Newsmakers: Johnson Jr. announces football pledge to Nebraska, Payton extends contract with Saints

Announced The son of former NFL receiver Keyshawn Johnson says he will play college football at Nebraska. Keyshawn Johnson Jr. made the announcement in a video by BleacherReport.com. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder is rated a four-star prospect by three major recruiting services.

Marcus Stroman will start for the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League opener at Tampa Bay on April 3. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons also didn’t rule out Stroman from starting the home opener on April 8 against Boston.

Veteran right-hander Jeremy Hellickson will be the starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies in their season opener at Cincinnati on April 4.

Illinois women’s basketball coach Matt Bollant will be back next season even after a losing season and lawsuit filed by former players over their treatment, athletic director Josh Whitman said. Whitman said on his Twitter account that the 9-21 team did not meet expectations on the court, but praised coaches and players for dealing with “extraordinarily challenging” circumstances.

Agreed Saints coach Sean Payton says he agreed to a new contract that runs through 2020 season. Payton had two years remaining on his current deal at about $8 million per season. He hasn’t signed the new contract yet.

Dismissed U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin dismissed a $600 million antitrust lawsuit filed by former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling against the NBA and his wife Shelly Sterling. Olguin wrote he’s skeptical Sterling suffered any injury at all by the sale of the team for $2 billion to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Sterling had claimed in the lawsuit filed in 2014 that he could have gotten more than that for the team but the circumstances of the sale reduced the price.

Replaced Seattle goalkeeper Tyler Miller has replaced injured Zack Steffen on the U.S. under-23 roster for the Olympic qualifying playoff against Colombia. The U.S. Soccer Federation said Steffen, who started the first two games in October’s qualifying tournament, was hurt while playing for Freiburg in Germany. The Americans play at Barranquilla on Friday in the first leg of the total-goals series.

Withdrew U.S. runner-up Polina Edmunds has withdrawn from next week’s world figure skating championships because of a bone bruise in her right foot. Mirai Nagasu will take her place, U.S. Figure Skating announced.