Iowa State, Notre Dame highlight AP preseason All-American list
Notre Dame and Iowa State each had three players selected to The Associated Press preseason All-America team, led by Fighting Irish defensive back Kyle Hamilton and Cyclones running back Breece Hall.
The preseason All-America team presented by Regions Bank was released Monday, five days before the first games of the season kickoff.
Eight teams have at least two first-team All-Americans, with seventh-ranked Iowa State and ninthranked Notre Dame leading the way.
Along with Hall, Iowa State is represented on the first team by tight end Charlie Kolar and linebacker Mike Rose. Hamilton is joined by Fighting Irish teammates Cain Madden, a guard who transferred from Marshall in the offseason, and running back Kyren Williams, who made the team as an all-purpose player.
Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler is the first-team quarterback and Sooners teammate Nik Bonitto made the team at linebacker.
Defending national champion Alabama is represented on the first team by outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr., and offensive tackle Evan Neal.
BIG TEN TEAMS FORFEIT IF UNABLE TO PLAY BECAUSE OF COVID-19 >> The Big Ten
latest Power Five conference to announce that a team must forfeit if it doesn’t have enough players available for a league game because of COVID-19.
The Big Ten said the team that forfeits will be assessed a loss in the conference standings and its opponent will be credited with a win. If both teams are unable to compete on the date of a scheduled conference game because of COVID-19, and the game can’t be rescheduled, it will be considered a “no contest.”
The Power Five conferences appear headed toward having similar forfeit policies, except the Atlantic Coast Conference is charging both teams with a forfeit if neither can play because of the virus.
MLB
SLUMPING PADRES FIRE PITCHING COACH ROTHSCHILD >> The slumping San Diego Padres fired pitching coach Larry Rothschild as the franchise tries to stop its freefall in the National League playoff race.
The 67-year-old Rothschild has been with the Padres for the past two seasons. San Diego has lost nine of its past 11 games and has fallen to third place in the NL West, 13 games behind the firstplace San Francisco Giants.
The Padres fell one game behind the Cincinnati Reds for the second and final NL Wild Card after losing on Sunday.
Golf
FINAU ENDS 5-YEAR
DROUGHT AND WINS NORTHERN TRUST >> Tony Finau ended more than five years and 142 tournaments without winning with a dynamic charge on the back nine and big miss from Cameron Smith to capture the rain-delayed Northern Trust in a playoff Monday.
Finau was three shots out of the lead when he ran off a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch at Liberty National, the last one a 30-foot putt across the 14th green. He closed with a 6-under 65.
Smith had a rally of his own with two late birdies, missing a 25-foot birdie chance on the 18th in regulation that would have won it. He closed with a 67.
That was as close as the Australian came to winning.
On the 18th in the playoff, Smith hit such a wild drive that it sailed over the retaining wall that separates Liberty National from the edge of the Hudson River. Finau had already pounded his drive down the middle of the fairway, and the playoff at that point was effectively over.
That’s just what Finau needed — no drama, and more importantly, a victory.
Since winning the Puerto Rico Open in the spring of 2016, Finau had eight runner-up finishes, three of those in a playoff, and 11 finishes in the top three.
SMITH MOVES FROM NBA
TO COLLEGE CLASSES, GOLF AT N.C. A&T >> J.R. Smith is finally getting the college-athlete experience he missed out on nearly two decades ago.
The 16-year NBA veteran who skipped college basketball, won two world championships and made millions is now a freshman walk-on for the North Carolina A&T men’s golf team. Now, instead of first-class cross-country travel for nightly games against the world’s best basketball players, Smith – who turns 36 next month – is focused on completing class assignments and working on his golf game.
Tennis
US OPEN CHAMPS GET LOWEST
PAYOUT SINCE 2012; TOTAL PRIZES UP >> The two singles champions at this year’s U.S. Open will earn 35% less than in 2019, the last time the Grand Slam tennis tournament allowed spectators, while prize money for qualifying and the first three rounds of the main draw will rise as part of an overall increase.
A year after banning fans entirely because of the coronavirus pandemic and lowering prize money due to lost revenue, the U.S. Tennis Association announced that it will be boosting total player compensation to a record $57.5 million, slightly more than the $57.2 million in 2019. The figure was $53.4 million in 2020.