Arizona fires coach amid misconduct allegations
Arizona has fired football coach Rich Rodriguez after a notice of claim was filed with the state attorney general’s office alleging he ran a hostile workplace.
The Tucson Daily Star revealed the notice of claim on Tuesday after making a public-records request. Athletic director Dave Heeke issued a statement saying the athletics department decided to go in a new direction after evaluating the program. Rodriguez was 43-39 in six seasons at Arizona, including 3-9 last season.
PLAYOFF RATINGS SPIKE >> With the semifinals back New Year’s Day, viewership for the College Football Playoff on ESPN was the highest it has been since the first season of the postseason system in 2015. The Rose Bowl thriller between Georgia and Oklahoma drew a 14.8 overnight Nielsen rating, up 39 percent over last season’s early semifinal. The Sugar Bowl between Alabama and Clemson got a 12.5 rating, up 10 percent from last season’s second semifinal.
Hockey
USA JUNIORS TOP RUSSIA >> Kieffer Bellows scored his second goal with 7:29 left in the third period, and the United States defeated Russia 4-2 in a world junior quarterfinal in Buffalo, New York. The Americans play Sweden in the semifinals on Thursday. Canada plays the Czech Republic in the other semifinal.
College basketball
TOP 25 HIGHLIGHTS >> Kennan Allen scored 15 points, and No. 18 Texas Tech never trailed in beating No. 10 Kansas 85-73 for the Red Raiders’ first win at Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse in 18 tries. The loss snapped the Jayhawks’ 16-game win streak against Texas Tech, and gave coach Bill Self’s team two losses at home in the same season for the first time since 200607. … Vladimir Brodziansky had 18 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime, as No. 16 TCU bounced back from its first loss with an 81-78 victory at Baylor.
USC SUSPENDS METU >> USC leading scorer Chimezie Metu received a half-game suspension and was forced to give up his role as team captain after being ejected for striking Washington State’s Carter Skaggs in the groin during Sunday’s 89-71 win, the school announced. Metu will sit out the first half of Thursday’s game at Cal.
Tennis
MURRAY CONSIDERING SURGERY >> Andy Murray’s longterm hip injury has forced him out of the Brisbane International, cast serious doubts over his participation in the Australian Open and has him contemplating surgery. Murray pulled out of Brisbane two days ahead of his scheduled return to competitive tennis for the first time since July.
Boxing
PAZ ACCUSED IN ATTACK >> Retired boxing champion Vinny Paz, whose comeback story after a car crash was dramatized in the 2016 film “Bleed for This,” has been accused of attacking a Rhode Island man and sending him to the hospital. The 55-year-old former champ said he had been robbed of $16,000 and did what he had to do.