Something to Hold You Over Until Next Football Season

Top Sporting Events Between Now and September

Confetti flies down on the field, and Patrick Mahomes is going to Disneyland! The most bittersweet event in sports signifies that the NFL season has come and gone. What now? There are only so many mock drafts that fans can sort through until they need to get the heart racing. Your girlfriend thinks she has you all weekend during the offseason, but we need our fix year-round! This article will serve as a guide for just that. From February to August, I have you covered with the best sporting events of the next seven months.

March Madness (March 19th – April 8th)

March Madness is just about as good as it gets for sports bettors and college fans. From Cinderella stories, to breakout stars and Sister Jean, a 100-year-old nun who knows ball. There truly is something for everyone in the championship tournament of College Basketball. If you miss 7 hours of commercial-free football, just wait until you get 12 hours of unhinged basketball chaos! You have not lived until your bracket has been busted before noon on day one. Grab your comfy hoodie, sit in your favorite spot on the couch, and only get up for food delivery and bathroom breaks. Time to lock in!

Cinderella Team: New Mexico Lobos (100/1)

Favorite: Purdue (8/1)

MLB Opening Day (March 28th)

Say what you will about Baseball, the season is too long, games too slow, and the Marlins sell off all of their stars when it comes time to pay them the big bucks. Although these things may be true, nothing compares to Opening Day. We can all agree that 162 games is a lot of games, and most will not be tuning in every night, but on Opening Day, every team is 0-0. You finally get to see your squad for the first time in six months! Can the Rangers shock the world and repeat? Will the Dodgers look as good as they do on paper? Will the Yankees bounce back from a down season? We will have some hints on March 28th!

World Series Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers (3.5/1)

Golf Grand Slams (April 11th – 14th, May 16th – 19th, June 13th – 16th, July 18th – 21st)

This year, more than ever before, Golf will be must-watch TV. Jon Rahm took his Green Jacket to LIV and will be defending from the “dark side.” Brooks Koepka, one of LIV’s first premier signings, dominated the PGA Championship. Wyndham Clark came out of nowhere in LA to win the US Open, and Brian Harman did the same in The Open at Royal Liverpool. For the first time, the talent on both tours is nearly equal, and tensions are rising. Can PGA stars like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and Scottie Scheffler hold off their LIV combatants Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson Dechambeau? In what is seemingly an afterthought for the first time in three decades, what will Tiger Woods look like? He is looking older due to many injuries, and expectations are low. Each year might be his final in competition, so enjoy it while it lasts. 

Major Predictions:

Masters: Jordan Spieth (18/1)

PGA: Rory McIlroy (10/1)

US Open: Dustin Johnson (25/1)

The Open: Ludvig Aberg (33/1)

UFC 300 (April 13th)

The UFC has built an empire atop the combat sports world. Dana White loves to do it big for monumental events, and UFC 300 will be no different. Although critics will claim that the mainstream “star” power is missing from this card, it is STACKED. There are top tier fighters who are barely making the bottom of the main card. UFC PPV prices are generally quite steep, and might be a barrier for the casual fan, but I believe that if there was ever a time to treat yourself, UFC 300 is that time.

Periera v Hill: Hill by 2nd round KO

NBA Playoffs (April 20th – June 23rd)

Similar to the MLB, there are a lot of games in the NBA regular season. Not quite 162, but 82 games is still a lot when stretched from October to April. The first half of the regular season is also in direct competition with NCAAF and the NFL. The NBA In-Season Tournament was a fun experiment that got a spark during the early part of the season, but the casual interest faded over time. For many fans, the season starts after the All-Star Break. The race to the playoffs heats up (pun intended), and stars treat every game like a must-win. The product is better and more intense during the playoffs. The 2022-2023 Miami Heat are a pretty perfect example of that. They barely—and I mean BARELY, snuck into the playoffs and still managed to beat the toughest possible route to the NBA Finals. There are tons of storylines heading into this season’s playoffs. Steph and LeBron battling it out for the final seed in the Western Conference, while the Timberwolves and Thunder have surprised many atop the West. Can the Heat sleepwalk their way through the playoffs again, or is the East too strong and stacked this season? 

Finals Prediction: The Clippers defeat the Bucks in 6 games to win it all

NFL Draft (April 25th – 27th)

A beacon of hope shining through the doldrums of April; showing football fans that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The NFL draft is a three-day event that showcases college football’s best. What NFL team will add what players? For the fans of struggling teams, this is a moment of optimism in an otherwise dreary fanhood (unless you are a fan of the Carolina Panthers, who traded away their first overall pick for Bryce Young last season). Will a young rookie be the spark that ignites your franchise into a decade of success? Probably not, but there is HOPE. For the better teams, this is a chance to pick up young talent and keep things moving. One rough draft can derail everything. This year, the Chicago Bears have a lot to look forward to. They traded for the aforementioned Panthers’ pick, and as a result, have the #1 and #8 overall picks this season. Having multiple first round picks is the kind of draft situation that the Miami Dolphins used to begin their rebuild. This is a dream for fans, but a nightmare for management. Do you go the obvious route, draft Caleb Williams, and dump Justin Fields after an unfair shot at leading a winning roster? Do you keep Fields, trade the pick for a haul, and build a talented roster around the talented QB? Seems like a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. Will the Bears draft according to prior history? Williams has a lot of comparisons to Patrick Mahomes. The Bears once passed on the 3-time Super Bowl winner for career backup Mitch Trubisky. I believe that Justin Fields has top-10 QB potential, but there is no way that you can pass up on a talent like Caleb Williams.

Caleb Williams goes first overall to the Chicago Bears (duh)

UEFA Champions League Final (June 1st) 

I used to play FIFA 13 with the fellas, and my go-to squad was Real Madrid. That front line of Ronaldo, Benzema, and Bale were unstoppable. Tony Kroos hit rocket shots from the midfield, and Luka Modric was a great facilitator. It was frustrating that for most of the season, these teams battled within their separate divisions. It wasn’t until I discovered the Champions League that my interest in the game peaked. The best teams from the best divisions battle in a bracket-style competition. Now, let’s talk 2024. Manchester City is the favorite to win UCL by a wide margin (+150, closest squads are Arsenal and Real Madrid +500). Can Erling Haaland continue to dominate and lead City to their second UCL title in as many years? Or will somebody rise to the occasion and knock off the unanimous favorites?

Man City takes the Champions League title for the second year in a row, beating Arsenal 4-1

Summer Olympics (July 26th – August 11th)

Let me be the first to admit the Olympics are not my thing. The good news is the Summer Olympics are in France, which gives American sports fans an excuse to get up as early as possible to watch two foreign countries battle it out in sports like Skeleton, Badminton, and Table Tennis (that was sarcasm). The mainstream competitions like Swimming, Track, and Gymnastics all have captivating storylines, and there will be some wild moments. If I could pinpoint an issue with the general interest in the Olympics, it is likely that most of these sports and athletes are not followed for four years until they show up on TV. The Olympics need more star power.

USA brings home 45 gold medals

Honorable Mention/Snubbed: Kentucky Derby, NHL Playoffs, Tennis Grand Slams

As we bid farewell to another exciting NFL season, the sports world offers thrilling events to keep us engaged over the next seven months. From the chaos of March Madness and the crack of a bat on Opening Day. From Golf’s turf war and UFC’s spectacular battles. There is something for everyone. For the fans on the global stage, you have the Champions League final and the Summer Olympics! While we wait for our fantasy drafts, let us embrace these events as we eagerly await the return of football.