Arian Foster says he accepted money his senior year at Tennessee

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster says in an upcoming documentary he accepted money his senior year at Tennessee.

“Honestly, I don’t know if this will throw us into an NCAA investigation, but my senior year I was getting money on the side,” Foster says in the EPIX documentary. “I really didn’t have any money. I had to either pay the rent or buy some food. I remember the feeling, like, ‘Man, be careful,’ but there’s nothing wrong with it. You’re not going to convince me that there is something wrong with it.”

Sports Illustrated first reported Foster’s comments in the documentary, “Schooled: The Price of College Sports.”

Foster, who played for the Volunteers from 2005 to 2008, expanded on his comments Friday after the Texans’ practice.

“I feel very strong about the injustice the NCAA has been doing for years,” Foster said. That’s why I said what I said. I’m not trying to throw anyone under the bus or anything like that. … I feel like I shouldn’t have to run from the NCAA anymore. They’re like these big bullies. I’m not scared of them.”

Andrew Muscato, a producer of the documentary, said Foster didn’t specify how much money he received or who paid him during the four-hour interview in February.

Tennessee Athletic Director Dave Hart said in a statement released by the university, “We can’t speak to something that allegedly happened a long time ago.”

A phone call Friday to Phillip Fulmer, the Tennessee coach during Foster’s college career, wasn’t immediately returned.

Foster said Friday the money he received didn’t come from a coach.

ETC.

Ryan Newman wins New Hampshire pole

Ryan Newman used a track-record lap to fuel his run at a NASCAR championship.

Newman set the New Hampshire Motor Speedway qualifying record with a lap of 136.497 mph to win the pole and headline a top 12 loaded with Chase drivers for Sunday’s race at Loudon, N.H.

Chase for the Sprint Cup championship drivers filled 10 of the top 12 spots Friday. Kasey Kahne was second and joins Newman on the front row, Jeff Gordon was third and Kurt Busch fourth for what will be the second Chase race.

Joey Logano qualified sixth, Kevin Harvick was eighth, series points leader and last week’s winner Matt Kenseth was ninth, and Greg Biffle starts 10th. Jimmie Johnson is 11th and Kyle Busch 12th.

Martin Truex Jr. starts fifth the same week he found out NAPA was dumping sponsorship of his Michael Waltrip Racing No. 56 car after the race-fixing attempts at Richmond earlier this month.

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Francesco Molinari shot a five-under 67 to share the lead after the second round of the Italian Open at Turin. Molinari tied Felipe Aguilar of Chile and Simon Thornton of Ireland at nine-under 135 at the Golf Club Torino.

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Nearly three months after he was selected by the Lakers with the 48th pick of the NBA draft, Duke forward Ryan Kelly signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal contract with the team valued at $490,180.

Kelly, who spent most of the summer rehabbing his foot after April surgery, will miss the start of training camp. He is now running at 70% of his body weight on a weight-reducing treadmill.

—Eric Pincus

France ended Spain’s reign as European basketball champion Friday with a 75-72 overtime victory behind 32 points from Tony Parker and set up a final against Lithuania at Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Spain’s Marc Gasol missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.

Lithuania advanced by beating Croatia, 77-62.

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El Salvador’s soccer federation has banned 14 national-team players for life for their role in alleged match-fixing, including games against the United States and Mexico.

Among those banned Friday from all soccer activities Friday were goalkeepers Miguel Montes and Dagoberto Portillo, Christian Castillo — a former DC United player — and William Osael Romero, who played for Chivas USA.

The bans are connected with suspected match-fixing in four matches involving the national team, including a 2-1 loss in an exhibition against the U.S. in 2010 and a 5-0 loss to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup.