7-31-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker

Injuries continue to be the story of the 2026 Carolina Panthers’ training camp.

So even a few players sitting out could be cause of concern for the team – and so much so that player transactions are being decided because of it.

In their first appearance at their home stadium since losing in the opening round of the 2025-26 NFL playoffs, the team scrimmaged in front of approximately 40,000 at Bank of America Stadium for Fan Fest and kept three players out of action.

Tight end Tommy Tremble, defensive tackle Derrick and linebacker Devin Lloyd sat out.

Afterward, head coach Dave Canales said Tremble had “general soreness” in a right knee in which he wore a sleeve on Friday night and Brown and Lloyd were taking their regularly schedule “veteran days.”

With starting offensive tackle Taylor Moton (blood clot) not participated in training camp and out of action until the regular season, linebacker Nic Scourton and wide receiver Chris Brazzell suffering season-ending knee injuries in the first week of training camp and tight end Mitchell Evans (ankle) carted off the practice, injuries are a concern.

Canales admitted as much about the tight end group that even led to a transaction.

With Brazzell being placed on injured reserve, the Panthers signed free agent tight end Chamon Matayer. A 6-foot-4, 262-pound rookie, Matayer had been in Pittsburgh Steelers training camp after playing collegiately at Cincinnati, Colorado and Arizona State.

Due to injuries now to two tight ends, Canales said the team chose not to sign a fourth quarteback in favor or fortifying the tight end position.

“We really felt like that’s a group where the reps could really build up on and we wanted to bring another person in,” said Canales, who said Evans could return to practice “in a couple of days.”

Other tight ends on the roster are Ja’Tavion Sanders, Felipe Franks, James Mitchell and Caden Prieskorn.

Here is the Panthers’ full 2026 schedule:

(preseason)
Aug. 6 – Arizona (at Canton, Ohio), 8 p.m.
Aug. 15 – at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Aug. 21 – at Jacksonville, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 28 – Houston, 7 p.m.
(regular season)
Sept. 13 – Chicago, 1 p.m.
Sept. 20 – at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Sept. 27 – at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 – Detroit, 8:20 p.m.
Oct. 8-12 – BYE week
Oct. 18 – at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Oct. 25 – Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Oct. 29 – at Green Bay, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 8 – Denver, 1 p.m.
Nov. 15 – at New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22 – Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Nov. 30 – at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m.
Dec. 6 – at Minnesota, 4:25 p.m.
Dec. 13 – New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Dec. 20 – Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Dec. 24-28 TBA – at Pittsburgh, TBA
Jan. 3 – Seattle, 1 p.m.
Jan. 9-10 TBA – Atlanta, TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legion baseball

The upcoming pairings for the regionals that will be hosted in Cherryville and Gastonia:

-Region 3: Southeast (at Cherryville NC)
(Wednesday, August 5)
Game 1 – Cincinnati (OH) Post 199 vs. Toa Alta BV (PR), 9:30 a.m.
Game 2 – Chesapeake (VA) Post 280 vs. Florence (SC) Post 1, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3 – Wheeling (WV) Post 1 vs. Garner (NC) Post 232, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4 – Jacksonville (FL) Post 316 vs. Host-Cherryville (NC) Post 100, 7:30 p.m.

(Thursday, August 6)
Game 5 – Loser 1 vs. Loser 3, 9:30 a.m.
Game 6 – Loser 2 vs. Loser 4, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7 – Winner 1 vs. Winner 3, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8 – Winner 2 vs. Winner 4, 7:30 p.m.

(Friday, August 7)
Game 9 – Winner 6 vs. Loser 7, 12:30 p.m.
Game 10 – Winner 5 vs. Loser 8, 4:30 p.m.
Game 11 – Winner 7 vs. Winner 8, 7:30 p.m.

(Saturday, August 8)
Game 12 – Winner 9 vs. Loser 11, 4:30 p.m.
Game 13 – Winner 10 vs. Winner 11, 7:30 p.m.

(Sunday, August 9)
Game 14 – Winner 12 vs. Winner 13, 1:30 p.m.
Game 15 (if necessary) 4:30 p.m.

