NFL planning to have full stadiums for next season

Team owners at a virtual meeting on Tuesday approved the 17th game as expected, marking the first time in 43 years the regular season has been increased. It went from 14 to 16 games in 1978.

As for fans in the stands — 119 games, including the postseason, had some in-person attendance during the coronavirus-impacted 2020 season, with approximately 1.2 millions fans in total — Goodell sounded optimistic.

“We’re discussing plans to welcome back all fans across the country at all stadiums,” he said. “All of us want to see every one of our fans back. Football is not the same without fans, and we expect to have full stadiums in the upcoming season.”

College basketball GONZAGA HEADED TO FINAL FOUR »

Can anybody stop these guys? For the 30th straight time this season, Gonzaga answered that question with a resounding “No.”

The Bulldogs got on a roll and put on a show, cruising into the Final Four with an 85-66 beatdown of a Southern California team that was nowhere near ready for what it ran into.

Drew Timme had 23 points and five rebounds.

“This is a really, really big deal,” Coach Mark Few said of the program’s return to the Final Four after a four-year hiatus. “And Zags know how to celebrate, OK?”

SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN ROLL »

One by one, South Carolina players walked through the confetti and climbed the ladder to cut down the net in the Alamodome. It was only fitting that the Gamecocks got to keep the nylon. They used it way more than Texas did.

Zia Cooke scored 16 points and South Carolina used its stifling defense to advance to the Final Four for the third time, shutting down Texas for a 62-34 victory.

Top-seeded South Carolina blocked 14 shots, nine by Laeticia Amihere.