General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 23, 2026, 11:30 AM ET
College Basketball Tournaments & Coaching Carousel
The NCAA Men's Tournament second round concluded with several dramatic finishes, setting the Sweet 16 lineup; Purdue advanced espn.com after coach Matt Painter secured his 500th victory at the school, while St. John's punched their ticket espn.com thanks to a Dylan Darling buzzer-beater against Kansas. Meanwhile, the women's bracket also solidified its Sweet, with TCU outlasting Washington espn.com in overtime, propelled by Olivia Miles' 18 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 1 Texas rolled past Oregon espn.com behind a career-high 40 points from Madison Booker. On the sidelines, Creighton coach Greg McDermott announced espn.com his retirement at the end of the season, concluding a 16-year tenure where he won 365 games, while Syracuse is reportedly moving to hire former star Gerry McNamara as head coach espn.com.
Further action in the men's tournament saw No. 2 UConn survive a scare espn.com against Furman, thanks to Tarris Reed Jr.'s massive 31-point, 27-rebound performance, though the upset watch continued as No. 10 seed Texas advanced from the First Four espn.com by defeating Gonzaga 74-68, with Coach Sean Miller asserting his team is no Cinderella despite the improbable run. In other major coaching news, Kansas coach Bill Self confirmed espn.com no decision has been made regarding his future following their season-ending loss, and UNC officials are reportedly in discussions with coach Hubert Davis espn.com after another first-round exit. The women’s side also saw upsets, with No. 10 Virginia creating the first upset espn.com by topping No. 7 Georgia 82-73, while defending champion Florida was eliminated, suffering their second-largest tournament loss ever espn.com in a 114-55 opener.
Several other coaching positions are in flux or have been filled: Providence has successfully hired South Florida's Bryan Hodgson as its new coach espn.com, and Cal State Bakersfield is targeting USC assistant Todd Lee amid their ongoing search espn.com. In the sport’s administrative sphere, the NCAA filed a trademark suit espn.com against Draft Kings over the unauthorized use of terms like 'March Madness,' while elsewhere, South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri espn.com is out midway through his second season after failing to replicate his LSU success.
NASCAR, Golf & Global Cycling
In motorsports, NASCAR star Tyler Reddick captured his fourth victory espn.com of the season at Darlington, placing him in elite company, while in Moto GP, Marco Bezzecchi continued his strong start espn.com by winning the Brazilian Grand Prix in a race shortened to 31 laps due to extreme heat conditions. Cycling saw a thrilling conclusion to the Milan-San Remo classic, where Tadej Pogacar denied Britain's Tom Pidcock bbc.com to claim his first title in the event, though the women's race was marred by a serious crash that left Debora Silvestri with five broken ribs bbc.com. On the links, Jon Rahm dropped his DP World Tour appeal bbc.com regarding sanctions for LIV Golf participation but refused to pay the associated fines, while Australia’s Hannah Green secured her third successive tournament win bbc.com at the Australian WPGA Championship.
International & Domestic Rugby/Football
The English Premiership returned with intense action; Leicester Tigers ran effectively from deep bbc.com, Finn Russell orchestrated a victory, and Harlequins sank further into trouble bbc.com, while Exeter moved into the play-off positions after a 26-14 bonus-point victory over Sale bbc.com. In the United Rugby Championship, Connacht delivered a statement win bbc.com over Ulster in the second half, and the Stormers moved to second place following a four-try performance against the Dragons bbc.com. On the international front, England is scheduled to host Canada in a 2025 World Cup final rematch bbc.com this September as part of the WXV Global Series fixtures. Meanwhile, in domestic football, the Premier League saw Manchester City gain an edge over Arsenal espn.com in a Carabao Cup clash that could influence their league battle, and in the lower leagues, Rushden & Diamonds released two players bbc.com following an on-pitch fight that resulted in both receiving red cards.
Track & Field, Combat Sports, & Other Disciplines
Great Britain achieved a historic medal haul at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland, securing three gold medals within 28 minutes bbc.com for their best-ever showing, including a commanding 800m victory by Keely Hodgkinson, who set a championship record in the process to claim her first world indoor title bbc.com. Fellow Briton Josh Kerr also marked his successful return from injury, reclaiming his world indoor 3,000m title after recovering from injury bbc.com, though Jeremiah Azu narrowly missed out on a medal in the 60m race, which was described as "one of the best 60m races of all time" finishing fourth overall bbc.com. In combat sports, the UFC London event saw Movsar Evloev secure a majority decision victory that dented Lerone Murphy's featherweight title hopes bbc.com, while Paddy Pimblett is targeting a return to the octagon bbc.com in July during International Fight Week. In snooker, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh stunned Ronnie O'Sullivan in the World Open final, compiling a maximum 147 break en route to a 10-7 win bbc.com.
Cricket & Player Futures
England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould stated that sacking head coach Brendon McCullum following the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia bbc.com would have been the "easy" option, affirming support for the current leadership. Separately, the development of European cricket continues, with plans revealed for a potential new tournament launch bbc.com as early as 2027, while Rwanda's Fanny Utagushimaninde made history by becoming the youngest woman to score a T20 international century bbc.com at just 15 years and 223 days old. In NFL news, the New York Jets are committing $48 million espn.com against their cap for Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields despite moving on from both as starting quarterbacks for the 2026 season, while Kenny Pickett is reportedly banking on coach Dave Canales to help him regain a starting role with the Panthers espn.com.
Gymnastics, Tennis & Miscellaneous Developments
In gymnastics, Alice Kinsella made British history by becoming the first artistic gymnast to resume elite competition bbc.com after giving birth, dedicating the effort to her son. In tennis, Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Miami Open last 16 bbc.com after swiftly defeating Caty McNally, keeping her bid for the 'Sunshine Double' alive. Amid various controversies, Wisconsin's Caroline Harvey was voted the winner of the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award espn.com as the top player in college women's hockey. Furthermore, the debate over fighter compensation resurfaced after UFC London, with one athlete describing the situation as heartbreaking amidst strong performances bbc.com, and in boxing, Michael Conlan confirmed the "end of the road" for his professional career following a split decision loss to Kevin Walsh at the Belfast event bbc.com. Finally, Wimbledon announced it will introduce video review technology bbc.com for the first time this year.