FOOTBALL

Pac-12 raises bar for bowl eligibility — The Pac-12 Conference will require its teams to win at least six regular-season games to play in a bowl, eliminating the opportunity for a 5-7 squad to earn a postseason spot when there are not enough six-win teams nationally to fill the bowls. Pac-12 presidents passed the rule proposed by a subcommittee of athletic directors led by Washington’s Jennifer Cohen. The growing bowl lineup led to the NCAA determining in 2015 that 5-7 teams with the best Academic Progress Ratings would be bowl eligible if there were not enough six-win teams to fill the then-80 bowl spots. Three 5-7 teams played in bowls in 2015 and two did so in 2016. No five-win teams were needed last season when the number of FBS bowl slots dropped to 78 (39 games, not including the national title game) with the Poinsettia Bowl folding. No 5-7 bowl-eligible teams have been from the Pac-12, which this season has seven contracted bowl spots for its 12 schools.

GOLF

Bend’s Heinly misses U.S. Open qualifier cut — Jesse Heinly’s bid to play in the 2018 U.S. Open came up well short Monday in a sectional qualifier at Portland Golf Club. The 2010 Summit High School graduate shot rounds of 79 and 74 to finish the 36-hole day at 11-over-par 153. He finished tied for 68th place in a starting field of 79 players. Only the low four scorers qualified for the U.S. Open Championship, which takes place June 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. The Portland qualifiers were led by Australian Lucas Herbert, who rode two second-round eagles to a 12-under total of 130. Second was Christopher Babcock, of Shoreline, Washington, at 133. A former University of Oregon standout, amateur Sulman Raza, of Eugene, tied for third place with Michael Block, of Mission Viejo, California, at 5-under 137.

BASEBALL

Cancer claims 2-time Pirates champ Kison — Bruce Kison, a pitcher who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series in 1971 and 1979 and spent three decades in player development and scouting roles, has died of cancer. He was 68. His wife, Anna Marie, said Kison died Saturday. He had been diagnosed with renal cancer on Feb. 14. Kison won Game 4 of the 1971 World Series when he threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings of one-hit relief against Baltimore as a rookie. He started and lost the 1979 opener against the Orioles, getting just one out and giving up five runs. He had a 5-1 record and 1.98 ERA in 10 postseason appearances, including four starts. Kison made his big league debut on July 4, 1971, and went 115-88 with a 3.66 ERA, 12 saves and 1,073 strikeouts in 1,809 2/3 innings for the Pirates (1971-79), California Angels (1980-84) and Boston (1985). After retiring as a player in 1985, he was a minor league pitching instructor for Pittsburgh, bullpen coach for Kansas City from 1992 to 1993, the Royals pitching coach from 1994 to 1998, and Baltimore’s pitching coach in 1999. He later worked as a scout for Baltimore until his retirement in December.

— From staff and wire reports