Last updated: March 20, 2026, 7:35 PM ET
NCAA Tournament & College Basketball
The opening rounds of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament saw No. 7 Kentucky survive a scare, propelled by Otega Oweh’s buzzer-beating shot to force overtime against No. 15 Santa Clara, ultimately winning 89-84 in a tightly contested first-round matchup as tracked live by reporters. Meanwhile, third-seeded TCU dominated UC San Diego 86-40, led by Olivia Miles securing her 12th career triple-double in the rout. In the Women's bracket, UConn remains the title favorite as analysis of Day 1 showed how winners must proceed to the Sweet 16 based on Friday's scores, with comprehensive betting data provided for the opening slate including spreads and BPIs. Injury concerns arose in the men's field, as Iowa State's All-American forward Joshua Jefferson exited early against Tennessee State after appearing to injure his left ankle, while Duke coach Jon Scheyer expressed optimism regarding Patrick Ngongba II’s return from a foot injury for the second round against TCU scheming for a deeper tournament run. In coaching news, Cal State Bakersfield is reportedly targeting USC assistant Todd Lee to fill their vacancy amid staff turmoil following an assistant's arrest, and Tuskegee coach Benjy Taylor has initiated a $1 million federal lawsuit against Morehouse College and two officers stemming from a postgame detainment in January seeking redress for the incident.
Professional Sports & Player Matters
Reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City declined a White House visit, citing scheduling conflicts as they prepare for their upcoming road trip to the nation's capital this weekend. Elsewhere, golfer Jon Rahm has chosen to drop his appeal against sanctions imposed by the DP World Tour for participating in conflicting LIV Golf events, though he concurrently refused to remit the outstanding fines. In combat sports, Lerone Murphy & Movsar Evloev exchanged a tense staredown ahead of their featherweight bout at UFC London Friday evening. In collegiate athletics, UCLA head coach Cori Close publicly lauded gymnast Lauren Betts for her "courageous vulnerability" after Betts shared details regarding her personal mental health journey earning praise from her coach. Furthermore, a collection of athletes whose careers peaked in the 1990s, including Serena Williams and Shaquille O'Neal, participated in a viral throwback meme set to the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris." Elsewhere, darts star Luke Littler is taking proactive steps to protect his likeness by applying to trademark his face to combat unauthorized AI-generated imagery.
Rugby League & Union Updates
The Super League saw Bradford Bulls secure a third straight home victory after overpowering the Huddersfield Giants in a dramatic contest at Odsal stadium. Wakefield earned a measure of revenge for last season’s play-off elimination by defeating Leigh, whose poor start to the Super League campaign continues, while St Helens delivered a dominant offensive showing, scoring five tries in the first half to dispatch Toulouse away from home securing the victory. Across the channel in the United Rugby Championship, Scarlets decisively won the battle between the basement clubs, scoring six tries to sweep aside a flat Zebre performance claiming a crucial bonus-point win. In Northern Irish soccer, Larne stretched their Premiership lead to five points following a decisive 3-0 Friday night win over Glenavon, while Carrick concurrently defeated the Blues, who finished the match with 10 men.
Global Athletics & Emerging Sports
In track and field, Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu finished fourth in the 60m dash at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, a race described as "one of the best 60m races of all time," narrowly missing a medal in the demanding final. Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy set a new world record in the men's 50m freestyle, eclipsing the previous best time established during the 'supersuit' era breaking Cesar Cielo's long-standing mark. to future team events, plans are circulating to potentially launch a European Cricket Nations Cup as early as 2027, following initial conceptual development work by Cricket Ireland officials. Meanwhile, England's Roses netball team suffered an injury blow as goalkeeper Jaz Brown was ruled out of the Glasgow 2026 games due to a serious Achilles injury derailing her participation hopes. A separate directive from the White House indicated that President Trump issued an executive order mandating that the annual Army-Navy football matchup in December will take precedence over CFP games.