Florida Sports Wire

  A year ago, Travis Hunter made as big a splash as when the Jaguars first took the field in 1995. Jacksonville shocked the league and the football world when they moved up in the draft to make Hunter the second overall pick last season. His Heisman Trophy added to the hype.  Expectations were sky-high, and the Jags had a potential two-way player who could certainly make a difference in a club who was looking for a major gamechanger.  Hunter had the ability to excel offensively and defensively. He was viewed as the player that could put them over the top, and take some pressure off Trevor Lawrence. Hunter initially discovered the difference between college football and the NFL. But he did begin to adapt. Ironically, Hunter went down in practice after he had his most productive game of the season with a seven-catch, 101-yard effort against the Rams. He also proved he could play corner when he had as good a game on the other side of the ball against Devonte Adams. Through s...

  Specal to SportsDay Media JACKSONVILLE — Deja Kelly's 21 points led the way for the Charlotte Crown as they snapped Jacksonville's six-game win streak with a 90-82 win at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena Sunday afternoon.   Charlotte raced out to a swift 13-0 lead to open the contest, putting the Waves at low tide early.  However, the Waves were resilient and pressed the Crown for the remainder of the game pulling within three at one point in the second half.   In fact, the Waves would pull within one and two possessions on several occasions throughout the contest, but Charlotte would counter with a flurry of points to gain some breathing room.  Charlotte used strong play down low, especially in the fourth quarter, totaling 44 points in the paint for the game.   Jacksonville never held a lead in the game.   Ariel Hearn led the Waves in scoring with16 points, while Shyanne Sellers chipped in 15 points.  The Waves (12-4) are bac...

ORLANDO (SportsDay) – Orlando City SC today announced a strategic partnership with the Football Science Institute (FSI) aimed at enhancing its technical and sporting infrastructure, participate in applied research initiatives and expand professional development opportunities for its staff. “We are always looking for ways to push the standard of excellence across our club, and this partnership with FSI is an important step in that process,” said Orlando City SC General Manager & Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira. “By connecting cutting-edge research with our day-to-day operations, we can create an environment that supports innovation, enhances player performance and invests in the continued growth of our staff.” Through this partnership, Orlando City staff and professionals will gain access to FSI’s educational programs, developed and delivered by experts working within some of the most competitive environments in world football.  The agreement will also provide opportunities f...

JACKSONVILLE (SportsDay) - Sporting Club Jacksonville announced today the signing of Keeley Dockter, a defender from the University of Portland, and Amanda Poorbaugh, a goalkeeper from Penn State University, pending league and federation approval. The additions come ahead of the second season for the Sporting JAX Women’s team following a record breaking inaugural season for the first Gainbridge Super League expansion team in the 2025/26 season. Before kicking off her professional career with the Reign, Dockter acted as a crucial member of the University of Portland’s back line with 64 starts in 69 appearances and 5,411 minutes logged. Her collegiate career resulted in three goals and two assists for the Pilots, including two game-winning goals. During her redshirt senior year, she led a defense that conceded just 12 goals, the second fewest in the West Coast Conference and the 17th fewest in the nation during the 2025 season. Her achievements that season earned her All-WCC First Team, ...

JACKSONVILLE (SportsDay)  - Unisun Sports, the groundbreaking strategic alliance between the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the United Athletic Conference (UAC), has officially commenced as of July 1, 2026. Unisun Sports will serve both conferences, designed to significantly enhance operational efficiency, foster deeper collaboration, and drive innovation across both NCAA Division I organizations.   “Today marks more than an official launch date—it represents the beginning of what’s next in collegiate athletics. It celebrates a new era for the United Athletic Conference (UAC) as it officially steps into a multi-sport conference, the continued strength of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), and the formation of a joint-venture, Unisun Sports,” said Unisun Sports CEO, Jeff Bacon. The United Athletic Conference, newly rebranded from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), will sponsor 16 sports and championships with nine full-time members. Those members span across six d...

  JACKSONVILLE (SportsDay). – Right-handed pitcher Karson Milbrandt will represent the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and Miami Marlins at the 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game in Philadelphia, Pa., at Citizens Bank Park. Milbrandt joins former Jumbo Shrimp and currently active Marlins Max Meyer (2021) and Joe Mack (2025) as active Jumbo Shrimp players since 2021 to earn a selection. The 22-year-old is currently ranked the No. 98 prospect in MLB and the No. 4 prospect in the Marlins farm system per MLB Pipeline.  Milbrandt was Miami’s third round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Liberty (Mo.) High School. He began the 2026 campaign with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, where he posted a 4-1 record and 1.34 ERA in 47.0 innings across nine starts while recording 70 strikeouts. Milbrandt became the first Blue Wahoo to earn back-to-back Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors. He received his first award after his start on May 16, when he pitched six shutout innings and struc...

By Mike Bonts (SportsDay Media) - The Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers announced their 2026 preseason schedules. Tampa Bay will take part in four contests, including two at Benchmark International Arena.  The Panthers will open their preseason at Amerant Bank Arena against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. (ET) before visiting the Hurricanes in Raleigh at Lenovo Center on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. (ET).   Florida will then face their intrastate rivals Tampa Bay Lightning for a home-and-away matchup to wrap the 2026-27 preseason with games on Thursday, Sept. 24 in Tampa at Benchmark International Arena at 7 p.m. ET and on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Sunrise at Amerant Bank Arena at 6 p.m. ET.  The Lightning will open the preseason on Sunday, September 20 against the Nashville Predators at 5 p.m. at Benchmark International Arena. On Tuesday, September 22, the Lightning will travel to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for a second matchup with the P...