NCAA

Former Ohio State star Shane Olivea -- who played for the San Diego Chargers after his time in Columbus -- died on Wednesday, his good friend and ex-Buckeye teammate Bobby Carpenter announced.

He was just 40 years old.

Carpenter did not reveal a cause of the death ... but said the former offensive lineman passed away at night.

"I'll never forget the kindness he showed to a young freshman who was clueless and didn't know anything about anything," Carpenter said in a statement on Twitter. "#RIPShane #Thankyou."

Olivea played for the Buckeyes from 2000 to 2003, and won a national championship with the team in 2002. He went on to get picked by the Chargers in the seventh round of the '04 draft, and started 57 games for the Bolts from 2004 to 2007.

Sadly, an addiction to pain killers ended up derailing his career following the '07 season. Olivea had said to The Columbus Dispatch in 2017 that his addiction during his playing days was so bad, doctors told him he was fortunate to be alive.

Olivea went to rehab and eventually got better, and he later said he had aspirations of coaching football and mentoring kids.

"Very sad to hear the news of my former teammate Shane Olivea," ex-NFL O-lineman Roman Oben said on Twitter after learning of the news. "Praying for his family today."

Stanford women's soccer star Katie Meyer -- a Cardinal goalkeeper and a team captain -- has tragically died, the school announced Tuesday.

She was only 22 years old. No cause of death was revealed.

"Please join us in offering our deepest condolences to her parents and sisters," university officials said of Meyer in a statement. "We would also like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Katie's friends, hallmates, classmates, teammates, faculty and coaches."

School officials added that counseling has been made available all over campus to students and others who are grieving the loss.

Meyer -- described by the school as "a bright shining light for so many" -- was one of the Cardinal's best players ... and had helped the team win the NCAA women's soccer championship in 2019.

During that title game against North Carolina, she made two massive saves to help secure the victory. Her celebration afterward went viral.

Meyer was slated to be a redshirt senior on Stanford's team this season.

Joe Burrow is spending his offseason the right way ... by playing golf with Kendall Jenner's boyfriend, Devin Booker, and his old Ohio State teammates after losing Super Bowl LVI.

Burrow hit the links with D Book in Scottsdale, Arizona recently .... where Joey B's teammate, Sam Hubbard, and 49ers star defensive end, Nick Bosa joined in on the fun.

Hubbard, a defensive end for the Bengals, took to social media to share a few images of the trip as they enjoyed some nice weather out on the course ... followed by a group dinner after.

The Bengals, of course, are still trying to recover from their disappointing 23-20 loss to the Rams in the Super Bowl ... and what better way to do that than having some quality tee time!!

Of course, Sam, Nick, and Joey Franchise all went to Ohio State -- though Burrow would finish his career with the LSU Tigers, where he led them to a national title after defeating Clemson in the 2019 season.

But, it was those OSU and Ohio roots that forged the basis of the foundation for Sam's relationship with Joe ... and it's spilled over into their professional careers.

While the Bengals season is over, the Suns and Booker are still playing ... and with the best record in the NBA, Phoenix looks poised to make a serious run at an NBA championship.

Start celebrating, Trojans fans -- JuJu Smith-Schuster says USC will definitely win a national championship with Lincoln Riley as head coach ... and it could happen as soon as next season!!

JuJu was super stoked to talk about his college team's new hire during Super Bowl week ... going as far as predicting USC will win its first national title since 2004 now that Riley is at the helm.

"Soon, man," he tells TMZ Sports. "This year and whatever God has planned. I think we just gotta keep pushing. I think it's a great move. We have a great coaching staff, so it helps us out a lot."

JuJu played 3 seasons for USC before being drafted by the Steelers in the 2nd round of the 2017 NFL draft ... so of course, he's biased when it comes to the Trojans.

However, many would agree JuJu is right in saying the acquisition of Riley gives USC a serious chance to compete for a CFB championship ... bias or no bias.

The Trojans landed Riley after the ex-Oklahoma play-caller chose to take his talents from Norman to Los Angeles ... making him the 30th head coach in the program's history.

Riley said at the time of the move he was heavily recruited by USC ... and when he met with the university in person, he could tell the school and their football program was a perfect fit for him.

