Colleges

Sugar Bowl to Atlanta, reports say

By wire services
Published October 6, 2005

ATLANTA - The Sugar Bowl will announce Friday that its Jan. 2 game will be moved from New Orleans to Atlanta, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and USA Today reported.

The bowl's executive committee met late Tuesday night and voted to move the game from the Louisiana Superdome, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina, to the Georgia Dome, the papers said.

It wasn't the committee's first choice. Plan A was to house the teams and fans in New Orleans but play the game in Baton Rouge, about 75 miles away. But the hotel situation around New Orleans "has not improved dramatically" in the past few weeks, said Paul Hoolahan, the bowl's executive director.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: Defensive back Demario Bobo and linebacker Fred Akines have been suspended indefinitely for undisclosed reasons, coach Sylvester Croom announced. Bobo, a sophomore, started four games but was a backup in last week's loss to LSU because of a knee injury. Akines, a redshirt freshman, played mostly on special teams. The Bulldogs play at Florida on Saturday.

OKLAHOMA: Tailback Adrian Peterson returned to practice and is expected to play Saturday against No. 2 Texas. He had missed two days of practice with a sprained right ankle.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Quarterback Blake Mitchell said his ankle should be healed enough to start Saturday against Kentucky. He suffered a high ankle sprain after being sacked against Troy two weeks ago and missed last Saturday's game with Auburn.

UTAH: Head coach Kyle Whittingham was given a public reprimand by the Mountain West Conference for criticizing officials in the Utes' 31-17 loss at North Carolina on Saturday. The Utes had scored on an interception late in the third quarter but the officials flagged them for roughing the passer.

BASKETBALL: Kansas will play Saint Joseph's and Michigan State will face Boston College in the 11th annual Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 6 at Madison Square Garden. It will be televised by ESPN.

SOCCER: Eckerd's men (5-3-2, 3-1-0) blanked host Florida Tech 5-0 in Sunshine State Conference play. Tech fell to (2-1-1, 1-4-0).

TENNIS: Florida's Diana Srebrovic and Boglarka Berecz joined teammate and top seed Jennifer Magley in the main draw of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships at Pacific Palisades, Calif. The doubles team of Berecz and Lolita Frangulyan also qualified. ... Florida State's Jonathas Sucupira, Maciek Sykut and Sam Chang advanced to the main draw of the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championships at the University of Tulsa along with the doubles team of Andrew Bailey and Sykut.

VOLLEYBALL: Florida Southern (18-2, 5-1) finished with a blistering .364 attack percentage on the way to a 3-0 decision over host Saint Leo (8-10, 4-3) in SSC play.

Florida State has extended its lucrative deal with Nike USA for what could be the next decade and could mean up to $34-million for the school.

For the next five years, through July 31, 2010, the school will receive $1-million annually in a base contribution, from which $50,000 goes to women's athletics, $515,000 goes to supplement coach Bobby Bowden's and coach Leonard Hamilton's deals, and $100,000 will go toward completion of a research facility that's associated with the College of Medicine. The school also will receive $2.1-million annually in apparel and product. That would increase to $2.3-million annually in the second five years.

The contract, which can be extended for another five years by Nike, also includes a one-time $250,000 for the establishment of a scholarship in Bowden's name.

"Our agreement with Nike is one which benefits our total student-athlete population, our university and our athletics department in a variety of ways," said FSU athletic director Dave Hart, who negotiated the extension. "As in any successful partnership, this relationship continues to be very good for both parties."

- BRIAN LANDMAN, Times staff writer

[Last modified October 6, 2005, 01:14:18]