BRIEFLY : COLORADO FORFEITS WINS.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Colorado has forfeited all five football victories in 1997 after acknowledging an ineligible player participated in games.

Although it was fullback-linebacker Darren Fisk's fourth year of competition, it was his sixth year of college enrollment, which violated NCAA rules.

Colorado athletic director Richard Tharp said Fisk was allowed to participate because of an error in record-keeping by registrar office employees and Fisk's mistaken belief that he had been granted a medical hardship waiver for one year.

With the forfeitures, Colorado's 1997 record fell from 5-6 to 0-11.

It was bad judgment, not an NCAA violation, for a dozen Notre Dame players to accept gifts from a woman suspected of embezzling as much as $750,000 from a local business, the athletic director said.

Kimberly Ann Dunbar, 28, who has a child with former Irish free safety Jarvis Edison, gave jewelry, clothing and trips to 12 former and current players from 1993-98, a university investigation found.

Eddie DeBartolo, who shares ownership of the San Francisco 49ers with his sister, is trying to buy her share in exchange for giving up any claim to the rest of the family's business empire, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

49ers free-agent fullback William Floyd signed a four-year contract with the Carolina Panthers worth $6.2 million, said Mike Sullivan, Floyd's agent.

The deal also includes a signing bonus of $1.6 million, Sullivan said.

The San Diego Chargers signed unrestricted free-agent guard Aaron Taylor to a four-year contract.

Andre Hastings, an unrestricted free-agent wide receiver, reached agreement on a three-year, no-option contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Running back Mario Bates, who played the last four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, agreed to a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

Eugene Robinson, 34, who spent the past two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, signed a two-year, $3.55 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

The St. Louis Rams signed former Seattle Seahawks punter Rick Tuten, the fourth unrestricted free agent added to the team's roster in two weeks.

Clyde Simmons, who ranks 11th in career sacks and has made the biggest defensive plays in Jacksonville's short history, was released by the Jaguars. The move comes a month after the Jaguars signed pass-rush specialist Bryce Paup, a free agent from Buffalo.

MOTOR SPORTS: Pontiac Grand Prixs, driven by John Andretti and surprising Todd Bodine, took the front-row positions in time trials on Atlanta Motor Speedway's 1.54-mile oval in first-round qualifying for the Primestar 500.

TENNIS: Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands overcame swirling winds to upset second-seeded Albert Costa of Spain 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals at the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic at Scottsdale, Ariz.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO FLOYD