General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 20, 2026, 10:30 PM ET
NCAA Basketball Turmoil & Records
The NCAA saw legal action and historic scoring moments erupt simultaneously on Friday, setting a tumultuous tone for the opening weekend of the men’s tournament. The governing body filed suit against DraftKings espn.com on Friday, accusing the sportsbook operator of trademark infringement related to terms like "March Madness," while on the court, Purdue’s Braden Smith broke the all-time assists record espn.com by surpassing Bobby Hurley's mark, logging his 1,077th career helper during a first-round win over Queens University espn.com. The weekend was filled with superlatives from the first round espn.com, including remarkable upsets and individual performances, such as sixth-seeded Tennessee dispatching Miami (Ohio) 78-56 behind Ja'Kobi Gillespie’s 29 points and six three-pointers espn.com, and Utah State using a second-half surge powered by MJ Collins’ 20 points and crucial late dunk to defeat Villanova 86-76 espn.com.
Several other top seeds navigated tricky opening rounds, with Duke narrowly escaping a massive upset after rallying from a 13-point deficit espn.com to secure a victory over 16th-seeded Siena espn.com, while seventh-seeded Kentucky required Otega Oweh's buzzer-beater in regulation to eventually push past Santa Clara 89-84 in overtime espn.com. In the women’s bracket, UConn entered as the odds-on title favorite espn.com with stars Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd headlining the AP All-America team espn.com, though the men’s field saw upsets too, as 12th seed High Point stunned fifth-seeded Wisconsin 83-82 thanks to Chase Johnston’s rare made two-pointer espn.com, and Nebraska earned its first-ever NCAA tournament win espn.com by crushing Troy 76-47 espn.com. Further down the bracket, TCU backed up pre-tournament confidence, holding off Ohio State 66-64 with Xavier Edmonds hitting a vital go-ahead layup in the final seconds espn.com, while in the First Four, Howard secured its maiden tournament victory espn.com, and Prairie View A&M continued a massive turnaround by besting Lehigh 67-55 espn.com.
College Coaching Moves & Player Updates
Coaching searches saw movement as Georgia Tech officially named Scott Cross espn.com as its new men's basketball head coach on Friday, coming over from Troy, while Cal State Bakersfield is reportedly targeting USC assistant Todd Lee amidst ongoing legal troubles involving a former assistant coach facing trial for pimping charges espn.com. In player injury news, Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson suffered a sprained left ankle espn.com in a blowout win over Tennessee State, though X-rays returned negative espn.com, and Duke coach Jon Scheyer expressed hope that center Patrick Ngongba II could return for the second round espn.com. Meanwhile, BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, who dropped 35 points in a loss to Texas espn.com, stated he will make a decision on his future in the coming weeks espn.com, a crucial consideration given Texas’s initial tournament victory over BYU espn.com.
NBA & WNBA Labor Developments
The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the first playoff spot bbc.com in the league after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 40 points against Orlando bbc.com, yet the team confirmed it will not make a White House visit during its current trip to the capital, citing unspecified "timing" issues espn.com. In league business, sources confirmed that the WNBA and the players' union have reached a verbal agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will feature a starting salary cap of $7 million espn.com and includes a new provision that expedites maximum salary deals for players on rookie-scale contracts espn.com. Separately, the Miami Heat are reportedly planning to waive Terry Rozier before the playoffs commence in order to optimize the roster for a deep run espn.com.
Global Rugby & Football Updates
In Premiership Women's Rugby, the Trailfinders edged past Harlequins bbc.com with Abi Burton scoring a decisive try three minutes from time to seal a 21-17 victory bbc.com. Across the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a powerful second-half display to secure a bonus-point victory over Ulster bbc.com, though Ulster must now contend with a three-month absence for key winger Rob Baloucoune due to an elbow injury bbc.com, while Scarlets dominated Zebre, scoring six tries in a basement battle bbc.com. On the international front, Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey and Scotland winger Kyle Steyn were shortlisted for the Six Nations Player of the championship award bbc.com, while Ireland head coach Scott Bemand signed a contract extension running through the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup bbc.com.
Combat Sports & Darts
Costello van Steenis successfully retained his PFL middleweight title by stopping Fabian Edwards in the third round, marking another defeat for the British fighter's world title aspirations bbc.com, and the PFL slate is set to feature eight high-profile bouts over the next five weeks, including appearances by Paul Hughes and Sergio Pettis espn.com. In boxing, Michael Conlan confirmed it was the "end of the road" for his career following a split decision loss to Kevin Walsh in Belfast bbc.com, although promoter Kalle Sauerland had previously suggested a win could have propelled Conlan toward a world title shot bbc.com. Darts star Luke Littler demonstrated his comeback prowess by rallying from a 5-0 deficit to defeat Gerwyn Price 6-5 in the Premier League final in Dublin, a match that featured two maximum 170 checkouts in a single game bbc.com, and Littler has also taken steps to legally protect his image by applying to trademark his face against AI counterfeits bbc.com.
Soccer & Rugby League
The English Super League saw Wigan Warriors extend their 100% start by fighting back from a 14-0 deficit to beat York Knights bbc.com, while Wakefield exacted revenge on Leigh, whose poor start to the season continues after being eliminated by Wakefield last year bbc.com. In the Championship, George Thomason predicted the play-off race would go "down to the wire" following a setback for his side bbc.com, while Wrexham’s recent fixtures against Sheffield United were framed as typifying the club’s remarkable journey under Phil Parkinson bbc.com. In women's rugby, England coach John Mitchell introduced a clutch of new faces, naming nine uncapped players in the Red Roses’ Six Nations squad following their World Cup success bbc.com, and in Northern Ireland Premiership action, Larne went five points clear at the summit after a 3-0 home victory over Glenavon bbc.com.
Other Sports & Athlete News
In golf, Jon Rahm dropped his appeal against DP World Tour sanctions but continues to refuse payment of the outstanding fines levied for participating in conflicting LIV Golf events bbc.com, while Rory McIlroy’s Masters Champions Dinner menu featured high-end items like wagyu filet mignon and seared salmon espn.com. On the track, Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu finished fourth in "one of the best 60m races of all time" at the World Indoor Championships bbc.com, and sprinter Amy Hunt discussed how securing university degrees helps inspire female athletes bbc.com. Meanwhile, Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy shattered Cesar Cielo's long-standing 50m freestyle world record bbc.com, and Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy stated that his terminal cancer diagnosis taught him the importance of appreciating small moments bbc.com.