General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 11:30 AM ET
College Basketball: NCAA Tournament Showcases Upsets & Star Power
The men's NCAA tournament continued its dramatic run with No. 11 seed Texas upsetting Gonzaga 74-68 espn.com on Saturday, becoming the first team in five years to advance from the First Four to the Sweet, a feat coach Sean Miller insisted did not make them a Cinderella team espn.com. Meanwhile, No. 1 overall seed Duke narrowly survived espn.com, rallying from a 13-point deficit to defeat 16th-seeded Siena, while No. 2 seed UConn leaned on a historic performance from Tarris Reed Jr., who posted 31 points and 27 rebounds espn.com in an 82-71 victory over Furman. In other men's action, Nebraska outlasted Vanderbilt 74-72 espn.com after a last-second half-court heave rimmed out, and Michigan, the Midwest Region's top seed, used a 25-point outing from Yaxel Lendeborg espn.com to dispatch Saint Louis and secure their Sweet 16 spot.
The women's bracket also delivered upsets and dominant showings as the field narrowed to 32 teams; No. 10 seed Virginia authored the first upset espn.com, sending No. 7 seed Georgia home with an 82-73 win. The defending champion Florida squad opened their title defense espn.com with a 59-point pounding of Prairie View A&M, marking the second-largest victory margin in tournament history at 114-55, while No. 2 seed UConn remained the odds-on favorite heading into Saturday's action espn.com. USC needed a review to nullify a Clemson buzzer-beater espn.com before winning in overtime 71-67, and star forward Joyce Edwards dropped 27 points and eight boards espn.com to power South Carolina past Southern by 69 points. Discussions surrounding coaching futures continued, as UNC officials weighed Hubert Davis's status espn.com following another first-round exit, contrasted by the dramatic collapse of Tennessee, which lost its eighth straight game espn.com to end the season.
Coaching carousel movement saw Providence poach South Florida's Bryan Hodgson espn.com for their men's basketball vacancy, while Georgia Tech finalized the hiring of former Troy coach Scott Cross espn.com on Friday. In a less successful coaching tenure, the Huddersfield Giants sacked head coach Luke Robinson bbc.com following a disastrous start to the 2026 Super League campaign, though Bradford Bulls earlier outmuscled Huddersfield bbc.com in a separate Super League encounter. Elsewhere in college administration, South Carolina parted ways with baseball coach Paul Mainieri espn.com midway through his second season, and Tuskegee coach Benjy Taylor filed a $1 million federal lawsuit espn.com against Morehouse College and officers following his postgame detainment in January.
Snooker, Golf & Combat Sports Updates
In a stunning upset at the World Open in Yushan, China, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-7 bbc.com, achieving the feat by compiling a maximum 147 break during the final frame. On the links, Australia's Hannah Green claimed her third consecutive tournament title bbc.com at the Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast, while cyclist Josh Kerr reclaimed his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com after a lengthy injury layoff. The UFC London event saw controversy erupt over fighter compensation, yet provided career moments, as Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision bbc.com that significantly hampered Lerone Murphy's featherweight title aspirations, leading to Mason Jones earning the fight of the night bonus for his redemption win nearly four years after his last pro defeat bbc.com. Paddy Pimblett is already targeting a return to the Octagon in July bbc.com during the UFC's international fight week.
Rugby, Soccer & Cycling Results
The weekend saw significant movement in European rugby competitions; Exeter clinched a place in the Premiership play-offs bbc.com following a 26-14 victory over Sale, while Trailfinders edged Harlequins 21-17 thanks to a try from Abi Burton three minutes from time bbc.com. In the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a powerful second-half display bbc.com to earn a statement bonus-point win over Ulster. Cycling provided a major result as Tadej Pogacar won his first Milan-San Remo title bbc.com after a thrilling final sprint against Tom Pidcock, though the women's race saw Italian rider Debora Silvestri confirm she suffered five broken ribs in a crash bbc.com. Meanwhile, in darts, Luke Littler staged an incredible comeback, coming back from 5-0 down to stun Gerwyn Price 6-5 bbc.com in the Premier League final, which featured two maximum 170 checkouts in one leg.
NFL, NBA & League News
The New York Jets are allocating approximately 16% of their salary cap space espn.com after moving on from both Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields, signaling a clear shift in their quarterback room plans for the upcoming season. Reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City declined a White House visit espn.com during their trip to the nation's capital this weekend, citing "timing" issues. In NFL personnel news, Kenny Pickett expressed his hope that joining the Panthers under coach Dave Canales will lead to his ultimate goal of regaining a starting job espn.com, while reports suggest the Miami Heat are preparing to waive Terry Rozier espn.com before the playoffs commence to optimize their roster for a deep run. In Super League play, Wigan Warriors fought back from a 14-0 deficit bbc.com to maintain their 100% start to the season, while Warrington Wolves' Kelepi Tanginoa scored four tries bbc.com in a dominant win that moved them into second place.
General Sports Business & Athlete Updates
The landscape of athlete endorsements and intellectual property saw darts star Luke Littler applying to trademark his face bbc.com to combat unauthorized AI-generated imagery. In a lighter note, several high-profile athletes, including Serena Williams and Shaquille O'Neal espn.com, participated in a viral '90s throwback trend set to the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris." On the administrative front, the NCAA has filed a lawsuit against DraftKings espn.com for alleged trademark infringement related to the use of terms like "March Madness," while the WNBA's pending Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to fast-track maximum salary deals espn.com for players on rookie-scale contracts. Kentucky forward Quaintance is utilizing manga comics espn.com as a means to keep occupied while recovering from injury, an interesting approach to managing long-term healing.