Michigan State fires football coach
Michigan State fired Mel Tucker on Wednesday, saying the suspended football coach failed to present adequate reasons why he should not be fired for cause after having what he described as consensual phone sex with an activist and rape survivor.
The school said it terminated what's left of Tucker's $95 million, 10-year contract for acknowledging actions that subjected the institution to ridicule, breaching his contract and moral turpitude.
Brenda Tracy, the activist and rape survivor, said Tucker sexually harassed her during the phone call in April 2022. Several months later, Tracy filed a complaint with the school's Title IX office.
Michigan State informed the 51-year-old Tucker that it planned to fire him on Sept. 18 and gave him a week to respond, which he did on Monday.
“Simply put, Mr. Tucker's response does not provide any information that refutes or undermines the multiple grounds for termination for cause set forth in the notice,” athletic director Alan Haller said. “Instead, his 25-page response, which includes a 12-page letter from his attorney and a 13-page `expert report,' provides a litany of excuses for his inappropriate behavior while expressly admitting to the problematic conduct outlined in the notice.”
Messages seeking comment were left with Tucker's attorney and agent. He has acknowledged having phone sex with her but said it was consensual.
Michigan State's investigation was completed in July and a hearing is scheduled for next week.
CFP PUTS OFF DECISIONS ON FORMAT TWEAKS >> The number of spots reserved for conference champions when the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams next year remained open for discussion as administrators
who manage the postseason wrapped up meetings that mostly focused on potential television partners.
The CFP management committee, which is composed of 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, gathered for a day-and-a-half at the Big Ten offices just outside of Chicago.
College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock said potentially tweaking the format that will go into effect next season to adjust the number of conference champions in the field of 12 was not discussed. The current model calls for the six highestrated conference champs and six at-large selections to make up the field.
With conference realignment putting the future of the Pac-12 in doubt, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey and others have indicated the number of league champions in the playoff could be dropped to five, with seven at-large bids.
“Until we know for sure how many conferences we will have, we can't say for sure how many conference champions will be in the playoff,” Hancock said.
Ten members of the Pac-12 will be joining new power conferences next year. Oregon State and
Washington State are the remaining Pac-12 members and have indicated they would like to continue the conference, but how that plays out remains to be seen.
“Until the Pac-12 resolves itself, I don't want to deal with the hypothetical,” Swarbrick said.
Motorsports BUSCH SELLS HIS NASCAR TEAM >>
Kyle Busch has sold his Truck Series team, manufacturing business and all the Kyle Busch Motorsports assets to Spire Motorsports in a deal announced.
KBM is one of the most successful truck organizations in NASCAR history and holds the series record for most career wins (100) and most wins in a single season (14). Busch has won seven owner's championships and a pair of driver championships with Erik Jones in 2015 and Christopher Bell in 2017.
KBM, started in 2010 by two-time Cup Series champion Busch, for more than a decade has been a development step for young drivers backed by Toyota. Busch left Joe Gibbs Racing, a Toyota team, at the end of last season for Richard Childress Racing, which fields Chevrolets.
KBM this season has fielded Chevy trucks, and Spire is a Chevroletaligned
team. The sale includes Rowdy Manufacturing and the assets from its chassis building operation and CNC machine shop, as well as the assets of Busch's NASCAR team.
The sale includes the 77,000-square-foot facility that houses KBM and Rowdy Manufacturing in Mooresville.
Busch said his priorities have shifted and that's why he sold the team.
Tennis DAVENPORT NAMED KING CUP CAPTAIN >>
Lindsay Davenport will replace Kathy Rinaldi as the U.S. captain for the Billie Jean King Cup after this year's competition ends, taking over a squad that has included recent U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff.
Davenport is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame who won three Grand Slam titles in singles, another three in doubles and reached No. 1 in the WTA singles and doubles rankings. She earned a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics and was a member of three championship rosters for the United States in the team competition that used to be called the Fed Cup and was renamed to honor King in 2020.
Davenport went 26-3 in singles and 7-0 in doubles as a player in the Billie Jean King Cup for the U.S., helping the country win titles in 1996, 1999 and 2000 — each with King as captain.
NHL FLAMES' BACKLUND SIGNS EXTENSION, NAMED CAPTAIN >>
Mikael Backlund signed a two-year, $9 million extension with the Calgary Flames and was named captain, the team announced.
Backlund would have become an unrestricted free agent next summer without an extension.
The 34-year-old center from Sweden posted a career year in 2022-23 with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in 82 games.