Billy Slater is left stunned after Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton escapes punishment for a high tackle against the Dragons.

You know all about the Power 5 conferences in college basketball. You hear about those more than any other, and those groups often dominate the March Madness conversation. There are 26 other conferences out there, however, and our goal is to get you up to speed on the teams, players and fights in the standings to know before the conference tournaments, Selection Sunday and the official start of March Madness. Its time for you to get to know a mid-major: this time, its the Summit League. "The Summit" is a midwestern-centered conference with nine teams, formed in 1982 right around when the NCAA became the sponsor of womens college basketball. None of the original conference members remain, however, so the present-day Summit, 32 schools later, is vastly different than it was at its inception. And will be different again a year from now, when Denver heads to the West Coast Conference for the 2026-2027 season, leaving the Summit with eight members. In the present, though, all nine teams make it to the conference basketball tournaments, with the 8- and 9-seeds facing off in a first-round matchup to get the field down to an even eight. The winner of that game takes on the top seed, while No. 2 faces No. 7, and then the other half of the quarterfinals pits four vs. five and three vs. six. The automatic bid for the conference champion is likely the only way into March Madness for mens basketball, as thats how it has been the last three years, and none of the teams are playing well enough to change that in 2026. Womens basketball, though well, its an open question, at least. Summit League Mens College Basketball Leaders: The Summit League mens tournament field is already set, and will begin play on March 4. Oral Roberts (8-seed) will face Kansas City (9) in the opening round, with the winner taking on top-seeded North Dakota State on March 5. North Dakota State (7) will face St. Thomas (2) on the same day, with South Dakota (4) vs. Omaha (5) the next day, as well as North Dakota (3) against Denver (6). North Dakota State was well ahead of the pack this season, going 14-2, two games ahead of second-place St. Thomas, four games up on North Dakota and six ahead of South Dakota, Denver and Omaha, which all tied for fourth. The Bison arent invulnerable, however: Denver beat them, 78-71, a month ago, and St. Thomas did so with authority on Feb. 26, 84-62. The first meeting between the two was much closer, with the Tommies losing, 68-65: a 1-point loss to North Dakota, a 98-94 defeat against Omaha and an 82-80 loss to Denver were the Tommies other Ls. In short, the standings present some clear favorites, but the reality is that even the best teams in the conference are capable of losing to the ones in the middle of the standings. While most of the conference is in the bottom-150 teams in the league per the NCAA Evaluation Tools accounting, its not as if North Dakota State and St. Thomas are so far ahead that its clear it will be those two facing off in the tournament finals, either. St. Thomas is 106th in NET and 104th in Wins Above Bubble, while North Dakota State is 117th and 98th neither figure suggests that there will be an at-large bid coming. St. Thomas is powered by a top-100 (unadjusted) offense, according toKenPoms Offensive Rating, as it scores 114.7 points per 100 possessions. The issue is that it allows 108.5, putting it 148th in Defensive Rating and resulting in an unadjusted 6.22 Net Rating. That is better than North Dakota State, however, which has roughly the same defense (108.3 points per 100 possessions, 145th) but with an offense that lags behind the Tommies, at 112.9 and 117th. Admittedly, those differences are slight, but since neither is particularly dominant it also opens them up to defeat. Denver, for instance, has one of the worst defenses in the league. Not the Summit League, either, but Division I basketball. However, it also ranks 67th in Offensive Rating, meaning if it does play serviceable defense and the offense is cooking, either of the Bisons or Tommies could go down. Summit League -Womens College Basketball Leaders: The womens Summit League standings and tournament seeding are also set: Omaha (8) faces North Dakota (9) on day one, March 4, then the tournament resumes March 5 with South Dakota (2) facing Kansas City (7) and North Dakota State (1) against the winner of Omaha-North Dakota. Oral Roberts (4) takes on St. Thomas (5) on the second day of the quarterfinals, then South Dakota (3) faces Denver (6). Unlike with the mens Summit League, there are two genuinely tournament-worthy teams in the Summit. However, because of the fact that one of the two will lose a game in the Summit League tournament, that might not result in an at-large bid. South Dakota State (24-6) is 43rd in NET and 46th in WAB, while North Dakota State (24-3) ranks 45th and 50th. Thats two top-50 teams in both NET and WAB, but again, there might be just one when Summit League play is truly over. Its not difficult to see why its these two teams standing so far ahead of the rest the next-best team in the Summit by NET is South Dakota, at 114, and the only other top-200 one is Oral Roberts at 184. The difference is that each has a player driving them to a possible March Madness berth to a degree that outshines what anyone else in the Summit League is doing, as well as most of the rest of Division I. South Dakota State senior forward Brooklyn Meyer is the Summits leading scorer at 22.1 points per game, but she also has a Player Efficiency Rating of 46.0, which puts her second in Division I behind UConns Sarah Strong. Right behind her, in both the Summit PER rankings as well as D-Is, is North Dakota State junior forward Avery Koenen, at 45.6. Just two other players Iowa States Audi Crooks and Notre Dames Hannah Hidalgo have a PER over 40. Meyer has the top Plus/Minus in the Summit; Koenen is second. Koenen has the best Offensive Rating (136.4) and Defensive Rating (77.2) in the conference; Meyer is second and fifth. Koenen is second in the Summit in rebounds per game; Meyer is third. As said, Meyer leads the conference in scoring Koenen is in third, at 19.2 points. Meyer leads in shooting percentage (65.3%), and is averaging 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. Koenen is behind in points, but has 11 rebounds per, with 2.3 assists and over a steal and block each per game. Both players can change the direction of a Summit League game on their own, and chances are good the two are going to clash in the conference finals. Its possible not likely, but possible that both teams end up making it to March Madness if that happensand the championship game is a close, impressive affair for both teams, but if there is any one-sidedness to it at all, then its unlikely the human element of the Selection Committee is going to overlook what WAB cannot. North Dakota States lone loss in conference play? That came against South Dakota State on Feb. 25, 59-54. The Jackrabbits lost to North Dakota State back on Jan. 17 in the first matchup between the two, 76-68, and then to South Dakota to close out January. Since then? Seven-straight wins, including evening up the season series with the Bison.

