NCAA defends its rulings in Ohio State, Auburn football cases

The NCAA defended its recent rulings in violations cases involving Ohio State and Auburn, saying it does not play favorites or make decisions based on financial considerations.

The NCAA posted a statement on its website Wednesday responding to critics. It said “the notion that the NCAA is selective with its eligibility decisions and rules enforcement is another myth with no basis in fact.

“Money is not a motivator or factor as to why one school would get a particular decision versus another. Any insinuation that revenue from bowl games in particular would influence NCAA decisions is absurd, because schools and conferences receive that revenue, not the NCAA.”

Last week, the NCAA suspended five Ohio State football players for five games next season for selling their championship rings, trophies and other memorabilia items, but it is allowing them to play in the Sugar Bowl.

Before the NCAA handed down its penalties, Ohio State officials informed Sugar Bowl organizers that the school was lobbying for the players to be eligible for the Jan. 4 game.

Sugar Bowl executive director Paul Hoolahan told the Columbus Dispatch that he encouraged Ohio State officials to push for the players to be allowed to play against Arkansas.

“I made the point that anything that could be done to preserve the integrity of this year’s game, we would greatly appreciate it,” Hoolahan was quoted was saying in Wednesday’s editions of the newspaper. “That appeal did not fall on deaf ears, and I’m extremely excited about it, that the Buckeyes are coming in at full strength and with no dilution.”

Last month, the NCAA did not punish Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, even though it ruled his father had solicited money from Mississippi State while that school was recruiting his son.

In the Ohio State case, the NCAA said players — including quarterback Terrelle Pryor and three other starters — had been inadequately educated about the rules and that was a mitigating factor in the case. The NCAA reiterated that point in its statement Wednesday.

It also said bowl games, the postseason and NCAA championships are evaluated differently when determining a student-athletes’ punishment.

Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley plans to meet with Joe Paterno next month and expects the 84-year old coach to return for the 2011 season. Curley said no date has been set for the meeting.

Mel Tjeerdsma, who won three NCAA Division II championships at Northwest Missouri State, said he is retiring. Tjeerdsma, 64, has spent 17 years at the school, compiling a 183-32 record.

SWIMMING

Coach denies he was forced out

One the nation’s top swimming coaches is leaving the Fullerton program where he trained several top young women on the U.S. team, amid speculation he was forced out because of an intimate relationship with one of his pupils, the Associated Press reported.

Sean Hutchison denied he was involved with one of his swimmers, saying, “There is no truth to that,” and insisting that his departure was a long-planned move to form his own pro team near his current job at the Fullerton Aquatics Sports Team.

“I have heard those rumors also,” Hutchison told the AP. “Unfortunately in this sport, that happens. Rumors go around like that with a lot of coaches. Sometimes, you’re just at the mercy of the rumor mill.”

HOCKEY

Toews has shoulder injury

Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews is expected to sit out two weeks because of a shoulder injury. Coach Joel Quenneville disclosed the severity of the injury after practice Wednesday. Toews was injured Tuesday night in a loss at St. Louis when he was checked hard into the boards by the Blues’ Matt D’Agostini in the first period. Toews got up holding his right shoulder.

The Dallas Stars signed defenseman Trevor Daley to a six-year contract extension worth $19.8 million. The deal is worth $3.5 million in each of the first four years before dropping to $3.1 million in 2015-16 and $2.7 million on 2016-17.

The NHL suspended Philadelphia Flyers forward Jody Shelley for two games for hitting Vancouver’s Andrew Alberts while the Canucks defenseman was down on the ice in a game Tuesday.

ETC.

Palmeiro again denies doping

Rafael Palmeiro again insisted that he never used performance-enhancing drugs during his major league career despite having tested positive for a steroid weeks after he reached 3,000 hits. Palmeiro told SI.com that he hopes Hall of Fame voters will forgive his mistake of taking a tainted vitamin injection in 2005 while he was with the Baltimore Orioles and elect him to the Hall in his first year of eligibility. Results of voting will be announced next week.

Michael Walchhofer of Austria added another victory to his farewell season, becoming the first skier to win the grueling World Cup downhill on the Stelvio course at Bormio, Italy, three times. Walchhofer clocked 1 minute 59.66 seconds on the circuit’s most physically demanding layout for his third victory this season and the 18th of his career. American Bode Miller, still seeking his first win of the season, finished eighth on a course where he has had two downhill victories. Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland was the only other skier to break 2 minutes, finishing 0.08 seconds behind Walchhofer. Christof Innerhofer of Italy was third.

Marlies Schild of Austria won a women’s World Cup slalom — her third victory of the season and 26th overall — and Maria Riesch finished second at Semmering, Austria, extending her lead in the overall standings on American Lindsey Vonn. Schild finished in a combined time of 1 minute 42.06 seconds to beat Riesch, the Olympic and world slalom champion by 0.32. Christina Geiger of Germany, Riesch’s teammate, was 0.52 back in third for her first career podium finish. Vonn, the three-time defending champion, crashed during her first run.

Unbeaten heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez won’t be able to make the first defense of his Ultimate Fighting Championship belt until the summer because of upcoming right shoulder surgery. UFC President Dana White said Velasquez will be out six to eight months while he heals from an injury suffered in his October title triumph over Brock Lesnar at Honda Center.

Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell announced his retirement and will assume an executive’s position with UFC.

— Lance Pugmire

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong withdrew from an event in New Zealand next month in which he planned to relaunch his triathlon career because of a sore left knee. Organizers said that Armstrong now plans to return to the United States immediately after competing in the Tour Down Under cycling race in Australia, which runs Jan. 16-23.