A new Gallup poll shows how Americans' sympathies have shifted in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

WASHINGTON (AP) — American sympathies in the Middle East have shifted dramatically toward the Palestinians, according tonew Gallup polling, after decades of overwhelming support for the Israelis.

That shift accelerated during the war in Gaza. Three years ago, 54% of Americans sympathized more with the Israelis, compared to 31% for the Palestinians.

Now, their support is about evenly balanced, with 41% saying their sympathies lie more with the Palestinians, and only 36% saying the same about the Israelis.

The numbers reflect how support for Israel has become deeply contentious in the U.S., with profound implications for American politics and foreign policy. The changing sentiment has been largely driven by Democrats, who are now much more likely to sympathize with Palestinians. U.S. assistance to Israel has been a major dividing line in the party's primaries this year.

Gallup's data indicates that the shift was already happening before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, then increased during Israel's subsequent military operations in Gaza. The polling has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, meaning sentiment toward Israelis and Palestinians are roughly even.

"It's the first time they have reached parity, which is really quite striking," said Benedict Vigers, a senior global news writer at Gallup. "In not many years, that very significant gap in public opinion has now completely closed."

Democrats and independents

About two-thirds of Democrats now say their concerns lie more with the Palestinians, while only about 2 in 10 sympathize more with the Israelis. As recently as 2016, the picture looked very different: About half of Democrats sympathized more with the Israelis and only about one-quarter sympathized with the Palestinians.

The shift began even before the Israel-Hamas war turned the issue into a flash point within the Democratic Party. Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the initial attack and took another 251 hostage, but the Israeli response has been widely seen as disproportionate, with Gaza health officials reporting more than 72,000 Palestinians killed, nearly half of them women and children, and wide swaths of the territory reduced to rubble. Many progressive politicians and activists now describe Israel's actions in the war as genocide — a charge Israel vehemently denies.

Democrats have expressed greater sympathy for the Palestinians than the Israelis since 2023 — in a Gallup poll that was conducted before the Oct. 7 attacks — but Gallup's surveys show their support in the conflict has been tilting toward the Palestinians and away from the Israelis since around 2017.

Some of that early decline in sympathy appeared to be tied todisapproval of the right-leaning Israeli leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose favorability in the U.S.fell nearly 15 percentage points between 2017 and 2024, according to separate Gallup polling.

Netanyahu clashed with former President Barack Obama in the last year of his administration, then forged a warmer relationship with President Donald Trump, who delivered several victories to Netanyahu in his first term, includingrecognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israeland Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Trump also persuaded three Arab countries to establish commercial and diplomatic ties with Israel. The closeness between Trump and Netanyahu has continued into Trump's second term.

The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians wasa point of tension for Democratsduring President Joe Biden's administration, as well as during the 2024 presidential election. An AP-NORC poll conducted toward the end of 2023, just a few months into the war in Gaza, found that Democrats weresharply dividedon whether the U.S. was too supportive of Israel, and another AP-NORC poll from 2024 found that Democratic voters were more likely to say the Israeli governmentheld "a lot" of responsibilityfor the war's escalation.

Democrats' sympathy for the Palestinians intensified as the war progressed, Gallup's polling shows, and independents' views also shifted. This year, independents expressed more sympathy for the Palestinians than the Israelis for the first time in Gallup's trend. About 4 in 10 independents are more sympathetic toward the Palestinians. That's compared to about 3 in 10 for the Israelis, a new low.

Most Republicans continue to side with Israel — about 7 in 10 say they are more sympathetic to the Israelis — but that is a slight downtick from about 8 in 10 before the start of the war. Some figures in the Republicans' isolationist "America First" wing are also increasingly questioning traditional U.S. support for Israel.

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Generational gaps

Younger adults — those 18 to 34 in this poll — are also increasingly sympathetic toward the Palestinians, according to the Gallup survey.

Younger Americans' sympathies have been shifting toward the Palestinians since around 2020, and reached a new high this year. About half of 18 to 34 year olds say they have more sympathy for the Palestinians, compared to about a quarter who say that about the Israelis.

