South Bend, Ind.
It marked just the fourth time the NCAA has cited Notre Dame for a major rules violation. The vacated games include Notre Dame’s 12-0 record in 2012, their best regular season since winning their last national championship in 1988. The season finished with an embarrassing 42-14 loss to the Crimson Tide in the title game and the revelation that linebacker Manti Te’o had been the victim of a fake girlfriend hoax.
The school ripped the NCAA for its decision to vacate the wins and immediately said it would appeal. The Rev. John Jenkins, the university president, said the NCAA has never before vacated records in such a case.
The Division I Committee on Infractions panel also put Notre Dame on probation for a year and ordered a $5,000 fine, penalties the school agreed with. There were no bowl or scholarship punishments.
According to the NCAA, the trainer was employed by the athletics department from fall 2009 through the spring of 2013 and “partially or wholly completed numerous academic assignments for football student-athletes in numerous courses” from 2011 into 2013. It said she did substantial coursework for two players and gave impermissible help to six others in 18 courses over two academic years. The NCAA said the woman “continued to provide impermissible academic benefits to football student-athletes for a full year after she graduated” and was in her first year of law school elsewhere.
In all, the NCAA said, three athletes would up playing while ineligible, one during the 2012 season and the other two the following season, when the Irish went 9-4.
Kelly said he knew the vacated wins were a possibility since Notre Dame officials met with the NCAA several months ago. He said he had hoped “reasonable people would come to a reasonable decision.”
Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Clemson held the top four spots in the College Football Playoff rankings for the second straight week and Washington moved up a spot to fifth this week.
Wisconsin is sixth in the selection committee rankings released Tuesday night. Louisville was the team that took a big drop. The Cardinals fell from fifth to 11th after losing at Houston.
Ohio State and Michigan play on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, and the loser is likely to be out of the playoff race. The Wolverines would move on the Big Ten championship game by beating the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes, though, need help to reach the conference title game.
Unbeaten Alabama meets Auburn on Saturday, but the Crimson Tide has already clinched a spot in the SEC title game.
Geneva
It ended Borussia Dortmund 8, Legia Warsaw 4 — beating the Champions League’s previous best set by Monaco’s 8-3 win over Deportivo La Coruna in November 2003.
Monaco lost its place in history but won Group E with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham, which cannot now advance.
English champion Leicester won Group G with a game to spare by beating Brugge 2-1.
Madrid, the defending champion, won 2-1 in Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Sporting Lisbon but still trails Dortmund in Group F ahead of their showdown match in Spain on Dec. 7.
Juventus trailed early before beating 10-man Sevilla 3-1 to take top spot in Group H.
NFL Football
Tampa, Fla.
Adjei-Barimah was an undrafted college free agent out of Bowling Green, who started seven of 13 games he appeared in as a rookie in 2015. He’s started one of 10 games this season and has 22 tackles and two sacks.
Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Hill is fourth on the Rams’ roster with 38 tackles after starting four games as a surprisingly important contributor to Los Angeles’ solid defense.
Hill was arrested Saturday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after he rear-ended a truck in his Mercedes. Hill’s next court date is Dec. 14.
Baltimore
The 55-year-old McDowell replaces Dave Wallace, who retired after the 2016 season.
McDowell was pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves for 11 years before being fired in October. From 2006-16, the Braves had a 3.88 ERA — fourth-best in the majors.