Happy New Year, New Orleans.
In honor of the late, great Peter Finney, the legendary oracle of New Orleans sports, let’s dust off the crystal ball and see what 2026 portends for the world of sports.
And as Pete always advised: Do not bet the mortgage on this inside information.
January
In the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, Texas Tech rolls over Oregon, while Indiana and Georgia win nail-biters against Alabama and Ole Miss to advance. … The Saints finish the season at 7-10 as Tyler Shough outduels Kirk Cousins in a 26-24 win over the Falcons in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. … On Black Monday, Raheem Morris (Falcons), Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals) and Mike McDaniel (Dolphins) are fired, joining Brian Daboll and Brian Callahan in the NFL unemployment line. … The Falcons also fire general manager Terry Fontenot and introduce former star quarterback Matt Ryan as his successor. … The Broncos and 49ers secure the No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC playoffs. … Colorado receiver Omarion Miller, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy enter the transfer portal and announce their plans to attend LSU. …Quarterback T.J. Finley signs with Nicholls State, the sixth school in his six-year playing career. … In her final official duty in office, outgoing New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell flies to Milan, Italy, to “scout” the city’s last-minute preparations for the Winter Olympics in case, she said, New Orleans elects to bid on a future Winter Olympiad. … The Seahawks, Rams and Packers advance with wins in the NFC wild-card playoffs. In the AFC, the Steelers, Texans and Patriots move on. … In the CFP semifinals, Texas Tech upsets Indiana to advance to its first national title game appearance. Miami rolls past Ole Miss in the other semifinal. … Jose Ortiz pilots White Tiger to a strong rally down the stretch to win the Grade III Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds. …The Rams and 49ers advance to the NFC championship game with wins over the Seahawks and Packers. In the AFC, the Broncos and Patriots win their home divisional games to advance. … In the CFP championship game, Behren Morton throws for one touchdown and passes for another in a 20-16 victory over Miami as the Red Raiders celebrate the school’s first-ever national title. … The NFL announces its slate of nine international games for the 2026 season, including a Vikings-Saints game in Paris. … The Rams rally from a double-digit second-half deficit to edge the 49ers 35-33 in the NFC championship game. Bo Nix runs for two touchdowns and passes for another as the Broncos defeat the Patriots 27-16 in the AFC championship game, sending coach Sean Payton to his second Super Bowl. … Zion Williamson’s 25 points lead six double-digit scorers for the Pelicans in a 132-126 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Smoothie King Center. The Pels finish the month at 18-33 overall.
February
On the eve of the trade deadline, the Pelicans deal guards Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins to the Atlanta Hawks for wing shooter Luke Kennard. … The Saints announce the addition of Gannon as a senior defensive assistant. … The Winter Olympics open in Milan, Italy. … Drew Brees becomes the first player in Saints history to earn induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot. He is joined in the Class of 2026 by Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri and Willie Anderson. … At the NFL Honors show, Shough wins the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award, making him the fourth player in Saints franchise history to earn the honor, joining George Rogers, Rueben Mayes and Alvin Kamara. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford wins the MVP award, the first of his 17-year career. Mike Vrabel is the Coach of the Year, edging Liam Coen. … In Super Bowl LX, Payton avenges the NOLA no-call loss by defeating coach Sean McVay and the Rams 24-23 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Nix is named the game’s MVP after passing for three touchdowns. Denver celebrates its fourth Super Bowl title and first since 2015. … Further Ado goes gate-to-wire to win the Grade II Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds, giving trainer Brad Cox his fourth win in the race in the past six years. … For the first time in Carnival history, two grand marshals hail from the same household: Shough in Bacchus and his golden retriever, Murphy, in Barkus. …The Zulu parade starts late on Mardi Gras Day for the 116th consecutive year and is delayed by a series of tractor breakdowns.
March
Before the start of free agency, the Saints sign receiver Chris Olave and defensive back Alontae Taylor to long-term contract extensions, and Taysom Hill announces his retirement from the NFL after nine seasons. … The Saints open free agency by signing guard Teven Jenkins and announcing incentive-laden, one-year deals with veterans Demario Davis and Cam Jordan to return for another season. … Dedan Thomas scores a game-high 21 points to lead four players in double figures as LSU beats Texas A&M 84-79 to finish the season at 22-9 and 10-8 in conference play, the program’s first winning season since 2020-2021. … The LSU women finish 26-4 under coach Kim Mulkey and earn the No. 3 seed in the SEC tournament. … The Tulane men’s basketball team finishes the season with a loss to Cal Irvine in the first round of the NIT. Coach Ron Hunter announces his retirement after seven seasons at the helm. … Mesquite wins the Grade II Louisiana Derby as trainer Cherie DeVaux scores her first career win in Louisiana’s most prestigious race. Bella Ballerina wins the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks. … The LSU women earn the No. 2 seed in the West Regional but fall to UCLA in the regional final despite 30 points from Flau’jae Johnson in her final college game. … LSU is upset by coach Will Wade and the NC State Wolf Pack in the first round of the NCAA Tournament’s East Regional.
