Sports

The Michigan Wolverines basketball team was already winning before cutting down the nets -- TMZ Sports has learned each player was surprised with iced-out pendants and chains before they won the NCAA Tournament.

The U-M ballers were gifted the custom bling designed by GLD right before they beat the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the title game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday.

We're told each player received two different sizes of an 18K yellow gold piece, carefully crafted and detailed with blue and yellow hand-set stones to represent the University of Michigan Wolverines logo ... and as can be seen in the videos, the team, including Elliot Cadeau, was clearly loving them.

Liv Morgan most likely woke up with a headache following "Monday Night RAW" ... 'cause the WWE Superstar clashed heads with her Judgment Day stablemate Roxanne Perez in Houston -- and she got a wild knot as a souvenir.

Morgan showed off the damage after Stephanie Vaquer shoved her from behind, right into Perez -- and you could hear the gnarly impact in the footage.

Morgan shared the aftermath on her X account Tuesday morning, with Raquel Rodriguez, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh having some fun with the former WWE Women's Champion.

The fallout from the NCAA Women's Final Four dust-up between Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley is still buzzing … but Paige Bueckers isn’t piling on her old coach.

TMZ Sports caught up with the ex-UConn star outside LAX on Monday -- and the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year is keeping the focus where she thinks it belongs. She admitted that while the handshake line situation wasn’t ideal, the real shame is that the controversy stole attention from the play on the court.

“It’s unfortunate,” Bueckers said, pointing out there was “so much good basketball being played” across the tournament … shouting out each of the Final Four teams that ended up taking a backseat to the noise.

Dominiq Ponder -- a quarterback at the University of Colorado -- had double the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he was involved in a fatal car crash that took his life last month in Boulder County.

According to the medical examiner's autopsy report, obtained by TMZ Sports, Ponder's blood-alcohol content was recorded at .167 g/100 mL -- the legal limit in Colorado is 0.08.

The medical examiner also listed his cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries the 23-year-old suffered as a result of the crash.

Ann Arbor was lit Monday night -- literally. The Michigan fans launched fireworks and lit fires after the Wolverines captured their first NCAA championship in almost four decades!

The party started following the Wolverines' 69-63 win over the UConn Huskies at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis ... marking Michigan's first national title since 1989.

The fans went nuts after the long-awaited win ... flooding South University Avenue and blasting fireworks right in the middle of the street.

The Wolverines fans also set off real fires, more than 40 of them, across the city, according to Ann Arbor PD.

Surprisingly, only two arrests were reported ... and cops say there were some street signs damaged, but overall it wasn't too out of hand!!

Check out the video from one of the blazes that was set -- flames shot into the air as a massive crowd gathered, partying in chaotic fashion.

Wrestling legend Ric Flair is sending love and support to Offset after the rapper was shot in Florida on Monday ... sharing words of encouragement to his friend.

We broke the story that Offset -- real name Kiari Kendrell Cephus-- suffered a gunshot wound near the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. We obtained photos of the ambulance at the location after Offset was shot.

Flair was shocked by the news ... and went straight to social media to deliver his thoughts and prayers for his friend.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve McMichael has been diagnosed with CTE a year after his death, the Concussion and CTE Foundation announced.

McMichael's wife, Misty, said she donated Steve's brain to be studied when his lengthy battle with ALS led to his passing in April 2025.

Misty added there are "too many" former NFL players developing Lou Gehrig's disease after football ... and she hopes more research on the link between ALS and CTE will come following her husband's diagnosis.

Steph Curry has been wearing all sorts of kicks after he broke up with Under Armour -- and he's now auctioning off more than 70 pairs (some game-worn) ... including the Kobe Bryant 6 Protro he wore the day after his sneaker free agency announcement.

TMZ Sports has learned the Golden State Warriors superstar is teaming up with Sotheby's to part with shoes from across his 17-year NBA career ... and several pairs stand out.

Steph's Kobe "Mambacita" kicks he wore after he revealed he was splitting with Under Armour after 12 years are part of the batch.

Nothing says "Atlanta" quite like a strip club ... and one popular male revue is offering Angel Reese a free show as a welcoming gift after being traded to the Dream!!

Hunk-O-Mania tells TMZ Sports the newest hooper in ATL can have a night of fun on the house after the shocking news broke that Reese was traded from the Chicago Sky in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2027 and 2028 drafts.

The famous chain -- which has a location in ATL -- told us it would be honored to host Reese and her friends to show what they have to offer.

The Michigan Wolverines are partying like it's 1989 -- they just became the 2026 NCAA champions, their first title in almost four decades ... and they had every reason to celebrate after a hard-fought run to the top.

The Wolverines claimed the crown at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday night, sealing the win as the final buzzer sounded with a 69-63 score.

The Wolverines lost their minds after the clock hit zero, delivering their first national title since 1989 -- when future NBA champion Glen Rice led the team and took home the MVP honors.

Former WWE champion Alberto del Rio appears to be in legal trouble down in Mexico, where he allegedly physically assaulted his wife.

Alberto was detained by law enforcement in San Luis Potosí, a large Mexican state, according to multiple reports Monday.

The detainment was reportedly the result of a complaint filed by Alberto's wife, who alleged he beat her.

The Dallas Stars have taken action against a fan who was seen doing an apparent Nazi salute during a game at American Airlines Center in December ... the NHL team has banned him "indefinitely" from the arena.

A spokesperson for the Stars told The Dallas Morning News that they identified the individual who "purchased the tickets and will be banning the individual indefinitely from American Airlines Center."

“Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our arena. Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”

The wait is over … Tampa Bay Rays fans finally returned home to The Trop after Hurricane Milton nearly wiped their ballpark off the map.

A sold-out crowd of roughly 25,000 fans packed Tropicana Park Monday for the long-awaited comeback against the Chicago Cubs -- and the vibes were way bigger than a typical Opening Day.

This wasn’t just a baseball game … it was a comeback story nearly 561 days in the making.

It's not just fans disappointed that Tiger Woods won't be in Augusta this week ... 'cause Rory McIlroy called it a "shame" the 15-time Major winner won't be breaking bread with his fellow Masters champs ahead of the tournament.

The 2025 green jacket winner was speaking with the Golf Channel about his Champions Dinner slated for Tuesday at The Masters, where he acknowledged that Woods and Phil Mickelson being absent won't go unnoticed.

"Unfortunately, there will be a couple of guys that won't be in that room, which is a shame, but I want to make sure that they're acknowledged as well," McIlroy said. "They've been two of the greatest champions that the Masters has ever seen. But it's going to be a really cool night. I can't wait. I hope everyone enjoys the dinner and enjoys everything that I've selected."

The demand for tickets to the NCAA championship game is soaring through the roof ... and TMZ Sports has learned that one fan even dropped over $17,000 for a single seat to watch the UConn Huskies and Michigan Wolverines duke it out in person.

We're told the ticket sold via the popular ticket buying and selling platform, SeatGeek ... a massive price to witness the action Monday night at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

That single ticket was $17,022.96 ... and Max Meyer, SeatGeeks' Senior Content Analyst, told us the demand is up by 20% compared to last year's NCAA title game.

Ann Arbor was looking less like a college town and more like a tailgate village Monday morning … because diehard Michigan fans were literally sleeping outside bars just to lock in a spot for tonight’s national championship.

Nearly 100 students lined up before sunrise along University Street in Ann Arbor ... staking out turf outside bars such as Good Time Charley’s and The Brown Jug as early as 6 AM … and some didn’t even bother going home Sunday night, pulling up around 10 PM with tents, blankets, and mattresses.

The lines turned into a campsite.