USF to play Wisconsin, Maryland in football

TAMPA — USF football has added two Big Ten opponents to future schedules with home-and-home series against Wisconsin and Maryland to start in 2014, the school announced Friday.

USF will host Maryland (set to leave the ACC for the Big Ten in July 2014) on Sept. 6, 2014, then travel to College Park in 2015. The Bulls will travel to Wisconsin on Sept. 27, 2014, with the Badgers coming to Tampa in 2017.

The series make for a strong Big Ten presence on the schedule over the next five seasons with series scheduled against Michigan State (2013 and 2017) and Indiana (2015 and 2016).

"We think it is important to play these types of nonconference games," coach Willie Taggart said, "not only for recruiting but also to excite our fan base and for the continued growth of the program."

Trickett update: Former Florida State quarterback Clint Trickett, who is transferring, is visiting West Virginia this weekend and will visit USF soon, his father, Rick, said. Trickett, recruited by USF out of high school and by Taggart when he was a Stanford assistant, might take only two visits, but if the junior takes others, they would be to Michigan or Auburn, his father said.

Cincinnati: Gunner Kiel, ranked as the nation's No. 1 quarterback recruit in 2012, enrolled. He will sit out this season after transferring from Notre Dame.

Miami: Sophomore linebacker Gabe Terry was suspended after he was charged with possessing less than an ounce of marijuana.

New contracts for USF coaches

TAMPA — Two of USF's most successful coaches have new contracts. Women's basketball coach Jose Fernandez and men's soccer coach George Kiefer signed deals through the 2017-18 school year.

Fernandez, who led his team to its first NCAA Tournament victory last month, got a five-year, $1.75 million contract. His average compensation of $350,000 is up 63 percent from the three-year contract he signed in 2010.

Kiefer, who guided the Bulls to the Elite Eight in 2008 and 2011, had a year left on his deal signed in 2010. He was given a five-year extension worth $700,000, a 33 percent raise from his last deal.

Rutgers coach suspended: Rutgers suspended its men's lacrosse coach as it investigates allegations of verbal abuse two weeks after the school fired its men's basketball coach for inappropriate conduct that included the use of gay slurs. Brian Brecht will continue to be paid, the school said, but it would not give details of the allegations.

Baseball: Zac Gilcrease (Cambridge High) hit a tiebreaking, run-scoring triple in the eighth to lift USF to a 3-2 victory over host Connecticut, extending the Bulls' winning streak to 10 games. USF improved to 24-14, 8-2 in the Big East and tied with Louisville atop the conference. Jimmy Herget (Jefferson) improved to 5-1, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out seven in 7⅔ innings.

Basketball: Brett Nelson, star of Florida's national runnerup team in 2000, was hired as an assistant at Ball State. … Gonzaga All-America forward Kelly Olynyk will skip his senior season to enter the draft.

Gymnastics: Florida's women advanced to tonight's NCAA final in Los Angeles, winning its semifinal with a school-record-tying 197.775 points. The Gators' Bridget Sloan won the all-around title with 39.60 points.