IN BRIEF

FOOTBALL

Arena League decides not to suspend season

The Arena Football League's 2009 season is on -- for now.

The AFL's board of directors met via conference call Wednesday night, but "despite rumors and reports to the contrary" did not suspend the upcoming season.

The meeting came amid a tumultuous week in which the league seemed poised to cancel the season.

The 16-team league repeatedly has delayed the start of free agency and the release of its 2009 schedule after an offseason of uncertainty. No replacement has been named for longtime commissioner David Baker, who abruptly resigned in July, two days before the ArenaBowl championship game.

Also: Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen will be the new coach at Mississippi State, moving from the Southeastern Conference champions to one of the league's perennial losers.

Mullen will be introduced at a news conference today. He leaves Gainesville as the top-ranked Gators are preparing to play for their second national title in three years.

Florida coach Urban Meyer told reporters he was not sure if Mullen, 36, would be staying through the title game.

Mullen replaces Sylvester Croom, who resigned last month after going 21-38 in five seasons as the SEC's first black football coach.

Alabama State was placed on five years' probation by the NCAA and must forfeit all games won in the 2000 and 2001 seasons, including the 2001 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

The NCAA also banned Alabama State from playing in the postseason in 2009, including the SWAC title game.

The Committee on Infractions found the Hornets program guilty of 17 rules violations that allegedly occurred from 1999 to 2003.

GOLF

Pavin will be named U.S. Ryder Cup captain

Corey Pavin has been selected as the next U.S. captain in the Ryder Cup, leading the team 15 years after last competing in the matches, two officials with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press.

Pavin, who will be introduced as captain today, will be responsible for bringing the Americans consecutive victories in the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1993.

The PGA of America elected not to give Paul Azinger the captaincy for the second straight time after the Americans, without Tiger Woods, ended a decade of losing to Europe with a 161/2-111/2 victory at Valhalla.

Also: John Daly smashed a spectator's camera into a tree while shooting a 6-over-par 78 in the first round of the Australian Open in Sydney.

Tournament director Trevor Herden said Daly would not face sanctions and would tee off in the second round.

MISCELLANEOUS

De La Hoya-Pacquiao draws big TV numbers

Boxer Manny Pacquiao's domination of Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden generated about 1.25 million pay-per-view buys, according to numbers released by HBO. It's only the fourth time a nonheavyweight bout reached at least 1 million, and De La Hoya has been involved in all of them.

The pay-per-view take generated about $70 million in revenue, HBO said, making it the most successful pay-per-view event in 2008.

Also: Joe Sakic's return to the ice has been sidetracked by a snow blower.

The Colorado Avalanche captain, already out with back problems, broke three fingers on his left hand when he tried to clear snow from the machine at his home and will be out at least three months.