NCAA

Former NFL player Matt Ulrich -- who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 -- has died, Jim Irsay announced Wednesday. He was 41 years old.

Details surrounding his death have not been revealed at this time.

Irsay shared his condolences on X just minutes ago ... saying even though the offensive guard was with the team for a short time, his presence was felt throughout the organization.

"I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Matt Ulrich," Irsay said in a heartfelt post. "Matt was with us only two seasons, but left his mark on many."

"Great guy, I hear he was a great dad---and he was a Super Bowl champ.  My prayers to his family. 🙏"

Ulrich was a star athlete at Streamwood High School in Illinois ... receiving high honors in football and shot put before attending Northwestern.

Ulrich -- who went undrafted -- joined Indy in 2005 ... appearing in 10 games in his career, winning it all alongside Peyton Manning and Co. at Super Bowl XLI.

He started a fitness company in retirement ... and also ventured into business.

A fundraiser was set up to support Ulrich's family following the athlete's sudden death ... with nearly $30,000 being raised over the past 18 hours.

Tom McMakin -- the CEO of Profitable Ideas Exchange, where Ulrich worked -- donated $20k for the cause. TMZ Sports spoke with McMakin ... and he said Ulrich had the biggest heart in Montana.

"Matt had love and energy for everyone he met," McMakin said ... adding Ulrich was heavily involved in the community by coaching his kids' football teams and providing speed and strength training for young athletes.

McMakin also praised Ulrich's brain and leadership -- assisting on multiple boards for causes throughout the area and raved about his success in the office.

"An NFL lineman is usually scary ... but Matt immediately put you at ease," McMakin said. "He was a gentle giant."

Tom also commended Ulrich for continuing to focus on his health following his playing days ... pointing out the athlete had lost 40 pounds in recent years and was in "peak condition."

As for why he decided to make the substantial donation, McMakin said, "He helped build our company and he was the heart and soul to the business. It's the least we could do."

Bronny James could be one step closer to making his college basketball debut -- the USC guard is slated to have a health checkup later this month ... and if all goes well, he will be cleared to practice with his teammates.

The update came from Bronny's NBA superstar pops, LeBron, on Monday ... who doubled down on the chances his eldest son could see game action for the Trojans this season after suffering cardiac arrest on the court while training in July.

"Things are going in the right direction with Bronny's progress," LeBron told reporters after the Lakers' 108-107 loss to the Miami Heat. "He's doing rehab. Every week, he gets to do more and more."

No. 21-ranked USC kicked off its college season against Kansas State ... and of course, Bronny did not play. He has been with his teammates as he recovers ... even dancing during USC's annual Trojan HoopLA event at the Galen Center last month.

"We have a big moment at the end of this month to see if we can continue to go forward," LeBron continued. "If he's cleared, then we'll not be too long from him getting back on the floor and back with his teammates and practicing with the notion of being back on the floor and playing in a game situation."

"Everything is on the up and up. We're proud of his progress, we're proud of his strength."

As we previously reported, it was determined Bronny had "an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect," which caused his cardiac arrest on July 24.

Even though Nick Saban might look like he got into a fight with Francis Ngannou this week ... he revealed Thursday his eye is actually busted up because he's been screaming too much.

Many had been wondering what was wrong with the 72-year-old coach after he had been spotted in public multiple times this week with an eyeball seemingly full of blood.

Pat McAfee even joked with the Alabama honcho during his appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" early Thursday morning -- asking if the seven-time national champion had suffered an injury squatting too much.

Initially, Saban said he had no idea what was wrong ... but during his hit on his weekly radio show on Thursday night, he announced it was simply a wound he got from yelling at his Crimson Tide players.

"[The doctor] comes to see me after practice today," Saban said. "And, he looks at me and he said, 'You been coughing?' And I said, 'No.' And he said, 'You know, you can get this from yelling.'"

"He said, 'You got it from yelling. There's nothing wrong with you. You just got it from yelling. You busted a blood vessel in your eye from yelling too much.'"

