General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 24, 2026, 3:30 AM ET
NCAA Basketball Tournament Action
The opening weekend of espn.com the NCAA tournaments concluded with several dramatic upsets and dominant performances as the Women’s Sweet 16 fields were finalized. In the women’s bracket, Virginia authored the first major upset by ousting No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73 90 on Saturday before surviving Iowa in double overtime 83-75 10, becoming the first team to advance from the First Four into the Sweet 16 86. Meanwhile, UConn’s path was less fraught, as Azzi Fudd erupted for 34 points in a 98-45 rout of Syracuse, prompting Cuse coach Felisha Legette-Jack to blast the NCAA for the consistent UConn pairing in the Storrs subregional. On the men’s side, the field narrowed with several buzzer-beaters, including Dylan Darling’s layup sending St. John’s past Kansas 67-65 55, securing the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999 62.
The men’s Sweet 16 espn.com saw several top seeds advance, although not without trouble; No. 2 seed UConn needed Tarris Reed Jr.’s historic 31 points and 27 rebounds to narrowly escape Furman 82-71 113, while No. 1 seed Michigan relied on Yaxel Lendeborg’s 25-point effort to dispatch Saint Louis. In the women's bracket, No. 1 Texas cruised past Oregon 100-58, propelled by Madison Booker’s career-high 40 points 54, while No. 2 seed UCLA claimed an 87-68 victory over Oklahoma State thanks to Lauren Betts’ career-high 25 points 2. The field shaping up for the second weekend features six SEC teams and five ACC teams in the women's bracket, while the men’s bracket showcases six Big Ten teams among the remaining 16 contenders.
College Coaching Carousel & Administrative News
The coaching carousel continued espn.com to spin in the aftermath of tournament exits, with several Power Five programs confirming new leadership. Arizona State announced the hiring of Saint Mary's Randy Bennett as their next men's basketball head coach on Monday, while Syracuse is reportedly working to secure former star Gerry McNamara from Siena. In a less definitive development, Kansas coach Bill Self confirmed he has made no decision regarding his future following the Jayhawks' season-ending loss, contrasting with Creighton’s Greg McDermott, who announced his retirement after a 16-year tenure that included 365 victories. Elsewhere in college sports, Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke filed a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking an additional year of eligibility before the upcoming NFL draft, and South Carolina parted ways with baseball coach Paul Mainieri midway through his second season.
TGL Golf & Tennis Updates
The inaugural TGL championship playoff began with Los Angeles espn.com Golf Club edging out Jupiter Links Golf Club 6-5 in the first match on Monday. Following the narrow defeat, Jupiter Links captain Tiger Woods confirmed his return for Match 2 of the best-of-three final series, a contest that will determine if the team remains alive for the SoFi Cup. In professional tennis at the Miami Open, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka advanced comfortably into the last 16 47, dismissing Zheng Qinwen, although the tournament also saw an unusual incident involving an overhead camera during Daniil Medvedev’s match. Following her early exit, six-time major winner Iga Swiatek parted ways with her coach Wim Fissette 34.
Global Football & Rugby Developments
In international football circles bbc.com Wales midfielder David Brooks, having overcome a life-threatening illness that sidelined him for the 2022 World Cup, expressed his firm intent to be playing in the 2026 finals. Meanwhile, the Welsh rugby union scene saw the negotiation deadline for the Cardiff Rugby buyout extended by 30 days by the Welsh Rugby Union, while the national team received a boost with the return of Taulupe Faletau, Jac Morgan, and Elliot Dee for upcoming United Rugby Championship fixtures. In other rugby news, England is scheduled to host Canada in a rematch of the 2025 Women's World Cup final as part of the September WXV Global Series fixtures.
Cricket & Snooker News
The state of English bbc.com men's cricket remains under scrutiny following the recent Ashes defeat, with former captain Michael Vaughan suggesting that England head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key were fortunate to survive an internal review 8. ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould defended the decision, stating that sacking McCullum after the 4-1 loss would have been the "easy" route. Separately, in snooker, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh stunned Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-7 in the World Open final in China, achieving a rare maximum 147 break during the match.
Other Sports & Athlete Updates
NASCAR star Tyler Reddick espn.com secured his fourth victory of the season at Darlington Raceway, placing him in an elite club of previous winners at the notoriously difficult track. In track and field at the World Indoor Championships in Poland, Great Britain enjoyed a historic run, claiming three gold medals within a sensational 28-minute span 67; this included Keely Hodgkinson commanding the 800m field to set a championship record and Josh Kerr reclaiming his world indoor 3,000m title following his recovery from injury. Meanwhile, in the NBA, a four-year-old clip showing LeBron James instructing Austin Reaves went viral again, prompting the two to discuss its origins. Finally, a concerning incident occurred in boxing where 19-year-old women's junior flyweight Isis Sio was placed in a medically induced coma following a knockout during a Pro Box TV event.