Sports
Where’s the March Madness? Making sense of the NCAA Tournament’s Cinderella shortage
The Athletic has live coverage of 2025 Men’s March Madness
CLEVELAND — Trailing by one with less than eight minutes remaining, Robert Morris guard Amarion Dickerson swatted a shot attempt by Alabama guard Mark Sears, sending the first-team All-American to the floor and the ball caroming out of bounds. Then Dickerson, the suddenly not-so-anonymous Horizon League defensive player of the year who scored 25 points on Friday, stepped over Sears, a la Allen Iverson over Tyronn Lue, and flexed for the crowd.
Thousands roared back their approval, a throng of Robert Morris diehards who made the trek from Pittsburgh buoyed by an arena of new fans who had adopted the underdog.
Seconds later, the 15-seed Colonials harnessed that momentum, taking a one-point lead over the 2-seed Crimson Tide. And for a moment, the game felt destined for a classic David-over-Goliath upset, the stuff March Madness montages are made of.
Instead, Alabama ripped off a quick 6-0 run and never looked back, muscling its way to a nine-point victory.
It was the story of the round of 64 in this year’s NCAA Tournament. For the first time since 2017, no team seeded lower than No. 12 made it to the Saturday of the first weekend.
Only five double-digit seeds advanced over the past two days: two No. 10s, one No. 11 and two No. 12s. (And of those 12-seeds, Colorado State was a betting favorite.) That ties for the fewest first-round wins by double-digit seeds since 2007. The 2023 tournament produced the same number, but that first weekend featured No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson toppling No. 1 Purdue and No. 15 Princeton reaching the Sweet 16. Prior to that were similarly chalky first rounds in ’17 and ’15.
The fact that most of the games weren’t particularly close didn’t help this year’s early shortage of March magic, either: Only four of the 32 first-round games were decided by two possessions or less, the fewest since 1997. We did get a couple thrillers at the First Four in Dayton, but Thursday and Friday were noticeably light on madness.
So what’s the deal? Is it a one-year, one-round aberration? Or is it — like everything else in college sports these days — a referendum on the power-hungry power conferences, or the pernicious impact of name, image and likeness money and the transfer portal fully taking hold?
The Athletic’s own C.J. Moore and Brendan Marks actually predicted this could happen in their bracket picks earlier this week, getting out in front of any commenters looking to skewer them for playing it safe. As both explained, the advanced metrics pointed to a top-heavy group of No. 1s and other high seeds, which manifested on the court.
This could end up being a good omen for the second and third weekends, setting up some high-wattage matchups. And recent history, including a comparably top-heavy 2015, suggest this is simply a product of the natural cycles of college basketball. But it’s still kind of a bummer.
The joy and beauty of the NCAA Tournament lie in those unpredictable early-round upsets, the ones we can all rattle off from memory. FDU over Purdue. UMBC over Virginia. Lehigh over Duke. Saint Peter’s over Kentucky. Bucknell over Kansas. Cinderella is what makes March so special, making this one feel a tad hollow in the early going.
“Sometimes I hate them,” said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who lost to 15-seed Middle Tennessee in 2016. “But most of the time, I love them. … Everybody loves Cinderella. Everybody loves the underdog. Everybody loves the small school. This is the difference with the NCAA basketball tournament compared to just about any other tournament there is.”
Minutes after the clock struck midnight, literally and metaphorically, on the first round, Izzo avoided another of those memorable moments he’d rather forget. His 2-seed Spartans turned a narrow five-point halftime lead over 15-seed Bryant into a 25-point blowout, a fitting capper to the round of 64. Asked afterward about the predictability of the first round overall, Izzo, coaching in his 27th straight tournament, mostly shrugged, and pointed to those 12 seeds that prevailed over 5 seeds. The man has seen it all this time of year, and he’s not ready to sound any alarms just yet.
He’s probably right. March Madness remains one of sports greatest gifts, even if the glass slippers didn’t quite fit this time around. Perhaps the rest of the bracket will make up for it, too.
But it won’t change the fact that one of this tournament’s most electrifying moments came a few hours before Michigan State took the court in Cleveland, when Robert Morris — America’s new favorite team — had mighty Alabama on the ropes.
And almost something more.
(Photo: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)
Sports
NFL reporter responds to fake death rumor in hilarious fashion: ‘Glitch in the matrix’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
An internet rumor swirled last week that a longtime NFL reporter had died at the age of 40.
News of Jane Slater’s supposed death on social media, but she was quick to shut it down.
An X user posted a screenshot of a post on Facebook that showed Slater in black and white with the graphic “1980-2025” saying she had died at 40. Slater, 45, was born in 1980, but the years written in the post would mean she died at either age 44 or 45.
