Source: Temple To Play Football In The Big East

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ESPN.com news services

Temple football will begin play in the Big East this upcoming season, a source confirmed Wednesday to ESPN's Joe Schad.

The Owls will join the conference in all other sports in 2013, another source said.

The Big East will hold a 5:30 p.m. ET news conference at the men's basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden, but did not specify what the topic would be.

The football program played in the Mid-American Conference from 2007 through last season, while all other Temple programs, including men's basketball, are in the Atlantic 10.

The MAC announced Wednesday afternoon its divorce with Temple. STORY....

NCAA Tournament Selection Chairman: Kentucky, Syracuse Have NCAA Edge

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CBSSports.com wire reports

Even the chairman of the tight-lipped NCAA selection committee can't deny this simple fact: Heading into this week's conference tournaments, there's Kentucky and Syracuse, and then everybody else.

In a teleconference to preview Sunday's release of the NCAA tournament pairings, committee chairman Jeff Hathaway all but handed two of the four top seeds to the Wildcats and Orange, each of whom entered their conference tournaments with a record of 30-1.

"I think we all agree that if the season ended today, we know who the two best teams are," he said Wednesday. "If you're looking at 3 and 4 on the first line and the entire second line, we have the same handful of teams in mind but where they would be laced will be a tremendous debate."

Though Hathaway, the former athletic director at defending national champion Connecticut, did not get specific, among those lumped into consideration for the other top seeds are Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio State and Michigan State.

The brackets come out Sunday evening, with the tournament starting Tuesday. MORE....

Manning Era Comes To A Close In Indianapolis

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NFL.com Wire Reports

During an emotional news conference in which both Peyton Manning and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay fought back tears, the team announced the conclusion of Manning's playing career with the only franchise he's known in his NFL career.

"For 14 wonderful years, the only pro football I've known is Colts football," Manning said during Wednesday's news conference.

"My team won a lot of games here, I played with so many great players here. ... Times change, circumstances change and that's the reality of playing in the NFL."

Manning added: "Our circumstances make it best for us to take this next step. It certainly has not been easy for me." CONTINUE....

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Colts Expected To Part Ways With Peyton Manning After 14 Seasons

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By Jason La Canfora - NFL Network

The ending that most anticipated between the Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning will arrive on Wednesday, according to league sources, when the team is expected to release the four-time NFL MVP.

The team has made preliminary plans for the news conference Wednesday to officially announce the move.

The Colts are awaiting the final word from owner Jim Irsay, who has been out of town at meetings, but the expectation is they will go forward with the release and the press conference. Manning and Irsay will both travel from Florida to Indianapolis on Wednesday, possibly together, according to NFL Network's Albert Breer.

The move has been widely expected, as the rebuilding Colts owe Manning, the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, a $28 million bonus if he is on the team's roster at the start of the league year. Manning will become a free agent immediately. STORY....

Sidney Crosby Cleared For Contact, Return Date Not Set

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By Alan Robinson - NHL.com

PITTSBURGH -- Finally, the news the Pittsburgh Penguins waited three months to hear: Sidney Crosby is symptom-free and is expected to resume playing soon.

Crosby, sidelined for all but eight games this season due to concussion-like symptoms, was cleared for contact and practiced with the Penguins on Tuesday. He could return as early as Sunday, when the Penguins play the Boston Bruins, though Crosby is not pinpointing a specific return date.

"No sooner than Sunday, I would say, but I'm not going to sit here and put a date on it," said Crosby, who expects to take part in game-day morning skates Wednesday and Friday and full practices Thursday and Saturday. "It would be total guesswork. I just want to make sure I get through these days fine."

If all goes well the rest of the week, Crosby said, "That would be a great decision to make if I get to that point." READ ON....

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The City Of Orlando Lives In Fear Of Being Abandoned By "Superman"

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By Frank Pingue

(Reuters) - Dwight Howard is the face of the Orlando Magic franchise but the towering center and scoring leader's uncertain future in Florida following a trade request is taking its toll on team morale.

The Magic, one season on from a first-round loss in the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs, are battling the Miami Heat for the Southeast division crown but Howard's future and how it may impact his team mates remains high on the agenda. CONTINUE....

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Patrick Ewing Among 10 Chosen For College Basketball Hall Of Fame

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By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Joe B. Hall played under Adolph Rupp at Kentucky in the late-1940s. He spent seven years as an assistant to the Baron of the Bluegrass, too.

So when Rupp stepped down after winning nearly 900 games and four national championships, and Hall was appointed his successor, the size of the challenge never really occurred to him. FULL STORY....

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