Pac-12 football plans remain in holding pattern: Any plans for the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten in returning to football are on hold due to health policies in two states within the conference. The Pac-12 has reconsidered starting its football season this fall, but does not have approval from state and local health officials in California and Oregon to conduct contact practices. Earlier this month, the Pac-12 announced a partnership that would give the conference’s schools the capacity to perform daily, rapid COVID-19 tests on athletes. The rapid testing was seen as an avenue for the conference to begin playing football and other sports sooner than expected. The Pac-12 CEO Group is scheduled to meet Friday to discuss the conference’s options. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, speaking Wednesday, said nothing in his state is preventing the conference from moving forward with football and other sports.

Kansas Relays to be postponed: The Kansas Relays, one of the longest-running track and field events in the country, will be postponed in the spring as the University of Kansas tries to deal with a massive budget shortfall caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The school said in announcing its decision Wednesday that postponing the relays will save at least $300,000 from the Kansas Athletics budget, and perhaps more given the likely COVID-19 testing requirements. Until last spring, when the coronavirus pandemic began to sweep the country, the Kansas Relays had been held every year since 1923 with two exceptions: the outbreak of World War II led to its cancellation from 1943-45 and renovations in 1998 and 1999 to Memorial Stadium, which is also home to the Jayhawks’ football program.