OLE MISS APPEALS NCAA PUNISHMENT, CITING COI ABUSE
MISS.» Mississippi filed its OXFORD, appeal Thursday of the NCAA committee on infractions’ (COI) decision to ban the football program from the postseason in 2018, limit unofficial recruiting visits and cite the school for lack institutional control in a case involving 21 violations.
The NCAA committee handed down its decision in December after a lengthy investigation.
The school said the committee “should vacate and reverse the penalties and factual findings because the COI abused its discretion, departed from precedent, committed procedural errors and reached factual conclusions inconsistent with the evidence.”
Ole Miss had already self-imposed a bowl ban for 2017, let go of two assistants and disassociated with nine boosters before the NCAA added its penalties.
Rebels coach Hugh Freeze was fired in July for inappropriate conduct, not directly related to NCAA violations.
• New Mexico coach Bob Davie will begin serving a 30-day school suspension Saturday, following multiple investigations into treatment of players and interfering with possible criminal or misconduct cases involving members of the team.
• West Virginia hired Marquel Blackwell as running backs coach.
He replaces Tony Dews, who was hired as running backs coach with the Tennessee Titans.
Minnesota’s Lynch drops appeal, denies sex assault allegations.
Former University of Minnesota basketball standout Reggie Lynch dropped his appeal Thursday of his expulsion over allegations of raping two women, while insisting “I did not commit any of the acts that I am being accused of.”
Flanked by his lawyer and mother, the senior center appeared at a news conference rather than as scheduled before a student panel on sexual misconduct. His mother, Marlene Lynch, said she believed him “100 percent.”
Attorney Ryan Pacyga said they decided to drop the appeal over concerns the disciplinary process is unfair, while acknowledging that failing to appear meant the expulsion will take effect. He said Lynch has completed his coursework and, since the season is nearly over, would pursue basketball career opportunities. He declined to say if he would sue the university.
Anderson wins first match in N.Y.
N.Y.» Top-seeded Kevin UNIONDALE,
Anderson needed a third-set tiebreaker to beat American Ernesto Escobedo 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the second round of the New York Open.
The U.S. Open runner-up from South Africa was playing his first match at the tournament after receiving a first-round bye. He advanced to face another American, Frances Tiafoe, who reached his first ATP quarterfinal by beating Israel’s Dudi Sela 6-4, 3-6, 6-0.
• Roger Federer is within touching distance of becoming the oldest male to reach the top of the world rankings after marching into the quarterfinals of the ABN AMRO tournament.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion went through after making it 13 wins in as many matches against Philipp Kohlschreiber with a 7-6 (10-8), 7-5 triumph against his German opponent.
Garcia, Rios set for WBC title bout.
VEGAS» Former two-division
LAS world champion Danny Garcia is returning to the ring Saturday night against former world champion Brandon Rios in a WBC welterweight world title elimination bout.
Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs) and Rios (343-1, 25 KOs) are looking to get back on top of one of boxing’s deepest weight classes, the 147-pound welterweight division. The winner at Mandalay Bay Events Center will be in world-title contention with unified champion Keith Thurman, the holder of the WBC and WBA belts.