Chat-World » t Northern Illinois 77-57 Sunday.Lynch scored 1

GENEVA -- The richest clubs and biggest leagues in Europe are set to tighten their grip on the Champions Leagues future format and prize money this week.A deal being prepared by UEFA should end threats by some elite clubs to break away and form a closed European Super League before 2021.However, it could ensure that more guaranteed places in the 32-team group stage and bigger shares of billion-dollar prize money each season will go to teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus from the four highest-ranked national leagues.In the hours before the group-stage draw on Thursday, a series of meetings with clubs and UEFA executive committee members in Monaco is expected to agree changes to entry slots for the 2018-2021 seasons.UEFA and the influential European Club Association declined to comment on reports that the top leagues -- in Spain, Germany, England and Italy -- will each get four direct entries into the groups.In a statement to The Associated Press, UEFA said only that it expects to announce the evolution of the Champions League at a news conference on Friday.Italian clubs are looking to be the big winner. Serie A would offer four direct entries to the group stage, compared to two in the current three-season commercial cycle which expires in 2018.Spain, England and Germany would also benefit by ending the risk of its fourth-placed club losing in the playoff round each August. Advancing through the playoffs is worth tens of millions of euros (dollars) as UEFA will share 1.3 billion euros ($1.47 billion) among the 32 group-stage clubs this season.Italy has a dire recent record in playoffs. Serie A sends its third-placed team to the final qualifying stage and only AC Milan in 2014 has advanced in the past six seasons.Changing the Champions League format is possible only every three years. It must be agreed before UEFAs retained marketing agency can sell Champions League and Europa League rights to broadcasters and sponsors for the next cycle.The debate this year has been intense with clubs seeming to take advantage of a UEFA leadership gap since outgoing president Michel Platini was suspended by FIFA last year.It should be resolved ahead of a Champions League draw missing recent winners Manchester United, Chelsea, AC Milan and Inter Milan. They all failed to qualify, but would expect to join an American-style closed European league where the likes of surprise English champion Leicester would not automatically appeal to most broadcasters.Options favorable to the most influential clubs included more entries for the top leagues, bigger shares of the prize fund, protected places for storied clubs with a global fan base, and playing matches on Saturdays rather than midweek to appeal to Asian and American audiences. Outside Europe, viewers are judged to want more games between high-profile teams.The deal now reportedly on UEFAs table gives clubs some concessions, while keeping Platinis vision for the worlds most prestigious club competition.Platini, who played in the 1980s-era European Cup when only national champions were in a pure knockout bracket, had worked to protect entries for more teams from middle-ranking countries.This season, Bruges, Basel and Besiktas -- title winners in Belgium, Switzerland and Turkey -- are among 22 teams with direct group-stage entry. It is unclear how those places could be squeezed if the big-four leagues get 16 guaranteed slots instead of 11 at present.Basel president Bernhard Heusler declined to comment to The AP ahead of attending Thursdays meeting of the UEFA club competitions committee.UEFA acknowledged the next format is being agreed sooner than expected. A deadline of Decembers meeting of the UEFA executive committee was set after tense meetings in Milan on May 28, ahead of the Champions League final.The new timetable should see the tournaments immediate future settled before the UEFA presidential vote on Sept. 14 to replace Platini.The election front-runner, Aleksander Ceferin of Slovenia, has won public support from countries like Denmark and Sweden, whose title-holders regularly qualify for Champions League groups but are not seen as commercially attractive.Some club leaders, including Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, say the Champions League is undervalued despite UEFA raising 2.24 billion euros ($2.5 billion) in annual commercial revenue for the Champions League and Europa League combined in the 2015-2018 cycle.That gives a 12 million euro ($13.6 million) basic fee to each team in the Champions League groups. The top earner can get around 100 million euros ($113 million) from UEFA when results bonuses and TV rights shares are added.Still, that is barely more than the English Premier League pays its last-place team from TV money, and the top European clubs want a bigger share of Champions League money from the next deal.That deal could be struck, fittingly, on Thursday in a five-star hotel in Monte Carlo. Christian McCaffrey Panthers Jersey . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate. DJ Moore Jersey . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/customized/ . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. DJ Moore Youth Jersey . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. Will Grier Youth Jersey . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. MINNEAPOLIS -- An off-court investigation and ankle injury slowed down Reggie Lynch earlier this year.Now his coach believes the redshirt junior is one of the Big Tens best players in the middle.Lynch and Jordan Murphy each had a double-double and Minnesota pulled away to beat Northern Illinois 77-57 Sunday.Lynch scored 11 of his career-high tying 18 points in the second half. His 11 rebounds were two off a career best.Murphy had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota (10-1). Nate Mason finished with 11 points and Akeem Springs and Dupree McBrayer had 10.I played pretty good, but everyone all around did very well, Lynch said.Accused of sexual assault in May and not allowed to practice with the team until it was announced in August he would not be charged with a crime, Lynch, who transferred from Illinois State, also missed the Nov. 25 game with an injured ankle.He just needs as many reps as he can, but I thought he was terrific today, said coach Richard Pitino. To me, I think hes one of the better centers in the league. . Hes a game-changer for us.Lynch feels like hes had a groove the whole time.I know how to play the game, he said. My teammates are finding me and everyone is playing really well. Even if Im in a little bit of pain on defense or trying to score I know my team has my back.Lynch and Murphy combined for 12 of Minnesotas first 21 second-half points as the Gophers, who led by six at the break, built a 50-38 lead. Springs, who played two seasons at Northern Illinois, had a 3-pointer and layup in that stretch.I thought that Lynch, he came out and it seemed like he wouldnt miss a shot in the first half. We tried to slow him down in the second half, but it just wasnt enough, said Northern Illinois coach Mark Montgomery.The Huskies (4-5) loost for the fourth time in five games.dddddddddddd They were led by Marshawn Wilsons 19 points. Dontel Highsmith had 10.Northern Illinois has lost 14 straight games to Big Ten opponents since Dec. 14, 1999.Minnesota finished with a 48-28 rebounding advantage and was 25-for-30 from the free-throw line after entering the game with a 67.8 percent rate.PASSING FANCYMinnesota finished with 17 assists on 24 baskets.I think our whole team is really, really willing passers, Pitino said. Theyre very unselfish. . They look like theyre having fun together. Theyre constantly looking to share the ball.WELCOME HOMEA smattering of cheers could be heard when Northern Illinois Wilson made a play. He went to high school about 10 miles from Williams Arena and was a finalist for the states 2015 Mr. Basketball award. He had 13 points in his first six games before Sunday.BIG PICTURENorthern Illinois: The Huskies need to shoot better away from the basket. Northern Illinois had zero points outside the paint in the first half and finished with 10. The Huskies were 2-for-11 on 3-point attempts.Minnesota: The Gophers, who struggled in a 74-68 win over the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Wednesday but beat Georgia Southern by 37 on Friday, continue to seek offensive consistency. They shot just 30 percent in the first half despite a 5-for-21 start, but 53.6 percent in the second 20 minutes.UP NEXTNorthern Illinois: Plays its only home g