The NFL returns on August sports calendar
The Summer Olympics come to an end while the National Football League inches back into the sports spotlight. Here’s a look at 10 highlights on the August sports calendar, including a major tennis event.
2024 Summer Olympics (August 1-11)
The Summer Olympics in Paris will wind down over the first week of August and come to a conclusion on August 11 at the Stade de France with the event’s closing ceremonies. The gold medal game for the women’s basketball tournament also takes place on August 11, while the gold medal game for the men’s basketball tournament is on August 10. The women’s 100m final is on August 3; the men’s is on August 4.
NFL Hall of Fame Game (August 1)
The National Football League’s preseason schedule gets underway on the first day of August with the Houston Texans taking on the Chicago Bears in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The league’s exhibition slate then gets underway in earnest on August 8, with all 16 teams in action over four days (through August 11). Two more preseason weeks then follow before the regular season gets going.
MLB Regular Season (August 1-31)
With the league’s trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the contenders around Major League Baseball will be looking to solidify their playoff positioning with strong results in the month of August. Notable series on the schedule on the first weekend of the month including the Cleveland Guardians hosting the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies at the Seattle Mariners, while the first Sunday Night Baseball matchup of August has the Chicago Cubs playing host to the rival St. Louis Cardinals.
WNBA Regular Season (August 15-31)
The WNBA returns from its Olympic break on August 15 with three games on the schedule – Phoenix at Chicago, Washington at Minnesota, and New York at Los Angeles. Heading into the summer hiatus the Liberty held the best record in the league at 21-4, with Connecticut next at 18-6. Minnesota, Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Indiana, and Chicago hold the other six playoff berths heading into the league’s restart.
FedEx St. Jude Championship (August 15-18)
The PGA Tour stages its FedExCup playoff events in the month of August, beginning with the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee from August 15-18. Lucas Glover won this event last season, beating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to claim the trophy. The BMW Championship (August 22-25) and the TOUR Championship (August 29-September 1) round out the FedExCup playoffs.
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya (August 17)
The main event of the UFC 305 card at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia is a middleweight championship contest between current champion Dricus du Plessis and challenger Israel Adesanya. As well, Kai Kara-France will take on Steve Erceg in a flyweight matchup, while Mateusz Gamrot meets Dan Hooker in a lightweight fight, and Tai Tuivasa faces Jairzinho Rozenstruik in a bout between heavyweight fighters.
College Football Regular Season (August 24-31)
College football’s regular season gets started on August 24 with a four-game slate, highlighted by Florida State taking on Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland at Noon ET. The slate then expands the following week with games from Thursday to Monday (August 29 to September 2), including Clemson at Georgia, Miami at Florida, and Notre Dame at Texas A&M in three marquee Saturday games.
Coke Zero Sugar 400 (August 24)
The NASCAR Cup Series schedule wraps up its August calendar with a night race at Daytona International Speedway on August 24 as the drivers compete in the Coke Zero Sugar 400. William Byron was the winner of the Daytona 500 at the venue back in February, while Chris Buescher won this event last season. Austin Dillon (2022) and Ryan Blaney (2021) took the checkered flag in the previous two years.
Dutch Grand Prix (August 25)
The only F1 race on the August calendar is the Dutch Grand Prix on August 25. Heading into the month of August it’s Max Verstappen that leads the driver standings by a large margin, holding a 277-199 advantage over Lando Norris. Charles Leclerc sits third in those standings with 177 points. Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing team also leads the constructors standings by a 408-366 margin over McLaren Mercedes.
U.S. Open (August 26-31)
Tennis stages another grand slam event in the month of August, with the U.S. Open in New York running from August 26 through to September 8. Coco Gauff won the women’s edition of this tournament last year, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the finals, while Iga Swiatek won in 2022, and Emma Raducanu won in 2021. Novak Djokovic topped Daniil Medvedev in the men’s edition of this tournament last year, while Carlos Alcaraz was the champion in 2022, and Medvedev was the winner of the event back in 2021.
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.
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