After a week spent observing Canada Day and Independence Day, and as national pride is at an all-time high ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics (which start in 19 days!), we’re diving into nationalism in sports — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This feature is brought to you in partnership with BMO, the “Bank of Soccer” that supports players and fans around the world.

These players are already making waves at their new schools.

Despite the rising popularity of women’s soccer in the U.K., the standing of Reading FC Women has dipped from bad to worse. Per SportsPro Media, the team, which played in the second-tier Women’s Championship (WC) last season, recently applied for fifth-tier status as finances have rendered the club unable to meet WC’s compliance requirements.

This era of athlete empowerment isn't without its tradeoffs.

Athletes Unlimited (AU) just recruited a major heavy-hitter to headline their brand-new softball league: MLB front office veteran Kim Ng. The longtime baseball exec and first-ever female MLB general manager (GM) is now joining the Athletes Unlimited roster as a senior advisor to oversee the development of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).

With a thrilling Round of 16 officially done and dusted, here’s a look ahead to this weekend’s four must-see Euro quarter-final matches. Just heating up.

It was a weekend of literal highs and devastating blows in the first Euro 2024 knockout games. With half the quarter-final (QF) spots already secured and the remaining four to be awarded in the next 48 hours, the summer of soccer never stops.

U.S. Olympic rugby (and TikTok) star Ilona Maher and former NCAA swimmer Ann Ragan Kearns launched a skincare line today, called Medalist. The brand’s products are specifically designed for women athletes, which involved rigorous testing from Maher and other athletes across different age groups and sports.

The Women’s Super League (WSL) is getting bigger and better, and the numbers continue to prove it. After the season wrapped in May, new data from the Women’s Sport Trust (WST) and Future Sport & Entertainment indicate UK soccer fans are spending more time watching WSL matches than ever before.

With both the NBA and NHL Drafts done and dusted, it’s time for the chaos of free agency to take center stage. The wildest stretch of the offseason began yesterday at 6 p.m. ET for the hoopers (and pens are already being put to paper) while the puck drops on NHL free agency today at 12 p.m. ET.

It's one of the major forces shaping college sports.