From MLB Opening Day to the start of the Masters, tomorrow’s going to be quite the sports day (especially if Tiger Woods does, in fact, play).

• You know the drill — keep an eye out for an MLB season preview later today, then a Masters primer first thing tomorrow morning.

• Until then, here’s everything else you need to know.

I was like, why are you smiling, dude? We’re down 15. He was telling me, keep your head up, keep going, we'll be alright. I was like, man, I don’t know if I’ve ever been here before. Down 15 in a national championship game. I’ve definitely never been there.

The GIST: After a month of college basketball madness, it’s time for the NBA chaos to begin. The season somehow ends Sunday and, as discussed on yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It, crucial playoff seeding is on the line over the next five days.

The set-up: The league’s play-in tournament (which was introduced last year) is, as hoped, adding an extra layer of drama. The top six teams in each conference are guaranteed a playoff spot, but the seventh through 10th place teams will have to battle it out next week to secure the final two playoff berths.

• As a play-in tournament team, your season can come down to one game, as opposed to a best-of-seven playoff series. So while it’s crucial for contending squads to avoid it, ninth and 10th place teams have the unique opportunity to play spoiler.

Eastern Conference: The 10-team field is set, but squads are playing musical chairs in the standings. Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors fans can breathe easy, your teams have all clinched playoff spots.

• As for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets? Seeding is still TBD, but all four teams will have to duke it out in the play-in tourney. Inhale…and exhale.

Western Conference: Five teams (the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz) are playoff locks, while the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves are jockeying for the coveted sixth seed.

• But the real intrigue came from a team who won’t be joining the party. Two years after winning the championship, the LeBron James–led LA Lakers were officially eliminated from playoff contention after losing to the Phoenix Suns last night. Yikes.

The GIST: As written in today’s sports biz newsletter, the NFL went public with its international expansion plans on Sunday. A major component? Bringing women’s and men’s flag football to the Olympics, as early as 2028. We’re listening.

The details: The league set out its global goals for the next decade — to hit $1 billion in annual revenue and add 50 million fans to its current international audience of over 150 million. The NFL is betting that increasing both participation and interest in flag football overseas will help it get there.

• The NFL successfully campaigned to add women’s and men’s flag football to the 2022 World Games (a multi-sport event hosted every four years for mostly non-Olympic disciplines) and also hosted women’s and men’s flag football games ahead of Super Bowl weekend.

• The International Olympic Committee (which does, BTW, require that all new sports include women’s and men’s competitions) won’t make a call on flag football until after the Paris 2024 Summer Games.

Zooming out: The NFL is the largest North American men’s league without an established professional women’s counterpart, but it still has a significant female audience. Women make up 47% of the NFL’s fan base and are constantly seeking inclusive ways to enjoy the sport.

• The league also just updated the Rooney Rule to include women. It’s a no-brainer: more women watching and playing football will increase the talent pool for NFL teams. Feels like a touchdown to us.

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⚽️ USWNT: On Monday, defender Crystal Dunn was named 2021 CONCACAF Women’s Player of the Year. Dunn was a crucial piece of the USWNT’s bronze medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, starting all six matches.

• And while you won’t see her on the pitch in the NWSL this year (she’s due with her first baby in May), she’ll no doubt continue to lead the way off it as a organizer of The Black Women’s Player Collective.

• “I’m here to let other women who look like me know that their dreams matter and their dreams are achievable,” she said. Representation matters.

🎓🏀 NCAA: March Madness may be over but the transfer portal frenzy has just begun. Here’s how it works: players interested in transferring from their school enter their name into the portal, which then allows coaches to contact the athlete and try to recruit them to their squad. Yes, it’s basically Bumble.

• The big names who could be on the move? Breakout star Doug Edert from the Cinderella story Saint Peter’s squad along with Maryland’s Angel Reese and Ashley Owusu, two of four Terps to enter the portal yesterday. Stay tuned.

⚾️ MLB: Milwaukee Brewers catcher Pedro Severino was suspended for 80 games yesterday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Severino’s the fourth major leaguer to be penalized in the last two days — a trend that could continue considering players weren’t drug tested during the lockout.