The past few weeks have seen sports fans and non-fans alike turn their attention towards the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy. Milan has offered a plethora of noteworthy moments, ranging from ski-jump suit scandals to overtime hockey thrillers, giving viewers more than enough to keep them glued to their screens. Yet, as captivating as the Winter Games have been, February and March may still be the best 60 days on the sports calendar because of the other major competitions taking place during that time.
The Winter Olympics have absolutely been the highlight of this timeframe thus far. From just the American perspective, we have seen both men’s and women’s hockey teams securing gold over their Canadian counterparts, with the men’s gold being the first since the famous “Miracle on Ice” run in 1980. Furthermore, Bay Area product Alysa Liu wrapped up her incredible comeback to figure skating with a first-place finish in the women’s individual competition. Along with other compelling stories, this win leaves the U.S. with twelve golds and 33 total medals, earning us a strong (and somewhat surprising) second place behind Norway.
Beyond the Milan Games, March is bringing with it two renowned sports tournaments that will likely draw many spectators: the NCAA’s March Madness and the World Baseball Classic (WBC). College basketball’s annual postseason tournament, known as March Madness, is set to begin in mid-March. It has become infamous for the consistent upsets and “Cinderella” stories — deep runs by lower-ranked, usually fairly unknown schools. With games being played almost daily at the beginning of the tournament, March will be littered with some of the most exciting underdog storylines of the entire year.
In the WBC, teams from around the globe compete to see who harbors the best baseball talent, essentially creating baseball’s version of the World Cup. Running from March 5-17, the WBC will host games in San Juan, Tokyo, Houston, and Miami, featuring teams across five continents. The last time the WBC was held, it ended in a championship game between two baseball powerhouses, Japan and the U.S., with Japan taking the title in an extremely competitive, one-run game. This, along with the other various walk-off wins and intense moments, has drawn more players to this rendition of the tournament, promising another great tournament for baseball fans.
Outside of ball sports, Motorsport also features a couple of important events during these two months, namely the Daytona 500 and the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. The 500, NASCAR’s marquee event held at the famous Daytona International Speedway, took place on Sunday, Feb. 15, and saw Tyler Reddick take his number 45 Toyota to a first-place finish. The win, a great accomplishment for Reddick, notably earned a Daytona victory for team co-owner and former basketball star Michael Jordan. For more internationally focused motorsport fans, the Formula 1 season begins Sunday, March 8, in Melbourne. It will feature a new set of implemented regulations, likely producing some varied results different from what we’ve seen over the previous few years. With Lando Norris coming off a World Driver’s Championship, this race will be a telling glimpse into whether he and McLaren will repeat last year’s success or if another driver will claim the title.
These events I’ve touched on still only scratched the surface of the international and domestic sporting events and championships occurring in February and March. Yet, despite the limited space, it is still clear these 60 days are a great time to be a sports fan.
