By GREG AUMAN, Times wires
Published July 15, 2005
The Big East, Big 12 and Notre Dame are nearing an agreement that would alternate bids to the Gator and the Sun Bowls.
The four-year deal, which is pending approval from the Big 12, is scheduled to begin with the 2007 Gator Bowl, after the 2006 regular season. The Jacksonville game has the option of taking the Big East's No.2 team or the Big 12's No.3 team.
The ACC will remain the Gator Bowl's other participant, and the Pac 10 will do the same in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
"One of the great things about bowl tie-ins is that you have the ability to market and work with your individual conferences vs. the old system where you were out there trying to find teams from everywhere," Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett said. "One of the bad things is the repetitiveness of teams playing in your bowl game and sometimes not being able to put together exciting matchups for your fan base.
"We think this addresses that."
- BRIAN LANDMAN, Times staff writer
MORE FOOTBALL: Orlando Edgewater defensive tackle Justin Jenkins orally committed to South Florida, according to recruiting site USFnation.com. The 6-foot-1, 285-pound Jenkins and his teammates, including three other rising seniors considering USF, will visit Tampa for the Bulls' Sling and Shoot camp this weekend. ... A preliminary autopsy report ruled out infection, trauma or foul play in the death of Missouri player Aaron O'Neal. ... The Insight Bowl will move from Bank One Ballpark in downtown Phoenix to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe in December 2006.
BASKETBALL: Bruce Weber, who led Illinois to a No.1 ranking and its first national championship game, received a two-year contract extension. The new deal gives him a $150,000 raise, a $100,000 signing bonus and deferred compensation that could exceed $1.1-million. He will be under contract through the 2010-11 season.
TENNIS: U.S. Open may not use electronic line calls
Electronic line calls will not be used at the U.S. Open unless final tests are error-free, the United States Tennis Association said. Organizers have not announced when onsite tests will take place. In January, the USTA said it planned to make the Open the first Grand Slam event to use electronic line-calling or instant replay after incorrect calls marred Jennifer Capriati's quarterfinal win over Serena Williams last year.
MODENA INTERNATIONAL: Second-seeded Flavia Pennetta overcame back trouble to beat qualifier Elena Vesnina 7-6 (6-3), 6-2 to advance in Italy. Pennetta joins two other Italians in the quarterfinals: top-seeded Francesca Schiavone, who advanced Wednesday; and Tathiana Garbin, who upset sixth-seeded Jelena Kostanic 6-2, 6-3.
AGASSI WON'T RUN: Andre Agassi will not run for Congress in Nevada's 2006 elections. Gil Eisner, a retired Summerlin resident, sought to draft Agassi, who lives in Las Vegas, to run for the 3rd Congressional District seat held by Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev. He said Agassi would be perfect because of his name recognition and reputation as a philanthropist.
OLYMPICS: Cuba fights for baseball
Cuba's top sports official said he will work with the International Baseball Federation to ensure the sport returns. "We have to reflect, look for alternatives," National Institute of Sports president Humberto Rodriguez said. "We cannot give up the battle as lost." Baseball and softball were dropped from the 2012 London Games last week. They are eligible to apply in 2009 for re-entry in 2016.
HOCKEY: The sport's governing body is optimistic that NHL players will play at Turin Olympics next year. The NHL and the players' association reached an agreement in principle on a six-year labor deal Wednesday.
International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel said he does not know whether the agreement includes a clause about NHL participation in the Olympics, but he said a decision to skip the games would be a "big mistake."
ET CETERA
RUNNING: Olympic gold medalist Darren Campbell was admitted to the hospital with a viral infection and is doubtful for next month's world championships. He was on the British 400-meter relay squad in Athens last year.
SOCCER: Tiffeny Milbrett heads the squad selected for the U.S. women's game against Iceland on July 24. Milbrett will team at forward with former Florida star Abby Wambach. ... FC Dallas coach Colin Clarke chose his goalkeeper Scott Garlick and midfielder Simo Valakari as reserves for the Major League All-Star team, giving the Western Conference leader one-third of the players who will face England's Fulham on July 30.
SWIMMING: Olympian Kalyn Keller won the 800-meter freestyle at the Janet Evans Invitational in Los Angeles. Keller finished in 8 minutes, 26.35 seconds. Ryan Cochrane, 16, swam to a 12-second victory in the men's 800. He won in 8:07.78.
