In the third quarter of the Clemson Tigers’ 45-10 win over Louisville, cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. was ejected after throwing a punch at the Cardinals’ Trenell Troutman. Before the officials could even eject him, however, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had already sent the freshman from Dacula, Georgia to the locker room for an early shower.

“That’s not who we are,” Swinney said, “and that’s not who he is.”

On the other hand, after the game was when Booth would really pay the price for his actions. While the rest of the Tigers flew home, Booth was sent on the bus with the team managers, nearly a 450-mile journey.

“He rode back on our manager bus. That’s where it started,” Swinney said. “The rest of it will be handled in-house.”

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During a Louisville punt, the two players clashed downfield as Troutman attempted to cover the punt. After wrestling each other to the turf, Booth threw a punch at Troutman and was promptly ejected.

That being said, Swinney and Booth were both quick to apologize and state that this behavior was out of character for both the young cornerback and the Clemson football organization.

“[He] has responded well,” Swinney said. “He is disappointed in himself, embarrassed. He has apologized to our team and our AD. He’s been extremely remorseful. What happened is way out of character for who he is. Very pleased with how he has taken ownership. He had a long bus ride home last night and plenty of time to think about it.”

Booth currently has just three tackles in his freshman season. The Clemson Tigers, however, are currently 7-0, good for 1^st in the ACC and 4^th nationally. They have absolutely torched teams offensively this year, scoring 40+ points in five of their seven wins.

They have also been tough defensively, allowing more than 14 points only once this season to conference rival UNC.

Per Swinney, the Booth matter will be completely handled in-house and will be highly unlikely to derail Clemson’s success so far as they look to stay undefeated when they host Boston College on October 27.

Louisville has hired Xavier’s Chris Mack as its new men’s basketball head coach on a seven-year deal, the Cardinals announced Tuesday.

Chris Mack Louisville head coach deal

Mack — whose deal is reportedly worth $4 million — replaces David Padgett, who served as Louisville’s interim coach in 2017-18 after longtime coach Rick Pitino was fired amid a pay-for-play scandal before the start of the season.

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Mack has been the head coach of the Musketeers for the past nine seasons, and helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament eight times. Xavier had at least one victory in six of their eight NCAA showings. The team captured the Big East championship this year, and took the top seed in the NCAA Tournament until Florida State defeated them in Round 2.

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On Tuesday afternoon, Mack took to Twitter to thank Xavier:

Mack, 48, played for Xavier and Evansville before working as an assistant for both the Musketeers and Wake Forest. He now inherits a Louisville program that not only missed the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, but also had its 2013 national title — among other victories — vacated due to the aforementioned scandal.

Allegations against Louisville include payments of $100,000 to the family of recruit Brian Bowen to sign with the Cardinals.

Mack finishes his tenure with Xavier with a 212–96 record — including three Sweet 16 appearances and three Elite Eight appearances.

The Louisville Cardinals will host the top team in the country, the Virginia Cavaliers, on Thursday night, and here is everything you kneed to know before the big ACC matchup.

Virginia vs. Louisville basketball preview

Virginia (26-2, 15-1 ACC) won its previous meeting with Louisville 74-64 on Jan. 31 in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers lead the overall series against the Cardinals (19-10, 9-7 ACC) 11-4. This will surely be a fun series to watch, as the NCAA Tournament is right around the corner and both teams have traditionally been strong contenders.

The only two teams to defeat Virginia this season are Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Despite their loss at Virginia earlier this year, Louisville played one of their strongest games of the season. The Cardinals’ offense went 8 of 18 from three-point range and 17 of 32 on 2-pointers, even though the Cavaliers put on some solid defense. Virginia shot 53.7 percent from the field that night.

Among the most productive players on Virginia’s offense are guards Kyle Guy, Devon Hall and Ty Jerome, who are 171 of 419, or 40.8 percent, from 3-point range.

Meanwhile, Louisville will rely on Darius Perry and Dwayne Sutton, their two best defenders. The Cardinals are eighth in the ACC. They defeated Virginia Tech 75-68 on Saturday.

