MILAN — Captain Hilary Knight stood on the ice as her USA women’s hockey teammates filed off, one by one, following another resounding performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The five-time Olympian, chasing her second Olympic gold medal, fist bumped each of her teammates, the last to go through the gap in the boards and head to the locker room.

There was Cayla Barnes, who scored about 5 minutes into the American’s 5-0 semifinal win over Sweden, her first goal of the tournament. There was Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hayley Scamurra, who all scored in the second period, the latter three of whom scored within less than 3 minutes of each other.

Watch Winter Olympics on Peacock

“I think this is one of the best groups I’ve ever been part of,’ Edwards said. ‘I think our depth and being from top, down being that everyone plays a really good 200-foot game and we just play well together.”

The players, who have combined to score 31 goals so far this tournament, lingered briefly before heading into the tunnel, waving to fans and taking in the moment. They had gotten past their second-to-last hurdle, standing between them and that coveted Olympic gold, which the U.S. women have won twice (1998, 2018) and played for six times previously.

‘It’s hard to kind of zoom out while you’re here and look at the big picture because you’re so focused on the day to day,’ goaltender Aerin Frankel said. ‘But I think we look back at this tournament, what we’ve done so far has been amazing.’

The Americans outshot the Swedes 34-23, and Frankel was impenetrable, keeping Sweden off the board with spectacular save after save to preserve a fifth consecutive shutout. Meanwhile, as Knight remains one goal and one point away from setting the new U.S. Olympic all-time record in both categories, the vaunted leader is more than fine with her teammates getting the shine, quickly deflecting all praise to her teammates at every turn.

‘Anytime I put on this jersey, I feel just so lucky to be a part of this group because there’s so much talent in our locker room and it’s just so much fun to play with the best players in the world,’ Frankel said.

The Americans will play Canada in the gold medal match on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET.

What USA women’s hockey players said about playing for Olympic gold

• Joy Dune: ‘I think it speaks for itself what we want him here to do. We’ll just let the score speak for itself. We’re just going to keep pushing, knowing we can be better. There’s always room for improvement. We’re a really good team, but we can always continue to be better.’
• Aerin Frankel: ‘It’s hard to kind of zoom out while you’re here and look at the big picture because you’re so focused on the day to day. But I think we look back at this tournament, what we’ve done so far has been amazing.’
• Laila Edwards: ‘I mean, I think, believe it or not, we have been challenged and we just overcome it and succeeded, but we’ll take what we can get and hopefully come out on top.’

USA women’s hockey scores a rout vs. Sweden

Hayley Scamurra netted a goal at 37:59 to continue the Americans’ dominance in this semifinal matchup — and in this Olympic tournament. The goal gave USA a 5-0 lead.

Sweden swapped out goalkeeper Ebba Svensson Träff for Emma Soderberg at the 36:10 mark immediately after Träff conceded the four goal of the match, including two in less than a minute. Soderberg gave up a goal less than two minutes later to Hayley Scamurra.

USA women’s hockey scores 2 goals in less than a minute

Not 6 minutes after Taylor Heise put the Americans up 2-0, Abbey Murphy and Kendall Coyne Schofield scored within a minute of each other to extend the lead to 4-0. Hannah Bilka and Haley Winn were credited with the assist on Murphy’s goal; Megan Keller and Laila Edwards were credited with the assist on Coyne Schofield’s goal.

Taylor Heise scores for USA women’s hockey

Forward Taylor Heise extended USA’s lead over Sweden to 2-0 at the 29:09 mark. Hannah Bilka made a break toward the goal and connected with Heise, who tapped the puck in for her second score of the tournament. Abbey Murphy was also credited with an assist.

Read about her journey from being cut ahead of the 2022 Beijing Games to roaring back and becoming indespensible for this squad.

Jason Kelce stops by USA hockey vs. Sweden

U.S. women’s hockey rising star Laila Edwards isn’t the only Cleveland Heights native in the building. Fellow Ohioan Jason Kelce and his wife Kylie Kelce were in attendance at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Monday for Team USA’s semifinal matchup against Sweden.

Kelce was decked out in red, white and blue in a Team USA Kendall Coyne Schofield jersey.

Edwards revealed last month that Kelce and his brother, Travis Kelce, both donated to her GoFundMe campaign to bring her family and friends to Milan to cheer her on in person. Edwards became the first Black woman to score a goal for the U.S. Olympic hockey team.

