IN BRIEF

Walter Payton Award finalists Bo Levi Mitchell of Eastern Washington and Shakir Bell of Indiana State were selected Thursday to The Associated Press FCS All-America team.

Mitchell leads FCS in yards passing per game at 364.5, and his 33 touchdown passes are tops in the nation. Bell is the leading rusher in FCS with 151.8 yards per game, 20 more than the next best average.

The third finalist for the Payton Award as FCS player of the year, Lehigh quarterback Chris Lum, was picked as the second-team quarterback.

Also: Turner Gill, fired Nov. 27 as Kansas' coach, was hired by Liberty as its head coach. Liberty, located in Lynchburg, Va., competes in the Big South Conference in the Championship Subdivision.

NCAA

Athletic stipend suspended,
will be reconsidered in January

The NCAA is putting its $2,000 stipend on hold.

The governing body said the number of schools seeking an override had reached 125 -- the necessary number to suspend the rule until it can be reconsidered by the Division I Board of Directors at January's NCAA convention.

The board passed legislation in October to give some athletes an additional $2,000 toward the full cost-of-tuition, money that would go beyond tuition, room and board, books and fees.

Some schools expressed opposition because they believe it violates the NCAA's philosophy on amateur sports. But most are concerned about compliance with Title IX rules requiring schools to treat men's and women's sports equally, or the budget hit athletic departments will face with incoming recruits next fall.

Also: The NCAA agreed to a $500 million deal with ESPN to broadcast the championships in many of its sports through the 2023-24 school year.

The contract gives the company international rights to the men's basketball tournament. It continues the network's U.S. coverage of the women's basketball tourney and the College World Series for baseball and softball.

ESPN's multimedia platforms will air the championships for seven more sports to increase the total to 24.

MISCELLANEOUS

Twins add right-handed bat,
sign Willingham for $21 million

Outfielder Josh Willingham agreed to a $21 million, three-year contract with the Minnesota Twins, a move that might signal the end of free-agent outfielder Michael Cuddyer's tenure with the team.

Adding the right-handed hitting Willingham will help balance out a lefty-heavy lineup and would help ease the sting if Cuddyer doesn't return. The 32-year-old Willingham hit .246 with a career-high 29 home runs and 98 RBIs for the Oakland Athletics last season.

Also: The Philadelphia Phillies signed left-hander Dontrelle Willis to an $850,000, one-year contract. Willis, 30, joins his fourth team in three seasons, looking to revive his career out of the bullpen.

Major League Baseball owners unanimously ratified a five-year collective bargaining agreement, sealing 21 consecutive seasons of labor peace through 2016. The players' association announced Dec. 1 that its executive board had ratified the agreement, which was signed Nov. 22.

Former world middleweight title contender Marco Antonio Rubio faces Matt Vanda tonight at Mandalay Bay in the main event of the final boxing card in Las Vegas for 2011. Rubio (52-5-1, 45 knockouts) and Vanda (44-13, 24 KOs) will fight for the vacant WBC Latino middleweight belt, scheduled for 12 rounds. The first bell is at 8 p.m.

Tickets for the Victor Ortiz-Andre Berto welterweight title rematch Feb. 11 at the MGM Grand Garden go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. Tickets are priced from $50 to $300 and will be available through Ticketmaster outlets and at mgmgrand.com and ticketmaster.com.

American Lexi Thompson had six birdies en route to a bogey-free, 6-under-par 66 and a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the Dubai Ladies Masters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 16-year-old is at 8-under 136, with Sophie Gustafson and Margherita Rigon tied for second.

Michelle Kwan, the most decorated figure skater in American history, was elected to the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, the only selection for the class of 2012. Kwan won 43 championships in her career, including eight straight national titles. She also won the silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and bronze at the 2002 Games.

Illinois and UCLA advanced to the women's NCAA volleyball championship match. The Illini upset Southern California 25-27, 25-18, 25-22, 18-25, 15-10 to reach their first final, and the Bruins defeated Florida State 25-16, 25-17, 25-21 to make their first title match since 1994.

Midfielder and forward Landon Donovan is returning to Everton of the English Premier League on a two-month loan. Donovan scored 16 goals in 34 games for the Los Angeles Galaxy this year, including the one that won the MLS Cup final against Houston last month.