Here are all the details of the game:

What: No. 1 Virginia vs. Louisville

Date/Time: March 1, 2018, 8 p.m. EST

Place: KFC Yum Center (22,000 capacity)

TV: ESFC

Caption:CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 27: DaJuan Coleman #32 of the Syracuse Orange shoots against Mike Tobey #10 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional Final at United Center on March 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers will host the Louisville Cardinals on Wednesday night, and here are all the facts to know.

Louisville vs. Virginia basketball preview

Virginia (20-1, 9-0 ACC) lead their conference and are coming off a major 65-63 victory at No. 4 Duke on Saturday.

Louisville (16-5, 6-2 ACC) are second in the ACC. The Cardinals’ two conference losses came on the road against Clemson and Miami, and both were in overtime.

Louisville is led by interim head coach David Padgett. Padgett — a former Cardinals player who will be 33 in February — replaced Rick Pitino in September 2017 after the veteran coach was fired amid an FBI investigation into the university’s illegal recruiting tactics and the hiring of escorts to entertain newly signed athletes. Pitino, who had been the Cardinals’ head coach since 2001, sued Louisville for wrongful termination.

The Cardinals boast a talented group of upperclassmen stars. The team’s leading scorer is junior forward Deng Adel — a 6-foot-7 South Sudanes-Australian player who will be 22 on Thursday — who is averaging over 15 points per game, up from 12 last year. Adel only played in one of Louisville’s two contests against Virginia last year due to a suspension, but scored just eight points on 3-for-9 shooting and had three rebounds. He has scored at least nine in every game this year.

Louisville’s second leading scorer is senior point guard Quentin Snider. Snider also played in just one of the two games last year (due to a hip injury), scoring eight points on 2-for-5 from the field. This season, Snider has taken just 45 percent of his shots from downtown, and he’s up to 44 percent in field goals. His three-point percentage is the same as last year.

Virginia vs. Louisville:

Date: January 31, 2018

Time: 7 pm EST

Location: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, Virginia

TV Channel: ESPN2

According to SBNation, Virginia is favored to win by double digits.

Caption:CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 27: DaJuan Coleman #32 of the Syracuse Orange shoots against Mike Tobey #10 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional Final at United Center on March 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Rick Pitino is retaliating hard against the University of Louisville following his firing last month.

Rick Pitino Louisville lawsuit news

The Hall of Fame basketball coach — a former New York Knicks coach — is suing the Cardinals’ Athletic Association for $37.6 million, claiming it breached his contract by placing him on unpaid administrative lead without notice and terminating him without a legally justified “cause.”

The 65-year-old — who had coached Louisville since 2001 — was dismissed on Oct. 16 after the Cardinals acknowledged their men’s basketball team was being investigated in a federal bribery case along with several other college basketball programs. Pitino is not named in the federal complaint and has denied involvement in and knowledge of alleged payments to a recruit’s family. Brian Bowen is believed to be that recruit.

Pitino’s lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court seeks liquidated contract damages of $4.307 million through 2026. It says the ULAA did not give him 10 days advance notice before it ”effectively fired” him and insists that he followed suggestions to improve oversight following a sex scandal that has resulted in NCAA sanctions.

Louisville’s basketball assistant coaches and other staffers allegedly hired escorts and strippers to entertain new recruits within the last two years. In addition, recruits were allegedly steered toward certain sponsors like Adidas, and also toward specific sports agents and financial advisers.

Louisville has since announced that Bowen, a freshman, won’t play for the school but may transfer if he wishes.

“As a matter of policy, the university does not comment on pending litigation,” Louisville spokesman John Karman said in an email.

Pitino also sued Adidas last month, claiming damages caused by the apparel company’s improper dealings with recruits.

SYRACUSE, NY – FEBRUARY 18: Head coach Rick Pitino of the Louisville Cardinals calls a play for his team against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the Carrier Dome on February 18, 2015 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeated Louisville 69-59. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)

Rick Pitino is retaliating at Adidas following one of the largest scandals in collegiate sports history.

