RALPH D. RUSSO
Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson (1) celebrates after his team recovered an onside kick late in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP)
AAC moves into rebuild-mode as Sun Belt sees opportunity

By Ralph D. Russo Sep. 10, 2021 05:22 PM EDT
The American Athletic Conference, a league born from the fall of Big East

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2019, file photo, the ACC Championship logo is displayed on the field before an NCAA college football game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The Atlantic Coast Conference announced an updated COVID-19 rescheduling policy on Thursday that means teams unable to play scheduled games because of pandemic-related protocols on its roster will be forced to forfeit. The policy will affect teams in football, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball. (Ken Ruinard/The Independent-Mail via AP, File)
ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 ally to 'protect the collegiate model'

By Ralph D. Russo Aug. 24, 2021 05:35 PM EDT
Facing a rapidly shifting landscape in college sports, the Atlantic Coast

Missouri hires Desiree Reed-Francois from UNLV as AD

By Ralph D. Russo Aug. 08, 2021 05:02 PM EDT
Missouri hired UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois as its AD on Sunday

FILE - This is a March 12, 2020, file photo showing NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. The NCAA Board of Governors called for a special constitutional convention in November to initiate dramatic reform in the governance of college sports that could be in place as soon as January. The NCAA said it wants to “reimagine" how to more effectively manage the needs of college athletes.(AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
Report drills NCAA on equity, calls for combined Final Four

By Ralph D. Russo Aug. 03, 2021 03:23 PM EDT
The NCAA has fallen short of upholding its commitment to gender equity by

FILE - In this April 4, 2019, file photo, NCAA President Mark Emmert answers questions at a news conference at the Final Four college basketball tournament in Minneapolis. Emmert told the organization's more than 1,200 member schools Friday, June 18, 2021, that he will seek temporary rules as early as July to ensure all athletes can be compensated for their celebrity with a host of state laws looming and congressional efforts seemingly stalled. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
NCAA could seek once-radical solutions after high court loss

By Ralph D. Russo Jun. 22, 2021 04:54 PM EDT
Embedded in Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's scathing rebuke of the NCAA

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2009, file photo, Big East commissioner John Marinatto speaks at a news conference in New York. Marinatto, who was commissioner of the Big East during a tumultuous period of conference realignment across college sports, had died. He was 64. Providence College, Marinatto's alma mater and the school where he began a long career in college sports, said he died Saturday, June 12, 2021. A cause of death was not immediately released. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin, File)
John Marinatto, ran Big East in time of tumult, dies at 64

By Ralph D. Russo Jun. 14, 2021 05:56 PM EDT
John Marinatto, the Big East commissioner during a tumultuous period of

FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2019, file photo, the Pac-12 logo is displayed on the field at Sun Devil Stadium during an NCAA college football game between Arizona State and Kent State in Tempe, Ariz. The Pac-12 hired sports entertainment executive George Kliavkoff to be the conference's next commissioner on Thursday, May 13, 2021, replacing Larry Scott with a person with a similar resume short on college sports experience. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso, File)
Pac-12 picks MGM executive Kliavkoff as next commissioner

By Ralph D. Russo May. 13, 2021 09:45 PM EDT
The Pac-12 hired George Kliavkoff to be the conference's next commissioner

Kansas hires Northwestern administrator Goff as next AD

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 05, 2021 07:08 PM EDT
Kansas has hired Northwestern administrator Travis Goff, a Sunflower State

FILE - In this March 29, 2016, file photo, Tulane athletic director Troy Dannen speaks during a news conference in New Orleans. College athletes will soon be permitted to be paid sponsors, social media influencers and product endorsers. Dannen believes that name, image and likeness payments will have no impact on competitive balance. “The kids that are going to Alabama are still going to go to Alabama. The kids that are going to Southern Cal are still going to go to Southern Cal. The kids that are going to Tulane are still going to go to Tulane,” said Dannen, whose school competes at the top tier of Division I football (FBS) in the American Athletic Conference. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
AP survey: ADs concerned NIL will skew competitive balance

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 04, 2021 09:07 AM EDT
College athletes will someday soon be permitted to be paid sponsors, social

Michigan's Isaiah Livers wears a T-shirt that reads "#NotNCAAProperty" as he walks off the court with teammates after the first half of a first-round game against Texas Southern in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 20, 2021, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
NCAA President to meet with protesting basketball players

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 30, 2021 07:09 PM EDT
NCAA President Mark Emmert is planning to meet this week with a group of

AP source: Fordham taps Villanova assistant Neptune as coach

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 29, 2021 06:02 PM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Fordham is finalizing a deal to hire Villanova assistant Kyle

FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2020, file photo, NCAA President Mark Emmert testifies during a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on intercollegiate athlete compensation on Capitol Hill in Washington. Just days away from the start of the NCAA's most lucrative and high-profile event, the Division I men's basketball tournament, Emmert spoke to the AP about where things stand with the association's attempts to reform its rules related to name, image and likeness compensation for athletes. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Emmert agrees to meet protesting players after March Madness

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 23, 2021 03:11 PM EDT
The National College Players Association said Tuesday that NCAA President Mark

Abilene Christian's Mahki Morris (12) and Paul Hiepler (33) wave to fans as they leave the court after their 67-47 loss to UCLA in a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
UCLA brushes off Abilene Christian 67-47 to reach Sweet 16

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 22, 2021 07:39 PM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — UCLA stumbled into the NCAA Tournament on a four-game

North Texas head coach Grant McCasland hugs Javion Hamlet during the second half of a second-round game against Villanova in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Sunday, March 21, 2021, in Indianapolis. Villanova won 84-61. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Villanova hits 15 3s to knock off upstart North Texas 84-61

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 21, 2021 11:17 PM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — As Villanova rained down 3s on North Texas, it was as if

Texas head coach Shaka Smart, center, congratulates Abilene Christian head coach Joe Golding, right, after Abilene Christian won their college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Sunday, March 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Texas upset again as Smart fails to recapture March glory

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 21, 2021 02:25 AM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Shaka Smart pulled off one of the most memorable Cinderella

Oklahoma forward Brady Manek, left, fights for a loose ball with Missouri forward Mitchell Smith, right, during the second half of a first-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Oklahoma slips past former Big 12 rival Missouri in NCAAs

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 20, 2021 09:58 PM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Trying to defend a three-point lead with under 6 seconds

during the second half of a college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
No. 5 Creighton beats 12th-seeded UCSB 63-62 with clutch FTs

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 20, 2021 06:04 PM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Creighton's Christian Bishop is not a good free-throw

Oral Roberts head coach Paul Mills looks on during the second half of a first-round game against Ohio State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Friday, March 19, 2021, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. Oral Roberts won in overtime. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
Pulling NCAA upset can change trajectory of coach's career

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 20, 2021 02:08 AM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Dunk City's thrilling NCAA Tournament run as a No. 15 seed

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn dunks the ball during the first half of a first round NCAA college basketball tournament game against Drexel Friday, March 19, 2021, at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis .(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Top-seeded Illinois cruises past Drexel 78-49 to open NCAAs

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 19, 2021 03:26 PM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kofi Cockburn muscled his way to 18 points and Illinois

The Texas basketball team looks at the NCAA bracket for the NCAA college basketball tournament on the side of the JW Marriott building, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
NCAA basketball players use biggest stage to deliver message

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 18, 2021 02:58 PM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A social media effort to raise awareness about inequities