The Zimbabwe cricket team's return home from India after a successful T20 World Cup 2026 has been delayed because of the air travel disruptions caused by the crisis in the Middle East.

Steele lost his cool during a recent game against Western Michigan and now faces disciplinary action

The conclusion of the 2026 NFL Combine represents one more step closer to the NFL Draft, which will take place on April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, PA. NFL scouts and draft analysts in the media are going full bore into dissecting both the results at the combine and film from the 2025 college football season.One of the most knowledgable members of the college football media is Joel Klatt, who recently released his top 10 offensive players in the 2026 draft class. His top two is largely the consensus, with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love topping the list at No. 1 and 2, respectively. Then, a pair of offensive tackles and wide receivers preceded Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who is essentially a lock to be the first tight end selected in the draft. Sadiq is well deserving of the No. 7 spot on Klatt's list, as he very well could be taken within the first 15 picks after a strong performance at the combine. Thoughts on @joelklatt's Top 10 Offensive Players in the 2026 NFL Draft? pic.twitter.com/NpL3iKkLPa The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) March 2, 2026Sadiq had better marks in every agility testing drill than at least one NFL Pro Bowl running back or wide receiver, greatly impressing the football world and improving his draft stock greatly. But it's not just his athletic frame and measureables that stick out. The 6-foot-3, 241-pounder was a Mackey Award finalist in 2025, as he hauled in 51 passes for 560 yards and a nation-leading eight touchdown receptions from his tight end position. The way that the Ducks used him provides belief that he can used across the formation in the NFL, something that is needed for a tight end to be selected highly. When looking at his full body of work, it's not hard to imagine Sadiq being a true difference maker at the next level and worthy of being one of the highest-ranked offensive players in the entire draft class.Contact/Follow@Ducks_Wireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of OregonDucksnews, notes, and opinions.This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Where Joel Klatt ranks Kenyon Sadiq among 2026 offensive prospects

Duke is poised for a third straight No. 1 class. Arkansas comes in at No. 2, and UNC makes its 2026 rankings debut.

