ND’s Clausen may have violated school code

For the second time in a year, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen may have to explain his alleged participation in a situation involving alcohol. At least two other teammates might be doing some explaining with him.

Notre Dame will investigate possible school code violations after the Web site The Big Lead posted photos Monday that appear to depict Clausen, teammates Brian Smith and James Aldridge and one other individual attending what the site labeled “Beer Olympics.”

The pictures are not dated, and while there is beer on the table in front of the players, the photos do not show the players actively consuming alcohol.

No matter the date of the photos, at least two of the players would not be of legal drinking age: Clausen, who does not turn 21 until Sept. 21, and Smith, who does not reach 21 until 2010. Aldridge turned 21 on July 6.

A Notre Dame football spokesman said there was no comment from the team for the time being.

Basketball

Maui pairings set

North Carolina will open the 25th annual EA Sports Maui Invitational against host Chaminade. The tournament will be held Nov. 24-26.

The other first-round games will have Texas against Saint Joseph’s, Indiana meeting Notre Dame and Oregon facing Alabama.

•Unrestricted free agent Earl Boykins, 32, signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal to play with Virtus Bologna of the Italian league.

Horse racing

Curlin back on dirt

Curlin is heading back to dirt for his next race – the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga – but his majority owner says that doesn’t necessarily mean the turf experiment is over.

Jess Jackson announced that the reigning Horse of the Year will next run in the $500,000 Grade I Woodward on Aug. 30.

Curlin made his turf debut last month, finishing second in the Man o’ War Handicap at Belmont Park.

Tennis

Restructuring upheld

A jury in a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by the German Tennis Federation has upheld the ATP Tour’s planned tournament restructuring.

Jurors in Wilmington, Del., deliberated for about nine hours before rejecting the German federation’s claims that the ATP’s tournament restructuring, which would move the Hamburg clay court tournament from May to July and downgrade it to second-tier status, violates American antitrust laws.