-Region 4: Mid-South (at Gastonia NC and Cherryville NC)
(Thursday, August 6)
Game 1 – Tupelo (MS) vs. TN, 9:30 a.m.
Game 2 – Bossier City (LA) vs. Conway (AR), DH
Game 3 – Daphne (AL) Post 199 vs. Bartlesville (OK), 4:30 p.m.

(Friday, August 7)
Game 4 – Loser 1 vs. Loser 2, 9:30 a.m.
Game 5 – Winner 1 vs. Loser 3, DH
Game 6 – Winner 2 vs. Winner 3, 4:30 p.m.

(Saturday, August 8)
Game 7 – Winner 4 vs. Loser 6, 9:30 a.m.
Game 8 – Winner 5 vs. Winner 6, 3:30 p.m.
Game 9 – Winner 7 vs. Loser 8, DH

(Sunday, August 9)
Game 10 – Winner 8 vs. Winner 9, 1 p.m.
Game 11 (if necessary) 4 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro soccer

The 2026 Charlotte FC schedule:

(7-6-4 record)
Saturday, Feb. 21 at St. Louis (T 1-1)
Saturday, Feb. 28 at L.A. Galaxy (L 0-3)
Saturday, March 7 Austin (W 3-1)
Saturday, March 14 Miami (T 0-0)
Saturday, March 21 New York Red Bulls (W 6-1)
Saturday, Apr. 4 Philadelphia (W 2-1)
Saturday, Apr. 11 Nashville (L 1-2)
Saturday, Apr. 18 at New York (W 2-1)
Wednesday, Apr. 22 at Orlando (L 1-4)
Saturday, Apr. 25 at Nashville (L 2-4)
Saturday, May 2 at New England (L 0-1)
Saturday, May 9 Cincinnati (T 2-2)
Wednesday, May 13 New York (L 0-1)
Saturday, May 16 Toronto (W 3-1)
Saturday, May 23 New England (W 1-0)
Wednesday, July 22 Atlanta, 8:00 PM (T 2-2)
Saturday, July 25 at New York Red Bulls (W 2-0)
Saturday, Aug. 1 at Chicago, 8:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 15 Columbus, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Toronto, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 22 DC, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 29 at Atlanta, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 5 Houston, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 12 at Cincinnati, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 19 at DC, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 26 Chicago, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 10 Dallas, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Columbus, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 17 at Philadelphia, 2:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 24 at Portland, 10:30 PM
Wednesday, Oct. 28 Montreal, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 31 Orlando, 1:00 PM
Saturday, Nov. 7 at Miami, 4:00 PM

(U.S. Open Cup)
Wednesday, Apr. 15 Charlotte Independence (W 6-0)
…at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex
Tuesday, Apr. 28 Atlanta United FC (L 0-2)
…at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro basketball

The Charlotte Hornets have announced their 2026 preseason schedule that features two home games and two road games. The full 2026-27 regular season game will be released in the next few weeks.

The Charlotte Hornets’ 2026-27 schedule:

(Preseason)

Oct. 6 Brooklyn (at Spectrum Center), 7 p.m.
Oct. 11 Milwaukee (Spectrum Center), 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 at Boston, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Memphis, 8 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro baseball

Nashville 4, Charlotte 2: A 2-run eighth inning lifted the Sounds past the visitors and ended the Knights’ winning streak at six in the fourth game of the six-game series. The fifth game is 7:35 p.m. Saturday.

Here is the full Charlotte Knights’ 2026 schedule:

