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Selection Sunday for the 2026 NCAA Tournament is just a week away, but we’ve teams are already booking their places in March Madness.

Each of the 31 conference tournament champions earns an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament, with the other 37 spots awarded to at-large participants by the tournament’s selection committee.

For the overwhelming majority of mid- and low-major leagues, the automatic berth from winning the conference tournament is the league’s only bid.

Here’s a look at the champions of each of the 31 conference tournaments, all of which are on their way to the NCAA Tournament.

March Madness automatic bids: Who has secured 2026 NCAA tournament spots?

America East:
ACC: Duke
ASUN:
Atlantic 10: Rhode Island
Big 12: West Virginia
Big East:
Big Sky:
Big South: High Point
Big Ten: UCLA
Big West:
CAA:
Conference USA:
Horizon League:
Ivy League:
MAAC:
MAC:
MEAC:
Missouri Valley:
Mountain West:
Northeast:
Ohio Valley: Western Illinois
Patriot League:
SEC: Texas
SoCon: Samford
Southland:
SWAC:
Summit League: South Dakota State
Sun Belt:
WAC:
West Coast:

What day does women’s March Madness start?

The NCAA tournament First Four on the women’s side begins on Wednesday, March 18 and continues on Thursday, March 19. 

The four women’s games feature the final four at-large selections to the field, as well as the four lowest-rated No. 16 seeds. The winner of each matchup advances to the first round. First-round games start March 20 and March 21.

When is Selection Sunday?

Date: Sunday, March 15

Selection Sunday for the 2025-26 college basketball season will take place on Sunday, March 15, with both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament brackets being revealed.

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Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey has been ruled out for at least the next two games with a right fifth finger strain, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. He will undergo further testing and ‘consultation on the next steps’ before he makes a return.

The Sixers All-Star collided with Adem Bona while diving for a loose ball in the final seconds of their 125-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, March 7. Maxey stayed down for a few moments longer as he grabbed at his right hand before getting up and heading to the locker room while wrapping his hand in the bottom of his jersey.

It’s a tough blow for Maxey, who is averaging career-highs across the board with 29.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game on 46% shooting. During a season in which the Sixers (34-29) have at times looked like bona fide contenders at their best, Maxey has been their most consistent presence.

But th 76ers have been marred by injuries and other issues all season.

Joel Embiid has missed the team’s last four games with a right oblique strain and won’t be re-evaluated until March 14, so he’ll be out at least three more games. Paul George hasn’t lived up to the max contract he signed with the 76ers in 2024 and is currently serving a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy. Even Rookie of the Year candidate VJ Edgecombe has been out the last three games with a lumbar contusion.

The injury bug comes at a crucial point in the season for Philadelphia as they’re currently locked in a heated race for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. Entering Sunday, they sit half a game behind the Orlando Magic for the sixth seed, but also just a game and a half ahead of the ninth-seeded Hawks, who now own the tiebreaker after the March 7 contest.

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Akshay Bhatia won the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational in a sudden-death playoff against Daniel Berger Sunday, March 8 at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida.

Bhatia trailed by five shots heading to the back nine but shot 31 coming home to force the playoff after he tied Berger at -15 through 18 holes. It was the Arnold Palmer Invitational’s first playoff since 1999 when Tim Herron defeated Tom Lehman.

Bhatia earned his third career PGA Tour victory, with all three coming in the playoffs. He dedicated Sunday’s victory to his niece, who died in December.

Berger entered the final round with a one-shot lead at -13, with Bhatia behind him at -12.

The two were among the golfers who finished out the third round on Sunday morning, after play was suspended on Saturday evening because of darkness. There was a rain delay on Saturday afternoon that ultimately pushed the event into the evening hours.

Ludvig Aberg and Cameron Young were also in contention during the final round before finishing in a tie for third.

Here are the final scores and how the $20 million purse was distributed:

2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational payouts

Finishing position, final score, money earned (a-amateur):

