Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Tony Finau, Rory McIlroy and quite possibly Tiger Woods are among those who will compete at the 2024 Masters.

They will be playing for an $18 million prize pool and, of course, an iconic green jacket.

Rahm, who joined the controversial LIV Golf in December, will be seeking to defend his title from last year while top-ranked PGA player Scheffler is hoping to keep his hot streak going. He won The Players Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational this month.

Woods has been playing on and off since he suffered a serious leg injury in a 2021 car accident. Woods played in last year’s tournament and tied Gary Player and Fred Couples’ record with his 23rd consecutive time making the cut, but withdrew in the third round due to ‘constant pain.’

Here’s who is playing in the 2024 Masters Tournament:

Masters field 2024

In alphabetical order by last name

Ludvig Åberg – Sweden
Keegan Bradley – United States
Sam Burns – United States
Patrick Cantlay – United States
Wyndham Clark – United States
Eric Cole – United States
Corey Conners – Canada
Fred Couples – United States
Cameron Davis – Australia
Jason Day – Australia
Bryson DeChambeau – United States
Santiago de la Fuente – Mexico
Nick Dunlap – United States
Austin Eckroat – United States
Harris English – United States
Tony Finau – United States
Matt Fitzpatrick – England
Tommy Fleetwood – England
Rickie Fowler – United States
Ryan Fox – New Zealand
Sergio García – Spain
Lucas Glover – United States
Emiliano Grillo – Argentina
Adam Hadwin – Canada
Stewart Hagestad – United States
Brian Harman – United States
Tyrrell Hatton – England
Russell Henley – United States
Ryo Hisatsune – Japan
Lee Hodges – United States
Nicolai Højgaard – Denmark
Max Homa – United States
Viktor Hovland – Norway
Sungjae Im – Korea
Dustin Johnson – United States
Zach Johnson – United States
Si Woo Kim – Korea
Tom Kim – Korea
Chris Kirk – United States
Kurt Kitayama – United States
Jake Knapp – United States
Brooks Koepka – United States
Christo Lamprecht – South Africa
Min Woo Lee – Australia
Luke List – United States
Shane Lowry – Ireland
Peter Malnati – United States
Hideki Matsuyama – Japan
Denny McCarthy – United States
Rory McIlroy – Northern Ireland
Adrian Meronk – Poland
Phil Mickelson – United States
Taylor Moore – United States
Collin Morikawa – United States
Grayson Murray – United States
Joaquín Niemann – Chile
José María Olazábal – Spain
Thorbjørn Olesen – Denmark
Matthieu Pavon – France
J.T. Poston – United States
Jon Rahm – Spain
Patrick Reed – United States
Justin Rose – England
Xander Schauffele – United States
Scottie Scheffler – United States
Adam Schenk – United States
Charl Schwartzel – South Africa
Adam Scott – Australia
Neal Shipley – United States
Vijay Singh – Fiji
Cameron Smith – Australia
Jordan Spieth – United States
Sepp Straka – Austria
Jasper Stubbs – Australia
Nick Taylor – Canada
Sahith Theegala – United States
Justin Thomas – United States
Erik van Rooyen – South Africa
Camilo Villegas – Colombia
Bubba Watson – United States
Mike Weir – Canada
Danny Willett – England
Gary Woodland – United States
Tiger Woods – United States
Cameron Young – United States
Will Zalatoris – United States

Will Tiger Woods play in the 2024 Masters?

Tiger Woods is in the field of players for the 2024 Masters, which means he is expected to play in the tournament. Last year, Woods questioned how many more Masters appearances he had left in him and withdrew during the third round. He has not publicly said he is not participating in this year’s competition.

When does the Masters start?

The 2024 Masters will start on April 11 at Augusta National Golf Club. Tee times are expected to be around 8:30 a.m. ET. The tournament will play through the weekend with the final round on April 14.

Who won the Masters in 2023?

