Bob Bowlsby
Coastal Carolina wide receiver Jaivon Heiligh (6) and teammate Will McDonald (66) celebrate Heiligh's touchdown against Troy during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Troy, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Successful season? College football played 500-plus games

By Ralph D. Russo Dec. 18, 2020 05:45 PM EST

Iowa State running back Breece Hall runs the ball against West Virginia during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney)
No. 8 Iowa St vs. perennial champ Oklahoma for Big 12 title

By Stephen Hawkins Dec. 17, 2020 05:44 PM EST

Cincinnati tight end Leonard Taylor (11) runs to the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown off a pass play against Central Florida during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Takeaways: Playing through pandemic predictably frustrating

By Ralph D. Russo Nov. 21, 2020 10:08 PM EST

FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020 file photo, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) leaves the field with his teammates after Clemson lost to Notre Dame 47-40 in two overtimes during an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind. As virus disruptions mount and the Dec. 19 end of college football's regular season draws closer, the possibility grows that conference championships, major awards and even College Football Playoff participants will be determined by COVID-19. (Matt Cashore/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Virus upheaval strains integrity of college football season

By Ralph D. Russo Nov. 12, 2020 05:22 PM EST

FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2019, file photo, TCU coach Gary Patterson watches during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. The coronavirus pandemic has caused TCU coach Gary Patterson to pay attention to the details of things he never would have thought about in the past. He's going into his 20th season as head coach of the Horned Frogs. The virus has altered how things are being done on and off the field. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
B12 nears kickoff with games not being played stark reminder

By Stephen Hawkins Sep. 07, 2020 10:36 PM EDT

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2017, file photo, a Big 12 pylon marks the end zone at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium before an NCAA college football game between Texas and Kansas State in Austin, Texas. Big 12 schools have agreed to play one nonconference football game this year to go along with their nine league contests as plans for the pandemic-altered season continued to fall into place. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Big 12 moves ahead with fall sports beginning in September

By Dave Skretta Aug. 12, 2020 02:07 PM EDT

FILE - In this March 11, 2020, file photo, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby announces no fans will be admitted to the rest of the Big 12 basketball tournament, in Kansas City, Kan. After the Power Five conference commissioners met Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, to discuss mounting concern about whether a college football season can be played in a pandemic, players took to social media to urge leaders to let them play. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
Players unite in push to save college season, create union

By Ralph D. Russo Aug. 10, 2020 04:02 AM EDT

FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2019, file photo, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons (11) tackles Rutgers tight end Johnathan Lewis (11) in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, in State College, Pa. Penn State All-American Micah Parsons is opting out of the 2020 season because of concerns about COVID-19. The junior linebacker made his announcement with a social media post Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)
As college leaders meet, football players push to play

By Ralph D. Russo Aug. 09, 2020 10:34 PM EDT

FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby talks to the media after canceling the remaining NCAA college basketball games in the Big 12 Conference tournament due to concerns about the coronavirus in Kansas City, Mo. Big 12 schools still got a strong payout from the conference during the pandemic. The revenue distribution to the league's 10 schools for the 2019-20 school year averages $37.7 million each. That figure announced Friday, May 29, 2020, at the end of the league's virtual spring meetings was down only about $1.1 million a school from last year. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
MLB outbreak reveals college football's vulnerabilities

By Ralph D. Russo Jul. 27, 2020 06:48 PM EDT

This image taken from video shows Tennessee sophomore basketball player Josiah-Jordan James, Friday, July 10, 2020. The Big Ten decision to wipe more than three dozen nonconference football games off the schedule this year has sent a ripple of fear through athletic departments across much of the country. (AP Photo/Teresa Walker via Zoom)
The Latest: Tigers' Boyd back after negative COVID test

