General Sports 3 Days

Last updated: March 29, 2026, 5:30 AM ET

NCAA Men's Tournament Shines as Elite Eight Concludes

The NCAA Men’s Tournament solidified its Final Four participants following a weekend featuring major upsets and close calls, with Illinois achieving its first Final Four in 21 years after Keaton Wagler poured in 25 points during their victory over Iowa on Saturday. The Illinois win prompted Champaign officials to issue an emergency order limiting alcohol sales on campus in anticipation of massive celebrations. Meanwhile, Arizona punched their ticket by dominating Arkansas 109-88, handing Coach Calipari his worst tournament loss, while Purdue edged Texas 79-77 thanks to a Trey Kaufman-Renn tip-in with 0.7 seconds remaining. In other regional finals, UConn overcame a cold first half to beat North Carolina 63-42, and Michigan advanced behind Yaxel Lendeborg’s all-around performance of 23 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in their 90-77 win over Alabama. Analysts are also examining the bracket's composition, as one commentator noted that the regional finals look somewhat chalky, despite a 9-seed Iowa team remaining in the mix.

Coaches reacted strongly to the tournament's pressures and structure; UConn’s Geno Auriemma voiced concerns over the NCAA's tournament decisions, seeking greater input for coaches and players, while UCLA’s Cori Close pleaded for changes to address the exhausting pace of success, stating that the current system puts the burden heavily on coaches. Separately, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo scoffed at retirement speculation following his team's Sweet 16 exit, emphatically stating he has no intention of stepping down. On the coaching carousel, Boston College announced the hiring of UConn assistant Luke Murray as their new head coach, contrasting with Alabama’s Nate Oats, who affirmed he has "absolutely no reason to leave" his post and has begun extension talks with the Crimson Tide.

NCAA Women's Tournament: Dominance and Drama in the Elite Eight

The Women’s NCAA bracket saw top seeds advance with varying degrees of difficulty, as South Carolina maintained their perfect run, asserting they are yet to hit their performance ceiling despite three dominant victories. South Carolina faces Oklahoma, a team that inflicted one of their only two regular-season losses, though the Gamecocks maintain the upcoming matchup is not a revenge game. UConn reached the Elite Eight for the 30th time after recovering from an uncharacteristic first half to crush North Carolina 63-42, while Notre Dame also advanced, powered by Hannah Hidalgo’s triple-double and a record-setting performance in steals against Vanderbilt. Duke secured their spot after Caleb Foster returned from a broken foot to will the Blue Devils past St. John's 80-75, rallying from a 10-point second-half deficit. Notre Dame’s success sets up a clash with rival UConn, with ND’s Hidalgo noting that UConn guard Paige Bueckers is operating at a "Caitlin-type of level" scorer.

The field for the regional finals is heavily represented by established powers, as all four No. 1 seeds successfully navigated their path to this stage, with the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC each hosting two teams in the Elite Eight. Michigan punched their ticket behind Olivia Olson’s 19-point effort in a 71-52 victory over Louisville, and Iowa State fell to Tennessee 76-62 despite Joshua Jefferson being a game-time decision due to an ankle injury. Furthermore, the WNBA is preparing for a significant change as sources confirmed the Connecticut Sun franchise is being sold for a record $300 million to the Fertitta family, with plans to relocate the team to Houston for the 2027 season, marking a major development alongside the league's new CBA.

UFC & Combat Sports Upsets and Setbacks

UFC Fight Night delivered a major upset Saturday when Joe Pyfer delivered a stunning second-round ground-and-pound finish over former two-time champion Israel Adesanya in the main event. Despite the loss, Adesanya, who had contemplated stepping away from the sport last year, insisted he is still motivated to continue his career. The evening also saw confusion when referee error required Tyrell Fortune to return to the Octagon after Bruce Buffer mistakenly announced his opponent as the winner. Meanwhile, Bellator heavyweight Tyrell Fortune reflected on a near-fatal weight cut, stating he is "living to fight another day" after that experience. In boxing, Floyd Mayweather tempered expectations for his pending bout with Manny Pacquiao, clarifying that the fight will be an exhibition and that the location remains undetermined.

Figure Skating & Track World Championships

Figure skater Ilia Malinin rebounded strongly from a disappointing showing at the Milan Cortina Olympics by capturing the world championship title in Prague, looking every bit the world’s best. Conversely, British Ice Skating lodged an appeal after Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson narrowly missed out on an ice dance bronze medal at the same World Championships due to what they deemed an "incorrect" judging decision. In athletics, Great Britain’s Josh Kerr announced his intention to target the world mile record this July at the London Diamond League meeting, expressing his belief that it is "time to bring the record home." Furthermore, the season-opening Diamond League meet in Doha is currently scheduled to proceed despite the ongoing conflict in the region.

Rugby Union & League Developments

The United Rugby Championship saw mixed results for Welsh sides; Cardiff suffered a 21-15 defeat by the Sharks, during which veteran Taulupe Faletau sustained an injury. In contrast, Ulster secured a needed 28-12 win over Zebre, and Leinster claimed a bonus-point victory against the Scarlets. Edinburgh’s play-off aspirations were severely damaged following a 33-14 loss to the Stormers. In the English Premiership, Northampton Saints maintained their top spot after Archie McParland scored a dramatic late try to edge out Saracens, while Exeter Chiefs ran in six tries to defeat Newcastle and move into third place. Meanwhile, Premiership clubs agreed to introduce a 'salary floor' of £5.4 million minimum spend on player wages starting next season to ensure competitive balance.

Global Football & Cricket Updates

In the Irish Premiership, Larne extended their lead to six points at the summit, defeating Cliftonville 2-0 while closest rivals Glentoran were held to a 1-1 draw with Linfield. In the Welsh Rugby Union, under-fire chair WRU chair Collier-Keywood announced he will depart his role in July, as England coach Steve Borthwick faces an RFU review with no guarantees regarding his future; Northampton coach Sam Vesty also voiced concerns about whether the England squad has lost its core identity under Borthwick. On the international front, Wales captain Kate Williams expressed excitement for the future after bringing in several new players for the 2026 Six Nations. In cricket, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 69 guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a convincing opening victory in the IPL, and Indian legend Ravichandran Ashwin is set to join the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket.

Other Sports News & Reflection

In UFC news, a bizarre scoring error on Saturday required Tyrell Fortune to return to the Octagon after the wrong winner was initially announced. Meanwhile, in cycling, Tom Pidcock was forced to withdraw from the Volta a Catalunya after a "horror" fall down a ravine during stage five, though his British teammate Ethan Vernon secured a sprint victory on a shortened stage four. Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen created headlines by ejecting a journalist from his post-qualifying news conference in Japan following a dispute stemming from last year’s Abu Dhabi race, though Lewis Hamilton commented that the current F1 season is "much more fun" than previous years. Finally, the sporting world mourned the passing of Mary Rand, the trailblazing Olympic champion described as "Marilyn Monroe on spikes," who died at age 86.