Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what’s next.
NCAA SUES DRAFTKINGS OVER MARCH MADNESS TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT
The NCAA has decided to finally take a stand against sports gambling…well, not exactly.
On Friday, the NCAA filed a lawsuit against DraftKings Sportsbook in federal court in the Southern District of Indiana. In the lawsuit, the NCAA accused DraftKings of trademark infringement for the use of terms related to the men’s and women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments, such as “March Madness” and “Final Four.”
As of Friday, the DraftKings app contained numerous uses of NCAA trademarked language, including Sweet Sixteen, Elite 8, and Final Four. However, the sportsbook walked back on “egregious” uses of these trademarked phrases after a request from the collegiate sports governing body. DraftKings has, however, remained steadfast that it has the right to use NCAA trademarked language on its sports betting app.
“The NCAA does not have any commercial relationships with any sportsbooks of any kind and continues to uphold a strict prohibition on advertising and sponsorships associated with betting,” an NCAA release stated. “The NCAA says filing this complaint is a crucial step in furthering its mission to protect the integrity of competition and student-athlete well-being from the harms of sports betting.”
UNC, DAVIS TO MEET ABOUT FUTURE WITH UNIVERSITY
North Carolina men’s basketball may have a new leader for the start of the 2026-2027 season.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, North Carolina's leadership will meet with head basketball coach Hubert Davis to discuss his future with the university. The Tar Heels’ season came to a crushing end on Friday, after North Carolina blew a 19-point second-half lead and was upset by 11th-seeded VCU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
During his five seasons at North Carolina, Davis has amassed a record of 125-54, including a 24-9 mark this season. Davis led the eighth-seeded Tar Heels to a national championship game appearance in 2022, but UNC missed the tournament in 2023 and endured first-round exits in 2025 and 2026.
Davis played at North Carolina from 1988 to 1992, spending his college career under the tutelage of legendary coach Dean Smith.
NCAA TWEAKS TARGETING PENALTY STRUCTURE FOR 2026
The NCAA announced a major change to the penalty structure for the targeting rule in 2026 on Thursday.
Instituting a one-year trial rule change, the NCAA announced that a player who is disqualified for targeting will be eligible to participate in the following game, regardless of which half the infraction occurred, as long as it is their first offense of the season.
Any player facing their second offense of the season will be required to miss the first half of the next game, and three-time offenders will be prohibited from competing in the entirety of their team’s next contest.
Conferences will also be given the capability to appeal targeting penalties — after an individual’s second offense — and the NCAA will conduct video reviews of the fouls. If the appeals are successful, the player will be able to compete without having to sit out the first half of the following game.
In addition to the targeting rule change, the NCAA also introduced the fair catch kick rule prevalent in the NFL and high school football to the college game. With this rule, a team can choose to attempt a field goal — or drop kick — from the spot of the completed fair catch. The team will be awarded three points if the kick is good.
ICYMI
ONE OF ONE: THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER OHIO STATE PLAYER LIKE BRUCE THORNTON
Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton played his final game as a Buckeye on Thursday, but his legacy will be remembered in Columbus thanks to his loyalty and overall impact on the program throughout his four seasons in the Scarlet and Gray.
Former Ohio State walk-on Mark Titus called Buckeye basketball fans “the worst fans in the world” after OSU fell in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. explains his reasoning for returning to the Buckeyes for his fifth and final season of college football.
WHAT’S NEXT
- Women’s Basketball: vs. No. 6 Notre Dame, Monday, 4 p.m., ESPN
- OSU Football Returns: vs. Ball State, Saturday, September 5
