Title IX memo throws wrench in plans for schools to pay NIL money directly to athletes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Education says plans for colleges to pay athletes directly for their name, image and likeness deals would run afoul of Title IX. The guidance issued Thursday adds more confusion to the shifting landscape of college sports. The nine-page memo from the DOJ’s Office for Civil Rights says NIL money that goes to athletes should be treated the same as athletic financial aid — in other words, scholarships. If that position remains in place after President-elect Donald Trump takes office next week, it could upend plans that many schools are making for next school year.
Stage is set for Ravens’ Lamar Jackson to face Bills’ Josh Allen in divisional playoff at Buffalo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The only thing Ravens coach John Harbaugh figures is missing in preparation for Baltimore’s divisional round playoff showdown in Buffalo is having the deep and resonant voice of late NFL Films broadcaster John Facenda serve as narrator. The matchup has the potential of being a classic pitting the NFL’s leading MVP candidates in quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. And both teams have scores to settle. The Ravens trampled the Bills in a 35-10 win in Week 4. Meantime, Buffalo won the only playoff meeting with a 17-3 decision over Baltimore in the 2020 divisional round.
Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez welcomes his viral moment as a chance to educate about OCD
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez has lived with obsessive-compulsive disorder his entire life. It was in the spotlight on national television Sunday night before he made the game-winning kick at Tampa Bay to give the franchise its first playoff win in nearly two decades. Gonzalez is glad he has gotten the chance to share his story and correct misinformation about OCD, something teammates have seen this season as they’ve done their best to help him do his job. Gonzalez addressed the situation Thursday as he and the Commanders made their final preparations to play at Detroit on Saturday night.
Cowboys add familiar name to list in coaching search with Kellen Moore, AP source says
A person familiar with the team’s plans says the Dallas Cowboys have requested permission to interview Philadelphia offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in their search to replace Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys also are planning to interview two former NFL head coaches in Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier. Moore has a long history with the Cowboys, including four seasons as Dak Prescott’s play-caller. Three of those were after McCarthy was hired in 2020. The Cowboys and McCarthy parted ways this week after five seasons.
PGA Tour to move Genesis Invitational out of Riviera. New venue to be determined
The PGA Tour is moving the Genesis Invitational out of Riviera Country Club next month because of the deadly wildfires that have decimated part of Los Angeles. Riviera is in part of the evacuation zone although the 99-year-old course was not damaged. The tour expects to announce a new location in the coming days. It is relocating after consulting with the title sponsor, the club and the Tiger Woods foundation that hosts the tournament. It will be the first time since 1998 that the PGA Tour’s tournament in Los Angeles is not played at Riviera.
Ohio State freshman star and former No. 1 recruit Jeremiah Smith lands in national championship game
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State freshman Jeremiah Smith piled up 290 yards receiving in two postseason wins and was looking like the star to stop for the rest of the College Football Playoff field. He was limited to one catch for three yards in a win over Texas but the Buckeyes advanced to Monday’s national championship game against Notre Dame with a 28-14 victory. The 6-foot-3 freshman is a big reason the Buckeyes are here. Smith knew Texas’ focus on his play would help the rest of the offense.
Transfer portal got you down? One college AD suggests an ‘acquisition fee’ could fix some problems
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The athletic director at a mid-sized school that’s making a splash this season has a modest proposal that might offer one way to tame what many say is a transfer-portal system run amok in college sports. Northern Illinois AD Sean Frazier, whose program beat Notre Dame this season, is talking about a “talent acquisition fee.” When schools sign players from other teams, they would pay those teams a fee. Frazier concedes it’s a long shot and probably not a cure-all for college sports. But, he says, it could be a way to put guardrails around what many say is the “wild, wild west” that the transfer portal has become.
J.T. Poston goes 10 under for a 1-shot lead among the usual low scores at The American Express
LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — J.T. Poston shot a 10-under 62 to take a one-stroke lead over Justin Lower in the opening round of The American Express. Poston carded nine birdies and an eagle in the Palm Springs-area desert on the Nicklaus Tournament Course. Lower was one stroke ahead of an 8-under pack that included Jason Day, Joel Dahmen, Chris Kirk, J.J. Spahn and Matti Schmid. Blades Brown shot 72 in the 17-year-old’s first round as a professional. Defending champion Nick Dunlap shot 67.
Tommy Brown, youngest player to homer and last living member of historic 1947 Dodgers, dies at 97
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tommy Brown, the youngest player to hit a home run in a major league game and the last living member of the landmark 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers team that included rookie Jackie Robinson, has died. Brown’s oldest daughter, Paula Brown Caplice, says her father died in Altamonte Springs, Florida, after a recent fall. Brown debuted in the majors at age 16 for his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. He was 16 years, 241 days old when he started at shortstop against the Chicago Cubs in 1944 during the World War II manpower shortage. In August 1945, Brown homered at age 17 years, 257 days, making him the youngest player to go deep in a big league game, a record that still stands. Tommy Brown was 97.