Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
March 1, 2026
March 1, 2026 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Sports



D. BENJAMIN MILLER / CC 1.0 UNIVERSAL
Spring training kicks off after a chaotic MLB free agency, highlighted by the Dodgers’ big spending, a shift toward shorter high-value contracts and the underpayment of top Japanese players. 

Takeaways from MLB Free Agency

Spring training is now underway, marking the unofficial end of Major League Baseball free agency. This year’s iteration was a tumultuous one. The upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations loomed over this free agency period as the MLB Players’ Association and the Owners’ Association prepare to do battle at the conclusion of the 2026 season.


LORIE SHAULL / CC BY-SA 4.0
The second-ever WNBA Unrivaled offseason is ongoing, showcasing talent and providing ways for players to gain income before the official season starts.

WNBA unleashes Unrivaled to redefine the offseason

Women’s basketball has reached unprecedented levels of recognition with stars like Cailtin Clark and Aja Wilson. That being said, women’s basketball players have rather low-paying salaries and are mostly required to compete overseas during the offseason to continue producing income. Players often leave their families, spouses and kids to provide financially. That is, until Unrivaled.


SOUNDERBRUCE / CC BY-SA 4.0
Just two years ago, it looked like Sam Darnold would end up as a backup for the rest of his career. Since then, he has won 14 games in back to back seasons, culminating in a Super Bowl victory with the Seattle Seahawks.

Sam Darnold’s unlikely path to Super Bowl Champion

With the Seattle Seahawks’ victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, Seahawks QB Sam Darnold has reached the summit of professional football. However, his climb has been anything but smooth. Darnold’s career shows that the combination of perseverance, dedication and the right support can completely warp one’s trajectory.


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Hopkins fencing took on the Centennial Conference Championship over the weekend and fought for multiple top-four finishes.

Hopkins Sports in Review (Feb. 9 – Feb. 15)

The snow is melting, the fields are cleared and the weather is warming up. All three of these factors point to one conclusion: You should go attend a Hopkins sports game! If you need any more convincing, here are the rundowns of how some of our teams did in the past week. Embrace the hype and go support. 


PAWEL MARYANOV / CC BY 2.0
With twelve men’s ice hockey team’s competing in the Olympics, rankings the jerseys was not an easy feat, but there the spectrum ranges from gorgeous canvases to boring practice-like shirts.

Ranking Olympic men's hockey jerseys

While I could do a detailed game-by-game breakdown, these jerseys caught my eye and they deserve their own spotlight. To preface, this is just my take almost purely based on aesthetics.


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Kotov is a key member of the Men’s Fencing team and combines his passion for mechanical engineering with his approach to fencing Sabre.

Athlete Spotlight: Leonid Kotov

In an interview with The News-Letter, Kotov discussed his fencing career and his love for the sport in addition to his experience studying engineering.


DESTINATIONALAN / CC BY-SA 4.0
Extreme heat, camera controversy, wearable medical tracking device debates and heartbreaking matches turned the 2026 Australian Open from a competition to a spectacle.

Kicking off the year with the 2026 Australian Open showdown

From heat to heartbreak to history in the making, this year’s Australian Open (AO) brought it all. Beyond the heightened audience excitement off court, the high-intensity later stages of the tournament proved to fans worldwide why AO remains the battleground for where champions are made. 


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This week in Hopkins Sports in Review, Junior Alex Colletti sets multiple records, and Women’s Basketball continues its unbeaten season.

Hopkins Sports in Review (Feb. 2–8)

Welcome back to another week of Hopkins Sports in Review! It’s a busy time for Blue Jay athletics as lacrosse kicks off its season, while basketball is now fully into conference play, with both men's and women’s hoops looking to claim the Centennial Conference crown. Here’s everything you need to know about Hopkins sports from this week.


ALL-PRO REELS / CC BY-SA 2.0
With Superbowl LX happening this Sunday, our sports editors and writers gave their predictions for who they think will be lifting the Lombardi Trophy!

Super Bowl LX Roundtable

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us! This year’s iteration of the unofficial American holiday features the New England Patriots pitted against the Seattle Seahawks. Even among Super Bowls, this one is drawing more eyes than most. The last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl, it resulted in one of the best football games ever.


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The Men’s and Women’s fencing teams dominated multiple opponents in all three fencing disciplines, Foil, Sabre and Epee.

Hopkins Sports in Review (Jan. 26 – Feb. 2)

The semester may just be kicking into gear, but the spring sports are just starting to bloom and the winter sports are putting up some chilling wins. It’s the best of both worlds: thrilling lacrosse matches with a snowy and gorgeous Homewood campus as a backdrop, or an indoor gym where you can cheer in comfort.






STEFFEN PROBDORF / CC BY-SA 4.0
A fascinating 2025 F1 season finally winds to an end with a McLaren double championship.

The Abu Dhabi GP: an F1 season's culmination

If the 2021 F1 championship race embodied the song “Skyfall” by Adele, the lead up to the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the epitome of “The Final Countdown” by Europe. I have been covering the 2025 F1 season since its kickoff in March, and the stories that have emerged were constant page turners.



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Both the men’s a women’s basketball teams are soaring in shots this season. Even with a shaky start, the teams saw a redemption week and now have a well deserved confidence boost.

Hopkins sports in review (Nov. 17-23)

Yes, I know it’s almost Thanksgiving and the main thing on your mind is when can you go home. When are you able to sit on the couch all day, maybe catch some NFL or NBA games, and drift into daydreams about never going back to school.


JYDECKER / CC BY-SA 4.0
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti has led a remarkable campaign which has brought about an unprecedented turnaround for the program and sent shockwaves across college football.

Indiana's rapid ascent and its impact across college football

If one were to look up the definition of a traditional college football powerhouse, the Indiana Hoosiers would likely be the antithesis of that. Until the last few weeks, Indiana had the most losses of any DI football program of all time, a stat that’s a product of how long the program has existed, as well as perpetual mediocrity. 


EUSTACE BAGGE / CC BY 4.0
A hectic weekend for Sauber’s rookie driver Bortoleto saw two crazy crashes into the barriers. This was his first home race in the series at the peak of motorsports.

An F1 interlude in Interlagos

The drivers entered Brazil with a new order in the Driver’s Championship. A phenomenal first lap by Lando Norris cemented his win, and a worse performance by his teammate caused the two to flip in the standings. Norris hadn’t been on the top of the standings since Bahrain in April.


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