Source: USA TODAY

Paul Finebaum, one of the nation’s leading radio voices on college football, is heading to ESPN.

“It would be the understatement of my life to say I wasn’t thrilled,” Finebaum told the Wall Street Journal. “It is incredibly exciting to be part of a new adventure, particularly one that involves the premiere brand in sports along with the pre-eminent conference in sports.”

Finebaum had been the host of a four-hour radio show in Birmingham, Ala,. where much of the show revolved around SEC football.

He has been off the air for four months.

It was on the Finebaum show where an Alabama fan called to brag about poisoning the trees at Toomer’s Corner at Auburn. “They will die,” he said and ended the call with “Roll Tide.”

In March, Harvey Updyke Jr., who admitted to calling the radio show, was sentenced to three years in prison for his act.

The Journal reports that besides a radio show on ESPN, the network also plans a 100 TV appearances a year and a simulcast of the radio show on the new SEC Network that starts next August.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

Police say the Maryland home of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was burglarized over the weekend, and $2,000 and two guns were stolen.

Baltimore County police spokeswoman Cpl. Cathleen Batton said Monday that the burglary happened between 8:30 p.m. Friday and 12:50 a.m. Saturday at the home in Reisterstown.

Batton said Rice was out of town for the weekend, but a friend was staying at the home and reported the burglary to police.

“My family and I are fine, which is the most important thing,” Rice said in a team-issued statement to USA TODAY Sports. “This is an unfortunate incident that I am dealing with through the proper channels.”

Batton said the burglar apparently forced his way in through a rear window and ransacked portions of the home. Batton said surveillance video shows the burglar.

USA TODAY Sports’ Jim Corbett and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

Dropped out: No. 23 Pittsburgh, No. 24 South Alabama, No. 25 UC-Irvine.

Others receiving votes: South Alabama (40-16) 43; New Mexico (35-18) 36; Austin Peay (42-13) 22; Pittsburgh (40-15) 21; Troy (39-16) 20; Seton Hall (36-17) 18; Virginia Tech (35-19) 14; Gonzaga (32-18) 12; Georgia Tech (33-23) 11; Miami (Fla.) (35-21) 11; Arizona (31-21) 8; Florida Gulf Coast (37-18) 7; Sam Houston State (36-18) 7; UC-Irvine (31-20) 7; Stanford (29-21) 6; UNLV (36-18) 6; Bryant (40-15) 5; Coastal Carolina (35-19) 3; Louisiana-Lafayette (38-17) 3; Illinois State (36-18) 2; North Carolina-Wilmington (37-19) 2; Western Carolina (38-18) 2.

The USA TODAY Sports Board of Coaches is made up of 31 coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the American Baseball Coaches Association. The board for the 2013 season: John Anderson, Minnesota; Ed Blankmeyer, St. John’s; Rob Cooper, Wright State; Barry Davis, Rider; Greg DiCenzo, Holy Cross; Pete Dunn, Stetson; Nino Giarrantano, San Francisco; Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina; Danny Hall, Georgia Tech; Carlton Hardy, Savannah State; Rodney Hennon, Georgia Southern; Loren Hibbs, Charlotte; Charlie Hickey, Central Connecticut State; George Horton, Oregon; Steve Jaksa, Central Michigan; Omar Johnson, Jackson State; Rick Jones, Tulane; Rob McDonald, Murray State; Eric Madsen, Utah Valley; John Musachio, Oakland (Mich.); Bobby Pierce, Troy; David Pierce, Sam Houston State; Gary Powers, Nevada; Mark Scalf, UNC-Wilmington; Matt Senk, Stony Brook; Dave Serrano, Tennessee; Ed Servais, Creighton; Doug Smith, UC-Riverside; Steve Smith, Baylor; Rocky Ward, New Mexico State; Bob Whalen, Dartmouth.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.