General Sports 3 Days

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

NCAA Men's Basketball: Final Four Set & Superlatives

The field for the Men's Final Four is set, with UConn and Illinois punching their tickets to Indianapolis following dramatic Elite Eight victories. The Huskies secured their spot by eliminating No. 1 overall seed Duke thanks to a last-second three-pointer from Braylon Mullins with just 0.4 seconds remaining, while Illinois advanced for the first time in 21 years after Keaton Wagler dropped 25 points in their win over Iowa. Early predictions already favor UConn and Arizona to face off for the national championship next weekend, though the full ranking places UConn narrowly ahead of Illinois, Arizona, and Michigan. Furthermore, Illinois’s success prompted Champaign officials to implement emergency alcohol sales limits anticipating potential campus celebrations, and Iowa coach Ben McCollum affirmed he will return to the Hawkeyes despite the deep tournament run.

Beyond the results, nonstatistical superlatives captured the atmosphere of the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds. Michigan punched their ticket to the Final Four for the first time since 2018 after overwhelming Tennessee 95-62, powered by Yaxel Lendeborg’s 27 points and Elliot Cadeau’s 10 assists. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo dismissed any immediate retirement speculation following his team's Sweet 16 exit, cryptically asking, "Why? What the hell am I going to do?". Meanwhile, Alabama's Aden Holloway was unexpectedly absent from the Sweet 16 matchup against Michigan, despite a judge granting his request to travel.

NCAA Women's Basketball: Elite Eight Concludes

The Women's Final Four bracket finalized with No. 1 seeds UConn and UCLA advancing through their respective regional finals. UConn ground out a tough 70-52 victory over No. 6 seed Notre Dame to secure their 25th Final Four appearance and 17th in the last 18 tournaments, leading coach Geno Auriemma to voice concerns over the NCAA's tournament structure and preparation. UCLA earned their spot after rallying past Duke, which was partly attributed to a halftime meeting among the team's graduating members. South Carolina continued its dominant run, though Coach Dawn Staley suggested the Gamecocks still have "room to grow" despite looking sharp through three wins.

Recruiting discussions are increasingly dominated by financial factors, according to South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who stated that the primary question in recruitment now revolves around the cost of a commitment. In an unusual development, South Carolina also landed Neff Giwa, a 20-year-old Irishman who has never played American football, to join their offensive line. Notre Dame's Elite Eight exit, where Hannah Hidalgo posted a triple-double and set the Division I record for steals, leaves Duke and Notre Dame facing portal priorities as they look ahead.

Formula 1 & Motorsports

The Formula 1 circuit saw Kimi Antonelli claim victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, a win arguably aided by safety car timing, though he was noted as being the fastest car on track regardless. Driver ratings from the event showed Oscar Piastri impressing while Pierre Gasly also excelled. However, the post-qualifying atmosphere was tense, with Max Verstappen and F1 bosses facing "a lot of stuff to figure out" regarding the refined rules and safety parameters. In related team politics, former Mercedes rival Toto Wolff suggested that any return to the sport for Christian Horner would be complicated because he has "broken quite a lot of glass" within the paddock. Elsewhere in motorsports, Chase Elliott secured his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season after outdueling Denny Hamlin at Martinsville.

UFC, Boxing & Combat Sports

The combat sports weekend featured significant upsets and career milestones. In the UFC Fight Night main event, Joe Pyfer achieved the biggest win of his career by finishing two-time champion Israel Adesanya via ground-and-pound in the second round. Meanwhile, heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma, at just, continued his rapid ascent by knocking out Jermaine Franklin Jr., leading observers to suggest his era of dominance is already here rather than impending. The boxing world witnessed an action-packed Saturday, headlined by Lauren Price's world title defense. Floyd Mayweather tempered expectations for his bout with Manny Pacquiao, clarifying that the impending clash would officially be contested as an exhibition, not a professional fight.

Global Rugby & Soccer

In European club rugby, Bath staged a second-half comeback, overcoming a 19-7 halftime deficit to secure a bonus-point win over Sale, sealed by a late try from Alfie Barbeary. In the United Rugby Championship, the Bulls narrowly defeated Munster 34-31 in Pretoria, while Cardiff suffered a 21-15 loss to the Sharks during which Taulupe Faletau sustained an injury. In the English Premiership, league leaders Northampton Saints edged out Saracens thanks to a dramatic late try by Archie McParland. On the international soccer front, Donegal manager Jim McGuinness expressed delight after his team hammered Kerry 3-20 to 2-10, capturing their second ever National Football League Division One title in 19 years.

Golf, Cricket & Athletics

Gary Woodland captured the Houston Open on Sunday, winning by five shots in his first PGA Tour victory since undergoing brain surgery in 2023. In world athletics, the sport mourned the loss of Mary Rand, the first British woman to win Olympic track gold, who passed away at the age of 86. Rand, fondly remembered as "Marilyn Monroe on spikes," had been celebrated earlier in the week for her trailblazing Olympic achievements. In cricket, Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 69 to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru secure an opening win in the IPL defense, and Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin is slated to join the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket.

Other Sports Updates

The world of winter sports saw Japan's Kaori Sakamoto conclude her illustrious career by winning her fourth world gold medal in her final competition, while Ilia Malinin rebounded from a disappointing Olympic showing to claim world championship gold in Prague. In action sports, Great Britain's Zoe Atkin clinched the overall World Cup halfpipe title following a victory in Switzerland, and Kirsty Muir became the first British woman to secure both the slopestyle and overall World Cup titles in freestyle skiing. On the ice, referee Tara Jones is set to make history by becoming the first woman to officiate a men's Super League game this Saturday. Moto GP saw Marco Bezzecchi claim his third consecutive victory of the season at the US GP, though Briton Tom Pidcock withdrew from the Volta a Catalunya after suffering a "horror" fall down a ravine during stage five.