According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, several major schools, including most of the Big Ten and Big XII Conference teams, voted to override the rule and prevent any school from offering full four-year scholarships to athletes.

Schools like Florida took advantage of the four-year offer during last year’s recruiting and other teams fear some teams offering full, four-year rides will gain an instant recruiting advantage.

Florida State University was one of several schools in the ACC to vote against giving out four-year scholarships. Joining FSU from the ACC in voting to override the rule were: Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Virginia.

The University of Miami and the University of South Florida voted to keep four-year scholarship offers in place. FIU abstained from the vote while FAU and UCF voted to override and not give out four-year scholarships.

For some cash-strapped mid-major schools, and some BCS schools, it’s easy to see why they would oppose giving out four-year deals that could cost the school millions. But, without it, the players are the only one taking the risks.

Plus, schools like FSU, Alabama, USC, and Texas, which all opposed the rule, have the money, but simply didn’t want to give out the four-year scholarships and in turn didn’t want anyone else to have the ability to do it either to save any recruiting advantages.

Zambrano, who is coming off the worst year of his career, was throwing from the mound Wednesday and decided to throw one brushback pitch…to Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen.

The manager was leaning on a bat near home plate watching Zambrano when the three-time All Star zinged a fastball right past the manager. Guillen let out a yell and dodged the pitch with a frantic skip.

Zambrano was thrown out of Chicago after he quit the team last year. His combative personality didn’t play well in Chicago, but the hope is he and Guillen can channel the combustible elements into another solid starter for the Marlins.

Elsewhere around the Grapefruit League in Florida…

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard took live batting practice for the first time since he tore his left Achilles tendon on the final out of the team’s 1-0 loss to St. Louis during last year’s playoffs. Howard didn’t put a time limit on his return, but said he’s only been swinging a bat for the last two weeks.

Howard won the 2006 NL MVP award and last season hit .253 with 33 home runs and 116 RBIs. But, when the playoffs rolled around, Howard hit just .105 with one homer and six RBIs in the NL divisional round.

In Tampa, the Yankees announced they have signed injured starting pitcher David Aardsma to a one-year contract. The 30-year-old pitcher spent all of 2011 on the injured list and had Tommy John surgery last July.

Aardsma is 13-15 with a 4.20 ERA in 254 relief appearances over six seasons.

In Fort Myers, the Red Sox are on the lookout for catcher Jason Varitek. For 15 years, Varitek has manned the position, but he hasn’t shown up for the first two days of workouts for pitchers and catchers.

The 40-year-old captain was offered a minor league deal several months ago, but Varitek is yet to let the team know what he is going to do. He could be contemplating retirement from the Majors. The Red Sox have catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia as the squad’s likely starting catcher.

Finally, in Kissimmee, Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla wants to start his second season in Hotlanta much better than his first one.

Last year, Uggla was ugly through the first hal of the season. On July 4, he was hitting .173 and even after a 33-game hitting streak, he still only managed to hit .233 for the season. But, he also led the Braves with 36 homers and 82 RBIs.

But, for the Braves to reach the next level, Uggla knows that a good start is a necessity. It will also justify the $62 million contract he received from the team.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

A billboard has been put up near the junction of I-95 and I-595 with a picture of Manning in a number 18 jersey of the Miami Dolphins. The billboard has text that reads, “Manning to Miami.com.”

Obviously getting a quarterback the caliber of Peyton Manning would be a coup for the Dolphins, if he is healthy. Right now, the question of his health overrides every decision that can and will be made about Manning’s future.

The Fins have to decide quickly before free agency begins whether they want to take a shot at acquiring Manning or move on to a free agent quarterback like Matt Flynn, or go all-in and make the trade to acquire Robert Griffin, III.

The wisest move may be to trade for RGIII, assuming the Fins are comfortable with his throwing motion and his interviews. But it will cost the Fins dearly to move that far up in the draft, likely to the number two position.

But, acquiring a potential franchise quarterback who will be with the team for the better part of at least a decade may be too much to pass up.

As for Manning, it’s still not known if he will ever throw again. The problem is that the Fins may not know before free agency begins whether or not Manning will ever play again.