Student protests against the Israel-Hamas warappeared on college campusesaround the country during the war, asking colleges to cut investments supporting Israel.

But the shift is only "partly a generational story," according to Vigers.

The new poll also found for the first time that middle-aged Americans, those 35 to 54, expressed more sympathy for the Palestinians than the Israelis — a reversal from last year. And while Americans over 55 are more sympathetic toward Israel, that gap is narrowing, too.

"With adults over 55, they are more sympathetic to Israelis, but it's as low as it's been since 2005," Vigers said.

Palestinian state

About 6 in 10 U.S. adults, 57%, favor the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, according to the new polling. That's not significantly different from recent years, as at least half of U.S. adults have supported an independent Palestinian state since 2020.

Vigers notes that "party polarization is at or near its record high" on this question, even though it hasn't been sharply increasing year over year.

In the last few years, there's been an uptick among Democrats and independents in support for the two-state solution. Now, about three-quarters of Democrats and roughly 6 in 10 independents say they support an independent Palestinian state. Only about one-third of Republicans say the same.

The opinions of the people who would be directly affected by a two-state solution are quite different. Only about 3 in 10 Israelis living in Israel and Palestinians living in the West Bank and east Jerusalem said they supported a two-state solution in which an independent Palestinian state existed alongside Israel, according to theGallup World Poll conducted in 2025.

"On the ground, in the region, far fewer Israelis and Palestinians tell us that they are in favor of the two-state solution than Americans when asked a very similar question," Vigers said. "There is that interesting sort of disconnect between the region itself and Americans' views toward it."

Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

The Gallup poll was conducted Feb. 2-16, 2026, among 1,001 U.S. adults, aged 18 and older, using a sample drawn from Gallup's probability-based panel. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

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February 27, 2026

A new Gallup poll shows how Americans' sympathies have shifted in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

WASHINGTON (AP) — American sympathies in the Middle East have shifted dramatically toward the Palestinians, according ton...

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Gun ban for marijuana users gets high court review

As the top county law enforcement official for more than a decade, former district attorney Rob Greene regularly prosecuted crimes involving drugs even as he often consumedcannabison the side.

The U.S. Army veteran, avid hunter, and father of three is one of 440,000 Pennsylvanians with astate-authorizedmedical marijuana card under a program lawmakers enacted in 2016.

Greene, who stepped down as DA earlier this year, says the cannabis he uses "once or twice every week or two" has significantly improved his quality of life but also came with what he calls an unconstitutional trade-off.

"As of right now, I have zero firearms," Greene told ABC News in an interview. "I could serve 10 years in prison for having firearms because I am, according to the feds, an illegal user of marijuana. I mean, it's (expletive)."

For nearly 60 years, the possession of a gun by anyone who unlawfully uses or is addicted to controlled substances -- including marijuana -- has been banned under federal law, even when they are not intoxicated.

Public health groups call it common sense; the Trump administration calls it acornerstone of public safety. Greene argues it should only apply to people who are in the act of using drugs.

Next week, the Supreme Court will consider whether thegun ban for drug usersis unconstitutionally broad in a high-stakes case at the center of growing debate over whether marijuana deserves a carve-out in the law.

"Are there certain drugs that are so dangerous and addictive that it's not safe for you to have a firearm? Sure," said Greene. "Marijuana is not one of them." AlthoughCongresshas prohibited the Justice Department from cracking down on state medical marijuana programs and President Trump recentlysigned an executive orderloosening restrictions on the drug, cannabis remains prohibited under federal law.

That means6 millionregistered medical marijuana patients across40 statesmust surrender their Second Amendment right to own a gun as long as they are using.

"Even though in the state of Pennsylvania they mademedical marijuana legal, the federal law still mandates that we cannot sell you a firearm," said Tim Parker, owner of Presque Isle Gun Shop in Erie, Penn.

Parker said he frequently turns away customers who attest on a federal gun purchase form that they have used illegal drugs or mention their medical marijuana card when seeking to purchase a weapon.

"We have a sign on the outside of the door -- we do not like people that smell like marijuana coming into our shop. We will not sell you anything," he said.

