Briefly... CITY/REGION

The NCAA placed Alabama's football program and 15 other of the school's athletic teams on 3 years' probation for major violations due to misuse of free textbooks, stripping the Crimson Tide of 21 football wins from 2005 to '07.

The NCAA said 201 athletes in 16 sports obtained "impermissible benefits" by using their scholarships to obtain free textbooks for other students. Alabama identified 22 athletes, including seven football players, as "intentional wrongdoers" who knew they were receiving improper benefits.

In other football news:

* Minnesota president Robert Bruininks is expected to recommend today that regents ban alcohol from the new football stadium.

* A person familiar with the negotiations says the Houston Texans have agreed to a deal with former Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman.

* Ryan Leaf's lawyer says the indicted former NFL quarterback will surrender on drug and burglary charges in Texas.

* Lock Haven softball pitcher Kristin Erb, of Reading, won the Division II Honda Sports athlete of the year award. Erb, who also received the honor as a freshman, will play professional softball with the Philadelphia Force.

* Peter Nowak, manager of the Union MLS team, named one of his former players, Josh Gros, as team coordinator.

* Phil Mickelson, returning to work for the first time since disclosing last month that wife Amy has breast cancer, shot a 2-under 68 that left him four shots behind Brian Gay in the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

* Bryan Berry, the crew chief for Nationwide Series driver Brendan Gaughan, was suspended indefinitely for using a racial slur about rival driver Marc Davis, who is black, Saturday at the Nashville Speedway. *