Axios

Every year, millions of Americans attempt to fill out a perfect bracket. And every year, they fail miserably.

By the numbers: The odds of going 63 for 63 are approximately 1 in 9.2 quintillion, according to the NCAA.

The 2026 World Cup — the first to feature 48 teams — will have 12 groups of four, FIFA announced Tuesday, reversing course from its original plan.

State of play: When FIFA agreed in 2017 to expand the World Cup from 32 teams to 48 teams, the plan was to have 16 groups of three, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage. 80 matches total.

Iowa hoops standout Caitlin Clark and UNC's Caleb Love star in a new NIL ad from Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, calling for the modernization of the Small Business Administration.

Why it matters: NILs are expanding. This campaign is believed to be the first time they've been used to advocate for federal policy.

Bally Sports owner Diamond Sports Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday.

Why it matters: How Diamond emerges — or doesn't — from this process will be viewed as a bellwether for the increasingly dire future of regional sports networks.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will look quite different compared to last year's tournament — and not only because it will be played in the summer again.

Driving the news: FIFA, the governing body of soccer, on Tuesday approved a new, expanded format for the men's World Cup, which will include 48 teams playing a total of 104 games.

Saint Peter's made the most stunning Cinderella run in NCAA Tournament history last March. A year later, not a single member of that team is going dancing.

Catch up quick: The No. 15 Peacocks beat No. 2 Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State and No. 3 Purdue last year before falling to eventual runner-up North Carolina in the Elite Eight, becoming the first 15 seed to ever make it that far.

From historically overlooked student-athletes at historically black colleges and universities to high-exposure student-athletes at blue-chip schools like the University of Texas, name-image-likeness (NIL) opportunities are fast remaking avenues of cash for young men and women.

Driving the news: Student-athletes are earning far more than they did in the first year of the NIL regime, per industry interviews and public records obtained by Axios.