Saban and his cohosts got in a good laugh over it all ... with Nick even joking of his appearance, "It looks like I've been in a gang fight and my gang didn't show."

Saban should be fine going forward ... as the Mayo Clinic describes the issue as a "harmless" one that should subside in just a few days.

Texas Tech security didn't have to worry about fans invading the football field on Thursday night -- but they did have to deal with an opossum storming the pitch ... and the animal was sure pissed off when guards wouldn't let it continue its jaunt.

The wild scene played out at the end of the first quarter of the Red Raiders' game against TCU in Lubbock, Texas ... when an opossum somehow broke into Jones AT&T Stadium and made its way onto the field.

Broadcast cameras showed the marsupial got to the 15-yard line ... before security went to chase it down so play could resume.

Eventually, officials were able to corral it with an animal snare pole ... but you can see, the little beast was not pleased at all to be detained. In fact, it hissed and showed its teeth the entire time that it was being dragged away.

The opossum was ultimately removed from the stadium ... and the game went on -- but after TTU was able to beat TCU, 35-28, its fans asked to keep the critter!!

"Our lucky possum!!!" one Red Raiders supporter wrote on social media.

Seems the school is at least somewhat open to the idea ... its president was actually seen petting the opossum following the incident -- and the team ended up making a pic of the little guy its background image on X.

Big Boi's performance at a college football game went south real quick when he decided to share the stage with an owl that wasn't exactly feeling the vibe ... and tried to fly the coop, real quick!

Here's the deal, BB hit the stage in Georgia after Kennesaw State University's game with one of his pet owls, Kennesaw State's mascot is an owl, on his arm -- obviously thinking it would be the perfect crowd-pleaser. Ahhh, the best-laid plans of owls and men!

It did NOT go as planned, as you can see in the video... the owl got spooked right away during Big Boi's Saturday night performance and tried to fly away, but he was leashed to rapper's gloved right hand.

Sleepy Brown did his best to distract the crowd while Big Boi called in some help -- hopefully from a professional handler -- and the show went on, but it made for an awkward walk-out nonetheless.

He also shared a clip of him and the owl before the game and, at least backstage, it seemed chill.

Kennesaw State hasn't had a live owl mascot in a few years and its current mascot Scrappy is a costume.

La actuación de Big Boi en un partido de fútbol universitario se fue rápidamente al carajo cuando sacó un búho vivo al escenario, ¡pero el pájaro no estaba de humor y se puso a la ofensiva rápidamente!

Bib subió al escenario el fin de semana pasado después del partido de la Universidad Estatal de Kennesaw en Georgia, y como la mascota de la escuela es un búho, debió pensar que sacar a un búho de verdad sería la idea perfecta. Spoiler, no lo era.

Obviamente, las cosas no salieron según lo planeado, el pájaro se asustó de inmediato durante la actuación de Big Boi después del partido y trató de despegar, pero parece haber estado unido a él y no lo logró.

Terminó pidiendo ayuda, y, finalmente, el espectáculo continuó sin el ave nocturna.

Big Boi ha sido un amante de los búhos durante años, de hecho, hizo una entrevista con Rolling Stone en 2019 con sus pájaros mascota y pudimos notar que todos tienen nombres: Tula, Simon, Whodini y Hootie.

Dan Dakich spent 16 years with Bob Knight as a star player and coach, and while "The General" was certainly a hardass many times, his former pupil revealed another side of the legendary Indiana University coach ... the funny side!

"The dude was hilarious. He comes off as this big, mean, 'I'm gonna go crazy on everybody,' and he did. Let's be honest, he did. The man would go nuts on you and make you do things you never thought your body was capable of doing, but he was hilarious, honest to God," the Outkick host told TMZ Sports.

The 61-year-old continued ... "He was a guy's guy. You could crack on him if he was in the right mood. If we won a few games. And he was certainly gonna crack on you."

As for his prowess on the bench, Dan says Knight's "the best basketball coach I've seen."

Dakich played for Bobby at IU from 1981 to 1985 ... where he served as a team captain during his junior and senior seasons.

