Price increases for cars and trucks in the United States, which helped fuel inflation for nearly three years, are slowing and in some cases falling, helping cool overall inflation and giving frustrated Americans more hope of finding an affordable vehicle.

Larry Scott boasted five years ago that the Pac-12 Conference would be able “to adapt, react and take advantage of this new world media order that’s coming in a way others can’t.”.

Larry Scott’s 11-year tenure as Pac-12 commissioner is in its final month.

The Pac-12 hired sports entertainment executive George Kliavkoff to be the conference’s next commissioner, replacing Larry Scott with another college sports outsider.

Ross Cameron, File)The offseason started but the college football news never stops. On the latest AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, Andy Staples from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the Volunteers' tricky situation and Larry Scott’s legacy. In the Pac-12, Scott's tenure started with him viewed as a visionary and ended with the conference bogged down by his inability to address campus-level problems. Plus, an idea for a radical change to college football that would encourage fewer punts. ___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/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2019, file photo, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott speaks to reporters during the Pac-12 Conference women's NCAA college basketball media day in San Francisco. “At one point, our television agreement was the most lucrative in the nation and the debut of the Pac-12 Network helped deliver our championship brand to US and global markets on traditional and digital platforms. Those contract are up in 2024 and negotiating the next media rights deals will be a top priority of the next Pac-12 commissioner. The Pac-12 Network, launched in 2012, followed the lead of Big Ten Network but never could replicate it as a money-maker for its members. Scott has also been criticized for moving the Pac-12 offices out of Walnut Creek, California, to San Francisco, which drove up operating costs.

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.

FILE- In this Oct. 10, 2015, file photo, a PAC-12 logo is displayed on the field before an NCAA college football game between Washington State and Oregon in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang, File)A major college football season that was in peril six week ago as conferences succumbed to concerns about COVID-19 is reconstituting. Not even a pandemic could stop college football at the schools that play it at the highest level. This every-conference-for-itself college football season looks like it will have five different start dates. ___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

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2019, file photo, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott speaks to reporters during the Pac-12 Conference women's NCAA college basketball media day in San Francisco. The Mountain West is trying to do the same and there even is some movement in the Mid-American Conference toward reconsidering a fall season. “The board has asked for a plan,” Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson said. The San Jose Mercury News reported, citing unidentified sources, that the Pac-12’s athletic directors were targeting Oct. 31 to start football season. But some MAC players have followed the lead of their peers in Power Five conferences by pushing for a fall season on social media.

The Pac-12 could be playing football and basketball sooner than expected after the conference announced Thursday that each of the 12 schools will soon have the capacity to perform daily, rapid COVID-19 tests on athletes. Doug Bryant, president and CEO of Quidel Corporation, said the company has agreements with several schools that are already using its rapid tests. At the time, that meant Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, Southern California and UCLA would all have needed to test athletes daily. Scott said he considers it a high priority for the Pac-12 and Big Ten, Rose Bowl partners, to align their return to football. The Big Ten has discussed plans for starting a football season as early as Thanksgiving weekend, though the conference has been more focused on an early January start.

(AP Photo/Ralph Freso, File)The Pac-12 players of the “WeAreUnited” movement said they were “disappointed and deeply concerned” after a recent meeting with the conference’s commissioner. The players sent an email to Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott late Friday accusing him of not taking the issues they have raised seriously enough. Leaders of the group have said their movement has more than 400 players from around the conference supporting it. When the players went public with their demands last Sunday, they reached out to the Pac-12 and requested daily meetings with conference officials. “We will work on gathering the information listed above and providing it to you as soon as possible,” Scott wrote.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott met with representatives from the #WeAreUnited college player group, with much of the discussion focused on the conferences health and safety protocols. The players have demanded the Pac-12 address a list of concerns about COVID-19 protocols, racial injustice in college sports and economic rights for college athletes. Players around the country are already opting out of the coming season, with some saying goodbye to college football for good. Maryland coach Mike Locksley announced six players, including starting quarterback Josh Jackson and two starting offensive linemen, were opting out. ___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 Pac-12 has set Sept. 26 as the start of its 10-game conference-only football schedule. A letter from Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott, dated Aug. 3, was sent to 12 football players leading the #WeAreUnited movement. The players say they have been communicating with more than 400 of their peers throughout the Pac-12. Im proud of our players and all the Pac-12 student-athletes for using their platform, especially for matters they are passionate about. Pac-12 football teams are scheduled to begin preseason practices Aug. 17 and the league's conference-only regular season is set to start Sept. 26.

A group of Pac-12 football players on Sunday threatened to opt out of the coming season unless its concerns about competing during the COVID-19 pandemic and other racial and economic issues in college sports are addressed. The release listed the names of 13 Pac-12 players from 10 schools, including Oregon star safety Jevon Holland, and provided a statement from each one. It feels like the phone's blowing up every second.The public demands from the Pac-12 players follow a surge in athlete empowerment across college football. Officials across college football anticipate disruptions related to COVID-19. "#WeAreUnited in our commitment to secure fair treatment for college athletes," it said.