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Leaders of the College Football Playoff issued an ultimatum to the Rose Bowl this week, giving a self-imposed deadline of Wednesday to determine whether the CFP can expand in time for the start of the 2024 regular season, and if the game’s most storied bowl can’t agree to the terms, it’s possible it could be excluded from the New Year’s Six bowl rotation in the next contract, sources told ESPN.

“We want the Rose Bowl,” a CFP source said. “We have a good partnership with the six bowls we are affiliated with. We do. And we want to continue with that. I hope the Rose Bowl will be part of that, but there’s no guarantee in any of that. None.”

If the CFP doesn’t expand in time for the 2024 season, it will lose roughly $450 million in potential gross revenue. There is mounting pressure to make a decision this week — possibly as soon as Tuesday.

While the Rose Bowl’s position in an expanded CFP isn’t the only obstacle that slowed the process, it is the last and most complicated. The discussion centered on one of the most lucrative television windows in college sports. Laura Farber, the chair of the Rose Bowl management committee, told ESPN earlier this month the game wanted to maintain the exclusive broadcast window on Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. PT in years that it would also host a CFP semifinal.

The Rose Bowl was willing to temporarily concede its relationship with the Big Ten and Pac-12 to host a quarterfinal game in 2024 and 2025, but in return asked for assurances in the new contract. There is no contract in place beyond the current 12-year deal, which runs through the 2025 season.

“We continue to have daily conversations with the CFP board of managers, and we remain hopeful we can come to an agreement,” a Rose Bowl spokesperson told ESPN on Tuesday.

Farber told ESPN in November the bowl was willing to be flexible.

“For anyone to say that the Rose Bowl Game is the sole reason right now that expansion may not happen before the current cycle runs out is categorically wrong,” Farber said. “Yes, we need to work through the details of our contract and our separate broadcast agreement, but we remain open to that.”

A CFP source said it was fair to call it an ultimatum, but not a threat. CFP leaders are asking the Rose Bowl to reconsider some of the guarantees it’s seeking in the next contract. When the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick negotiate the next TV deal, they are unanimous in their desire to have multiple TV partners. ESPN is currently the sole rights holder through the 2025 season. A source said the CFP has assured the Rose Bowl it will do everything it can to work around the Jan. 1 2 p.m. PT slot, but has asked all of the bowls to take a leap of faith because the commissioners can’t be bound to promises that will or won’t impact the value as they’re trying to negotiate the next deal.

“We’re to the point where we’ve got to make a decision moving forward,” a source said. “That’s where we are.”

For the CFP to expand during this current contract, everyone involved — including all New Year’s Six bowl games, the CFP and ESPN as its exclusive rights holder — have to unanimously agree. Multiple sources told ESPN the calendar had been determined — the presidents and chancellors met Nov. 16 and figured out the revenue distribution, according to one source. The last piece of the puzzle was the Rose Bowl. When the next contract is negotiated, it doesn’t have to be unanimous — making it much easier to move on without the Rose Bowl and/or the Big Ten and Pac-12 votes.

The self-imposed deadline of Wednesday was issued because the host cities are running out of time and have bent over backward to accommodate the CFP to this point while they try to work out the details. In mid-August, the CFP announced Atlanta will host the national championship game in 2025, followed by Miami in January 2026.

With pressure mounting to make a decision quickly to expand in time for the 2024 season, discussions intensified Monday morning, when several members of the CFP’s board of managers held a meeting. The 11 presidents and chancellors who comprise the board of managers have the ultimate authority over the playoff.

In the proposed 12-team format for 2024, the Cotton and Orange bowls would stay true to the current agreement and host semifinals, and in 2025, the Fiesta and Peach bowls would also host semifinals as currently planned.

On Sept. 2, the CFP’s board of managers unanimously voted to expand the CFP to 12 teams in 2026 but encouraged the sport’s commissioners to try to implement it as soon as 2024. The original 12-team model, first made public in June 2021, includes the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large teams.

The rankings of the teams will continue to be determined by the CFP selection committee, which will remain largely unchanged.

