General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 15, 2026, 11:30 PM ET
College Basketball Tournaments & Seeding
The focus shifted entirely to Selection Sunday following a flurry of conference tournament championship games, with the men's NCAA bracket officially revealed after Duke secured espn.com the ACC title by defeating Virginia 77-69, marking their second consecutive conference crown under Coach Jon Scheyer. Top seeds for the men's field were announced as Duke, Arizona, Michigan, and Florida espn.com, while Miami (Ohio) earned a coveted at-large selection after a strong season, even as the MAC commissioner projected only two bids despite Miami (OH) falling in the quarterfinals to UMass espn.com. In the Big Ten, Purdue tripped No. 3 Michigan 78-71 espn.com to claim their first tournament title since 2023, powered by Oscar Cluff's 21 points, while Michigan advanced earlier by edging Wisconsin on a dramatic last-second three-pointer from Yaxel Lendeborg to win 68-65 espn.com. Meanwhile, No. 17 Arkansas captured its first SEC tournament crown since 2000, with Darius Acuff Jr. netting 30 points in their victory over No. 22 Vanderbilt securing an automatic berth espn.com.
The path to the Final Four is now being intensely scrutinized by bettors, with analysts already identifying potential upsets, such as a 12-over-5 longshot pick espn.com, even as the top seeds receive attention; the general consensus among bettors is to make initial championship picks now fantasy.espn.com. For the women's tournament, the field of 68 was also set, featuring No. 1 seed UConn aiming for a repeat in 2026 espn.com, and North Carolina & West Virginia earning top-16 national seeds requiring them to host regional tournaments after the announcement Saturday espn.com. Questions surrounding the men's bracket intrigue remain, especially concerning bubble teams like the Red Hawks and Tigers, and the committee faces numerous decisions ahead of Selection Sunday covering 12 key areas espn.com, while injury news provided a small boost for Texas Tech, as star guard Christian Anderson will be available for the NCAA tournament espn.com following a scare in the Big 12 tournament.
Coaching carousel news also emerged, as Cincinnati fired head coach Wes Miller after five seasons espn.com, while Jeff Capel was confirmed to return for a ninth season at Pitt despite a campaign that fell short of expectations according to AD Allen Greene espn.com. Conversely, Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz, who guided the Billikens to the A-10 regular-season title, agreed to a new contract extension espn.com, and sources indicate that Casey Alexander, a consistent winner at Belmont, is expected to take the helm at Kansas State replacing the outgoing coach espn.com. On the court, No. 13 St. John's defended their Big East title with a dominant 72-52 rout of No. 6 UConn behind tenacious defense espn.com, and in the Big, Arizona avenged last season's loss by defeating Houston 79-74 for the championship riding a nine-game winning streak espn.com, while No. 2 seed Cal Baptist clinched the WAC title 63-61 after Utah Valley's Isaac Davis missed a potential tying dunk espn.com.
Professional Golf & Motorsports
The Players Championship concluded with drama at TPC Sawgrass, where Cameron Young capitalized on a mistake by Matt Fitzpatrick to claim the title after sinking a clutch 9½-foot birdie putt on 17 espn.com. Fitzpatrick missed an 8-foot par putt on the final hole, handing Young the victory, following a weekend that saw Ludvig Aberg hold a narrow three-shot lead heading into the final round after plotting his way around the course bbc.com. The event was marred by security issues on Saturday morning, as a fatal shooting near the course bbc.com caused delays for spectators attempting to enter the grounds for the third day of competition. Meanwhile, LIV Golf's Graeme McDowell made history by recording his second hole-in-one in as many weeks bbc.com.
