A decade after Northwestern found itself at the center of the push for college athletes to form a union for the first time, the spotlight is once again shining on the prestigious private school. The university is facing at least 13 lawsuits across multiple sports with allegations including sexual abuse by teammates as well as racist comments by coaches. Some attorneys say the situation might have played out differently if college athletes had a union. Others aren't as sure. But they all agree: There's strength in numbers, and a union wouldn't hurt.

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." As it turns out, Scott's statement instead ended up reflecting what rival conferences and commissioners did. Scott didn't have a chance to negotiate a second Pac-12 media deal. He stepped down as commissioner in 2021 and his successor, George Kliavkoff, didn't land the deal the conference needed.

Utah is back together with BYU, and the Utes think they are poised for a successful transition to the Big 12 Conference. Utah will compete in the Big 12 in all sports starting in 2024 after accepting an invitation to join the league on Friday. This isn't Utah's first move into a power conference. But unlike when it left the Mountain West Conference to join the Pac-12, the Utes expect to be competitive from day one in the Big 12. Joining the Big 12 also puts Utah and longtime rival BYU in the same conference for the first time since 2010 when both schools played in the Mountain West.

The four remaining Pac-12 schools, California, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State, will have options if they are looking for another conference. A person with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press the Atlantic Coast Conference is exploring the possibility of adding the West Coast schools, with an emphasis on Cal and Stanford. Two other people told AP the American Athletic Conference is also interested and so is the Mountain West.

A mass exodus has led to a seismic shift in the Pac-12 Conference. The "Conference of Champions" suffered what could be crushing blows after five schools announced defections from the league within hours of each other. Oregon and Washington were the first to go, heading to the Big Ten. Arizona, Arizona State and Utah then announced plans to leave for the Big 12. The losses leave the Pac-12 with four schools and an uncertain future. The conference that has won more national championships than any other may be left with its storied history and nothing else.

A review of the NCAA’s business suggested the association should find creative ways to support member schools. 

Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers is accused of gambling on Cyclone sports events, including a football game, and has been charged with tampering with records related to an Iowa Criminal Division investigation into sports gambling. Dekkers is accused of using a phony ID to place wagers totaling $2,799 while underage and as a member of the Cyclones.

Luke Fickell seemingly faced quite the challenge when he took over at Wisconsin and tried attracting receivers to a program known for running the ball. Turns out it wasn't much of a problem at all. The arrival of former Ole Miss and North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo with his Air Raid offense suddenly made Wisconsin a much more intriguing destination for wideouts. CJ Williams came over from Southern California and Bryson Green arrived from Oklahoma State. Will Pauling and Quincy Burroughs followed Fickell from Cincinnati to Wisconsin.

Pac-12 leaders were presented details of a long-awaited media rights deal Tuesday by Commissioner George Kliavkoff. A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that the meeting concluded without voting on whether to accept the terms by the nine remaining Pac-12 schools. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Pac-12 was not making its internal discussions public, and gave no further details about prospective network or streaming partners nor the value. The meeting comes just days after Colorado decided not to wait and see what Kliavkoff could deliver and announced it would re-join the Big 12 in 2024.