The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four with each receiving a first-round bye. Teams seeded five through 12 will play each other in the first round. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in bowl games on a rotating basis, and the championship game will be at a neutral site, as under the current four-team format.

“I don’t want it to just come down to the Rose Bowl as the reason we don’t start it early, I really don’t, but it may be,” a CFP source said. “We said this from Day 1 — there may be any number of reasons we can’t. We’re really down to one remaining issue.”

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Ovechkin nets No. 895, is NHL’s goal-scoring king

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Ovechkin nets No. 895, is NHL's goal-scoring king

NEW YORK — Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored goal No. 895 on Sunday, passing Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time goal scoring leader.

Ovechkin netted the record breaker against the New York Islanders with a power-play goal with 12:34 left in the second period of Sunday’s game — the 1,487th game of his career, the same as Gretzky’s career total.

With Gretzky and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in attendance, the game came to a standstill as players and fans celebrated the historic moment.

Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s record Friday with two tallies in a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. He chose not to go out on the ice after the Blackhawks pulled their goalie late in the third for a possible hat trick, saying later, “I don’t want an empty net” when he sets the record.

Ovechkin’s pursuit of the all-time goals record has spanned his extraordinary 20-year NHL career, all of it with the Washington Capitals. He won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s regular-season goal-scoring leader nine times. He captured the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP three times (2008, ’09, ’13) and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in leading the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018.

Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time leader in power-play goals (325) and overtime goals and passed Jaromir Jagr for most game-winning goals after tallying with 136th on Friday. He has scored 50 more power-play goals than Hall of Famer Dave Andreychuk, who is second all time. More than 210 of Ovechkin’s power-play goals were scored from the “Ovi Spot” near the left faceoff circle, as it has come to be known.

Gretzky captured the goals record on March 23, 1994, as a member of the Los Angeles Kings. His 802nd career goal surpassed his idol Gordie Howe’s career mark. The game against the Vancouver Canucks was stopped for a 15-minute ceremony. Gretzky retired in 1999 with 894 goals in 1,487 NHL regular-season games, a career total that few in the NHL believed would ever be surpassed — until Ovechkin arrived.

“I always said that if there’s any guy who could do it, it’s him,” said Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom, currently injured, who assisted on more Ovechkin goals than any other teammate from 2007 to 2023. “Sometimes, it just seems like the puck finds him, and he’s got that ability to put it in the net like no one else.”

The Capitals won the 2004 NHL draft lottery to select Ovechkin first overall. The Moscow native won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 2005-06 with 52 goals, as his buoyant personally revitalized the franchise. By the end of his 10th NHL season, having yet to turn 30 years old, Ovechkin had amassed 475 goals in 760 games.

Gretzky told NHL.com in 2016 that if Ovechkin sustained that pace “there’s no question in my mind” he could set a new career goals record.

“The first 500 are the easy ones,” Gretzky said. “It’s the next 500, when you’re getting a little bit older and your body is a little bit worn down — the travel and physical part of the game catches up to you.”

Ovechkin entered this season needing 42 goals to pass Gretzky and wasted no time. The Capitals captain scored 15 goals in his first 18 games, the hottest goal-scoring start of his career and an unprecedented feat for a 39-year-old in the NHL. His season took an unexpected turn on Nov. 18, when Ovechkin broke his left fibula in a game against Utah. But the “Russian Machine,” as he has been called for his stamina and good health, returned ahead of schedule — and scored a goal — on Dec. 28, after missing 16 games.

The Ovechkin record hunt captivated the hockey world during the final weeks of the regular season. It was branded “The GR8 Chase” by the NHL. Game broadcasts introduced alternate feeds that focused only on Ovechkin. In Washington, D.C., goal counters were added inside Capital One Arena and in Union Market District. Gretzky, commissioner Gary Bettman, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and Ovechkin’s wife Nastya began following the team from arena to arena.

Ovechkin, meanwhile, used his record pursuit to raise funds for pediatric cancer research, donating an amount equal to his goal total for every goal he scores during the remainder of his career and encouraging fans to contribute on a per-goal basis as well.