Rick Pitino Adidas lawsuit news

The former Louisville basketball coach filed a lawsuit against the sports apparel giant Tuesday, claiming unspecified damages, including punitive damages, and attorney’s fees.

Pitino, 65, was fired by the Cardinals on Monday amid an FBI investigation into bribery and fraud actions that aimed to steer recruits to Adidas and other specific sponsors, agents, financial advisers and basketball programs.

The FBI allegations against Louisville include payments of $100,000 from an assistant coach to the family of an unnamed player to sign with the Cardinals.

Pitino — who had been in charge of Louisville’s basketball program since 2001 — has denied any involvement in the scandal.

“In today’s lawsuit, Coach Pitino swears that he had nothing to do with, and no knowledge of, the Adidas conspiracy,” said Steve Pence, Pitino’s attorney.

The coach has even cited a lie detector test he took earlier this month as proof that he had “no knowledge” of the aforementioned payment to the Louisville recruit’s family. The player is believed to be five-star freshman Brian Bowen, who signed with the Cardinals in June. Bowen was suspended indefinitely shortly after the FBI revealed the findings of its probe.

PItino said he was asked two questions as part of the test: “Did you have any knowledge of the Bowen family getting any money? Did you have any knowledge of an Adidas transaction?’

According to MSN, Pitino could lose the $44 million left in salary and bonuses on his contract with Louisville through the 2025-26 season because he was terminated with cause. Per USA Today, he was the highest-paid coach in college basketball this year at $7.8 million.

Pitino had already been placed on probation for a controversy involving strippers and escorts hired to entertain recruits and other players in dorm rooms — another scandal he has refuted any participation in.

Louisville put assistant coaches Kenny Johnson and Jordan Fair on paid administrative leave earlier this month, and Fair was then dismissed.

The Louisville Courier-Journal reported last month that Pitino received 98 percent of the cash — approximately $1.5 million annually for five years — that the Cardinals earned from their expiring apparel deal with Adidas.

Pitino is a Hall of Fame coach who went 416-143 in his 16 seasons in charge at Louisville.

LOUISVILLE, KY – MAY 04: Coach Rick Pitino attends the 139th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

The NCAA announced on Thursday that it would suspend Louisville head coach Rick Pitino for the first five ACC games of the 2017-2018 season due to an alleged sex-for-pay scandal that engulfed the university’s basketball program in recent years.

Rick Pitino Suspended Five Games by NCAA for pay-for-sex scandal

The Division I Committee on Infractions also announced the Cardinal’s basketball program will be placed on four years of probation. The NCAA had initially only charged Pitino, and not Louisville, for the ethics violations.

Per NCAA sanctions, Louisville is also required to “vacate basketball records in which student-athletes competed while ineligible from December 2010 and July 2014.” The Cardinals won the national basketball championship in 2013, and although this title has not been stripped from the school, it could very well be in jeopardy given the associations’ penalties.

The association ruled that Pitino “violated NCAA head coach responsibility rules” by failing to supervise the activities of former assistant Andre McGee, who allegedly hired strippers and prostitutes to amuse players and recruits. The NCAA is requiring Louisville to provide a list of games it needs to vacate due to the sanctions within 45 days.

Louisville stated it intended to appeal the punishment.

“The committee has accepted our self-imposed penalties and levied additional severe penalties that we believe are excessive,” interim Louisville president Greg Postel said in a statement.

“The entire UofL community is saddened by what took place. It never should have happened, and that is why the school acted to severely penalize itself in 2016. Today, however, the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions went beyond what we consider to be fair and reasonable. We intend to appeal all aspects of the penalties.”

The ruling from the NCAA Committee on Infractions comes after an investigation that dates back to August 2015, when Louisville was first notified of a book written by escort Katrina Powell that alleged McGee paid for dances and sex from her and other prostitutes. Powell claims McGee paid her $10,000 for 22 shows at the Cardinals’ dormitory from 2010 to 2014.

