The National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II Committee on Infractions has sanctioned the University of Missouri at St. Louis for major violations in its men's golf program. The association handed down the penalties, which include two years of probation for the university, in response to alleged sports-wagering in fantasy football and baseball leagues by the team's former head coach. The NCAA, which detailed its findings in a 13-page report, prohibits athletes and coaches from participating in such activities.

Nike has agreed to provide vocational training and financial assistance to former employees of two apparel factories in Honduras that closed last year amid allegations of labor abuses. At least one university, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, had rescinded its apparel-licensing contract with the Oregon-based company over the allegations.

Lincoln Land Community College, in Springfield, Ill., will upgrade its women's softball facilities under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, The State Journal-Register reports. The deal stems from a complaint under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 that a former softball coach for the college filed last year. After an on-site visit and interviews with athletics officials and athletes at Lincoln Land, the federal agency concluded in a 22-page report that the college had denied female athletes equal athletics opportunities related to facilities.

In the latest turn of the wheel in conference realignment, the Associated Press reports that the University of Nebraska has applied for membership to the Big Ten Conference. The university's regents unanimously approved a resolution supporting a move to the Big Ten during their meeting today. Nebraska is the second university in two days to signal its departure from the Big 12 Conference; Colorado said yesterday it would leave the Big 12 for the Pacific-10 Conference. Though Big Ten officials have not yet said whether they would accept the Cornhuskers, a news conference featuring Nebraska officials is scheduled to air on the Big Ten Network at 5 p.m., Central time.

Boise State University announced on Friday that it would leave the Western Athletic Conference to join the Mountain West Conference. The move will take effect in July 2011, when Boise State will become the Mountain West's 10th member. The university's decision came just one day after the University of Colorado announced that it would leave the Big 12 to join the Pacific-10.

The University of Colorado has joined the Pacific-10 Conference, officials at the league and the university announced today. Colorado becomes the conference's 11th member and its first since 1978. "We are proud to accept this invitation from the Pac-10 and join the most prestigious academic and athletic conference in the nation," Philip P. DiStefano, the university's chancellor, said in a written statement. The announcement is the first in a possible series that could remake the conference landscape of college sports. Several other universities in Colorado's former conference, the Big 12, are reportedly in line to consider invitations from the Pac-10 and the Big Ten.

ESPN reports that the University of Southern California will soon receive stiff penalties from the NCAA for alleged rules violations in the Trojans' football and men's basketball programs. The punishments in this closely watched infractions case reportedly will include a two-year ban on postseason competition as well as a loss of up to 20 scholarships, the Los Angeles Times reports. The NCAA has scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. today to announce the sanctions. The Chronicle will have more on this story later today.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association released its annual report today on the academic progress of Division I athletes, penalizing 137 teams at 80 institutions for the poor academic performance of their athletes. This is the sixth year the NCAA has published the exhaustive analysis, which measures the retention and academic eligibility of scholarship athletes as well as their progress toward degrees. The sports of men's basketball, football, and baseball, which have historically lagged behind other teams in their performance in the classroom, posted the lowest average scores. The Chronicle will have more on this story later today.

The NCAA's Division I Board of Directors approved an expansion of the men's basketball tournament from 65 to 68 teams on Thursday. The Division I men's basketball committee recommended the change last week, when the NCAA announced a 14-year, $10.8-billion television contract with CBS and Turner Broadcasting. The board did not discuss expanding beyond 68 teams, the NCAA said. The tournament's last major expansion was in 1985, to 64 teams. It went to 65 in 2001.

The NCAA's Division I Legislative Council adopted a measure today that will require college athletes to be tested for sickle-cell trait, prove that they have already been tested, or sign a release indicating that they have declined to be tested. Athletes with sickle-cell trait, which is more common among African-Americans, may be more likely to experience exercise-induced symptoms that, in rare cases, can be fatal. Most Division I-A universities already screen for the condition with a blood test.