Florida Sports Wire

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...

By Mike Bonts SAINT PAUL, Minn.(SportsDay) – The Minnesota Wild selected three players during the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, hosted Friday and Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y. Minnesota selected two forwards and one goaltender, including one Swede, one Canadian and one Czech. The Wild began Saturday by selecting center Adam Andersson in the third round (No. 83 overall) after acquiring the selection from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a third-round selection (No. 89 overall) and a fifth-round selection (No. 153 overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft. Andersson, 17 (7/2/2008), recorded 17 points (3-14=17) in 30 games with Leksands IF of the Swedish Under-20 league last season. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound native of Stockholm also tallied four points (1-3=4) in seven games while helping Sweden win a gold medal at the 2026 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, ranking second among tournament skaters with 61 face offs won. "Adam is a big centerman with strong work ethic," said Wild Director of Eu...

By MIKE BONTS TAMPA BAY (SportsDay) - The Tampa Bay Lightning selected six players today during the second day of the 2026 NHL Draft, taking place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The Lightning’s 2026 Draft is presented by Florida Blue. The Lightning traded up to the 52nd overall pick in the second round to select forward Oleg Kulebiakin from the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. Kulebiakin, 5-foot 10, 178 pounds, recorded 29 goals and 73 points in 64 games for Halifax last season. A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, he also skated in four playoff games, registering two assists. Kulebiakin led the Mooseheads for assists, points and power-play points with 26, while ranking third for goals. He is currently committed to play for UMass for the 2027-28 season. With the 26th pick in the third round, 90th overall, Tampa Bay selected defenseman Tomas Kralovic from Bratislava Slovan of the Slovakian league. The 6-foot-3, 202-pound blueliner recorded six goals and 31 points last season in...