EUGENE, Ore. — The owner of a Texas-based scouting service told Yahoo Sports that Oregon coach Chip Kelly personally approved a $25,000 payment to him that’s the focus of an NCAA investigation.
The February 2010 payment to Will Lyles of Houston has been questioned because of his relationship with running backs Lache Seastrunk and LaMichael James. Lyles was paid soon after Sea- strunk signed a letter of intent.
Oregon announced in March that it had been contacted by the NCAA to provide documentation about its use of recruiting services.
Spokesman Dave Williford told The Associated Press on Friday that the school maintains it has done nothing wrong.
Yahoo Sports reported that Lyles’ role as mentor to prospects and paid contractor to Oregon is believed to be central to the NCAA’s investigation.
“I look back at it now and they paid for what they saw as my access and influence with recruits,” Lyles told Yahoo Sports.
• Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin will skip the 2011 season to concentrate on track after qualifying for the World Championships in the long jump.
• The University of Notre Dame has agreed to pay $42,000 to settle a complaint that it committed six safety violations when a student videographer died after a hydraulic lift from which he was filming a football practice blew over in high gusts.
Under the settlement, the university also agreed to make a substantial contribution to a memorial for 20-year-old Declan Sullivan from Long Grove, Ill., who died in the Oct. 27 accident.
Choi leads AT&T National
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — With five birdies over his last six holes, K.J. Choi had a 6-under-par 64 to match the lowest score in the two years the AT&T National has been played at Aronimink. It gave him a two-shot lead over Chris Riley, Charlie Wi, Justin Leonard and Bo Van Pelt.
• John Cook and John Huston shot 9-under 63s to share the first-round lead in the Champions Tour Montreal Championship in Blainville, Quebec.
• James Morrison shot a 5-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the French Open in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
NASCAR: Martin wins pole
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Mark Martin won the pole at Daytona International Speedway by bumping Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne from the top spot.
Martin’s lap of 182.065 mph bettered Bayne’s lap of 182.002 for today’s Coke Zero 400.
Clint Bowyer qualified third and was followed by Jeff Gordon, who is Martin’s teammate. David Ragan qualified fifth, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is sixth.
Footnotes.
Authorities say a court hearing in Atlanta has been set for later this month after the mother of NFL star Terrell Owens‘ child accused him of not paying all of the child support owed to her family.
• Chuck Person and Quin Snyder have been hired by the Los Angeles Lakers as assistants to coach Mike Brown.
