Orange Bowl

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame says it has had talks with the Atlantic Coast Conference about the Orange Bowl.

The ACC signed a 12-year deal with the Orange Bowl last week that starts in 2014, when the postseason format changes to a four-team playoff.

The deal gives ACC members access to Orange Bowl in years the game does not host a national semifinal.

Notre Dame is interested in a deal that would give the Fighting Irish an automatic landing spot in some seasons in which they are good enough to play in a top-tier game but do not make the playoff.

A Notre Dame spokesman says in a statement athletic director Jack Swarbrick has had discussions with ACC officials “relating to the Orange Bowl” and university presidents have been consulted.

Stanford basketball

STANFORD, Calif. — Peter Sauer, a former captain at Stanford who helped lead the Cardinal to the 1998 Final Four, has died. He was 35.

The school said Monday that Sauer died Sunday night in White Plains, N.Y., while playing in a recreational basketball game. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward from Pittsburgh was part of a Stanford team that reached four straight NCAA tournaments under former coach Mike Montgomery.

He averaged 7.9 points and 4.2 rebounds for his career, including 9.2 points during his junior season.

Montgomery, now coaching at California, called Sauer “the epitome of the definition of a student-athlete. He was smart; he was tough; he was a winner.”

Sauer, who was born in St. Louis on Nov. 9, 1976, earned a degree in economics from Stanford.

California basketball

BERKELEY, Calif. — California coach Mike Montgomery has agreed to a two-year contract extension to remain at the school through the 2015-16 season.

The announcement Monday comes nine months after Montgomery disclosed he had bladder cancer and surgery that left him cancer-free. Montgomery led the Golden Bears to a 24-10 record last season, a runner-up finish in the Pac-12 Conference and a first-round loss to South Florida in the NCAA tournament.

The former Montana, Stanford and Golden State Warriors coach is 88-47 in four seasons at Berkeley. He also helped Cal capture its first league title in 50 years in 2010.

The Associated Press

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