HILL CLIMB’S CYCLE RACE MAY BE ENDED

Officials are discussing whether to end the motorcycle race portion of the race to the summit of Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs following the death of a motorcyclist.

In an email obtained by The Gazette, race executive director Megan Leatham told city and U.S. Forest Service officials the day after the crash that she thought it was the end of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb’s motorcycle program.

Organizers say 36-year-old Carlin Dunne high-sided coming into the last turn.

The manager of a city enterprise that oversees the mountain’s highway, Jack Glavan, confirmed the conversations about ending the motorcycle race are underway.

He said questions from him and the U.S. Forest Service about must be answered before the race would be allowed to continue, including whether a bump caused or worsened the high side.

Bucs CB Smith must sit four games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ryan Smith was suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancers.

Smith is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games. He will be allowed to return to the team Sept. 30, after Tampa Bay’s Week 4 game at the NFC champion Los Angeles Rams.

“We are disappointed that Ryan will be unavailable for the first four games of the season,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said in a statement. “We do extensive training and education for our players regarding the league’s polices, but ultimately each individual is responsible for what they put in their bodies.”

Smith is entering his fourth NFL season with the Buccaneers.

Sooners favored in Big 12.

TEXAS» Oklahoma is the favorite IRVING, to win another Big 12 football title, according to the conference’s preseason media poll.

The Sooners have won the league the last four years and 12 Big 12 championships overall. Oklahoma also made the College Football Playoff three of the past four seasons.

Texas was picked second by media covering the league. The top two teams will meet in the conference championship game on Dec. 7. The Longhorns lost to the Sooners in the title matchup in 2018.

Iowa State, TCU and Oklahoma State round out the top five picks.

The Big 12 will have four new head coaches in 2019 with Les Miles at Kansas, Chris Klieman at Kansas State, Matt Wells at Texas Tech and Neal Brown at West Virginia.

Vols coach commits NCAA violation.

TENN.» Tennessee football KNOXVILLE, coach Jeremy Pruitt committed an NCAA violation earlier this year by tweeting out his congratulations when the high school he attended won an Alabama state basketball title.

Pruitt tweeted “Congratulations Robi Coker and Plainview High School on back to back State Championships! #2muchblue #PLV” on March 1. The tweet was deleted 37 minutes later, after a compliance official noted that it constituted an impermissible endorsement of a high school team and its coach. Compliance officials met with Pruitt and the staffer overseeing the football program’s Twitter accounts to discuss that particular rule.

That was one of three football-related Level III violations Tennessee self-reported in the first six months of 2019.

Nebraska softball coach placed on leave.

The longtime coach of the Nebraska softball team has been placed on administrative leave while school officials address concerns raised by or about players.

The athletic department declined to detail what led to the action against Rhonda Revelle, saying it was a personnel matter.