General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 23, 2026, 11:30 PM ET
College Basketball Tournaments: Sweet 16 Takes Shape
The Women's NCAA Tournament solidified its Sweet 16 field following a dramatic second round, highlighted by UConn's dominant 98-45 victory espn.com over Syracuse, where Azzi Fudd poured in 26 points in the first half during her final Gampel Pavilion appearance. In a major upset, No. 10 seed Virginia became the first First Four team to reach the Sweet 16 espn.com after edging host Iowa 83-75 in double overtime, while Minnesota punched their ticket for the first time in 21 years when Amaya Battle hit a tiebreaking jumper espn.com to seal a 65-63 win over Mississippi espn.com. Further South, TCU punched their ticket by outlasting Washington 62-59 in overtime espn.com, driven by Olivia Miles' double-double performance of 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Men's NCAA Tournament also set its Sweet 16 matchups, with Texas completing an improbable run espn.com from the First Four by upsetting Gonzaga 74-68, leading coach Sean Miller to assert that the Longhorns are not a Cinderella team espn.com despite their unlikely advancement. Purdue advanced after coach Matt Painter secured his 500th career win at his alma mater espn.com by defeating Miami 79-69, while Michigan, the Midwest Region's top seed, relied on Yaxel Lendeborg's 25-point outing to power past Saint Louis espn.com. St. John's also advanced when Dylan Darling’s buzzer-beating layup secured a 67-65 win espn.com over Kansas, sending them to the regional semifinals for the first time since 1999.
Coaching carousel news continued across college basketball, as Arizona State hired Saint Mary's Randy Bennett espn.com as their new head coach on Monday, and Syracuse is reportedly nearing a deal to bring in former star Gerry McNamara from Siena espn.com. Meanwhile, Creighton coach Greg McDermott announced his retirement at season's end espn.com, concluding a 16-year tenure where he amassed 365 victories. In other coaching movement, Charlotte has tabbed Wes Miller as its new men's basketball coach espn.com following his recent dismissal at Cincinnati, and Providence selected USF's Bryan Hodgson to lead their program espn.com.
NCAA & Player Legal/Contract News
The NCAA faces new litigation as Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke filed a lawsuit espn.com seeking an injunction to secure an additional year of eligibility, with a ruling requested before next month's NFL Draft. In professional basketball news, WNBA players voted to ratify the new Collective Bargaining Agreement espn.com, with the union confirming over 90% participation resulted in a unanimous 'yes' vote, setting the stage for a busy offseason including an expansion draft and free agency espn.com. Separately, the Jets committed a combined $48 million against their cap espn.com for Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields not to be the starting quarterback in 2026, signaling a strategic pivot for the franchise.
Tennis & Golf Updates from Miami and Beyond
At the Miami Open, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka made quick work of Zheng Qinwen bbc.com while continuing her pursuit of the 'Sunshine Double,' having previously swept past Caty McNally to reach the last 16 bbc.com. However, the tournament experienced an unusual interruption when an overhead camera caused a moment of concern bbc.com during Daniil Medvedev's match. In related player news, Iga Swiatek parted ways with coach Wim Fissette bbc.com following her early exit from the Miami event. In golf, Matt Fitzpatrick’s impressive statistical bedrock bbc.com positions him as a favorite for the upcoming Masters, coming off his third US PGA Tour title.
Global Cricket & Rugby Developments
English cricket leadership faced scrutiny following the Ashes defeat, as former captain Michael Vaughan suggested that head coach Brendon McCullum and MD Rob Key were "very lucky to survive" a post-Ashes review bbc.com. ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould defended the regime, stating that sacking McCullum would have been the "easy" decision bbc.com but affirming his belief that the current setup can move the team forward despite the 4-1 loss in Australia. In other cricket news, Rwanda's Fanny Utagushimaninde made history bbc.com by becoming the youngest woman to score a T20 international century at 15 years and 223 days old. On the rugby pitch, the Welsh Rugby Union extended the negotiation deadline bbc.com by 30 days for the sale of Cardiff Rugby to the Ospreys owners, Y11.
Motorsport, Snooker, and Combat Sports
NASCAR star Tyler Reddick entered rare company with his fourth victory of the season espn.com at Darlington, a track known as "Track Too Tough To Tame." In the snooker world, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh shocked Ronnie O'Sullivan in the World Open final by compiling a maximum 147 break en route to a 10-7 win bbc.com. The UFC returned from London with promotion fighter Paddy Pimblett targeting a return in July bbc.com during International Fight Week, while Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision win over Lerone Murphy, denting Murphy's featherweight title aspirations bbc.com. Amid high praise for performances, the debate surrounding fighter pay was brought to the forefront bbc.com following the event.
Cycling, Athletics, and Football Management
Tadej Pogacar claimed his first Milan-San Remo title after a thrilling sprint finish bbc.com against Tom Pidcock, though the women's race saw a severe incident where Debora Silvestri reported breaking five ribs in a crash bbc.com. In athletics, Great Britain achieved a historic medal haul at the World Indoor Championships in Poland, securing three gold medals within a sensational 28-minute span bbc.com, including Keely Hodgkinson winning the 800m with a championship record bbc.com, and Josh Kerr reclaiming the world indoor 3,000m title after recovering from injury bbc.com. Meanwhile, Olympic champion Sifan Hassan withdrew from the London Marathon bbc.com due to an Achilles injury sustained in a treadmill mishap.
Miscellaneous Sports News & Off-Field Issues
A bipartisan Senate bill was introduced Monday seeking to outlaw prediction markets espn.com from allowing transactions that mimic traditional sports betting, reflecting growing regulatory scrutiny. In the Premier League, Manchester City edged Arsenal to capture the Carabao Cup espn.com, while Real Madrid earned a derby victory in El Clásico. In rugby league, Tara Jones is set to make history as the first woman ever to referee a Super League match bbc.com. Finally, a bizarre situation unfolded in German handball where a trophy reported stolen was located espn.com in the team's own basement.