Right after graduating, DD went to work with Knight as a graduate assistant until 1987, when he became a full-time assistant coach. Dan remained with Indiana until 1997 when he left to become the head coach at Bowling Green.

"I think people don't get to see how caring he was, how loving he was. He loved his players. he loved his team. He loved his school. And he was always giving back."

That's former Indiana University star turned college basketball head coach Steve Alford joining Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... opening up on the death of his coach and longtime friend, Bob Knight.

Alford played for the legendary figure in Bloomington between 1983 and 1987 ... winning an NCAA National Championship as a senior. Steve averaged 19.5 points per game over his standout college career and graduated as Indiana's all-time leading scorer (Calbert Cheaney later surpassed SA atop the list).

Knight's accomplishments on the court are nearly unmatched ... he led his team to 3 National Championships, 5 Final Fours, and 11 Big Ten titles. He was named the AP Coach of the Year 3 times, and Big Ten COY 8 times. He was also inducted into both the Basketball and College Basketball Hall of Fame. Coach Knight won 902 games over 42 seasons.

For all his accolades, Alford says Bobby did just as much for the players away from the hardwood.

"[Coach Knight] was a mentor, he was a father figure. He taught us about life as much as he did about playing the game of basketball, which was immense. He was as good as it got on the court," Alford said.

Steve also told the story of Bobby's recruitment of him ... when he was Indiana's Mr. Basketball in high school in 1983.

"When he made his home visit to our home in Newcastle, he only gave me 4 promises," Alford told us.

"He said 'you'll play with great teammates.' I have incredible teammates. 'You'll play for championships.' That happened, both conferences and nationally. 'You're gonna get your degree.' That happened in 4 years, and 'you're gonna have a friend for life.' Those were the promises coach made."

Knight (as well as Steve's dad, who was a coach) left a huge impression on him ... so much so Alford obviously because a head coach, too. Alford, who was previously the head coach at UCLA, is now the HC at Nevada.

The General's family announced the sad news Tuesday afternoon.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by family. We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored."

Legendary college basketball coach Bob Knight has passed away, his family announced Wednesday. He was 83 years old.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family," a statement by Knight's loved ones said. "We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored."

"We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach, and Friend."

Knight -- AKA "The General" -- is one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history with 902 Division I wins ... leading the bench for three programs (Army, Indiana and Texas Tech) from 1963-2008.

Knight was a three-time champion as the Hoosiers' head coach ... winning it all in 1976, 1981 and 1987. He also went to the Final Four five times during his time in Bloomington.

Before becoming a coach, Knight played at Ohio State, where he helped the Buckeyes win a national championship in 1961.

At 24 years old, Knight took over at Army ... where he would coach future Duke Blue Devils legend Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K also served as Knight's assistant before going to Duke.

Knight became the Hoosiers' head coach in 1971 ... spending 29 seasons with the program, including 24 NCAA tournament appearances and 22 20-win seasons.

The Hoosiers went a perfect 32-0 en route to a national title in the 1976 season ... the most recent team to ever do so.

Knight also coached Team USA to an Olympic gold medal in 1984.

Knight -- known for his hot temper -- infamously got ejected during a game against Purdue in 1985 after getting angry over a foul call.

Knight's time in Bloomington ended in controversy -- after he was captured on video choking former player Neil Reed in 1997, the school implemented a zero-tolerance policy toward the coach ... and he was fired after student Kent Harvey accused Bobby of grabbing him by the arm for referring to him as "Knight."

Knight was hired as the Texas Tech head coach in 2001 ... where he would lead the Red Raiders to a Sweet 16 appearance in 2005.

He retired from Texas Tech in 2008 ... and his son, Pat, took the reins.

Knight coached several future NBA stars during his career ... including Isiah Thomas and Mike Woodson.

After retirement, Bobby worked for ESPN as an analyst until 2015.

Knight was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 ... and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Knight was hospitalized back in April with an "acute illness" ... and the Indiana program asked his supporters to pray for him.

El legendario entrenador de baloncesto universitario Bob Knight ha fallecido, anunció su familia el miércoles. Tenía 83 años.

