It’s kickoff time on September sports calendar
The NFL regular season begins in Kansas City, and the MLB regular season comes to its close. Here’s a look at 10 highlights on the September sports calendar, including marquee college football matchups.
MLB Regular Season (September 1-29)
MLB playoff berths will be decided in September as teams play the final four weeks of their regular-season schedule. The first Sunday night matchup of the month has the Phillies hosting the Braves on September 1, while the final day of the regular season will be September 29 with notable games including Houston at Cleveland, Kansas City at Atlanta, San Diego at Arizona, and the Mets at Milwaukee.
College Football Regular Season (September 1-30)
A rare Sunday matchup leads off the college football schedule for the month with ranked teams USC and LSU meeting on September 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The next night features a game as well, with Boston College playing at Florida State. Other marquee matchups coming up in the month include Texas taking on Michigan on September 7, and Georgia going up against Alabama on September 28.
WNBA Regular Season (September 1-19)
The final stretch of the WNBA’s regular-season schedule tips off in September, with the first day of the month offering up five games – Seattle at Connecticut, Chicago at Minnesota, Indiana at Dallas, Las Vegas at Phoenix, and Atlanta at Los Angeles. The league’s regular season comes to an end on September 19 with a six-game slate of contests, including the Mystics getting a visit from the Fever on Prime Video.
US Open (September 1-8)
After getting underway on August 26 the US Open tennis tournament will come to an end over the first week of September at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. Novak Djokovic won the men’s draw of the US Open last year, and Coco Gauff was the champion of the women’s draw.
Italian Grand Prix (September 1)
The Italian Grand Prix launches the Formula 1 schedule for the month of September, with Max Verstappen having taken the checkered flag at the race in each of the past two years. Verstappen leads the driver standings heading into September by a margin of 295-225 over Lando Norris, with Charles Leclerc in third with 192 points. Red Bull Racing leads McLaren Mercedes 434-404 in the team standings.
NFL Regular Season (September 5-30)
The NFL regular season kicks off in Kansas City on September 5 as the Chiefs get a visit from the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium. Week 1 then continues on September 6 with the Eagles playing the Packers in Sao Paulo, while the first Sunday of the regular season offers up 13 games including the Rams at the Lions in the Sunday nighter. The Jets meet the Niners in the first Monday Night Football game of the season.
UFC 306: O’Malley vs Dvalishvili (September 14)
A pair of championship bouts are expected to highlight the card of UFC 306, which is set to take place at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Champion Sean O’Malley will face Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC Bantamweight Championship to headline the night, while champion Alex Grasso will fight Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship. As well, Brian Ortega will take on Diego Lopes in a Featherweight matchup on the night, and Daniel Zellhuber is scheduled for a Lightweight fight against Esteban Ribovics.
NHL Preseason (September 21-30)
The NHL’s exhibition slate gets underway on September 21, with St. Louis facing Dallas, Pittsburgh taking on Buffalo, and Minnesota battling Winnipeg, while the newly-relocated Utah Hockey Club will hit the ice for the first time on September 22 as they face the Blues in Des Moines, Iowa. The Sabres will also take on Red Bull Munich in a preseason contest on September 27 at the brand-new SAP Garden in Munich.
Bass Pro Shops Night Race (September 21)
The NASCAR Cup Series schedule for the month of September contains five events, including this night race at Bristol Motor Speedway which was won by Denny Hamlin for the third time last year. The circuit’s September slate also includes races at Darlington Raceway (September 1), Atlanta Motor Speedway (September 8), Watkins Glen International (September 15), and Kansas Speedway (September 29).
Presidents Cup (September 26-29)
It’s the United States against the rest of the world (minus Europe) in this marquee golf event, which is set to take place over four days at Royal Montreal Golf Club at the end of the month. Jim Furyk will captain the American team for the tournament, while Mike Weir is set to captain the International team on his home soil. The United States is a dominant 12-1 with one tie through the first 14 editions of this event.
With zero championships between his MLB, NHL, and NFL teams over the last 30 years, Dave keeps one foot in the past while shaking his fist at the present. Having provided content to all manner of sports websites over a 20-year career in the industry, Dave brings to Attiq an eye for all things editorial and a disdain for all things New York Yankees. Click here for Dave's posts.