Since 1998, theFBI sayscountless drug users have been turned away by gun dealers because of the federal Firearm Transaction Form 4473. In addition, more than 240,000 potential gun buyers have been flagged for drug-related convictions by the background check system, according to federal data.

"Those are the kind of people that shouldn't be carrying a gun because it's all split second things, and a gun doesn't think for itself. Guns don't kill people. People kill people," said Parker.

State and local law enforcement groups have urged the Supreme Court to uphold the law, warning of the potential dangers of combining drugs and guns.

"We don't want someone who's under the influence of alcohol or methamphetamine or cocaine or marijuana to be handling a firearm. Obviously, there's some safety issues there," said Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah.

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Of the 700 firearms confiscated in crimes in Erie since 2023, Lorah estimated 70% were probably involved in the drug trade.

While Lorah told ABC that he does not consider medical marijuana a top threat and understands the medical benefits of the drug, he says creating an exception for cannabis in the drug ban should be up to federal lawmakers.

"Certainly the Second Amendment brings about a lot of strong emotion," he said. "If we could get the federal government and the states to come to a conclusion on the issue of marijuana and guns that would probably make law enforcement's life much easier."

The Justice Department says it prosecutes roughly 300 federal cases a year in which a violation of the drug user gun ban is a leading charge.

The recent prosecution of Hunter Biden, a self-confessed recovering crack cocaine addict, is considered the most high profile example. Biden was charged with lying on the federal gun transaction form and obtaining a firearm.

So was Ali Hemani of Texas whosecase is now before the Supreme Court. The government says he admitted to using marijuana "every other day" while keeping a Glock 9mm pistol in his home.

A federal court tossed out the indictment of Hemani saying the ban is unconstitutional as applied since he was not intoxicated with a gun.

"The truth is, there has to be a showing of some kind of actual dangerousness," argued attorney Joseph Bondy, chairman of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law (NORML).

"You could, for example, have a prescription to consume Oxycontin or some kind of anti-psychotic medication, right? And you would still be able to possess a firearm whereas a cannabis user could not," he said.

The lower court Hemani decision spawned a rare alliance bringing together the Trump administration, gun safety advocates, and anti-drug groups who are now appealing to the Supreme Court to hold the line.

The administration argues that a ban on guns for people who use illegal drugs is both constitutional and rooted in the nation's history and tradition.

"Back to the days of the founding, we had laws about intoxication and severe intoxication, even surrounding things like alcohol," said Jordan Davidson, government affairs director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

The group has warned that marijuana use has been linked toperpetratorsof some of the country's deadliest mass shootings.

"It's not to say that everyone who smokes marijuana is going to have cannabis induced psychosis, or even the vast majority," said Davidson, "but we need a bright line rule here to prevent against the worst possible scenarios that could occur."

Greene agrees that certain Americans who use drugs should be disarmed, but says the dangers of marijuana are overblown.

"Cannabis has helped me in a number of ways. I mean, it helps me immensely. It's helped out a lot of other people and it has hurt me in zero ways," he said.

Oral arguments in the case U.S. v. Hemani will be heard by the Supreme Court on March 2. A decision on the constitutionality of the gun ban for marijuana users is expected later this spring.

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February 27, 2026

Gun ban for marijuana users gets high court review

As the top county law enforcement official for more than a decade, former district attorney Rob Greene regularly prose...

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UN nuclear watchdog says it's unable to verify whether Iran has suspended all uranium enrichment

VIENNA (AP) — Iran has not allowed the United Nations nuclear agency access to itsnuclear facilitiesbombed by Iran and the United States during a12-day warin June, according to a confidential report by the watchdog circulated to member states and seen Friday by The Associated Press.

Ukraine-Nuclear-Risks

The report from the International Atomic Energy Agency stressed that it "cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities," or the "size of Iran's uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities."

Iran has four declared enrichment facilities, but the report warned that because of the lack of access, the IAEA "cannot provide any information on the current size, composition or whereabouts of the stockpile of enriched uranium in Iran."

The report stressed that the "loss of continuity of knowledge ... needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency."

Iran has long insisted its program is peaceful, but the IAEA and Western nations say Tehran had an organized nuclear weapons program up until 2003. The U.S. is seeking a deal to limit Iran's nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons.

