College Football
ESPN reports Texas A&M football was placed on probation for a year and coach Jimbo Fisher was given a six-month show-cause order after he and the program were found to have violated NCAA recruiting and athletic-related activity rules.
The findings, released today, stemmed from violations between January 2018 and February 2019, including an instance in which Fisher and an assistant coach had impermissible contact with a recruit. As part of the negotiated resolution, the school had to end recruitment of the recruit in question. The NCAA did not name the assistant coach, but Texas A&M later identified him as Jay Graham, who is now an assistant at Tennessee.
College Basketball
The NCAA’s infractions case against the Kansas men’s basketball program will be heard by a review independent panel designed to handle such disputes. The Jayhawks have been accused of five Level I violations, the most serious under NCAA rules, tied into the FBI investigation of corruption involving apparel company Adidas and several prominent programs. An attorney for Jayhawks coach Bill Self recently stated that his client is considering pursuing legal action against the NCAA on defamation claims.
MLB
Chicago Cubs left-hander Jose Quintana had surgery to repair nerve damage in his pitching thumb today after he cut himself washing dishes. Quintana cut his thumb at his home in Miami on Saturday and needed five stitches. The 31-year-old is expected to resume throwing in about two weeks. The Cubs hope to get a better idea then of how much time he will miss in the 60 game season.
NBA
ESPN reports nine more NBA players tested positive for the coronavirus last week. The league announced today nine positive tests found between June 24-29 bring the overall total to 25 players out of a pool of 351 who have been tested since June 23. 16 players tested positive last week.
Kobe Bryant was announced today as a cover athlete for NBA 2K21.The late Los Angeles Lakers star will grace the front of the current and next-gen Mamba Forever editions of the game. He is the third cover athlete that NBA 2K has announced, along with Portland Trail Blazer star Damian Lillard and New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson
Tennis
World number one Novak Djokovic and his wife have tested negative for COVID-19, 10 days after saying they had contracted the virus after returning to Serbia from the curtailed Adria Tour. The two had no symptoms and were in self-isolation in Belgrade.