1. Akshay Bhatia (-15)  — $4,000,000
2. Daniel Berger (-15)  — $2,200,000
T3. Ludvig Aberg (-12)  — $1,200,000
T3. Cameron Young (-12)  — $1,200,000
5. Collin Morikawa (-11)  — $840,000
T6. Sahith Theegala (-10)  — $702,000
T6. Russell Henley (-10)  — $702,000
T6. Min Woo Lee (-10)  — $702,000
T9. Harry Hall (-8)  — $578,000
T9. Rickie Fowler (-8)  — $578,000
T11. Adam Scott (-6)  — $493,000
T11. Jordan Spieth (-6)  — $493,000
T13. Sepp Straka (-5)  — $373,200
T13. Billy Horschel (-5)  — $373,200
T13. Maverick McNealy (-5)  — $373,200
T13. Si Woo Kim (-5)  — $373,200
T13. Viktor Hovland (-5)  — $373,200
T18. Chris Gotterup (-3)  — $261,000
T18. Max Greyserman (-3)  — $261,000
T18. Kurt Kitayama (-3)  — $261,000
T18. Jacob Bridgeman (-3)  — $261,000
T18. Jhonattan Vegas (-3)  — $261,000
T18. Bud Cauley (-3)  — $261,000
T24. Lucas Glover (-2)  — $157,000
T24. Robert MacIntyre (-2)  — $157,000
T24. Nicolai Højgaard (-2)  — $157,000
T24. Ryan Fox (-2)  — $157,000
T24. Patrick Rodgers (-2)  — $157,000
T24. Alex Noren (-2)  — $157,000
T24. Harris English (-2)  — $157,000
T24. Scottie Scheffler (-2)  — $157,000
T24. Xander Schauffele (-2)  — $157,000
T33. Keith Mitchell (-1)  — $109,000
T33. Michael Kim (-1)  — $109,000
T33. Corey Conners (-1)  — $109,000
T33. Ryo Hisatsune (-1)  — $109,000
T33. Michael Thorbjornsen (-1)  — $109,000
T38. Nick Taylor (E)  — $90,000
T38. Taylor Pendrith (E)  — $90,000
T38. Andrew Novak (E)  — $90,000
T41. Hideki Matsuyama (+1)  — $78,000
T41. Matt McCarty (+1)  — $78,000
T41. Matt Fitzpatrick (+1)  — $78,000
T44. Nico Echavarria (+2)  — $66,000
T44. Taylor Moore (+2)  — $66,000
T44. Andrew Putnam (+2)  — $66,000
T47. Chris Kirk (+5)  — $58,000
T47. a-Daniel Bennett (+5) — $0
49. Tommy Fleetwood (+6)  — $56,000
50. Brian Harman (+10)  — $54,000

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West Virginia women’s basketball lost two regular-season matchups against TCU, but the Mountaineers pulled off a postseason win against the Horned Frogs when it mattered most to snap their eight-game win streak.

No. 2 West Virginia defeated No. 1 TCU 62-53 in the Big 12 title game on Sunday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, denying the Horned Frogs back-to-back Big 12 tournament titles while simultaneously punching their ticket to the 2026 NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season.

More importantly, West Virginia’s first Big 12 championship since 2017 all but secures their place in the top 16, which earns the Mountaineers the right to host the first and second round of March Madness.

‘I’m just so happy. God is so good to me here. I’m just so thankful,’ said an emotional Harrison, who was named the Big 12’s Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

Sydney Shaw added 17 point and seven rebounds for West Virginia and Kierra Wheeler recorded 10 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Olivia Miles had 17 points and Marta Suarez recorded 16 points in the losing effort.

USA TODAY Sports is provided live coverage of the Big 12 tournament final on Sunday. Catch up here:

Live updates from the game are below:

End of Q3: West Virginia 43, TCU 32

West Virginia went on a 13-4 run to close the third quarter with an 11-point over TCU, marking the largest lead by either team in the Big 12 title game. West Virginia’s run was fueled by TCU turnovers, which are starting to pile up. The Horned Frogs are up to 11 turnovers, which has led to 15 points for West Virginia.

Jordan Harrison (15) and Sydney Shaw (10) have combined for 25 of the Mountaineers’ 41 points. Meanwhile, Olivia Miles has 11 points and Marta Suarez has nine points for TCU.

TCU’s season low entering Sunday was 51 points against West Virginia on Jan. 14.

Olivia Miles picks up fourth foul

Miles is headed back to the bench just 39 seconds into the third quarter after picking up her fourth foul.

Halftime: West Virginia 26, TCU 23

West Virginia closed the first half on a 7-0 run to take a 3-point lead over TCU at halftime. Jordan Harrison led the way for the Mountaineers with nine points, three assists and one steal in the first half.

Despite being undersized, West Virginia is controlling the boards and outrebounding TCU 20-13 ― including eight offensive rebounds. The Mountaineers are also taking advantage of TCU’s foul trouble. The Horned Frogs’ dynamic duo of Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez have three and two fouls, respectively. That meant Miles was off the floor for the last three minutes of the first half, which spurred West Virginia’s run.

Miles has a game-high 11 points in 17 minutes. Suarez started the game 0-of-5 from the field, but is up to five points and five rebounds.

Olivia Miles in foul trouble early

The senior guard was called for an offensive foul after West Virginia’s Jordan Harrison took a charge with 8:04 remaining in the second quarter. It was Miles’ second foul, but she remained in the game. However, Mark Campbell had no choice but to pull herafter she picked up her third foul with 2:54 left the first half.

End of Q1: West Virginia 14, TCU 12

TCU trailed by as many as seven points in the first quarter, but the Horned Frogs used a 7-0 run to tie it up with 1:29 remaining. West Virginia’s Jordan Harrison knocked down a jumper to end TCU’s run and give the Mountaineers a two-point lead heading into the second quarter.

The title game has been dominated by star power thus far. Harrison, the Big 12 defensive player of the year, recorded seven points, one steal, one rebound and one assist. Meanwhile, Olivia Miles, the Big 12 player of the year, scored or assisted on 10 of TCU’s 12 first-quarter points. She scored eight points shooting 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-3 from the 3-point line and added an assist.

