Davis statue will get makeover

1959 Heisman winner is depicted wearing Nike cleats

Nearly two weeks after the unveiling of a statue of former Syracuse University running back Ernie Davis that mistakenly depicts him wearing Nike shoes, sculptor Bruno Lucchesi is still waiting to make the corrections.

He remains stunned at what has transpired since the statue was unveiled Sept. 13.

"I was shocked to learn that the material given to me for the helmet and the cleats were mistaken," Lucchesi said in a statement. "I want to make it clear that I did exactly what I was asked to do and the mistake was not made by me. They told me that they were thrilled with it."

The statue of the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy depicts him in modern-day football gear -- including Nike cleats. Davis is wearing his famous No. 44 jersey, but "Nike" is inscribed on the heel of each cleat, and he's holding a helmet much different from the one he wore.

The problem is that Davis led Syracuse to a national championship in 1959 and won the Heisman two years later, nearly a decade before Nike was formed.

Lucchesi, who was given a photo of a color portrait of Davis to work with, said all of the materials -- uniform, helmet, cleats and pads -- were supplied by the university. He also said that upon completion of the clay model before its bronzing, the university approved the project.

"We didn't even know the statue was being erected," Nike spokesman Kejuan Wilkins said.

MORE FOOTBALL

APPALACHIAN PONDERS MOVE: Is Appalachian State, riding the wave of three national titles in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision -- formerly called Division I-AA -- considering a move to the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A?

Athletic director Charlie Cobb said Thursday that he has given some thought to the idea but that no decision will be forthcoming for at least two or three years.

"Geography is always going to be the question that has to be answered for any kind of future growth. And the reality is that you could lose some of the excitement, some of the enthusiasm, when you look at some of those schools that have made the I-AA to I-A jump," he said.

Cobb was referring to universities that transitioned from a format in which they could hope to play for a football national championship each year into one in which their best hope is likely a trip to a minor bowl game.

An example is Marshall, at one time a dominant player in I-AA football but now not a threat to attend a BCS bowl.

Appalachian State is in the process of expanding Kidd Brewer Stadium from 16,650 to 22,000 seats, an effort that will be completed by next season. Last year's average home attendance was a record 24,219. Such a total easily surpasses the FBS requirement of reaching an average of 15,000 at least once in a five-year period.

BASKETBALL

SUMMITT HAS SURGERY: Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt had arthroscopic shoulder surgery Thursday, not for a sports injury but because of a tussle with a raccoon.

The winningest basketball coach in NCAA history had problems with her right shoulder after dislocating it in March while chasing a raccoon poised to attack her Labrador retriever.

PITT EXTENDS DIXON'S CONTRACT: Pittsburgh men's coach Jamie Dixon's contract was extended three seasons through the 2015-16 season Thursday, a deal that came two years after his last extension.

Dixon will receive a raise from his $1.3 million salary of last season, when he was the university's highest-paid employee.

THURSDAY'S RESULTS

WOMEN'S SOCCER

UNC 5, CLEMSON 2: Junior midfielder Tobin Heath scored three goals in a span of less than 26 minutes in the first half, earning her first career hat trick and leading the No. 3-ranked North Carolina to a victory over host Clemson on Thursday night.

UNC (8-1-1, ACC 1-0) spotted the Tigers an early goal and then roared back with five goals in just over 40 minutes to turn the game into a blowout. The Tar Heels outshot the Tigers 32-6.

DUKE 0, BOSTON COLLEGE 0: In the ACC opener for both schools, No. 9 Duke and No. 14 Boston College battled to a tie at Koskinen Stadium in Durham.

Duke is 8-1-1 overall and 0-0-1 in the ACC, and BC is 6-1-2, 0-0-1.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

CLEMSON 3, DUKE 1: Freshman Lane Carico hammered 21 kills on a team-high .432 hitting percentage to lead Miami over Duke 22-25, 25-15, 25-22, 25-20 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Carico was one of three Miami (13-0, 2-0 ACC) players to record a double-double as she also picked up 12 digs. Duke (9-4, 0-1 ACC) was led by outside hitter Rachael Moss with 22 kills.