General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 20, 2026, 3:30 AM ET
College Basketball Shocks & Standouts
The NCAA Men’s Tournament commenced with immediate upsets, as 11th-seeded VCU rallied from 19 down espn.com to stun sixth-seeded North Carolina 82-78 in overtime on Thursday night, despite UNC coach Hubert Davis refusing to blame fatigue espn.com for the collapse. In other early action, No. 12 seed High Point delivered a massive surprise, defeating fifth-seeded Wisconsin 83-82 thanks to Chase Johnston's first 2-point basket of the season scoring the difference espn.com. Meanwhile, the No. 1 overall seed, Duke, needed a late rally espn.com to survive a scare from 16th-seeded Siena, while No. 4 seed Nebraska finally broke its NCAA tournament drought by crushing Troy 76-47 securing their first win espn.com.
The opening rounds also featured strong individual performances, including BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa scoring 35 points in a losing effort as Texas knocked off the Cougars espn.com, though Dybantsa indicated he will weigh his future making a decision soon espn.com. On the women's side, the two-time defending Division III champion NYU saw its remarkable 91-game win streak snapped espn.com in the Final Four after falling 60-52 to Scranton on Thursday. Coaches polled by ESPN overwhelmingly favored Duke to win the men's national title espn.com, though preseason odds also placed Michigan and Arizona closely behind the Blue Devils, while UConn remained the clear odds-on favorite in the women's bracket ahead of UCLA and Texas espn.com.
NBA & WNBA Labor Updates
In the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the first playoff spot bbc.com of the season after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 40 points in a victory over the Orlando Magic. Separately, sources confirmed that the Miami Heat are likely to waive guard Terry Rozier before the playoffs begin in order to optimize the roster espn.com for their postseason run. The WNBA is finalizing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that sources indicate will be transformational, most notably by creating a provision that expedites max salary deals espn.com for players currently on rookie-scale contracts, alongside setting the initial salary cap floor at $7 million implementing a new structure espn.com.
UFC, Boxing, and Combat Sports Matchups
The UFC fight card in London this Saturday features a significant featherweight bout where Lerone Murphy stated that the winner of his contest against Movsar Evloev should earn the title shot bbc.com, prompting BBC Sport to investigate broader issues concerning why some fighters are overlooked for contention opportunities examining the matchmaking process bbc.com. In boxing, Belfast's IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker believes a victory over Liam Paro will unlock further opportunities bbc.com, while Michael Conlan views his upcoming clash with Kevin Walsh as an "all or nothing" scenario as he pursues a world title route plotting his next move bbc.com. The PFL also released its upcoming schedule featuring eight significant bouts over the next five weeks, which will include appearances from champion Costello van Steenis and fan-favorite Paul Hughes highlighting upcoming slates espn.com.
Rugby Union & League Developments
The United Rugby Championship (URC) run-in is shaping up with Cardiff and Ospreys fighting for playoff contention, while the Dragons and Scarlets are battling to avoid the Welsh Wooden Spoon determining final standings bbc.com. Cardiff received positive reinforcement as Taulupe Faletau was named to the matchday squad against the Bulls, marking his first appearance since New Year's Day, and Wales captain Jac Morgan is also poised for a return from injury for the Ospreys boosting team rosters espn.com. In Super League, Wigan Warriors maintained their 100% start to the season after fighting back from a 14-0 deficit to defeat York Knights extending their winning streak bbc.com, though the league is currently grappling with an injury crisis analyzing player availability espn.com.
Snooker, Darts, and Darts Drama
The World Open in Yushan provided high drama, culminating in Ronnie O'Sullivan defeating Shaun Murphy 5-3 to advance to the quarter-finals bbc.com, after Murphy had earlier secured a place in the last 16 by beating Xu Si 5-1 setting up the O'Sullivan tie bbc.com. In a separate match at the same event, Stan Moody upset veteran John Higgins 5-4 during Higgins' 2,000th professional match marking a significant milestone bbc.com. Meanwhile, the Premier League Darts final in Dublin saw Luke Littler stage an incredible comeback, recovering from being 5-0 down to stun Gerwyn Price 6-5, a match that featured two maximum 170 checkouts in a single game a stunning comeback victory bbc.com.
International Rugby & Football
Ireland's Women's Six Nations campaign will proceed without key winger Amee-Leigh Costigan, though head coach Scott Bemand named nine uncapped players in his squad introducing new talent bbc.com, with Bemand subsequently signing an extension through the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup committing through 2029 bbc.com. England's men's team saw mixed news; Ollie Chessum admitted the pace of France's Louis Bielle-Biarrey caused him to hesitate on an intercept try, while England batter Ollie Pope found commentary suggesting the team was unconcerned about losing the Ashes hard to accept perceptions bbc.com. In South American rugby, Argentina is actively campaigning to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup, which would bring the tournament to the continent for the first time bidding for the 2035 event bbc.com.
Motorsports & Cycling Results
In professional cycling, Tom Pidcock claimed victory in the Milano-Torino race, the world's oldest classic, by launching a successful late attack during the event's 150th anniversary winning the historic race bbc.com. Motorcycle racing will see six-time champion Jonathan Rea return to competitive action in World Superbike just seven months after announcing his retirement coming out of retirement bbc.com. In a bizarre penalty, NASCAR driver Daniel Dye was suspended for mocking Indy Car racer David Malukas during a livestream, receiving a major penalty for the action suspension for livestream mockery espn.com.
Other Global Sports Notes
Freestyle skier Kirsty Muir of Great Britain topped the World Cup standings bbc.com after securing her second consecutive slopestyle victory ahead of the season finale. The BHA has initiated a new strategy to address what it termed a "consistent pattern" of racism reported by individuals working within horse racing launching anti-racism strategy bbc.com. In golf, Rory McIlroy curated an elaborate Champions Dinner menu for the Masters, reportedly featuring wagyu filet mignon and seared salmon details of the dinner espn.com, though Tiger Woods remained noncommittal regarding his playing status for the tournament as his health remains variable Masters status unclear espn.com.