UCLA will pay Norm Chow, now at Utah, $500,000 this season

UCLA will be paying former offensive coordinator Norm Chow $500,000 while he is coaching at Utah this year, according to information obtained by The Times through a public-records request.

That was UCLA’s buyout to entice Chow to resign in January after he was removed as offensive coordinator. He would have been reassigned to another position on staff had he not resigned.

As Utah’s offensive coordinator, Chow has a two-year, $550,000 contract, making him the Utes’ highest-paid assistant. UCLA’s highest-paid assistants are defensive coordinator Joe Tresey and offensive coordinator Mike Johnson; each has a $250,000 base salary.

Chow had both years left on a two-year, $1.1-million contract extension with UCLA that was agreed upon after the 2009 season.

UCLA plays at Utah on Nov. 12.

— Chris Foster

An NCAA official told Auburn Coach Gene Chizik that it is not done investigating the Tigers’ football program and the recruitment of Cam Newton, the New York Times reported. During a presentation at the Southeastern Conference meetings in Destin, Fla., last month, Chizik asked Julie Roe Lach, NCAA vice president for enforcement why the NCAA had not announced that the Newton investigation was finished.

“You’ll know when we’re finished,” Roe Lach told Chizik, according to coaches who were at the meeting, the Times reported. “And we’re not finished.”

ETC.

Harrison lashes out at Goodell

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison calls NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a “crook” and a “devil,” among other insults, in a magazine article. Harrison has not been shy about criticizing the league after he was docked $100,000 for illegal hits last season. In the August issue of Men’s Journal, his rants against Goodell reach another level of wrath.

Harrison also criticizes teammates Rashard Mendenhall and Ben Roethlisberger for their performances in the Super Bowl loss. He calls the running back a “fumble machine” for his fourth-quarter turnover. Of the quarterback’s two interceptions, Harrison says: “Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning.”

The leader of the NBA Players’ Assn. is expressing his support for playing overseas during the lockout. In a memo sent to the players Tuesday night, Billy Hunter said the union supports all players “who are taking steps to continue to earn a living, stay in peak competitive shape, and play the game that we love while the unfortunate league-imposed lockout is in place.” … The Philadelphia 76ers were sold to New York-based leveraged buyout specialist Joshua Harris, ending Comcast-Spectacor’s 15-year run of ownership, which included a trip to the NBA Finals. Terms of the deal, which must be approved by the league, were not disclosed. … The Indiana Pacers hired former Lakers assistant Brian Shaw as their associate head coach and retained Dan Burke from the previous staff. Frank Vogel, the Pacers’ new coach, said Shaw will be like a second head coach.

Grenddy Adrian Perozo scored two minutes into second-half stoppage time, and Venezuela rallied for a 3-3 tie against Paraguay at the Copa America in Salta, Argentina. The result was good enough to get Paraguay through to the quarterfinals. Venezuela had already advanced.

Federico Macheda scored twice and Michael Carrick had two assists, giving Manchester United a 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution at Foxborough, Mass., in the opener of United’s U.S. exhibition tour. After a scoreless first half, the Red Devils scored three times in 10 minutes to gain control of the match. Michael Owen and Park Ji-Sung also scored for the Premier League champions.

Top-seeded Robin Soderling routed Argentina’s Diego Junqueira, 6-0, 6-1, and reached the quarterfinals of the Swedish Open at Bastad. Third-seeded Thomas Berdych of the Czech Republic defeated Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili, 6-2, 6-2. … Victor Hanescu of Romania saved two match points before beating top-seeded Gael Monfils, 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, in the first round of the Mercedes Cup at Stuttgart, Germany. Six of the eight seeded players have lost in the first round. … Russia’s Ksenia Pervak saved six match points and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Gastein Ladies, beating 16-year-old Nastja Kolar of Slovenia, 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-2, at Bad Gastein, Austria. The eighth-seeded Pervak is the only seeded player to advance from the first round. … The U.S. Tennis Assn. said the singles champions at this year’s U.S. Open will each receive a record $1.8 million. Total prize money is rising by more than $1 million to $23.7 million, the most ever for the Grand Slam tournament.

The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to a three-year, $6.2-million contract with center Brandon Sutter, who had 14 goals and 15 assists in 82 games last season.

Madrid will bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics, hoping to replicate Pyeongchang’s success in winning a bid after a third consecutive attempt. Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon confirmed the Spanish capital’s candidacy, citing Pyeongchang’s victory in bidding for the 2018 Winter Games as providing the necessary push for Madrid to bid again.

Six of the top college hockey programs will form the National Collegiate Hockey Conference at the start of the 2013-14 season. NCAA champion Minnesota Duluth, Colorado College, Denver, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association will join Central Collegiate Hockey Association member Miami of Ohio, the schools announced.