Michigan football gets three years of probation for violations

Michigan was given three years of probation, fined and hit with recruiting limits by the NCAA on Tuesday after football coaches and staff had impermissible contact with recruits and players under then-coach Jim Harbaugh while access was restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA said it had reached a negotiated resolution with the school that has been approved by the committee on infractions involving five former and current coaches and staffers, but it did not include allegations that Harbaugh failed to cooperate with investigators. That is now a separate case. Harbaugh is now coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Suns’ Young is BYU coach

BYU hired Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young to replace Mark Pope, who left to coach Kentucky, the school's athletic director announced. Young will continue to coach with the Suns during the NBA playoffs before joining BYU, but he will work on retaining current players, contacting recruits and assembling a coaching staff during the playoffs.

NHL

Sabres fire coach Granato

Seven months after general manager Kevyn Adams declared the Sabres’ competitive window of opportunity as being open, it slammed shut on coach Don Granato, who was fired. Expressing his frustration and impatience, Adams launched what now stands as the team’s eighth coaching search in 12 years by targeting someone with NHL experience to inspire a young but underperforming team that extended the franchise’s league-record playoff drought to a 13th season.

League sets attendance mark

The NHL said it had set a single-season attendance record with more than 22.5 million fans filling arenas and stadiums. The league said the mark of 22,560,634 was set with 18 games remaining in the regular season, saying buildings so far have been filled 97 percent to capacity. The season ends Thursday and the playoffs begin Saturday. The previous record was 22,436,532 in 2022-23.

NFL

Browns’ Watson progressing

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said he’s following a conservative plan as he recovers from major shoulder surgery, but he's been able to throw at full speed. Watson played in just six games in his second season with Cleveland before suffering a fracture to the glenoid bone in his throwing shoulder. The 28-year-old said his rehab has gone according to schedule and that there haven't been any setbacks. He's been throwing pain free and without any issues. While giving a positive medical report, Watson didn't have a timetable for when he'll be 100 percent. “It can be sooner than later, it can be later than sooner,” he said.

TENNIS

Nadal breezes in return

Taking it easy after months away from competitive tennis, Rafael Nadal was good enough to earn a comfortable first-round win at the Barcelona Open. Nadal looked injury-free in a 6-2, 6-3 win over Flavio Cobolli to advance to the second round in his first tournament in more than three months. Nadal converted on his second match point to seal the victory over the 21-year-old Italian ranked 62nd in the world. The Spaniard will next face Alex de Minaur, who had a first-round bye. The 37year old Nadal said it likely will be his last time playing the Barcelona Open. The Spaniard had hip surgery last summer and said 2024 will probably be his last year playing on tour.