NFL Network sideline reporter Jane Slater stands on the sidelines prior to an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears, at Soldier Field on Dec. 26, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
“A veteran reporter who covered the Dallas Cowboys—having followed the team for over a decade—has passed away at the age of 40 after a tragic domestic violence incident, leaving behind a 5-year-old child. Her years of dedicated work, along with the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding her death, have left loyal fans stunned, devastated, and praying for her and her family,” the post read.
The user asked Slater, “did you pass away??”
Jane Slater speaks with T.Y. Hilton of the Dallas Cowboys after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 24, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
STEELERS’ AARON RODGERS HILARIOUSLY TRASH TALKS STAR DEFENDER IN MIC’D UP MOMENT
“I don’t think so? But does this mean there is (a) glitch in the matrix? I’m gonna wrap myself in bubble wrap until NYE,” Slater joked.
If there is one thing the Facebook post got correct, it’s that Slater does mainly cover the Cowboys for the NFL Network.
NFL Network reporter Jane Slater on the sideline prior to an NFC Wild Card Playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 16, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Prior to joining in 2016, Slater worked for ESPN and the Longhorn Network, having attended the University of Texas. She also hosted a radio show in Dallas.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
It’s love, set and match: Tennis icon Venus Williams weds actor, model partner in Florida
Tennis legend Venus Williams wed Danish model and actor Andrea Preti over the weekend in Florida, the new bride announced in a shared post.
An Instagram post from Vogue Magazine’s Weddings section announced the nuptials, with the message garnering more than 30,000 likes as of Tuesday afternoon.
“We all love each other so much,” Williams, 45, said in the Vogue post. “It was just the happiest, most beautiful, sweetest day.”
The post was scant on details other than the event took place over five days in and around the couple’s home in Palm Beach Gardens.
An email for comment to representatives for Williams and Preti, 37, was not immediately returned.
The couple met at 2024 Milan Fashion Week and began texting shortly after, according to Vogue.
The couple eventually became engaged on Jan. 31 in Tuscany, according to Vogue. That detail was confirmed in July during what was a historic month for Williams.
The Compton native defeated 23-year-old Peyton Sterns 6-3, 6-4 in the first round action of the D.C. Open after a 16-month hiatus from singles matches.
In victory, Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match, trailing only fellow legend Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she won in 2004.
“Yes, my fiance is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams told the Tennis Channel’s Rennae Stubbs in a post-match interview. “There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. … He encouraged me to get through this, and it’s wonderful [for him] to be here. He’s never seen me play.”
Preti has written, acted and directed in a handful of films, primarily in Italy.
The wedding was the second for the couple, who also held a ceremony in Italy in September.
Sports
Lindsey Vonn qualifies for fifth Winter Olympics
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
As Philip Rivers has shown he could still tear up the NFL at age 44, American Olympic legend Lindsey Vonn has also proven that age is just a number.
Vonn, 41, qualified for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, Team USA announced on Tuesday. It will be the fifth Winter Olympics that she competes in.
United States’ Lindsey Vonn reacts at the finish area of an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, in Val D’Isere, France, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
Vonn had an impressive run at the World Cup in France over the weekend. She was third in super-G, hitting a high speed of 71 mph. It was her second consecutive podium finish after she was third in downhill. It was the 142nd podium finish in her World Cup career.
“I am honored to be able to represent my country one more time, in my 5th and final Olympics!” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “When I made the decision to return to ski racing, I always had one eye on Cortina because it’s a place that is very, very special to me. Although I can’t guarantee any outcomes, I can guarantee that I will give my absolute best every time l kick out of the starting gate. No matter how these games end up, I feel like I’ve already won.
US OLYMPIANS MADISON CHOCK, EVAN BATES SEND MESSAGE TO OPPONENT WHO TOOK THEIR GOLD BEFORE DISQUALIFICATION
United States’ Lindsey Vonn celebrates on the podium after taking third place in an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, in Val D’Isere, France, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
“I am grateful for how the season has gone so far, but I am just getting started. See you in Cortina!”
Vonn has already put together an enviable career in skiing.
She won a gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Games and two bronze medals in Pyeongchang in 2018. She’s also taken home two gold, three silver and two bronze medals in the World Championships.
The Minnesota native also has 83 World Cup wins and several International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Crystal Globes.
Notably, she’s back competing for gold after being away from the sport for five years.
Austria’s Cornelia Huetter, left, winner of an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, celebrates on the podium with second-placed Germany’s Kira Weidle Winkelmann, left, and third-placed United States’ Lindsey Vonn, in Val D’Isere, France, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Winter Olympics will begin on Feb. 6 and run through Feb. 22.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
-
Iowa1 week agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Maine1 week agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland1 week agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
New Mexico7 days agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
South Dakota1 week agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago‘Love being a pedo’: Metro Detroit doctor, attorney, therapist accused in web of child porn chats
-
Health1 week ago‘Aggressive’ new flu variant sweeps globe as doctors warn of severe symptoms
-
Maine7 days agoFamily in Maine host food pantry for deer | Hand Off