OGDEN, Utah (AP) — Weber State has selected Jody Sears as its interim football coach to replace John L. Smith. Smith left Monday to take the Arkansas job following that school’s firing of Bobby Petrino. The 44-year-old Sears joined the Wildcats staff this spring and has been working as the team’s defensive coordinator. He will continue in that role as well. Sears spent the previous three seasons at Washington State, where he was co-defensive coordinator. He also is no stranger to the Big Sky Conference as he spent five seasons as defensive coordinator at Eastern Washington. He began his collegiate coaching career at Iowa State in 1994. Sears was a two-year letter-winner at Washington State after walking on as a wide receiver. Weber State opens its season Sept. 1 at Fresno State.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa has received the approval of the Iowa Board of Regents to spend $36.6 million to build a facility to house weight rooms, squad meeting space, and coaches’ offices. The regents approved of the spending Thursday on the UI Football Operations Facility. University of Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta says the money comes from fundraising and athletic department revenue. No general university dollars or increased student fees will be used. Construction is scheduled to start in spring 2013, with completion in summer 2014. The building will be south of the new Indoor Athletics Practice and Recreation Facility, now under construction. The operations facility also will include space for video editing, lockers for players and coaches, and reception space.

CHICAGO (AP) — David Freese homered and Lance Lynn threw eight strong innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. Lynn (4-0) held Chicago to six hits in becoming the first four-game winner in the majors and helping the Cardinals avoid a three-game sweep. Freese’s two-run blast in the sixth capped a three-run, two-out rally against starter Chris Volstad. Freese added an RBI double in the eighth. Volstad (0-3) threw six solid innings, retiring St. Louis in order during four of them. But he’s still 0-8 in 15 starts since July 10, 2011. Bryan LaHair homered to lead off the fourth for Chicago’s only run. LaHair has four of Chicago’s majors-lowest seven home runs this season.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — NASCAR Sprint Cup regular Kurt Busch will run the Nationwide race at Iowa Speedway on May 20. Busch confirmed he’ll race in Iowa for the first time. He will be the first Sprint Cup champion to run on Iowa’s 0.875-mile oval. Danica Patrick, Sam Hornish Jr., Austin Dillon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who won both Nationwide races at Iowa in 2011, are also slated for the race. The May event will be the first of four Nationwide and Camping World Trucks series races in Iowa this season. The track will also host an IndyCar race in June.