Mora, 64, brings a wealth of experience in college and the NFL. He revived the UConn program, guiding the Huskies to a 9-3 record this season and a pending third bowl berth in four years. Mora fits the profile in experience and resume CSU sought as it moves into the reshaped Pac-12 next season. Mora coached in the conference for UCLA, compiling a 46-30 record and four bowl berths from 2012-2017.
“This program is primed for significant success, and this university is aligned to achieve it. I set the vision for Colorado State to become the most loved, most watched, most innovative athletics program in the West,” Weber said when explaining the decision to let Norvell go in October. “I look forward to the process that’s about to begin here to identify the leader that is going to be able to capitalize on all the potential that exists here at Colorado State, and I’m going to ensure it happens.”
Mora featured an explosive offense this season with a 1,000-yard rusher (Camryn Edwards), 1,000-yard receiver (Skyler Bell) and an efficient quarterback (Joe Fagnano, 28 touchdowns, one interception). The Huskies finished the season on a four-game winning streak, including victories over Air Force and Duke. Mora is the son of longtime NFL boss Jim Mora, who coached the Saints and Colts. Peyton Manning was his quarterback during his final four seasons in Indianapolis.
The changing college landscape doomed Norvell in Fort Collins. With the school wanting to at least match or improve on last season’s 8-5 season, the Rams sputtered in September as veteran starting quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi slumped. He was eventually benched and later left the school. It did not help Norvell when CSU looked overmatched against future conference opponent Washington State in an ugly 20-3 home loss on Sept. 27.
The hope is that Mora can bring stability and success to a CSU program that wants to reap the rewards of an on-campus stadium that opened in 2017.
Since that time, CSU has had three coaches — Mike Bobo, Steve Addazio, Norvell. All posted losing records, finishing a combined 23 games under .500.
Mora received a four-year, $10-million extension at UConn in December of 2024. Norvell made $1.9 million this season, and was owned a $1.5 million buyout from CSU, per terms of his contract.
The NCAA Tournament has reached its finish line, down to one game pairing the two best teams that routinely win in romps and boasting a marquee post matchup that features a two-time national player of the year.Maybe that will make this version of March Madness something to remember after all.Video above: Alex Karaban helps UConn advance in NCAA Tournament Reigning champion UConn meets Purdue on Monday night in a matchup of top seeds that have combined to win their first five tournament games by an average margin of 22.3 points. They have been at the center of a tournament lacking in drama, with its second-highest average margin of victory since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only one last-second winning shot and few of the highlight-reel thrills that had become a staple of the event.Don’t expect the Huskies or Boilermakers to feel the least bit bothered by their dominance, either.”People that love basketball and people that really know the game, you watch good basketball,” Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer said Sunday. “Obviously the upsets are fun and real cool and they get attention. But real basketball, you like to see the two best teams go at it. And I think that’s what we have here.”The tournament’s allure remains strong, from casual-at-best basketball fans scribbling out their own bracket projections to TV ratings that keep coming in strong. Yet there’s a short list of unexpected moments this year: namely, Jack Gohlke making 10 3-pointers to help Oakland stun blueblood Kentucky in the first round and North Carolina State’s wild ride as an 11-seed to the program’s first Final Four since the “Cardiac Pack” title run of 1983 under the late Jim Valvano.As for those last-second shots that live on in tournament lore, the closest this year was KJ Simpson rattling in a baseline jumper with 1.7 seconds left to lift Colorado past Florida 102-100 in Round 1.Everything else has largely been about UConn’s run to greatness, and Purdue’s march to redemption from last year’s stunning loss to 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson.”Once you get to this time of year, everything is just you are who your identity is,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “The way you play, it’s very automatic. It just comes down to hoping that it’s your night.”UConn (36-3) has looked like a runaway train from before the first game in its push to become the first men’s team to repeat as national champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007, and become only the third program to become a repeat winner since UCLA’s run of seven straight under John Wooden from 1967-73.”The way they’ve won, you know, there’s been some teams that have hung in there with them, then they’ve separated from them,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “There’s some other teams that have gotten flat-out blitzed.”Last year, UConn became the fifth title winner since the 1985 expansion to win all six games by double-digit margins, the closest coming by 13 points. This year, the No. 1 overall seed has been even more dominant; the Huskies’ closest game was Saturday night’s 86-72 win against Alabama, and they’ve won five games by a combined 125 points — an average of 25 per night.By comparison, North Carolina in 2009 holds the record for highest points differential of that elite group at 121 points through six games, so another double-figure win by the Huskies to complete a 6-for-6 run would shatter that record.UConn forward Alex Karaban figures that’s still compelling stuff, too.”To witness greatness from both teams and to witness greatness from what we did last year, too, I think it’s special,” Karaban said. “And it doesn’t have to be close, doesn’t have to be any of that for it to be March Madness. It can be March Madness … and making history.”As for the Boilermakers (34-4), they have won five games by an average of 19.6 points, including the 63-50 win against N.C. State in the national semifinals. The only close call was battling from 11 down before halftime to beat Tennessee 72-66 — behind 40 points from 7-foot-4 star Zach Edey —to clinch the program’s first Final Four trip since 1980.Now they’re in their first title game since their only other appearance, a 1969 loss to Wooden’s Bruins, and Edey will have to tangle with 7-2 defensive force Donovan Clingan.”It’s cool with me winning by enough points where it’s not that your palms are sweaty, being nervous like that,” Purdue guard Lance Jones said with a broad smile. “So I think having that margin of victory is good.”But that has also been at the forefront of what has been a blowout-filled tournament.The average margin of victory in this tournament has been 14.4 points, according to Sportradar. Only the 1993 tournament (14.9 points) has had a higher margin since 1985, and the average margin had been 11.8 points for the previous 29 tournaments.Now Purdue has the final chance to stop UConn’s March, and maybe have two teams tussling in a compelling finale.”You give respect to a team like UConn that can go and handle their business and go and beat a team by 15 to 20 every night,” Loyer said. “That’s tough to do and respect to them for it. So it’s making sure we’re ready to go and giving the people a show because it’s the two best teams in college basketball. I don’t know what more you could ask for.”
