By The Associated Press

The Pac-12 is adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State, starting in 2026, to join Oregon State and Washington State in a rebuilt Conference of Champions.

The additions will rob the Mountain West of four of its more prominent schools and successful football programs, most notably Boise State, and still leave the Pac-12 two schools short of the eight they need to have in place by NCAA rule in two years.

The Pac-12 and the departing schools will likely be on the hook for about $110 million in exit fees and penalties to the Mountain West.

RUSSIAN SKATER BATTLES WADA

By The Associated Press

When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear embattled Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency, the leader of that organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote.

No mention of the test became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport went on without it. The skater was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication.

The AP obtained previously undisclosed details about what could have been a helpful turn of events for Valieva during the probe. They painted a picture of WADA leadership wanting no connection to information that could’ve helped Valieva but ended up unpublished and unused in her defense.

WILSON SETS WNBA MARK

By The Associated Press

A’ja Wilson now owns the single-season scoring record but is unlikely it will stand very long. Wilson has been scoring a record pace all season long and on Wednesday night she broke the year-old record of 939 held by Jewell Loyd.

But four of the top five all-time single-season scoring marks have come in the last two years, including Loyd’s. Part of the reason is the league has several explosive offensive players and the WNBA continues to expand its schedule. When WNBA was launched in 1997, each team played 28 games.

From 2003-19, teams played 34 games and last season each played 40 games. Next year, each will play 44 games. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Wilson, Loyd or someone else top the number of points the Aces’ star finishes with this year.

THOMPSON EYES SOLHEIM WIN

GAINESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Lexi Thompson enters what looks like her final Solheim Cup as the most popular American player among fans, a team leader and a key contributor for captain Stacy Lewis.

The 29-year-old Thompson has announced this will be her last year as a full-time player. She has played in six Solheim Cups and is one of just two players on the U.S. team who has won it.