Oregon’s Chip Kelly gets big contract extension

Oregon Coach Chip Kelly has agreed to a six-year, $20.5-million contract extension that makes him the Pacific 10 Conference’s second-highest-paid coach behind USC’s Lane Kiffin.

The new deal guarantees Kelly a minimum of $2.4 million this season and could be worth more if Oregon reaches certain performance incentives.

Kelly, 46, led Oregon to the Rose Bowl last season in his first year as coach. The fourth-ranked Ducks face No. 9 Stanford on Saturday.

“This is an investment in the future success of Oregon athletics and an investment in retaining one of the brightest college coaches in the country,” Athletic Director Rob Mullens said in a statement.

Dantonio feels good

Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio called it a “surreal” experience to watch his Spartans beat Northern Colorado on television last weekend.

Things will get closer to normal Saturday when the Spartans play host to Wisconsin. Less than two weeks after suffering a mild heart attack, Dantonio plans to coach from the press box, though he said there would be some unspecified “restrictions” on his activities.

“I feel good, very good,” he said Tuesday on the weekly Big Ten conference call. “I’ll ease back into this, just like any injured player would. I’ll follow doctor’s orders, be a good patient and listen.”

Dantonio also tried to minimize his part of the story line.

“This is a program, not one person,” he said. “I think that’s what’s important to remember.”

Teddy Greenstein

Georgia’s Green sold jersey for extra cash

With his four-game suspension behind him, Georgia receiver A.J. Green described how he sold his Independence Bowl jersey and how he was caught by the NCAA.

Green said he sold the jersey on Facebook to Chris Hawkins, a former North Carolina football player, whom the NCAA considers an agent, because he needed money for spring break.

Green said the NCAA opened an investigation after a TMZ.com story claimed he attended a party in Miami sponsored by an agent. Green denied he was at the party but was ordered by the NCAA to turn over bank statements, which revealed the jersey sale.

Georgia is 1-3 overall and 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1993 and Green said he lost sleep that his suspension contributed to the Bulldogs’ poor start.

“I feel like I caused a lot of people pain,” he said. “Because I feel like if I was out there some of the time we would have had a chance. I beat myself up pretty much over that.”

Houston QB undecided on future

Houston senior quarterback Case Keenum, who tore a knee ligament in a loss to UCLA two weeks ago, said he hasn’t decided whether he’ll ask the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility or set his sights on the NFL.

“I want to play football for the Cougars — right now,” Keenum said. “But that’s not going to happen. As far as the future, there’s no telling….I don’t know where that’s going to be.”

Keenum is projected as a fourth-round pick in the NFL draft and the seventh-best quarterback in the class of 2010 by Scout.com

UConn players arrested after fight

Connecticut kicker Dave Teggart and reserve linebacker Jerome Williams were arrested and charged with breach of peace early Tuesday morning after an altercation between the two in Storrs, Conn.

According to the police report, Teggart, a junior, and Williams, a sophomore, were arrested at 12:02 a.m. at an off-campus apartment complex. The two were released on a $500 bond and are scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 12.

UConn Coach Randy Edsall made light of the situation Tuesday.

“Nowadays, as we all know, when there’s a little spat, they don’t just tell you to go home or anything like that,” Edsall said. “Now you get arrested, written up for breach of peace.”

Hartford Courant