Sports News | The GIST

The top storylines to follow this MLB season

A season that spans 162 games from March to September provides plenty of opportunity for pondering. The introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS, more on that below) is undoubtedly the biggest shakeup of the season, but first, here are the other major storylines we’re following before first pitch.

March 25, 2026

Breaking down baseball’s biggest plot twist: The ABS Challenge System

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This year’s campaign features an intriguing plot twist: The introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, which will allow players — specifically the batter, the pitcher, and the catcher — to challenge an umpire’s ball or strike call. From how it works to the unexpected fallout , here’s everything you need to know.

March 25, 2026

The 2026 men’s Sweet 16 is set

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Call up MTV because the men’s (super) Sweet 16 is set following 48 heart-pumping games. Catch up on the second-round drama, then take a moment to regroup before the fun resumes on Thursday.

March 23, 2026

The WNBA’s new CBA raises the league’s ceiling — and its floor

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Over 100 hours of negotiations later, we finally have a new WNBA CBA. The term sheet is still being finalized and the deal needs to be ratified, but reports indicate the league’s sixth CBA is as transformational as hoped. And exhale.

March 20, 2026

Men’s March Madness tips off with signature first-round chaos

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Men’s March Madness tips off with signature first-round chaos

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How’s that bracket doing? March is already off to a heart-pounding start, with the signature Madness in full force during yesterday’s men’s first-round matchups.

March 20, 2026

Men’s March Madness tips off with signature first-round chaos

🏀

How’s that bracket doing? March is already off to a heart-pounding start, with the signature Madness in full force during yesterday’s men’s first-round matchups.

March 20, 2026

Breaking down the opening weekend of women’s March Madness

TOGETHER WITH

Breaking down the opening weekend of women’s March Madness

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Eight of next weekend’s Sweet 16 teams are already locked in, while today’s jam-packed eight-game slate will determine the other half of the field. That’s right, the Madness is in full swish.

March 20, 2026

Baseball on the rise in Canada after historic World Baseball Classic showing

Sports News

Baseball on the rise in Canada after historic World Baseball Classic showing

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March 18, 2026

The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) came to a close as Venezuela beat Team USA 3–2 in last night’s championship game. The final out is in the books, but this year’s exhilarating and record-setting tourney is only the beginning as the sport surges in Canada.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #541

Did NIL ruin March Madness?

March 24, 2026

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No glass slippers here.

For the second straight year, there aren’t any true Cinderella squads in the men’s March Madness Sweet 16, as every team remaining hails from an NCAA power conference. What gives? On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula explore the 2024 rule change that changed March Madness forever — and maybe not for the better.