College football:

The NCAA placed Notre Dame on probation for one year after the sides agreed that former assistant coach Todd Lyght had an impermissible in-person meeting with one prospect and sent impermissible text messages to another. Head coach Brian Kelly also was found to have had impermissible off-campus contact with a prospect when he had his picture taken with the prospect at his high school. The number of official recruiting visits Notre Dame can host in 2020-21 will be reduced by one, from 56 to 55, and there will be 14 days when prospects won’t be allowed to make unofficial visits. The Irish also will impose a seven-day off-campus recruiting ban for the entire staff this spring. The school must pay a $5,000 fine . ... National champ Alabama hired former Texans head coach Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator and QBs coach. O’Brien, 51, was fired by the Texans after an 0-4 start this season.