Indiana University Women’s Volleyball’s Teodora Krickovic to Set Serbia at U22 European Championships It will be a busy summer for Indiana setter Teodora Krickovic. The rising sophomore is primed to help guide her native Serbia through the CEV U22 European Volleyball Championships at the beginning of July in the Netherlands. She makes her return to international competition after missing last summer’s U21 FIVB World Championships through a finger injury. This is the third edition of the continental tournament at the U22 level. The CEV, Europe’s governing volleyball body, added the age group as a stepping stone between youth and senior teams. Serbia is paired in a group with Portugal (July 7), Italy (July 8) and Poland (July 9). The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals. Serbia was the runner-up to Italy at the 2024 edition.
Krickovic is coming off an All-American campaign during her debut collegiate season. She averaged 10.73 assists per set and led the Hoosiers to a single-season program record with a .281 hitting percentage. The young setter added 54 kills, 201 digs, 50 blocks and 38 aces as she helped IU advance to the NCAA regional semifinals for the first time in 15 years. She will return to campus in August to join the rest of IU’s 2026 roster. After rolling through its foreign tour, IU is set to open the new campaign with a trip to national powerhouse Louisville on August 28th. An exhibition against Notre Dame (August 14) will be the first official look at this year’s team.
Former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Star Victor Oldapio Still Looking for an NBA Opportunity Former IU basketball star Victor Oladipo is not giving up on his professional basketball career. After playing 15 games in the G League in 2025-26, Oladipo took to social media this week to announce he’s still pursuing opportunities. “I’m a free agent. I don’t have an agent right now just me and my family,” Oladipo wrote. “I know I have a lot left, and I genuinely love this game. I’d rather show you I’m ready than spend my time trying to explain why or flood you with analytics to prove it. “If you’re about winning, value mentorship, and think there could be a fit, you can reach me directly. I’m open to every opportunity right now—I just want to make sure I weigh each one carefully. I can’t wait to share my story.” Oladipo averaged 13.4 points for the Wisconsin Herd in 2025-26.
Inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024, Oladipo reached the pinnacle of his NBA career with the Indiana Pacers, when he was named an NBA All-Star twice in 2018 and 2019. He has played in 504 games in the league over 10 seasons and has a career average of 16.9 points per game. He’s played with five different NBA teams. His best season to date was in 2017-18, when he averaged 23.1 points/game for the Indiana Pacers and was named Third-Team All-NBA, First-Team All-Defense, and won the league’s Most Improved Player award. But for the third time in just over four years Oladipo suffered a major knee injury in April of 2023. He has not played in the NBA since.
“To all the people/fans, thank you for your love and support. Without you, there are no sports,” Oladipo wrote in a separate post. “Your belief, your energy, and your loyalty have meant more than words can express. This journey is just as much yours as it is mine and my family’s. We appreciate you every step of the way. Keep shining.” Now 34, Oladipo had a harsh run of bad luck after becoming one of the game’s best. He missed 255 of a possible 374 games from when he initially was hurt while playing for the Pacers in 2019 until his 2023 injury.
Oladipo became IU Basketball’s first National Player of the Year in 20 years when he earned the honor from the Sporting News following a remarkable junior season in 2012-13. He averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.2 steals during that season while leading IU to its first Big Ten championship in 11 seasons and its first No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed in two decades. In addition to his National Player of the Year honor, Oladipo was also named co-National Defensive Player of the Year and was a consensus First-Team All-American in 2013. Following his junior season Oladipo departed for the NBA, where he was the second overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2013 NBA Draft.
New York Jets Linebacker and Former Indiana Hoosier Marcelino McCrary-Ball: “Bring that IU culture here” Former IU defensive star Marcelino McCrary-Ball saw three postseason appearances in his six years in Bloomington. But of course he never saw anything quite like the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers. No one had. At IU from 2016 to 2021, McCrary-Ball experienced the highs and lows. He played in the 2016 Foster Farms Bowl and the 2019 Gator Bowl and watched with an injury as his teammates played in the 2020 Outback Bowl. It was actually a pretty good run for the Hoosiers. McCrary-Ball also saw a pair of 5-7 seasons in 2017 and 2018, and a miserable 2-10 season to wrap-up his college career in 2021.
