• Slug: Sports–Suns Photo Essay, 1,200 words.
• 17 photos available.

By Brendan Pricco
Cronkite News

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Mat Ishbia is known around Arizona as the billionaire owner of the Phoenix Suns, who open their season Wednesday night at the Los Angeles Clippers’ new Intuit Dome. However, if you travel across the country to the spirited and picturesque college town of East Lansing, Michigan, he is known for his connection with the Michigan State Spartans.

Before conquering the business world, Ishbia was a 5-foot-10, 175-pound walk-on point guard attending his home state university: Michigan State. In his three-year career, he appeared in 48 total games, often in garbage time when the game had already been decided. The most significant minute of his collegiate career came on April 4, 2000.

Tom Izzo called Ishbia’s name in the final minute of Michigan State’s national championship victory over Florida. Not only did Ishbia log a minute, he made sure to etch his name into the box score with a shot attempt: a miss. Continue reading “Photo essay: Michigan State celebrates return of Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia”

• Slug: Sports–GCU WBB Preview, 1,200 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Grand Canyon women’s basketball team welcomed seven new players to its roster. Despite the influx of talented newcomers, the Lopes are still working on meshing as a herd, which is something they will need to do quickly as the season officially begins Nov. 4.

GCU is hoping an infusion of fresh talent will give the Lopes a boost as they prepare for their final year in the Western Athletic Conference. Next year, GCU will join the West Coast Conference, meaning if the Lopes hope to capture their first WAC title, it’s now or never.

Looking at the Lopes’ record of 25-8 and 16-8 in the WAC last season, it’s no wonder the team had record-breaking achievements, including the most wins in their Division I-era season and the second-most home victories. However, the Lopes fell short in the first round of the WAC Tournament and went another season without an NCAA Tournament berth. Continue reading “New faces, same goal: GCU women’s basketball looks promising heading into final WAC season”

• Slug: Sports–Youth Gambling Effects, 950 words.
• Photo available.

By Breden Paul
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When Marc Lefkowitz was in his 20s, he struggled with a gambling problem. Now, after nearly 40 years of abstaining from gambling, he hopes to help today’s younger generation overcome their addiction the same way he did.

“When I grew up, you were a degenerate if you gambled on a regular basis,” said Lefkowitz, an internationally certified gambling counselor with over 25 years of experience. “Now it’s so socially acceptable.”

Many factors can contribute to teen gambling. Stress relief is one component of gambling’s appeal to the younger generation, according to Lefkowitz. He also points to teens experiencing problems in school and, most commonly, genetic issues, where addiction runs in a person’s family. Continue reading “Don’t ‘become a pickle’: Long-term psychological effects of youth gambling concern addiction experts”

• Slug: Sports–Sports and Religion, 650 words.
• Photo available.
• Video available (Video by Deron Orr Jr./Cronkite News)

By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Terry Shoemaker’s trip to a Baltimore cemetery inspired his research on sport and religion for years to come.

Shoemaker, a research scholar and religious studies professor at Arizona State, recently published his book “Religions and Sports: The Basics,” which covers the connections between religious and sporting activities.

“To study these two things, either comparatively or as if they’re overlapping, gives us a sense of what humans do and why they do it,” Shoemaker said in an interview with Cronkite News. Continue reading “Arizona State researcher Terry Shoemaker explores how sports and religion share common ground”

• Slug: Sports–NFL Prospect Arizona Colorado, 880 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Saleh Awwad
Cronkite News

TUCSON – The Arizona Wildcats’ showdown against the Colorado Buffaloes and Deion Sanders in Tucson quickly turned into a lopsided dud Saturday, but for NFL fans watching, the game featured a surplus of names expected to be called at the 2025 draft.

Across the two teams, five projected 2025 first-round NFL Draft picks took the field at Arizona Stadium, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft.

Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea and Arizona defensive back Tacario Davis matched up against Colorado’s two-way phenom Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Continue reading “Arizona, Colorado put future NFL draft picks to the test in Tucson with swarm of scouts in attendance”

• Slug: Sports–Bisbee Great Stair Climb, 970 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

BISBEE – Once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco with a population of about 23,000 people in the early 1900s, this once-booming mining community has transitioned into what today is a quirky artists enclave and tourist attraction.

But the town of about 5,000 tucked into the Mule Mountains not far from the U.S.-Mexico border still celebrates its rich history each year through the equally quirky Bisbee 1000: The Great Stair Climb.

