>>Northwestern Athletics Going Under Review
(Evanston, IL) — The Northwestern athletics program isn’t out of the spotlight just yet. The university is commissioning two external reviews of the Wildcats athletic department. President Michael Schill said that one review aims to show Northwestern how to better protect its athletes while holding its leadership accountable. The second review is going to look at “the culture of Northwestern Athletics.” Wildcats head football coach Pat Fitzgerald and baseball coach Jim Foster were both fired last week after two independent investigations that looked into hazing and bullying allegations in each program.
>>Report: Pac-12 Won’t Announce New Media Deal This Week
(Las Vegas, NV) — The Pac-12 conference won’t be announcing a new media rights deal this week. The Athletic reports the conference doesn’t plan to announce a deal during Friday’s football media day. Negotiations are currently ongoing and there reportedly remains no specific timetable for an announcement. The Pac-12 has been working on a new media rights deal since last year as its current deals with ESPN, Fox and the Pac-12 Networks are set to expire before the 2024 football season.
>>Miles Bridges Apologizes Following Domestic Violence Investigation
(Charlotte, NC) — Hornets forward Miles Bridges addressed the media for the first time since signing a one-year deal to return to Charlotte. Bridges apologized to “everybody” for the “pain and embarrassment” that he caused following a domestic violence investigation that kept him out of the NBA last season. The 25-year-old pleaded no contest to a felony charge last November and was sentenced to three years of probation. Bridges said that he wants to use his second chance “to prove to everyone that I’m the same kid you drafted five years ago.”
>>Kings Sign Center Nerlens Noel
(Sacramento, CA) — The Kings are adding some frontcourt depth. Center Nerlens Noel agreed to a one-year deal worth just over three-million-dollars to join Sacramento. The 29-year-old played in 17 games for the Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets last season. The Malden, Massachusetts native was originally selected by the then New Orleans Hornets with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft. Noel is averaging just over seven points, six rebounds and one-and-a-half blocks per game over his nine-year career.
>>Giants Place Jarrad Davis On Injured Reserve
(East Rutherford, NJ) — The Giants are going to be without a key member of their defense this season. On Tuesday, the G-Men placed linebacker Jarrad Davis on injured reserve, ending his 2023 season before it even began. Davis, a first-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2017, was signed off the Lions’ practice squad last year and started in one regular season game for New York. Davis started in the Giants’ two playoff games, recording seven combined tackles and one quarterback hit.
>>Auburn Could Play Two QBs This Season
(Nashville, TN) — Auburn’s new head football coach is looking to take advantage of his entire roster. On Tuesday, Hugh Freeze told the media that they could end up playing two quarterbacks at times this season, as incumbent Robby Ashford and Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne are expected to battle for the starting position. Ashford started nine times for the Tigers last season after transferring from Oregon, going 3-and-6 over those games. Thorne has yet to practice for Auburn after leaving Michigan State, but he is 16-and-10 over 26 career starts.