General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 14, 2026, 11:51 PM ET
College Basketball
Defensive masterclass espn.com carried No. 13 St. John's to a 72-52 blowout of sixth-ranked UConn at Madison Square Garden, securing its second consecutive Big East tournament championship. The Red Storm's pressure forced 22 turnovers. In the Big 12 final, buzzer-beating jumper espn.com from Jaden Bradley propelled No. 2 Arizona to an 82-80 win over Iowa State, setting up a championship game where the Wildcats avenged last season's loss espn.com to Houston with a 79-74 victory, extending their winning streak to nine. Michigan advanced to the Big Ten final on a last-second three espn.com from Yaxel Lendeborg, overcoming No. 23 Wisconsin 68-65. UCLA's leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau suffered a mild right knee strain but is expected to be available espn.com for the NCAA tournament, though he previously aggravated the injury espn.com on the Big 12's experimental glass court. The women's tournament bracket revealed North Carolina and West Virginia espn.com among the top 16 seeds, while UMBC secured its first NCAA bid espn.com since the 2018 UVA upset with DJ Armstrong Jr.'s 33-point performance in the America East final. Conference realignment chaos continued as Louisiana Tech was double-booked espn.com for 2026 by both Conference USA and the Sun Belt.
Golf & PGA Tour
Sweden's Ludvig Aberg serenely extended his lead bbc.com to three shots entering Sunday's final round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, navigating the course with precision. His pursuit was shadowed by a fatal shooting near the course bbc.com that delayed fan entry on Saturday. Graeme McDowell made LIV Golf history bbc.com by hitting a hole-in-one for a second consecutive week. The tournament's upcoming weekend looks for a new leader bbc.com after Aberg's third-round surge.
Rugby Union
France retained the Six Nations championship with a ruthless 43-21 win bbc.com over Scotland in Dublin, securing a fourth Triple Crown in five years as head coach Andy Farrell praised his team's edge. Ireland's victory, which included four changes with lock James Ryan ruled out, clinched the Triple Crown bbc.com before France's result was known. Scotland's failed bid to clinch bbc.com the title ended in Dublin, with writer Tom English noting their recurring "hell and back" journey to become contenders bbc.com. Wales ended a three-year losing streak bbc.com with a bonus-point victory over Italy in Cardiff, where record-breaking flanker Alex Mann started his campaign espn.com. England's tactical kicking bbc.com was defended as one of their few functional elements amid a nightmare Six Nations bbc.com for coach Steve Borthwick, who faces France in Paris with a special light blue kit bbc.com. In the United Rugby Championship, Ulster's second-half fightback bbc.com earned a bonus-point win at Edinburgh, damaging the hosts' playoff hopes, while Connacht stayed in contention bbc.com with a five-try win over Scarlets. Georgia faced sanctions after an orchestrated doping scheme bbc.com involving six players and an official.
Boxing
Belfast's Anthony Cacace became the new WBA super-featherweight champion bbc.com via unanimous decision over James 'Jazza' Dickens in Dublin. The victory sets up a potential future bout, with contender Ryan Garner already eyeing the winner bbc.com. The broader boxing landscape includes a potential Haney-Garcia rematch espn.com and lingering questions about the Mayweather-Tyson exhibition espn.com.
Horse Racing & Cheltenham Festival
Gaelic Warrior won the Cheltenham Gold Cup bbc.com in supreme fashion, while Heart Wood triumph in the Ryanair Chase bbc.com gave trainer Henry de Bromhead a first festival winner. The festival was marked by equine fatalities bbc.com on its final day, with Envoi Allen and Saint Le Fort dying, prompting trainer Gordon Elliott to complain about the ground bbc.com and threaten future boycotts. The 2026 festival was a year of the outsider bbc.com, with the average winning starting price hitting a 10-year high. Jockeys Nico de Boinville and Declan Queally shook hands bbc.com after a racial slur accusation was resolved.
Tennis
Aryna Sabalenka advanced to an Indian Wells final bbc.com against Elena Rybakina for the third time in four months, having earlier beaten Victoria Mboko. Iga Swiatek was eliminated in the same tournament. Britain's Sonay Kartal retired injured bbc.com in the fourth round against Rybakina, calling it "one match too many."
College Sports Administration & Coaching
Oklahoma men's basketball coach Porter Moser will return for 2026-27 espn.com, AD Roger Denny confirmed. Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz, fresh off an Atlantic 10 title, agreed to a contract extension espn.com. Kansas State is set to hire Belmont's Casey Alexander as its next coach espn.com. Cincinnati fired Wes Miller espn.com after five seasons, while Pitt retained Jeff Capel espn.com for a ninth year despite a "well short" season. The NFL draft order is set, with the Raiders at No. 1 espn.com and Broncos at No. 257. Falcons GM Ian Cunningham stated Tua Tagovailoa will compete espn.com with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job.
Other Sports
Loughborough Lightning extended their unbeaten netball start bbc.com with a 68-61 win over London Pulse. In Premiership Women's Rugby, Cliodhna Moloney-Mac Donald's first-half hat-trick bbc.com fueled Exeter Chiefs' 47-14 win over Trailfinders, while England pair Ellie Kildunne and Sadia Kabeya returned as Lightning beat Quins bbc.com. Wales' Alex Mann is a record-breaking flanker bbc.com finishing a strong Six Nations. Cross-country skier Jake Adicoff became the first out gay man bbc.com to win an individual Winter Paralympics gold. Haiti's Ralf Etienne competed as his nation's first Winter Paralympian bbc.com 16 years after losing a leg in an earthquake. Paralympian Davy Zyw, the first with MND to compete, said his experience will fortify his life bbc.com. In Formula, Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari's gap to Mercedes is a power unit deficit espn.com, and he will miss the Oscars after the Chinese Grand Prix. Mercedes secured a front-row lock-out bbc.com in China but showed early vulnerability for 2026. In cycling, France's Dorian Godon won a shortened Paris-Nice stage bbc.com as Jonas Vingegaard nears overall victory. The estimated $3.3 billion bet on NCAA tournaments espn.com signals growing gambling engagement. The WNBPA expressed optimism as CBA talks chip away at concerns espn.com. The NFLPA is set to vote on new leadership espn.com after a scandal. A mass shooting survivor scored the overtime winner espn.com for his high school hockey team. Indy Car officials threw a red flag espn.com when three catering workers were on track during practice. Pakistan's