Sports in Brief: NCAA requests ball-boy advice

NCAA president

Mark Emmert

said Monday he has contacted U.S. Education Secretary

Arne Duncan

so he can advise school leaders about the best practices in dealing with ball boys, ball girls, and students who attend summer camps.

Emmert did not provide specific details on what those guidelines may include or when they might be completed.

In light of child sexual-abuse scandals at Penn State and Syracuse, he said he wants to prevent future improprieties from occurring and wants to find out if there is a pervasive culture within athletic departments that could lead to cover-ups.

"When you have a veil of secrecy, you have the potential for abusive behavior," Emmert told reporters in Indianapolis.

The Big East is on the verge of expansion, the Newark Star-Ledger reported, with Boise State and San Diego State joining for football-only, and Central Florida, Houston, and Southern Methodist joining for all sports. An announcement could be made by the end of the week.

Navy and Air Force haven't committed but could be added later. The Star-Ledger reported the schools ready to commit could begin play in the 2013 season.

Katie O'Donnell, a two-time Inquirer player of the year at Wissahickon and Maryland's most decorated field hockey player, was named to the Pan American elite squad for her performance in helping the U.S. team win gold in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

BOXING: WBO, IBF, and WBA heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko pulled out of his fight against French challenger Jean-Marc Mormeck after two operations in two days to remove a kidney stone. The fight had been scheduled for Saturday in Dusseldorf, Germany.

NASCAR: Kurt Busch and Penske Racing parted ways after six bumpy seasons. Both the team and driver said ending the relationship was a "mutual agreement," but most believe the firing was a result of Busch verbally abusing an ESPN reporter during last month's season finale.

SOCCER: Clint Dempsey became the all-time American goal-scorer in the English Premier League and gave Fulham a 1-0 victory in London. The 28-year-old from Nacogdoches, Texas, has 37 goals since joining Fulham in 2006.

HORSE RACING: For the first time in track history, a Grade I race, the highest level stakes, will be held at Parx Racing. Next year's Cotillion Stakes for three-year-old fillies will be upgraded from its current Grade II status and its purse will be raised to $1 million.

Three other Parx races will be upgraded to Grade III: the Smarty Jones Stakes, a prep for the Pennsylvania Derby; the Greenwood Cup Stakes, a Breeders' Cup Marathon prep; and the Penny Memorial Handicap.

The Cotillion, a 11/16-mile race to be held the first Saturday in October, has been a top prep for the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

- Staff and wire reports