The Spaniard beat out Brooks Koepka after being down by two strokes to start the final round.

If Rahm were to win the 2024 Masters, he would be the first player to repeat the championship in more than two decades. Tiger Woods was the last to do so in 2001 and 2002.

The big splashes this free agency cycle − such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Kirk Cousins and Christian Wilkins − are over.

Many NFL teams bolstered their rosters with big-name additions. Other teams made some head-scratching moves. Then, there’s always the clubs who made minor, under-the-radar acquisitions. And there are starting-caliber free agents still available as teams try to identify areas of need prior to the NFL draft.

But who made the best moves in free agency? Whose decisions were the most questionable?

USA TODAY Sports ranks the best and worst deals from the first few weeks of the NFL free agency period:

Best free-agent acquisitions

Derrick Henry to Baltimore Ravens

Henry and the Ravens are a natural fit. The Ravens deploy a run-oriented offense and Henry’s arguably been the best running back in the NFL the past five seasons. Henry’s age (30) is a factor, but the downhill ball carrier won’t be asked to shoulder all the rushing load because Baltimore also boasts promising running back Keaton Mitchell and dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is coming off his second MVP.

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Jackson running the read option with Henry is bound to be a nightmare for defenses.

The Ravens led the NFL in rushing last season. Don’t be surprised if Baltimore tops the league in rushing again.

Saquon Barkley to Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles went on an uncharacteristic spending spree in the first wave of free agency. The biggest splash was giving Barkley a three-year, $37.75 million contract that could be worth up to $46.75 million.

Barkley is a versatile running back who can run between the tackles and catch passes out of the backfield. He could have the same effect on the Eagles’ offense as Christian McCaffrey had on San Francisco. Defensive coordinators are going to have a difficult time game planning for Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. Barkley should make life easier for quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Barkley’s rushed for over 1,300 yards twice in his career. The Eagles’ last 1,300-yard rusher was LeSean McCoy in 2014.

Durability is a concern for Barkley, as he’s only played 14 games in a season three times.  

Marquise Brown to Kansas City Chiefs

The defending Super Bowl champions replaced Marquez Valdes-Scantling with Brown. With all due respect to Valdes-Scantling, Brown is an upgrade.

Brown’s a fast receiver who’s topped 50 catches four straight years. He’ll likely add a vertical element to Kansas City’s offense that’s been missing since it traded Tyreek Hill to Miami.

Brown was asked to be a No. 1 wide receiver at previous stops, but he’ll probably be the second wide receiver option in Kansas City behind Rashee Rice. Then there’s a guy by the name of Travis Kelce who’s bound to get over 100 targets at tight end.

Patrick Queen to Pittsburgh Steelers

Queen is a Steelers-type signing at linebacker. He is coming off a Pro Bowl season that saw him record a career-high 133 tackles. The Steelers haven’t had a linebacker record at least 130 tackles in a season since Lawrence Timmons in 2014.

Queen’s addition stabilizes a position of need in Pittsburgh and simultaneously weakens the rival Ravens. Queen was USA TODAY Sports’ top-ranked inside linebacker at the start of free agency.

T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Queen should form a formidable trio at linebacker.

Christian Wilkins to Las Vegas Raiders

The Dolphins surprisingly let Wilkins walk and the Raiders reaped the benefits, giving the interior defensive lineman a four-year deal worth $110 million.

Wilkins was the highest-ranked defensive tackle on USA TODAY Sports’ original top 50 free agents list (after the Chiefs re-signed Chris Jones).

Wilkins tallied a career-high nine sacks and had 61 pressures in 2023. He started every regular-season game for the Dolphins the past three seasons.

The defensive tackle will help shore up a Raiders run defense that ranked in the bottom half of the NFL last season and relieve some pressure off defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Mike Williams to New York Jets

The Jets picked up Williams after he was a Chargers salary cap casualty. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver has good ball skills and a big catch radius.

