2026 NCAA Tournament Projections: How the Big Ten Can Become an 11-Bid Conference

Ohio State and USC are on the NCAA bubble with crucial road tests this week — OSU at Iowa and USC at UCLA — that could make or break their tournament chances.
The SEC currently leads DeCourcy’s projections with 11 bids; the Big Ten sits at nine but could climb if bubble teams finish strong.
DeCourcy’s latest bracket has Auburn, Santa Clara, VCU and New Mexico as the last four in, while USC, Ohio State, TCU and Cal are listed as the first four out.

Sports

February 24, 2026 at 8:15 PM

Raiders are rebooting under new coach Klint Kubiak and GM John Spytek, and look poised to use the No. 1 pick on Heisman-winning, national-champion QB Fernando Mendoza — a leader Spytek describes as tough, selfless and a maniacal preparer.
All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby is expected to stay despite trade speculation; Spytek says they’ve talked and believes the team can quickly become a contender.
With one of the league’s largest cap spaces, the Raiders plan to be active in free agency to build a championship-caliber locker room around Kubiak’s system.

Sports

February 24, 2026 at 7:06 PM

Tyler Reddick is 2-for-2 to start 2026 and is the clear favorite at COTA — he’s already won there, so the talk of a rare three-peat is tempting.
Bubba Wallace has surprised with a strong start, sitting second in points for 23XI Racing after a pair of top-10s.
Defending champ Kyle Larson suffered a costly crash at Atlanta, a reminder how quickly momentum can flip early in the season.

Sports

February 24, 2026 at 6:56 PM

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest ever — 48 teams across 16 cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada — and the US is a co-host.
Tom Brady took part in the official draw and is visibly invested in soccer (minority owner of Birmingham City, met Zlatan, got an AC Milan “Brady” jersey), underscoring celebrity crossover into the sport.
Soccer’s momentum in the U.S. is rising (Messi at Inter Miami, dominant USWNT), and the US opens the 2026 tournament on June 12 against Paraguay.

Sports Pop Culture

February 24, 2026 at 6:56 PM

Acuff erupted for 49 points — an Arkansas freshman record and the No. 2 single-game mark in program history — playing all 50 minutes in a 117-115 double-OT at then-No. 25 Alabama.
AJ Dybantsa had back-to-back huge outings (35 points, then 29 with 10 rebounds and 9 assists), sweeping Big 12 player/rookie of the week honors and pacing the nation in scoring.
Iowa’s sophomore center posted three straight double-doubles (about 24 points and 11.3 rebounds per game) to fuel No. 9 Iowa’s wins over Nebraska, Purdue and Michigan.

Sports

February 24, 2026 at 6:50 PM