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A federal judge ruled Monday that former Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart can continue to work for Spire Motorsports but not the role he performed with his old NASCAR team.Gabehart is the chief motorsports officer at Spire, a job that encompasses most of parent company TWG Global's racing properties. He made his first public appearance as a Spire employee over the weekend at the IndyCar event in St. Petersburg, Florida.Gabehart can travel to this weekends race at Phoenix Raceway, where both NASCAR and IndyCar are competing. TWG Motorsports also owns Andretti Global of IndyCar.The ruling Monday from U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez in the Western District of North Carolina followed her order that both sides attempt to find a resolution following Friday's hearing on JGR's motion for a restraining order to prevent Gabehart from working for Spire.She set a March 16 date for a full hearing regarding Gabehart's employment.Another complaint from JGR that Gabehart stole data from the team to give to Spire has not yet been addressed. JGR has claimed Gabehart caused more than $8 million in damages by copying files and setups from the team, and Spire has been named as a defendant.Rodriguez on Monday ordered Gabehart to return all data and material he has from JGR to the team owned by Joe Gibbs, who founded the NASCAR organization in 1992 after he won three Super Bowls as Washingtons football coach.Gibbs is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and NASCAR Hall of Fame and now co-owns JGR with his daughter-in-law, Heather. The team fields Cup cars for Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin.Spire takes trade secrets very seriously, and we're a lot of things, but we're not hypocrites, Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson said. "We don't want anybody else's stuff, other than Hendrick, obviously. We're happy. The facts are the facts and I don't have any ill will toward JGR.I think we got thrown in because that's where it landed. I'm happy with the decision and we take trade secrets super seriously.Spire already has an alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, a deal that gives the team access to the Hendrick data. Hendrick is the winningest team in NASCAR history. Spire fields Cup cars for Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell and Daniel Suarez, as well as a Truck Series team. JGR does not have a Truck Series team.Gibbs and his daughter-in-law were not in court Monday for the 10-minute proceeding. They did attend last Friday's hearing.We are pleased with todays ruling by the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina for a temporary restraining order enforcing the terms of our contract with Chris Gabehart, JGR said in a statement. We will continue the legal process to protect our information and fight for what is right for our race team, our employees, and our partners.Gabehart joined JGR in 2012 as an engineer, worked his way to crew chief for Hamlin and became competition director ahead of the 2025 season. Gabehart spent six seasons as Hamlins crew chief and the duo won 22 Cup races two of which were the Daytona 500 and qualified for the championship finale three times.Hamlin finished fifth or better in six seasons under Gabehart, while Hamlins wins and laps-led were second-best in the Cup Series during that period.Gabehart admitted to the court he did take photographs on his phone of a JGR Excel file and other projects that he had played a role in developing. But Gabehart insisted a forensic audit proved the information was never shared with any other organization.He says his 13-year tenure at JGR began to unravel when he was pressured last season to crew chief Ty Gibbs, the grandson of the team owner, despite having been promoted to competition director at the end of 2024.I notified JGR that the job was not, at all, as advertised. I was promised a COO-type role overseeing all competitive operations with autonomy to lead, Gabehart told the court. Instead, I found myself constantly intertwined with Coach Gibbs, senior JGR executives and family members when making even routine competition decisions a dysfunctional organizational structure that I could not continue in.Gabehart said from the IndyCar race on Saturday that the dispute is not about him being pressured to crew chief Ty Gibbs, who Gabehart said was not held to the same standard as the other drivers. He said he feels bad about the publicity his dispute has caused for NASCAR and the Gibbs family, who employed him for 13 seasons.Deep down, I believe Ty is a really good person who has been delt a really tough hand the last three years, him and his family," Gabehart said, "and I feel really bad about that.___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

