Month: March 2026

And then there were eight! We’ve reached the Elite Eight round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and there are several high-profile programs who have made the cut. With that in mind, here’s the last time each of the eight teams that reached this year’s Elite Eight made the Final Four. Note: Schools are mentioned in alphabetical order. Arizona Wildcats – 2001 Arizona earned a No. 2 seed in the 2001 NCAA Tournament and proceeded to go on a run to the title game, defeating, most notably, the No. 1 seed Illinois, fellow No. 1 seed Michigan State and No. 3 seed Ole Miss. That said, Arizona came up just short, losing to Duke in the championship game. Duke Blue Devils – 2025 The Elite Eight is familiar territory for Duke under both current coach Jon Scheyer and coach Mike Krzyzewski. Last year, Duke not only made the Elite Eight, but it made the Final Four — a run that included standout victories over Baylor, Arizona and Alabama, among other teams. At the same time, said trip to the Final Four became a nightmare for the Blue Devils, who blew a six-point lead with 1:14 remaining in the second half to Houston, who won 70-67. Illinois Fighting Illini – 2005 The Fighting Illini have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past six seasons, but they haven’t been able to play “Connect Four” since 2005. In said season, Illinois reached the national championship, defeating Lute Olson’s Arizona team in the Elite Eight and Rick Pitino’s Louisville squad in the Final Four. Ultimately, though, North Carolina beat the Fighting Illini in the title game, 75-70. Iowa Hawkeyes – 1980 It’s been a minute for the Hawkeyes. Nevertheless, Iowa went on one of the best runs in program history in 1980 when it reached the Final Four. It was a stretch that featured wins over Syracuse and Georgetown. However, it came to a close in the Final Four, as Iowa lost to Louisville. Michigan Wolverines – 2018 After winning the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan earned a No. 3 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament and reached the Final Four. Unfortunately for the Michigan faithful, though, the Wolverines ran into the freight train that was Villanova, who defeated Michigan in the championship game for its second title in three years. Purdue Boilermakers – 2024 After losing in the first round of the tournament in 2021 and 2023 — which saw the Boilermakers lose to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the tournament, becoming just the second No. 1 seed to lose in the opening round — and being eliminated in the Sweet 16 in 2022, Purdue reached the national championship in 2024. The Boilermakers finished the season at 34-5, with UConn later defeating them in the title game. Tennessee Volunteers – Trick Question! The Volunteers have been a fixture in the second weekend of the tournament of late, with them reaching the Elite Eight in each of the past three seasons. That said, Tennessee has never reached the Final Four in program history. UConn Huskies – 2024 Following winning the national title in 2023, Dan Hurley’s Huskies became the first men’s college basketball team to repeat as national champions since Florida accomplished that feat under Billy Donovan in 2006 and 2007. UConn went 37-3 altogether and won its six NCAA Tournament games by an average of 23.3 points per contest. The Huskies later had four players selected in the 2024 NBA Draft, with two of them being picked in the first seven selections (Stephon Castle at No. 4 and Donovan Clingan at No. 7).​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Barber Motorsports Park (Leeds, Ala.) — Scott McLaughlin spun and backed his car through a foam barrier and a chain link-and-cable fence in a wild-looking accident Saturday during INDYCAR practice ahead of Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (1 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One). McLaughlin said the accident was much more dramatic than how it felt. He exited the INDYCAR medical unit about 15 minutes after the crash, which occurred at the high-speed exit of Turn 1. “I feel fine,” McLaughlin told me and a couple other reporters outside the medical unit. “A testament to the INDYCAR safety and whatnot, [the hit] was fine. I just dropped the right rear onto the exit of [Turn] 1. “I’ve seen other people do that before, actually in testing, and unfortunately, I was the one that did it today. I’m gutted. … The crash was pretty theatrical, but I feel fine and just want to get back out there.” The wreck ended the practice session after about 35 minutes — it was scheduled to be 40 minutes and then a pair of 12-minute group sessions — as INDYCAR had to repair cabling in the fence, a process that took more than an hour to repair. McLaughlin wouldn’t criticize the barrier in the initial moments after the crash. He was fine, and his Team Penske squad was preparing a backup car after the crash. [INDYCAR: Everything to Know About Eclectic Barber Track] His car hit some raised gravel that possibly accelerated it as it backed into the barrier and slid underneath the lowest cable, breaking through the fence. His car stopped with just the nose on the inside part of the fence and the rest of the car (including the cockpit) outside it. “I don’t want to nitpick anything because motorsports is built on accidents like this that we learn from,” McLaughlin said. “Do you want to see a car going through the catchfence? No. But do you want the catchfence to do a good job? “I thought it did everything that I needed to do. I think the skipping on the gravel was probably what made it to that point. I’m not here to blame anyone.” [INDYCAR: Rotating Points Leaders and More Parity Before Barber] McLaughlin said it was far from the hardest hit — and obviously the car didn’t stop as abruptly as maybe it would have if it hit a more sturdy barrier. “It was like the smallest one [compared to others] — and I’ve had a few lately,” McLaughlin said. “Like I said, it looked a lot worse than it felt.” McLaughlin should be able to qualify the backup car Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1).​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Barber Motorsports Park (Leeds, Ala.) — George Barber Jr. took over the family dairy business and expanded into ice cream stores and then properties such as warehouses and office buildings. And boy did he love motorsports, racing himself and collecting cars … and then motorcycles. Lots and lots of motorcycles. He thought big. The Barber Motorsports Park and the museum on the property are not just his vision but also that of his mind. It includes incredibly eclectic statues and artwork with a good deal of quirks, from a big spider statue to monkey (named George) hanging on to the top of the scoring pylon to a hanging mannequin from a bridge (named Georgina). His legacy lives on through the 830-acre property. George Barber died at age 85 in February, and that legacy includes the anchor event of an INDYCAR race. Barber’s passion didn’t just bring INDYCAR to the track, he used that as fuel to make improvements to the facility to have a major automobile event that fans and competitors praise. This is the 16th INDYCAR race at Barber’s pride and joy. Scott Dixon has known Barber since they first started racing there. “Obviously, he was huge for our sport, and what he’s done for that community — a big loss, but a hell of a person for what he did for motor racing, but also not just motor racing,” Dixon told me and other reporters earlier this month. “It was sad to see him go, but what he’s done and his legacy that will live on forever is pretty astounding.” The veterans in the series knew Barber and his passion. He sold the dairies in 1998 and then went to work on the motorsports mecca. Most of the cars this weekend have an apt tribute to the man known for his dignity and his humility – simply his initials on a black background. “I really liked George,” Will Power told me and other reporters. “He did a lot for INDYCAR, the way he presented that track, that museum, When you drove into that track, it was the nicest venue that we went to. “He loved INDYCAR. He was always a great guy, very open to any suggestions. I was sad to hear of his passing.” The museum (which has the biggest collection of motorcycles in the world as well as a stout collection of Lotus cars) operates as a non-profit, and the facility is set to continue to operate after his death. “You can see when you drive in for the first time, or every time, at this facility that it’s insane — the amount of love and work and money that him and his team has put in,” three-time defending INDYCAR champion Alex Palou told me and other reporters Friday. “It’s sad that he’s not here. I’m just hoping that we can keep these places as he wants, and that we can keep on delivering great races.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports