General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 12, 2026, 1:47 PM ET
College Basketball
Syracuse fired Adrian Autry espn.com after three seasons without an NCAA tournament appearance, despite Jim Boeheim defending him as "a good coach" and attributing the decision to poor performance by star players and insufficient NIL funding. The move came hours after Arizona State parted ways with Bobby Hurley espn.com following an 11-season tenure, with the Sun Devils suffering a historic 91-42 blowout loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament. The Big Ten urged the NCAA to pause tampering investigations espn.com, citing the need to modernize rules amid ongoing concerns about athlete compensation and transfer portal activity.
College Hockey & Football
Colin Dorgan, the high school hockey player who lost three family members in a Rhode Island rink shooting last month, scored the game-winning goal espn.com on a breakaway in double overtime to lift his Blackstone Valley team. Meanwhile, Utah Valley settled its $1 million WAC exit fee dispute espn.com, clearing the way for the Wolverines to participate in both men's and women's basketball tournaments after a contentious legal battle threatened their postseason eligibility.
International Football
Ireland ruled out lock James Ryan bbc.com for Saturday's Six Nations Triple Crown decider against Scotland, with head coach Andy Farrell making four changes to the starting lineup. Scotland's Gregor Townsend faces his "most significant" team selection before the Dublin clash, while France named uncapped flanker Temo Matiu bbc.com in their starting side for the Six Nations finale against England in Paris. Wales kept an unchanged starting side bbc.com for their Six Nations finale against Italy, with Aaron Wainwright set to play despite an early exit against Ireland.
Horse Racing
Henry de Bromhead celebrated his first Cheltenham Festival winner bbc.com of 2026 as Heart Wood triumphed in the Ryanair Chase on day three. Harry Redknapp's Jukebox Man was confirmed for Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup bbc.com, joining 10 other horses in the field. Il Etait Temps powered to victory bbc.com in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, earning Willie Mullins his third win of day two at the festival. Lossiemouth was dubbed the "Queen of Cheltenham" bbc.com after a dominant Champion Hurdle victory on day one.
Paralympic Winter Games
Jake Adicoff became the first out gay man bbc.com to win an individual Paralympic gold medal in cross-country skiing. Hester Poole vowed redemption bbc.com after crashing out of the giant slalom on her Winter Paralympic debut, setting her sights on Saturday's slalom. Brazil's Cristian Westemaier Ribera won the nation's first Winter Paralympic medal bbc.com, finishing second in the Para-cross-country skiing men's seated sprint and crediting Chat GPT for helping him prepare. German cross-country skiers protested Russia's inclusion bbc.com by turning their backs on gold medallists during the podium ceremony.
Boxing & MMA
Ryan Garner targeted the winner bbc.com of Saturday night's world title clash between James Dickens and Anthony Cacace in the super featherweight division. Ronda Rousey announced plans to return bbc.com to MMA for a bout against Gina Carano on May 16, aiming to "rewrite her ending" after a decade away from the sport. Harry Hardwick reflected on his MMA career bbc.com, calling the pursuit of fighting a "stupid" but fortunate choice among those whose dreams typically fail.
Rugby Union
Tom McAllister made his Ulster debut bbc.com in Friday's rescheduled United Rugby Championship trip to Edinburgh, while Wales Under-20s released Carwyn Leggatt-Jones bbc.com to play for Scarlets against Connacht. Huddersfield Giants warned of an unprecedented injury crisis bbc.com ahead of their Challenge Cup tie against Hull KR, with the club struggling to field a competitive side amid multiple long-term absences.
Tennis
Britain's Sonay Kartal retired from her Indian Wells fourth-round match bbc.com against world No. 3 Elena Rybakina due to a back injury, calling it "one match too many" after a deep run in the tournament. The NCAA announced plans to monitor officials espn.com for betting activity using Prohi Bet technology during basketball, baseball, and softball tournaments, expanding oversight following concerns about integrity in college sports.
Golf
Scottie Scheffler remained the overwhelming betting favorite at The Players Championship, though this time by "enormous proportions" as he attempts a third career title at Sawgrass. Matt Fitzpatrick said winning at The Players would be "up there" with his achievements, noting it's "not the same as winning a major but it's the next best thing." Gary Woodland opened up about his PTSD diagnosis espn.com following 2023 brain surgery, telling Golf Channel he "can't waste energy" trying to meet others' expectations while battling mental health challenges.
Motorsport
Lewis Hamilton explored every option espn.com to attend Sunday's Oscars ceremony after the Chinese Grand Prix but ultimately determined it was impossible to arrive on time despite "F1" nominations creating scheduling conflicts. The first race since major rule changes prompted BBC Sport's Andrew Benson to answer fan questions about the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, addressing changes in strategy and competition dynamics.
Cricket
The Hundred's first professional sporting auction in the UK saw 89 players selected in an "emotionally draining" process streamed nationwide. Abrar Ahmed's signing by Sunrisers Leeds ended concerns bbc.com about Pakistan players being overlooked by IPL-affiliated franchises. Hundred coaches with IPL investments denied being directed away from Pakistan players bbc.com ahead of Thursday's men's auction, pushing back against speculation about potential boycotts.
Winter Sports
Kirsty Muir said her frustration from two fourth-place Olympic finishes provides "big motivation" as she insists she has "a lot more to give" in her freestyle skiing career. Sammi Kinghorn revealed her pregnancy bbc.com, meaning she will miss the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games as she prepares for motherhood. Veronika and Johannes Aigner, dubbed the "Von Trapp" family, continue dominating Paralympic skiing bbc.com, winning medals while entertaining the athletes' village with their performances.
Other Sports
Travis Kelce will return for another season bbc.com with the Kansas City Chiefs, who also agreed to sign Kenneth Walker according to reports. Jon Jones hinted at a possible 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." The NFL's pivot from Maxx Crosby to Trey Hendrickson answered four big questions espn.com about Baltimore's pass-rushing strategy, landing a four-time Pro Bowl player after Crosby's departure.
Disciplinary & Legal
Joey Barton was ordered to pay Eniola Aluko more than £300,000 over two 2024 posts, concluding a libel case that had lingered since the former England player's criticism of the Chelsea forward. A fixer in a sprawling NCAA point-shaving scheme pleaded guilty espn.com, becoming the first to admit involvement in a betting operation targeting rigged college basketball games for profit. Cardiff City condemned "repugnant" behavior bbc.com and called on supporters to help identify a fan accused of making a racist gesture during a match against Lincoln City.