Highly enriched material should be verified regularly

The IAEA reported that Iran had informed the agency in a letter dated Feb. 2 that normal safeguards were "legally untenable and materially impracticable," as a result of threats and "acts of aggression."

The confidential report also said Friday that Iran did provide access to IAEA inspectors "to each of the unaffected nuclear facilities at least once" since June 2025, with the exception of a power plant at Karun that is under construction.

Iran is legally obliged to cooperate with the IAEA under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, butsuspended all cooperationafter the war with Israel.

According to the IAEA, Iran maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

That stockpile could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi warned in arecent interview with the AP. He added that it doesn't mean that Iran has such a weapon.

Such highly enriched nuclear material should normally be verified every month, according to the IAEA's guidelines.

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IAEA observes activity around nuclear sites

In the absence of direct access to the nuclear sites, the IAEA turned to commercially available satellite imagery.

Observation of the Isfahan facility, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) southeast of Tehran, showed "regular vehicular activity" around the entrance to a tunnel complex used to store enriched material, the report said.

Isfahan was struck by both Israel and the United States in June.

The IAEA said it also observed activity at the enrichment sites in Natanz and Fordow, but added that "without access to these facilities it is not possible for the Agency to confirm the nature and the purpose of the activities."

IAEA joined Geneva talks

The IAEA reported on Friday that Grossi attended negotiations between the U.S. and Iran on Feb. 17 and Feb. 26 in Geneva at which he "provided advice" on the verification of Iran's nuclear program. The report said that those negotiations are "ongoing."

Thursday's talks, the third round this year under Omani mediation, ended without a deal, leaving the danger of another Mideast war on the table as the U.S. has gathered a massive fleet ofaircraft and warshipsin the region.

An Omani official said lower-level technical talks would continue next week in Vienna, the home of the IAEA. The agency is likely to be critical in any deal.

Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has so far resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment on its soil or hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Similar talks last year between the U.S. and Iran about Iran's nuclear program broke down after the start of the war in June. Before then, Iran had beenenriching uranium up to 60% purity.

The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage fromthe Carnegie Corporation of New YorkandOutrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape:https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/

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February 27, 2026

UN nuclear watchdog says it's unable to verify whether Iran has suspended all uranium enrichment

VIENNA (AP) — Iran has not allowed the United Nations nuclear agency access to itsnuclear facilitiesbombed by Iran and th...

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Can Trump fix college sports? Can't sell plan if SEC, Big Ten don't want to hear it

First, the obvious: Everyone has an angle.

So when we delve into the morass offixing college sports, keep that at the forefront.

Doesn't matter how manyblue ribbon commissionsare held, or how many superstars or influencers or heroes of the past join the fight. Doesn't even matter if the President of the United States decides to weigh in.

You can't sell a plan to fix what's broken if someone doesn't want to hear it.

Unless they're ordered — by law — to do so.

President Trump's committee to fix college sports sounds like a great idea, sounds like an opportunity for some of the heavy hitters of the sport — past and present — to find answers to a rapidly devolving situation.

But the front porch of any change begins and ends with the university presidents and chancellors of theBig TenandSEC, and by proxy, their right-hand men, commissioners Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey.

The next move:Chambliss-led death of NCAA could lead to birth of SEC-only world

In-depth:Unlimited transfer portal 'sucking life out of college sports.' Ask man who ignited it

The same two men who can't agree on asimple format changefor a multibillion dollarCollege Football Playoffthat would ensure even more money for all conferences.

So keep that in mind when Trump and Nick Saban and Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow and university presidents and conference commissioners meet to discuss how to get their arms around the unwieldy mess — while also dealing with the intensely tribal environment of Washington D.C.

There's enough fault here to last two blue ribbon committees. It's not just sharing media rights revenue, or returning to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.

We are now in an era where college athletes — specifically football and basketball, because those sports drive revenue — have annual unfettered free agency. Season after season, schools can now bid for players to improve rosters.

Contracts aren't being honored— because, in some cases, they're really not contracts — and everyone from coaches to players to general managers to sports agents aregaming the system.

