New UNC questions involve academics

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The investigation of North Carolina's football program has expanded into possible academic misconduct involving players and a woman who also has worked as a tutor for coach Butch Davis' son, school officials said Thursday.

Athletic director Dick Baddour declined to identify the players or say how many might be involved, and he refused to specify what the possible violations might have been, saying only they involved "a student tutor and student-athletes on the football team."

"We are looking into improprieties that existed outside the classroom," Baddour said. "That's about as close to that as I can get."

The announcement came roughly two months after the NCAA began an investigation into whether defensive tackle Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little received improper benefits from agents. Defensive line coach John Blake's longtime friendship with California-based agent Gary Wichard also has drawn the NCAA's interest.

Joint interviews conducted by NCAA and school investigators during that probe led them to a player who "raised an issue that we felt like deserved further consideration on our part.

Davis declined to identify the tutor in question except to say she was one of the five his family had hired since their 2007 arrival in Chapel Hill to serve as an academic coach and advisor for his teenage son.

usc loses 2004 trophy: Southern California has been stripped of the 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy, awarded by the Football Writers Association of America to the nation's top college football team. The organization said a committee voted to revoke the honor after USC was penalized for NCAA violations. It did not award the trophy to another school.

texas, usc to meet: Texas and Southern California, who last met when Texas won the Rose Bowl and a national title in the 2005 season, have scheduled games in Los Angeles in 2017 and in Austin in 2018.

Orange Bowl: Discover Financial Services said it will be the new sponsor from 2011 to 2014, ending Fedex Corp.'s sponsorship of the annual game in Miami.

iowa: Running back Brandon Wegher left to deal with undisclosed personal issues. Coach Kirk Ferentz said Wegher hasn't indicated he'll return soon.

missouri: Tailback and team captain Derrick Washington was suspended indefinitely for unspecified disciplinary reason.

notre dame: Inside linebacker Anthony McDonald, a projected starter, was upgraded from doubtful to questionable for the Sept. 4 opener against Purdue. He has a hyperextended knee.