NCAA

Gene Smith, the athletic director for Ohio State University, has issued a formal apology to a Michigan State hockey player ... after a Buckeyes forward was accused of hurling racial slurs at the man during a game earlier this month.

According to Spartans forward Jagger Joshua, who is Black, the racist incidents happened on Nov. 11 -- when OSU visited East Lansing and lost 4-3.

Joshua did not reveal specifically what was said to him on the ice, but he did note in a Twitter post on Monday that he was livid over "the inaction" taken by Ohio State and the Big Ten in wake of the racial abuse.

"Acts of racism do not belong in hockey, as they can discourage African Americans and minorities like myself from playing and loving the game," Joshua said in his social media post. "Inaction in the face of racist comments and actions allow these behaviors to continue."

Late Tuesday night, Smith apologized to Joshua over it all in a lengthy statement ... and said the player who was accused of using the slurs, Kamil Sadlocha, "is returning home and will not practice or compete at this time."

"On behalf of Ohio State University, I am so sorry," Smith said. "No student or student-athlete should experience hatred or racism, and everyone should feel welcome."

"I have spoken with Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller, and I'm thankful Jagger is getting the support he needs."

In his statement, Smith said he has met with the OSU hockey team and will meet with them again over the incident. He promised that players "will complete education on racial sensitivity, diversity, equity, inclusion, and the use of respectful dialog."

"The department and I will support them through this important process," he added.

A top H.S. quarterback recruit's use of the n-word will not spell the end of his football career ... so says ex-NFL star Jamal Anderson, who tells TMZ Sports he's confident the teen will get another scholarship offer.

Marcus Stokes -- a four-star athlete from Allen D. Nease High School in Florida -- had his full ride to the Univ. of Florida pulled on Sunday ... after he posted a video of himself rapping the n-word in his car.

He apologized for it all, calling it "hurtful and offensive to many people" -- but some have wondered if it, and the Gators' subsequent punishment for it, would mean he'd no longer have a chance to play college ball anymore.

When we got Anderson out at LAX this week, he told us he's sure another school will give him another shot ... saying, "Man, he's a kid still."

"You've got to have time to grow and make mistakes and learn and make amends for the mistakes that you make," the former Atlanta Falcons running back said. "So, I wish him all the best and I hope that it all works out for him."

Anderson tells us Stokes' coaches, teammates, friends and peers will help him rebound from it all ... explaining if those around him continue to report he had no racist intentions with his actions, it'll be easier to forgive.

"When you look at the reports of the people that actually know him," Anderson said, "The people that are actually around him, there's nothing like that."

Here's further proof Big Ten football is taken VERY seriously in Ohio -- droves of newborns in the state this week have been wrapped in "Beat Michigan" swaddles ... as the Buckeyes prepare to play the Wolverines in a huge game this weekend.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center was the facility providing the anti-Michigan paraphernalia to the babies -- with, of course, parents' permission -- and while Wolverines fans may not enjoy it so much, it's adorable as hell.

The kids got red blankets with the words "Beat Michigan" inscribed in them -- with the M crossed out. They were also gifted some Buckeye-colored beanies.

Some proud, cheesin' parents posed with the Ohio State-clad kids ... and, surely, they're hoping those smiles stay on their faces on Saturday afternoon in Columbus.

The game goes down at noon -- and with both teams coming in with 11-0 records ... it almost certainly means a spot in the College Football Playoff is on the line.

The UVA vs. Virginia Tech game has been canceled ... in wake of the tragic shooting on the Cavaliers' campus earlier this month.

The ACC made the ruling late Monday evening, saying the Nov. 26 matchup will not go down as planned ... after UVA players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry were shot and killed on a bus after returning from a class field trip on Nov. 13.

According to the conference, ACC officials and both Virginia schools had a say in the decision.

"The ACC and Virginia Tech continue to support UVA following the devastating tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of three members of the Cavalier football team -- Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry, and injuries to students Mike Hollins (also a Virginia football student-athlete) and Marlee Morgan."

This is the second game that's been canceled since the tragic incident -- last weekend's UVA vs. Coastal Carolina contest was also called off.

Both UVA and Virginia Tech's seasons are now over.

One of the best high school football players in the country had his Florida scholarship offer pulled this weekend ... after he was seen on video rapping the n-word.

Marcus Stokes posted the quick, two-second clip on his social media page last week -- appearing to show the quarterback recruit singing, "Welcome back, n***a."

Almost immediately afterward, the Nease H.S. athlete, who's white, received backlash for it ... and on Sunday, the Univ. of Florida made the decision to pull their offer from him.

Stokes had been committed to attending the school since early July.