Maybe that will make this version of March Madness something to remember after all.
Video above: Alex Karaban helps UConn advance in NCAA Tournament
Reigning champion UConn meets Purdue on Monday night in a matchup of top seeds that have combined to win their first five tournament games by an average margin of 22.3 points. They have been at the center of a tournament lacking in drama, with its second-highest average margin of victory since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only one last-second winning shot and few of the highlight-reel thrills that had become a staple of the event.
Don’t expect the Huskies or Boilermakers to feel the least bit bothered by their dominance, either.
“People that love basketball and people that really know the game, you watch good basketball,” Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer said Sunday. “Obviously the upsets are fun and real cool and they get attention. But real basketball, you like to see the two best teams go at it. And I think that’s what we have here.”
“Once you get to this time of year, everything is just you are who your identity is,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “The way you play, it’s very automatic. It just comes down to hoping that it’s your night.”
UConn (36-3) has looked like a runaway train from before the first game in its push to become the first men’s team to repeat as national champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007, and become only the third program to become a repeat winner since UCLA’s run of seven straight under John Wooden from 1967-73.
“The way they’ve won, you know, there’s been some teams that have hung in there with them, then they’ve separated from them,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “There’s some other teams that have gotten flat-out blitzed.”
Last year, UConn became the fifth title winner since the 1985 expansion to win all six games by double-digit margins, the closest coming by 13 points. This year, the No. 1 overall seed has been even more dominant; the Huskies’ closest game was Saturday night’s 86-72 win against Alabama, and they’ve won five games by a combined 125 points — an average of 25 per night.
By comparison, North Carolina in 2009 holds the record for highest points differential of that elite group at 121 points through six games, so another double-figure win by the Huskies to complete a 6-for-6 run would shatter that record.
UConn forward Alex Karaban figures that’s still compelling stuff, too.
“To witness greatness from both teams and to witness greatness from what we did last year, too, I think it’s special,” Karaban said. “And it doesn’t have to be close, doesn’t have to be any of that for it to be March Madness. It can be March Madness … and making history.”
As for the Boilermakers (34-4), they have won five games by an average of 19.6 points, including the 63-50 win against N.C. State in the national semifinals. The only close call was battling from 11 down before halftime to beat Tennessee 72-66 — behind 40 points from 7-foot-4 star Zach Edey —to clinch the program’s first Final Four trip since 1980.
Now they’re in their first title game since their only other appearance, a 1969 loss to Wooden’s Bruins, and Edey will have to tangle with 7-2 defensive force Donovan Clingan.
“It’s cool with me winning by enough points where it’s not that your palms are sweaty, being nervous like that,” Purdue guard Lance Jones said with a broad smile. “So I think having that margin of victory is good.”
But that has also been at the forefront of what has been a blowout-filled tournament.
The average margin of victory in this tournament has been 14.4 points, according to Sportradar. Only the 1993 tournament (14.9 points) has had a higher margin since 1985, and the average margin had been 11.8 points for the previous 29 tournaments.
Now Purdue has the final chance to stop UConn’s March, and maybe have two teams tussling in a compelling finale.
“You give respect to a team like UConn that can go and handle their business and go and beat a team by 15 to 20 every night,” Loyer said. “That’s tough to do and respect to them for it. So it’s making sure we’re ready to go and giving the people a show because it’s the two best teams in college basketball. I don’t know what more you could ask for.”