It is a foot race (or walk) over a 4.5-mile course that winds through town and incorporates nine of the community’s many staircases, requiring contestants to climb more than 1,000 stairs along the way. Continue reading “The Great Stair Climb: Bisbee 1000 pays tribute to mining town’s boom days”

• Slug: Sports–Phoenix Rising Fans, 960 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Sebastian Mondaca Sepulveda
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Fan Appreciation Night is also known as a moment to honor fans for the support they’ve provided the entire season.

For Phoenix Rising FC, it means more than just honoring supporters, but paying it forward despite the adversity they faced throughout the season.

Rising’s efforts started Thursday at home by hosting a fan event, Rising Together, an open training session for attendees to watch the team train and be part of the squad. Continue reading “Nights to remember: Phoenix Rising FC honors Fan Appreciation Night in final home game of season”

• Slug: Sports–NBA Second Apron, 1,400 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns currently rank first in total team payroll heading into the 2024-25 season, with three big names on their roster making a majority of that money. Over $150 million in payroll is dedicated to players who were acquired by trading draft picks and combining player salaries to acquire the already highly paid players.

Team-building philosophies vary from team to team. Some organizations have an owner who is willing to shell out any amount of money necessary to compete, such as Mat Ishbia and the Suns, as well as Wyc Grousbeck and the Boston Celtics, who are the reigning NBA champions and have a payroll of $199 million.

This trend may come to a halt, however, due to new rules put in place regarding “aprons” in the salary cap. Continue reading “Buying championships: How NBA’s second apron changes team building for owners, general managers”

• Slug: Sports–Suns Season Preview, 800 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Connor Moreno
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić invites teammates to his summer training spot in Split, Croatia, the typical response is a sarcastic, “Yeah, I’ll be there” – the kind of response one would give to politely decline.

Not from coach Mike Budenholzer, though.

“I didn’t doubt it,” Nurkić said of Budenholzer accepting his invitation this past offseason. “But also, it’s the NBA. People say a lot of things that you want to hear. When I came to (training) camp, he was all about his words. Continue reading “For Mike Budenholzer and Phoenix Suns, talk ‘really doesn’t matter’ ahead of 2024-25 NBA season”

• Slug: Sports–GCU MBB Preview, 1,200 words.
• 2 photos available.
• Video available.

By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Maybe not older, but wiser.

That might be the best way to describe Grand Canyon’s men’s basketball team. Half the roster is made up of underclassmen, but there also is a wealth of experience as the Lopes chase a fourth – and final – Western Athletic Conference basketball championship.

GCU has four true freshmen on the roster this season, including the program’s first top-100 signee in forward Sammie Yeanay, who comes to the Lopes as ESPN’s highest-ranked player in the top 100 to choose to play outside a Power 6 basketball conference. Continue reading “GCU men’s basketball balances experience, youth in final WAC championship pursuit”

• Slug: Sports–Arizona Wildcats Football Struggles, 740 words.
• 4 photos available.

By Tom Forbes
Cronkite News

TUCSON – The University of Arizona was eyeing a chance to take down Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes during a sold-out homecoming weekend in Tucson Saturday.

Instead, the Wildcats might be watching their season slip away.

Arizona fell 34-7, their third straight loss, tumbling to 10th place in the Big 12 standings and putting coach Brent Brennan’s team in a fight just to reach six wins and bowl eligibility. Continue reading “Arizona Wildcats hope to regroup amid three-game skid, injury setbacks”

• Slug: Sports–Phoenix Rising Playoffs, 570 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Cooper Burns
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC will not go down without defending its crown.

For the seventh time in the last eight seasons, Rising clinched a USL postseason spot, but the news came in the wake of the reigning champion’s 1-0 loss Saturday against Memphis 901.

Rising needed help to secure a playoff season and they got it as all the dominoes fell the right way to slot Rising into the playoff bracket. Continue reading “Playoff bound: Phoenix Rising FC squeaks into USL Championship postseason, readies for Saturday’s finale”

• Slug: Sports–ASU Dillingham Kickers, 740 words.
• 4 photos available.

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

CINCINNATI – After calling Arizona State’s kicking game “atrocious” in the wake of a 24-14 Big 12 loss at Cincinnati Saturday, Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham continued to walk back his criticism of kicker Ian Hershey during his Monday press conference.

Dillingham opened the media session by apologizing for his comments immediately after the game, when he said he would hold open tryouts for a kicker and invited ASU students to email him if they have kicking experience.

“I’m not kidding,” Dillingham said at the time. Continue reading “Dillingham apologizes, ASU football looks to bounce back after kicker controversy”