"I was in my car listening to rap music, rapping along to the words and posted a video of it on social media," Stokes explained on his Twitter page on Sunday.

"I deeply apologize for the words in the song that I chose to say. It was hurtful and offensive to many people, and I regret that."

Stokes continued, "I fully accept the consequences for my actions, and I respect the University of Florida's decision to withdraw my scholarship offer to play football."

Stokes had a great junior season at Nease -- but struggled in his senior season this year. Still, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound dual-threat QB was rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports ... and the 14th-ranked signal-caller in the nation.

Stokes had received offers from several other schools -- including Penn State, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech -- during his H.S. career ... though it's unclear if those scholarship offers now still stand.

University of Virginia running back Mike Hollins is out of the hospital after being seriously injured in the tragic shooting last week ... his mother announced.

Hollins was shot in the back during the horrifying incident that resulted in the death of his three teammates, D'Sean Perry, Devin Chandler, and Lavel Davis Jr. He spent time in the ICU and required two surgeries in the days following the shooting.

Hollins' mother shared the positive update on Monday ... saying Mike's improved enough to continue his recovery from the comfort of his home.

"Mike has been discharged!!!" Brenda Hollins said on Twitter. "HALLELUJAH I want to thank everyone for their prayers, text messages, and calls."

"This has truly been a test of faith and I'm grateful. GOD has shown me he is faithful!" she added. "Please continue praying for Mike as he recovers and settles into his new life."

Brenda -- who attended the three players' funeral services on Sunday -- also calls for the community to keep their loved ones in their thoughts ... saying, "Please continue to pray for the Chandler, Davis, Perry families. They need us!!! GOD is amazing!"

The Washington Commanders will pay tribute to the three UVA football players who were tragically gunned down on campus last weekend ... by putting three stickers on their helmets for their game on Sunday.

The team just announced the homage ... revealing decals with the numbers 1, 15 and 41 -- the jersey digits of D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler -- will be placed on the back of their players' headgear while the team attempts to get a win over the Houston Texans.

"Our hearts are with @UVAFootball and the UVA community affected by the tragedy," the team said in a tweet while unveiling the uniform honor.

The Commanders added the hashtags #UVAStrong and #FootballIsFamily.

Perry, Davis and Chandler were all killed on a bus on Sunday night after they had returned from a class field trip. Two others, including Cavaliers running back Mike Hollins, were injured in the shooting as well -- though they're both expected to survive.

Former UVA football player Juan Thornhill, a safety for the Chiefs, announced earlier this week he, too, will be paying tribute to the victims on NFL Sunday this weekend ... wearing a pair of custom cleats with homages to Perry, Davis and Chandler all over them.

Chiefs defensive back Juan Thornhill will honor the lives of the three UVA football players who were tragically killed last weekend ... by wearing custom tribute cleats during K.C.'s primetime matchup on Sunday night.

Thornhill -- who attended UVA before he was drafted into the NFL in 2019 -- showed off what the spikes will look like on his social media page on Wednesday ... and they're amazing.

The shoes feature the Cavaliers' blue and orange colors ... and also have the names of the three victims -- D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler -- etched into them.

The trio of football players' jersey numbers, surrounded by angel wings, were also painted onto one of the sides. The other side, meanwhile, has replicas of the guys' UVA jerseys.

"1.15.41 👼🧡💙," Thornhill tweeted while announcing the fashion choice. "Wearing these Sunday to celebrate you 3."

As we reported, the football players were gunned down on campus after returning from a class field trip on Sunday night. Two others, including Cavaliers running back Mike Hollins, were shot in the incident as well -- though both survived.

Former UVA running back Christopher Jones Jr. -- who actually played with Thornhill at the school in 2018 -- has been arrested and charged in connection with the killings.

The University of Virginia football team will not play its game against Coastal Carolina on Saturday ... following the tragic deaths of three of its players on Sunday night.

The school just made the decision ... revealing the game will not have a makeup date. Officials said the Cavaliers' season finale against Virginia Tech on Nov. 26 could be canceled as well, though no ruling has been made on that contest yet.

Coastal Carolina officials said they had no issues whatsoever with the decision ... with head coach Jamey Chadwell saying in a statement, "We all stand in solidarity with UVA."

The cancelation is not a surprising one ... after linebacker D'Sean Perry and receivers, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler were shot and killed on a bus on campus after returning to the school from a class field trip.

Two other UVA students, including Cavaliers running back Mike Hollins, were also injured during the shooting as well -- and at a news conference on Tuesday, head coach Tony Elliott said he and the team were understandably having a hard time processing it all.

