IN BRIEF

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

USC's McKnight not on flight to Emerald Bowl

Southern California tailback Joe McKnight did not travel with the Trojans on their flight Monday to San Francisco for Saturday's Emerald Bowl.

"He has some paperwork he needs to do, and it's best for him to stay in L.A. so he can be available to finish it," Trojans coach Pete Carroll said.

Carroll did not have a timetable for McKnight's return. USC previously said it was investigating whether McKnight used an SUV registered to a Los Angeles businessman.

The Trojans also declared three players academically ineligible on Monday.

Tight end Anthony McCoy and tackle Tyron Smith, both starters, and defensive end Averell Spicer, a key reserve, will not play against Boston College.

Also: Florida's Brandon James, who leads the team in all-purpose yards, will not play in the Sugar Bowl after having surgery on his right foot.

James, primarily a kick returner, broke a bone in his foot against Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game and had surgery last week.

No. 2 Texas will have freshman kick returner D.J. Monroe back in the lineup for the BCS national championship game against No. 1 Alabama.

Monroe set a school record by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns this season, but he was suspended for the last three games after being arrested on a drunken-driving charge in November. The charge was dropped Friday as part of a plea agreement.

BASEBALL

Luxury tax hits Yanks for nearly $26 million

Winning came with a hefty price for the New York Yankees.

The World Series champions were hit with a luxury tax of nearly $25.69 million, according to information received by clubs and obtained by The Associated Press.

New York, with a payroll of $226.2 million in 2009, is the only team to pay a tax for this season and has crossed the threshold in all seven years since the tax started. According to the collective bargaining agreement, the Yankees must send a check to the commissioner's office by Jan. 31.

The Yankees have been billed $174 million of the tax's $190 million total since 2003. The only other teams to pay have been Boston ($13.9 million for 2004-07), Detroit ($1.3 million for 2008) and the Los Angeles Angels ($927,059 for 2004).

Also: Free-agent pitcher Jason Marquis and the Washington Nationals agreed to a two-year contract, pending a physical, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

Reliever Darren Oliver and the Texas Rangers reached a preliminary agreement Monday on a $3.5 million, one-year contract that includes a club option for 2011

MISCELLANEOUS

Messi, Marta named FIFA players of year

International soccer star Lionel Messi added FIFA's World Player of the Year award to his growing list of accolades, completing a nearly perfect campaign in which his club won an unprecedented trio of Spanish and European titles.

Messi, from Argentina, easily outdistanced the last two winners -- Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka -- along with his Barcelona teammates Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta in voting among national team captains and coaches.

The women's award went to Brazilian playmaker Marta for the fourth year in a row.

Also: Landon Donovan was voted the U.S. Soccer Federation's Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, and Hope Solo became the first goalkeeper to win the women's award.