The NCAA Tournament has reached its finish line, down to one game pairing the two best teams that routinely win in romps and boasting a marquee post matchup that features a two-time national player of the year.Maybe that will make this version of March Madness something to remember after all.Video above: Alex Karaban helps UConn advance in NCAA Tournament Reigning champion UConn meets Purdue on Monday night in a matchup of top seeds that have combined to win their first five tournament games by an average margin of 22.3 points. They have been at the center of a tournament lacking in drama, with its second-highest average margin of victory since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only one last-second winning shot and few of the highlight-reel thrills that had become a staple of the event.Don’t expect the Huskies or Boilermakers to feel the least bit bothered by their dominance, either.”People that love basketball and people that really know the game, you watch good basketball,” Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer said Sunday. “Obviously the upsets are fun and real cool and they get attention. But real basketball, you like to see the two best teams go at it. And I think that’s what we have here.”The tournament’s allure remains strong, from casual-at-best basketball fans scribbling out their own bracket projections to TV ratings that keep coming in strong. Yet there’s a short list of unexpected moments this year: namely, Jack Gohlke making 10 3-pointers to help Oakland stun blueblood Kentucky in the first round and North Carolina State’s wild ride as an 11-seed to the program’s first Final Four since the “Cardiac Pack” title run of 1983 under the late Jim Valvano.As for those last-second shots that live on in tournament lore, the closest this year was KJ Simpson rattling in a baseline jumper with 1.7 seconds left to lift Colorado past Florida 102-100 in Round 1.Everything else has largely been about UConn’s run to greatness, and Purdue’s march to redemption from last year’s stunning loss to 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson.”Once you get to this time of year, everything is just you are who your identity is,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “The way you play, it’s very automatic. It just comes down to hoping that it’s your night.”UConn (36-3) has looked like a runaway train from before the first game in its push to become the first men’s team to repeat as national champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007, and become only the third program to become a repeat winner since UCLA’s run of seven straight under John Wooden from 1967-73.”The way they’ve won, you know, there’s been some teams that have hung in there with them, then they’ve separated from them,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “There’s some other teams that have gotten flat-out blitzed.”Last year, UConn became the fifth title winner since the 1985 expansion to win all six games by double-digit margins, the closest coming by 13 points. This year, the No. 1 overall seed has been even more dominant; the Huskies’ closest game was Saturday night’s 86-72 win against Alabama, and they’ve won five games by a combined 125 points — an average of 25 per night.By comparison, North Carolina in 2009 holds the record for highest points differential of that elite group at 121 points through six games, so another double-figure win by the Huskies to complete a 6-for-6 run would shatter that record.UConn forward Alex Karaban figures that’s still compelling stuff, too.”To witness greatness from both teams and to witness greatness from what we did last year, too, I think it’s special,” Karaban said. “And it doesn’t have to be close, doesn’t have to be any of that for it to be March Madness. It can be March Madness … and making history.”As for the Boilermakers (34-4), they have won five games by an average of 19.6 points, including the 63-50 win against N.C. State in the national semifinals. The only close call was battling from 11 down before halftime to beat Tennessee 72-66 — behind 40 points from 7-foot-4 star Zach Edey —to clinch the program’s first Final Four trip since 1980.Now they’re in their first title game since their only other appearance, a 1969 loss to Wooden’s Bruins, and Edey will have to tangle with 7-2 defensive force Donovan Clingan.”It’s cool with me winning by enough points where it’s not that your palms are sweaty, being nervous like that,” Purdue guard Lance Jones said with a broad smile. “So I think having that margin of victory is good.”But that has also been at the forefront of what has been a blowout-filled tournament.The average margin of victory in this tournament has been 14.4 points, according to Sportradar. Only the 1993 tournament (14.9 points) has had a higher margin since 1985, and the average margin had been 11.8 points for the previous 29 tournaments.Now Purdue has the final chance to stop UConn’s March, and maybe have two teams tussling in a compelling finale.”You give respect to a team like UConn that can go and handle their business and go and beat a team by 15 to 20 every night,” Loyer said. “That’s tough to do and respect to them for it. So it’s making sure we’re ready to go and giving the people a show because it’s the two best teams in college basketball. I don’t know what more you could ask for.”
Maybe that will make this version of March Madness something to remember after all.
Video above: Alex Karaban helps UConn advance in NCAA Tournament
Reigning champion UConn meets Purdue on Monday night in a matchup of top seeds that have combined to win their first five tournament games by an average margin of 22.3 points. They have been at the center of a tournament lacking in drama, with its second-highest average margin of victory since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only one last-second winning shot and few of the highlight-reel thrills that had become a staple of the event.
Don’t expect the Huskies or Boilermakers to feel the least bit bothered by their dominance, either.
“People that love basketball and people that really know the game, you watch good basketball,” Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer said Sunday. “Obviously the upsets are fun and real cool and they get attention. But real basketball, you like to see the two best teams go at it. And I think that’s what we have here.”