A federal judge ruled Monday that former Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart can continue to work for Spire Motorsports but not the role he performed with his old NASCAR team.Gabehart is the chief motorsports officer at Spire, a job that encompasses most of parent company TWG Global's racing properties. He made his first public appearance as a Spire employee over the weekend at the IndyCar event in St. Petersburg, Florida.Gabehart can travel to this weekends race at Phoenix Raceway, where both NASCAR and IndyCar are competing. TWG Motorsports also owns Andretti Global of IndyCar.The ruling Monday from U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez in the Western District of North Carolina followed her order that both sides attempt to find a resolution following Friday's hearing on JGR's motion for a restraining order to prevent Gabehart from working for Spire.She set a March 16 date for a full hearing regarding Gabehart's employment.Another complaint from JGR that Gabehart stole data from the team to give to Spire has not yet been addressed. JGR has claimed Gabehart caused more than $8 million in damages by copying files and setups from the team, and Spire has been named as a defendant.Rodriguez on Monday ordered Gabehart to return all data and material he has from JGR to the team owned by Joe Gibbs, who founded the NASCAR organization in 1992 after he won three Super Bowls as Washingtons football coach.Gibbs is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and NASCAR Hall of Fame and now co-owns JGR with his daughter-in-law, Heather. The team fields Cup cars for Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin.Spire takes trade secrets very seriously, and we're a lot of things, but we're not hypocrites, Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson said. "We don't want anybody else's stuff, other than Hendrick, obviously. We're happy. The facts are the facts and I don't have any ill will toward JGR.I think we got thrown in because that's where it landed. I'm happy with the decision and we take trade secrets super seriously.Spire already has an alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, a deal that gives the team access to the Hendrick data. Hendrick is the winningest team in NASCAR history. Spire fields Cup cars for Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell and Daniel Suarez, as well as a Truck Series team. JGR does not have a Truck Series team.Gibbs and his daughter-in-law were not in court Monday for the 10-minute proceeding. They did attend last Friday's hearing.We are pleased with todays ruling by the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina for a temporary restraining order enforcing the terms of our contract with Chris Gabehart, JGR said in a statement. We will continue the legal process to protect our information and fight for what is right for our race team, our employees, and our partners.Gabehart joined JGR in 2012 as an engineer, worked his way to crew chief for Hamlin and became competition director ahead of the 2025 season. Gabehart spent six seasons as Hamlins crew chief and the duo won 22 Cup races two of which were the Daytona 500 and qualified for the championship finale three times.Hamlin finished fifth or better in six seasons under Gabehart, while Hamlins wins and laps-led were second-best in the Cup Series during that period.Gabehart admitted to the court he did take photographs on his phone of a JGR Excel file and other projects that he had played a role in developing. But Gabehart insisted a forensic audit proved the information was never shared with any other organization.He says his 13-year tenure at JGR began to unravel when he was pressured last season to crew chief Ty Gibbs, the grandson of the team owner, despite having been promoted to competition director at the end of 2024.I notified JGR that the job was not, at all, as advertised. I was promised a COO-type role overseeing all competitive operations with autonomy to lead, Gabehart told the court. Instead, I found myself constantly intertwined with Coach Gibbs, senior JGR executives and family members when making even routine competition decisions a dysfunctional organizational structure that I could not continue in.Gabehart said from the IndyCar race on Saturday that the dispute is not about him being pressured to crew chief Ty Gibbs, who Gabehart said was not held to the same standard as the other drivers. He said he feels bad about the publicity his dispute has caused for NASCAR and the Gibbs family, who employed him for 13 seasons.Deep down, I believe Ty is a really good person who has been delt a really tough hand the last three years, him and his family," Gabehart said, "and I feel really bad about that.___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing