Sports wagering getting 2nd chance in North Carolina House
March 21, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A second-chance effort this year to authorize sports wagering across North Carolina took off on Tuesday with its relatively easy passage through a state House committee already favorably disposed to the idea.
Willis Reed, leader on Knicks’ 2 title teams, dies at 80
March 21, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Willis Reed, who dramatically emerged from the locker room minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the New York Knicks to their first championship and create one of sports’ most enduring examples of playing through pain, died Tuesday.
Cavinder twins reach March Madness Sweet 16 after transfer
March 21, 2023 GMTCORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Women’s basketball practice at Miami had been over for 30 minutes. Most of the coaches were gone. Almost all the players were gone. The scoreboard had long been turned off.
St. Francis, Brooklyn, to drop NCAA D-I athletics program
March 21, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — St. Francis College, one of the smallest NCAA Division I schools, announced Monday that its board of trustees has approved a plan to eliminate its athletic program at the end of the spring semester.
March Madness arrives in Vegas after years of avoiding it
March 20, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — March Madness has long been a huge draw for gamblers who came to Las Vegas to place their bets on the tournament while partying at the city's famed casinos.
Houston’s Sasser starts at March Madness despite groin issue
March 18, 2023 GMTBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Marcus Sasser started for top-seeded Houston in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday after being forced to the bench in the previous game by a groin injury.
The All-America guard had declared a day earlier that his groin was fine and he was definitely playing in the second-round contest against No.
Zags, Saint Mary’s keep West Coast Conference front & center
March 18, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — It's no secret that bigger conferences are always looking at Gonzaga, and that Gonzaga has been looking at them, too.
But the Zags, for the time being, are still in the West Coast Conference.
March Madness: Miami gets 21 from Pack to rally past Drake
March 18, 2023 GMTALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — With Miami's season on the line, the Hurricanes' leaders got together and insisted their NCAA Tournament wasn't going to end with an early loss to a double-digit seed.
Nijel Pack, Wooga Poplar and Norchad Omier made sure the season continued for fifth-seeded Miami.
Gonzaga wears down Grand Canyon 82-70 in March Madness
March 18, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — Slow-starting Gonzaga finally shook off the first-round jitters, then wore out Grand Canyon 82-70 behind 28 points and 10 rebounds from Julian Strawther in the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
0 left: March Madness upsets end chase for perfect bracket
March 18, 2023 GMTThe chase for the perfect March Madness bracket will have to wait another year. Again.
In a men's tournament that saw a 2 and a 4 seed lose on Day 1, only a relative handful of brackets were still intact in the biggest contests when 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson took the floor against Purdue.
FDU joins UMBC in the ultimate March Madness: Ousting No. 1
March 18, 2023 GMTThey are the five letters no No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament ever wants to see: upset.
Five years and one day after UMBC pulled off the biggest upset in college basketball history by beating the tournament's top overall seed, Virginia, it happened again.
Reese leads LSU past Hawaii in March Madness opening round
March 18, 2023 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A dynamic and prolific All-America power forward like Angel Reese can cover up for some flaws.
Take ice-cold perimeter shooting, for example.
LSU missed 13 of 14 3-pointers, but Reese had 34 points and 15 rebounds, and the third-seeded Tigers defeated No.
Jayhawks’ March Madness star gets basketball genes from mom
March 18, 2023 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gradey Dick set the Kansas freshman record for 3-point field goals, recorded the first double-double of his career in the Jayhawks' opener in the NCAA Tournament and is on track to be an NBA lottery pick in June.
PSU’s Funk lands on list of great March Madness shooters
March 17, 2023 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Penn State star Jalen Pickett was already familiar with Andrew Funk and his long-distance shooting acumen, having faced the Nittany Lions newcomer in a Siena-Bucknell game with their previous teams.
Saxen, Ducas lead Saint Mary’s past VCU in March Madness
March 17, 2023 GMTALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Saint Mary's got the pace it wanted — and another win in the NCAA Tournament.
