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Bush supports Miami'sbid to move to the ACC

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Jeb Bush said he backs Miami's bid to join the ACC and agrees with the state attorney general that states should not go to court to block the league's expansion effort.

"I think a university should be able to associate with any set of universities they want," Bush said.

Miami president Donna Shalala met with top officials from the ACC membership by teleconference on Tuesday. The ACC leaders spoke again Wednesday, but have not decided whether to extend formal invitations to Miami, Boston College and Syracuse.

No vote will be taken on ACC expansion until at least next week, league commissioner John Swofford said Wednesday.

"If President Shalala needs the support of the governor of her home state to support her decisions, I would wholeheartedly do it," Bush said.

Attorney General Charlie Crist, who attended Wake Forest and Florida State - both ACC schools - believes expansion would be good for the league.

"We ought to leave it up to the league and hopefully they can come up with a resolution for what's appropriate to the University of Miami, and Syracuse and Boston College," Crist said. "It would be good for athletics. It'd be good for FSU. It'd be a great thing."

On the legal front, Virginia attorney general Jerry Kilgore added his name to the Big East lawsuit seeking to stop the expansion plans. In a move designed to increase pressure on all ACC schools - especially Virginia - Kilgore signed on to motions filed by plaintiffs Pittsburgh, UConn, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Rutgers.

The lawsuit, filed against the ACC, Miami and Boston College Friday in state Superior Court, seeks millions of dollars and an injunction to stop the schools from moving.

The Florida men's and women's teams opened the outdoor championships in Sacramento, Calif., with a good day, as 15 athletes advanced in 11 events (10 men in six events, five women in five). Stephen Harris, Tennessee's senior team captain, amassed 8,061 points to become the fourth Volunteer to win the grueling, 10-event decathlon title in the past 12 years.

FLORIDA: Seniors Jeanne Cho (golf) and Lindsey Miner (gymnastics) were selected to the Academic All-America women's third teams.

OBIT: Martin "Marty" J. Broussard, longtime supervisor of athletic training at LSU, died Wednesday at the age of 84.

SOUTH FLORIDA: Jenny and Mindy Mulvihill, Katie Reed and Michelle Buskey will were chosen to play in the USASA Region III State Select Team Tournament this week end in Dallas.

"This is great experience for these four young players to be getting," soccer coach Logan Fleck said.

TENNESSEE: Elgrace Wilson was dismissed from the basketball team after a recent offcampus incident in which police said he broke the jaw of teammate Brandon Crump.

The 6-foot-8 junior forward was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault.

VERMONT: Sharon Dawley was named women's basketball coach.