“I cannot help but wonder if the lack of contrition demonstrated by the university’s athletics staff contributed to the severity of these penalties,” Larry Wilder, Powell’s attorney, told ESPN on Thursday. “It seems that an immediate acceptance of responsibility by the head coach of the program may have softened the blow and possibly sent a signal to the NCAA that there was a true acceptance of responsibility.”

As a result of the probe, the university self-imposed penalties that included a suspension for the 2015-2016 season, and voluntarily cutting two scholarships for the 2016-2017 season.

Louisville will also face scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions, a $5,000 fine and the forfeiture of any money received though conference revenue sharing from the 2012-15 NCAA tournaments.

The NCAA handed McGee a 10-year, show-cause penalty. Former staffer Brandon Williams received a one-year show-cause order for his involvement.

Powell and McGee will not be charged with a crime after a grand jury in Jefferson County, Kentucky.

After Louisville disputed the claims against Pitino, the case was presented to the NCAA Committee on Infractions during a meeting in April in Cincinnati.

The NCAA ultimately ruled that although the head coach maintained he was unaware of the violations, in the end he was responsible for McGee’s actions.

Pitino will miss home games against Virginia, Pittsburgh and Duke and road contests at Notre Dame and Georgia Tech as part of his ban next season.

On Thursday afternoon, Pitino’s lawyer Scott Tompsett released a statement on behalf of the head coach in order to appeal the NCAA’s punishment.

“The decision does not identify a single specific thing that coach Pitino should have done, that he wasn’t already doing, that would have either prevented or detected the illicit activities,” the statement reads.

Pitino previously stated in 2015 that he refused to resign following the scandal.

Here is the full statement from Tompsett:

Pitino, a former NBA coach who worked with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, has been in charge of Louisville’s basketball team since 2001. The 64-year-old has a 770-269 (.741) overall coaching record. He is one of only four coaches in NCAA history (along with Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim) to lead his school to the Final Four in four separate decades, one of only three coaches (along with Roy Williams and Jack Gardner) to have taken two different programs to at least two Final Fours each, and one of only two coaches (along with Williams) to have propelled two different programs to at least three Final Fours each.

In 2013, Pitino was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame following the Cardinals’ national title win.

Caption:NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 03: Head Coach Richard Pitino of the Minnesota Golden Gophers celebrates with his father Rick Pitino after defeating the Southern Methodist Mustangs to win the 2014 NIT Championship at Madison Square Garden on April 3, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

A UNC fan was ejected from the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Wednesday following a verbal dispute with Louisville coach Rick Pitino during the Tar Heels’ 74-63 victory over the Cardinals.

UNC Fan Ejected After Altercation with Louisville’s Rick Pitino

Pitino began heading toward the locker-room tunnel past the student section at halftime when a male fan “got in my face and said something I didn’t like,” the 64-year-old coach stated.

“I take it from the students all the time; you expect it from the students. But from an adult? And then to turn his back on me like he’s a coward?” Pitino said. “And he is a coward, but North Carolina is a classy place and he doesn’t speak for the rest of the people.”

According to ESPN’s Maria Taylor, the fan in question shouted, “Pitino, you suck!”

Pitino responded by also angrily yelling at the heckler, and had to be restrained by his coaching staff. Louisville trailed 33-30 at halftime.

Jonathan Jones of Sports Illustrated caught the altercation between the coach and the fan:

Jeff Greer of the Courier-Journal reported on the aftermath of the heated exchange:

“I’ve always said this is the classiest place in college basketball, until I met a fan on the way out,” Pitino said. “It always reminded me of a class place, but they’re getting just like some of the other places now.”

North Carolina coach Roy Williams wasn’t informed of the incident until after the game and said he apologized to Pitino.

“I don’t like that. We’re North Carolina. We don’t have to be like everybody else,” Williams said. “You can raise Cain, you can boo, but you don’t have to say stuff that we as coaches have to put up with on the road. I hope that never happens again at North Carolina.”

