Sports briefs

COLLEGES

President Myles Brand said that because of new information the NCAA will investigate former USC basketball star O.J. Mayo, who allegedly received thousands of dollars in gifts from money given to an event promoter by a sports agency.

On Sunday, ESPN reported that Bill Duffy Associates provided Rodney Guillory with about $200,000 before Mayo arrived at USC. Louis Johnson, a former associate of Mayo's, told "Outside the Lines" that Mayo received about $30,000 and other benefits from Guillory while in high school and during his one season at USC.

Mayo declared for the NBA draft after the season and hired BDA Sports' Calvin Andrews as his agent.

Brand, speaking Tuesday in Houston to kick off this week's Division II National Championships Festival, said that "our enforcement division has new information" about Mayo's case "and as a matter of fact, when we have new information on any case, we will investigate."

• Former West Virginia football coach Rich Rodriguez says Gov. Joe Manchin and three members of the university's board of governors pressured him into signing a new contract before the start of the 2007 season, even though it had a $4 million buyout clause he didn't want.

The information came to light in a deposition taken last month for WVU's lawsuit to recover the $4 million from Rodriguez, who quit in December to coach Michigan. Rodriguez, who quit after seven seasons at the school, contends he was misled into signing by a variety of promises that were not kept.

TENNIS

Russia's Nikolay Davydenko cruised into the third round of the Hamburg Masters in Germany by defeating Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-1.

Also, David Ferrer defeated Ivo Minar 6-3, 6-3, and Andreas Seppi defeated eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2.

Davydenko, who is coming off a third-round loss to Tommy Robredo in Rome, won the Masters tournament in Miami last month.

SOCCER

Zenit St. Petersburg fans have been warned against any racist behavior at today's UEFA Cup final against Glasgow Rangers in Manchester, England.

"There will be zero tolerance. The referee is perfectly in his rights to interrupt the game and not start again until problem resolves," UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said. Zenit fans were accused of racially abusing Olympique Marseille players in March.

The UEFA Cup is Europe's No. 2 club tournament.

AROUND THE HORN

Soccer: Mark Cavendish of England won the fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia in a group sprint finish, and Franco Pellizotti of Italy retained the overall lead in Catanzaro Lulngo-Mare.

Boxing: Miguel Cotto's welterweight unification title fight with Antonio Margarito will be held in Las Vegas on July 26, according to a person familiar with the decision. Cotto is 32-0 with 26 KOs; Margarito is 36-5, 26 KOs.

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