General Sports 3 Days

Last updated: March 28, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

NCAA Women's Tournament Showcases Elite Eight Battles

The women's NCAA tournament bracket began solidifying into the Elite Eight following several high-stakes weekend matchups, with top-seed South Carolina powering past Oklahoma in dominant fashion, 94-68, driven by Ta'Niya Latson's 28 points and Raven Johnson's 18. The regional final picture became clearer as No. 2 seed Michigan advanced past Louisville with Olivia Olson leading the way with 19 points in a 71-52 victory, setting up a challenging Elite Eight slate. Meanwhile, No. 1 UConn achieved their 30th Elite Eight appearance by overwhelming No. 4 seed North Carolina 63-42 after shaking off an uncharacteristic cold first half. In a dramatic finish, Duke secured its spot behind an Ashlon Jackson buzzer-beater, defeating LSU 87-85 in a tight Sweet 16 contest Friday night.

The road to the regional finals also saw significant performances from key contenders, as Notre Dame secured their Elite Eight berth by eliminating Vanderbilt, with Hannah Hidalgo posting a triple-double and setting the Division I record for most steals in a single game. Ahead of their clash, Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw stated the team is not the same squad that suffered an earlier season blowout loss to UConn, indicating confidence heading into the rivalry matchup. In other matchups, Tennessee punched their ticket for a third straight Elite Eight by defeating Iowa State 76-62 through superior rebounding and a strong second half. Coach Ben McCollum confirmed his return to Iowa for the 2026-27 season, signaling stability for the Hawkeyes despite reaching their deepest tournament run yet under the coach who has won NCAA games for four straight years.

NCAA Men's Field Takes Shape & Coaching Changes

The men's bracket saw several teams overcome tough Sweet 16 tests to reach the regional finals, including UConn holding off Michigan State 67-63 thanks to clutch late-game free throws from Tarris Reed Jr. (20 and Alex Karaban (17 . Duke also navigated a difficult Sweet 16 game, rallying from a 10-point second-half deficit to beat St. John's 80-75, with Caleb Foster returning from a broken foot to "will" the Blue Devils to victory. Coach Jon Scheyer's Duke team now faces LSU's conqueror in the Elite Eight, setting up a compelling next round. On the defensive end, Illinois defense stifled Houston, holding the Cougars to just 34% shooting in a low-scoring 65-55 victory to earn their place in the final eight.

The weekend's action also triggered coaching movement and reaction across the college basketball sphere; Boston College hired UConn assistant Luke Murray as their new head coach on Thursday, while news broke that former LSU coach Will Wade is returning to LSU from his NC State post. Meanwhile, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo dismissed any speculation regarding retirement following the Spartans' Sweet 16 exit, emphatically stating, "Why? What the hell am I going to do?". In other news, UCLA coach Cori Close pleaded for changes to the demanding pace of collegiate success, noting that the burden on coaches has changed considerably in recent years, while UConn's Geno Auriemma questioned the NCAA's tournament structure input processes.

Figure Skating & Track Dominated by World Champions

In figure skating, Ilia Malinin demonstrated his world-class ability in Prague, looking like the best men's skater alive as he secured the world championship title, successfully rebounding from a disappointing showing at the Milan Cortina Olympics. This success followed a strong short program performance after the Olympics. In related world championship news, Japan's Kaori Sakamoto concluded her stellar career in style, capturing her fourth world gold medal, stating she "can say goodbye with this performance". However, the ice dance event saw disappointment for Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, who finished just off the podium in fourth place after incurring a two-point penalty.

On the track, Great Britain's Josh Kerr announced ambitious plans to chase the world mile record this summer, declaring it a "career goal" to "bring the record home" at the London Diamond League meeting in July. This follows the tragic news that Mary Rand, the trailblazing first British woman to win Olympic athletics gold, passed away at age. In other British track news, Kirsty Muir achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first British woman to claim both the slopestyle and overall World Cup titles in her sport. Conversely, Georgia Hunter Bell, the reigning world indoor champion, experienced a loss in her first 1500m race since her victory in Melbourne.

European Rugby Sees Mixed Fortunes in Domestic & URC Play

The United Rugby Championship saw several tight contests over the weekend; champions Leinster secured a bonus-point victory over Scarlets to climb to third in the table, while the Bulls edged out Munster 34-31 in a thrilling Pretoria encounter. In contrast, Edinburgh’s play-off aspirations are nearly extinguished following a decisive 33-14 loss to the Stormers in Cape Town. Elsewhere in the URC, Cardiff suffered a 21-15 defeat against the Sharks, a match made worse by an injury sustained by Welsh great Taulupe Faletau, and the Lions overpowered the Dragons in Johannesburg, though the Welsh side earned a bonus point via four tries.

In the English Premiership, the league leaders Northampton Saints managed a dramatic comeback win over Saracens at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, sealed by a late try from Archie McParland, with Saints players relishing the "finals vibe" of the large venue. Meanwhile, Harlequins snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating Bristol 18-14, simultaneously damaging Bristol's top-four aspirations, though Quins' own PWR top-four hopes were simultaneously dashed by a narrow loss to Bristol Bears. Premiership clubs also agreed on establishing a minimum £5.4 million spend on player wages next season to maintain competitive balance.

Global Cricket & Super League Updates

In the Indian Premier League, Virat Kohli's unbeaten 69 helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru cruise past Sunrisers Hyderabad in their title defense opening match. to the growth of cricket in the US, legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will join the San Francisco Unicorns for the upcoming Major League Cricket season, marking a significant coup for the league. In other developments, Australia captain Pat Cummins noted that some players sacrificed potential earnings of "half a million pounds" to participate in the Test series against Bangladesh over franchise T20 opportunities.

In Rugby Super League action celebrating its 30th anniversary, reigning champions Hull KR delivered a thrashing to St Helens, while Wigan Warriors suffered a shock 34-16 home defeat that ended their 100% start to the season, falling to bottom side Huddersfield Giants. Looking at the Irish Premiership, Larne moved six points clear at the top after defeating Cliftonville 2-0, capitalizing on a draw between their nearest challengers, Glentoran and Linfield. Furthermore, the league prepares for a historic moment as referee Tara Jones, recently awarded an MBE, is set to become the first woman to officiate a men's Super League match this Saturday.