Pitino, a Hall of Famer, has been a college basketball head coach since 1978, including two stints in the NBA. He has long been a polarizing figure, which partly explains Wednesday night’s incident at UNC.

Justin Jackson scored 21 points for the Tar Heels (24-5, 12-3), and Donovan Mitchell also scored 21 for the Cardinals (22-6, 10-5).

Louisville next host Syracuse on Sunday, while UNC will visit Pittsburgh on Saturday.

SYRACUSE, NY – FEBRUARY 18: Head coach Rick Pitino of the Louisville Cardinals calls a play for his team against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the Carrier Dome on February 18, 2015 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeated Louisville 69-59. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)

The Louisville Cardinals suffered a brutal, 36-10 road loss to the Houston Cougars on Thursday night, and the visitor team’s football players seem to, for the most part, agree on the reason behind this crushing loss.

Louisville Players Cite Lack Of Focus As Reason For Rough, 36-10 Loss To Houston Cougars

A lack of focus seemed to be the primary reason many of the Cardinals cited for the defeat. It showed: they committed 15 penalties, allowed 11 sacks and turned the ball over three times.

“The ranking is what it is,” senior running back Brandon Radcliff said. “I’m sure there were a lot of people waiting on this moment [for us to lose]. Me being a captain, I tried to get our guys to focus on the task at hand and that’s Houston. Our focus wasn’t there today.”

Greg Ward Jr. threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cougars to a win over the now third-ranked Cardinals for the second straight season. Houston gained a 31-0 lead at halftime en route to their third straight victory.

Leading Heisman Trophy candidate Lamar Jackson was held to 33 rushing yards on 25 carries. Jackson finished 20 of 43 for 211 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals as they saw their playoff hopes slip away.

Jackson, however, said he was more focused on winning the game on Thursday than on winning the Heisman.

Radcliff supported his teammate, saying he didn’t believe the loss hurt his chances of winning the big trophy.

“Of course not,” Radcliff said. “He’s the best player in the nation. Nobody can question that man, the effort he goes out there and plays with every week. I don’t care what you say, nobody touches him on that field.

“To me, he’s the best player out there and I’m not just saying that because he’s my teammate. Stack him up against anybody. Nobody’s touching what he’s doing on that field.”

Louisville held Houston scoreless in the third quarter, scored a touchdown on their first second-half possession but fumbled in the red zone as they attempted to score again, then settled for a field goal on their third possession of the half.

“We blew it,” Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. “We had an opportunity sitting there. Can’t take anything away from Houston either. They did a good job, they executed well and they played well. It was one of those situations where they were better than us tonight, no question about it.”

Louisville (9-2) will next host their in-state rival Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 26. Houston, meanwhile, will visit the Memphis Tigers on Black Friday.

HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 17: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Louisville Cardinals stretches for first down against the Houston Cougars in the third quarter at TDECU Stadium on November 17, 2016 in Houston, Texas. Houston Cougars won 36 to 10. (Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images)

The University of Louisville confirmed Thursday that the NCAA had formally charged current and former staff members of it’s men’s basketball program, including head coach Rick Pitino, with major rules violations relating to a scandal involving a university employee who provided escorts to perform sexual acts with players and recruits.

NCAA Charges Rick Pitino, Not Louisville Over Dorm Escort Scandal

The NCAA’s notice of allegations, released Thursday morning, includes four Level 1 charges: one to Pitino, two directed at former director of basketball operations Andre McGee and one aimed at former assistant Brandon Williams. The university itself was not charged with any violations, including a lack of institutional control or failure to monitor, the two most egregious NCAA infractions.

Pitino, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, has denied that he knew about McGee’s actions. The NCAA alleges that the 64-year-old coach “did not monitor” McGee and failed to “spot-check” his program, including “actively looking for red flags.”

Pitino has also repeatedly denied any knowledge of the accusations made by former prostitute Katina Powell. In her October 2015 book, Breaking Cardinal Rules, Powell alleged that McGee paid her and other escorts and strippers thousands of dollars and gave them tickets to games in exchange for sex with recruits and players in the players’ dormitory, Minardi Hall during a four-year period. The NCAA concurred, alleging that McGree paid some $5,400 to the escorts.

