Ward to speak at Curbstone

Youngstown Phantoms head coach Ryan Ward will be the guest speaker at Monday’s luncheon meeting of The Curbstone Coaches at the Avion Banquet Center on Western Reserve Road in Beaver Township.

The event begins at noon and the public is welcome to attend.

For those arriving early, the buffet lines will open at 11:45 a.m.

Also, plans are underway for the annual Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame Induction ceremony which is set for May 4 at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman. The keynote speaker will be former Cleveland Browns stand out running back Greg Pruitt.

Tickets are now available by contacting Patty Schuley at 3302078157. This year’s event is sponsored by Briarfield Health Care Centers and Ed and Diane Reese.

Tourney expansion unlikely in 2026

The NCAA has not finalized expansion plans for the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and a decision is unlikely soon, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said in a CBS Sports interview.

The tournaments currently have 68 teams. There has been talk of increasing the fields to 72 or 76 teams.

Gavitt said he doesn’t expect a vote in the near future, though a late spring vote could theoretically make a change possible in 2026. He said changes in game operation and travel are among the many things that would need to be accounted for, so it would be unlikely that anything would take effect next year without an imminent vote.

“It’s not taken in a lighthearted way at all because of the success of the tournaments and how important they are to college basketball overall,” Gavitt said. “Expansion, even in a modest level, is complex, more complex than I think than has been recognized and reported, because it is expensive.”

This year’s March Madness will be the 40th men’s bracket since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The women’s bracket increased to 64 teams in 1994.

Gavitt said he isn’t sure whether the field should expand, but he’s more positive about the possibility than he was a few years ago. Name, image and likeness, conference realignment and the transfer portal have changed the dynamics. He said men’s basketball, in particular, might be suited to handle it.

“There’s no sport that is deeper overall and has more parity than men’s college basketball,” he said. “There’s great basketball played at every level in men’s basketball right now. So I think it’s important to keep the tournament contemporary and relevant, based on what is going on in college athletics.”

Rams sign Stafford to extension

LOS ANGELES — Quarterback Matthew Stafford is staying with the Los Angeles Rams under a restructured contract, ending weeks of speculation about the Super Bowl winner’s future.

The Rams announced their new agreement with Stafford on Friday without initially revealing any details.

The 37-year-old Stafford had two years left on the four-year, $160 million contract extension he signed in 2022, shortly after leading Los Angeles to a championship in his first season with the team.

But his $27 million salary for the upcoming season was significantly less than the compensation for most quarterbacks of Stafford’s stature, and the deal had only $4 million in guaranteed money remaining in 2025 and none in 2026.

Stafford reached a deal to get more guaranteed money last year on the day before training camp opened, and he engaged the Rams on a second renegotiation in recent weeks. The Rams apparently were reluctant to meet Stafford’s initial demands, even allowing the quarterback to get an assessment of his value to other teams in view of a possible trade.

Stafford passed for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns last season for the Rams, who went 10-7 and won the NFC West before reaching the divisional round of the playoffs, where they lost a close road game to eventual champion Philadelphia.

The Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants were among the teams widely reported to be interested in trading for Stafford, even discussing the framework of a potential new contract with Stafford’s agent. Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and Stafford made headlines when they ran into each other recently at a Montana ski resort, but Brady’s agent said the meeting was brief and accidental.

Stafford has led the Rams to three playoff appearances in four seasons with the team following 12 mostly unsuccessful years with the Detroit Lions, who traded Stafford to Los Angeles in a deal for Jared Goff in early 2021. Stafford has passed for 14,700 yards — sixth-most in Rams history — with 95 touchdowns and 44 interceptions over those four years running McVay’s offense.

Stafford needs just 191 more yards passing to become the 10th quarterback in NFL history with 60,000 yards.

Yankees’ pitcher Gil to have MRI

TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees right-hander Luis Gil will have an MRI after the AL Rookie of the Year experienced shoulder tightness during a bullpen session Friday, manager Aaron Boone said, according to New York media.

Boone also said right-hander JT Brubaker sustained three broken ribs when hit by a comebacker off the bat of Tampa Bay’s Kameron Misner on Feb. 21.

Gil, 26, cut short his bullpen session early, Boone said. He was 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts last year, striking out 171 and walking a major league-high 77 in 151 2/3 innings.

“Feels like it’s going to cost us some time,” Boone was quoted as saying.

He is projected to be part of a starting rotation that includes Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Rodón and Clarke Schmidt.

Marcus Stroman would be likely to enter the rotation if an opening develops.

The 31-year-old Brubaker missed the last two big league seasons because of Tommy John surgery and an oblique injury. He made eight rehab appearances in the Yankees organization last year, and had a 2.70 ERA in 16 2/3 innings.

From staff, wire reports