COLLEGES
Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti is facing mounting pressure from football coaches to discipline Michigan and Coach Jim Harbaugh for an alleged sign-stealing scheme that has cast a cloud over the second-ranked Wolverines as the postseason approaches.
Coaches expressed frustration during a call with Petitti over a lack of action by the conference as increasing evidence supports allegations that a Michigan staffer sent people to games to do impermissible advanced scouting of opponents, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting, one who listened in on the call and another who participated.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity.
“They said it was an NCAA issue and not a CFP issue. It’s a football issue,” said the person who was on the call.
The NCAA investigative process is slow moving and likely to extend well past the Jan. 8 CFP national championship game.
GOLF
PGA: Camilo Villegas opened with an 8-under 64 and shared the lead with Michael Kim in the World Wide Technology Championship at Los Cabos, Mexico.
Cameron Young, who hasn’t played since the BMW Championship in August, and Matt Kuchar were among those one shot behind on a day of little wind and low scoring.
LPGA: Akie Iwai of Japan shot a 9-under 63 to lead the first round of the Toto Japan Classic at Omitama. Three other Japanese players — Nasa Hataoka, Yuna Nishimura, and Mone Inami — were a stroke back after rounds of 64.
SOCCER
MLS: The Luis Suarez to Inter Miami talks are heating up and the Uruguayan star forward could sign as early as December.
Spanish newspaper El Pais, which has covered Suarez closely since his days with Barcelona, reported that a deal reuniting Suarez with his former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba is in the works and could be finalized before the year’s end.
TENNIS
PARIS MASTERS: Jannik Sinner pulled out of the tournament in a rare scheduling protest, criticizing organizers for failing to give him enough time to rest following an early-morning finish in his previous match.
“I finished the match when it was almost 3 in the morning (Thursday) and didn’t go to bed until a few hours later. I had less than 12 hours to rest and prepare for the next game,” Sinner said.
BASKETBALL
DAVIS DIES: Walter Davis, a five-time NBA All-Star who had his number retired by the Phoenix Suns, died at age 69.
Davis was a star in college for North Carolina, where his nephew Hubert Davis is the current coach. He died in North Carolina from natural causes while visiting family.
NBA: James Harden, in his first comments since being traded from Philadelphia to the Los Angeles Clippers, said he thought he would retire with the 76ers but “The front office had other plans. They didn’t want me.”
– News service report
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