Here are the AP’s top sports stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.
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UPCOMING
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SOC--LEAGUE CUP FINAL
DESCRIPTION: Arsenal and Man City face each other in the English League Cup final for the first piece of major domestic silverware in England. It could also give a psychological boost to the winner in the race for the Premier League title, with Arsenal in first place and City in second. 700 words, photos by 1830GMT.
UPCOMING: By 03/22/2026 2:30 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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SOC--FRENCH ROUNDUP
DESCRIPTION: Akliouche makes the difference as Monaco beats slumping Lyon for 6th straight league win. Marseille hosts Lille. By Jerome Pugmire. SENT. Will be updated.
SENT: By 03/22/2026 4:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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GLF--VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP
DESCRIPTION: Sungjae Im tries to finish off a wire-to-wire victory in the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook, with Brandt Snedeker two shots back. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. 700 words, photos
UPCOMING: By 03/22/2026 7:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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CAR--NASCAR-DARLINGTON
DESCRIPTION: Coming off an emotional victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after a tumultuous offseason, Denny Hamlin will be a favorite to continue his surge at Darlington Raceway. By Nate Ryan. Race starts at 3 p.m. EDT.
UPCOMING: By 03/22/2026 7:30 p.m. EDT, Text
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BKW--MARCH MADNESS
DESCRIPTION: Text coverage of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Previews of Monday’s eight second-round games:
BKW—NCAA-Kentucky-West Virginia Preview
No. 4 seeded West Virginia has never won twice in a single women’s NCAA Tournament. It’s been a decade since No. 5 Kentucky advanced to the Sweet 16. One of those schools will move on when they meet in the second round. By John Raby. 700 words, photos.
BKW--NCAA-Notre Dame-Ohio St Preview
Monday’s matchup between third-seeded Ohio State and sixth-seeded Notre Dame has a couple interesting subplots. It is a matchup of AP second-team All-America guards in Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge. The coaches also go back many years as Kevin McGuff was an assistant at Notre Dame and coached Niele Ivey, who now leads the Fighting Irish. By Joe Reedy. 750 words, photos.
BKW--NCAA-Alabama-Louisville Preview
The Louisville Cardinals are looking to punch their ticket to a 13th Sweet 16 when they host the sixth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide looking for a trip to Fort Worth in Region 3. By Steve Bittenbender. 650 words, photos.
BKW--NCAA-Illinois-Vanderbilt Preview The Vanderbilt Commodores and the nation’s scoring leader Mikayla Blakes will be playing the youngest team in this NCAA Tournament for a trip to the Sweet 16 in the Forth Worth 1 Region. By Teresa M. Walker. 700 words, photos.
BKW--NCAA-USC-South Carolina Preview. By Pete Iacobelli. 650 words, photos.
BKW--NCAA-Virginia-Iowa Preview. By John Bohnenkamp. 650 words, photos.
BKW--NCAA-Syracuse-UConn Preview. By Jim Fuller. 650 words, photos.
BKW--NCAA-Oklahoma St-UCLA Preview. By Beth Harris. 650 words, photos.
Games (text, photos for each, with sidebars on merit. Times Eastern):
Chapel Hill, N.C.:
No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 4 North Carolina, noon. By Bob Sutton.
Ann Arbor, Mich.:
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 7 NC State, 1 p.m. By Larry Lage.
Minneapolis:
No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Minnesota, 2 p.m. By Dave Campbell.
Baton Rouge, La.:
No. 2 LSU vs. No. 7 Texas Tech, 3 p.m. By Brett Martel.
Durham, N.C.:
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 6 Baylor, 4 p.m. By Doug Bonjour.
Austin, Texas:
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 1 Texas, 6 p.m. By Jim Vertuno.
Norman, Okla.:
No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Oklahoma, 8 p.m. By Cliff Brunt.
Fort Worth, Texas:
No. 3 TCU vs. No. 6 Washington, 10 p.m. By Stephen Hawkins.
