A March Madness prelude: Men's basketball conference tournament schedule

Before theMadnessbegins, we need to crown conference champions andNCAA Tournamentautomatic bids are up for grabs.

Here's a list of themen's basketballconference tournament schedules:

Bracketology:NCAA Tournament last four in, first four out

March Madness predictions:13 teams who can win NCAA tournament

Men's college basketball conference tournament dates, schedule

Listed by start date.

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• Horizon: March 2-10 (Indianapolis)

• Sun Belt: March 3-9 (Pensacola, Fla.)

• Patriot: March 3-11 (on campus)

• OVC: March 4-7 (Evansville, Ind.)

• ASUN: March 4-8 (Jacksonville, Fla.)

• Big South: March 4-8 (Johnson City, Tenn.)

• Summit: March 4-8 (Sioux Falls, SD)

• NEC: March 4-10 (on campus)

• MVC: March 5-8 (St. Louis)

• MAAC: March 5-10 (Atlantic City, NJ)

• WCC: March 5-10 (Las Vegas)

• SoCon: March 6-9 (Asheville, NC)

• CAA: March 6-10 (Washington DC)

• Big Sky: March 7-11 (Boise)

• America East: March 7-14 (on campus)

• Mountain West: March 7-14 (Las Vegas)

• Southland: March 8-12 (Lake Charles, La.)

• SWAC: March 9-14 (Atlanta)

• ACC: March 10-14 (Charlotte)

• Big 12: March 10-14 (Kansas City)

• Conference USA: March 10-14 (Huntsville, Ala.)

• Big Ten: March 10-15 (Chicago)

• Big East: March 11-14 (New York City)

• Big West: March 11-14 (Henderson, NV)

• MAC: March 11-14 (Cleveland)

• MEAC: March 11-14 (Norfolk, Va.)

• WAC: March 11-14 (Las Vegas)

• American: March 11-15 (Birmingham)

• Atlantic 10: March 11-15 (Pittsburgh)

• SEC: March 11-15 (Nashville)

• Ivy: March 14-15 (Ithaca, NY)

When is Selection Sunday 2026?

The 68-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament will be unveiled on 6 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 15.

When does March Madness start?

The first men's game of the 2026 NCAA tournament will be on March 17 with the start of the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

March Madness 2026 schedule

The 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament will transpire over the next three weeks, which will end with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.

Here's a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

• First Four: March 17-18

• First round: March 19-20

• Second round: March 21-22

• Sweet 16: March 26-27

• Elite Eight: March 28-29

• Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

• National championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NCAA men's basketball conference tournament schedule, dates, locations

byJastin

in

March 01, 2026

A March Madness prelude: Men's basketball conference tournament schedule

Before theMadnessbegins, we need to crown conference champions andNCAA Tournamentautomatic bids are up for grabs. ...

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Zimbabwe wins toss and opts to bat against South Africa in Super 8 matchup at T20 World Cup

DELHI, India (AP) — Sikandar Raza won the toss and Zimbabwe opted to bat against South Africa in their final Super 8 game at the 2026T20 World Cupon Sunday.

South Africa and Zimbabwe T20 WCup Cricket

South Africa has already qualified for the semifinals from Group 1, while Zimbabwe has been knocked out after two successive losses.

Co-host and defending champion India will battle against the West Indies later on Sunday in Kolkata for the second semifinal spot from this group.

England and New Zealand have qualified for the semifinals from Group 2. Pakistan and co-hosts Sri Lanka were knocked out.

Zimbabwe has made one change to its line-up with wrist spinner Graeme Cremer coming back into the side for medium pacer Richard Ngarava.

South Africa, the only unbeaten team in the tournament, has opted to test its bench strength ahead of the semifinal and made three changes.

Pacers Kewna Maphaka and Anrich Nortje, along with all-rounder George Linde, get a game. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj along with pacers Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada have been rested.

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The pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi should aid batters and a high-scoring game could be in the offing.

Zimbabwe: Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (captain), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Clive Madande, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani

South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi

AP cricket:https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

byJastin

in

March 01, 2026

Zimbabwe wins toss and opts to bat against South Africa in Super 8 matchup at T20 World Cup

DELHI, India (AP) — Sikandar Raza won the toss and Zimbabwe opted to bat against South Africa in their final Super 8 gam...

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NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for Sunday, March 1, 2026

Get excited—there's another New York Times game to add to your daily routine! Those of us word game addicts who already playWordle,Connections,Strandsand theMini Crosswordnow haveConnections Sports Editionto add to the mix.So, if you're looking for some hints and answers for today's Connections Sports Edition onSunday, March 1, 2026, you've come to the right place.

🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox

What Is Connections Sports Edition?

Connections Sports Edition is just like the regular Connections word puzzle, in that it's a game that resets at 12 a.m. EST each day and has 16 different words listed. It's up to you to figure out each group of four words that belong to a certain category, with four categories in total.

This new version is sports-specific, however, as a partnership between The New York Times and The Athletic.

As the NYT site instructs, for Connections Sports Edition, you "group sports terms that share a common thread."

