General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 19, 2026, 4:30 AM ET
NCAA Tournament & College Basketball
The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament commenced with several dramatic First Four matchups, including Texas surviving NC State 68-66 espn.com thanks to a last-second fadeaway jumper by Tramon Mark, while Howard secured its first-ever tournament victory espn.com by defeating UMBC 86-83. In other preliminary action, Miami (Ohio) overcame SMU espn.com, proving doubters wrong after selection debates, though SMU coach Andy Enfield stated that standout guard B.J. Edwards was sidelined because he did not feel "game ready" following an injury announcement last Friday. Meanwhile, Prairie View A&M continued its surprising run espn.com, earning its first tournament win with a 67-55 triumph over Lehigh after having won only five games the previous season.
Leading into the main bracket, Duke remains the consensus favorite among oddsmakers, with Duke, Michigan, and Arizona separating themselves espn.com as the top betting choices to win the men's championship, a sentiment echoed by 60 ESPN personalities who also picked Duke as the title favorite among their semifinal predictions espn.com. Duke will start Thursday without center Patrick Ngongba due to a foot injury, placing pressure on freshman star Cameron Boozer, who was nevertheless named a unanimous first-team AP All-American alongside UConn's Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd espn.com. In the women's bracket, the top seeds—UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina—all topped the final regular-season AP poll espn.com, mirroring their seeding positions, as UConn’s Strong and Fudd also headlined the AP All-America team ranking among the top players in March Madness espn.com.
Coaching movements and player news continue to surface around college hoops; Butler's Thad Matta announced his retirement espn.com after accumulating 502 career wins and 13 NCAA tournament appearances, while Memphis sources confirmed that Penny Hardaway will return as coach for next season espn.com. On the recruiting front, USC has significantly bolstered its 2026 class, landing its third McDonald's All American in top-five senior Christian Collins vaulting the Trojans to No. 1 in ESPN's 2026 rankings espn.com, followed closely by the commitment of five-star forward Sara Okeke making USC the current leader for 2026 espn.com. In less positive news, Alabama player Aden Holloway faces felony drug possession charges after police reportedly found 2.1 pounds of marijuana in his apartment espn.com, leading the team to prepare to play without him in the tournament, per coach Nate Oats as Alabama preps for the opener espn.com.
Professional Leagues & Contracts
The WNBA is approaching a new collective bargaining agreement, with sources indicating the salary cap is projected to exceed $10 million by the end of the deal espn.com, building on the initial verbal agreement that set the starting cap at $7 million as WNBPA and WNBA confirm progress espn.com. Despite this forward momentum, WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson cautioned that a delay to the 2026 season cannot be ruled out amid ongoing CBA negotiations espn.com. In the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team this season to clinch a playoff spot after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a 40-point performance bbc.com to defeat the Orlando Magic. Elsewhere, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore revealed his struggles with severe depression tied to the pressures of major college football espn.com, while former Heisman winner Matt Leinart stated that unretiring his USC No. 11 jersey is "not for sale" on his recent podcast appearance espn.com.
International & Combat Sports
In boxing, Michael Conlan emphasized the high stakes ahead of his Friday bout against Kevin Walsh in Belfast, declaring the fight is "all or nothing" as he attempts to pave a path toward a world title shot with his promoter eyeing a championship opportunity espn.com. On the MMA side, former UFC fighter Nate Diaz, aged, is scheduled to return to competition after a four-year hiatus, facing Mike Perry on May 16 as part of MVP's debut card espn.com. Meanwhile, in women's boxing, Gabriela Fundora’s latest knockout victory pushed her into the top three of the latest pound-for-pound rankings signaling her continued dominance espn.com.
Rugby & Football
The international rugby scene saw movement in coaching and bids; Ireland head coach Scott Bemand successfully secured a contract extension through the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup bbc.com, while his counterpart in the Women's Six Nations, Scotland's Sione Fukofuka, also named nine uncapped players bbc.com in his training squad, similar to Ireland's selection of nine new faces despite losing winger Amee-Leigh Costigan bbc.com. Former France coach Shaun Edwards expressed his ambition to eventually coach a Southern Hemisphere giant after his tenure with France concludes after the 2027 World Cup as Edwards plots next move bbc.com. On the club level, England's World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford announced her pregnancy in news released by the BBC bbc.com, and in a financial development, Sir James Dyson acquired a 50% share in Bath Rugby bbc.com, citing intentions to fund a new stadium.
Motorsports & Cycling
NASCAR saw driver Denny Hamlin overcome an early speeding penalty espn.com to secure a dominant victory for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota in the Las Vegas race. In Indy Car, the Grand Prix of Arlington was deemed a success, with the decision to race around the Cowboys' and Rangers' stadiums proving to be the signature event needed espn.com. Motorcycle racing will see Jonathan Rea return to competition seven months after retiring, as the six-time World Superbike champion will make his comeback in the series bbc.com. Cyclist Tom Pidcock marked his debut in the Milano-Torino race by launching a decisive late attack to claim the victory on the 150th anniversary of the classic bbc.com.
Other Sports & Athlete News
In snooker, Shaun Murphy advanced to the World Open last 16 after defeating Xu Si 5-1, setting up a tie against Ronnie O'Sullivan, who stated that restoring his game to its former level bbc.com would surpass any world title he has won. In an infamous milestone match, Stan Moody defeated veteran John Higgins 5-4 during Higgins' 2,000th professional match as Moody held his nerve for the victory bbc.com. Track and field athlete Amy Hunt shared that she seeks to inspire female athletes to pursue university degrees as she prepares for the World Athletics Indoor Championships bbc.com; meanwhile, Scottish runner Jemma Reekie is focused on the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow while competing at the World Indoors bbc.com. In football news, 15-year-old Manchester United prodigy JJ Gabriel is already demonstrating immense promise, though he remains too young to participate in senior league play bbc.com, and England batter Ollie Pope found the perception that the team was unconcerned about winning the Ashes hard to accept bbc.com. Finally, Great Britain's Niall Treacy secured a 1,000m bronze medal at the Short Track World Championships in Canada bbc.com.