West Virginia take 8-3 lead

The Big 12 championship game between TCU and West Virginia is officially underway at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The Mountaineers jumped to an early 8-3 lead over the Horned Frogs, with five of the points coming from Jordan Harrison. TCU opened the game 0-of-3 from the field, before Olivia Miles got the Horned Frogs on the board with a 3-pointer.The Horned Frogs are now 1-of-6 from the field with 5:57 left in the first quarter.

What time is TCU vs. West Virginia women’s basketball ?

The Big 12 women’s basketball tournament final between No. 1 TCU and No. 2 West Virginia tips off Sunday, March 8 at 5 p.m. ET at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Date: Sunday, March 8
Time: 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)
Location: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Missouri)

Selection Sunday follows on March 15, with March Madness tipping off on March 18.

WVU vs TCU women’s basketball: TV, streaming

The Big 12 women’s basketball tournament semifinal game between West Virginia and Colorado will be shown exclusively on ESPN+.

Stream Virginia-Baylor/Colorado on ESPN+

TCU women’s basketball starting lineup

Head coach: Mark Campbell 

1 Taylor Bigby | G 6-1 – Senior
4 Donovyn Hunter | G 6-0 – Junior
5 Olivia Miles | G 5-10 – Senior
7 Marta Suarez | F 6-3 – Senior
17 Clara Silva | C 6-7 – Sophomore

West Virginia Mountaineers starting lineup

Head coach: Mark Kellogg

1 Carter McCray | F 6-1 – Junior
3 Gia Cooke | G 5-8 – Junior
5 Sydney Shaw | G 5-9 – Senior
10 Jordan Harrison | G 5-6 – Senior
22 Kierra Wheeler | F 6-1 – Senior

TCU women’s basketball roster

Olivia Miles stats

2025-26 average: 19.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.8 steals, 48.8 FG%, 35.0% 3PT (33 games)

Miles’ transfer from Notre Dame to TCU has been seamless if you look at her stat line. Miles is the centerpiece of the Horned Frogs’ offense and has upped her scoring average from 15.4 points last season to a career-high 19.7 points. Miles tops the nation with five triple doubles. She has done so efficiently, setting career highs in field goal (48.8%) and free throw percentage (84.2%). Miles was named Big 12 Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, following in the footsteps of Hailey Van Lith. Miles’ 212 assists broke TCU’s single-season assist record set by Van Lith last season (204).

Marta Suarez stats

Suarez is averaging a career-high 17.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 30.8 minutes per game this season. She also recorded career-highs in field-goal percentage (47.4%) and 3-point percentage (38.0%).

TCU women’s basketball coach

Mark Campbell has served as TCU’s head coach since 2023.

What does TCU stand for?

TCU is an acronym for Texas Christian University.

West Virginia Mountaineers Roster

SEC tournament results

Texas 78, South Carolina 61

USA TODAY Sports provided live coverage of the game. Full highlights here.

Big 12 women’s basketball standings

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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GREENVILLE, SC The mighty South Carolina Gamecocks have been dethroned.

For the first time in nine tries, Vic Schaefer has beaten Dawn Staley in a postseason game. And for the first time ever, Texas is the SEC Tournament champion. Madison Booker scored 18 to power the Longhorns to a 78-61 victory over the Gamecocks on Sunday in Bon Secours Wellness Arena in front of a crowd of more than 13,000 people.

‘I’ve been in that game a bunch, as maybe some of y’all know,’ Schaefer said. ‘To play that well in that game against that team in this environment, there’s not a lot of words that can describe how special this group is, but they are really special.’

It’s the third conference tournament title for Texas (31-3) under Schaefer, as the Longhorns won the Big 12 Tournament in 2022 and 2024 before leaving for the SEC. The Texas win will also likely move it up to the No. 3 overall seed when the NCAA Tournament bracket is unveiled next Sunday. If so, the Longhorns will likely get to play regional games in the second weekend of March Madness in their home state at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena.

‘I’m always a one-game-at-a-time guy. So I’m going to worry like heck over that first round match-up, whoever they send to Austin,’ Schaefer said. ‘Hopefully, we’ll be fortunate enough after that. I’ll go wherever they send me. I’ll take this team to Timbuktu. I don’t care… So it would be cool to, obviously, be able to stay around because of our fans. I think they would really embrace the opportunity to follow us.’

Booker, who was named MVP of the SEC Tournament, also chipped in four rebounds and two assists for the Longhorns and had zero turnovers in 34 minutes.

‘When her shot is going like that, they are a real difficult team to beat,’ Staley said of Booker, who averaged 20 points per game in three games in Greenville. ‘I think we were just playing an uphill battle.’

Texas was also boosted by Justice Carlton’s 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Jordan Lee added 12 points and swished a pair of 3-pointers.

South Carolina was attempting to win its fourth consecutive SEC Tournament, but dug itself in too deep of a hole as the Longhorns opened with a 14-0 run and went on to lead by as much as 19 points. Texas led wire-to-wire in their second win over the Gamecocks this season.

Staley’s team was paced by 13 points from Joyce Edwards and 10 from Maddy McDaniel.

