General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 24, 2026, 4:30 AM ET
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Advances
The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament field narrowed to the Sweet 16 following an intense weekend of second-round action, with parity evident across the bracket where six SEC teams and five ACC teams secured spots espn.com. In a thrilling contest, No. 10 seed Virginia ousted host Iowa 83-75 espn.com in double overtime, making UVA the first First Four team ever to reach the Sweet, while TCU also needed overtime to outlast Washington 62-59 espn.com. Meanwhile, No. 1 seed UConn dominated Syracuse 98-45 espn.com behind Azzi Fudd’s 34 points, prompting Syracuse coach Felisha Legette-Jack to publicly blast the NCAA committee for the frequent placement of her team in the UConn subregional in Storrs espn.com.
Further drama unfolded as Minnesota reached its first Sweet 16 in 21 years espn.com after Amaya Battle hit a tiebreaking jump shot with 0.7 seconds left to defeat Mississippi 65-63, contrasting sharply with the decisive victory by No. 1 South Carolina, whose Joyce Edwards posted 27 points and eight rebounds in a 103-34 blowout over Southern espn.com. USC also advanced after a dramatic second-round game where a buzzer-beater by Clemson was nullified by review espn.com, allowing USC to secure a 71-67 overtime win. The tournament's strong start has been reflected in viewership, as ratings for March Madness are off to their best start since 2011 espn.com when CBS and TNT began airing all games espn.com.
NCAA Men's Tournament Reaches Sweet 16
The men’s bracket is set for the Sweet 16 following a weekend filled with major upsets and coaching milestones, including Purdue coach Matt Painter securing his 500th career win espn.com at his alma mater during a 79-69 victory over Miami. The regional semifinals will feature intriguing matchups, such as Michigan facing Saint Louis, where Michigan coach Dusty May will meet Josh Schertz after years of exchanging scouting notes espn.com. St. John's punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 after Dylan Darling's game-winning layup sealed a 67-65 upset of Kansas espn.com, while Texas also completed an improbable run, becoming the first team in five years to advance from the First Four to the regional semifinals after toppling No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68 espn.com.
UCLA star Lauren Betts delivered a career-high 25 points to power the Bruins to an 87-68 blowout over Oklahoma State in the second round espn.com, and No. 2 seed UConn narrowly avoided a major upset when Tarris Reed Jr. delivered a historic 31-point, 27-rebound performance to help the Huskies escape Furman 82-71 espn.com. Elsewhere, Iowa eliminated defending champion Florida in a thriller after Alvaro Folgueiras hit a three-pointer with 4.5 seconds left espn.com, though Kentucky suffered its worst tournament loss since 1972, falling by 19 points to Iowa State espn.com. In coaching news, Creighton’s Greg McDermott announced his retirement following the season espn.com, concluding a 16-year tenure where he amassed 365 victories.
College Coaching Carousel Heats Up
The college basketball coaching carousel saw several high-profile hires and ongoing deliberations in the wake of tournament exits. Arizona State officially tapped Saint Mary's Randy Bennett as its new head coach espn.com, while Syracuse is reportedly nearing an agreement to hire former star Gerry McNamara, currently the coach at Siena espn.com. Meanwhile, Cincinnati is expected to hire Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun, who has guided the Aggies to back-to-back NCAA tournaments espn.com, and Providence landed USF’s Bryan Hodgson for its men's program espn.com. In contrast, UNC officials are reportedly in active discussions with coach Hubert Davis regarding his future after yet another first-round exit espn.com.
Tennis & Golf Updates
On the ATP tour, Jannik Sinner cemented his dominant form at the Miami Open by defeating Corentin Moutet, consequently surpassing Novak Djokovic’s decade-old record for consecutive sets won at Masters 1000 events bbc.com. On the women's side, World Number One Aryna Sabalenka made quick work of Zheng Qinwen to progress in Miami bbc.com, continuing her quest for the 'Sunshine Double' after sweeping past Caty McNally bbc.com. In golf, the inaugural TGL championship kicked off with Los Angeles Golf Club securing a narrow 6-5 victory over Jupiter Links Golf Club in the opening match espn.com, leading Tiger Woods to confirm his participation in Match 2 to keep Jupiter Links’ season alive espn.com. Separately, Matt Fitzpatrick’s recent third US PGA Tour title places him strongly among the favorites for the upcoming Masters, based on his impressive underlying statistics bbc.com.
International Cricket & Rugby Developments
In international cricket, Cricket Ireland's coach Graeme West confirmed that players retain the option to opt out of playing the upcoming series against Afghanistan bbc.com, amidst broader discussions concerning the state of English men's cricket bbc.co.uk. Former captain Michael Vaughan suggested that England head coach Brendon McCullum and MD Rob Key were fortunate to survive a post-Ashes review bbc.com, though ECB chief Richard Gould defended McCullum, stating that sacking him after the 4-1 loss would have been the "easy" decision bbc.com. Furthermore, Glamorgan seam bowler James Harris announced his immediate retirement from the sport with the new season fast approaching bbc.com, while 15-year-old Rwandan batter Fanny Utagushimaninde achieved a major milestone by becoming the youngest woman to score a T20 international century bbc.com.
Rugby Union & League News
The United Rugby Championship saw action over the weekend, with the Stormers moving back into second place following a four-try victory over the Dragons in Cape Town bbc.com, while Welsh sides faced tough outings, though Taulupe Faletau, Jac Morgan, and Elliot Dee returned bbc.com. In Rugby League, Tara Jones is set to make history as the first woman to referee a Super League match bbc.com when she officiates the Wigan versus Huddersfield fixture. Meanwhile, the Welsh Rugby Union granted a 30-day extension for the negotiation period concerning the sale of Cardiff Rugby to the Ospreys owners, Y11 bbc.com.
Combat Sports & Athletics
The UFC London card generated debate regarding fighter compensation, particularly after Paddy Pimblett targeted a July return during International Fight Week bbc.com, while Mason Jones earned the fight of the night bonus following a redemption victory bbc.com. Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision win over Lerone Murphy, putting a halt to Murphy's featherweight title aspirations bbc.com. In athletics, Great Britain achieved a historic haul at the World Indoor Championships in Poland, securing three gold medals within a sensational 28-minute span bbc.com; this included Josh Kerr reclaiming his world indoor 3,000m title after recovering from injury bbc.com, and Keely Hodgkinson capturing the 800m gold with a championship record bbc.com. Irish athlete Kate O’Connor also secured a bronze medal in the pentathlon bbc.com.
Miscellaneous Sports Transactions & Updates
In professional basketball transactions, WNBA players voted overwhelmingly to ratify the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, with the union reporting that over 90% of players participated in the unanimous approval espn.com, setting the stage for a busy offseason that includes an expansion draft and a college draft espn.com. The NFL saw the Jets commit a combined $48 million to Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields, effectively signaling neither will be the primary quarterback in 2026 espn.com. In the world of motorsports, Tyler Reddick secured his fourth victory of the season at Darlington Raceway, placing him in an elite club of NASCAR drivers espn.com, and Moto GP saw Marco Bezzecchi take the win in Brazil in a race that was shortened due to extreme heat bbc.com. Finally, a bipartisan Senate bill was introduced seeking to ban prediction markets from facilitating transactions that functionally mimic sports betting espn.com.