Provo, Utah — BYU is going independent in football after all.

BYU says it is leaving the Mountain West Conference and will go independent in football while joining the West Coast Conference in all other sports in the 2011-2012 school year.

BYU and its new conference announced the moves in simultaneous releases late Tuesday afternoon, saying further details would be given at a news conference today at BYU’s LaVell Edwards Stadium.

BYU said its resignation from the Mountain West takes effect June 30, 2011, allowing the Cougars to start West Coast Conference play next fall.

College Football

NCAA denies Masoli’s waiver

Jackson, Miss. — The NCAA has denied Mississippi quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s request for a waiver that would allow him to play immediately, meaning the former Oregon standout won’t be eligible until 2011.

Mississippi officials announced Tuesday plans to appeal the ruling, with a response expected in less than one week.

Masoli transferred to Mississippi after being kicked off Oregon’s team after two run-ins with police.

Houston WR sues Marshall

Charleston, W.Va. — Houston wide receiver Patrick Edwards, who broke his leg when he ran into a metal service cart in an October 2008 game at Marshall, accused the school in a lawsuit of maintaining an unsafe playing field. Edwards was running full speed for a long pass when his right shin crashed into the cart just beyond the end zone. Edwards suffered a compound fracture and a rod was inserted in his lower right leg during surgery the next day in Huntington.

Two Gophers suspended

Minneapolis — Minnesota safety Kyle Theret and offensive lineman Dom Alford were suspended for the season-opener against Middle Tennessee State for an unspecified violation of team rules.

Baseball

Ramirez joins White Sox

Cleveland — Manny Ramirez walked to the front of the interview room wearing Chicago White Sox silver and black for the first time.

“I just want to play baseball,” he said through White Sox bench coach Joey Cora, who served as Ramirez’s translator during a brief news conference bordering on bizarre.

Ramirez began the next phase of his colorful career Tuesday when he officially joined the White Sox, who claimed the 12-time All-Star off waivers for the final month of the playoff chase. Ramirez was not in manager Ozzie Guillen’s starting lineup for Tuesday’s game against Cleveland.

Rangers acquire OF Francoeur

Atlanta — The first-place Texas Rangers acquired New York outfielder Jeff Francoeur for their playoff push Tuesday night, just hours before the deadline for players to be eligible for the postseason roster. The Mets traded Francoeur and cash considerations to Texas for infielder Joaquin Arias, who had been designated for assignment last week.

Strasburg to have surgery Friday

Miami — Washington Nationals rookie ace Stephen Strasburg will have Tommy John surgery on Friday to rebuild his injured right elbow, an operation that is expected to sideline him for 12 to 18 months.

Red Sox trade pitcher Delcarmen

Baltimore — Having lost his spot in the Boston bullpen, Manny Delcarmen was traded with cash from the Red Sox to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday for minor league pitcher Chris Balcom-Miller.

Tennis

Sharapova, Nadal advance

New York — Down a set in the first round of the U.S. Open, Maria Sharapova sat in her changeover chair and briefly closed her eyes.

All that mattered to Sharapova was the outcome. Overcoming a deficit and a big-hitting opponent to avoid a significant upset, the 2006 U.S. Open champion put together a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over 60th-ranked Jarmila Groth of Australia on Tuesday.

There was a lot of hanging in there on a steamy Day 2 at the U.S. Open, where seven men’s matches lasted the full five sets, including 2007 runner-up Novak Djokovic’s 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over his friend and Serbian Davis Cup teammate Viktor Troicki.

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal found himself in a surprisingly competitive match but still won in straight sets, getting past 93rd-ranked Teymuraz Gabashvili 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-3 at night.

NFL

Seattle deals cornerback Wilson

Renton, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks surprisingly traded starting cornerback Josh Wilson to the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday in exchange for a conditional 2011 draft pick.

Patriots lose CB Bodden

Foxborough, Mass. — The New England Patriots lost a key player Tuesday when Leigh Bodden, their best cornerback, was placed on injured reserve.

Bucs cut running back Ward

Tampa, Fla. — Derrick Ward’s unproductive stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is over. The seventh-year running back was released Tuesday when the team trimmed the roster to 75 players.

Vikings place WR Rice on reserve

Eden Prairie, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice will be ineligible to play in the first six games of the regular season. Rice was placed on the reserve physically unable to perform list Tuesday, the NFL’s deadline for reducing rosters to 75 players. Players on reserve don’t count toward the active total.

Burress loses bid for work release

New York — Former New York Giants Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress has come up short in his bid for work release during his two-year prison sentence in a gun case, a denial that could keep him behind bars until at least next spring, prison officials said Tuesday.

NFL fines Browns’ Rogers

Berea, Ohio — The NFL decided Tuesday to only fine Cleveland Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers and not suspend him for carrying a loaded gun into an airport. The league said Rogers will be fined a one-game check — roughly $400,000 or 1/17th his $6.9 million salary this season — for violating its personal conduct policy.

College Basketball

Lucious charged with drunk driving

East Lansing, Mich. — Michigan State guard Korie Lucious has been charged with drunken driving. The 20-year-old Lucious was pulled over early Monday near the East Lansing campus and his blood-alcohol level was 0.09 percent, according to a police report. The legal limit in Michigan is 0.08 percent.