>Report: Tressel had early knowledge of gear sale

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Yahoo! Sports reported Monday that Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel was informed in April 2010 that some of his players had sold memorabilia to the owner of a tattoo parlor. That’s more than eight months before the school said it was made aware of improper transactions and informed the NCAA of the possible rules violations.

The NCAA suspended five players for the first five games of the 2011 season. If it is proven that Tressel knew about the possible violations and did not inform athletics director Gene Smith or the NCAA compliance office, the coach and the program could face more sanctions. (AP)

Rachel Alexandra is pregnant • Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 horse of the year, is in foal with a due date of Feb. 1, 2012. Stonestreet Farm announced Rachel Alexandra was bred to two-time horse of the year winner Curlin two weeks ago. (AP)

United States reaches soccer title match • Alex Morgan scored two goals, Shannon Boxx and Carli Lloyd had one apiece and the United States defeated Finland 4-0 at the Algarve Cup in Quarteira, Portugal. The Americans will play Iceland on Wednesday in the final of the warm-up for the Women’s World Cup. (AP)

Mackey has lead in Iditarod • Four-time defending champion Lance Mackey was the first musher on Monday to reach the Rainy Pass checkpoint, about 190 miles into the 1,100-mile Iditarod sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Former St. Louisan Aliy Zirkle, a graduate of Parkway West High, was in ninth place. (AP)

Two former KU officials get probation • A U.S. district judge sentenced Brandon Simmons, the former assistant athletics director of sales and marketing at Kansas University, and Jason Jeffries, KU’s former assistant director of ticket operations, to two years probation each for failing to tell authorities about a scheme to scalp more than $2 million in athletics tickets over a five-year period at the school. Both were also ordered to pay restitution. The five other former Kansas officials involved in the scam have already been sentenced.