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Ovechkin career goal record chase: No. 895 passes Wayne Gretzky

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Ovechkin career goal record chase: No. 895 passes Wayne Gretzky

After breaking the 800-goal barrier during the 2022-23 season, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has passed Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record of 894, scoring No. 895 on Sunday against the Islanders.

Ovechkin began the 2024-25 season with 853 goals and broke the record with his 42nd goal of the season.

Follow along here as we chronicle each goal Ovechkin scores this season, including goal highlights, the upcoming Capitals schedule and how to watch.

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Upcoming schedule | Goal videos


The NHL’s top 10 in career goals

1. Alex Ovechkin (895)
2. Wayne Gretzky (894)
3. Gordie Howe (801)
4. Jaromir Jagr (766)
5. Brett Hull (741)
6. Marcel Dionne (731)
7. Phil Esposito (717)
8. Mike Gartner (708)
9. Mark Messier (694)
10. Steve Yzerman (692)


Goals scored in 2024-25

No. 895: April 6 vs. NYI

After tying the record at home in dramatic fashion, Ovechkin broke it in his next games, scoring No. 895 against the New York Islanders. It was his 42nd goal of the season.

No. 894: April 4 vs. CHI

How else but on the power play? Six minutes, 13 seconds into the third period, Ovechkin scored the record-tying goal as Wayne Gretzky watched from the crowd. The monumental goal was assisted by John Carlson and Andrew Mangiapane.

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Ovechkin shows love to crowd after tying Gretzky at 894 goals

Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky for most goals in NHL history at 894.

No. 893: April 4 vs. CHI

Ovechkin scored 3:52 into the first period against the Blackhawks to move two goals away from the all-time record — and score his 40th of the season. The goal was assisted by Dylan Strome and John Carlson.

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Ovechkin 2 away from passing Gretzky with 893rd goal

Alex Ovechkin lights the lamp as he inches closer to breaking Wayne Gretzkys all-time scoring record.

No. 892: April 2 vs. CAR

Now just three goals away from the record, Ovechkin’s 892nd was a vintage strike — powering home a shot from the left circle on a Capitals power play to cut into the Hurricanes’ lead.

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Alex Ovechkin now 3 goals away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin scores career goal 892, putting him three away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.

No. 891: April 1 vs. BOS

Ovechkin was in the right place at the right time for his 891st career goal. He received the puck just in front of an empty net and scored on the power play — which secured his 18th career season with at least 10 power-play goals, according to ESPN Research.

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Ovechkin scores 891st goal, 4 away from breaking record

Alex Ovechkin scores from close range, putting him three away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s record.

No. 890: March 30 vs. BUF

Ovechkin’s chase to pass Gretzky can now be counted down on one hand. He found the net midway through the third period on a neat no-look tip-in.

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Ovechkin scores 890th goal, moves 5 away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin scores on a fantastic redirection for his 890th career goal.

No. 889: March 25 vs. WPG

Facing a 2-1 deficit late in the third period, Ovechkin connected on a snap shot to even the game. It marked the 150th game-tying goal of his career, 11 more than anyone else in NHL history, according to ESPN Research.

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Ovechkin’s 889th goal moves him 6 away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin nets his 889th career goal to tie the score in the third period, putting him six away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

No. 888: March 20 vs. PHI

Ovechkin put home a follow-up chance late in the first period versus the Flyers. Ovi now has has 52 career goals against Philadelphia, the all-time second-most against the Flyers, passing Mario Lemieux.

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Ovechkin 7 goals away from passing Gretzky after 888th goal

Alex Ovechkin nets his 888th career goal, putting him seven away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

No. 887: March 15 vs. SJ

Already comfortably ahead against San Jose, Ovechkin tipped in a goal in the third period. Eighteen of Ovi’s 34 goals have come in the third period this season, the most in the NHL, according to ESPN Research.

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Ovechkin’s redirect goal moves him 8 away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin redirects the puck into the net for his 887th career goal.

