NU hoops to play at Allstate Arena in 2017- 18
Northwestern announced Tuesday that it will play its home games during the 2017- 18 season at Allstate Arena while its on- campus arena undergoes a $ 110 million renovation.
The Wildcats need a temporary home because of a major overhaul to 63- year- old Welsh- Ryan Arena that is scheduled to begin next spring and be completed in the fall of 2018. NU plans to replace existing wooden bleachers with chairback seats, update audio and video systems, add premium seating and widen concourses.
Allstate Arena is the longtime home of DePaul men’s basketball, which is scheduled to move to a new arena near McCormick Place in 2017.
Florida hired Scott Stricklin as its athletic director, giving him a six- year contract worth $ 1.076 million annually, and said departing AD Jeremy Foley will remain on the job for another month.
Stricklin is leaving Mississippi State, his alma mater, and will take on a massive facilities upgrade in Gainesville. Foley had been scheduled to retire Saturday after 40 yearswith the Gators, including the last 25 as AD. He now will stay until Nov. 1 to aid the transition.
Who’s at QB? Pats not saying
Quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett were in uniform for practice, but which of them will start when the New England Patriots host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in their final game without suspended TomBrady remains a mystery at this point.
Garoppolo missed the Patriots’ game Thursday against the Houston Texans with a sprained AC joint in his right ( throwing) shoulder suffered Sept. 18 against the Miami Dolphins. Brissett played in his place against the Texans but suffered an apparent injury to his right thumb.
Multiple outlets reported Houston Texans defensive end J. J. Watt reinjured his back and is expected to be out until at least December and possibly the rest of the season. Watt missed training camp and the preseason after having surgery in July to repair a herniated disk in his back.
The Jacksonville Jaguars said left tackle Kelvin Beachum was cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol, will practice Wednesday and is likely to play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts in London.
Canada draws first blood
Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron each had a goal and an assist to sparkCanada to a 3- 1 victory against Team Europe in Game 1 of the best- of- three final at the World Cup of Hockey in Toronto. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday.
Steven Stamkos also scored for Canada. Tomas Tatar tallied the lone goal for Team Europe.