IN BRIEF

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

West Virginia meets with
NCAA on possible violations

NCAA investigators have met with West Virginia officials regarding possible rules violations within the football program.

West Virginia athletics spokesman Michael Fragale said the university is cooperating with the NCAA during the investigation. He declined to say what prompted the investigators' visit or when it took place.

Bill Stewart became West Virginia's coach in 2007, taking over for Rich Rodriguez, who left for Michigan after that season. Under Rodriguez, the Wolverines are being investigated by the NCAA for five potentially major rules violations, including those limiting the time spent on practice and football-related activities.

A reporter attempted to ask Rodriguez for comment on the report at his weekly news conference and was cut off by Michigan director of media relations Dave Ablauf before the question was finished.

Also: After just one season, Wyoming extended the contract of football coach Dave Christensen by one year through 2014.

Last year, Christensen became the first coach in Wyoming history to win a bowl game in his first season. Wyoming defeated Fresno State 35-28 in double overtime in the 2009 New Mexico Bowl.

MISCELLANEOUS

Ex-heavyweight champ Briggs
earns first-round KO over Pedro

Former world heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs took only 28 seconds to knock out Rafael Pedro in Hollywood, Fla.

With the only punch he threw, the 38-year-old Briggs (49-5-1, 43 knockouts) stunned Pedro with a right to the head. Pedro fell to the canvas and was counted out by referee Sam Burgos.

Also: Goaltender Marty Turco's time with the Dallas Stars is over. General manager Joe Nieuwendyk said the Stars will not re-sign Turco, a 34-year-old three-time All-Star who just completed his ninth season with the team.

Kari Lehtonen, acquired from Atlanta in February, will go into next season as the team's top goaltender.

Also: After finishing with a league-low 62 points, the Edmonton Oilers won the NHL Draft lottery for the first overall pick in June.

The Oilers (27-47-8) came into the annual lottery with a 25 percent chance of securing the top pick in the June 25 and 26 draft. It will mark the first time Edmonton picks first.

Boston will pick second after acquiring Toronto's first-round pick in an offseason trade that sent Phil Kessel to the Maple Leafs. Florida will select third, followed by Columbus and the New York Islanders -- who picked first in 2009.

Chelsea defeated Bolton 1-0 on Nicolas Anelka's 43rd-minute header in London to go four points ahead of Manchester United in the English Premier League race. Chelsea can afford to lose one of its four remaining matches and still win its first championship since 2006.

The Houston Dynamo have a deal in place for a new stadium to be built and ready for use in April 2012.

Harris County, Texas, commissioners unanimously approved an agreement for a 20,000-seat stadium in partnership with the Major League Soccer team and the city of Houston. The proposal for the $95 million project had been approved last week by the Houston City Council.

Top-ranked Serena Williams asked for and received a wild-card entry for next month's Italian Open, signaling that she's ready to return from a lingering knee injury.

Williams, sidelined since winning the Australian Open in January, originally did not enter the tournament in Rome, which begins May 3 and is a key clay-court warm-up for the French Open.

Tournament organizers announced the wild card for Williams, adding that nine of the top 10 women have entered, with No. 10 Kim Clijsters the only exception.