The University of St. Thomas is officially a full Division I institution, as announced by the NCAA on Monday.

Following a vote by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, St. Thomas has officially completed its reclassification process, making the University a full member of the NCAA and the only NCAA member to reclassify directly from Division III to Division I.

With the approval, the Tommies are now fully eligible to compete in postseason play, including NCAA tournaments and championships.

PWHL

Huskies’ Idalski named PWHL Vancouver coach

Brian Idalski is leaving St. Cloud State after being hired as coach of the PWHL’s expansion team in Vancouver.

The 54-year-old has more than 20 years of women’s hockey coaching experience, including overseeing China’s national team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.

Idalski also coached the KRS Vanke Rays to two Russian-women’s league ZhHL championships over a three-year period.

From Warren, Michigan, Idalski spent the past three seasons at St. Cloud State, where he earned college hockey coach of the year honors in 2023 after the team tied a school record with 18 wins.

His teams have combined for five NCAA Tournament appearances, with previous stops at North Dakota and Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

college baseball

Former Twin Hale has Wildcats’ deal extended

Arizona has extended baseball coach Chip Hale’s contract four years through 2030 after he led the Wildcats back to the College World Series.

Terms of the deal announced were not released and must still be approved by the Arizona Board of Regents.

Hale has led Arizona to the NCAA Tournament four straight times since returning to Tucson to coach his alma mater in 2021.

The Wildcats returned to the College World Series this year for the first time Hale’s first season.

Hale, a former Twins player and later manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, has led the Wildcats to consecutive conference tournament championships, coached six All-Americans and two first-round MLB picks.

NHL

Ducks trade Zegras to Flyers for Poehling

The Anaheim Ducks are trading forward Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Ryan Poehling and two draft picks.

Zegras was the Ducks’ first-round pick in 2019. The Ducks also will get the 45th overall pick in the upcoming draft that initially belonged to Columbus, along with a fourth-round pick next season.

Zegras had two 60-point seasons early in his NHL career but struggled with injuries for the past two seasons.

The 26-year-old Poehling had 12 goals and 19 assists for Philadelphia last season.

NBA

Game 7 draws biggest TV audience in 6 years

Oklahoma City’s 103-91 victory over Indiana in Game 7 was the most-watched NBA Finals game in six years.

Sunday night’s game averaged 16.53 million on ABC and ESPN+ according to preliminary ratings data from Nielsen.

The seven-game series averaged 10.27 million, down from the 11.31 million average for Boston’s victory over Dallas in five games last year.

college sports

Pac-12 reaches media rights deal with CBS

The Pac-12 struck a media-rights deal with CBS that sets up the network to broadcast a minimum of four football and men’s basketball games per season on its main network and provide a cable and streaming presence for the reconfigured league from 2026-31.

Financial details of the new deal were not disclosed. Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould called it a “transformational partnership” that allows the Pac-12 to grow when it starts as remodeled league in 2026-27.

olympics

Coventry inaugurated as IOC president

The first female and first African president of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry, was inaugurated in the role.

The ceremony was on the Olympic body’s 131st birthday with praise for Coventry from her predecessor Thomas Bach that it was “in the best of hands.”

Coventry cited her family including her two young daughters as “my rocks, my inspiration” to lead the International Olympic Committee through the next eight years.

soccer

Jets owner buys 43% stake in Crystal Palace

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is finally set to get his hands on an English soccer team.

Premier League side Crystal Palace announced on Monday that Johnson has signed “a legally binding contract” to buy the shares of fellow American John Textor, who has a 43% stake in the south London club.

Reports have placed the price between $220 million and $260 million.

Steve Parish, a co-owner of Palace along with Textor’s fellow Americans Josh Harris and David Blitzer, will remain chairman and in overall control of the club.

Sounders eliminated from Club World Cup

Paris Saint-Germain didn’t allow a single shot on goal as the European powerhouse beat the Seattle Sounders 2-0 and advanced to the Club World Cup round of 16.

Paris Saint-Germain won Group B on a goal-differential tie after Atlético Madrid defeated Botafogo 1-0.

PSG will play the runner-up of Group A on Sunday in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Seattle has been eliminated from the cup.

Wrexham poster boy Mullin off to Wigan

Wrexham poster boy Paul Mullin has left to join third-tier English soccer club Wigan on a season-long loan deal.

Mullin helped Wrexham become the first team in the history of English football’s top five divisions to secure three successive promotions.

He formed such a close bond with Ryan Reynolds, one of the club’s owners, that he even appeared in the last “Deadpool” movie.

— From news services