INSIDER
Villanova to 7th Final Four, beats Houston 50-44 in South
Read full article: Villanova to 7th Final Four, beats Houston 50-44 in SouthJermaine Samuels had 16 points and 10 rebounds as Villanova advanced to its third Final Four in the last six NCAA Tournaments with a 50-44 victory over Houston in the South Region final.
Maly, Creighton women top Colorado 84-74 in NCAA first round
Read full article: Maly, Creighton women top Colorado 84-74 in NCAA first roundMorgan Maly matched a career high with 20 points and Lauren Jensen and Molly Mogensen each had 16 as 10th-seeded Creighton defeated No. 7 seed Colorado 84-74 in an NCAA tournament first-round game.
45M Americans to bet on March Madness hoops, group estimates
Read full article: 45M Americans to bet on March Madness hoops, group estimatesAbout 45 million Americans say they plan to bet on this year’s March Madness college basketball championship tournament, and an increasing percentage will do it in a way that doesn’t include filling out brackets.
After scathing report, NCAA makes changes for March Madness
Read full article: After scathing report, NCAA makes changes for March MadnessA year after the NCAA got called out for gender inequities between its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the organization has made changes over the past six months to make the events more equitable.
Supreme Court case could change the nature of college sports
Read full article: Supreme Court case could change the nature of college sportsA Supreme Court case being argued this week amid March Madness could erode the difference between elite college athletes and professional sports stars. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)WASHINGTON – A Supreme Court case being argued this week amid March Madness could erode the difference between elite college athletes and professional sports stars. In 1984, the high court rejected NCAA rules restricting the broadcast of college football. Currently, athletic scholarships can cover the cost of college athletes’ attendance at college. Whatever happens at the high court, how college athletes are compensated is already likely changing.
March Sweetness! Memorial Hospital welcomes 3 newborns for Sweet 16
Read full article: March Sweetness! Memorial Hospital welcomes 3 newborns for Sweet 16JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Memorial Hospital had some fun with March Madness when it welcomed three newborns just in time for the Sweet 16. The trio of future basketball players slam-dunked their way into the world with the help of their coaches (AKA mothers). Their cute basketball hats and nets were handmade, with love, by labor and delivery nurse Becky Geschwind, RN, at Memorial’s Special Beginnings. Geschwind is known to have knitted countless baby outfits for babies delivered at the hospital over the years. Thanks to Memorial for sharing the sweetness with us!
Betting sites offer software blocks for compulsive gamblers
Read full article: Betting sites offer software blocks for compulsive gamblers(AP Photo/Wayne Parry)ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Some sports betting companies are offering tools that allow compulsive gamblers to block themselves from most online sites. Unibet last week announced it was making software from U.K.-based Gamban available to customers in the U.S. The software blocks thousands of licensed and unlicensed gambling sites and is constantly updated to add new ones as they appear. And states including New Jersey offer state-administered self-exclusion lists where gamblers can prohibit themselves from gambling for differing periods, or permanently. “We strongly support the ability of gamblers to self-exclude through both the operator and on their own personal devices,” he said.
Gators squander 11-point lead, lose to 15th-seed Oral Roberts
Read full article: Gators squander 11-point lead, lose to 15th-seed Oral Roberts(Photo by Trevor Brown Jr/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)The up and down basketball season for the Florida Gators ended on a harsh down note. Florida led by 11 points, but couldn’t hold the lead and lost to 15th seeded Oral Roberts 81-78. Instead, the Gators season is over. “I really would have liked to have seen Keytonae and his teammates have the opportunity to celebrate and go to the Sweet 16 in another week and see what happens from there. He finished the season averaging 16 points per game.
Crowded bars: March Madness or just plain madness?
Read full article: Crowded bars: March Madness or just plain madness?The NCAA Tournament and bars were made for each other, with fans of powerhouse teams like Gonzaga and longshots like Colgate pouring in to cheer their teams. This year, the tournaments back, and bars and restaurants, some shuttered for months, are open for March Madness, though things may look a little different. This year, the tournament’s back, and bars and restaurants, some shuttered for months, are open for March Madness, though things may look a little different. As for those who choose to watch at bars or restaurants, their experiences will vary depending on their location. AdIn Chicago, city inspectors cite bars and restaurants that violate strict capacity rules.
Fewer brackets but same number plan bets on March Madness
Read full article: Fewer brackets but same number plan bets on March MadnessBut 8% fewer plan to fill out brackets pools because many offices remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Fewer Americans expect to fill out brackets for the NCAA's college basketball tournament this year, but the overall number of people making bets on March Madness should remain about the same as the last time the tournament was held, according to the gambling industry's national trade association. The American Gaming Association released figures Sunday predicting that more than 47 million Americans plan to make a bet — legal or otherwise — on March Madness this year. That's about the same number that said they planned to bet on the 2019 tournament. “The sports betting landscape has changed dramatically since 2019, and as a result, tournament betting has transformed,” AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said.
NCAA in talks with Indianapolis to host all of March Madness
Read full article: NCAA in talks with Indianapolis to host all of March MadnessINDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA announced Monday it plans to hold the entire 2021 men’s college basketball tournament in one geographic location to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 and is in talks with Indianapolis to be the host city. The Final Four is already set to be held in Indianapolis next year and the NCAA has its headquarters in the Indiana capital. 🚨 #MarchMadness Update 🚨The 2021 NCAA Tournament will be held in one geographic area. 👉 https://t.co/0b9eNzVcRS pic.twitter.com/MO6M7M6Ood — NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) November 16, 2020The association said it is relocating early-round games that had been scheduled to be played at 13 already-determined sites. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee said hosting all 68 teams in one place would “enhance the safety and well-being of the event.”
NCAA approves plan for basketball players to access coaches
Read full article: NCAA approves plan for basketball players to access coachesThe NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, approved a plan to allow college basketball players to start working with their coaches for the first time since the pandemic wiped out March Madness. The summer access period for men's and women's players will begin July 20. The summer access period for men's and women's players will begin July 20. The NCAA basketball tournaments were cancelled days before the fields were scheduled to be selected because of the coronavirus outbreak. It will also consider adding more activities for basketball players during the July 1-19 period.
How would an all-local 32-team football playoff field look?
Read full article: How would an all-local 32-team football playoff field look?JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - We all found out the high school football playoff brackets last Sunday when the Florida High School Athletic Association unveiled its field. Of course, it's all for fun, but how would a 32-team field look? I gave our Super 10 the top seeds in the News4Jax playoff bracket and used RPI for spots 11-32. In the instance of RPI ties, I used the opponent's winning percentage as the first tiebreaker. RPI, or ratings percentage index, multiplied a team's winning percentage (.35), an opponent's winning percentage (.35) and an opponent's opponent's winning percentage (.30) to come up with an RPI.