All posts tagged: NCAA

UCLA crushes South Carolina for NCAA women’s basketball national title

UCLA crushes South Carolina for NCAA women’s basketball national title

Published by Sam Flores

PHOENIX — Lauren Betts turned to the crowd, her hands on her head, and eyes met with the UCLA family section. She mouthed one phrase twice before she and her teammates rushed the floor. “We did it.” With a 30-point lead by the end of the third quarter, much of the end of Sunday’s NCAA championship victory was a celebration of what UCLA had built en route to its 79-51 victory over South Carolina. By the final buzzer, it was a full-blown party. UCLA’s Kiki Rice, right, drives around South Carolina’s Raven Johnson during the first half of the NCAA national title game on Sunday. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times) “Just winning with this team, turning around and seeing my team run to the court after the final buzzer, there is a balance of being in the moment, but you can’t help in the last couple seconds, it hits,” UCLA point guard Charlisse Leger-Walker said. “We were going to be national champions.” The Bruins’ first NCAA championship was a romp from start to finish, an inverse …

UCLA South Carolina NCAA Women’s March Madness Final Free Livestream

UCLA South Carolina NCAA Women’s March Madness Final Free Livestream

Published by Daniella Wilson

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission. The stage is set for today’s NCAA Women’s Basketball final, with UCLA taking on South Carolina for the 2026 March Madness championship trophy. At a Glance: How to Stream NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Online Today’s women’s basketball final airs live on ABC and you can watch the Gamecocks vs. Bruins live on TV with any basic cable package that carries a local ABC affiliate. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN. How to Watch UCLA vs. South Carolina Women’s Basketball Final Online Free Don’t have cable? There are a few ways to livestream the UCLA vs. South Carolina game online, including ways to stream the March Madness final for free. TOP PICK DirecTV To watch the Women’s March Madness championship game online, you’ll need a live TV streaming service that carries an ABC feed. We like DirecTV, which offers more than 120 channels on its “Choice” plan, with pricing starting at …

The nonprofit status of NCAA athletic departments is starting to raise questions

The nonprofit status of NCAA athletic departments is starting to raise questions

Published by Sam Flores

With all the talk of busted brackets, game-winning shots, point spreads and Cinderellas, it was easy to miss the eye-popping offer University of Michigan star forward Yaxel Lendeborg claimed to have received during the first weekend of March Madness. Lendeborg told The Associated Press that the University of Kentucky had dangled between US$7 million and $9 million to entice him to transfer there in 2025. Though University of Kentucky head coach Mark Pope called it “100% false” in a subsequent interview, the numbers being thrown around show just how big a business college sports have become. CBS and Turner are paying the NCAA about $1.1 billion annually through 2032 to air March Madness games. Recent court decisions, settlements and NCAA policy changes have opened the door for top college athletes like Lendeborg to earn millions of dollars. Yet athletic departments are still operating as tax-exempt nonprofits, even as a growing chorus of voices, from academia to politics, is wondering whether this designation should be reevaluated. The nonprofit mission Most private universities operate as 501(c)(3) organizations …

Where to Watch NCAA Men’s March Madness Live Online

Where to Watch NCAA Men’s March Madness Live Online

Published by Daniella Wilson

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission. With The Chainsmokers set to headline the “Bridge Show” between games, the Final Four: NCAA Men’s March Madness games take place on Saturday, Apr. 4. The top four teams in college basketball compete against each other to see which two are going to the 2026 National Championship game. You can watch the Final Four of play starting with the No. 3-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini takes on the No. 2-ranked UConn Huskies at 3:09 p.m. PT/6:09 p.m. ET. It’s followed by No. 1-ranked Michigan Wolverines going head-to-head against No. 1-ranked Arizona Wildcats at 5:49 p.m. PT/8:49 p.m. ET. Both games broadcast on TBS and truTV, and livestream on HBO Max. At a Glance: How to Stream Final Four 2026: NCAA Men’s March Madness Online If you want to catch all of the college basketball action, keep reading to find out how to watch the Final Four with and without a cable subscription, including …

Why the NCAA is calling for changes to gambling laws

Why the NCAA is calling for changes to gambling laws

Published by Sam Flores

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Plane makes emergency landing on Pennsylvania highway 00:24 Southern California faces first wildfires of the season 00:27 Helicopter drops marshmallows for Easter tradition 00:19 Search for F-15 pilot in Iran enters second day 00:41 Now Playing Why the NCAA is calling for changes to gambling laws 01:41 UP NEXT Pope Leo marks Good Friday with cross procession at Colosseum 00:24 Trump says downing of U.S. jet won’t impact Iran negotiations 00:45 NASA shares photos of Earth taken by Artemis II crew 00:25 Firings in Trump 1.0 vs Trump 2.0 01:33 Could Lee Zeldin be the next attorney general? 00:40 Tourists walk hanging Eiffel Tower bridge 00:29 Artemis II astronauts troubleshoot onboard toilet 00:57 One pilot has been rescued by U.S. military 00:37 Iran offering reward for the capture of U.S. aircrew 00:51 U.S. fighter jet goes down over Iran 01:03 U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March 01:16 Attack on Iran’s B1 bridge kills at least eight people 00:24 Astronauts …

How Koa Peat and Brayden Burries Became the Breakout Freshmen Duo of the NCAA Tournament

