is home to 13 of ESPN’s top 100 players in this year’s recruiting class, including the No. 11 overall prospect in the country, Smael Mondon.

But there was a different feeling to last week’s games. Freelance content creator Xavier Triche described the state’s attempt to bring the sport back as “high school football lite.”

Anfernee Patterson, high school reporter for The Atlanta Voice, echoed Triche, saying that “you [could] tell COVID has had an effect on practicing.”

National

Fantasy Football is back, and so are the Sunday morning lineup struggles

In 2017, nearly 60 million Americans and Canadians played fantasy sports, and more than 80% of them played fantasy football, according to the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association.

After a season that featured surprise players like Los Angeles Chargers’ running back Austin Ekeler, sports fans all over will be tuning in Thursday night as the 2020 season kicks off.