General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 14, 2026, 4:57 AM ET
College Basketball
UCLA overcame Bilodeau's injury espn.com to defeat No. 8 Michigan State 88-84 in the Big Ten tournament, with the Bruins' star guard sidelined by a right leg injury that will likely keep him out at least one game. Meanwhile, Arizona advanced espn.com to the Big 12 tournament final after Jaden Bradley's buzzer-beating fallaway jumper secured an 82-80 victory over Iowa State. In coaching moves, Cincinnati fired Wes Miller espn.com after five seasons, while Kansas State is set to hire Belmont's Casey Alexander espn.com, who has been a consistent 20-game winner with the Bruins. Pittsburgh will retain Jeff Capel espn.com for a ninth season despite falling "well short" of expectations this campaign.
International Sports
The Six Nations Championship builds toward decisive weekend bbc.com as Scotland, having endured "hell and back" under Sione Tuipulotu's leadership, prepares to face Ireland in Dublin with a rare Triple Crown on the line. Ireland made four changes bbc.com for the clash, ruling out lock James Ryan, while France will wear special edition pale blue shirts bbc.com against England to mark 120 years of rivalry. In rugby league, Wakefield staged a comeback bbc.com to beat Leeds 24-14 in the Challenge Cup, while Ulster's second-half surge bbc.com earned a bonus-point victory over Edinburgh that damaged the hosts' URC playoff hopes. In cricket, Afghanistan's series with Sri Lanka was postponed bbc.com until year's end due to Middle East conflict.
Motorsport & Winter Sports
At the Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina, cross-country skier Jake Adicoff bbc.com became the first out gay man to win individual Paralympic gold, while Britain's Hester Poole bbc.com crashed out of the giant slalom on her debut but vowed to compete in Saturday's slalom. The Austrian "Von Trapp" siblings, Veronika and Johannes Aigner bbc.com, continued their dominant skiing performances. In Formula, Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth espn.com for Saturday's Chinese Grand Prix sprint after noting Ferrari's power unit deficit to Mercedes, while the seven-time champion decided against attending the Oscars espn.com despite "F1" nominations, citing timing conflicts with the Shanghai race.
Horse Racing
Cheltenham Festival marked a year of outsiders bbc.com as the average starting price of 28 winners hit a 10-year high, creating a difficult year for punters. The meeting saw two more horse fatalities bbc.com on the final day as Envoi Allen and Saint Le Fort both died. Gaelic Warrior won the Gold Cup bbc.com in supreme fashion, while Heart Wood triumphed in the Ryanair Chase bbc.com to give trainer Henry de Bromhead his first winner of the festival. Harry Redknapp's Jukebox Man finished eighth in the Gold Cup bbc.com after being confirmed in the 10-horse field, with Redknapp calling it a "dream come true" to have his horse compete in the prestigious race.
Women's Sports
The WNBA and players' association continued CBA negotiations espn.com on Day, with WNBPA chief Terri Carmichael Jackson expressing optimism that continued conversations have helped "chip away at what the concerns are for both sides." In college basketball, ESPN released its final women's freshman impact rankings espn.com, with Jazzy Davidson and Aaliyah Chavez maintaining their hold on the top two spots. The WNBA draft approaches espn.com with ESPN's Cheat Sheet highlighting potential sleepers, busts, and rookies to watch.
Combat Sports
The UFC announced a middleweight title fight bbc.com with Sean Strickland challenging Khamzat Chimaev in May. In boxing, Ryan Garner eyes the winner bbc.com of Saturday's world title clash between James Dickens and Anthony Cacace. The boxing world also pondered future matchups espn.com including potential Haney vs. Garcia 2 and whether Mayweather vs. Tyson will still happen.
Golf & Tennis
The PGA Tour contemplates major changes espn.com under new CEO Brian Rolaff, who outlined possibilities including relegation, revamped schedules, and match play in playoffs. At The Players Championship, Scottie Scheffler remains the overwhelming favorite espn.com to capture his third career title at TPC Sawgrass. In tennis, Aryna Sabalenka defeated "future champion" Victoria Mboko bbc.com at Indian Wells, while Britain's Sonay Kartal retired bbc.com from her fourth-round match against world No. 3 Elena Rybakina due to a back injury, calling it "one match too many."
NFL & American Football
The 2026 NFL draft order was finalized espn.com, with the Raiders selecting first and the Broncos picking last at No. 257 across all seven rounds. The NFLPA prepares for a leadership vote espn.com to select a successor to disgraced former leader Lloyd Howell. In college football, Louisiana Tech found itself on both C-USA and Sun Belt schedules espn.com for 2026 amid a standoff over the Bulldogs' league switch.
NASCAR & Other Motorsports
As the NASCAR season progresses, questions arise about empathy among drivers espn.com in a "selfish, results-based business" where competitors are "all out for themselves" once the green flag waves. In LIV Golf, Graeme McDowell made history bbc.com by becoming the first player to hit a second hole-in-one on the tour in consecutive weeks.
Miscellaneous Sports
The first professional sporting auction in the UK bbc.com saw 89 players picked in The Hundred's men's auction, with concerns about Pakistan players being overlooked allayed by the signing of Abrar Ahmed bbc.com. In Paralympic protest, German cross-country skiers turned their backs bbc.com on Russian gold medallists on the podium in opposition to Russia's inclusion at the Games. The estimated $3.3 billion expected to be bet espn.com on NCAA tournaments represents a slight year-over-year increase, according to gaming association estimates.
Regulatory & Governance
The Big Ten sent a letter to the NCAA espn.com requesting a pause on tampering investigations and enforcement, urging modernization of rules. In a separate development, six Georgia rugby players and a team official bbc.com were sanctioned for anti-doping violations as part of "an orchestrated scheme."