A former UVA running back, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., has been accused of being the gunman in the horrifying incident. He's since been arrested and hit with multiple charges -- including three counts of second-degree murder.

Jones Jr. appeared in court for a hearing on the matter on Wednesday morning. No bond was given -- and his next court date was set for December.

College basketball is back  -- and so is Dick Vitale, babyyyyyy!!

The voice of college hoops made his triumphant return to the mic on Tuesday to call the Kentucky vs. Michigan State game ... after missing most of the 2021 season to undergo treatment for cancer and vocal cord surgery.

"It's the best medicine I can have, sitting courtside," the 83-year-old said during the broadcast.

"I tell you one thing, it beats laying in the hospital doing chemotherapy -- I can guarantee you that!"

It's been a battle for Vitale. He was diagnosed with multiple forms of cancer last year, but he never stopped fighting. Then, in August, he announced he's once again cancer free!

During the broadcast, Dickie expressed praise for everyone who supported him ... saying it's one of the reasons he beat the disease.

"I just can't say thank you, thank you, thank you, to so many who encouraged me and inspired me to really battle, and to win that battle."

Former Univ. of Kentucky hoops star Isaac Humphries -- who now plays in Australia's NBL -- revealed he's gay in a super emotional talk with his teammates on Tuesday.

Humphries sat down with his Melbourne United squad inside a team meeting room to make the announcement ... and he fought back tears as he explained the truth about his sexuality.

The 6-foot-11, 255-pound center said hiding his real identity had taken a massive toll on him, and it nearly led to death by suicide a couple years ago.

"I fell into a very dark place, a very lonely place," the 24-year-old said. "I couldn't be who I am and I attempted to take my life."

Humphries said "coming to terms with the fact that I'm gay" was extremely difficult. He revealed to his teammates that he "hated" himself and was "disgusted" by it all.

"I thought that I could not be that person in our environment, within a basketball environment," Humphries said.

Isaac, though, explained that after joining up with Melbourne United earlier this year, he became more and more comfortable with things. He said their open and welcoming culture allowed him to feel like himself, and led him to come out this week.

Now, Humphries said he wants to be a role model to the many others who are in his shoes.

"We as professional athletes have a responsibility to set examples for people," Humphries said. "The truth is there are so many other people in other worlds that are struggling every single day and don't know how to get up. Don't know how to exist. And I know how that feels. And I want to represent those people. That's my goal behind this."

The NBA immediately shared its support for Humphries in wake of the news, saying in a statement, "We are proud and grateful to Isaac for sharing his story. We know the real impact his honesty and courage will have on many others."

Humphries, who played alongside De'Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo and Jamal Murray during his time at Kentucky, has had brief stints with NBA teams following his Wildcats career ... but has starred in the NBL since 2020.

The former University of Virginia running back accused of killing three current Cavaliers football players had "no overlap" with the victims during his time on the team ... the school's athletic director revealed on Tuesday.

According to Carla Williams, Christopher Jones Jr. -- the man who allegedly murdered D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler on Sunday night -- only spent one semester on the Cavs' football roster as a walk-on in 2018, before he left the team.

Williams said during that time, neither Perry, Davis nor Chandler, who were all juniors this year, crossed paths with him on the field or in the locker room.

"There was no overlap," Williams said as part of an emotional press conference with football head coach Tony Elliott. "I don't know if there was any interaction outside of the class."

Jones Jr. allegedly opened fire on the three football players -- and others -- on a bus on campus after they had all returned from a class field trip. Police have yet to reveal a potential motive.

Jones Jr.'s father, Christopher Jones Sr., told NBC12 on Monday his son had complained about people "picking on him" at school about a month ago ... but said, otherwise, Jones Jr. "was doing real well."

At Tuesday's news conference, both Elliott and Williams spoke fondly of the victims -- remembering them as great men and teammates.

Elliott confirmed a fourth member of the Virginia football team -- running back Mike Hollins -- was also shot in the incident ... and is currently in the hospital receiving treatment for his injuries. Elliott declined to give further details on the football player's condition.

Christopher Jones Jr. -- the ex-University of Virginia football player who's been accused of murdering three current members of the Cavaliers team -- had complained of bullying before the shooting, this according to Jones Jr.'s father.

Christopher Jones Sr. spoke with NBC12 just one day after his son allegedly shot and killed three UVA football players while on a bus on campus ... and he explained, for the most part, his son appeared normal during their last encounter about a month ago "and he was doing real well."

But, he did note that while Jones Jr. had stopped by his house to do laundry, the 22-year-old admitted he was having some issues while at school.