No. 886: March 9 vs. SEA

Ovechkin was out on the ice to help preserve a late third-period lead against Seattle, and wrestled enough space from a Kraken defender to score an empty-net goal to put the game out of reach.

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Alex Ovechkin nets career goal No. 886, eight shy of Wayne Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin taps in an empty-netter for career goal No. 886 and his 1,600th point.

No. 885: March 5 vs. NYR

Ovi’s goal went a long way for the Capitals as it evened the score with 9:32 left in the third period. Washington went on to secure an overtime victory after Ovechkin netted his 32nd goal in 46 games this season.

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Ovechkin scores 885th goal, 10 away from passing Gretzky

Alex Ovechkin scores his 32nd goal of the season, putting him only 10 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

No. 884: March 1 vs. TB

Although the Capitals lost a showdown with old Southeastern Division foe Tampa Bay, Ovi put himself 10 goals from tying Gretzky via a third-period goal assisted by Matt Roy.

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Alex Ovechkin closes in on history with late goal for Capitals

Alex Ovechkin is just 10 goals away from Wayne Gretzky’s record 894 after this goal against the Lightning.

No. 883: Feb. 25 vs. CGY

Ovechkin connected on a goal on a Capitals power play against the Calgary Flames, his eighth in eight games and 30th of the season. Ovechkin is the fourth player in NHL history to score 30 goals at age 39 or older.

Nos. 880, 881, 882: Feb. 23 vs. EDM

Ovechkin first found the net nearly halfway through the second period against the Edmonton Oilers. About ten minutes later, he did it again, concluding a Washington power play with a goal. His third came on an empty netter late in the third period, Ovechkin’s seventh empty net goal this season.

Ovechkin has 200 goals since Jan. 1, 2020, becoming the first player in NHL history to score 200+ goals in three different decades. Ovechkin is now on pace to break Gretzky’s career goals record by the end of this season, per all three methodologies ESPN Research has used.

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Ovechkin’s hat trick puts him 13 away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin scores a hat trick against the Oilers to reach 882 career goals.

No. 879: Feb. 6 vs. PHI

Down 1-0 in the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers, Ovechkin evened the score in the final minute with a one-timer.

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Alex Ovechkin moves 16 goals away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin scores his 879th career goal to move 16 goals away from eclipsing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record

No. 878: Feb. 4 vs. FLA

Every second counts. Ovechkin netted his 878th goal with just 0.1 seconds left, slotting the puck in an empty net against the Florida Panthers.

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Alexander Ovechkin beats the buzzer to score goal 878

Alexander Ovechkin scores an empty-netter with 0.1 left to give him his 878th goal of his career.

No. 877: Feb. 1 vs. WPG

Ovechkin tied the game with under eight minutes left in the third period with his 877th goal. The Caps would lose in overtime in a matchup of two of the NHL’s top teams.

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Alex Ovechkin brings Caps even with his 877th career goal

Alex Ovechkin ties the score at 4 and moves 18 goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.

No. 876: Jan. 30 vs. OTT

Ovechkin scored against the Ottawa Senators exactly two weeks in ago in their Jan. 16 matchup and did it again with a power play finish in the third period against Ottawa. It marked Ovechkin’s NHL-record 318th career power play goal.

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Alex Ovechkin nets his 876th goal with a great shot from the point

Alex Ovechkin finds the back of the net for his 876th goal to pull the Capitals within 1.

No. 875: Jan. 23 vs. SEA

Ovi added another empty-net tally to his career total to put the finishing touches on this victory for the Caps, assisted by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Jakob Chychrun.

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Alex Ovechkin scores 875th NHL goal

Alex Ovechkin scores in the third period and is now 20 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky on the NHL’s all-time list.

No. 874: Jan. 16 vs. OTT

Ovechkin locked in one record with his 874th goal. He broke the mark for the most goaltenders scored on after slotting one past Ottawa’s Leevi Merilainen for a game-winning overtime goal.

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Alex Ovechkin’s 874th career goal wins it in OT for the Capitals

Alex Ovechkin breaks through in overtime with his 874th career goal to propel the Capitals to a 1-0 win.