Gang Green needed more out wide behind Garrett Wilson. (Allen Lazard was the Jets’ second leading wide receiver in 2023, and he finished with 23 catches for 311 yards.)

Williams is coming off a serious knee injury, but he’s expected to be ready by Week 1.

Worst free-agent moves

Sam Darnold to Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings waved goodbye to Kirk Cousins and welcomed in Darnold.

Darnold’s proved he’s not a starting-caliber quarterback, but he’s currently atop Minnesota’s QB depth chart, which can’t excite the Vikings’ fanbase or star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who is in line for a mega-deal.

Minnesota’s best offseason move might be acquiring an additional first-round pick in a trade with the Houston Texans. The Vikings now own picks Nos. 11 and 23 in the first round. The extra ammunition could help Minnesota move up in the draft to select a top quarterback prospect.

Gardner Minshew to Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders had expressed interest in quarterback Justin Fields before he found a home in Pittsburgh.

In the end they brought in Minshew, creating an underwhelming quarterback competition between him and Aidan O’Connell. With Minshew or O’Connell at starting QB, it’s going to be tough for the Raiders to compete in a division with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.

Could the Raiders select a quarterback with the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft? Coach Antonio Pierce spoke a lot about this year’s quarterback class at the NFL’s annual league meeting.

“You want a certain quarterback, you got your eye on one or two and three, but I don’t think you can go wrong with this year’s draft with any of these guys,” Pierce said. “Now do they pan out? I don’t know. It’s the fit, it’s when they get brought along, it’s the system. A lot of things go into play.’

Gabe Davis to Jacksonville Jaguars

Davis inked a three-year deal in Jacksonville after spending his first four seasons in Buffalo. He’s a quality wide receiver, but he’s never had a season with more than 48 receptions.

The Jaguars’ top receivers are currently Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Davis after they lost Calvin Ridley to the Tennessee Titans in free agency. None of the three are legitimate No. 1 wideout options for Trevor Lawrence.

Kenneth Murray Jr. and Tony Pollard to Tennessee Titans

The onboarding of Murray and Pollard raised some eyebrows.

Murray is an athletic, imposing linebacker. But poor tackling angles and execution errors plagued him during his tenure with the Chargers, who didn’t pick up his fifth-year option. The new staff was fine letting him walk.

The Titans signed Murray to a two-year deal worth up to $18 million.

On offense, the Titans replaced the face of their franchise (Henry) with Pollard, who is younger but not as productive or accomplished.

In the Titans defense, though, they are undergoing a massive changing of the guard.

Robert Hunt to Carolina Panthers

The Panthers gave Hunt a massive five-year, $100 million contract. He’s the second highest-paid right guard in the NFL in terms of overall contract value. Hunt finished last season below average among guards in both pass block win rate (89.6%) and run block win rate (68.6%), per ESPN.

Protection up front for Bryce Young is a priority for the Panthers after the quarterback was sacked 62 times last season, the second most in the NFL. But Carolina might’ve overpaid for Hunt in a desperate attempt to upgrade its O-line.  

To be determined

Kirk Cousins to Atlanta Falcons

Cousins is a clear upgrade from the inept quarterback play in Atlanta last year. But signing a 35-year-old quarterback coming off a ruptured Achilles to a four-year contract worth up to $180 million is a risky decision.

If Cousins helps Atlanta earn a playoff berth for the first time since 2017, he’ll be worth the money. The projected starting QBs in the NFC South are Cousins, Bryce Young, Derek Carr and Baker Mayfield. Cousins is set to enter the season as the best QB in the division.

And then there were 16.

The 2024 Men’s NCAA Tournament is another round closer to selecting its winner, but there are still some steps to go before teams meet in Glendale, Arizona to crown a champion.

This tournament, the top dogs have remained top dogs: All four No. 1 seeds – UConn, North Carolina, Houston and Purdue – remain in play, and if they continue their hot streak, it would be just the second time since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985 that the top seeds reached the Final Four.