‘It was bad. It was bad on all the starters. We’re supposed to set the tone out there, and we definitely didn’t do that,’ Edwards said of South Carolina’s sluggish first quarter. ‘But it happens. Throughout the whole game, the shots weren’t necessarily falling… We have other goals in mind — national championship. This isn’t the end all be all, so we’re just moving forward.’

South Carolina trimmed the deficit to single digits with an 8-2 run in the second quarter, but Texas responded with a 10-0 run that was capped off by a superb transition 3-pointer from Jordan Lee. From there, Texas was able to hold its double-digit lead for the remainder of the game in a building filled with disappointed Gamecock fans.

The arena — located about 100 miles northwest of South Carolina’s campus — roared whenever the Gamecocks made a play that fans thought might shift the momentum, like when Edwards stuffed Booker’s attempt at the rim late in the third quarter, but the Gamecocks never could put together that game-changing run.

Texas scored 16 points off 14 South Carolina turnovers and scored 11 second-chance points off 11 offensive rebounds.

The defeat for South Carolina also denies veteran point guard Raven Johnson a fourth SEC Championship. She finished with nine points and four assists in her first-ever loss in Greenville.

Halftime: Texas 45, South Carolina 28

Justice Carlton has 13 points as Texas has a comfortable double-digit lead over South Carolina in the SEC Championship at the break on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina.

The Gamecocks trailed by 15 points at the end of the first quarter after the Longhorns opened the game on a 14-0 run. South Carolina had a 8-2 run early in the second quarter to trim the deficit to nine points, but Texas punched back with a 10-0 run to push its advantage to 19 points. The scoring surge was capped off by Jordan Lee swishing a transition 3-pointer. Aaliyah Crump had seven points in the second frame.

Texas is shooting a blistering 61% from the floor and has scored 14 points off 10 South Carolina turnovers. The Longhorns are also outscoring the Gamecocks 26-14 in the paint.

First Quarter: Texas 27, South Carolina 12

The Longhorns are out to an early double-digit lead over the Gamecocks at the end of the first quarter behind 13 points from Justice Carlton, who is shooting 6-of-7 from the floor.

Texas opened the game with a 14-0 run before South Carolina coach Dawn Staley called a timeout at the 6:47 mark. Ta’Niya Latson swished a 3-pointer on a Raven Johnson assist out of that break, but couldn’t piece together a meaningful run to dent the Longhorns’ lead.

The Longhorns are shooting 68% from the floor and have scored 10 points off five South Carolina turnovers.

SEC title game bumped to ESPN News

The SEC Championship game between South Carolina and Texas has tipped off on ESPN News because Duke and Louisville are in overtime in the ACC title game in Duluth, Georgia. The clash between the Gamecocks and Longhorns will switch back to ESPN when the ACC game finishes.

Less than four minutes into the game, Texas has a 14-0 lead on 7-of-7 shooting. Justice Carlton has six points. Dawn Staley called a timeout at the 6:47 mark in the first quarter.

South Carolina vs. Texas: starting lineups for SEC Championship

South Carolina Gamecocks starting lineup

Head coach: Dawn Staley

25 Raven Johnson | G 5-9 Senior
00 Ta’Niya Latson | G 5-9 Senior
5 Tessa Johnson | G 6-0 Junior
8 Joyce Edwards | F 6-3 Sophomore
11 Madina Okot | C 6-6 Senior

Texas starting lineup

Head coach: Vic Schaefer

11 Justice Carlton | F 6-1 Sophomore
25 Breya Cunningham | F 6-4 Junior
35 Madison Booker | F 6-1 Junior
7 Jordan Lee | G 6-0 Sophomore
3 Rori Harmon | G 5-6 Senior

What time is South Carolina vs. Texas?

Date: Sunday, March 8
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville)

Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks face Vic Schaefer’s Longhorns in the championship game of the SEC Women’s Tournament at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, March 8 in Greenville, South Carolina.

South Carolina vs. Texas : TV, streaming

TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, SlingTV

The game between South Carolina and Texas will air live on ESPN, with Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo on the call. Streaming options for the game include Sling TV.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Los Angeles Angels minor-league pitcher Najer Victor had a dramatic outing for Great Britain against Team USA.
Victor struck out several star players, including Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, and Gunnar Henderson.
An emotional outburst from Victor after a strikeout was credited with firing up Team USA, who went on to win.

HOUSTON — Los Angeles Angels minor-league pitcher Najer Victor couldn’t sleep.

Really, he didn’t want to sleep.

His phone kept buzzing all night Saturday after his dramatic outing for Great Britain against the United States.

“What was it like to strike out three-time MVP Aaron Judge on that 85-mph cutter?

“How did it feel blowing that 96-mph fastball past MVP Bryce Harper?

How cool was it throwing that 82-mph slider past Baltimore Orioles young star Gunnar Henderson?

Can you believe that you didn’t throw a single fastball to Boston Red Sox slugger Roman Anthony, and got him to swing through a 84-mph slider?

And, oh, yeah: ‘What in the world did you say to make Team USA so angry?’

Mark DeRosa, manager of Team USA, said after their victory against Great Britain that Victor’s outburst and antics fired up their team entering the fifth inning, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 9-1 victory.

