Mighty Ducks Sign Free-Agent Rychel

The Mighty Ducks signed free agent left wing Warren Rychel to a reported three-year, $1.5-million deal.

Rychel, who played for the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche last season, is expected to replace one of the Ducks’ enforcers, Todd Ewen.

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Steven King, who had two goals in seven games for the Mighty Ducks last season, signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. King, 27, missed the 1994-95 season following reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder. He spent most of last season with Baltimore in the American Hockey League, leading the Bandits with 40 goals and 21 assists. Terms were not disclosed.

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The Kings signed free-agent left wing Brent Grieve to a one year contract. Grieve, 27, had been with the Chicago Blackhawks organization and was loaned to the Kings’ International Hockey League affiliate, the Phoenix Roadrunners, for the final 13 games of last season. His contract is a two-way agreement with the Kings and Roadrunners.

College Football

Nebraska coach Tom Osborne has told the NFL he will not allow scouts on campus this season for a “combination of things,” including the drafting and release of former lineman Christian Peter by the New England Patriots.

“We will continue to make film available to the pro scouts as well as injury information and any other relevant information that goes into the professional draft,” Osborne said Tuesday in a written statement.

But since most “personnel decisions” are based on film evaluations of players, Osborne said, the scouts will not be allowed to watch practice during two separate weeks, as they had before this season.

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has received a letter from Osborne outlining the ban and other issues, league spokesman Greg Aiello said. He could not speculate on what the response might be.

“I don’t know that it (the ban) is unprecedented, but I’m not sure,” Aiello said from New York. “The commissioner will respond.”

Fred Taylor, a top running back for Florida who allegedly took part in a scheme to steal and sell textbooks, reportedly could be suspended for as many as four games, including the Gators’ showdown with Tennessee.

The Florida Times-Union, citing an unidentified source, said Tuesday the student judicial affairs committee met last week and suspended him through September.

College Basketball

Six basketball players, including Marcus Camby, are receiving payments to settle invasion-of-privacy complaints against the University of Massachusetts.

The settlement was announced jointly Tuesday by the university and a Washington, D.C., lawyer for the players. Massachusetts spokesperson Kay Scanlan and the player’s lawyer, Daniel Segal, refused to say how much money the players are receiving.

As part of the settlement, the university said it “regrets” the leaking of the players’ grades to the news media.

The players’ complaints stem from newspaper reports in October 1994 that said several players on the team were in academic trouble.

Boxing

The head of one of boxing’s three major sanctioning bodies reportedly took bribes to rig the rankings and is being investigated by federal prosecutors.

IBF president Bob Lee denied taking payoffs and said he is unaware of any investigation. He said no personal or business records have been subpoenaed.

Lee blamed the allegations on a “racist” vendetta by a leading promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc.

The New York Post said Tuesday that Arum received immunity from prosecution last week and told investigators he paid Lee to fix rankings, which determine the fighters who get title shots.

Arum denied receiving immunity and said he does not have firsthand knowledge anyone is investigating Lee, or that Lee extorted money.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Newark, as a matter of policy, cannot confirm or deny any investigation, spokesman Dick Lavinthal said Tuesday.

The Post, citing unidentified sources, said the investigation stemmed from a lawsuit filed in federal court in Newark last year by then contender and now IBF heavyweight champion Michael Moorer. The suit said Lee “solicited bribes and-or extorted money.”

Madison Square Garden vice president John Cirillo said Tuesday the venue has improved its security and vowed such an incident will never happen again.

A melee on July 11 spilled from the ring to the stands, injuring 14 and raising many questions about the security measures employed by the Garden for boxing.

The Garden’s next event is Aug. 20 when Buster Mathis Jr. fights Lou Savarese in a nationally televised heavyweight bout.

“We said at the time after the despicable incident that we were not going to allow a few thugs to jeopardize our commitment to boxing,” Cirillo said. “ We have worked around the clock on new security measures and we will be ready to make sure that an incident like that never happens again. The safety of our fans is our No. 1 priority.”

The Garden’s most recent boxing event, where Riddick Bowe won a decision over Andrew Golota, ended in a chair-swinging riot in the main 20,000-seat arena. The Mathis Jr.-Savarese fight will be in the arena’s adjoining 5,100-seat theater.

Southland

Andrea Gaston, a two-time California State Amateur champion, has been name associate head coach of USC’s women’s golf team.