“Once you get to this time of year, everything is just you are who your identity is,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “The way you play, it’s very automatic. It just comes down to hoping that it’s your night.”
UConn (36-3) has looked like a runaway train from before the first game in its push to become the first men’s team to repeat as national champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007, and become only the third program to become a repeat winner since UCLA’s run of seven straight under John Wooden from 1967-73.
“The way they’ve won, you know, there’s been some teams that have hung in there with them, then they’ve separated from them,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “There’s some other teams that have gotten flat-out blitzed.”
Last year, UConn became the fifth title winner since the 1985 expansion to win all six games by double-digit margins, the closest coming by 13 points. This year, the No. 1 overall seed has been even more dominant; the Huskies’ closest game was Saturday night’s 86-72 win against Alabama, and they’ve won five games by a combined 125 points — an average of 25 per night.
By comparison, North Carolina in 2009 holds the record for highest points differential of that elite group at 121 points through six games, so another double-figure win by the Huskies to complete a 6-for-6 run would shatter that record.
UConn forward Alex Karaban figures that’s still compelling stuff, too.
“To witness greatness from both teams and to witness greatness from what we did last year, too, I think it’s special,” Karaban said. “And it doesn’t have to be close, doesn’t have to be any of that for it to be March Madness. It can be March Madness … and making history.”
As for the Boilermakers (34-4), they have won five games by an average of 19.6 points, including the 63-50 win against N.C. State in the national semifinals. The only close call was battling from 11 down before halftime to beat Tennessee 72-66 — behind 40 points from 7-foot-4 star Zach Edey —to clinch the program’s first Final Four trip since 1980.
Now they’re in their first title game since their only other appearance, a 1969 loss to Wooden’s Bruins, and Edey will have to tangle with 7-2 defensive force Donovan Clingan.
“It’s cool with me winning by enough points where it’s not that your palms are sweaty, being nervous like that,” Purdue guard Lance Jones said with a broad smile. “So I think having that margin of victory is good.”
But that has also been at the forefront of what has been a blowout-filled tournament.
The average margin of victory in this tournament has been 14.4 points, according to Sportradar. Only the 1993 tournament (14.9 points) has had a higher margin since 1985, and the average margin had been 11.8 points for the previous 29 tournaments.
Now Purdue has the final chance to stop UConn’s March, and maybe have two teams tussling in a compelling finale.
“You give respect to a team like UConn that can go and handle their business and go and beat a team by 15 to 20 every night,” Loyer said. “That’s tough to do and respect to them for it. So it’s making sure we’re ready to go and giving the people a show because it’s the two best teams in college basketball. I don’t know what more you could ask for.”
That’s not to say that LSU’s Angel Reese wasn’t impressive, with 17 points of her own and a whopping 20 rebounds. Reese also fouled out with less than two minutes on the clock, watching the rest of the game from the bench.
Iowa will face UConn in the Final Four.
No. 3 UConn sends No. 1 Southern Cal home, heads to Final Four
The Huskies will be returning to the Final Four after missing it in the 2023 season, while Bueckers recovered from an ACL injury. UConn is on a miraculous run this season, with six total players ruled out heading into the tournament.
Also in the women’s Final Four: undefeated No. 1 South Carolina will face No. 3 NC State.
Those games will tip off on Friday in Cleveland. The men’s Final Four will take place on Saturday in Phoenix, followed by the women’s national championship on Sunday, and the men’s on Monday.
Duke’s Oluchi Okananwa (5) defends against UConn’s Paige Bueckers in first half action of their NCAA Sweet 16 game in Portland.
Jaden Coleman
For The News & Observer
PORTLAND, Ore.
Duke coach Kara Lawson stood on the sideline in the second quarter, emphatically waving her hands up and down. Settle down, she told her team. Settle down.
It looked more comfortable, especially in the fourth quarter, cutting the UConn lead to five points in the fourth, it dug too big of a hole. The Huskies led the entire game and went up by as many as 20 points.
No. 7 seed Duke (22-12) ended its season against No. 3 seed UConn (32-5), 53-45, on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinal. It finished with more turnovers (23), including 13 in the first half, than field goals (18).
The Huskies entered the game as an 8.5-point favorite, according to U.S. sports books, and were given an 80.7% chance of winning. That was for good reason, too. UConn is one of the best overall teams in the nation, ranking in the top 50 for scoring offense and defense.
Despite the disappointing performance, Duke deserves credit for its defense and effort. It fought for loose balls and wasn’t afraid to go one-on-one with anyone in the Husky rotation. Its defense held the Huskies to their lowest offensive output of the season, which was previously 58 points.