USA players say they couldn’t quite make out what Victor said, but were well aware that he yelled toward their bench strutting off the mound after striking out Henderson, and gesturing with his hands.

‘When their reliever turned and looked in our dugout and had a couple of choice words,’ DeRosa said, ‘I think that lit the lineup up.’

Victor, 24, who spent most of his childhood growing up in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands before moving back to Philadelphia, called his four-strikeout outing easily the greatest moment of his life.

And he called the verbal outburst one of his worst moments of his career, saying that he yelled, ‘You got to get louder than that!’

‘I don’t know why I did that,’ he told USA TODAY Sports. ‘It was kind of a blackout moment. I didn’t mean to look at their dugout. It was for the crowd. They were all yelling, U-S-A, and that noise wasn’t fazing me. So, I was trying to get to the crowd, and I ended up turning to the dugout and it was like, ‘Aaargh.’

‘I mean, that got them fired up. That’s what the game is, showing emotions. But if I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t do that. I mean, I was not trying to show up any of the guys. I hope they know that.

‘I was just trying to talk to the crowd, not to them.’

While Victor prays his outburst will be soon forgotten, he hopes the memory of his dazzling outing will be remembered forever.

‘That was the No. 1 moment in my career, no question,’ said Victor, who spent last year pitching 35 games in Class A for the Angels, going 1-6 with a 4.87 ERA, striking out 65 and walking 26 batters in 40⅔ innings. ‘I live in the moment, but it felt pretty sick when I thought about it afterwards.’

So, of the four strikeouts against the star-studded lineup, just who was his favorite strikeout victim?

‘I grew up a Red Sox fan,’ Victor said, ‘so the Roman Anthony once for me. But I do like that 3-and-2 slider to Gunnar Henderson. And, of course, Aaron Judge.’

When Victor returns to Angels’ camp in Tempe, Ariz., this week, he’ll certainly have some stories to tell the boys in the clubhouse.

He also learned some valuable lessons from the WBC experience.

‘This is a moment that will wake you up,’ Victor said, ‘but it’s also a moment you just can’t live off. So for me, it’s not my end goal, and I don’t see myself stopping right there.

‘Hopefully making a name not only for myself, but for an island of 32 square miles. It’s not just for my island, but also other small islands.’

And, who knows, maybe one day he’ll see those same stars again from Team USA, and let them know his outburst wasn’t personal, and certainly not directed toward them.

‘Please, let them know,’ Victor said, ‘that’s not me.’

Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

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The cruiserweight bout between Jai Opetaia vs. Brandon Glanton on Sunday, March 8, was supposed to mark the first world championship fight for Zuffa Boxing, led by UFC CEO Dana White and Saudi dealmaker Turki Alalshikh.

But as Mike Tyson once said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

Zuffa Boxing got popped in the kisser Saturday when the IBF backtracked on its plan to sanction the fight. Jai Opetaia holds the IBF cruiserweight title. Well, at least temporarily.

The IBF has said it will strip Opetaia of the IBF cruiserweight title if he goes through with the now-unsanctioned bout against Glanton and fights for Zuffa Boxing’s new title belt.

The IBF clearly rejected that idea — and the idea of Zuffa’s belt being in the spotlight — while abandoning the fight. At a minimum, that now means Opetaia and Glanton will face off in an unsanctioned bout.

Oh, Opetaia also holds The Ring magazine’s cruiserweight title belt. Head spinning yet?

This soap opera, er, story also will involve a boxing match between Opetaia and Glanton.

Opetaia, a 30-year-old Australian, is 29-0 with 23 KOs. Glanton, 34, is 21-3 with 18 KOs and no title fights.

How to watch Jai Opetaia vs. Brandon Glanton

Time: 9 p.m. ET (main card), 6 p.m. ET (prelims)
Where: Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
TV: N/A
Stream: Paramount+ in the United States at $8.99 per month.

Jaycob Ramos vs. Ethan Perez

The featherweight fight finished in a majority draw. Perez dropped Ramos with a left hand in the second round before Ramos returned the knockdown with a big hook in the third round.

Brady Ochoa vs. Adrian Serrano results

The lightweight fight between Brady Ochoa and Adrian Serrano finished in a majority draw. Ochoa pushed the pace in the fight, while Serrano had some moments of his own in the fight.

Emiliano Alvarado vs. Erick Rosado result

Alvarado earned a unanoumous decision victory after dropping Rosado with a crisp left hook in Round 4. Alvarado controlled the featherweight fight the rest of the way and dominated the scorecards and earning the decisive win.

Jai Opetaia vs. Brandon Glanton Predictions

Brent Brookhouse, CBS Sports: Ultimately, Opetaia is simply the better fighter — the best in the world in the division, no less. And it is likely too tall a task for Glanton to suddenly step up his game to a level he’s never shown before…Prediction: Opetaia by TKO, Round 10.

Anatoly Pimentel, BetMGM: Opetaia is currently at his physical peak, and I don’t see anyone besides Noel Mikaelian and Gilberto Ramirez pushing him to his full limit and actually giving him a competitive fight. Prediction: Opetaia by unanimous decision.

