SEATTLE — Inside the ballroom of a swanky downtown Seattle athletic club another small piece to the legacy of Pac-12 football ended Thursday.

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders have agreed to hire Antonio Pierce to be their next head coach and the two sides are finalizing the deal, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

FRISCO, Texas — Mike McCarthy sifted through several versions of selling his belief that the Dallas Cowboys can find a level of postseason success that has eluded the storied franchise for nearly three decades.

Eight teams remain. Four games to determine the NFL’s Final Four. Plenty of story lines.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami tight end Cam McCormick said Thursday that he is coming back for a ninth season of college football.

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, a mentor to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and a former star player in his native Serbia, died Wednesday in Utah after suffering a heart attack, the team announced. Milojevic, part of the staff that helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship, was 46.

CLEVELAND — For the second straight year, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has made a major offseason change to his staff.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will not ban tackle football for children under 12 after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom publicly promised he would not sign the bill if it were to reach his desk, blocking a proposal that had become a proxy for parental rights in a presidential election year.

Regrets, Sean McVay has a few.

HONOLULU — Camilo Villegas was laughing about the time he was disqualified from Kapalua 13 years ago on his birthday. That was long before he was married, had his first child and then lost his daughter to brain cancer. He has been through a lot.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Bill Belichick had a vision of building the kind of sustained championship football team that had rarely been seen before in the NFL when he was hired by the New England Patriots.

PHOENIX — The NCAA on Thursday took the first step toward determining whether President Charlie Baker’s idea to create a new subdivision in which schools directly pay athletes can become a reality.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers who want to ban tackle football for kids under 12 to reduce brain injuries gained ground Wednesday in the Legislature but still face a very long field and a clock that is ticking.

HONOLULU — Justin Rose is among 39 players at the Sony Open who started the new PGA Tour season last week at Kapalua, one of the eight signature events for the elite that offer $20 million in prize money and more FedEx Cup points than regular tournaments.

Nick Saban’s coaching reign has come to an end. His dominance over college football, however, will forever linger in the lore of the sport.

DETROIT (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double in the NBA, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 130-108 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

DENVER — Monty Williams lamented not pulling out his phone and taking a quick video.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Coach Andy Reid was asked what impact a frigid forecast might have for Saturday night’s wild-card playoff game between the Chiefs and Dolphins, and whether Kansas City would try to acclimatize by practicing outside this week.