Colorado Overhauls Recruiting Guidelines

Colorado announced sweeping changes to its scandal-ridden football program Thursday, barring recruits from visiting bars and private parties and putting them under the supervision of parents and coaches.

Calling the guidelines the strictest in the nation, university President Betsy Hoffman and Chancellor Richard Byyny said recruits would now visit the Boulder campus during the off-season, so coaches and athletes would have more time to focus on them. All activities will be planned, approved and supervised by a coach.

The recruits, primarily high school athletes, also will be limited to a single night’s stay during campus visits, instead of the usual two. Curfew will be changed from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m.

“As painful an experience as [change] may be, we view it as an opportunity to set the standard for an issue all colleges and universities must be concerned about,” Hoffman said.

Seven women have accused Colorado football players or recruits of rape since 1997. The school faces federal lawsuits by three of the women, who say they were raped by football athletes at or just after a 2001 off-campus recruiting party.

Asked whether the new guidelines would hurt recruiting, Byyny said, “It really doesn’t matter. We want to have a model program.”

Coach Gary Barnett is on paid leave because of remarks he made in connection with two of the seven rape allegations. No charges have been filed in the cases.

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Eric Dickerson, Deion Sanders, Lawrence Taylor and Troy Aikman are among 85 candidates on this year’s ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame. Former Dodger Kirk Gibson is also on the list. The inductees will be announced in April and inducted Dec. 7 in New York.

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Louisville football Coach Bobby Petrino received a three-year contract extension through 2010 after a 9-4 record in his first season.

Jurisprudence

Former NBA player Jayson Williams had his finger on the trigger when he snapped a shotgun shut, killing limousine driver Costas “Gus” Christofi at his mansion in February 2002, former teammate Benoit Benjamin testified in the manslaughter trial in Somerville, N.J..

A day earlier, Benjamin had said only that Williams’ finger was near the trigger.

New York Giant receiver David Tyree, 24, was charged with drug possession after police found about half a pound of marijuana in his car Tuesday night in Fort Lee, N.J.

Tennis

Top-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne improved to 16-0 this year by beating Nathalie Dechy, 6-1, 7-5, and former No. 1 Jennifer Capriati ousted Silvia Farina Elia, 7-6 (6), 6-1, to reach the semifinals at the Qatar Open in Doha.

Svetlana Kuznetsova, who plays Henin-Hardenne next in a rematch of last week’s Dubai Open final, beat Meghann Shaughnessy, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Capriati will next play Anastasia Myskina, who beat Jie Zheng, 6-2, 7-5.

Defending champion Roger Federer beat Tommy Robredo, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the Dubai Open quarterfinals.

Seventh-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan lost to Ivan Ljubicic, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-5.

Because of rain, no matches were completed at the Franklin Templeton Classic at Scottsdale, Ariz.

Miscellany

Lance Armstrong finished fifth in the second-stage time trial of the Tour of Murcia and moved into second place overall in the five-stage race in Lorca, Spain.

Five-time U.S. gymnastics champion Blaine Wilson said he hoped to be training within six weeks and intended to compete in the Summer Olympics after undergoing surgery to repair his torn biceps. He was injured Saturday during the American Cup.

Individual-session tickets for the synchronized swimming world showcase June 19-20 and the U.S. Olympic team trials July 7-14 at the Long Beach Swim Stadium have gone on sale. Details: (213) 480-3232 or (714) 740-2000.