Jai Opetaia vs. Brandon Glanton Card

Main Card

Jai Opetaia vs. Brandon Glanton, cruiserweight
Ricardo Salas vs. Jesus Saracho, welterweight
Adan Palma vs. Pablo Rubio, featherweight

Prelims

Vlad Panin vs. Shinard Bunch, welterweight
Joshua Juarez vs. Jardae Anderson, heavyweight
Jaycob Ramos vs. Ethan Perez, featherweight
Brady Ochoa vs. Adrian Serrano, lightweight
Emiliano Alvarado vs. Erick Rosado, featherweight

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The madness of March was on full display in the Patriot League on Sunday.

Navy led 72-70 with 3.6 seconds remaining when Boston University basketball freshman guard Chance Gladden took the in-bounds pass, sprinted up court and sank a deep 3-pointer from the Navy logo on midcourt to send the Terriers to the Patriot League championship game, while ending the top-seeded Midshipmen’s hopes of making March Madness.

‘I saw three seconds to go, I was just sprinting up the court, and when I let it go, it felt so good, I knew it was in,’ Gladden said in a postgame interview with CBS Sports Network.

The Terriers trailed as many as six points in the second half. Gladden’s heroic shot came after Navy’s Austin Benigni put the Midshipmen back up by two with 3 seconds to go after Gladden tied the score with a jumper inside the paint.

The win is a bracket-shifting one for the Patriot League. Not only does Navy get knocked out of the conference tournament game, but the conference will send a different representative to March Madness now with its automatic qualifier bid. The Midshipmen had been projected for a good chunk of the season as the conference’s representative in bracketology predictions for several weeks after going 17-1 in the regular season.

It also snapped a 14-game win streak for Navy.

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INDIANAPOLIS ― The UCLA women’s basketball team has been a part of the Big Ten Conference for two seasons. Sunday, it won its second conference tournament title.

UCLA blew out Iowa, 96-45, in the championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Bruins put the game out of reach in the first quarter with defense. Iowa scored first with a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Taylor Stremlow 46 seconds in. The Bruins allowed only two more points the rest of the quarter, going on a 22-2 run. Iowa shot 25% from the floor and had seven turnovers in the opening period, four of which came in the first three minutes.

Guard Kiki Rice, who was named Big Ten tournament Most Outstanding Player, took advantage of the Hawkeyes’ inability to protect the ball and scored seven of the Bruins’ first 11 points. 

“We got on our heels early. If you let that margin get a little too great, you can never really ever shrink it,” Iowa coach Jan Jensen said. “Major credit to UCLA. They have been extremely impressive, and they were great today. I also think you saw a lot of senior leadership on their end as a team that’s been on a mission since the Final Four last year.”

The Bruins defense and size created a lot of opportunities. UCLA had 26 points off turnovers, 15 steals and held Iowa to 28% shooting from the field. No player on the Bruins roster is shorter than 5-10. UCLA had five blocks and scored 44 points in the paint to Iowa’s 16. 

“Every single night we take pride in our defense and that’s what really ignited us today,” Rice said. “That’s the foundation, that’s the backbone of our team, and we take pride in the way we defend.”

Rice finished with 15 points and fellow guards Gabriela Jaquez and Charlisse Leger-Walker had 12 and 11, respectively. All-American center Lauren Betts had 10 points. Freshman forward Sienna Betts contributed 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting from off the bench. Ava Heiden led the Hawkeyes with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Freshman guard Addie Deal added 11 points off the bench.

The Bruins (31-1) are a lock for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament and will host the first to rounds of the tournament. Selection Sunday is March 15.

Third quarter: UCLA 67, Iowa 36

Chit-Chat Wright provides spark for Iowa in third quarter. The point guard Chit-Chat Wright scored seven points and had one assist in the third quarter. Ava Heiden has 13 points to lead the Hawkeyes.

Iowa is getting outscored 30-12 in the paint and has 16 turnovers that have led to 20 UCLA points.

Iowa is down, but Hawkeyes fans still cheering

“Let’s go Hawks” chants broke out in Gainbridge Fieldhouse during an official’s timeout with 4:49 left in the third quarter. Iowa is down, 59-30, but the Hawkeyes faithful are still waving their towels and showing their support.

UCLA keeps the hot hand

The Bruins haven’t slowed down in the third, building a 55-23 with 7:51 remaining in the period after starting the quarter on a 13-3 run. Gianna Kneepkens scored five of those points. The senior guard has 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field.

Halftime: UCLA 42, Iowa 20

Iowa found a rhythm in the second quarter, scoring 15 points. But UCLA’s size and ball movement still proved too much to manage. The Bruins have 14 assists and four blocks entering halftime. Iowa is shooting 25% from the field.Kiki Rice leads all scorers with nine points.

Turnover woes continue for Iowa

The Bruins forced three turnovers in the first 2:28 of the second quarter. That’s 10 on the afternoon for Iowa. UCLA has built its lead to 19 points in the Big Ten championship.

