Varsity Magazine VOL. 5

The week leading up to the final weekend of January was a whirlwind of postseason drama, high-stakes negotiations, and Grand Slam shocks. As the NFL narrowed its field to two and tennis stars battled the Melbourne heat, here are the major headlines from across the sports world.

🏈 NFL: The Road to Super Bowl LX

The Divisional Round wrapped up on January 18, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated Championship Sundays in recent memory.

• Divisional Thrillers: The Los Angeles Rams survived an overtime heart-stopper against the Chicago Bears (20-17), while the New England Patriots handled the Houston Texans (28-16).

• The Final Four: The week concluded with the world preparing for the Conference Championships on January 25:

  • AFC: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos.

  • NFC: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks.

• Coaching Carousel: Following the Ravens' dismissal of John Harbaugh last week, rumors intensified that Bill Belichick might consider a "consultant" role for a contending team in 2026.

🎾 Tennis: Australian Open Shakes the Rankings

The first week of the Australian Open saw the "Old Guard" and "New Wave" collide in dramatic fashion.

• Alcaraz Dominates: World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz cruised through the third round on Jan. 23 with a straight-sets victory, looking like the man to beat.

• Gauff’s Grind: Coco Gauff survived a three-set scare against Karolina Muchova (6-1, 3-6, 6-3) on Jan. 24 to advance, keeping American hopes alive.

• Major Upsets: The tournament saw early exits for several top seeds, including Iga Świątek, who was stunned in the third round by Marie Bouzkova.

🏀 NBA & WNBA: A Week of Injuries and Standoffs

• Yesterday, January 24th, 2026, was one of the most emotional and significant nights in Chicago sports history. The Chicago Bulls officially retired Derrick Rose's No. 1 jersey, cementing the "hometown hero" in the United Center rafters alongside Michael Jordan (23), Scottie Pippen (33), Jerry Sloan (4), and Bob Love (10).

The ceremony was a "full-circle" moment for Rose, who was born and raised in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood before becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011.

• WNBA Labor Freeze: The "Moratorium" remained in effect as the league and players union struggled to find common ground. Tension remained high over the $10.5 million salary cap proposal and revenue-sharing percentages.

• NBA Injury Wave: The "Injury Bug" bit hard this week. The Memphis Grizzlies lost Ja Morant to a UCL sprain in his elbow, while the Rockets confirmed a season-ending ACL tear for Fred VanVleet.

• All-Star Starters: On Jan. 23, the 2026 All-Star starters were announced for the Feb. 15 game at the Intuit Dome, featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo as the East captain despite the Bucks' rocky 18-24 start.

🏒 NHL: Milestones and Outdoor Prep

• RNH 1,000: Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins celebrated his 1,000th career game on Jan. 18 by scoring a goal against the Blues, joining a rare group of players to score in both their 1st and 1,000th games.

• Vasilevskiy’s Streak: Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy reached 20 wins for the 10th consecutive season, leading the Lightning on a 13-game point streak as they head toward the Stadium Series on Feb. 1.

⚾ MLB: Cubs and Phils Make Moves

The free-agent market stayed warm even in the dead of winter.

• Bregman Settles In: Following his signing with the Chicago Cubs, Alex Bregman began early workouts in Mesa, Arizona.

• Philly Retains a Core: The Philadelphia Phillies locked up veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto to a new three-year deal on Jan. 20, keeping the fan favorite behind the plate.

🏎️ F1 & NASCAR: The Winter Grind

• F1 Pre-Season: Teams entered the final stages of car assembly before February testing. Red Bull Ford completed a successful "shakedown" of their 2026 power unit behind closed doors.

• NASCAR: Teams converged on Daytona for wind-tunnel testing, with Kyle Busch and the restructured RCR team showing top-of-the-board speeds in unofficial sessions.