Butler, Creighton, Xavier to join ‘Catholic 7’ schools in Big East

The two conferences growing out of the old Big East are moving forward.

Butler, Creighton and Xavier will join the so-called Catholic 7 schools in the new basketball conference keeping the Big East name, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement will not take place until Wednesday, when it will be made in conjunction with a news conference on the league’s broadcast deal with Fox.

Georgetown, St. John’s, Villanova, Seton Hall, Providence, Marquette and DePaul left to form a new league for next season.

Meanwhile, their old colleagues announced a broadcasting deal with ESPN on Tuesday. The unnamed conference’s contract for football, basketball and other sports runs through the 2019-20 season and pays about $20 million a year.

Along with a new name, that league still needs a conference basketball tournament site, a revenue-sharing system and a 12th football member.

The Catholic 7 negotiated to keep their basketball tourney in Madison Square Garden. Xavier and Butler are leaving the Atlantic 10 and Creighton departs the Missouri Valley Conference.

For those trying to keep score at home, the currently unnamed league will include South Florida, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Temple, Memphis, Central Florida, Southern Methodist and Houston in 2013. East Carolina and Tulane are to join in 2014, and Navy is scheduled for football in 2015.

The conference is seeking a 12th football school so it can play a title game in 2015.

BASKETBALL

Injuries sideline Knicks’ Tyson Chandler, Kurt Thomas

The New York Knicks said All-Star center Tyson Chandler is expected to miss about a week and Kurt Thomas will be sidelined for at least two as injuries continue to plague their frontcourt.

Chandler had an MRI exam of his spine Tuesday that revealed a bulging disc. An exam of Thomas’ right foot revealed an acute stress reaction surrounding a chronic stress fracture. The team says he could miss as much as four weeks, potentially knocking him out for the rest of the regular season.

Carmelo Anthony has missed three straight games after having fluid drained from the back of his right knee.

Cleveland rookie guard Dion Waiters will miss at least one week because of a sore left knee and may need surgery, another blow to the Cavaliers, who are already without Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao and will have to face the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

ETC.

Cowboys, Dolphins to play in Hall of Fame Game

The Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins will meet in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 4 to open the NFL’s preseason.

The night game at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, will follow the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies the previous day. Among those entering the Hall will be former Cowboys offensive lineman Larry Allen, former Dolphins wide receiver Cris Carter, and Bill Parcells, who coached in Dallas and later was Miami’s vice president of football operations in a career in which he was also head coach for the New York Giants, New England Patriots and New York Jets.

The Hall of Fame is celebrating its 50th anniversary and has plans to recognize many returning members as well as the new inductees.

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NFL team owners have approved a $200-million loan to the Minnesota Vikings for the team’s new $975 million stadium in downtown Minneapolis.

The St. Paul Pioneer reported the loan will be part of the $477 million the Vikings will contribute toward the stadium.

The loan is the maximum amount the league will give a team building a new stadium. It will be paid back over the next 15 years, with some of the money coming through visiting teams’ share of club seat revenue in the new stadium.

The Vikings expect to break ground this fall on the new stadium, on the site of the Metrodome, and be in their new home by 2016.

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Offensive lineman Nate Garner re-signed with the Miami Dolphins.

The signing, announced Tuesday, came barely 24 hours after tackle Jake Long, the overall No. 1 draft pick in 2008, left a hole in the line by signing with the St. Louis Rams. Garner started four games last year.

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Center Brad Meester decided to rejoin the Jacksonville Jaguars, signing a one-year deal to play a 14th season. Meester, a second-round draft pick in 2000, has spent his entire career in Jacksonville.

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The Carolina Panthers signed unrestricted free-agent cornerback D.J. Moore to a one-year deal. Moore played in 13 games with two starts for the Chicago Bears last season and had 29 tackles and two interceptions.

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The Minnesota Vikings signed Seth Olsen to add some depth to their offensive line.

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The San Francisco 49ers added depth to their new-look receiving group, signing wideout Marlon Moore to a one-year contract. Moore played the last three seasons with Miami after joining the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in April 2010.

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A federal magistrate found that Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt not guilty of driving under the influence after trying to pass through a security gate at the Ft. Campbell, Ky., Army post on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line.

After a five-hour trial on the post Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Lanny King also found Britt was not guilty of violating the implied consent law for refusing to take a Breathalyzer test in the July 20 incident.

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Quarterback Gunner Kiel is leaving Notre Dame without ever playing a down.

Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly said the former standout from Columbus, Ind., who was one of the top-rated quarterbacks coming out of high school a year ago, plans to transfer. He was the scout team quarterback his freshman season as the Irish went 12-1 and finished the season ranked No. 4.

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Derek Jeter was removed from the New York Yankees’ lineup against Philadelphia at Clearwater, Fla., on Tuesday for precautionary reasons because his surgically repaired left ankle felt stiff. He said he might be able to play Wednesday, and doesn’t consider the move a setback.

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The U.S. Open tennis tournament will increase its annual prize money to $50 million by 2017 — nearly double what it was last year — and switch back to a Sunday men’s final in 2015, the Associated Press has learned.

As part of an unprecedented five-year agreement with the men’s and women’s professional tours, New York’s Grand Slam also is making an additional $4.1-million increase to this year’s prize pool, on top of an already-record $4 million jump announced in December. That brings the 2013 total payout to $33.6 million from the $25.5 million in 2012.

The moves, aimed at improving relations with players seeking a greater say in the sport and a larger slice of Grand Slam revenues, were presented to the ATP Player Council at a meeting Tuesday in Key Biscayne, Fla. The USTA planned to announce the changes Wednesday.

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FIFA President Sepp Blatter believes 2014 World Cup host Brazil will have the stadiums and infrastructure ready despite construction delays.

So far, only two of six stadiums are ready for the Confederations Cup in June. The iconic Maracana in Rio de Janeiro has a deadline of April 27.

“They will be ready because it is the World Cup and no one can afford not to be ready for the World Cup,” he said.