FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2016, file photo, Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk laughs on the sideline before the start of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas in Columbia, Mo. Missouri coach Robin Pingeton and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley both want the focus of their team’s latest matchup fully on the court. That seems impossible given the fiery, racially charged aftermath the last time they met. Few could have predicted the harsh comments and Staley’s defamation lawsuit against Sterk following South Carolina’s home win in January 2018. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson, File)
L.G. PattersonCOLUMBIA, MO.