HONOLULU – Conference USA has signed an agreement to send one of its teams to this year’s Hawaii Bowl.
The runner-up in the C-USA championship game or another selection will be invited to take on a Western Athletic Conference team in the Dec. 24 game. Hawaii automatically secures a berth if it is bowl eligible.
The seventh bowl-eligible school from the Pac-10 was to participate this year, but because the conference only had five bowl-eligible teams last year all parties agreed to void the Pac-10 selection for 2009.
Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan says the possibility of not having an eligible Pac-10 team was very real and that in the long run it would be better for the Warriors to be matched up against a high-placed C-USA team than an at-large team.
Gophers leaving team
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota reserves Travis Busch and Kevin Payton are leaving the basketball program with eligibility remaining.
Coach Tubby Smith made the announcement on Friday. Both Busch and Payton are on track to graduate at the end of this semester.
Busch averaged 2.6 points in two seasons. He scored a career-high 13 points in Minnesota’s upset of Louisville. He has two years of eligibility remaining and could play at a Division II school next season without having to sit out a year.
Payton has one year of eligibility remaining. He played in only nine games last season and was suspended during the season for academic reasons.
The departures ensure the Gophers will have enough scholarships for their incoming freshmen.
Serena withdraws
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Defending champion Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Family Circle Cup because of an injury to her left leg.
The world’s No. 1 player announced in a statement Tuesday that she still plans to attend some tournament events.
Williams said she originally hurt her leg at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, where she lost to Victoria Azarenka earlier this month. Azarenka withdrew from the Family Circle Cup on Tuesday because of an injured right shoulder.
Williams’ sister Venus and No. 3-ranked Elena Dementieva are among those slated to play in the tournament. Qualifying play begins Saturday.