General Sports 3d Briefing
×College Basketball
Duke espn.com dominated NC State 79-56 to clinch the outright ACC regular-season title, with star freshman Cameron Boozer leading the charge. Arizona espn.com secured the Big 12 regular-season crown with a 73-57 victory over No. 6 Iowa State, finishing with a perfect 18-0 conference record. UConn espn.com completed its 11th undefeated regular season, positioning itself nine wins from repeating as national champion. Duke espn.com claimed the No. 1 spot in the AP men's poll for a record 149th time, while UConn espn.com remained unanimous No. 1 in the women's AP Top.
Women's Basketball
North Carolina espn.com denied Duke an outright ACC women's title with a 74-69 victory, as Elina Aarnisalo scored a career-high 22 points. Texas espn.com joined UConn, UCLA and South Carolina as No. 1 seeds in the latest women's NCAA tournament projections. South Carolina espn.com coach Dawn Staley announced the school is working to help former players return home from Israel amid the ongoing conflict.
Football
Colorado espn.com mourned quarterback Dominiq Ponder after the 23-year-old died in a single-car crash. The Buffaloes held practice while grieving their teammate. Penn State espn.com and other Big Ten programs are preparing for spring football with key storylines emerging around new coaches and transfers. Alabama espn.com and SEC teams are also gearing up for spring practices with quarterback competitions and position battles taking center stage.
International Sports
South Africa bbc.com advanced to the T20 World Cup semifinals as the only unbeaten team remaining, setting up a clash with New Zealand. England bbc.com captain Nat Sciver-Brunt hopes her team can create their own "Euros moment" at the home T20 World Cup this summer. India bbc.com defeated West Indies by five wickets to book a semifinal against England, with Sanju Samson's unbeaten 97 leading the way.
Rugby Union
England bbc.com is preparing for their Six Nations clash against Italy with a new-look team featuring Sebastian Atkinson and Fin Smith in the fly-half positions. Wales bbc.com wing Ellis Mee is in line for a recall against Ireland, while Scotland bbc.com faces unbeaten France looking to keep their title hopes alive. Ireland bbc.com forwards coach Paul O'Connell insists the team won't be distracted by narratives about Wales being rank outsiders.
NASCAR & Motorsports
Tyler Reddick espn.com made NASCAR history by becoming the first driver to win the first three races of a Cup Series season with his victory at Circuit of the Americas. Marco Bezzecchi bbc.com won the Moto GP season opener in Thailand as defending champion Marc Marquez retired late in the race. Brigid Kosgei bbc.com set a new Tokyo Marathon course record of 2:14:29 with a dominant victory.
Golf
Nico Echavarria espn.com claimed his first PGA Tour victory at PGA National, shooting a 5-under 66 to finish at 17-under 267 and overcome Shane Lowry's collapse. Casey Jarvis espn.com won the South African Open, earning spots in the Masters and Open Championship. Hannah Green bbc.com captured the LPGA Women's World Championship in Singapore with her husband serving as her caddie.
Tennis & Olympics
Hunter Armstrong espn.com, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, plans to swim in the PED-friendly Enhanced Games while still pursuing his 2028 Olympic dreams. The ATP Challenger event in the UAE was cancelled after a drone attack caused a nearby oil terminal fire, forcing players and officials to flee the court. Several athletes, including Daniil Medvedev espn.com, reported travel disruptions amid the Middle East conflict.
Miscellaneous Sports
Hilary Knight espn.com appeared on "Saturday Night Live" alongside U.S. women's hockey teammates and the Hughes brothers, joking about the expanded cast. Matthew Brennan bbc.com became the first British rider since Mark Cavendish to win the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne one-day race in Belgium. Barry Hawkins bbc.com claimed his first Welsh Open title with a 9-5 victory over Jack Lisowski.
Hall of Fame & Awards
The USGA announced that the U.S. Amateur winner will now receive the Tiger Woods Medal espn.com, while the U.S. Junior Amateur champion will get the Tiger Woods Trophy. Former fast bowler John Blain bbc.com was reinstated to the Cricket Scotland Hall of Fame following his 2022 suspension. Lando Norris bbc.com, Luke Littler and the England women's football team were nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards.
College Sports Administration
Iowa State espn.com announced it will discontinue its women's gymnastics program, with the athletic director citing "a pattern of issues within the program." Miami (Ohio) espn.com AD David Sayler challenged Bruce Pearl over what he called "disrespect" after the former Auburn coach said the Red Hawks don't deserve an NCAA tournament bid. BYU espn.com secured its third consecutive five-star recruit with Bruce Branch III's commitment to coach Kevin Young's program.