In a statement, Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich said he pledged to appeal the charge that Pitino had failed to monitor his employees.

“The N.O.A. aligns with the results of our inquiry: Improper activities took place in a dormitory that never should have occurred,” Jurich said, referring to the notice of allegations and going on to allude to Louisville’s self-imposed postseason ban last season. “When the facts were established, we acted. We took appropriate punitive and corrective actions.”

Louisville has 90 days to respond to the NCAA’s letter, and a hearing before the Committee on Infractions is expected to be scheduled for next spring.

The university will hold a news conference at noon ET Thursday, when Pitino, Jurich and Pinto will discuss the NCAA notice of allegations.

In conjunction with the university, the NCAA hired two consultants — Chuck Smart and Steve Thompson — to lead the investigation and conduct more than 90 interviews.

Pitino is one of college basketball’s most celebrated and accomplished coaches, credited with reviving Kentucky’s program in the 1990s and leading it to the 1996 national championship. Following an unsuccessful stint in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, Pitino returned to the state and led Louisville to an NCAA title in 2013.

SYRACUSE, NY – FEBRUARY 18: Head coach Rick Pitino of the Louisville Cardinals calls a play for his team against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the Carrier Dome on February 18, 2015 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeated Louisville 69-59. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)

With the first round officially over, pool play began at the 2016 ACC baseball tournament in Durham, North Carolina on Wednesday.

ACC Baseball Tournament 2016: Wednesday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule

In the first round on Tuesday, the 10th-seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons beat the seventh-seeded Duke Blue Devils 4-3, while the No.9-seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defeated the No.8-seed Boston College Eagles.

Both teams lost, however, just one day later. The Demon Deacons fell to the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals 9-5 on Wednesday, and the Yellow Jackets lost to the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes 4-0.

Trailing 2-1 early in the game, Louisville broke things open in the fourth and fifth innings after two and one-half scoreless innings. Wake Forest scored twice in the top of the first. Third baseman Blake Tiberi hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put the Cardinals ahead 3-2. A single by junior right fielder Colin Lyman and a walk to junior center fielder Corey Ray put runners on first and second with one out in the fifth. Then, Cardinals junior catcher Will Smith sent Wake Forest left-hander Ryan Morse’s pitch over the center-field wall for a three-run home run. Junior second baseman Nick Solak stepped up to bat next and sent right-hander Chris Farish’s pitch out of the yard and over the bull in left field to give Louisville a 7-2 lead. The ball Solak hit traveled 403 feet, according to ACC Baseball.

The Demon Deacons then scored three runs in the eighth to cut the deficit to 8-5, but Smith added a second homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Cardinals more security.

The No. 4 Florida State Seminoles also emerged victorious Wednesday, beating out the No. 5 North Carolina State Wolfpack 7-3 in the first game of the day. The Seminoles scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Steven Wells Jr.’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly snapped a 3-3 tie, and Taylor Walls followed with a two-run single. Florida State scored the final run of the game on a wild pitch.

NC State gained a 3-1 lead after 5 1/2 innings, FSU’s first run coming from John Sansone. Brock Deatherage scored the Wolfpack’s first run on the back end of a double-steal in the second inning and Brett Kinnerman squeezing home another run with a well-placed bunt in the fourth.

Cory Wilder started on the mound for NC State, and worked five innings during which he allowed two runs on three hits. Florida State pulled even in the bottom of the sixth on Dylan Busby’s two-out, two-run single that knotted the score at 3-3.

Round-robin pool play continues for both teams on Thursday, with the Seminoles (35-19) facing Georgia Tech (36-20) at 3 p.m., while NC State (34-19) will play Miami (43-10) in the final game of the day at 7 p.m.

The No. 3 University of Virginia Cavaliers will kick off the day by facing the No. 6 Clemson Tigers.