But back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances? The 16-0 kings of college football in 2025? McCrary-Ball watched the unthinkable unfold from afar, and he was thrilled to see two of the key figures in the historic turnaround join him with the New York Jets during the NFL Draft. “Omar Cooper Jr. got drafted and I said, ‘Bring that IU culture here’ and when [he and D’Angelo Ponds] got here I told both of them I appreciate what they did because when I think back,” McCrary-Ball told Amanda Vogt for the New York Jets. “I was there for six years and I stuck around because I wanted to ultimately complete and accomplish what they did. It’s just really cool, that’ll stick with me for a long time.”
McCrary-Ball entered the NFL in 2022 as an undrafted free agent but was named the Jets special teams captain ahead of the 2025 season. He initially signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, was signed to the Jets’ practice squad in August 2023, and has spent time on the active roster in 2023 through 2025. A hamstring injury suffered in Week 3 limited his role in 2025. McCrary-Ball played in five games and made 23 tackles while appearing in 120 special teams snaps and 106 defensive snaps.
All three of McCrary-Ball, Cooper and Ponds appear set to have significant roles for the Jets in 2026, as they attempt to repeat the rags to riches turnaround story with one of the NFL’s more historically dreadful teams. With a heavy influx of players from the 2025 national championship season now in the league, the IU culture is spreading throughout the NFL. The Jets are one of six NFL teams with multiple former Hoosiers on their training camp roster, and one of 16 with at least one former IU player set to compete for a roster spot.
Indianapolis 500 winners Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist sign multiyear deals to begin racing for Arrow McLaren in 2027 Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist are joining the Arrow McLaren racing team next season after agreeing to multiyear deals. They will be part of the team’s three-car full-season lineup that also includes Pato O’Ward. And Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2014 Indy 500 winner, will be in the driver’s seat again in its fourth entry in the 111th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the team also announced Monday. He has previously raced in 18 500s. That means three former winners and one of the most competitive oval racers in the series will make up Arrow McLaren’s Indy 500 lineup next May. The team is seeking its first Indy 500 victory since Johnny Rutherford’s 1976 win.
“Our IndyCar team has shown fantastic momentum and this lineup of Pato, Scott, Felix and Ryan will strengthen every aspect of our program,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown said in a news release. “We’ve got our eyes firmly set on the Championship as well as winning the Indianapolis 500 to secure the Triple Crown in the Papaya era. These four drivers bring a wealth of experience as well as great chemistry and will no doubt have a positive impact across our entire team.”
The 45-year-old Dixon won IndyCar championships in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020 and is second all-time in series victories with 59. He won the 2008 Indianapolis 500. Chip Ganassi Racing announced Thursday that Dixon had informed the team he would not return in 2027. Dixon called joining Arrow McLaren an “exciting next step in my career.” “It was a big decision for myself, for my family, and I’m looking forward to contributing to what the team, Zak and Tony are building there,” Dixon said in the news release. “As a New Zealander, being part of Bruce McLaren’s legacy will be special; his spirit and grit are still very much rooted in that team, and I’m excited to carry that on.”
Rosenqvist announced last month he was leaving Meyer Shank Racing at the end of the IndyCar season. The 34-year-old from Sweden has been with the team for the past three seasons, earning his biggest win when he drove the No. 60 car past David Malukas to win the Indy 500 in the closest finish in the race’s century-plus history. Rosenqvist returns to Arrow McLaren, where raced from 2021 through 2023. He won the Indy 500 pole in 2023 for McLaren. “There are a lot of familiar faces, and we’ve got an incredible lineup with Scott joining and Ryan returning for the 500,” Rosenqvist said. “I think our collective experience will be a huge benefit.”