Speaking of USC, JuJu says it's time for his old school to allow another former Trojan legend, Reggie Bush, back on campus -- after the star running back was banned for his reported involvement in an NCAA scandal.

"I think it's time to bring back everybody back on campus with all the greats," Smith-Schuster said. "Especially Reggie Bush."

Juwan Howard has been punished for smacking an opposing coach during a wild altercation over the weekend ... with Michigan reportedly banning the guy from the Wolverines' sidelines for the rest of the regular season.

Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel just reported the news ... one day after Howard kicked off a brawl at the end of the Michigan vs. Wisconsin game by taking a swipe at Badgers assistant Joe Krabbenhoft.

The ban would effectively be a 5-game suspension for Howard ... as the Wolverines have just five contests left before they play in the postseason Big 10 Tournament.

As we previously reported, Howard told media members following the altercation that he got aggressive because Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard had put his hands on him first.

"I think that was very uncalled for, for him to touch me," Howard said after the game, "as we were verbalizing and communicating with one another. So, that's what ended up happening."

Many had speculated Howard would be banned for longer -- and, considering the melee ended up being very, very ugly, some thought it could cost the 49-year-old his job.

Michigan, meanwhile, is 14-11 this season.

Several members of the Arizona State football team were so upset that their quarterback, Jayden Daniels, was hitting the transfer portal ... they raided his locker, and talked smack while they did it.

Daniels -- who was the Sun Devils' QB1 for most of the last three seasons -- made his intention to leave ASU known on Thursday ... and you can see in video, the news clearly pissed off his teammates.

ASU defensive lineman Travez Moore caught their reaction on camera -- showing several players rummaging through Daniels' locker while shading the guy.

"Clear that n***a s*** out!" a player can be heard saying in the clip.

"He out of this bitch," another player said. "N***a suck anyway!"

The video was deleted off Moore's IG a short time after it was posted -- and Daniels has not yet made a public comment about it.

The most famous voice in college basketball will be silent for at least the next month ... Dick Vitale just announced he's been ordered to undergo "4 weeks of total voice rest" following vocal cord surgery.

Dickie V revealed the doc's orders on his Facebook page Wednesday morning ... saying the Tuesday operation on his throat went well, but he's got a long way to go before he's back talking hoops on TV again.

"[The doctor] feels optimistic that if I follow his plan (which I will)," Vitale said, "that he will get me back on courtside to do what I truly love talking college hoops during the 2022-23 season."

Vitale -- who's also currently in a battle with cancer -- was diagnosed with the vocal cord issue just a few weeks ago ... revealing the problem would force him out of calling games for the rest of the 2021-2022 season.

FYI, Vitale's doc is world-renowned ... having treated stars like Adele and Steven Tyler for vocal issues. So, Dickie's in good hands.

Vitale explained Wednesday the issues were "dysplasia" and "ulcerated lesions on my vocal cord."

Fortunately, Dickie V said the doc was "confident" he fixed everything ... putting Vitale hopefully on the path to callin' basketball games in the future.

"[The doctor] was very confident after the 3 hours of intense surgery that he was able to achieve his goal," Dickie V said.

Deion Sanders says the Pro Bowl is nothing like it used to be ... calling out all the players for their lack of effort on Sunday and asking, "What happened & When?"

Of course, players haven't taken the Pro Bowl seriously in years ... and during the AFC's 41-35 win over the NFC, Primetime voiced his frustration with what the event has turned into.

"Lord help me," Sanders said via social media on Sunday. "I’m watching the NFL Pro Bowl and I remember when we were so proud and appreciative of that accolade."

The NFL has been trying to find ways to make the game watchable for the past few years ... even switching up the game rules in hopes of changing the viewing experience.

But, Coach Prime says it's all on the players ... claiming he went 100% every single time he went to the Pro Bowl.

"We went to Hawaii to prove we were more than worthy so we competed at practice and in the game," Sanders said.

"I wanted u to know that PRIME was PRIME! What Happened & When?"

Prime ain't alone -- other ex-NFL stars like Champ Bailey agreed ... with the 12-time Pro Bowl cornerback saying "Bruh times have surely changed."

3-time Pro Bowl cornerback Pat Surtain flat out said, "S***s EMBARRASSING!!"

