Football

Kansas State announced that its home games against Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 3) and Kent State (Sept. 17) will kick off at 6 p.m.

* Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach offered up fresh details on what he says was happening behind the scenes around the time he was fired.

In excerpts from his book, "Swing Your Sword," Leach said emails "suggest" there was never a university investigation into allegations he mistreated a player, Adam James, with a concussion but rather "an effort to sell me down the river." He also claims a public relations firm, Spaeth Communications, was used by the university to "smear" Leach's name.

"They knew the facts weren't on their side so they used Spaeth to spread misinformation and try to turn public opinion," an excerpt says.

The university fired Leach in December 2009 amid claims that he mistreated receiver Adam James, son of Craig James, an ESPN analyst. Leach has long denied that, and said he believes an $800,000 bonus he was due was the reason he was fired.

Leach sued the school for wrongful termination but a Texas appeals court allowed his trial to go forward for only non-monetary damages.

* Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin tells a magazine that his womanizing may stem from seeing an older brother whom he idolized dressed as a woman and learning the brother was gay.

In the latest issue of Out magazine, with Irvin on the cover, he says he feared Vaughn Irvin's sexual orientation would become publicized and would shame the family. He also feared that he was gay, adding that his fast living may have been to accentuate his heterosexuality.

Irvin and Vaughn remained close until Vaughn's death in 2006. He was 46 when he died of stomach cancer.

Motorsports

The 55th annual Hutchinson Nationals will be held Friday and Saturday at the State Fairgrounds. Race time is 7:30 each night. Categories to be run on Friday are Great Plains late models, AAA modified, street stock and 4-cylinder hornets. Saturday's divisions are NCRA Sprint Car series, NCRA modifieds and NCRA sport modifieds.

GOLF

A 6-year-old golfer sank a hole in one on a course in central Illinois and calmly walked back to her cart.

Why such a quiet reaction? Reagan Kennedy's father had told the Bloomington girl not to make a lot of noise on the course.

But 13-year-old Cheyenne Broquard says she told her younger sister that a hole in one was the one time a golfer could be excused for making a little noise.

The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports that Kennedy made the 85-yard shot on the third hole at The Links at Ireland Grove last week.

Mother Erin Kennedy says her husband starting to put a golf club in Reagan's hands when she was only 2.

* Wichitan Jonathan May shot a 66 to put himself in a four-way tie for second in the Trans-Mississippi Championship at Kansas City Country Club. Southern Methodist's Kelly Kraft was in first place with a 65.

CYCLING

German sprinter Andre Greipel has won the 10th stage of the Tour de France, beating Mark Cavendish by a wheel's length in a dash to the line.

France's Thomas Voeckler keeps the yellow jersey after nestling safely in the main pack for most of the 98-mile route from Aurillac to Carmaux.

Today's 11th stage is another flat route for sprinters before riders reach the grueling climbs of the Pyrenees.

BASKETBALL

Ticha Penicheiro scored 18 points to help Joe Bryant, Kobe's father, win his debut as coach of Los Angeles in the Sparks' 84-74 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars 84-74.... Sue Bird scored 22 points and Swin Cash added 20 in the Seattle's 79-71 win over Washington.

MOTORSPORTS

Kansas Speedway confirmed that it will stage its first night race on Oct. 7 with the ARCA Racing Series event.

ARCA had previously announced the race would run at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, kicking off the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series weekend. Tickets to the event will be $9.89. Radio station 98.9 is the title sponsor, hence the unusual ticket price.

The ARCA Racing Series will cap a busy day of ARCA practice and qualifying, NASCAR Nationwide Series practice and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and qualifying.

NASCAR's Kansas Lottery 300 Nationwide race will run at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, and the Hollywood Casino 400 Sprint Cup race — the fourth leg of the Chase for the Sprint Cup — will start at 1 p.m. on Oct. 9.