Indianapolis Indians Celebrating 30 years at Victory Field with a Concert and a Fireworks Show The Indianapolis Indians are marking 30 years of baseball at Victory Field and have a big party lined up next week to celebrate. The stadium opened its gates on July 11, 1996, marking the Indians’ move downtown from Bush Stadium on West 16th Street. To mark the 30th anniversary, the team is planning the biggest fireworks show they’ve ever had. Howard Kellman has been broadcasting Indians games on radio for 50 years and has been around for all 30 years at Victory Field, watching the city grow around the downtown ballpark. “We’ve seen downtown evolve and it’s incredible what it’s become and so many people love going to Victory Field, too,” Kellman said. “The opposing teams really enjoy it, they enjoy downtown Indianapolis.” Kellman said it’s not just visiting players who are taking advantage of the ballpark’s location in the heart of Indianapolis. “We’re seeing our players live downtown now,” he said. “That was not the case years ago when Victory Field first opened. So, all in all, it’s been wonderful.”
The Indians say the anniversary fireworks show is replacing their traditional July 4 display, as the team is on the road this weekend. They return home on Tuesday for six games against the Toledo Mud Hens through Sunday, July 12. The July 11 anniversary game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The first 2,500 fans through the gates will get a replica Victory Field giveaway and My Yellow Rickshaw will perform a live concert in the Center Field Plaza before the game. Click here for ticket information.
Mitchell, Indiana Native Chase Briscoe Wins the NASCAR Race at Chicagoland Speedway Chase Briscoe was on an offseason bonding trip to the United Kingdom with crew chief James Small when the NASCAR driver discovered chocolate buttons, a popular British treat. He bought some online after he returned to the U.S., but he said it wasn’t the same. Small purchased some on a return trip to the U.K., and he promised to share if Briscoe won on the crew chief’s birthday. That made Sunday night’s victory pretty sweet. Briscoe held off Christopher Bell in NASCAR’s return to Chicagoland Speedway, racing to his first Cup Series win of the season. And Small delivered the chocolates to Briscoe moments after it was over. “They were pretty dang good,” Briscoe said.
Briscoe was followed closely by Bell in the final laps on the 1.5-mile oval about 50 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. But Bell was unable to run down his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate. The 31-year-old Briscoe, and Mitchell, Indiana native, celebrated his sixth career win with a burnout before standing on his car and waving to the sellout crowd. “This has been a place that I’ve always loved coming to, back when we used to, and I’ve missed it,” Briscoe said. “It’s always been one of my top-five tracks.”
It was Bell’s fourth runner-up finish this season. He was wearing a splint on his arm as he continues his recovery after breaking his left wrist in a crash at Michigan on June 7. “I think he’s handled that as well as you can handle it,” team owner Joe Gibbs said. “He’s got a burning desire to stay in there and win. I think he had, you know — he had a real good car tonight, too.” Denny Hamlin, who started on the pole, was third. William Byron, who won two stages while leading a race-high 94 laps, and Alex Bowman rounded out the top five. “I thought I was in control early on, even though I wasn’t leading,” Hamlin said. “I felt in control and probably got a little lazy on some restarts and things like that. Just taking for granted that I’ll just go up there and get it.”
NASCAR ran 19 Cup races in Joliet before pulling out after the 2019 season. It tried to build interest in the event in a crowded sports market, but the race struggled with attendance. After racing on a street course in downtown Chicago each of the previous three years, NASCAR decided to go back to Chicagoland — eager to see how the Next Gen cars would do on the rough and bumpy asphalt at the facility. Rain on Friday and Saturday caused some parking issues, but the racing was compelling. Led by Briscoe, Bell and Hamlin, Toyota accounted for seven of the top 10 cars for the first time in a Cup Series race — continuing a strong season for the manufacturer. “Yeah, Toyotas are fast,” Bell said.
Driving a “Space Jam”-themed car in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Looney Tunes movie, Bubba Wallace was sixth in his No. 23 Toyota Camry. Wallace is part of the 23XI Racing team that is co-owned by Michael Jordan, one of the stars of the 1996 movie. Ryan Blaney was seventh in his seventh consecutive top-10 finish. Ty Gibbs, Corey Heim and Riley Herbst completed the top 10. Tyler Reddick’s championship hopes were damaged by an oil leak with about 32 laps left in Stage 2.