Mac Etienne -- a forward on the UCLA men's basketball team -- was reportedly cited by cops Thursday night after he appeared to spit on fans following the Bruins' game against Arizona.

Just after UCLA fell to the Wildcats, 76-66, at the McKale Center ... cameras appeared to capture Etienne, a 6-foot-10 redshirt freshman, getting into it with U of A fans.

In the video, Etienne can be seen exchanging words with people in the stands ... before he appeared to spit at them twice. The footage shows officials then grabbing Etienne and hurrying him away from the scene.

According to the L.A. Times, University of Arizona police found and cited Etienne a short time later. The outlet reported Etienne was not detained, though, and was allowed to leave the city with the rest of his team that same night.

"UCLA Athletics is committed to and expects the highest level of sportsmanship," a spokesperson for UCLA men's basketball said in a statement to the Times. "We are aware of the incident involving a student-athlete at tonight's men’s basketball game, and the matter is under review."

We've reached out to cops for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Etienne is sitting out this season because of an injury. He played in 13 games for the team last season, starting one.

Pete Golding -- the defensive coordinator for the Univ. of Alabama football team -- was arrested early Thursday morning for DUI ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Northport Police Department in Alabama tells us Golding -- real name Stephen Thomas Golding -- was arrested at around 1 AM.

According to the rep, Golding was pulled over on suspicion of DUI ... and "probable cause was found" to arrest him. Jail records show he's still in custody.

Further details surrounding the arrest were not made available.

Golding has been on Nick Saban's staff at Bama since the 2018 season. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2019 -- and helped lead the Tide to the National Championship games in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Golding is considered an ace recruiter who helped Bama land the #2 recruiting class in the country on Wednesday's National Signing Day.

The University of Nebraska says mascot Herbie Husker will no longer make the "OK" hand sign ... after receiving pressure from anti-hate groups who believe the gesture has ties to white supremacy.

“The concern about the hand gesture was brought to our attention by our apparel provider and others, and we decided to move forward with a revised Herbie Husker logo,” Nebraska Athletics told the AP.

“The process of changing the logo began in 2020, and we updated our brand guidelines in July of 2021. The revised logo is now the only Herbie Husker mark available to licensees.”

The "OK" symbol -- which had become a staple of Nebraska's mascot -- was first used in the '70s ... but has become associated with racist groups over the last few years.

Now, Herbie's hands will make the "number one" gesture with his index finger, instead of his index finger and thumb forming a closed circle.

FYI, the Anti-Defamation League lists the "OK" hand gesture in its Hate Symbols Database, but the website urges people to be careful when evaluating a person's intent when using the hand symbol.

Memphis hoops head coach Penny Hardaway absolutely lost it on media members following yet another defeat ... imploring journalists to "stop asking me stupid f***ing questions."

The explosion all went down Thursday, just minutes after the Tigers lost to SMU -- their third straight L -- when Hardaway was asked, in part, if the game was "embarrassing."

"I think the one thing I can say to this media -- because this media gets kind of f***ed up sometimes when it comes to me," Hardaway said.

"We don't have our full roster. Y'all know we don't have our full roster. Stop asking me stupid f***ing questions about if I feel like I can do something."

Hardaway continued railing on the reporters for nearly a full minute ... adding, "Stop disrespecting me, bro. Like, don't do that. I work too f***ing hard. I work way too hard for that."

Hardaway -- who's been coaching at Memphis since 2018 and had NCAA Tournament aspirations before the year began -- then called some media members' articles "bulls***."

If you're wondering, Penny's Tigers are just 9-8 on the season now ... although, like Hardaway said in his tirade, they have been shorthanded for most of the year.

Players have been in and out of lineups due to COVID and injuries ... and Hardaway was forced to start a lineup of nearly all freshmen against SMU.

A Wisconsin Badgers hoops fan has been banned from buying tickets to the school's sporting events ... after making disgusting slant-eye gestures toward Northwestern students during a game.

The incident happened during Tuesday's matchup at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Illinois ... when a man in Wisconsin colors was recorded on video standing up and taunting the Northwestern student section with the middle finger and anti-Asian gesture.

The fan recording the incident was in complete shock ... as well as the targeted students, who appeared to be of Asian descent.

