College Sports

Saunders is a descendant of the man who invented tater tots. He has cashed in with a endorsement deal that dishes out the crispy sides for free when BYU wins in the NCAA Tournament.

There are no firm designs nor a location, but Ute Athletics Director Mark Harlan called the idea “a fantastic opportunity for this athletic department to modernize.”

Jensen, who was the top target for the Utes, replaces Craig Smith, who was fired in late February during his fourth season at Utah.

The Pac-12 and the schools that will soon join it, including Utah State, filed the lawsuit last year, claiming the poaching clause it agreed to when it signed a scheduling agreement for its football teams for last season was invalid.

The University of Utah fired men’s basketball coach Craig Smith a day after a 76-72 loss at Central Florida that dropped the Utes to 15-12 this season. Smith was in his fourth season in charge of the program.

BYU president Shane Reese says the university will conduct a national search for a successor while acknowledging Holmoe leaves large shoes to fill after the pivotal role he played in helping BYU join the Big 12 Conference.

The lawsuit, filed in a Colorado court, says the Mountain West and commissioner Gloria Nevarez disregarded the league’s bylaws to punish the five schools leaving for the Pac-12 “in a desperate attempt to prevent further membership departures.”

Bronco Mendenhall has agreed to a six-year deal to become the football coach at Utah State. The 58-year-old Mendenhall comes to Aggies from New Mexico, where he guided the Lobos to a 5-7 mark in his first and only season at the school.

The Spartans were beaten by Colorado State in the Mountain West tournament final. San Jose State’s season was marked by forfeits, limited protests and the topic of gender identity becoming a political issue in an election year.

Boise State pulled out of the conference tournament Wednesday night after securing a spot in Friday's semifinals against the Spartans earlier that day. The Broncos didn’t announce explicitly say why they withdrew.

Boise State advanced to the semifinals of the Mountain West women's volleyball tournament by beating Utah State on Wednesday night. But the Broncos announced later they would not play Friday against San Jose State.

Five schools forfeited regular season atches against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday.