A former sports agent tells Sports Illustrated he paid college football players early in his career, and several of them confirm it to the magazine.

CSKA Moscow’s Da’Sean Butler reacts after being charged with a foul against the Miami Heat. The Heat won Tuesday’s exhibition in Miami, 96-85.

In the Oct. 18 edition, Josh Luchs said he paid more than 30 players from 1990-96, including many who didn’t sign with him.

He said quarterback Ryan Leaf, the second pick in the 1998 draft who famously flopped in the pros, took more than $10,000, most of which he voluntarily paid back after signing with another agent. Leaf declined to comment on specific allegations.

Luchs told the magazine he also paid first-round picks Jamir Miller and Chris Mims. Miller, a linebacker from UCLA taken 10th by the Cardinals in 1994, declined comment. Mims, a defensive lineman from Tennessee taken 23rd by the Chargers in 1992, died in 2008.

The former agent also said that while he was recruiting Ohio State receiver Santonio Holmes in 2005,

Luchs also told SI that ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper also helped Wichard recruit players, describing a 2000 meeting with Stanford defensive lineman Willie Howard in which Wichard had arranged for Kiper to call as he talked with the player.

Kiper told SI he “would never promote Gary or another agent to a player” and denied that the call was prearranged.

Luchs says Jonathan Ogden, the Baltimore Ravens 11-time Pro Bowl tackle, wouldn’t take money but accepted Janet Jackson concert tickets in violation of NCAA rules. Ogden confirmed the account.

Luchs lists more than 20 other players he says he paid: Michigan State’s Tony Banks; Arizona’s Rob Waldrop; Tennessee’s Chuck Webb; Portland State’s Darick Holmes; Illinois’ Mel Agee; USC’s Travis Claridge, Phalen Pounds, R. Jay Soward and Delon Washington; Colorado’s Kanavis McGhee, Joel Steed and Greg Thomas; Washington State’s Leon Bender, Torey Hunter, Singor Mobley and John Rushing; and UCLA’s Chris Alexander, Ryan Fien, Carl Greenwood, Othello Henderson, Vaughn Parker, Matt Soenksen and Bruce Walker.

Luchs says Dana Stubblefield, J.J. Stokes and Keyshawn Johnson declined to take money from him.

College football

Georgia TB suspended

Athens, Ga. — Coach Mark Richt said Tuesday his two-game suspension of tailback Caleb King will make it more difficult for Georgia to build off last week’s win over Tennessee. King is Georgia’s 11th player to be arrested this year.

UCLA suspends 2 for Oregon

Los Angeles — UCLA has suspended receiver Josh Smith and F-back Morrell Presley for the Bruins’ Oct. 21 game at Oregon for violating team rules.

Gamecocks LB finished

Columbia, S.C. — South Carolina linebacker Shaq Wilson likely will miss the rest of the season because of a hamstring injury.

Notre Dame TE Rudolph done

South Bend, Ind. — Notre Dame star tight end Kyle Rudolph will miss the remainder of the season because of a serious hamstring injury that will require surgery.

Arrested WSU pair suspended

Pullman, Wash. — Washington State coach Paul Wulff has suspended two players who were arrested after Pullman police found 38 marijuana plants growing in the house the players and two other people rented. Jamal Atofau, a freshman backup linebacker, and Andre Barrington, a freshman who is academically ineligible this semester, were arrested.

Penn State loses safety

State College, Pa. — Penn State safety Nick Sukay is out for the year due to a torn pectoral muscle in the latest setback for a struggling team hit by a spate of injuries.

Aggies to help Dish subscribers

College Station, Texas — Texas A&M is offering a deal to Dish subscribers caught in the middle of a corporate dispute.

Dish subscribers stopped receiving access to Fox Sports’ 19 regional sports networks, FX and the National Geographic Channel on Oct. 1 when a multiyear deal expired and Dish refused to pay a rate increase for the programming.

That means Aggies fans would miss Saturday’s home game against No. 21 Missouri.

Athletics director Bill Byrne says fans who prove they are Dish subscribers can buy half-price tickets. About 5,000 tickets remain for the game against the undefeated Tigers.

College baskeball

Report: NCAA investigating Baylor

Waco, Texas — FOXSports.com is reporting that the NCAA is investigating Baylor coach Scott Drew and the men’s basketball program for their involvement in the recruitment of a high school player.

The ongoing investigation surrounds the recruitment of 6-foot-9 Hanner Perea, a junior from Colombia who transferred to LaLumiere High School in Indiana, the website said.

Tuesday’s report cites sources telling FOXSports.com that the NCAA is expected to be in Waco later this month to interview Drew and members of his staff. NCAA representatives didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Multiple people told the website that Baylor assistant coach Mark Morefield sent dozens of texts to Perea’s AAU and high school coaches in July while they were coaching events, which is against NCAA rules.

Soccer

Wizards win, keep hopes alive

Bridgeview, Ill. — Davy Arnaud and Michael Harrington scored to help Kansas City beat Chicago, 2-0, on Tuesday night, ending the Wizards’ three-match losing streak and keeping alive their playoffs hopes.

U.S., Columbia play to 0-0 draw

Chester, Pa. — With the United States experimenting again with a new formation, the Americans finished the home portion of their 2010 schedule with a dull 0-0 draw against Colombia on Tuesday night that extended their three-year winless streak against South American opponents to nine matches.

Eric Lichaj and Brek Shea made their national-team debuts, among the only highlights on a night U.S. coach Bob Bradley changed five starters from Saturday’s 2-2 tie against Poland in Chicago.