Omaha, NE – JUNE 24 Catcher Jason Delay #5 of the Vanderbilt Commodores tags out batter Daniel Pinero #22 of the Virginia Cavaliers, after attempting to lay down a bunt in the seventh inning during game three of the College World Series Championship Series on June 24, 2015 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

The Louisville Cardinals announced on Thursday that the school and head coach Bobby Petrino have agreed to a 7-year contract extension.

Petrino, Louisville Agree To 7-Year Extension

Petrino began his head coaching career at Louisville in 2003 and compiled a record of 41-9 from 2003-2006, leading the Cardinals to a victory in the 2006 Orange Bowl and a record of 12-1.

Petrino then left to coach the Atlanta Falcons, only six months after signing a 10-year contract extension. He resigned from Atlanta after 13 games.

He returned to the college ranks by coaching the Arkansas Razorbacks from 2008-11, leading the team to a combined 34-17 record and a victory in the 2011 Cotton Bowl Classic.

Petrino was fired on April 10, 2012 after an investigation of a motorcycle accident that Petrino was involved in revealed that he was having an affair with one of his employees and misled the school in regards to their relationship.

He returned to coaching after being hired by Western Kentucky in December 2012. The Hilltoppers went 8-4 in 2013, before Petrino left to return to Louisville.

Last season Louisville went 8-5 and won the Music City Bowl 27-21 over Texas A&M.

For his career, Petrino has a head coaching record of 100-39 and has gone 5-4 in bowl games.

Louisville head basketball coach Rick Pitino released a statement on Thursday in which he stated he has no intention of resigning despite an alleged sex scandal that is smoldering the Cardinals’ program just weeks before its new season begins.

In recent months, allegations have arisen that a former Louisville staffer paid dozens of escorts thousands of dollar and gave them tickets in exchange for dancing and sexual favors for both players and recruits. One of the escorts, Katina Powell, wrote a book about this scandal Breaking Cardinal Rules, in which she claims that both her and her teenage daughters were paid. The ex-staffer, Andre McGee, denied having paid anyone for sex or knowing of anyone else in the organization who may have paid for sex, despite admitting he knows Powell. Pitino issued the statement on his website.

The Cardinals kick off their season on Nov. 13 against Samford.

Here is the full statement:

“To our loyal fans,

First, above all, I’m sorry we all have to endure the pain of these allegations. I so appreciate your support and friendships.

I will not resign and let you down. Someday I will walk away in celebration of many memorable years but that time is not now. I do not fight these accusations by others but rather turn the other cheek. Couldn’t do it at 33, but at 63 it’s the wise thing to do. Let’s let the investigators do their job and we will play basketball.

I am really excited with our ball team. Their attitude and willingness to learn is the best I’ve witnessed as a coach. We have the potential to be a very explosive offensive team. We must defend like past years. That will come when they come together as a unit.

The players have improved in many areas:

• Quentin Snider – has improved his jump shot by adding more lift and arc.
• Matz Stockman – has made great strides. He’s doing things in practice that has all

of us very excited. Now he just has to relax when the lights come on.

• Anas Mahmoud – has great footwork and length. Still only 210 lbs., but up from 177.
• Ryan McMahon – is crafty and picking up the physical nature of college ball. Although our plans are to redshirt him, he is improving with each practice.
• Ray Spalding – has been out of practice due to a sprained ankle. Has a lot of catching up to do.
• Donovan Mitchell – is a tremendous worker with an attitude I haven’t seen in my lifetime. Freak athlete who is a joy to coach.
• Mangok Mathiang – is consistent in every area. Emotional leader who gives you everything he has all the time. His low post footwork has improved and his rebounding is always there.
• Chinanu Onuaku – has improved in many areas. He was fouling too much in our scrimmages, which is a concern. Once he learns to fight through fatigue, his play will be more consistent. Working real hard to improve.
• Jaylen Johnson – like Nanu, has been creating too many fouls that would put him on the bench. He needs to cut down on his turnovers and ball fake more on his passes.
• Dillon Avare – gives you every ounce he has in him each day. Battles and never backs down vs. stronger players.
• David Levitch – as everyone noticed from the scrimmage, he’s not a player you yell to put in the game up 20. He makes players better around him and has had two stellar scrimmages.
• Jay Henderson – dependable transfer from St. John’s. Terrific attitude who makes guys compete each day by giving great effort.
• Trey Lewis – learning to play more at the point guard position. Strong and aggressive and has a great stroke. We are so lucky to have him on our team. Like Donovan, just a joy to coach.
• Damion Lee – explosive scorer. Doing it all for us in practice. Rebounding, passing and his quick release reminds me of a player I coached named Ron Mercer. Another young man with an incredible attitude.
• Deng Adel – Wow!! So much potential with such an eagerness to learn. Explosive athlete who gets better and better. Probably will start at the wing.

