General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 1:30 AM ET
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament: Second Round Action
The second round of the women's March Madness field narrowed espn.com following a dramatic Saturday slate that saw upsets and nail-biting finishes across the bracket. The No. 10 seed Virginia authored the first upset espn.com of the tournament, dispatching No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73 in a first-round contest, while No. 2 seed UConn survived a scare espn.com, relying on Tarris Reed Jr.'s massive 31-point, 27-rebound performance to edge Furman 82-71. In another tightly contested opening game, USC required a late review espn.com to nullify a Clemson buzzer-beater before ultimately winning 71-67 in overtime to reach the next stage. Meanwhile, top seed South Carolina cruised past Southern espn.com in their opener, powered by Joyce Edwards' 27 points and eight boards in a 103-34 demolition.
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament: Sweet 16 Locks
Several teams secured their spots in the Sweet 16 espn.com after navigating the second round matchups, with Texas completing a remarkable journey from the First Four. Coach Sean Miller asserted that his Texas team is not a Cinderella espn.com despite upsetting No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68 on Saturday, marking the first time a First Four team has reached the regional semifinal in five years espn.com. Midwest Region top seed Michigan also punched its ticket, with Yaxel Lendeborg dropping 25 points to guide them past Saint Louis espn.com; the game featured a high-profile coaching subplot between Dusty May and Josh Schertz, who have long exchanged scouting notes espn.com. Elsewhere, No. 4 seed Nebraska captured its first NCAA tournament win espn.com in program history by routing Troy 76-47 on Thursday, while No. 9 seed TCU narrowly defeated Ohio State 66-64 thanks to a late Xavier Edmonds layup espn.com.
Coaching Carousel & Player Futures
Coaching changes and player decisions are beginning to surface following early tournament exits, notably in the SEC where South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri is out midway espn.com through his second season, unable to replicate his previous success at LSU. In the men's basketball bracket, North Carolina officials are reportedly in discussions with coach Hubert Davis espn.com following another first-round exit, though Davis himself deflected questions about fatigue being a factor in the VCU loss espn.com. On the player front, BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, who scored 35 points in an opening round loss to Texas espn.com, will be mulling his future over the coming weeks espn.com, while Kenny Pickett is hoping his move to Carolina will secure him a starting job in the NFL again espn.com.
UFC London & Combat Sports Updates
The UFC London card saw a significant featherweight bout where Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision win bbc.com over Lerone Murphy, dealing a substantial blow to Murphy's aspirations of cracking the top 15 rankings bbc.com. Mason Jones, fighting on the same card, earned the fight of the night bonus, achieving redemption nearly four years after his last pro defeat in the same London arena bbc.com. In PFL news, Costello van Steenis retained his middleweight title bbc.com by stopping Fabian Edwards in the third round, denying Edwards a world title shot for the second time. Meanwhile, in boxing, amateur great Michael Conlan confirmed the "end of the road" for his professional career following a split decision defeat to Kevin Walsh bbc.com, concluding a pro run that failed to match his amateur pedigree bbc.com.
Global Rugby & Football Updates
European rugby saw mixed results across the leagues over the past few days, with Exeter moving into the Premiership play-off places bbc.com following a 26-14 victory over Sale at Sandy Park. In the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a powerful second-half performance to secure a statement win over Ulster bbc.com, though Ulster must now contend with a three-month absence for star wing Rob Baloucoune due to an elbow injury bbc.com. In Super League action, Warrington Wolves' Kelepi Tanginoa scored four tries bbc.com to help move the team into second place, while league leaders Wigan Warriors fought back from a 14-0 deficit to maintain their perfect start to the season bbc.com.
Cycling, Cricket, and Track & Field Milestones
The world of endurance sports saw significant triumphs this week, as Tadej Pogacar claimed his first Milan-San Remo title bbc.com after a tight sprint finish against Tom Pidcock, though the women's race was marred by a serious crash that hospitalized Italian rider Debora Silvestri bbc.com. On the track, Josh Kerr reclaimed his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com in a thrilling finish, marking a successful return from injury, while Great Britain's Mia Brookes clinched her fifth World Cup gold bbc.com in slopestyle snowboarding to top the season's standings. Furthermore, Rwanda's Fanny Utagushimaninde made history in T20 cricket bbc.com by becoming the youngest woman to score an international century at just 15 years and 223 days old.
Miscellaneous Sports Business & Governance
The NCAA has initiated legal action against Draft Kings, filing a trademark infringement suit espn.com related to the sportsbook's use of terms like "March Madness." In other governance news, Jon Rahm has dropped his Tour appeal bbc.com against sanctions related to LIV Golf participation but has refused to pay the associated fines levied by the DP World Tour. In tennis, Wimbledon officials confirmed that video review technology will be introduced bbc.com for the first time this year, while in horse racing, the BHA launched a new strategy bbc.com to combat a "consistent pattern" of racism within the sport.