Columnist

Jim Alexander

Jim Alexander is an Inland Empire native who started with his hometown newspaper, The Press-Enterprise, longer ago than he cares to admit. He's been a sports columnist off and on since 1992, and a full-time columnist since 2010. Yes, he's opinionated, but no, that's not the only club in his bag. He's covered every major league and major sports beat in Southern California over the years, so not much surprises him any more. (And he and Justin Turner have this in common: Both attended Cal State Fullerton. Jim has no plans to replicate Turner's beard.)

UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close leads her team to a win over USC at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in Westwood, CA Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)

Alexander: UCLA, USC show women’s basketball is thriving in L.A.

January 3, 2026 at 10:35 p.m.

UCLA-USC draws 11,241 on a Saturday evening In the most diverse sports market in North America, but there's the potential for more.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers walks off the field after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide 38-3 to win the 112th Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal playoff football game in Pasadena on Thursday, January 1, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Alexander: What other aspects of big time college sports need fixing?

January 2, 2026 at 3:19 p.m.

The columnist, as you might have guessed, has some ideas about, among other things, a transfer portal that has become increasingly money-driven and chaotic, if not outright unstable.

Indiana fans get fired up prior to their game against Alabama during the first half at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. The top ranked Indiana Hoosiers play the 9th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the 112th Rose Bowl Game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Alexander: Where does the Rose Bowl fit in college football’s future?

January 2, 2026 at 10:52 a.m.

There are plenty of possibilities for the next iteration of the sport's playoff structure, but can we make sure Pasadena still has a starring role?

Lakers star Luka Doncic takes a moment during a pause in play in the first half of their loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Alexander: Fourth-quarter blowout exposes Lakers

December 31, 2025 at 9:16 a.m.

Luka Doncic says they ‘let go of the rope’ in the late stages of Tuesday’s 128-106 loss to Detroit, and that’s troubling for a team that is still searching for...

Some of the local stories SCNG sports columnist Jim Alexander felt were the most impactful in 2025 included, clockwise from top left, the wildfires that devastated the Altadena and Pacific Palisades communities, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s iron man MVP performance in the Dodgers’ World Series repeat, Clayton Kershaw’s farewell season, the rivalry between the UCLA and USC women’s basketball teams, Miguel Rojas’ game-tying home run in Game 7 of the World Series, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers acquiring superstar Luka Doncic in a shocking midseason trade, double amputee golfer Rose Veldman and Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s unforgettable night in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. (Photos by The Associated Press, Getty Images and David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Alexander: 10 stories that mattered in 2025

December 30, 2025 at 9:01 a.m.

The columnist’s annual list of stories that had an impact – some quiet, some very loud – in the busiest and most diverse sports market in North America.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert chases after his own fumble during the second quarter against the visiting Texans at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. The Los Angeles Chargers host the Houston Texans in a National Football League (NFL) game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Alexander: Chargers disappoint a crowd that was pretty much all theirs

January 8, 2026 at 11:28 a.m.

The fans showed up and made plenty of noise, but Houston assured that the Chargers will at least begin their playoff trek on the road.

Steve Carroll has been the Ducks’ audio play-by-play voice since 1999, and called his 2,000th game with the franchise Dec. 16 in Columbus. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez, courtesy of Anaheim Ducks.)

Alexander: Ducks broadcaster Steve Carroll keeps on going

December 25, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.

The play-by-play voice of the Ducks, who's called more than 2,000 games on the radio, goes into the Southern California Sportscasters Hall of Fame next month.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley won’t have to worry about having Notre Dame on the schedule for several years. Some of his critics might suggest he better figure out how to get the Trojans into the 12-team College Football Playoff soon, no matter which teams are on their schedule. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Alexander: Interrupting – ending? – USC-Notre Dame series is unnecessary

December 23, 2025 at 3:44 p.m.

This certainly seems like the Trojans are running from a fight, and at least one prominent alum is ticked off about it.

Clippers guard James Harden celebrates after scoring during the first half of their 103-88 victory over the Lakers on Saturday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Harden had 21 points and 10 assists in the Clippers’ first home win since Halloween. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Alexander: A dreadful Clippers season gets a little better

December 21, 2025 at 10:29 a.m.

But it could have gotten considerably worse if they hadn’t held on to their fourth-quarter lead in a 103-88 victory over the short-handed Lakers on Saturday night.

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto reacts to cheers during a celebration of the Dodgers’ back-to-back World Series titles Nov. 3, 2025, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Alexander: It’s December … and a lot of people miss baseball

December 19, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.

But will those fans be forgotten next summer as management and players argue over the game’s economics ahead of a likely collective bargaining standoff?