The man was eventually kicked out of the arena by security ... and as he was leaving, the guy continued to make the racist gesture as the Northwestern students cheered for his departure.

The Univ. of Wisconsin thanked Northwestern for removing the Badgers fan after the offensive act ... and announced on Thursday that he's no longer welcome at Badger sporting events.

"We join with @UWBadgers and all #Badgers in condemning the abhorrent anti-Asian actions of an attendee at the Northwestern game this week," the school said in a statement.

Michigan has agreed to a $490 million settlement with more than a thousand accusers who claim former sports doctor Robert Anderson sexually assaulted them at the school ... the university confirmed Wednesday.

Anderson -- who worked at the university from 1966 until his 2003 -- was accused of fondling and raping athletes over his decades-long career under the guise of "medical treatment."

Anderson served as head of University Health Service ... and was the team physician for the UM Athletic Dept. He retired from the university in 2003 and died in 2008.

Over the course of the past 2 years, many athletes and other students have come forward with their stories ... and an independent investigation determined the university failed to act on the claims during Anderson's time at Michigan.

Attorney Parker Stinar -- who represented many accusers -- spoke out on the settlement, saying, "I am proud to announce that a settlement was reached with the 1,050 survivors of Robert Anderson and the University of Michigan."

"It has been a long and challenging journey, and I believe this settlement will provide justice and healing for the many brave men and women who refused to be silenced."

Country music star Walker Hayes had to rub a little salt in his wound following Alabama's loss Monday night ... rewriting one of his hits to pay off a bet he made with a Georgia football legend.

The "Fancy Like" crooner and HUGE Bama fan took to IG to explain the situation on Tuesday ... saying he had made a gentleman's agreement with ex-Bulldog star David Pollack before the title game.

Hayes promised to replace some of his Tide-themed lyrics in his hit, "AA," with UGA ones if Bama fell. No word on what Pollack would have had to do if Georgia lost.

But, it ultimately didn't matter, 'cause the Bulldogs took home the trophy ... and Hayes was forced to pay up less than 24 hours later.

So, Hayes whipped out his guitar ... and instead of singing, "In Alabama where they love Nick Saban," he belted out, "In Athens, Georgia where they love Kirby Smart."

He also showered Pollack and Georgia in praise ... and even begrudgingly added a "Go Dawgs!" to his video.

We're sure that didn't feel too good ... but we're confident Hayes and Bama have enough trophies over the last few years to soak up the tears.

WWE legend Bill Goldberg is reveling in the fact that Georgia won its first national title in 41 years ... telling TMZ Sports that he wasn't surprised at the outcome, but it still feels like a dream!!

We spoke with Bill -- who played defensive tackle at Georgia back in the late 1980s -- fresh off UGA's wild 33-18 win over Alabama ... and yeah, the guy is over the moon about his Dawgs.

"I would say the entire Bulldog Nation is ... I don’t wanna say stunned by any stretch of the imagination," Goldberg said, "But we're pinching ourselves and finally coming to the realization that the curse is freaking broken and it feels really good."

"It’s pretty amazing how the Bulldog nation has just all come together to celebrate. I’ve heard from people I have not heard from in 30 years in the past 24 hours."

Speaking of Bulldog pride -- Bill's son, Gage Goldberg, is following in his dad's footsteps on the gridiron ... and hopes to play for Kirby Smart at Georgia one day.

"Oh, God yeah, 100 percent," Goldberg said. "To have another Goldberg at the University of Georgia -- First and foremost, hopefully, they’d take another Goldberg there."

Goldberg tells us that 15-year-old Gage has been going to Smart's football camp for years now ... and while his son is juggling multiple sports -- baseball, wrestling, and football to name a few -- he has his sights set on attending UGA.

"He’s got two more years of high school and his complete goal, his number one goal right now, is to be a Georgia Bulldog."

The ex-NFL player admits that it would, indeed, be a dream come true for his son to land in Athens ... but he tells us he'll support Gage no matter what direction he chooses to go in -- so long as that direction doesn't take him to Florida.

"Our goal as parents is to provide our son with the best opportunity to follow his dreams," Bill said. "Whether it's football, baseball, or wrestling. Whatever it may be, we’re in his corner. 100 percent."

"Unless he wants to go to Florida, then I have to put him up for adoption."