General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 21, 2026, 4:30 AM ET
NCAA Basketball Tournament Upsets & Records
The men's NCAA tournament first round provided high drama as upsets materialized, though the No. 1 overall seed, Duke narrowly avoided a shocking upset espn.com after trailing by 13 points against 16th-seeded Siena before rallying late. Elsewhere, 11th-seeded VCU erased a 19-point second-half deficit espn.com to stun sixth-seeded North Carolina 82-78 in overtime, prompting UNC coach Hubert Davis to state the collapse was "my decision" rather than due to fatigue espn.com. Purdue's Braden Smith set a new NCAA all-time assists record, surpassing Bobby Hurley with 1,077 career assists espn.com during his game against Queens University, while Utah State needed a second-half comeback, capped by a 20-point performance from MJ Collins, to overcome Villanova 86-76 espn.com.
In the women's bracket, the chalk largely held firm on Day, where better seeds went 16-0 espn.com, though the field was immediately impacted by injuries; Iowa State senior Joshua Jefferson suffered a sprained left ankle in their 108-74 victory over Tennessee State espn.com. Top seeds started strong, with Florida beginning its title defense with a 59-point pounding espn.com of Prairie View A&M, marking the second-largest margin of victory in tournament history. Meanwhile, the perennial powerhouse UConn saw its own stars recognized, as Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd headlined the AP All-America team espn.com, which also featured UCLA's Lauren Betts, who was praised by her coach for her "courageous vulnerability" regarding mental health espn.com.
The legal and administrative fallout from the men's tournament was immediate, as the NCAA filed suit against DraftKings espn.com for trademark infringement concerning the use of terms like "March Madness." As the action continues, analysts are busy reranking the 32 men's teams remaining espn.com, while ESPN talent offered their picks, with one team emerging as the clear national title favorite espn.com among 60 polled personalities. On the women's side, UConn entered the tournament as the overwhelming odds-on title favorite espn.com, even as TCU's Olivia Miles recorded her 12th career triple-double in an 86-40 blowout win over UC San Diego espn.com.
Professional Combat & League Updates
In boxing, the professional career of Irish amateur great Michael Conlan reached its conclusion, as he confirmed it was the "end of the road" following a split decision loss bbc.com to Kevin Walsh, failing to achieve the multi-weight championship success he aimed for bbc.com. In mixed martial arts, Costello van Steenis retained his PFL middleweight title bbc.com by stopping Fabian Edwards in the third round, halting the Briton's world title aspirations once again, with the PFL schedule set to feature several other notable bouts in the coming weeks bbc.com. Ahead of UFC London, the staredown between Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev bbc.com was described as "cold" before their featherweight contest, prompting broader discussion about whether title contender matchmaking is equitable bbc.com.
Global Rugby & Football Updates
The Premiership Women's Rugby saw a narrow contest decided late, as Abi Burton's try three minutes from time bbc.com clinched a 21-17 victory for Trailfinders over Harlequins. In the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a statement second-half performance to secure a bonus-point victory over Ulster bbc.com, though Ulster faces a blow as star winger Rob Baloucoune is now sidelined for three months with an elbow injury bbc.com. On the international front, Ireland head coach Scott Bemand signed a contract extension running through the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup bbc.com, while Argentina formally pitched its bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup bbc.com, aiming to bring the event to South America for the first time.
North American Pro Sports & Personnel Moves
The Colorado Avalanche became the first NHL team this season espn.com to officially clinch a playoff berth well ahead of schedule. In the NBA, the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder announced they would skip a White House visit espn.com during their East Coast road trip, citing "timing" as the reason. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat are reportedly planning to waive guard Terry Rozier before the playoffs espn.com to optimize their roster configuration for the postseason push. The WNBA is with a new collective bargaining agreement, which sources indicate will set the initial salary cap at $7 million espn.com and expedite the path for players on rookie deals to earn maximum salaries espn.com.
Soccer, Golf, and Track & Field Developments
In European football, England manager Thomas Tuchel's latest squad selection for the national team suggested hope for overlooked players but also exposed ongoing issues ahead of the World Cup bbc.com, while England's Roses netball team suffered a blow as goalkeeper Jaz Brown was ruled out of the Glasgow 2026 games bbc.com due to a serious Achilles injury. In golf, Jon Rahm has dropped his appeal against DP World Tour sanctions bbc.com for participating in LIV events but continues to refuse payment of the outstanding fines. On the track, Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu finished fourth in the 60m final at the World Indoors, competing in what was described as "one of the best 60m races of all time" bbc.com.
Rugby League & Other Sports
In Super League action, Wigan Warriors fought back from a 14-0 deficit bbc.com to maintain their 100% start to the season by defeating York Knights, while Wakefield secured revenge for last season’s playoff exit by beating Leigh, furthering the Leopards' early-season struggles bbc.com. In darts, Luke Littler staged a remarkable comeback from 5-0 down to stun Gerwyn Price 6-5 in the Premier League final in Dublin bbc.com, a match that featured two maximum 170 checkouts in a single game. Meanwhile, the niche sport of indoor golf is growing rapidly, with predictions suggesting that virtual rounds played in the UK will surpass outdoor rounds by the end of 2028 bbc.com. In boxing outside of Conlan's news, IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker stated that a victory over Liam Paro should open a significant window of opportunity bbc.com for his career.
College Coaching & Facility News
The coaching carousel continued in college basketball, as Georgia Tech officially named former Troy coach Scott Cross as its new men's head coach espn.com on Friday. Cal State Bakersfield is reportedly targeting USC assistant Todd Lee to fill its vacancy, a situation complicated by the fact that a former CSUB assistant faces trial on pimping charges espn.com. In a bizarre incident related to tournament play, UCLA guard Skyy Clark played through the loss of a tooth fragment espn.com to help the Bruins secure a 75-71 first-round victory over UCF. On the administrative side, President Trump issued an executive order mandating that the Army-Navy game take precedence over CFP games espn.com in December broadcasts, ensuring the traditional matchup maintains a "national focus."