Edwards, 22, assisted Schofield’s goal at the 36:10 mark.

USA’s Kirsten Simms called for interference

Kirsten Simms was called for an interference penalty, handing Sweden its second power play of the contest. The Americans were able to kill off the first power play and easily kept the Swedes away from their goal during the second.

USA women’s hockey roster

Here is the full U.S. women’s hockey roster for the Milano Cortina Olympics:

• Forwards: Kirsten Simms; Kelly Pannek; Grace Zumwinkle; Hayley Scamurra; Britta Curl-Salemme; Hilary Knight; Tessa Janecke; Hannah Bilka; Joy Dunne; Alex Carpenter; Kendall Coyne Schofield; Taylor Heise; Abbey Murphy.
• Goaltenders: Ava McNaughton; Aerin Frankel; Gwyneth Philips.
• Defenders: Lee Stecklein; Cayla Barnes; Caroline Harvey; Megan Keller; Rory Guilday; Haley Winn; Laila Edwards.

USA women’s hockey coach

John Wroblewski has led the squad since August 2022. Under his leadership, the Americans have two golds and two silvers at IIHR Women’s World Championships.

USA’s Hayley Scamurra hits penalty box

USA forward Hayley Scamurra is heading to the penalty box after being called for tripping. The penalty gave Sweden a one-player advantage and their first power play of the night.

USA women’s hockey leads Sweden after first period

The U.S. women have a 1-0 lead over Sweden after the first period. Cayla Barnes opened scoring at the 5:09 mark for the Americans, who recorded 13 shots on goal in the frame. Sweden registered only two shots on goal in the first period, including a breakaway shot that goalie Aerin Frankel caught to keep the Swedes off the board. Frankel has only one conceded one goal through three games, in addition to two shutouts.

USA gets first power play

The Americans got the first power play of the match after Sara Hjalmarsson was called for a boarding penalty at the 8:21 mark. However, Sweden was able to kill off the power play and is back at full strength.

USA women’s hockey takes 1-0 lead in first

The Americans are on the board just like that. Cayla Barnes hit a laser to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead over Sweden about 5 minutes into the first period. It was Barnes’ first goal of these Games and USA’s 27th of the tournament.

Kelly Pannek and Lee Stecklein were credited with the assist. The U.S. women are already up to 9-1 in shots on goal. The Swedes didn’t notch their first until more than halfway through the opening frame.

Caroline Harvey stats

Caroline Harvey has nine points so far these Games — two goals, seven assists — the most by a U.S. defender in an Olympics tournament.

Hilary Knight stats

The U.S. hockey captain and five-time Olympian is sitting on the doorstep of breaking two records. Most points by an American at the Olympics and most goals by an American at the Olympics. She is tied with Jenny Potter for most points (32), and in a three-way tie with Natalie Darwitz and Katie King for most goals (14).

USA women’s hockey game vs. Sweden underway

And we’re off here at this Olympics semifinal game. About 20 seconds into the first period, chants of ‘U-S-A! U-S-A!’ broke out from the crowd.

USA women’s hockey stats

• The Americans are 5-1 in the semifinals at the Olympics, the only loss coming to Sweden at the 2006 Games.
• This is the sixth time these sides have met in the Olympics. The Americans hold a 4-0-1-0 record.

USA women’s hockey lines today

What time does USA hockey play today?

• Date: Monday, Feb. 16
• Time: 10:40 a.m. ET
• Location: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena

Puck drop between the U.S. women’s hockey team and Switzerland is set for 10:40 a.m. ET on Monday, Feb. 16 from the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

USA women’s hockey game today

• TV channel: USA Network
• Streaming options: NBCOlympics.com | NBC Olympic App | Peacock

USA Network will broadcast Monday’s U.S. women’s hockey semifinal matchup against Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Streaming options for the game include NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympic App (with a TV login).

You can also stream the game on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Maybe we’ve gotten the Canadians all wrong.

They seem to have the market cornered on niceness, the type of folks who always say hello and never have a bad word to say about anyone or anything. Certainly not the type to cause a ruckus or, gasp, cheat.

And yet …

For the second Olympics in a row, Canada is facing accusations that it’s playing fast and loose with the rules to get an edge. Last time it was soccer, when the Canadian women’s team was caught using drones to spy on opponents at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, it’s curling. Curling!