First quarter: UCLA 22, Iowa 5

Iowa struck first and opened the game with a 3-pointer 46 seconds into the game. It only scored two more points for the remainder of the quarter.UCLA  forced seven turnovers and shot 63% from the field in the first quarter. Sienna Betts has eight points off then bench on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the floor.

Kiki Rice off to a hot start

Kiki Rice has seven of the Bruins’ 11 points. The senior guard is 3-for-3 from the field and UCLA is out to an 11-3 lead.

Iowa lousy with the ball to start

The Hawkeyes had four turnovers in the first three minutes of the opening quarter against the Bruins. UCLA hold a 9-3 lead with five minutes left in the first quarter.

What time is Iowa vs. UCLA?

Date: Sunday, March 8
Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)

The UCLA Bruins play the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten final at 2:15 p.m. ET Sunday, March 8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Iowa vs. UCLA: TV, streaming

TV: CBS/Parmount+
Stream: Sling TV

No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 1 UCLA, 2:15 p.m. | CBS

Iowa starting lineup

Head coach: Jan Jensen

11 Chit-Chat Wright | G 5-4 Sophomore
1 Taylor Stremlow | G 5-10 Sophomore
4 Kylie Feuerbach | G 6-0 Graduate student
45 Hannah Stuelke | F 6-2 Senior
5 Ava Heiden | C 6-4 Sophomore

UCLA starting lineup

Head coach: Cori Close

1 Kiki Rice | G 5-11 Senior
5 Charlisse Leger-Walker | G 5-10 Graduate
8 Gianna Kneepkens | G 6-0 Graduate
11 Gabriela Jaquez | G 6-0 Senior
51 Lauren Betts | C 6-7 Senior

UCLA seeks back-to-back titles

Hawks in the house

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DULUTH, GA — The No. 1 Duke Blue Devils are back-to-back ACC Tournament champions after beating No. 2 Louisville 70-65 in overtime Sunday, March 8 at the Gas South Arena.

It’s the first time since 2010-11 that Duke has won back-to-back ACC Tournament titles. The program is now tied with Maryland for the most conference titles all time, with 10.

‘This game was an emotional roller-coaster,’ Duke coach Kara Lawson said. ‘We never say die. We just always believed.

‘I’m just really proud of this group.’

It was Delaney Thomas who got the scoring going in overtime with back-to-back baskets for the Blue Devils, and Riley Nelson, who shut the door on Louisville’s title hopes with 4.9 seconds remaining in regulation. Nelson sank a gigantic 3-pointer to put Duke up five points, making the lead insurmountable for Louisville.

‘Riley!’ fans chanted from the stands after the game ended.

Duke had four scorers in double figures, including Thomas and senior guard Taina Mair, who both had 19 points. Mair was named the ACC Tournament MVP.

‘This team, we earned this one today,’ Mair said when presented with the award.

Although Louisville shot better from the floor at 42%, it ran out of steam in overtime, shooting 22% in the period. Imary Berry led the Cardinals with 18 points off the bench. Mackenly Randolph added 17 points, including the basket that sent the game to overtime.

‘I’ve got to just tip my hat,’ Louisville coach Jeff Walz said postgame. ‘You’ve got to give respect to what Delaney Thomas did. She won the game for ’em. I told Kara [Lawson] ― I told her after the game, no question, MVP of that game.’

‘The urgency you have to play with, it’s pretty elite … because you’re going to play everybody good, and if you don’t come prepared to play with a mentality to compete and play hard, it’s not fun. And that’s what took place today.’

Fourth quarter: Duke 60, Louisville 60

With fans living and breathing on every shot, Duke and Louisville traded baskets through the final sixminutes of the fourth quarter. It was tied 51 all at the 6:28 mark, and from there, it was anybody who wanted to get a shot until Riley Nelson hit a huge 3-pointer with under a minute to play that had Louisville on the ropes. Louisville answered as it could with a Mackenly Randlolph basket and a free throw by Imari Berry.

Duke and Louisville trading shots with ACC Championship on line

If you like back-and-forth baskets, this is the game for you. The Duke Blue Devils and Louisville Cardinals are living up to expectations of a championship game. At the 7:02 mark of the fourth quarter, Taina Mair hit a massive 3-pointer to tie the game, 51 all.

Duke’s back-to-back championships are currntly on the line, and for Louisville, a win would be the program’s first title since 2018.

Third quarter: Louisville 49, Duke 46

With an ACC championship on the line, it’s an all-out battle in the third. Louisville won it 17-16, but not without a huge 6-0 run as the quarter ran down from Duke to close the gap. Still, it was Imari Berry with a timely three that put just enough seperation between the two teams. The margins are slim, but Louisville’s 17 bench points are the difference right now.Imari Berry lead all scorers with 15 points, including three triples.

Duke’s leading scorer in foul trouble

Duke leading scorer Toby Fournier is having a rough day against the Cardinals. She picked up her third foul of the game at the 6:01 mark in the third. Fournier also has been held to just five points, when she averages over 17 a game.

Halftime: Louisville 32, Duke 30

Duke owned the second quarter 16-11, but Louisville holds the halftime lead after an Imari Berry buzzer-beater. As the teams battle, Louisville has the edge. The Cardinals are shooting 48% to Duke’s 42% and have withstood the Blue Devils shooting 56% from deep.

