Conferences: The Big South Conference is adding College of the Holy Cross and Bucknell University as associate members in women's golf. Both institutions will compete in the 2003 Palmetto Utility Protection Service Big South Women's Golf Championship. Both schools are full-time members of the Patriot League, which does not offer women's golf as a championship sport. As current Division I members, both institutions will be immediately eligible for the Big South's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships. "The Big South is excited to welcome these two fine institutions and their student-athletes into our women's golf family," said Big South Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander. "We believe this will be a mutually beneficial partnership for both the Big South and for Bucknell and Holy Cross, ensuring access to the NCAA championships for the institutions and the conference." The conference also added Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi as an associate member in softball. The Islanders will play a full round-robin schedule and compete in the league championship beginning with the 2003 season. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will be immediately eligible for the league's automatic bid to the Division I Softball Championship.

Sports sponsorship: St. John's University (New York) announced it will drop football, and men's cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field at the end of this year. Also, the school will discontinue its men's and women's swimming and diving program after the 2003-04 season, then add men's lacrosse at the same time. The changes reduce the number of athletics programs from 22 to 17, including 10 women's sports. "We must focus on those programs that reflect the changing makeup of the student body," St. John's President Rev. Donald Harrington said, noting that 58 percent of the student body at St. John's is female. "With the number of young women who attend our university growing every year, we have an obligation to respond to their needs." Harrington said all of the scholarships and financial aid packages for the student-athletes affected by the cuts will be honored.

Miscellaneous: Kirk Ferentz, head football coach at the University of Iowa, was named as the Associated Press coach of the year. This season, Ferentz guided the team to an 11-1 mark, a share of the Big Ten Conference championship and a match against the University of Southern California in the Orange Bowl January 2 ... Tyrone Willingham, head football coach at Notre Dame, was named as the winner of the George Munger Award for college coach of the year. Willingham's first season as head coach at the school resulted in the Irish fashioning a 10-2 record and a spot in the Gator Bowl against North Carolina State University January 1 ... Southern California's Norm Chow was selected as the winner of the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in college football. Chow has been offensive coordinator for two seasons and formerly has been an assistant coach at North Carolina State and Brigham Young ... Carson Palmer, quarterback at Southern California, was announced as the winner of Heisman Trophy and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The Golden Arm award is presented to the nation's top senior quarterback. Palmer passed for 3,639 yards and 32 touchdowns this season to help the Trojans earn a berth in the FedEx Orange Bowl ... Pennsylvania State University's Larry Johnson captured the Maxwell, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Doak Walker Awards. This season, Johnson, a senior, became the ninth player in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 in a season with 2,015. The Maxwell recognizes the top all-around player in college football and the Doak Walker honors the nation's best running back. Johnson scored 20 touchdowns for the Nittany Lions and established a school record for all-purpose yards with 2,575. Penn State will play Auburn University in the Capital One Bowl January 1 ... Iowa quarterback Brad Banks was selected as the Associated Press college player of the year. Banks also captured the Davey O'Brien Award as the most outstanding quarterback this season. The senior threw for 2,369 yards, 25 touchdowns and ran for 387 yards ... Terrell Suggs, a junior defensive end at Arizona State University, was selected as the Lombardi Award winner as the best collegiate lineman in the nation. Suggs set an NCAA record with 22 sacks this season and has 42 in three seasons at the school ... Iowa kicker Nate Kaeding was honored as the winner of the Lou Groza Award. The honor is presented to the nation's top Division I-A kicker. The junior booted 20 of 22 field goals this season ... Dallas Clark was honored as the best tight end in the nation with the John Mackey Award. Clark, a junior at Iowa, earned all-Big Ten Conference recognition. With 39 catches for 645 yards and four touchdowns to his credit, Clark was the team's second-leading receiver ... The Biletnikoff Award was presented to Charles Rogers of Michigan State University as the nation's top receiver. The junior snagged 68 passes for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns ... Mark Mariscal, a punter at Colorado, was named as the winner of the Ray Guy Award for the nation's top punter. Mariscal led the nation with an average of 48.3 yards ... Kansas State University's Terence Newman was recognized as the winner of the Thorpe Award as the top defensive back. Newman, a senior cornerback, made five interceptions this season ... Senior linebacker E.J. Henderson of the University of Maryland, College Park, won the Chuck Bednarik Trophy as the top defensive player of the year. Also the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year, Henderson established a school record with 28 tackles for loss ... The Outland Trophy honoring the top interior lineman in the nation was awarded to Rien Long of Washington State University. Long, a junior defensive tackle, piled up 13 sacks to help the Cougars win the Pacific-10 Conference title. Washington State will face the University of Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl January 1 ... Brett Romberg of the University of Miami (Florida) was chosen as winner of the Dave Rimington Trophy honoring the nation's top center. Miami will tangle with Ohio State University for the BCS national championship in the Fiesta Bowl January 3.

-- Compiled by Leilana McKindra