Canada’s men’s team was called out not once but twice over the weekend for “double touching,” which can be either touching the stone after its release or touching the granite at any point. Then Canada’s women were accused of a similar offense.

“Obviously it’s frustrating to have that happen,” said Canada skip Rachel Homan, who had a stone removed from the ice for a double-touch violation during a match against Sweden on Saturday, Feb. 14.

“But we’re trying to stick together as a team, and we’re supporting the guys and they’re doing the same for us,” Homan said. “There’s zero intention. It kind of got blown up for no reason.”

That is probably true.

The Canadian curlers are accused of trying to manipulate their stones’ trajectory, not carrying them down the ice and depositing them in the house (the bullseye that is the curlers’ goal).

Plus, a curling stone weighs between 38 and 44 pounds and there is 21 feet of ice between the hogline and the house. Giving the handle an extra tap, or even touching the granite, isn’t going to be what gets Canada on the podium.

But it’s the combination of a cheating scandal in curling – which is always going to be fodder for the “sport, not a sport” debate – and the nicest people on earth being at the center of it that has turned it into the cause celebre at these Games.

“There’s always something blowing up at the Olympics, right? This year it’s this,” sweeper Emma Miskew said after Canada beat China on Monday, Feb. 16, to get to 2-3 in the tournament at the Milano Cortina Olympics.

“It’s all good. We’ll get through it,” Miskew said. “I think it’ll die down eventually.”

Yes, but what about the damage done to Canada’s image as the country nobody can hate?

Canadians are the human equivalent of Disneyland. The next time they’re accused of being obnoxious or braggarts it will be the first. They’re easy-going and fun. Being around them is an immediate mood boost.

They’re like Australians, only with moose and maple syrup instead of koalas and kangaroos.

Now the world, especially people not paying close attention, are going to think Canada is just as corrupt as everybody else. That they’ll cut corners and throw people under the bus if it benefits them.

The Canadians don’t see it that way, of course. They believe they’re the wronged party.  

“We’ve played the game at a high level long enough where we weren’t looking for infractions. … We just trust that the people around us aren’t trying to cheat,” said Canada’s Marc Kennedy, who was called out for double touching by Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson to start this whole mess.

“There might be small infractions here and there, but most of the time you shrug it off. You’ve got so much respect for the players that you’re playing against,” Kennedy said Monday. “So this whole trying to catch people in the act of an infraction and anything to win a medal, it sucks. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is.”

Except there’s video of the infractions. And while the Canadians might say they’re inadvertent, it was a similar story initially in Paris.

The women’s coaching staff initially denied involvement or knowledge of the drone scheme, only for an investigation to reveal that it was a long-standing operation and the coaches had full knowledge and involvement in it.

Maybe this time is different. Maybe the double touch accusations are nothing but a misunderstanding. But when a country has cheating scandals in back-to-back Olympics, it starts to look like a pattern. And once trust is broke, the cloud of suspicion is almost impossible to clear.

Even if you’re Canadian.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

Two national championship contenders from the Big 12 faced off — and lived up to the bill — when Iowa State knocked off Houston, 70-67, at home on Feb. 16.

He lived up to the moment, leading all scorers with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes played.

Watch Houston vs. Iowa State men’s basketball live with Fubo (free trial)

Iowa State, meanwhile, also has a veteran group. The Cyclones (21-3, 8-3) are led by multi-year starters Milan Momcilovic, Joshua Jefferson and Tamin Lipsey, making them one of the most-experience rosters in college basketball. Momcilovic and Jefferson are averaging 18.4 and 17 points per game this season, respectively.

Lipsey emerged as the hero for Iowa State, tying the game up with a late free throw and later securing a key offensive rebound with just one second on the clock to give the Cyclones one more shot to extend their one-possession lead.

Iowa State vs. Houston highlights

FINAL: Iowa State wins 70-67

An epic final two minutes saw the lead change hands multiple times. Jamarion Bateman hit a 22-footer for three for Iowa State. Kingston Flemings got a pull up jumper for Houston. Nate Heise made another three, and the roof at Hilton Coliseum blew off as the Cyclones went up 69-67 with a minute left to go.

Tamin Lipsey was once again the hero, securing a crucial rebound with one second left after Blake Buchanan missed his free throw. The ball ended up in Joshua Jefferson’s hands at the free throw line. He only made the first one, but the Cougars were forced to take a full-court heave as time expired.