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Related:The 26 Funniest NYT Connections Game Memes You'll Appreciate if You Do This Daily Word Puzzle

Hints for Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories on March 1, 2026

Here are some hints about the four categories to help you figure out the word groupings.

• Yellow: Put money on one option.

• Green: Happenings on an NFL field.

• Blue: Think Billie Jean King.

• Purple: Not a meadow, but ...

Here Are Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories

OK, time for a second hint…we'll give you the actual categories now. Spoilers below!

• Yellow: BET

• Green: PRE-SNAP FOOTBALL MOTIONS

• Blue: TENNIS RACKET BRANDS

• Purple: ____ FIELD

If you're looking for the answers, no worries—we've got them below. So, don't scroll any further if you don't want to see the solutions!The answers to today'sConnections Sports Edition #524are coming up next.Related:15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day

What Are the Answers to Connections Sports Edition Today?

• BET: GAMBLE, RISK, STAKE, WAGER

• PRE-SNAP FOOTBALL MOTIONS: AUDIBLE, HARD COUNT, MOTION, SHIFT

• TENNIS RACKET BRANDS: BABOLAT, HEAD, PRINCE, WILSON

• ____ FIELD: PROGRESSIVE, RIGHT, SOLDIER, WRIGLEY

Don't worry if you didn't get them this time—we've all been there.

Up next,catch up on the answers to recent Wordle puzzles.

Related: Denim Gets an Upgrade in Gap's Stunning New Collab With Harlem's Fashion Row

This story was originally published byParadeon Mar 1, 2026, where it first appeared in theLifesection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byJastin

in

March 01, 2026

NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for Sunday, March 1, 2026

Get excited—there's another New York Times game to add to your daily routine! Those of us word game addicts who alre...

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Knight delivers joke during 'SNL' appearance featuring US men and women hockey gold medal winners

This time it was Hilary Knight's turn to provide a big laugh — with an assist from the "Saturday Night Live" writers — in the wake of a weeklong dust-up involving theUnited States women and men's Olympic gold medal-winning hockey teams.

Knight, the U.S. women's captain, along with teammate Megan Keller and men's team brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes, made a surprise appearance during "Heated Rivalry" star Connor Storrie's opening monologue on "SNL" on Saturday night.

With the Hughes brothers already on stage alongside Storrie, Knight and Keller joined them to a loud and lengthy ovation. The four players wore USA jerseys with their gold medals draped from their necks.

Knight opened by saying: "It was going to be just us, but we thought we'd invite the guys, too."

The remark was a clear reference to a controversy that arose when the men received a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump following their2-1 overtime win against Canadaon Sunday at theMilan Cortina Games.

Addressing the team over a speakerphone, Trump invited the men to his State of the Union speech, before adding he'd have to also invite the women, too. The president later said if he didn't invite the women, he'd risk being impeached, which led to the players laughing at a comment many saw as sexist.

Knight on Wednesdayreferred to the joke as being "distasteful and unfortunate."

Many of the men, meantime, said they laughed while being caught up in the celebration. Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman acknowledged they "should have reacted differently" to Trump's remarks.

The U.S. women, who also beatCanada 2-1 in overtimethree days earlier, politelydeclined Trump's invitation due to travel plans. The players traveled commercially and returned to North America late Monday evening, well after the men, who traveled on a charter flight paid for by the NHL and NHL Players' Association.

Jack Hughes scored the overtime goal for the men.

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Keller scored the overtime goal for the women, with Knight tying the game in the final minutes of regulation.

Knight plays for the PWHL's Seattle Torrent, and made the trip to New York City a day after beingplaced on long-term injured reserve. Keller, who plays for Boston, scrambled to New York hours after playing in the Fleet's 3-2 shootout win at Ottawa earlier in the day.

Jack Hughes plays for the NHL New Jersey Devils, and Quinn for the Minnesota Wild.

Knight delivered another punchline after Quinn Hughes said the last time the men won gold was 46 years ago at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

Knight followed by saying the women last won in 2018.

Laughing, Jack Hughes responded by saying, "nice burn," before turning to Storrie and saying: "These gold medals aren't just for us, they're for all hockey fans, yours' too."

When Storrie asked if he could try on one of the medals, all four players turned and said, "No."

"Heated Rivalry" has quickly become a hitfollowing its first season onHBO Max. Adapted from Rachel Reid's novel published in 2019, it features a plot revolving around a gay hockey romance in which two players from opposing teams carry out a secret, long-term relationship.

AP Olympic coverage:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

byJastin

in

March 01, 2026

Knight delivers joke during 'SNL' appearance featuring US men and women hockey gold medal winners

This time it was Hilary Knight's turn to provide a big laugh — with an assist from the "Saturday Night Live...

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Australian Hannah Green wins HSBC Women’s World Championship by a stroke

SINGAPORE (AP) — Australian Hannah Green has won the HSBC Women's World Championship for a second time, holding off a fast-finishing American Auston Kim to claim a one-stroke victory on Sunday.

