The NCAA is accusing Arizona State of a "lack of institutional control" of the baseball program, citing allegations that include impermissible recruiting phone calls and a failure to monitor baseball staff members.

The Arizona Republic reported yesterday that the university last month received a notice of the allegations. The case is not expected to be heard by the NCAA infractions committee until next summer.

The newspaper reported that the university received a notice from the NCAA on Nov. 19, one day before coach Pat Murphy announced his resignation.

According to the newspaper, the NCAA cited a "lack of institutional control" of the baseball program. Among the reported allegations are impermissible recruiting phone calls and failure to monitor baseball staff members.

ASU officials could not be reached for comment yesterday by The Associated Press. In a statement issued to the Republic, school spokesman Virgil Renzulli said, "ASU is working with the NCAA on an investigation of the university's baseball program involving allegations of infractions of NCAA legislation. This is an ongoing process, and we do not currently have an estimate for the completion of the effort and the release of results."

Murphy's 15-year run at the perennial baseball powerhouse ended abruptly when the university announced his resignation on Nov. 20. In an interview that day, athletic director Lisa Love called it "an amicable parting dictated by Pat," but it has since been revealed that the university forced Murphy to resign or be fired.

AUTO RACING

PATRICK TO START SLOW

Danica Patrick will ease her way into NASCAR by skipping the Nationwide Series opener at Daytona International Speedway in favor of a less-stressful debut one week later at California.

The IndyCar star is still working on piecing together a 13-race schedule for JR Motorsports in NASCAR's second-tier series, but announced yesterday she's marked the Feb. 20 race at Auto Club Speedway for her debut.

FIGURE SKATING

HUGHES INDUCTED

Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes is now a Hall of Famer.

The 2002 champion Headline 1s the newest class for the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, joining three-time world pairs medalists Jenni Meno and Todd Sand and longtime Ice Capades director Robert Turk.

The class, announced yesterday, will be inducted during a Jan. 21 ceremony at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Wash.

TENNIS

GASQUET CLEARED

French tennis player Richard Gasquet was cleared of any wrongdoing yesterday when the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted his claim that he tested positive for cocaine by kissing a woman in a nightclub.

The CAS dismissed appeals by the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Tennis Federation, which wanted Gasquet banned for up to two years.

"I'm absolutely relieved. This is the end of a crazy story," Gasquet said. "I'm happy to be 100 percent cleared."

The court in Lausanne, Switzerland accepted Gasquet's claim that he inadvertently consumed cocaine by kissing the woman in a Miami club hours after withdrawing injured from a tournament in March.

The verdict was greeted with dismay by WADA and the ITF, the sport's world governing body.