General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 24, 2026, 1:30 PM ET
NCAA Tournament Action & Coaching Carousel
The NCAA Women's Tournament continued its dramatic run, highlighted by Virginia becoming the first First Four team espn.com to reach the Sweet 16 after securing an 83-75 double-overtime victory against host Iowa. UConn also advanced, with Azzi Fudd netting 34 points espn.com in a 98-45 demolition of Syracuse, a result that prompted Syracuse coach Felisha Legette-Jack to blast the NCAA committee espn.com for the frequent pairing in the Storrs subregional. Meanwhile, in the men’s bracket, St. John’s punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 when Dylan Darling hit a game-winning layup espn.com as time expired against Kansas, whose coach Bill Self confirmed he has made no decision yet on his future espn.com following the loss.
The men’s regional semifinals are set following weekend upsets and dominant performances; Purdue head coach Matt Painter collected his 500th victory espn.com at his alma mater by defeating Miami 79-69, while the Midwest Region’s top seed, Michigan, advanced behind Yaxel Lendeborg's 25-point performance espn.com. Over in the women's bracket, Texas, an improbable First Four entrant, completed its run by upsetting No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68, prompting coach Sean Miller to assert that his squad is no Cinderella despite the run espn.com, while UCLA star Lauren Betts erupted for a career-high 25 points espn.com in a 39-point second-round win over Oklahoma State. The early success of the tournament has been evident in the broadcast metrics, as the competition is off to its best ratings start espn.com since CBS and TNT began sharing coverage in 2011.
Coaching changes are rapidly shaping the future of several major programs; Arizona State moved quickly to hire Saint Mary's Randy Bennett espn.com as its next head coach, while Syracuse is reportedly closing in on hiring former star Gerry McNamara, now Siena's coach, as their new leader sources confirmed espn.com. In other moves, Charlotte has landed Wes Miller, following his recent dismissal at Cincinnati, as their new men's basketball coach sources indicated espn.com, and Creighton’s Greg McDermott announced his retirement after 16 seasons espn.com where he secured 365 wins. Meanwhile, NCAA eligibility issues remain contested, as Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against the NCAA to secure an additional year of eligibility espn.com ahead of the upcoming NFL draft.
Golf, Tennis & Motorsports Updates
In professional golf, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler elected to withdraw from the Houston Open espn.com on Tuesday, citing the impending birth of his second child as the primary reason for stepping away from the tournament. On the TGL circuit, the championship matchup featured two compelling storylines: Tiger Woods confirmed he would play in Match 2 after his Jupiter Links team lost a 6-5 nail-biter espn.com to Los Angeles Golf Club, which ultimately prevailed 6-5 to claim the SoFi Cup in the finals opener Monday night espn.com. Elsewhere in tennis, Jannik Sinner surpassed Novak Djokovic’s record bbc.com for consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 events during his run at the Miami Open, though Iga Swiatek has since parted ways with coach Wim Fissette bbc.com following her own early exit from the tournament.
Cricket & Rugby Developments
The England cricket setup faced fresh scrutiny as Jonny Bairstow criticized the regime bbc.com for needing to reintroduce "the care back in the game," a sentiment that follows reports that head coach Brendon McCullum and MD Rob Key were fortunate to survive the post-Ashes review bbc.com. Attempting to bolster his international standing, Ben Duckett has decided to withdraw from the upcoming IPL bbc.com season to focus exclusively on retaining his place in the England Test side. In rugby union, Wales has appointed former international Ashley Beck as the new attack coach for the upcoming Women's Six Nations campaign Sean Lynn's staff bbc.com, while in the English Premiership, Harlequins officially appointed Jason Gilmore as permanent head coach, bringing in former Australia coach Robbie Deans as performance director bbc.com.
Combat Sports & Individual Athletics
The combat sports world saw several key developments, including the confirmation that Briton Muhammad Mokaev will participate in a flyweight bout against Adriano Moraes on the May undercard of Rousey v Carano bbc.com. At UFC London, Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision victory that severely damaged Lerone Murphy's title aspirations bbc.com, sparking renewed debate over fighter compensation following several strong performances at the event bbc.com. In track and field, Josh Kerr achieved a remarkable comeback from injury, reclaiming his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com in a thrilling finish, just minutes before Great Britain achieved a historic haul of three gold medals in 28 minutes bbc.com at the World Indoor Championships in Poland. In alpine skiing, Mikaela Shiffrin secured a slalom victory espn.com that puts her in contention for the overall World Cup title heading into the season-ending race.
Global Sports Business & Legal Matters
Financial and organizational matters are reshaping several sports entities; a bipartisan Senate bill was introduced this week seeking to ban prediction markets espn.com from facilitating transactions that mimic traditional sports betting, signaling potential regulatory pressure. In boxing, Jai Opetaia was stripped of his IBF title after he decided to proceed with a fight against Brandon Glanton after the sanctioning was withdrawn bbc.com. Meanwhile, the Welsh Rugby Union extended the negotiation deadline by 30 days for the potential buyout of Cardiff Rugby by the Ospreys owners Y11 group bbc.com, as the professional game continues to see ownership shifts. In college sports, Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr. made history by securing a signature shoe deal espn.com with Reebok while still an active NCAA athlete, marking a first for a major U.S. brand with a male collegiate player.
Domestic League News & Player Milestones
The NFL landscape is being analyzed ahead of the draft, with projections suggesting which top prospects might land in the opening 64 picks espn.com, while the New York Jets are absorbing a combined $48 million cap hit after moving on from both Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields for 2026 espn.com. In the NBA, prospect stock evaluations are ongoing following March Madness, with analysts reviewing which 2026 prospects helped or hurt their draft positioning espn.com. In an unusual off-field incident, a professional cornhole player who is also a quadruple amputee is facing murder charges espn.com following a fatal shooting during a dispute while driving in Maryland. Finally, in a testament to longevity, the World Snooker Championship venue, the Crucible, has been guaranteed to host the event until the year 2045 bbc.com, following an agreement that includes refurbishing the venue to add up to 500 seats.