Newsmakers

Sun., April 14, 2013

From Staff And Wire Reports

Rewarded Illinois has rewarded men’s basketball coach John Groce for his successful first season in Champaign with a contract extension and a $200,000-a-year raise. Athletic director Mike Thomas said Saturday that Groce’s contract will be extended one year through the 2017-18 season. The raise will increase his pay to $1.6 million a year. Both changes still need approval of the university’s board of trustees. The Illini won 23 games, made it to the NCAA tournament and defeated Colorado before losing to Miami.

Added The Nashville Predators have added forward Filip Forsberg to the active roster and he may make his NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings today. Forsberg was acquired in the trade that sent Martin Erat to Washington.

Signed The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Josh Akognon for the rest of the season after he joined them on a 10-day contract this month. Akognon made his NBA debut Wednesday night against Phoenix and hit his only shot. Akognon, 27, went undrafted out of Cal State Fullerton in 2009 after starting his college career at Washington State.

• The Buffalo Sabres have signed undrafted rookie free-agent defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a two-year contract after he completed his college hockey career at UMass Lowell.

Hired Director of enforcement David Didion is leaving the NCAA to take a job at Auburn. Kirk Sampson, an Auburn spokesman, confirmed that Didion will begin his new job in the compliance office April 22. Didion also worked at Auburn from 1995-99 before leaving for the NCAA.

Scheduled The Belk Bowl is scheduled to be played Dec. 28 and kickoff at 12:20 p.m. PST. The football game will be played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The Belk Bowl matches a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference against a team from the American Athletic Conference, formerly the Big East. It will be televised by ESPN. Cincinnati beat Duke in last season’s Belk Bowl.

Nominated Current president Pat McQuaid will stand for a third term as president of cycling’s world governing body after winning the nomination of Cycling Ireland. McQuaid has been UCI president since 2006. No rivals have yet emerged ahead of the September election.

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Newsmakers

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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