Mitchell Saxen had 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, and Saint Mary’s beat ailing VCU 63-51 on Friday.
UConn women still adjusting rotation ahead of March Madness
March 17, 2023 GMTSTORRS, Conn. (AP) — Most coaches know their team's identity and have a rotation set by the time the NCAA Tournament rolls around.
But for Geno Auriemma and second-seeded UConn (29-5), there are still a lot of questions, because two former starters only recently returned to help the Huskies begin a run at a 12th national title and a 15th straight Final Four.
Potent offense powering Utah’s historic season
March 17, 2023 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah is hungry to take a historic season one step further. The No. 2 seed Utes have a powerful enough offense to make big things happen in March.
Utah boasts the nation’s fourth best scoring team, averaging 83.5 points on 48.5% shooting per game, and ranks in the top 10 nationally in five major statistical categories.
New Mexico St report calls for strengthened culture, values
March 17, 2023 GMTAn independent law firm investigating a fatal shooting by a New Mexico State basketball player recommended the school enhance its weapons policy and " strengthen a culture that encourages student-athletes to adhere to the integrity and values of NMSU at all times.”
Irish star Olivia Miles out rest of season with knee injury
March 17, 2023 GMTSOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame point guard Olivia Miles will miss the remainder of the season with an undisclosed injury to her right knee.
The Fighting Irish (25-5) are a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host No.
Arkansas holds off Illinois 73-63 with big defensive effort
March 16, 2023 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ricky Council IV scored 18 points and Arkansas survived some anxious moments in the second half against an Illinois team that wouldn't go away, holding on to beat the Illini 73-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
2 transfers get NCAA reunions with ex-programs in Greensboro
March 16, 2023 GMTGREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Bryce Hopkins could almost feel it coming, long before the NCAA Tournament selection committee had unveiled its 68-team bracket.
The Providence star just knew the Friars' path would start with Kentucky — the place where he started his college career before deciding to transfer.
Maryland survives at March Madness, beats WVirginia 67-65
March 16, 2023 GMTBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — In a game that began before lunchtime, Maryland sleepwalked through the first 10 minutes of its NCAA Tournament opener.
Virginia sweeps both relays at NCAA swimming championships
March 16, 2023 GMTKNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two-time defending champion Virginia swept both relay titles on Wednesday night at the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships.
Virginia leads the standings after the first night of competition with 80 points, followed by Texas with 64 and California with 56.
HBCU commissioners working together on NIL, sports growth
March 15, 2023 GMTWhen Jacqie McWilliams sat at a table with other college sports leaders three years ago to discuss name, image and likeness, she thought about what the life-changing legislation would look like for historically Black colleges and universities.
No. 1 Alabama readies for NCAA Tournament “home” game
March 15, 2023 GMTBIRMINGHAM, Ala, (AP) — Alabama has the No. 1 overall NCAA Tournament seed, one of the best players in college basketball and likely a couple of games in its own backyard.
For a Crimson Tide team that’s been an easy target for opposing fans over the past two months, playing less than an hour from campus is no small matter.
Long March Madness run coming to a close for Jim Nantz
March 15, 2023 GMTJim Nantz has seen his share of magical moments and sendoffs during a career that has spanned nearly 40 years. He could get one of his own as he prepares to call his final NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Alabama’s Miller tops list of NBA prospects at March Madness
March 15, 2023 GMTThis isn’t the type of NCAA Tournament that will give NBA fans an idea of what they can expect in the upcoming draft.
The likely first two picks in the draft – Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson – aren’t playing college basketball.
Beard declines to discuss Texas exit at Ole Miss intro
March 15, 2023 GMTOXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi on Tuesday introduced new basketball coach Chris Beard, who repeatedly declined to discuss specifics regarding his December domestic violence arrest that led to his eventual firing at Texas.
