Conference realignment and the downfall of the Pac-12 is The Associated Press Sports Story of the Year.

The College Football Playoff says it will expand to a 12-team event starting in 2024.

The College Football Playoff management committee gathered for 4 1/2 hours at a hotel in the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.

New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has been learning the NCAA's issues in real time during a period of sweeping change and uncertainty.

The Big 12 is going into its final season as a 10-team league.

New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark says the league is open for business.

The Big 12 is going with an unconventional hire for commissioner in Roc Nation executive Brett Yormark.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby acknowledges the there is “some weirdness” with the conference's annual spring meetings.

College sports leaders visited Capitol Hill, asking lawmakers to consider rules to govern name, image and likeness money for college athletes.

The College Football Playoff is set to stick with a four-team format through the 2025 season.

College Football Playoff expansion talks remain stalled and the possibility of implementing a new format by the 2024 season dimmed after three days of meetings failed to produce an agreement.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby says expanding the College Football Playoff as soon as the 2024 season is "in some jeopardy" if an agreement on a new format cannot be reached soon.

The latest meeting on expanding the College Football Playoff has wrapped up in Dallas without any announcement.

American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco says he will oppose a College Football Playoff expansion model gives automatic access only to Power Five conference champions.

The administrators in charge of the College Football Playoff plan to meet again on Dec. 1 to continue expansion talks, which need to reach a consensus by the end of the year if a new postseason format is to be implemented for the 2024 season.

The college sports leaders who run the College Football Playoff have about four months to come to an agreement on a new format if expansion is to be implemented for the 2024 season.

A plan to expand the College Football Playoff has stalled.

The Big 12 has added four new members.

The Big 12 is moving quickly on an expansion plan that could have the conference at 12 schools after Texas and Oklahoma leave, with BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston as the “most intriguing” candidates.

American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco says his league has never “plotted” with ESPN to undermine another conference by poaching its schools.

The commissioners of the Pac-12 and Big 12 are discussing how the two conferences might benefit from working together or maybe even merging.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby says losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC could slice the value of the league's next television deal by 50 percent.

Southeastern Conference university presidents voted to invite Texas and Oklahoma to join the league and create a 16-team powerhouse on the field and at the bank.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby accused ESPN of encouraging other conferences to pick apart the league so Texas and Oklahoma can move to the Southeastern Conference more quickly and without paying a massive buyout.

Oklahoma and Texas took the first formal step toward moving to the Southeastern Conference.

Barring a dramatic change of direction, Texas and Oklahoma are moving toward taking the Red River Rivalry to the Southeastern Conference in a seismic shift that will have repercussions across college sports.

Texas and Oklahoma have had discussions with the Southeastern Conference about leaving the Big 12.

Big 12 coaches say they like the proposal to expand the College Football Playoff to 12 teams.

The 11 university presidents and chancellors who oversee the College Football Playoff have authorized the continued evaluation of a proposed 12-team playoff.

College Football Playoff expansion took another step forward this week.

“Do I think it would be a great matchup in college football, particularly in 2020? College football researcher and statistician Cody Kellner calculated 81 scheduled games were never played and 86% of the major college football season will be completed if no games are canceled Saturday. Teams played 52 of 55 potential regular-season games, including 43 of 45 conference games, plus a championship game. Teams played 85 of 90 potential regular-season games, including 70 of 75 conference games, plus a championship game. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

The conference commissioners who manage the College Football Playoff decided to stick with a four-team format during this pandemic-altered season after the Pac-12 made a request to consider expansion. Conferences are not playing the same number of games, are starting play at different times and there are no interconference matchups between Power Five leagues. Hancock added any decision on expansion would need the approval of the CFP’s presidential oversight committee after a recommendation by commissioners. The Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 are already up and running among the Power Five leagues. AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco is the one member of the management committee who has publicly suggested playoff expansion in the past.

