BALTIMORE – Media Day for the Colonial Athletic Association football programs was held at M&T Bank Stadium on Wednesday, and the College of William & Mary was named the most likely to win the conference, according to the CAA preseason poll of coaches and sports information staff.

The Tribe received 12 of 22 first-place votes. The University of Maine ranked ninth in the poll.

The Preseason All-CAA team also was announced. UMaine defensive back Jerron McMillian was picked as a safety on the preseason all-conference defensive team.

McMillian, a senior from Hillside, N.J., was an All-CAA third-team selection last season after recording 58 tackles and six pass breakups.

The Black Bears open the season at home against Bryant on Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. 

NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina fired football coach Butch Davis, saying the past year of turmoil amid an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct was doing too much damage to the school’s reputation.

The school issued a statement announcing Davis’ dismissal nine days before the start of preseason practice. Chancellor Holden Thorp said the decision was not prompted by any changes in the ongoing NCAA investigation but said he “lost confidence in our ability to come through this without harming the way people think of this institution.” 

PAC-12: The Pac-12 will launch national and regional conference television networks next year.

Commissioner Larry Scott said at an East Coast football media day in Manhattan that the Pac-12 had partnered with cable companies Comcast, Cox, Time Warner and Bright House. There will be a national network along with six regional channels: Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Southern California, Arizona and Mountain.

Once the networks launch in August 2012, they will broadcast about 850 sporting events a year — 350 nationally and 500 regionally. Subscribers will also be able to watch games on mobile devices.

FIELD HOCKEY

UMAINE: Hannah Keating of York was among seven commitments announced by the University of Maine. Keating, a three-time member of the All-State team, helped York High to a state championship in 2008.

Becca Paradee of Gardiner, Bri Robertson of Bradley and Abbey Gutowski will also join the Black Bears. Three players from British Columbia round out the new recruits: Zoe Berkey of Duncan and Annabelle Hamilton and Holly Stewart of North Vancouver.

BASEBALL

CWS: The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee is proposing that instant replay be used to review certain calls at the College World Series next year.

Reviewable plays would be limited to deciding if an apparent home run is fair or foul, whether a batted ball left the playing field for a home run or a ground-rule double or whether there is fan interference on apparent home runs.

The instant-replay process will operate under the assumption that the ruling on the field is correct. The only way a call could be changed is if there was video evidence to remove all doubt that a ruling was incorrect. Otherwise, the original call would stand.