What to Watch This Weekend

By BY VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports A wild Formula 1 season comes down to its dramatic final race.https://nyti.ms/3dzkagH

When No. 1 Is a Lot Better Than No. 2

By BY ADAM ZAGORIA from NYT Sports Gonzaga crushed U.C.L.A. in a marquee early season matchup, backing up its victory over the Bruins in last year’s Final Four.https://nyti.ms/3xlROQ7

South Carolina Women’s Basketball Soars in Place, Atop the Rankings

By BY NATALIE WEINER from NYT Sports The Gamecocks were already ranked No. 1 when they beat Connecticut, but the victory elevated a sense that Coach Dawn Staley is building a perennial title contender.https://nyti.ms/3CMYMhV

No. 1 South Carolina Gets a Statement Win Over No. 2 UConn

By BY NATALIE WEINER from NYT Sports The Gamecocks dominated in the second half and gained only the second win in 11 games against Connecticut in the history of the two programs.https://nyti.ms/3xcD1Hf

N.C.A.A. Expands Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports Beginning with the competition in March 2022, the women’s bracket will include 68 teams, up from 64, as the N.C.A.A. continues to try to rectify gender disparities.https://nyti.ms/3CpHHus

College Basketball Begins With Plenty of Changes

By BY ADAM ZAGORIA from NYT Sports There are numerous transfers and players with extra eligibility chasing an N.C.A.A. title.https://nyti.ms/3c16xWM

Coach K’s Farewell Tour Is Coming. His Replacement Is Reloading on Talent.

By BY ADAM ZAGORIA from NYT Sports Jon Scheyer, the men’s basketball coach who will replace Mike Krzyzewski at Duke next season, has already taken over recruiting.https://nyti.ms/3o3mPnm

In a Scheduling First, Pac-12 and SWAC Plan Home-and-Home Basketball Games

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports The deal between a Power 5 league and the Southwestern Athletic Conference could help H.B.C.U. teams draw big crowds.https://nyti.ms/3kqwGDu

A.C.C., Big Ten and Pac-12 Form Coalition to Counter SEC’s Might

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports The move was far short of a merger and came less than a month after Oklahoma and Texas said they would leave the Big 12 for the SEC.https://nyti.ms/3DfIFL9

Mike Krzyzewski, Celebrated Duke Coach, Will Retire After Coming Season

By BY ALAN BLINDER AND BILLY WITZ from NYT Sports With 1,097 career wins so far, the winningest coach in college basketball is planning his farewell following the 2021-22 season.https://nyti.ms/2SSCDxm

Sedona Prince Has a Message for You

By BY GILLIAN R. BRASSIL from NYT Sports Prince exposed inequities in college basketball with a video of the facilities at the N.C.A.A. women’s tournament. There’s more she wants you to know.https://nyti.ms/2TqhM50

Dino Gaudio, a Longtime College Basketball Coach, Is Accused of Extorting Louisville

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports Gaudio was charged in federal court, where a filing signaled a plea agreement had been reached.https://nyti.ms/3ymk2u0

N.C.A.A. Extends President’s Contract Amid Turmoil in College Sports

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports The decision to keep Mark Emmert until 2025 was unexpected, but Emmert had said for months that he had no interest in retiring.https://nyti.ms/3nwvRZt

N.C.A.A. Fines U.S.C. Men’s Basketball Over Bribery Case

By BY GILLIAN R. BRASSIL from NYT Sports A disciplinary committee put the Southern California program on probation for two years in connection with a 2017 investigation into corruption in college hoops.https://nyti.ms/3mOf6J4

Rule Change Prompts a Game of Musical Chairs in College Basketball

By BY ADAM ZAGORIA AND MARISA INGEMI from NYT Sports Under a plan tentatively approved Wednesday, Division I players who transfer will not need to sit out a year before they can play.https://nyti.ms/3uS2sLI

Her Killer Sidestep Is Clearing a Path to the W.N.B.A.

By BY MATT ELLENTUCK from NYT Sports Arella Guirantes, the star Rutgers guard, hopes to be drafted by her hometown team, the Liberty, this week. But no matter where she ends up, she said she’ll be ready.https://nyti.ms/3edglxF

How Well Did You Predict March Madness?

By Unknown Author from NYT Sports We asked readers to make their picks for the N.C.A.A. basketball tournaments — beyond just choosing winners.https://nyti.ms/2PwaACT

The Return of March Madness Brought Back Hope

By BY KURT STREETER from NYT Sports The N.C.A.A. basketball tournaments, the first significant American sporting event outright canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, brought some optimism that the country might be turning a corner.https://nyti.ms/3sQsdf5

Arizona Shocks UConn and Storms to the N.C.A.A. Title Game

By BY NATALIE WEINER from NYT Sports The Wildcats dominated the top-seeded Huskies and advanced to their first appearance in the women’s final. They will meet Stanford on Sunday.https://nyti.ms/2PWynve

U.C.L.A. Is Trying to Send Gonzaga Back to ‘Heartbreak City’

By BY JONATHAN ABRAMS from NYT Sports It’s been 15 years since the Bruins’ instant-classic Sweet 16 comeback win over the Bulldogs, but their stars can’t forget. “I’m still speechless to this day,” Darren Collison said.https://nyti.ms/3uiBexO