Roundup: L.A. Memorial Coliseum naming rights sold to fund renovations

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will be renamed United Airlines Memorial Coliseum, USC announced Monday. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN points out that the agreement is for $69 million over 16 years and will help fund the $270 million renovation currently underway.

After jumping up to No. 6 in the latest top 25, Oregon women’s basketball has achieved its highest AP ranking in program history, Kevin Wade of 247Sports reminds us. The Ducks swept Utah and Colorado on the road last weekend and host the Bay schools this weekend (be sure to listen to the Stanford-Oregon game on gostanford.com at noon PT on Sunday ;) ).

Ryan Kelapire of AZ Desert Swarm lets us know that Rawle Alkins is likely to return to the lineup Wednesday for Arizona men’s basketball at Washington State. Alkins was cleared to practice on Monday after missing three of the last four games due to a right-foot injury.

I forgot to mention this on Monday, but Stanford running back Bryce Love won the Lombardi Award. The Heisman Trophy runner-up got the award given to the top D-I football player based on performance, leadership, character and resilience, and he certainly showed plenty of resilience playing on that bum ankle in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game this year.

Danny Moran reports that Oregon State running back Ryan Nall has been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and will go there as a running back (there’s some question about his ability to be an RB at the next level instead of a fullback or H-back).

With National Signing Day around the corner, UCLA football got a commitment from Elijah Wade, a four-star defensive end. Thuc Nhi Nguyen has the deets.

Cal center fielder Tanner Dodson was named a first team Preseason All-American by Baseball America on Monday (CalBears.com). Dude played well in the Cape Cod League last summer.

Check out this Pac-12 Networks video on Washington women’s basketball coach Jody Wynn’s connection with Mark Trakh, USC women’s basketball coach. The two have known each other for more than 30 years, going back to when Wynn was 10 years old when Trakh taught her how to play ball to begin with.

Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic wonders if an Arizona State guy will go in the NBA Draft this year. The Sun Devils haven’t had a draft selection since Carrick Felix in 2013.

As Colorado men’s basketball gets ready for a “rivalry game” against Utah, Pat Rooney notes that the Utes are rounding into form right in time to potentially beat the Buffs again. Coach K’s bunch has won seven straight against Boyle’s Boys.

Check out this NFL Draft stock report on Washington State defensive end Hercules Mata’afa, courtesy of Theo Lawson.

I meant to link to this on Monday, but check out this Ute-on-Ute crime, as Kyle Kuzma posterized Jakob Poeltl in Sunday’s Lakers-Raptors game. Clutch Points has the video in the preceding link.