The Cyclones ended the game on a 17-4 run after originally losing the lead three minutes into the second half.

2nd Half: Cyclones cap off 10-0 run to tie it late

Now it’s the Cougars who have gone cold. Dominykas Pleta and Joshua Jefferson each got buckets in the paint to bring Iowa State to within one point. After a double team forced Kingston Flemings into a bad shot from the corner that hit the side of the backboard, Tamin Lipsey got the rebound and drove right back into the lane and was fouled by Joseph Tugler.

Lipsey hit one of two free throws shots to tie things up at 64-64 with 3:40 to go.

2nd Half: Houston, Iowa State battling as Cougs’ depth gets tested, Houston leads 63-58

Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr. drained a three at the 15-minute mark in the second half to give the Cougars their first lead of the night. Kingston Flemings hit another three eight minutes later to extend their lead to double digits for his 20th point of the game, leading all scorers.

Houston took control of the game despite some late foul trouble from Sharp and Isiah Harwell falling awkwardly on his ankle.

Iowa State, meanwhile, had gone cold from three in the second half, shooting 0-9 until Jamarion Bateman hit a huge one to cut their deficit down to five points with five and a half minutes to go.

HALFTIME: Iowa State leads Houston 43-40

This one feels like a March Madness game. Both teams are shooting the ball well — 56% from the floor and 65% from three-point range for Iowa State, while Houston’s shooting 52% and 44% from deep.

The Cougars backcourt has combined for 34 points between Emanuel Sharp, who has a game-leading 16 points, Kingston Flemings and Milos Uzan, who have each scored nine. Uzan also has five assists, three rebounds and a steal.

The Cyclones offense has been more of a team effort. They don’t have any scorers in double figures, but they have a slight edge in rebounds (16-12) while being virtually similar in assists (9-8).

16:33 First Half: Joshua Jefferson sparks early Iowa State run

Senior forward Joshua Jefferson is putting his mark on the game from the tip-off. He’s got seven points with an assist to help the Cyclones get off to a 13-5 lead in the first four minutes.

What TV channel is Houston vs Iowa State on today?

• TV channel: ESPN
• Streaming: ESPN app, Fubo (free trial)

Houston-Iowa State will air live on ESPN, with streaming options on the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Houston vs Iowa State time today

• Time: 9 p.m. ET
• Date: Monday, Feb. 16
• Location: Hilton Coliseum (Ames, Iowa)

Cougars-Cyclones is set for a 9 p.m. ET tipoff on Monday, Feb. 16, from Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

Houston vs Iowa State odds

Odds via BetMGM as of Monday, Feb. 16

• Spread: Iowa State (-2.5)
• Moneyline: Iowa State -150 | Houston +125
• Over/Under: 134.5

MILAN — Despite a strong showing, the U.S. medal drought in pairs figure skating continues.

Team USA fell short at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday, Feb. 16. The teams of Spencer Akira Howe and Emily Chan, and Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, were knocked off the podium before the competition ended. Howe and Chan finished in seventh, with Kam and O’Shea at ninth.

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won gold in come-from-behind fashion with an excellent free skate for the country’s first pairs medal. Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia won silver, and bronze went to the German team of Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin.

The last time the U.S. won a medal in pairs remains 1988, when Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard won bronze in Calgary. The 38-year drought is the longest between medals for any figure skating discipline in U.S. Olympic history.

Neither pair was expected to be contending for a medal, but they both came out with a bang in the short program, including Kam and O’Shea riding the momentum of their team event gold to earn a season-best score.

That placed them within striking distance going into the free skate. Kam and O’Shea were in seventh place – less than three points out of third – while Chan and Howe were less than five points back in ninth place.

Chan and Howe were the first U.S. pair to go in what was their strongest part of the competition, and the score reflected it. Despite Chan falling early in the program, they powered right through the deduction and executed everything the rest of the way. The pair got a season-best score of 130.25 for a total score of 200.31.

‘We’re so stoked that we could do two strong performances and finish our Olympic Games competition as we did,’ Howe said. ‘We work so hard to get to this stage, and then once you make it, it’s kind of like your brain doesn’t know how to process that.’

Unfortunately for Kam and O’Shea, they weren’t able to replicate the magic from the team event. Kam had back-to-back falls early in program that spoiled the momentum, earning a score of 122.71 for a final tally of 194.58.