(58-48 record, 42-33 1st half, 16-15 2nd half)
-1st half
March 27-29 Durham 3-0 (W 19-2, W 2-1 in 11, W 4-3)
March 31-April 5 at Nashville 1-4 (L 3-7, W 9-3, L 0-4, L 6-7, ppd, L 5-7)
April 7-12 Memphis 3-3 (L 4-9, W 7-3, L 1-4, W 9-8 in 10, L 4-6, W 13-4)
April 14-19 at Jacksonville 2-4 (L 0-3, L 2-3, L 3-5, L 1-4, W 2-0, W 9-4)
April 21-26 Nashville 4-3 (L 1-5, W 9-4, W 3-2 in 10, W 11-9, L 5-12, W 16-6, L 1-5)
April 28-May 3 Gwinnett 3-3 (L 7-10, W 10-9, L 5-9, L 3-4, W 21-1, W 10-9)
May 5-10 at Jacksonville 3-3 (W 5-3, L 6-8, W 16-1, W 8-5, L 5-6, L 1-6)
May 12-17 Norfolk 3-3 (L 6-9, L 8-9, W 4-1, W 4-1, L 10-11, W 15-3)
May 19-24 at Gwinnett 4-2 (W 5-4, W 4-3, L 3-7, W 4-3 in 10, L 1-5, W 3-2)
May 26-31 Jacksonville 3-3 (W 4-0, susp, L 3-6, W 12-5, W 12-4, L 6-15, L 5-6)
June 2-7 at Durham 6-0 (W 6-1, W 18-7, W 11-6, W 4-3, W 7-5, W 12-5)
June 9-14 Oklahoma City 3-3 (L 3-6, L 1-10, W 9-8, W 12-7, L 7-11, W 4-3)
June 16-21 at Buffalo 4-2 (L 5-9, W 5-1, W 4-0, W 10-5, L 2-4, W 5-0)
-2nd half
June 23-28 Rochester 2-4 (L 9-10, W 10-2, W 7-6 in 11, L 2-6, L 1-3, L 4-9)
June 30-July 5 at Memphis 2-4 (L 5-10, W 2-0 in 8, L 6-8, L 3-4 in 11, W 8-6, L 1-2 in 11)
July 7-12 Nashville 3-3 (W 8-2, L 3-6, W 9-2, L 9-11, L 2-4, W 12-4)
July 17-19 at Durham 1-2 (L 2-8, W 7-5, L 2-3)
July 21-26 Norfolk 5-1 (W 7-6, W 8-4, ppd, L 1-2, W 6-1, W 7-6 in 10, W 7-4)
July 28-August 2 at Nashville 3-1 (W 6-1, W 12-5, W 6-4, L 2-4)
August 4-9 Durham
August 11-16 at Rochester
August 18-23 at Scranton-WB
August 25-30 Memphis
September 1-6 at Gwinnett
September 8-13 Buffalo
September 15-20 at Norfolk

 

Here is the full Gastonia Ghost Peppers’ 2026 schedule:

(51-36 record, 40-23 1st half, 11-13 2nd half)
-1st half
April 21-23 at High Point 1-2 (W 3-1, L 5-6, L 0-5)
April 24-26 High Point 3-0 (W 4-3, W 18-8, W 9-2)
April 28-May 3 at York 4-2 (W 14-2, ppd, W 2-1, W 5-4, L 4-5, W 10-2, L 3-9)
May 5-10 Southern Maryland 1-5 (L 2-3, L 11-18, L 2-12, L 4-5, W 7-3, L 1-14)
May 12-17 at Long Island 3-3 (L 3-6, L 3-11, W 10-0, L 4-6, W 8-6, W 6-5)
May 19-20 Charleston, W.Va. 3-0 (W 9-4, W 6-2, W 9-6)
May 22-24 at Charleston, W.Va. 3-0 (W 17-4, W 8-4, W 12-4)
May 26-28 at Lexington 3-0 (W 10-6, W 3-2, W 3-1)
May 29-31 Charleston, W.Va. 3-0 (W 6-3, W 10-7, W 9-2)
June 2-7 Lancaster 2-4 (W 11-2, L 1-3, W 14-3, L 3-4, L 8-9, L 5-17)
June 9-14 at Lexington 3-3 (L 13-15, L 6-8, W 7-5, L 9-10, W 7-1, W 12-8)
June 16-21 Staten Island 6-0 (W 10-4, W 9-6, W 26-3, W 11-4, W 12-3, W 13-8)
June 23-28 at Lexington 4-2 (W 4-3, W 6-3, W 7-4, W 8-6, L 5-12, L 4-9)
June 30-July 2 Lexington 1-2 (L 7-9, L 1-11, W 14-6)
-2nd half
July 3-5 Charleston, W.Va. 2-1 (L 13-16, W 10-3, W 13-9)
July 7-12 at Hagerstown 1-5 (L 4-13, L 4-14, L 5-6, L 3-10, W 7-3, L 6-13)
July 14-19 Lexington 2-4 (L 2-9, W 16-5, W 12-11, L 0-9, L 5-7, L 2-6)
July 21-26 at Charleston, W.Va. 4-2 (ppd, L 8-9, W 9-8, W 5-1, L 4-9, W 11-3, W 15-6)
July 28, 30-31-Aug. 2 Hagerstown 2-1 (W 9-8, L 0-5, W 9-6)
Aug. 4-6 Southern Maryland
Aug. 7-9 at Lexington
Aug. 11-16 at High Point
Aug. 18-23 Charleston, W.Va.
Aug. 25-30 at Southern Maryland
Sept. 1-6 High Point
Sept. 8-10 Lexington
Sept. 11-13 at High Point

