Sports Tonight: Penn, Dartmouth kick off Ivy season

It took five decades, but Penn finally ran Dartmouth down for the most Ivy League football championships.

After being co-champions with Princeton last season, the Quakers match the Big Green with 18 "Ancient Eight" titles.

Under perfect circumstances for suspense, tonight's game at 7 at Franklin Field would be an end-of-season showdown with Penn and Dartmouth fighting for the 19th championship. Instead, it is the Ivy League opener for both teams.

The significance of the matchup isn't lost, however, as it will be televised nationally on NBC Sports Network.

There was a time before college football became an elite multibillion-dollar industry controlled by about 60 high-profile programs when a star in the Ivy League could be as well-known as any player in the country. Yale has two Heisman Trophy winners, the same number as Alabama, Texas, Georgia and Miami.

Still, if an Ivy League player could get consideration in 2017, Quakers running back Karekin Brooks and receiver Justin Watson would have to be talked about as dark horses. Brooks is averaging 205 rushing yards per game and 10.5 yards a carry. Watson is averaging 117.5 receiving yards per game and 16.79 per reception.

During their off-season, the Phillies should be fans of the Sixers – not only because it is the Five-for-Philly thing to do but because success by the Sixers could carry over into fans' hope for the Phillies.

Tonight at 7:05 when the Phillies play the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park (TV: CSN; radio: 94 WIP), it will start their last series of another disappointing season. But like the Sixers, the Phillies are banking their hopes on the continued growth of young players who began arriving this summer from a painful rebuilding process.

Sixers fans went through four seasons of misery to arrive at the 2017-18 campaign, when they hope the payoff comes in the form of drastic improvement from a developing nucleus and some smart veteran acquisitions.

If the Sixers meet expectations and make the playoffs, it will create an atmosphere of possibility that the Phillies can latch onto as they make plans to improve next season.

Staff writers Matt Breen and Matt Gelb report that Pete Mackanin will not be back as the Phillies manager.

The start of the NHL season is just around the corner. Staff writer Sam Donnellon tells what he took away from the Flyers' penultimate preseason game.

Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer better live in a house made of unbreakable glass. The Buckeyes coach had harsh words about any coach who willfully breaks an NCAA rule or lies during an investigation.

Just like NCAA president Mark Emmert, I am shocked at college basketball's latest scandal. Actually, I'm not, and neither is columnist Bob Ford.

Las Aguilas se despiden de la radio española. Staff writer Paul Domowitch explains why the broadcast booth was moved to the end zone.

Columnist Bob Brookover writes that the Phillies should invest in quality starting pitching in the off-season to help their young core develop.

The Los Angeles Chargers have been universally slammed for moving from San Diego and branded as doomed to fail. Long-time NFL agent Leigh Steinberg knows the Southern California sports scene as well as anyone and gives the Chargers an outline for success.

The fallout from the current NCAA basketball scandal continues to grow. Forbes magazine reports that top NBA agent Andy Miller is losing clients after being connected to the FBI probe.

As much as some people want to link the NBA as a player in the scandal that is rocking college basketball, it is not.

It's also not the league's responsibility to clean this mess up.

You can argue that the "one-and-done" situation makes it easier for coaches, shoe companies and street agents to hustle kids looking for quick money. You can say the NBA should form a true minor league.

Still, this is a college basketball issue. These criminal accusations happened in college basketball and not the NBA.

The NBA is not responsible for college coaches' putting so much emphasis on winning that they get into under-the-table bidding wars for kids who don't actually want to be students.

Just because NBA rules prevent kids from jumping directly from high school does not mean colleges have to accept them with open arms for their one-year pit stop. College coaches know most of these kids have no true allegiance to their program, but they do it anyway.

That's on college basketball — not the NBA.

Baseball
Mets at Phillies, 7 p.m. (CSN; WIP-FM 94.1, WNPV-AM 1440)
Dodgers at Rockies, 8 p.m. (MLB Network)

Preseason Hockey
Capitals at Hurricanes, 7:30 p.m. (NHL Network)

College Football
Dartmouth at Penn, 7 p.m. (NBC-SN; WNTP-AM 990)
Miami at Duke, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
BYU at Utah State, 8 p.m. (CBS-SN)
Nebraska at Illinois, 8 p.m. (FS1)
USC at Washington State, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Auto Racing
Formula One: Malaysia Grand Prix qualifying, 5 a.m. Saturday (NBC-SN)

Rowing
FISA World Championships, 10:30 p.m. (NBC-SN)

WNBA Finals
Minnesota Lynx at Los Angeles Sparks, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)

Baseball
Phillies vs. Mets, 7:05 p.m., Citizens Bank Park

College Football
Penn vs. Dartmouth, 7 p.m., Franklin Field

Baseball
Regional game, 1 p.m. (Fox29)
Brewers at Cardinals, 4 p.m. (FS1)
Mets at Phillies, 7 p.m. (CSN; WIP-FM 94.1)
Regional game, 8 p.m. (MLB Network)

Preseason Hockey
Blue Jackets at Penguins, 4 p.m. (NHL Network)
Red Wings at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (NHL Network)
Ducks at Kings, 10:30 p.m. (NHL Network)

