BYU suspends 2

players in a fight

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Charges have been filed in a fight that led to the suspension of two Brigham Young University football players.

Prosecutors in Provo, Utah, say they filed misdemeanor assault charges against 20-year-old Matthew Santos, 21-year-old Alexander Jackman, 21-year-old Zachary Stout and 23-year-old Joe Sampson.

Provo police say they responded to reports of an assault at the Rancherito restaurant early in the morning on Nov. 1. Officers used surveillance videos to identify people in the incident.

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall announced last week that senior defensive back Sampson and sophomore linebacker Stout were suspended for violating team rules. Both players withdrew from BYU and will not return this season.

 

ACC reaches 12-year

TV deal with ESPN

MIAMI (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference has agreed to a 12-year deal with ESPN for the rights to televise the Orange Bowl, with the conference champion facing either Notre Dame or a team from the Big Ten or SEC.

The deal announced Thursday begins in January 2015 and runs through 2026. ESPN.com has previously reported that the network will play about $55 million per year for the game.

Under the new deal, the Orange Bowl will be played either Dec. 31 or Jan. 1.

Also Thursday, Bill Hancock was hired by the conference commissioners and university presidents to be the executive director of the playoff system that starts in 2014. Hancock has been executive director of the Bowl Championship Series the past three years.

 

 

Browns’ CB Haden

out with injury

BEREA (AP) — Browns starting cornerback Joe Haden was not at practice because of an oblique injury.

Haden, who was suspended four games by the NFL earlier this season for failing a drug test, was not on the field for the portion of Thursday’s practice open to the media. He was limited on Wednesday with an oblique injury but said afterward he expected to play this week at Dallas. The Browns (2-7) can’t afford to be without Haden, their top coverage defender who would likely be assigned to Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant.

The Browns went 0-4 without Haden, who has two interceptions and has been credited with breaking up five passes.

Cleveland’s secondary is already missing cornerback Dimitri Patterson, who has missed the past four games with a severe ankle injury and hasn’t been cleared to practice.