Penn State paying $59.7 million to Jerry Sandusky victims

Penn State said Monday it is paying $59.7 million to 26 young men over claims of child sexual abuse at the hands of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, a man once revered at the university who is now serving what is effectively a life prison sentence.

Nearly two years after the retired coach was first charged with child molestation, the school said 23 deals were fully signed and three were agreements in principle. It did not disclose the names of the recipients.

The school faces six other claims, and the university says it believes some of those do not have merit while others may produce settlements.

University President Rodney Erickson issued a statement calling the announcement a step forward for victims and the school.

“We cannot undo what has been done, but we can and must do everything possible to learn from this and ensure it never happens again at Penn State,” said Erickson, who announced the day Sandusky was convicted in June 2012 that Penn State was determined to compensate his victims.

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Washington wide receiver Kasen Williams is expected to sit out the rest of the regular season and will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a fracture in his lower left leg and an injury to his left foot.

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Illinois Coach Tim Beckman said starting receiver Ryan Lankford will sit out the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury.

ETC.

Walsh Jennings sets wins record

Kerri Walsh Jennings has set the record for most tournament victories by a female beach volleyball player.

She and partner April Ross won the FIVB Grand Slam in Xiamen, China, on Sunday, giving Walsh Jennings her 113th title. She broke the old mark set by her retired partner Misty May-Treanor.

American Karch Kiraly holds the men’s record for victories with 148.

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UCLA forward Travis Wear has been diagnosed with appendicitis. He was being treated at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Monday.

There was no timetable for his return.

Wear, a senior, averaged 10.9 points and 5.2 rebounds last season.

—Chris Foster

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Russian President Vladimir Putin promised that gay athletes and guests at the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February will feel at ease, seeking to assuage fears fueled by a recent Russian law banning gay “propaganda.”

Speaking at a meeting with heads of Russian winter sports federations, which was also attended by visiting IOC President Thomas Bach, Putin said Sochi would be fully tolerant.

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In his first tennis match since returning from a four-month ban after a failed doping test, Marin Cilic beat Dutch qualifier Igor Sijsling, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, to reach the second round of the Paris Masters.

Cilic tested positive for a banned stimulant in May but said he ingested it inadvertently.

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The LPGA Tour waived its age requirement for Lydia Ko, clearing the way for the 16-year-old from New Zealand to join the tour.

Ko is a two-time champion, having won the Women’s Canadian Open at 15 last year to become the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history, and then successfully defending her title this summer. She is No. 5 in the women’s world ranking.