UPCOMING: By 03/22/2026 8:00 p.m. EDT, Text, DigitalPlans, Photo
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BKC--MARCH MADNESS
DESCRIPTION: Text coverage of the men’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament:
Previews/features: Games (text, photos for each, tipoff times Eastern. Sidebars on merit):
St. Louis:
No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 7 Miami, 12:10 p.m. By Jeff Latzke.
No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 2 Iowa State, 2:45 p.m. By Dave Skretta.
Tampa, Fla.:
No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 1 Florida, 7:10 p.m. By Rob Maaddi.
No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 4 Alabama, 9:45 p.m. By Rob Maaddi.
San Diego:
No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 4 Kansas, 5:15 p.m. By Greg Beacham.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 9 Utah State, 7:50 p.m. By Bernie Wilson.
Philadelphia:
No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 6 Tennessee, 6:10 p.m. By Dan Gelston.
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 2 UConn, 8:45 p.m. By Dan Gelston.
UPCOMING: By 03/22/2026 8:00 p.m. EDT, Text, DigitalPlans, Photo
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GLF--LPGA TOUR
DESCRIPTION: Hyo Joo Kim took a five-stroke lead over Nelly Korda into the final round of the Fortinet Founders Cup, a tournament she won 11 years ago. 400 words, photos.
UPCOMING: By 03/22/2026 10:30 p.m. EDT, Text
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NEW AND DEVELOPING
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BBO--MARINERS-AROZARENA-RALEIGH
Randy Arozarena apologizes to Seattle teammate Cal Raleigh over comments after handshake snub at WBC
SUMMARY: Randy Arozarena has apologized to Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh after Arozarena cursed out the catcher for not returning a handshake at the World Baseball Classic. Arozarena said in a statement issued through the Mariners that he doesn’t want the incident to “be a distraction. Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game.” The incident between the two took place on March 9 when Arozarena reached down to greet Raleigh in his catcher’s squat at home plate, and Raleigh declined to offer his hand back in a game in which the Americans beat Mexico 5-3.
WORDS: 386 - MOVED: 03/22/2026 1:33 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ac39b879a579bbbff2738dd6644bdf69&mediaType=text
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GLF--EUROPEAN TOUR
Jordan Gumberg holds on to win Hainan Classic for the American’s 2nd European tour title
SUMMARY: Jordan Gumberg has won the Hainan Classic for his second European tour victory. The 30-year-old American shot a 70 in the final round to hold off Jorge Campillo. Gumberg played his college golf at Arizona. He won two years ago in South Africa. But his most famous moment came late last year when he holed out from the final fairway for eagle in South Korea that allowed him to keep a full European tour card. He birdied the 11th hole and finished with seven straight pars. Campillo shot 71 and had birdie chances on the final three holes.
WORDS: 236 - MOVED: 03/22/2026 10:48 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:cce24d583e680e0a27f23b06df89bec9&mediaType=text
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BBO--PHILLIES-SANCHEZ
Phillies agree to 6-year contract with opening day starter Cristopher Sánchez
SUMMARY: The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a new six-year contract with opening day starter Cristopher Sánchez. The deal for last season’s NL Cy Young Award runner-up begins in 2027 and will run through 2032 with a club option for 2033. Terms were not immediately available. Sánchez had been pitching under a $22.5 million, four-year contract that was through 2028.
WORDS: 264 - MOVED: 03/22/2026 9:31 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:5168bd450486a469470b09debdcaf1f1&mediaType=text
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MLB PREVIEW SPORTS EXTRA: A paginated preview of the season is in AP Newsroom by searching for “Sports Extra” or “SE” under the Graphics tab. Three versions – full broadsheet, half broadsheet and tabloid – are available. Please contact Barry Bedlan at bbedlan@ap.org with any questions.
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MOVING TOMORROW
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BKC--MARCH MADNESS
Coverage of the men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament.
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BKW--MARCH MADNESS
Coverage of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
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BBO--ABS-WHO BENEFITS
Mookie Betts, Eugenio Suárez and Paul Goldschmidt had the most called strikes on pitches that should have been balls in the past decade, according to Statcast, while Kyle Hendricks, Aaron Nola and Kevin Gausman topped pitchers who got strike calls on balls outside the zone. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum.
