Raiders reportedly close to deal with CB Amukamara

The Raiders have been in the market for a veteran cornerback since free agency started, losing out to Miami in a bidding war for Byron Jones and then having a deal with Eli Apple negated after a failed physical.

Now the team has set its sights on Prince Amukamara. First reported by NFL Media, a team source confirmed to the Bay Area News Group the Raiders were “working on” a deal to bring Amukamara in for a 10th NFL season.

Amukamara, 30, has started for the Chicago Bears for the last three seasons. He also played for Jacksonville and the New York Giants after being a first-round draft pick out of Nebraska in 2011.

The Raiders return starter Trayvon Mullen, a second-round draft pick last season and in the draft took Damon Arnette of Ohio State in the first round and used a fourth-round pick on Amik Robertson of Louisiana Tech.

— Jerry McDonald

College football

PAC-12 COACHES WANT UNIFORM START TO SEASON >> As Pac-12 football coaches pitched an NCAA-mandated uniform start to the season, some of the latest plans to fight the coronavirus in California further muddled how college teams will return to play in the West.

Washington coach Jimmy Lake said Tuesday in a video conference with reporters that he would prefer for all major college teams to begin six weeks of preparation for the season at the same time.

“I’m of the opinion it would be great if the NCAA made a blanket rule for the whole nation of when we would start, and I understand some states may be less hit by this than most,” Lake said. “I believe the NCAA should step in and say, ‘OK, here’s the date when everybody can start.’”

Colorado coach Karl Dorrell and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham backed Lake’s idea. For the season to start on time around Labor Day weekend, when Washington is scheduled to host Michigan, teams would need to begin six weeks of conditioning and practice in mid-July.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, a Los Angeles County public health official said, according to The Los Angeles Times, that the county’s stay-at-home order is likely to extend through July. That could leave Pac12 members USC and UCLA waiting until at least August before they begin preparing.

Also, the chancellor of the California State University system said he expects the vast majority of classes on those 23 campuses to be taught online in the fall. None of the Pac-12 schools are part of that system, but San Jose State, San Diego State and Fresno State are all FBS schools competing in the Mountain West.

College sports leaders, including NCAA President Mark Emmert, have said college athletes can’t return to campuses that are not open to the rest of the student body. What exactly constitutes an open campus has not been defined.

“I think where we are is the definition of a fluid situation,” Stanford coach David Shaw said Monday.

NO FALL SPORTS FOR CCAA >> The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) announced fall competition have been suspended because of the COVID-19 threat. There are 12 California-based school that compete in the Division II CCAA, including Cal State East Bay, Cal State Chico, Cal State Monterey Bay, Humboldt State, San Francisco State and Sonoma State.

Motors

VETTEL TO LEAVE FERRARI >> Sebastian Vettel may walk away from Ferrari having never delivered the Formula One title the proud Italian team so desperately wants.

The four-time world champion is leaving at the end of the year by mutual consent. But it remains uncertain if the season will start amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the first 10 races already postponed or canceled.

The 32-year-old German driver joined Ferrari in 2015 to replace Fernando Alonso, but was unable to add to his world titles at Red Bull from 2010-13. Of Vettel’s 53 career wins, 14 came with Ferrari, including only one last year.

“In order to get the best possible results in this sport, it’s vital for all parties to work in perfect harmony,” Vettel said on Tuesday. “The team and I have realized that there is no longer a common desire to stay together.”

Basketball

NBA PLAYERS BEING POLLED ABOUT INTEREST IN RETURN >> The National Basketball Players Association started polling its membership Tuesday about how individuals stand on a return to play this season, according to a report by ESPN.

NBPA regional representatives — including Tim McCormick and Frank Brickowski — were among the union officials polling players with a yes or no question on their current desire to return to play this season amid the coronavirus pandemic, sources told ESPN.

Those officials told players that their individual responses and identities would be kept confidential within the NBPA, sources said.

ACADEMY RETIRES “MAMBA” NICKNAME >> The Southern California sports academy previously co-owned by the late Kobe Bryant has retired his “Mamba” nickname and rebranded itself nearly four months after the basketball icon’s death in a helicopter crash.

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others were killed as they flew to a basketball tournament Jan. 26 at the Mamba Sports Academy when the chopper crashed in thick fog northwest of Los Angeles.

The Thousand Oaksbased facility announced Tuesday it would return to its original name of Sports Academy and retire the “Mamba” name to the rafters. The academy was founded in 2016; Bryant, who spent 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, joined in 2018.

Horse racing

DERBY PREP SCHEDULE RELEASED >> Churchill Downs released a preliminary list of races that could be used as an extension of the Road to the Kentucky Derby prep schedule.

The 146th Derby was rescheduled for Sept. 5 from its traditional spot on the first Saturday in May because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Preakness and Belmont — the other legs of the Triple Crown — have yet to be rescheduled. If they are run before the Derby, points to the top four finishers would be worth 150-60-30-15.

The lone prep race in May will be the $150,000 Matt Winn on May 23 at Churchill Downs.

The schedule is: East: Haskell (100-40-2010) and Pegasus (20-8-4-2) at Monmouth Park in New Jersey

Midwest: Matt Winn (5020-10-5); Indiana Derby (208-4-2); Blue Grass (100-4020-10); and Ellis Park Derby (50-20-10-5)

West: Santa Anita Derby (100-40-20-10); Los Alamitos Derby (20-8-4-2); and Shared Belief (50-20-10-5) at Del Mar

Hockey

COHEN REPORTEDLY OUT WITH COYOTES >> Arizona Coyotes president and CEO Ahron Cohen is no longer with the organization, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press.

Cohen has been with the Coyotes since being hired in 2015 as chief operating officer and chief legal officer by previous owner Andrew Barroway. Alex Meruelo purchased a 95% stake in the team less than a year ago and signed general manager John Chayka to a long-term contract extension early in the 2019-20 season.