Singapore LPGA Golf

Green, the2019 Women's PGA Championship winner, closed with a 69, after an erratic back-nine with three birdies and three bogeys nearly opened the door for Kim.

Green tapped in for bogey at the last and a 14-under four-round total of 274 at the par-72 SentosaGolfClub and give her another title in Singapore after also winning here in 2024.

Kim had the equal-best round of the day with a 67 on the back off six birdies and an eagle, but bogeys at the second and especially at the par-3 15th ended her charge at 13-under 275, and one shot behind a faltering Green.

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Minjee Lee, who had been co-leader with Green coming into Sunday's final round, mixed three birdies with three bogeys for a frustrating even final round 72 and was tied for third with Angel Yin (71) and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (68) of France at 11-under 277.

Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul, who wonlast week's tournamentin her native Thailand, shot 73 Sunday and was 2-under 287 and tied for 31st. She was one shot behind defending championLydia Ko, who had a 72.

The 72-player, no-cut tournament was the second of three stops on the LPGA's early year Asian swing, with the final one next week at Hainan Island, China.

AP golf:https://apnews.com/hub/golf

byJastin

in

March 01, 2026

Australian Hannah Green wins HSBC Women’s World Championship by a stroke

SINGAPORE (AP) — Australian Hannah Green has won the HSBC Women's World Championship for a second time, holding off ...

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Adebayo scores 24, Larsson adds 20 and Heat hold off Rockets, 115-105

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Pelle Larsson scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and the Miami Heat beat the Houston Rockets 115-105 on Saturday.

Rockets Heat Basketball

Tyler Herro scored 18, Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 14 and Kel'el Ware had a 13-point, 15-rebound game for the Heat. Andrew Wiggins — who needed eight stitches to close a laceration inside his mouth — had 12 points for Miami.

Kevin Durant finished with 32 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Rockets, who got 20 points from Amen Thompson and 14 from Reed Sheppard.

Both teams had double-digit leads early; the Rockets ran out to a quick 14-4 edge, the Heat answered with a 37-14 run to take a 41-28 lead. And then things settled down, with the sides staying relatively close the rest of the way.

Neither team had a double-digit lead in the second half until Larsson hit a pair of free throws with 1:52 left for a 113-103 lead.

The Rockets played without Jabari Smith Jr., sidelined with a sprained right ankle. He isn't expected to play in Washington on Monday either.

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"We'll target when we return home," said Rockets coach Ime Udoka, who put Sheppard into the starting lineup in Smith's place.

Meanwhile, Miami was without Norman Powell — who'll miss at least one week with a right groin strain, sustained Thursday in a Heat loss at Philadelphia. Herro, who has been working his way back from injury as well, got the start in Powell's spot.

"I feel for Norm because he wants to be out there for all the games, especially these moments right now," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We'll treat him and we'll see where he is after the week."

Up next

Rockets: Visit Washington on Monday.

Heat: Host Brooklyn on Tuesday.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

byJastin

in

February 28, 2026

Adebayo scores 24, Larsson adds 20 and Heat hold off Rockets, 115-105

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Pelle Larsson scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter a...

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Sharks beat the Oilers 5-4 to snap a 5-game winless streak

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Shakir Mukhamadullin broke a tie midway through the third period and the San Jose Sharks snapped a five-game winless streak by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Saturday.

Oilers Sharks Hockey

Mukhamadullin beat Connor Ingram with a slap shot from the point with 10:39 to play to give the Sharks their first victory since Jan. 27 at Vancouver. San Jose had been 0-4-1 since then, starting when the Sharks blew a 3-0 lead in the third period to Edmonton before losing in overtime.

Olympic star Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring for San Jose as he got the best of his matchup against his linemate from Canada in the Olympics, Connor McDavid.

Michael Misa, Barclay Goodrow and Alexander Wennberg also scored for San Jose. Yaroslav Askarov made 20 saves.

Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, Trent Frederic and Jake Walman scored for Edmonton, while McDavid chipped in with three assists to give him an NHL-leading 103 points on the season.

Ingram made 28 saves.

The Oilers tied it wice in the opening eight minutes of the third period with Frederic making it 3-3 off a good feed from Matt Savoie early in the period and Walman answering a goal from Alexander Wennberg to tie it at 4.

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But Mukhamadullin's goal gave San Jose the win.

The Sharks controlled the play for most of the first period and built a 3-1 lead with help from a major miscue Ingram midway through the period. He left his net to retrieve his lost stick after the puck cleared his zone. But San Jose got possession and Celebrini fired the puck into an open net for the first goal of the game.

The Oilers got back within one goal in the second period when they capped a long shift in the offensive zone with a one-timer by Bouchard off a feed from McDavid.

Up next

Oilers: Host Ottawa on Tuesday night.

Sharks: Host Winnipeg on Sunday.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhla

byJastin

in

February 28, 2026

Sharks beat the Oilers 5-4 to snap a 5-game winless streak

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Shakir Mukhamadullin broke a tie midway through the third period and the San Jose Sharks snapped...

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