UMaine football watch party set
ORONO, Maine — Seasons Grille and Sports Lounge in Bangor will be hosting the official Maine Football Watch Party on Saturday 8 p.m. when the Black Bears square off against Tulane.
Fans are invited to Seasons Grille and Sports Lounge to cheer on the Black Bears. Seasons is located at 427 Main St in Bangor.
Delle Donne claims MVP honors
Chicago Sky standout Elena Delle Donne was named Most Valuable Player of the WNBA on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-5 Delle Donne led the WNBA in scoring at 23.4 points per game and ranked third in rebounding at 8.4. She also shot a league-best 95 percent from the free-throw line.
Delle Donne received 38 of 39 first-place votes. Second-place finisher Maya Moore of Minnesota had the other first-place vote.
The 26-year-old Delle Donne made big strides this season after her 2014 campaign was hindered by a recurrence of Lyme Disease. She was WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2013 after a stellar college career at Delaware.
Rutgers coach suspended 3 games
Rutgers football coach Kyle Flood was suspended for three games and fined $50,000 for improper conduct with a faculty member regarding the academic status of a player, the university announced Wednesday.
According to a university investigation, Flood’s contact with the faculty member was inappropriate and in violation of school policy.
Running backs coach Norries Wilson will serve as interim coach, beginning with Saturday’s contest against Penn State.
Flood has also come under scrutiny due to a slew of off-field issues.
Summitt remains Vols’ coach emeritus
Pat Summitt will continue as head coach emeritus for the Tennessee women’s basketball team.
Summitt stepped down as coach in April 2012 after announcing she was in the early stages of dementia. She has held the emeritus title since then.
According to public records, Summitt will receive $75,000 for the 2015-16 season. She was paid the same amount last year. The one-year deal continues to renew each year “unless she chooses to relinquish it.”
Summitt established an NCAA record with 1,098 victories during her career. Under her guidance, the Vols won eight national championships.
WNBA sees record-low attendance
The WNBA averaged 7,318 fans per game during the 2015 regular season, the lowest average attendance in league history according to SportsBusiness Daily.
The 2015 figure represented a three percent drop from last season and was below the previous low of 7,457 in 2012. The record high was an average of 10,864 fans during the league’s second season in 1998, but the league has not topped an average of 10,000 fans per game since the 2009 season.
Part of the dip this season is attributed to the San Antonio Stars suffering a 37 percent decline in attendance (4,831) while playing at a Freeman Coliseum while the AT&T Center was undergoing renovations. The Tulsa Shock, who will be moving to Arlington, Texas for the 2016 season, also saw a significant drop-off with an average of 5,167 fans, down 7.2 percent from the previous season.
Cole to remain with Pelicans
Restricted free agent guard Norris Cole is set to sign a one-year, $3.03 million qualifying offer with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Cole was unable to land a long-term deal during the offseason and decided to accept the Pelicans’ offer. After the 2015-16 season, he will then become an unrestricted free agent.
In 28 games for the Pelicans last season, Cole averaged 9.9 points and 3.1 assists and shot a career-best 37.8 percent from 3-point range. And in 75 games overall in 2014-15, he averaged 7.6 points and 3.4 assists.
Bucks arena opening could be delayed
The Milwaukee Bucks may not complete the $500 million arena project until one year later than previously announced with a possible new target of an October 2018 opening.
Bucks owners and executives had planned to break ground this fall in downtown Milwaukee and open by fall 2017.
Mike Fascitelli, a Bucks co-owner and leader of the development effort, said Tuesday the team will start construction in spring 2016, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.
If there is a one-year postponement, the Bucks will play three more seasons at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Rutgers’ Carroo pleads not guilty
Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo pleaded not guilty to charges of simple assault under domestic violence on Wednesday in municipal court in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Carroo’s plea was submitted by an attorney. His first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 1.
The 2014 first-team All-Big Ten receiver was indefinitely suspended from the football team last weekend after an alleged altercation on Saturday outside the team’s training and administrative building after the Scarlet Knights’ home loss to Washington State.
According to Gannett New Jersey, a criminal complaint was filed against Carroo by a woman he reportedly had dated in the past who said he slammed her to the concrete and injured her left hip, both palms on her hands, left elbow and left side of the head.