Get To Know a College Basketball Mid-Major: NEC

The NEC is a bit of a soap opera this year: several top teams (Le Moyne, Mercyhurst and New Haven) are ineligible for the NCAA tournament because they're transitioning from D‑II — New Haven is even barred from the NEC tourney — which could lead to an odd auto‑bid “qualifier” if ineligible teams reach the final.
On the men’s side LIU is the top seed and the only NEC team in the NET top‑200 (No. 200), making them the conference favorite — but three of their conference losses came to ineligible teams, so chaos is still possible.
For the women, FDU has steamrolled the league (15‑0 in NEC play) while LIU’s Kadidia Toure is the conference’s standout — a 18.9 PPG/10.2 RPG double‑double machine — setting up an intriguing rematch and March tournament storyline.

Sports

February 25, 2026 at 8:33 PM

ACC flexed: UNC beat Louisville 77-74, Virginia dominated NC State, and Duke throttled Notre Dame 100-56 — the Irish’s worst home loss since 1898.
Mike DeCourcy’s latest bracket puts Duke as the top overall seed, with Michigan, Arizona and UConn also on the 1-line; Virginia rose to a 4-seed and UNC to a 5-seed.
Early tourney picture and bubble chatter heating up (Iowa State high on the 2-line); Auburn, Ohio State, Virginia Tech and USC sit just outside the field.

Sports

February 25, 2026 at 8:29 PM

Will Power, 44, left Team Penske for Andretti and says he feels rejuvenated — it’s not a “revenge tour,” even if the storyline suggests drama.
He turned down a late one‑year Penske offer for a fresh challenge and expects to be more hands‑on with Andretti’s engineers and strategy.
Now in the No. 26, Power (turning 45) says he’s motivated to beat the whole field, plans cleaner racing with former teammates, and is excited for his March 1 Andretti debut at St. Pete.

Sports

February 25, 2026 at 7:06 PM

INDYCAR drivers overwhelmingly rejected a playoff format (22–3), preferring the current points system.
Arlington’s stadium race excited everyone — it got 25 votes, while Phoenix and Markham got none.
Teammates picked Scott Dixon as the likeliest champion, and Christian Rasmussen was voted the hardest driver to trust on track.

Sports

February 25, 2026 at 6:26 PM

Deion Sanders shared a FaceTime with vascular surgeon Dr. Don Jacobs who said his leg healed well after an October 2025 procedure and that he was once worried it could have been much worse.
Sanders has battled blood clots for years (leading to two toe amputations in 2021 and 16 surgeries total) and also overcame a July 2025 bladder cancer diagnosis — yet he didn’t miss a game after the most recent surgery.
On the field, Colorado is rebuilding: the Buffaloes went 3–9 in 2025 and are 16–21 across Sanders’ three seasons in Boulder.

Sports Medical Health

February 25, 2026 at 6:24 PM