HOUGHTON — Dante Basanese of Iron Mountain is one of three Michigan Tech football players named by College Sports Communicators to the 2024 Academic All-District team.

Basanese, a junior defensive back, led the Huskies with 84 total tackles–finishing second in the GLIAC. He had 5.5 tackles for loss and an interception, earning him a spot on the All-GLIAC Honorable Mention team. In the classroom, he holds a 3.83 GPA while studying mechanical engineering.

Also selected were senior linebackers Josh Cribben of De Pere, Wis., and Owen Watson of Otsego, Mich.

NFL MOVES RAMS’ GAME

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NFL has moved the Rams’ wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings to Arizona after days of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

The game will be played Monday night at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, in suburban Glendale, Arizona.

The league announced the decision Thursday, a few hours after yet another fire broke out in an area several miles from the Rams’ training complex in the Woodland Hills neighborhood.

Meanwhile, the NBA postponed the Los Angeles Lakers’ home game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area.

The Los Angeles area will be at a high fire risk through today, the National Weather Service announced.

RAIDERS FIRE GENERAL MANAGER

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders have fired general manager Tom Telesco. They made the move on Thursday, just a year after he was hired.

It’s part of a housecleaning following a 4-13 season that also included the dismissal of coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday.

The Raiders will become just the second franchise in the Super Bowl era to enter a season three years in a row with a new GM and coach.

Coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler were in charge to open the 2023 season.

The Cleveland Browns in 2012-14 are the other club to hold such a distinction.

OHIO STATE, TEXAS ENTER CFP SEMI

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ohio State and Texas are both seeking a chance to end national title droughts.

The powerhouse programs meet in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. The winner advances to the national title game on January 20. Ohio State is the only team to appear in four of the last six CFPs, but its last national title was 10 years ago.

That was the first season of the four-team College Football Playoff, when the Buckeyes won the title at AT&T Stadium.

That is where they play the in-state Longhorns tonight. Texas’ last national title was 19 years ago.