ASU, NCAA sued over player’s death

PHOENIX — The father of a former Arizona State linebacker has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university and NCAA, alleging his son’s suicide came during a mental breakdown caused by four concussions he suffered a few years earlier while playing college football.

Jason Franklin’s father, Gregg Franklin, alleged flawed concussion management protocols contributed to his son developing the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which was discovered after his 2018 death, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in federal court.

The lawsuit seeks class-action status to cover all nowdeceased ASU football players from 1952 to 2015 who were diagnosed in life or death with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Notre Dame isn’t selling single-game football tickets through its usual lottery this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

FBS teams can count two games against qualifying

FCS teams toward bowl eligibility during the upcoming season, the NCAA’s Division I Council announced Wednesday.

Moussa Cisse, a 6-foot-10 prospect from the West African nation of Guinea, announced his commitment to Memphis on Wednesday. He picked the Tigers over fellow finalists Kentucky, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia and Louisiana State.

The NCAA gave the University of St. Thomas permission Wednesday to jump directly from Division III to Division I, the final clearance for a bold move born out of the Minnesota private school’s ejection from its conference for competitive reasons.