Still, there are many twists and turns on the path to college hoops glory, and the Sweet 16 could provide yet another detour for college squads hoping to cut down nets.

Here’s what to know about where and when the 2024 Sweet 16 is taking place, and how you can watch:

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What time are the Sweet 16 games?

The Sweet 16 will be spread across two nights – Thursday, March 28 and Friday, March 29 – and the action will be starting in the evening Eastern Time, with some overlap. Here’s the full schedule:

Thursday, March 28

(2) Arizona vs. (6) Clemson | 7:09 p.m.
(1) UConn vs. (5) San Diego State | 7:39 p.m.
(1) North Carolina vs. (4) Alabama | 9:39 p.m.
(2) Iowa State vs. (3) Illinois | 10:09 p.m.

Friday, March 29

(2) Marquette vs. (11) NC State | 7:09 p.m.
(1) Purdue vs. (5) Gonzaga | 7:39 p.m. 
(1) Houston vs. (4) Duke | 9:39 p.m.
(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Creighton | 10:09 p.m.

Where is the Sweet 16?

The Sweet 16 is still a bit scattered, with teams in brackets fighting toward tickets to Glendale, Arizona. Here’s where every team is playing:

Thursday, March 28

(2) Arizona vs. (6) Clemson | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
(1) UConn vs. (5) San Diego State | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
(1) North Carolina vs. (4) Alabama | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
(2) Iowa State vs. (3) Illinois | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

Friday, March 29

(2) Marquette vs. (11) NC State | American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
(1) Purdue vs. (5) Gonzaga | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
(1) Houston vs. (4) Duke | American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Creighton | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Sweet 16 TV schedule, channels

Thursday, March 28

(2) Arizona vs. (6) Clemson | 7:09 p.m. | CBS
(1) UConn vs. (5) San Diego State | 7:39 p.m. | TBS/truTV
(1) North Carolina vs. (4) Alabama | 9:39 p.m. | CBS
(2) Iowa State vs. (3) Illinois | 10:09 p.m. | TBS/truTV

Friday, March 29

(2) Marquette vs. (11) NC State | 7:09 p.m. | CBS
(1) Purdue vs. (5) Gonzaga | 7:39 p.m. | TBS/truTV
(1) Houston vs. (4) Duke | 9:39 p.m. | CBS
(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Creighton | 10:09 p.m. | TBS/truTV

Terrence Shannon Jr., who has led Illinois to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA men’s tournament despite being charged with rape, is drawing attention from an eclectic group.

But there also are law professors, other academics and higher-education consultants tracking the situation for reasons that go far beyond basketball. In January, a federal judge granted Shannon legal protection based in part on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals that were unavailable to college athletes before 2021.

‘From a legal standpoint, it’s fascinating,’ said Daniel Swinton, an attorney who consults with universities on issues that include sexual misconduct.

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‘We have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct,’ Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said in December. (The school also said it had been aware of the criminal investigation into Shannon since late September but that until his arrest, did not have actionable information.)

Attorneys representing Shannon challenged the suspension, filing for a temporary restraining order. Then, three weeks later, came the legal twist: A federal judge cited NIL in ruling that Illinois had violated Shannon’s civil rights, and the university had to reinstate Shannon after a six-game suspension.

‘Schools are trying to figure this out as we go along,’ Swinton, who is president of the Association of Title IX Administrators, told USA TODAY Sports, ‘and so are we.’

NIL’s impact on due process

Legal analysts point to the 14th Amendment, which provides that no state may deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law. Due process is provided by giving a person notice, the opportunity to be heard and a decision by a neutral decision-maker, according to the Cornell Law School.

“You typically don’t get a lot of due process for things that we might call privileges, like being able to participate in extracurriculars,’ said Vikram David Amar, a law professor at the University of California at Davis. He also said due process is ‘one of the things that’s driving this episode, and this is part of a change in the legal landscape.’