Preseason Basketball
Timberwolves at Lakers, 10 p.m. (NBA TV)

College Football
Houston at Temple, noon (ESPNU; WPEN-FM 97.5)
Northwestern at Wisconsin, noon (6ABC)
South Florida at East Carolina, noon (CBS-SN)
Vanderbilt at Florida, noon (ESPN)
North Carolina at Georgia Tech, noon (ESPN2)
Maryland at Minnesota, noon (FS1)
Lebanon Valley at Widener, 1 p.m. (WFIL-AM 560)
Baylor at Kansas State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Florida State at Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m. (6ABC)
Georgia at Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. (CBS3)
Indiana at Penn State, 3:30 p.m. (BTN; WNTP-AM 990, WNPV-AM 1440)
Texas-El Paso at Army, 3:30 p.m. (CBS-SN)
Navy at Tulsa, 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Connecticut at SMU, 4 p.m. (ESPNEWS)
Iowa at Michigan State, 4 p.m. (Fox29)
Miami (Ohio) at Notre Dame, 5 p.m. (NBC-SN)
Mississippi State at Auburn, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Air Force at New Mexico, 7 p.m. (CBS-SN)
Memphis at Central Florida, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Troy at LSU, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Clemson at Virginia Tech, 8 p.m. (6ABC)
Oklahoma State at Texas Tech, 8 p.m. (Fox29)
Mississippi at Alabama, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
California at Oregon, 10:30 p.m. (FS1)
Northern Illinois at San Diego State, 10:30 p.m. (CBS-SN)
Colorado at UCLA, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
San Jose State at UNLV, 10:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Golf
European PGA: British Masters, 8 a.m. (Golf Channel)
Presidents Cup, 8 a.m. (NBC10)
LPGA: New Zealand Open, noon (Golf Channel)

Soccer
Premier League: Huddersfield Town vs. Tottenham, 7:25 a.m. (NBC-SN)
Bundesliga: Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund, 9:30 a.m. (FS1)
Premier League: Manchester United vs. CRystal Palace, 10 p.m. (NBC-SN)
Premier League: Chelsea vs. Manchester City, 12:30 p.m. (NBC-SN)
NWSL: Chicago Red Stars at Portland Thorns FC, 3:30 p.m. (LIFE)

Auto Racing
NASCAR Monster Energy Cup: Apache Warrior 400 practice, 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. (CNBC)
NASCAR Xfinity: Drive Sober 200 qualifying, 11:30 a.m. (CNBC); 3 p.m. (NBC-SN)
NASCAR Trucks: Las Vegas 350 qualifying, 7 p.m. (FS1); race at 8 p.m. (FS1; WNPV-AM 1440)
Formula One: Malaysia Grand Prix, 2:30 a.m. Sunday (NBC-SN)

Rugby
English Premiership: Leicester vs. Exeter, 9 p.m. (NBC-SN)

Baseball
Phillies vs. Mets, 7:05 p.m., Citizens Bank Park

College Football
Temple vs. Houston, noon, Lincoln Financial Field

Horse Racing
Parx Racing, 12:55 p.m., Bensalem

NFL
Saints vs. Dolphins from London, 9:30 a.m. (Fox29)
Steelers at Ravens, 1 p.m. (CBS3)
Eagles at Chargers, 4 p.m. (Fox29; WIP-FM 94.1)
Raiders at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. (CBS3)
Colts at Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. (NBC10)

Baseball
Mets at Phillies, 3 p.m. (CSN; WPHT-AM 1210)
Dodgers at Rockies, 3 p.m. (TBS)

Preseason Hockey
Islanders at Flyers, 5 p.m. (TCN, NHL Network; WPEN-FM 97.5)
Sharks at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. (NHL Network)

NBA Preseason
Hawks at Heat, 6 p.m. (NBA TV)
Clippers at Raptors, 10 p.m. (NBA TV)

Golf
LPGA: New Zealand Open, noon (Golf Channel)
PGA: Presidents Cup, noon (NBC10)
European PGA: British Masters, 2 a.m. Monday (Golf Channel)

Soccer
Premier League: Arsenal vs. Brighton & Hove Albion, 6:55 a.m. (NBC-SN)
Premier League: Everton vs. Burnley, 9:10 a.m. (NBC-SN)
Bundesliga: Hertha Berlin vs. Bayern Munich, 9:30 a.m. (FS1)
Premier League: Newcastle United vs. Liverpool, 11:25 a.m. (NBC-SN)
MLS: Seatle Sounders FC at Union, 1 p.m. (ESPN)

Auto Racing
NASCAR Monster Energy Cup: Apache Warrior 400, 2 p.m. (NBC-SN; WNPV-AM 1440)
NHRA: Midwest Nationals, 2 p.m. (FS1)

WNBA Finals
Minnesota Lynx at Los Angeles Sparks, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Rowing
FISA World Championships, 11 p.m. (NBC-SN)

Soccer
Union vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 1 p.m., Talen Energy Stadium

Baseball
Phillies vs. Mets, 3:05 p.m., Citizens Bank Park

Preseason Hockey
Flyers vs. Islanders, 5 p.m., Wells Fargo Center

Horse Racing
Parx Racing, 12:55 p.m., Bensalem

Harness Racing
Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack, 12:40 p.m., Chester