Big Ten, Pac-12 bowl together

College football: With an emphasis on destination diversity and expanding West Coast markets, the Big Ten and Pac-12 are strengthening their traditional ties with a pair of matchups in California bowl games.

The Holiday Bowl in San Diego and the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in the San Francisco Bay Area announced six-year agreements Monday for teams from each conference to play each other starting in 2014.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott (pictured) and Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said the new configuration will also help avoid repeat matchups and teams returning to the same region frequently.

While the Pac-12 has a slotted selection order, Scott said the conference has “mechanisms” in place to allow for flexibility. Delany said the Big Ten is not locking in a selection order with its bowl partners but will have three tiers of bowl games where teams can be placed depending on their regular-season records.

The agreements shuffle the postseason landscape for both conferences.

Associated Press

Prugh in fourth at pro national

Golf: Rod Perry shot an even-par 72 in rainy conditions Monday at Sunriver Resort to take the second-round lead in the PGA Professional National Championship.

Spokane’s Corey Prugh, tied with Perry for the first-round lead, was fourth at 6 under after a 74 at Crosswater.

Perry, the PGA head pro at Crane Lakes in Port Orange, Fla., had two birdies and two bogeys on the Crosswater Club course, the site of the final two rounds. The 39-year-old left-hander had an 8-under 135 total after opening with a 63 on the Meadows course.

Mark Sheftic and Chip Sullivan, the 2007 winner at Sunriver, were a stroke back after shooting 4-under 67 on the Meadows course. The top 20 finishers will earn spots in the PGA Championship.

Associated Press