Sports sponsorship: The University of New Haven, which played for the Division II national football championship in 1997, announced that it will drop football, along with women's golf and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, effective in fall 2004.

Milestones: Amy Ruley, women's basketball coach at North Dakota State University, recorded her 600th career victory February 14 when the Bison defeated Augustana College (South Dakota), 78-73. The victory made Ruley the second active Division II women's basketball coach to reach the 600-win level (Barbara Stevens of Bentley College is the other). She is the 14th NCAA women's basketball coach at any level to reach 600 wins. After the victory, her career record stood at 600-155 in 25 seasons at North Dakota State ... Missouri Western State University men's basketball coach Tom Smith won his 500th career game February 7 with an 85-57 victory over Southwest Baptist University. Smith is in his 29th season, having started his career at Central Missouri State University in 1975. He also coached at Valparaiso University before moving to Missouri Western State for the 1988-89 season. Since then, he was won 20 or more games in 12 of his 14 campaigns. After the landmark victory, his career record was 500-322, making him the eighth active Division II men's coach with 500 or more career wins.

Miscellaneous: Teters Floral Products, a botanical company in Bolivar, Missouri, and a division of Decorative Concepts, Inc., has announced a $100,000 donation to the construction of a new Wellness and Sports Center at Southwest Baptist University. The center, to be named after Jane and Ken Meyer, will include racquetball courts, an indoor swimming pool, intramural courts, a rock-climbing wall, weight rooms, an aerobics room, an indoor walking track and facilities for intercollegiate athletics.

-- Compiled by David Pickle