Ohio State nixes football series with Washington

Ohio State has canceled a home-and-home football series with Washington that was scheduled for 2024 and 2025. Athletic director Gene Smith says Ohio State initiated the move and will pay a $500,000 cancellation penalty to Washington, a Pac12 member, by February 2025. The cancellation will allow the Big Ten program to add an eighth nonconference home game in the 2024 and ’25 seasons. Ohio State’s 2024 schedule won’t be announced until October. It could include a conference game against new members UCLA or USC when they jump from the Pac-12.

PROSECUTOR DROPS CHARGE AGAINST EXTEXAS HOOPS COACH >>

A Texas prosecutor said Wednesday he will dismiss a felony domestic violence case against former Texas basketball coach Chris Beard, in part because of the alleged victim’s wishes not to prosecute. Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said after a review of the evidence, and considering the wishes of Beard’s fiancée, his office could not prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR AD >>

The chancellor at New Mexico State expressed his confidence in athletic director Mario Moccia less than a week after the men’s basketball team was shut down for what the chancellor said was a culture of bad behavior, egregious violations of the student code of conduct and other “despicable acts.”

NBA JORDAN DONATES $10M TO MAKE-A-WISH >>

Sixtime NBA champion Michael Jordan is celebrating his 60th birthday on Friday by making a $10 million donation to the Make-A-Wish. It is the largest donation ever received from an individual in the organization’s 43-year history.

Olympics SWEDEN 2030 >>

Sweden emerging as the frontrunner in a troubled search for a 2030 Olympics host is a surprise in Stockholm. The year started with Sweden not on the radar of the race. Longtime favorite Sapporo faded during a bribery investigation linked to the recent Tokyo Olympics. Salt Lake City is targeting 2034.