No. 873: Jan. 11 vs. NSH

Ovechkin put the finishing touches on a the Caps’ 4-1 win over the Predators by way of an empty-net goal.

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Alex Ovechkin scores his 873rd career goal on empty net

Alex Ovechkin moves 21 goals away from Wayne Gretzky’s record with an empty-net goal to seal the Capitals’ win.

No. 872: Jan. 4 vs. NYR

The Capitals wound up scoring seven on the reeling Rangers, and Ovechkin’s 19th of the season made it 5-3 in the third period, assisted by Dylan Strome.

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Alex Ovechkin scores his 872nd career goal to increase Caps’ lead

Alex Ovechkin nets his 872nd career goal and is 23 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.

No. 871: Jan. 2 vs. MIN

Although the Capitals lost in a shootout to the Wild, Ovechkin added to his career total via a second-period, power-play goal, assisted by Dylan Strome.

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Ovechkin inches closer to Gretzky’s record with another goal

Alex Ovechkin moves closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goalscoring record with this fierce finish vs. the Wild.

No. 870: Dec. 29 vs. DET

Ovechkin is making up for time lost during his injury absence, scoring his second goal in as many games since returning. His 17th of the season was assisted by Jakob Chychrun and Connor McMichael.

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Ovechkin inches closer to Gretzky with 870th goal

Alex Ovechkin is now 25 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894 goals.

No. 869: Dec. 28 vs. TOR

In his first game back following a five-week stint on injured reserve, Ovechkin notched an empty-net goal to seal the deal against the Maple Leafs. The goal was assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Pierre-Luc Dubois.

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Alex Ovechkin scores in return to Capitals

Alex Ovechkin comes one goal closer to the record after scoring an empty-net goal.

No. 868, 867: Nov. 18 vs. UTA

A day after his hat trick against Vegas, Ovechkin scored two more against the Hockey Club — and might’ve had another if he wasn’t knocked out of the game following a collision with Jack McBain. Goal No. 867 was assisted by Pierre-Luc Dubois, while No. 868 was on the power play, and assisted by John Carlson and Dylan Strome.

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Ovechkin’s 2nd goal of the night gets him to 868

Alex Ovechkin nets his second goal of the game to put the Capitals up 4-1 over the Utah HC, and moves within 26 goals of tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

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Alex Ovechkin cashes goal 867 for Capitals

Alex Ovechkin finds the back of the net to give the Capitals a 3-1 lead over Utah, and moves within 27 goals of tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

No. 866, 865, 864: Nov. 17 vs. VGK

Back in 2018, Ovechkin and the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in Vegas. There was less at stake in this game, but Ovi came through with a hat trick in the Caps’ 5-2 win: a first-period, power-play tally (assisted by John Carlson and Dylan Strome), a second-period score assisted by Matt Roy, and an empty-net goal to cap it off (assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Martin Fehervary).

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Alex Ovechkin lights the lamp

Alex Ovechkin lights the lamp

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Alex Ovechkin nets goal for Capitals

Alex Ovechkin nets goal for Capitals

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Ovechkin’s 864th goal tips off defender’s stick

Alex Ovechkin nets his 864th career goal after his shot banks off Alex Pietrangelo’s stick.

No. 863, 862: Nov. 9, 2024 vs. STL

Did you seriously think that an 8-1 win for the Capitals would not include any goals from Ovechkin? Ovi scored in the second period (assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome) to make it 2-1, then added a power-play tally in the third (assisted by Strome and Tom Wilson) to make it 4-1.

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Ovechkin tallies his 2nd goal of the game and 863rd of career

Alex Ovechkin’s wrist shot finds the net to pad the Capitals’ lead vs. the Blues and creep ever closer towards Gretzky’s scoring record.

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Alex Ovechkin nets 862nd goal

Alex Ovechkin nets 862nd goal

No. 861: Nov. 6, 2024 vs. NSH

Ovechkin scored his eighth goal of the season at 10:25 of the third period on assists from Dylan Strome and Martin Fehervary.