How Koa Peat and Brayden Burries Became the Breakout Freshmen Duo of the NCAA Tournament

Published by Jenni Sidey

The Arizona duo will join a bunch of other electric one-and-doners to make up the most exciting set of prospects in over 20 years. Headlined by BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’s Darryn Peterson, and Duke’s Cameron Boozer, many basketball observers are comparing the 2026 draft class—which could see as many as 20 freshmen selected—to the iconic classes of 1984 (Hakeem, MJ, Barkley, Stockton), 1996 (Iverson, Ray Allen, Kobe, Nash), and 2003 (LeBron, Melo, Bosh, D-Wade). Those drafts were loaded with transformational talents, but never has the NBA seen so many polished 18, 19, and 20-year-olds projected to enter the league in the same year. Most mock drafts predict Burries to be a late lottery selection while Peat is likely to be chosen in the top 20. But before they peace-out of school and devote their attention to the pros, the fabulous freshmen are looking to ace college basketball’s final exam. The duo were a big reason why (aside from their first half against Purdue) Arizona has cruised through the NCAA Tournament. The Cats have won their …

You’re the best player in the NCAA Tournament. It doesn’t mean you’ll have an NBA future.

You’re the best player in the NCAA Tournament. It doesn’t mean you’ll have an NBA future.

Published by Sam Flores

Newton, 24, learned that on draft night, when he was selected 49th overall in a 58-player draft. In two seasons, Newton, a 6-foot-5 guard, has appeared in eight NBA games while playing primarily in the NBA’s developmental minor league. He added that “NBA and college careers, I guess those are two different — they don’t really correlate with each other anymore.” Winning Most Outstanding Player is but one of hundreds of data points NBA teams use to evaluate prospects, from how they play on the court to how they carry themselves off it. Indeed, two executives of NBA teams, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in exchange for their candor about the draft process, said they didn’t even realize the past connection between winners of the award and often strong NBA careers. They viewed a strong performance in the tournament and particularly the Final Four as a helpful line in a player’s broader résumé but not a difference-maker. Conversely, struggling in the tournament wouldn’t be held against a prospect who had played well all …

Judge denies NCAA bid to block DraftKings March Madness trademarks use

Judge denies NCAA bid to block DraftKings March Madness trademarks use

Published by skeptic

A federal judge has refused to immediately stop DraftKings from using the NCAA’s well-known basketball tournament branding, even while signaling the league is likely to win key parts of its lawsuit. In a March 26 order, the US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana said the NCAA satisfied most of the legal test for a temporary restraining order. But the request ultimately failed on urgency. As the court put it, “the NCAA has made the requisite showing that three of the four elements necessary for a TRO exists, but… they have not shown irreparable harm.” Court finds likely DraftKings trademark violation against NCAA The case, filed earlier this month, accuses DraftKings of trademark infringement, false association, and dilution tied to its use of phrases like “March Madness,” “Final Four,” and “Elite Eight” across its sportsbook. The judge made clear the claims are still substantial. In the ruling, the court said DraftKings’ wording closely tracks the NCAA’s protected marks and could mislead users. “The challenged terms are clearly similar to the NCAA Basketball Marks,” …

NCAA sues DraftKings over March Madness trademarks in betting dispute

NCAA sues DraftKings over March Madness trademarks in betting dispute

Published by skeptic

The NCAA has filed a federal lawsuit against DraftKings, accusing the sportsbook operator of improperly using some of its most recognizable basketball tournament trademarks. The case, lodged in Indianapolis, claims the company’s actions create a misleading connection between college sports and gambling. The NCAA suggests DraftKings’ use of terms like “March Madness,” “Final Four,” “Elite Eight,” and “Sweet Sixteen” in its betting products and promotions violates its trademark. The NCAA is pushing for an emergency court order that would force the company to stop using those names right away. The organization says the issue cuts into how the public understands its stance on sports betting. “This is an action for trademark infringement, trademark false association and unfair competition, and trademark dilution,” the NCAA states in its complaint seen by ReadWrite, adding that it is seeking injunctive relief and damages. The filing showcases just how central those tournament brands are to the NCAA’s identity. It calls the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments “among the most famous and widely recognized sporting events in the United …

No. 1 Duke survives NCAA Tournament first-round scare against No. 16 Siena

No. 1 Duke survives NCAA Tournament first-round scare against No. 16 Siena

Published by Sam Flores

The No. 1 Duke Blue Devils, the betting favorite to win the men’s NCAA Tournament, barely escaped the round of 64 with a 71-65 win over the No. 16 Siena Saints on Thursday. Follow along for live updates of Thursday’s games The Blue Devils trailed from the 15:31 mark of the first half until the 4:25 mark of the second, when an Isaiah Evans layup finally gave Duke the lead again. The Blue Devils finished the game on a 15-4 run to extinguish any hopes of a shocking upset. No. 16 seeds have upset No. 1 seeds only twice before in the men’s tourney, in 2018 and 2023. Gavin Doty was remarkable in a losing effort for the Saints, scoring 21 points. He was aided by big man Francis Folefac, who added 18. But they both cooled off in the second half, as did the rest of the team. After shooting 17-for-31 from the field in the first half, Siena made only eight of its 34 field goal attempts in the second. At one point, …