General Sports 24 Hours

Last updated: March 22, 2026, 4:30 PM ET

NCAA Tournament Milestones & Upsets

The second round of the Men's March Madness tournament delivered major milestones and dramatic finishes as teams fought for Sweet 16 berths tracking all second-round action. Purdue punched its ticket after coach Matt Painter secured his 500th career victory at his alma mater by defeating Miami 79-69, providing a significant moment for the program analyzing how Purdue won. The improbable run continued for Texas, which became the first team in five years to advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16 by upsetting No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68, with Coach Sean Miller asserting his team is not a Cinderella despite the improbable run. Elsewhere in the men's bracket, Nebraska narrowly survived Vanderbilt's last-second heave, winning 74-72 after Tyler Tanner's half-court shot famously rimmed out at the buzzer.

The Women's NCAA Tournament also saw intense second-round competition, with eight games concluding on Sunday to narrow the field for the Elite Eight breaking down every winner's path. No. 10 seed Virginia authored the first major upset of the women's bracket by downing No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73, while South Carolina dominated Southern in their opening contest behind a 27-point, eight-rebound effort from Joyce Edwards in a 103-34 rout ranking the remaining 32 teams. In a nail-biter, USC advanced to the second round only after a crucial review nullified a Clemson buzzer-beater in regulation, allowing the Trojans to ultimately secure a 71-67 overtime victory toppling Clemson in OT.

College Coaching Carousel & Player News

Coaching changes accelerated across college basketball over the weekend, with Syracuse reportedly turning to former star Gerry McNamara, currently at Siena, as their next head coach sources confirm McNamara hiring. Simultaneously, Providence finalized its search by bringing in South Florida's Bryan Hodgson to lead their men's basketball program Providence hires USF's Hodgson. In non-tournament news, South Carolina fired baseball coach Paul Mainieri midway through his second season, unable to replicate the success he achieved during his tenure at LSU Mainieri out after two seasons. Meanwhile, Kentucky forward Quaintance is reportedly using the hobby of reading manga comics as a method to pass the time while he focuses on healing from his current injury Kentucky forward uses manga for recovery.

International Athletics & Snooker Glory

Great Britain achieved a historic performance at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Poland, collecting three gold medals within a sensational 28-minute span to secure the team's best-ever medal haul GB makes history at World Indoors. That success was anchored by Keely Hodgkinson, who claimed the 800m title in commanding fashion, setting a new championship record en route to her first world indoor crown Hodgkinson wins 800m gold. The success extended to Ireland's Kate O'Connor, who earned a bronze medal in the grueling indoor pentathlon event O'Connor secures pentathlon bronze. In professional snooker, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh delivered a stunning performance in the World Open final in Yushan, China, defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-7 after compiling a maximum 147 break during the contest Un-Nooh clears with 147.

Rugby Union & Football Updates

The United Rugby Championship saw mixed results for Welsh clubs while South African franchises maintained strong form tough weekend for Welsh sides. The Stormers edged out the Dragons in Cape Town with a four-try performance, pulling them back into second place in the standings Stormers overcome Dragons. On the international front, Wales received a boost with the return of key players Taulupe Faletau, Jac Morgan, and Elliot Dee, as forward Ryan Woodman expressed eagerness to earn his first Wales cap following his call-up for the Six Nations Woodman aims for Wales cap. Separately, in the English football leagues, Frank Lampard voiced his hope that supporters would cease booing midfielder Matt Grimes when his current side faces Swansea City, following Grimes’ "very classy" decision not to celebrate scoring against his former club Lampard hopes fans end abuse.

UFC & Golf Competitiveness

The UFC London card reignited the contentious debate surrounding fighter compensation following several high-profile, career-defining performances fighter pay debate laid bare. Mason Jones earned the Fight of the Night bonus after securing a crucial victory, marking redemption in the same arena where he suffered his last professional defeat nearly four years prior Jones targets top 15 after London win. In the featherweight division, Movsar Evloev edged out Lerone Murphy via majority decision, thereby halting Murphy's pursuit of a top-15 ranking Evloev crushes Murphy's title hopes. Paddy Pimblett indicated he is targeting a return to the Octagon in July during the UFC's international fight week schedule Pimblett wants July UFC return. In women's golf, Australia's Hannah Green claimed her third consecutive tournament victory by winning the Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast Green lifts third win in a row.

NFL Cap Management & Super League Action

The New York Jets are making significant budgetary adjustments, utilizing approximately 16% of their salary cap space after moving on from both Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields for the 2026 season Jets spending $48M off cap. Meanwhile, in Super League Rugby, Hull FC secured a thrilling victory over the Leeds Rhinos in the Yorkshire derby, claiming their second win of the ongoing season Hull FC edge out Leeds in thriller.