COLLEGES
Ole Miss football finally faces NCAA infractions committee
In this Jan. 3, 2016, file photo, East defensive tackle Kobe Jones, right, chases, West quarterback Terry Wilson during the second half of the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl East West high school football game in Carson, Calif. Mississippi State players Jones and Leo Lewis have, according to court documents, told the NCAA they received free merchandise from a clothing store while on recruiting trips to Ole Miss, something that would violate NCAA rules. They did so after being granted limited immunity by the NCAA, which protects them from being declared ineligible for wrongdoing as long as they told the truth.
Mississippi’s football program began its hearing in front of the NCAA’s infractions committee panel on Monday, nearly five years after the governing body first launched its investigation.
The Rebels are facing 21 allegations involving academic, recruiting and booster misconduct.
The hearing is being held at a hotel in Covington, Kentucky, a suburb of Cincinnati. The NCAA has set aside up to three days for the case.
The school has already self-imposed several penalties, including a postseason ban for this season, three years of probation, scholarship losses and recruiting restrictions. The NCAA could accept the Rebels’ self-imposed penalties or add to them.
All 21 of the alleged violations happened under the program’s two previous coaches – Hugh Freeze and Houston Nutt.
• Hurricane Irma forced UCF and Georgia Tech officials to indefinitely postpone their game scheduled for Saturday.
• Baylor is making a change at quarterback after losing its first two games.
Coach Matt Rhule said sophomore Zach Smith will start Saturday at Duke. Anu Solomon, a graduate transfer from Arizona, started against Liberty and UTSA.
FIELD HOCKEY: Alex Saples cut through the defense and tucked the ball behind the goalkeeper 2:29 into the second overtime to give the University of New England (2-1) a 2-1 win over Husson (2-2) in Bangor.
Vonde Saunders also scored for the Nor’easters. Sadie Royer scored for the Eagles.
OLYMPICS
IOC: The International Olympic Committee is seeking more information about an alleged vote-buying scheme for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics that has landed one of its own members in legal trouble.
The IOC released a statement during its executive board meeting, saying its ethics commission is following up on allegations against Carlos Nuzman, who led the organizing committee for the Rio Games.
SOCCER
WORLD CUP: The English Football Association is concerned about its players and coaches being hacked at the World Cup in Russia and has written to FIFA expressing concerns about information already being accessed in a cyberattack.
England has told players, coaches and technical staff to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks over concerns sensitive personal and team information could be illegally obtained in Russia, a person with knowledge of the FA’s World Cup planning said.
MLS: Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris was undergoing an MRI to reveal the extent of the injury to his right hamstring sustained in a 1-1 draw with Los Angeles.
Morris was hurt in the second half of Sunday night’s match, pulling up and grabbing at his right leg while he was chasing down a ball in the open field. The injury could knock Morris out of the final round of World Cup qualifiers for the United States in early October against Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.
BASKETBALL
NBA: The Miami Heat said that roof damage to AmericanAirlines Arena inflicted Sunday by Hurricane Irma was superficial.
The Heat said that the outer membrane of the practice court alongside Biscayne Bay, which was left exposed on the side of the building, is believed to have sustained damage that’s “minor and nothing structural.”
The practice court is a separate facility from the main arena bowl, sitting alongside the team’s basketball-operations offices alongside Biscayne Bay.
HOCKEY
NHL: The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Damon Severson to a six-year, $25 million contract that will keep him with the team through the 2022-23 season.
The 23-year-old Severson will earn $2.5 million this season and his salary will escalate to $5.1 million in the final year.
Severson set career highs with 28 assists and 31 points last season.
TENNIS
WTA, ATP: Garbine Muguruza made her debut at No. 1, joining U.S. Open champion Rafael Nadal in making Spain the first country since the United States 14 years ago to top the WTA and ATP rankings.
Andre Agassi and Serena Williams were both No. 1 in 2003.
Muguruza, the Wimbledon champion in July, rose two spots from No. 3 after getting to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time. She is the 24th woman to lead the WTA since it introduced computer rankings in 1975 – and the second Spaniard, after Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.
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