Missouri Safety Won’t Play After Arrest

Missouri safety Jason Simpson will not travel with the team to the Independence Bowl after being arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession over the weekend.

Simpson, a three-year starter and the team’s second-leading tackler this season, was suspended for the Dec. 30 game against South Carolina by Coach Gary Pinkel following the Sunday night arrest.

Simpson, a team captain, was arrested by police after his name popped up in a criminal database for failing to appear in court on a littering citation from last year. After a search, he was cited for possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. All the charges are misdemeanors.

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Two Clemson players were suspended for academic reasons and will miss the Champ Sports Bowl, and a third was kicked off the team by Coach Tommy Bowden.

Senior tight end Bobby Williamson and sophomore defensive end Kwam Williams are academically ineligible to play in the game against Colorado on Tuesday in Orlando, Fla.

Junior receiver Kelvin Grant was dismissed for violating unspecified team rules. He suffered a knee injury in October and would not have been able to play in the bowl game. He had 45 receptions for 437 yards in 26 games with Clemson.

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Wisconsin receiver Marcus Randle El has been cleared to return to the team and could play in the Capital One Bowl after he was arrested on a battery charge last weekend.

A school committee decided to let Randle El, the brother of Pittsburgh Steeler receiver Antwaan Randle El, start practicing with the team again on Monday.

The Badgers play Auburn in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 2.

Marcus Randle El was arrested after punching an acquaintance late Friday night over an alleged theft of money, police said.

The punch sent the 19-year-old man to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries and released.

Randle El, who has played in five games, was immediately suspended under a school rule governing any player arrested for violence. A campus appeals committee ruled he could return to the team.

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A week after a state audit criticized Colorado’s spending on sports, the school has outlined plans to spend about $36,000 on iPods to reward its players for making it to the Champs Sports Bowl.

The university filed a request for bids Monday for 103 of the hand-held music players for up to $350 each.

Schools traditionally buy gifts for players after a successful season. Previously, Colorado players have been given portable CD players, electronic organizers, DVD players and Walkmans.

“They always get the kids some nice gifts for bowl games,� Colorado spokesman Dave Plati said. The money comes from the athletic department’s bowl budget, he said.

Other bowl-bound Big 12 teams give their players warm-up suits, rings, watches or electronic equipment, conference spokesman Bob Burda said.

The state audit faulted the Colorado athletic department over paperwork, a lack of spending oversight and a failure to check the criminal backgrounds of staff working with young athletes at summer football camps.

Auditors also said the records of the football camps, run by former coach Gary Barnett, were such a mess they couldn’t be sure whether more than $400,000 worth of transactions broke any rules.

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Penn State’s Joe Paterno, who turns 79 today, was an overwhelming choice as the Associated Press coach of the year. After four losing seasons in the last five years, Paterno and the Nittany Lions rebounded in 2005 to go 10-1, share the Big Ten title and earn a spot in the bowl championship series. They will play Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

Paterno received 45 of 65 votes from media members on AP’s college football poll board. Texas’ Mack Brown was second with eight votes, and USC’s Pete Carroll and Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis got three votes each.

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Florida safety Reggie Nelson probably will sit out the Outback Bowl because of a knee injury.... Terry Allen, the former Kansas coach, was hired as coach at Missouri State, which finished 4-6 last season. Allen replaces Randy Ball, who was fired in November.... Georgetown Coach Bob Benson resigned after a 4-7 season with the Hoyas. Benson was 72-64 in 13 years at Georgetown.