Sports
Miami (Ohio)'s storybook season takes underdog angle against SMU
Miami RedHawks guard Peter Suder (5) dives after a loose ball in the first half of Mid-American Conference Tournament first round game between the Miami RedHawks and the UMass Minutemen at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Thursday, March 12, 2026. Miami led 39-37 at halftime. DAYTON, Ohio — College basketball’s biggest storybook tale this season seizes the national spotlight as Miami (Ohio) takes on SMU in a clash of No. 11 seeds in the final First Four game Wednesday night.
The RedHawks (31-1) will have a decided home-court advantage from the sellout crowd as they try to put their stunning 87-83 loss to UMass in the first round of the Mid-American Conference tournament behind them.
University of Dayton Arena is only one hour from Miami’s campus in Oxford, Ohio. Xavier enjoyed a similar geographical benefit in last year’s First Four and rode the crowd’s energy to rally past Texas.
For SMU (20-13), the First Four is a chance to prove they deserved their ticket to the tournament thanks to their ambitious nonconference schedule. The Mustangs went only 8-10 in the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference — and 3-8 on the road overall. But in four straight games in December against SEC opposition away from home, they defeated Mississippi State and Texas A&M while falling to Vanderbilt and LSU.
While the Mustangs earned a tournament spot because of their demanding schedule — the Mustangs went 4-9 against Quad 1 opponents and 5-4 versus Quad 2 — the RedHawks earned theirs despite a soft nonconference slate that featured no games against power conference foes.
Nonetheless, Miami — No. 37 in NET rankings — became the first team since Gonzaga in 2021 to post an unbeaten regular season. Despite their historic run, the MAC tournament quarterfinal exit relegated the RedHawks to an at-large bid and the trip to Dayton.
“In this world, everybody gets caught up in results. That’s all the world wants,” Miami coach Travis Steele said, addressing critics of his team’s schedule. “But then when we are at 31-0, then everybody’s talking about, oh, everything else matters. People contradict themselves all the time.”
SMU head coach Andy Enfield has leaned on his experienced backcourt, which includes standout guards B.J. Edwards, Jaron Pierre Jr. and Kevin “Boopie” Miller. Edwards, who missed the conference tournament with an ankle injury, is expected to return for Wednesday’s game.
Miller, a second-team all-ACC pick, led SMU at 19.2 points per game while Pierre averaged 17.6 points.
“We feel very strongly that we deserve to be in,” Enfield said. “I think as far as our schedule strength … that our resume is probably better than some of the other teams in that area. The advantage of having experienced players (is that) our team has been very good in close games this year. Every game is close in this league.”
The RedHawks counter the Mustangs’ strong backcourt with the nation’s second-highest scoring offense (90.7 ppg) and the best effective field goal percentage (61.2%). MAC Player of the Year Peter Suder (14.6 ppg) leads a balanced offense that boasts six active double-figure scorers.
The RedHawks will have to find a way to handle the physicality of an SMU team that ranks much higher in defensive metrics. Their loss to UMass exposed a weakness on the glass, as they were outrebounded 41-24 and outscored 54-30 in the paint. Miami, which has only one post player in its rotation in 6-foot-9, 245-pound Antwone Woolfolk, will need to gang-rebound against SMU 7-foot-2, 270-pound center Samet Yigitoglu.
Oddsmakers have established SMU as a 7.5-point favorite. The winner of Wednesday’s final First Four game advances to take on No. 6 seed Tennessee in a Midwest Region first-round game Friday in Philadelphia.
–Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media
Sports
LA Olympics soccer to begin 4 days before opening ceremony
[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 13, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; General view inside the stadium during the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amanda Perobelli-Reuters via Imagn Images By the time the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics opening ceremony takes place July 14, the men’s and women’s soccer tournament will be well underway, according to the schedule that was released Monday.
The men’s and women’s Olympic tournaments will be held across the United States, with New York, Columbus, Ohio, Nashville, Tenn., and St. Louis all playing host to men’s and women’s group stage matches July 10 and 11.
San Diego and San Jose, Calif., will play host to women’s group stage matches starting July 11.
The tournament will not reach the Los Angeles area until July 21 when the women’s tournament conducts a quarterfinal match on July 21 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The men’s and women’s semifinals and finals will also take place at the Rose Bowl between July 24-29.
The early start to the tournament allows all teams two extra days of rest between games compared to previous Olympic tournaments.
The complete schedule for both tournaments, as well as game start times, will be released at a later date.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Red-hot teams clash when Hurricanes visit Blue Jackets
Mar 10, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (24) and right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) look at each other during the warmups before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho look to continue their respective strong play on Tuesday as the Carolina Hurricanes visit the streaking Columbus Blue Jackets.
