Weekend Hot Reads: Into the Spotlight

The N.Y. TIMES goes with, "What’s It Like to Be Cinderella in March? These Schools Know." When Oakland's 14th-seeded men’s basketball team defeated No. 3 Kentucky on Thursday, delivering the first shocking upset of this year’s NCAA Tournament, it "cast a spotlight on the relatively anonymous university in Rochester, Mich." If history is any indication, the next few days and weeks -- and "perhaps longer -- promise to be a lucrative time for the school." Upset victories by double-digit seeds are "not just a big deal for busted tournament brackets," as they also "raise the profile of the schools that pull off the shockers." Big wins routinely lead to "spikes in applications, enrollment and, as the university community rallies around its team, alumni contributions." Media coverage leads to "attention that is otherwise hard to come by, and the name recognition can be long lasting."

Also:

• D-backs enter 2024 with local buzz, new expectations.
• The PGA Tour is facing the toughest decision with LIV Golf. Should players be making that call?
• How the PWHL is changing the game for international hockey.
• Hot dogs and hope: The diary of a Mariners-Kraken desert doubleheader.
• Meet the people behind the Lightning’s ice, game graphics and more.
• Little League scandal roils D.C. elite.