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⚾ Five things to know Thursday
- The Yankees opened the MLB season with a blowout of the Giants. The Yankees have their eyes on a 28th World Series, and that bid got off to a solid start with a 7-0 win over the Giants. New York was able to overcome a tough night from Aaron Judge (four strikeouts), due in large part to Max Fried’s 6⅓ sparkling innings. Twenty-two more MLB teams get underway today, and we have the biggest question facing every team, a ranking of Opening Day starter matchups, as well as 2026 award picks.
- The college basketball coaching carousel is spinning quickly. One of the biggest blue bloods in the sport has a coaching vacancy after UNC fired Hubert Davis on Tuesday. We now have a long list of potential replacements, which includes four coaches still competing in March Madness. In Baton Rouge, LSU is reportedly making a strong push to bring back Will Wade, but nothing is finalized yet. To top it all off, a second elite coaching job could become available if Bill Self opts to leave Kansas.
- NBA team owners have voted to approve the next step in expansion. It certainly looks like the NBA will be getting two new teams in the near future — even if one of them is more of a comeback. The board of governors voted to approve the next step in expansion, with Seattle and Las Vegas expected to lead the way when the bidding begins. The price for an expansion team is expected to exceed $7 billion. Should Seattle rejoin the league, most envision the return of the classic SuperSonics name. But naming the Las Vegas squad? Well, that’s another story.
- The 2026 Houston Open tees off Thursday morning. Adding to a packed sports weekend in Southeast Texas is the 2026 Houston Open, with the first round teeing off on the same day that the Cougars play in the Sweet 16. As always, we have a comprehensive preview of the tournament, including odds and a winner pick. Find out how you can tune into the event right here.
- The NFL is preparing alternatives if it can’t reach a new contract with referees. If you cringe at the thought of replacement referees, the most recent update of the NFL’s negotiations with the NFL Referees Association doesn’t bring good news. The current officials’ CBA is set to expire in May, and a new deal hasn’t been struck yet. With time running out, the NFL has begun exploring backup plans. Let’s just hope a deal gets done.
🏀 Do not miss this: Sweet 16 preview
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The second weekend of the 2026 NCAA Tournament tips off with the Sweet 16 tonight, and because zero perfect brackets remain at CBS Sports, we gave our experts a second chance. They got to reset their brackets ahead of the Sweet 16, and while no one swapped out their winner pick, one expert did make a change to the national title game.
Cameron Salerno originally had Duke beating Arkansas in the championship, but that’s no longer the case. After seeing Arizona up close, Salerno thinks the Wildcats will get past the Razorbacks tonight.
- Salerno: “One change from my first bracket: Arizona to the national title game. I originally had the Wildcats losing to Arkansas in the Sweet 16, but I’m changing my pick after watching them in person last weekend in San Diego. Arizona has the depth to make it to the final game of the college basketball season, but I’m still sticking with Duke to win the title.”
Of course, that’s not to say that No. 4 seed Arkansas is incapable of taking down No. 1 seed Arizona. The Razorbacks have a path to an upset, just like every other Sweet 16 underdog, and Zach Pereles has mapped out each one of them. Similarly, here is one factor that will determine the outcome of each contest.
There will be a lot of excellent basketball on TV over the next two nights, and ideally, you would watch every second. That said, if you have to prioritize certain games over others, David Cobb has ranked each Sweet 16 matchup by watchability. It may not shock you to hear the game featuring Rick Pitino vs. Jon Scheyer ranks high on that list.
(Here is a ranking of every women’s Sweet 16 game, too.)
Additionally, here are the tip times and broadcast information for the Sweet 16.
🏈 NFL mock draft: Bain slides out of top 10
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The 2026 NFL Draft is less than one month away, and teams are finalizing their draft boards as we try to predict what will happen. Garrett Podell took a stab at it with his latest NFL mock draft, and he sees Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. sliding due to his poor measurables at the NFL Combine.
The buzz around Bain has quieted after his arms measured under 31 inches in Indianapolis, but Podell thinks that may be an overreaction. As a result, one of the best prospects in this class could fall into the Cowboys‘ lap at No. 12 overall.
- Podell: “The Cowboys get lucky as 11 NFL teams overthink Miami All-American edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.’s lack of arm length (30⅞ inches). Bain stood out at his pro day during position drills, something Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, defensive coordinator Christian Parker and vice president of player personnel Will McClay all watched up close.”
Speaking of draft buzz, Alabama QB Ty Simpson has been picking up steam, particularly as it relates to the Browns. Kalen DeBoer has certainly issued a vote of confidence in his former Crimson Tide signal caller.
The Browns could have simply called Joe Flacco for quarterback help, but they were too “dumb” to give him a call.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching Thursday
⚾ Pirates at Mets, 1:15 p.m on NBC
⛳ Houston Open: First round, 3 p.m. on Golf Channel
⚽ Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3:45 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Tigers at Padres, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Bolivia vs. Suriname, 6 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Knicks at Hornets, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
🏒 Wild at Panthers, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Men’s Sweet 16: (11) Texas vs. (2) Purdue, 7:10 p.m. on CBS
🏀 Men’s Sweet 16: (9) Iowa vs. (4) Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. on TBS/truTV
⚾ Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 8:30 p.m. on NBC
🏒 Oilers at Golden Knights, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Men’s Sweet 16: (4) Arkansas vs. (1) Arizona, 9:45 p.m. on CBS
🏀 Men’s Sweet 16: (3) Illinois vs. (2) Houston, 10:05 p.m. on TBS/truTV
⚽ New Caledonia vs. Jamaica, 11 p.m. on FS1