If the past few years have taught fans anything, it’s that modern sports no longer move in straight lines. Power shifts quickly. Heroes fall fast. Institutions once thought untouchable suddenly look fragile. As 2026 approaches, contributors across the sports world see fault lines forming — some subtle, others ready to snap.

Here are the bold predictions that could define the year ahead.

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Luka Dončić and JJ Redick become the NBA’s loudest feud

The uneasy alliance between Luka Dončić and rookie head coach JJ Redick is expected to fracture publicly. Redick’s push for defensive accountability and conditioning clashes with Dončić’s ball-dominant style, creating tension inside the Los Angeles Lakers locker room.

With LeBron James nearing the end of his career, any chemistry issues will be magnified. League insiders already whisper that this could become the NBA’s modern version of Allen Iverson vs Larry Brown — only this time, the argument won’t be about practice, but defense.

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The Auston Matthews era quietly ends in Toronto

Despite wearing the captain’s ‘C’, Auston Matthews may be nearing the end of his chapter with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Injuries, mounting pressure, and an increasingly impatient fan base have created a relationship that feels more strained than celebrated.

Toronto’s relentless media microscope hasn’t helped. While Matthews recently re-signed, 2026 could be the year both player and franchise accept that a fresh start elsewhere might be inevitable.

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Audi Crooks becomes women’s basketball’s next crossover star

Few athletes are rising faster than Audi Crooks. The Iowa State Cyclones star is dominating Division I with historic scoring nights and an old-school low-post game rarely seen in today’s era.

But Crooks’ appeal goes beyond stats. Her humility, community work, and joy on the court have turned her into a symbol of women’s basketball’s next phase — mainstream, marketable, and powerful. By the end of 2026, her name may be as familiar as the game’s biggest icons.

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Major colleges begin dropping sports altogether

The financial model of college athletics is cracking. NIL deals, transfer portal chaos, coast-to-coast travel, and direct athlete payments are pushing many institutions to the brink. In 2026, at least one major college is expected to either drop sports entirely or retreat to Division III.

Once that happens, others may follow. The arms race has become unsustainable, and the idea that “every school must compete at the top” is starting to collapse under its own weight.

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The myth of infinite growth in sports finally breaks

For decades, sports thrived as recession-proof entertainment. But the streaming era may be where the growth curve flattens. As leagues scatter across Netflix, Apple, and subscription-heavy platforms, fans are being asked to pay more for less convenience.

The result? Fragmented audiences, slower fan regeneration, and advertisers losing interest. In 2026, sports leagues may be forced to reckon with a simple truth: attention is no longer guaranteed.

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MLB avoids a lockout — barely

Despite ominous talk of a 2027 work stoppage, Major League Baseball is expected to play through the looming labor deadline. Owners pushing for a salary cap and players standing firm against it will come dangerously close to disaster.

But fresh momentum from a blockbuster World Series and the World Baseball Classic should keep both sides at the table. Too much money is flowing to shut it all down.

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Public stadium funding faces its biggest backlash yet

The public financing of private stadiums may finally face organized resistance. Deals like the Kansas City Chiefs’ publicly backed mega-project have reignited anger among voters.

As political tides shift, 2026 could see grassroots campaigns turning stadium subsidies into electoral liabilities — especially as studies continue to show minimal economic return for taxpayers.

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Miriam Adelson sells the Dallas Mavericks

After the stunning Luka Dončić trade fallout, Miriam Adelson may decide that owning the Dallas Mavericks isn’t worth the reputational damage. Fans already forced out former executive Nico Harrison, but the deeper wound remains.

A sale wouldn’t heal everything — but it could offer Dallas something rare in modern sports: moral closure.

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The WNBA nearly collapses — then survives

The WNBA is heading toward its most dangerous standoff yet. Without a finalized CBA and expansion plans hanging in limbo, 2026 may begin with real fears of a lost season.

Players, empowered by alternatives like Unrivaled, now believe they have leverage. That belief alone could reshape negotiations. The season will happen — but only after a bruising confrontation that permanently shifts power toward players.