College Athletics
College sports get a B grade in annual diversity report
A new study gives college sports a B grade for racial and gender hiring practices, though the overall numbers have dipped slightly from last year.
The 2012 College Sport Racial and Gender Report Card was issued Wednesday by the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.
The mark for gender hiring rose slightly to 81.3 points from 80.7 a year ago, while the number for racial hiring dipped to 81 points from 82.2. The overall score fell to 81.1 points from 81.5.
Among all the professional and college sports covered by the study’s report cards, college sports earns the lowest grade for racial hiring practices and is ahead of only the NFL and Major League Baseball in gender hiring.
UNM shops naming rights for basketball, football
ALBUQUERQUE – For the right price, the University of New Mexico may be willing to put a different name on The Pit, its basketball arena.
New Mexico athletic officials said they’re hoping a company or family would be willing to buy the naming rights for the arena for an amount like $10 million or $15 million.
According to university officials, the extra cash would help New Mexico shoulder its $3-million annual burden of paying off debt on the facility’s $60-million renovation done in 2010.
Cass said New Mexico also would be open to a naming rights deal for University Stadium, the football team’s home.
Last year the school named the new turf Branch Field because of a $1.5-million gift from the family behind the Branch Law Firm.
NBA
From Jackson to Thorn, NBA will get a new executive VP
NEW YORK – Executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson is leaving his position at the NBA on Aug. 1, and Rod Thorn will return to the league office as president of basketball operations, the league said Wednesday.
Jackson spent more than 13 years at the league. In his current position, he is in charge of all rules, conduct and discipline on the court. He has been involved in college or pro basketball for more than three decades, was chairman of the NBA’s Competition Committee and served on FIBA’s Competition Commission and USA Basketball’s Board of Directors.
Thorn previously spent 14 seasons at the NBA office and has been a successful team executive with Chicago, New Jersey and Philadelphia. He drafted Michael Jordan with the Bulls and was Executive of the Year with the Nets.
NBA salary cap gets a slight bump to $58.7 million
NEW YORK – The NBA has set next season’s salary cap at $58.7 million, paving the way for contracts to be signed starting Wednesday.
The tax level is $71.7 million, with harsher penalties starting this season for teams that exceed it. Teams formerly paid $1 for every $1 they were over, but the penalties now start at $1.50 for teams up to $4.9 million over, with increases from there.
The cap is a slight increase from this season’s $58 million.
The mid-level exception for nontaxpayers is $5.15 million. It’s $3.2 million for teams over the tax, and there’s a mid-level worth $2.7 million for teams with room under the salary cap.
Tennis
USA will host Italy to start 2014 Fed Cup play
Italy and Russia will begin their 2014 series away from home in February.
The draw in Paris on Wednesday has Italy traveling to the United States, and Russia will go to Australia for the first time since 1998.
Italy beat the U.S. in the 2009 and 2010 finals and in the first round this year.
Also, the Czech Republic, 2011 and 2012 champion, will visit Spain, and Slovakia will host Germany.
The 2013 Fed Cup final between Italy and Russia will be held in November in Cagliari, Sardinia.
Associated Press