April
Former Shaw High School and Southeastern Louisiana runner Bryant White wins the 48th running of the Crescent City Classic after finishing second in 2025. … Michigan outlasts Gonzaga in a 94-91 shootout in the men’s NCAA Final Four and record the school’s second national championship and first since 1989. … Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks upset top-ranked UConn to win the women’s NCAA Final Four in Phoenix … Anthony Edwards scores 36 points in a 134-122 win over the Pelicans in Minneapolis. The Pels end their season at 34-48 and miss the final play-in spot by three games. … Director of basketball operations Joe Dumars announces that James Borrego will not be retained as the team’s head coach. … Ludvig Åberg sinks a birdie putt on No. 18 to defeat Bryson DeChambeau and become the first Swede to win the Masters. … The Las Vegas Raiders select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. … With the No. 9 pick, the Saints select Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, making him the ninth running back taken in Round 1 in club history and first since Mark Ingram in 2011. … The Dallas Cowboys select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane in Round 1 … The Saints select Oregon defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington and Louisville receiver Chris Bell on Day 2. … Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard become the first brother combination to win the Zurich Classic at TPC of Louisiana.
May
The Pelicans introduce Kevin Ollie as the franchise’s 10th head coach. … Further Ado wears down Ted Noffey in the stretch to win the Kentucky Derby and give Cox his first win in the Run for the Roses in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. … Ted Noffey avenges the loss two weeks later by wiring the field to win the Preakness Stakes. … Viktor Hovland wins the first major championship of his career at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania … Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 38 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-116 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. … The New York Knicks out-grind the Detroit Pistons in six games to win the Eastern Conference finals and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1998-1999. … LSU loses to Georgia in the semifinals of the SEC baseball tournament but earns the No. 6 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. … Tulane loses to Florida Atlantic in the semifinals of the American Conference baseball tournament to finish its season at 31-27 in its fourth season under manager Jay Uhlman. … At the NFL spring meeting in Orlando, Florida, NFL owners award the 2031 Super Bowl to New Orleans. Nashville and Las Vegas are awarded the 2029 and 2030 Super Bowls, respectively. … Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears are named to the NBA All-Rookie team, becoming the fourth and fifth players in Pelicans franchise history to earn first-team honors.
June
Mesquite closes from last place to run down Further Ado and Ted Noffey at the wire and win the Belmont Stakes. … Former Zurich champion Ben Griffin continues his strong play with a victory at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Course in Southampton, New York. … LSU makes the College World Series for the third time in four years when Zach Yorke hits a game-winning home run in the ninth inning to beat Texas in Game 3 of the Baton Rouge super regional, but the Tigers are eliminated in back-to-back losses to No. 1 seed UCLA and Tennessee. … With fellow Northern Irishman Charlie Smyth looking on from the gallery, 22-year-old Tom McKibbin wins the inaugural Louisiana LIV Golf tournament at Bayou Oaks Golf Course.
July
Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, as the Class of 2026. … The Wizards select BYU forward A.J. Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and the Pacers select Kansas guard Darryn Peterson at No. 2. … The Pelicans trade into the bottom of the first round and select Texas Tech wing J.T.Toppin. … Matt Fitzpatrick wins the British Open at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. … Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner in the men’s final at Wimbledon to avenge last year’s defeat. ... Iga Swiatek of Poland wins the women’s final for the second consecutive year. ... Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar wins his third consecutive Tour de France and fifth overall title, tying him with four others for most in the race’s 113-year history. … The Saints open training camp in Metairie by announcing that the team has sold out its season ticket inventory for the 21st consecutive season. They are the consensus pick to win the NFC South. … LSU announces that Lane Kiffin has replaced former gymnast Livvy Dunne as the school’s largest social media brand influencer. Kiffin’s yellow lab, Juice, is No. 5 on the list.
August
Ohio State opens the season at consensus No. 1 pick in the preseason AP football poll. LSU checks in at No. 24. ... Vuori active wear company signs Kiffin to a multiyear endorsement contract…. Gov. Jeff Landry and Pelicans governor Gayle Benson announce a new long-term lease extension for New Orleans’ NBA team that includes a major renovation of the Smoothie King Center and reimagined entertainment district adjacent to the arena. The deal also includes a commitment by the NBA for New Orleans to host the 2028 NBA All-Star Game.
