General Sports 24 Hours

Last updated: March 29, 2026, 2:30 AM ET

NCAA Tournament Shocker & College Hoops

The Men's NCAA Tournament saw Illinois book a Final Four spot for the first time in 21 years after Keaton Wagler delivered 25 points in their victory over Iowa, punching their ticket to Indianapolis alongside Arizona, which defeated Purdue in their Elite Eight clash. On the women's side, all four No. 1 seeds survived the regional finals, with South Carolina maintaining its dominant run but acknowledging they still have plenty of room to grow, while No. 2 Michigan advanced to the Elite Eight after Olivia Olson contributed 19 points in their 71-52 win over Louisville advancing to face rivals. Coach Geno Auriemma of UConn revealed he has questions regarding the NCAA's tournament setup as his team prepares to meet Notre Dame in the Elite Eight, with ND asserting they are vastly improved since an earlier season blowout loss to the Huskies not anticipating being starstruck. Meanwhile, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo dismissed any speculation about stepping down following the Spartans' Sweet 16 exit, emphatically stating he has no plans for retirement scoffing at the very notion, while the unlikely Iowa coaching duo of Ben McCollum and Bennett Stirtz earned their deepest tournament run yet after years of success guiding their team to the Elite Eight.

Mixed Martial Arts & Boxing Updates

UFC Fight Night delivered a massive upset as Joe Pyfer delivered a decisive second-round stoppage over former two-time champion Israel Adesanya via ground-and-pound in the main event. In a bizarre in-cage administrative error, Bellator heavyweight Tyrell Fortune was momentarily declared the loser of his bout before officials realized a scorecard flub, forcing cage announcer Bruce Buffer to call the fighters back to the Octagon to correct the announcement naming Marcin Tybura the winner. Fortune, who had previously survived a life-threatening weight cut, expressed relief at the reprieve, stating he was "living to fight another day after they pronounced me dead" reflecting on his severe cut. Separately, Floyd Mayweather tempered expectations for his upcoming bout with Manny Pacquiao, clarifying that the fight, for which a location remains unset, will proceed strictly as an exhibition contest pumping the brakes on a true rematch.

International Rugby & Football

United Rugby Championship action saw the Lions overpower the Dragons with four tries in Johannesburg, though the Welsh side secured a bonus point in defeat, while Munster suffered a narrow 34-31 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria in a thrilling URC encounter. In the European Premiership, league leaders Northampton Saints edged out Saracens thanks to a late try from Archie McParland securing a dramatic late win, while Harlequins finally ended a six-game losing streak by defeating Bristol 18-14 spoiling Bristol's return match, although Quins' own PWR top-four hopes were simultaneously dashed by a narrow defeat to Bristol Bears ending their playoff aspirations. Elsewhere in the URC, Edinburgh’s play-off chances were severely diminished following a 33-14 loss to the Stormers all but ending their hopes, while Ulster managed to return to winning ways with a hard-fought 28-12 victory over bottom-placed Zebre in the URC clash. Super League saw a major upset as bottom side Huddersfield Giants shocked the competition by defeating previously undefeated Wigan Warriors 34-16 ending Wigan's perfect start.

Figure Skating & Athletics Achievements

Figure skater Ilia Malinin rebounded spectacularly from a disappointing showing at the Winter Olympics by claiming the world championship title in Prague, confirming his status as the best in the discipline leaving the Olympics behind him. Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto concluded her illustrious career in perfect fashion, securing her fourth world gold medal in her final competition saying goodbye with a world title. In ice dance at the World Championships, Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson finished just off the podium in fourth place after receiving a two-point penalty missing out on a medal finish. On the track, Great Britain's Josh Kerr announced his next major target is the world mile record, which he aims to "bring home" at the London Diamond League meeting in July setting a clear career goal, while Georgia Hunter Bell faced defeat in her first 1500m race since becoming the world indoor champion being beaten in Melbourne. Cyclist Tom Pidcock was forced to withdraw from the Volta a Catalunya after sustaining a severe injury suffering a horror fall down a ravine.

Cricket & Other Sports Notes

In the Indian Premier League, Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their title defense with an impressive victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, propelled by an unbeaten 69 from star batsman Virat Kohli cruising to an opening win, while legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is set to join Major League Cricket, signing with the San Francisco Unicorns for the upcoming season becoming the league's newest star. In the NBA, the James father-son duo made history when LeBron James connected with Bronny for a successful three-pointer assisted by his father etching their names in history. Wales captain Kate Williams expressed optimism about the future of the national side following the introduction of several new players ahead of the 2026 Women's Six Nations tournament feeling excited by the new chapter. Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen and the sport's rule-makers face several points of contention following qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix having much to ponder. Meanwhile, Kirsty Muir secured historic status by winning both the slopestyle and overall World Cup titles in women's skiing, becoming the first British woman to achieve the dual feat winning multiple World Cup titles.