Gamecocks coach sues Missouri AD
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley is suing Missouri’s athletic director, saying he slandered her when he suggested she created an atmosphere that encouraged fans to spit on his players and use racial slurs.
Staley’s lawsuit filed in Richland County asks for no more than $75,000 in damages from Sterk for disparaging her reputation.
Also on Thursday, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey fined Jim Sterk $25,000 and reprimanded him for publicly criticizing Staley.
Sterk broke a conference rule banning public criticism of other member institutions, their staff or players, Sankey said in a statement that also said SEC officials would review how South Carolina handles its crowd during games.
NCAA suspends Arizona player
The NCAA has declared No. 14 Arizona’s Allonzo Trier ineligible for the reappearance of the banned substance that led to a 19-game suspension last season.
The school said the NCAA notified the Wildcats on Thursday that the former Oklahoma prep star had a trace amount of the substance from a drug test late last month. Arizona did not specify the drug, saying only it was a banned substance. Arizona says the amount detected was minuscule by scientific standards and appeared to be a remnant of the performance-enhancing drug Trier unknowingly ingested last season. The NCAA agreed, the school said. Arizona is appealing the decision.
Contract details released for new Texas AD
AUSTIN, TEXAS — New Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte will have a sevenyear contract starting at $1.3 million per year, according to contract details released Thursday.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents is scheduled to approve Del Conte’s contract when it meets next week. Del Conte’s annual salary will reach $1.57 million in the final year in 2024. The contract includes an additional $725,000 in other payments spread over the life of the deal.
Texas will also pay TCU, Del Conte’s former school, a $1 million buyout of his previous contract.