A bigger March Madness? Many obstacles stand in the way
March 14, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The number was supposed to be 96.
The last time the NCAA seriously considered expanding the men's Division I basketball tournament a plan emerged to add 16 more games and 32 more participants to grow that symmetrically satisfying 64-team bracket.
Iowa’s Lee chases history in going for his fourth NCAA title
March 14, 2023 GMTIOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — History is the light at the end of Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee's tunnel vision.
The 125-pounder has a chance to win his fourth national title this weekend at the NCAA championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and join an exclusive club with names he can recite in just a few seconds.
Michael Henn returns to March Madness with Penn State
March 14, 2023 GMTGrowing up in Washington, Michael Henn fell in love with basketball — the family sport.
That love took him to UC Davis, California Baptist, Portland, Denver and, finally, Penn State. It kept him going through bone spurs, and it carried him all the way back to the NCAA Tournament.
Jackson-Davis’ Indiana legacy tied to March Madness run
March 14, 2023 GMTBLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Trayce Jackson-Davis' storybook career can be told many ways.
His stat sheet is one of the greatest in Indiana history: First player with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, career leader in blocks and rebounds, No.
March Madness has international flair for many women’s teams
March 13, 2023 GMTSTORRS, Conn. (AP) — When star guard Paige Bueckers went down with a season-ending knee injury last August, UConn went searching far and wide for a late addition to its roster.
The Huskies found one overseas in Inês Bettencourt, a point guard from Portugal’s mid-Atlantic Azores Islands.
Ole Miss hires former Texas coach Chris Beard
March 13, 2023 GMTOXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as its basketball coach just over two months after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.
The AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball Poll
March 13, 2023 GMTThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
The Top Twenty Five
March 13, 2023 GMTThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
In post-Roe world, college coaches search for middle ground
March 12, 2023 GMTThe conversation Cecile Landi never imagined she’d feel compelled to have with the gymnasts she coaches came abruptly last summer, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v.
Iona secures 2nd straight NCAA Tourney bid beating Marist
March 12, 2023 GMTATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Daniss Jenkins scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half and Walter Clayton Jr. scored 17 points and Iona beat Marist 76-55 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament championship game on Saturday night and clinched an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Ex-Alabama player Miles indicted on capital murder charges
March 10, 2023 GMTTUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and another man have been indicted by a grand jury on capital murder charges for the January shooting death of a 23-year-old woman near campus, defense lawyers confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday.
Online betting begins in sports-crazed Massachusetts
March 10, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts sports fans raced to their cellphones Friday to begin placing bets as the state allowed online sports wagering just days ahead of next week's start of the NCAA college basketball tournament.
Josh Pastner fired after 7 seasons as Georgia Tech coach
March 10, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Josh Pastner was fired Friday as Georgia Tech's basketball coach, two seasons after he guided the Yellow Jackets to a surprising Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title.
Women’s March Madness could have more upsets due to parity
March 10, 2023 GMTMore March Madness chaos in the women's NCAA Tournament could be looming on the horizon if the past few months of upsets are any indication.
Upsets haven't been a hallmark of the women's tournament.
No. 13 Virginia beats UNC; Tar Heels could miss NCAA tourney
March 10, 2023 GMTGREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — No. 13 Virginia was ready when its moment came, from a strong second-half offense to a big man pressed into duty due to an injury.
North Carolina had its moment, too — one that merely underscored a season-long set of problems that might have finally put an NCAA Tournament bid out of reach.
Pastner’s future at Ga Tech in question after losing season
March 9, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Josh Pastner is facing an uncertain future as Georgia Tech's basketball coach after another losing season and few signs of progress in the Atlantic Coast Conference program.
The Yellow Jackets capped a 15-18 campaign Wednesday with an 89-81 loss to Pittsburgh in the second round of the ACC Tournament at Greensboro, North Carolina.
Olivia Dunne endorses an AI writing tool. Is that a problem?
