General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×College Basketball
No. 5 Vanderbilt suffered a crushing 89-78 defeat to Ole Miss in the SEC quarterfinals, effectively ending their slim hopes for a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed. The loss was compounded when head coach Shea Ralph was ejected for arguing with officials during the game.
NBA & College Sports Politics
President Trump announced plans to sign an "all-encompassing" executive order addressing college sports within a week. The order aims to "solve all of the problems" discussed during an unprecedented White House meeting with college sports leaders about the evolving landscape of name, image, and likeness rights.
High School Basketball
Iowa high school sophomore Ava Smid delivered a clutch performance, scoring six points in the final 14 seconds with the running clock to secure a state championship berth for Dallas Center-Grimes. Her heroics prevented elimination and sent her team to the title game.
NHL
Trade deadline analysis reveals winners and losers from the final week of NHL transactions. The deadline saw several late surprises that have teams either feeling optimistic about their playoff pushes or questioning their management decisions.
Rugby Union
Ireland kept their Six Nations title hopes alive with a bonus-point victory over spirited Wales in Dublin. The 27-17 win was highlighted by Wales prop Rhys Carre's sensational solo try, described as a moment where he was told to "rumble big man, rumble despite a 37-17 victory over Italy in Treviso. Meanwhile, Wales captain Dewi Lake remains optimistic, saying "the Wales win is coming" after an encouraging display in their defeat to Ireland.
Mixed Martial Arts & Boxing
Former 100m world champion Fred Kerley received a two-year ban for an anti-doping whereabouts violation. In boxing news, a mega-bout between Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani has been set for May 2 at Tokyo Dome, where Inoue will defend his undisputed junior featherweight title.
Francis Ngannou is a free agent after the PFL severed ties with the combat sports star who has competed in both MMA and UFC. In a separate development, Tom Aspinall signed with Eddie Hearn after seeing Conor Benn secure a reported £11m one-fight deal, aiming to maximize his earnings outside the UFC.
Women's Sports
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery in Miami early Thursday morning after allegedly punching a man in the face. In women's boxing, MVP launched a new women's boxing league with Alycia Baumgardner defending her world titles against Bo Mi Re Shin on April 17.
Winter Sports & Paralympics
Iran will not compete at the Winter Paralympics as the nation's sole athlete scheduled to compete "cannot travel safely to Italy." The Games opened in Milan-Cortina with 12 gold medals decided on Saturday, while Great Britain's wheelchair curlers held their nerve to beat the USA in mixed doubles competition.
Cricket
Australia edged India on day one of Alyssa Healy's final Test match in Perth, though the captain made just 13 in her first innings before retirement. In England, head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key look likely to retain ECB support despite a disappointing winter.
Tennis
Hungary's Panna Udvardy revealed she received "disturbing" messages including a photo of a gun, warning her family would be harmed unless she lost a tennis match. Meanwhile, Jack Draper said he no longer has "any fear" around his arm injury as he prepares to defend his Indian Wells title.
NFL & College Football
Sources indicate the Raiders are set to release veteran quarterback Geno Smith before the new league year begins, barring a trade. With NFL free agency approaching March 11, analysts are projecting contracts and landing spots for 20 notable free agents.
NCAA Basketball
Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, nicknamed "Baby Jokic," continues his pursuit of greatness as he leads teams to championships throughout his basketball career. Can he deliver another title for Duke in his debut season?
Other Sports
Warrington Wolves maintained their 100% start to the Super League season by holding off a spirited York Knights side in a high-scoring encounter. In netball, Loughborough Lightning secured a solid team performance to defeat Leeds Rhinos in round two of the Super League season.
England moved their women's training camp from the UAE to South Africa, with eight uncapped players set to travel. Meanwhile, England's Ellie Kildunne and Sadia Kabeya remain stuck in Dubai after taking a short break during the Premiership Women's Rugby's reserve week.