CC Sabathia will have a deadline to accept the New York Yankees' contract proposal.

"We've made him an offer. It's not going to be there forever," Hal Steinbrenner said yesterday after he was approved as the team's new controlling owner during a meeting at Major League Baseball headquarters in New York.

New York offered a six-year contract to the pitcher last Friday, the first day teams were allowed to start talking money with free agents. The proposal exceeds Johan Santana's $137.5 million, six-year contract with the New York Mets both in total and average, a baseball official familiar with the negotiations said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to divulge details.

Greg Genske, Sabathia's agent, did not return a telephone message seeking comment.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NO. 23 MIAMI FALLS, 41-23

Jonathan Dwyer ran for 128 yards — all in the first half — and Georgia Tech shredded Miami's defense for 472 yards on the ground, ruining the No. 23 Hurricanes' return to the rankings with a 41-23 rout last night in Atlanta.

Miami could have moved a step closer to clinching a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. Instead, the Hurricanes (7-4, 4-3) were routed in their first game as a ranked team in more than two years.

Georgia Tech (8-3, 5-3) clinched at least a tie for first in the Coastal Division, but will need some help because three other contenders would win on a tiebreaker.

GOLF

HULL LEADS ADT BY ONE

Annika Sorenstam's farewell to the LPGA Tour could come two days earlier than she hoped.

Sorenstam shot a 2-over-par 74 in yesterday's opening round of the ADT Championship at West Palm Beach, Fla., and was tied for 23rd in the 32-woman event, her final tournament before "stepping away" from competitive golf. The field gets trimmed to 16 after today's play.

"I was a little nervous. I feel like I'm playing good," Sorenstam said. "But I'm telling you, nothing went my way today."

She finished six shots behind Katherine Hull (68), who was one shot better than Ji-Yai Shin and In-Kyung Kim.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

SCHELOTTO IS MVP

The Columbus Crew's Guillermo Barros Schelotto, a midfield wizard who was a longtime star in his native Argentina, won the MLS Most Valuable Player award yesterday.

The 35-year-old Schelotto had 19 assists and seven goals for Columbus, which finished with an MLS-best 17-7-6 mark.

The Crew will play the New York Red Bulls on Sunday in Carson, Calif., for the MLS Cup.

TENNIS

DAVIS CUP PAIRINGS SET

Argentina's David Nalbandian will face Spain's David Ferrer today in the opening match of the Davis Cup final at Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina's top-ranked player at No. 9, will play Feliciano Lopez in the second singles match of the best-of-five series.

In tomorrow's doubles, Jose Acasuso and Agustin Calleri of Argentina will play Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. The reverse singles will be held Sunday.

AND WHAT'S MORE ...

Three-time All-Star Chase Utley of the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, will have surgery next week to repair any bone or cartilage damage he may have in his right hip, and might not be ready for the start of the 2009 regular season. ... Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who threw a league-high 43 touchdown passes this season, was selected the CFL's outstanding player for the second time in six seasons yesterday. ... Former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe will fight for the first time in three years against a yet-to-be-determined opponent on the undercard of the Dec. 13 IBF title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Hasim Rahman at Mannheim, Germany.