March 8, 2023 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne's endorsement of an artificial intelligence essay-writing product is raising questions about whether college athletic programs should provide clearer ethical guidelines for athletes earning money from name, image and likeness contracts.
AP Top 25 teams get last shot to boost NCAA Tournament seeds
March 7, 2023 GMTSelection Sunday looms as AP Top 25 teams in major conferences get their final chances to impact where and why they play in the NCAA Tournament.
The AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball Poll
March 6, 2023 GMTThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
The Top Twenty Five
March 6, 2023 GMTThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
At NFL combine, college experience seen as a winning play
March 3, 2023 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Linebacker Ochaun Mathis went all-in by betting an extra year of college football could help him make an NFL roster.
He knew entering the league at age 24 was a risky proposition, given most players' careers end at about 25.
New NCAA president says NIL rules could protect athletes
March 1, 2023 GMTAs Charlie Baker takes over as NCAA president, he brings a different way of thinking about one of the most important and polarizing issues in college athletics: regulating how student-athletes monetize their fame.
Q&A with new NCAA President Charlie Baker
March 1, 2023 GMTFormer Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker did a 30-minute interview with The Associated Press just days before he officially began his new job as NCAA president.
Pac-12 women hope to send record number of teams to NCAAs
February 28, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — The Pac-12 Conference is having likely its best women's basketball season, which has a chance to get even stronger.
As the conference tournament gets underway Wednesday with four first-round games, the Pac-12 could place at least eight teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Golden board: Durant, Bird, Azzi helping lead USA Basketball
February 28, 2023 GMTWhen Kevin Durant was asked about the notion of him and some other Olympic gold medalists potentially getting seats on USA Basketball’s Board of Directors, he liked the idea.
That is, on one condition: He didn’t want the seats to be honorary.
Maryland campus tries to get ahead of sports betting’s lure
February 28, 2023 GMTTOWSON, Md. (AP) — When Towson University students pick up their phones on campus and open a designated app, they may see an ad seeking to teach them about responsible gambling.
The in-app banner ad, sent at random, advises them to “PAWS”: “Plan ahead, Always know your limits, Wait to play again/wager again, Stop while you’re ahead.”
Buzzy sports betting posts appeal to Gen Z audience
February 28, 2023 GMTOn Sept. 10, PointsBet posted a SpongeBob SquarePants meme showing a cartoon character holding a “To-Do List” of current and former injured football players, including University of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.
At one school, sports betting company aims pitch at students
February 28, 2023 GMTBOULDER, Colo. (AP) — PointsBet, a Denver-based sports betting company that is a corporate sponsor of the University of Colorado Boulder’s athletics program, says it is pitching its brand to alums in Colorado and other states where fans are old enough to bet legally.
On college campuses, sports betting agreements are shielded
February 28, 2023 GMTCollege campuses increasingly are striking deals with sports betting companies eager to promote their brands in stadiums, on radio broadcasts and on athletic department websites — places where they can be seen and heard by students.
Sports betting grows on campuses with few restrictions
February 28, 2023 GMTCollege students are in the highest risk group for problem gambling, yet universities have been slow to create policies, educational programs or restrictions on sports betting, according to a survey by The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland.
The AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball Poll
February 28, 2023 GMTThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
The Top Twenty Five
February 27, 2023 GMTThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
In NIL-era first, NCAA gives Miami probation for violation
February 24, 2023 GMTCORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami was placed on probation for one year on Friday after the school and the NCAA said women's basketball coaches inadvertently helped arrange impermissible contact between a booster and two players who signed with the Hurricanes.
Northwestern men back on steady footing, eyeing 2nd NCAA run
February 24, 2023 GMTEVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Like a boxer sprawled on the canvas, Northwestern coach Chris Collins seemed like he was ready for the final bell. It turned out he wasn't quite down for the count.
