General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 3:30 PM ET
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Advances
The men's NCAA tournament field narrowed to 16 teams following dramatic second-round action, with several major seeds advancing while others fell. Purdue punched their ticket espn.com while No. 1 overall seed Duke narrowly escaped an upset espn.com, rallying from a 13-point deficit against 16th-seeded Siena, whose coach, Gerry McNamara, is reportedly turning to Syracuse espn.com. Meanwhile, Texas achieved an improbable feat, becoming the first team in five years to advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16 after upsetting No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68 espn.com, a run Coach Sean Miller insisted was not a Cinderella story despite the improbable path espn.com. The Midwest Region's top seed, Michigan, powered past Saint Louis espn.com, fueled by a 25-point performance from Yaxel Lendeborg, setting up a matchup between coaches Dusty May and Josh Schertz who have a long history of exchanging notes espn.com.
Other notable second-round results saw No. 2 seed UConn survive a scare, with Tarris Reed Jr. delivering a historic 31-point, 27-rebound performance to stave off Furman 82-71 espn.com, while No. 4 seed Nebraska secured its first-ever NCAA tournament victory by overwhelming Troy 76-47 espn.com. In upsets, No. 12 seed High Point stunned fifth-seeded Wisconsin on a late basket from Chase Johnston, who converted his first two-pointer of the season to secure the 83-82 victory espn.com. On the coaching carousel already turning, Providence hired Bryan Hodgson from USF espn.com, and Georgia Tech named former Troy coach Scott Cross as its new leader espn.com following the early departures elsewhere.
NCAA Women's Basketball Second Round
The women's tournament also progressed through its second round, with top seeds largely prevailing, though not without significant tests. UConn remained the odds-on title favorite espn.com heading into Sunday's action, following a weekend that saw No. 10 seed Virginia engineer the first upset of the tournament by defeating No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73 espn.com. South Carolina began its title defense with a massive 114-55 victory over Prairie View A&M, marking the second-largest margin in tournament history espn.com, with Joyce Edwards leading the charge with 27 points against Southern. Elsewhere, USC survived a review that nullified a Clemson buzzer-beater, eventually winning in overtime 71-67 to advance espn.com, while UCLA's Skyy Clark played through a lost tooth espn.com to help her team secure their own second-round spot. In personnel news, Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey secured the Patty Kazmaier Award espn.com as the top player in college women's hockey.
Coaching Changes and Legal Battles
Coaching changes continued to shape the college basketball landscape over the weekend. Following North Carolina’s first-round exit, officials are discussing Hubert Davis's future with the program espn.com, with Davis later stating fatigue was not to blame for the team's collapse after losing an 19-point second-half lead to VCU espn.com. On the baseball front, Paul Mainieri is out as South Carolina's baseball coach espn.com midway through his second season, unable to replicate his prior success at LSU. Separately, the NCAA filed a lawsuit against Draft Kings for trademark infringement regarding the term 'March Madness' espn.com, while Tuskegee coach Benjy Taylor initiated a $1 million federal suit against police officers and Morehouse College following his postgame detainment in January espn.com.
Global Athletics & Cycling Successes
Great Britain saw significant success on the track and indoors in Poland, with Georgia Hunter Bell and Molly Caudery both claiming world golds bbc.com at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. The UK contingent also saw Jeremiah Azu narrowly miss a medal in what was described as one of the best 60m races of all time bbc.com. On the track, Josh Kerr completed a remarkable recovery from injury to reclaim his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com. In cycling, Tadej Pogacar won his first Milan-San Remo title bbc.com after a decisive battle with Britain's Tom Pidcock, though the women's race saw a serious crash resulting in Debora Silvestri breaking five ribs bbc.com. Further global milestones were set as Australia's Cameron McEvoy shattered the long-standing 50m freestyle world record bbc.com.
Combat Sports & Rugby Updates
The weekend provided high drama in the UFC, where Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision victory over Lerone Murphy at UFC London, dealing a significant blow to Murphy’s featherweight title aspirations bbc.com. Post-event, the ongoing debate regarding fighter pay was brought to the forefront bbc.com, while Paddy Pimblett expressed his goal to target a July return to the Octagon bbc.com. In professional boxing, Costello van Steenis successfully retained his PFL middleweight title by stopping Fabian Edwards in the third round, ending Edwards' world title pursuit again bbc.com. In rugby union, the Stormers secured a crucial four-try victory over the Dragons in Cape Town, allowing them to move back into second place in the URC standings bbc.com. Meanwhile, Exeter edged Sale 26-14 to enter the Premiership play-off places bbc.com.
Football & Darts Thrills
In Super League action, Hull FC narrowly defeated Leeds Rhinos in a thrilling Yorkshire derby to earn their second victory of the season bbc.com, while league leaders Wigan Warriors extended their perfect start by fighting back from a 14-0 deficit against York bbc.com. The Warrington Wolves moved second in the table after Kelepi Tanginoa scored four tries in a dismantling of Castleford bbc.com. In darts, Luke Littler staged a stunning comeback in the Premier League final in Dublin, recovering from a 5-0 deficit to defeat Gerwyn Price 6-5 bbc.com, a match featuring two maximum 170 checkouts in a single game. In snooker, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh shocked Ronnie O'Sullivan in the World Open final, compiling a maximum 147 break during his 10-7 triumph bbc.com.
Other Sports Briefings
The New York Jets are accounting for significant salary cap maneuvering, reportedly paying a combined $48 million for Rodgers and Fields espn.com not to be their quarterback in 2026, utilizing roughly 16% of their available space. In the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche became the first team to clinch a playoff berth espn.com following their 4-1 victory over the Blackhawks. The WNBA's pending collective bargaining agreement is set to expedite the timeline for players on rookie deals to reach maximum salaries espn.com. On the international circuit, 15-year-old Fanny Utagushimaninde of Rwanda made history by becoming the youngest woman to score a T20 international century bbc.com. Finally, in a piece of peculiar sports administration news, President Trump issued an executive order to bar playoff games from airing during the annual Army-Navy football matchup espn.com.