Max just began playing for the Middlesbrough FC after transferring from the Columbus Crew (USA). Middlesbrough is in the Second Tier just below the Premier League and Wrexham just advanced to the Second Tier this year so these two teams are at the same level.

Max started for Middlesbrough against Wrexham in his first game last Friday which Middlesbrough won 1-0. If the Welcome to Wrexham series continues into a season 6 we may get to see some footage of him in this game since the series follows Wrexham each year.

August 6, 2026 by Larry Henry Jr

Max Arfsten is jumping right into the mix at Middlesbrough.

Arfsten is set to make his club debut on Friday when Kim Hellberg’s squad hosts Wrexham in EFL Cup play. The U.S. Men’s National Team defender made the permanent move to Teesside from the Columbus Crew earlier this week, joining up with international teammates Aidan Morris and Sebastian Berhalter.

Although Arfsten hasn’t had a lot of time with his new squad yet, Hellberg is excited to see what he brings to the mix.

“Very excited with him,” Hellberg said Thursday in his prematch press conference. “He had his first session on Tuesday and we have worked a lot with him.

“You can see why we have chased him for a long time, he has a lot of good qualities, he is good with both feet and I am looking forward to seeing him,” Hellberg added. “He is in more in-season than others who have arrived. He will be involved in the game.”

Arfsten’s versatility has allowed him to play in numerous roles and positions for both the Crew and USMNT, allowing him to express himself on both ends of the field.

A talented playmaker and defender, Arfsten should fit right into the EFL Championship’s style of play, a grueling league that Morris has already adapted to and one that Berhalter will want to also transition to.

Hellberg already has his plans for Arfsten in the squad, keeping him on the side where he’s enjoyed the most success to date.

“He played on the left side in a back-four and as a wing back for Columbus before moving to the right,” Hellberg said. “I see him more on the left side. It’s about getting to know him more. I see him as a left back or a left wing back in our setup.”

Middlesbrough will seek a first win of the new domestic season before taking on newly-promoted Lincoln City in their league opener.

https://sbisoccer.com/2026/08/max-arfsten-will-be-involved-in-middlesbroughs-efl-cup-match-vs-wrexham

Rex Connors and Samuel Gbatu Jr. Named To East West Shrine Bowl 1000

DAVIS, Calif. — Already tabbed on multiple preseason Big Sky and All-American lists, UC Davis football seniors Rex Connors and Samuel Gbatu, Jr. have been tabbed as two of 40 FCS players to be named to the East West Shrine Bowl 1000.

UC Davis is one of nine FCS schools to feature multiple players in this year's 1000.

https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2026/8/8/football-rex-connors-and-samuel-gbatu-jr-named-to-east-west-shrine-bowl-1000.aspx

The dates for the games at the Resort World Classic Tournament, November 25-27, in Las Vegas have now been added to the schedule. Aggie fans who enjoy Vegas could spend the Thanksgiving holiday there while attending 3 Aggie games in 3 days.

Nov 25 (Wed) vs Omaha
Nov 26 (Th) vs Jacksonville State
Nov 27 (Fri) vs Pacific

The overall production quality of this episode is a big step forward. The interviews have always been good but, now, the setting, sound quality and camera work have taken a big step forward. This was a very professional quality podcast production. Great work! I'm really looking forward to the addition of the coverage of other Aggie sports as well in the coming weeks ahead.

The first 17:16 of this Aggie Pride Podcast introduces Anna Malepai who will be covering the other Aggie sports this season.

The first 17:16 of this Aggie Pride Podcast introduces Anna Malepai who will be covering the other Aggie sports this season.

home and homes with at least two of UCSB/UCI/UCSD/Poly/Pacific. — LeFan

This would have been great.

I was wondering about that as well.

Winston Williams has been named the #2 TE in the FCS by Hero Sports. Jordan Fisher was previously named the #8 RB, Porter Connors the #8 LB, Samuel Gbatu the #3 WR and Zaire Collier the #35 OL.

2. Winston Williams, UC Davis

Williams was ready for an All-American season last year, but an injury sidelined him after three games. He now looks to replicate his 2024 First Team All-Big Sky season, where Williams recorded 34 catches for 265 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-foot-4 and 245-pounder is one of several weapons for the 2026 UC Davis offense.

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-top-returning-2026-tight-ends-bzbz/

Congrats to the Aggie Podcast crew. This podcast has really been a big booster to Aggie football.

We need something similar for MBB and WBB or at least a coach's show each week recapping the games, talking about the players and looking at the games ahead. Football is really taking off and I'd like to see basketball get good boost also. Having Scott Marsh talk with Les for 2 or 3 minutes before and after a game just isn't enough to help publicize the program, help get donors inspired and get more fans in the seats.

My guess is that they'll stick to those times as they have in the past.

I took a look at the the basketball facilities in the MWC and, although we had one of the largest seating capacities in the Big West, we are near the bottom in size in the MWC.




We also have the lowest average attendance rate for the 2025-26 season:

Has anyone seen or know of any actual construction taking place yet with all of these facility projects?

I have mixed feelings about the non-conference schedule. I was surprised to see that we did not have a single game against a major program like we usually have had in the past. I'm not a big fan of getting drubbed by a team like Oregon but to not have a single game against a team like that or even a game against teams like Oregon State or Washington State was a bit of a surprise.

I was hoping to see a couple games with our neighboring NorCal schools like Stanford, Cal, Santa Clara, USF and St Mary's on the schedule too. Those games seem like they would be good attendance for both schools and would be a good draw for Aggie fans from the Bay Area and it would be a relatively easy travel for for Aggie fans from the Davis and greater Sacramento area as well.

I spoke briefly with Les some years ago and asked why we didn't play those teams on a fairly regular basis and he said he wants to play those teams but they were reluctant to play us. Apparently, they felt like a loss to us would really hurt their RPI and win against us wouldn't help their RPI much either. Maybe if we have some success in the MWC they will be more willing to schedule us in the future.

I also think that there is some upside to this non-conference schedule as well given that we have so many new players coming in this year. This schedule should give this team a chance to gel, get to know each other better in action and come together as a group while building chemistry and confidence heading into the MWC competition.

Even with a non-conference schedule that doesn't look that formidable, our overall schedule will be perhaps the toughest as a whole that we have ever had when you figure in the teams we will play twice in conference play.

Here are the 2025-26 final season records of the teams who will be in the MWC this season:

Hawaii 24-9 (Big West)
New Mexico 26-11
Grand Canyon 20-12
Nevada 24-13
Aggies 19-14 (Big West)
UNLV 18-17
Wyoming 18-15
UTEP 11-20 (Conference USA)
San Jose State 9-24
Air Force 3-29