NCAA Extends Sanctions on Kansas Teams

Citing academic fraud by a former graduate assistant football coach and a woeful compliance record under former athletic director Al Bohl, the NCAA extended Kansas’ self-imposed probation through October 2009.

Kansas had put itself on two years’ probation after an investigation by the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions, but the committee extended that to three years Thursday and made more severe scholarship cuts than the university had hoped.

The committee cut three football scholarships and one in men’s basketball for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years. The school cut one scholarship last year in football and none in men’s basketball, although it did cut women’s basketball scholarships by two for the 2005-06 school year.

Chancellor Robert Hemenway said the school would not appeal.

Among the committee’s most serious findings was that the former graduate assistant provided test answers to two prospective junior college transfers who were taking a correspondence course exam in his dorm room.

Committee member Gene Marsh said in a conference call with reporters that the investigation had found that the academic fraud happened without head Coach Mark Mangino’s knowledge.

“I don’t need to cheat,” Mangino said. “That’s not how I operate. I have enough faith in my coaching ability.”

TENNIS

McEnroe a Winner

in Return to Doubles

John McEnroe returned to the Royal Tennis Hall -- 21 years after his fourth and last singles title in the Swedish capital of Stockholm -- and teamed with Jonas Bjorkman to beat Andreas Vinciguerra and Johan Landsberg, 6-3, 6-2, in a first-round match at the Stockholm Open.

McEnroe received a standing ovation when he came out to warm up, and the crowd gave him another standing ovation after his team closed out the victory.

McEnroe, who retired from the ATP Tour in 1992, played his last doubles event on the tour in February at San Jose with Bjorkman of Sweden. They won the tournament, giving McEnroe his 78th doubles title. It’s second only to Todd Woodbridge’s 83 titles.

In singles, James Blake breezed into the quarterfinals with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Simon Greul.

Third-seeded Andy Roddick rallied to beat Richard Gasquet, 6-7 6-1 6-3, to reach the quarterfinals of the Vienna Open.

David Nalbandian, seeded second, eased through with a 6-2 6-3 triumph over Oliver Marach.

Amelie Mauresmo held on to beat Elena Vesnina, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (3), and advance to the Kremlin Cup quarterfinals in Moscow.

MOTOR SPORTS

Elliott Criticizes

NASCAR for Safety

Former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott has some tough words for the racing series on safety and its response to the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt.

In a new memoir, “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville: My Life in NASCAR,” Elliott accuses NASCAR of not getting serious about long-standing safety concerns until after Earnhardt’s fatal crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. He said that’s disrespectful to the memory of drivers such as Adam Petty, Tony Roper and Kenny Irwin, who died in on-track accidents in the months before Earnhardt.

“No one called for investigations or softer walls, or HANS devices when these drivers died. But when Dale Earnhardt died, NASCAR went full bore, head over heels on safety,” Elliott writes.

Scott Riggs posted a lap at 191.469 mph to put his No. 10 Dodge in the top starting spot for Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Riggs edged Kasey Kahne, his Evernham Motorsports teammate, for the pole. Kurt Busch qualified third, but his Dodge was later disqualified because his right rear shock did not meet NASCAR specifications. He will now start 42nd.

Supercross and motocross star Ricky Carmichael confirmed he will join the NASCAR team of MB2 Motorsports next year while maintaining a limited schedule of motorcycle racing.

Carmichael, 26, will start in stock car racing’s minor leagues but “obviously the ultimate goal is to be in the Nextel Cup series,” he said at a news conference.

In local motor sports Saturday night, NASCAR Craftsman Truck series driver Ron Hornaday Jr. is scheduled to compete in a super late-model race at Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino.

Professional drifting returns to Irwindale Speedway with the final round of the Formula Drift Championship, starting at 2 p.m. Samuel Hubinette leads the series, followed by defending champion Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust.

-- Jim Peltz

MISCELLANY

Loyola Sets Record

in a 23-5 Victory

The Loyola Marymount men’s water polo team coasted to a 23-5 victory over Gannon University and set the all-time team scoring record for a game. The Lions scored the game’s first 10 goals at Loyola.

The president of the French Olympic Committee was convicted on corruption charges and received a three-month suspended sentence.

Henri Serandour, also an International Olympic Committee member, was accused of giving two lucrative jobs to a communications company that had hired his wife, Catherine Poirot.

FINA, swimming’s world governing body, has urged the IOC to stick with tradition and stage evening swimming finals at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

NBC, which paid $3.55 billion for the exclusive media rights to the 2000-08 Games, has requested the switch to the morning in Beijing to coincide with prime-time viewing in the U.S.