Schools meeting academic standards

Nearly all of the nation’s 6,110 Division I college teams are meeting or exceeding minimum academic standards, according to the latest Academic Progress Rates report released by the NCAA on Wednesday.

But high-profile sports such as men’s football, basketball and baseball continue to have numerous teams flirting with penalties, the report said.

“As each year goes by, I am more and more encouraged by how seriously our student-athletes are taking their academic responsibility,” NCAA President Myles Brand said in a statement. “But more work is needed.”

Only 112 major college teams nationwide will be sanctioned because of this report. That includes the women’s basketball team at UC Santa Barbara, which has been penalized two scholarships, and San Diego State’s baseball team, which lost .86 of a scholarship.

The men’s basketball team at Cal State Northridge has been put on notice that it will face penalties if its classroom performance does not improve.

The USC men’s basketball team scored below the minimum of 925 -- which translates roughly to a 60% graduation rate -- but escaped a penalty because of a squad-size adjustment given to teams with small rosters whose scores can be significantly altered by the performance of only a few players.

USC was also among several Southern California schools -- including Pepperdine, Long Beach State and UC Irvine -- lauded for having one or more teams in the Top 10 academically in their sports.

-- David Wharton

MOTOR RACING

NASCAR fines Harvick, McMurray for incident

NASCAR fined Kevin Harvick and Jamie McMurray $25,000 each for making contact during a caution at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

Both drivers were also put on probation until Oct. 3.

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. will drive for Foyt Racing and carry the No. 50 on his car in recognition of A.J. Foyt’s 50 years at the storied race.

MEDIA

KMPC programming switch causes confusion

A listener to KMPC 1540 sent an e-mail to the laradio.com website Wednesday complaining that Tony Bruno’s “Korea Radio skit” the previous day was running a little long.

Only it wasn’t a Bruno skit. The former all-sports and USC flagship station Tuesday began carrying Radio Korea programming. KMPC, which had been an affiliate of the Sporting News radio network, was sold to Radio Korea for $33 million March 30.

Last October, about a month after the Sporting News network had been sold to American City Business Journals Inc., all employees at KMPC were let go. But the station continued to air Sporting News national programming, which included Bruno and Mark Willard in the morning, Dave Smith midday and Arnie Spanier in the afternoon.

Those personalities are still on the network, but Los Angeles no longer has an affiliate.

-- Larry Stewart

MISCELLANY

Hall of Famer Cepeda arrested on drug charges

Orlando Cepeda, 69, a baseball Hall of Fame member, was arrested Tuesday afternoon by a California Highway Patrol officer on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance, along with possession of a hypodermic needle or syringe and possession of marijuana.

The CHP said Cepeda was stopped for speeding on Interstate 80 about 40 miles northeast of San Francisco, where the former first baseman works with the Giants as a community liaison and speaks to at-risk children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Occidental quarterback Andy Collins signed a free-agent deal with the New York Giants, the same team that last month signed another player from the Division III school, punter Cory Ohnesorge.

AC Milan reached the Champions League soccer final by defeating visiting Manchester United, 3-0, in the second leg and advancing on total goals, 5-3.

Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10), in an exhibition match on a half-grass, half-clay court at Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

USC and Virginia will play in football for the first time when the Trojans travel to Charlottesville in 2008, USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett announced. The teams will play at the Coliseum in 2010.

Former Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge has been hired as men’s basketball coach at UC Riverside.