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Alex Ovechkin nets 861st NHL goal vs. Nashville

Alex Ovechkin nets 861st NHL goal vs. Nashville

No. 860: Nov. 3, 2024 vs. CAR

Though the Capitals lost, 4-2, Ovi notched a first-period, power-play tally, on assists from John Carlson and Dylan Strome.

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Ovechkin tallies 860th goal, 34 away from tying Gretzky

Alex Ovechkin scores on the power play, which is his 860th career goal, making him 34 shy of tying Wayne Gretzky for the most goals of all time.

No. 859: Nov. 2, 2024 vs. CBJ

Ovechkin was one of six different Capitals to score in the team’s route of the BJs, and his goal was assisted by Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas.

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Ovechkin tallies goal No. 859 for Capitals

Alex Ovechkin slaps it in from distance to get his 859th career goal and pad the Capitals’ lead vs. the Blue Jackets.

No. 858: Oct. 31, 2024 vs. MTL

A 6-3 Capitals win with an Ovechkin goal as the capper? The fans went home happy from this one. Assists on this goal were from Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome.

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Alex Ovechkin tallies goal No. 858 for Caps

Alex Ovechkin pads the Capitals’ lead vs. the Canadiens with his 858th career goal.

No. 857, 856: Oct. 29, 2024 vs. NYR

A raucous, 5-3 win for the Capitals included two first-period tallies from Ovi, both assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome.

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Alex Ovechkin’s 857th goal puts Capitals back on top

Alex Ovechkin nets his second goal of the first period to retake the Capitals’ early lead vs. the Rangers.

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Alex Ovechkin 856th goal gets the Capitals on the board

Alex Ovechkin scores early in the first period to give the Capitals a quick 1-0 lead over the Rangers.

No. 855: Oct. 23, 2024 vs. PHI

Ovechkin has a knack for empty-net goals, and added to his career total in that category to cap off a win against Philly, with an assist from Dylan Strome.

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Alex Ovechkin scores goal vs. Flyers

Alex Ovechkin scores goal vs. Flyers

No. 854: Oct. 19, 2024 vs. NJ

It took to the fourth game of the Capitals’ season for Ovechkin to get his first marker of the campaign, on assists from John Carlson and Dylan Strome.

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Alex Ovechkin scores goal for Capitals

Alex Ovechkin nets goal for Capitals


Upcoming schedule

Note: All games available to ESPN+ subscribers at no extra charge as part of NHL Power Play on ESPN+, unless otherwise noted. Blackout restrictions apply.

Sun, Apr 6: at Islanders, 12:30 (TNT/truTV/Max)

Thu, Apr 10: vs. Carolina, 7:30

Sat, Apr 12: at Columbus, 7:00 (ABC/ESPN+)

Sun, Apr 13: vs. Columbus, 6:00

Tue, Apr 15: at Islanders, 8:00 (ESPN)

Thu, Apr 17: at Pittsburgh, 7:00 (ESPN)

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Life after OMG: Can 2025 Mets replicate their 2024 vibes?

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Life after OMG: Can 2025 Mets replicate their 2024 vibes?

When New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns attempted to assemble the best possible roster for the 2025 season this winter, the top priority was signing outfielder Juan Soto. Next was the need to replenish the starting rotation and bolster the bullpen. Then, days before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, the lineup received one final significant reinforcement when first baseman Pete Alonso re-signed.

Acquiring a player with a singing career on the side didn’t make the cut.

“No, that is not on the list,” Stearns said with a smile.

Stearns’ decision not to re-sign Jose Iglesias, the infielder behind the mic for the viral 2024 Mets anthem “OMG,” was attributed to creating more roster flexibility. But it also hammered home a reality: The scrappy 2024 Mets, authors of a magical summer in Queens, are a thing of the past. The 2025 Mets, who will report to Citi Field for their home opener Friday, have much of the same core but also some prominent new faces — and the new, outsized expectations that come with falling two wins short of the World Series, then signing Soto to the richest contract in professional sports history.

