A Roundup Of The Sports Information Of The Week

MILEPOSTS—AWARDED: To EWING KAUFFMAN. 51, president of Marion Laboratories, Inc. (SI, Jan. 8), the American League franchise for a baseball team to replace the Athletics, who moved to Oakland last fall, Kauffman's team will begin play in 1969.

HIRED: As head football coaches: at Columbia, FRANK NAVARRO, 37, whose teams at Williams had a 28-11-1 record during the past five seasons; and at Idaho, Y C McNEASE, 31, former assistant at Michigan.

ANNOUNCED: As basketball coach at Niagara, FRANK LAYDEN, 36, currently the coach at Adelphi Suffolk College on Long Island, who will take over the team next season, replacing JIM MALONEY, 32, who submitted his resignation, effective at the end of this, his third season.

DECIDED: By the NCAA, to permit freshmen to compete in all varsity sports except football and basketball, a rule that will be effective immediately but will not be retroactive. The NCAA also modified the controversial 1.6 scholastic ruling, which stipulates that a student-athlete must prove before entering college that he can do at least C-minus classwork in order to receive scholarship aid. A student-athlete will no longer have to maintain the 1.6 average after he enters school, provided that his college's academic standards meet NCAA requirements.

SWAPPED: A pair of utility outfielders, DICK SIMPSON, 24, who hit .259 for the Cincinnati Reds last year, in exchange for ALEX JOHNSON, 25, who batted .223 for the St. Louis Cardinals.

BANNED: From the International Lawn Tennis Federation and Davis Cup play, the BRITISH LTA, beginning April 22, when new British rules will permit pros to compete against amateurs.

DIED: BILL MASTERTON, 29, rookie center for the Minnesota North Stars; of head injuries suffered two nights before, when he fell to the ice in a game against Oakland.