Pitt football dismisses TE from Steubenville
The Pitt football roster got smaller by one Friday, as coach Pat Narduzzi announced that tight end Charles Reeves was dismissed from the team. A news release from the university did not specify why, other than referring to “disciplinary reasons.”
Reeves, a 6-foot-5, 280pound redshirt freshman, was a four-star prospect out of Steubenville High School in Ohio. He was expected to be in the mix for playing time in 2017, but instead sat out the year.
The Panthers’ returners at tight end now are reduced to sophomore Tyler Sear and redshirt freshman Grant Carrigan, but Narduzzi added Arkansas graduate transfer Will Gragg in the offseason. It’s also likely that one of the incoming freshmen from another position, potentially defensive line, could start out on offense given the numbers.
This news comes a couple of weeks earlier than a similar development a year ago, when senior defensive end Rori Blair was dismissed from the team and expected starters Jordan Whitehead, Quintin Wirginis and Alex Bookser were suspended July 28, the week before training camp began. There hadn’t been any previous disciplinary action this year, but in 2017, Pitt had six players either suspended or dismissed from the team at various points.
Pitt now ostensibly has one scholarship spot open. Long-snapper Cal Adomitis, a sophomore who entered the program last year as a preferred walk-on, was awarded a scholarship this offseason.
More college football
The College Football Playoff agreements for the Cotton Bowl Classic, Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl were extended six years through 2026. The three bowl games will play host to a CFP game every year during in six-year period — the semifinals twice, and other nonplayoff games assigned by the CFP selection committee four times. The Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls previously were announced as semifinals hosts on a rotating basis through 2026.
Auto racing
Defending champion Martin Truex Jr. won the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. Truex clocked 188.890 mph to earn his first Kentucky pole and 19th of his career. He led 152 of 274 laps on his way to winning this race a year ago. Truex’s No. 78 Toyota led a front-row sweep of Camrys for the 400-mile race Saturday night. Erik Jones, who earned his first career Cup win last week at Daytona, will start second after turning a lap of 188.739 mph in the No. 20 Toyota.
Cycling
Dutch rider Dylan Groenewegen beat favorites Fernando Gaviria and Peter Sagan in a sprint to win the longest stage of the Tour de France. Groenewegen, who rides for Team Lotto NL-Jumbo, clocked nearly six hours over the 143.5mile trek from Fougeres to Chartres.
Pro basketball
Elena Delle Donne and rookie Ariel Atkins scored 25 points apiece to help the host Washington Mystics beat the Chicago Sky, 88-72, in WNBA action.
College basketball
Duke athletic director Kevin White will serve as the chairman of the NCAA tournament selection committee in 2020. White will serve as vice chairman this season for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee headed by Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir, then take over for the 2019-20 season.
• Wake Forest said former all-American and NBA All-Star Len Chappell died Thursday of an undisclosed cause. He was 77.