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BYU's LJ Martin (4) outruns a Colorado State defender in a college football game at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Connor Oldani takes a swing against UC San Diego in a men's college volleyball match at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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TYLER, Texas — Running back LJ Martin has earned Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week honorable mention recognition for his performance in BYU’s 41-23 win at Colorado State on Saturday.

The award annually recognizes the top offensive player in college football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics of integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community involvement and the tenacity to overcome adversity in the pursuit of reaching goals. In August, Martin was named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award preseason watch list for a third-straight year.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior from El Paso, Texas, had 15 carries for 176 yards (11.7 per carry) and three touchdowns in just over two quarters at CSU. Martin also had one reception for nine yards in the first drive of the second half which led to a BYU touchdown and a 38-7 lead.

Martin’s three touchdowns in the first quarter tied his career single-game high set versus Cincinnati in 2025. He is the first BYU player to rush for three rush for three touchdowns in a single quarter since Taysom Hill in the third quarter against Texas in 2014.

The 2026 winner of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award will be selected by a panel of broadcasters, commentators, journalists, fans and previous award winners and will be announced in December. The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Banquet is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2027, in Tyler, Texas.

Three Cougars tabbed for Pan American Cup

AJ Cottle, Trevor Herget and Connor Oldani will represent Team USA at the 2026 Pan American Cup in San Salvador, El Salvador at the Palacio de los Deportes Carlos “El Famoso” Hernández.

The tournament will bring together the United States, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Grenada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago, divided into three pools of three teams each.

The United States has been placed in Pool B, where it will play alongside the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago. Pool A consists of Mexico, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, while Pool C will feature El Salvador, Guatemala and Grenada.

The preliminary round will take place from Sept. 22-24. The two best pool winners will advance directly to the semifinals, while the second-place teams and the best third-place team will compete in the quarterfinals on Sept. 25. The semifinals will be played on Sept. 26, followed by the medal matches on Sept. 27.

Team USA starts up play on Sept. 23 against the Dominican Republic at 3 p.m. MST and then will take on Trinidad and Tobago at 5 p.m. MST on Sept. 24.

The matches will be streamed live on the Federación Salvadoreña de Voleibol Facebook page.

Big 12 chooses venue for 2026 tournament

The 2026 Big 12 Women’s Soccer Tournament presented by Allstate will be held at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield, Texas, the league announced Tuesday morning.

The championship is scheduled for Nov. 9, 11 and 14, with the finalized game schedule to be released following the conclusion of Big 12 regular-season play.

Located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Texas Health Mansfield Stadium opened in 2026 and is home to North Texas SC, the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate of FC Dallas. The venue, which is operated by REV Entertainment, also served as the home base for Team Czechia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Cougars are looking to return to the tournament after winning their first Big 12 Championship last season as the lowest seed in the field. BYU defeated TCU, Baylor and Kansas en route to the title.

Eight of the Big 12’s 16 teams will qualify for the tournament, with the champion earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Tickets will be available for purchase on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 9 a.m. MT.

Burgess tabbed for another player of the week award

IRVING, Texas — BYU women’s volleyball middle blocker Kelli Jo Burgess was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, the league announced on Tuesday.

Burgess led the Cougars with 14 total blocks last week, averaging 2.33 per set. The fifth-year senior from Lehi finished with a match-high seven blocks in each of her two matches played in and added 10 kills while hitting .556.

Following the weekend’s matches, Burgess now leads the nation in blocks per set, averaging 1.87 on the season. She also leads the Big 12 in total blocks with 56.

Additionally, Burgess was named to the Big 12’s Starting Seven, which honors the four weekly award winners — offensive and defensive player of the week, setter and rookie of the week — as well as the week’s top three vote-getters.