In Brief

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Source: NCAA rejects USC's appeal on football sanctions

The NCAA has rejected Southern California's appeal to reduce the sanctions imposed last year on its football program, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the NCAA isn't expected to announce its decision on the Trojans' penalties until today.

The Trojans have been told they must serve the second year of a two-year postseason ban, making them ineligible for the first Pac-12 title game this fall. USC also will lose 30 scholarships over the next three years in some of the harshest sanctions leveled against an NCAA football program in a quarter-century.

USC spokesman Tim Tessalone confirmed the school has received a response from the NCAA on its appeal, but NCAA rules prevent USC from commenting on the decision until its release today.

Also: West Virginia offensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting Dana Holgorsen issued an apology after it was reported he was asked by police officers last week to leave a casino.

Neither Holgorsen nor athletic director Oliver Luck specifically addressed what happened at Mardi Gras Casino and Resort in Cross Lanes, W.Va., but Holgorsen issued a statement.

"As a football coach, I am always in the public eye and I have to hold myself to a higher standard, which is what I ask our players to do," Holgorsen said.

HOCKEY

Red Wings' Rafalski retires, picking family over $6 million

Brian Rafalski chose quality time with his wife and three kids over making
$6 million next season with the Detroit Red Wings.

The three-time Stanley Cup winner and two-time Olympic silver medalist confirmed he's retiring after 11 seasons in the NHL, leaving one lucrative season left on his contract.

"There are more important things now," Rafalski said.

The 37-year-old defenseman had injuries that limited him to a career-low 63 games last season, putting him on the training table every day for treatment.

"How much fun is it to come to the rink when you can hardly walk?" Detroit coach Mike Babcock asked, adding he's thrilled Rafalski is leaving on his terms.

Rafalski scored just four goals last season, but made a big impact in previous seasons with the Red Wings and New Jersey Devils during his 515-point career. He helped the Devils win two Stanley Cups and Detroit hoist one.

Also: Forward Kyle Okposo has agreed to a five-year contract with the New York Islanders. The 23-year-old scored five goals with 15 assists in 38 games for the Islanders last season. He missed the first 44 games after hurting his shoulder during training camp.

miscellaneous

Byron Nelson course avoids significant damage from storm

Greens were pelted by big hail and debris blew around the TPC Four Seasons course, but the site of this week's Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, escaped major damage during heavy storms.

Slugger White, the PGA Tour's vice president of rules and competition, said that nearly 1 inch of rain fell and hail "half the size of baseballs" fell Tuesday night.

"There is a lot of debris, leaves, branches," White said, adding that he saw no trees down.

White said it was uncertain to know how the damage and the repair work on the greens would affect the tournament.

Today, Masters runner-up Jason Day begins defense of his only PGA Tour win. The Australian, who lives in the Dallas area, won the Nelson last year at 10 under par, two strokes ahead of three others.

Also: UNLV senior Mehdi Bouras pushed the nation's sixth-ranked player to a tiebreaker but eventually lost in straight sets during the first round of the NCAA Singles Championships at Stanford, Calif.

Bouras, ranked 72nd, matched Kentucky's Eric Quigley game-for-game in the first set but lost 7-2 in the tiebreaker. The second set was interrupted by two rain delays before Quigley finished out a 7-6, 6-2 win.

Bouras finished the season 22-12. Bouras and partner Bernard Schoeman will compete in the first round of the doubles championship today against second-seeded Drew Courtney and Michael Shabaz of Virginia.

North Carolina basketball player Jessica Breland was named the winner of the Honda Inspiration Award after returning to the court following treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Breland was diagnosed with the disease in May 2009 and received chemotherapy. She sat out a year and returned to basketball last season.

The man accused of poisoning the trees at Auburn's Toomer's Corner has pleaded not guilty and waived today's preliminary hearing in Montgomery, Ala. Harvey Updyke Jr. entered a plea of not guilty for reasons of mental disease or defect.