Amar is former dean at the Illinois College of Law and an unabashed fan of the school’s basketball team. In fact, he wrote an article defending Illinois basketball coach Brad Underwood’s decision to play Shannon after the star player was reinstated. He also knows Shannon might still be suspended if not for recent developments.

Supreme Court’s decision on NCAA case impacted NIL

The big legal shift: a 2021 Supreme Court ruling was a catalyst for the NCAA to eventually allow college athletes to earn money from NIL deals.

Shannon was among the athletes profiting from NIL when his attorneys challenged the suspension by Illinois. They got a favorable ruling from Judge Colleen Lawless of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.

Referring to the 14th Amendment, the judge ruled that Illinois had deprived Shannon of ‘protected property interests’ without due process.

‘Plaintiff’s participation in sports is vital to the development of his career as well as his current and future economic opportunities considering plaintiff’s intention to declare for the 2024 NBA draft,’ Lawless also wrote.

The value of NIL and a prospective pro career helped explain why Lawless ruled Shannon did not get adequate due process, according to Amar, who said, ‘It’s always been the case that the more you have at stake, the more process government has to give you before it takes that away.’

(Due process can be enforced constitutionally at private schools, Amar noted.)

Other views on Shannon case

The Shannon ruling could have additional impact, according to experts.

Michael LeRoy, a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois, said he thinks the Shannon ruling could help advance efforts to recognize college athletes as employees and be compensated by their respective schools.

“We have the first court ruling that implicitly recognizes that a college athlete has an employment right connected to his participation on a college team,’ he said. “And that is amazing.’

Timothy Davis, a law professor at Wake Forest, said NIL could result in increased protections around due process for college athletes.

“Overall, I think the case signals a greater willingness by courts to reexamine the relationship between athletes and their institutions by focusing on economic realities,’ said Davis, a scholar of sports law. “We’ve seen this in antitrust cases.’

Swinton, the attorney who consults with universities, said some schools should reexamine disciplinary processes as a result of the Shannon case and the role of NIL.

‘I think it would be wise to look at the procedural safeguards that are more fair,’ he said. ‘Historically, athletics was viewed as a privilege. Now with NIL, that changes the rubric from one of privilege to more fundamental to their education and frankly their employment.

“And so schools being able to just sort of suspend people upon receipt of an allegation on an interim basis, that is getting complicated.’

Shannon’s story still unfolding

Shannon’s story continues to play out on the basketball court and courts of law.

There was the basketball court last week in Omaha, where Shannon scored a team-high 26 points in a victory over Morehead State and followed that up with a team-high 30 points against Duquesne in the first two rounds of the tournament as the Illini advanced to their first Sweet 16 since 2005.

There is the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, where Judge Lawless issued a temporary restraining order that superseded Illinois’ disciplinary system for athletes and revealed NIL’s role in granting athletes more legal protection.

Then there is the Douglas County District Court in Lawrence, Kansas. Shannon is expected to appear in person or by Zoom for his preliminary hearing on May 10.

Shannon has declined to talk to reporters during the tournament. But there’s plenty of discussion around him.

‘This is just one example of the many policies and legal judgments that are being made up in real time as NIL rapidly evolves,’ said Shaun Harper, a professor of education, business and public policy at the University of Southern California. ‘Just a few years ago, protecting the economic interests of college student-athletes wasn’t a consideration in cases like this. Now it is, and legal precedence is emerging one case at a time.’

The NCAA and its Power 5 conferences could be facing more than $900 million in additional damages as a result of a class-action lawsuit seeking academic achievement payments to athletes dating back to the 2019-2020 school year.

The suit — filed in April 2023 — followed a ruling upheld by the Supreme Court in 2021 in the case of former West Virginia football player Shawne Alston that prevents the NCAA from having limits on the education-related compensation athletes can receive from their schools.