The pair won’t be leaving Milano empty-handed with their team event gold medals the highlight of the trip.

‘Definitely did leave it all out there, just not in the way that I had thought that it was gonna go,’ Kam said. ‘But I’m still so proud of everything that we’ve done here. I feel like all the work that we put in at home has carried through to this competition.’

Still, it’s a promising outing that continues the upward trajectory in the U.S. pairs’ division. When Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier finished fifth in the 2022 Winter Olympics, it was the first top five finish for Team USA since 2002. Coupled with the eighth-place finish from Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc, it was the first time the U.S. had two top-10 pairs since 1998.

Now, with both teams finishing in top 10, it’s the first time the U.S. has had it happen in back-to-back Winter Olympics since 1998 and 2002. Instead of regressing, the pairs are trending. That explains why both teams were all smiles afterward, feeling like they each accomplished great things in their own ways in their respective Olympic debuts.

‘What’s not to be positive about, right?’ a smiling O’Shea said.

Team USA has had so-so performances in figure skating ever since it won team gold to kick off the festivities in Milano Cortina, not winning another title since. Madison Chock and Evan Bates controversially settled for silver in the ice dance, and Ilia Malinin’s stunning collapse in the men’s resulted in no medal.

Now the final group to go will be the women, which will feature the ‘Blade Angels’ in Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito. They are all medal contenders, with the chance to win gold, something Team USA needs since it was the favorites in three of the four disciplines.

The NBA All-Star Game is known for bringing together the most talented and notable players from around the league.

The game also attracts celebrities and public figures from across the country to gather and enjoy basketball.

Former United States President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were among those in attendance for the event, sitting next to basketball legend Julius Erving.

The game features two American teams and a World team at the Intuit Dome on Sunday, Feb. 15.

Obama is a known basketball fan who embraced the game and his fandom while he was in office. He would share his predictions for the NBA Finals or fill out a bracket for the NCAA college basketball tournament.

“There’s a lot of concern about the All-Star Game and not seeing effort (from the players),” Obama said during an interview with analyst Reggie Miller on the NBC broadcast. “Today we are seeing (that effort). Anytime you get Americans vs. International (teams), they want to bring it.”

The NBA has experimented with different formats for the All-Star Game in recent years. All three teams will play each other in a small tournament before the two teams meet in the championship game.

Regardless of who crossed the line first Sunday afternoon, the 2026 Daytona 500 was a historic edition of the race.

The race on Sunday, Feb. 15, saw more leaders than any installment of NASCAR’s marquee race of the year. It was only befitting that a driver who did not lead a lap until the checkered flag waved finished first: 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick.

The big wreck of the race came just past the halfway point, when leader Justin Allgaier moved to block Denny Hamlin’s run on the outside but shut the door too late and hit the wall. He spun back down and collected more cars as 20 of the 41 drivers were affected by the wreck.

Thanks to a late caution, Michael McDowell looked poised for a chance to take his second Daytona 500 win. He had saved enough fuel to maintain position in the final 10 laps as others made quick pit stops.

But McDowell didn’t hold off the hard-charging likes of Chase Elliott, Reddick and others. Elliott led briefly led before Reddick made a hard charge on the final lap to overtake him for the win.

Reddick celebrated with team owner Michael Jordan in victory lane.

Jordan credited the team and Reddick for staying in position for the win all race.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, Elliott and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five at the checkered flag.

The race started early to avoid inclement weather that did not arrive during the 200-lap race. Here’s a look at how the race unfolded:

Daytona 500 results, final leaderboard

Here’s the order at the end of Stage 3.

1. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing
2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports
3. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske
4. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports
5. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing
6. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports
7. Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing
8. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing
9. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing
10. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing
11. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports
12. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports
13. Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports
14. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing
15. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing
16. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports
17. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing
18. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports
19. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing
20. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing
21. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club
22. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports
23. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing
24. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team
25. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing
26. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club
27. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske
28. Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing
29. Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Legacy Motor Club
30. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing
31. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
32. Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66
33. Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing
34. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske
35. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
36. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
37. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing
38. Justin Allgaier, No. 40 JR Motorsports
39. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports
40. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports
41. BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports

Who won the Daytona 500?