"Es con el corazón encogido que compartimos que el entrenador Bob Knight falleció en su casa de Bloomington rodeado de su familia", decía un comunicado de los seres queridos de Knight. "Estamos agradecidos por todos los pensamientos y oraciones, y apreciamos el continuo respeto a nuestra privacidad, ya que el Coach solicitó una reunión familiar privada, la cual está siendo honrada".

"Seguiremos celebrando su vida y recordándole, hoy y siempre como un querido Esposo, Padre, Entrenador y Amigo".

Knight  —AKA "The General"— es uno de los entrenadores más exitosos en la historia de la NCAA con 902 victorias en la División I, liderando el banquillo de tres programas (Army, Indiana y Texas Tech) de 1963-2008.

Knight fue tres veces campeón como entrenador jefe de los Hoosiers, ganándolo todo en 1976, 1981 y 1987. También fue a la Final Four cinco veces durante su tiempo en Bloomington.

Antes de convertirse en entrenador, Knight jugó en Ohio State, donde ayudó a los Buckeyes a ganar un campeonato nacional en 1961.

A los 24 años, Knight se hizo cargo del Arm, donde entrenaría a la futura leyenda de los Blue Devils de Duke, Mike Krzyzewski. El entrenador K también sirvió como asistente de Knight antes de ir a Duke.

Knight se convirtió en el entrenador en jefe de los Hoosiers en 1971, pasando 29, incluyendo 24 apariciones en el torneo de la NCAA y 22 temporadas de 20 victorias.

Los Hoosiers lograron un perfecto 32-0 en su camino hacia el título nacional en la temporada de 1976, el equipo más reciente en lograrlo.

Knight también entrenó al equipo de Estados Unidos que ganó la medalla de oro olímpica en 1984.

Knight, conocido por su temperamento, fue expulsado durante un partido contra Purdue en 1985 tras enfadarse por una falta.

El tiempo de Knight en Bloomington terminó en controversia luego de que fue capturado en video estrangulando al ex jugador Neil Reed en 1997, la escuela implementó una política de tolerancia cero hacia el entrenador y fue despedido después de que el estudiante Kent Harvey acusó a Bobby de agarrarlo por el brazo por referirse a él como "Knight".

Knight fue contratado como entrenador en jefe de Texas Tech en 2001, donde llevaría a los Red Raiders a una aparición Sweet 16 en 2005.

Se retiró de Texas Tech en 2008 y su hijo, Pat, tomó las riendas.

Knight entrenó a varias futuras estrellas de la NBA durante su carrera, incluyendo Isiah Thomas y Mike Woodson.

Tras su retirada, Bobby trabajó para ESPN como analista hasta 2015.

Knight fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama del Baloncesto en 1991 y en el Salón de la Fama del Baloncesto Universitario en 2006.

Knight fue hospitalizado en abril con una "enfermedad aguda" y el programa de Indiana pidió a sus seguidores que rezaran por él.

Deion Sanders is livid that his Colorado players allegedly had a bunch of jewelry stolen from their lockers during Saturday's game against UCLA ... and now, he wants the NCAA to get involved.

Coach Prime ranted about the matter to reporters on Tuesday ... calling it a travesty that his student-athletes can't play a football game without worrying about their belongings getting jacked.

"Our kids got robbed during the game last week," Sanders said. "I think that's a travesty. I would expect the NCAA to do something about that."

Sanders explained his team has always stressed the importance of financial responsibility to their players in light of Name, Image and Likeness deals ... but admitted his staff dropped the ball when it comes to insurance.

Even though a lot of -- if not all -- the players didn't have their valuables insured, Sanders expects the items taken from their Rose Bowl lockers to be replaced or reimbursed.

"This is the Rose Bowl -- they say 'The Granddaddy of Them All,' right? I'm sure Granddaddy has some money. Grandpa should have some money to give these kids."

Coach Prime said the next step is for his players to give an itemized list of what was jacked during the game -- and he expects them to be truthful.

Also worth noting -- Sanders said it wasn't just the Buffaloes impacted by the alleged heist ... revealing there were items stolen from both teams' locker rooms.