By The Associated Press Jul. 15, 2020 10:34 AM EDT

FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren addresses the media in Indianapolis after it was announced that the remainder of the Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament had been canceled. Warren, the first black commissioner of a Power Five conference, is creating a coalition to give the league's athletes a platform to voice their concerns about racism. Warren announced Monday, June 1, 2020, the formation of the Big Ten Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition, with athletes, coaches, athletic director and university chancellors and presidents. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
Big Ten scraps nonconference football games due to pandemic

By John Zenor Jul. 09, 2020 04:17 PM EDT

FILE - In this Nov. 23, 2019, file photo, Harvard's Devin Darrington runs against Yale during the first half of an NCAA college football game in New Haven, Conn. The Ivy League has canceled all fall sports because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Arnold Gold/New Haven Register via AP, File)
Ivy League suspends fall sports due to coronavirus pandemic

By Doug Feinberg And Jimmy Golen Jul. 08, 2020 06:04 PM EDT

FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby talks to the media after canceling the remaining NCAA college basketball games in the Big 12 Conference tournament due to concerns about the coronavirus in Kansas City, Mo. Big 12 schools still got a strong payout from the conference during the pandemic. The revenue distribution to the league's 10 schools for the 2019-20 school year averages $37.7 million each. That figure announced Friday, May 29, 2020, at the end of the league's virtual spring meetings was down only about $1.1 million a school from last year. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Big 12 revenue distribution down only slightly amid pandemic

By Stephen Hawkins May. 29, 2020 07:11 PM EDT

FIULE - In this April 13, 2020, file photo, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens as Vice President Mike Pence speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington. The commissioners of the major college football conferences held a 30-minute conference call Wednesday, April 15, 2020, with Vice President Mike Pence and stressed to him that college sports could not return from the coronavirus shutdown until college campuses have re-opened. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Commissioners tell VP no football before campuses open

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 15, 2020 03:28 PM EDT

FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, file photo, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes talks with guard Santiago Vescovi, of Uruguay, during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn. With competition canceled across all NCAA divisions due to the coronavirus, many foreign athletes face a dilemma, return home or stay. Tennessee's men’s basketball team has players from France, Serbia, Uruguay and Finland, which meant Mary-Carter Eggert, the director of basketball operations, became a travel agent, looking for the best flights. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
Pandemic fallout: NCAA slashes distribution by $375 million

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 27, 2020 01:22 AM EDT

FILE - This March 12, 2020, file photo, shows the national office of the NCAA in Indianapolis. The NCAA will distribute $225 million to its Division I members in June, $375 million less than had been budgeted this year because the coronavirus outbreak forced the cancellation of the men's basketball tournament. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
Pandemic fallout: NCAA slashes distribution by $375 million

By Ralph D. Russo Mar. 26, 2020 07:31 PM EDT

Goal posts and other training equipment sit idle at the Seattle Seahawks' NFL football practice facility and headquarters Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in Renton, Wash. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has instructed all 32 teams to close their facilities to all but a select few employees as a safeguard against the new coronavirus. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
The Latest: Peyton Manning drops in on Tennessee class

By The Associated Press Mar. 26, 2020 12:59 PM EDT

National Collegiate Athletic Association President Mark Emmert testifies during a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020, on intercollegiate athlete compensation. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
NCAA's Emmert presses Senate for 'guardrails' on athlete pay

By Ben Nuckols Feb. 11, 2020 02:31 PM EST

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney celebrates after Clemson defeated Ohio State 29-23 in the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Column: Long layoff, regional dominance tarnish title game

By Paul Newberry Jan. 10, 2020 05:17 PM EST

FILE - In this Oct. 25, 2019, file photo, Southern California wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. dives into the end zone to score a touchdown after pulling in a pass in front of Colorado safety Mikial Onu during the second half of an NCAA college football game, in Boulder, Colo. Pittman was selected to The Associated Press All-Pac 12 Conference team, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Pac-12 commissioner says missing playoff 'harmful' to league

By Ralph D. Russo Dec. 12, 2019 02:55 PM EST