General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 3:30 AM ET
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
The women’s NCAA tournament field narrowed to 32 teams, with the second round producing both dominant performances and dramatic finishes. South Carolina began its title defense espn.com with a massive 114-55 victory over Prairie View A&M, marking the second-largest margin of victory in tournament history, fueled by Joyce Edwards’ 27 points and eight rebounds in their rout of Southern espn.com. Elsewhere, No. 10 seed Virginia achieved the first upset of the bracket by defeating No. 7 Georgia 82-73 espn.com, while USC was saved by a review espn.com that nullified Clemson's buzzer-beater, allowing them to advance 71-67 in overtime. In the midst of the action, ESPN analysts published updated rankings espn.com for the remaining 32 teams heading into the crucial second weekend of play, while UConn remains the odds-on favorite to win the championship espn.com.
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
The men’s bracket saw several close calls and major upsets as the field was cut down. No. 1 overall seed Duke needed a late rally espn.com to overcome 16th seed Siena, having trailed by 13 points before securing the win, while Tarris Reed Jr. delivered an historic 31-point, 27-rebound performance to help No. 2 seed UConn survive Furman 82-71 espn.com. A scintillating second-round contest saw No. 4 seed Nebraska outlast Vanderbilt 74-72 espn.com when a desperate half-court heave at the buzzer rimmed out, securing Nebraska’s first-ever NCAA tournament win espn.com. Meanwhile, the improbable run of No. 16 seed Texas, which started in the First Four, continued as they upset No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68 to reach the Sweet, though coach Sean Miller insisted his team is not a Cinderella espn.com.
NCAA Coaching & Player Milestones
The NCAA tournament continued to generate significant off-court news regarding coaching futures and player records. Purdue’s Braden Smith achieved a major milestone by surpassing Bobby Hurley's record espn.com, reaching 1,077 career assists during a first-round win, while on the sidelines, UNC officials are reportedly in discussions with coach Hubert Davis espn.com following another first-round exit where Davis stated fatigue was not to blame for the loss to VCU espn.com. In coaching changes, Georgia Tech officially announced the hiring of former Troy coach Scott Cross as its new men’s head coach espn.com, while Cal State Bakersfield is reportedly targeting USC assistant Todd Lee amid ongoing issues with their former staff espn.com. On the subject of record-keeping, the NCAA filed a lawsuit against Draft Kings for alleged trademark infringement related to the use of terms such as "March Madness" espn.com.
UFC London Developments
The UFC London event brought strong performances but also reignited the persistent debate surrounding fighter compensation. Movsar Evloev dented Lerone Murphy's featherweight title aspirations bbc.com by securing a majority decision victory, while Mason Jones earned the Fight of the Night bonus for his performance nearly four years after his last professional loss in the same venue bbc.com. These career-defining moments on the undercard brought the issue of fighter pay back into focus bbc.com, while rising star Paddy Pimblett indicated he is targeting a return in July during the promotion's International Fight Week bbc.com. Elsewhere in the promotion, Costello van Steenis successfully defended his PFL middleweight title by stopping Fabian Edwards in the third round, continuing a run of success against the Briton bbc.com.
Global Sports & Athletics
In international athletics, Josh Kerr completed a remarkable comeback from injury by reclaiming his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com, while Great Britain’s Mia Brookes secured her fifth World Cup gold medal in slopestyle snowboarding, putting her atop the season standings bbc.com. Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy shared that his recent terminal cancer diagnosis taught him to better appreciate small, present moments bbc.com, while in swimming, Cameron McEvoy broke Cesar Cielo’s long-standing men’s 50m freestyle world record set during the 'supersuit' era bbc.com. In other news, Rwanda’s Fanny Utagushimaninde made history by becoming the youngest woman to score a T20 international century at just 15 years and 223 days old bbc.com.
Rugby & Football Codes
The European club rugby scene saw mixed results, with Exeter edging past Sale 26-14 to move into the Premiership play-off positions bbc.com, while Bristol Bears returned from an eight-week break as an in-form team despite battling an extensive injury crisis bbc.com. In the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a statement second-half performance to defeat Ulster bbc.com, though Ulster will be hampered by a three-month elbow injury layoff for star wing Rob Baloucoune bbc.com. Across the English Super League, Wigan Warriors maintained their 100% start by coming back from 14-0 down to defeat York Knights bbc.com, while Warrington Wolves jumped to second place after Kelepi Tanginoa scored four tries in a commanding win over Castleford bbc.com.
Cycling & Individual Pursuits
Tadej Pogacar captured his first Milan-San Remo title after outdueling Britain's Tom Pidcock in a thrilling finish bbc.com, though the women's edition saw Italian rider Debora Silvestri hospitalized following a serious crash bbc.com. Meanwhile, in professional golf, Jon Rahm elected to drop his appeal against DP World Tour sanctions for participating in LIV Golf events, though he simultaneously refused to pay the outstanding fines bbc.com. Elsewhere, darts star Luke Littler staged an incredible comeback, fighting back from a 5-0 deficit to defeat Gerwyn Price 6-5 in the Premier League Darts final in Dublin, a match that featured two separate 170 checkouts bbc.com.
Soccer & League Management
In English soccer matters, the Ashes review signals the end of the Bazball era without bringing about seismic structural change, according to analysis of the team culture bbc.com, while Sheffield Wednesday supporters face a new battle with the EFL which their chairman called a "credible threat" to the club's future bbc.com. In league management, the BHA detailed a new strategy aimed at addressing what it termed a "consistent pattern" of racism experienced by personnel within horse racing bbc.com. Furthermore, the UFL ownership is adopting a strategy of using smaller stadiums to create a more "intimate" atmosphere as teams look to defend their titles espn.com.
Miscellaneous Sports News & Personnel
In personnel news, former South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri was let go midway through his second season, unable to replicate his prior success at LSU espn.com, while the WNBA’s pending Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expedite maximum salary deals espn.com for players on rookie-scale contracts. In hockey, the Colorado Avalanche became the first NHL franchise to secure a playoff berth espn.com following a 4-1 victory over the Blackhawks. Finally, tennis icon Serena Williams, Shaquille O’Neal, and Tony Hawk were among the athletes participating in a viral '90s throwback trend set to the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" espn.com.