Athlete compensation
FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2019, file photo, Texas and Oklahoma fans fill the Cotton Bowl during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Dallas. In 2021, college football will attempt to return to normal after a season roiled by the pandemic while also adapting to a new paradigm in which the athletes have more power than ever before. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter, File)
College football 2021: NCAA reforms and pandemic recovery

By Ralph D. Russo Jan. 08, 2021 03:18 PM EST

FILE - Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller walks along the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee in Nashville, in this Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
Breakthroughs come on, off field in 2020 for women's sports

By Eric Olson Dec. 31, 2020 04:08 PM EST

FILE - Then-Democratic presidential candidate Corey booker speaks during the National Urban League Conference in Indianapolis, in this Thursday, July 25, 2019, file photo. A bill being introduced Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, by four Democratic lawmakers would grant college athletes sweeping rights to compensation, including a share of the revenue generated by their sports, and create a federal commission on college athletics. The College Athletes Bill of Rights is sponsored by U.S. Senators Corey Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). If passed it could wreak havoc with the NCAA's ability to govern intercollegiate athletics, and the association's model for amateurism.(AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
Booker, Democratic lawmakers introduce NCAA reform bill

By Ralph D. Russo Dec. 17, 2020 07:21 AM EST

FILE - In this Nov. 4, 2020 photo, The Supreme Court in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
High court agrees to hear NCAA athlete compensation case

By Jessica Gresko Dec. 16, 2020 12:26 PM EST

FILE - In this Sept. 14, 2019, file photo, Iowa athletic director Gary Barta walks on the field before an NCAA college football game against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. The University of Iowa said it would not pay a demand from eight Black former football players for $20 million in compensation for alleged racial discrimination they faced while they played for the Hawkeyes. The players also called for the firings of head football coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive line coach Brian Ferentz and Barta. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Iowa says it won't pay ex-players' demand for $20 million

By Eric Olson Oct. 18, 2020 07:27 PM EDT

FILE - Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence speaks during a protest over the death of George Floyd Saturday, June 13, 2020, in Clemson, S.C. This summer college athletes have organized campus marches, threatened boycotts, and been trending on social media as if they had just scored game-winning touchdowns without stepping foot on a field. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
In summer of college athlete empowerment, what was gained?

By Ralph D. Russo Aug. 31, 2020 04:41 PM EDT

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2018, file photo, Oregon safety Jevon Holland (8) breaks up a pass for Utah wide receiver Jaylen Dixon (25) during the first half of the Pac-12 Conference championship NCAA college football game in Santa Clara, Calif. A group of Pac-12 football players on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, 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. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)
Pac-12 responds to football players threatening opt-outs

By Ralph D. Russo Aug. 03, 2020 11:55 PM EDT

FILE - This Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, file photo, shows the Pac-12 logo during the second half of an NCAA college football game between Arizona State and Kent State, in Tempe, Ariz. The Pac-12 has set Sept. 26 as the start of its 10-game conference-only football schedule. The Pac-12 announced three weeks ago it would eliminate nonconference games for its 12 member schools. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso, File)
Pac-12 football players urge opt-out amid COVID-19 concerns

By Ralph D. Russo Aug. 02, 2020 11:01 AM EDT

FILE - In this Friday, July 3, 2020, file photo, Chicago Cubs manager David Ross gestures during baseball practice at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Ross was already stepping into some big shoes when he agreed to replace Joe Maddon as manager of the Cubs. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit. Now Ross is a first-year skipper trying to guide his team through a brand new experience full of testing and protocols and an unforgiving 60-game season. How well he navigates the unprecedented situation is an important slice of the Cubs' hopes for returning to the playoffs. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski, File)
The Latest: Irish rugby players taking pay cut

By The Associated Press Jul. 13, 2020 12:05 PM EDT

FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2019, file photo, Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga poses during an NCAA college football media day in Stillwater Okla. Oklahoma State University officials said Wednesday, June 3, 2020, that three returning student-athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 although they were not showing symptoms. Among them is OSU linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga, who said on Twitter he tested positive for the virus after he attended a protest in Tulsa. The 21-year-old Ogbongbemiga says he protected himself during the protest. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
The Latest: Detroit Pistons set to reopen practice facility

