General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 20, 2026, 9:30 PM ET
NCAA Basketball Legal & Record Breaking
The NCAA escalated its legal battles on Friday by filing suit against DraftKings espn.com, accusing the sportsbook operator of trademark infringement specifically over the use of terms associated with the NCAA tournament, such as "March Madness." Amid the off-court action, Purdue's Braden Smith shattered the NCAA all-time assists record espn.com during a first-round game against Queens University, tallying 1,077 career assists to surpass Bobby Hurley's long-standing mark. Elsewhere in the men’s bracket, seventh-seeded Kentucky needed Otega Oweh's buzzer-beater espn.com to force overtime before ultimately prevailing 89-84 over Santa Clara, while Duke narrowly escaped an upset, rallying from 13 points down to defeat Siena, though coach Jon Scheyer expressed hope that center Patrick Ngongba II could return for the second round espn.com.
Men's NCAA Tournament Upsets & Performances
Friday’s opening round of the men's tournament provided significant drama, including Utah State overcoming a deficit to top Villanova espn.com 86-76, fueled by MJ Collins who delivered 20 points and a crucial late steal and dunk. The spectacular performances were cataloged in superlative roundups detailing the coolest and weirdest moments espn.com. In other upsets, 12th-seed High Point stunned fifth-seed Wisconsin 83-82 on Thursday, courtesy of Chase Johnston's unlikely first two-point basket of the season sealing the victory espn.com, and No. 4 seed Nebraska captured its first-ever NCAA tournament win by drubbing Troy 76-47. Conversely, Miami (Ohio)'s impressive season, which included a First Four victory over SMU where coach Andy Enfield claimed B.J. Edwards was not "game ready" leading to his absence espn.com, concluded with a decisive 78-56 blowout loss to Tennessee, where Ja'Kobi Gillespie poured in 29 points.
College Basketball Coaching & Player News
Coaching changes continued to surface, with Georgia Tech officially naming former Troy coach Scott Cross espn.com as its new men's basketball head coach on Friday. In the wake of scandal involving a former assistant facing pimping charges, Cal State Bakersfield is reportedly targeting USC assistant Todd Lee for the vacant head coach position, according to sources speaking to Jeff Borzello espn.com. On the player front, Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson sustained a sprained left ankle in Thursday's 108-74 win over Tennessee State, though X-rays came back negative allowing for cautious optimism espn.com. Meanwhile, BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, who scored 35 points in the first-round loss to Texas is set to mull his future espn.com over the coming weeks, despite Texas's initial tournament survival coming via a Tramon Mark jumper to beat NC State 68-66 in the First Four on Tuesday night espn.com.
Women's College Basketball & Pro Leagues Updates
The women's NCAA tournament tipped off with UConn positioned as the odds-on title favorite espn.com, while UConn's Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd were named to the AP All-America team alongside UCLA's Lauren Betts, whose head coach Cori Close praised her courageous vulnerability regarding mental health espn.com. TCU's Olivia Miles recorded her 12th career triple-double as the third seed routed UC San Diego 86-40 in the first round showcasing her dominance espn.com. In professional basketball news, sources confirmed that the WNBA's pending Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a provision that expedites max deal eligibility espn.com for players on rookie-scale contracts, with the overall salary cap set to begin at $7 million according to internal sources espn.com.
Rugby Union & League Developments
In Premiership Women's Rugby, Trailfinders secured a narrow 21-17 victory over Harlequins after Abi Burton scored a decisive try three minutes from time bbc.com. In the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a powerful second half to earn a statement bonus-point win over Ulster, whose injury woes deepened with wing Rob Baloucoune ruled out for three months with an elbow injury following the match bbc.com. Meanwhile, England's Red Roses coach John Mitchell introduced a clutch of new talent, naming seven uncapped players bbc.com in the squad building toward the next World Cup, though Meg Jones will captain in Zoe Stratford's absence as she expects a child as announced Friday bbc.com.
Global Football & Darts
In European football, Larne extended their lead at the top of the Premiership to five points after a routine 3-0 victory over Glenavon on Friday night solidifying their top position bbc.com, while in the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday supporters are facing a new battle with the EFL, which poses a credible threat to the club's future bbc.com. Darts star Luke Littler provided major drama in the Premier League Darts final in Dublin, staging a massive comeback from 5-0 down to stun Gerwyn Price 6-5, a match that featured two maximum 170 checkouts in a single leg a rare feat bbc.com; separately, Littler has also taken action to apply to trademark his face bbc.com to combat unauthorized AI-generated likenesses.
Combat Sports & Track & Field
The PFL featured champion Costello van Steenis successfully defending his middleweight title by stopping Fabian Edwards in the third round, again ending the Briton's world title aspirations bbc.com. Ahead of their UFC London featherweight bout, Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev participated in a tense staredown at the O2 Arena weigh-ins bbc.com, prompting discussion on whether such athletes are often overlooked in the path to title contention as they prepare for Saturday bbc.com. On the track, Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu finished fourth in the 60m race at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, a contest described as "one of the best 60m races of all time," narrowly missing a medal as teammate Amy Hunt spoke about inspiring female athletes bbc.com pursuing education alongside their careers.
Golf & Tennis Updates
In golf, Jon Rahm has elected to drop his appeal against sanctions imposed by the DP World Tour for participating in LIV Golf events, though he remains defiant by refusing to remit the outstanding fines bbc.com. At the Masters, Rory McIlroy hosted the Champions Dinner, offering a lavish menu that included wagyu filet mignon and seared salmon for the competitors espn.com, while Tiger Woods offered little clarity on his playing status for the event, stating only that his health remained up and down following TGL semifinals espn.com. In tennis news, although not directly related to the major tours, former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton's September death has had its circumstances reviewed, with the coroner stating he was "not satisfied" Hatton intended to take his own life bbc.com.
NASCAR, Cycling, and Miscellaneous Sports Business
NASCAR driver Daniel Dye received a suspension—his second major penalty—for mocking Indy Car racer David Malukas during a recent livestream, an incident where Dye parked his truck to mock the rival espn.com. In cycling, Tom Pidcock launched a successful late attack to claim victory in the Milano-Torino race bbc.com, the world's oldest classic, on its 150th anniversary. Meanwhile, in a significant financial move in rugby, Sir James Dyson acquired a 50% share in Bath Rugby bbc.com, stating the investment will expedite plans for a new stadium development. Finally, the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder have confirmed they will not visit the White House espn.com during their current road trip to the nation's capital, citing "timing" as the reason for declining the traditional visit.