Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — BASKETBALL

Vols report violations

Tennessee has reported several NCAA violations committed under Coach Bruce Pearl, including nearly 100 excessive phone calls to recruits and permitting families of recruits to stay longer than allowed by the NCAA when visiting Knoxville. In memos from Tennessee toSEC Commissioner Mike Slive, Tennessee cited poor record keeping, miscommunication and carelessness in documenting the number of phone calls made to 10 recruits. The impermissible phone calls are part of anNCAA investigation into recruiting practices by Tennessee’s basketball and football programs. The documents were first obtained by ESPN. The recruits mentioned in the memos included Elliot Williams, who played at Duke and Memphis; Kansas’ Josh Selby; Florida State’s Chris Singleton; Ohio State’s Aaron Craft; Xavier’s Justin Martin and Griffin McKenzie; and Rico Pickett, who signed with Alabama but now plays professionally in Europe. Names of current Tennessee players involved were redacted from the documents. Tennessee also acknowledged assistant coach Jason Shay approved the lodging expenses for the families of three recruits who stayed in Knoxville for their official visits longer than the 48 hours allowed by the NCAA. Tennessee athletic department officials have repeatedly declined comment about the ongoing NCAA investigation.

According to documents dating from April to July, Tennessee punished itself by reducing the number of days coaches could recruit from 130 to 104 and their number of official visits from 12 to eight and by banning associate head coach Tony Jones from making recruiting calls for three months and Pearl from making calls for nine days. Tennessee more severely punished the coaches after Pearl admitted giving incorrect and misleading information when he was asked by NCAA officials during an interview about a photo of him and Craft taken when the recruit was a high school junior. Prospects aren’t allowed to meet with coaches away from campus as juniors. Hamilton has docked Pearl’s pay by $1.5 million over five years and prohibited him from participating in off-campus recruiting for a year beginning Sept. 24. Pearl’s three assistants also had their pay reduced and cannot participate in off-campus recruiting for periods varying from three months to a year.

Connecticut senior Maya Moore is one of six Huskies who made the U.S. women’s team at the World Championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Moore is just the third collegian to play for the U.S. team at the tournament since 1996. Joining her are Connecticut alums Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Swin Cash, and Asjha Jones. Bird, Taurasi, and Tamika Catchings are the only returners from the U.S. squad that played in Brazil at the last World Championship when the Americans finished third. Rounding out the team that will begin play Thursday against Greece are Sylvia Fowles, Lindsay Whalen, Candice Dupree,Jayne Appel, and Angel Mc-Coughtry. Kara Lawson and Seimone Augustus were the final two players cut.

A judge in Minneapolis has reduced the amount of money the University of Minnesota must pay to a former Oklahoma State assistant coach who sued the school and Coach Tubby Smith after they decided not to hire him in 2007. In court documents Tuesday, Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu denied a request for a retrial, saying there was a reasonable basis for the jury’s verdict. She said alleged misconduct by Jimmy Williams’ attorneys was minor and did not prejudice the jury. The judge reduced the money award from $1.25 million to the $1 million limit of the university’s insurance policy.

FOOTBALL

Dantonio out of hospital

Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio was released from an East Lansing, Mich., hospital Tuesday, two days after suffering a mild heart attack. Don Treadwell, the offensive coordinator for the 25thranked Spartans, was upbeat during a Tuesday news conference as he explained how he and his staff will approach Saturday’s game against Northern Colorado. Treadwell will step in during Dantonio’s indefinite absence. He also described meeting with Dantonio, who was hospitalized Sunday not long after Saturday night’s 34-31 overtime victory over Notre Dame. “Coach was sitting up in bed in the time that I saw him, and again, just knowing him, having known him for 20 years, you usually can’t fool someone when you’ve been with them long enough to see him in good times and bad times,” Treadwell said. “I was very pleased in justlooking at him and knowing who he is and seeing the strength in his eyes and just listening to him talk.” Also Tuesday, Michigan State tight end Dion Sims was among 10 men charged in the theft of 104 Detroit Public Schools laptop computers. Sims has been suspended.

Notre Dame and Navy will play in Dublin, Ireland, in 2012. Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk said Aviva Stadium will be the site for the 86th meeting between the Fighting Irish and Midshipmen. The $410 million stadium opened in May and has a seating capacity of 50,000.

Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said running back Jewel Hampton will have knee surgery and is likely gone for the rest of the season. Hampton, a redshirt sophomore, has rushed for 114 yards on 27 carries this season.

Brigham Young said quarterback Riley Nelson is done for the season because of an injury to his right shoulder. Coach Bronco Mendenhall said that Nelson will need surgery on his nonthrowing shoulder and will be out four to five months. Nelson injured his shoulder in BYU’s 34-10 loss at Florida State. Nelson started the first three games this season and shared time with freshman Jake Heaps, who is now the Cougars’ most experienced QB.

Purdue quarterback Robert Marve said he expects to play Saturday against Toledo after bruising his left knee last week against Ball State.

HORSE RACING

Austin may get track

The Austin, Texas, area could be getting a new horse racing track. The Austin American-Statesman reported that an investment group headed by Victoria businessman Cliff Thomas Jr. has purchased 148 acres in Creedmoor. Partner Bryan Brown said the five-member group, KTAGS Downs, also plans to buy a 100 percent interest in the Class II racing license now held by the Austin Jockey Club. The Austin Jockey Club failed in the past decade to get a track built. Brown, who’s chief executive officer of Retama Park racetrack in Selma, said the proposed track would be managed by the Retama Entertainment Group and could be up and running by 2012. Brown said the track probably would be called LonghornDowns.

SOCCER

Former referee arrested

A former soccer referee involved in a World Cup controversy has been charged in New York City with smuggling heroin. Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that Byron Moreno of Ecuador was caught at Kennedy airport with bags of the drug taped to his body. Moreno enraged Italian fans in 2002 when he ejected an Italian player in an overtime loss to South Korea in a World Cup match. He resigned as a referee in 2003. A judge jailed Moreno without bail at a hearing Monday.

COLLEGE ATHLETICSMove costs Nebraska, Colorado millions

LINCOLN, Neb. - Nebraska’s departure from the Big 12 will cost the university more than $9 million and Colorado is leaving more than $6 million from the conference behind to join the Pacific-10 next year.

The Big 12 and the universities announced settlements Tuesday in which the conference will withhold millions in distributions.

The Big 12, under its bylaws, had sought to withhold an estimated $19.4 million from Nebraska and between $15 million-$20million from Colorado.

Under the settlement mediated by Eric Green of Boston, Nebraska can reduce its penalty to $8.755 million if the Cornhuskers are one of two Big 12 teams to play in a BCS bowl game this season.

The settlement with Colorado calls for a reduction of $6,863,000 in revenue to the school for this fiscal year.

Nebraska becomes an official member of the Big Ten on July 1, 2011.