"I hope we can do something about that, NCAA. You do something about everything else. Do something about that."

The University of Colorado football team apparently left California with more than a loss on the field -- several Buffaloes players claim they had jewelry stolen from their lockers during their matchup against UCLA on Saturday.

Deion Sanders' son, Deion Jr., shared the allegations in a postgame video posted on Sunday night ... showing multiple athletes in shock outside the Rose Bowl after discovering their valuables were taken.

Star safety Cam'ron Silmon-Craig was one of the players who claimed they were affected ... saying, "You're gonna play football and know your s*** safe. That joint messed up."

Another player stated he had just gotten his chain the day prior ... and whoever snagged his stuff took it right out of the box.

An investigation into the matter is underway, according to OutKick.

"The UCLA athletic department confirmed that a report was filed to the Pasadena Police Department following the UCLA-Colorado football game regarding items that were reportedly missing from the Colorado locker room," the school said in a statement.

"UCLA is in communication with law enforcement, Rose Bowl Stadium officials and the University of Colorado on the matter."

The Buffaloes fell to the Bruins, 28-16 ... falling to 4-4 on the season.

Cooper Manning says Univ. of Texas fans will need to wait a bit longer to see Arch Manning starring on the field for the Longhorns ... telling TMZ Sports this week his boy has "a little ways to go" still.

Peyton and Eli's big bro was candid with us when speaking about Arch's situation while out at LAX this week ... saying his 18-year-old son is still trying to figure out how to stay afloat in Austin during his first year on UT's campus.

"I mean, he lost his ID early on," Cooper said of Arch with a laugh. "So, baby steps. But I think he's every day trying to get a little better. And I think he's doing that."

Of course, Arch came to Texas with some sky-high expectations ... he was the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country -- and many Longhorns fans expected him to compete for the starting job as soon as he got his burnt orange jersey this year.

But, that hasn't been the case ... Quinn Ewers has been QB1 this entire season -- and even though he's now hurt, Maalik Murphy is expected to get the start this weekend over Arch.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian said there is a chance the young Manning could make his collegiate debut in Saturday's contest vs. BYU -- but he seemed to make it clear that Murphy will be the guy while Ewers is out.

Cooper, meanwhile, doesn't appear to see anything wrong with that ... telling us he expects his freshman son to just need some more time to season up.

"I'm surprised he hasn't lost his key and his car and his book bag and everything," Cooper said. "Freshman year -- you know, the lumps. But he's growing up."

As for Arch's NFL future, Cooper obviously isn't ready to talk about any of that ... telling us, "That's a long way away."

Cooper Manning dice que los aficionados de la Universidad de Texas tendrán que esperar un poco más para ver a Arch Manning en el campo de los Longhorns, según dijo a TMZ Sports esta semana, a su hijo aún le queda "un poco de camino por recorrer".

Peyton y el hermano mayor de Eli fueron sinceros con nosotros al hablar de la situación de Arch mientras deambulaban por LAX esta semana. Nos dijeron que su hijo de 18 años aún está tratando de encontrar la forma de mantenerse a flote en Austin durante su primer año en el campus de la Universidad de Texas.

"Quiero decir, perdió su identificación al llegar", dijo Cooper riéndose. "Así que pasos de bebé. Pero creo que cada día intenta mejorar un poco más. Y creo que lo está haciendo".

Por supuesto, Arch llegó a Texas con las expectativas por las nubes. Fue el recluta nº 1 en el país y muchos fans de los Longhorns esperaban que compitiera por el puesto de titular en cuanto se pusiera la camiseta naranja este año.

Pero, no ha sido el caso. Quinn Ewers ha sido QB1 toda la temporada y aunque ahora está lesionado, se espera que Maalik Murphy obtenga el puesto este fin de semana.

El entrenador en jefe Steve Sarkisian dijo que hay una posibilidad de que el joven Manning haga su debut como estudiante en el concurso del sábado versus BYU, pero pareció dejar claro que Murphy será el chico mientras Ewers esté fuera.