Tyler Reddick avoided contact on a chaotic final lap and made a run on the outside to take the lead over Chase Elliott and Zane Smith and earn the win. Reddick did not lead a singe lap of the race but crossed the line in front for his first Daytona 500 victory.

Has Kyle Larson won the Daytona 500?

No, the reigning Cup Series champion has never won the Daytona 500. He started from pole position in 2022 but has only managed seventh at best in this race.

Has Kyle Busch won the Daytona 500?

Busch has never won the Daytona 500 in his long Cup Series career. His best result was second in 2019 and third in 2016.

Who won Daytona 500 Stage 2?

Bubba Wallace managed to escape the chaos from the biggest wreck of the race so far and cross the line first at the end of 130 laps. Ryan Blaney, John Hunter Nemechek, Kyle Busch and Riley Herbst round out the top five.

Daytona 500 update: The Big One comes in Stage 2

It took until the closing laps of Stage 2 but the big wreck of the race involved nearly half of the grid.

On Lap 124, leader Justin Allgaier floated to the top lane and lost speed as he tried to block Denny Hamlin from going around his outside. Allgaier hit the wall and pinched Hamlin which sent both back down the track and into the trailing cars. Nearly half of the 41-car field was caught up in the biggest wreck of the race.

Bubba Wallace made it through unscathed on the bottom lane and leads the field under caution to start Stage 3.

Daytona weather updates

Conditions at Daytona International Speedway were mostly cloudy with temperatures in the mid-70s to start the race. As the laps tick off, the threat of rain continues to hang over the field with thunderstorms expected at 5 p.m. ET.

Here’s the latest AccuWeather forecast: Overcast; a heavy thunderstorm around this evening followed by a couple of showers late; thunderstorms can bring localized damaging wind gusts. High temperature of 77 degrees and a low of 62. Chance of precipitation: 55%.

Daytona 500 updates: Stage 2 wreck involves nine cars

Contact near the front of the field involving Austin Dillon, Conor Zilisch, Chase Briscoe, Cody Ware and more drivers brought out the caution flags on Lap 85 of 200.

Who won Daytona 500 Stage 1?

Zane Smith won the first stage of the Daytona 500 in the Front Row Motorsports Ford. Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarrez rounded out the top five runners after the first 65 laps.

How many laps are the 2026 Daytona 500?

The race is 200 laps around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway for a total of 500 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 65 laps; Stage 2: 65 laps; Stage 3: 70 laps.

2026 Daytona 500 stages

Every NASCAR race is broken up into three stages. Each stage awards championship points to each driver finishing in the top 10. Drivers earning the most points at the checkered flag – the end of Stage 3.

William Byron battling back after Daytona 500 crash

The Hendrick Motorsports driver suffered some damage following contact with the wall and McLeod on Lap 5. After multiple trips to pit road for adjustments, Byron’s back up to 28th on Lap 22.

Daytona 500 update: William Byron, others affected by B.J. McLeod crash

The first retirement of the race comes early as McLeod lost his right rear tire and hit the wall before spinning down to the infield. Noah Gragson, William Byron, Justin Allgaier, Tyler Reddick and Casey Mears were affected by McLeod’s wreck.

John Hunter Nemechek leads ahead of polesitter Kyle Busch and Shane van Gisbergen.

Daytona 500 grand marshal

Comedian Nate Bargatze gave the drivers the order to start their engines from Daytona International Speedway, stating it was the ‘most American thing I’ve ever done in my life.’

Daytona 500 start time update

The 2026 Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1:30 p.m. ET at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The time was moved up one hour from the original 2:30 p.m. start due to weather concerns.

What channel is Daytona 500 on today?

Coverage for the 2026 Daytona 500 has already started on FOX. The race will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET, moved up from its original time due to weather concerns.

How to stream Daytona 500?

The 2026 Daytona 500 can be streamed on FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app. For those looking to cut the cord, the race can also be streamed on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

Watch the 2026 Daytona 500 on Fubo

Who won 2025 Daytona 500?

William Byron won the 2025 Daytona 500, claiming victory in NASCAR’s most famous race for the second year in a row.

Byron took the checkered flag at Daytona International Speedway after a crash broke out on the final lap. But NASCAR kept the green flag out, and Bryon was able to vault from ninth place to the front as other cars crashed around him.