Freshman Delaney Thomas entered the game early in the first quarter. Her defensive effort led to a block on KK Arnold’s shot — it was her first block since Feb. 11 against North Carolina — and a UConn turnover on the baseline.
Duke finished with six blocks, six steals and forced 13 turnovers. Duke scored six points from the Huskies’ turnovers.
That was something UConn head coach Geno Auriemma knew his team would need to account for.
“They play with a tremendously high level of energy. To me, a lot of times, really young teams are the most dangerous teams,” Auriemma said Friday. “They haven’t experienced a crushing loss in the NCAA Tournament that they’re carrying around with them. They’re just free and clear, letting it rip.”
Duke’s high level of energy manifested in positive and negative ways. The Blue Devils out-rebounded the Huskies 43-28. Of those rebounds, 16 came on the offensive glass and led to 11 second-chance points.
The early deficit, however, was too big to overcome.
Duke went 18-55 (32.7%) from the field compared to UConn’s 22-55 (40.0%). Plus, it was called for 20 fouls in addition to the turnovers. The Huskies scored 23 on the mistakes and added six points from the line.
ACC Sixth Player of the Year Oluchi Okananwa led the Blue Devils with 15 points, 11 of which came in the second half. Kennedy Brown contributed 10 rebounds in the effort.
Paige Bueckers #5 of the UConn Huskies handles the ball against the Georgetown Hoyas at Entertainment & Sports Arena on January 07, 2024 in Washington, DC.
G Fiume/Getty Images
The Duke Blue Devils face the UConn Huskies in the Sweet 16 round of the women’s NCAA tournament. UConn’s senior star Paige Bueckers missed the entire 2023-24 college basketball season due to an ACL injury, but the Minnesota native is back to her signature difference-making on the court.
Playing some of the best basketball of her college career, Paige Bueckers hopes to propel the Huskies to the Final Four. They’ll have to get past the Duke Blue Devils first. Keep reading for how and when to watch the Duke vs. UConn Sweet 16 game today.
CBS Essentials, CBS and Paramount+ are all subsidiaries of Paramount. CBS is one of the broadcast homes of the 2024 men’s March Madness tournament.
When is March Madness 2024?
Selection Sunday was on March 17, 2024.
The women’s tournament will be played March 20, 2024- April 7, 2024.
The men’s tournament will be played March 19, 2024 – April 8, 2024.
How and when to watch the Duke vs. UConn game
The NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 women’s college basketball game between Duke and the University of Connecticut will be played on Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT). The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
All women’s March Madness 2024 games, including the Final Four, will air on ABC or ESPN and stream on ESPN+.
How to watch the Duke vs. UConn game without cable
If you’ve given up your cable subscription, or your cable provider doesn’t include the channels carrying March Madness this year, you can subscribe to one of the streaming or live TV platforms featured below.
You can watch March Madness 2024, including both the men’s and women’s tournaments and all of Paige Bueckers’ games, with the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle. The bundle features 95 channels, including ESPN, ABC and CBS, and includes ESPN+, so you’ll be able to watch every game of both tournaments. The women’s Final Four will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every March Madness game on every network this season with Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+. It’s priced at $77.
If you’re new to streaming sports, you should know about Fubo. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to every March Madness game airing on network and cable TV, plus your local TV affiliates, hundreds of cable TV channels and 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage. Another great reason to love Fubo is its lookback feature, which lets you watch sporting events up to 72 hours after they air live.
Start watching NCAA basketball on Fubo and get access to network-aired NFL, NBA and MLB games by starting a three-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. After your free trial, Fubo starts at $80/month for the Pro tier, which includes 199 channels, but the streamer is currently offering the first month for $60.
Note: Because Fubo doesn’t carry TruTV, TBS or TNT, you won’t be able to watch every game of the men’s tournament with a FuboTV subscription. And because the women’s Final Four broadcasts on ESPN+, you’ll still need an ESPN+ subscription in conjunction with your Fubo subscription. If you want one streaming platform to watch the entire tournament, you’ll need a subscription to Hulu + Live TV.
What you’ll get with Fubo Pro Tier:
There are no contracts with Fubo — you can cancel at any time.
The Pro tier includes 199 channels, so there’s something for everyone to watch.
Fubo includes most of the channels you’ll need to watch college and pro sports this year, including CBS and ESPN.
In addition to March Madness, Fubo offers NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games.
All Fubo tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
If you don’t have cable TV that includes ESPN, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream the March Madness tournament this year is through a subscription to Sling TV‘s Orange or Orange + Blue tier. The Orange tier offers access to ESPN (plus TNT and TBS), so you can watch today’s game. The Orange + Blue tier includes access to your local ABC affiliate, allowing you to watch more college basketball games. All tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based recording.
To watch today’s game, Sling TV is currently offering a prepaid deal where you can get four months of the Orange tier for $120, a discount of $40. The Orange tier is also available for $40 per month — you can cancel anytime. To watch both men’s and women’s games, except those airing on CBS, subscribe to the Orange + Blue tier for $60 per month.