Cooper, por su parte, no parece ver nada malo en ello. Nos dijo que su hijo, que recién está en primer año, solo necesita un poco más de tiempo para madurar.

"Me sorprende que no haya perdido su llave, su carro, su mochila y todo lo demás", dijo Cooper. "El primer año, ya sabes, los baches. Pero él está creciendo".

En cuanto al futuro de Arch en la NFL, Cooper obviamente no está listo para hablar de nada de eso, diciéndonos: "Eso está muy lejos".

A high school basketball game turned into a violent brawl over the weekend ... when a referee straight-up punched a coach following a verbal altercation -- resulting in his arrest.

TMZ Sports is told ... the incident went down during a fall league contest between Arlington and Oak Hills at Santiago High School in Corona, California on Saturday, Oct. 21.

At some point in the second half, witnesses claim Oak Hills head coach Rob Alexander got upset with referee Brandon Knapper over his officiating ... and an argument ensued.

In a clip we obtained of the game, 26-year-old Knapper -- a former college basketball player at West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and Cal State San Bernardino -- can be seen approaching Alexander near Oak Hills' bench and briefly talking to him ... before unleashing his fist on the coach's face.

Knapper appeared to land more punches on Alexander as he fell to the court ... before players and others in attendance got involved.

We're told cops responded to the scene ... and Alexander was taken to the hospital. The game did not continue.

Law enforcement tells us Alexander requested prosecution against Knapper, who turned himself in and was charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury -- both felonies.

Knapper was booked in the Riverside County Sheriff's Department jail on Sunday ... and his bail was set at $25,000. He was released on Wednesday.

Oak Hills' Hesperia Unified School District released a statement to TMZ Sports ... condemning Knapper's "senseless and shameful" actions.

"The District is thankful for the swift and decisive action taken by the event promoters and local law enforcement. We are also happy to report that Coach Alexander is in good spirits and looking forward to returning to coaching and teaching as soon as possible."

"We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement, CIF, and Oak Hills High School, with the support of the District, will investigate the incident thoroughly and handle it appropriately."

Un partido de baloncesto de la escuela secundaria se convirtió en una violenta pelea durante el fin de semana, cuando un árbitro le dio puñetazos a un entrenador después de un altercado verbal que resultó en su detención.

TMZ Sports informó el incidente ocurrido durante un partido de la liga de otoño entre Arlington y Oak Hills en Santiago High School en Corona, California, el sábado 21 de octubre.

En algún momento de la segunda mitad, los testigos afirman que el entrenador de Oak Hills, Rob Alexander, se molestó con el árbitro Brandon Knapper y se produjo una discusión.

En un clip que obtuvimos del juego, Knapper, (un ex jugador de baloncesto universitario de 26 años), se acerca a Alexander y tienen una breve conversación antes de desatar su puño en la cara del entrenador.

Knapper parecía aterrizar más golpes en Alexander mientras caía al suelo antes de que los jugadores y otros asistentes se involucraran.

Nos dicen que la policía respondió y Alexander fue llevado al hospital. El partido no continuó.

Las fuerzas del orden nos dicen Alexander pidió represalias contra Knapper, quien se entregó y fue acusado de agresión, causando lesiones corporales graves y asalto por medios que puedan producir grandes lesiones, ambos delitos graves.

Knapper fue encerrado en la cárcel del Departamento del Sheriff del Condado de Riverside el domingo y su fianza se fijó en $ 25.000. Fue puesto en libertad el miércoles.

El Distrito Escolar Unificado Hesperia de Oak Hills emitió un comunicado a TMZ Sports condenando las acciones "sin sentido y vergonzosas" de Knapper.

"El Distrito está agradecido por la acción rápida y decisiva tomada por los promotores del evento y la policía local. También estamos contentos de informar que el entrenador Alexander está de buen humor y con ganas de volver a entrenar y enseñar tan pronto como sea posible".

"Tenemos la máxima confianza en que las fuerzas del orden, la CIF y el Oak Hills High School, con el apoyo del Distrito, investigarán el incidente a fondo y lo manejarán adecuadamente".