Tyler Reddick finished second, and seven-time NASCAR Cups Series champion Jimmie Johnson third. Pole winner Chase Briscoe came home fourth followed by John Hunter Nemechek.

Daytona 500 odds 2026

Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, William Byron and Denny Hamlin are currently the favorites to win the Daytona 500, according to BetMGM.

Odds as of Sunday, Feb. 15.

• Ryan Blaney: +1200
• Joey Logano: +1200
• William Byron: +1400
• Denny Hamlin: +1400
• Austin Cindric: +1600
• Chase Elliott: +1600
• Kyle Busch: +1600
• Brad Keselowski: +1800
• Kyle Larson: +1800
• Alex Bowman: +2000
• Bubba Wallace +2200
• Christopher Bell +2200
• Chase Briscoe +2500

Daytona 500 starting lineup

Here’s how the starting lineup for Sunday’s Daytona 500 shakes out:

1. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing
2. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
3. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske
4. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports
5. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske
6. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports
7. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing
8. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports
9. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing
10. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports
11. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club
12. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
13. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing
14. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing
15. Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports
17. Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66
18. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports
19. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing
20. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing
21. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports
22. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
23. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team
24. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club
25. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports
26. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing
27. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing
28. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing
29. Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing
30. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports
31. Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Legacy Motor Club
32. Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing
33. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing
34. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing
35. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing
36. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske
37. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing
38. *BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports
39. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports
40. Justin Allgaier, No. 40 JR Motorsports
41. Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing

* The No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet of Anthony Alfredo originally qualified for the Daytona 500 in Duel 2, but his position in the race was disallowed due to a failure in post-Duel inspection.

How did Greg Biffle die?

Greg Biffle — winner of 19 Cup races and a champion in the Craftsman Trucks and Busch series — was one of seven people killed in a plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina on Dec. 18.

According to a report from investigators, Biffle was not operating his jet when it crashed in December. The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that while an experienced pilot was at the controls, the person sitting in the right seat wasn’t qualified to be the copilot.

When the flight crashed while trying to return to the Statesville Regional Airport, it killed Biffle, his wife Cristina, and Biffle’s children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14. Others killed in the accident were Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.

How did Brad Keselowski break his leg?

Brad Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, suffered a broken leg in December when he slipped on ice during a ski trip with his family. Keselowski was cleared to race at Daytona, but David Ragan will be his backup. Keselowski will start from the No. 9 spot.

Daytona 500 pole position

Kyle Busch will be on the pole for the Daytona 500 this weekend. Busch claimed the top spot with a time of 49.006 in the final round of qualifying on Wednesday. Chase Briscoe will start in the second position.

Dale Earnhardt 25 years later

Nearly 25 years ago this weekend — on Feb. 18, 2001 — Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time Winston Cup champion, died after crashing on the final lap of the Daytona 500.

Fans today are still mourning the loss of the man they called the Intimidator. Go to any NASCAR track and you’ll still see countless shirts, jackets, flags and hats sporting his iconic No. 3.

In the same way Michael Jordan is to the NBA, Earnhardt was synonymous with NASCAR. Some fans adored him, some hated him — but everyone knew the mustached man wearing aviators from Kannapolis, North Carolina was one of the best drivers to get behind the wheel.

Buy your copy of our commemorative Dale Earnhardt book!

How did Dale Earnhardt die?

When the 2001 Daytona 500 was nearing its finish, Earnhardt, his son, Dale Jr., and his friend Michael Waltrip, were running in the top three at the top of the pack. Waltrip was in first, Junior in second, and Senior in third. It seemed obvious that Earnhardt was trying to ensure a victory for one of his DEI drivers and went into defense mode, attempting to block others drivers from catching up to Waltrip and Junior.

On turn four of the final lap, as Junior pushed Waltrip toward the finish line, Earnhardt received some contact, lost control of his No. 3 car and slammed head first into the concrete wall.

Folks watching from home could feel the mood change from the broadcast booth, where former champion Darrell Waltrip quickly went from celebrating his brother in one moment to worrying about Earnhardt in the very next: ‘I just hope Dale’s okay. I guess he’s alright, isn’t he?’

“You got the sense that something wasn’t right,” Helton told ESPN.

Less than three hours after the race ended, Helton returned to the press room at Daytona International Speedway to deliver the somber and shocking news: ‘We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt.’