If the Fins roll the dice on Manning, they will sacrifice their chances at Matt Flynn. The Fins could still have a chance to go after RGIII if Manning’s recovery isn’t on track, but it’s a major risk given Manning’s fragile neck.

According to the lawsuit, first reportd by the website sportinlaw.com, the Omeranz & Landsma Corporation claims it bought the Marlins for $10 million at the organization’s Fourth Annual Awards Banquet at the Diplomat Country Club & Spa in Hallandale Beach in 2008.

The lawsuit claimed a “major component of the Awards Banquet was an auction, which was open and advertised to the public at large.”

The suit claims Marlins president David Samson started the auction by “offering for sale, the Florida Marlins baseball organization, n/k/a the ‘Miami Marlins’ and opened the bidding to anyone who would bid Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000).

Omeranz & Landsma Corporation said it made a good faith bid and that bidding was closed and that the highest, and only bid, came from Omeranz & Landsma.

The O&L Corporation accused the Marlins of failing to comply with the terms of the Contract and wants a jury trial if possible.

The lawsuit was filed by the Zebersky & Payne law firm in Fort Lauderdale.

The Marlins spent big on free agents in the offseason, including pitchers Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell. Buehrle has worked with new Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen in Chicago, while Bell has just recently come into his own as a dominating closer.

For the Marlins, much of the season will rest on the right shoulder of number one starting pitcher, Josh Johnson. The massive starter spent most of last season on the shelf with shoulder inflammation that doctors could never completely figure out.

Johnson’s expected to be ready to start the first game ever at the new Marlins Park in Little Havana. But his long-term prognosis isn’t good as shoulder inflammation can reoccur at any time and potentially shelve him for much of the season.

As was evidenced last year, when Johnson went out, the Marlins began to struggle mightily. After he was benched, the Marlins tanked hard in June and July and went from tied for first to arguably the worst team in baseball.

Team president Larry Beinfest told MLB.com that overall, he’s encouraged by the overall health of his lineup.

“I think it’s pretty good, considering how awful it was last year — especially in the second half,” Beinfest said. “All signs are good with Hanley. All signs are good with Josh. LoMo had his knee cleaned up, and it feels good. Coghlan had his knee cleaned up, and we’ll take a look and see how that responds every day, once we get into Spring Training.”

Looking deeper into the pitching rotation, the Marlins are confident with their number two and three starters as Mark Buehrle and Anibal Sanchez will likely hold down both of those spots. Buehrle is a dependable 16-19 game winner per season and Sanchez played very well filling in for Johnson last season.

After Sanchez, the order is still a little bit up in the air, but the team expects it to be either Ricky Nolasco or Carlos Zambrano in the four spot with the other pitcher in the five hole.

“I’ve got an idea,” manager Ozzie Guillen said of the order. “But [pitching coach Randy] St. Claire will make that decision for me. Right now, we have something in mind. But we haven’t started Spring Training yet. We’re going to try to figure something out.”

Overall, Guillen said he likes the quality of his staff and is confident heading into the regular season. But, one of the big question marks will be Zambrano.

The former Chicago Cub quit on his team after a terrible outing last season and never made it back to the field for the Cubs. He was traded in the offseason to the Marlins and the team hopes Guillen can get Zambrano dialed back into the form he once commanded.

If Zambrano can get back to his season average of 14 wins with a 3.60 ERA in the four/five spot in the rotation, it will really give the Marlins staff a punch. Zambrano is a low-risk, high-reward player if he can get back his old self and not his 2011 quitting-self.

A slogan on a hallway at the Marlins’ spring training complex reads “Pitching + Defense = wins.” The Marlins hope they’ve addressed the first part of the equation with their offseason moves. Only time will tell if can solve the problems with defense, but pitching looks to be in good hands heading into the season.

Bosh came back to life against the Sacramento Kings playing excellent defense and pouring in 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

He scored his points by shooting 50 percent from the field in a game that was almost a Welcome Back Chris moment for the Heat.

Bosh had previously said he didn’t mind his lower numbers as long as the team kept winning. Over the last six games before Tuesday’s against the Kings, Bosh averaged 13.8 points on 40 percent shooting.

But on the first play of the night Tuesday, the Heat ran their first play off the tip to Bosh and he responded throughout the night with a solid performance.

