General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 8:30 AM ET
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Drama & Coaching Moves
The NCAA men's tournament advanced through the second round, producing several dramatic finishes and raising coaching questions. Nebraska secured its first-ever NCAA tournament win espn.com by dominating Troy 76-47 on Thursday, while No. 1 seed Duke narrowly escaped upset espn.com, rallying from 13 points down to defeat Siena. Elsewhere, Texas capped off an improbable run from the First Four to the Sweet 16 by toppling Gonzaga 74-68 espn.com, marking the first time a First Four team has reached that stage in five years; though coach Sean Miller cautioned that Texas is not a Cinderella despite the run espn.com. In other bracket action, No. 2 seed UConn survived a scare when Tarris Reed Jr. delivered a massive 31-point, 27-rebound performance to defeat Furman 82-71 espn.com.
The second round also showcased major coaching news and offseason implications. Following UNC’s overtime loss to VCU where coach Hubert Davis stated fatigue was not to blame for the collapse espn.com, sources confirm UNC officials are discussing the coach's future espn.com. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech quickly filled its vacancy by naming former Troy coach Scott Cross as head coach espn.com. In player movement news impacting future rosters, the Jets are committing $48 million espn.com toward moving on from both Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields by 2026, utilizing about 16% of their cap space in the process.
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Advances
The women's bracket saw top seeds advance alongside significant upsets and historic individual performances. Top seed South Carolina began its title defense by crushing Southern 103-34 espn.com, with Joyce Edwards pouring in 27 points and eight rebounds, achieving the second-largest margin of victory in tournament history. In contrast, No. 10 seed Virginia authored the first major upset of the tournament, defeating No. 7 Georgia 82-73 espn.com. In another close contest, USC advanced after a critical buzzer-beater by Clemson was nullified by review espn.com, allowing USC to eventually win in overtime, 71-67. UConn remains the odds-on title favorite heading into the second round action espn.com, while Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson is expected to decide his playing future shortly espn.com after suffering a sprained ankle in a victory over Tennessee State.
UFC London Fallout & Fighter Pay Debate
The recent UFC London event brought intense action and immediately reignited the contentious debate surrounding fighter compensation. Several undercard bouts featured career-defining performances, which starkly laid bare the ongoing issue of fighter pay bbc.com. On the main card, Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision victory bbc.com over Lerone Murphy, effectively crushing Murphy's aspirations for a featherweight title shot; though Murphy's teammate, Mason Jones, earned the fight of the night bonus following his redemption victory in the same arena nearly four years after his last professional defeat bbc.com. Paddy Pimblett has set his sights on a return to the Octagon in July bbc.com during the UFC's international fight week.
Rugby Union & League Updates
Across the rugby codes, several key fixtures concluded with meaningful implications for league standings and international call-ups. In the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a statement victory over Ulster bbc.com with a dominant second-half display, while Scarlets managed to sweep aside Zebre with a bonus-point win bbc.com in the battle at the bottom of the table. Premiership play-off contention tightened as Exeter defeated Sale 26-14 to secure a spot in the top eight bbc.com, while Welsh international Ryan Woodman expressed his eagerness to earn his first Wales cap after receiving a call-up for the Six Nations bbc.com. 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.
European Football & Cycling Highlights
The European sporting calendar saw major results in cycling and domestic football. Tadej Pogacar claimed his first Milan-San Remo title bbc.com following a grueling battle with Tom Pidcock, though the women's race saw a serious crash where Debora Silvestri suffered five broken ribs bbc.com. In the English game, Frank Lampard expressed his hope that Matt Grimes’ classy decision not to celebrate his goal bbc.com will mitigate further abuse from Swansea fans when Grimes returns to face his former club. Furthermore, England manager Thomas Tuchel's latest squad selection offered hope to forgotten players bbc.com but also exposed organizational problems ahead of the World Cup.
Golf, Combat Sports, and Miscellaneous News
In women’s professional golf, Australia's Hannah Green achieved her third successive tournament victory bbc.com at the Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast, continuing her exceptional run of form. Meanwhile, in the PFL, Costello van Steenis successfully retained his middleweight title bbc.com by stopping Fabian Edwards in the third round, preventing Edwards from achieving his world title dream once again. In track and field, Josh Kerr reclaimed his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com in a thrilling finish, completing his comeback from injury, while Great Britain's Mia Brookes also secured her fifth World Cup gold bbc.com in slopestyle snowboarding. In college sports news away from basketball, Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey received the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award espn.com as the top player in women's college hockey.