There was a long caution while Reddick’s 23XI Racing crew worked on his No. 45 Toyota in the garage, replacing the radiator because of a hole. Reddick, who won the first three races of the season, finished 36th. He trails Hamlin by 44 points at the top of Cup standings after he was down by one going into the weekend. Kyle Larson also had a rough day after qualifying second behind Hamlin. He was in third place when he spun out of Turn 4 on Lap 93. He drove his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet into the wet infield grass and had to be pulled out of the mud. Larson finished 34th, extending his winless drought to 43 races. He finished second in each of the previous two Cup races at Chicagoland.
Briscoe, Bell, Hamlin and Blaney were among the winners in the second round of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge. Byron, Chase Elliott, Todd Gilliland and Alex Bowman also moved on. The winner of the five-race, bracket-style tournament receives $1 million. Briscoe eliminated Ty Gibbs, who won the inaugural competition last year. Byron defeated Larson, his teammate with Hendrick Motorsports. The Cup Series is at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, next weekend. Reddick won the February stop at the track.
Marcus Armstrong Signs Extension with Myere Shank Racing and will Drive the Number 60 in 2027 Marcus Armstrong has signed a multi-year contract extension to remain at Meyer Shank Racing, the team announced Friday. As part of the announcement, Armstrong will transition to the team’s No. 60 MSR Honda for the start of the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Felix Rosenqvist has driven that entry the past three years, but he recently confirmed that he will be leaving the team for yet-to-be-announced NTT INDYCAR SERIES organization. Since joining Meyer Shank Racing in 2025, Armstrong has established himself as one of the series’ brightest young talents. In his first season with the team, he earned his second career INDYCAR SERIES podium at Iowa Speedway while recording 11 top-10 finishes, showcasing the consistency and speed that have made him a championship contender.
Armstrong has continued that upward trajectory throughout the 2026 campaign. With seven races still remaining on the schedule, the 25-year-old has already collected five top-10 finishes and delivered one of the standout drives of the season in the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. After charging through the field after starting 16th, Armstrong battled for the lead in the closing laps before crossing the finish line in fifth place in one of the closest finishes in race history. Armstrong’s pace in MSR’s No. 66 entry has been evident throughout the season, including a heartbreaking near-victory at Road America where he was on his way to claim his first INDYCAR SERIES win before mechanical issues ended his day with fewer than five laps remaining. Despite the setback, Armstrong has consistently demonstrated the speed, race craft and determination that have made him a cornerstone of MSR’s future.
“I’m proud to announce a multi-year partnership with MSR,” Armstrong said in a statement released by the team. “I want to thank (co-owners) Mike (Shank), Jim (Meyer), Tim (Meyer) and Helio (Castroneves) for this opportunity and for believing in me. I feel that Meyer Shank Racing gives me one of the strongest cars on the grid every weekend. “Our goals are aligned: We want to win races and be consistently fighting at the front. I especially look forward to returning to the Indy 500 having unfinished business from this year. We still have eight races left this season and we have some strong momentum going. I’m ready more than ever to close out this season on a high note and start prepping for 2027.”
The contract extension reflects the confidence both Armstrong and Meyer Shank Racing have in continuing to build toward race wins and championship success together. As Armstrong prepares to take over the No. 60 Honda beginning in 2027, the team remains focused on finishing the 2026 season strong and turning its race-winning pace into victories. “Since joining the team, Marcus has really shown that he is a top contender, something that is not easy to do in this field,” Shank said. “His work ethic, feedback, and determination to improve every weekend make him exactly the kind of driver you want to build around. We’ve seen tremendous growth from him, and we’re excited to continue that journey together starting in 2027.” Meyer Shank Racing continues to finalize plans for the No. 66 MSR Honda and expects to announce the driver for the team’s second full-time entry at a later date.