In Formula, Kimi Antonelli secured his first Grand Prix victory, leading a Mercedes one-two finish ahead of George Russell in the Chinese Grand Prix, despite qualifying concerns where Lewis Hamilton noted Ferrari was losing "a lot of time" to Mercedes primarily due to power unit deficits espn.com. Hamilton, who qualified fourth for the sprint race, was rated by commentators as having regained his "mojo" following the race according to driver ratingsBBC Sport:19, even as the new F1 rules sparked debate among drivers regarding whether they produced "the best racing ever" or were simply a "joke" regarding battery concernsBBC Sport:24. Elsewhere in motorsports, Indy Car officials were forced to throw a red flag during practice espn.com when three track workers were spotted on the hot track as the cars were exiting the pits, and Rally Kenya saw championship leader Elfyn Evans forced to retire due to suspension damageBBC Sport:60.
International Rugby & Soccer
The Six Nations concluded bbc.com with France seizing the championship after a last-gasp victory over England in Paris, a result which simultaneously ripped the title away from Ireland despite their decisive 43-21 win over Scotland earlier in the day securing the Triple CrownBBC Sport:56. Ireland's performance against Scotland was deemed "ruthless" by coach Andy Farrell, who noted the edge his side displayed to claim the Triple Crown for the fourth time in five years following a pulsating matchBBC Sport:52, though the loss meant Scotland missed out on the Triple Crown entirely, leaving Jones stating the "wind was taken out of Scottish sails" after the Dublin defeatBBC Sport:47. England's campaign ended in disappointment, with coach Steve Borthwick facing scrutiny after the loss, which followed a superb showing against France that ultimately underscored the dismal overall tournament for the side as examined by BBC Sport's metricsBBC Sport:105. Furthermore, France's U-20 squad achieved a significant milestone, sealing their first Six Nations Grand Slam since 2014 with a victory over EnglandBBC Sport:14.
In club rugby, Leicester Tigers dominated the Prem Rugby Cup bbc.com final, scoring 10 tries in a record-setting 66-14 victory over the Exeter Chiefs to clinch the trophyBBC Sport:17, while in the URC, Connacht secured a vital five-try performance against Scarlets to move closer to the play-off spotsBBC Sport:79, and Ulster delivered a superb second-half comeback with a bonus-point win at Edinburgh damaging the hosts' top-eight ambitionsBBC Sport:76. On the administrative side, six Georgian rugby players and an official received sanctions for anti-doping rule violations stemming from an "orchestrated scheme" according to disciplinary reportsBBC Sport:94.
Other Sports & Athlete Updates
In women's rugby, Loughborough Lightning bbc.com defeated Harlequins 43-33, featuring the return of England internationals Ellie Kildunne and Sadia Kabeya to their respective squadsBBC Sport:77, while Gloucester-Hartpury reclaimed the top spot in the Premiership Women's Rugby table after Alex Matthews scored a hat-trick in a bonus-point win over Saracens the defending championsBBC Sport:20. On the ice, the United States completed a historic three-peat at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics by defeating Canada again in the hockey final securing Para goldESPN General:15. Elsewhere, Loughborough's Davy Zyw, the first athlete with MND to compete at the Winter Paralympics, stated the joy from the Games will "fortify" the remainder of his life following his Milan-Cortina experienceBBC Sport:65, although calls for moving the Games' calendar date are growing after observing more sunshine than expected snow during the eventBBC Sport:32.
In boxing, Anthony Cacace claimed his second world title by bbc.com securing a unanimous decision victory over James Dickens to capture the WBA super-featherweight championship at Dublin's 3 ArenaBBC Sport:43, while ongoing speculation persists regarding potential high-profile matchups, including a rematch between Haney and GarciaESPN General:100. In cycling, Jonas Vingegaard secured his first Paris-Nice title after finishing second in the final stage, which was won by Dorian Godon following a shortened penultimate stageBBC Sport:62. NBA news saw LeBron James praising Luka Doncic following an overtime winner for the Lakers, calling his teammate a 'generational' talent after the crucial shot fellBBC Sport:31, while Kawhi Leonard matched a 51-year-old Clippers franchise record by scoring over 20 points for the 44th consecutive game in a victory for Los AngelesBBC Sport:63. Finally, Tennessee Tech coach Porter Moser is slated to return for the 2026-27 season after receiving an upgrade to his player NIL packageESPN General:50.