Note: Because some men’s March Madness 2024 will be broadcast on CBS, you won’t be able to watch all the men’s March Madness 2024 games with a Sling TV subscription. If you want to stream the entire NCAA tournament, we suggest a Hulu + Live TV subscription.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
There are 46 channels to watch in total, including ESPN, TNT, TBS and ABC. (where available).
You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games next season at the lowest price.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
ESPN+ is ESPN’s subscription streaming platform. It offers exclusive live events, original studio shows and top-tier series that aren’t accessible on the ESPN networks. To watch the women’s Final Four, simply sign into the ESPN app. You’ll watch college basketball at no extra charge. You can stream ESPN+ through the ESPN app on your favorite mobile device and ESPN.com. It’s also available as an app through major smart TV streaming platforms and gaming consoles such as the PS5.
Keep in mind there are some blackouts prohibiting you from watching certain in-market games with ESPN+, even if they’re nationally televised. If you’re looking to avoid those blackouts, we suggest subscribing to the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle featured above.
It is important to note that ESPN+ does not include access to the ESPN network. It is a separate sports-centric service, with separate sports programming.
An ESPN+ subscription costs $10.99 per month, or save 15% when you pay annually ($110). ESPN+ is also currently offering a cost-saving bundle. Get ESPN+ (with ads), Disney+ (with ads) and Hulu (with ads) for $14.99 per month.
When was Selection Sunday?
A fan holds up a sign for Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes before the start of the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena on February 28, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Hawkeyes defeated the Golden Gophers 108-60.
David Berding / Getty Images
The day when the tournament’s brackets and seeds are released is known as Selection Sunday. For the 2023-24 NCAA college basketball season, Selection Sunday was held on Sunday, March 17, 2024.
Paige Bueckers’ road to the Final Four
The NCAA tournament is single elimination, which means Paige Bueckers isn’t guaranteed a spot in the Final Four, or the national championship. If the Huskies win today, below is a roadmap of what Bueckers’ March Madness schedule will look like. Bookmark this post so you can check back for updates on the UConn Huskies next game.
First Four: Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — All of the past drama and sore feelings associated with Louisiana State’s invitation to the White House were seemingly forgotten or set aside Friday as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the championship women’s basketball team to the mansion with smiles, hugs and lavish praise all around.
The visit had once appeared in jeopardy after Jill Biden suggested that the losing Iowa team be invited, too. But none of that was mentioned as both Bidens heralded the players for their performance and the way they have helped advance women’s sports.
“Folks, we witnessed history,” the president said. “In this team, we saw hope, we saw pride and we saw purpose. It matters.”
Like our nation, the 2023 NCAA Champion Louisiana State University Tigers can be characterized by the power of possibilities.
Together, these incredible athletes have redefined what’s possible.
The ceremony was halted for about 10 minutes after forward Sa’Myah Smith appeared to collapse as she and her teammates stood behind Biden. A wheelchair was brought in and coach Kim Mulkey assured the audience that Smith was fine.
LSU said in a statement that Smith felt overheated, nauseous and thought she might faint. She was evaluated by LSU and White House medical staff and was later able to rejoin the team. “She is feeling well, in good spirits, and will undergo further evaluation once back in Baton Rouge,” the LSU statement said.
Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, Biden said, more than half of all college students are women, and there are now 10 times more female athletes in college and high school. He said most sports stories are still about men, and that that needs to change.
Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally funded education programs and activities.
“Folks, we need to support women sports, not just during the championship run but during the entire year,” President Biden said.
After the Tigers beat Iowa for the NCAA title in April in a game the first lady attended, she caused an uproar by suggesting that the Hawkeyes also come to the White House.
LSU star Angel Reese called the idea “A JOKE” and said she would prefer to visit with former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, instead. The LSU team largely is Black, while Iowa’s top player, Caitlin Clark, is white, as are most of her teammates.
Nothing came of Jill Biden’s idea and the White House only invited the Tigers. Reese ultimately said she would not skip the White House visit. She and co-captain Emily Ward presented team jerseys bearing the number “46” to Biden and the first lady. Hugs were exchanged.
President Joe Biden told LSU star Angel Reese he’s betting on her in a one-on-one game against UConn’s Jordan Hawkins, her cousin and fellow 2023 NCAA basketball champion.
Jill Biden also lavished praise on the team, saying the players showed “what it means to be a champion.”
“In this room, I see the absolute best of the best,” she said, adding that watching them play was “pure magic.”
“Every basket was pure joy and I kept thinking about how far women’s sports have come,” the first lady added, noting that she grew up before Title IX was passed. “We’ve made so much progress and we still have so much more work to do.”
