LSU suspends head men’s basketball coach; U.S. women’s soccer players sue for equal pay

What could go down as LSU’s most successful basketball season in about four decades has been tarnished by the suspension of coach Will Wade amid concerns about whether his recruiting tactics violated NCAA rules. LSU Chancellor F. King Alexander and athletic director Joe Alleva announced Friday that they suspended Wade indefinitely and appointed assistant Tony Benford interim head coach. Benford’s first game in his new role comes Saturday, when No. 10 LSU (25-5, 15-2 SEC) hosts Vanderbilt (9-21, 0-17) with an opportunity to win at least a share of the SEC regular-season championship. The suspension came a day after reports that an FBI wire-tap captured Wade’s telephone conversations with a person convicted last year of funneling money to the families of basketball recruits. In a joint statement, Alexander and Alleva said the suspension will continue until LSU can ensure Wade’s recruiting tactics have been in full compliance with NCAA and university policies. LSU’s 25 regular season victories are tied second most in program history with the 2000 and 2009 teams and behind only the 1981 Final Four team that won a school-record 27 regular-season games. The 1981 team went on to finish the postseason with an LSUrecord 31 victories.

Soccer

USWNT PLAYERS SUE FOR EQUAL PAY >> Players for the U.S. women’s national team have filed a federal class-action lawsuit seeking equal pay to their male counterparts. The lawsuit was filed Friday in Los Angeles under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. It alleges gender-based discrimination by the U.S. Soccer Federation. It comes just three months before the team will defend its title at the Women’s World Cup. The players allege they have been subject to ongoing institutionalized gender discrimination, including unequal pay, despite having the same job responsibilities as the men’s national players. The 28 current members of the national team player pool joined in the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court.