Study: Women still underrepresented in FBS leadership ranks
February 23, 2023 GMTWomen remain significantly underrepresented in leadership positions at the Football Subdivision level of college athletics, a new study shows.
Thursday’s report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) issued another F for gender hiring, a C for racial hiring and an overall grade of D+ for 2022.
Purdue’s Zach Edey makes strong case to be player of year
February 23, 2023 GMTWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Brian Nash vividly remembers the first impression Zach Edey made at IMG Academy.
The school's coaches were fascinated with the basketball newcomer's size, his potential.
The Top Twenty Five
February 20, 2023 GMTThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
Fox pit reporter Sims a symbol of NASCAR’s diversity goals
February 18, 2023 GMTDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — When Josh Sims reports on NASCAR this season, the stock car series these days -- from the garage to the grandstands to top brass -- looks more like him.
NHLPA names Labor Secretary Marty Walsh executive director
February 16, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh was named executive director of the NHL Players' Association on Thursday, putting an experienced union leader and the former Boston mayor in charge at a time of growing revenues in hockey and with collective bargaining talks a few years away.
USOPC, NCAA collaborate to raise profile of Paralympians
February 16, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and NCAA announced new programming Thursday in an attempt to employ college sports settings to increase visibility and possible gold-medal pathways for Paralympians.
NCAA asks US appeals court to block pay for student-athletes
February 16, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The NCAA asked a federal appeals court on Wednesday to reject a legal effort to make colleges treat Division I athletes like employees and start paying them an hourly wage.
Lawyers for the student-athletes said that weekly, they often spend 30 hours or more on their sport and often need money for expenses, even if they are on full scholarship.
N Mexico St AD gets vote of confidence after hoops shutdown
February 15, 2023 GMTNew Mexico State's chancellor expressed his confidence in athletic director Mario Moccia on Wednesday, less than a week after the school's most high-profile sports program — the men's basketball team — was shut down for what the chancellor said was a culture of bad behavior, egregious violations of the student code of conduct and other “despicable acts.”
Fake pro, college sports memorabilia worth millions seized
February 14, 2023 GMTMore than 600 fake championship rings for professional and collegiate sports were confiscated by law enforcement agents last week during a raid of a South Carolina memorabilia store, officials said.
The Top Twenty Five
February 13, 2023 GMTThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
AP Interview: Moltzan catching up to US teammate Shiffrin
February 13, 2023 GMTMERIBEL, France (AP) — When Paula Moltzan finished second behind Mikaela Shiffrin for the U.S.
Moves by Texas, Oklahoma from Big 12 to SEC bumped to 2024
February 10, 2023 GMTAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas and Oklahoma are heading to the Southeastern Conference in 2024, a year earlier than originally planned, after Big 12 officials cleared the way Thursday for the storied programs to exit their league.
Authorities seek 6-year doping ban for NCAA sprint champion
February 9, 2023 GMTAnti-doping authorities are seeking a six-year ban against four-time NCAA champion Divine Oduduru of Nigeria, whose alleged cheating was uncovered in the first case brought by U.S. authorities under a sweeping law designed to combat widespread doping schemes across the globe.
The Top Twenty Five
February 6, 2023 GMTThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
Sports pitch for level playing field in cricket-mad Pakistan
February 6, 2023 GMTISLAMABAD (AP) — On Islamabad’s outskirts, burly men bind together in a scrum on a rugby pitch that has seen better days. The sign bearing the club’s name is worn. The floodlights are too costly to use, given high electricity prices and the paltry $135 total that the club earns in membership fees every month.
California makes flag football a girls’ high school sport
February 3, 2023 GMTCalifornia approved a plan Friday to make flag football a girls’ high school sport amid soaring popularity of the game and a push to get more female athletes on the field.
The move by the California Interscholastic Federation — the statewide body that governs high school athletics — makes flag football an official sport for girls in the nation’s most populous state for the upcoming 2023-24 year.