The president added that “the way in which women’s sports has come along is just incredible. It’s really neat to see, since I’ve got four granddaughters.”
After Smith was helped to a wheelchair, Mulkey told the audience the player was OK.
“As you can see, we leave our mark where we go,” Mulkey joked. “Sa’Myah is fine. She’s kind of, right now, embarrassed.”
A few members of Congress and Biden aides past and present with Louisiana roots dropped what they were doing to attend the East Room event, including White House budget director Shalanda Young. Young is in the thick of negotiations with House Republicans to reach a deal by the middle of next week to stave off what would be a globally calamitous U.S. financial default if the U.S. can no longer borrow the money it needs to pay its bills.
The president, who wore a necktie in the shade of LSU’s purple, said Young, who grew up in Baton Rouge, told him, “I’m leaving the talks to be here.” Rep. Garret Graves, one of the House GOP negotiators, also attended.
Biden closed sports Friday by changing to a blue tie and welcoming the UConn’s men’s championship team for its own celebration. The Huskies won their fifth national title by defeating San Diego State, 76-59, in April.
“Congratulations to the whole UConn nation,” he said.
HOUSTON (AP) — UConn topped off one of the most impressive March Madness runs in history Monday night, clamping down early and breaking it open late to bring home its fifth national title with a 76-59 victory over San Diego State.
Adama Sanogo had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Tristen Newton also had a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards for the Huskies (31-8), who became the fifth team since the bracket expanded in 1985 to win all six NCAA Tournament games by double-digits on the way to a championship.
They won the six games by an average of an even 20 points, only a fraction less than what North Carolina did in sweeping to the title in 2009.
UConn built a 16-point lead late in the first half, only to see the Aztecs (32-7) trim the lead to five with 5:19 left. But Jordan Hawkins (16 points) answered with a 3 to trigger a 9-0 run and the only drama left was whether UConn would cover the 7 1/2-point spread and go 6-for-6 with double-digit wins.
Keshad Johnson had 14 points for San Diego State, which came up one win shy in this, its first trip to the Final Four.
AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
HOUSTON (AP) — Nobody was guarding UConn’s best player. So Adama Sanogo spun the ball to get his fingers just right, set his feet behind the 3-point line and splashed in the shot. Then, less than a minute later, he did it again.
It was as much basketball clinic as highlight video — and all of it perfectly fitting for the Huskies, who are methodically steamrolling through a March Madness bracket that has been a free-for-all everywhere else.
UConn doled out another drama-free beatdown Saturday, getting 21 points and 10 rebounds from Sanogo to dispatch Miami 72-59 and move one win from the school’s fifth national title.
“There’s a lot of teams that want to play Monday,” Sanogo said. “It means a lot to us.”
Jordan Hawkins overcame his stomach bug and scored 13 for the Huskies, who came into this most unexpected Final Four as the only team with any experience on college basketball’s final weekend and with the best seeding of the four teams in Houston — at No. 4.
Connecticut guard Andrew Hurley (20) celebrates after scoring during their win against Miami in the Final Four on Saturday.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Against fifth-seeded Miami, they were the best team on the court from beginning to end. Starting with three straight 3s — one jumper from Hawkins and two of those set shots from Sanogo — UConn took a quick 9-0 lead and never trailed.
“This is something that I worked on all summer, especially shooting,” Sanogo said.
“They’re one of the best teams in the country,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said of the Aztecs. “And I think it’s fitting that both of us kind of earned our way into this title game.”
Miami forward Norchad Omier is blocked by Connecticut during the second half of a Final Four game in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
But while the early game was an all-timer, the nightcap was simply more of the same from the Huskies (30-8).
The 13-point win was UConn’s closest since the brackets came out. The Huskies are the sixth team since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to reach the title game with five straight double-digit victories. It’s an impressive list of behemoths with a knack for closing: Four of the first five went on to win the championship.
Some thought Miami (29-8), with the nation’s fifth-ranked offense and four players who have scored 20 points at least three times this season, might be the team to slow this Huskies juggernaut. Not to be.
Isaiah Wong led the ’Canes with 15 points on 4-for-10 shooting. Harassed constantly by Sanogo, 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan and the rest of Connecticut’s long-armed, rangy perimeter players, Miami, which came in with the nation’s fifth-best offense, shot 25% in the first half and 33.3% for the game.
“Obviously what we tried to do not only didn’t work, I couldn’t even recognize it,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. “Offensively we were out of sync, but defensively we were too.”
Not that UConn was all boring. The Huskies enjoyed their own sort of buzzer-beater in the form of a 3 from Alex Karaban that sent the Huskies jogging into the locker room with a 13-point lead at halftime.
They built it to 20 before the first TV timeout of the second half. By then, Jim Nantz, calling his last Final Four, could start saving his voice for Monday.
