Washington Supreme Court rules on fate of Pac-12
The Washington state Supreme Court declined on Friday to review the Pac12's appeal of a lower court ruling that gives full control of the conference to Oregon State and Washington State, keeping in place a legal victory for the league's two remaining schools over its 10 departing members.
Last month, a superior court judge in Whitman County, Washington, granted the two remaining Pac-12 schools a preliminary injunction that sided with Oregon State and Washington State's argument, saying 10 departing schools relinquished their right to be part of the conference's decision-making board when they announced they were joining new leagues in 2024.
The decision put Oregon State and Washington State in control of hundreds of millions of dollars in Pac12 assets, but also made them fully responsible for the conference's liabilities.
The departing schools appealed the ruling. They contend conference bylaws allow them to continue to be part of the Pac-12 board of directors and have a say in how the conference is run until they actually withdraw from the league in August 2024.
NFL
CHARGERS FIRE COACH, GM >> Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos fired Brandon Staley as coach and Tom Telesco as general manager Friday morning after one of the worst losses in franchise history.
Los Angeles made the playoffs last season but is one of this year's biggest disappointments at 5-9, with losses in five of their last six games. The Bolts dropped into last place in the AFC West after Thursday night's 63-21 loss at Las Vegas.
It was the most points allowed in franchise history and the 42-point margin was the third-worst.
Giff Smith will serve as the interim head coach and
JoJo Wooden as interim general manager. Los Angeles' next game is against Buffalo on Dec. 23. PANTHERS PLACE HURST ON IR >> The Carolina Panthers have placed Hayden Hurst on injured reserve just weeks after the veteran tight end's father, Jerry Hurst, posted on social media that his son was diagnosed with post-traumatic amnesia following a concussion sustained on Nov. 9 against the Chicago Bears.
Shortly after his father's concerning post, which asked for prayers for his son, Hurst took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote that he suffered a “pretty nasty concussion” and didn't remember up to four hours after the game.
Hurst called it a “scary situation” but added that “it is NOT career ending. I'm starting my return to play this week, so fingers crossed I make it back for the last few weeks!”
Hurst has remained in the concussion protocol since and has not played. He had been practicing on a limited basis.
CHIEFS' PACHECO RULED OUT >> Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has been ruled out of the game in New England after having “a cleanup” surgery on his ailing shoulder, coach Andy Reid said Friday, adding that he expects one of the NFL's leading rushers to be back next week.
The Chiefs play the Patriots on Sunday in a game that was flexed out of its original Monday night timeslot.
MLB SCHERZER HAS BACK SURGERY AND WILL MISS START OF 2024 SEASON >>
Max Scherzer had surgery for a herniated disk in his lower back and will miss a significant portion of next season.
The 39-year-old righthander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, had surgery Thursday after injections and other less-evasive treatments didn't relieve the pain. He is due $43,333,334 in the final season of a $130 million, threeyear contract he signed with the New York Mets.
Scherzer, who was removed from the roster during the World Series because of back discomfort, had surgery Thursday, general manager Chris Young said Friday. Young said the team is hopeful Scherzer will be fully healed and recovered by June or July.
WACHA GETS $32M, 2-YEAR DEAL WITH ROYALS, HUNTER RENFROE $13M >>
In the latest moves in what has become a busy offseason in Kansas City, the Royals agreed to a $32 million, two-year deal with pitcher Michael Wacha and a $13 million, two-year contract with outfielder Hunter Renfroe, people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreements had not been announced.
Wacha's deal calls for a $16 million salary next season and contains a $16 million player option for 2025, while Renfroe will get a $5.5 million salary next season with a $7.5 million player option for 2025 and a $1 million buyout.
Soccer CHOCOLATE COINS CAUSE BUNDESLIGA GAME STOPPAGE >>
Foil-wrapped chocolate coins flew onto the field in the Bundesliga on Friday as fans made their unhappiness with an investment deal clear by forcing the action to be briefly stopped in Borussia Moenchengladbach's 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen.
Fan groups across Germany have pledged to protest the league's plan to sell a stake of future broadcast revenues to an outside investor. The groups have agreed on a silent protest with no singing and chanting for the first 12 minutes of each game this weekend.
When the 12 minutes were up, Gladbach's fans went a step further by hurling the chocolate coins in gold foil — a common holiday gift for children — onto the field. There was a fiveminute stoppage while stadium staff, joined by referee Felix Zwayer, picked up the coins.
Tennis HALEP FIGURES A DOPING APPEAL LOSS WOULD END HER CAREER >>
Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep is no longer working with coach Patrick Mouratoglou's academy while she awaits a ruling on her appeal of a four-year doping suspension and figures her tennis career will be over if the Court of Arbitration for Sport rules against her.
“Four years is going to be a lot for my age,” said Halep, a 32-year-old from Romania who has been No. 1.