The one knock on Bosh since he’s been in the league has been that he’s not aggressive and can get bossed around on the court.

Bosh has worked on this part of his game, but told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel his recent struggles weren’t about lack of aggressiveness.

“It’s not that I’m not being aggressive in those games,” Bosh told the Sun-Sentinel. “I just missed shots. I don’t get to the free-throw line. I’m in a position where I’m trying to figure other things out. It’s not what it’s about for me right now. I’m trying to build for the postseason. “

Bosh will be key for the Heat when the New York Knicks come to town to close out the first half of the regular season Thursday.

Bosh will have to defend either Tyson Chandler or Amar’e Stoudemire of the Knicks. Either will be a physical challenge for Bosh, who will likely line up against Stoudemire.

FSU announced Wednesday that Savannah State University had replaced West Virginia on the school’s 2012 football schedule. Savannah State is a member of the MEAC and will get paid approximately $475,000 to be the Seminoles’ sacrificial lamb.

West Virginia’s $500,000 payment to get out of the series will pay off the Noles’ costs for Savannah State.

It’s a very tough pill for the Seminoles to swallow.

The Noles were set to face West Virginia at home this season and go to West Va. next year for a return game. WVU was expected to be a top 15 team in the FBS this season. Now, FSU has two Division I-AA, or FCS, opponents.

What that means is the Noles will have to win seven games to get bowl eligible this season instead of the prerequisite six games if a team only has one FCS opponent.

The Noles had inquired with several teams including Oklahoma, Boise State, and Texas A&M to name a few about playing this season, but apparently there were no takers.

It’s not the first time the Noles have had an opponent back out of playing them.

In 1999, the Noles were expected to win the National Championship coming into the season.

FSU was supposed to play Auburn University in the first game of the season at Auburn. The Tigers were abysmal and coming off a season in which they fired then-head coach Terry Bowden.

FSU and head coach Bobby Bowden were expected to lay the lumber to Auburn, but the Tigers famously backed out in favor of a matchup against a lower division school.

Hanley initially was seriously disgruntled about the move by the Marlins to move him to third base. The former All-Star shortstop didn’t want to move, but time has apparently smoothed things over, at least on the outside.

Ramirez is in Jupiter and working with the team as he recovers from left shoulder surgery and learns his new position. For the first time in his career, Hanley is saying the right things and acting like a team leader instead of a team annihilator.

“Now, I need to show I improved in the offseason, through the bad times when I had injuries,” Ramirez told MLB.com. “Mentally, I’m stronger and physically. I just feel good right now.”

Ramirez is trying to recover from an awful 2011 campaign that saw him hit just .243 for the season. He spent much of the season on the bench recovering from a variety of injuries.

The team is hopeful he can regain his former hitting self that tore up National League pitching just a few seasons ago.

Ramirez has already been hitting in the batting cages and has been taking ground balls at third base.

“We will have plenty of time to see Hanley,” Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen told MLB.com. “He seems happy. I like his attitude right now. Obviously, over a long period of time, not just Hanley, but every player has the tendency to be up and down. I think the attitude he has right now is great.”

Hanley’s offseason shoulder-surgery was performed by world-renowned sports medicine expert, Dr. James Andrews from Birmingham, Alabama.

Ramirez had a check-up with Dr. Andrews last week. Dr. Andrews cleared Ramirez for the season, but the Marlins have asked Ramirez not to dive during full-squad workouts that start this weekend.

“I know what kind of player I am,” Ramirez said. “I know what kind of player I’m going to be this year, because my body feels 100 percent.”

Ramirez and Reyes could form a formidable tandem for the Marlins for several seasons to come. It will arguably one of the most talented left side of the infields in baseball. But, there’s still one question that will have to be answered to know how successful the duo can be in Miami.

“The only thing is we’ve got to stay healthy,” Ramirez said. “If we stay healthy the whole year, it’s going to be a monster year.”

Unfortunately for Hurricanes fans, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

The Terrapins wouldn’t go down without a fight and fought hard enough in the last minute of the game to knock off the Canes, 75-70. It was a horrible loss for Miami who had been leading heading into the final 90 seconds of the game.

The Hurricanes overcame an early 10-point deficit to take a 35-31 halftime lead, in part because of a 21-14 rebounding advantage that included seven on the offensive end.

