The deal links Oats to Alabam through 2032, and will increase his salary to an annual average value of $7.25 million. Oats has gone 170-73 over seven seasons in Tuscaloosca, and led Alabama to Final Four in 2024. Vanderbilt extends coach Shea Ralph Vanderbilt Commodores women’s basketball coach Shea Ralph has agreed to a contract extension following her fifth and best season yet in leading the Commodores to the Sweet 16 and earning AP Coach of the Year honors.

Athletic director Candice Storey Lee announced the extension. Lee noted Ralph was hired just after the university launched the Vandy United program to renovate athletic facilities as part of a commitment to compete at the highest levels. "She has delivered on that vision and is the right leader to keep elevating our women’s basketball program while inspiring our broader community as we set the standard for women’s athletics," Lee said.

"Her well-deserved recognition only reinforces what we see every day — she makes teams better, empowers women and brings people together." Terms of Ralph’s extension were not announced by the school, which is a private university. Ralph led a team that returned only one starter to the most successful season in school history.

Vanderbilt went 29-5, with 13 of those wins coming in the regular season against a rugged Southeastern Conference schedule. The Commodores finished tied for second in the conference, which matched the best finish in program history. They earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Sweet 16.

April 21 Thomas Haugh expected to return to Florida for senior season Not only are the Florida Gators entering next season with lofty expectations and a top ranking, but one of coach Todd Golden’s key players is also set to return. Forward Thomas Haugh is expected back in Gainesville for his senior season, per ESPN. Haugh’s decision to return comes as a surprise, as he was widely projected as a consensus lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

With his return now official, the Gators could quickly find themselves positioned as a legitimate contender to debut at No. 1 in the preseason rankings He averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. That production solidified Haugh’s status as one of the most dependable two-way contributors and a key piece of the Gators’ offense heading into next season. The decision to forgo the NBA Draft marks the first time since 2017 that a projected lottery pick has opted to return to school.

The last player to make such a move was Miles Bridges, who famously returned to Michigan State for his sophomore season. Haugh is now the third starter from last season’s team to announce his return. He will rejoin forward Alex Condon and guard Boogie Fland, while center Rueben Chinyelu could also return as he continues to maintain eligibility throughout the NBA Draft process.

Solo Ball to miss all of next season The UConn Huskies guard and two-time All-Big East honoree will miss the 2026-27 season due to wrist surgery, the school announced. "Solo is a true Husky and a champion who would do anything to be out on the court," UConn head coach Dan Hurley said. "This guy has shown throughout his career what a warrior he is.

Solo is going to use the season to get his wrist fully healthy and then come back next year as one of the best guards in America while cementing his legacy as an all-time great at UConn." The 2026-27 season will count as a medical redshirt year for Ball, who averaged 12.8 points per game last season, while shooting 39.2/30.0/85.2. The year prior (2024-25), he averaged 14.4 points per game, while leading the Big East with a 41.4% shooting percentage from behind the arc.

Ball and the Huskies are coming off a season that saw them claim a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and reach the National Championship before losing to the No. 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines in the title game. April 20 Big East commissioner to retire before 2026-2027 season Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman will retire at the end of August, the conference announced Monday. Ackerman, 66, has served in that role since 2013, presiding over the rebirth of the conference following the decision a year earlier for the Big East to split.

Ackerman led the negotiations that resulted in the return of UConn in 2020 from the American Athletic Conference. "It’s been an extraordinary honor for me to serve as the Commissioner of one of the most prestigious and storied organizations in college sports," Ackerman said in a statement. "I want to thank our