General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 9:30 AM ET
NCAA Men's Basketball Postseason
The men's NCAA tournament continued its second round with major upsets and dominant performances across the bracket, leading teams like Texas jockeying for top odds espn.com alongside Arizona and Michigan as they prepared for the Sweet. Texas capped an improbable run by becoming the first team in five years to advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16 espn.com following a 74-68 victory over No. 3 seed Gonzaga, though coach Sean Miller insisted his squad is not a Cinderella team espn.com despite their trajectory. On the other side, No. 1 seed Michigan, fueled by Yaxel Lendeborg's 25-point outing espn.com, powered past Saint Louis to secure its Sweet 16 spot, setting up a matchup where coach Dusty May will face off against long-time colleague Josh Schertz after years of exchanging scouting notes espn.com. Meanwhile, Purdue's Braden Smith surpassed Bobby Hurley's career assists record espn.com, reaching 1,077 assists during a first-round win, while Kentucky survived an early scare when Otega Oweh delivered a buzzer-beater to force overtime espn.com in an 89-84 victory over Santa Clara.
Several other heavyweights navigated tricky second-round matchups, including No. 2 seed UConn, which avoided an upset thanks to Tarris Reed Jr.'s historic 31-point, 27-rebound effort that helped the Huskies stave off Furman 82-71 espn.com. Elsewhere, No. 1 overall seed Duke narrowly escaped a major shock, rallying from a 13-point deficit late in the game to finally pull ahead of Siena in the final five minutes espn.com, while Nebraska captured its first-ever NCAA tournament victory espn.com by crushing Troy 76-47, marking the end of a long drought. For the teams still alive, ESPN provided comprehensive analysis, detailing the money lines, spreads, and BPI projections for Sunday's slate of games espn.com, alongside previews outlining the keys to victory for contests ranging from Purdue vs. Miami to Alabama vs. Texas Tech as they entered the round of 32 espn.com.
NCAA Women's Basketball Postseason & Coaching Carousel
The women's bracket saw No. 1 seed South Carolina begin its title defense by overwhelming Prairie View A&M 114-55 espn.com, a margin ranking as the second-largest in tournament history, led by Joyce Edwards’ 27 points against Southern in the first round where chalk largely reigned supreme espn.com. In contrast, No. 10 seed Virginia authored the tournament’s first upset by toppling No. 7 Georgia 82-73 espn.com, while USC was saved by a crucial review nullifying Clemson's regulation buzzer-beater before prevailing 71-67 in overtime advancing to the second round espn.com. Elsewhere in the coaching movement, Providence is reportedly set to hire South Florida's Bryan Hodgson as its new head coach espn.com, while Cal State Bakersfield is targeting USC assistant Todd Lee amid turmoil surrounding their former coach who was detained under pimping charges espn.com. Furthermore, South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri was dismissed midway through his second season espn.com after failing to replicate his previous LSU success.
UFC & Combat Sports Updates
The UFC London event brought renewed focus to the contentious issue of fighter compensation following several career-defining undercard performances bbc.com, while Paddy Pimblett signaled his intent to target a July return during the UFC's international fight week bbc.com. The main card featured Movsar Evloev securing a majority decision victory over Lerone Murphy, a result that severely damaged Murphy's featherweight title aspirations bbc.com; both fighters had been subjects of discussion regarding the perceived fairness of matchmaking for title contention prior to their Saturday bout bbc.com. Mason Jones, who earned the fight of the night bonus in London, stated his aim to break into the UFC top 15 after achieving redemption in the same arena where he suffered his previous professional loss nearly four years ago earning a significant accolade bbc.com.
Global Football & Rugby Developments
In European football, Frank Lampard expressed his desire for Swansea supporters to cease their audible abuse directed at midfielder Matt Grimes, praising the player's classy decision not to celebrate his recent goal bbc.com against his former club. On the international front, Ryan Woodman is expressing eagerness to make his debut for the Dragons after his first call-up, aiming to shine brightly enough to earn a Wales cap in the Six Nations bbc.com. Rugby union saw Exeter clinch a key 26-14 victory over Sale at Sandy Park, which propelled them into the Premiership play-off positions bbc.com, while in the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a powerful second-half display to secure a statement win over Ulster at the Affidea Stadium bbc.com.
Golf, Cycling, and Track & Field
Australian golfer Hannah Green continued her exceptional form by capturing her third consecutive tournament victory bbc.com at the Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast. In athletics, Josh Kerr completed a remarkable recovery from injury, reclaiming the world indoor 3,000m title in thrilling fashion after being out of competition due to injury bbc.com, while Great Britain's Mia Brookes also topped the standings by clinching her fifth World Cup gold medal in slopestyle snowboarding in Flachnau, Austria bbc.com. Cyclist Tadej Pogacar secured his maiden Milan-San Remo title bbc.com after engaging in a dramatic final-stage battle with Britain's Tom Pidcock, though the women's race saw a serious crash result in Debora Silvestri confirming she broke five ribs bbc.com.
Other Sports & League Business
The NHL's Avalanche became the first team to clinch a playoff berth espn.com following a decisive 4-1 victory over the Blackhawks. In the NFL, the New York Jets are absorbing a significant financial hit, effectively paying a combined $48 million across their cap for Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields to ensure neither player is the starting quarterback in 2026, consuming roughly 16% of their available space espn.com. Meanwhile, the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder have decided against a White House visit during their trip to the capital, citing 'timing' as the reason for declining the traditional post-championship acknowledgment during their weekend road trip espn.com. In a bizarre case of trademark dispute, the NCAA has filed a federal lawsuit against DraftKings espn.com, accusing the sportsbook of infringing on trademarks associated with terms like March Madness.