UCLA's Dan Guerrero to chair basketball committee
Al Seib / Los Angeles Times
UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero was appointed chairman of the NCAA Division I men's basketball committee for 2009-2010. Guerrero will replace current chairman Mike Slive, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, Sept. 1, 2009.
Guerrero is already vice president of the National Assn. of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and chair of the NCAA Division I men's basketball academic enhancement group.
"It is truly an honor to follow in the footsteps of my colleagues who have previously served the NCAA membership," Guerrero said in a statement.
During his tenure, Guerrero will be the face of the NCAA basketball tournament. It will be Guerrero who will explain why certain teams do or don't get at-large bids to March Madness.
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Diane Pucin
TENNIS
Safin upset in Swedish Open
Potito Starace beat Wimbledon semifinalist Marat Safin,7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4, and reached the quarterfinals of the Swedish Open at Bastad.
The win was the Italian's second three-set match in two days, after ousting 2002 champion Carlos Moya in the first round. Starace defeated Safin for the first time since losing to the Russian at the 2004 French Open.
In Friday's quarterfinals, Starace will play fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych, who topped former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, 7-6 (2), 6-2.
Qualifier Bjorn Rehnquist also advanced to the last eight at the clay-court tournament, at the expense of wild card and compatriot Michael Ryderstedt,6-3, 7-5.
Top-seeded Mardy Fish lost his first match at the Hall of Fame championships for the second consecutive year, falling to qualifier Rohan Bopanna, 7-6, (6) 7-5.
MISCELLANY
Rodriguez, Michigan agree to pay $4 million
Former West Virginia football coach Rich Rodriguez and the University of Michigan have agreed to pay a $4-million buyout and settle a lawsuit that West Virginia filed after he broke his contract in December.
Rodriguez will pay $1.5 million in three annual payments beginning in January 2010. The Wolverines athletic department, his new employer, will pay $2.5 million by the end of July.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has spoken to three countries about playing host to the 2010 World Cup if a natural catastrophe forces it away from South Africa.