Meanwhile, we've all but eliminated the college experience. The ideals of growing and maturing, the joy of learning and loving, and yes, losing.

Failure, long the greatest motivator of the college (and life) experience, has been all but eliminated. If you fail at one school, another will throw cash at you to try again.

Academics arenow secondaryto team building, with every university turning admission processes into come one, come all — if you're an athlete.

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When Cal-Berkeley, the No.1 public institution in the United States — and not exactly the easiest place to be academically accepted —allows 32 transfers(many who have already played at multiple schools) in one transfer portal recruiting class, we may have a problem.

By comparison, Stanford, the No.1 private institution in the United States — and not exactly the easiest place to be academically accepted —allowed six transfersfrom Washington, Bucknell, UCLA, Michigan, Yale and Harvard.

A veritable Who's Who among academia.

I realize academics mean very little in this football/basketball equation, but the exercise of explaining just how far off course we've traveled in such a short time can't go unnoticed by the Presidential commission. Or whatever they're calling it.

So they'll argue about money next week, and they'll give slight mention to academics. Meanwhile the lost value of the college experience, those four and five years of invaluable life learning and personal growth, have somehow morphed into an annual cash grab.

I don't blame the players; this is the setup they've been given, and they're taking advantage of it until the legal system says otherwise. They were at the short end of the deal for the first 150 years of college football, given a degree and professional development in their sport in exchange for generating untold billions for universities.

So all of those important faces of college sports will talk about change at next week's event, and they'll look at numbers and projections of how much money the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 can add to the pie.

They'll talk about how a collective television deal could lead to more money, and not limit the Big Ten and SEC earnings. The framework is everyone gets more — at their current percentages.

In other words, if the Big Ten and SEC currently receive 50% of the overall revenue, they'll still get 50% — only it will be 50% of more money.

Is it realistic? Petitti and Sankey say it's a pipe dream, that there's no concrete evidence that shows schools can make more money by collectively bargaining with providers.

Cody Campbell, chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents and Trump's point man on fixing college sports, has said for months the SBA ― and the money it will generate ― can save women's and Olympic sports from disastrous futures.

A billionaire booster at Texas Tech, Campbell says he has spent personal millions to research the potential increase in revenue the SBA will bring as part of his Saving College Sports campaign.

The same campaign the Big Ten and SEC — who, remember, can't agree on anything of late — criticized together Thursday when releasing their "white paper" to Congressional leaders.

"I can't, for the life of me, figure out why they released that right now," Campbell told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday.

I can: You can't sell a plan to fix what's broken if someone doesn't want to hear it.

Matt Hayesis the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at@MattHayesCFB.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:New Trump roundtable to fix college sports has many hurdles

byNeo

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February 27, 2026

Can Trump fix college sports? Can't sell plan if SEC, Big Ten don't want to hear it

First, the obvious: Everyone has an angle. So when we delve into the morass offixing college sports, keep that...

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College basketball games to watch schedule full of March Madness implications.

As February turns to March and themen's college basketball seasonwinds toward its conclusion, there are plenty of high-stakes offerings on this weekend's schedule for your viewing enjoyment. We can't promise two top-five clashes like we had last week in this space, but the slate makes up for that in quantity with no fewer than a half dozenUSA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Top 25showdowns over the course of the weekend.

That lineup begins Friday night in theBig Tenand continues into a Saturday marathon that opens with a first-place showdown in the ACC and also features a doubleheader in theSEC.

BRACKETOLOGY:A new No. 1 seed emerges in March Madness projection

Without further ado then, let's get to this week's Starting Five – plus a few coming in off the bench.

No. 3 Michigan at No. 11 Illinois

Time/TV:Friday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox.

The Wolverines are three games clear in the Big Ten race entering the regular season's penultimate weekend, and in all likelihood they've already done enough to merit a No. 1 NCAA regional seed. The Fighting Illini's recent run of tough overtime losses cost them both of those goals, but a win here would provide a huge confidence boost heading into March. The good news for Brad Underwood's squad is Illinois is one of the few teams with the frontcourt strength and depth to match up with the Wolverines. The Illini also have more reliable perimeter shooting, thanks mainly to Keaton Wagler, but Michigan's Elliot Cadeau shook off his rough outing against Duke with a more accurate night against Minnesota.