Louisville has also forced 11 first-half turnovers and scored 11 points from the giveaways. Duke doesn’t have any points from its bench at the halfway mark, and star Toby Fournier has 3 points.

Taina Mair leads all scorers with 10 points, five rebounds and two steals.

Former NBA All-Star cheering for Louisville at ACC championship

Former two-time NBA All-Star Zach Randolph is cheering for his daughter, Mackenly, and the Louisville Cardinals at Sunday’s championship.

Duke opens the second quarter with a 7-0

Here comes the Duke Blue Devils. Duke strung together several stops and put together some quick offense, punctuated by a Taina Mair 3-pointer, to tie the game at the 7:10 mark of the second quarter. It’s currently 21 all, after a 7-0 run by Duke, making it ten unanswered points dating back to the first.

First quarter: Louisville 21, Duke 14

It’s been all Louisville in the first quarter as five players have scored. The Cardinals are winning the battle on the glass 10-4 and have forced six Blue Devils turnovers. Louisville has also held Duke to 36% shooting while maintaining a 60% shooting percentage from the field.

Credit to Louisville for mixing up its defensive coverages, keeping Duke off balance. The Blue Devils did show some fight towards the end of the quarter. Ashlon Jackson nailed a triple before the buzzer to cut the lead to seven. Jackson and Louisville’s Imari Berry and Taj Roberts all have five points.

Louisville takes early lead over Duke

At the 6:50 mark of the first quarter, the teams were tied at 4, but then Louisville went on a mini-run which led to a timeout at the 4:51 mark. The Cardinals are up 9-6 after Taj Roberts’ triple powered the Cardinals first push of the game.

Louisville coach shares what Cardinals need to do to beat Duke

Louisville head coach Jeff Walz shared what the Cardinals have to do to defeat Duke and win their first ACC championship since 2018. For context, Louisville lost to Duke in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals last season and again on Feb 5 this year during a home matchup.

‘We’re going to have to rebound the ball. That’s one thing that Duke does extremely well,’ Walz said. ‘And then we’re gonna have to score. That’s one of the things we struggled with at our place, starting off … and we did at home, but we just didn’t finish it out.’

Duke and Louisville are ready to go

Both Duke and Louisville are making their way to Gas South Arena.

Duke and Louisville starting lineups

These are the starting lineups for Duke and Louisville women’s basketball.

Duke Blue Devils starting lineup

Head coach: Kara Lawson

4 Riley Nelson | G 6-2 – Sophomore
3 Ashlon Jackson | G 6-0 – Senior
12 Delaney Thomas | F 6-3 – Junior
22 Taina Mair | G 5-9- Senior
35 Toby Fournier | F 6-2 – Sophomore

Louisville Cardinals starting lineup

Head coach: Jeff Walz

22 Tajianna Roberts | G 5-10 – Sophomore
4 Mackenly Randolph | F 6-0 – Sophomore
0 Laura Ziegler | F 6-2 – Senior
11 Elif Instanbulluoglu | F 6-3 – Junior
9 Anaya Hardy | F 6-3 – Sophomore

Duke Blue Devils and Louisville Cardinals rosters

Here are the rosters for Duke women’s basketball and Louisville.

Duke Blue Devils Roster

2 Jadyn Donovan | G 6-0 – Junior
3 Ashlon Jackson | G 6-0 – Senior
4 Riley Nelson | G 6-2 – Sophomore
5 Emilee Skinner | G 6-0 – Freshman
12 Delaney Thomas | F 6-3 – Junior
13 Jordan Wood | F 6-4 – Junior
15 Emma Koabel G 5-11 – Senior
21 Arianna Roberson | C 6-4 – Red Shirt Freshman
22 Taina Mair | G 5-9- Senior
25 Anna Wikstrom | G 6-0 – Freshman
35 Toby Fournier | F 6-2 – Sophomore
42 Hailey Johnson | G 5-11 – Senior
53 Olivia Martin | G 5-6 – Senior

Louisville Cardinals roster

0 Laura Ziegler | F 6-2 – Senior
1 Reyna Scott | G 5-10 – Senior
2 Imari Berry | G 5-10 – Sophomore
4 Mackenly Randolph | F 6-0 – Sophomore
5 Rebekah Graves | G 5-6 – Red Shirt Freshman
9 Anaya Hardy | F 6-3 – Sophomore
11 Elif Instanbulluoglu | F 6-3 – Junior
13 Isla Juffermans | F 6-4 – Sophomore
20 Peyton Bradley | G 5-10 – Sophomore
22 Tajianna Roberts | G 5-10 – Sophomore
23 Skylar Jones | G 6-0 – Junior
24 Grace Mbugua | F 6-4 – Freshman

What time is Louisville vs. Duke?

Date: Sunday, March 8
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Gas South Arena (Duluth, Georgia)

The Louisville Cardinals play the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament championship game at 1:00 p.m. ET Sunday, March 8, at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

Louisville vs. Duke: TV, streaming

TV: ESPN
Stream: Sling TV

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