The new figure was included in a filing by the NCAA late Wednesday night in the latest lawsuit involving former Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard, The association cited an expert for the plaintiffs, who estimated that college athletes would be owed $313 million for the four calendar years (three academic years) before the Alston ruling went into effect.

The four-year reach-back from filing date is allowed under federal antitrust law. Also, if an antitrust case goes to a jury verdict, damages are tripled. In this instance, that would result in an award of $939 million.

The NCAA is arguing that the Hubbard case should not be granted class-action status because the ‘highly varied and diverse ways in which … schools implemented Alston awards present inherently individualized issues.’ It draws a distinction between those and the class-wide damages that are mostly uniform and can be determined in a manageable way.

Added to possible damages from another pending case, the NCAA and its largest conferences could be on the hook for a total of $5.1 billion.

The Hubbard case and the other pending case are proceeding in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California’s Oakland Division. That’s the same venue through which other antitrust suits against the NCAA related to college-athlete compensation have proceeded over the past 14 years. In the two cases that have gone to trial there before Judge Claudia Wilken, the NCAA has been found in violation of antitrust law. 

A spot in the Final Four will be on the line as the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments get set for the Elite 8 matchups, beginning on Saturday.

Also known as the Regional Finals, the Elite 8 round is perhaps the most bittersweet in all of March Madness. The teams still alive have already accomplished so much after winning three tournament games, but the big prize of making it to the Final Four – for the men, it’s in the Phoenix area; for the women, it’s in Cleveland – requires one additional step. For the teams that fall short, the loss can be devastating.

When is the Elite 8 for men’s March Madness?

The men’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 round will have two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31.

Men’s March Madness Elite 8 locations

There are four sites for the men’s regional finals.

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TD Garden, Boston
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Little Ceasars Arena, Detroit

Men’s March Madness Elite 8 schedule

All times Eastern

Saturday at Boston

(1) Connecticut/(5) San Diego State winner vs. (2) Iowa State/(3) Illinois winner, TBA

Saturday at Los Angeles

(1) North Carolina/(4) Alabama winner vs. (2) Arizona/(6) Clemson winner, TBA

Sunday at Dallas

(1) Houston/(4) Duke winner vs. (2) Marquette/(11) North Carolina State winner, TBA

Sunday at Detroit

(1) Purdue/(5) Gonzaga winner vs. (2) Tennessee/(3) Creighton winner, TBA

How to watch Elite 8 for men’s March Madness

TBS will broadcast Saturday’s East and West regional finals, while CBS will broadcast Sunday’s South and Midwest regional finals.

How to stream Elite 8 for men’s March Madness

Men’s NCAA Tournament games can be streamed on Sling TV and Fubo.

When is the Elite 8 for women’s March Madness?

The women’s NCAA Tournament Elite 8 round will have two games on Sunday, March 31 and two games on Monday, April 1.

Women’s March Madness Elite 8 locations

The NCAA women’s regional semifinals will consist of four games at two locations.

Albany, New York
Portland, Oregon

How to watch Elite 8 for women’s March Madness

Women’s Elite 8 NCAA Tournament games will be broadcast March 31 and April 1 on ABC and ESPN.

How to stream Elite 8 for women’s March Madness

The women’s NCAA Tournament games can be streamed on Fubo and on ESPN+.

Women’s March Madness Elite 8 schedule

All times p.m. Eastern

Sunday, March 31

(1) South Carolina/(4) Indiana winner vs. (2) Notre Dame/(3) Oregon State winner, 1
(1) Texas/(4) Gonzaga winner vs. (2) Stanford/(3) N.C. State winner, 3

Monday, April 1

(1) Iowa/ (5) Colorado winner vs. (2) UCLA/(3) LSU winner, 7
(1) USC/(5) Baylor winner vs. (3) Connecticut/(7) Duke winner, 9