ATLANTA — Georgia will have to play two more games without star receiver A.J. Green.
The NCAA turned down his appeal Friday night, letting stand the four-game suspension Green received for selling an Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000 to a person deemed to be an agent.
The ruling came less than 24 hours before the Bulldogs hosted Arkansas. Green, who led the Bulldogs with 53 catches for 808 yards last season, also will miss next week’s game at Mississippi State before he’s eligible to return for an Oct. 2 contest at Colorado.
• Investigators from the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office met with Tar Heels defensive tackle Marvin Austin as it probes whether the state’s sports agents laws have been broken.
• Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill is expected to attend today’s game at Illinois after being hospitalized this week for dehydration.
• Texas senior wide receiver John Chiles won’t play against Texas Tech tonight because of a left groin injury.
• Former University of Florida broadcaster Steve Babik has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for child pornography followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Woods could have reduced role
LOS ANGELES — Corey Pavin has no concerns about Tiger Woods’ passion for Ryder Cup play, even if he doesn’t choose the world’s top player for every match Oct. 1-3 in Wales.
“We’ve talked about how many times he wants to play,” Pavin said. “He said, ‘I want to play five matches.’ We talked about him not playing as many, and he said, ‘Whatever’s best for the team.’ “
• John Parry shot a 5-under-par 67 to take a one-shot lead over Graeme McDowell (68—137), Pelle Edberg (68) and Jose Manuel Lara (71) after the second round of the Austrian Open in Atzenbrugg.
Armstrong on comeback trail
BOISE, Idaho — Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong is considering a comeback to professional cycling just days after giving birth to a boy, Lucas William Savola, and a year after leaving the sport.
Armstrong and her husband, Joe Savola, are “going to enjoy the weeks and days ahead with our new little addition” but that’s she’s not ruling out a comeback.
• Philippe Gilbert won the 19th stage of the Spanish Vuelta, which Italian cyclist Vincenzo Nibali still leads going into the penultimate leg.
U.S., Colombia deadlocked
BOGOTA, Colombia — Santiago Giraldo beat Sam Querrey 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 to give Colombia a 1-1 tie with the United States in their three-day Davis Cup playoff match.
In the opener, Mardy Fish defeated Alejandro Falla 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
After a doubles match today, the competition on red clay at La Santamaria bullring — about 8,700 feet above sea level — will conclude Sunday with reverse singles.
The winner Sunday will get a spot in the World Group. The United States, a record 32-time champion in the event, has dropped out of the World Group only once since it began in 1981.