Svechnikov and Aho each collected a goal and an assist in Carolina’s 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Svechnikov has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his past six games while Aho has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past nine contests.
Both players have 24 goals this season, four shy of Seth Jarvis for the team lead. Aho leads the team in both assists (44) and points (68), with Svechnikov sitting second in both categories (34, 58).
Jordan Martinook scored the go-ahead goal midway into the third period on Saturday for the Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes, who improved to 14-3-2 in their last 19 games.
“I thought everybody really contributed. And that’s how we win, right?” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It’s not, you know, just special plays here and there. We need every line, really. And that’s what we’ve got to do to get it done.”
Svechnikov notched two assists in the Hurricanes’ 4-1 victory over the Blue Jackets on Dec. 9 in Raleigh, N.C.
Carolina will have a tall task in slowing down Columbus, which enters Tuesday’s tilt on a nine-game point streak (5-0-4). The Blue Jackets remained hot on Saturday by recording a 2-1 victory in a shootout over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Kirill Marchenko provided the fireworks Saturday by scoring his team-leading 25th goal of the season, and 100th career goal, before adding the game-deciding tally in the shootout.
Columbus improved to 15-2-4 in 21 games since Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evason as the team’s head coach on Jan. 12. That surge has allowed the Blue Jackets to move just outside the second-wild card position in the East.
“It’s really important for us and for the standings,” Marchenko said. “It looks like a playoff game. … A lot of games, we’re playing only one goal (games) and always in overtime and shootouts. Happy to win that because last game we lose in overtime (2-1 against the Florida Panthers on Thursday), and now we will change it.”
Jet Greaves turned aside 18 shots in regulation and overtime before denying all three attempts in the shootout.
“He was so calm in the shootout,” Bowness said. “That was pretty good to see. Very impressive.”
Greaves credited the team’s penalty kill for making his job easier. Columbus thwarted all four short-handed situations on Saturday, including a four-minute power play by Philadelphia that bridged from the second and third period.
“I thought the kill did a great job,” Greaves said. “Special teams is so important in these games, and I thought the guys did a good job. There were a lot of shot blocks. I think we were getting it in the neutral zone and up the ice, and that shows a positive effort from the guys. It’s such an important time in the game.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Re-elected Barcelona president: Doors 'always open' to Lionel Messi
Mar 7, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) in action against DC United at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images Newly re-elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta tendered an olive branch to Lionel Messi, saying the erstwhile club legend and Inter Miami superstar would always be welcome to return.
Laporta routed challenger Victor Font in Sunday’s election, earning 68.1% of votes cast by 48,480 club members to retain the presidency through 2031.
He overcame Font’s focus on his strained relationship with Messi and an accusation from Xavi, the former Barcelona manager, that Laporta blocked the Argentine midfielder from returning in 2023, two years after Messi left for France.
“Leo will be linked to Barcelona in whatever way he wants to be,” Laporta said. “He deserves a tribute (match) and also a statue. That would be hugely significant. Only Ladislao Kubala and Johan Cruyff have statues at the stadium.
“The doors at Barca are always open to him, whenever he wishes, so that he can continue to strengthen and bring greatness to this institution.”
A lawyer and former Catalan politician, Laporta was club president from 2003-10, reclaimed the post in 2021 and initiated a personnel overhaul that led to Messi’s departure for PSG.
With Messi pulling the strings, Barcelona became a European powerhouse and perennial La Liga champion during Laporta’s initial term.
Messi, 38, led Barcelona to 10 domestic championships and four Champions League titles before continuing his dominance in France and with Inter Miami, with whom he won MLS Cup in 2025 along with back-to-back league MVP awards.
Barcelona’s all-time scoring leader with 672 goals in 778 games, Messi has maintained he would like to come back in the twilight of his career, which also includes the 2022 World Cup triumph with Argentina.
“Last night, I returned to a place that I miss with all my heart,” Messi wrote last November in a social media post that showed him touring the renovated Camp Nou.
“It’s a place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel like the happiest person in the world a thousand times over. I hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do…”
Laporta outlined his priorities for the next five years at Barcelona, the current top team in the La Liga table and an aspiring Champions League quarterfinalist.
“To keep building a great team with (manager Hansi) Flick on the bench,” Laporta said. “To win titles, which is what the fans love, but also to play well. And to finish the stadium halfway through the mandate, because that guarantees the club’s future on a financial level but also a venue fitting for putting on a show on the pitch.
“We also want to keep the women’s team really competitive and to keep growing economically. The best years of our lives lie in wait.”
–Field Level Media
LA Olympics soccer to begin 4 days before opening ceremony
Red-hot teams clash when Hurricanes visit Blue Jackets
