General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 6:30 AM ET
NCAA Tournament Action & Coaching Carousel
The second round of the Women's NCAA Tournament delivered high drama, highlighted by Nebraska surviving a scare espn.com when Vanderbilt's half-court heave rimmed out in a thrilling 74-72 victory. Meanwhile, No. 10 seed Virginia authored a major upset espn.com, defeating No. 7 Georgia 82-73 in the opening day action. In the Men's bracket, the improbable run of Texas continued as they reached the Sweet 16 espn.com, upsetting No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68, making them the first First Four team in five years to reach that stage, though coach Sean Miller insisted his team was not a Cinderella espn.com. Elsewhere, USC advanced after a review espn.com nullified a Clemson buzzer-beater, allowing the Trojans to secure a 71-67 overtime win in their second-round matchup.
Coaching changes continued to ripple through college basketball following disappointing tournament exits, as Paul Mainieri departed as South Carolina's baseball coach espn.com midway through his second season, unable to replicate his previous success at LSU. In men's basketball, Georgia Tech finalized its head coach search espn.com by hiring former Troy coach Scott Cross on Friday. The fallout at North Carolina saw officials enter discussions with coach Hubert Davis espn.com after another first-round exit, which included an overtime loss to VCU where Davis later refuted fatigue as a cause for the team's collapse espn.com. In D-III action, defending champion NYU's 91-game winning streak ended espn.com with a 60-52 loss to Scranton in the Final Four on Thursday.
The men's bracket saw dominant performances, with No. 2 seed UConn staving off an upset thanks to Tarris Reed Jr.'s massive night espn.com, as Reed posted 31 points and 27 rebounds in an 82-71 win over Furman. Top-seeded Michigan also powered through, with Yaxel Lendeborg scoring 25 points espn.com to defeat Saint Louis and secure a Sweet 16 berth, setting up a matchup against TCU where coaches Dusty May and Josh Schertz—who have a history of exchanging scouting notes—will face off espn.com. In the women's bracket, No. 1 seed Duke narrowly dodged a massive upset against Siena espn.com, rallying from 13 points down late in the game, while the defending champion Florida Gators began their title defense with a commanding 114-55 blowout victory espn.com.
UFC London & Fighter Pay Concerns
The UFC London event brought intense action, but it simultaneously reignited the contentious debate surrounding fighter compensation bbc.com, particularly following several career-defining performances on the undercard. In the main event, Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision victory bbc.com over Lerone Murphy, effectively crushing Murphy's featherweight title aspirations. Mason Jones earned the Fight of the Night bonus for his performance, marking a redemptive win in the same arena where he suffered his previous professional defeat nearly four years prior bbc.com. Meanwhile, rising star Paddy Pimblett has already set his sights on a July return bbc.com during the UFC’s international fight week, eager to get back into the Octagon.
International Golf, Cycling, & Rugby Updates
On the professional golf circuit, Australia's Hannah Green secured her third consecutive tournament victory bbc.com by claiming the Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast. This success follows a strong performance by fellow Australian Kelsey Macdonald, who broke Sanctuary Cove’s course record bbc.com with a seven-under 64 to take the lead in the Australian event. Elsewhere in athletics, Josh Kerr completed a remarkable comeback from injury, reclaiming his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com in a thrilling finish. In track, Great Britain's Mia Brookes clinched her fifth career World Cup gold medal bbc.com in slopestyle snowboarding, which simultaneously propelled her to the top of the season's standings ahead of the final event bbc.com.
The rugby codes saw varied results across European competitions. In the Gallagher Premiership, Exeter beat Sale 26-14 bbc.com to move into a playoff spot, while the Bristol Bears demonstrated newfound strength despite an ongoing injury crisis that has tested the squad bbc.com. In the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a statement second-half performance to secure a bonus-point victory over Ulster bbc.com, while Scarlets dominated Zebre in the battle at the bottom of the table, running in six tries bbc.com. In Northern Irish football, Glentoran could only manage a 1-1 draw against 10-man Coleraine, allowing league leaders Larne to stretch their advantage after Larne defeated Glenavon 3-0 bbc.com.
Football & Baseball Notes
In English football news, Warrington Wolves moved into second place in the Super League table after Kelepi Tanginoa scored four tries in a massive win over Castleford Tigers bbc.com, while leaders Wigan Warriors maintained their 100% start by coming back from a 14-0 deficit to defeat York Knights bbc.com. In international football, England manager Thomas Tuchel's latest squad selection offers a chance for forgotten players bbc.com but simultaneously reveals lingering issues ahead of the World Cup. Meanwhile, the review of England's Ashes performance signals the 'final chapter' of the Bazball era rather than ushering in seismic change bbc.com. In the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks are analyzing their running back situation after allowing the Super Bowl MVP to leave, creating a void alongside Zach Charbonnet’s injury concerns espn.com, while the Chiefs are hoping their free agent acquisitions this year will outperform last year's underwhelming additions espn.com.
Other Sports & Legal Developments
In cycling, Tadej Pogacar secured his first Milan-San Remo title bbc.com after engaging in a thrilling final battle with Britain's Tom Pidcock. Tragically, Italian rider Debora Silvestri confirmed she suffered five broken ribs in a severe crash bbc.com during the women's version of the one-day classic. In swimming, Australian Cameron McEvoy made history by breaking Cesar Cielo's long-standing 50m freestyle world record bbc.com, a mark set during the 'supersuit' era. Meanwhile, in the contentious world of professional boxing, Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting has been cleared to return to competition bbc.com after undergoing the sport’s new sex testing protocols, while Michael Conlan confirmed the split decision loss to Kevin Walsh marked the "end of the road" for his professional ambitions bbc.com. Darts star Luke Littler demonstrated his resilience by coming back from 5-0 down to stun Gerwyn Price 6-5 in the Premier League Darts final in Dublin bbc.com. In the collegiate sphere, the NCAA filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against DraftKings espn.com on Friday concerning the unauthorized use of terms like "March Madness."