Miami did get it under double digits a few times, but this never got interesting.
Connecticut guard Joey Calcaterra (3) celebrates after their win against Miami in a Final Four game on Saturday.
Not helping: Hurricanes guard Nijel Pack missed about five minutes after managers had trouble locating a substitute for a busted shoe. Pack finished with eight points, and Jordan Miller, who hit all 20 shots he took from the floor and the line in Miami’s Elite Eight win, went 4 for 10 for 11 points. Only one Miami player made more than half his shots.
“I’m a defensive guy first and foremost,” Hurley said. “I just love the way we guarded them. They’re one of the best offenses in the country, and we really disrupted them.”
UConn had five blocks, including two from Sanogo, and 19 assists, led by eight from Tristen Newton — both signs of the sort of all-around effort the Huskies have been putting in since the start of February, when they began the bounce back from a six-loss-in-eight-games stretch that halted their momentum.
That cold stretch is a big reason they were seeded only fourth for March. Now, it’s April and the number UConn is thinking about is “5” — as in, a fifth title that will come if it can keep this up for one more game.
“Maybe it was a little bit delusional,” Huskies guard Andre Jackson Jr. said, “but we always knew we were the best team in our mind.”
AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Paige Bueckers of the UConn Huskies celebrates her three point basket in the first quarter against the Baylor Lady Bears during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on March 29, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas.
ELSA/GETTY IMAGES
University of Connecticut basketball star Paige Beuckers announced a new partnership Monday that’s sure to add to her buckets of cash off the court.
The reigning Naismith College Player of the Year is partnering with Cash App, the mobile payment service owned by Jack Dorsey’s Block (formerly Square), to help launch the Paige Bueckers Foundation. Although specific details have yet to be released, the foundation will broadly focus on creating opportunities for children and families and promoting social justice. Cash App plans to endow an initial $100,000 Bitcoin donation, in addition to $100,000 in cash that will be given away to fans in $15 payments to promote the announcement. Other financial terms were not disclosed, but Forbes estimates that Bueckers is still a few deals away from hitting the $1 million mark in endorsements.
“I know this deal isn’t like a super long-term contract,” Bueckers tells Forbes. “But I’m working with people and want to work with people who have the same values as me.”
This marks Bueckers’ third major partnership since the NCAA stripped down its regulations in July, allowing college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. She signed with global e-commerce platform StockX in October and, one month later, became the first college athlete to join Gatorade’s ranks. In July, Bueckers trademarked the phrase “Paige Buckets,” which is the point guard’s nickname.
How Bueckers fares in the nascent NIL market could offer a glimpse of the opportunities emerging for the top tier of college athletes. Based on her sprawling social media presence—Bueckers has more than one million followers between Twitter and Instagram—a study from research outlet AthleticDirectorU named her the most marketable athlete in college sports prior to the NCAA’s rule change.
“She is the best of the best, and these major brands want to leverage her appeal, particularly to a young and growing demographic,” Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business associate professor Tim Derdenger wrote in an email. “Her success will certainly spill over to other players.”
It already has. Last month, Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren signed a deal with Topps that the company said was its largest with a college athlete to date. Fresno State basketball players and TikTok stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder recently cofounded a streetwear clothing company in addition to striking partnerships with Boost Mobile, Champs, Eastbay and WWE.
The addition of Bueckers rounds out an impressive roster for Cash App, which has signed up a handful of high-profile athletes in the last few months. In November, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers announced they were partnering with Cash App and taking part of their salaries in Bitcoin. Golden State Warriors stars Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala said they would be doing the same in January. As cryptocurrency becomes a hot topic among athlete investors, at least ten North American-based professional athletes have taken part of their salaries or endorsement payments in some form of crypto.
“Obviously, I’m still learning a lot about it and trying to understand,” Bueckers says. “I just started understanding what to do with my tax money, so now I have to learn what to do with Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.”
A native of Hopkins, Minnesota, Bueckers arrived at UConn in 2020 as the top-ranked recruit in the United States and the 2019-20 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year. She collected a string of awards during her freshman season and led the heavily favored Huskies to the Final Four, where they were upset by the University of Arizona. Bueckers picked up where she left off during her sophomore campaign before suffering a fracture in her left knee, which has sidelined her for the last two months. She hopes to return at the end of February.
As she adds to her sponsorship portfolio, Bueckers plans to continue to use her platform to advocate for racial equity. At the 2021 ESPYs, where she won the award for best college athlete in women’s sports, Bueckers used her speech to honor and celebrate Black women. She’s adamant about including BIPOC creatives in anything she does. “I grew up with everything, a roof over my head and food on my plate,” she says. “I want to help younger kids that weren’t as fortunate as me.”
This is likely just the start.
“The current set of offers is just the tip of the iceberg,” Derdenger says. “She has a lucrative future ahead of her.”
