Off the wire

FOOTBALL

Norvell agrees to 8-year deal

Florida State and Coach Mike Norvell have agreed to a new eight-year deal that will pay him more than $10 million per year, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract was not yet finalized. Florida State announced it had agreed to terms with Norvell on “an enhanced contract,” but provided no terms. Norvell led the Seminoles (13-1) to an unbeaten regular season in 2023 before they were the first undefeated Power Five conference champion left out of the College Football Playoff, following a season-ending injury to quarterback Jordan Travis. In four seasons at Florida State, the 42-year-old Nor- vell is 31-17, including 23-4 the last two seasons.

OU adds a quarterback

Casey Thompson, who has played quarterback at Texas, Nebraska and Florida Atlantic, has announced he will transfer to Oklahoma for the seventh season of an injury-riddled career. Thompson, 25, made the announcement on social media on Thursday night. Thompson’s father is former Oklahoma wishbone Sooners quarterback Charles Thompson. Oklahoma recruited Casey, who played high school football at Southmoore and Newcastle high schools in Oklahoma, before he chose Texas. And when Casey was in the transfer portal after leaving Texas, Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables tried to lure him before he chose Nebraska. He left Texas after Quinn Ewers transferred in from Ohio State.

Huskies’ duo enter draft

The exodus of players entering the NFL Draft from national runner-up Washington continued Friday with All-American wide receiver Rome Odunze and running back Dillon Johnson announcing they were leaving the school. The pair told ESPN.com of their plans to enter the draft. Neither announcement was a surprise, especially for Odunze who is regarded as one of the top wide receivers available and seems on course for being a first-round pick. Odunze finished his final year for the Huskies with 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had 10 games with at least 100 yards receiving, including some of the biggest catches in Washington’s magical season that ended with a loss to Michigan in the national championship game. Johnson started the season recovering from injuries and picked up more during the year but still finished with 1,195 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.

GOLF

Yuan grabs Sony lead

Carl Yuan soaked up the views at the Sony Open, not just his name atop the leaderboard when he finished his second round Friday but just being in Hawaii to start his PGA Tour season. If not for Jon Rahm, the 26-year-old Yuan wouldn’t be here. Yuan finished at No. 126 in the FedEx Cup last November by one point and was getting ready to earn his card back through Q-school. And then Rahm bolted for the Saudi riches of LIV Golf. The tour suspended Rahm and removed him from the FedEx Cup standings. Yuan moved up one spot to No. 125, had his full card and got into the Sony Open. And then he posted a 5-under 65 on Friday, finishing with a two-putt birdie, and had the early lead. Yuan was at 9-under 131 and led by one shot over 50-year-old Stewart Cink, whose two-week Hawaii swing includes the PGA Tour Champions opener next week on the Big Island. Also one shot behind among the early starters were two players going in the opposite direction. Cam Davis, who opened with a 62, settled for a 70. Ben Griffin opened with a 70 and shot 62.

BASEBALL

Braves extend GM’s contract

The Atlanta Braves have agreed to a contract extension with General Manager Alex Anthopoulos that will keep him with the sixtime reigning NL East champions through the 2031 season. The team announced the deal Friday, locking up the GM who oversaw a World Series championship in 2021 and has been responsible for securing long-term contracts with many of top players. Anthopoulos was hired by the Braves after the 2017 season, when the organization had endured four consecutive losing seasons and was mired in a scandal over international signings. His predecessor, John Coppolella, was initially banned for life by Major League Baseball, though the penalty was lifted a year ago.

HOCKEY

Pinto returns to Senators

Shane Pinto skated with his Ottawa Senators teammates on Friday and may play in an NHL game on Jan. 21 after becoming the first player in the league’s modern era to be suspended for gambling. Pinto was suspended for 41 games, half the season, in October, for violating NHL gambling policies. Pinto declined to go into detail after practice when meeting with reporters for the first time since the suspension. Pinto, who turned 23 in November, is eligible to play a week from Sunday at Philadelphia, although he must first sign a contract. Coach Jacques Martin expects Pinto will be in the lineup against the Flyers.

SPORTS

BETTING Missouri seeks ballot initiative

Missouri’s professional sports teams announced Friday that they have launched an initiative petition drive to put the legalization of sports betting on the November ballot. The initiative is an attempt to sidestep the Missouri Senate, where bills to allow sports betting have repeatedly stalled. Missouri is one of just a dozen states where sports wagering remains illegal more than five years after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for states to adopt it. Vermont became the latest state to join the tend, launching mobile sports betting on Thursday.

SKIING

Sarrazin wins; Pinturault crashes

On a bitter-sweet day for the French ski team, emerging star Cyprien Sarrazin raced to a winning run in a World Cup super-G Friday in Wengen, Switzerland, then watched as teammate and new dad Alexis Pinturault had to be airlifted to a hospital after a crash. Pinturault was taken off the course in a helicopter just six days after becoming a father for the first time. Sarrazin watched with concern from the leader’s box by the finish area as the 32-year-old Pinturault went into a tumbling fall after being unbalanced landing a jump. French media later reported that Pinturault had ruptured the ACL in his left knee, which would rule him out for the rest of the season. The overall World Cup champion in 2021 and a three-time Olympic medalist, his daughter was born in the Swiss capital Bern on Saturday. Sarrazin is having a breakout season at age 29 and Friday’s victory came after he finished second Thursday in a downhill. He won the previous downhill two weeks ago at Bormio, Italy.