General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 12, 2026, 12:50 PM ET
College Basketball Turmoil
Syracuse fired Adrian Autry espn.com after three seasons without an NCAA tournament appearance, with Jim Boeheim defending the coach as "a good coach" but blaming the dismissal on poor performance by star players and lack of NIL funding. The move came hours after Arizona State parted ways with Bobby Hurley espn.com, who watched his team suffer a 91-42 blowout loss espn.com to Iowa State in the largest win in Big 12 tournament history. Meanwhile, Hofstra returned to the NCAA tournament espn.com for the first time in 25 years after defeating Monmouth 75-69 in the Coastal Athletic Association championship, while AJ Dybantsa poured in a Big 12 freshman-record 40 points espn.com to lead BYU to a 105-91 victory over Kansas State in the first round of the conference tournament.
International Sports Developments
The Big Ten sent a letter to the NCAA espn.com requesting a suspension of tampering investigations and enforcement, calling for modernized rules in college athletics. In rugby, Ireland lock James Ryan was ruled out bbc.com as head coach Andy Farrell made four changes for Saturday's Six Nations Triple Crown decider against Scotland in Dublin. Scotland faces its "most significant" team selection as head coach Gregor Townsend prepares for the Dublin trip, while Wales named an unchanged starting side bbc.com for their Six Nations finale against Italy. In tennis, Britain's Sonay Kartal retired bbc.com from her fourth-round Indian Wells match against world number three Elena Rybakina due to a back injury, calling it "one match too many."
Paralympic Highlights
Cross-country skier Jake Adicoff became the first out gay man bbc.com to win an individual Paralympic gold medal. Meanwhile, Cristian Westemaier Ribera earned Brazil's first-ever Winter Paralympics medal bbc.com with silver in the Para-cross-country skiing men's seated sprint, crediting Chat GPT for helping him prepare. In wheelchair curling, Great Britain suffered a fourth consecutive defeat bbc.com, losing 8-6 to hosts Italy, while Team Canada's Thurston delivered a remarkable curling shot espn.com threading through two guard rocks to clear two Norway stones from the house.
Golf and Racing Updates
Scottie Scheffler entered The Players Championship espn.com as the overwhelming betting favorite, seeking his third career title at Sawgrass by enormous proportions. Matt Fitzpatrick said winning at Sawgrass bbc.com "is not the same as winning a major but it's the next best thing" as he prepares for the tournament. In horse racing, Il Etait Temps powered to victory bbc.com in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, earning trainer Willie Mullins his third win of day two at the Cheltenham Festival. Harry Redknapp's Jukebox Man was confirmed bbc.com in the field for Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Lossiemouth was labeled the "Queen of Cheltenham" bbc.com after a dominant Champion Hurdle victory on day one.
NFL and Combat Sports
The Baltimore Ravens pivoted from Maxx Crosby to Trey Hendrickson espn.com, still landing a four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher after moving on from Crosby. In combat sports, Ronda Rousey announced her return bbc.com to MMA after a decade away, targeting a May 16 bout against Gina Carano with hopes to "rewrite her ending." Meanwhile, Jon Jones hinted at a potential UFC release espn.com after receiving what he called a "lowball" offer for the White House card, asking the promotion to release him if they believe "I'm done."
MLB and International Baseball
Tennessee freshman Nate Ament is expected to return espn.com for the SEC quarterfinals against Auburn after missing two games with a leg injury. In international competition, Nolan McLean's incredible rise espn.com from college quarterback to Team USA starter in the WBC was highlighted as the Mets' budding ace makes himself at home in the U.S. rotation just eight starts into his MLB career.
Soccer and Cricket Developments
England wing Tom Roebuck said bbc.com the entire setup is united in attempting to turn around a dismal run of form that has wrecked their Six Nations title ambitions. In cricket, Abrar Ahmed's signing by Sunrisers Leeds bbc.com ended Hundred India-Pakistan concerns, allaying fears that Pakistan players would be ignored by franchises affiliated with the IPL. The Afghanistan-Sri Lanka series in the UAE was postponed bbc.com until year's end due to Middle East conflict.
Miscellaneous Sports News
Travis Kelce will return for another season bbc.com with the Kansas City Chiefs, who also agreed to sign Kenneth Walker according to reports. In a shocking incident, Cruzeiro's win over Atlético-MG was overshadowed espn.com by a mass brawl resulting in 23 red cards, though this falls short of the world record. Former Michigan assistant Chris Partridge sued the university espn.com, alleging he was made a "scapegoat" during the Wolverines' 2023 sign-stealing scandal. In a heartwarming story, Colin Dorgan scored on a breakaway espn.com in double overtime to lift his Blackstone Valley hockey team, just weeks after losing three family members in a Rhode Island rink shooting.