The Big 12 Conference reaffirmed its decision to press on with college football and other fall sports Wednesday, joining the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences in taking the field amid the coronavirus pandemic. The move came one day after the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they would not be participating this fall. The schools will all play each other to give them 10 total games with the Big 12 title game scheduled for Dec. 12. All non-conference opponents also must adhere to Big 12 standards. The virus continues to evolve and medical professionals are learning more with each passing week, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement.

College football players from across the country united Sunday in an attempt to save their season and ensure they will no longer be left out of the sport's biggest decisions. #BigTenUnited arrived on the scene a couple days later, a movement that claimed the backing off 1,000 Big Ten football players. Use our voices to establish open communication and trust between players and officials: Ultimately create a College Football Players Association. Another person with direct knowledge of the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, said no votes were taken or decisions made about the college football season. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Meanwhile, college football players took to social media Sunday to push for the season to go on, led by Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with a series of tweets. We are ready to play and we want to play.Other players tweeted with the hashtag #WeWantToPlay. The parents of Ohio State football players weighed in, too, posting a letter saying they were confident in the university's plan to keep their sons safe. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said he has heard the same from Fighting Irish football players. They are going to want to know why.___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

The first major college football games in an evolving schedule that should start to come into focus this week are a little more than a month away. COVID-19 flare-ups have shut down voluntary workouts throughout July at about two dozen major college football programs, including Ohio State, North Carolina, Kansas State and Houston. Because if thats the case, were not testing enough.Recent NCAA guidelines recommended testing college football players once a week during the season, within 72 hours of a game. I was not surprised at all that there were positive tests. There will be positive tests on campuses when students return and within athletics programs.

Big 12 schools still got a strong payout from the conference during the pandemic. Englands Rugby Football League and the Australian Rugby League Commission made the joint announcement. Both governing bodies are committed to planning a series in 2022, after the Rugby League World Cup in England in 2021. The Big 12 had suspended all team activities, voluntary or required, because of the coronavirus pandemic through May 31. Basketball players can participate in on-campus voluntary activities, starting July 6, and all other sports can resume voluntary activities on campus on July 15.

FILE - In this March 11, 2020, file photo, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey speaks at a press conference in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)The Power Five conference commissioners are asking Congress to move forward with federal legislation regarding compensation for college athletes. The commissioners of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference sent a letter dated May 23 to congressional leaders. Some lawmakers are skeptical of the NCAA's desire to place what it calls guardrails on a compensation model. So, time is of the essence.___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and https://appodcasts.com/category/ap-top-25-college-football/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/APTop25CollegeFootballPoll and https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

The Big 12 got about $14 million less from the NCAA, which cancelled showcase events like the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, and the College World Series. The financial state of the Big 12 just in general is really healthy, said Baylor's Mack Rhoades, chairman of the Big 12 ADs. TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini, chairman of the Big 12 board, said his school has lost about $50 million for different reasons because of the coronavirus. Before the pandemic, the Big 12 had projections of revenue distribution reaching the mid-$40 million range per school. There is still a lack of clarity for what football season will look like, such as how many fans might be allowed to attend games.

There are 130 major college football teams, spread across 41 states and competing in 10 conferences, save for a handful of independents. The Friday announcements are the latest signs that a college football season will be launched in some form this fall. The NCAA updated that ruling Friday by saying voluntary activities would be allowed in all sports starting June 1. Greg Abbott said Friday he thinks college football will return on schedule with at least some spectators. Once we get to college football season, our goal right now is to have college football season start as planned, with fans in stands, Abbott said in an interview with Austin television station KXAN.

NEW YORK, NY – NCAA President Mark Emmert said Wednesday it is “highly probable” Congress will set national guidelines for how college athletes can be compensated for the use of their names, images and likenesses. Last week, Sen. Chris Murphy and Sen. Mitt Romney announced the formation of a bipartisan congressional working group on the topic of athlete compensation. This is an issue bigger than an NCAA group,” Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said. A federal law would eliminate that potential problem, but the NCAA would like a say in what that looks like. Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby is part of the NIL working group.