General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 25, 2026, 2:30 AM ET
NCAA Tournament & Coaching Carousel
The men's NCAA tournament reached its Sweet 16 with several dramatic finishes, including St. John's pulling off an upset espn.com over Kansas thanks to a Dylan Darling buzzer-beater, sending the Red Storm to their first regional semifinal since 1999. Elsewhere, TCU advanced in the women's bracket espn.com after an overtime victory against Washington, securing their second trip to the Sweet, while Virginia became the first First Four team to reach that stage by outlasting Iowa in double overtime espn.com. The women's field also saw Minnesota reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in 21 years after Amaya Battle hit a tiebreaking jump shot espn.com in the final second against Mississippi. Meanwhile, the coaching carousel spun swiftly, with sources indicating that Cincinnati is hiring Utah State's Jerrod Calhoun espn.com after he guided the Aggies to consecutive NCAA tournaments, and Arizona State officially hired Saint Mary's Randy Bennett espn.com to lead their program.
The aftermath of the men’s tournament brought immediate coaching changes and speculation, as North Carolina will seek a replacement for Hubert Davis espn.com following five seasons in Chapel Hill, with several names already surfacing for the shortlist. In a related major development, Creighton coach Greg McDermott announced his retirement after the season espn.com, concluding a 16-year tenure at the school where he amassed 365 victories. Furthermore, Syracuse is reportedly targeting former star Gerry McNamara espn.com from Siena as their next men's head coach, while Providence has tapped USF's Bryan Hodgson espn.com to take over their program. The high-stakes environment of college hoops was underscored by the fact that ratings for the tournament are off to their best start since 2011 espn.com, suggesting high viewership across the games contested so far.
The recent NCAA action also generated intense discussion regarding player status and institutional policy, exemplified by Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke suing the NCAA espn.com seeking an extra year of eligibility before the upcoming NFL draft. In the women’s bracket, UConn star Azzi Fudd capped her home career with a dominant 98-45 victory over Syracuse, with Fudd scoring 26 of her 34 points espn.com in the first half to send the Huskies to the Sweet. Syracuse coach Felisha Legette-Jack voiced strong disapproval of the committee, blasting the NCAA espn.com for consistently placing her team in the UConn subregional following the 53-point second-round loss. In other college news, Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr. secured a historic Reebok shoe deal espn.com, marking the first time an NCAA men’s athlete has received a signature shoe from a major U.S. brand while remaining in college.
Professional Sports Player & League Updates
The WNBA offseason remains chaotic, with the league planning to extend its season until November 21 espn.com under the new collective bargaining agreement, nearly a month later than previously standard. The NBA saw the Nuggets and Suns square off in a pivotal Western Conference battle, impacting both playoff seeding and the draft lottery standings espn.com, while speculation continues over the future for top 2026 prospects following intense March Madness evaluation. In the NFL, the Jets committed a combined $48 million investment espn.com for Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields, despite neither being projected as the starting quarterback in the 2026 season, while the Colts are banking on Daniel Jones returning to form espn.com following his Achilles injury.
In professional boxing, legislative action is as the House advanced a boxing-reform act espn.com, though questions persist regarding its ultimate effect on the sport's governance. Meanwhile, the professional fighting circuit saw controversy as women's junior flyweight boxer Isis Sio, was placed in a medically induced coma espn.com following a knockout during a Pro Box TV event. In MMA, Briton Muhammad Mokaev was added to the Rousey v Carano undercard bbc.com for a flyweight bout against Adriano Moraes in May. On the global stage, world champion Dalton Smith is set to defend his WBC light-welterweight title bbc.com against Alberto Puello in Sheffield.
Rugby, Cricket, and Global Athletics
The rugby landscape saw several key personnel decisions and contract signings across the UK and Europe. Wales flanker Alex Mann committed his future to Cardiff bbc.com by signing a "long-term" contract extension, even as the Welsh Rugby Union granted an extension for the potential buyout bbc.com of Cardiff Rugby by Ospreys owners Y11. In coaching news, Harlequins appointed Jason Gilmore as permanent head coach, bringing former Australia coach Robbie Deans on as performance director next season bbc.com, while in New Zealand, former Edinburgh coach Mike Blair reunites with Dave Rennie bbc.com as part of the All Blacks' new backroom staff. In the United Rugby Championship, the Stormers secured a vital victory over Dragons bbc.com, moving back into second place with a four-try performance.
In international cricket, players for Cricket Ireland have been given the option to opt out bbc.com of the upcoming summer series against Afghanistan amid ongoing concerns. Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Vaughan suggested that head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key were fortunate to survive the post-Ashes review bbc.com, as English men's cricket continues to be assessed. In athletics, Great Britain achieved a historic haul at the World Indoor Championships in Poland, securing three gold medals in just 28 minutes bbc.com, including a commanding 800m performance from Keely Hodgkinson, who set a championship record bbc.com en route to her first world indoor title.
Golf, Tennis, and Other Sports Developments
In professional golf, the TGL playoffs are set for the championship matchup, featuring Los Angeles Golf Club versus Jupiter Links GC for the SoFi Cup espn.com in Year 2 of the league. In tennis, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka raced into the Miami Open last 16 bbc.com by defeating Caty McNally, even as Coco Gauff continued her own run in the tournament bbc.com. Following her exit from Miami, Iga Swiatek announced she has split from coach Wim Fissette bbc.com. On the motorsports circuit, Marco Bezzecchi claimed victory in Brazil bbc.com at the Moto GP, in a race shortened to 31 laps due to extreme heat concerns. In NASCAR, Tyler Reddick secured his fourth win of the season espn.com at Darlington, joining an elite club of drivers at the challenging track.
The world of niche sports saw significant developments, including a legislative push in Washington where a bipartisan Senate bill seeks to ban sports bets on prediction markets espn.com, aiming to stop transactions that mimic traditional wagering. In Rugby League, new coach Mike Grady departs Salford RLFC after less than three months in charge bbc.com, while in the Super League, Tara Jones will become the first woman to referee bbc.com a top-tier match between Wigan and Huddersfield. Finally, in cue sports, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh stunned Ronnie O’Sullivan in the World Open final, making a maximum 147 break bbc.com during his 10-7 victory in Yushan, China.