Minutes after Maryland honored former guard Johnny Rhodes by hanging his No. 15 from the rafters at Comcast Center, the Terrapins got off to a raise-the-roof start.

“We had two turnovers that you can’t really explain,” Canes head coach Jim Larranaga said. “Guys tend to think too much toward the end of close games. They think you need to do something special; the fact of the matter is you have to do something simple.”

The Terps trailed 66-61 before rallying with a 10-0 run in the final two minutes. Miami had no answer for Maryland’s scoring punch at the end and never really had a shot at winning after two late misses allowed Maryland to take the lead.

Despite the drought, Miami kept finding its way to the foul line and held a five-point lead with 2:04 remaining.

A 3-pointer by Maryland cut the Hurricanes’ lead to 66-64 with 1:37 to go. After Miami missed twice, Maryland hit a bucket and made the free throw for a 67-66 lead with 44 seconds to play.

Durand Scott then lost the handle on the basketball and fouled out trying to get it back from Maryland, who sank two free throws for a three-point cushion.

Another Miami turnover followed, and Stoglin made two at the line to clinch it.

“It hurts,” coach Jim Larranaga said. “We were right there.”

While the sting of the loss hurts, what the Canes really did by losing to Maryland was probably submarine any chances the squad had of making it to the NCAA Tournament.

Miami will essentially have to win out their final three games to push their record to 19-10 on the season to have a legitimate shot at getting into the tournament. A solid few rounds in the ACC Tournament could help Miami’s case as well.

But with teams like Kansas State sweeping a top 5 team this season, the at-large berths to the NCAA Tournament are filling fast and Miami finds themselves squarely on the bubble with air leaving the balloon quickly.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

LeBron James scored 18 points, Norris Cole had 12 and Udonis Haslem added 10 for Miami (26-7), which has won each of its games during this streak by at least 12 points. Wade shot 11 for 16, the 11th straight game he’s shot at least 50 percent, matching his career best in that department. He also had a run of 11 such games in his rookie season.

Isaiah Thomas scored 20 of his 24 points in the third quarter for Sacramento, which dropped its sixth straight. Marcus Thornton scored 23, Tyreke Evans finished with 21 points and 10 assists, and Jason Thompson had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings.

Next up for Miami: The New York Knicks and Jeremy Lin come to town Thursday.

The Kings were without guard John Salmons, a late scratch with a sore right hip.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he didn’t expect Sacramento to come out and play like a team with one of the NBA’s worst records, and he was right. Thompson had 10 points and six rebounds in the opening quarter and Evans’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer from near midcourt gave Sacramento a 32-26 lead after 12 minutes.

Maybe the biggest surprise of the first half was that it took Miami — a team that had led by 20 points at some time in each of its six previous outings, but never enjoyed better than an 18-point margin Tuesday — nearly a full hour after tipoff to get the highlight reels cranking.

James blocked a drive by Thomas, the Heat controlled the rebound, and took off running. James got the ball to Wade, who leaped, stayed airborne long enough to draw contact from Cousins and then made an acrobatic layup while falling to the floor. The three-point play put Miami ahead 49-47 and the Heat kept the lead — such as it was — the rest of the half.

Another spectacular James-to-Wade connection helped.

Wade forced Donte Greene into a miss, and Francisco Garcia grabbed the rebound and tried to lay the ball in, all in the same motion. James blocked Garcia’s shot — the Kings wanted goaltending — and moments later threw a 70-foot chest pass to Wade for an alley-oop layup at the other end, part of a late mini-flurry that sent Miami into halftime leading 57-53.

The Heat kept the lead for the entirety of the third quarter, despite Thomas’ best efforts.

Thomas’ 20 points came in a 10-minute span of that quarter, a 5-for-6 effort from 3-point range and 5-for-5 from the foul line, the last three there coming when he was fouled by Cole while trying about a 25-footer in the final seconds of the third and getting Sacramento to 93-88.

That’s about when Miami decided enough was enough.

A 15-5 run, mostly from the Heat reserves, provided the long awaited breathing room. Cole had four points and an assist in the early stages, and after Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer, Haslem capped the flurry with a one-handed putback dunk that sent Wade running about 15 feet onto the court at the other end in celebration.

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)