September
The Lane Kiffin era at LSU begins with a 26-20 victory over Clemson before a capacity crowd at Tiger Stadium in a nationally televised prime-time game. … Darian Mensah throws four touchdown passes as Duke avenges its 2025 loss to Tulane with a 38-24 win over the Green Wave in Will Hall’s debut as head coach. … The Saints open the season as the favorites to win the NFC South and validate the predictions by routing the Bucs 36-16 behind Love’s 125-yard rushing day in his NFL debut before a sellout crowd at the Caesars Superdome. … Tulane gives Hall the first win of his head coaching tenure on Willow Street with a 36-20 victory over South Alabama at Yulman Stadium. … LSU improves to 2-0 with a blowout home win over Louisiana Tech behind Lacy’s 120 yards rushing. … In what is billed as the biggest game in school history, Ole Miss hands Kiffin the first loss of his LSU coaching tenure, a 33-31 Rebels victory before a record crowd of almost 69,000 fans at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. Fans storm the field and pelt the LSU team buses with eggs after they exit the stadium. … Tulane finishes the month at 2-2, splitting games at Kansas State (loss) and at home against Southern Miss (win). … Still hungover from the Ole Miss loss, LSU loses to Texas A&M at Tiger Stadium and finishes the month at 2-2. … FireLaneKiffin.com is launched and an online petition receives more than 19,000 signatures in 24 hours. ... The Saints finish the month at 1-2 after back-to-back losses to the Rams and Ravens. … Kiffin opens his first business in Baton Rouge — Cajun Hot Yoga — and hires Dunne as the company’s marketing rep and social media influencer.
October
Aaron Judge hits three home runs to power the New York Yankees to a 11-8 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. Judge is named World Series MVP after hitting six home runs in the series. … The Saints go 3-1 in the month, including a 28-27 win over the Vikings before a sellout crowd at Stade de France in Paris in the first NFL game in France. Saints tight end Juwan Johnson celebrates his game-winning touchdown catch by drinking champagne and leading a “Qui dat?” chant in the victorious postgame locker room. … LSU goes unbeaten in the month, defeating McNeese, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Auburn to improve to 6-2 and climb back into the AP Top 25. … The FireLaneKiffin.com website is disbanded. … Tulane finishes the month at 4-4 overall, splitting its four games, wins over Tulsa and Charlotte and losses to South Florida and Army. … The Pelicans open the season with a 124-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks behind Queen’s 24-point, 12-rebound double-double. … State officials secure the copyright to the name “Catahoula Crunch” for Louisiana’s potential NHL expansion team.
November
The Saints go 2-3 in the month, beating the Bucs and Chiefs but losing to the Giants, Falcons and Packers. … LSU upsets Alabama 30-28 before a sellout crowd and nationally televised audience. State officials commission a bronze sculpture of Kiffin to be constructed outside Tiger Stadium. … A week later, Arch Manning throws four touchdown passes to lead Texas to a 33-26 victory at Tiger Stadium. State officials cancel the plans for the Kiffin statue. … LSU wins its final two games of the season against Tennessee and Arkansas to finish Kiffin’s first season at 9-3 and earn a Citrus Bowl berth. Lacy tops the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season. … Tulane reels off consecutive wins against North Texas, Rice and Texas-San Antonio but falls to Memphis in the season finale to finish Hall’s first season at 7-5. The Green Wave earn an invitation to play Toledo in the Gasparilla Bowl.
December
The Saints lose on the road to Lions, then defeat the Panthers, Browns and Bengals to improve to 9-7 and ensure the franchise’s first winning season in three years. … Smyth ties Tom Dempsey’s franchise record with a 63-yard goal at the end of the first half vs. the Panthers in the Caesars Superdome. … Love caps a dominant rookie season by winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year, making it back-to-back years a Saint has won the honor. … UL fires coach Michael Desormeaux after his fourth losing campaign in five seasons and names former LSU coach Ed Orgeron as his successor. … Texas defeats Florida and first-year head coach Jon Sumrall in the SEC championship game. … Tulane nips Toledo 23-21 on Patrick Durkin’s last-second 41-yard field goal in the Gasparilla Bowl. The Green Wave end Hall’s first season by winning four of its final five games. … Miami whips LSU 30-20 in the Citrus Bowl. FireLaneKiffin.com relaunches. … Trey Murphy scores 31 points to lead the Pelicans to a 118-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Smoothie King Center, snapping a 10-game losing streak to the Thunder. … The Cleveland Browns fire Kevin Stefanski after seven seasons and target Saints defensive coordinator and Perry, Ohio, native Brandon Staley as his successor. … Orgeron announces his first commitment as UL head coach: quarterback T.J. Finley. … On New Year’s Eve, Gov. Landry resigns from his special White House envoy appointment when he learns that “Greenland” is not President Donald Trump’s nickname for Saudi Arabia.