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Auto racing

Here is the full 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule with race winners in parentheses:

Feb. 4 — Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (Ryan Preece)
Feb. 15 — Daytona 500 (Tyler Reddick)
Feb. 22 — Atlanta (Reddick-2)
March 1 — Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas (Reddick-3)
March 8 — Phoenix (Ryan Blaney)
March 15 — Las Vegas (Denny Hamlin)
March 22 — Darlington, South Carolina (Reddick-4)
March 29 — Martinsville, Virginia (Chase Elliott)
April 5 — off weekend
April 12 — Bristol, Tennessee (Ty Gibbs)
April 19 — Kansas (Reddick-5)
April 26 — Talladega, Alabama (Carson Hocevar)
May 3 — Texas (Elliott-2)
May 10 — Watkins Glen, New York (Shane van Gisbergen)
May 17 — All-Star Race (Dover) (Hamlin-2)
May 24 — Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte) (Daniel Suarez)
May 31 — Nashville, Tennessee (Hamlin-3)
June 7 — Michigan (Hamlin-4)
June 14 — Pocono in Long Pond, Pennsylvania (Hamlin-5)
June 21 — San Diego (Corey Heim)
June 28 — Sonoma, California (Shane van Gisbergen)
July 5 — Chicagoland (Chase Briscoe)
July 12 — Atlanta (Blaney-2)
July 19 — North Wilkesboro (Joey Logano)
July 26 — Brickyard 400 (Indianapolis) (Corey Heim)
Aug. 2 — off weekend
Aug. 9 — Iowa
Aug. 15 — Richmond, Virginia
Aug. 23 — New Hampshire
Aug. 29 — Daytona, Florida
Sept. 6 — Darlington
Sept. 13 — Gateway in Madison, Illinois
Sept. 19 — Bristol
Sept. 27 — Kansas
Oct. 4 — Las Vegas
Oct. 11 — Charlotte Roval
Oct. 18 — Phoenix
Oct. 25 — Talladega
Nov. 1 — Martinsville
Nov. 8 — Homestead, Florida

 

 

 

 

Rodeo

Professional Bull Riding Unleash the Beast tour schedule for Greensboro-based Carolina Cowboys:

Feb. 1 – Golden 1 Center Sacramento- Austin Gamblers (L 173.90-256.90)
Feb. 21 – Progressive PBR Jacksonville- Florida Freedom (L 158.70-169.25)
March 22 – Ram Trucks PBR Indianapolis- Nashville Stampede (W 88.70- 0.00)
(DNQ for playoffs)

Team Challenge playoff results
March 29 at Albuquerque: Semifinal- (No. 1 Missouri Thunder def. No. 4 Florida Freedom 83.65-0.00)
April 17 at Billings: Semifinal- (No. 2 Austin Gamblers def. No. 3 Kansas City Outlaws 87.10-84.50)
April 26 at Tacoma: Championship- (No. 1 Missouri Thunder def. No. 2 Austin Gamblers 254.75-171.35)

Upcoming events:
Sept. 18-20 – Greensboro First Horizon Coliseum Complex