But there’s a question surrounding this year’s team that you can’t put a price tag on: Can these Mets rekindle the magic — the vibes, the memes, the feel-good underdog story — that seemed to come out of nowhere to help carry them to Game 6 of the National League Championship Series last season?

“Last year the culture was created,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “It’s a matter of continuing it.”

For all the success Stearns has engineered — his small-market Milwaukee Brewers teams reached the postseason five times in eight seasons after he became the youngest general manager in history in 2015 — the 40-year-old Harvard grad, like the rest of his front office peers knows there’s no precise recipe for clubhouse chemistry. There is no culture projection system. No Vibes Above Replacement.

“Culture is very important,” Stearns said last weekend in the visiting dugout at Daikin Park before his club completed an opening-weekend series against the Houston Astros. “Culture is also very difficult to predict.”

Still, it seems the Mets’ 2024 season will be all but impossible to recreate.

There was Grimace, the purple McDonald’s blob who spontaneously became the franchise’s unofficial mascot after throwing out a first pitch in June. “OMG,” performed under Iglesias’ stage name, Candelita, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Digital Songs chart, before a remix featuring Pitbull was released in October. Citi Field became a karaoke bar whenever Lindor stepped into the batter’s box with The Temptations’ “My Girl” as his walk-up song. Alonso unveiled a lucky pumpkin in October. They were gimmicks that might have felt forced if they hadn’t felt so right.

“I don’t know if what we did last year could be replicated because it was such a chaos-filled group,” Mets reliever Ryne Stanek said. “I don’t know if that’s replicable because there’s just too many things going on. I don’t know if that’s a sustainable model. But I think the expectation of winning is really important. I think establishing what we did last year and coming into this year where people are like, ‘Oh, no, that’s what we’re expecting to do,’ makes it different. It’s always a different vibe whenever you feel like you’re the hunter versus being the hunted.”

For the first two months last season, the Mets were terrible hunters. Lindor was relentlessly booed at Citi Field during another slow start. The bullpen got crushed. The losses piled up. The Mets began the season 0-5 and sunk to rock bottom on May 29 when reliever Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the stands during a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers that dropped the team to 22-33.

That night, the Mets held a players-only meeting. From there, perhaps coincidentally, everything changed. The Mets won the next day, and 67 of their final 107 games.

This year, to avoid an early malaise and to better incorporate new faces like Soto and Opening Day starter Clay Holmes, players made it a point to hold meetings during spring training to lay a strong foundation.

“At the end of the day, we know who we are and that’s the beauty of our club,” Alonso said. “Not just who we are talent-wise, but who each individual is as a man and a personality. For us, our major, major strength is our collective identity as a unit.”

Organizationally, the Mets are attempting a dual-track makeover: Becoming perennial World Series contenders while not taking themselves too seriously.

The commemorative purple Grimace seat installed at Citi Field in September — Section 302, Row 6, Seat 12 in right field — remains there as part of a two-year contract. Last week, the franchise announced it will feature a New York-city themed “Five Borough” race at every home game — with a different mascot competing to represent each borough. For a third straight season, USA Today readers voted Citi Field — home of the rainbow cookie egg roll, among many other innovative treats — as having the best ballpark food in baseball.

In the clubhouse, their identity is evolving.

“I’m very much in the camp that you can’t force things,” Mets starter Sean Manaea said. “I mean, you can, but you don’t really end up with good results. And if you wait for things to happen organically, then sometimes it can take too long. So, there’s like a nudging of sorts. It’s like, ‘Let’s kind of come up with something, but not force it.’ So there’s a fine balance there and you just got to wait and see what happens.”

Stearns believes it starts with what the Mets can control: bringing positive energy every day and fostering a family atmosphere. It’s hard to quantify, but vibes undoubtedly helped fuel the Mets’ 2024 success. It’ll be a tough act to follow.

“It’s fluid,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I like where guys are at as far as the team chemistry goes and things like that and the connections and the relationships. But it’ll continue to take some time. And winning helps, clearly.”

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