We are a week away from the Bellarmine game. Get fired up for another great season!

The Pope on his recent visit was asked many controversial questions. He would often answer, “We will let God judge.” There can be no better advice regardless of what religion you are than his words. Let’s not try to justify, but let the Lord judge!!

GO CARDS!

Rick Pitino”

PHOTO: SYRACUSE, NY – FEBRUARY 18: Head coach Rick Pitino of the Louisville Cardinals calls a play for his team against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the Carrier Dome on February 18, 2015 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeated Louisville 69-59. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)

Today it becames apparent why former Louisville guard Chris Jones is no longer playing basketball after reporting on his mysterious dismissal surfaced yesterday. According to the The Courier-Journal, Jones was arrested on charges of rape and sodomy. He has since been released into home arrest on $25,000 bond.

The incident allegedly happened Saturday night, following Jones’ amazing performance against the Miami Hurricanes. He was reinstated for that game following a suspension for sending violent threats to an ex-girlfirend. The first warrant claims the victim, who was treated for her injuries at a hospital, clearly identified the star athlete as her assailant.

The other victim accused Jones and two other individuals — Jalen D. Tilford and Tyvon J. Walker — of forcing her to have sex with them. Tilford was arraigned on rape and sodomy charges, while Walker was just charged with rape: both were given higher bail than the athlete due to Jones voluntarily turning himself in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVknpjSRbhc

As for  Jones’ lawyers, they have all obviously claimed his innocence. They even say that Louisville’s surveillance will exonerate him of the crime. At the same time, he has fully cooperated with the police by giving a statement and his first court date is scheduled for March 9.

According to ESPN, while Louisville cannot comment exactly on an ongoing investigation, Jones was kicked off the team due to violating curfew and allegedly being a part of an incident — the serious nature of the crime was not revealed to them until later.

Jones leaves the team being the third highest scorer with 13.7 PPG, 4 RPG and 3.6 APG.

Many have been wondering what happened with star guard Chris Jones after he was dismissed from Louisville two days ago. Well, it appears some information has surfaced about the athlete’s previous suspension, which could shed some light — but not officially answer — on why Pick Pitino threw Jones off the team.

According to ESPN, Chris Jones was suspended from the Syracuse game on Feb. 18 due to an inappropriate text message he sent to a female student. According to the campus police, Jones was angry over the unnamed woman messing up his room and sent a text explaining that he was going to “smack the f*** out of [her].” After notifying school authorities, she did not press any charges.

But after sitting out the 69-59 loss to Syracuse, Pitino reinstated him for Saturday’s game against Miami in which he scored 17 points in a 55-53 victory. After the game he talked about his suspension: “It was Coach’s decision. It is what it is. I learned from it. Coach called it my selfish behavior of what happened between a situation. It’s just something I learned from — you’ve got to stay away from things like that and that’s what I’m going to do.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIQoVIM-eIk

However, a day later he was dismissed from the team without the organization giving any semblance of a reason leaving a big question mark about the situation and the state of the Louisville program. After starting the season 18-3, they are 4-3 in February.

Jones leaves the team as the third highest scorer with 13.7 PPG, 3.6 APG, 4 RPG and 2 SPG. He is the second high profile dismissal this year, as in January Rasheed Sulaimon was kicked off of Duke.