No. 12 Virginia at No. 1 Duke

Time/TV:Saturday, noon ET, ESPN.

It's a surprising fight for the top position in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Blue Devils of course were expected to be in this position in the ACC. The new-look Cavaliers were more of a mystery at the start of the season but have meshed together well in Ryan Odom's initial campaign. Duke's Cameron Boozer is the odds-on favorite to be named league player of the year, but UVa's Thijs De Ridder has a strong case for all-conference accolades putting up 16.0 points and 6.3 rebounds a game.

No. 14 Kansas at No. 2 Arizona

Time/TV:Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN.

The Wildcats shook off their recent two-game skid and have retaken control of the crowded Big 12. The wildly inconsistent Jayhawks go for a rare season sweep of Arizona, but leaving the McKale Center with a win is never easy. KU's defensive effort against Houston in its most recent outing was arguably its best of the season, and Flory Bidunga and the rest of the Jayhawks will have to be just as connected to handle the Wildcats' numerous offensive threats. Arizona will still likely be without Koa Peat due to a leg injury, but Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley are also capable of taking over a game.

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No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 5 Iowa State

Time/TV:Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS.

Elsewhere in the Big 12, the Cyclones look to add to their collection of quality home-court victories and stay in the hunt for a No. 1 NCAA seed. The game is no less important for the Red Raiders, who need to show they can still compete for a championship despite losing their best player. With J.T. Toppin sidelined, Texas Tech has relied more on long-range scoring from Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell, but LeJuan Watts has also stepped up to help on the glass. Iowa State can get points in a variety of ways but is at its best when the ball finds Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson close to the bucket.

No. 18 Alabama at No. 22 Tennessee

Time/TV:Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN.

In truth these SEC contenders are more than likely playing for second place in the league at best, but securing a top-four seed in the upcoming conference tournament is an important priority. That became a concern for the Volunteers with their midweek loss at Missouri. Usually their solid team defense would give them an excellent chance to successfully defend their home court, but they need to find Crimson Tide sharpshooters Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway quickly. While it might appear at times that defense is optional for Alabama, the Tide at least need to limit second-chance opportunities for Vols standout freshman Nate Ament.

Villanova at No. 15 St. John's

Time/TV:Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox.

The Red Storm must putWednesday night's dismantling at the hands of Connecticutbehind them quickly as they return home to the more friendly environs of Madison Square Garden. But the game is just as vital for the Wildcats, whose March staying power remains very much in question. St. John's desperately needs a fast start to erase the memory of the 0-for-24 finish at UConn, which will likely mean getting Zuby Ejiofor involved early. Villanova will need Duke Brennan to hold his own on the boards and stay out of foul trouble.

No. 17 Arkansas at No. 7 Florida

Time/TV:Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

The Gators look to run their winning streak to nine and in the process lock up the SEC regular-season title. The Razorbacks must win in Gainesville then get some help in order to catch Florida, but they're also looking to continue the momentum of five wins in six games. The presence of Darius Acuff gives Arkansas a shot in every game, howevert the improved production from the Gators guard tandem of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland has raised the team's ceiling considerably.

No. 9 Gonzaga at Saint Mary's

Time/TV:Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

The day concludes with a final edition of West Coast Conference after dark, though there will probably be yet another encounter between these long-time league rivals in a little over a week before Gonzaga departs for the new Pac-12. Gonzaga has the top seed clinched, but the Gaels would nevertheless like to leave the Zags with one last impression of their Moraga, California, campus before the programs part ways. Graham Ike and the rest of Gonzaga's veteran lineup won't be rattled by a hostile student section, but the Saint Mary's interior defense of Andrew McKeever and Paulius Murauskas could prove more difficult to solve.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College basketball schedule for weekend has March Madness implications

byNeo

in

February 27, 2026

College basketball games to watch schedule full of March Madness implications.

As February turns to March and themen's college basketball seasonwinds toward its conclusion, there are plenty of hig...

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