"He had some problems," Jones Sr. said of Jones Jr., a former UVA running back. "The last time I talked to him, he said some people was picking on him or whatever. He didn't know how to handle it. I just told him, 'Go to school. Don't pay them no mind. Do what you got to do.'"

Jones Sr. added, "He wouldn't tell me everything."

Jones Jr. allegedly opened fire on a bus full of students after it had returned from a class field trip at around 10:30 PM on Sunday night. According to authorities, the gunfire killed D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler, and wounded two others.

Cops say Jones Jr. then fled the scene ... remaining on the run for about 12 hours -- before he was eventually arrested in Henrico County. He's now facing six charges, including three counts of second-degree murder.

Jones Sr. said he had no clue what could have caused Jones Jr. to pull the trigger.

"What happened?" Jones Sr. said. "Why did it have to get this far? He could have called me."

Jones Sr. then issued an apology on his son's behalf.

On campus, meanwhile, students participated in a candlelight vigil to honor the three who died in the tragedy.

Police are on the hunt for a former University of Virginia football player ... after they say he's suspected of shooting and killing three people, while injuring two others, in a horrifying on-campus incident Sunday night.

The shooting occurred at Culbreth Parking Garage at around 10:30 PM -- and, according to the university police department, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a current student, is suspected of pulling the trigger.

As of Monday morning, Jones had not been taken into custody. Police said they've launched a manhunt for the ex-Cavaliers running back -- and are urging anyone to call 911 with information about his whereabouts. They say he was last seen wearing a burgundy jacket, blue jeans and red shoes, and is considered armed and dangerous.

Jones, according to the school's website, played tailback for UVA in 2018, but did not appear in any games.

The victims of the shooting have not yet been identified. A potential motive also remains unclear.

School president Jim Ryan announced Monday morning classes had been canceled as the search for Jones continues.

"This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send," Ryan said in a statement to the school, "and I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia."

The tragic deaths of three University of Virginia football players have rocked the sports world ... and many of the nation's top athletes -- including LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes -- are now reaching out to the campus to send their thoughts and prayers.

The Chiefs star QB and the NBA legend both sent out emotional tweets after learning that D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler had been shot and killed in a horrifying incident on the UVA campus on Sunday night.

James called it "Sad Sad Sad" with a crying emoji ... while Mahomes wrote simply, "Prayers for @UVAFootball."

Dozens of other athletes have sent their condolences to the trio's family members and the Cavaliers' community in wake of the deaths ... with Julian Edelman calling it all a "sad sad day in Virginia."

"If we don't do anything, nothing changes," the former New England Patriots star said on his Twitter page. "This has to stop. Now."

Former NFL star and UVA alum Thomas Jones added in a tweet of his own that he was "sending love & light to the families & friends of the victims as well as the entire #VirginiaFootball program."

Arizona Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins also shared his condolences ... and acknowledged how Davis' last Instagram post was about a play he made during Sunday's game against the Rams.

"My prayers go out to the whole UVA community today. Especially to the families, friends, and fans of Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler," he said.

"These men were taken too soon and for no reason. The last post on Lavel’s story was a play from my game yesterday and it is a reminder that everyday here on this earth is a blessing and a gift. Make the best of it. Rest In Peace my brothers 🖤."

As we reported, officials say Perry, Davis and Chandler were all killed after they were shot on a bus in a UVA parking structure after they had just returned from a class field trip.

Police say former Cavalier running back Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., who left the team over a year ago but remained a student on campus, was the gunman.

The Orange doesn't fall far from the tree ... Carmelo Anthony's basketball star son Kiyan just received a scholarship from Syracuse University -- the school his dad led to a national championship two decades ago!

The 15-year-old, 4-star shooting guard -- who plays at Christ the King High School in New York -- broke the news on Sunday ... announcing Cuse offered the high schooler a spot on their team after he graduates in 2025.

"Beyond blessed to receive an offer from Syracuse University," Kiyan said on Twitter.

Kiyan has also received offers from Memphis, Manhattan, George Mason, and Bryant, according to 247 Sports.

Needless to say, Syracuse basketball is in Kiyan's blood. Melo is a Syracuse legend after his one-and-done 2002-03 season under longtime coach Jim Boeheim ... when he led the team to a national championship.

Carmelo averaged 22.2 points and 10 rebounds that season ... and was easily the best player in college basketball.

Of course, Melo went 3rd overall in the infamous 2003 NBA Draft -- after LeBron James (a no-brainer) and Darko Milicic. Anthony played with the Nuggets, Knicks, Thunder, Rockets, Blazers, and most recently, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Melo is currently a free agent, and has used his free time to work with his son, teaching Kiyan his signature moves.