By The Associated Press Jun. 03, 2020 12:29 PM EDT

FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, John Swofford, commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference, announces the cancellation of NCAA college basketball games at the ACC tournament in Greensboro, N.C. The Power Five conferences spent $350,000 on lobbying in the first three months of 2020, more than they had previously spent in any full year, as part of a coordinated effort to influence Congress on legislation affecting the ability of college athletes to earn endorsement money. “In this particular case, the (Power Five) conferences are working together on this so that there’s less confusion, not more, in terms of the messaging to congressional leaders that helps explain NIL (Names, Images and Likenesses) and what the concerns are, and how it might work,” Swofford told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown, File)
AP Exclusive: Power Five spend big on lobbying Congress

By Ben Nuckols May. 19, 2020 11:52 AM EDT

FILE - In this is an April 25, 2018, file photo, NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis is viewed. College sports programs are already being cut and more are likely on the chopping block. The coronavirus pandemic has triggered fears of an economic meltdown on campuses around the country. The cancellation of the NCAA men's basketball tournament cost schools $375 million and more losses are expected, especially if football season is disrupted in the fall. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
Analysis: NCAA moves toward athlete compensation, but how?

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 30, 2020 06:12 AM EDT

FILE - In this April 25, 2018, file photo, the NCAA headquarters is shown in Indianapolis. The NCAA is moving closer to permitting Division I college athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorship deals they can strike on their own. Recommendations for changes to NCAA rules that would permit athletes to earn money for their names, images and likeness are being reviewed by college sports administrators this week before being sent to the association's Board of Governors. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
Skeptics loom as NCAA builds guardrails around compensation

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 29, 2020 06:25 PM EDT

Blake Lawrence, co-founder and CEO of athlete marketing platform Opendorse, smiles in this Aug. 15, 2018, photo provided by Opendorse. Lawrence expects opportunities for high level NCAA college student-athletes to earn a significant sum of money from activating their social and digital media presence on behalf of sponsors in the local community. That scenario could become reality as soon as 2021 as the NCAA figures out the details of how college athletes can be compensated for the use of their name, image or likeness. (Opendorse via AP)
Tech companies, like college athletes, eager to cash in

By Eric Olson Apr. 27, 2020 10:37 AM EDT

FILE - In this April 25, 2018, file photo, the NCAA headquarters is shown in Indianapolis. The NCAA is moving closer to permitting Division I college athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorship deals they can strike on their own. Recommendations for changes to NCAA rules that would permit athletes to earn money for their names, images and likeness are being reviewed by college sports administrators this week before being sent to the association's Board of Governors. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
NCAA moves toward allowing athletes to be paid sponsors

Ralph D. Russo Apr. 23, 2020 03:52 PM EDT

A locked gate is seen by the Etihad Stadium where Manchester City was due to play Burnley in an English Premier League soccer match Saturday March 14, 2020, after all English soccer games were cancelled due to the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. For most people, the new COVID-19 coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, but for some it can cause more severe illness.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
The Latest: Patterson donates $50,000 to TCU's crisis fund

By The Associated Press Apr. 08, 2020 01:32 PM EDT

FILE - In this May 18, 2019, file photo, jockey Tyler Gaffalione, right, reacts aboard War of Will, as they crosses the finish line first to win the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, in Baltimore. A measure in Maryland to redevelop Pimlico Race Course to keep the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown in Baltimore is scheduled for a hearing before state lawmakers. The “Racing and Community Development Act of 2020” is set for a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
The Latest: NCAA suspends infraction hearings, arguments

By The Associated Press Apr. 03, 2020 06:52 PM EDT

A ticket holder pauses outside a closed Goodyear Ballpark, spring training home of the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds baseball teams, reading a sign as to where he might get a refund for a canceled game, Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Goodyear, Ariz. Major League Baseball has suspended the rest of its spring training game schedule because if the coronavirus outbreak. MLB is also delaying the start of its regular season by at least two weeks. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Latest: Big South Conference cancels all spring sports

By The Associated Press Mar. 18, 2020 09:31 PM EDT

The desk of Kansas state Rep. Mark Samsel, R-Wellsville, honors University of Kansas sports teams with a sign depicting the Jayhawk mascot, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, on his House chamber desk of the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Kansas lawmakers are considering legislation to allow college athletes to hire agents and sign endorsement deals. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Kansas measure would allow college athletes to cash in

By John Hanna Mar. 10, 2020 12:22 PM EDT

AP Top 25 Podcast: Examining NCAA issues with former insider

By Ralph D Russo Feb. 14, 2020 09:57 AM EST
From NCAA investigator to college athlete advocate. On the latest AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, AP's Ralph Russo is joined by Tim...