UNDATED (AP) — A highly anticipated NCAA basketball matchup between Duke and Michigan has been canceled because of broadcast rights issues. Duke will now play Texas Tech on December 21 at Madison Square Garden, according to media reports. The original game was set to stream on Amazon Prime as part of Duke's three-game deal. The matchup was initially planned for Madison Square Garden, then moved to Miami, before being canceled. Both Michigan and Duke were top seeds in the 2026 NCAA tournament, with Michigan winning the championship. Duke's Cameron Boozer and three Michigan starters were high NBA draft picks.
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA Division I Board of Directors is standing firm on its new age-based eligibility rule despite legal challenges. The rule allows athletes five seasons of competition over a five-year period starting with full-time enrollment or the academic year after their 19th birthday. Lawsuits have been filed, arguing the rule unfairly limits athletes' college careers. The board insists the rule is well-informed and widely supported. It eliminates waivers for extended eligibility, except for specific cases like military service. The SEC supports the rule although some leaders have concerns about its timing and effectiveness.
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the top overall pick in this year’s draft, signed a four-year, $57.27 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday. The Raiders hold a fifth-year option. Mendoza was the last of the Raiders’ 10 draft picks to sign. He ran the third-team offense in organized team activities and minicamp, but is expected to take on a larger role in training camp, which begins Wednesday. Veteran Kirk Cousins, who signed a free-agent contract worth $20 million guaranteed, enters camp as the No. 1 quarterback.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota coach Niko Medved has received a one-year contract extension with a slight raise after a promising first season at his alma mater. The university board of regents approved the contract amendment this week at its regular monthly meeting to give Medved a $100,000 pay bump on top of the $100,000 annual increase in his initial six-year deal. Medved is now signed through the 2031-32 season. He will make $3.2 million in 2026-27. That ranks 17th out of 18 head coaches in the Big Ten. The Gophers went 15-18 overall and 8-12 in Big Ten play in Medved’s first year.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — College football coaching great Tom Osborne became the first living person to be named to the Nebraska state hall of fame. Osborne coached Nebraska to three national championships in the 1990s and ended his career with one of the highest winning percentages in college football history. The state legislature in April passed a law paving the way for the 89-year-old Osborne’s entry. The law set aside the stipulation that a person must be deceased at least 35 years before he or she can be considered for induction. The hall of fame commission voted 7-0 in favor of inducting Osborne.
NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players have proposed expanding eligibility for the amateur draft rather than decreasing it, maintaining 20 rounds of selections and moving it back to June. It's another signal the sport is heading to a labor confrontation this offseason. The union proposed allowing college sophomores to be eligible for the draft along with those finishing their junior years. That's a group eligible under the current rules along with high school seniors. Players proposed moving the draft back to June, when it was held through 2020. They asked that draft slot values continue to be increased at the same percentage as industry revenue through 2027.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NCAA Division II athletes would move immediately to the age-based eligibility model adopted in Division I under proposed emergency legislation. The Division II Management Council recommended the division’s executive board adopt the model that would create a five-year period of eligibility effective for the 2026-27 academic year. Under the proposal, an athlete’s eligibility would begin upon initial full-time enrollment or the regular academic year immediately following the student-athlete’s 19th birthday, whichever occurs earlier. The current Division II model giving athletes four seasons of competition to be completed within their first 10 semesters or 15 quarters of full-time enrollment.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The University of Michigan and athletic director Warde Manuel have agreed to a buyout of the remaining years on his contract and he will step down at the end of the year. The decision culminates a decade-long run with four national championships and a string of scandals. The school says the decision was tied to investigations into former football coach Sherrone Moore’s relationship with his executive assistant and a probe into the athletic department’s culture. Manuel led a department behind this year’s men’s basketball title and a football program that won the 2023 national championship.